RESTORE SUCH AN ONE
Those who have very little concern for the lost will notmake much effort to restore them to the Lord. Those who love the lost and are concerned about their eternal destiny will work and pray for the salvation of theirsouls. The difference between these two groups is thedifference between the spiritual mind and the carnalmind. This will depict the zealous and devout workers inthe kingdom versus the indifferent bench warmer whofinds fault and criticizes every effort on the part of thefaithful.
Galatians 6: 1 says: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself,lest thou also be tempted. "
Restoring that one who has been overcome in a faultrequires more than knocking at the door and scoldinghim for his sins. It involves more than sending a card, ormaking a phone call and talking with generalities.These things will help show the sinner that he has someone's attention, and that they are expressing someconcern for him. Restoring the lost requires an attitude of love for the lost and a respect for the word of God thatpropels that person to seek opportunity to communicatewith the one who has been overcome with sin and convince him to repent of his sins, confess his sins andpray to God for forgiveness.
There are so many hindrances to getting this workdone. I suppose that is the reason we have so few who are willing and ready to attempt to restore the lost to the Lord. Often there is little interest in and desire for the salvation of the lost in the hearts of those who claim to restore the lost. These will talk about how others oughtto be doing the work, but they will make no effortthemselves. Some will boast of what they have done inthis area, but they sometimes do more harm than good.
The Holy Spirit said the man to be "restored" is theone who has been "overtaken in a fault." The word used by the Holy Spirit for "overtaken" indicates one who hasbeen caught in sin without premeditating the sin; histerrible trespass overcame him. His "fault" was not simply a mistake in judgment or a weakness he may have. It was a serious sin which would cause him to be lost in eternity. It does not mean that the "spiritual"person caught him in the act of sinning and thereforehas the responsibility of restoring him. But he doesobserve that the person has been overtaken in sin, andhe responds by trying to "restore" that one.
"... ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in thespirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also betempted." Those who are "spiritual" refer to the previouschapter where the works of the flesh are in contrast tothe fruit of the Spirit. Those who walk in the Spirit willnot fulfill the lusts of the flesh (5: 16). "If we live inthe Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (5: 25). There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8: 1).
The "spiritual" one is sometimes too harsh and cold inhis attitude and judgment of the sins of others. I do notsuggest that one should compromise with sin to any degree or in any matter. Sin is sin and it damns one in hell if he does not repent. Godliness and love for thetruth do not permit any deficiency in dealing with sin.Love and kindness alone, without conviction and urgingrepentance, will not rescue from sin. If they could, no onewould be lost because God has unlimited love and kindness toward mankind. God is no respecter of persons and we sin if we show respect to persons (Acts
10: 34, 35; Rom. 2: 11; James 2: 9). The restoration ofanyone overtaken in sin is not a penalty, but an attempt to rescue him from the consequence of his sin. It is an actof love, not revenge.
The "spiritual" one is admonished to give heed tohimself as he goes about the work of restoring theovertaken. He is to do it in the spirit of meekness. In theprevious chapter the fruit of the Spirit includes love,gentleness and meekness (5: 22, 23). Here the spirit ofmeekness must characterize the one who restores the offender.
But he is also to consider himself lest he be tempted.Tempted to do what? Clearly it refers to the trespassinto which the one to be restored fell. One could hardlyhelp another out of a situation into which he himself hasfallen, or is likely to fall. One who has a reputation forgossiping, talebearing and lying or adultery could hardly do much with one who was overtaken in aterrible sin which was destroying him. Could one cry out to another who is as weak in the same area of temptation? The deceitful and seductive nature of sin and the persistence and subtlety of Satan should putevery Christian on 24 hours a day watch lest he beovertaken in a trespass. It is even more important thatone watch himself and pray when he is trying to recoveranother from sin.
The "spiritual" person who attempts to restore theperson overtaken in a trespass must remember wherethe power is that recovers the lost—the gospel of Christ(Rom. 1: 16). Opinions, personal evaluations of behavior, psychological analysis and conformity to denominational doctrines will not restore anyone. We must teach the truth and encourage those who are in sin to repentand turn to the Lord for the forgiveness of their sins.Every Christian who loves the lost, especially those who have fallen away, will put forth every effort to"restore such an one" to the Lord.
EMOTIONAL ARGUMENTS Human emotions must not be left out of our response tothe will of God. To ignore them is to reduce religion tocold, sterile formalism. But "zeal for God" without knowledge is equally barren (Rom. 10: 1-3). God's divinerevelation is first of all addressed to the human intellect. God proposes to educate our intellects by certain fundamental truths which must be understood and which serve as the foundation of fervent activity. This is the order of conversion. It may be illustrated as follows:
Intellect Educated —-> Emotions Stirred —-> Will Activated
Jesus said those who come to the Father must first hear and learn before they can come to Him (Jno. 6: 4445). "And he will teach us of his ways and we will walkin his paths" (Isa. 2: 2-3). In the Great Commission, theorder was "teach" and then "baptize" and then, "teachthem to observe all things" commanded (Mt. 28: 19-20)."The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared, teaching us..." (Tit. 2: 11-12).
This body of truth (the faith once delivered to the saints) understood, then the sensibilities are acted uponthrough the knowledge of the truth and the desire forthe promises contained in it. Our hopes are quickened,our desires are stimulated, our love excited and ourfears of punishment for failure to obey the gospel, are then aroused. "The goodness of God leadeth thee torepentance" (Rom. 2: 4). "Behold therefore the goodnessand severity of God" (Rom. 11: 22). "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10: 31).
Regardless of how much knowledge one has of thetruth of God, or how deeply stirred his emotions may be,there is no fruit borne until the human will is activated. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shallenter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the willof my Father which is in heaven" (Mt. 7: 21-23).
When emotions are stirred apart from the evidence ofscriptural truth, then trouble is not far away. Therehave been many instances of this down through the years.
Missionary Societies
In the last half of the last century, when disputesintensified over the missionary societies as a meansthrough which churches might act in preaching the gospel, the argument turned to emotion with many. Nobetter example of this was seen than in the impassioned speeches of J. B. Briney in his debate in 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky against W. W. Otey. He painted a horrible word picture of cold, hard hearts who were uncaring about the salvation of lost souls. Such words inflamethe passions of the hearers. The Lord gave a pattern forthe work and organization of the church and the missionary society was outside that pattern. Emotional arguments did not change truth.
Benevolent Institutions The promoters of the various institutions for childcare, or care of the aged, got emotional mileage out ofpicturing those who opposed the churches building and maintaining these institutions, as cold blooded, insensitive people who would let little orphan children die in the street before they would help them. The argumentwas usually shortened to "they don't believe in helpingorphans (or old folks, or unwed mothers)." That was supposed to stop all argument. Never mind that somerelief was to be supplied by individuals (1 Tim. 5: 16) and some by the church (same verse), and that the churchfunctions at the congregational level under elders and served by deacons (Acts 14: 23; Phil. 1: 1).
Divorce and Remarriage
The questions surrounding divorce and remarriage are an emotional minefield. If you think you have heard emotional arguments before, don't go away. You haveheard nothing to what you are going to hear. There ishardly a family among the Lord's people which has notbeen touched in one way or another by the tragedy ofdivorce. It is much easier to be objective and factual untilsome of our own become involved. Then, it is different.We are already hearing that those who stand where thiseditor does would "tear up families" and leave "desolatechildren." Everyone knows that the most basic of human emotions are involved here. Hearts and lives are torn apart in family upheavals. But may I ask a question? Has anybody stopped to cry for the scriptural marriage that was torn apart? Were there no broken hearts then? Were there never any distressed children? What of theirplight? Why is it that the emotional devastation of whatwas a scriptural marriage can be looked upon with detachment while those who have become involved in adulterous unions must become the recipients of all the sorrow while objectivity is lost? My heart bleeds for thesuffering of all caught in the web of sin, whether that sin be theft, murder, addiction to alcohol or drugs, or adultery. Sin always exacts a heavy price. It costs much more than we want to pay. But first of all, we will have to study and learn what the word of God teaches on this and all other subjects. Then with David we must learn to say"Oh how love I thy law." And because we love His law, we will also be able to say "I hate every false way." The issuewill have to be decided on the basis of scriptural truth.Hearts must be kept pure. Attitudes must be godly. But truth must be taught and upheld and all must be taughtto conform to it.
