The Truth In Print Vol. 18 Issue 1, Feb. 2012
A Publication of the
Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street,
Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Someone Christians Never Need — The
Corporate Chaplain!
Here Is Your Physical Future,
Generally Speaking
Ecc 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days
of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Ecc 12:2 While the sun, or the light, or the
moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
Ecc 12:3
In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong
men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and
those that look out of the windows be darkened,
Ecc 12:4 And the doors shall be shut in the
streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the
voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick
shall be brought low;
Ecc 12:5
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be
in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a
burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to
his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
Ecc 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or
the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the
wheel broken at the cistern.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the
earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecc 12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
This is the way it really is — when
blessed with longevity the days described by Solomon here eventually still
come. I remember an occasion when I was in my early twenties that I
contemplated in my mind what my thirties might look like, but I went no
farther. Now things have changed and my thoughts are limited by how time here
for me is limited. Dear reader, how old are you? My
father lived eighty five years and my mother ninety seven. For my father —
following a stroke there were years of difficulty. My mother was blessed,
excepting spells, with being able to get about and do things nearly every day —
one of which was to never miss worship. This continued in spite of great
physical weakness right up until just a few short weeks of her death — unusual.
DUTIES TO FULFILL
I. Your Own Duty to Not Forsake the Truth.
Psa 71:9 Cast me not off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength faileth. ...
Psa 71:17 O God, thou hast taught me from my
youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
Psa 71:18 Now also when I am old and gray
headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed
thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every
one that is to come.
Some are destroyed in old age. I can
recall one occasion that was described as almost unbelievable. A member of the
church was considered faithful and happy, but upon losing their mate, and
moving in with family who were not christians,
she suddenly quit coming. She then
proclaimed to those seeking to restore her that she was done with church.
Consider the power of Satan in I Pet. 5:8 — it is not unbelievable! It doesn’t
take long for a christian to
fall away. Relocating and being consumed with new tasks, moving in with someone
who has different interests, having more things to do or sometimes less things
in a location where one is distant from a local church — leave the Lord out for
a couple of weeks and you’ll forsake Him altogether! Sometimes it is difficult
to see how one who is stationary or at home all the time can be without the
fear of the Lord in their life – without diligence one can! (cf. Heb. 6:11).
II. The Duty To Relieve And Care For
Family.
A.
Read carefully these three scriptures from I Timothy chapter five:
1.
1Ti 5:4 But if
any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew
piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable
before God.
2.
1Ti 5:8 But if
any provide not for his own, and specially for those
of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
3.
1Ti 5:16 If any
man or woman that believeth
have widows, let them relieve them, and let not
the church be charged; that it may relieve them
that are widows indeed.
The Dangers For
Those in Care Centers
& Lessons From the Elderly
1.
The danger that one can still have a good “mind” and fail to worship God in
Christ (Jo. 4:24). Here we must understand the importance of worshipping God in
“spirit” — you must provide your own edification through continued Bible study
and worship. Thus the necessity of eating like you should so you can be of good
mind (I Tim. 4:4).The “labor” to enter into the eternal rest must not be
neglected just because one is in a care center or infirm. Diligence in worship
and service is still required as one is capable (Rom. 12:1-3; Heb. 4:9-11; 2
Pet. 1:10, 3:14).
2.
Have you ever heard of someone elderly in Christ who with some help could
assemble being told, “You’re old and have infirmities so don’t be too concerned
about it”? It happens and even highlights the unconcern of fellow members in
caring about bringing them to the assemblies of the church, seeing that they
desire such, and can still have their part in edifying one another (cf. I Th.
5:11).
If you had timed my father when he was
elderly from the time he got out of the car until the time he got up the steps
and to a seat near the back —– well, would some today think it’s just not
necessary that one so frail come?
Think back. How many who were very ill that
you always saw “in the back” because they cared to be in worship have passed
on? What about the ones still coming who, though too ill to be seated for a
long period of time, take a place where they can both set and stand without
being an interruption — what are they teaching by way of example?
What of those very close to death but
making that remarkable faith filled effort to be there to worship God and edify
brethren jointly? And what of those who have something physically wrong which
is much less and could be in worship but seldom, if ever, make it? What sin is
that? (cf. Heb. 10:24-25).
And
then there’s the hypocritical actors who have no sickness and are seldom if
ever there. I was asked on one occasion, being the new preacher in town, if I
would visit a sister who had not been assembling and was in the hospital
because she’d broken her leg. She explained that she broke it trying to find a
better fishing spot on the big rocks down in front of the dam at the nearby
lake — it was a ha!, ha! guess I’d better be more
careful next time kind of explanation. I asked, “Why haven’t you been in church?
I understand you are a member but don’t come?” She replied, “Those old seats
are just too hard to set on!” I’ve always wished I’d have thought right then to
ask her what day she broke the leg on. Great sinners show by their own words
that they have no delight in their hearts for the worship of God! (cf. Isa.
58:13-14).
3.
Family who are not Christians will be going on “emotionalism” and their
statements of a spiritual nature must be refused, even refuted at times. It is
your only hope of saving them and bringing them to the truth and obedience (cf.
Rom. 1:16; Acts 2:38; Jude 3). Otherwise they’ll take you right off on that
same emotional roller coaster with them — one way or another they find a way to
say, or infer, that family and friends
who never obeyed the Gospel and have died are in heaven. They seek your
approval — don’t give it!
4.
The “Serving the Community” organizations that are so active at Hospitals, Life
Care Centers and Homes
— always there to offer their spiritual support and always
falling short of saving a soul from eternal death! With their physical
assistance and ready chaplains who are given an ever increasing role in the
care for the aged, they bring a combination of physical comfort and spiritual
death! The corporate chaplain is of no value to the true children of God. He is someone a member of the church never
needs! Moreover, after the death of a beloved member their follow up
“bereavement programs and help” that comes by way of the world’s wisdom is
something members of the local church do not need! (cf. I
Th. 4:13).
When a dying brother in Christ was
allowing the hospital Chaplain to pray for him I asked why. He replied that he
did not want to offend him. I asked that Chaplain how he could reconcile his
generic approach to religion with the word of Christ —room to room with his
everybody is Ok doctrine.
Even some “sick” brethren need reproofs
and warnings at times — that’s what a rebuke is for and why it is given — to
save their souls (cf. Ps. 141:5).
By
Bob Lovelace
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To
learn more call, visit or visit our website at:
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com