ADVICE TO MEMBERS
As a member, you count one and should attend every regular service as far as possible. Remember no one can fill your place, and the service will be that much hindered without your presence.
Show love and fellowship to everyone without partiality. Don’t wait for others to greet you, but you greet them. Show special courtesy to strangers who may attend one of your services. As a rule, take part in the singing. Be ready for vocal prayer when called on or prompted by the Spirit. Be ready for testimony when such is in order. Stand by your pastor or appointed leader and assist him in every way you can. Always pray silently for the preacher while he delivers the message. Always live a consecrated life at home and abroad so no one can justly think or speak of you as a hypocrite. Guard your conversation.
Be careful what you say about a brother, sister, or anyone else. Don’t be a critic and try to find something in others to criticize. Examine yourself occasionally and see if you are in the faith. Don’t yield to discouragement or despondency. Be cheerful and happy and try to make others the same. Spend as much time as you can in secret prayer. Give yourself all you can to intercessory prayer. Daily prayers and study of God’s Word are necessary and very important for the spiritual welfare of each child of God; therefore, everyone is urged faithfully to maintain, as far as is possible, family worship at home at least once a day.
The Scripture gives strong precautionary principles regarding adornment to satisfy the pride of life. Paul uses the terms “modesty,” “shamefacedness,” and “sobriety” as the guiding principal for the New Testament Christian. Human nature is such that adornment can become a hindrance to one’s personal relationship with Christ. Furthermore,”…caution should be taken in the wearing of ornaments for the decoration lest we would offend the conscience of another brother or sister.” An overriding principal for such matters is found in:
Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. To be a stumbling block is to do something that may cause one to fall back into sin.
Matthew 16:24-27 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Total commitment, even unto death, is necessary. Cross bearing is a willingness to suffer and die for the Lord’s sake just as he suffered and died for our sake. Cease making self the object of our life.
1 Timothy 2:1-10 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Live a good and holy life, with special emphasis on its source, which is a deep reverence for God. God desires the salvation of all people. The Bible also indicates that God chooses some (not all) to be saved. He chose those He knew would believe and follow Him. Christ gave Himself as a ransom. Through His death, He bridged the gap between God and man and made salvation available to all.
1 Peter 3:17-18 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Jesus is an example of how we should live as a Christian. We are to be ready to suffer for doing good.
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. This doesn’t mean the world of people or the created world, but rather the world, or realm, or sin which is controlled by Satan and organized against God and righteousness. You should not permit yourself to be trapped by worldly attractions. The Bible says, “Neither give place to the devil.” Dabbling with worldly amusements like professional ball games, horse races, stock car races, wrestling arenas, skating rinks, motion picture houses or drive-in theaters, bowling alleys, and going swimming where men and women both use the same bathing area would give the devil a foothold or place in your place.
Always tithe your income and put it in the church treasury. Make freewill offerings other than your tithes.
Younger members should not keep company or associate too intimately with worldly outsiders.
Because of the ever-increasing number of broken homes, separations, divorces, and remarriages, the greatest care should be taken with much prayer and consideration regarding proposed matrimony.
A member who may have a living companion should not marry another under any circumstances, even if divorced. Neither should a member marry anyone who has a living companion although such a person may be divorced.
Children are a heritage from the Lord. Those who have children are responsible to teach them an early age to reverence the house of God. This should be done by setting a good example before them and by instruction them with such a good spirit that they will have a strong desire to serve the Lord. MINISTERS are to meet all the requirements in being examples to the members by keeping their children under reasonable control at all times and by restraining them from running about over the house of God, especially while the services are in progress.
The White Wing Messenger is a very important part of the Church of God. It should be ready regularly by every member, and your interest in advertising the church should be so great that when you have finished reading your copy, you would pass it along to someone else. Every member who possible can, should subscribe, and each minister is asked to be a “paid-up” subscriber and an earnest worker for our church paper—the White Wing Messenger.
These are the last days and perilous times have come, and it will require much watchfulness and humble prayer for you to so live and act that you will never bring reproach on the worthy name of Christ and His church that you so much love. Never form too close an intimacy with the opposite sex even if they are brothers and sisters in the Lord. Give no place to the adversary. Abstain from the very appearance of evil.
Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Though out the New Testament we are taught to have respect for authority and to exercise order and discipline in the Church. These kindly instructions and advice are given by those who are watching for your soul as they much give an account, and it is hoped they will be received with the same meek, gentle spirit in which they are given.