____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ November 18, 2001 ____________________________________________________ Peer Pressure by Bob Walton Much of God's covenant with Israel of old dealt with human relations. Various and sundry laws pointed out how the Jew was to conduct himself among his peers. One of these admonitions was, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil" (Ex. 23:2). This was a very important decree; it showed the danger of peer pressure and pointed out very explicitly the dangers of being led astray by evil men. Peer pressure was an important factor in their lives; it has been from that time to the present. And perhaps as never before, peer pressure is an issue we have to wrestle with. A leading educator noted that peer pressure is the strongest influence exerted on young people today. He stated that in most cases it is twice as strong as the influence of home and family, and yields a far greater influence than religion. I share this educator's convictions. All young people want to be accepted by their peers. And if to do so means disobeying parents and selling out personal convictions, some are willing to do so just to be a part of the bunch. In dealing with young folks and their problem of peer pressure, we often quote and expound on I Corinthians 15:33 -- "Evil companionships corrupt good morals." I contend this is a very important verse dealing with this subject. This admonition does caution against the dangers of peer pressure being exerted by those who are void of spiritual convictions and virtues. Let us continue to warn our young people of the dangers of their associates that rob them of their virtues. But is all peer pressure centered in young people? Does this pressure cease when we become adults? Well, certainly at all stages of life there are peer pressures put on us by those with whom we mix and mingle day by day. The Bible is not silent on this matter. Men and women of God have always faced immense pressures in dealing with their peers. And when God has spoken, He has always done so with a stern warning against letting our associates rob us of our moral integrity. One of the most striking examples of this occurred in the life of Peter. Peter is one of our favorite Bible characters. He was truly one of Christ's most ardent followers. We hear him saying, "Even if I must die with thee, yet I will not deny thee" (Matt. 26:25). We hear him declare, "Lord, with thee I am ready to go both to prison and death" (Luke 22:33). But on that fateful night of the arrest and mock trial of the Lord, Peter "followed afar off" (Matt. 26:53); he stood with the wrong crowd, the enemies of the Lord (Matt. 26:69). And upon being asked of his allegiance to Christ, he cursed, swore, and denied that he even knew Him (Matt. 26:69-74). Peter, when alone in a crowd of unbelievers who were the enemies of Christ, relented to peer pressure. What a lesson for the Christian today. I contend that when we are alone, with the wrong crowd, those with no regard for the Lord nor spiritual values, we are at the most vulnerable moment of our spiritual life. And so often, like Peter, the pressures from our peers lead to our downfall. There are numerous other examples in the New Testament on this subject. Peer pressure played a leading role in the rejection of Christ by the rulers of the synagogue (John 12:42,43). The Scriptures tell us they believed on Him, "but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God." Likewise, peer pressure was the deciding factor in the heinous crime of Herod (Matt. 14:1-12; Mark 6:23). Herod feared and respected John, but his oath, along with "them that sat at meat with him" (his peers) prevented him from backing down on his promise, and resulted in the vile deed of having John the Baptist put to death. In this we see the influence and power of wicked men and the insidiousness of peer pressure. But there is another side of the coin of peer pressure. Not all the characters of the Bible collapsed under the pressure of their associates. Many stood, often alone, in the face of severe pressures put on them by others. Let us ever be aware of the immense pressures put on us by our peers, especially those with no regard for God and spiritual values. And let us profit from the mistakes others made and redouble our efforts to not yield to these peer pressures as they did. -- via The Graphic Evangelist, April 15, 1984 ___________________________________________ Dedicated, Determined, Dependable by Steve Klein A local TV station has as its motto "Dedicated, Determined, Dependable." While this may or may not be an accurate description of Channel 48's personnel, it strikes me that these words ought to be a true description of you and me as children of God. Truly, "the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" (Luke 16:8). If people of the world are dedicated, determined and dependable in their secular pursuits, surely those of us who are doing heaven's work should be more so. Dedicated To be dedicated is to be completely committed. Jesus doesn't ask us to give a part of ourselves to Him; He wants our all. He doesn't just want three hours on Sunday and one hour on Wednesday. He wants us to be at His disposal every moment of every day -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. He promises that, "whoever loses his life for My sake will save it" (Luke 9:24). I suspect that a