The Italian Memorandum

“How To Welcome New Members”

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk,
that by it you may grow up to salvation”

(1 Peter 2:2,ESV)

This article will serve to remind the Cape congregation that as new members come into our fellowship, it is extremely important that every member show the love of Christ to them. Below are some updates and suggestions for each member to understand:

1. Enfolding new Christians is the responsibility of every member:
a. Never let them sit alone.
b. Introduce them to other members.
c. Phone them during the week.
d. Take them to area gospel meetings, camps, ladies’ days, etc.
e. Invite them to lunch.
f. Verbalize your appreciation.
g. Listen to them.

2. Remember the five basic needs of new Christians –
a. Help them to understand that they have been born again into a family.
b. Befriend them that they might belong.
c. Encourage them to learn the Scriptures (Bible Class).
d. They will need to find a ministry for themselves in which to contribute.
e. They will need the watchful care of other Christians (your concern).

Basic Scriptures which support the above recommendations:

1 Cor. 12:12-26; Eph. 4:15,16; Rom. 12:3-21.

The spring campaign continues. Pray for further success. And, may God bless us, as we develop ourselves, by putting others first, and realizing that church leadership awaits the next generation of the faithful to carry on the Lord’s work (1 Cor. 15:58).

-Robert M. Housby

[Adapted and revised by Robert M. Housby, from a July 12, 2003, America Online: e-mail, PVO KID; Entitled, Close To, Round About, Or Nearby]

One Sunday, a denominational minister gave a sermon on baptism. The sermon was obscured, however, by his attempt to avoid the actual meaning of baptism as immersion, with the substitution of sprinkling. He proceeded by talking about the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. It did not mean “in,” he protested, but rather, “close to, round about, or nearby.” Again, he continued, when the Bible speaks of Philip baptizing the Eunuch in Acts 8, it did not mean “in the water,” but rather, “close to, round about, or nearby.”
After the sermon, a man approached the speaker and declared how great the essage was, and how it had cleared up many mysteries for him. For instance, he said, the story about Jonah getting swallowed by the whale has always othered me. Now, I see that Jonah was not really in the belly of the fish, but, close to, round about, or nearby. Then, there is the story of the three Hebrew oys thrown into the fiery furnace, but were not burned. Now, I see that they ere really not in the furnace, but, close to, round about, or nearby, keeping arm. Then, there is the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. I see that he was not in” the lions’ den, but, close to, round about, or nearby, like at a zoo.
He continued with delight, these explanations have been a great comfort to me, eeing that I’m a wicked man. Now, I am grateful to know that I won’t be in hell, just close to, round about, or nearby. And, next Sunday, I won’t need to be in church, but close to, round about, or nearby. Thank you so much! You have ut my mind at ease.
The reader is urged to consult Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18,19, which plainly states not to add to, nor subtract from the word of God.

-Robert M. Housby

“And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave,
shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them”

(Mark 6:11)

The word “dust” occurs seven times in the New Testament (Strong’s 286). Most of these uses are about moving on after attempting to communicate the gospel where it was not welcomed. For example, in Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were harshly treated in Antioch in Pisidia. They actually drove them out of the city (13:50). It was at this point that they [Paul and Barnabas] actually carried out the Lord’s directive to “shake off the dust…as a testimony against them.” Acts 13:51 records: “But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.” Notice in the next verse, Acts 13:52, that “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
Active Christians know what it is like to invest in people, only to have those same individuals show ingratitude or simply not respond to the gospel. It is important, therefore, that Christians understand that those who reject them are actually rejecting the Lord (see Ex. 16:8; 1 Sam. 8:7; Lk. 10:16; Jn. 12:48). We mustn’t stop investing in people; believing in the best, while being prepared for the worst. We might recommend that every Christian take to heart the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the
Lord your labor is not in vain.”
The Bible plainly teaches that not all will be interested in the gospel; and even those who are curious may never become committed (Matthew 7:14,21). So, remember to dust off, look up, and move on. The Lord is with you (Matthew 28:20).

-Robert M. Housby

(Reminiscences of the Gospel in the English Alphabet)

