“And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14). The world has always offered man pleasure. It has always suffocated spirituality because men love darkness rather than light (John 3:19). Men have always wanted to play and have fun rather than work. They have always wanted to be entertained more than to be serious about spiritual matters. This desire is worldliness at its core.
What we sometimes fail to realize is that this mindset was common long before modern gadgets and playthings. Centuries before smart phones, cars, jets and cruise ships, people sought the pleasures of life. They wanted the best food, the nicest clothes, the most comfortable houses, and the most exciting forms of entertainment. This craving characterized people in Noah’s time, people in Jesus’ time, and people today. In every case, this attitude always has the same effect: it leaves people with little interest in spiritual things. Whatever religion is left is cold and lifeless, and religious leaders are expected to be shallow advisors instead of convicting preachers of the Word.
I was recently reminded of how little life has changed. A homeschooling history book describes the religious climate of New England in the 1700’s (America: Land I Love, Beka, 1994, p.69). A Connecticut historian described the situation by saying that “the forms of religion were kept, but there appeared but little of the power of it.” He added that the preachers of the period “contented themselves with preaching a cold, unprincipled and lifeless morality.” Even without temptations we consider to be modern and unique to our generation, these early Americans were absorbed with worldly cares and pleasures and had little concern about their souls.
What a warning this case should be to us! The craving for worldly pleasures quickly stifles the power of the Word of God in our lives! We must make sure as individuals that we are spiritually minded. We must fight as the church to resist the trend to become an entertainment center. We must keep the focus of the pulpit and classrooms on teaching the Word of God in all its power. Let us learn from the past instead of repeating it. – Kerry Duke Livingston, TN
BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES
Cooper and Megan were both raised in the church by loving families. Megan was raised in rural S. Ohio and Cooper was raised in SW Missouri. They met and married while attending Freed-Hardman University. They graduated with B.A.s in Music Education and Art, respectively. They most recently worshiped and served with the Rocketdyne Rd. church of Christ on Neosho, MO in areas of worship ministry and training, youth ministry, college ministry and community outreach.
History books are filled with biographies of failures who made good. From them we can learn the valuable lesson that failure need not be fatal.
BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES
I was also busy getting things ready to start a new class at the Seyer Training Center. We have 10 students coming from Mindanao, Negros, Leyte, and Naval. This is the first class where we are formally including a one year program of intensive Bible training along with vocational training at our place in Calag Calag. Classes started the middle of June. The men have Bible classes in the morning and then have their different vocational classes in the afternoon. We are thankful for the help from the Highland Lakes Church that helped us hire two teachers for the Bible program, who will be teaching from day to day. The end of June, we had our first guest teachers, and we were quite excited to have Ken Wilkey from College Station, TX and Bob Buchanan from Abilene, TX come stay with us for several days. Bob taught on “How to Study the Bible”, while Ken taught his “Scheme of Redemption” class. These gentlemen are in their 80’s and yet both are very active in the kingdom work here, inspiring Filipino Christians across the country. Jennylou and Grant were able to videotape both classes so we will be able to edit and preserve these great servants teaching and doing what they love. Ken and Bob are lifelong best friends and I think both would not retire or quit helping the Philippine churches. Our goal with our classes is to equip our students with adequate Bible knowledge, preaching skills, song leading, counselling, and most of all a passion for evangelism! We will train our students to become self-supporting evangelists. We will use the Seyer Training Center to help them learn vocational skills in automotive mechanic, welding, baking, and tailoring.
Rice and corn grits are also given out at churches we work with for widows and those in great need. With the help from North Garland church, we will be able to build in the near future an irrigation system that will help us to have water during the dry season and be able have a third planting and harvest each year. We will use carpenters from Negros and the irrigation supplies like hoses, PVC pipes, and cement from Cebu (materials cheaper in Cebu). We will use the Hino in carrying all the workers and materials to Naval.
The apostle Paul reminds us that “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13). That certainly applies to the danger of expressing wrath and anger! Anger in itself is not sinful (Eph. 4:26), but how we express it can be! Even Jesus was angry (Mark 3:5), but He didn’t respond by sinning. Many of us are tempted to have a “short fuse” when it comes to anger and its expression. The Bible tells us to be “slow to wrath” (Proverbs 14:29; 15:18; James 1:19), so how do we deal with the temptation to have a “short fuse?”
Our church family provided breakfast for about 170 evacuees at the Inks Lake State Park on Thursday morning. Most of these people came from rural places in the Houston area. They are grateful that the state of Texas opened up all the state parks, free of charge, to those in the greatest need of their lives. Some stay in the available cabins, others may even have to stay in their vehicles. Today Mary Kattner is passing out a list of items we will provide for the evacuees to take with them when they will be able to return. The items will be stored in classroom #3. Please check periodically what has already been brought, so you can buy items that are in short supply.
BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES
We hit the ground running once back in the Philippines. School started about a week after we got home, so we had to help get all our orphans enrolled in high school or college in Negros and help with funds for the ones in Cavite. We are very thankful that several of our supporters were able to help us with funds to continue to help the orphans go to school. In Calag Calag, we have six Dolino orphans still with us. We have two girls in high school, 3 in college, and Riselle graduated college and is studying to take her board exams for teaching. We also are blessed to help Rodelyn, the sewing teacher, go to college as well. In Cavite, Moises and Nina are taking care of four orphans, Jaypee & Jennylyn are in grade 6 and Jay Mar and Jennifer are in grade 9. We also are blessed to help Moises and Nina’s son, Hidenell, who is autistic, go to a special school for him, and he is in grade 9. We are thankful for the help we receive from Sugar Grove church, the Refuge church, North Garland church and other supporters that make it possible for these children to go to school and help with basic food and welfare needs.
Some Christians, by the way they are living their lives, would obviously like for some of the songs we sing to be changed to the following:
There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God sends His blessings to lure us. But then there are times when God sends nothing but silence as He honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity.
Highland Lakes church of Christ 