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Disciple Magazine, Vol. 6, #2, 2/17/2014—Printer-Friendly Version

Table of Contents:Why I Preach the Bible - - - - - - - - - - - 1How to Revitalize an Old Church - - - - - - - -2Trusting God in Our Failures - - - - - - - - - 4Exegetically Speaking- - - - - - - - - - - - 4Words to Stand You on Your Feet - - - - - - - 6Living out the Living Word- - - - - - - - - - 7Following God - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8Points to Ponder - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9Jewels from Past Giants - - - - - - - - - - -11

Counselor’s Corner - - - - - - - - - - - - 13The Story behind the Song - - - - - - - - - -13Church Builders - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel - - - - 15Marks of the Master - - - - - - - - - - - - 16Book Reviews- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17News Update- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -18Sermon Helps - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20Puzzles and ‘Toons - - - - - - - - - - - - 22

__________________________________________________________________________________________Why I Preach the BibleBy Will Thomas

Occasionally a visitor to our church will query me about my sermon, “Do you always spend so much time on the Bible?” Apparently, not all churches make the Bible front and center. For me, the best response is to model what I believe—to let the Bible answer the question. The New Testament book of 2 Timothy does just that.

In this short letter, Paul seeks to stiffen the resolve of his protégé Timothy. He does so by making the case for keeping the main thing the main thing. In the process he answers why it is so important that a preacher should place so much emphasis on the Bible.

First, I preach the Bible because what we believe matters. It matters because the Christian faith consists of specific truths and specific events. The Christian Gospel is not about feelings or fantasies or wishing thinking; it is about facts! It is not about religious rituals, ceremonies, and traditions that somehow contain magic in themselves. The heart of the faith is not about what you think or I think, about what you or I do, but what Jesus said and did.

This is really the theme of the apostle’s letter: “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (1:13-14). In the next chapter, Paul outlines this “good deposit.” “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel” (2:8).

In our day, we easily talk as if believing requires no object. Some suggest, “It makes no difference what you believe, just as long as you believe.” Really? I can believe that the bottle in my medicine cabinet contains a prescription from my doctor. I can believe that sincerely. However, if that bottle contains someone else’s prescription that would be quite harmful to me, will my belief change the reality? Of course not! The power of faith lies not in the fervency of the believer, but in the reality of the object. Faith in an untrue object is mere superstition. If I believe a lie, my belief does not make it truth. Powerful faith and truth must go hand in hand.

Secondly, I preach the Bible so much because not everyone teaches or preaches the same thing. 2 Timothy 4:3 warns, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

I spend so much time on the Bible because I want everyone to be able to resist the many half-truths and deceptions that abound. It matters because without that firm foundation anyone can be tossed around like a leaf blowing in the wind. It is a windy world out there! How does one discern the good from the bad, the true from the false? By firmly anchoring his or her life and faith in the Word of God! It will not come from following the latest public opinion poll or waiting for the latest pronouncement from a religious leader. Discernment comes from Scripture. I preach and teach the Bible because I want the people to be anchored in the truth.

Thirdly, I preach the Bible because the Bible alone can produce the spiritual vitality and strength that people need and deserve. Paul encourages young Timothy in chapter 3 saying, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:14-17).

Only the Bible can produce that. Discussing and studying current events won’t. Talking politics can’t. Even digging deep in the best of the world’s religious literature will never substitute for knowing, learning, and obeying the God’s Word!

Finally, I preach the Bible for one other reason. Unless the Bible is at the center, we can easily drift into


endless arguments over human opinions and traditions. This was at the heart of Paul’s concern for Timothy’s church. “Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly” (2 Tim. 2:14-16).

A few verses later, he adds, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:23-26).

Too many of the religious differences that divide churches or separate one Christian group from another have nothing to do with the Bible. The differences often arise from spending too much time on human opinions, traditions, and ideas and too little time in the Word of God itself.

Why do I preach the Bible so much? Because therein is found the truth of God. It provides a foundation

against the storms of deception and doubt that abound in our world. The Bible alone grows strong spiritual lives. Sticking to the Bible spares the church many needless quarrels and strife. It always has and it always will!

Will Thomas is a retired pastor from the Chicago area. After nearly forty years of serving churches and ministries

in Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma, he now studies and writes while business traveling with his wife, a healthcare

executive.

__________________________________________________________________________________________How to Revitalize an Old Church and Live to Tell about ItBy Joe McKeever

Let’s state the obvious here. If we let a church die and go out of business, then bring a new group into the building and start afresh with something different, we have not revitalized anything. We have held a funeral and then birthed a new flock. And that is often necessary and good.

We’re talking here about taking a dying, dwindling congregation, one that has been on the decline for years and even decades, and turning it around, giving the people new vision, and watching God turn it into a strong body of believers.

Hard to do? You bet. And, may we say, pretty rare, too. Most dying congregations are that way for a reason, chief among them being that they are wed to the present way of doing things and are dead-set on not changing a thing.

A young friend of mine will be leaving his church soon to move to another state where he will be taking the pastorate of an older congregation that has been dwindling in numbers. Members who remain are all in their golden years.

The pastor was excited but clear-headed. He knows this can be hard in the best situations and impossible in

others. So, wisely, he’s picking the brains of seminary professors and veteran pastors with experience in the business of turning around dying congregations. And, he’s interviewing young ministers who are accomplishing this very thing, wanting to know what they have learned.

As is often case, his small congregation has invited a larger, dynamic church to adopt them, completely turning over the keys to them, so to speak. The big church is the one bringing in my friend to lead the one on life-support. That’s a good sign and shows the weak congregation is serious about wanting to survive and have a strong presence in their community.

For what they are worth, here are a few of my comments to this young minister.

1) The older congregation must want to change. Anyone who does not like change is going to have trouble with Jesus. He said, “Who said that?” I said, “I did,” with a smile. The Christian life is all about change (i.e., growth). See 2 Corinthians 3:18.

I can take you to several dwindling congregations that say they want to grow, and clearly they need an infusion of new members. However, get beneath the surface


and you quickly see they want to grow so long as this will not result in any kind of disruption of their patterns. They like things the way they are and resist anything new or different. Such churches are headed to the graveyard just as fast as the hearse can get them there.

In a defining word, the Lord Jesus’ last message in the New Testament includes this line: “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). He is indeed. He is always at work making things new. His people should beware of being wedded to yesterday’s methods and successes.

2) It’s not that old people dislike change. They just don’t want it suddenly and abruptly, but gradually. There are no 1948 Packards in the church parking lot. The seniors all drive late-model cars, many own wide-screen televisions and they use the computer. They can handle change, so long as it’s not abrupt, not forced on them, and they are given time to adjust to it. The way they got from the ‘48 Packard to the late-model Buick was by a series of increments: a 1957 Ford Fairline, a 1968 Chevy Impala, and so forth.

The members of my last church complained when we brought the drum set into the sanctuary. But these days, the instruments accompanying congregational praise include several guitars, a keyboard, digital drums, a violin or two, and a number of wind and brass instruments. The people have learned to love it.

3) Those who made the decision to invite the big church to take over and “make this work” will need to make follow-up commitments to the change. One pastor of such a dying congregation told me that two members of the committee bringing him on board soon left the church. One said, “Pastor, I know we said the church needed to make changes, and we meant that. But I didn’t know the changes would affect me personally.” That’s why it’s not enough for the church to vote to change one time. They must continually own the change going on before them, painful though some of it must be.

Old people especially—I’ll reach 74 my next birthday; so we’re talking about my group!—get used to things the way they are and find adjusting difficult. They have their friends at church, they have known the members of their Sunday School class for years, and most will not automatically welcome newcomers into this mix. Are these points contradictory, saying that old people do not automatically dislike change and yet they find it difficult sometimes? Probably. But they’re still true.

4) The pastor is going to need to be patient with them, but not give in to their fears. We kept the drums in the sanctuary even when some protested. The leadership must listen to the fears of the people, assure them that all is well, and stay the course.

I said to the young minister, “You can visit in the neighborhood all week and have a lot of newcomers on Sunday. But the old-timers can freeze them out and they’ll not be back.” So, he will have to constantly lay the burden

for hospitality on the members of the church. They can still stop this revitalization in its tracks by their attitudes.

This young pastor is going to feel caught in a vise at times. The congregation may be balking and resisting the change, yet the mother church (the large church taking ownership of the process) is looking for progress. The pastor must not wait on the members to take the lead. He must lead them, not follow them. If he falls into the trap of waiting until every member is on board with a change he is proposing, nothing will ever get done. Pastors must be people of strength and courage, qualities that come from within and from the Lord (See Joshua 1:6-18).

5) If the pastor has ever been a man of prayer, this is the time. Major change does not happen automatically, easily, naturally, or in the flesh. God will do it or it will not happen. People do not change easily. Jesus said, “No one after drinking old wine prefers the new, for he says, ‘The old is good enough’” (Luke 5:39). Good enough will become the mantra of a lot of your people. The pastor must not let their fears dictate his actions.

I told my friend of the time in the 1970s when my church was transitioning to accepting minority members for the first time. Churches in the Deep South had been torn apart by such issues and I was determined not to let this happen. So, when a young African college student (no, she was not African-American, but from Kenya; led to Christ by our missionaries, even!) indicated God wanted her to join the church, I agreed with her, then stalled for a little time. Over the next couple of weeks, I phoned church leaders asking them to pray that God would do this in His way and for His glory. When the Lord gave us the go-ahead, it was a beautiful and harmonious thing. You never go wrong waiting on the Lord.