A – Abba: the intensive form of Father (Gal. 4:6).
B – Balm: of Gilead; Christian healing (Jer. 8:22; 1 Pet. 2:24).
C – Calvary: Latin for kranion; place of the skull, Golgatha (Matt. 27:33; Jn. 19:17).
D – David: the royal model of the Messiah (Acts 2:29-31).
E – Evangelism: the world class message and spread of the gospel (Lk. 24:47).
F – Faith: drawing near to God; access (Heb. 11:6).
G –Galilee: the great Galilean ministry set among the beauty of Palestine (Mk. 1:37-39).
H – Heaven: heaven came down; incarnation (Col. 1:5).
I – Immanuel: with us is God (Matt. 1:23).
J – Jerusalem: a city with fascination like none other (Lk. 2:43; Matt. 23:37).
K – Kingdom: Jesus preached it and died with it above his dying head (Lk. 23:38).
L – Lamb: An innocent and winsome lamb; a sacrifice to God for man (Acts 8:32-35).
M –Miracles: the gospel is a confirmed message (Heb. 2:3,4).
N – Nazareth: the boyhood home and early years of Jesus (Lk. 2:51,52).
O – Omega: the ultimate reality that Jesus is Lord of the universe (Rev. 1:8).
P – Palms: laid before the young prince on his journey; Hosanna (Matt. 21:8,9).
Q – Quotations: about 250 O.T. quotes in N.T. ; Jesus came to fulfill (Lk. 24:44-46).
R – Resurrection: there is power and newness for today and tomorrow (Rom. 1:4; 6:4).
S – Salt: reminding us that all Christians are responsible on earth (Matt. 5:13).
T – Transformation: the renewal of the Christian mind; life changing joy (Rom. 12:2).
U –Upper room: a reminder that there is a time to wait on the Lord (Acts 1:13).
V – Verse: Jesus was versed in the scriptures (Matt. 4:4,6,7,10; 19:4).
W -Wages: a man cannot live on the wages of sin (Rom. 3:23; 6:23).
X – Unknown: to many the Savior is yet unknown (Acts 17:23).
Y – Yesterday: Christ is timeless and yet timely (Heb. 13:8).
Z – Zechariah: the Lord remembers (Phil. 4:3).
When we think of the gospel, our minds are carried far away to a distant land; and yet, “…he is not far from each one of us…” (Acts 17:27). Make the gospel our immediate spiritual oasis today.

-Robert M. Housby

(Judges 16:26; Song of Solomon 8:5; Micah 3:11; John 13:23; 21:20; Hebrews 11:21)

“Learning to lean / learning to lean”

(John Stallings, Learning to Lean, 1977)

We are all learning to lean on the Lord, to some degree and on some level. The Hebrew term, Adonai means, “my Lord.” If ever we’re going to learn to lean on the Lord, it must happen in a personal way. The point is, Adonai is the personal Lord of his people. It is this confidence that enables the believer to say with Psalmist: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

Learning to lean is a life with characteristics:

1. Adonai (“my Lord”) – Deuteronomy 4:35 read: “…that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides him.” This LORD is a personal God, and faith in this God is monotheistic. This is why it is even possible to lean on the Lord— He is God and He personally cares.
2. Jesus is Lord (John 20:28; Philippians 2:11).

3. This Lorship is the faith for all that would become a “Christian” (Acts 22:16).

Jacob, when dying, leaned upon his wooded staff in worship (Hebrews 11:21). Jesus, in dying, leaned upon the wooden tree in agony (1 Peter 2:24). The gospel of Christ encourages all men to lean on the Lord.

– Robert M. Housby

“…I know that none of you will see my face again”

(Acts 20:26)

“Parting is such sweet sorrow…”

–Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene ii

We are challenged by Newness! Paul told the Roman Christians: “…so we also might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). But, in order for there to be such newness, there must be a saying goodbye to what has become so familiar to us. When Paul said goodbye in Acts 20, we are told how his friends reacted: “And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the word which he had spoken, that they should behold his face no more. And they brought him on his way unto the ship” (Acts 20:36-38). The ship of the New Year awaits even us. Of course Paul had to be on that ship. He could have stayed, we suppose, but that would have interfered with the master plan.

1. This Newness challenges us to dynamic, not static, living. The resurrection is the basis of such newness (Rom. 6:3-5)! It is “Westward leading / Still proceeding.” It is emergence from the deadness of the human condition. It is gospel defining and Christian aligning.
2. This Newness trades off instability for permanence and power (Rom. 6:9).
3. With this Newness, comes a life of grace (Rom. 6:13,14).

There’s a ship lies rigged and ready in the harbor. Your name is on the manifest.

-Robert M. Housby

(Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:3-9)

“Does the Great Commission, as found at the end of the gospels, have legitimate application to members of the Lord’s church today? We were asked this question most recently. What follows is an attempt to demonstrate why we think the Great Commission does have legitimate application to the church today, beyond “the eleven” of Matthew 28:16.

1. The Great Commission is different from the Limited Commission. The Limited Commission is not to “all nations” (Matthew 28:19), but only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5). So, to begin with, any legitimate application of the Great Commission must concede this essential point of difference.

2. Second, biblical context and biblical content should harmonize. Does Matthew 28:16, with its reference to “the eleven,” negate any other applications beyond the eleven? While careful exegesis cannot allow all specifics to apply indiscriminately (for example, the miraculous element of the Great Commission, Mark 16:17-20, does not have continuity with the church in all ages), nevertheless, when the content of the message exceeds the immediate recipients of the message, there is then a warrant for a broader application [antecedent and application should agree]. Even the Limited Commission had extended applications beyond “the twelve” of Matthew 10:5 (See Luke 10:1 regarding the “seventy”). On harmonizing context and content, take the example of Genesis 12:1-3. Here, Abraham is the only proper grammatical recipient of the message. Nevertheless, it would be improper to suggest that Genesis 12 had no legitimate application to Israel. Why? Simply because the context and content of Genesis 12 extends beyond Abraham.
3. Third, Matthew 28:20 is a mandate to perpetuate apostolic doctrine; and, the most immediate application of 28:20 is 28:19. To say that 28:20 refers to most everything except 28:19 appears problematic. Matthias, for example, was not one of “the eleven” of Matthew 28:16; still, the Great Commission, as stated in Matthew
28:18-20 would compose the very substance of Matthias’ apostolic ministry. And, if we admit a twelfth, what of those whom Matthias taught (see 2 Tim. 2:2; 2 Thess. 2:15)?