Emotional arguments are two-edged swords. In a debate on church support of benevolent organizations,the brother defending such practice hinted in his first speech on this subject about the plight of "poor little orphans." I responded by promising to get more tears outof the audience over the sad condition of those deprived of a family circle and subjected to institutional care,than he could and that I was ready to be tested on the matter. Then it was pointed out that when we got
through with all of that and dried our eyes, we would still have to come back to the Bible and study what itsays about the work and organization of the church. Hedecided not to pursue the emotional aspects of the argument.
In the matter of divorce and remarriage, something could be said, not only about the heartbreak of thedissolution of the first (and scriptural) marriage, butalso about the confusion and destruction of peace incongregations, not to mention the false hope generated in eternity bound souls. The thought of people standing at the judgment seat of Christ unprepared because theylistened to some expert who thought he had found aloophole in the Bible, ought to make us all shudder.What eternal disappointment! Those who want to injectan emotional argument to tar those of an opposing viewneed to be duly warned that they are skating on thin icehere. Let us settle all religious and moral issues by a"Thus saith the Lord. "
For forty-five years I have held a view on God'sattitude toward individuals who seek salvation in Christ, though they have been married, divorced andremarried previously, which differs from that held mymany brethren. Though I have not made an issue of ourdiffering views, or felt impelled to crusade for mine, I have never hesitated to express it when asked.
All at once I find myself under attack by some, being charged as a false teacher, unfit for the fellowship ofcertain ones who differ from me. This attack began inthe spring following a study with brethren in the churchat Belen, New Mexico. Because of the misrepresentationin the mind of some, here are the facts.
During the week of October 5-8, 1987, a group fromover the country met in Belen to assist in getting thecongregation started there. During the week I met witha couple who had left the "liberal" congregation andwere meeting with the new group. In the course of theconversation or visit they asked me my view on thecondition of divorced and remarried individuals, which I explained. They were in that condition, having beenbaptized after their marriage (as I understood them).They joined the new group.
Following the meeting a preacher held a meeting forthe church, preached on the subject, which brought upthe question in the congregation: What of this coupleand a recently converted woman (as I recall being told),On March 19th (Saturday) of this year, I returned from two meetings, then on Sunday (March 20) I receivedcalls from Lee Stewart, the preacher, asking me to comeover and present my view, which, he said differed fromthat presented by the preacher in the meeting. I begged to be excused, but he and Tim Stevens insisted that I come. Reluctantly I went, after they asked if six of themcould fly over and meet in my home. Why six air fareswhen one would answer! So I went over there. I left early Tuesday (March 22), was met by Lee and Tim and wewent to the meeting place. The meeting was private, andthey insisted we keep it that way. A friend of mine froma different congregation wanted to attend, but they did not want it. The meeting was to be private. We sat around a table, fourteen or sixteen I believe, and for an hour and a half I went through the scriptures pointingout the ground of my position, then we spent an hourasking and answering questions. I then left. They hadassured me that what they wanted was my view tocompare with the differing view, that they might makea decision. I didn't even make any special preparation,
just went as one would meet and discuss a matter. Imade some statement that it looked as if I would have to make my views more public; others know how I phrased it; I do not recall. The brethren were not satisfied withthe two presentations, but invited brother Ron Hal-brook to come and refute my presentation of my position.The video that was made of this meeting has been givenwide circulation so that what was to have been a private study has become a brotherhood issue, which is regrettable.
I make no apology for my position; I believe it to becorrect. I have no intention of becoming the focal pointin a brotherhood discussion of the subject. But neitherdo I intend to be put in a position where I cannot expressmy views on this or any other subject in which the truthof God is involved. Any who feel they must consider meunfit for their fellowship must made that decision,though I do not share such a feeling toward them.
Others may feel differently about their mission, but I do not intend to contribute to any division in the churchover this issue. If at some future time I should feel that truth will be served by a full presentation of the scriptural grounds for my position, I will exercise my freedom to do so. However, it is both my desire and my intentionto continue the practice I have followed on this issue forthe past forty-five years.
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are glad to give space forthis statement from brother Hailey. It is noteworthythat he did not deny the position which I attributed tohim in my editorial of September, 1988 "And WashAway Thy Wives." He rather confirmed it.
As to whether or not the presentation he made atBelen, NM was public or private, the fact is that theknowledge of what he said there has been spread far andwide. Also, when I wrote the article, I had before me anexcerpt from a sermon he preached in a gospel meetingin El Cajon, California in which he dealt with this verysubject. Was that just a private meeting?
Brother Hailey certainly has the right to teach orpreach whatever he believes to be the truth on any subject. So do the rest of us. Whenever such teaching isgiven public exposure, then we can all expect reaction toit from those who differ with us, and that includesbrother Hailey. Some have written about "attacks" onthis beloved, 85-year-old brother. I made no attack on him, but addressed the teaching involved and appealed to our good brother to re-study the issue. I renew myexhortation in that direction.
ANTIOCH — THE POWER OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
Antioch... — the name alone doesn't exactly sendchills up and down the spine, nor do we usually think ofit when listing prominent New Testament churches.Antioch's typical notability is that "it was one of thoseplaces Paul went." If ever there was a local church lostin obscurity and grossly overlooked it would be thesaints meeting in Antioch of Syria.
The Antioch disciples, the first recipients of the divinely designated new name of "Christians," forever stand as one of the greatest examples of what Godexpects a New Testament church to be. And, yet, howlittle they have been studied. We focus so much onJerusalem that we lose sight of Antioch. I am convincedthat every twentieth century church of Jesus Christneeds to go back and model the attitudes and attributesexpressed in Acts 11-15.
So many churches seem to be spinning their wheels inthe mire of mediocrity. The ho-hum, status-quo hasbegun to feel cozy. We seem more comfortable looking atpast struggles and stands for truth than at futureopportunities and obligations. How is it where you worship? What's the status of the local church where you live? Is the work growing, thriving and filled withenthusiastic vision for the future? Or... is it merelyholding its own? Or, worse, is it in a deadly decline? Weneed to go back and look at Antioch. We need to returnagain and examine a New Testament church that exemplified everything God intended for it to be. Everyeldership, every preacher and every Christian needs tocome to grips with the power-potential of the localchurch as demonstrated in Acts 11-15. Antioch... Have you ever studied it? Join us in a year-long look atAntioch. It is my hope that this great group of earlybelievers will encourage and inspire you to the degreethat I have been helped. God help us to mirror what wesee here....
An Introduction
The book of Acts describes in thrilling detail thegrowth of the gospel as it burned its way into the heartsof first-century men and women. If the epochal eventsnarrated by Luke do not electrify your imagination andstir your emotions then nothing could. Acts describes the turning point in all of history as the greatest message ever delivered spread across the Roman world.
It begins in Jerusalem with the potent preaching of
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Peter and the conversion of over three thousand. The Jerusalem church continues to multiply until numbersno longer suffice and the generic "multitude" is given
(5: 14). And, yet, God never intended for the gospel to stay in Jerusalem (1: 8). Judea and Samaria lay unconquered for Christ. The remotest parts of the world werestill wandering in darkness and in need of the Light.Thus, through the providence of God Christianitymoved on until "every creature" in "all nations" had a chance to hear the salvation story.
Acts 11. Antioch of Syria. Christianity has traveled some three hundred miles up the Mediterranean coastline and into the third largest city and commercialcapital of the Roman Empire. On the streets of thismega-population center there walked every kind, classand culture of people. Like all big cities, then and now,Antioch was baptized in depravity. Gambling was big inAntioch along with prostitution and homosexuality.Religiously, Antioch was a smorgasbord of idolatry,supernatural superstition and a breeding ground forevery kind of religious cult and quack known. Antioch was life in the fast lane offering the best and worstproducts of first century humanity. And, yet, it washere that some Christians came and preached, a New Testament church was established, and in the city thatboasted of being the gateway to the Orient the gospelfound its gateway to the world.