6) The young pastor should keep his network of counselors and turn them into prayer supporters. Once in a while, he may need to phone one to say, “Here is what’s happening. Tell me what you think.” He’ll still do what he decides God wants, but receiving the counsel of godly friends is always a good thing.

7) This is all about work. If you are looking for a leisurely existence, you are making a serious mistake. “The people had a mind to work,” we’re told in Nehemiah 4:6. Super. That’s the plan.

I pray for my young friend. He and I are not close buddies. I am not his mentor, but merely a neighbor and a veteran servant of God. But my heart goes out to him and I rejoice at his faith. “Father, bless this son of yours. Go before him, go with him, overshadow him and undergird him and be his rear guard. Do a wonderful thing for the glory of the Lord Jesus through him, I pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Joe McKeever is a retired Southern Baptist pastor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He blogs regularly at

www.joemckeever.com.

http://www.joemckeever.com/


__________________________________________________________________________________________Trusting God in Our FailuresBy Shea Oakley

Maybe accomplishing all our spiritual goals successfully isn’t as important as continuing to trust God when we fail to accomplish them. Performance based spirituality is rife among some in the Western Church. Many have taken the hard driving, Type-A perfectionism of the surrounding culture and baptized it. Exhortation to “excellence” is heard every Sunday from pulpits across the land and it has become all too easy for Christians to feel like they are never doing enough, well enough. Sometimes it appears as if we Evangelicals have decided to exalt Martha over Mary, rather than the other way around.

We will all fail—repeatedly. Every saint in the pages of Scripture failed at something in their lives and usually more than once. What counted was the fact that they did not give up and walk away from God in the midst of that failure. When we fail our best option is to pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off and pray for the strength to do better next time. Perseverance is precious in God’s economy and far more important than an unbroken string of successes. Trusting the Lord in our failures is vital to spiritual growth and this is something that all of us need to grasp if we are to progress in our sanctification.

Some will say that such an acceptance of ongoing failure in the Christian life is a form of permissiveness, even a manifestation of the sin of sloth. This is only true for the person whose heart is far from God to begin with. The sincere lover of God is not looking for excuses to shirk the responsibility to do what God would have them do. It is akin to the parable of the talents. The problem with the wicked servant was not just that he did a lousy job with the gifts his master gave him; the problem was that he wrongly judged that master, calling him “a hard man”. In fearfully burying the talent in the ground rather than at least putting it in the bank so it might, at minimum, earn interest, this man showed that he held contempt for his master’s

character. This was his sin, not necessarily the failure to perfectly multiply his talent’s value.

We do others and ourselves a disservice when we mercilessly carp on failure. Failure is part and parcel of the fallen human condition. This is true both before and after conversion. If it weren’t, there would be no provision in the New Testament for the confession and forgiveness of sins committed by believers, which there clearly is. Perfection will come only when we someday stand face to face with Jesus Christ and become fully like Him.

Because of this promise of eventual perfection we can continue to put our faith in God for ultimate victory when we fall short in any endeavor. With that in mind it is vital that modern Western Christians who have bought into the relentless perfectionism of a large segment of our society (and hung a cross around it) cut themselves some slack. Constantly excoriating ourselves for failures God fully expects us to experience is a form of ungodly self-condemnation. It might even be perceived as pride, a “goddish” attempt to see ourselves as more than the fallible, finite human beings that we remain, even after we have come to faith.

Jesus never fails, it is true, but for now His followers will, and that is OK—our worth is in Him alone.

© Shea Oakley. All Rights Reserved.

Converted from atheism in 1990, Shea Oakley has written over 350 articles for electronic and print publications since

2002, including Disciple Magazine (and Pulpit Helps Magazine),The Christian Herald, The Christian Post,

Christian Network and Crosshome.com. In 2003 he graduated from Alliance Theological Seminary with a Certificate of Theological Studies. Shea and his wife

Kathleen make their home in West Milford, New Jersey.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Exegetically Speaking—by Spiros Zodhiates

The Conception and Birth of SinJames 1:15

From Faith, Love & Hope: An Exposition of the Epistle of James, AMG Publishers, 1997.


“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).

In verse 14 of the first chapter of James, we are given the clear indication that the primary and direct agent of the inner desire to sin, of temptation in that sense, is the disposition of the heart, the epithumía, or “lust,” as the King James Version has it. We saw that the attraction of sin within prepares the ground for deceit that is to come from the outer temptation. What happens then? James tells us that in verse 15: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” From the outset I would like to give you a more accurate translation of this verse. Here it is: “Then the desire of the soul having conceived gives birth to sin; and the sin having been completed brings forth death.” Here we have the conception of evil which is the inner desire of the soul, the outer appearance and manifestation of evil, and finally the life of sin or evil which is death. Oh, the mystery and the depth of meaning hidden in these few words of Holy Writ!

A desire born in the mind is one of the strongest things that our wills can ever face. Either we have to proceed with the fulfillment of that desire, or somehow we have to give it up or sublimate it. That word “then,” with which our verse begins, is very significant. It indicates the impossibility of the thought, the idea, the desire ever remaining in that stage. It either has to move forward and take upon it some kind of expression, or it must be thrown into oblivion. All of us have experienced that in our lives. There comes to us the desire to do something, to go somewhere, and somehow we cannot rest until that wish is fulfilled. An idea has terrific power—more than we realize, sometimes. That is why we should pray that the Lord will protect our minds from conceiving evil ideas, from inaugurating desires that may demand sinful fulfillment. The Lord is far more interested in keeping the heart pure than in supervising our detailed actions.

And then, James says, the desire of the soul having conceived gives birth to sin. Conception—what a mystery in the physical world. But before conception manifests itself in the physical realm, it originates in the spiritual realm in the minds of two people. Conception, to be achieved, requires the participation of two persons; it is the primary joining of two ideas, of two desires. That is exactly how sin is born. It is when in our mind, in our soul, in our spirit, there is born an evil desire, a desire to think or do something that is contrary to God’s prescribed will for us.

Is there any one of us who can truthfully say that he is never tempted in that way, who can say that into his mind there never comes an ungodly or evil desire? I do not believe that there is an honest person who can answer this penetrating question affirmatively. Why is it that we cannot avoid the birth of evil desires and ideas in our minds? Simply because of our depraved nature, which James fully recognizes. As long as within us there is the evil nature

which we inherited from Adam through his sin, our minds will tend to think of evil. That we cannot help, but is this tendency as such sin? My answer to that, based on a thorough search of the Word of God, is an emphatic No. There has to be conception for the desire to become sin. What do I mean by that? As there are two parties in physical conception, so to our own desire there has to be joined that of another party, and I believe that is Satan himself. The conception takes place when your will submits to the devil and he takes control.

That Greek word translated “having conceived” in this verse is sullaboúsa, which is derived from the conjunction sún, meaning “together,” and the verb lambánō, “to take.” Therefore, when is sin born? When you and Satan start to work on your desire together. The baby that is born is terrible, is monstrous, is sin. We should never keep in our minds or hearts that evil idea that we cannot help, because Satan will come right in to consummate the process of conception.

What happens when sin is born? Its results and effects upon us will depend on our attitude toward it. Someone has very wisely said “He that falls into sin is a man; he that grieves at sin is a saint; he that boasts of sin is a devil.” Remember again that James here is speaking of Christians and to Christians who have experienced the miracle of the new birth. Can we as Christians be sinless? Let us be honest and confess that we cannot. There is one thing, however, that we can do and that is to grieve deeply at the recognition of the birth of sin in our heart. If we do not, then sin finds fertile ground in us to grow and become a habit. When that great Father of the Christian Church, Chrysostom, was threatened by the empress, his answer was, “Go, tell her I fear nothing but sin.” May that be the attitude of our hearts.

In the King James Version we have two Greek words translated by the same English expression, “bringeth forth”: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” The first word in the original Greek is tíktei and the second isapokúei. There is a slight distinction in the meaning of these two words which may help us to understand what the author wishes to convey. The first one means primarily “to bring into the world.” It is again the picture of a child dwelling for a time in its mother’s womb and finally making its appearance into the world. This indicates to us that the evil desire cannot forever stay within, even as the child cannot stay forever in its mother’s womb. It must come out; it must make its appearance in the outside world. It is no use trying to be secretive about the evil that is within us, for eventually it will be seen by others in the outside world. In other words, the desire within will be manifested as an act.

The second word in the original Greek translated “bringeth forth” comes from the preposition apó which in this particular instance means “cessation,” and the verb kúō


or kuéō, which is common in older Greek and which has the sense of “to be or to become pregnant.” Now our verse says, “and the sin having been completed ceases to be pregnant anymore and the result is death.” It indicates that sin has the ability of growing rapidly, like the physical embryo, to its maturity and completion, and that one day it will have to discontinue being in a state of pregnancy, but the result will not be life, as expected of the physical embryo, but death.

Now there are two more words that I want to deal with. The first is the word apotelestheísa, translated in the King James Version “when it is finished,” and which means “having been brought or having come to maturity, having reached its end.” Again it is the figure of the pregnancy period reaching its end. With what expectation the mother looks forward to that day when she will look upon her completed child with pleasure and full satisfaction. This eagerness and expectation characterize also the man who habitually sins and who believes that the end of that will be some great pleasure. How disappointed he will be at the end! Instead of the expected life with all its consequent joys, there will be death.