We conclude that the Great Commission applies to the church today.

– Robert M. Housby

(As Taken from First John)

“These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you”

(1 John 2:26)

In some theological circles, Satan is denied. But, the New Testament is explicit when it comes to warning Christians of a real threat coming from Satan, “the devil” (1 John 5:19). The fact is, even among God’s people there are those like: “Jezebel” and “Alexander the coppersmith.” These seem to have forgotten the adage, “Do all the good you can, and no harm at all,” if not the Golden Rule itself.

1. This Biblical information is not welcomed by the Devil, for in it, he, “Satan, the devil,” is exposed (Revelation 12:9,17). Not only does the truth of God’s word hurt the devil it also hinders his activity. Such information from the word can counter deception (1 John 2:26).
2. 1 John 3:4-15 indicates that Christians, by sinning, open the threshold for no good–even within the congregation of the Lord’s people. While all men are sinners (Romans 3:23), and that includes the baptized (see 1 John 1:8; 2:1), there is a particular sinfulness which rears its head within the congregation itself.

a. The devil operates through sin (1 John 3:8).
b. Sin sometimes occurs in the church, among brethren (1 John 3:10).
c. Such undesirable brethren are compared to Cain (1 John 3:12).
d. Hateful brethren are murderers, without eternal life (1 John 3:15).
e. Love is the answer (1 John 3:11).

Satan longs for human harbors. Some preaching and teaching is intervention, and some is prevention. May this data serve to identify and isolate the works of darkness within the growing congregation .

-Robert M. Housby

“Now there was in Joppa a disciple named
Tabitha, which translated, means Dorcas.
She was full of good works and acts of charity.”

(Acts 9:36)

Ken Jennings was finally defeated after winning over 70 rounds on the popular television game show, Jeopardy. Jennings won a whopping 2.5 million dollars in 2004. We mention Jenning’s recent celebrity status in conjunction with the life of the early Christian woman Dorcas to express a truth about notoriety.
In a footnote to the biblical text, we are told that “Tabitha” is the Aramaic form of the Greek name “Dorcas”. Tabitha is properly translated, gazelle. The gazelle is a small swift animal found in hot and arid wilderness areas. Arabs have been known to train falcons to swoop down on the gazelle, stunning them, so that hunters may overtake them more easily. There are over sixty different varieties of the gazelle. The Dorcas Gazelle is found in the regions of Syria and Palestine. They may reach speeds of forty-five miles per hour over a distance of six or seven miles (Steven Barabas, The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1967), p. 42).
The Bible says of this Dorcas, “…she became ill and died…” (Acts 9:37). We are still speaking of this woman hundreds of years after her presence. We wonder if the same may be said of Mr. Jennings five-hundred years from now? Often, those whose lives are dedicated to serving Christ and his church do not receive proper recognition. But, they shall one day be more than recompensed (1 Corinthians 15:58). We may never be of celebrity status with earnings exceeding into the millions; nor as endowed intellectually as Ken Jennings. Still,
we may with Tabitha-Gazelle be found on the mountain of eternity, in the service of the Lord our God.

-Robert M. Housby

“And we know that the Son of God
has come, and has given us understanding…”

(1 John 5:20)

There is a major difference between the lifestyle and world view of Christians and the way of the world (1 John 2:15-17). This difference may be expressed in terms of the difference between “happy” and “blessed”. The “understanding” spoken of in 1 John 5:20 allows us to do this comparative study.

1. Happy appears to have more in common with circumstances; whereas, blessed is primarily a spiritual matter arising from one’s relationship with God. A relationship with God is never merely circumstantial, or arbitrary. It is the sense of constant communion which enables the worshipper to be able to count on God, as it were, even when the shifting sands of circumstances may dishevel one’s life (1 John 4:13).

2. Happy is essentially about one’s feelings. Blessed, on the other hand, is based on the promise of God, via the word of God (1 John 2:25).

3. Happy seems to be limited to the here and now, while blessed is about forever (1 John 3:2). Blessed involves a process of both now and later, and of both being and becoming.

4. Happiness is usually evaluated in terms of a human perspective. Contrarily, blessedness is derived from God’s point of view (1 John 2:16,17).

Chistians may be both blessed and happy. But, to be blessed is most important. Do you have this kind of life? Circumstances come and go; but choices abide.

– Robert M. Housby