HUMILITY: A Very Present Help!

“that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need."

Hebrews 4:16

Missouri has one of the greatest tourist attractions in America. It’s called Pro Bass Shop, which is located in Springfield. This place is a sportsman’s paradise.

Any sportsman who goes there will think he has died and gone to heaven. The store must cover a hundred acres: it has live fish ponds, indoors; a full-service McDonald’s, indoors; an indoor firing range for your new deer rifle; small cabin cruisers, also indoors; and every fishing lure known to modern man.

On one of our two trips to this sportsmen’s smorgasbord, we sat by a live fish pond; one with decorative stumps and rocks for turtle sunbathing. Only they were indoors, so I guess they were “fluorescenting” themselves.

At any rate, we were all chuckling at this one turtle perched on top of a wooden pole. Now the turtle’s little legs hung over the edge of the pole and it was at least 18 inches out of the water.

Every time I think of that little critter I’m reminded of a turtle on a lamp-post in Alex Haley’s office. Haley, author of Roots, said it was there to remind him it needed help to get there, he didn’t do it on his own. So too, the turtle at the Pro Bass Shop.

We must all remember that we didn't get where we are by ourselves … we don’t live or exist in a vacuum. Priscilla and Aquila needed Paul’s help; Paul needed Barnabas and Silas; and so on! We all need God’s help.

Christianity, Humility, Illustrations, Religion

SEALED: Marked for Eternity!

"Mark the blameless man …"

Psalm 37:37

"… you were sealed in Him …"

Ephesians 1:13 [also 4:30]

"… sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads ..."

Revelation 7:3

I was reminded the other day of how our American hobos marked the homes of those who befriended them.

Contrary to urban legends, American generosity is not a guaranteed commodity. Going from town to town and living on the road many times resulted in an empty stomach. Handouts were often few and far between. So when a generous person was found, it was a good idea to remember where they lived, should you pass their way again.

The mark was well-known to those on the road; hobos could quite easily travel from border to border and coast to coast never lacking for a meal or a grubstake.

God has marked those who belong to Him. The Bible says, "His name shall be on their foreheads" [Revelation 22:4]. And it also says we have been sealed … the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His” … [2 Timothy 2:19].

But God has also marked others: "who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" [Jude 1:4].

Then again, Satan also has his mark [Revelation 13:16-17]. Oh, beloved, be certain of your mark [2 Peter 1:10-11].

Christianity, Illustrations,
Justification, Religion

PRIORITIES: When Push Comes to Shove!

THIS PROBLEM WON’T GO AWAY: [Psalm 119:143]

The story is told of a duck hunter who’s black lab, “Phideaux,” had been trained to do exactly the right thing in virtually every instance.

Seems the hunter and a friend were out duck hunting one early spring morning and a sizable flock of birds flew over the lake. Both hunters simultaneously shouldered their weapons and fired. Two birds dropped from the sky and hit the water at the same time. Phideaux leaped from the blind and swam to the two ducks. Sensing one bird was just wounded, he raced toward it an retrieved it for his master. Instantly, he returned to the water and retrieved the dead fowl.

The friend of the dog’s owner said, “How did he know to do that?” The dog’s master said I trained him to know which birds were not going anywhere and to retrieve the others first.

Emergencies in ministry are like that. Those of us in ministry would do well to learn this principle: recognize early which emergencies aren’t going anywhere, then work on the others. You can always return to an emergency (read: opportunity) that’s not going anywhere.

LOVE: The Greatest Thing God Has Demonstrated!

HE'S NOT OUR SON! [Matthew 28:20]

"and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Herbert Toney, 36, and Latisha Washington, 29, were arrested in October in St. Bernard Parish, just outside New Orleans, and face several charges including abandoning their 8-year-old son.

According to police, the couple instructed the son to go into a Winn-Dixie supermarket and steal groceries and beer. When a security guard stopped him, the boy pointed to his parents nearby. But Toney and Washington matter-of-factly denied knowing the boy, and walked away.

Deputies brought the couple in again a while later, but Washington said only that maybe she had seen the boy around the neighborhood a few times. Finally, she admitted he was her child. [The Times-Picayune, 10-4-02]

The Lord will not leave us nor foresake His children!


BIBLICAL LOVE! [John 15:12-17]

I've been in many services where the preacher, the evangelist, or the teacher told us to turn to a person on the left or right and say, "I love you." But you know, I've never been in a service where anyone told us to turn to the person next to us and say, "I'm willing to die for you!" Yet that's exactly what God said to the whole world.

Love is not a theory; it’s a theorem. You see, we are supposed to demonstrate our love for others, not just say that we love someone. God so loved the world that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God demonstrated His love for us! So now, I tell my congregation to turn to the person next to them, weeping, and say, "I'm willing to die for you!" That's biblical love!


ENJOY YOUR MEAL! [Psalm 23:5a]

Our family has been enjoying a nesting pair of doves. They’ve set up house in a Creeping Charlie, which hangs on our front porch. Mom seems to be there 24/7. Dad? Well, he comes around from time to time ... bringing lunch, perhaps.

Last year they laid a brace of eggs but having a new roof installed scared them away before they hatched. This year ... in fact just a few days ago, two chicks were born and they were born hungry. Now even dad spends time in the nest. I won’t tell you what he does.

Our dog sleeps right under their nest and they aren’t in the least fazed. We also have three cats, who take turns sitting at the screen door several times each day. The cats don’t know about the birds yet ... conversely the birds don’t seem to know about the cats.

I’ve discovered a couple of things from observing these birds. First, mothers, human or otherwise, put up with a great deal. Second, each hatchling has its meals in the presence of its enemies. Yet, unlike you or me, they have no concept of their enemies.

And so shall I be free of fear, for God promises "to prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." Now David has made no distinction whether these were temporal or eternal enemies. However, since I know the Lord is immutable [unchanging], I hold it makes no difference ... He would never have me feast fearlessly in one dimension and not in the other, so great is His love for me.

On the other hand, if you’re like me, your enemies often give you indigestion. So what’s up? Not faith, that’s for sure! I wouldn’t need spiritual Zantac ® if I really lived by faith. Jesus often said to the disciples, "Oh ye of little faith."

He also said, "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." [Matthew 10:28] And, "be not anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself." [Matthew 6:34a]

It certainly isn’t the Lord’s fault that our temporal lives are so full of hobgoblins who give us spiritual reflux.


EVERYONE HAS A BOB! [Matthew 25:31-46]

The following is by Charles Lowery: "What about Bob?"; SBC LIFE, April 2002; Copyright © 2001 Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.

There are always a few in every church. When we see them we think of that little Family of God chorus and sing "I'm surprised you're a part of the family of God." God made them fearfully and wonderfully weird. They have the amazing ability to drain the joy right out of the ministry. ... . The porch light is on but no one is home. ... .

