Gospel News — Jan-Apr 2013

26

parents is one of the marks of the end times. God has placed parents in authority over their children, and He will not bless children that do not submit to authority.

We should stop and reflect on our own homes and appreciate the many blessings that we enjoy. We should also ask ourselves if we are fitting into God's order. If the negative observations stated above are true, then surely the opposite can be true for those homes that are following God's order. There is a tie that binds together. Parents should look at their responsibilities in all seriousness and recognise the fact that the atmosphere in the homes in which their children grow up will have long-lasting effects. The comment has been made that today's weakness will be tomorrow's standard. What kind of foundation are we helping our children lay up for their future homes?

The son who grows up in a home where his father has rightfully filled his God-given place as the head of the home will find it much easier to accept his place when he gets married and has children. The daughter that observes her mother filling her place with humility and love will know what God expects of her when she is a wife and mother.

Young people, learning obedience to your parents will prepare you for accepting your responsibilities in the future.

Let Unbelievers See Our Boldness

Bro Timothy Lemekani (Mwale-Mazabuka, Zambia)

We are Christ's, we are not totally in the flesh because our mind is set to understand spiritual things discerning the Spirit of God, and accept them. We are therefore in the Spirit. We interpret spiritual things in spiritual language because of the sound words that we have heard and learned, and words dwell in us (Romans 8:8-9;

1Corinthians 2:10-16). Many are astonished at our teaching, since we are not prevalent in Christendom. Some say of us, "These babblers, they prate the word of God in voices of myth" – a misnomer accorded to the saints of old, whose faith we copy (Acts 17:18; Jude 3). Hence few people are for us (John 2:24-25; 5:40-44; Matthew 24:5).

When we embark on winning converts, we ought to be fervent in spirit, speaking sound words of Jesus to the people, and devoting ourselves to prayer before we witness. God will search the hearts of our hearers and He will show which ones He has called by our preaching. Not all have faith, even some supposed Bible students do not really have faithfulness. But we should strive with those who listen to us, and struggle on their behalf in our prayers, that they might be delivered from unbelievers and evil men who oppose our teaching. The word of God is not bound (and it is not confined to correspondence courses). The faith has been delivered to us for the relief of those who would develop faith through our boldness (Proverbs 28:1; Acts 5:29)

In the first century, those who delivered the faith were in conflict and were sometimes shamefully treated by those who opposed them. They proclaimed the word in the synagogues and market places. They tried to persuade Jews explaining the right teaching of the kingdom of God, and many who heard them were astonished at their doctrine yet had not had formal education. Some were provoked to jealousy and tried to silence them (Acts 14:1-4; John 3:36). We should not be discouraged if we are faced with similar experiences.

Many of our contacts do not understand what we say to them, because we present what to them are strange things – a unique doctrine not spoken by Christendom. We remember how we ought to imitate the saints (Jude 3) who received much affliction, yet they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer persecution and we