The great transition... "... speaking the word tono one except the Jews alone. But there were some of them who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the LordJesus" (11: 19-20a). Here hinges the world-wide purpose of God's eternal plan as foretold by the prophetic oracle (Isa. 2: 2). For the FIRST TIME thegospel moves into a non-Jewish city and challenges the hearts of the heathen populace. The result: "and the hand of the Lord was with them and a largenumber who believed turned to the Lord" (11: 21).
Why Antioch? Here is the reason the center of influence had to be moved from Jerusalem to another place.Jewish prejudice would not have allowed in Jerusalem what happened in Antioch. The hatred of the Gentiles and the power of prejudice was so strongthat had the gospel stayed in Jerusalem the churchwould have stagnated and been seen merely as anothersect of the Jews. God's wisdom did not allow that. There had to be a place in which Gentiles could freely come toChrist without the yoke of Jewish prejudice. There had to be a place where Christianity could be viewed asmore than a new patch on an old Jewish garment. Therehad to be a place from which the gospel could be sent out across the globe. There was. ANTIOCH!
1. The Antioch Christians were caught up incontagious enthusiasm. Look again at 11: 21. Whowere these believers? They were new Christians, babesin Christ, first generation saints; people who had seenthe Light and followed it out of paganistic darkness.And they were excited to be in Jesus! They understoodthe apostolic admonition to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!" (Phil. 4: 4). They were a happy, enthusiastic people who were not afraid tovocalize their faith nor show their commitment.
Enthusiasm. Nothing great has ever been accomplished without it. Christianity in Antioch was not somekind of boring, yawning, "when is it gonna' be over with" experience but, rather, we see a group of zealous new believers committed to Christ with everything they had.This church was alive!
Genuine enthusiasm for the Lord is not to be equatedwith pure emotionalistic religion. Pentecostalism exemplifies the latter. The Pentecostal movement is guilty ofelevating emotion above Scripture to the point that"feelings" determine truth rather than truth determining feelings. That's wrong! (Rom. 10: 2). That's sorry! But I'll tell you what's just as sorry, and that's NewTestament Christians who have the truth and fail to be excited about it!
In a lot of cases we have fought emotionalistic religionby jumping to the other extreme. Let me give you anexample. It used to be that brethren did not feel the leastbit inhibited (nor did they think for a moment that theywould be labeled "soft" or "pentecostal") if they responded with a resounding "A-MEN!" to an emphaticpoint of scriptural truth delivered by the speaker. However, today a man can preach his heart out and hearnothing but the sounds of silence. I'll tell you this—there isn't anything that will get my juices flowing anyfaster than a few well placed hearty "A-MENS!" Andit's the same with every Gospel preacher. What's happened? In fighting emotionalistic religion we havetraversed to the opposite extreme and taken anysemblance of emotion out of our service. That's sad. And... it's contrary to what we read in the New Testament.
These believers were just enthused to be Christians!There was no hiding the fact. There was no squelchingthe news. In fact, the news about them spread back toJerusalem: "And the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabus off to Antioch" (11: 22). Barnabus came. Hesaw the smiles. He could see the enthusiastic commitment. He was a firsthand witness to the grace of God atwork in the lives of these converted pagans and herejoiced! (11: 23). He then geared his preaching along onebasic line: "Don't let the fire of your zeal burn out"!
(11: 23b).
What a gospel preacher Barnabus must have been!What a friend to these new Christians__ What a patientman... for no doubt these young saints came to Christwith a lot of paganistic baggage from years of heathenistic traditionalism. Barnabus worked with them, taughtthem and loved them. He was a people preacher. And, heknew something else: for this young congregation to survive they had to make a commitment to strong, sound,solid teaching. That's why he came. That's why he stayed. To be continued...
GAMBLING (Part 2)
In our first article we saw that gambling involvesthree basic elements: (1) an uncertain event that is arbitrarily determined, (2) a stake (wager or bet) thatis deliberately chanced and (3) a winner and loser. These three elements can exist in many forms. In anyform gambling is a sin because it violates Bible principles.
It Is Addictive
Gambling has an enslaving nature. Horace Levinsonsaid, "Gamblers gamble as lovers love, as drunkardsdrink, inevitably, blindly, under the dictates of an irresistible force" (The Science of Chance, p. 26). The veryexistence of Gamblers Anonymous suggest that manyare addicted. They are servants of gambling. Theapostle Paul affirmed that he would not allow anything(even things lawful within themselves) to have that kindof power over him (1 Cor. 6: 12).
It Is Covetousness
Gambling involves an inordinate desire to gain without giving something of equal value. It seeks to get atthe expense of others. The gambler is willing for othersto lose all their time, effort and money in order to win. Ifwe are to have a life hid with Christ we must put offcovetousness, which Paul says is idolatry (Col. 3: 5). Thesame writer told young Timothy, "For the love of moneyis the root of all evil: which while some coveted after,they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselvesthrough with many sorrows" (1 Tim. 6: 10).
It Violates The Principle Of Love AndThe Golden Rule
The gambler doesn't really show true love for thosewith whom he gambles, for he is willing to take all theyhave if the uncertain event turns in his favor. And if such is the case, that's just the loser's tough luck.Actually gambling is stealing by consent. You may askhow could it be stealing if there is consent. It is stealing in the same way that dueling is murder by consent. Justbecause the two parties agree to a duel doesn't mean that it wouldn't be murder. Jesus said, "Thou shalt lovethy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22: 39). Paul's writingsindicate that we should seek the welfare of others (1Cor. 10: 24). The gambler also violates the most basicrule of human relationships — the golden rule whichis Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this isthe law and the prophets" (Matt. 7: 12). No gamblerwants to lose and be
taken. Yet he is willing to do that to others.
It Violates The Principle Of Stewardship
The Gambler wastes and squanders what he has.Most gamblers are losers. John W. "bet a million" Gatesused to play bridge for $1000 a point, match pennies for$1000 a turn, wager $50,000 on a poker hand and bethundreds of thousands of dollars on horse races. His advice was "Don't gamble, don't bet on cards, don't bet onhorse races, don't throw dice." The reason? Well, helearned about stewardship the hard way; he died brokein 1911. We must be faithful stewards of that with which we have been blessed (Luke 12: 42; 1 Pet. 4: 10; 1Cor. 4: 2).
Just think about it. How would you like for someoneyou had given $1000 to turn around and gamble with itand most likely lose part if not all of it?
It Violates The Legitimate Means of TransferOf Money Or Property
There are three basic means of transfer of money orproperty that are approved by the Bible. Gambling doesnot fit anyone of the three.
(1) Labor: This is where money is earned and paid foreffort that has been extended. Many passages deal withthis principle (Eph. 4: 28; 2 Thess. 3: 10, 12; 2 Cor. 11: 8, Matt. 10: 10; Matt. 20: 1-15; 1 Cor. 9: 9-10; Luke
10: 7). Gambling does not involve gain by labor.
(2) Exchange: This is where a commodity is exchanged for something of value, whether money or othergoods. Again, many passages support that principle(Matt. 13: 44, 45; Acts 16: 14; Luke 22: 36; Acts 4: 3237). Buying stocks and insurance both would fit thisprinciple. Money has been exchanged for something ofvalue. However, Gambling doesn't involve an exchange for something of equal value. (3) Love - Gift: This is where money or something ofvalue is given to another without any expectation ofanything in return. One might give something to aneedy person (Eph. 4: 28; Acts 4: 32-37). Parents may leave an inheritance for their children (Num. 27:1-11; Deut. 21: 15-17). Or one may simply givesomething to another out of love (Eph. 4: 28; Matt. 2: 11).None of these come under the principle of labor orexchange, but are gifts based on the principle of love.Gambling doesn't involve the principle of giving or love.Gambling Breeds Other Problems
The Senate Crime Investigating Committee (195051) as reported by Sen. Estes Kefauver in Crime In America, stated "Gambling produces nothing and addsnothing to the economy or society of our nation. Americawill be in a bad way if we ever resort to taxing crime andimmorality for the purpose of raising revenue to operateour institutions. "
Crime has greatly increased in those cities that areknown for their gambling casinos. Las Vegas reportssome 36,000 crimes a year. It has over 100 murders a year. It has the highest crime rate per capita of any cityin the US. Atlantic City had some 4, 391 crimes peryear before they installed their casinos. After 1980 they reported 11, 899 crimes. The Reno police department says that 75% of the embezzlement casesare related to gambling. Suicides for gamblers are up12% -15% above
the national average.
