Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 8
February 28, 1967
NUMBER 42, PAGE 10-11b

Reading The Bulletins

Charles A. Holt - P. O. Box 493 - Florence, Alabama

What Makes A Church Strong?

Sometimes people speak about churches as being strong or weak, and it must be that they have some standard of measurement. Is the church strong because it has a large membership? a lot of money? capacity crowds? a beautiful meeting house ? Lest we confuse evidences, and these may not he evidences of true strength, with strength itself, let us see in what strength in the Lord consists.

SOUNDNESS OF DOCTRINE If the teaching is not the truth, if it is not exactly what the Lord has said in his Book, strength is about as that of dry grass to stop a forest fire. Titus 2:7-8.

CLEANNESS OF LIFE . . . No words of men will atone for excesses in behavior. The church is weak in direct proportion to the degrees of evil that characterizes its members. I Timothy 5:22.

AGGRESSIVENESS OF WORK . . . . The enemy of righteousness must be plainly understood and the plans to rout him must be worked with a determination that is born of deep faith and honest conviction. I Corinthians 15:58.

FRIENDLINESS OF SPIRIT .... Nothing can take the place of cold, hard facts; but being friendly and courteous as they are being presented will make them palatable to a world that does not realize its hunger. Romans 12:13.

PROMPTNESS OF ACTION .... Delaying to strike soon, an oft-repeated weakness, may mean that a precious soul that could have been captured for righteousness has been lost forever. John 9:4.

GENUINENESS OF LOVE . . . . Acting is a most difficult profession for one who is continually posing as something he is not. The church is strong that does not pretend to love, but that loves indeed. I John 3:17-18.

PROFOUNDNESS OF AWE The spirit of levity, carried to the point of treating with laxity and handling with thoughtlessness the law and order of the Lord, is not capable of claiming the respect and capturing the admiration that is due the worship and service of God. Men who are destitute of awe should he reminded of Uzzah for a solemn recall to reverence before God. Habakkuk 2:20.

Such principles as these determine strength or weakness, and not the likes and dislikes, the pleasures and prejudices, of friends or foes.

— L. L. Gieger

Does Jesus Live At Your House?

The continued knock brought the mother to the door. A man stood there with the Bible in his hand. Without a word of introduction he asked. "Does Jesus live here?"

The woman, although she was a member of the church, was so upset by the unexpected question that she did not answer. She didn't even remember what the man said next, but she remembered that he then slowly walked away. All day long the man's question kept going through her mind. That even when her husband came home, she told him about it.

He laughed and said, "Why didn't you show him the church directory with our name in it? You could have told him that we nearly always send the children to Sunday School and that we sometimes attend several times ourselves. Why didn't you remind him that we give a little to the church and look upon ourselves as a respected Christian family?"

"Yes," she said, "all that you have said is true, and I could have told him all that, but I am still troubled because he didn't ask me if our name was on the church roll: he didn't ask me if we sent the children to Sunday School or if we were respected Christians. That wasn't his question. He asked me 'Does Jesus live here?' and all day long I have been wondering if He does."

Northside News, Fort Worth, Texas

Comments:

The Dallas Morning News of November 23, 1956, reported that 19 Abilene Christian College students had their heads shaved in the early morning hours of November 22. They were caught by a group of Howard Payne College students in Brownwood, Texas, and thus relieved of their scalps. The reason: the ACC students, with paint and brushes, were on their way to paint the Howard Payne College buildings, a necessary pre-game "prank" before the ACC-Howard Payne football game. Twenty-five other ACC students were caught by police and escorted out of town before they could be alleviated of their tresses.

Poor "Christian" students! They have been influenced so much by "worldly" colleges in the state, such as Paris Junior College and Texarkana Junior College, who pulled the same "pranks." Imagine our "Christian" young people having been protected by the police. So it is true as Paul said that "they who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

I suggest that more churches now put ACC in their budget and send them contributions to further their work of "Christian education!"

— Bill Cavender, Cooper, Texas

The Materialist's Twenty-Third Psalm:

Science is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down on foam rubber mattresses. He leadeth me beside the four lane highways. He rejuvenateth my thyroid gland. He leadeth me in the path of psychoanalysis for peace of mind's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of the Iron Curtain, I shall fear no Communists. for thou art with me. Thy radar screen and thy hydrogen bomb they comfort me. Thou preparest a banquet before me in the presence of the world's billion hungry people. Thou anointest my head with home permanents. My alcohol glass over. Surely prosperity and pleasure shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in Shangri-La forever.

(The above parody was written by Lt. Philip R. Hampe, a chaplain at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. I know not his religious convictions nor am I acquainted with him. I must say that there are many truths in these lines that should be heeded by Christian people the world over.

— Al H. Payne, Beaumont, Texas

WHAT YOU OWE YOUR CHILD:

Our children are a priceless possession. Their training and proper development is the greatest challenge beneath the stars. In husband and wife are vested the God-given power, rights, and privileges of parenthood. When one takes upon himself the right of parenthood, he binds himself before the God of heaven and all humanity to bring up his child in the way that he should go. The blackest page in history is the rejected laws, vows, and obligations of parenthood. This sin is most often committed by fathers and mothers of good intentions. Our children do not grow into God-fearing citizens simply because we want them to. There are certain irrevocable laws that must be followed. You owe your child more than food, clothing, and a comfortable home to live in.

You owe him, first of all, a Christian father and mother. This will be his most priceless heritage. Unless both father and mother are faithful Christians, it is not likely that the child will be.

— Selected

WHAT IS MY LEVEL OF GIVING?

1. The TIP Level — There are those who give a quarter or half-dollar to the Lord in the same way that they tip a waiter or porter. A little matter of appreciation.

2. The ENTERTAINMENT Level — Those who give only when they attend the services. Like going to the ball game or theatre — they give when they go.

3. The EMOTIONAL Level — These give only when they are stirred. This may be once or twice a year, according to feeling.

4. The PROMISE Level — Those who purpose to give, but neglect the promise. They will say they promised but they never pay.

5. The CHRISTIAN Level — Those who give their sacrificial offerings as commanded; purposefully, liberally, proportionately, periodically and cheerfully.

— Selected