When I see them I want to ask, "Where are Moe, Larry, and Curly?" ... . They act so inappropriately at times. They are usually standing when they are supposed to be sitting or talking when they are supposed to be quiet. They aren't cool, quick, or articulate like us. ... .

When everyone else has gone home, they want to talk to you. They usually want to hug you. And there is always one who zeros in on you; you are his hero, his idol, and the person he wants to spend as much time with as he can. They are there after every service, waiting to tell you things you already know. ... . You devise ways of avoiding them. ...

Let's be honest, sometimes you're just rude. You blow them off because your time is too valuable. ... . You say something that cuts them off or you embarrass them with your quick wit and it hurts and it works. Now you're free to do what important people like you do.

A friend of mine told me about someone that drove him crazy. His name was Bob. My friend was grumbling about Bob under his breath, and God was listening.

That night everything changed because God spoke to him as clearly as He had ever spoken before. God said, "You know that fellow, Bob, who is a little slow and never quite gets things right? The one you avoid at all costs? Well, I want you to remember something - compared to Me, you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer, either, and you don't get things quite right most of the time. So, the next time Bob starts to bug you, remember you're My Bob."

My own Bob was a lady who rode the van to our church. ... . When I had important things to do, I would try to sneak by without her seeing me. She always saw me and would yell, "Pastor, good morning!"

After church we greeted guests in the Hospitality Room and she always came in to give me a hug ... . I hugged her ... and I enjoyed it. Because I knew she was my Bob, I knew that in her simplistic mind, I represented God. God in His still, small voice said, "Well done, Charles. You loved someone who needed My love desperately. When you are desperate for love, I'll be there for you like you were for her." And when I was desperate, He was there.

I have now resigned from that church and when I look back on my time there, she is one of the people I miss. Why? Because I know she really needed me. I pray that God will send her another Charles and ... me another Bob, and give me enough sense to recognize him when he shows up.

THAT DREADFUL THING! [Matthew 25:40-46]

Bias is as simple to understand as the difference between a ladybug and a cockroach. Take a ladybug to your wife, girlfriend or mother and let it crawl on her arm. You’ll discover they have no objection ... that is, if don’t sneak up on them. They’ll say. "Oh, how cute. Aren’t they the prettiest things?" Some of them will add, "Don’t hurt it. They’re good bugs."

Now try doing the same thing with a water beetle (a very important bug except it looks like a cockroach). See what I mean? They’ll shout and scream, "Oh, don’t bring that dreadful thing near me. They’re so disgusting." Some of them will add, "Kill it! Kill it!" But they’re both bugs. What’s the difference?

Bias is rooted in our experiences; prejudice is rooted in our fears, which are also rooted in our experiences. Many of these experiences are actually lessons taught to us by others while we were young ... usually without our conscious knowledge.

Little girls are taught that bugs are "icky," while little boys are taught that bugs are good things to use to scare little girls. Yet, all kids are taught that ladybugs are "good bugs"; so too are "Daddy-long-legs" and "swamp flies."

Prejudice and bias interfere with the proper working of human life in general but in the heart of a believer they interfere with the proclamation of the Good News. At this moment there is a man sitting on the bench under the huge oak tree in our church parking lot. His name is Frank, he limps over here from a rest home down the street. He comes every day to sit in the shade and a drink his daily quart of bottled beer.

Frank is scruffy bearded and always appears in need of a bath. His fingernails are long and unclean. But Frank is the nicest guy. He’s as friendly as a Golden Retriever and just as uneducated. In a few minutes my associate, Dan, is going out to talk to him, and remind him of how much God loves him ... and why.

On the other hand, some people in our church have seen Frank under the tree, and asked with a tone of condemnation, "What’s he doing there?" The "he" is elevated, and clearly communicates that people like him are not welcome around God’s house. Others have asked, "Who’s that?" With the accent on "that" and the "who" drawn out like a barn owl’s cry.

My heart breaks for Frank ... in need of friends and love and space ... but it double breaks for those in my church who are biased against the different. Whose experiences have taught them to ignore the clear teachings of their Lord and Savior, "To the extent you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me. ... to the extent you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." Whose prejudices have caused them to reject the Teacher Himself because they’ve rejected His teachings. "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."


THE BEAUTY WITHIN: [Proverbs 5:18]

The sculptor and the diamond cutter have one thing in common, they’re both trying to craft a work of art out of a rough, natural stone. These artists study the jagged object before them to such a degree they can actually visualize the finished product in their minds.

Another mental phenomena which fascinates me is how lovers are able to grow old together. The process is similar to that of the artisans above, only the image visualized is an image past, while the image seen is the image present.

When we fall in love, we are enamored with our sweetheart; she is beautiful to us and, though we all have imperfections, she seems perfect.

The aging process is heartless to the images of young love; but where true love exists, it allows us to see in our aging mate the original beauty which attracted us to them. How wonderful it is to look into our wife’s eyes and see the beauty hidden behind her now maturing flesh, the continuing elegance of her now failing frame, and persistent loveliness and appeal of her now mellowing voice.

Oh, how marvelous is this thing called true love; what a gift God has given to the man who is man enough to see with the eyes of his heart ... letting his fountain be blessed, rejoicing in the wife of his youth.

DEATH - A comma between a dependent clause and an independent clause!

DEATH’S SHADOW! [Psalm 23:4; dying, eternal life, justification, sanctification]

Naomi (our seven year-old) was crying quietly into her pillow when I came in. Her older sister, Jennifer, had told me she thought she heard her crying. I asked, "Sweetheart, why are you so sad?" She said she knew mom and I were going to die but she didn’t want us to and it made her sad. I told her I’d take her out the next day and show her why she didn’t need to worry about mom and dad dying.

The next day we drove to a side street, not far from our house. I parked by the curb and showed her a tree about a hundred yards away. I said, "You see that tree?" She told me she did. I asked her, "Do you see its shadow, how it falls across our path?" Again, she told me she did. "Now, if I point my truck straight at that tree and drive as fast as I can, what will happen?" She told me would crash and die. I told her we sure would.

Then I said, "But what if I change my direction, and just drive down the street? We’ll go through the trees shadow, right? What then?" She said, "Oh, I see! If we drive on the street, through the shadow, we go right through. We go through the tree but not the real tree, only its shadow. You mean that’s like dying. Dying is just passing through a shadow." I asked her, "But, Naomi, not everyone changes direction. What happens to them?" She said, "Oh, they crash and die."

I then explained how those who have Jesus in their hearts and have been washed in His precious blood have changed directions, but those who stubbornly refuse the gift of eternal life will continue on their way and hit the tree that they deny exists.

"Honey," I said, "mom and dad have that life because we have Jesus ... we’ll go through the shadow of death but not death itself. And you need to have Jesus in your heart too."

Source/Attribution: special thanks to Charles Swindoll who told a similar anecdote in Talbot Chapel in 1985, without it, I would not have been able to teach this precious truth to my daughter.