And now this word “death,” thánatos in the original Greek. What does it mean? I believe it is one of the most misunderstood words in the New Testament. In general this word means “separation.” There is physical death, which means the separation of the soul from the body; there is spiritual death, which means the separation of the spirit of man from the Spirit of God as a result of sin; and there is eternal death, which means the separation of the spirit of man from God forever.

Now which of these three does James mean here? Does he not mean physical death? Of course he does. Sin

and physical health do not go together. Does James mean spiritual death? Of course, for the moment that your life becomes pregnant with sin, when sin becomes a fixed habit determining your character, you become a slave of sin and the line of communication between your spirit and God breaks down, even if at one time the connection was made through a profession of faith on your part. How about eternal death? It surely means that, too, but then I doubt very much whether the line of communication was ever established between that habitual sinner and God.

An Arminian (that is, one who believes that once he has been saved by the grace of God he can still be lost eternally) arguing with a Calvinist (who believes that once he has been saved he can never be lost) remarked: “If I believed your doctrine and were sure that I was a converted man, I would take my fill of sin.” Replied the godly Calvinist: “How much sin do you think it would take to fill a true Christian to his own satisfaction?” Here he surely hit the nail on the head. Is it possible for a truly born-again Christian to sin habitually and find satisfaction in it? I do not believe so. This brings to my mind the words of Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, who died at the beginning of the twelfth century: “If I should see the shame of sin on the one hand, and the pain of hell on the other, and must of necessity choose one, I would rather be thrust into hell without sin than go into heaven with sin.” May that be the desire of every born-again Christian.

Spiros Zodhiates (1922-2009) served as president of AMG International for over 40 years, was the founding editor of Pulpit Helps Magazine (Disciple’s predecessor), and

authored dozens of exegetical books.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Words to Stand You on Your Feet—by Joe McKeever

Going through the Fire

Every faithful servant of God goes through the fire—here’s how to fireproof yourself! “And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

I speak as one who has been there, done that, and have the scars to show. Nothing like Paul’s incredible list in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, of course, with its shipwrecks and beatings and imprisonments.

I’ve had none of those. My suffering for Jesus were more in the nature of opposition from mean-spirited church members intent on recapturing the ownership of “their” church, cursings and slander from those who had issues against the Lord and took them out on His servant, and enduring plotting by those who imagine I’m something evil

when all I wanted to do was to reach more people for Jesus. That sort of thing.

I logged one four-hour deacons’ meeting with me as its subject. Some were trying to get me fired and had tried unsuccessfully to exclude me from the session. I had the privilege of sitting there quietly until midnight listening to my life and ministry being dissected, analyzed, and judged. That, incidentally, was not as bad as it may sound. The Lord refused to be shut out also, and He did some beautiful things in that room that evening.

So, for the servant of God going through his own fires right now, I offer these fire-proofing techniques.

1) Recognize that the suffering is short-lived. It will not last forever and you’ll get through it. So take the long view. “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us

http://www.amginternational.org/



an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

2) It’s going to work out for His glory and will make you stronger. But first, you have to hang in there. “For this reason I endure all things…” (2 Tim. 2:10).

3) Do not put your expectations on people or you will always be disappointed. Keep the focus where it should be all along. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Heb. 12:2).

4) Do nothing in the flesh. Stay on your knees and seek His direction in all things. “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Ps. 23:3)

5) Laugh a lot. It will drive your persecutors nuts, puzzle your infernal enemy, and bring great satisfaction to your Lord. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10).

6) At the most painful times, take a lesson from Paul and Silas and “pray and sing hymns” (Acts 16:25). Do it, not because you feel like it—they didn’t either!—but strictly out of the faith that God is in this place and working in these things for His purposes.

7) Keep a journal. When this is over, God will use it to help others, and you do not want to lose a single insight or lesson or blessing. Hey, after all, you didn’t think you were any better than the rest of us, did you?

So, hang in there, do well, and never let ‘em see you sweat. Always remember God has made you “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

Joe McKeever is a retired Southern Baptist pastor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He blogs regularly at

www.joemckeever.com.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Living out the Living Word—by Justin Lonas

Salvation is from the Lord: Jonah’s PrayerJonah 2

When we left Jonah, he was sinking down into the sea, having convinced the crew of his ship to throw him overboard to calm the storm God had brought upon them because of his disobedience. He likely thought that this would be the end of the matter, but “the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah” (1:17a). Instead of meeting death, “Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights” (1:17b).

The first we hear from Jonah in this unique (and probably uniquely unpleasant) place, is the last thing we expect, given his attitude and actions in chapter 1—a prayer: “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish” (2:1). In Jonah’s telling of these events, he doesn’t mention if he pouted, wept, slept, or anything else after finding himself alive and well inside the fish. We don’t know if his prayer was at the beginning or the end of his three days and nights “at sea”—what the Lord compelled him to record for us was that he prayed. He did not yet know the rest of the story, whether he would be rescued or whether he would yet die in the fish, but he prayed anyway.

It takes varying degrees of shock for most of us to recognize our helplessness and cry out to God, and for Jonah, the Lord used extraordinary measures indeed to get his attention. From this low point, however, we have an incredible prayer ascribing power and glory to God and foreshadowing the salvation He would bring to all men through Christ.

Jonah’s prayer begins with his cry to the Lord and an acknowledgement of the Lord’s response: “And he said, ‘I called out of my distress to the Lord, and He answered

me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice” (2:2). Immediately, we see Jonah’s repentance operating, as he does not rage against God, but turns to Him, “casting [his] anxiety on Him” (1 Pet. 5:7). He likens his position before God as crying out from “Sheol”, the place of the dead. In this way, Jonah’s prayer echoes every prayer for salvation uttered from sinful lips—it is only when we see (by the Spirit’s opening our eyes) our state of spiritual death that we cry out to God for help. And, just as He heard Jonah, the Lord hears us still.

As he recounts the thoughts and fears that washed over him during his ordeal, Jonah begins to see God’s sovereign hand in all his troubles: “For You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me” (2:3). Though at first his tone is one of resignation rather than worship, he recognizes that God, the all-powerful Creator (for the breakers and billows of the sea are His), was the one who cast him into the sea by bringing the storm, causing the crew to recognize His authority, and leading them to toss Jonah overboard.

Jonah interprets this as God’s judgment for his disobedience in fleeing the Lord’s call to prophesy to Nineveh “So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight” (2:4a). Even in this, though, he turns back to God, recognizing that he had no hope outside of Him: “Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple’” (2:4b). He continues, describing his terror in sinking down into the depths: “Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, weeds were wrapped

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around my head. I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever” (2:5-6a).

Just as he despaired of life, the Lord intervened yet again: “but You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God” (2:6b). Remember that he was still in the fish, by no means “safe”, yet Jonah recognized that the fish itself was from God to rescue him from drowning. He did not know the final outcome, but he used this unexpected extension of his life to praise God for preserving him. His language calls up imagery of resurrection (something he believed as a Jew, at least in terms of the resurrection of the last day), presaging the way that the Lord would one day bring Jesus Christ “up…from the pit” as the firstfruits of the resurrection and countless more from every tribe, tongue, and nation, who call on Him in repentance and faith.

In beautiful parallelism (typical of Hebrew poetry and prayers), Jonah reiterates how his cry from beneath the earth itself ascended to the presence of the Lord: “While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple” (2:7). Even in his sinfulness, Jonah’s earnest prayer is heard by the holy Lord. His mercy flows out readily to those who see their sin and recognize Him as their only hope.

Jonah’s prayer moves into doxology, turning from despair to worship: “Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness” (2:8). Whether he makes reference here to the newfound faith of the pagan crew members (1:16), his own unfaithfulness in fleeing from the Lord, or simply a general statement about the singularity of God’s power and love, the point stands—it is impossible to place your trust in anything other than the One True God and be regarded as faithful by Him. Jonah contrasts that false faith with true worship: “but I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving” (2:9a).

Worship of the Lord always involves these two elements: sacrifice (ultimately provided in Christ’s death) because His holiness demands payment for sin; thanksgiving because God mercifully accepts the sacrifice. The language and sacraments of worship in the New Covenant are built upon this—baptism mirroring our death to sin in the death of Christ (sacrifice), and the Lord’s Supper (the name “eucharist” even coming directly from the Greek for “thanksgiving”) representing our thanksgiving for that sacrifice, rejoicing that God has accepted the Christ’s body and blood for our sins and given us His righteousness.

As he closes his prayer, Jonah recommits himself to the Lord and offers a final note of worship: “That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord” (2:9b). This is a summation of sorts. Jonah recognizes his sin and owns it fully, promising to the Lord the obedience he refused earlier, and commits his fate completely into God’s hand. In a sense, he says, “Lord, here I am. When and if you see fit to rescue me from this fish (because there is no way I’m getting out on my own), I will do my duty as a prophet and fulfill my call to deliver Your message.”

Then, after Jonah has prayed through his experience and come to repentance, “the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land” (2:10). Here, He showed that He had heard Jonah’s cry and brought him salvation. In His sovereignty, He also waited for the right time (three days) to preserve Jonah’s experience of “death, burial, and resurrection” as a portrait of the one greater than Jonah (Matt. 12:41) who would show just how great a salvation the Lord was to bring about.

Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine for AMG International in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Following God—by Erik Christensen

So That Christ May Dwell in Your HeartsEphesians 3:11-21

Paul, in writing to the Ephesian church, those saved by faith in Christ, explains that the church is now the means by which the manifold wisdom of God is “made known” to the heavenly places. God has set believers free and made known the mystery of Christ which Paul has been called to preach to the Gentiles. Due to salvation in Christ by grace through faith, Paul states in Ephesians 3:12 that we have “boldness” and “confident access” to the Father. What a privileged position we have due to the payment of our debt by Christ. We are of the family and household of God and able through the Spirit by faith to have access to the Father.

