David Neal............................ .Joe Ferrell
PM...Bob Hedges..................Fred Harkrider, Jr
ATTENDANCE COUNTER.........Grady Duncan
TRANSPORTATION......Those needing transportation can call;
Frankie Sargent at 903-572-2647
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Family News and Notes
Copies of the Minutes from the Men's Business Meeting and Financial Report for the month ending May 31 are available on the table in the foyer. Please feel free to take one if you are interested.
Please don't forget to stay tuned to the Summer Youth Series each week. Our young people are encouraged to attend these sessions. Remember that Monday night the session will be at Oak Grove church of Christ with Perry Cowan as Speaker. Subject: Daniel "Dare to be a Daniel". We had 62 present for the first Monday night.
What was shown in the bulletin for the previous week's contribution was in error. It should have read $4,191.25.
Keith Fetters (Jim Duncan's step father) had a stroke about 2 weeks ago but he does not seem to have any permanent damage as a result.
Bud Roach is now in rehab following surgery on his knee. He has been moved to Room 512 at Titus Regional Medical Center. He is doing well at this time.
Sandra Cooper was admitted to M. D. Anderson in Houston last Wednesday. She has been having breathing problems and was scheduled to have a lung scope test.
Ruth Taylor passed away last weekend in Arkansas. Her funeral was conducted at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 at North Jefferson church of Christ with burial at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Titus County.
Edith Shiflet is at home with pneumonia.
THANK YOU "To the Ladies Bible Class: Your friendship is a treasure for my heart. I love you all and enjoy hearing from you. I hope to get to come that way soon. Love to all"
Ettie Wright
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THE FATHERHOOD CYCLE
4 years: "My Daddy can do anything."
7 years: "My Dad knows a lot, a whole lot."
12 years: "Oh, well - naturally - Father doesn't
know that either."
14 years: "Father? Hopelessly old-fashioned."
21 years: "Oh, that man is so out-of-date.
25 years: "He knows a little bit about it but what
did you expect?" not much."
30 years: "Maybe we ought to find out what Dad
thinks."
35 years: "Let's ask Dad what he would do before
we make a decision."
40 years: "I wonder what Dad would have thought
about that? He was pretty smart."
50 years: "My Dad knew absolutely everything."
60 years: "I'd give anything if Dad were here so I
could talk this over with him. I really
miss that man."
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PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Louis Bell, Iona Carpenter, Billy Carter,
Geneva Cooksey, Woodrow Cooksey, Sandra Cooper,
Barbara Duncan, Julia Ethridge, Howard Horton, Corine Hudson, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee, Ruby Pipkin, Meryl Riley, Bud Roach, Dorothy Robertson, Murphy Ross, Edith Shiflet
ALSO: Donald Deaton, Tillman Ethridge, Linda Ferrell, Keith Fetters, Minnie Moore
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Tom's Pen
Confronting Issues
by Tom Wacaster
A number of years ago I was checking on some work following my return from South Africa. I sent out a number of resumes along with questions about the congregation to which I was applying and answered questions they had sent me. It is unfortunate that the Lord's church is in such a state of disarray that some of the questions being asked (by preachers and congregations alike) need to be asked at all. Some of those interviews were quite interesting. There were some congregations, thankfully, who were open and candid about the issues, and those calling me would ask some very pointed and direct questions (as they should). Others seem to be more interested in employing a hireling to do the work of the church while at the same time manifesting a poor attitude about issues in the Lord's church. In fact I had one brother affirm that the congregation he represented refused to be "issue oriented." When I asked him what he meant, he told me that they simply did not want their preacher getting embroiled in the issues facing the church - AT ALL! So what about issues? Can the local congregation simply "ignore" brotherhood issues? Please consider the following.
When I was a little boy I would watch some of the old western movies and television programs. When the bad guys would flee the men in the "white hats" would take the initiative and "head them off at the pass." Our heroes were not afraid to face the enemy head on. Great leaders of the past, in both the secular and spiritual fray, were men of courage. More often than not a good leader will take the initiative. They believe that an "ounce of prevention was worth more than a pound of cure." There is no such thing as "issueless Christianity." Our Lord lived among the most outspoken and radical false teachers of His day. He would speak boldly on issues, teaching the truth and exposing error. Like our western heroes, our Lord would take on the enemy and "head them off at the pass." He was the Master Controversialist. Were I to ask if Jesus addressed the "issues" of His day, doubtless none would answer in the negative.
