Truth Magazine

By Bobbie Jean Cook Burnette

Recently, I was privileged to accompany my husband on one of his foreign preaching trips to Jamaica, an island country about 156 miles long and 51 miles wide, in the West Indies. One would think that it would be no problem to cover this territory. However, this is not true because the roads are barely passable. In fact, I reason that this must be the “pothole” capital of the world.

As I traveled in this country I began to consider how so many things reminded me of Bible times. Thus, I began notes for this article.

First, I noted that the people are ready to go everywhere they can to preach and teach the gospel. It reminded me of Matthew 28:19. Someone has aptly noted that God contains the word go while Satan contains the word sat. Constantly teaching in home Bible classes as well as publicly was done. It was 10:30 almost every night when we would get home.

Secondly, I observed the poor were ever present. Not only did I witness poor as in poverty, but I saw the poor in spirit as well. Scriptures such as Job 24:4; 29:12; Deuteronomy 15:11; Psalms 34:6; 40:17; Matthew 26:11; Proverbs 30:9; 14:31; 19:15,24; and many others came to mind concerning the poverty of this people. Yet others came into focus such as Isaiah 41:17; Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20; and Zechariah 11:11 revealing the attitude of the Jamaican people who were willing to study and learn from God’s word.

Another similarity in Bible times that was so vivid was the presence of beggars on every corner, in front of prominent buildings, and on every hand. Again, I was reminded of scriptures such as Psalms 109:10, 20:4, and especially Luke 16:3,20-3 1, telling about the famous beggar, Lazarus.

Of course, one would constantly be aware of another great commodity so prominent in Bible times – water. Jamaica is surrounded by the beautiful Caribbean Sea so blue, clear, and wide. One could just visualize the Sea of Galilee, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Caspian Sea, very visible in Bible times.

Along with the prominent seas are also many rivers in Jamaica which flow into the Caribbean. As we traveled we could see these rivers as they joined the waters of the sea. I could almost picture in my mind the mighty Jordan River where John baptized Jesus and did so much of his work because there was much water as we find in John 1:28, Matthew 3:13-17, Luke 3:21-22, Mark 1:9-11, and especially John 3:23. This is basically where the Jamaicans baptize the sea or the rivers – for most of the buildings for worship are not equipped with baptisteries as here in the States. One can just see the Scriptures come alive before his eyes as he witnesses the rivers sweeping away into the seas as in Judges 5:21.

Rivers of pleasure abound in the country of Jamaica causing Psalms 36:8 to come into focus. They have a resort called Hedonism II in the city of Nigril where, I am told, “anything goes.” I saw several school buses in the city of Savanna La Mar with this advertised on them. When I inquired about its meaning, I was informed about this place. Later, in one of our journeys we passed this resort which appears as others with beautiful flowers, trees, shrubs, etc. Isn’t this the way sin always presents itself?

One cannot go to Jamaica without realizing that transportation is so much like that in Bible times. Donkeys are everywhere. One morning I walked out on the veranda and saw a donkey going down the middle of the city street. Very few Jamaicans own cars. The most prominent mode of travel is walking. Some ride donkeys or carts pulled by donkeys. Others do have access to public buses or vans. Bicycles are used extensively, too. Yet amid all this lack of commodious travel opportunities, one finds brethren getting to worship on the Lord’s Day as well as for their mid-week services which may vary from Wednesdays to Thursdays or even Fridays. On Sundays they meet only once but for three and four hours once they assemble, With treacherous roads, presence of robbers, pedestrians everywhere along the roads, and animals tied to the sides of the roads, Jamaicans can still be seen traveling to worship God not unlike the Ethiopian eunuch as in Acts 8:27-39. And, we will stand in the judgment with these same ones who battle many hardships while we have access to good roads, comfortable vehicles with air conditions, buildings with padded pews and every conceivable convenience, and still we find many who continue to forsake the assembling together no matter when it is!

These Jamaicans remind me of bands of disciples in Bible times, who, in spite of poverty, heat, danger, and treacherous roads, still met together to praise God and worship him.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:12,13).

The word temptation (peirasmos) “is used of (1) trials with a beneficial purpose and effect [cf. James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6]; . . . (2) Of trial definitely designed to lead to wrong doing; . . . (3) Of ‘trying’ or challenging God, by men” (Vine, Expository Dictionary of N. T. Words, p. 622). The first definition has to do with trials which test and/or prove a person; i.e. how real, sincere, or true is his faith. The se Genesis 3:9 could not have been more highlighted than when I listened to one of the Jamaican brethren tell of his labors in the sugar cane fields for eight or nine hours per day to be paid only the equivalent of $2.50 in our money. Hera, that same man was there each service that week singing praises to God, praying, and studying God’s word. I could also imagine James 1:11 and Matthew 20:12 as I listened to his story.