Paul continues in 3:14 to address the fact that we are now a part of the family of God. The fact that we have derived our name from the Father is a beautiful reality for

each of us. Paul is not referring to each individual family on earth but rather the family of God, believers. Paul, referring to the Father, addresses the reality of the presence of God in our lives and the strength that is derived from Him. In verse 16, Paul’s desire for each believer is to be “strengthened with power.” We are strengthened by the means of the Spirit of God within the inner man. The word strengthened has the meaning of dominion or might. God is mighty and is over all. He is strength. He is mighty. God had power to give because He is all-powerful. The Greek word behind “power” means having the ability to do something. It’s amazing to realize that God lives within us providing us with Himself in order to transform us and reveal His life through us. He is our source of strength and ability.




What is the purpose of being strengthened with power? Paul states, “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” The radical changing, transforming, of the believer into the very image of God.

What a wonderful truth this is! Perhaps you have read the classic, My Heart, Christ’s Home by Robert Munger, which is the picture that Paul gives. Paul is writing to believers, so he is not speaking of our initial salvation experience when we received Christ. Rather Paul is referring to the indwelling reality of Christ within our hearts, the inner man. The Lord has come to live within our hearts and now, as in a home, there are different rooms. Is the Lord comfortable, at home, in every room? Is He “at home” in the room of our emotions, or the room of our thoughts? Is every room of our heart a place where the Lord is “at home” or made to be “comfortable”?

Paul continues in verse 19 to express his desire for every believer to “know”, meaning in this case to experience and come to understand the love of Christ. As Christ lives within us Paul’s desire is for believers to be strengthened with the ability that comes through the Spirit of God in the inner man, or the heart, to know Christ—to know His love. The love of Christ is beyond our comprehension to ever fully grasp. Paul states that the love of Christ “surpasses knowledge.” Christ’s love goes way beyond our ability to fully understand.

Even so, we are able to grow in our understanding of His love as we experience Him in the midst of our lives. He is constantly working to “clean up” the rooms of our hearts as we surrender and yield to His working within us. We get to glimpse the vastness of the love of Christ which can never be exhausted. What an awesome Lord we have! He has provided for us the means of salvation in Christ, and now lives within us strengthening us and making our hearts His home. To be filled up with all the fullness of God is a beautiful reality for the believer who is walking with the Lord in humble obedience.

Is it any wonder that Paul concludes this section with a praise—doxology of the greatness of God? The Father is able—has the power—to do far beyond anything that we could ever ask or think. He is working within us, changing us into His image. Paul concludes, as should we all, “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Are we glorifying the Father through our yielding to the work of Christ by the Spirit within us? Is the testimony of our lives and our churches one of the great vastness of God’s love in and through us? As we follow Him, are we being transformed? God bless you and may Christ’s love be the great thought and experience in your life.

Erik Christensen is senior pastor of Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Points to Ponder—by David L. Olford

Committed to Christ-Centered Ministry

Text: “Him [Christ] we proclaim…that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28).

Thought: In this “Christ-filled” letter, the Apostle Paul is seeking to help Christians grow in Christ, especially in the midst of false teaching. As is often the case, within the context of his letter, the Apostle takes some time to explain his own ministry (Col. 1:23b-2:5), a ministry which is based upon, focused on and centered in Christ Himself. You can see and sense how much Christ is at the center of Paul’s understanding and practice of ministry by reading through and outlining his explanation of his ministry in our text. The Apostle Paul becomes for us a model of a Christ-centered minister today. So, what are some of the distinctives of a Christ-Centered Ministry? Christ-centered ministry involves:

I. Being a Servant of Christ Specifically (Col. 1:23, 25)When the Apostle speaks of himself as a minister

(ESV), it is the same word that can be translated as servant or deacon. But, note the two uses of this word in the verses before us. Paul’s service was in relation to the Gospel (1:23) and the Church (1:25). The Gospel he is referring to,

of course, is the Gospel of Christ, aspects of which he has already presented (Col. 1:3-23), and other aspects would be presented later in this letter. So, being a servant of the Gospel is being a servant of Christ. Being a servant of the Church means nothing less than serving the Body of Christ. Indeed, as we will see, suffering for the body of Christ equates to sharing in the sufferings of Christ. So, ultimately Paul’s served Christ specifically by proclaiming the message of Christ and ministering to mature the people of Christ, the body of Christ. This was Paul’s stewardship given to him by God. Yes, Paul was an Apostle, but here he speaks of himself as one who served. In short, Paul served Christ in these two specific ways, and it is our privilege to do so as well.

II. Sharing in the Sufferings of Christ Joyfully (Col. 1:24)

What a challenge! Paul actually says that he “rejoices” in the sufferings that he experienced as a servant of Christ. These sufferings were purposeful because they were sufferings for the sake of the Church, which is the body of Christ. At the same time, these sufferings were

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especially meaningful to Paul because such sufferings meant that he was sharing in the sufferings of Christ (1:24). Paul in no sense is claiming to add to the sufficiency of the atonement of Christ for salvation, rather he is speaking of the necessary sufferings in the ministry of the Gospel as Christ builds His Church. Such sufferings are a part of the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings that Paul speaks of in Philippians 3:10. Suffering for Christ and with Christ is part of what Christ-centered ministry will mean. How accepting are we of the suffering that comes with ministry? Can we even rejoice in such suffering, knowing that it is purposeful and meaningful because of Christ? III. Fulfilling the Purpose of Christ Diligently (Col. 1:25-29, 2:1-5)

There are two purposes highlighted in this section of text. The first is Paul’s responsibility of making known fully “the Word of God” (1:25). Paul speaks of this aspect of his “stewardship” as making known “the mystery,” a mystery that was previous hidden but now revealed “to His saints” (Col. 1:26). God has now made known that the Gentiles are to experience “the riches of the glory of this mystery” (Col. 1:27). Paul’s climactic description of this mystery and his message is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). Paul, in a sense, could describe his message in one three letter word in our translation, “Him” (Col. 1:28). Christ was Paul’s proclamation, because Christ was and is at the center of the Word of God. He is the fulfillment of God’s Word, and in Christ the Gentiles are entering into all the riches of the grace of God in Christ, ultimately resulting in “the hope of glory.”

This instrumental purpose, proclaiming Christ, was to lead to the ultimate purpose of presenting “everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). Paul’s purpose in ministry was not just to see people come to spiritual birth, but through proclamation, warning, and teaching, Paul was to bring about maturity so that one day these mature believers in Christ can be presented to Christ.

This ultimate purpose we have just highlighted led to the writing of this letter, and it is clearly seen and sensed in Col. 2:1-5. Paul’s personal concern in writing this letter was to enable the maturing of these believers in Colossae and Laodicea, even though they had never met him. Paul expresses his struggle to see these believers experience encouragement, love, and true growth in understanding, wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2-3). In short, this means growing in Christ (“God’s mystery”), which is exactly what Paul is going to call for in the classic text that follows (Col. 2:6-7).

To further express his heart’s desire, Paul ends this personal section by speaking of his rejoicing in the light of the “good order and the firmness of [the Colossians] faith in Christ” (Col. 2:5). Good order may refer to their conduct and practice, whereas the firmness of faith would be of utmost importance, especially in the light of the false teaching that seemed to be impacting the Church. Notice that this faith was specifically, “faith in Christ” (Col. 2:5). What a perspective on ministry! It is a Christ-centered perspective from beginning to end. From proclamation of the message of Christ to the presentation of the Church mature in Christ, it is all about Christ and for Christ. But, how can such a ministry be accomplished?

IV. Depending Upon the Power of Christ Personally (Col. 1:29)

Paul writes, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Col. 1:29). Paul toiled to present Christ’s people mature in Christ. Here, though, Paul not only speaks of his toil and struggle, he adds something critically important. Yes, he labored to be able to present believers mature in Christ. But, this struggle in ministry is done “with all (Christ’s) energy that he powerfully works within me” (Col. 1:29). Paul was confident in the power of Christ enabling him to accomplish what he was called to do.

I don’t think Paul is boasting here. He is speaking honestly of the necessary power for authentic ministry and authentic results. To see the transformation of lives that he refers to throughout the Colossian letter, and to see the result of mature Christians one day being presented to Christ, this takes supernatural power. Paul was not claiming to have a spiritual secret. He was claiming that his efforts were enabled through the powerful working of Christ in and through him.

In Romans 15:18 Paul states firmly that he would only boast in what Christ had accomplished through him. His work was not the work of man with “a little help from the Lord.” Christ was the one who worked powerfully by His Spirit through Paul. Oh, yes, this called for toil and struggle, but Paul was aware of and depended upon the power of Christ to accomplish his ministry. This is how Christ-centered ministry takes place. Ultimately, it is the work of Christ Himself through His servants.

Thrust: Let Christ be at the center of my life and ministry.

David L. Olford teaches expository preaching at Union University’s Stephen Olford Center in Memphis,

Tennessee.__________________________________________________________________________________________Jewels from Past Giants

Man’s Great Duty

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By Thomas Guthrie

From a sermon preached by Guthrie and published in his collected sermons. Edited slightly for length and modern spellings.

“Lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12).On the deck of a foundering vessel stood a slave—

the last man on board. He was about to step into the lifeboat at her last trip. She was already loaded almost to the gunwale. Observed to bear in his arms what seemed a heavy bundle, the boat’s crew, who had difficulty to keep her afloat in such a roaring sea, refused to receive him unless he came unencumbered, and alone. He pressed to his bosom what he carried in his arms, and seemed loath to part with it. They insisted. He had his choice—either to leap in and leave that behind him, or throw it in and stay to perish.

He opened its folds; and there, warmly wrapped round, lay two children whom their father, his master, had committed to his care. He kissed them; bade the sailors carry his affectionate farewell to his master, and tell how he had faithfully fulfilled his charge; and then lowering the children into the boat which pushed off, the man stood alone on the sinking deck—and bravely went down with the foundering ship. Such arms slavery binds; such kind hearts it crushes! A noble and touching example that of the love that seeks not her own!

The means of his earthly salvation were inadequate to the occasion. But no poor sinner need lose eternal life. There is room for all in Christ. Our cry to the perishing is, “Yet there is room.” Only those are excluded who exclude themselves, and refuse to be saved on God’s own terms. Whatever be men’s sins and crimes, none are excluded, by name or by character, from the amnesty which God proclaims, from the benefits of eternal life, “Whosoever cometh unto me,” says Jesus, “I will in nowise cast out.” Lay hold on eternal life. There is enough of it to supply the wants of all. No child of Adam stands excluded from its precious blessings.

I. Consider Our Need of Eternal LifeGreatest gift of God! Eternal life is deliverance

from eternal death, the curse of a broken law, and the doom of a burning hell. Eternal life is eternal blessedness—the pardon of sin’s guilt, and freedom from its tyrannous power; the pleasures of a pure heart, and the enjoyment of peace with God; joy without any bitter admixture, and riches without wings; health that never sickens, life that never dies, and a glory hereafter that never fades away; perfect holiness in the likeness, and perfect happiness in the bosom of God. These are what we need; and how great is our need of them?

How great our need, was once well expressed by Rowland Hill. He spoke like a man who saw the people hang over perdition; and heard their long, piercing shrieks,

as one after another they lost their hold, and dropped into the fiery gulf. Exception being taken to his energy and vehemence, Hill told how he had once seen a vast bank of earth, below which some men were at work, suddenly break loose and bury them alive before they could utter a cry, or move a foot to escape. They perished, needing what God, not man, always is, “a very present help in trouble.” The moral of the story is very plain. These poor men, buried below a mass of earth, choking for want of breath, in instant danger of perishing, needed above all the promise of eternal life.

Sin has brought death into this world, and we are all of us involved in the calamity—buried in the ruins of the Fall. But, if we have sinned less than others, we cannot be saved by merit; even as, thank God, if we have sinned more than others we may be saved by mercy. How idle to talk of other men being greater sinners than we are—to flatter and deceive ourselves with that! He drowns as surely who has his head beneath one inch of water, as he who, with a millstone hung round his neck, has sunk a hundred fathoms down.

Those who speak of great and little, of few or many sins, seem to forget that man’s ruin was the work of one moment, and of one sin. The weight of only one sin sank this great world into perdition; and now all of us lie under the same sentence of condemnation. Extinguishing every hope of salvation through works, and sounding as ominous of evil in men’s ears as the cracking of ice beneath our feet, or the roar of an avalanche, or the grating of a keel on the sunken reef, or the hammer that wakens the felon from dreams of life and liberty, that sentence is this: “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.”

Who can miss the application of it to our condition? With that curse of a broken law impending over us, in danger of perishing every moment so long as we are out of Christ, should we not give immediate heed to the call of Christ?

II. Consider How We Obtain Eternal LifeNothing in one sense is more difficult, yet in

another easier—a wish, a word, a look and it is ours! I have read the story of a captive who, immured in an Austrian prison, with no tool but a nail in his bleeding hands, wrought night by night for twelve weary months, to mine its solid walls. Agitated by alternate hopes and fears, he at length accomplished his task; and then on a dark, blustering night, by means of a rope that he had twisted, he swung himself over the dizzy depth; and, reaching the ground, swam the moat, and was free! What will a man not do, and not dare, for dear life and sweet liberty! But for eternal life—for the precious liberty of the sons of God, you have no such time to wait; nor hardships to suffer; nor desperate


risks to run. You have only to wish, and, as if struck by a magician’s rod, the walls of your prison house open. You are free.

What tortures have I seen people patiently endure, through a long protracted illness, to regain in health heaven’s best earthly boon? But you have only to join the crowd, like the woman of old, to press through the throng, and lay your eager, trembling finger on the dusty hem of the Savior’s robe, to possess a health that never sickens and is proof alike against the sharpest arrows of disease, and the dart of death.

Do you ask, What shall we do to inherit eternal life; to be saved? I reply with Paul, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”; but reject Him whom I offer, and you may be damned—lost this hour, and lost forever. The gift of God, say the Scriptures, is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. He purchased it for us by His sinless obedience, His sufferings, His atoning death. For that great end His infant head was pillowed on straw, and His dying head on thorns; for that great end, His lowly cradle was a manger, and His death-bed was bloody cross. But what it cost Him so much to buy, His Father is ready to bestow “without money and without price.”

The truth is God knows how wretched our fate if we refuse His mercy. He has looked on the fire that never has been quenched; He has heard the wail of those that are forever lost; and as a father over his poor prodigal, a mother over her fallen daughter, He yearns over you crying “Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?”

III. Consider More Particularly What We Have to Do.It is not to make ourselves worthy of it; nor to

attempt to merit it; nor to wait till we are holy before we come to Christ. Salvation is not of works, but of faith. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life–this is a faithful saying.” We have nothing to do, then, but to believe; to open the door and receive Him into our hearts. Jesus is ready to come in, as King into His palace—followed by penitence, humility, goodness, meekness, temperance, hope, peace, joy, charity; a long, shining train of graces.

It is only by the hand of faith that we can lay hold of Christ. Do you say, “But I cannot believe?” If you ask

faith of God, He will certainly give it; working it in you by the power of His Holy Spirit.

IV. Consider When We Are to Lay Hold on Eternal Life.

If the body is in great danger and means of safety and escape are offered, there is no need to urge men to lay hold on life, or say, “Do it now.” I only wish I saw people as eager to be saved from hell, as I once saw a man to be saved from drowning. It was at a ferry. The gangway withdrawn; the boat in motion; when he came running along the pier, and, deaf to the cries of warning, took a bold and desperate spring to catch our bulwark. He caught it, but lost his hold; fell backwards; and went down instantly—engulfed in the roaring sea. Sucked out by the receding wave, he rose to the surface a good way off. And though it was blessed sight to see his head emerge from the water, every eye was still anxiously fixed on him. He floated on his back, but could not swim; and therefore must soon perish. And he would have perished, had not a man, bearing a lifebuoy aloft in his hand, came rushing down the pier. With the spray of the stormy sea flying in his face, he takes aim; and sends the lifebuoy spinning through the air, away over the waves, to the drowning man. What a moment of suspense for him and for us, the onlookers! Well thrown by man, and well directed by a watchful Providence, it fell right over his sinking head and he caught it! Never lover embraced lover with such eager, happy arms. Holding on, he was pulled from a watery grave. Every man ready to perish should lay hold as eagerly to eternal life.

In the name of Him who purchased it, and offers it, and urges you to accept of it, I entreat you to lay hold of eternal life. He promises it now—today; but not tomorrow. Oh, what would the devils give for the offer which you hesitate to accept? Why scorn the love of Jesus? Accept it now so long as it is in your offer; seize it so long as it is in your reach.

Thomas Guthrie (1803-1873), Free Church of Scotland minister, was born in Brechin, Scotland, and educated at Edinburgh and Paris. In 1840 he was called to St. John’s

Church in Edinburgh. When a divisive controversy arose in the Established Church, Guthrie left St. John’s and with

other clergymen organized the Free Church of Scotland. He built the Free St. John’s Church and ministered there for

twenty years to large congregations. He was the editor of Sunday Magazine, and wrote numerous devotional books

and studies of Scripture._____________________________________________________________________________Counselor’s Corner—by James Rudy Gray

Healthy Marriages and Compatibility


It is generally acknowledged that Genesis 2:24 is the most important verse on marriage in the Bible. It does not, on first reading, say anything about compatibility. However, it is evident we cannot have a one-flesh relationship without it. Compatibility is essential for a godly and healthy marriage, but the key is in how we define it.

Compatibility does not necessarily mean being alike but having the ability to live together in harmony. The root of the word may also suggest the ability to suffer together. It implies things like sympathetic understanding and mutual stability.

Do men and women fall in love because they are compatible or do they build compatibility because they love each other (and are committed to each other)? The more a husband and wife please each other in marriage, the stronger the level of compatibility.

According to John Gottman, the ratio of positive to negative exchanges in a marriage should be at least five to one. Pleasing behaviors build compatibility and compatibility leads to happier and healthier marriages. To be compatible, we have to work at it.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:33-34 that someone who is not married is concerned about pleasing the Lord, but someone who is married is concerned about the things of the world—how to please his or her mate. This is what I call the “please principle”. When we are committed to pleasing our mates, we build a more stable marital system and create compatibility, which in turn, produces greater satisfaction in our marriage. A good marriage requires hard work based on true love.

Love in marriage is not a feeling but a commitment to the other person. It is agape. Of course, affection, romance, and acceptance are vitally important. Feelings

follow love like behavior follows thought. But agape, the commitment to do what is best and right and the willingness to do it in a way that is sacrificial and unconditional, is the foundation for a good marriage.

