Philippine Convention for a Report, Page 17 • for Photos, Page 21
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Vol. 69 “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” No. 3 MARCH 2011 Philippine Convention For a report, page 17 • For photos, page 21 cover.indd 1 2/1/2011 3:23:22 PM Editorial not dancing as we think of dancing! Why do I say that? Because the priests were walking along, carrying the RELIGIOUS DEMONSTRATIONS ark and moving. They were not standing still. There were various times when the people shouted E READ in I Corinthians 12:4-7, “Now there are and praised the Lord. After the Ark was returned by diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there the Philistines, David decided to bring it to Jerusalem. W are differences of administrations, but the same As they did, the people played their instruments and Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is shouted (I Chronicles 13:7, 8). However, when Uzza the same God which worketh all in all. But the mani- tried to steady the Ark and touched it, God smote him— festation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit Verses 9 and 10. So it was not brought into the city at withal.” that time. Later, as stated above, they did bring it into In this passage of scripture, we are told that the the city. When the foundation of the second temple was gifts, administrations, and operations of the Holy Spirit laid, the people sang, shouted, and praised the Lord— are not given for the profit of any one person, but are Ezra 3:11-13. for the benefit of the entire body of Christ. I remember Before leaving the thought of dancing, nowhere in many years ago, the late F. E. Arch saying, “The Holy the New Testament do you find support for such a Spirit will never embarrass you.” I believe that to be practice in a Divine worship service! When you see true. That is not to say Satan will not try to keep your women swaying their bodies, in what I would say is a mouth shut when you should offer praise to God, but suggestive manner, and you see unsaved women doing let us remember that the Apostle Paul said, “Let all the same, it is not the Spirit of God moving them. It is things be done decently and in order” (I Corinthians not doing all things decently and in order! Neither does 14:40). it meet the standard of modesty. The word “demonstrations” has a variety of mean- In New Testament times, Jesus entered Jerusalem ings. We will confine our thoughts to these two: “show riding on a donkey on what is called today “Palm Sunday.” forth; to exhibit and manifest.” Man possesses a three- We find the multitude that went before and that followed, fold nature: Moral—Intellectual—Emotional. Love is cried, saying, “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is an emotion. Salvation is a joy producing experience. he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the There are various kinds of demonstrations. An highest” (Matthew 21:9). After Jesus ascended into angry man may curse, revile, fight. A person in deep heaven, the disciples “returned to Jerusalem with great sorrow may weep (Jesus did). A person full of joy may joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and shout, laugh, and even leap. I remember years ago I blessing God” (Luke 24:52, 53). After 3,000 were saved was holding a revival meeting for the late Willie Gordon on the Day of Pentecost, we find that the disciples praised in Chicago. He and his wife ran a little store near a God. Also the lame man at the gate Beautiful, who was grade school. A Pentecostal woman came into the store spoken of earlier, walked and leaped praising God after contending for dancing in the services. Bro. Gordon he was healed (Acts 3:8). pointed out to her that there were no New Testament We also find in the Bible information about false scriptures to support the idea of dancing. In the New demonstrations. I suppose one of the most familiar is Testament it spoke of some leaping, as the man at the the time Elijah contested the false prophets of Baal on gate Beautiful after he was healed. I don’t think Bro. Mount Carmel. For hours they called on their god Baal, Gordon was able to change her mind. But even in that but there was no answer. Finally, they “leaped upon incident of the lame man, I would point out that it was the altar which was made” (I Kings 18:26). You also not in a church service. find demonstrations of false tongues and healings What about God’s people today? among some religions. In Old Testament times, we read that after crossing We need to remember the words of the Lord Jesus the Red Sea, Moses and Israel sang a song unto the when He said to the woman at the well, “Ye worship ye Lord—Exodus 15:1-8. We also read in this chapter that know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation Miriam took some women out by themselves and is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall instructed them to sing unto the Lord, and in verse 20 ABOUT OUR COVER you will find the word dance. I will point out in regard worship the Father in spirit to this word that Adam Clarke says, “Many learned and in truth: for the Father On our cover is the Mayon men suppose that this word means some instruments seeketh such to worship him. Volcano in the Philippines, of wind music.” That is drawn from the meaning of the God is a Spirit: and they that widely regarded as the most word in Hebrew. Clarke says it could be “pipes or hollow worship him must worship perfectly cone-shaped vol- tubes, such as flutes.” He also says, “Both the Arabic him in spirit and in truth” cano, and surrounded by rice and Persian understand it as meaning instruments of (John 4:22-24). fields. It is located in the music.” Spiritual people will natu- region of Bicol, island of Luzon, Philippines. It is only In regard to the word dance as found in Psalm 149:3 rally feel free—if they are one of several volcanoes in and 150:4, Clarke says, “I know of no place in the Bible among other spiritual peo- the Philippines. Mt. Pinatubo where machol and machalath (Hebrew words) mean ple—to let the Spirit use them. erupted in 1991 and was dance of any kind; they constantly signify some kind The manner of demonstra- responsible for damage in the of pipe.” As to II Samuel 6:14 when they were bringing tions is largely governed by area where the Philippine the Ark into Jerusalem and David “danced before the the example and the teaching Convention was hosted. Lord,” it was probably more of a leaping or skipping, they are receiving. Our natu- The Lord blessed us with four children—two boys—two THE WAY OF TRUTH girls. We lived in Frederick County until 1991, and then (Registered Trademark) came back to Washington County. We did not go to church Vol. 69 March 2011 No. 3 until we went to the Church of God. When Vernon Moats Devoted to the gospel of our loving Savior, the Lord got sick in October 1993, we all went to church together and Jesus Christ, who gave freely His life-blood, to save us Vernon got saved. He went to be with the Lord on February from our many sins, to sanctify our fallen nature and to 17, 1994, thank the Lord. My wife and I got saved a few bring into one body all true believers, by whose stripes we weeks later. Thank God for coming into my heart. I thank are healed. God for my loving wife, Bunny. Without her, I am nothing. Published the fifteenth of the month prior to the date of I thank God for all my brothers and sisters in the con- issue by the Church of God which assembles at 12819 Point gregation, and for all that they have done for Bunny and Salem Road in Hagerstown, Maryland. Publishing office: me in the past years. I thank Bro. Ollen and Sis. Stutzie 12811 Point Salem Road, Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.A. Craig for being a church daddy and mother all through the The Way of Truth is published without any given sub- years to us as well. scription price, and is supported by freewill offerings from I thank my heavenly Father for His beloved Son, the our readers and funds supplied by the local congregation. Lord Jesus, who died and rose again to save me from all my It is sent out free to anyone who is interested enough to ask for it. We shall continue this policy as long as God sees fit sins. I thank and praise Him for His divine healing. He has to make it possible. FOREIGN READERS are requested to healed me many times since I’ve been saved. write us at least once a year if they wish to continue receiv- I thank God for Bro. Greg and Sis. Ellen Tyler for all ing the paper the following year. Address all correspondence the love in their hearts for Bunny and me. I thank them for to: The Way of Truth, P. O. Box 88, Hagerstown, Maryland their prayers, for I know that our son, David, was called 21741, U.S.A.