THE MASTER’S ROSE! [Psalm 116:15; death (of a loved one), funerals, grieving]

A poor man once acquired a position as gardener for a very rich and powerful rajah in India. His master loved roses and had some imported. The gardener labored hard until it became a labor of love ... especially for the roses. He personally cared for one particular bush, where a bud had grown to full bloom with the most perfect white rose of the deepest pearl-like hue.

One day his master took a leisurely stroll in his garden. Inevitably he passed by the man’s favorite rose; he stopped and spoke admiringly of it to his companions. Turning to a servant he said something and turned to depart. The servant removed a small knife from his pocket and cut the rose from the bush. The gardener was horrified and complained loudly but was ignored.

So devastating was his wound he lost his love for the garden and abandoned his loyalty to his master. It was not long before the change was noticed and reported … time passed, the garden failed and the gardener was once again a poor man.

Does not the owner of the garden have the right to take the best bloom from among all the blooms? When he wants? Without asking? Would the gardener want the lord of the land to take the second best bloom? Or no bloom? Are the blooms the property of the gardener or the rajah?

Oh how it hurts to lose a loved one, the hole their absence leaves is enormous. Even pet lovers grieve deeply when a favorite cat or dog is taken. But all of creation belongs to the Creator and it is in truth a grand compliment when the Creator chooses one of our favorite blooms to grace His heavenly home.

Source/Attribution: adapted from a message by C. H. Spurgeon

EASTER - The day to end all days!

BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD! [John 1:29, 36; Other topics - Humility, Jesus, Lamb of God, Salvation]

A few years ago our church decided to change the traditional Easter decorations in the sanctuary.

My wife, Rita, volunteered to find a ceramic lamb for the altar decoration. She searched and searched every craft and church supply store in the area; she spent days looking; she found standing lambs, knelling lambs, and grazing lambs but not one like we wanted. Ours would be a lying down lamb, a cute and “innocent” little, reposing lamb.

Being a Shepherd, I decided I might add just the right spiritual element as she headed to the last store. We examined every self in the place; hoping perhaps one might be hidden behind something. Frustrated, we both headed for the exit, dejected, heads down … then we saw it, on the floor, in a corner, under a shelf, unattended, dirty, ignored, alone. It was perfect! And it was on sale!

The world has also been searching for a lamb to save them from their sins. They’ve been looking for 6,000 years.

They too are looking in all the wrong places, heads up, proud, money no object. They’ve found all kinds of saviors: standing ones, knelling ones, grazing ones and many others as well. But not one turned out to be the “perfect” one!

We have to give them credit, they have looked everywhere imaginable. But, it is only when they seem to have lost all hope, when their heads are down, humbled, and through with doing it themselves that they find Him … Jesus, the Lamb of God!

Jesus was likewise rejected and ignored, the world trying to shove Him out of the way, into a corner or under a shelf.

How much does the Lamb of God cost? The tag says, “Priceless.” He has paid it Himself. This Lamb gave His life for those who rejected Him.


BLESSINGS TOO NUMEROUS! [Psalm 107:31; other topics - Blessings, Conviction, Self-examination]

Pastor Jack Hinton from New Bern, NC was leading worship music at a leper colony in Tobago; time allowed for one more congregational selection. A woman in the congregation, who’d been turned away, turned to face Hinton, revealing a most “hideous” face. The lady’s nose and ears were gone; most of her lips had worn away as well. She lifted a hand, more stub than hand, and asked, “Can we sing ‘Count Your Blessings’”?

Overcome by the situation Hinton fled the room, followed by another team member. The man tried to comfort the distraught song leader, “I guess you’ll never be able to sing that song again”? “Oh, yes I will,” he responded, “but never the same way.”

Warren Wiersbie is credited for saying, “Life is a school in which God trains us for eternity. Trials are ... God’s textbooks in this school of Christian experience.” It often takes the deficiency of another to reveal our own; but in the revelation, we can find fruit for nourishment.

Pastor’s Update; FMB of the Southern Baptist Convention; Richmond, VA, May 1996, p.4; Sermon-Illustrations-Each-Week, 991004-6]


MORE THAN AN IMAGE IS NEEDED! [1 Peter 1:14-19; Atonement, Lamb of God, Blood (the)]

Evidently Peruvian authorities have begun dressing up walls along their nation’s filthiest streets with pictures of Jesus Christ; the purpose seems to be to shame those illegally dumping trash along the streets.

Apparently, just the image of our Lord is believed to have such importance among the general Peruvian population.

Oh that the mere image of the Lord would clean up the streets of our minds and hearts. But it takes the precious blood of the Lamb to cleanse the heart and mind of a sinner.

Oh that it had not been necessary for the Son of God to give His life an atonement for man’s sins … but it was.

The Father tried everything; but we rejected His miracles, rejected His word, killed His prophets, and turned our backs on Him … it was oh so necessary to send His Son.

You see, an image could never pay the ransom … the Jews tried that in the temple for centuries … only the priceless and spotless Lamb of God in person was worthy [Revelation 5:12].

APOLOGETICS - I'm sorry but your wrong!

CONFUSING, ISN’T IT? [Genesis 11:1 & 9; Babel]

Back in 1993, the Trenton Times carried a story of “a 46-year-old Massachusetts man who walked away from a car accident with an unexpected problem: He spoke with a French accent.” This, they reported, is an example of “a rare neurological problem” known as Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), a brain disorder caused by sudden head trauma. The phenomena has been documented “about two dozen times since 1907,” the article continued. [Parade, January 2, 1994]

Isn’t it amazing that the one field of study which continuously and persistently ridicules the faith of Jews and Christians is the same group which discovers and reports on phenomena (such as FAS) which tend to cast light upon the biblical stage? The Bible first says, “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.” Shortly thereafter, it says, “Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth.”

MORE THAN A FOOTPRINT! [Isaiah 7:14; advent (both), Christmas, creation, signs (as in seekers of signs)]

Sometime ago someone shared with me that Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe needed just a single footprint in the sand to convince him: 1) that a two-footed human inhabited the island with him, 2) of the direction in which that inhabitant was going, 3) that the inhabitant had come from the opposite direction, 5) that the inhabitant was a man, 6) that he was alive, and 7) that he had recently passed this way.

The Creation as well as Christ's First Advent and His soon Second Coming have more evidence than this ... still, man insists on more evidence. Norman Geisler, a great Christian apologist, was right: "Many people suffer from a terminal case of unfalsifiable bias against the truth."


WHAT A FRIEND I HAVE! [Psalm 119; bible, scripture, word]

I’ve a friend (we’ll call him Jude) who’s been acquainted with another friend of mine (we’ll call him Ward) for about five years. In fact Ward has been my best friend for over twenty years.

Jude talks to me about Ward: he says there’re many things he likes about him but, bottom-line, he couldn’t be trusted. I asked him to explain why. He gave a few vague references to some negative things he had heard from other friends. He also mentioned a few mistakes Ward was supposed to have made which these other people had seen or heard about. I told Jude I didn’t think any of these accusations had any substance. But he countered, “Why would my friends lie to me?”

