THE POUND
PROCLAIMER
Volume II
September 2007
Number 11
Sing
to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day
to day. Psalms 96:2
GARDENING FOR
HEAVEN IN 2007
As a boy, I had a love-hate
relationship with gardening. I loved the harvest. I especially loved fresh,
home grown tomatoes. I have been known to take a salt-shaker and cold biscuits
left over from breakfast, to the garden for a feast of vine ripe tomatoes. As
Sheriff
I hated gardening because
it took my time, and lots of it. Not only did it take away time that I could be
fishing or swimming at the creek, it was hard work. Now, I’m not talking about
this sissy gardening people do today. Today, gardeners have gasoline powered
tillers of all kinds and sizes. The gardening I was required to do was done
with a hoe and a push plow. Yea, that’s right, a ‘push’ plow. A ‘push’ plow is
just what the name implied. You didn’t hook it to a mule nor did it have a gasoline
powered engine. You got behind it, grabbed hold of the stock-handles and pushed
and pushed and pushed and pushed. When it came to hoeing, you couldn’t just hit
at the grass and weeds. You had to dig them up by their roots and if they were
very big, you were to shake the dirt from the roots and toss them out of the
garden. Mama didn’t allow no slackers in her garden!
In my childish mind, I
could only think of how hard the work was and that I was being deprived of some
serious play time. But, in time, the harvest would come and we could all enjoy
the fruits of our labors. As I think about it, the fruits of those labors
tasted much better than what you can buy at the local
You may be asking, “What
does all this have to do with religion and Christianity?” It is the opinion of
this writer that the reason many congregations are in decline is because they
are not applying the work ethic to their spiritual responsibilities. Jesus
don’t allow no slackers in His church!
Jesus taught, “Do not labor for the food that perishes,
but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give
to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:27)
Jesus gave a parable about
a man who had two sons. The man went to the first son and said go work in my
field. The son said no but later repented and went. The second son said he
would go but did not. Obviously, the first did the father’s will (Matthew
21:28-31).
In the parable of the
talents, the ones who received five and two talents gained five and two
respectively. They were able to do this because they went and traded with them
gaining other talents (Matthew 25:16-17).
Christians are admonished
to, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have
always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” (Philippians 2:12).
They are asked “What good is it, my
brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith
save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled,"
without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also
faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)
We, the Pound
A
FIRST, PLANT FOUR ROWS OF PEAS:
PRESENCE
PROMPTNESS
PURITY
PERSEVERANCE
NEXT TO THESE, PLANT THREE ROWS OF SQUASH:
SQUASH GOSSIP
SQUASH CRITICISM
SQUASH INDIFFERENCE
NO GARDEN IS COMPLETE WITHOUT TURNIPS:
TURN UP FOR MEETINGS
TURN UP WITH A SMILE
TURN UP WITH NEW IDEAS
TURN UP WITH DETERMINATION TO MAKE
EVERYTHING COUNT FOR SOMETHING GOOD & WORTHWHILE.
Gardening is not easy. Neither is it easy to grow a
strong, faithfull local church. However, those who are willing to work in the
heat of the day will reap the rewards. What kind of gardener are you?
The Editor’s
Page
A man was ship wrecked on a deserted
island somewhat reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe. After several years, he was
rescued. When his rescuers came ashore to help him gather his meager
possessions, they noticed that he had built three grass huts. Their curiosity
got the best of them so they asked, “Why three huts?” The man explained by
pointing to one hut and saying, “This was my home.” He then pointed to the
second hut and said, “This was my church.” When the man failed to explain about
the third hut, his rescuers asked, “What about that one over there?” “Oh,” he
said, “that one is my old church. I don’t go there any more because it had a
split.”
I have heard it explained
that when a group of thoroughbred horses face attack, they stand in a circle
facing each other and, with their back legs, kick out at the enemy. Donkeys do
just the opposite. They face the enemy and kick each other.
How often do we find
Christians acting like donkeys? The real enemy is Satan who is constantly
attacking Christians. And what do we do in return? We attack our fellow
Christians. How serious is this among brethren? Please give consideration to
the following.
In writing to the church at
How is it
that contention can exist among Christians? Paul places strife (quarreling) in
between enmities (envy) and jealousies in a listing of sins found in Galatians
5:20. In Romans 13:13, he tells Christians to
walk properly, not in quarreling and jealousy. Again in 2 Corinthians 12:20,
Paul follows quarreling with jealousy. Hence, I believe it is a fair conclusion
that without envy and jealousy, quarreling would be hard pressed to survive.
There are times when quarreling disguises itself as a searching for the truth. “8The saying is trustworthy, and I want you
to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be
careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and
profitable for people. 9But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies,
dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and
worthless” (Titus 3:8-9). I fear that there are those among us who
feel that we must discuss every question which the carnal mind of man can
raise. Furthermore, these discussions must be pressed to the point of labeling
those who disagree with our position as false teachers who must be marked by
withdrawing fellowship.
By these words written to
Titus, Paul admonishes Christians to avoid discussions pertaining to foolish
controversies for they are unprofitable and worthless. What constitutes foolish
controversies? It is not any particular Bible subject but controversies about
those things for which there is no definite conclusion found in God’s word.
There are secret things which belong to God (Deuteronomy 29:29).
Some things are just none of our business. When brethren seek to know more
about a subject than God has revealed, it becomes a foolish controversy. We
must be satisfied with what has been revealed, regardless of the questions that
might come to our puny human minds.
Christians can and should be
like thoroughbred horses and direct their attacks at the enemy where it will do
the most good. Christians are guilty of causing church splits when they quarrel
over foolish controversies. Like a bunch of braying donkeys, they attack one
another while the Devil dances with glee. The end result is another local church
across town with brethren so estranged from one another they speak of the other
group using language filled with vitriolic criticism. The carnal mind adores
quarreling. At first glance, the ship wrecked man may appear unique and
humorous. I mean, being so contentious he could not worship with himself; come
on! Could that really be true? Yes! I believe I have met a few brethren who fit
that description.
Who splits local churches? It
is the carnal minded, contentious brother who sows discord among the brethren;
that’s who.
THE LAST WORD
GOSPEL MEETING
OCTOBER 7 – 12, 2007
AT
THE
JIM DEASON WILL BE DOING THE PREACHING
