Table of Contents:Why Do Christians Suffer? The Myth of Theocracy in America The Dual-Threat Pastor Exegetically SpeakingWords to Stand You on Your Feet Living out the Living WordFollowing God Points to Ponder Jewels from Past GiantsCounselor’s Corner The Story behind the Song Church Builders Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel Marks of the Master Book ReviewsNews UpdateSermon Helps Puzzles and ‘Toons

___________________________________Why Do Christians Suffer?By Ted Kyle

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, October 2007.

It’s a question many, many people ask when suffering strikes themselves or loved ones close to them: Why?

I. The Question of “Blame”Does suffering just happen? Is it our

fault? Is it Satan’s fault? Is it—dare we ask the question—God’s fault? Let me hasten to note that we should never ever blame God. To do so casts the situation in a totally wrong light. That word “blame” implies that whoever is blameworthy is in the wrong and has done a bad thing. It also implies that whatever caused the suffering should not

have happened—particularly to someone who is a child of God.

But if we throw “blame” out and substitute “responsibility,” it becomes a legitimate question: Does God cause cancer [for instance], or any health problem, or money woes, or relationship difficulties? The answer, I believe, is a conditional “no.” The Bible says in James 1:13: “Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted of God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” He does, however, permit the devil to do so, up to limits which He sets—notice Job 2:6, for example.

II. Bad Things Do HappenObviously, things we consider bad do

happen to people—to all kinds of people: good Christians, backslidden Christians, unbelievers…in fact, everyone. But let’s restrict our present inquiry to faithful Christians, who love God and who desire to

serve Him: Why do bad things happen even to them?

Some think that God “has it in for them,” to pay them back for some sin committed—but Jesus answered that fallacy—(see Luke 13:4). Christians know that God is our heavenly Father, who loves His children. Others have attempted to solve the paradox of bad things happening to God’s children by proposing that He simply can’t prevent their happening. But Christians know that our God is all-powerful [omnipotent], as well as being all-knowing [omniscient], and present everywhere [omnipresent].

III. The Sovereignty of GodIt comes as a shock, even to many

Christians, to realize that our God is truly in charge of all things concerning the universe He created, through His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the

Godhead—in whom all things “consist” (Col. 1:17). He made our world and keeps it humming on course—all in subservience to God the Father.

But there is so much more to God’s sovereignty: “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust” (Matt. 5:45). “The Lord killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up; the Lord maketh poor and maketh rich; he bringeth low and lifteth up…” (1 Sam. 2:6-8). “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them shall fall to the ground without your Father” (Matt. 10:29). “A man’s heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps” (Prov. 16:9). “…for God put in their hearts to fulfill his will…” (Rev. 17:17). In sum, our God has oversight of both the big and the small details of our lives. (Then why does He let us sin? That’s a whole other branch of theology! The answer, I believe, is

tied up with His love, and His desire to be loved in turn.)

So, if God is truly in charge of all things; if He loves us but still lets painful, even awful, things happen to us; there must be a very good reason. Let us search for that reason:

IV. God’s Expectations of Us“But like as he who called you is holy,

be ye yourselves also holy...because it is written, Ye shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Pet. 1:15). “Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1).

Obviously, God is not content to leave us in the condition in which He found us. We were blackened inwardly by our

sinful nature, inherited from our first parents. Then, when we came to Jesus Christ, we were cleansed in His blood. Unfortunately, while its power over us is broken, our old natures refuse to pass away peacefully. They trouble us; they cause us to fall into sin; they remain a blot on our souls. God’s mercy is great, but the Bible tells us He cannot abide sin in His presence (Hab. 1:13; cf. Ps. 66:18). His desire and His plan is to move us along toward perfect holiness. It is most unlikely that we shall reach this goal before we pass into His presence, but we must at least be moving in that direction.

V. The ProblemHowever, there is a problem: We are

slothful by nature, and love to be comfortable where we are. Therefore our heavenly Father supplies the means to keep us progressing. Persecution is one such

goad. “All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).

But what about the present multitude in our culture which knows nothing of biblical persecution? Shall we somehow escape trouble, and be allowed to remain stationary on the path to holiness? Not so! “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Ps. 119:67). And again: “We are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:32). And this: “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations [trials]: that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise…at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:6-7). Afflictions, chastenings, trials: they will come to each of us.

What is the nature of these trials? Their variety may be as limitless as the mind of Him who is our Maker and Master. They will be uniquely tailored to each child of God; fitted by the Master Tailor to our exact individual needs. But certainly our bodies, our health, will be affected.