Other things such as storms quickly forming over the sea accompanied by floods would also remind me of Bible times. One day we were caught in one of these floods, and I was quickly reminded of Paul’s journey in Acts 27 and 28. Although we were in a different kind of vessel, I, too, knew in whose hands our safety lay. And, I believed God would protect us as he did Paul. Acts 27:25, “for I believe God.”

Zeal was so much manifested in the lives of the Jamaicans. Some of this is as in Romans 10:2. For its size, I was told Jamaica has more religions than any other country. Yet most is zeal without knowledge as Paul observed in Acts 17. However, we witnessed much zeal according to knowledge as in Psalms 69:9, 2 Kings 10:16, 2 Corinthians 7:11, and Colossians 4:13 in the lives of so many Jamaicans.

Certainly we could not conclude our thoughts about these similarities without mentioning that the Jamaicans are anxious as those in Bible times to triump through Jesus Christ. Scriptures again surface to remind us of their desire, as should be ours as well. Exodus 15:1, Psalms 25:2, 92:4, 106:47. The Jamaicans seem to thrive on the words of Paul in Philippians 4:13 when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I seem to hear the Jamaicans say to me, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Do these words resound in your ears, too?

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, pp. 556-557
September 17, 1992

By Lewis Willis

An incident in the ministry of Jesus, recorded in Mark 11:15-33, is the focus of attention in this article. Jesus had entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. In the temple he found common, marketplace trade being conducted. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of them that sold doves and cast them out of the temple. Jesus quoted from Isaiah 56:7 that the temple, God’s house, was to be “the house of prayer.” He charged that they had made it “a den of thieves.” Though what these people were doing was clearly wrong, the scribes and chief priests sought to destroy Jesus for what he had done.

The next day, Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem briefly, When they returned, as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes and the elders came to him with a question. “By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?” (v. 28) Jesus said that he had a question for them, which if they answered, he would tell them the authority with which he acted. He asked if the baptism of John was from heaven or from men? The Jews reasoned that if they said it was from heaven, Jesus would ask why they had not believed John the Baptist. At the same time, they feared the people if they said it was from men, because the people considered John to be a prophet. Thus, their answer to his question was, “We cannot tell.” Jesus said, if they would not answer his question, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things” (v. 33).

Had their motives been noble, the Jews asked Jesus a good question when they asked, by what authority doest thou these things? Had they been submitting to the authority of God themselves, they could have demanded to know the authority by which Jesus acted. What Jesus did was to expose their hypocrisy. Because they rejected his Deity, they were looking for some occasion to charge him with blasphemy. Hence, he knew they were insincere with their question, and that was what prompted him to reply as he did.

Nonetheless, we need to work a while with the question, by what authority certain things are being done. We will allow these hypocritical Jews to give us our thought. We need to be asking some questions about the authority with which people are doing in religion some of the things that we observe.

1. By what authority does the Catholic church ascribe to the Pope his supposed headship over the church? The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ, the Christ alone, was given that function (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18).

2. By what authority do Protestant denominations teach that salvation comes by faith alone? Many of them do, such as the Baptist and Methodist churches. The Bible says we are not saved by faith alone (Jas. 2:24).

3. By what authority do Pentecostal churches teach that we today are baptized with the Holy Ghost, can speak in tongues, and receive further revelations from God? The Bible plainly teaches that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was promised to the Apostles (Acts 1:1-6); that the gift of speaking in tongues would cease when the perfect revelation was given (1 Cor. 13:8-10; Jas. 1:25); and that the revelation of God’s will was given “once” and not thousands of different times (Jude 3).

4. By what authority does the Christian church use mechanical instruments of music in their worship? The New Testament is emphatic in teaching us that we should “sing” (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Jas. 5:13).

5. By what authority do some Churches of Christ build facilities (called fellowship halls) out of treasury funds for dinners and games? The Scriptures teach that “eating” is to be done at home (1 Cor. 11:22,34); and there is absolutely no assignment to the church to engage in recreational activities – it is assigned only the works of edification, benevolence and evangelism (Eph. 4:12).