Gambling is directly connected with drinking, theft,broken homes, neglected children and murder. GeorgeWashington said, "It is the child of avarice, the brotherof iniquity, the father of mischief." Jimmy the Greeksaid, "When you put legalized gambling into a community, you ruin the community." Some ex-gamblers statein the Gamblers Anonymous guidebook, 'The greatestloss that resulted from our gambling was neither timenor money, which are gone forever, but our sense ofvalues. "
The FBI lists gambling as one of the six selecteddangers hurtful to young people. J. Edgar Hoover said,"Gambling is a vicious evil, it corrupts our youth and blights the lives of adults. It becomes the spring-boardfor other crimes — embezzlement, robbery and evenmurder. " Jesus said of some "Wherefore by their fruits ye shallknow them" (Matt. 7: 20). We know something about theevils of gambling by looking at the fruit it produces.
How It Is Promoted
Many think that gambling is all right in that it canbe used to do good. It will bring in revenue for the State to fund such things as education. Who would be opposed to funding education? However, the end doesn't justifythe means. We have already noticed that gambling inour communities doesn't produce good, but only moreproblems. But suppose it did produce good; it is still sin!As one brother suggested, if we legalize gambling tobring in revenue, why not legalize prostitution (as theyalready have in Nevada) and tax it to bring in revenue?Does that justify prostitution?
Because of the problems it breeds, gambling costmore to police than it can bring in as revenue for theState.
We can be sure that the State lotteries are going toincrease. Let's just be sure that God's people abstain from such evil (1 Thess. 5: 22).
TWO SONGS AND A PRAYER
Most of us have heard the old tune that churches of Christ are "scriptural" when they have two songs and aprayer before the sermon. Sometimes this statement ismade in jest, but there are times when the accusation ismade unjustly, and in all seriousness.
My experience with churches of Christ has been longand varied, covering a wide area of geographical, economical, and ethnic backgrounds. And, while I don't claim to be an expert on the subject, neither do I see howanyone else can claim to be an expert if they have notencountered all of those experiences of which I speak.
Yes, I have found some brethren who were set in theirways, and slow to make changes, but who am I to pose asan authority in matters of judgment? If it is unscripturalto decide how many songs to sing before prayer, why would it not be just as unscriptural to tell brethren theyneed to change that order?
Generally, churches of Christ meet regularly twice onthe Lord's day, and during the week for a period of Biblestudy. On Sunday morning, the assembly will generallybegin between 9 and 10, and the evening assembly willstart around 6 or 7. There are exceptions to this rule, andthat is exactly the point I'm trying to make. There is no set time, nor have I met anyone who said that there was.
I have known churches to conduct two periods ofworship on Lord's day morning, because the buildingwouldn't hold everyone all at one time. I've known congregations that assembled in the afternoon, due to localcircumstances. I'm sure there are other arrangements besides these.
As to the order of worship, I think I've about seen it all. One congregation where I preached met for several yearsat 10: 30 a. m. for Bible study, and sang only one songbetween Bible study and the sermon, with no prayer.They also met for mid-week Bible study on Tuesdayinstead of the usual Wednesday. I've also worshipped insituations where the ratio was more like three sermons to one song, instead of the other way around.
Brethren, have we ever stopped to consider that many of our times and customs have been determined after periods of trial and error? Wednesday is about half waybetween the two Lord's days, keeping brethren in contactwith one another at least every 2-3 days.
Times of assembly are generally determined by farmers, factory workers, office workers, distances from thebuilding, school activities, and yes, even by Daylight Savings Time. I've preached where brethren did nothave access to a rented hall one night of the week, andhad to plan their meetings accordingly.
There is nothing unscriptural about conducting thelocal assemblies of the church decently and in order, and in the best interests of the most people. And, when circumstances dictate a change in such arrangements,brethren generally have the good sense to make thenecessary changes.
I see no reason to change just for the sake of change,or just because some brother comes along and criticizesus for having two songs before the prayer.
What concerns me more is the preacher who says wecan observe the Lord's supper any day of the week; thatsays the church has no corporate or public worship; thatsays the church has no work to do, and no organization with which to do it.
Man was made in the image of God, and given dominion over the earth (Gen. 1: 26-28). If this is true, manshould have enough common sense to get in out of the rain. If he can do that, then he should have the sense to decide what time of day to meet for worship, and how many songs to have before prayer.
Personally, I think he does.
STUDIES IN FIRST AND SECOND TIMOTHY 2 TIM. 2: 14-26 "VARIOUS THINGS TO REMEMBER AND TELL OTHERS"
Timothy is told to do two things in verse 14. "Put thebrethren in remembrance and "Charge them that theystrive not about words to no profit." Men have ever beenprone to speculate and theorize. Many wordy speechesare made in support of various theories, filled withempty words, that serve no purpose except to confuseand subvert hearers. Often, when preachers of theoriesare asked to produce the scripture that supports theirteaching, they reply with syllogisms, suppositions, andthe meaning of words, instead of reading what thescriptures say. Listening to many preachers, you wouldthink Christianity is made up of theology, when inreality, it is a matter of learning the word and doingwhat it says (Matt. 7: 21-23; Jas. 1: 25). Timothy was to refrain from, and charge others to do likewise, a battleof words. The preacher can not save himself and hishearers by vocalizing theories with many words (the meaning of which is vague). Quoting scripture andshowing the meaning will, however, get the job done.
Instead of entering the battle of words over varioustheories, Timothy is told to study and rightly divide (handle aright) the word of truth (v. 15). Timothy's course (ministry) was to be the very opposite of the falseteachers, with their useless words and theories. Timothy is urged to "show thyself approved unto God ("Present yourself approved to God" — NASV), a workman that needeth not to be ashamed (does not need to beashamed). An evangelist does this when he onlypreaches the word, rightly dividing (handling aright)the word of truth. The Greek word translated divide rightly is "adokimastos" and literally means "to cutrightly." William Barclay says the Greeks used the wordin three different connections. "They used it for drivinga straight road across country, for plowing a straightfurrow across a field, and for the work of a mason incutting and squaring a stone so that it fitted into itscorrect place in the structure of the building" (p. 173).For Timothy, or any other preacher, to present themselves as an approved of God minister of the word, hemust walk a straight path through the truth, fittingeach truth into its proper contextual setting, neverbeing lured down pleasant or philosophical paths. Inthis, a good minister differs from the "vain babbling"(godless chattering) of false teachers.
Profane And Vain Babblings-Ungodliness
(v. 16-18)
A good minister is to shun (avoid) profane and vain(empty) babblings (v. 16). To profane is to corrupt ordesecrate something holy or godly. The New American Standard Bible uses the word worldly instead of profane. This is what is done when a teacher perverts thepure word of God or mixes human wisdom with truth.He profanes or corrupts "the simplicity that is in Christ"(2 Cor. 11: 3). Vain or empty babblings would be themany words (fair speeches) of the false teacher. Thiskind of thing will only result in more ungodliness. The"babblings" of men are compared to a canker (cancer) init's evil effect or results.
Two men are listed as examples of this evil Timothyis warned against. They were Hymeneus and Philetus
(v. 17-18). We have no scriptural explanation of just whothese men were, but they were obviously known to the brethren among whom Timothy went preaching. It isaffirmed that they had erred from the truth, and mentioned one thing false in their teaching—"the resurrection is passed already." A result of their false teaching isalso stated. The faith of some had been overthrown. The doctrine of the resurrection of Christ and the assurance we have of this hope for all is a vital part of the gospel. Their teaching about the resurrection was designed todestroy hope of the resurrection. Destroy this hope, andthe Christian's faith is overthrown. No clearer declaration or proof of the resurrection of Christ, and the Christian's hope, can be found than what Paul wrote in1 Corinthians 15. I do not know what particular theoriesof the resurrection these men were teaching. Some, inthat day, taught that the real resurrection of the Christian happened at baptism — a resurrection to newness of life: something for this life, not after death. Otherstaught that an individual resurrection was accomplished through living on in one's children. The Sadducees of Jesus' day did not believe in a resurrection ofthe body, and argued against it (Matt. 22: 23-30). Todeny the resurrection is to completely nullify and makevoid Christianity.