VI. ConclusionHere is the conclusion of all this—and

I’m going to make this very personal: God loves me, He plans for me to be with Him in glory; but He does not want me to “settle on my lees” (Jer. 48:11), [a wine-maker’s term for resting at ease, with our old sinful nature yet remaining in us]. So in His loving understanding of all of me, He brings certain things into my life. He gives me cancer. He gives me heart problems. He reminds me as I grow long in the tooth that my body and mind are wearing out.

Do I enjoy the aches, the miseries, the heart-aches, the imponderables about the future that come along? Of course not! But I know from Whom they come, and knowing what I have learned of His nature, I accept them as gifts from my loving Father, meant to bring me along on my spiritual journey.

My job is not to stew and fret and fight, but to accept everything that comes from His hands, as a little child, trusting my Father in all things. And that is your job also. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17).

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.

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___________________________________The Myth of Theocracy in AmericaBy Shea Oakley

Secularists have gotten a lot of mileage in our popular culture from warning of the threat of a home-grown American version of Islamic theocracy, to be perpetrated this time against the nation by the “Religious Right”. Some just muse darkly about the ramifications of too many Bible-believing Christians in government. Others, with less restraint and far less reason, have gone so far as to brand religiously-motivated conservative political activists as the “American Taliban”.

What these individuals do not realize is that the majority of biblical Christians in

this country really have no love for the idea of the church and the state somehow becoming one either. Our reasons for not wanting such a change in the nature of American government are quite different from theirs, but the fact remains that, outside of a few people on the extreme fringe, we mostly would prefer to leave our political system the way it is.

A strong argument can be made that true Christianity functions better in a pluralistic society with guaranteed religious freedoms and a nominal separation of church and state than in perhaps any other political construct in human history. That such a society took root in America is a result of the founding fathers of our nation seeing the dangers of government-backed religious intolerance from their immediate ancestors’ experiences in Europe (and, to a certain extent, in several of the colonies as well). Because of this, many of them wanted

to create a society in which freedom of conscience was safeguarded by the government, not eliminated by it. The Establishment Clause in the U.S. Constitution was more likely designed to protect the church from the state than vice-versa; something that is often forgotten by both sides in the current debate.

One of the reasons Christianity remains a vibrant part of the contemporary American scene is because all of its branches have, in a sense, been “watered” by a political system that does not try to promote one branch at the expense of another. Historically, when a government and a particular church become fused into something resembling a theocracy, the result is the suppression of all the other churches. This is not desirable for Christians who agree on theological essentials but not on all particulars, and that represents most of us under the evangelical banner.

Beyond that, history also shows that when a particular church becomes a “state church” it usually begins to die. Look at the official churches of countries all over Europe. Confessing Christians are today a very small minority in most of these nations. The Church is inevitably compromised when it becomes too intertwined with the state. This has actually been evident ever since the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire by Constantine in the third century. It is not unreasonable to propose that much of the remaining purity of the early church then proceeded to die along with Rome.

Christians in the United States do not want to live under the politically correct thumb of radical Secularism (which is, in many ways, a “theocracy” all its own), but most of us also have no desire to have any one denomination tell us how to live out an authentic Christian life; with the sword of

government providing them the power to do so. Such an arrangement would indeed smack of life under Sharia, a reality Christians want to avoid just as much as Secularists do (though, again, for different reasons).

Ill-advised pronouncements from the extreme Left about “Christianists” wanting to make America into some kind of religious dictatorship do not hold up under any kind of serious scrutiny of earnest Christ-followers in this country. That such scrutiny of the facts is not a priority for those who have already made up their minds about Evangelicals should not come as a big surprise. Those who have made a god out of the self and declared man the measure of all things tend to instinctively dislike those who hold to a biblical worldview, and generally despise the idea of people with such personal convictions having any kind of

political influence whatsoever. We are, by nature, offensive to them.

But perhaps a few Secularists will pursue the truth (with the open mind they so often accuse Christians of being bereft of) and learn that they have far more to fear today from radical Islam than from us.

© 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. Table of Contents

___________________________________The Dual-Threat Pastor: Benefits of Bi-vocationalismBy Taylor Hodges

First a disclosure: I’m in my twentieth year of paid church staff experience. The first four years were as an associate/youth pastor, the next eight were as a “full-time” senior pastor, and the last eight as a bi-vocational senior pastor. In my bi-vocational job, I serve as training manager for a community mental health center. I’m part of the human resources department and spend most of my time doing orientations and various trainings for staff and the community. I’ve never been fired from a church. I’ve never been asked to resign. I have, however, felt the pressure of those who thought I worked for them, that I served the church at their discretion and approval. 