I also reminded Jude that I’ve known Ward for over twenty years and that he’s never let me down. I explained I’d never known him to be in error about anything unless it was a misunderstanding. I did admit some things he’d said had the appearance of error but they were apparent only. I added I had other friends and acquaintances who had know Ward all their lives and their testimony concerning him was matchless. Jude responded that I felt that way because I’d grown too close to him. He said he preferred to be more cautious.

I challenged him to join me with Ward and go over his concerns, taking them one by one to see what he would say about each of them. “No thanks,” Jude said. “You know Ward, you can make him say anything you want him to say.”

No matter how I reasoned with Jude, I couldn’t get him to see that he possessed a bias against truth which was unfalsifiable.

Many people are very much like my friend Jude, in their approach (or lack thereof) to the Word of God. No matter how you approach them, they are more convinced by rumors, myths, half-truths, and lies … after all, why would anyone lie to them about something as serious as the Bible?

EVANGELISM - As the Father sent Him, so He sends you!

ALMOST PERSUADED! [Various; other topics - Outreach, Persistence, Soul-winning]

Every trip we make to one of our national parks someone in our family tries to feed a squirrel or chipmunk. In every instance the animal doesn’t trust us or any one else. Even though we leave a peanut for the animal again and again, it won’t trust us … again and again! The ingrate is never quite persuaded.

Inside, people are like these animals: wild, small, nervous, paranoid, filled with fears. But the writer of the song, “Almost Persuaded,” didn’t write it because he believed people were hopelessly lost. Rather, he wrote it because he knew it might be the next spiritual peanut which would persuade another sinner to receive what Jesus has offered … freedom from all their fears and life everlasting.

BEING SOMEBODY! [Proverbs 11:30; other topics - Soul-winning]

Lily Tomlin is supposed to have said, “I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.”

We all need goals, and the more specific the goal the easier it is to accomplish; and the easier it is to know when you’ve achieved it. To many people set vague goals and end up being what they do not want to be.

Christians are supposed to be Christ-like … to demonstrate the characteristics of our Lord. More specifically, we are to desire his communicable attributes (loving, goodness, kindness; gentleness, patience, truthfulness, justice, wisdom, etc.) … those characteristics which make Him who He is.

Unfortunately, soul-winning is like Bible reading: Barna reports 75% of Americans believe it’s important to read the Bible daily, yet only 13% actually read it daily.

FROM SAVING EYES TO SAVING SOULS! [Matthew 28:19, 20; other topics - Fruit Bearing, Sowing and Reaping, Witness]

Bob Reccord, president & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board, relates a story of an ophthalmologist Howard Hendricks thought was the greatest witness for Jesus Christ in Dallas, Texas.

It seems the good Dr. came under conviction when some students asked if he had ever led anyone to the Lord. Even though he had been active in his evangelical church for twelve years, he had not led anyone to the throne of grace personally. At the students encouragement he joined a training program and learned to share his faith; he became a fervent witness for the Good News.

Years later, when Hendricks visited a remote part of India, he used the story of this ophthalmologist turned evangelist to illustrate a point. He did not however use the Dr.’s name.

Later, an Indian doctor approached Hendricks and said, “You were talking about _______ ” (giving the doctor’s name). “How did you know?” Hendricks asked. “I went to medical school in Dallas, I went to see him about my eyes. He led me to Christ and discipled me.” The native doctor replied.

Today this Indian doctor is the only licensed neurosurgeon in his part of India. He has tremendous influence for Jesus as a result of an American eye doctor who overcame his indifference concerning witnessing.

When you truly comprehend the love of the One who gave His life while you were yet a sinner, you are compelled to tell someone about Him. Lovers introduce their loved ones to others.

[Adapted from: “Beware of rabbit-hole Christianity,” On Mission; Vol. 2, No. 3, July-August 1999, 7]


HARVESTING CHURCHES! [Mat. 28:19-20; other topics - Soul-winning]

Jesus said, “Follow after Me, and I’ll cause you to be fishers of men.” [Mark 1:17; my translation] Jesus intends for us to be fishers of men; He intends for us to be actively fishing; He intends us to bring in the catch!

In an article in NEXT magazine, Geo. Hunter III catalogues what he found as common denominators in harvesting churches: [Current Thoughts & Trends; January 97, p.17; #11753]

1.) Harvesting churches are rooted in God’s Word - through sound preaching, teaching, and small group studies!
2.) They target the lost and unchurched; and care about them!
3.) They are pro-active and expectant in prayer!
4.) They are committed to the Great Commission!
5.) They share a rich vision of what individuals can become in Christ (i.e., fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ)!
6.) They learn the language and culture of the unchurched!
7.) They minister to the “life concerns” of the lost and the unchurched (e.g., health, parenting, relationships, etc.)!
8.) Their message is relevant across generational lines!
9.) They emphasize lay ministry according to giftedness!
10.) They recognize “shepherds do not make new sheep; sheep make new sheep”!
11.) They’re not content with their ranks swelling with nominal Christians!

Harvesting churches recognize it’s “always” harvest time for those who follow Jesus; they are willing to get in the field and pick the fruit. Key for these churches is the realization, by their people, that understanding of one’s faith grows as one regularly explains it to others!


HELP ME, I'VE FALLEN! [Matthew 25:40; other topics - Witnessing]

You’re walking down the street at night following a late business meeting; in fact it’s after midnight. You’re on your way to a public parking lot and pass several rather dingy bars. Near a dimly lit intersection, just a few feet out in the street, between two parked cars, you see the figure of a man crumpled up on the pavement. It’s a bum, a drunk; a man too blighted to know he’s fallen, too sloshed to get up even if he did.

There’s no traffic on the street but you hear the sound of vehicles on those nearby. It’ll only be a matter of time before a delivery truck or a cab speeds down the road. They won’t see the guy until they hit him. The man isn’t asking you to get involved; there’s no, “Help! I’ve fallen and can’t get up.” In fact, at the moment the boozer could care less. But, if the poor soul knew what was about to happen to him, don’t you think he would plead for help? What should you do?

Most, if not all, true-believers would go to his aid; they would take the time to lend assistance.

Mankind is lost and dead in his trespasses; he’s too sin-filled to know what has happened to him, too carnal to care. There he is, lying in the path of destruction, in need of assistance.

Lost people aren’t going to ask you to get involved; in truth, based on experience, I’d say most of them want you to leave them alone. But, if those poor souls were to know what was about to happen to them, don’t you think they would cry out to be pulled out of the way of God’s coming judgment? At least to be shown how they could be saved from it?

Witnessing is not like breathing, it’s like eating. The former is done absent-mindedly, out of necessity; the later is a deliberate act, requiring a certain amount of preparation and a conscious desire to act.


MULTIPLICATION GARDENS! [Luke 8:8; other topics - Church Growth, Fruit Bearing]

In a friend’s garden is what my friend calls “multiplying” onions. I love onions more than my wife wishes, but these I especially love.

