Dear family, brethren, and friends,

By God’s good grace and providence the work in New Zealand continues to progress.  Twelve souls gathered in the basement of Ronnie Salunga’s house on Monday, December 12.  I had used the day to prepare to teach one of several lessons, depending on the audience, in addition to catching up on some email and working on a report.  Since the weather was better today, I walked and jogged for an hour, which increases my energy and stamina.

Tonight Kyle was back and RonRon’s girlfriend Jean was also present.  In view of having those young people with us, I chose to teach on “The Purpose of Our Lives” (Gen. 1:27).  We are created to be friends and companions of God.  He showers our lives with blessings including the great gift of marriage.  He sent Christ to die as the perfect sacrifice for sin and to prepare to receive us in heaven forever.  Most people wander aimlessly in life, squandering the years in sin and rebellion to their own confusion and destruction in hell in the end.  Our study began at 8:00 P.M. and finished at 11:00 P.M. because once again there were excellent questions and follow-up discussion.

In the open forums these last few days we have discussed everything from Gods providence to why Jesus came to earth in the flesh to the state of infants to the roles of men and women to why so many people obeyed the gospel in the first century to how we can maintain a forgiving spirt toward those who wrong us to differences between the original teaching of Christ and the doctrines of Catholicism and denominational groups.

In addition to studying and quickly answering a few emails, part of Tuesday was devoted to contacting Qantas airlines to amend my flight schedule.  I was scheduled next week to fly from Auckland to Brisbane, Australia, and on to Gladstone to stay with Jamie and Deborah Williams and their boys.  After Deborah had a complication with her pregnancy (which for the moment has been solved), they decided to go to Brisbane to be near a better hospital in advance of January 1 (the due date).  Changing my ticket to have my bags get off at Brisbane was a mammoth undertaking – I needed to talk to a real person because the computer and the prepackaged phone options could not address my situation.  Finally, I got through to a live person whose efforts to make the needed change were tortuously slow.  But, at last the problem was solved and I got back on track with my work just in time for our even service.

Twelve precious souls attended including Marius, Roanna Salunga’s fiancée, from Arizona via Skype.  Everyone was present and ready to start at 8:30 P.M. as we delved into the topic “God Made Us Male and Female” (Gen. 1:27), addressing our gender identity and roles as opposed to the modern transgender agenda.  Again there was a lively open forum which included discussion of how fornicators, adulterers, transgender perverts, and homosexuals can be forgiven by God by repenting of their sins and submitting to Christ.  It was another profitable evening of study which concluded at 11:00 P.M.

Again on Wednesday I considered and prepared several lessons, not knowing for sure who might attend our service.  I also quickly answered a few emails and squeezed in a short walk.  In the afternoon I was blessed to have an opportunity to spend time with RonRon and Jean, his girlfriend.  She is from a Roman Catholic background like most Filipinos, but she is very open to learn more about God’s Word.  We studied for 2 ½ hours using an outline I developed several years ago which gives an overview of God’s redemptive plan and men’s departures from it resulting in Catholicism and denominationalism.

Both of them asked good questions, such as what will happen to people in remote places worshiping idols who do not know the true God. This led us to study one of my favorite passages in Acts 17 where Paul said God rules the nations in such a way as to allow people who search for Him to find Him (Acts 17:26-27).  Romans 1:18-21  teaches us that people who have fallen into the darkness of idolatry are without excuse for not seeking and finding God because His universe proclaims His existence.  We finished our study just in time to prepare for supper.

Our guests for the service soon arrived.  Twelve souls including a couple who had been with us Friday gathered in the basement to consider the topic “When Am I Ready to Be Baptized?” (Acts 8:36).  Questions in the open forum ranged from how to overcome the sin of impatience to challenges encountered in family relationships and raising children.  Our study ran from 8:15-10:15 P.M., then we went upstairs to enjoy visiting, snacking, and discussing such things as the existence of God, fallacies of evolution, and Bible references to dinosaurs.  Our guests left at mid-night and I got to bed at 1:30 A.M. after completing some work.  It was another full and rewarding day!

Our Thursday weather was not bad – some clouds and only a couple of sprinkles with more sunshine.  I managed to respond to several emails, Skype with Donna, Timothy, and Seth, work on a manuscript for the Truth Lectures in June, walk and jog for an hour, and review some lessons for tonight – the hours pass too quickly and the days are too short!

Eleven gathered to study God’s Word tonight – Kyle was back after being sick last night.  The lesson I chose was “Reverence in Worship” (Eccl. 7:1-5).  We reverence God by strictly following His instructions for worship and by worshiping Him with sincerity, thanksgiving, and joy.  Our study included God’s wrath against irreverence in worship.

The open forum evolved into a healthy discussion of advantages and disadvantages of meeting in a home – for instance, the danger of becoming overly informal and casual.  Everyone is encouraged and excited about the potential of reaching the point next year of outgrowing the basement and renting a place to meet which will make the church more visible in the community.  They want to work harder to cultivate the spirit of reverence for God now so that when they do take that step, that spirit will be strong and evident to all who might visit their services.  They do not want to leave the impression they are a casual here-today-gone-tomorrow group or operation.  They are here to stay with godly reverence and determination to spread the gospel.  We started at 8:30 and finished at 10:15 P.M.

After dismissing, we went upstairs for snacks including a New Zealand favorite: pavlova.  This is a meringue-based dessert topped with several kinds of fruit including kiwi.  Very light and tasty, and named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.

Observing the faith and dedication of these saints increases my faith and dedication to the Lord!  Thank you to all who are making it possible for me to encourage and edify these good brethren and to labor with them in proclaiming the gospel to our visitors.  And thank you for looking at that beautiful full moon smiling down on all of us as another gift of God.

In Christian love,

Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
http://www.HebronChurchOfChrist.com
http://www.biblework.com
http://www.truthmagazine.com
http://www.CEIbooks.com