At this stage of life and ministry I am off-the-charts pro bi-vocational ministry. I’m a cheerleader for the dual-threat pastor. Like dual-threat quarterbacks who can run and throw a football, dual-threat pastors quickly adjust to changing roles. They preach, teach, and worship on Sundays and they get up, clock in, and get it done somewhere else on Mondays. I have nothing against full-time pastorates, I may even do that again someday, but the benefits of a dual role are difficult to dismiss. 

I. Breaking Out of the BubbleOne of the greatest challenges during

my full-time pastorate days was the Christian bubble. Everywhere I went I was surrounded by church people. I could go all week without significant, meaningful time with people who do not know Christ. The bubble was comfortable, convenient, and dangerous. I consider the bubble dangerous

because it hinders the kind of connections needed to be salt and light in the world, and it supports an inward focused church culture.

The bi-vocational life keeps me out of the bubble. In fact, many opportunities are open to me that most likely would never be available if I were “only” a pastor. Not a week goes by that I don’t have conversations with people who tell me they don’t go to church or don’t believe what I do. In an average month I will talk with Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, “Nones”, homosexuals, bisexuals, drug addicts, and agnostics. Rarely did this happen when I lived in the bubble. And I’m better for it.

II. Financial Safety Notice I did not say financial security.

I’m not sure that exists. Most financial things could be taken away on any given day. Financial safety means having a safety net,

a backup plan, another way to pay the bills if one source of income disappears. I remember the days of single source supply. Had I been asked to resign from the church, the meager savings I had would not have lasted long for my family of five. It would have been financial disaster. The kind of disaster I hear about regularly in ministerial circles and read about online. 

Financial safety takes away one of the biggest threats to pastoral ministry—job security. As long as someone (and there is always a someone), thinks they can pressure a minister with job security, the minister is at a disadvantage. Take the financial threat away and the dynamic changes. I’ve heard the joking comments, “We hired you and we can fire you.” “We had a pastor before you and we’ll have one after you.” It’s hard to believe someone would say something like that in jest. Such

statements are passive aggressive at best and outright threats at worst.

But I’ve noticed this about threats to job security; not one threat has come my way since I’ve been bi-vocational. Maybe it’s the church I serve? Or maybe it’s the fact that people know that leverage is gone? What would happen if I were forced to resign next Sunday? For me it’s simple, I would get up and go to work on Monday morning and by Monday night I would have the résumé updated and ready to go. The bills would still be paid, the insurance would still be in force, retirement plans would continue. Such a luxury did not exist before my bi-vocational days.

III. GivingWhen I was in college a chapel

speaker, also a bi-vocational minister, mentioned that he and his wife gave more to the church than he was paid in salary. I’m

not sure why he told the students this, maybe he was making a point about salaries in smallish churches? Regardless, it was the first time I thought about giving as new money. Bi-vocational ministers can give an offering from money not already received from their church. This distinction is small but should not be underestimated. I do not want to minimize giving from full-time ministers, it matters and is important. But even if it is not spoken, people in the know realize where the money is coming from, especially from their ministers. Credibility can be increased with members who feel vested in the church due to years of service and giving. As a pastor I don’t know what members are giving, but have no doubt, some members know exactly what I give.

 I read in one of W. A. Criswell’s biographies that he reached a point where he did not receive a salary from his church, First Baptist of Dallas. I guess his books and

writings and speaking engagements provided all he needed. What a great place to be, to serve without salary, to give more than receive. Maybe I’ll get there someday.

ConclusionThere are more benefits, but let me

end with this; when I began pastoral ministry two decades ago I never thought I would be bi-vocational. But neither did I know the benefits. Many of the people who fill the pews each Sunday already have two or more sources of income, it’s a necessity for some. Ask around if you don’t think this is so. 

Bi-vocational ministry is tough. Dual roles are pressure packed. Some days literally do not have enough hours. But for those who take the path of the dual-threat pastor the words of Jesus are sharp, “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so

be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Mt.10:16).

Taylor Hodges is a bi-vocational pastor in Midland City Alabama. He and his wife

Michelle have three adult children and are learning to enjoy an empty nest.

Table of Contents___________________________________Exegetically Speakingby Spiros Zodhiates

How God Re-Creates ManJames 1:18b

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

“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18).

To have a will is to have the power of logical reasoning. Furthermore, the exercise of the will results in action. That is what the next word in our verse tells us: “Having willed it, He begat us.” The same Greek word is used here as the one used in the verse 15 in relation to sin bringing forth death. It is the word apokueō, which means “to be or to become pregnant.” James spoke of the conception and the birth of death, and now he speaks of the birth of life.

