The “Tate” Family

Do you know how many members of the Tate family you worship with? There is old man Dic-Tate who wants to run everything, while Uncle Ro-Tate tries to change everything. There's sister Agi-Tate who stirs up plenty of trouble, with help from her husband, Irri-Tate. Whenever new projects are suggested, Hesi-Tate and his wife, Vege-Tate, want to wait until next year. Then there is Aunt Imi-Tate, who wants our church to be like all the others. Devas-Tate provides the voice of doom, while Poten-Tate wants to be a big shot. But not all members of the Tate family are bad. Brother Facili-Tate is quite helpful in church matters. And a delightful, happy member of the family is Miss Felici-Tate. Cousins Cogi-Tate and Medi-Tate always think things over and lend helpful, steady hands. And of course there is the black sheep of the family, Ampu-Tate, who has completely cut himself off from the church. How about it -- do you know anyone in the "Tate" family? (Author Unknown)

    This was e-mailed to me the other day and I thought I would pass it along. Sometimes humor provides, in it’s own special way, the points that need to be made. The Bible tells us in Rom 14 that we all have responsibilities and obligations that have consequences. Rom 14:10-19 says, “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”

    Our conduct will be weighed in the balance. The standard weight will be on one side of the scale (God’s Word) and our lives on the other. How will it compare? How do we treat brothers and sisters in Christ? How do others perceive us?

 Be Followers Of Christ

   In 1 Thess 1:6-7, Paul admonishes the Thessalonian brethren to “…became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.” These brethren were examples to others in their service to God. In particular Paul commends them for their evangelistic efforts. He writes in verse 8, “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.” Think about that! The apostle Paul writes a letter to a congregation and in that letter he utters these words concerning the spreading of the gospel, “so that we do not need to say anything.”  What a compliment!  He also mentions their ceaseless “work of faith, labor of love and patience of in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Whether old or young we must an example in our lives. To Timothy, Paul says, “let no one despise your youth, but be an example…in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity” 1 Tim 4:12. To Titus he says, “in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you” Tit 2:7-8.  To older men, “be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience.” To older women, “be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.” To young women, “to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

   Peter put things in perspective in his first epistle.  This earth is not our permanent dwelling we are sojourners and like David; we must serve God during our own generation Acts 13:36. Peter admonishes us to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” 1 Pet 2:11-12. This is to be done so that people will glorify God in the day of visitation. The only way that can happen is for us to be good examples so people we will converted as a direct result of our godly lives.                                    

Carlos Aguilar

WHAT PERSONAL EVANGELISM  WILL DO FOR A  LOCAL CONGREGATION

Jesus wants His followers to preach the gospel to every person in all the world Mark 16:15. That includes teaching His saving message to those people in our own community. If the members of any local church will be actively involved in trying to teach the gospel to those who are lost, this will bring great benefits to both those individual Christians who participate in this teaching and to the congregation as a whole. What are some of these blessings that will come to a local church that practices personal evangelism?
Being busy in personal evangelism will :

CAUSE EACH MEMBER TO STUDY MORE

We have to be ready to give an answer to those who ask questions 1 Pet 3:15. The answers that we are to give them must come from God's word 1 Pet 4:11. We have to search the scriptures Jn 5:39 in order to be able to be the teachers that we ought to be Heb 5:12. We cannot teach that which we do not know, so trying to teach others will force us to study more! That is going to be helpful to us.

CAUSE EACH ACTIVE MEMBER TO PRAY MORE

We will certainly feel the need for our Lord's help, because personal evangelism can present some pretty tough situations. Have you ever noticed how often the New Testament speaks about praying for the gospel to be preached? Jesus said that we are to pray to the Lord of harvests so He will send forth reapers Matt 9:37,38. We are also told to pray for open doors in evangelism Col 4:3; 2 Thess 3:1,2 and for the courage of those who preach the word Eph 6:19. So often we have felt frustrated by our own inability to convince those whom we are trying to teach. Such makes us turn to the Lord in prayer and seek His guidance.

CAUSE THOSE MEMBERS WHO ARE TEACHING TO GROW CLOSER TO ONE ANOTHER

This is the natural result of working together to reach a goal. God wants men to be saved 1 Tim 2:4.  So do you and I, and  when we work together to help others learn the message of salvation, that is going to draw and bind us together. When we are busy teaching others, we will find ourselves praying together, we will talk together as we ride or walk, and we will cry and rejoice together. When all the members of a congregation are busy trying to teach the gospel to the lost, then they are giving their attention and energy to the task of helping others be saved. That does not leave much time for fussin'  among themselves.

CAUSE SOULS TO BE SAVED AND THE CHURCH TO GROW

Yes, God's word will not return unto Him void Isa 55:11. The church will grow when we sow the seed Acts 2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 5:41-6:1; 6:7. Is this not what we are working for, not for our personal glory, but for the salvation of souls?!  Remember the message of Mark 16:15,16 - it begins with preaching the gospel and ends up with salvation!

CAUSE THOSE WHO ACTUALLY TEACH TO HAVE PERSONAL JOY

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" Ps 126:5,6.  There is joy for a person simply in realizing, "God wants me to teach others, and hey, that is what I am trying to do." Again, we rejoice with those who obey the gospel Rom 12:15. There is surely no way to top the wonderful joy that one feels as a result of helping a person be saved! How would you feel if you saved a child's life by grabbing him off the railroad tracks at the last instant just before a speeding train passed, and as a result your picture was on the local TV station and in the newspaper? Why, any of us would feel good about themselves over something like that. Yet how much more precious than physical life is the eternal soul of every person?! We ought to rejoice in knowing that by teaching the gospel we can have a part in helping save a soul from eternal condemnation.

In so many ways evangelism brings great blessings to those congregations who practice it. May God help each of us to be more excited about teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost! 

~by Roger Campbell

Isn't this a wonderful concept! God  blesses us so much for doing the very things that we OUGHT TO BE DOING!!! ~from David Lemmons in LemmonsAid

Home and Family:

Parenting Styles

The Bible states: “And you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord" Eph 6:4. As a parent we are to encourage our children, not discourage. But, what kind of parent should we be?

Consider four different parenting styles:

Negligent  No guidance and little interest in the child.

Permissive Lack of setting boundaries in the lives of children.

Authoritarian Enforced obedience, rigid guidelines in the home.

Authoritative A parent that is Firm, yet Fair!

If our children are to grow into a functional adult, it is clear that the "authoritative" parenting style is the choice for raising healthy children. Parents, which style of leadership are you teaching your children?

Author unknown

Time Well Spent

Help someone without their knowing who did it. Jas 2:8

Take time to contemplate some high thought Ps 1:2

Surprise someone with something good. 1 Jn 3:18

Pray some. Pray some more. 1 Thess 5:17

Learn to love little things 1 Tim 6:8

~Dee Bowman in Focus Magazine

Faithful Sayings
2 Tim 2:11-13

This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. NKJV