Where most onions have just the bulb in the ground, these have them on the stem ends as well; each onion has three or four onion bulbs on each mature stem. It is a very peculiar plant.

Then again, so are the children of God; each is to be planted in the good soil; each is to bear fruit … a hundred times. We are to be multiplying Christians.

NO "PLAN B"! [Psalm 68:20; other topics – Lost, Salvation, Sovereignty or Will (of God)]

Mall managers all over the world are concerned about teens using their centers as hangouts. In some malls, hundreds of teens are present at the same time for no other reason than that "There’s nothing to do." How do you keep them from congregating in annoying packs?

The Warrawong Westfield mall in Wollongong (yes, there is really a place by this name south of Sydney, Australia ) arrived at this original solution: they play Bing Crosby music, loudly, over the mall’s public address system. And it works (or at least we’re told it works).

Being good business people they have a Plan B in the event Plan A doesn’t work: lighting that amplifies facial blemishes will be installed.

Fortunately, God doesn’t need or want a Plan B. His Plan A has always been certain of success; it has always been to seek and to save that which was lost [Luke 19:10]. When all has been said and done, there will be no one in Hell who can wag his finger at Heaven and proclaim, "There’s been a mistake; I don’t belong here!"


NOTHING CAN RESTRAIN! [Matthew 28:18-20; Soul-winning; Witnessing]

A Haitian mute preaches the gospel in his small village. "There is something quite amazing about this young man," a church planter in the village told Christian Aid Mission. "Even though he cannot hear or speak, he is sharing the gospel with the people around him."

The young man uses pantomime in acting out the story of Jesus Christ. By refusing to let his handicap stand in the way, he is provoking others to be more evangelistic.

What can we say? We know what God will say to this young man, right after his tongue is restored, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

TELL THE WATCHMEN – IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER! [Ezekiel 3:16-21; other topics - Overcoming, Perseverance, Watchmen]

It’s a strange feeling, being a Christian: when is our work finished? A painter knows a house is finished when all the areas needing painting are painted. An author knows his book is done when it goes to publication. A coach knows the game is finished when the final whistle blows. A driver knows the race is over when the checkered flag is waved. A general knows the battle is over when the enemy surrenders. An audience knows the concerto has reached its end when the orchestra stops playing and the conductor turns to take a bow. A heart surgeon knows his treatment is over when his patient sends him a photo of himself surfing the Pipeline in Hawaii.

Until then they keep painting, writing, exhorting, driving, fighting, enjoying, and treating.

Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Well, when is it over? Not until the Lord says it’s over. Until then, we just keep on watching and warning.

Those of us who serve as watchmen often feel no one hears our warning cry. We see the sheep in the pew but know most of them are not hearing the warnings. They come to hear a “good talk” or be entertained or be inspired or be seen … but there is nothing in what we say that is “talk,” and we certainly don’t entertain … and only the Lord inspires and we are seen, just as we are! [Hebrews 4:12, 13]

Until it’s over we must keep on keeping on … there are enemies in the camp, there are enemies outside the camp, still we must keep on warning.


TO SEEK AND SAVE! [2 Corinthians 3:3; Other topics - Good News, Salvation, Witness]

An Internet company named Napster has been in the news a lot this year. They offer a program which allows its clients to obtain free music on the Internet. Like many webbed-based businesses their success has been phenomenal. Most record companies and rock bands don’t share their enthusiasm, however. Many organizations are taking to the courts for legal and financial protection.

Why is that? It’s because Napster enables you to locate your favorite songs on other computers, download, catalog, and share them with friends. The format (MP3) allows users to store near-CD-quality re-cordings, copyrighted or not.

The issue of copyright is confusing is not clear on the Internet. Artists should have control over their work; after all, it's the way they make their living. The related issues are far from resolved.

In the same sense, salvation is also available for download, at any time – the connection is always open – without copyright restrictions. God offers eternal life through Jesus Christ free to anyone who believes. You can't buy sal-vation anyway; God’s only Son paid the price.

Jesus is seeking lost human "hard drives" for saving. God has opted to use Christians to share the Good News, sort of like browsers (the interface software between a computer and the Internet).

If you have a personal relationship with God through Christ, chances are someone downloaded the Good News to you for free. Why not do the same for someone else today? You won't get into any legal trouble, His message was designed to be shared!

Source/Attribution: Love for Jesus Org., Hesperia, CA, 24 February 2001

Social Issues

Equally Hurt [1 John 2:15-17; other topics - Equality, Godliness, Roles, Sexes (Battle of), War (Cultural)]

A survey by MSNBC, September 1999, [1] asked the following question: are men really miserable? The survey offered four possible responses:

• You bet. They're expected to live to an impossible set of standards. (17%)
• No way. Men are just fine the way they are. (7%)
• It's all the feminists’ fault. (7%)
• Men and women have been equally hurt by a culture that values fame, power, and money above all. (69%)

The survey accompanied an article by Susan Faludi, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Male, Wm. Morrow & Co., on how culture conspires to make men miserable. [2]

What I see revealed in the results of this unscientific survey is a lack of awareness and sensitivity on the part of the shakers-and-movers of our society, something seemingly not lacking among the general populace. I'm beginning to see that most Americans aren't as stupid or as relativistic or as materialistic as most politicians, entertainers, educators, media gurus, and society mucky-mucks make them out to be.

Clearly, most respondents are aware that we all share the blame for the appalling condition of our culture and that fame, power, and money are not the answers.

[Adapted from [1] approx. 5,300 responses as of 9/15/99; no margin of error was given, if any. [2] MSNBC, 9/15/99]


Nonetheless [Psalm 49:16-20; other topics - Evil, Perseverance, Regeneration, Tribulation]

The shootings at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Ft. Worth, Texas, reminded me of something I read a few years ago.

Wm. Bennett, Ronald Reagan’'s Secretary of Education, in a speech to the Heritage Foundation, shared a discussion he had with a Washington DC cab driver. The cabby, a native of Africa, was in the nation‘s capitol doing grad work; he told Bennett when he finished his studies he was going home, where it would be safer for his kids. He said he didn't want his daughter viewed as a piece of meat; he also said he didn't want his son to be " the target of violence from the hands of other young males." He said, "It's more civilized where I come from!"

This is the opinion of an African man concerning the greatest nation on earth.

Bennett also relates how a young Polish girl, here on student exchange, said, "When I first came here, it was like going into a crazy world, but now I am getting used to it." She compared the two countries in this way: "In Warsaw, we would talk to friends after school, [then] go home and eat with our parents and then do four or five hours of homework but now I'm getting used to it. I'm going to Pizza Hut and watching TV and doing less work in school."

Bennett says, "Something has gone wrong with us." [1]

The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators points out that during the last 30 years our population has increased 41%; gross domestic product tripled; while social spending rose from $144 billion to $787 billion ... a five fold increase.