Sin is responsible for death, and God is responsible for life—spiritual, abundant life. We come again to the mystery of conception and pregnancy necessary for birth. To make this possible there must be two persons involved. True, James through the first word of this verse spoke of the will of God, of the determination of God to make you a new creature, but for this new spiritual life to begin His will alone is not sufficient. Yours is necessary, too, whether you submit

your will willingly or unwillingly. Dwight L. Moody said,

“Many men fold their arms and say, ‘If I am one of the elect—in other words, one of those God willed to be saved—I shall be saved; and if I am not, I shall not. No use bothering about it.’ I have an idea that the Lord Jesus saw how men were going to stumble over this doctrine of election, so after He had been thirty or forty years in heaven, He came down and spoke to John. One Lord’s Day in Patmos He said to him: ‘Write these things to the churches.’ John kept on writing. His pen flew very fast. And then the Lord, when it was nearly finished, said: ‘John, before you close the book, put in one more invitation. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’. And let him that heareth say, ‘Come’. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever

will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17).’”Do not worry as to who are the elect

and who are not. Henry Ward Beecher used to say: “The elect are whosoever will; the non-elect are whosoever won’t.” What great truth there is in that. There is one thing which the omnipotent God does not choose to do, although He could do it, and that is to violate your will and come and dwell in your heart without being wanted. As He stoops down from heaven’s glory to reach you in your sin and trespasses, why do you not look up into His face and say, “I will receive Christ as my Savior. Come in today, come in to stay.” “But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

“Having willed it, He begat us.” James must surely refer here to all the believers, including himself. One hears a great deal

today about the universal brotherhood of man. This is definitely against the teaching of the Scriptures. Only those are brothers who have been begotten by the will of God, those who have said yes to the Lord as He stretched forth His nail-pierced hands to save them. And what a brotherhood that is which is made up of the blood-bought children of God.

Before I go on, I should like to point out that this word “begat” is in the past tense, aorist, which would indicate the completeness and the permanence of this birth. I laughed one day when a good Christian woman said to me as she spoke of her brother, “He was born again several times.” What a fallacy that is! In this physical world you can only be born once, and so it is in the spiritual world: you can be born again only once. It is true there are degrees of spiritual growth, but life is given once by God and that life is complete in its makeup.

Surely the One who gave it is able to maintain it. God gave us this birth from above, once and for all.

Now we come to that part of our verse which deals with the instrumentality of this birth. How are we born again? The answer which James gives us is “through the word of truth.” There are any number of ways we can take this first word, logō. It is the same word which John uses in his Gospel, in the first chapter, to introduce Jesus Christ as being one with God and yet separate.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” It is true that the definite article is missing in connection with the word “God,” but rightly so; otherwise we would have a grammatical monstrosity, for the word “God” here is not the subject of the sentence, but the predicate.

This Word was God, but at the same time He was a separate and distinct personality from God. He was the One who became flesh and dwelt among us. He was none other than the eternal Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore in my interpretation of this important theological statement of the Apostle James, I wish to declare that I believe that the first and foremost meaning of this particular word logō, ordinarily translated “through the Word,” is the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom alone God regenerates, re-creates the human heart and instills in it the divine nature. He, Jesus Christ, was the expression, the tangible, visible expression, of His will and His love. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “For there is one God, and one mediator between God

and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). If you ever expect to be born again, it must be through Jesus Christ. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

I have given you the biblical meaning of the word logōs, but I would like to mention also that the primary and probably the simplest meaning of the word is “expression, in the sense of a word,” the articulate sound which comes from the mouth of man to make known what is in his mind. It is the declaration of something; it is preaching. How are people saved? Simply through the preaching of the Word, the preaching of Christ. This is the age when people and churches are trying to change things. Instead of the simple preaching of the Gospel they are trying to substitute religious motion pictures, religious drama, music, and 1,001 other things. Let me, however, declare as emphatically as I can, on the authority of

the Word of God, that there is no substitute for the preaching of the Word. “So then,” declares Paul, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” God help us never to substitute anything for this God-given method of winning souls to Christ.

There is a lot of preaching today. There is oratory galore. There is very little of the Truth, however. Our verse declares that the instrumentality of the new birch is the “word of truth.” Now what is truth? I do not need to answer that. The Lord Jesus answered it Himself when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). People are born again through the preaching of the truth, the Christ.

John Wesley used to ask the young men (whom he sent out on probation to preach) two questions: “Has anyone been converted?” and “Did anyone get mad?” If the answer was No, he told them he did not

think the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel, and he sent them about their business. When we preach the truth and the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, people either get converted or get mad. This is indeed a good test for many man-pleasing preachers of this generation.

What is the result of the new birth, of this re-creation by God? What are we, after we are born again by God through the preaching of Jesus Christ? We are “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures,” declares James. We have read that many times, but have we ever stopped to think about what it means? In the Old Testament the firstfruits of the harvest and of the first-born belonged to God, and the command was to offer them to God. These firstfruits, therefore, were the peculiar possession of God. Among His entire creation we are peculiarly His possession, for we were not only created by Him, but also re-created.