A Sure Foundation (v. 19-21)
Paul has just discussed some who had erred from thetruth and, through their false teaching, caused the faith of some to be overthrown. This might cause some toquestion the reality and stability of "the faith." Paulwants Timothy to understand, and to teach others, thatapostasy, no matter how common, does not nullify thetruth of God. Read again verses 12-13 in this chapter,where Paul affirms "we shall live with him, if we be deadwith him; We shall reign with him, if we suffer; We willbe denied by him, if we deny him"; and that failure onour part will not cause God to fail. Truth will always betruth and God will always be faithful regardless of whatmen do.
This is the truth that Paul restates in verse 19. Though there may be apostasy on the part of preachersand brethren, "the foundation of God standeth sure,"and the Lord can always distinguish between the faithful and the unfaithful. Every Christian, however, hasthe responsibility to "depart from iniquity." Iniquity means "lawlessness. "
Some believe the false doctrine of "once saved, alwayssaved" or "eternal security of the believer," but this textclearly teaches that believers can, and often do, apostatize and will be held accountable to God for their actions. If this can't happen, then why the "if in v. 12-13, and theexhortation to "depart from iniquity"?
Situations in the church that cause some to question the divine foundation, or "the faith" is illustrated inverse 20-21 by vessels of honor and dishonor. God's house today is the church and Christians are vesselstherein. Some are gold and silver while others are worthless (vessels of dishonor). What can be done aboutthis latter situation? Verse 21 teaches that wood and earth vessels can purge (cleanse) themselves so as tobecome "vessels of honor and meet (worthy) for theMaster's use." Notice who is called upon to do thispurging. It is not something that God will do miraculously. Of course, God is the one who purges or cleanses,but not without action on the part of the individual. Thevessel him/her self must take positive action. The "if" atthe beginning of this verse shows that being a vesselunto honor, sanctified, meet for the Master's use, andprepared unto every good work depends, and is conditioned upon, his purging himself— quitting his iniquity(lawlessness) and seeking forgiveness in God's way.
Timothy, to save himself and them that hear, mustrealize, and teach others, that Christians can apostatize, have faith overthrown, become vessels of dishonor,and become unprepared for the Lord's work. Such, in thejudgment, will be unapproved workmen and subject toshame. The foundation (truth) of God, including rewards and punishment at the judgment, standeth sure,even though many apostatize and fall short of the eternal reward.
Things To Flee, Follow, Avoid, and Be In Dealing With This (v. 22-26)
In verse 22 we learn that there are things thatTimothy and others are to "flee," and things they are to"follow after." The things to flee are "youthful lusts."Fleshly desires are always powerful and particularly soin youth. Special watchfulness and fleeing is necessaryon the part of those who are yet in the meridian of life.
Knowing the character, faith, and disposition ofTimothy, it is hard to conceive of him even leaning toward a fleshly, immoral practice. However, such a warning is always timely. The context seems to suggest,in this verse, that the warning is of the fleshly lusts ofself-conceit, pride, ambition, and the love of applause,rather than immoral practices. Being found in a settingwhere Timothy is warned about "striving about words"and reminded of the evil words of Hymenaus and Philetus, it would seem that Paul is warning more about thiskind of thing than immoral acts. But, the warning wouldapply to all evils springing from fleshly lust.
Things to "follow" (pursue) are "righteousness, faith (some erred from), charity or love (This would put downrashness in dealing with others, or God's word), andpeace" (Hasty words or personal ambition would destroythis). This is the action of those who "call on the Lord outof a pure heart." To call on the Lord is to worship Him,look to Him for aid and blessings, submit to His authority, realizing there is no other. This is to be done out ofa pure heart (in all honesty and sincerity).
Something to avoid is mentioned in verse 23. "foolish and unlearned questions." Paul warned Timothy aboutthis in 1 Tim. 1: 3-7; 4: 7. Go back and read the commentson these verses in previous lessons. Men are prone tospeculate and theorize, particularly about unrevealedthings (e. g. Where did Cain get his wife? What kind offruit was on the tree of which Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat? etc. ). Continued discussion of unrevealed matters, and men's theories, can only result inconfusion and strife. Preachers of the word of truth must avoid such practice.
Verse 24 tells the faithful minister, in his preachingand teaching, to "be gentle, thoroughly prepared, and patient." He is told not to strive (quarrel — NKJ;quarrelsome — NASB). In verse 5 Paul tells the Lord's servants to "strive lawfully" like one who strives formasteries. In verse 14, one is told "strive not aboutwords to no profit," implying one may, and should strivewith words that do profit. Paul does not contradicthimself in these verses, telling the minister of God'sword to do something, then forbid him to do it. Thesolution hinges on the meaning of the word "strive" orthe "kind" of striving meant. In this verse, the contextshows that bitter strife-heated words or quarreling, ismeant. The restriction is not to strenuous activity inteaching, or to Jude's admonition "contend earnestly forthe faith" (Jude 3). The words "gentle, prepared, apt"and "patient" show the kind of striving that is forbidden
— the opposite of this.
All ministers of the word need to take note of their manner of preaching as they read this verse. Some preach like they are mad at everyone who doesn't obey,or disagree with them. Such an attitude will stir animosity more than convert.
In the following verse (25), we see that giving instruction with meekness (Humility — N. K. J. )gentleness, and patience to those who "opposethemselves" (who are in opposition — N. K. J. ) is theway to bring about repentance and submission to truth. God grants repentance, not miraculously, but byor through proper teach-ing. God furnishes the message through an apt teacher, and in this way gives repentance.
The last verse in this chapter (26) shows that repentance, while made possible by God's grace, is the responsibility of the sinner, spoken of as "recover themselvesout of the snare of the devil." Those who resist and oppose truth, and it's proclaimers, are in the snare of the devil, willing to do exactly what the devil wills.
All preachers of truth should observe closely, and practice, the manner of instructing the opposition thatbrings about repentance and submission, if they are tobe successful in saving themselves and them that hear.
THE HEALTHY BODY
Those of us who knew Jane were privileged to knowa wonderful woman. And in the last weary hours of herpilgrimage here, as we set with her around the clock, she taught us some very valuable lessons. Not the least ofwhich was the courageous way that, with Christ, we canface "the valley of the shadow of death." Death came toJane as a sweet release from the agony of a body racked with disease and pain.
The human body is an amazing thing. David said, "Iam fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psa. 139: 14).Healthy and mature, the body is capable of accomplishing almost unbelievable feats. But when it is ravaged bydisease the body becomes a source of great discomfortand pain which often renders it powerless to accomplisheven the simplest of tasks.
Paul likened the relationship which we sustain to theLord and to one another as a body (1 Cor. 12: 12-27 and Eph. 4: 11-16). And so it is that when the spiritualbody is healthy it can accomplish great things. But ifit be diseased and sickly there is very little that it can do. Let's take a few moments to compare thespiritually healthy body with that which is sick.
The healthy body is obviously the body that is freefrom disease and, in this case, we are speaking of thedisease of sin. To be free of sin means that the spiritual body must be taught the truth, worship correctly, andwork zealously. Each "member" of the body needs to beliving a healthy spiritual life. There are some ways inwhich this healthy status can be observed on a local basis. A spiritually healthy body has...
MEMBERS WHO ARE ENERGETIC. When the body is healthy it's members are active, vibrant and busy at work. Paul's instruction to be "fervent in spirit"(Rom. 12: 11) is in evidence everywhere and in everyone.But sickness drains this zealousness. When the physicalbody is sick it is often listless and without energy. Thus,when there is sickness within the spiritual body, all ofit's resources are channeled to combat the disease within and it's energy is completely consumed internally. It becomes listless, it loses it's sense of balance and begins to show signs of fatigue. This spiritualfatigue makes it almost impossible for the body toaccomplish any good task. There simply is not enough energy.
