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| Volume 24 Number 3 March 2022 |
Page 15 |
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| Volume 24 Number 3 March 2022 |
Page 15 |
Editor's NoteMartha Lynn Rushmore
Cannot Do Public Works
(During Worship Services)
Many women want to know how they can teach and help the Lord’s church to grow. I have heard the statement, followed by the question, “I am a woman; I can’t do things such as preach, lead singing, lead public prayers, pass the communion trays or pass the collection plates. I cannot make any announcements during the public services. So, what can I do to help the church to grow?” There is much more to do than just these few public works that occur during the worship or midweek Bible study.
Some ladies are leaders, while others are followers. Some sisters in Christ are outgoing, and some are not; some women are shy and followers. Other ladies are very outgoing, and these women are usually leaders. We each must decide what kind of a working Christian lady we are. One’s personality does help to decide how and what we can do – within what the Bible permits.
We can all do behind the scenes work. We can do bulletin boards, help our children to learn the books of the Bible, sing children’s songs and memorize Scripture. As a side note, while helping children learn memory verses, we will also learn these verses. If papers for the classes need cut out or some other project for class requires preparation, these are behind the scenes works, too, that any of us can do.
Are We Going to Obey the Lord?
If a shy or a new Christian lady gets the opportunity to teach a friend or another woman who is interested in learning the Gospel, a shy lady could go with a more experienced sister for moral support. If one goes as moral support, she does not have to say anything. Most of the time, it is better to let one teach and the other listen.
Something else that even a shy person can do is to pass out tracts. It does not take a lot of effort to pass out tracts or to invite someone to worship or to Bible class. You also could leave a tract when you go into a restroom. You can give a tract to the cashier when you go shopping.
Louis and I hand out $1,000,000 bills with the plan of salvation on the back. The front of this bill is fake, but it looks like American money. We get many different reactions. It is one way to strike up a conversation. Louis tells of at least two women who wanted to quit their jobs immediately after he gave them one of these bills. They thought that they had been given real money – a lot of it! He has had a cashier start to ask the manager for change; of course, he had to stop her. This little piece of paper, if followed, is worth far more than the $1,000,000 printed on the front – even if it were real. What is taught on the back is priceless. It is our way to have eternal life. We do not know if anyone has learned the truth by giving out this tract, but we did what we needed to do – as the opportunity permitted us to do – by putting the plan of salvation in the hands of others. This was an easy way to do a work for the Lord, and it does not take any effort.
I understand you do not have this tract, but I am sure you have some others that you could hand out to your neighbors or just leave somewhere where people might find them. This is something that anyone can do, even if you are afraid of getting questions you cannot answer. If someone does ask you questions you cannot answer easily, remember there are other Christians who can help you. All you have to say is, “I do not know, but I will find out the answer and get back with you.” You can study for the answer or ask someone for help. Either way, you must give an answer to keep the interest in the Gospel alive. Maybe from a tract you handed out, you might get a Bible study. If so, you could have someone who is more able to lead the study and teach. If you are not at ease teaching, another Christian can help.
There is much more to do than just the public works that are done during the worship or midweek Bible study.
Are we going to Obey the Devil?
You might say, “I go to services every time the door is open. I do not need to do anything else. I will let those who like to do these things and who are able to do them.”
There is a story about four people named
Everybody, Anybody, Somebody and Nobody
There was an important job to be done
and Everybody was asked to do it.
Everybody was sure Somebody
would do it.
Somebody got angry about that
because it was Everybody’s job.
Everybody thought Anybody
could do it.
Anybody could have done it, but
Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that
because it was Everybody’s job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it,
but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it
It ended up that Everybody blamed
Somebody when Nobody would do what
Anybody could have done.
What We Can Do!
We can teach our children at home. There is no better or more well-paying job in this world that a mother can do than to teach her own children. To raise our children to be faithful and strong Christians is the most rewarding job in this life. Raising our children to follow the Lord and eventually inherit eternal life cannot compare to this world’s treasures. Peter told the lame man at The Gate Beautiful that he had no silver or gold, but he did have the gift of eternal life.
Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed. 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 17 Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:1-19 NKJV)
Young children are so interested in the Bible. Little ones love to hear God’s Word and sing Bible songs. They also enjoy learning the 66 books of the Bible and other memory work. When teaching young ones, you should make the lessons interesting. There is also an upside to teaching our young ones memory work; as mentioned earlier, we are also memorizing Scripture.
Maybe you can teach ladies’ classes. Of course, a class for ladies requires more preparation than preparing to teach little children. Just remember, though, even little ones know if you have your lesson prepared or not, just like ladies will know if you prepared your lesson. Even if they don’t know, you are not fooling God. Generally, the teacher for a ladies’ class is an older woman. We are taught in Titus 2:3-5 that older women are to teach the younger. “The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things — that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”
Teach at Ladies’ Days
These lessons are sometimes harder because they are assigned lessons. The lessons I prepare for our mission trips are some harder because the topic has been assigned. You ladies who can teach classes, do not let things like this hold you back. The main thing is to study and find the Scriptures you need to emphasize. Then, go over your lessons. Prepare and enjoy giving your lessons. Remember these sisters are just like you. If they are like most women in your class, they are nervous for you. Most ladies are supportive of you. Allow the content of the biblical lesson to take over, which will lessen nervousness.
Works We Can Do
Do benevolent work – such as taking food to shut-ins or others needing a prepared meal (e.g., funerals), sitting with someone who cannot be left alone or taking someone somewhere she needs to go (e.g., doctor’s appointment, buying groceries). There are many more things that ladies can do. Younger women can help an older person cleaning house or whatever is needed. The older women can offer to babysit so a husband and wife can have some time alone without little ones under their feet. Young marrieds need their own precious time. Just look around for some worthwhile activity that you can do. Can you think of some things that you can do?