Love in marriage is evidenced in how we value our mate. According to Ephesians 5:25, husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church. We should love our wives enough to be willing to die for them. That is the greatest thing we can do according to Jesus in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” If a husband can do the greatest thing for his wife—love her—then he can certainly do lesser things like listen to her, spend time with her, etc. Wives love (show value) to their husbands by responding submissively to that kind of love (Eph. 5:22).

Godly marriages where two people love God and each other, please each other, like each other, and value each other can be one of the strongest means for sharing the Gospel of Christ in our culture. When people see the results of real love in our marriages, they are curious about it and attracted to it. Our compatibility can open doors of sharing and showing God’s love and truth to others.

There are no perfect marriages because marriages are made up of imperfect men and women. The goal is not a perfect marriage but a growing marriage where Christ is the foundation and focus.

James Rudy Gray is certified as a professional counselor by the National Board for Certified Counselors, and is a

member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He serves as the editor of The Baptist Courier,

the official newspaper of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

__________________________________________________________________________________________The Story behind the Song—by Lindsay Terry

They Wanted More LyricSong: “Oh, How He Loves You and Me”

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

For more than forty years, the name Kurt Kaiser has been synonymous with Christian keyboard artistry, songwriting, conducting, and arranging.

The “windy city,” Chicago, Illinois, is Kurt’s hometown. He was born there in 1934. He said, “I was seven years old when one Sunday evening we were all gathered around the piano in the living room of our home singing, as was our custom each week. I began having a real urge from the Spirit of God to know Him and to give my heart and life to Christ. My mother went with me to my

bedroom, and we knelt down by the bed and I accepted Christ into my life.”

After high school Kurt studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He then enrolled in Northwestern University, where he earned two degrees.

In 1959, Kurt joined Word, Incorporated, as director of artists and repertoire and later became vice president and director of music. It was not until 1969 that he got the opportunity to try his hand at serious writing. He and Ralph Carmichael co-wrote a musical, Tell It Like It Is out of which came Kurt’s very popular “Pass It On.” After that he continued to write very seriously, and since that time he has written more than four hundred songs.

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Following is Kurt’s account of the writing of his most popular song: “Through the years I have been in the habit of keeping my ears tuned to things that people say, a phrase that may give me an idea for a song. I’ll write it down quickly. I may come across a musical motive or a lyrical idea that I can file away in a special place in my office. Occasionally I will pull these things out and look at them. One day I came across this line, ‘Oh, how He loves you and me,’ and I wrote it down. I remember very well writing it across the top of a piece of manuscript paper, and that’s all I had.

“I then sat down to think about that phrase, and the whole song quickly came to me. I could not have spent more than ten or fifteen minutes writing the whole of it. That’s how rapidly it all came, the lyrics and the melody together. I sent it off to secure a copyright. I could not believe what came back in the mail.

“The Copyright Office in Washington said that there was not enough original lyric to warrant the granting of a copyright. I was extremely disappointed, because I knew the song was very singable. A couple of days went by, and I decided to write a companion verse, or a second set of lyrics. I sent it back to Washington, and this time I got the copyright.”

“Oh, How He Loves You and Me” has traveled far and wide and into the hearts of millions of people. Many hymnals and chorus books have included it, as well as

numerous choral collections. There is no telling how many times it has been recorded since it was written in 1975. In the opinion of this writer, the second “set of lyrics,” or the second verse gives marvelous support to the original song. The message of Christ’s journey to Calvary, showing just how much he loves you and me, is truly soul-stirring.

The strongest drive that manifests itself within the breast of every human being is the need to be loved by someone. Only when we get to heaven will we be able to understand God’s love for us—the real meaning of the cross of Jesus Christ. “Oh, how He loves you; oh, how He loves me.”

© 2008 by Lindsay Terry. Used by permission.

Lindsay Terry has been a song historian for more than 40 years, and has written widely on the background of great

hymns and worship songs including the books I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (2008), from which this piece is

excerpted, and The Sacrifice of Praise (2002).

__________________________________________________________________________________________Church Builders—by Bernard R. DeRemer

George F. Root: Music Publisher

George Frederick Root (1820-95), composer, music publisher, and teacher, was born in Sheffield, Massachusetts. His parents must have foreseen his musical future, naming him after the great German-English composer George Frideric Handel. As a young man in Boston he studied, played the organ, and began teaching. Later he went to New York City, where he taught and played. He also studied in Paris and traveled throughout Europe.

He originated the New York Normal Musical Institute, where William B. Bradbury became the principal teacher. “For many years this was one of his principal activities and in many ways it was his most important contribution to the musical development of America.” Many eminent music teachers and composers were students in his institute.

In 1859 he settled in Chicago and established the firm of Root and Cady. This brought his name as composer more into the limelight. After the disastrous Chicago Fire of 1871 he was associated with John Church and Co. of

Cincinnati, where he gave much time to formal and convention work. In 1872 the University of Chicago awarded him the Doctor of Music degree. He “attained the highest place among American musicians as a teacher, theorist, and composer.”

Root was author of about 75 books, 200 song sheets, and many popular gospel songs including the well-known hymn tune “The Shining Shore.” He composed the tune for Fanny Crosby’s song “There Is Music in the Air” and collaborated with her on over 50 songs after meeting her during a stint teaching at the New York Institute for the Blind. He composed many cantatas for church and civic performance which became popular in the U.S. and England during the 1850s. Additionally, he edited several volumes of choral music for Sunday schools and church choirs.

Root is perhaps best known for his patriotic songs from the Civil War era, many of which were instrumental in stirring support for the anti-slavery and pro-union causes. Songs like “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys Are


Marching”, “Just before the Battle, Mother”, “The Battle Cry of Freedom”, “The First Gun is Fired”, and “The Vacant Chair” were often sung by Union troops during marches and became very popular with the public both during and after the war.

Through his tireless efforts, Root put many great truths and noble sentiments to music, shaping the church experience for generations of believers. “He being dead yet speaketh” (Heb. 11:4).

Bernard R. DeRemer chronicled the lives of dozens of heroes of the faith in more than a decade of writing for

Pulpit Helps Magazine. He continues to serve in this capacity as a volunteer contributor to Disciple. He lives in

West Liberty, Ohio.

References: Wikipedia “George Frederick Root”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_F._Root,Who Was Who in Church History, by Elgin S. Moyer; excerpts used by permission of Moody Publishers.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel

Giving Hope in IndiaBy AMG International Staff

When we look at the state of the world and contemplate the sheer number of people who have never heard the Gospel of Christ and don’t even have access to it, we can be overwhelmed. In addition to the millions in our own nation and across the world who lead secular lives with no thought for God, nearly half the world’s population (as estimated recently by the Joshua Project) serve the false religions of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Among those and other groups, there are over two billion people who have had virtually no exposure to the Gospel!

Our challenge and the Church’s challenge to make disciples from every tribe and tongue is enormous, but God who has called us to this task has also equipped us for it and promised to be with us always. It is His work, and He asks you and me to join Him—not to do it in our own strength.

Perhaps no place on earth better shows both the need and opportunity for the Gospel as India. This nation of 1.2 billion is only about 3% Christian. India is daunting, confusing outsiders with its swirls of different ethnicities and religions, and frightening Christians with reports of open hostility and persecution by Hindu extremists. In the midst of it all, however, we see the Lord at work. Just as He had compassion on the great pagan city of Nineveh when its people believed the warning He sent through Jonah and repented (Jonah 3- 4), so the Lord has compassion still, standing ready to redeem any who repent and believe in Christ, no matter how far they are from Him when they hear His call.

Since 1968, AMG India has been working to bring that Good News to this country with the help of strategic partner organizations in both the U. S. and Europe. We do this through planting churches and reaching out to the lost through schools, hospitals, and meeting the needs of destitute children, leprosy patients, and elderly people. AMG India reaches beyond caste distinctions, social status, or religious preference in tangible expressions of the Good News of Christ to everyone in physical and spiritual need.

One of the most incredible evangelistic activities undertaken by any of AMG’s national ministries is the annual Hope for India Conventions, a series of conferences held each year at which thousands come out to open-air meetings to hear concentrated Gospel messages and sound biblical instruction. Often pastors or missionaries from other fields where AMG works will travel to speak at the conventions alongside the leaders of AMG India. These meetings take place in three cities where AMG India has offices, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, and Chilakaluripet. In 2014, Hope for India will take place from September 27 – October 11.

The impact of these events is tremendous. Each year, hundreds come forward to declare their newfound faith in Christ, and many are baptized at the end of the conference. In addition to evangelism, the meetings also provide the opportunity for AMG church planters and national workers to be encouraged and equipped for ministry through training seminars.

One young man who participated in last year’s Hope for India shares, “While I was child I used to attend Sunday school and when I became a youth I used to attend Church regularly. Though I pray, read the Word of God and attend Church, yet I did not have the salvation experience and I was not living according to the will of God. I got the opportunity to participate in Hope for India Conventions held at Chilakaluripet. God spoke to me through His servants in the conventions and God showed me my sinful life and I realized that I am a sinner and I need a Savior. So I confessed my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I thank God for what He has done in my life. I want to live for God and witness for Him. Please pray for me and for my future.”