MEMBERS WHO JOY AND DELIGHT IN WORSHIP. When one is physically healthy it's much easier to have a happier disposition than when ill. The Philippianchurch was a healthy spiritual body and no doubt couldfollow Paul's instruction to "Rejoice in the Lord always..." (Phil. 4: 4). As Paul commanded them "make my joycomplete by being of the same mind, maintaining thesame love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose" its nothard to envision these brethren joyfully gathering onSunday morning for worship. Surely they could sayalong with David, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'" (Psa. 122: 1).
MEMBERS WHO HAVE A GOOD APPETITE FOR SPIRITUAL FOOD. Sickness is often accompanied by aloss of appetite but a healthy body needs food to give itthe essential nutrients for growth. Peter taught us to,"like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word,that by it you may grow in respect to salvation" (1 Pet.
2: 2). With time and exercise comes the ability to digest"meat" (Heb. 5: 11-14) and further spiritual growth. A physical body stops growing and begins to suffer frommalnutrition when it stops eating. Likewise, when the spiritual body is not engaged in Bible Study as it ought,growth will stop. This becomes the first symptom ofdisease in a local church or, at the very least, it makesthe body more vulnerable.
MEMBERS WHO ARE FRIENDLY, OPEN TO ONEANOTHER, AND TRULY UNITED. I have been a partboth of churches that grew and churches that didn't grow and one thing I have noticed. Without exception inthe churches that grew the members were generallyfriendly, filled with love for one another, self-sacrificing,and intent on going to heaven and carrying as manypeople as possible with them. For a body to grow as Godintends the members must be filled with the attitudes of Philippians 2: 1-11. Not long ago I visited a local churchthat had a reputation for problems. Entering the building was worse than entering a morgue. There was nofriendly greeting, only a cold tension. The aisles werefilled with distrust and suspicion. I didn't expect to beinvited out after services and one can only imagine thatthe gatherings outside the building were probably not filled with conversation about how to best go aboutteaching a neighbor. Sick? Obviously!
Is it not easy to see that when the body is listless andwithout energy and members are uninterested in worship, cold, isolated from one another with no communication, that there is disease present? There can be nogrowth of the body when it is convulsive and feverousand it's members are quarrelsome, hostile, and bitter.This does not please God.
Paul wrote to the troubled Corinthians, "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord JesusChrist, that you all agree, and there be no divisionsamong you, but you be made complete in the same mindand in the same judgment" (1 Cor. 1: 10).
All of us want to have a healthy physical body and tobe a part of a healthy spiritual body. But that's just not possible all of the time. Sickness is a part of existence inthe body both physically and spiritually. Therefore, we must learn how to cope with sickness when it doesinvade the members of the body. It can't be ignored because this only compounds the problem. Can you imagine the tragedy of someone ignoring the symptomsof cancer or heart disease? And the point I want to makeis that learning to cope with these problems begins withYOU!
Each one must first ask the question, "Am I a part ofthe disease or a part of the cure?" Paul put it in thismanner, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith;examine yourselves" (2 Cor. 13: 5)! Only when we apply the "balm of Gilead" to ourselves can we be in a positionto help others. If the attitude of Christ (Phil. 2: 5) firstbe in us it will be contagious and others will seek todevelop it in their own lives. This will result in the goodhealth of the body.
May God give us all the strength through faith to fight off the sickness and disease of sin that so constantly troubles us.
HOW MANY RESURRECTIONS?
THE DIVINE MESSAGE: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the gravesshall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that havedone good, unto the resurrection of life; and they thathave done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation"(John 5: 28-29).
It is important to see that dispensational premillennialists actually have three resurrections, not two. TheBible teaches that there will be only one resurrection:
"And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, thatof all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, butshould raise it up again at the last day. And this is thewill of him that sent me, that every one which seeth theSon, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: andI will raise him up at the last day... No man can come tome, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day... Whoso eateth myflesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I willraise him up at the last day" (John 6: 39, 40, 44, 54).
"And have hope toward God, which they themselvesalso allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead,both of the just and unjust" (Acts 24: 15; see also Matt.
25: 31-46; 2 Thes. 1: 7-9).
The separation of righteous and wicked will come atthe end of the world, not a thousand years before (cf.Matt. 13: 30-50).
Premillennial Positions
The first "second coming" is the Rapture. The second"second coming" is the Revelation. In support of the first"second coming" the dispensationalist uses Genesis 5: 2124; John 14: 1-3; and 1 Thes. 4: 13-17. In support of the second "second coming" the dispensationalist uses 1 Thes. 3: 11-13.
Concerning Genesis 5: 21-24, the claim is made that we will be translated like Enoch. The passage six times in succession speaks of some who die. Enoch did not die but was translated. We, of course, affirm thatsome will be taken when the Lord comes; some, that is,who have not died. The passage proves nothing for themillennialist.
John 14: 1-3 again proves nothing concerning two resurrections. All accept the truth of the passage. Whatit does not say is that those whom Jesus receives untohimself will later be brought again to the earth with himat an appearing or revelation seven years or a thousandyears afterward.
1 Thes. 4: 13-17 is often used to teach two resurrections... one for the righteous and one for the wicked. Itdoes not. It does not mention the wicked at all or even refer to them. The next chapter implies strongly thatboth are together in reference to this "day of the Lord"(cf. 1 Thes. 5: 1-8). Furthermore, the passage teachesthat the coming of Christ is:
Visible. It will not be secret (see also 2 Thes. 1: 7-9;
2: 8).Audible. Sounds will include a great noise (2 Pet.
3: 10), a sounding trumpet (1 Cor. 15: 22), a shout and the voice of the archangel (2 Thes. 4: 16).
Final. So shall we "ever" be with the Lord. We will then receive our spiritual bodies (1 Cor. 15: 31). We willnot be returned to live in a material world on earth seven years later for a thousand year period.
1 Thes. 3: 11-13 is used as a last ditch stand to affirm that Christ will come once FOR His saints and once WITH His saints (millennial position). The fact is,however, that the spirits, the real beings of departedsaints, have not remained on the earth in the graves.They returned to God's care at death (Eccle. 12: 7).Christ will bring the righteous spirits of the departedwith him (1 Thes. 4: 14) to be joined to their resurrection bodies and all His saints, living and dead, willmeet in the air.
The Bible simply teaches that at the end of time,when God calls an end to the world, all the dead will beraised and a judgment of all will take place (Matt.
25: 31-46; John 5: 28-29; Rev. 20: 12; Rom. 14: 10-12; 2 Cor. 5: 10; John 12: 48).
Can We Calculate the Time?
The answer is "NO!" Paul said, "But concerning thetimes and the seasons, brethren, you have no need thatI should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in thenight. For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor painsupon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape..."(1 Thes. 5: 1-8; see also 2 Thes. 2: 1-4). Since before theMillerites who predicted that the Lord would come in1843) men have tried to determine what the Christsaid could not be known until the Lord revealed it in actual happening. A long string of "Adventist" effortshave failed. Do not be deceived by these claims. Befaithful, remain ready, and anticipate His coming never doubting that in His own time, Christ will appear.
THE SORROWS OF OLD AGEWITHOUT THE LORD
From Solomon, the man who had nearly every experience possible and then drew a conclusion after it — anassessment of what it really means — come these words:"These is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing forhis soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him notpower to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity,and it is an evil disease. If a man beget a hundred children,and live many years, so that the days of his years be many,and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he haveno burial; I say that an untimely birth is better than he.For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness... "(Ec. 6: 2-4)
Some of the happiest and most enjoyable people I haveever been around have been old folks. And some of the most miserable and bitter people I have ever encounteredhave been old folks. Some are obsessed with the idea that every silver lining has a dark cloud, while others see it theother way around. In the text, the wise preacher supposesa man to have seen the utmost possible limit of humanexistence. Solomon had been such a person so now hemakes a comparison. He estimates the worth of thisproud and protracted life: "If his soul be not filled withgood, I say, that an untimely birth is better than he." Butlet's take a closer look at these attainments.