It is evident that many things are done in religion for which there is absolutely no authority! It is surprising that this would be done when we are taught that every doctrine and action is to be done by the authority of the Lord (Col. 3:17). Respect for God, for Christ and for the New Testament demands that we confine our practices to those things they have authorized. Anything more or anything less is sin.

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 Jn. 9-11). This is a lesson that must be learned or we will repeatedly jeopardize our relationship with God!

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, p. 555
September 17, 1992

By Shannon Staffer

In this age of highly technological gizmos and gadgets, faster this and more powerful thats, along with a tremendous demand on us and our time to deal with our family, a job, our physical appearance, the brethren and so on, there comes what we so affectionately call “stress.” When this “friend” comes and invites himself into our lives he brings problems and more complications that can shake, crack, and crumble everything around us. If we do not have a sure footing then we are doomed to crumble right along with these things. When such occurs in our lives, what is it that could help prevent much of this and yet is the most severely damaged when these things do start causing us problems? Our confidence. This is an important subject because as our confidence in all these other things (family, job, etc.) goes down then so will our confidence in God, his word, Christ, the church, and our work in the church.

Dealing With Stress

How are we going to tackle these problems which we feel are “stressing us out”? If we are truly striving to be “Christlike” then a good does of humility will go a long way in the attempt to resolve many of our problems. We should be humble just as Christ was humble (Jn. 13:15,16; Phil. 2:7,8). Paul also exhorts us to have this attitude and disposition (Col. 3:12; Eph. 4:1,2). If we are humble about our situation at work then maybe it won’t be us saying, “the boss just doesn’t like me, that’s why I have been so much trouble at work” – or at home “why are you being so hard to get along with?”, but rather we will be looking to ourselves and evaluating what kind of employee, husband, or wife, etc. we are being.

But, even with a more humble attitude we can still lack confidence, so we must also remember God’s promises. The key to remembering and having confidence in God’s promises is to note God’s faithfulness in keeping his promises. God has been faithful to his people for centuries, as long as they followed him. We must learn to appreciate and have confidence in the fact that “God is faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 2 Thess. 3:3). And, when these problems do seem to get the best of us, never forget that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). Truly this is a great blessing and source for our confidence which takes so many blows in our daily lives.

As we wrestle with these problems which plague us and destroy our confidence, we must also simply do what’s right and feel good about it. Think about when you repair or build something. When you put a little time and effort into it, what happens? “Wow, it works better than ever” or “I think that is the best looking project I’ve ever finished.” So it is with our service to the Lord. When we put some effort and time into it and we know we are doing what is right then we feel good and we should. Do what’s right and feel good about it; it will boost your confidence. You won’t be sorry.

Finally, as we seek to deal with stress and keep our confidence up we need to “remember Job.” As I use that phrase it sounds like a cliche but I believe it applies tremendously in this situation. Consider with me. When things start going wrong in our lives and it seems like we can’t win for losing, what do we usually do? We start getting down on ourselves and everything around us. We think of how tremendous our problems are and how no one’s problems are as big or complicated as ours. At this point we really do need to be pitied, not because we have so many problems, but because of our height of selfishness. We need to stop and take note of two or three people who have more problems than we do. We need to “remember Job” and some “Job’s” that we know personally to help us overcome our selfishness.

Why Do We Lack Confidence?

We have talked about these things that play havoc with our lives and some ways to deal with them. That is all fine and good, but really, why do we lack confidence? I believe one of the biggest reasons is fear. We lack confidence many times because we are simply afraid. We fear teaching the gospel and begin to offer more excuses than one could imagine. But you don’t have to be afraid of your inadequacy to teach. It will not be our wonderful teaching that changes men’s hearts, but Paul said that the “gospel of Christ” is the “power of God unto salvation ” (Rom. 1:16). True, there needs to be some study and training on our part, but we can’t be afraid to teach people because we are too busy saying “I can’t ” or “I don’t know enough.” This attitude has caused many Christians to sit back and do nothing. We recognize in business, sports and almost every other part of life that if we say we can’t, then we won’t. Why then when it comes to the work of the Lord’s church do we not oppose and correct this attitude the same way we do in other things. If this attitude is allowed to prevail then we will be in that group in Revelation 21:8, who are “cowardly” and will take “their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.”