A little boy who had lost his toy boat found it for sale in a store, and when he bought it, he took it in his hands and hugged it, saying, “My little precious boat, you are now twice mine; once I made you and once I bought you.” As God looks upon us who have tasted His grace and salvation, He says to us the same thing: “You are so precious to me, more precious than any other creature for once I made you and once I bought you with the blood of my Son.”

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.

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___________________________________Words to Stand You on Your Feetby Joe McKeever

Caesar Ain’t Coming to Your Revival: Trial and Testimony

At the end of his final epistle, the Apostle Paul, sitting in Nero’s prison in Rome and knowing that his work on earth was drawing to a close, that he could be “called home” any day now, gives us this account of his first trial before the high court.

“At my first defense, no one supported me. But all deserted me. May it not be counted against them. Nevertheless, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me in order that through me the message might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the lion’s mouth…” (2 Tim. 4:16-17).

When Paul stood before Caesar and his officials, no “friends of the court” showed up to vouch for him. While that was painful, it was all right, Paul says, because the Lord stood with him and did exactly what He wanted to do in that situation.

And what was that? Precisely what Jesus had said back in Matthew 10 when He was sending the Twelve out on a preaching mission. He told them, “You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” (Matt. 10:18). When it happens, He continued, “Do not become anxious about what to say. It will be given to you in that hour what you are to speak. After all, it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking through you” (10:19-20).

Since Caesar and his court are not going to be coming to your revival meeting, Christian, and since you won’t be able to knock on his door during your witness

campaign, we have to find another way to get the Gospel to him. And, what better method than having one of you arrested and put on trial before him? Then, when he says, “So, Christian? Tell this court what you’ve been telling people about this Jesus!” you have your moment. Don’t muff it.

Even if you aren’t tried before the high court, you might discover the Lord will let you experience other types of trials—cancer, bankruptcy, persecution, and other such harsh treatments—in order to a) put you on public view, b) turn the attention of the world in your direction, and c) bear a witness to all about Jesus. We cannot plan for this (see Matthew 10:19). But we can always be ready.

One Wednesday night, September 15, 1999, a gunman burst into a youth gathering at Fort Worth’s Wedgwood Baptist Church and opened fire. When the event ended, he had killed 7 young people,

wounded 7 more, and taken his own life. Many of us remember the horror of that evening because we were glued to our television sets. I will never forget Pastor Al Meredith’s incredible interviews before the news media all that evening and into the next week. At that time, I did not know him, but was completely blown away by the clarity of his remarks and the strength of his witness.

A few years later, when that church flew me to Fort Worth for a weekend of ministry, Pastor Al and his wife picked me up at the airport. I picked his brain about the 1999 shooting. He told me he had been away from the city that evening, but rushed back when he got word. The next few days went by in a flurry, one thing after another, with hardly any sleep. Al said, “Later, I went back and looked at the video tapes to see what I had said. I had no memory of anything I had said into the cameras.” For

good reason, I would say. The words were not his, but the words were put in his mouth by the Holy Spirit. That’s the point of Matthew 10:19, “It shall be given you in that hour what you shall speak.”

Some things in life we cannot prepare for. But in Jesus Christ, the faithful are always ready.

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

blogs regularly at www.joemckeever.com.Table of Contents

___________________________________Living out the Living Wordby Justin Lonas

God’s Word vs. False Teachers2 Peter 1:20-2:3

In the midst of recounting his own experience of Christ’s transfiguration, Peter

urges his readers to keep their faith and practice forever anchored in the “prophetic word more sure” (1:19). From this ground, he builds up a keen summation of the authority and inspiration (or “expiration”, to borrow Paul’s use of theopneustos in 2 Timothy 3:16) of Scripture: “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (1:20-21). It is to this truth that he endeavored to “stir…up” (1:14) the faithful brethren of Asia Minor, reminding them again to be guided by the Word of God over the words of men.

Peter could not have been clearer that Scripture is not of human origin. The phrase bridging verses 20 and 21 (pasa prophēteia graphēs idias epilyseōs ou gínetai, ou gar thelēmati anthrōpou ēnechthē prophēteia pote in the Greek)

more literally reads something like “any prophecy written in Scripture did not come into being by a person’s interpretation, nor has the will of man brought prophecy ever.” The ESV gets closest to this: “…no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man….”

Some translations seem to emphasize “interpretation” (as though the issue were how to understand specific passages of Scripture), whereas Peter emphasizes a prophecy’s origin (by the words gínetai and ēnechthē). His focus comes through especially in the conclusion he puts on his statement, “but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”—Scripture is, quite literally, the Word of God.