Those figures sound good, don't they? Well, during the same 30 year period, we experienced a 560% increase in violent crime; a 400% increase in illegitimate births; a quadrupling of divorces; a tripling of children in single parent homes; a doubling of teen suicide; and a 75 point drop in SAT scores. [2]

None of this is encouraging news ... but we do have Good News; our voices just need to be heard [Romans 10:14, 15]. Who will go and tell them!

One young man tried to tell the shooter at Wedgwood, but it was too late and it cost him his life. Perhaps, as we reflect, we should wonder who our neighbor is and who we know that hasn’t heard the Good News while we still have time?

"Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the abundance of their riches." [Psalm 49:6] surround us, yet they arena’t the shooters. Nonetheless, their intense and sin-filled materialistic, greed is the reactant that seems to send the shooters over the edge.

[Excerpted from "America's cultural decline," William J. Bennett, AFA Journal, April, 1994 … 16, 17[1]; Ibid [2]]

SALVATION - This is really Good News!

LIFE-LINE! [Psalm 132:7-9; Ark, faith, lifeline, redemption]

The storm had been chasing the destroyer all over the South Pacific and finally caught it. Now it was knocking the huge vessel around like a “ducky” in a child’s bathtub. Frank McDonald, one of our faithful deacons, was serving his country onboard this ship during the Korean War.

Frank, in one section of the ship, needed to return to his quarters following his duty shift; only one thing prevented this from being easy … the storm. In order to get to where he was going, he was forced to go out on deck for a short distance to get to an aft hatch. Knowing he was about to get soaked, he rushed out with his head down … suddenly the ship lurched, his feet flew out from under him … wham, his back hit the hard slopping surface and he shot feet first out over the side of the ship, nothing but air to support him. For some reason, which Frank can’t explain, he held his hands in the air, fingers cupped, thumbs down … as if planned by the ship’s designer, both hands caught and grasped the ship’s lower lifeline, saving him from the sea’s unappeasable gullet.

God’s Son, Jesus, is designed to be His vessel (an ark) of salvation for those who believe. He is included in God’s plan of salvation as our lifeline; unseen as we slide down the slippery slope of life, at an ever increasing rate. Rescue from eternal damnation awaits those who, by faith, would but reach up and grasp the line that is offered.

LOST AND FOUND [Jeremiah 5:25; Carnality, heaven, sin]

Norman Johnston committed a series of appalling crimes, and then murdered his own teen-aged relatives to cover the trail. His young relatives were members of his burglary gang ... they simply knew too much. Johnston, 48, has spent the last 20 years of his life in Huntington state prison in Pennsylvania. He thought he couldn’t cope with imprisonment any longer, so he constructed a dummy for his bunk, cut out his cell window, and escaped. But he quickly discovered he couldn’t cope with freedom either.

He stole car after car because he couldn’t operate electronic gas pumps. He stole mobile phones but couldn’t use those either. Most of his liberty was spent roaming around the Pennsylvania countryside, scared and bewildered. He was captured in a housing development which had been built on land he knew as open farmland during his youth.

Johnston was returned to prison; he was lost, he was found, he was returned but not to his father’s house.

However, with the Lord, who came "to seek and to save the lost," when you are found, you are returned to a right relationship with your Father in heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself goes to prepare a place for you.


PACKED FOR PRESERVATION! [2 Peter 2:4-10a; Apostasy, Redemption]

According to a story in The Guardian (London), Calin Florea of Scarisoara Romania dismantled his German-made Lanz tractor and packed it in cardboard coated with tar; he did this to escape the confiscating claws of communist collectivization in 1955. By 1990, however, land reforms had made it possible for Florea to farm the land he once owned, so he dug it up, reassembled it, and started all over. Had Florea not protected his possession carefully the elements would have destroyed it when he once came to redeem it.

God commanded Jeremiah the prophet to obtain and bury a waistband near the river Euphrates; taking no precautions to protect it. Later, God commanded him to retrieve the waistband from its burial place. When Jeremiah did so, he discovered that the waistband had rotted and was worthless. [Jeremiah 13:1-8]

God then said to Jeremiah,

"Just so will I destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this waistband, which is totally worthless. For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah to cling to Me … that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they did not listen."

Jeremiah 13:9-11

Observation suggests the “western” church could easily serve as a substitute for Israel in this passage … without disturbing the water. The same observation reveals that many contemporary believers have hidden their lamps under peck-measures. [Cf. Matthew 5:15-16]

One day, these autumn trees without fruit, much like the five hapless virgins of Matthew 25 [1-13], will return to search out their lamp only to find it without oil or wick … and so worthless.

God is unchanging [immutable] and His judgments are for all ages and all peoples. Therefore, no man shall escape His wrath. God will reach down near the River of Life and retrieve that which He hid in our hearts long ago. Should He find it rotted and worthless the end shall be according to the means [2 Corinthians 11:15-16].

God has given us a prized possession and it is up to us to protect it for they day when it is to be revealed … it must be packed in the precious blood of Jesus. (Added 18 May 2006)


PULL PIN NOW! [John 3:3, 5; deliverance]

The fire extinguisher outside my office says, “Pull pin.” This simple admonition is to remind potential users that the pin must be pulled before the extinguisher can be used to put out a fire.

Likewise, a parachute will have an admonition on its pack, “Pull pin to open.” If the parachutist wants to save his life (after a period of free fall), he must pull the pin before it is too late.

In John 3:3 Jesus said, “Truly, truly, you must be born again.” This is Jesus saying, “If you want to be saved, pull pin first.”

If one wants to avoid the fires of hell, he must pull the pin on this life in order for the next to begin; if he wants to avoid the second death, he must open the Savior’s chute this side of the first death before it is too late.


RELIGIOUS MUSCLE RELAXANT! [2 Corinthians 5:17; life, regeneration, sanctification, walk]

My friend Marsha Wagner’s husband, Andy, snored something awful, until he had a heart attack. To help him sleep, his doctor prescribed a muscle relaxant; a side effect of the drug was his snoring stopped.

Prior to this, her husband’s nightly sonata let Marsha know he was at least okay; but know, since he’s sleeping better, she has to poke him to see if he is still alive.

I’ve seen far too many people whose lives exhibited some irritating carnal behavior, walk the aisle, pray the sinner’s pray, get baptized and claim the name of Jesus who now must be poked to see if they are still alive. Though the irritating behavior is gone, the life is not present.

Christianity is being used by too many people as a religious muscle relaxant for the flesh but manifests no Spirit-filled, animated, Pentecostal life. God doesn’t relax our muscles to make us stop sinning, He makes a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

THE SIGNATURE IS WHAT MATTERS! [Ephesians 1:7-8; Redemption]

At an annual town reunion, one of the town’s original organizers saw a disheveled man sitting alone on a park bench, a brown paper bag in his hand. The founder thought he knew him, so he approached. “Ben?” He asked gently. “Is that you?” The man looked up through swollen and bloodshot eyes. “Huh?” He responded.