We have already discussed at some length another reason why people lack confidence, that being stress. Take a moment though and ask yourself, “I wonder if Paul ever had any stress; anything to be concerned about?” Read 2 Corinthians 11:24-28. Notice verse 28, “besides the other things”: Paul says this list is not complete but besides all that was his “deep concern for all the churches. ” Paul loved all those churches that he had been a part of and he was concerned about them on a daily basis. So then the question comes back to us. Are we that concerned about the congregations which we attend or when problems come along does that immediately separate us from our brethren? Do I become so wrapped up in my own selfish, oftentimes insignificant, problems that I do not see or even care about what is going on in the church? Or, do I have Paul’s attitude?

A third reason we lack confidence is because the world keeps telling us that circumstances mean everything. Just watch TV for a little while and notice that if you don’t live in the right place, use the right deodorant, or the right toothpaste, then you are a nobody! We become discontented with who we are and what we have and it is difficult if not impossible for us to express the atittude that Paul did in Philippians 4:11. As our confidence begins to slide we hear ourselves saying as we look into God’s word, “yes, but that was Abraham or Paul, etc.” Look at Hebrews 11 for a few moments and notice that list of people. Think about some of the circumstances in which they found themselves. I take it that one reason these people are listed for us is so that we can look at those individuals and think about what they overcame. They were striving to serve the Lord day by day and we can overcome just like they did in their lifetime. Circumstances do not mean everything!

Some Examples

Before we close let us look at a couple of examples to illustrate what we have been talking about. Contemplate David as he goes out to check on his brothers who are at war with the Philistines. As he approaches the battlefield, instead of a battle, he sees a giant man standing in the valley shouting and taunting the host of Israel. After some inquiry into the situation David determined that he would go out and fight this Philistine. But wait a minute David, you are just going to go out there and get yourself killed. You, better just sit in the camp for a while and discuss the situation with all of the other soldiers. There was no stopping David though, and why was that? Because David placed his confidence in God. He had the battle won before he even stepped out of the camp. David lived the principle long before Paul penned Philippians 4:13. We as Christians need to take a lesson.

Consider also Peter, in a very familiar passage in Matthew 14:22-33. The account is when Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water. As Peter had requested to come to the Lord on the water he came down out of the boat and began walking to Jesus. When Peter began to look around and saw the waves crashing and felt the wind gusting he began to sink. He then cried out and the Lord pulled Peter out of the water and said “O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?” As we have been thinking together we haven’t really been talking about confidence, we have been talking about faith.

Let us look at one more example which is found in Luke 17:4-6. As the Lord talked to his disciples about forgiveness, He told them them if a brother were to sin against them seven times in one day and repented then he was to be forgiven. Seven times in one day! The apostles immediately began to think about how difficult this would be and so they said, “Lord, increase our faith.” But the Lord said that it was not more faith they needed, but that they simply needed to use the faith they had already. Likewise, we need to learn to use the faith that we have because we too do not need more faith but a better use of what we already possess.

Conclusion

So then let us remember these things and not let Satan tear us down and destroy our faith. Brethren, it is my hope and prayer that we could all reiterate the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7 at the end of our life and says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Amen.

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, pp. 558-559
September 17, 1992

By Anonymous

We are our brother’s keeper. Not only does the parable of the Good Samaritan tell us so in Luke 10:30, but the Bible is a reference book on caring. We are to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2,5), bear the infirmities of the weak (Rom. 15:1), and weep with them that weep (Rom. 12:15). Yet in the midst of our caring, we must be aware of ourselves and the position in which we put ourselves by having that concern.

Those of our number who are troubled, lonely, or depressed and who come to us for counsel are vulnerable. Any professional counselor is trained to respect that fact. And if there is a difference in gender involved, it is the wise care giver or friend who will be cautious.

Anyone who becomes a confidant to a person of the opposite sex must be aware of the dangers. Dangerous to be “a friend” to someone in trouble? Yes. There are too many documented cases of sexual involvement and the resultant broken marriages which grew from what started out as innocent friendships. The tone of the relationship can change from casual to intimate at the point of the sharing of a personal problem with which one of the parties is struggling.

How Vulnerable Is the Helper?

At times, we who would reach out to help a friend over estimate our strength and self-control. Not only is the perplexed friend at risk of being vulnerable, but so is the helper. The need to be needed is basic. It fulfills us. We may be overwhelmed by the appreciation shown us for our understanding and complimented by the trust our friend has in us. A bond can easily develop. There may be a sense of security in this new relationship we share.

Though we may recognize the dangers involved in an alliance for assistance, we can allow ourselves to feel obligated. Thoughts such as the following may haunt us: “He/She needs me – I wouldn’t be a good Christian if I desert him/her,” or “If I reject this person, it may be the last straw for him/her and I’d be responsible.”

