Parable: Evil Spirit Returning to an Empty House

     Ignorance about spirits, evil and otherwise, is universal. The desire to know about them leaves people open to superstition, legend, and religious error. All we need to know about the spirit world is in the Bible, but few are content to stay with that.
     Jesus told a parable about an evil spirit dispossessed of its “house” which was able to return later with reinforcements because the house had been allowed to stay empty and was not filled with righteousness and the presence of the Lord God.
     He explained that none could cast out a “strong man” unless he himself is more powerful. Only one more powerful than evil spirits could cast them out of persons they possessed. But the person to be cleansed has an obligation to seek and accept the Lord’s help, to correct his own life and  fill it with good so that he does not sink into sin again, and be worse off than before.
      Nature abhors a vacuum. If one’s life is not filled with good, the bad will fill it by default. Negative virtue is never enough. The only rightful tenant of the house of any person is the one who cast out the evil spirits (or, in our case, sin and guilt), which is to say, Jesus the Lord and Savior. If the cleansed person returns to evil, either by intention or default, he ends up worse off than before the Lord saved him.
     If we let Him, the Lord can break the power of Satan and sin that holds us down. But He will not and cannot unless we do our part to get free and stay free.

- via The Encourager, the weekly bulletin for the Dongola church of Christ, Dongola, IL.  Gerald Cowan serves the congregation as minister.  He may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com

The Rich King's Four Wives

     Once upon a time there was a rich king who had four wives. He loved the fourth wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.
     He also loved the third wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another man.
     He also loved his second wife. She was his confidante and was always kind, considerate, and patient with him. Whenever the king faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the
difficult times.
     The king's first wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!
     One day, the king fell ill and knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."
     Thus, he asked the fourth wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"
     "No way!" replied the fourth wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.
     The sad king then asked the third wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"
     "No!" she replied. "Life is too good! When you die, I'll remarry!"
     His heart turned cold. He then asked the second wife, "I have always turned to you for help, and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"
     "I'm sorry, but I can't help this time!" replied the second wife. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave." Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning. The king was devastated.
     Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go."
     The king looked up and saw his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, he said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"
     In truth, we all have the four wives in our lives:
    Our fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
    Our third wife is our possessions, status, and wealth. When we die, these will go to others.
    Our second wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, they can't go with us past the grave.
    Our first wife is our soul. We often neglect it in pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasures of the world. However, our soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen, and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout eternity.

- via THE SOWER, a weekly publication of the Arthur church of Christ, Arthur, IL. Ron Bartanen, who serves as minister and editor, may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com

The Power of an Invitation

     Brother Glenn L. McCullough was in the dairy business near Tupelo, Mississippi.  Mr. A.D. Prince was a salesman from Memphis who regularly called on him for needed supplies. One day, Mr. Prince arrived at brother McCullough’s farm rather late in the afternoon. He was told he would have to come back the next day because there was a Gospel meeting at the Gloster Street church of Christ that night and he was getting ready to attend. Mr. Prince said that was fine and agreed to come back the next day. As he was leaving, brother McCullough thought, "I should ask him to attend our Gospel meeting." He invited the salesman to stay for supper and attend the Gospel meeting. Mr. Prince agreed and not only attended that night, but attended three nights of the Gospel meeting conducted by Jack Meyer. Even though he learned what to do to become a Christian, he did not obey the Gospel during his visits.
     A few months later, Mr. Prince was given a new job and did not come back to Tupelo to call on brother McCullough. Many years passed by and one day brother McCullough saw a newspaper story about A.D. Prince III, who was a student at a Christian college. He made a few phone calls and found out Mr. Prince had received another invitation to attend a tent meeting in Memphis which was a few blocks from where he worked. He attended the Gospel meeting and obeyed the Gospel the first night. Later, he became an elder in the church and the student honored at the Christian college was his grandson.
    Years later, both brother McCullough and brother Prince learned they had a terminal disease and were given just a few months to live. As time drew near for both men, brother Prince had his sister to drive him from his home in Arkansas to brother McCullough’s home in Tupelo to pay one final visit and to say, "I want to thank you for inviting me to the Gospel meeting that night. If it had not been for your invitation, I probably would never have heard the Gospel and become a Christian. It was your invitation that made it possible for my family, my grandchildren, and me to become Christians. I will be forever grateful. Thank you."
     What would have happened to the Prince family if brother McCullough had said, "My conscience says I ought to invite this salesman to the Gospel meeting, but I know it won’t do any good?"
     The Bible says, "Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage" (Matt. 22:9). Gospel meetings are not out-of-date; neither is inviting the lost to hear the preaching of the Gospel.