truly dedicated television newsperson would be ready at any time of the day or night to cover a big story. I have watched TV weathermen stay up all night to keep the public informed during periods of dangerous weather. These people consider such sacrifices to be completely reasonable because they have completely committed themselves to their work. Even so, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). Determined In Luke 9:62 Jesus said, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Our minds must be made up and focused. On one occasion Barnabas encouraged the saints in Antioch that "with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord" (Acts 11:23). Nothing, nothing, nothing should keep us from continuing to serve the Lord. No trial, tribulation or disappointment should be allowed to change our minds. Like Paul, our attitude should be that "none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy" (Acts 20:24). Dependable If anything important happens in North Alabama, a truly dependable TV news station would be on the story like a hen on a June bug. You could count on it. Can the Lord count on you? If a car only runs two days a week is it dependable? If an employee only shows up for work half the time, is he a faithful employee? Can the Lord count on you to assemble with the saints to worship Him? Can He count on you day by day to study, pray, teach and be an example? Will He be able to greet you on the last day and say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." (Matthew 25:21)? -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, July 8, 2001 ___________________________________________ Attitudes Toward the Weak by Bill Hall The Messiah's attitude toward the spiritually weak is pictured by Isaiah in the following words: "A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench" (Isaiah 42:3). In our zeal for purity and strength in the church, we may be guilty of doing the very thing that our Lord does not want done. We create a mental image of what the ideal church ought to be, and then go about to establish one. Every member is going to attend every service. Every member will be "sound" in his convictions. Worldliness will not be tolerated. This church is not going to have the weaknesses that characterize other churches we know of. This is going to be a strong church, a model church. A new convert is made, and immediately he is indoctrinated in what this church is, and the contribution he is expected to make to the maintaining of this ideal. Each newcomer is viewed as a potential threat. If he's not going to "line up," we don't want him. Weaker members are handled with a "shape up or ship out" attitude. People soon recognize that there is far more concern for the image of the church as an organization than for them as struggling and weak children of God. While the Messiah is tenderly and delicately nursing the "bruised reeds" back to health, we may be there crushing them. While He cups His hand around these fluttering, dimly burning flames to protect what fire is left, we may be there quenching them. We are not suggesting that unrepentant false teachers and immoral members ought to be tolerated. They must be warned, marked, and withdrawn from. Nor are we suggesting that the weak ought to be left alone in their weakness. They must be taught, encouraged, reproved, rebuked, and exhorted, but with all longsuffering, and with a view toward strengthening them. "Admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all" (I Thess. 5:14). Ask not what they can do for the church but what the church can do for them. As long as there is a little life in that "bruised reed," there is hope. Don't crush it! As long as there is a little fire left, it might be fanned to burn more brightly. Don't extinguish it! -- via The Admonisher, June 17, 1984 ___________________________________________ The Best Day Today, when I woke up, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate! Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships, because they have served to make me stronger. I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice. Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know. Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for her/him and how much she/he means to me. Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and His Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine. And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures. As the day ends and I lay my head upon my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever! -- selected (anonymous) ___________________________________________ News & Notes U. G. Baldwin will be preaching a gospel meeting November 30 to December 2 at the Mt Airy church of Christ in Philadelphia. Free Bible correspondence courses are available -- just ask. If you live in our area and need a ride to our services, please contact us. One of the members will be happy to accommodate you. ________________________________________ Avondale CHURCH OF CHRIST 1606 Glen Willow Rd., Avondale, PA 19311 (For postal service: P.O. Box 421) (610) 268-2088 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 11:00 A.M. Worship 6:00 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:00 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (610) 925-3567 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/avondale ________________________________________