Of AMG’s many ministries across the world, few are as powerfully effective at reaching large numbers of people with the faithfully proclaimed Gospel of Christ as Hope for India. The people of India are spiritually hungry


for the meat of truth, and, with your support, these meetings each year are able to feed them on the Word. Would you join us in providing the prayer and financial support necessary to host Hope for India this year? Perhaps you might even pray about joining us as a guest speaker. To continue that impact, you or your church could also sponsor a national worker in India who will take the Gospel to his own people throughout the year. Through our many faithful partners, Christ continues to build His Church, even in the face of the strongholds of the enemy in India.

To learn more about AMG’s ministries in India around the world and how you can partner with us, please visit www.amginternational.org or call 1-800-251-7206.

Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel (AMG) International is a non-denominational, international

missions agency based in Chattanooga, Tenn. AMG’s distinctive has always been its reliance on national workers

to carry the Gospel in their own cultures. Today, they operate ministries in over 40 countries around the world

through partnership with national believers.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Marks of the Master—by the Old Scot

Custom-Built Homes

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, July 2009.Do you remember wishing you could wave a magic

wand and make something wonderful happen? Of course, we know that there are no magic wands, but quite a number of small insects command a power almost as good. They are able to make plants grow houses for their families, and also stock those houses with nourishing food.

We call these well-stocked habitations “galls.” Galls are abnormal growths, found predominantly on oak and hickory trees, but also on other types of trees and woody plants.

A variety of different insects are responsible for galls, which come in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes. Each configuration, as you might imagine, is characteristic of the type of insect which caused it. Some are hard; some are soft and fleshy. Some are round or oblong, others resemble tops or even tiny vases. Some are smooth, some are rough, while others are covered with hair or spines. Some even look like flowers, while others could easily be mistaken for fruits or even leaves. Some galls are harvested and eaten by humans; others have been a valuable source for hundreds of years of ink and tannic acid for tanning leather.

Let us examine a common gall, the “oak apple”—so called because it is found on oak trees and resembles a little green apple. The outside is a thin, hard rind, but once we cut through that, we find the interior is mostly open space, though dozens of succulent fibers radiate in every direction from the central core out to the rind. Cutting into the juicy central core, we discover inside it a plump little grub. This grub is the larval stage of a gall wasp. It hatched from an egg laid in an oak leaf or twig by the mother wasp—herself hardly more than one-eighth of an inch long.

Before the egg hatched, nothing significant happened to the twig. But when the larva emerged and began feeding, it also began secreting a marvelous substance which in effect took local control of the plant’s

growth mechanism. The tree began to grow a house built exactly to the wasp’s specifications.

Let us glance again at the oak apple we have cut open: Truly, a snug house has been arranged for the soft grub! Even if predators bite through the tough rind, they are still far from penetrating the inner hide-away. Furthermore, the grub is literally surrounded by all the food it could ask for.

The grub’s secretion is rich in nucleic acid, which is the key to transferring hereditary characteristics from one generation to the next. One scientific observer said: “It seems probable that the substances injected into plants by insects actually control the growth and division of the plant cells, causing them to develop into special structures. In effect, the insects change the genetics of the surrounding cells, forcing them to form themselves into special habitats.”

Some grubs, after their house is constructed, secrete a different substance, which causes plant starch to be converted into more easily digestible sugar. Sometimes so much sugar is created that the gall exudes sweet honey-dew. In the Southwest United States and Mexico are found honey ants, whose chief food is this honey-dew from galls. Bees in the same region make large quantities of honey from the same substance.

A certain type of aphid—also called “plant lice”—also forms galls, and we could expect a serious problem for adult aphids trying to get out and get on with their life cycle. Aphids, you see, have no hard mouth parts, so they cannot cut their way out of their gall homes, as the wasps do. But the aphid’s home is programmed to open its “door” at just the right time to let them out! Somehow, the chemical “blueprint” they secrete causes the gall to develop a slit in its skin, just when the aphids need it.

We may well ask how these insects could develop such powers. Of course, they did not. They can’t, and neither can we. Their bodies have a built-in capability





provided by Almighty God. No other answer will suffice. Like so many other special provisions from the One who created the universe, it is impossible that such abilities could be the culmination of one or a million “happy genetic accidents” spread over a million or a billion years.

If you think about it, it takes more faith to believe in so many little evolutionary miracles, each picking up where the last one left off, than it does to believe in one comprehensive act of special creation. And this is especially true in light of the requirement that the species would have had to survive all those countless millennia, when the instincts and the chemical-producing glands were being developed.

The Bible states in Romans 1:21-22 that those who refuse to acknowledge God’s governance of His creation

“became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves wise, they became fools…” Fools, in other words, do not recognize God’s handiwork, whereas the wise see His hand in everything! Let us be wise, and praise our God.

The Old Scot (Ted Kyle) served as managing editor for Pulpit Helps magazine (Disciple’s predecessor publication)

from 1993-2008. He was always fascinated by the natural world, and readily saw God’s hand in every detail. Ted went to be with His Creator and Savior in April 2013.

Source: Galls and Gall Insects, Ross E. Hutchins, Dodd Mead & Co., NY, 1969, pp. 65 & 81

__________________________________________________________________________________________Book Review—February 2014

Recent Releases

Truth Matters: Confident Faith in a Confusing World, Darrell Bock, Josh Chatraw, and Andreas J. Köstenberger, 2014, B&H Publishers, Nashville, ISBN 9781433682261, 208 pages, $12.99, hardcover.

Truth Matters is written directly to young adults who have grown up in and around the Church, arming them with well-reasoned responses to the accusations that are most likely to appear in their lives, either as upcoming lecture notes and test questions or as inner qualms and questions. Things like: What gives the Bible any authority or credibility? Where is God in a world full of suffering? Why should Christianity be any more believable than any other religious system?

The book is a level-headed reaction to those who equate Christian faith with “blind faith,” even those whose subtle or stated goal is to separate students from their religious traditions. Readers will discover the kind of historical information and thinking skills that build a sturdy backbone of confidence in high schoolers and young adults, making them able to defend by “reasoned faith” what the Bible claims as truth.

United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity, Trilia Newbell, 2014, Moody Publishers, Chicago, ISBN 9780802410146, 160 pages, $12.99, softcover.

On the Last Day every tongue and tribe will be represented in the glorious chorus praising God with one voice. Yet today our churches remain segregated. Can we reflect the beauty of the last day this day? United will inspire, challenge and en-courage readers to pursue the joys

of diversity through stories of the author's own journey and a theology of diversity lived out.

The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived, Andreas J. Köstenberger and Justin Taylor with Alexander Stewart, 2014, Crossway, Wheaton, Ill., ISBN 9781433535109, 224 pages, $17.99, softcover.

Nearly 2,000 years later, the events that took place during Jesus’s last days still reverberate through the ages. Designed as a day-by-day guide to Passion Week, The Final Days of Jesus leads us to reexamine and meditate on the history-making, earth-shaking significance of Jesus’s arrest, trial, crucifixion, and empty tomb. Combining a chronological arrangement of the Gospel accounts with insightful commentary, charts, and maps, this book will help you better understand what actually happened all those years ago—and why it matters today.

Warfield on the Christian Life: Living Life in the Light of the Gospel, Fred G. Zaspel, 2014, Crossway, Wheaton, Ill., ISBN 9781433543197, 240 pages, $17.99, softcover.

B. B. Warfield is well known as one of America’s leading theologians, perhaps second only to Jonathan Edwards. But until now the character of his own Christian experience and his understanding of the Christian life have remained unexplored. Fred Zaspel unpacks these for us here, and what we find is that Warfield’s profound theological mind is matched only by his passionate heart for


Christ. From Warfield we learn truly what it is to live in light of the gospel.

Acts: The Church Afire, R. Kent Hughes, 2014, Crossway, Wheaton, Ill., ISBN 9781433538261, 384 pages, $34.99, hardcover.

How did Christianity become one of the most important religions in world history? To answer this question, we must begin with the book of Acts, which chronicles the tumultuous days of the early church and the spread of Christianity in the years following Jesus’s death and resurrection. In this insightful volume, Hughes leads readers to rediscover the history of the New Testament church, examining key events in Acts such as the bold preaching of Christ’s early followers, the dramatic persecution of Christians, and the perilous missionary journeys of the apostle Paul. This encouraging commentary on a central book in the New Testament will challenge you

to walk with Christ and serve Him more effectively through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ministering to Problem People in Your Church, Marshall Shelley, 2013, Bethany House, Bloomington, Minn., ISBN 9780764211447, 208 pages, $16.99, softcover.

Every church has them—sincere, well-meaning Christians who leave ulcers, strained relationships, and hard feelings in their wake. They don't intend to be hostile; they don't consciously plot destruction or breed discontent. But they often do undermine the ministry of the church and make pastors question their calling. Ministering to Problem People in Your Church will guide you in dealing with these challenging people. Based on real-life accounts of battle-scarred veterans, this book helps you go beyond just tolerating problem people to limiting their damage and showing them God's love.

__________________________________________________________________________________________News Update—January 2014

Russians Return to Religion, But Not ChurchA new study by Pew Research shows that the

number of Russians who identify themselves as “religious” has increased in the past several years. However, the data also stipulates the return to religion has not affected church attendance. Only about one in ten Russians appear to participate in any religious service more than once a month.

