On Vacation

Susan had a conference in Destin this week and I went along for a short vacation. It was great- weather, food, accomodations, etc. I went deep sea fishing on Monday and had great fun. Caught bunches of fish, but unlike most others on the boat, most of mine were small and had to be thrown back. Snapper have a 16 inch limit and I caught a bunch about 14 inches. Well, anyway. Next week is camp week at Indian Creek and I know it will be great. I have been working on lessons today. Paul(Kelsey) put together our class book and it looks like a great study on Example. While on that subject, maybe you would like to read my bulletin article for this week. Here it is-

When In Rome
David Courington
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” That may be good advice when it comes adapting to many customs of a foreign land. One hardly wants to drive on the right side of the road when everyone else is driving on the left.
But when it comes to our having Christ-like behavior, we need to be cautious. The Bible warns us that Christians and the world do not have much in common when it comes to morality. Paul said, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”(2 Cor 6:14-17). Paul also warned of allowing evil companions to corrupt us, saying, “Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."(1 Cor 15:33) (NKJV).
The world that we live in has its way of doing things. Some people do not know what it is like not to drink alcoholic beverages. They have learned that way of life from their youth at home. If you speak of drunkenness as being sinful (See Gal 5:19-21), they will likely, first, look at you funny, and then either laugh at you or ridicule you. It is not their way to leave alcohol alone. That’s the way it is in “Rome!”
But you are a child of light, not darkness. Paul warned the Thessalonians, “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”(1 Thess 5:5). When the “Romans” drink or curse or cheat in their worldly, customary way, you and I must be reminded that we are not “Romans”.
When you dress, you should dress as a Christian, not a “Roman.” Last Sunday night in Destin while we were waiting for church to start a family came in and sat down in front of us with 4 teenage girls. They were dressed properly and of course my thought was, “Here are some folks who have their priorities right. Even though they are in a place where hardly anyone seems to think about God, they are remembering Him by coming to church on Sunday night.” Then the girls started to look at pictures on their digital camera(again before the service started). Their “itsy bitsy, teensy, weensy bikinis” looked like anything but the dress of modesty, shamefacedness, and sobriety, with which Christians are to cover themselves. (See 1 Tim. 2:9-10). No, I doubt that anyone on the beach would think it was anything out of the ordinary, but remember, what is ordinary for the world, is not always what is right for the child of God. We are light, not darkness.
Next time you go to “Rome”, will you do as the “Romans” or as the Christians?