The Nature of the Problem

All too often people are innocently pulled into relationships, not suspecting that the temptations can pull them under. Like a whirlpool that traps them unexpectedly, their resolve to resist temptation can be swept away before they are even aware that it is gone.

Mark (not his real name) worked in a store with an attractive married woman. She began to talk to him about her problems at home. Her husband drank too much and her life was miserable. He sympathized. She confided and he listened, giving her the understanding she was not getting at home. He told his roommate about her terrible plight. He warned him not to get too close to the situation. Mark agreed and said it would never happen. It was just not that kind of relationship. The friendship grew. The roommate warned more vehemently. By now Mark was miserable. He knew this was a relationship that was becoming dangerous. He even said he knew that it would be wrong and that he was going to stay away from her. The attempt to leave her and her problems alone lasted only days. The next development that his roommate heard about was the first time Mark spent the night with her. Devastated by his fellow Christian’s adulterous act, his roommate moved out. Mark was not inspired to leave the woman who was now his lover.

Practical Solutions

So what is the answer to what can become a problem leading to sin? The solution is probably as simple as using common sense and a dose of assertiveness.

Mark knew when the tenor of his relationship with his female friend at work was changing. All of us can feel it when temptation is there. Joseph knew when to leave his cloak in the hands of Potiphar’s wife and run away from her as fast as he could. The price he paid for the right decision was high. But he retained his honor and the Lord rewarded him. There are still sacrifices that must be made for doing that which is right.

Being worried about hurting the feelings of your friend or offending them may block your appropriate responses. Be aware that even if you are the only one who feels uncomfortable, your feelings count. You would be naive to overlook those feelings. You have spent years in Bible study trying to train your conscience. Don’t turn it off now when it strives to protect you. You can still be kind, but with that kindness you must also be assertive. Responses such as the following are completely appropriate:

“I am no longer comfortable with this. . .”

“You need more help than I can give; you need to talk to one of the elders (older church member, see a counselor)

who is more equipped to help you.”

“I have to be honest with you, I feel like I’m becoming too emotionally involved with your problems. I need to step back.”

Overcoming Over-Involvement

If your friendship with someone of the opposite sex has reached the realm of over-involvement, you need to be keenly aware of that. Many times the fact that you may have to deal with that person at work or at school or at church places the burden on you to be watchful. Innocent comments to or routine involvement with your friend may now take on different connotations than they once did. Now everything is seen through different eyes and may be distorted in importance in your friend’s mind.

Wisdom would lead you to be cautious. It would be to your advantage to consider the following:

1. Don’t be alone with your friend. This can be misconstrued by your friend as well as others. It puts you in jeopardy of being misunderstood. It leaves you open to accusation for which you have no defense because you have no witnesses.

2. Don’t allow your space to be violated. Your home is your space. Your car is your space. The area around your person (most say, a radius of two feet) is your space. If you are uncomfortable admitting someone into any of those areas, say so. It may take courage, but steel yourself and speak up. If someone comes to your home and you are not comfortable inviting them inside, either say so or step outside with them and carry on a brief conversation there. It is a public area. They will feel that and qet the idea. You are not being rude, you are simply maintaining your comfort level.

3. Don’t make that person a part of your life to any greater extent (and don’t be afraid to pull back your involvement when something inside, call it conscience if you will, tells you to do so). Again we’re talking comfort level. There will be shared activities that may not be avoided at work, school or church, but scheduling activities in which your friend is involved may be asking for too much interaction. Certain invitations need to be kindly rejected. Yes, you risk hurting that friend’s feelings. But the greater risk may be more familiarity and an increased sense of intimacy between you and the friend you are trying to distance.

4. Do stay busy with other people and other activities and say that you’re busy. Absence may be just the thing needed to cool the fires or extinguish the spark before the flames erupt. You may in this manner encourage your troubled friend to get help that is appropriate. Taking away the prop that you have provided will often force a person to stand on his or her own or to lean more heavily toward a more appropriate helper.

Don’t beat yourself up for caring. We must love one another. It is required by God. The scriptural references in a concordance under the word “love” fill the page. In each of our lives there are opportunities after opportunities for helping. There are friends in various stages of development physically, spiritually and emotionally who need our understanding. All we have to keep in mind is that we do not do anything in a vacuum. There are factors to consider in any relationship we undertake.

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, pp. 560-561
September 17, 1992