Reflecting on the results, the Religion & Public Life Project writes, “According to the ISSP, six in ten Russian adults (61%) surveyed in 1991 identified as religiously unaffiliated, while about a third said they were Orthodox Christians (31%). Over the next 17 years, those percentages virtually flipped. By 2008, roughly seven in ten Russians identified as Orthodox Christians (72%), while about one-in-five were religiously unaffiliated (18%). During the same period, there also was a modest increase in the share of the Russian public identifying with religions other than Orthodox Christianity, including Islam, Protestant Christianity and Roman Catholicism”

Orthodox Christianity has long been the dominant religion in Russia. This changed dramatically after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the advent of communist ideology. State-sponsored atheism began to overshadow Christian faith, and during the Soviet period many Christians faced unbelievable persecution under government laws. Most Orthodox Christians went underground, hiding their faith behind closed doors. Today, religious freedom is once more available to the people of Russia, but the church still struggles to repair the damage it sustained under communist rule.

Christian Headlines

Alaskan Evangelicals Converge on Sochi to Spread Gospel during Winter Olympics

SOAR International Ministries, an Alaska-based organization dedicated to missions and outreach in Russia, has partnered with local Russian churches during the Sochi Winter Olympic Games to spread the Gospel to tourists and communities converging on the event.

The ministry sent 40 volunteers to Russia to establish a number of “fun zone” hospitality centers in local church buildings. They will also go out into parks and other public venues to invite others to partake in their activities.

“The team will assist the local church in introducing the community to Christ and who they are in Him,” said Greg Mangione of SOAR, according to Mission News Network. “They’ll do that through Gospel magic shows, somebody making balloon animals and face paintings, and just a variety of activities and entertainment. The primary goal is to reach out to the people. We pray it’ll be a beginning of a long-term relationship with the local churches.”

During the two weeks of the Games volunteers will divide their time between the coastal and mountain cluster areas of Sochi while each hospitality center will have the Olympic events projected on big screens along with evangelistic videos.

Given the security measures in place for the Games, SOAR’s team will be limited to how they spread the Christian message. “[The restrictions are] no street preaching. No proselytizing out in the parks and all that,” said Mangione. “We want to try to create a relationship.

http://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/russians-return-to-religion-but-not-church.html


We’re looking for people to ask, ‘Why are you here?’ Hopefully that opens the door to share a personal testimony and to share, ‘I’m here because I love Christ.’”

The Christian Post

Hobby Lobby to Supreme Court: Protect Us from $1.3M in Fines a Day over Obamacare

Hobby Lobby, the family-owned arts and crafts business that has been the most high-profile plaintiff against Obamacare, asked the U.S. Supreme Court February 10 to protect it from being forced to violate their deeply held religious beliefs or pay severe fines. This is in preparation for oral arguments on March 25, 2014 before the nation’s highest court.

The written brief calls a federal mandate to provide objectionable drugs and devices “one of the most straightforward violations…this Court is likely to see” of a 1993 law preserving the free exercise of faith.

Hobby Lobby’s brief calls on two centuries of high court rulings to counter the government’s reasoning that the owners’ rights as individuals cannot be exercised through their family-owned corporation. The brief insists that this freedom does not “turn on [the Company’s] tax status,” and further states that the Administration cannot “divide and conquer” the Greens’ religious liberties from those of Hobby Lobby to make those rights “simply vanish.”

“Hobby Lobby’s latest brief brings into even sharper focus the issue at the heart of this landmark case: No one should be forced to give up their constitutionally protected civil rights just to go into business,” said Kyle Duncan, General Counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and counsel for Hobby Lobby. “The filing demonstrates in no uncertain terms that the government’s efforts to strip this family business of its religious rights represent a gross violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will uphold the Tenth Circuit’s strong affirmation of the Greens’ rights to live out their deeply held beliefs in every aspect of their business.”

LifeNews.com

Survey Finds British Children and Adults are Biblically Illiterate

Three out of 10 British children have next to no understanding of the Bible and their parents aren’t that knowledgeable, either.

A survey released Friday (Feb. 7) by the Bible Society, founded in 1804 to spread knowledge about the Scriptures, said most boys and girls aged 8 to 15 years old did not know that Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark or Jesus’

birth were rooted in the Bible. More than a third of the 800 children surveyed did not know that David and Goliath and the story of the Good Samaritan were Bible tales. One in 10 mistakenly thought the story about King Midas and Icarus was in the Bible.

But not just children are Bible ignorant. Nearly half of the 1,100 parents surveyed failed to identify Noah’s Ark as a story from the Bible. More than one-third thought a Harry Potter plotline was or might have come from the Bible.

The Bible Society published the research to mark the launch of its “Pass It On” campaign, which aims to encourage parents to keep the Bible alive by passing its stories on to their children. In a foreword to the report, Richard Chartres, the Anglican bishop of London, said sharing Bible stories “is as vital now as it has ever been.” He added: “There is work to be done.”

Christian Headlines

Female Church Workers Raped and Killed in South Sudan

Scores of female church workers were massacred in January as they sought refuge at a church in the central South Sudanese town of Bor.

The women, several of whom were elderly, had fled rebel attacks to hide in the St Andrew’s Episcopal Church compound, when rebels descended on them, raping several of them before shooting them at close range.

“The women were from different parishes in the diocese and had converged in the church compound when they were killed,” the Anglican Bishop of Bor, Ruben Akurdit Ngong, told World Watch Monitor by telephone from Bor. “This is very painful. They destroyed most of the churches in the diocese, but God is with us.”

Five of the women—Dorcas Abuol Bouny and Akut Mayem Yar, both 72, Tabitha Akuang, 60, and Mary Alek Akech and Martha Agok Mabior, both 70—worked as pastors in the church. A prominent lay leader, Agel Mabior, 72, was also killed.

“They were all clergy. They all worked at the church. They did different jobs, [including] Bible reading,” South Sudanese Anglican Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul told local reporters.

South Sudan has been in turmoil since December 15, when a dispute within the army sparked fierce fighting in the capital city, Juba. Fighting spread quickly across the country and soon took on an ethnic dimension after President Salva Kiir alleged that his former vice-president, Riek Machar, was planning a coup.

Christian Today

__________________________________________________________________________________________Sermon Helps—from www.sermonhall.com

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/female.church.workers.raped.and.killed.in.south.sudan/35780.htm

http://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/russians-return-to-religion-but-not-church.html

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/02/10/hobby-lobby-to-supreme-court-protect-us-from-1-3m-in-fines-a-day-over-obamacare/

http://www.christianpost.com/news/alaskan-evangelicals-converge-on-sochi-to-spread-gospel-during-winter-olympics-114217/


Sermon OutlinesTrue Godliness Is Revealed in the Midst of Confrontation2 Corinthians 7:1-16

Intro. How is the evidence of godly interaction manifested in the midst of confrontation?I. In Paul’s Troubles (v. 5)

A. Troubles on the outside.B. Troubles on the inside (see also vv. 8-9).

II. In Paul’s Comfort (vv. 6-7)A. Brought about by Titus’ arrival.B. By his good report.C. By the realization that all good things come from

above (cf. James 1:17).III. In Paul’s Rejoicing (vv. 8-11)

A. Because true repentance (v.10):1. Results in salvation!2. Results in secure salvation! (“without

regret”)3. Results from:

a. True humility!b. Godly sorrow!

B. Because the fruits of true repentance are everywhere present (v. 11).Conc. Paul revealed how the evidence of their changed heart was visible and easily judged as brought about by godly sorrow. Jesus said, “So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matt.7:16-20). True repentance is evidenced (lit. seen) by both humility and godly-sorrow.

Sermon-Outline-A-Week

A Four-Fold BlessingEphesians 1:3-14

I. First Blessing: “Chosen in Him” (vv. 4-6)II. Second Blessing: “Redeemed in Him” (vv.7-10)III. Third Blessing: “Heirs in Him” (vv. 11-12)IV. Fourth Blessing: “Sealed in Christ” (vv. 13-14)

Croft M. Pentz

IllustrationsChrist Pulling at Our Hearts

Remember that pretty parable given by one of our ministers, of the boy’s kite. He made it fly aloft: it rose up so high that he could no longer see it. Still he said he had a kite, and he held fast by it. “Boy, how do you know you have a kite?” “I can feel it pull,” said he. This morning we feel our Jesus pull. He draws us with a far greater force than

a mere string. He is gone into Heaven, and he draws us after him. O Lord, draw us with greater power than ever.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Job Wasn’t Big EnoughThe Standard Oil Co. was making preparations to

establish itself in Indonesia. Company executives were seeking a manager for their Indonesian operations. They were informed that the man best qualified for the place was a certain missionary. The company approached the missionary, and offered him a generous salary. But the missionary turned them down. Those seeking his service raised the offer. Still he declined. Finally they said, “If the salary we named isn’t large enough, just name your salary, and we’ll pay it.” Oh,” replied the missionary, “the salary is big enough, but the job isn’t big enough.”

Al Bryant

Bulletin InsertsOn PeaceAll men desire peace, but very few desire those thing that make for peace.

Thomas à Kempis

Where there is peace, God is. George Herbert

No cases of eye strain have been developed by looking on the bright side of things.

Only Jesus can bring true world peace.These two via Good Morning Lord

There will be little peace without if there is none within.

How you say it may well be as important as whatever it is you say.

There will be little peace without if there is none within.

Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.

These four from R. W. Seaman

Peace isn’t bought or even taught, but rather caught in the process of pursuing God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. Peace is simply the dividend of partnership with God.

Robert R. Kopp


__________________________________________________________________________________________Puzzles and ‘Toons

Church ‘Toons by Joe McKeever


Answers to last issue’s puzzles:

Father Abraham and Hidden WisdomBy Mark Oshman

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, February 1998

Hidden Wisdom on next page

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