Highland Lakes church of Christ

For years the Highland Lakes congregation has been giving $1,000.00 per month to support the care of homeless children at the home near Cherokee, Texas. It is one of the best things we do as God’s people. We help provide all that is needed to help fatherless and abandoned children grow physically, morally and spiritually.

Recently at the end of the school year, Delton McGuire, director of the home, wrote: “Last month among the ten graduates from Cherokee High School were five graduates from Cherokee Home, two young men and three young ladies. We are very pleased with their accomplishments. As they leave the home to prepare for new opportunities in the fall we do all we can to help. Two are going to a university, two to a community college and one to a trade school. We have provided modest scholarships through the Wendell Dodd’s Scholarship Fund. We have worked hard to prepare them for the academic challenges, and also for their service to others.”

— Bill Blackstone

There is no doubt, as seen from Scripture, that God has honored the man with the place of leadership in the family and, in an extended sense, has bestowed this honor on the eldership as leaders within the family of God, the Lord’s church. Concerning the man in the family, as a father (or as an elder in the church) it is imperative for him to be a leader, particularly in the spiritual realm. But what is a leader? The simplest definition is, a leader is a person who has followers.

A leader deserves to have followers. He has earned recognition. But authority alone is no longer enough to command respect. There is much more to it, as you read the following:

The leader is a great servant. The Master of Men expressed the ideal of leadership, when He said, “Instead, whoever wants to be great among you, must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26, 27).

The leader sees things through the eyes of his followers. He puts himself in their shoes and helps them make their dreams come true.

The leader does not say, “Get going!”; instead, he says, “Let’s go!” and leads the way. He does not walk behind with a whip; he is out in front with a banner.

The leader assumes that his followers are working with him, not for him. He considers them partners in the work and sees to it that they share in the rewards. He glorifies the team spirit.

The leader duplicates himself in others. He is a “man builder”. He helps those under him to grow big because he realizes that the more men are “big” in his immediate family (or the family of God), the stronger it will be.

The leader does not hold people down — he lifts them up. He reaches out his hand to help his followers to overcome problems in their lives, helps them to grow and “scale the peaks”.

The leader has faith in people. He believes in them, trusts them, and thus draws out the best in them. He has found that they will rise that way to his high expectations.

The leader uses his heart as well as his head. After he has looked at the facts with his head, he lets his heart take a look, too. He is not only a boss — he is also a compassionate friend. “A friend loves at all times. . .” (Proverbs 17:17). He considers what Christian love is all about.

The leader is a self-starter. He creates plans and sets them in motion. He is both a man of action — both dreamer and doer.

The leader has a warm sense of humor. He is not a stuffed shirt. His wit is not hurtful to others, instead he is rather inclined to laugh at himself. He has an humble spirit and reaches out in this mindset to his Heavenly Father. “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way” (Psalm 25:9).

The leader can be led. He is not bent on having his own way, but in finding the best way. He is open-minded to suggestions, but keeps in mind that the best way usually rests on the commands and principles of his personal leader, his Heavenly Father, keeping in mind to submit to what is said in Philippians 2:13: “for it is God Who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose”.

The leader keeps his eyes on high goals. He strives to make the efforts of his followers and himself contribute to the enrichment of godly personality, the achievement of more abundant living for all, and the improvement of civilization. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (or: abundantly)” (John 10:10b).

May God bless all Christian men, as they strive to fulfill God’s will for them in their own personal lives.

— Wilfred A. Peterson

Times of testing! When we are in school, those tests we have to take tell us and our teachers what we have learned. But are we able to apply, in the future, what we have learned when, for instance, we have found a job? Tests in school are certainly for this purpose: that we have anchored in our minds what was taught and not just for proving on the very day of the test that we have memorized/temporarily learned, what the teacher has presented to us; in that case we will only have retained it for a little while.

We learn from our Bible reading and study that God will surely test us in our faith First of all, when we hear the Word of God: will it enter our hearts and minds and take root there, will those hearts and minds be the good and open “soil” that accepts His word? Or will His word be the seed that has fallen on the rocky soil, where it does not take root, so when the time of testing comes, there will be a falling away (Luke 8:4-15)? Falling away can start with lip-seervice, sheer complacency, or finally, a total departure from God’s  pleasure and will (Ephesians 1:5b).

“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart” (Proverbs 17:3).  Has the word of God taken firm root in your lives?  In your emotions, your proper God-guided feelings and actions?  when “trials of many kinds” have “tested your faith” has it resulted in maturity (James 1:2-4)?

In Philippi, Paul was made to suffer, was insulted but, with the help of God, continued and dared to proclaim the gospel in spite of strong opposition. He clearly understood that a Christian does not try to please people but only God, “who tests the heart” (1 Thessalonians 2:2-4).  Testing of his faith resulted in perseverance (James 1:3)!

Sooner or later all of us will experience “testing of our faith”. How have we translated God’s word into our lives? Have we allowed it to make a difference in our lives? Sooner or later there may even be an especially “big” test! To be prepared for all of our future tests, let us examine ourselves daily, to see where we stand. Let’s ask:

* How current is my “fruit-bearing” for Christ – fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)?  This is a very important underpinning for Chrisitan growth, maturity and living out god’s will.

* How committed am I? Is God first in my life? Is He the basis for all my actions?

* How often do I speak to others about Jesus? This is probably the area that shows the most, if my faith is really what it should be.

These very important questions can only be answered by each and every one of us, as we honestly search our own hearts. God will help us: as we surrender and commit ourselves to His will, we will pass all our tests. And that is what will aid us to grow, mature, and share our faith in Jesus.

– selected

Wow! What a great day May 25th was! Our Teacher & Public Servants Appreciation Breakfast was wonederfully successful. The brethren in Llano had a record-breaking crowd and we did too!  I literally lost count of all the sincere “thank you’s” that our guests shared with us.  Of course, the reason for this great success was the Lord working through His people . . . the Church. I want to express my deep appreciation to every cook, host, hostess and “eater – greeter”. Your dedication and hard work is what makes this breakfast such a great success year after year. Each time we do this, we become acquainted with new people from our community. Hopefully, we are able to show them some of the joy, friendliness and love that is found in Christ!

—Joe Winnett

P.S. I like the decorator too!

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”— Romans 12:10