Shocked at the man’s condition he considered leaving but something made him stop. “Ben? Ben Johnson? That is you, isn’t it?”

“Oh, he-llll-llooow.” The man breathed, between a yawn and a belch. “Yea, Sam. It’s me. Your old buddy Benjamin.”

After discovering his friend’s sad history … two tours in Nam, in and out of Veteran’s Hospitals, several divorces, and alcoholism … Sam felt compassion for his old friend and asked if there was anything he could do to help. His friend said there was but he didn’t deserve it; he could help him raise the money to get into a veterans rehab program out of state so he could get his life back together. Instead, Sam wrote him a check for the entire sum. But since it was Sunday, the bank was closed and he’d have to wait until Monday to cash the check.

On Wednesday, Sam was driving out of town to return home, when he saw his friend, Ben, sitting on the same park bench, looking just as pathetic. Angry, he pulled into the park and stopped next to the bench. Accusingly, he said, “What happened, Ben? Did you cash it and spend it on booze?”

Quickly and soberly, Ben pulled the check from his army jacket and held it high. “No! No!” He exclaimed. “I got it I just ain’t cashed it.” Frustrated Sam asked why. Ben’s head dropped and his eyes began to tear up. “Sam, I went to that bank Monday and sat outside all day until they closed. I never went in because I knew they’d take one look at me and know I got no right to have a check this big.”

Now Sam’s eyes began to tear up. “Oh, Ben.” He said. “It’s not what you look like or what you smell like that makes that check good. It’s the signature on the check and whether or not its writer has enough in his account to cover the draft.”

In the same way, on judgment day, everyone will come before the Judge of judges and He will look to see whose name is written on our hearts and whether or not He has the resources to cover the draft. [Author unknown]


TODAY IS THE DAY! [2 Corinthians 6:2; Choices, evangelism, light-dark, redemption]

California is known for its earthquakes and in 1994 one hit the Northridge area of Southern California.

One of the Los Angeles Police Department’s most highly regarded motorcycle officers was in bed, miles away, when he felt the shake. He instinctively knew it was a big one and as a professional knew he’d be needed. Without waiting for a call, he dress and rushed to get his LAPD cycle and head for his station.

What the officer did not know was that Highway 14 leading into Los Angeles had suffered major damage, several overpasses were down. At about 5:15 AM, in the dark, with only his single headlight to guide him, this dedicated police officer and father of three sailed of the truncated end of a freeway overpass to his death forty feet below.

Mankind is driving in the dark, seeking a way to make sense of his life, looking for meaning, with only a puny little light to guide him. He doesn’t know it but the bridge is out ahead. An abyss lies at the bottom. He may not reach it today, or tomorrow, but he will reach it and then it will be too late … unless he is clinging to the Light of the World.


TWO SETS OF PLANS! [2 Peter 2:4-10a; Apostasy, Redemption]

Not far from the Kremlin wall stands the Moskva Hotel, as gargantuan in scale as Stalin’s state power used to be. After 50 years Muscovites have grown accustomed to it, but a visitor can’t help but notice the bizarre asymmetry of its façade.

An invisible vertical line seems to divide the structure in two, with one architectural style on the left, another on the right.

As one story goes, the architect worked up two designs, and Stalin, not realizing they were different, signed off on both. Nobody had the temerity to explain this mistake to the “Father of Peoples” – so the hotel was built using both designs. [Anatoly Sobchak, For a New Russia, (Free Press)]

God has prepared us to be redeemed by two designs ... one by the Law, through works, and the other by Grace, through His Son, but God knows the difference and is not confused about which is which. (Added 18 May 2006)


UNCOVERED AND USED ANEW! [Romans 3:21-26; Grace, regeneration]

Supposedly, it was laid down in the deep rich soil of rural Clay County, Georgia, around 1828; sometime between then and about 1930 it was forgotten and has reclined unused till discovered in May of 2002.

No one knows for certain when the open-air baptistry of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church (Fort Gaines, Ga.) was last used; in fact, it took weeks to locate anyone who even remembered the concrete pool. Only a few people could recall the church ever having a place to baptize. But one member (who said he was "practically born and raised in this church"), remembers playing in the baptistry with his friends in 1932.

The baptistry was discovered when volunteers gathered to clear land for parking in the woods across from the church. A deacon operating a backhoe hit something that attracted his attention; the heavy equipment strained but couldn’t move whatever it was. Two additional deacons were called to bring hand tools to help clear the decades old accumulation of pine mulch covering the 9’ by 5’, 600-gallon structure. The accidental archaeologists didn’t know they had uncovered a century-old baptistry, they initially thought it might be a grave or a septic tank.

No one was as surprised about the find as were members of Mt. Gilead. The bottom-line, however, is that it was found and is now in use once again. Once the baptismal was found to be functional, the congregation restored the tradition of holding baptisms in it. [Adapted from an October 16, 2002, Baptist Press story by Joe Westbury]

Once we were lost, but now we are found; once we were hidden by decay, but now we are clean; once we were not useful, but now we are on mission and in service.

Praise God I’m found and useful again! To God be the glory, the honor, and the power forever, without end.

BIBLE/SCRIPTURE/WORD - He said it; He meant it!

DID SOMEONE SAY, “DINNER”? [Romans 10:8, 17]

Newborn babies come with hands and mouths; they also come with voracious appetites. Turn a crawler loose and those little hands will put whatever they find into that little mouth in a New York minute. It seems they instinctively know their hands are for grasping and their mouth is where they put what they hope will satisfy the gnawing in their stomach.

Reborns … true ones … have eyes, ears, and minds; they also have ravenous spiritual appetites. It seems they too know instinctively that their eyes are to see, their ears are to hear, and the mind is to absorb God’s word. They seem to know, without being told, that His word is the only thing that will gratify the yearning of their soul.

So, why do we have this hunger for His word? Because, as the Bible tells us, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word (Greek: rhematos) of Christ.”

Man is born with an innate hunger for God [Romans 1]. That’s why the Bible tells us it is “impossible to please God” without faith [Hebrews 11:6], because we’re saved for all eternity “by grace through faith” [Ephesians 2:8]. So faith and the rhema of God are inseparably woven together.

Paul says, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD (Greek: rhema) IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’ – that is, the word (Greek: rhema) of faith which we are proclaiming.”

DUSTY: THEREFORE RUSTY [2 Kings 22:1-23:3; other topics - Devotion; Discipleship; Sanctification]

There’s an old gospel song, made famous by Kitty Wells, which has a stanza that says, “Dust on the Bible, Dust on the Holy Word, The words of all the prophets, And the sayings of our Lord.” [1]

How is it possible we allow dust to collect on God’s Word? Its amazing how little Bible reading goes on among God’s people; it’s equally amazing at how often pastors are asked questions which are fundamental in nature. And yet in 2 Kings 22, 23, is an example of when the same thing had taken place in a prior time.