Pivoting now to the main focus of his letter (indeed, the purpose of his “reminder”

of the truth), Peter warns the Church against those who usurp the authority of God’s Word: “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you” (2:1a). He ties the long history of false prophets (psuedoprophētai) that plagued the people of Israel, often leading them astray and distracting them from obedience through tickling their ears, to the false teachers (pseudodidaskaloi) coming to do the same to the Lord’s Church.

Contrary to true disciples who, like the apostles, grounded their teaching on the bedrock of Scripture (and its fulfillment through the revelation of Christ), Peter wrote that these false teachers would “secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves” (2:1b). They do what they do “secretly”, not openly announcing their falsehood but sneaking “destructive heresies” into otherwise sound

fellowships. In so doing, they make a mockery of Christ’s sacrifice by claiming His name but ignoring His work and words.

Teaching false doctrine (or refusing to teach the whole truth of the Bible) does not slip past God’s watchful care for His Church. These false teachers all ultimately bring down His “destruction” upon them. Scripture is filled with warnings against false prophets or teachers (Deut. 13, Jer. 29, Matt. 7, 1 and 2 Tim., to name a few), which often also contain proclamations of judgment against them. Peter’s letter here is no exception—in fact he spends much of chapter two enumerating the ways (which we will explore in the next article) in which the Lord will hold such teachers responsible for their sin and deceit, for “their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2:3b).

Peter follows up his brusque denunciation of false teachers with a chilling

prediction of the devastation they will bring to the household of faith: “Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words” (2:2-3a). These people will come (as they have for nearly 2,000 years), and he wants the Church to recognize the danger it faces with eyes wide open.

Interestingly, he says that it is their “sensuality” (Greek aselgia; lewdness, lasciviousness) that will lead church members astray—the escape from God’s standard of sexual morality they offer will be a key appeal. What a prophetic description of today’s culture! Everywhere it seems that a thousand voices (within and without the Church) are crying out for believers to abandon its “restrictive, repressive” sexual ethics and “get with the times”. In Peter’s day, as in ours, when Christians succumb to that temptation (to practice and sanction that

which the Lord calls sin), the result is never the promised fulfillment or approval but only the despair of transgression and the denigration of the Lord’s name.

As Peter launches into a full-scale malediction against every kind of false teaching, let us not forget the context. This section of the letter very intentionally follows his soaring appeal to God’s Word. It is only in that Word that the Church can find truth and a pattern for righteousness; it is only by that Word that they can discern false teaching and guard against it. His “reminder” to his first readers and to us today is ever necessary, for we are so prone to look anywhere but the faithful study, preaching, and teaching of Scripture to breathe life into the Body.

In his commentary on this passage, Martin Luther vividly echoes Peter’s exhortation: “Since the Word of God is the light in a dark and gloomy place, the

conclusion follows that all besides it is darkness. For if there were another light besides the Word, Peter would not have spoken as he did. Therefore look not to how gifted with reason they are who teach any other doctrine, however grandly they set it forth; if you cannot trace God’s Word in it, then doubt not that it is mere darkness. And let it not disturb you at all that they say they have the Holy Spirit. How can they have God’s Spirit if they do not have His Word? Wherefore they do nothing else but call darkness light and make the light darkness (cf. Isa. 5:20).”

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

Tennessee. Table of Contents

___________________________________Following Godby Erik Christensen

Trading Futility for VictoryEphesians 4:17-23

Do you remember the futility of your life prior to Christ? In Ephesians 4:17 Paul, having encouraged the believers not to be children, “tossed about by every wind of doctrine,” now continues his encouragement to believers to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which they have been called. This time, however it is a command of how not to walk.

Believers are not to walk as the Gentiles in the futility of their mind. Paul is writing to Gentile believers and has already stated earlier in Ephesians 2:13 that they have been “brought near by the blood of Christ.” These Gentile believers are now

part of the family of God with equal access through the Spirit to the Father (2:19). Paul in chapter 2 stated that the Gentiles and Jewish believers both were once children of the wrath. So, Paul is simply using the term Gentile here in chapter four as a synonym of an unbeliever, someone who is not walking by faith in Christ. This of course is what the Ephesian believers used to be.

The word “futility” means empty or worthless. A life outside of Christ is empty and has no meaning. Paul commands believers not to walk in vanity and or emptiness. Why do unbelievers walk in futility? Paul states that they are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. All of this is specifically due to the hardness of their heart. As a result of having a hard heart, Paul says, that they are callous and have “given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of

impurity with greediness” (4:19). What a contrast. Paul is writing to believers and commanding that we not to walk like we used to. Are believers capable of hardened hearts? When believers chose to walk unworthily, in unbelief, hardened hearts can become callous with fleshly activity as a result. Paul is not only telling believers how we should walk, “in a manner worthy”, but also how we should not walk, in unbelief due to hardened hearts.