- Author Unknown; via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg church of Christ in Harrisburg, IL.  Edd Sterchi serves as one of the congregation's ministers.  He may be contacted at sterchi@midwest.net  You may visit their website at www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org

Your Job

By Ron Thomas

     On occasion, one might ask a question concerning the “job” of a preacher or an elder. Because that question is asked every now and again, I thought it would be good to see what the Scriptures say the “job” of each member is.
     The elders. The elders of the Lord’s church are spiritual men who oversee the spiritual health of the church. That is, they shepherd (feed) the church in spiritual things. To be an elder (shepherd or pastor) is to be involved in the lives of the congregants. The elders are not board of directors. They are not to meet at certain intervals for the sole purpose of making decisions. They can meet at certain interval—whatever they determine is appropriate—to discuss matters that are important. In the scriptures, God put elders in place because they were to (are to) guard the flock (Acts 20:28). If a man will not elder properly, he should resign. What about one who can’t shepherd properly? He should resign. What about one who is unqualified to serve? He should resign. The Lord’s church needs spiritual men to actively shepherd the flock. 
     The deacons. The Scriptures speak less to this than many of us would like. However, I think we can get a sense of what it is they do and are to do. The word deacon comes from a Greek word that means to serve. If Acts 6 is our modal for the work of deacons, then we can see these spiritual men serve the congregation in material things. The elders (apostles in Acts 6) who place men in the role of deacon are to trust them to the do the work. If an elder does not trust a man who serves as a deacon, that speaks more against the elder than it does the deacon. If a man cannot do the work because he is untrustworthy, that man is to be dismissed.
     The preacher. The preacher is one who proclaims God’s word to both the congregation and to the people at large (2 Timothy 4:2). He is to preach God’s word. This will include encouraging them who struggle, correcting those who are in rebellion, and teaching people the Lord’s will for their individual lives. If a preacher does not do this, then the elders of the congregation are to dismiss him. The congregation is to insist that he preaches the Lord’s word. They are not to allow themselves to be aligned with him because they like his personality. They are to be aligned with him because he teaches God’s word faithfully.
     The members. The members of the congregation are men and women who are Christians. They are people who have already submitted themselves to God and His word, serving Him faithfully. They are to submit to the authority of the elders. They are to be workers in the Lord’s kingdom, not sitters. The older men are to teach the younger men about life’s important things. The older women are to teach the younger women in life those things that are important. All Christians are to adorn the doctrine of God. Now, what is your job?

- Ron Thomas serves as preacher and an elder for the Highway church of Christ, Sullivan, IL  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.highwaycofc.com

Christ – The Way

     We are not unlike eight-year-old Jack Keely from the East End of London.  He was bound for the U.S. when the Benares on which he was sailing was struck by an enemy torpedo and went down in the Atlantic.  It was ten o’clock at night, and the wild waves flung their young victim back and forth in almost complete darkness.  Finally three men pulled young Jack up on their little life raft.  Immediately he asked, “Which way is America?” No whimpering, no begging for attention.  Just, “Which way is America?”  His imagination was gripped, not with the wind and the waves, but with where he was going.  Fear had no place in his concern, for his present plight was unimportant compared to his destination.
     We too, with the weight of cynical unbelief sucking us down in the crush of competition which would crowd us off the little raft we have found in the sea of life, in peril of temptation or tragedy, with the valley of shadows not far ahead—we pause in worship and take courage even as we ask which way is heaven.  We know there is a way because the Son of God came from thence and has returned to it down at the right hand of the throne of the Father.  Christ’s resurrection assures us that even death is not our goal but a gateway, not the end but an entrance, not a terminus but a thoroughfare.  We are on our way.  Today we pause for direction.  Which way is heaven? Within our hearts we hear the Son of God say, “I am the way—come, follow me.”

-Best Sermons,  Harper and Bros.; sermon: “The  First Day of the Week;” via THE SOWER, a weekly publication of the Arthur church of Christ, Arthur, IL. Ron Bartanen, who serves as minister and editor, may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com