Bibles per capita in the world are estimated at less than half of a Bible per person. Yet in the USA, where an average household is about 2.2 people, we average more than five bibles per household; that’s over two Bibles per person in this great nation. Still and all, more Bibles are used as coffee table decorations or bookshelf fillers than are used in Bible study.

God didn’t just ordain the written word so we could have a record of what He has said … and it is certainly not just a book of do’s and don’ts, nor is it just a reference work. The Bible is God’s way of revealing who He is, who we are, and that His word is sure and true!

The old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind!” applies to the Word of God. Not having the Word didn’t cause Israel’s rebellion, nor the cause their unrighteousness [Romans 1:17-19]; their hardened hearts and stiff necks were the cause of their apostasy.

When the word of God was rediscovered by His people, they were reminded of Him; when they were reminded of Him, they were reminded of their great apostasy; when they were reminded of their condition, they were brought under conviction. Now just because someone is brought under conviction doesn’t mean they’ll change, change comes about after a person has broken and pleaded for forgiveness [Psalm 51:1-7].

A dusty Bible reveals it has not been read. A dusty Bible says, “I don’t care what God says.” A dusty Bible says, “I know everything it says, it can offer me nothing new.” A dusty Bible says, “This book is old fashioned, it doesn’t apply to today, it’s not relevant.”

We need to heed: “When all else fails, follow instructions.” When we survey the panorama of contemporary American life we must conclude we’ve failed; we need to read God’s instructions and determine where we’ve gone wrong.

[1] “Dust On The Bible,” Kitty Wells, © MCA 1992

PURE MILK! [1 Peter 2:2; Other topics - Mission, Purpose, Renewal, Traditionalism]

During the ‘60s and ‘70s, the term “featherbedding” was commonly heard. Featherbedding, I am told, is the practice of unions requiring that an employer hire more workers than needed or of limiting production to meet the letter of union rules, regardless of the ability to produce more.

Featherbedding is an excellent example of what happens when an organization loses sight of its mission. A twisted sense of fair play, mixed with extreme selfishness, messes up the works.

The railroad unions of that day were an insightful example of the practice. Originally, firemen were used on wood or coal burning trains to stoke their engine’s boiler. With the advent of diesel locomotion, a fireman was no longer needed; yet, by contract, one was assigned to each train. Similarly, conductors were required to escort non-passenger trains at all times.

Churches and churchgoers are susceptible to this trap. Following years of WHADIT (We Have Always Done It That way!), justifications become blurred, alternatives are forgotten, habits harden, voices are silenced, and creative thinking is shunned. Fear sets in (the wrong kind of fear) while mission and purpose fade from view.

How can a church or churchgoer avoid this pitfall? One certain method is provided by God … the “pure milk” [1 Peter 2:2] of the faith! Constant reading of and meditation upon the Living Word of God renews and inspires the mind, reminding the believer of God’s purpose and our mission.

STILL LIFE [Acts 10:43; other topics - Prophecy]

In my 1962 college speech class, I recall a hippie art student giving his final speech. Nice guy, but as a surfer/beach bum, I didn’t get to close. His speech was centered on a series of roughs, sketches, and watercolors, each one built up the idea he had in his head. He showed us one part at a time until, at the end, he revealed his final oil.

I didn’t care much for his art but I got the idea. His final painting was only completed after all the concept had been worked out, piece by piece; then the real art work began.

The Old Testament writers (historians, narrators, poets, psalmists, and prophets), like an artist’s masterpiece, put together a picture of the Messiah, our Savior, piece by piece, over time, each contributing his part ... extending in ever-increasing fullness and clearness all the way to the close of the canon.

Moses paints his piece ... the first great promise (Gen 3:15). Isaiah paints his pieces ... the Lord is to be born of a virgin (7:14); a child is to be born out of David and the whole world is to rest on His shoulders (9:6-7); a rod provided (11:1, 2); and God’s Suffering Servant (53:1ff).

Even the psalmist, in Psalm 68:18, roughs out that He will ascend on high, leading the captives captive. Micah paints his pieces ... the Lord’s birthplace is to be Bethlehem (5:2) and He will come and raise up His fallen ones (7:8).

And others sketch out that a forerunner will come, a voice crying in the wilderness, to announce the Lamb of God.


STUCK IN OUR GULLET! [Various]

The “Red Headed Stranger” was one of my favorite goldfish. He had a fabulous fantail, big bug eyes, and cool calico coloring. Red was about five years old, he and his tank-mates were a lot of pleasure for me on my long, lonely bachelor nights.

Goldfish will habitually pick up a rock from the floor of the tank, and then spit it out. I never learned why. One night I notice a big rock was stuck in Red’s craw, unless it was removed, he’d starve to death. I phoned a friend for advice and learned such an obstruction is extracted by inserting a toothpick through the gills. It wasn’t until I hung-up that I realized this implied more than one might think: to both Red and me.

Man’s sin nature is like that rock in Red’s throat and the Bible is like that toothpick. The patient may not like it when God gets a firm grip on him, lifts him from his environment, and begins prodding with the Living Word; yet a man will surely die a horrible death if this obstruction to eternal life is not removed.


THE SON OF SONS [John 1:1-3; 14; other topics - Creation; Inspiration; Sanctification; Son (of God)]

John F. Kennedy Jr., the highly respected son of the late American President John F. Kennedy, was posthumously praised by the editorial staff of George Magazine, a monthly political magazine the young Kennedy co-founded four years ago.

The magazine’s editors wrote, “John had a hand in every aspect of creating and producing George - the big picture and the daily details.”

Reading the eulogies and accolades given to this American icon a Christian would have to reflect on another Son who had a direct “hand in every aspect of creating and producing ... the big picture and the daily details.”

Upon close examination, the believer will notice God’s Son not only aided in the creation of a book but was involved the creation of the whole world. [John 1:3] Now that is a very big picture.

In fact, the book is called the Word, and the Son is the Word. And this Word is sharper than a two-edged sword ... and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart [Hebrews 4:12]. We are also told it is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. [2 Timothy 3:15-16]. Now those are special daily details.


YOU KNOW AUTHOR; NOT HIS BOOK [Psalm 119; other topics - Disciple]

Two really worthwhile organizations exist to help adults learn to read: Literacy Volunteers of America and National Center for Family Literacy. The power of reading is something only a reader can relate to; reading can make you laugh, cry, feel pain, anger, compassion and joy. Reading opens vistas you never thought of; takes you to places you’ll not otherwise see; and expands your view of the world, your imagination, and your vocabulary.

Reading is often taken for granted by those of us who can, but there are millions who cannot but would, in a New York minute, if they could.

The Bible is the Book of all books; many people in the world don’t own one; they couldn’t read it if they did. If reading is so critical to human development, then reading the Bible is doubly critical to the discipling of a new Christian. What good is it to make them a disciple of the author of the Book if they cannot read about Him in his biography?