Paul transitions in verse 20 by appealing to the believers concerning their faith in Christ. We know that truth is in Jesus and have learned of the salvation by grace through faith offered in and through Christ. He Himself is our salvation having brought us near by His own blood. Paul encourages believers to “lay aside” the old self. This laying aside has the picture of putting away the flesh. God alone is able to empower us in this and is constantly inviting us to walk

with Him in the strength of His might. We are incapable of overcoming sin in our own lives yet through Christ’s power are able to experience the Lord Himself and His victory.

In Romans 13:14 Paul writes it this way: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” This is what Paul encourages believers to do. Put on the new self. Be clothed in Christ. Put on the Lord. In choosing to believe we are setting aside the old fleshly garment, which is being corrupted even still, and are being clothed in the truth, in Christ Himself. Rather than walking according the flesh and the futility that this brings we are now walking as God’s children reflecting the glory of the Lord in and through our lives—His righteousness, good works, as well as the holiness of truth. “Holiness” here has the idea of the correct attitude toward the Lord expressed in action. As we walk with the Lord by faith our

attitudes and actions begin to display the life changing power of God in and through us as He transforms us into His image.

Are we walking by faith? Do we trust the Lord and actively choose to submit to Him? As believers who have been brought near by the blood of Christ, saved, and now are a part of God’s very own household, are we tender toward the working of God in our lives or hardened in our hearts? Are we following God?

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

Mexico.Table of Contents

___________________________________Points to Ponderby David L. Olford

At the Feet of Jesus—Part 1

Text: “Then, one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” (Luke 17:15)

Thought: As we walk through this miracle account, I want us to fix our eyes on Jesus and to see why we ought to be at His feet as well—offering Him praise and thanksgiving. We ought to be at Jesus’ feet because: Jesus Extends Divine Mercy (in Response to Desperate Need) (Luke 17:11-14a).

I .The Cry for Mercy (Luke 17:11-13)

As Jesus entered the village, he was met by ten needy men. It is interesting to note a few things about these people in need of mercy. You see in the text that although they met Jesus, they kept their distance. This is what the Law required, and was the culture and expectation of the day. These men were alienated from other people and from religious life. They were alienated, isolated, and despised.

Second, they seemed to have been a mixed group of at least one Samaritan and Jews. Jesus’ words later (17:18) suggest that there were some Jews in the group. When you are in a desperate condition, and you know it, you don’t mind being together and seeking help together. As far as the culture of the day is concerned, regardless of the type of leprosy these men had, they basically were hopeless without divine intervention. They were relegated to the role of beggars seeking to sustain themselves on

the mercy of others and then to exist in their pitiful huddles together.

Third, we don’t know how much they knew about Jesus, but they obviously knew enough to cry out to Him by name. “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” We don’t know their specific expectation, whether they hoped for some money, some other provisions, or if they hoped that Jesus might do a miracle. It is interesting that they called Jesus “Master,” a word unique to Luke and generally used by the disciples. It could very well have been that they did know something of Jesus’ ministry and hoped that He would indeed have mercy on them. Whatever the specific expectation, they cried for mercy.

II. Jesus’ Extends Mercy (Luke 17:14)These men not only cried out for

mercy, Jesus extended or showed them mercy. In reading this passage I was struck

by the simple words, “When He [Jesus] saw them he said to them…and as they went they were cleansed” (17:14). He saw them and he obviously heard them, and he responded to them. So, Jesus showed mercy with His eyes and His ears. Is it not easy to look away and not listen when we hear people crying out for help? But, not Jesus!

This account reminds me of the powerful words of the Lord God as He reveals Himself and His redemptive plan to Moses. What does He say: “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry…” (Ex. 3:7). Furthermore, the Lord says, “I have come down…to bring them up out…” (Ex. 3:8). This was the nature of Jesus’ whole ministry. He came preaching, teaching, and healing. He came to seek and to save those who were lost, and is so doing to manifest the mercy of God the Father. Jesus’ eyes

were on these men and He addressed their cry. Our Savior has eyes to see those in need and seeking His mercy.

Do you remember crying out to the Lord? Maybe it was initially for His mercy to enter into His forgiveness and to be cleansed from sin. It may have been more recently due to a specific need that you’ve had, or crisis you’ve faced. What a glorious truth to know that we have a Savior, who is merciful to those who cry out to Him. These men were desperate and Jesus had mercy on them. Even for Jesus to see them and to speak to them indicates that he was addressing them in mercy.

