August 15, 2019th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

I have been getting 8 hours of sleep the last couple of nights, plus on Tuesday I walked three times: an hour before lunch, 20 minutes in the late afternoon, and 30-40 minutes after the evening service.  Therefore, my strength and stamina are good at this time by God’s grace.  This helps to overcome the wear and tear of traveling and jet lag.  The brethren are kind and hospitable in providing plenty of healthy food.  The Cabrillas were at work today, so I spent the day preparing tonight’s lesson and working on a ton of email messages, important work which it seems is never caught up (apologies to those of you wondering why I have not responded to your message).

By the way, speaking of apologies, I need to correct this sentence from the previous report: “This is winter in New Zealand and temperatures are running mid-40’s to mid-50’s (7-13 centigrade).”  Celsius, not centigrade – what was I thinking???

There were 14 precious souls present at the evening service in the Salunga’s basement.  After sharing supper and visiting for about 45 minutes (the people come direct from work and college), we started the service at 7:15 and finished at 9:15.  I began the first of three sermons in a series on “Harmony in the Home,” based in a large measure on the excellent material in Mike Willis’ workbook by that title.

The three lessons examine the Sermon on the Mount to see how the transformation of our lives by the gospel impacts the home.  Tonight we studied Matthew 5:3-10 to focus on the character traits necessary for citizenship in the kingdom of God – and to consider how those traits influence family life.  For instance, if a man is “poor in spirit” or humble, he can easily submit to God’s will, and that includes God’s instructions for the role of a husband and a father.  A wife will admire and respect her husband who manifests this humble spirit, and she will want to share it.  As a result, their hearts will beat as one in serving God and each other.

At the end of the sermon, I asked the audience to discuss with me the following question: “If I sin against my mater, how will these traits helps us reconcile?”  The character traits listed in the beatitudes were projected on a PowerPoint chart to invite reflection on the question. We had a very fruitful discussion as various members of the audience connected the dots and saw the application of Scripture to this very practical question.  The open forum extended and expanded our discussion period as several other topics arose as well.

Randy stayed home from work Wednesday to meet a plumber, so after my morning of study and emails, we walked about 45 minutes and then ate a light lunch at a nearby restaurant overlooking the waterway to the ocean.  Though this is winter here, all of nature is green, growing, and displaying beautiful flowers.  After working this afternoon, I walked again, took a shower, and headed for our meeting with Randy and his family in the Salunga’s basement.

Our study began at 7:30 P.M. as we examined Matthew 5 regarding proper conduct in God’s new kingdom and how it impacts family life – setting a good example, avoiding sinful expressions of anger, settling conflicts, avoiding sinful sexual lusts, and avoiding fornication and divorce.

At the end I invited the audience to participate in answering the question, “If I do not follow this teaching, how might my wife react?”  The discussion on sinful anger and resolving conflicts allowed me to clarify that couples having trouble are not permitted to divorce and go their separate ways.  They must seek the right kind of help until they find it, trusting in God’s providence to open the right door at the right time.  The assembly was dismissed at 9:30 P.M., but we stayed and visited for another 30-40 minutes.  It has been another profitable evening of study in God’s Holy Word.

This Thursday was so filled with study, sermon preparation, and email messages that there was no time to walk until the late afternoon.  The sun shone all day and there were few clouds and only a light breeze rather than strong winds.  As I walked the full moon was slowly rising on the horizon against a deep blue sky – how beautiful is God’s handiwork!  I sent all my messages of love, hoping you could see the beautiful moon also!

Tonight we finished the series on “Harmony in the Home” by looking at additional instructions given by Christ for proper conduct in his new kingdom: be truthful in speech at all times, do not seek revenge when irritated by someone who causes inconvenience and embarrassment, love those who treat you as an enemy, pray together, forgive one another, avoid unfair judgment, and, all in all, practice the golden rule.  These instructions are necessary for a right relationship with God and they affect every realm of a Christian’s life.  Following the teaching of Christ will result in harmony in the home.

Our discussion question was, “If I follow these specific instructions, how might my mate react?”   We branched off into a number of practical points about how husbands and wives must act unselfishly in adjusting to teach other, tamping down flare-ups, and binding up wounds in order to have a healthy marriage.  We can put the teaching of Christ into action and application, and reap the benefits of having a successful marriage and a happy home life!

Again we started at 7:30 and finished at 9:30 P.M. – the time flew as everyone paid close attention and participated well in our study and discussion.  It is always a privilege to come to Auckland and work with these saints.  They encourage and edify me while I attempt to teach them.

And none of this work would be possible without the prayers and financial help of dozens of Christians scattered in many places.  May God bless our every joint effort to His glory!

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.truthbooks.com