____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ September 11, 1994 ____________________________________________________ Alone! by Joe Fitch Alone! Alone! What a stark, bleak, terror-filled word. Solitary confinement is one of man's most dreaded and destructive punishments. Who has not felt the agony of being excluded and left alone? Bold and strong Elijah wilted under its lash and cried out, ``It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; ...I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts...and I, even I only, am left'' (I Kings 19:4,10). No wonder God examined his creation and said, ``It is not good that man should be alone'' (Gen. 2:18). Nor is it surprising that Jesus gave special attention to his disciples when it was time to leave them. He assured them that they would not be left alone--orphans (John 14:18). ``I will pray the Father and he will give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever'' (John 14:16). God provided for man so that he would not have to be alone. First, he put man in the family. To Adam he gave ``a help meet for him''--or a helper suitable to his needs. Family was endowed with the strongest and closest human ties--a refuge against being alone. Likewise, God gave the nation to meet man's social needs for ``no man lives to himself.'' Finally the local church was designed to put together men of like faith and hope in God. God knew that in spiritual matters ``it is not good that man should be alone.'' Few, if any, can make it alone. We are members ``in particular'' but solidly joined to the other members. None stands alone. By design, the family, nation, and the local church should support and protect a man as he strives to serve God. Often that is not the case. The Lord prepared his disciples for being outcasts from family and society. And churches run by men like Diotrephes ``cast out'' righteous men. Even so, he is not alone. ``At my first answer no man stood with me...notwithstanding the Lord stood with me'' (II Tim. 4:16-17). We always have an advocate--a friend by our side. When ``all men forsake'' us, we must not allow that to distort our values and perspective. Elijah did. Things were not as black as he painted them. ``I only am left.'' There were seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal. His perspective was warped. ``Take my life'' shows his values are out of focus. Many decide to go to hell with a crowd rather than stand alone. Yet there are places we must go alone. No comrade can stand at our side. In the garden, Jesus prayed alone; the disciples were left behind. They could not share his pain or his prayer. He was alone in his sorrow. We also must meet sorrow alone. Our friends encourage; they want to help. They weep with us, but it is ours alone in the last analysis. We say, ``There is nothing you can do.'' Again, duty stands us alone. Brethren exhort but I alone can do my job--''for every man shall bear his own burden'' (Gal. 6:5). And at last, consider the final judgment where I stand alone even in so great a crowd. Churches and crowds are not judged here, but ``every man...receiving the things done in his body...good or bad'' (II Cor. 5:10). ___________________________________________ JUDGE NOT by Rick Duggin How often do you hear someone try to salvage an unscriptural position by quoting Matthew 7:1, ``Judge not, that ye be not judged''? If nominal Bible students know any passage, it is this one. The verse, like all other scripture, is TRUE, but it is much misunderstood. Many assume that all judgment must be left with God. Under no circumstances may a man judge anyone for anything. What is wrong with this usual VIEW of the passage? (1). It is a self-defeating position. One who judges another as wrong because he judges others, does what he condemns. He is like the man who argues that it is wrong to argue. (2). It would negate our judgment by God. If the first part of Mark 7:1 is absolute (under no circumstances may we judge), why is the second part not absolute (we will never be judged)? (3). It contradicts the context. Carefully read verses 5, 6, 15-20 to see if we can obey these things without forming judgments. (4). It contradicts other passages. ``Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment'' (John 7:24). Never assume a position in one passage that contradicts another. (5). It would prevent us from following the example of Christ and His apostles. Matthew 6:2-18 teaches us to judge others. (6). It would permit and encourage excesses in evil and false doctrine. We could not correct our children, our friends, our society, or our brethren for any kind of sin. I Corinthians 5 shows what Paul thought of this view. How do you judge it? -- Via Pause-Ponder-Profit ___________________________________________ ON CHILDREN AND THE WORLD by Wayne S. Walker I seriously doubt that anyone would argue with the fact that it is a fearful and awesome responsibility to bring a child into the world, especially in the times during which we live. I have heard older, and some younger, people, obviously remembering the simpler days in which they themselves grew up and then raised their families, say, ``I wouldn't bring a child into the world with all of its wickedness today for anything.'' Come on! Give young parents a break! They need a lot of encouragement, not constant discouragement. Yes, it is very true that the society in which we exist is extremely evil, perhaps more so than it was even just a few years ago. But is it any worse than that of Noah's day when ``the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually'' (Gen. 6:5). Things were so awful that God determined to destroy the whole earth with a flood. But Noah was able to save his family from the ungodly influences of the world around them. And what about Abraham's time? Homosexuality was so rampant in the land that God decided to annihilate Sodom and Gomorrah because of it. Yet, God knew that Abraham would ``command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice'' (Gen. 18:19). And everything that we read about Isaac indicates to us that Abraham did exactly that. But the crowning jewel of these examples has to be young Timothy. Please remember that the first century was no picnic, spiritually speaking. Just read Rom. 1 to get a glimpse of the depravity of the Graeco-Roman culture of that era. Yet Paul said to this young man, ``The genuine faith...which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice...I am persuaded is in you also'' (2 Tim. 1:4). And it apparently occurred without much if any help from his father (Acts 16:1). So how did Eunice do it? Paul also said to Timothy, ``And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus'' (2 Tim. 3:15). As a result, Timothy grew up to be the kind of person of whom Paul could write, ``For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state'' (Phil. 2:20-22). These illustrations, and especially Eunice's experiences with Timothy, should encourage young parents and parents-to-be to let them know that if they follow God's plan they can train up their children in the way they should go so that when they are old they will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6). Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote a song, ``Because He Lives,'' which is not in our hymnbook but is in a couple of books used by congregations in our area. The second verse says: ``How sweet to hold our newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he gives; But greater still the calm assurance, This child can face uncertain days Because He lives.'' Of course, there is no ironclad guarantee that children will not be influenced for evil by the ungodliness of our society. But with the help of the Lord, we can ``stack the odds'' in our favor (Phil. 4:13). ``And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord'' (Eph. 6:4). -- Via Gospel Truth, Vol. 8, No. 7, August 14, 1994 ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________