- "A MAN TO WHOM GOD HATH GIVEN RICHES, WEALTH, AND HONOR, SO THAT HEWANTETH NOTHING..." (6: 2) The rest of the verseshows that possessions and the ability to enjoy them arenot necessarily joined together. With some, this is theultimate. But whether he enjoyed them or not, if hissoul was not filled with good then an untimely birth (achild that is carried from the womb to the grave) isbetter than he.
- "IF A MAN BEGET A HUNDRED CHILDREN..." (6: 3). Even though he has posterity (ahundred children!), even though his name will be carried on, even though he has demonstrated the ability toprocreate (Which men are often proud of), if the Lordis not first in his life "he departeth in darkness, and hisname shall be covered in darkness... he hath not... known anything" (6: 4, 5). Comparatively, he knowsnothing about the purpose for his existence.
- "AND LIVE MANY YEARS... YEA, THOUGH HE LIVE A THOUSAND YEARS TWICE TOLD" (6: 3, 6).
Longevity means nothing. Life has only as much value as it yields in a joy that endures. Methusaleh lived to be969, but what effect has he had on the world? His age isall we know about him. On the other hand, Jesus livedto be 33. His impact is immeasurable. It was "for the joythat was set before him that he endured the cross,..."(Heb. 12: 2). Counting time is not as important as making time count. Jesus continued to grow spiritually (Lk.
2: 52). An unknown wise man once said: "A man whois still learning and growing stays perpetually young and fresh, though he may be 90 years old. "
The Sorrows of the Man Who Has PassedThrough Life and "His Soul Is NotFilled With Good"
1. HE HAD PASSED THROUGH A LIFE, THATUPON REFLECTION, GIVES HIM NO COMFORT.Bad memories which cannot be shut out bring to him their load of sorrows. He had to make an inspectionwhich he cannot escape. The faithful can look back withpleasure and serenity but what anguish must arise inthe heart from looking back at a wasted life.
All the neglected opportunities to help someone downon his luck, to talk to someone about the gospel, to showkindness and appreciation for your mate, to develop a relationship with your children and instruct them in the way of life — these will be there to haunt. Most opportunities, once they are gone, can never be recalled. This isjust one facet of the sorrows of old age without the Lord.
If one has spent life boozing it up or using drugs andinfluencing others to do likewise, what happy memorieswill that bring when one is old and has little to do butreminisce about the past? Ill health and the inability ofphysical organs to function often follow a life of self-indulgence and self-centeredness.
If one spends his life in sexual promiscuity he may notonly suffer physically but pangs of conscience mayhaunt him to the grave. Such reckless living often breaks up families. There will be the memory of brokenvows and a mate he betrayed for self-gratification. Andwhat of his children and grandchildren? Neither he northey will have the happy memory of coming homeuninhibited to visit and talk over fond memories of the past, for there will be some subjects that cannot beapproached. There will be the constant fear and discomfort of saying the wrong thing. And there is usually a lossof respect for the one who did not respect the word ofGod. Often there is bitterness and resentment toward the third party who intruded (invited or uninvited) intothe marriage. "Children's children are the crown of oldmen; and the glory of children are their fathers" (Prov.
17: 6).
What is really sad is when such children have totallylost respect and won't even come around. No wonder he had no honorable burial (6: 3). They no longer careabout the one who never cared much. There is no way to describe this loneliness.
2. HE IS PASSING FORWARD TO AN ETERNITY FOR WHICH HE IS UNPREPARED. He already received his reward in his life of indulgence. We can think of nothing more dismal than sending an unpreparedperson on a life threatening mission. Unpreparedness for a crucial event brings the most uneasy feelings onecan experience. There are no sadder words than "thedoor was shut" (Mt. 25: 10).
3. HE HAS EXPERIENCED THE VANITY OF THE WORLD AND HAS NOTHING TO SUPPLY ITS PLACE. The world recedes and disappears. It rots,rusts, and corrupts (Mt. 6: 19-21). Those pleasures of sin,which were but for a season (Heb. 11: 25), are gone. Thejoy did not endure. Sin may taste sweet at first, but itleaves a bitter aftertaste. No one will enjoy hell, and yetone who had few spiritual thoughts in life will not havethe capacity to appreciate heaven either. It is a hopelessend.
Has God Made Provision to Take Care of Senior Citizens?
We have not spent this time merely trying to depressyou, as though that were an end in itself. Such would bea waste. However, the message is urgent and has a twofold application. (1) The young need to be warnedagainst the ruinous evil of procrastination. It may benow or never. "I love them that love me; and those thatseek me early (in life, db) shall find me" (Prov. 8: 17).Remember your Creator while you are young, ratherthan wait till your habits are formed and you are too "setin your ways" to change. (2) It is urgent that the agedgive immediate attention to the well worn path you are treading. There is not a moment to be lost for your soulis on the verge of eternity.
The Psalmist said, "I have been young, and now I amold, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor hisseed begging bread" (Ps. 37: 25). "The gray head is acrown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness"(Prov. 16: 31).
The author preached a sermon months back in which he stated that God says that women should be women,and men should be men. One of the listeners recentlyasked where this precept is taught in scripture.
Also, the author was questioned on another occasionabout the exact meaning of "effeminate" in the KingJames version of 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10. What is considered effeminate in one culture may not be considered effeminate in another. British men wear kilts without being thought of as "sissies." American men cannot doso. How does one determine effeminate behavior?
The apostle Paul condemns two kinds of homosexualswith the words used in 1 Corinthians 6: 9. The KJV uses the terms effeminate and abusers of themselves with mankind. This writer has concluded that the KJV best gets the message across. The NASB uses the sameeffeminate with a footnote: "i. e., effeminate by perversion." This thought gets a little closer to Paul's message, but with gays becoming more and more militant, members of the church will do well to digdeep into this subject. Can one think of a more exasperating situation than to have a male church member who acts like a female defending his behavior by claiming that he is being judged bycultural standards rather than by scriptural standards? What does effeminate mean? ... Macknight wrote that this word is translated from a Greek word meaning "catamite," the technical word for"a boy used in pederasty." "Those wretches who suffered this abuse were likewise called pathics, and affected the dress and behavior of women." Catamites were the passive partners in sodomy. (BurtonCoffman, Commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians, p. 87. )The NKJV has these two words: "Homosexuals..., sodomites." Footnotes are included which say "Catamites, those submitting to homosexuals..., malehomosexuals. "
So, the two words point to those who allow homosexuals to abuse them and the homosexuals themselves.
(E. M. Zerr and Berry's interlinear confirm this fact. )
But from where does the idea of effeminism come? "MALALAKOS... soft, soft to the touch... is used (a)of raiment, Matt. 11: 8...; Luke 7: 25; (b) metaphorically, in a bad sense, 1 Cor. 6: 9,"effeminate," not simply a male who practises formsof lewdness, but persons in general, who are guilty ofaddiction to sins of the flesh, voluptuous. (W. E. Vine, Exp. Dict. NT Words, p. 359).Here is the whole picture: the man condemned by
Paul is one who allows homosexuals to abuse him, whowas technically described by a term which gender-wisemeant soft and voluptuous. The proper term to describethis wretched condition is — "effeminate by perversion."If the reader has thumbed through the record albums indepartment stores he is fully aware of the effeminismPaul wrote about. From the Rolling Stones in the 1960's until today, there has been a steady increase in entertainers who act — effeminate. Today's teenagers areoffered a rich diet of pictures, words, and innuendoeswhich are designed to pervert the genders. And theSecular Humanists are out touting that people shouldnot make boys feel like they should behave in certainways, and that people should not make girls feel like they should behave in certain ways. A bill was recentlydefeated in California which made teaching homosexuality techniques in sex education classes mandatory.(The gays truly are averse to discrimination. )
Christians should not start "witch hunts" to find sissies in the church anymore than they should unjustlyscour the church for people guilty of fornication, liberalism, covetousness, or phariseeism. The point is that theBible condemns effeminism. Boys should be raised to beboys, and girls should be raised to be girls. Masculinityand femininity are good things (Gen. 1: 27). Perversion isabominable (Deut. 22: 5).