The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:18). If we are the body of Christ, do we not represent Christ? Are we not (as we have often heard said) His hands, His feet, etc? Paul said that the church is the "pillar and support of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). We are to "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3). How can we fulfill these two sacred obligations if we do not address issues? The late Bill Jackson was straight to the point: "We keep hearing from those who admit that the issues are present, but their recommendation is that nothing be said about it. The preacher, or the editor, is censured for speaking or writing on it, as if the noble thing to do when an issue rears its head is to ignore it; we wonder if some feel that by ignoring it, it will go away? The basis behind the urging of silence is that men are involved, and thus these men have their friends, associates and supporters, and they do not want to see their friends spotlighted at all. Let a problem such as Crossroads appear, and let men thus begin to promote it; then, those who try to counter it face the friends and supporters. Let someone get off on the doctrine of marriage, divorce and remarriage, and spread the doctrine abroad; again, those countering the false position must face the friends and supporters." How right he is. The church in any location cannot afford to remain silent on the issues facing the brotherhood. We live in such a mobile society, close knit in every sense of the word. If a congregation has not yet experienced the error being taught in some places, just give it time and it will eventually arrive in your community, and your congregation. So, wisdom dictates that we "head it off at the pass." Yet so often when the preacher or elders address an issue they are branded as "trouble makers" (reminds me somewhat of what Ahab said of Elijah). Brethren, we cannot, dare not, remain silent on issue. A strong, definitive, clear proclamation on where we stand is absolutely important. The survival of the body depends upon it.
There has been a drive from a certain segment of society to make all organizations, public and private, religious and secular more "inclusive." This has been seen recently in the prohibition of state funding to single-sex schools and in the feminists' protests against Augusta National Golf Course's "men-only" policy. There is room for disagreement on some of these issues, but one may rightfully ask, "How far do these people plan to take their insistence on inclusion?"
In an article in last Sunday's issue of The Dallas Morning News entitled "Scouting should be inclusive," columnist Steve Blow states, "I think leaders [of the Boy Scouts] stumbled badly in proclaiming homosexuality a violation of the Scout Oath to be 'morally straight.'" One might questions the validity not only of Mr. Blow's statement, but also of the first two words of his statement upon having read his article in its entirety. Mr. Blow believes homosexual leaders should be gladly received by the Boy Scouts, and he uses extremely faulty reasoning to defend his stance.
Why does Mr. Blow fail to find homosexuality a violation of the Boy Scout requirement to be morally straight? "I don't think homosexuality is immoral. Or a sin. Or a choice. Or contagious. I think it's something deeply engrained in a small percentage of people, like being left-handed."
Homosexuality is immoral, and it is a sin, regardless of what Mr. Blow "thinks." What Mr. Blow "thinks" does not define immorality or sinGod does. Under the Old Testament, God viewed homosexuality as an "abomination" (Lev. 18:22; 20:13), and He does not take a lighter view of it under the New Testament. He says that "men with men working that which is unseemly . . . are [among those, LM] worthy of death" (Rom. 1:27-32) and that "abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals, NKJV) . . . shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 6:9-10). Homosexuality is immoral and it is a sin.
The always thinking Mr. Blow has already anticipated this response from the few readers who actually respect God and His word; and he writes, "Yes, I know what the Bible says. And I wish I had room for a full discussion. But suffice to say, we don't keep slaves or stone disobedient children just because 'it's in the Bible.'" Only morbid curiosity would make one want to hear Mr. Blow's "full discussion" on this topic, because what he considers a sufficient rebuttal of Biblical morality demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of God's word and a complete lack respect for God's word. Nowhere in the Bible does God command us to keep slaves. Contrariwise, He inspired these words to slave owner Philemon: "For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave--a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord" (Phile. 15-16). God classifies "menstealers" (some modern versions say "slave traders") in the same category as murderers, fornicators . . . and homosexuals (I Tim. 1:9-10). Regarding the commandment to stone children rebellious and disobedient beyond correction (Deut. 21:18-21), this is a commandment of the Old Testament; and God does not expect nor desire mankind today to observe this as religious law (Col. 2:14-16; Heb.10:1). Mr. Blow's lack of respect for God and His word is demonstrated by his insistence that these two items (keeping of slaves and stoning of disobedient children) are binding upon man today, in conjunction with his open disregard for what He believes God teaches.
Roger Grimes.................Lewis Robertson