Sobering Facts About SIN

    One called “sin” the saddest word in the Bible and in human speech. Sin is the fountain of woe, the mother of sorrows, as universal as human nature and as eternal as human history. It can be labeled as "the cause of all war and violence and hatred and sorrow and pain." Sin alienates from God, establishes fellowship with the devil, bring moral perversion, sears the conscience, and ultimately issues in death (Rom. 6:23). There are some things that we all need to know about sin.
    1. Sin is made to look attractive. When Eve beheld the "forbidden fruit" she saw that it was good for food, pleasant to the eyes and desired to make one wise (Gen. 3:6). What she did not see was sin's true nature. It brought pain, suffering, death and separation from God. Sins true colors are seldom seen until too late.
    2. Sin is fun. The writer of Hebrews commended Moses because he turned his back on the "pleasures" of sin" (Heb. 11:25). Anyone who would suggest that sin is not enjoyable simple does not understand how Satan works. Sin is not only made to look good, but brings some pleasure when pursued.
    3. Sin never produces everything it promises. It is enjoyable, but the pleasure is always short-lived ("for a season", Heb. 11). A few minutes of euphoria may result in a lifetime of misery and pain.
    4. Sin is destructive. Its destructive effects may be experienced now and throughout eternity. Solomon observed that "the way of the transgressor is hard" (Prov. 13:15). Life is made more difficult because of sin in our lives. If it is not dealt with, it will lead to eternal separation from God (Rom. 6:23).
    5. There is forgiveness in Christ, but the scars still remain. Jesus died to save men from the eternal consequences of sin. We never want to downplay the importance of His role. He is the giver of life. Through Him forgiveness is available to every man. But, though forgiven is in Christ, the ghosts of a former life of sin often linger to haunt us. The best advice for life was offered by the apostle Paul when he wrote, "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22).

- Author Unknown; via the Belvedere Beacon, the weekly bulletin of the Belvedere church of Christ, Belvedere, SC.  Ken Chumbley preaches for this congregation, and he may be contacted at their website: http://www.belvederechurchofchrist.org

Christians and Evangelism

By Gerald Cowan

    "Can we be totally Christian until we are soul winners?"
    The implication of this is that one who has not won another soul for Christ is not fully Christian, or at least is not a very good Christian. Some overzealous people have implied that unless one is a soul-winner he is not even an acceptable Christian, that he may forfeit his own salvation and not be able to go to heaven. Some have actually said, "You can't go to heaven by yourself. You've got to take someone with you."
    But here is a critical point that bears heavily upon the question: you cannot win someone who does not want to be won.  You cannot teach someone who does not want to be taught. You cannot convince or persuade someone who does not want to be persuaded. You certainly cannot make another person's decision for him. There are many times when the preacher, teacher, or would-be soul winner says everything he can say and effectively leaves the person who hears it with no excuse for not obeying it. But still the hearer refuses to obey. He simply makes no positive response at all. To insist that no one can go to heaven without persuading some others to obey the gospel sets a condition that God did not and does not impose, a condition that some might not be able to meet. If you grant that part of your "ticket" to heaven must include some accompanying souls you have "saved", then how many must there be? Is one enough?
    Paul's personal example is instructive for all of us. He said that his commission from the Lord was to preach the gospel. Whether or not anyone obeyed the gospel that he preached, he fulfilled his own responsibility by proclaiming the truth at every opportunity. His commission was not to be a baptizer, but to be a preacher, a proclaimer of the gospel. If he did that faithfully the Lord would be pleased with him. If he did not, he would be cast away from the Lord himself (1 Cor. 1:14-17, 9:16 and 27). The response to the gospel is up to the one who hears it. Those who understand it and receive it gladly will obey it (Acts 2:38-40, Mark 16:15-16). It is not credited to the personal account of the preacher/teacher.
    Does that mean a Christian does not have to be or need not desire to be a soul-winner? No, of course it doesn't mean that. Every Christian must want to be involved somehow in the soul-winning process. It may be better to say each one should be involved in evangelism - in teaching, preaching, sharing or making the gospel available to others. The word soul-winner does not appear in scripture, but has been coined by those who promote "personal evangelism," the efforts of any person to share the "good news" of the gospel of Christ with others. There are several ways to be involved in evangelism.
    (1) Pulpit preaching and classroom teaching are both evangelistic activities. They try to instruct those who hear so that they can make properly informed decisions, then motivate them to put into practice what they have learned.
    (2) Some are directly involved, either teaching a group or in one-on-one instruction.
    (3) Some are indirectly involved: they pray for those who teach directly, they offer words of encouragement, and they give financial support. All of these have fellow-ship in a ministry of the gospel, the process of reaching and winning souls for Christ.
    The trouble with making the admissions I have just made about soul-winning is that people may come to believe they are in a good relationship with the Lord, saved and safe, even though they are not personally involved as soul-winners. Of course that is not true. Those who are able to teach should be making some effort to teach. Having personal ability brings personal responsibility. Everyone can be involved at some level. If one has no desire to see others saved, no interest or concern, or no willingness to be involved in the salvation of others we could safely question the genuineness of his or her Christian faith.
    Ultimately, the only soul any of us can win for Jesus Christ is our own. We will give an account of ourselves to Him, to explain why we did or did not accept His words and obey His gospel, and why we were or were not faithful to His calling and His mission.

- Gerald Cowan preaches  for the Dongola church of Christ, Dongola, IL.  He may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com