The culture in which one lives certainly does have abearing on how one behaves and dresses. But if thegodless fashion designers and the shameless liberatorsmake perversion popular, should Christians follow along? By no means. Who started the earring fad? Whostarted the long hair fad? Who started the bra-burningcraze? Not Christians.
Christians should never become slaves to tradition (Mt. 15: 9). But neither should they be on the cuttingedge of moral revolution. Elton John, confessed homosexual, once had a song entitled, "All the Young GirlsLove Alice." The gist of the song is seen in the title.Another of his songs said, "We'll fight our parents in the street to see who's right and who's wrong." He sang, "Saturday night's alright for fighting, Get a little action in." He sang, "Burn Down The mission." I always wondered about the meaning of "Philadelphia (city of brotherly love, gh) Freedom." Christians, young or old, shouldnot be protégés to such sinners (2 Cor. 6: 17).
Send all News Items to: Connie W. Adams, P. O. Box 69, Brooks, KY 40109
GEOFF VAN BUREN, 910 LaSalle St., Yakima WA — The work FELIPE CATOLOS, 82-D Caggay, Tuguegarao, Cagayan 3500,at Eastside m Yakima is doing well. Since July we have had fivePhilippines — The church at Dammurog was one year old in October,baptisms and some restorations. We have two new converts classes.1988. We started with two sisters who invited us to come and preach.We started with two people and now there are 17 in these classes.Four brethren from Palayag and Tabang also came and helped. EightMembers are bringing people from the community and the work iswere baptized from these efforts. There are now 53 active members. encouraging. Eleven were baptized in June, 1988 when Walter D. Bunnell from Francis, Oklahoma was here to preach and edify us. In September, sixmore confessed their faith and were baptized into Christ. We conductmeetings every Lord's day under a big tree in the open air. When itrains we find ourselves in a tight place in a brother's house. On December 4, 1987 I had a discussion at the heart of the communitywith the Jehovah's Witnesses. Their false doctrines were exposed andmost of the people in the community have turned away from thesefalse teachers. Now, you seldom find one of them roaming around thecommunity telling their false doctrine.
Brother Bunnell, mentioned earlier, spent one month here (June),in 1988. In addition to preaching here in Dammurog, he also preachedm other provinces such as Kalinga-Apayao Isabela, Ilocos Norte, LaUnion, Tarlac, Oriental Mindoro and in Manila. During his work here36 souls were won to the Lord. If any would like to have information about work in the areas visited by brother Bunnell, you may write himat: P. O. Box 52, Francis, OK 74844, or call (405) 332-4555.
JOHN HUMPHRIES and JERRY PARKS, both of Louisville, KY spent six weeks preaching and teaching in India, with a fewdays in Manila, Philippines and in Japan where they visited withBob and Bobby Nichols and Randy Reese. While their emphasis was on training and developing Christians there for more fruitfulservice, 107 were baptized during their work, 103 in India and 4 inManila. They wore in Manila when typhoon "Unsang" came across Luzon. Official reports from the Philippine government indicate heavy damage from this storm. Many were killed, thousands were lefthomeless and many vital crops were destroyed.
Brethren Humphries and Parks indicate that a great deal ofprogress has been made in the work in India. In February, GerrySandusky and Tom Moody will make another trip to India to teach.
ROY FIELDS, 5807 Golden Pheasant Ct., Dayton, OH 45424 — We have been working with the Northern Hgts. church in Daytonsince April 1, 1988. It has been a good work with brethren in harmony. We just completed a good meeting with Wayne Walker ofHaynes Street in Dayton. The church is as generous as possible inproviding my support. My average income from the church herehas been $515 a month. I also receive a retirement check of $231 a month. I have been unable to secure any outside support and what Ihave does not go very far. We are in need of at least another $1,000 amonth to pay bills and keep above water. If any can help, pleasewrite at the above address or call me at (513) 237-0434. Please prayfor our work here.
SWEET HOME, OREGON — The church here is looking for a goodsound gospel preacher to come and work with us. We can supply $1,000 a month for a year, and by that time, we hope things will bebetter. If interested, call Loyd Sloan (503) 367-3827, or VernonSturdevant (503) 367-6221.
It is inevitable that differences will arise among brethren. Some ofthese will grow out of a simple lack of communication. Some will spring from the difference between maturity and immaturity ofknowledge. Some will arise out of strife and vain glory. Some will comeabout because of the intrusion of teaching which is not according tosound doctrine. Of course, truth must be defended and error must be OK posed for what it is. But we do not need to treat one another asbulldogs in a tussle over turf. There are times to be outspoken and painfully plain so that all will understand. But the character of thosewho make up the "royal priesthood" should be such that we never losethe generosity of spirit, the kindliness of demeanor which causes usto act with grace and dignity. Even when we are dead certain that the question at hand is a clear matter of truth vs. error, there is a passagewe ought to always remember. "But foolish and unlearned questionsavoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lordmust not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, Inmeekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; Andthat they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who aretaken captive by him at his will" (2 Tim. 2: 26).
"I THINK"
In our teaching we need to be long on "thus saith the Lord" andshort on "I think." The world of religion is in turmoil enough becausehuman opinion has been elevated to the rank of divine instruction.Teaching must not generate doubts. "Possibly," "perhaps," "maybe,""seemingly," are first cousins to "I think," Luke wrote to his friend,"most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed" (Lk. 1: 4).
SINGIN' THE BLUES
Life will always have its genuine concerns. The sun won't shine all the time. Some days, it will rain. There will be times when whatevercan go wrong, will do just that. But why does every note of cheer orgood news have to be dampened by "yes, but you just wait..." To hearsome tell it, life has been "gloom, despair and agony on me." Here issome help. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of JesusChrist" (2 Tim. 2: 3). "For our light affliction, which is but for amoment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight ofglory" (2 Cor. 4: 17). "For I reckon that the sufferings of this presenttime are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall berevealed in us" (Rom. 8: 18). "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine"(Prov. 17: 22).
TO BRETHREN IN THE PHILIPPINES
I have tried to encourage the work in the Philippines since 1970.There are many good, honest, hardworking brethren in that nation,I used to try to answer every letter received. For a long time now, it hasbeen impossible to continue that practice. Some are agitated because they have not received an answer to a letter, or sometimes several letters. It is physically impossible to keep up with all of it. My work ingospel meetings, classes in Louisville and with the paper require thebulk of what time is available. That does not leave much time for personal correspondence. Further, many letters make appeals for funds for support, or for various needs, either individually or congregationally. Some are of the opinion that I can send any book they want.I do not own a bookstore. If I did, I would still have to pay for the inventory. I buy and pay for my own books. We also hear from many brethren in other countries. We are interested in the work of the Lord all over the world, and we are distressed when any of our brethrenanywhere are in need. We have done what we could, with our own limited resources to respond whenever we could. But there are limitsto that also.
So, if you write to me, and do not receive an answer to your letter(s), please do not assume that I have lost interest in the work there.Many have written since the recent typhoons struck various regionsof that country. Many suffered damage to property and loss of crops.They will need help, even as brethren in Jamaica and Mexico neededhelp after the damages caused by hurricane "Gilbert." There have been 18 typhoons to buffet that island nation just in 1988. Add that tothe unstable economic situation, the political unrest, and the general poverty of most brethren, and the stage is set for disaster. Many placesneed clothing, food and medicines. Churches need song books (evenused ones in good repair), literature for classes and tracts. They haveso little under normal circumstances. I have heard some brethren here say "Well, they are used to one calamity after another." That issmall comfort when your wife and children are hungry and your cropshave been destroyed and you are left without any means of supplying the basic needs of daily life. Anytime, there is an appeal for help, effortshould be made to verify the need, either from brethren you know tobe honest in the area involved, or from those who have personalknowledge of the situation and people involved. Check it out first.Take pain3 to "provide things honest" and urge those receiving help
| IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH BAPTISMS RESTORATIONS (Taken from bulletins and papers received by the editor) | 247 31 |