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Note: This article was written by brother Chandler
several years ago, and it was published in Spreading the Word.
"Imitate
their faith," said the Hebrew writer. Great faith in
the lives of Christians today is also for our imitation and edification.
Example 1
We had just finished playing a Colombian version
of volleyball and sat down to rest. I was sitting on a log beside
one of the young Christians. I became uncomfortable with the
silence that comes when two people want to communicate but speak
different languages so I decided to take the first step
to bridge the gap. I casually asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
He earnestly replied, "Oh no, brother! First, righteousness;
then a girlfriend." He was not joking. That was exactly
how he felt about the importance of bringing his life and character
into submission to Jesus Christ. In my thirty-two years as a
Christian, I've never heard a Christian from the U.S. talk so
soberly about his/her commitment to the Lord.
Example 2
The head of the Maldonado clan had been killed
in an auto accident in Monclova, Mexico. I accompanied Wayne
Partain and Bill Reeves to the funeral. The adobe brick
funeral home was jammed with people that had come to pay their
respects. A great many of them were non-Christians from the town.
They had great respect for the elder Maldonado who had lived
there for all of his seventy-plus years. As usual, the widow
and immediate family had chairs set up immediately in front of
the coffin. But shortly before time to begin, the oldest son
came to Wayne, who was to preach the funeral sermon. He said:
"Wayne, there are many people here today who may never have
another chance to hear the gospel taught. The family wants you
to forget that this is a funeral for our father; we want you
to teach the Truth. Take all the time you need --this may be all
they ever hear." Then the widow, along with the sons, daughters,
grandchildren, etc., got up from their special place in front
of the coffin and stood in the back of the funeral parlor. Non-Christians
were then escorted to the front seats so they could be as close
to the preacher of the gospel as possible.
Example 3
It was my first visit to Barinas, Venezuela.
An elderly brother walked in after we had begun, quietly took
a seat, and intently listened to me preach in my best halting
Spanish. I paid little attention to him during the sermon, spoke
to him briefly afterward, and watched him ride off on a bicycle.
About an hour later, I was riding in a pickup truck with Nino,
the local preacher. We were several miles from the meeting place
when we passed the older brother who was riding his bike there
on the major highway. Surprised to see this elderly gentleman
out so far and so late at night, I asked Nino about him. He told
me that the old brother lived about 20 miles out of town but
that he regularly rode his bicycle to worship. That sort of commitment
"set me on my ear," all by itself. But there he was,
riding his bike, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was
raining heavily. Nino said their frequent rains made no difference
in the brother's determination to be in the assembly.
Example 4
Efrain Perez and Carlos Capelli arranged a Bible
lectureship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The week before the lectureship,
I was preaching in Chile, where Efrain lived and worked. I learned
that a number of the local brethren wanted very much to attend
the lectureship in order to receive personal edification and
to encourage the brethren in Argentina. Because these brethren
had no automobiles and little money, they pooled their resources
and hired a bus to drive them to Buenos Aires. After an exhausting
32-hour bus ride, they arrived at the meeting place in Buenos
Aires right at the time to begin the first night's preaching.
The arrival of these 25 or more Chileans, added to those already
in the small meeting room, meant that several would have to stand
for the whole two-hour assembly. Many of those who stood were
those who had just gotten off the bus. The group broke up late
that night, but every one of them was up "bright and early"
for the first morning lecture. Such enthusiasm for the gospel!
What is this all about? It is just to illustrate
that dedicated children of God can be found in a lot of little
comers of this wicked world. President Bush talks about a thousand
points of light, but the Lord has his own points of spiritual
light shining in a multitude of obscure places. Perhaps we often
get a little down about a seeming lack of commitment among saints
in our own materialistic culture. Whether justified or not, stories
like these abound, even in our own country. I hope these edify
you and I invite you to write me about stories in your life that
have built you up.
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