Furthermore, Jesus spoke mercy with His words. The words of Jesus to these men, “Go and show yourselves to the priests” were words of mercy. Implicit in these words was a potential healing that they would receive if they trusted Jesus and followed His instruction. The priests were

the official ones to verify that one had been cleansed from disease. These men surely would have known that, for why would he have sent them if they were not to be healed or cleansed. And they were cleansed as they went on their way.

Note that Jesus could have said, “Don’t bother me now.” He could have said, “Stay away.” He could have said, “Live with it.” Jesus saw them. Jesus heard them. Jesus spoke to them. Jesus offered them healing if indeed they would trust and obey Him.

Thrust: Let’s remember as believers where it all starts—with the mercy of our Great Savior extended to us in our need.

David L. Olford teaches expository preaching at Union University’s Stephen

Olford Center in Memphis, Tennessee. Table of Contents

___________________________________Jewels from Past Giants

God’s Love for Fallen Man—Part 1 of 2By John Wesley

Editor’s Note: Originally delivered by Wesley as a sermon, this version was published as a selection in The World’s Great Sermons in 1908. Edited for length and modern spellings.

“But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Rom. 5:15).

How exceedingly common, and how bitter is the outcry against our first parent, for the mischief which he not only brought

upon himself, but entailed upon his latest posterity! It was by his willful rebellion against God “that sin entered into the world.” “By one man’s disobedience,” as the apostle observes, the many, as many as were then in the loins of their forefathers, were made, or constituted sinners: not only deprived of the favor of God, but also of His image; of all virtue, righteousness, and true holiness, and sunk partly into the image of the devil, in pride, malice, and all other diabolical tempers; partly into the image of the brute, being fallen under the dominion of brutal passions and groveling appetites. Hence also death entered into the world, with all his forerunners and attendants; pain, sickness, and a whole train of uneasy as well as unholy passions and tempers.

“For all this we may thank Adam,” has been echoed down from generation to generation.

The self-same charge has been repeated in every age and every nation where the oracles of God are known, in which alone this grand and important event has been discovered to the children of men. Has not your heart, and probably your lips too, joined in the general charge? How few are there of those who believe the Scriptural relation of the Fall of Man, and have not entertained the same thought concerning our first parent, severely condemning him, that, through willful disobedience to the sole command of his Creator, “Brought death into the world and all our woe.”

Nay, it were well if the charge rested here: but it is certain it does not. It cannot be denied that it frequently glances from Adam to his Creator. Have not thousands, even of those that are called Christians, taken the liberty to call His mercy, if not His justice also, into question, on this very account? Some indeed have done this a little more

modestly, in an oblique and indirect manner: but others have thrown aside the mask, and asked, “Did not God foresee that Adam would abuse his liberty? And did He not know the baneful consequences which this must naturally have on all his posterity? And why then did He permit that disobedience? Was it not easy for the Almighty to have prevented it?”

He certainly did foresee the whole. This cannot be denied: “For known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). And it was undoubtedly in His Power to prevent it; for He hath all power both in heaven and earth. But it was known to Him at the same time, that it was best upon the whole not to prevent it. He knew that, “not as the transgression, so is the free gift;” that the evil resulting from the former was not as the good resulting from the latter, not worthy to be compared with it. He saw that to permit the fall of the first man

was far best for mankind in general; that abundantly more good than evil would accrue to the posterity of Adam by his fall; that if “sin abounded” thereby over all the earth, yet grace “would much more abound;” yea, and that to every individual of the human race, unless it was his own choice.

It is exceedingly strange that hardly anything has been written, or at least published, on this subject: nay, that it has been so little weighed or understood by the generality of Christians: especially considering that it is not a matter of mere curiosity, but a truth of the deepest importance; it being impossible, on any other principle, “to assert a gracious Providence, and justify the ways of God with men,” and considering withal, how plain this important truth is, to all sensible and candid inquirers. May the Lover of men open the eyes of our understanding, to perceive clearly that by the fall of Adam mankind in

general have gained a capacity, first, of being more holy and happy on earth, and, secondly, of being more happy in heaven than otherwise they could have been.

And, first, mankind in general have gained by the fall of Adam a capacity of attaining more holiness and happiness on earth than it would have been possible for them to attain if Adam had not fallen. For if Adam had not fallen, Christ had not died. Nothing can be more clear than this; nothing more undeniable. The more thoroughly we consider the point, the more deeply shall we be convinced of it. Unless all the partakers of human nature had received that deadly wound in Adam it would not have been needful for the Son of God to take our nature upon Him.

Do you not see that this was the very ground of His coming into the world? “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. And thus death passed upon

all” through him, “in whom all men sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Was it not to remedy this very thing that “the Word was made flesh” (John 1:14), that “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22)? Unless, then, many had been made sinners by the disobedience of one, by the obedience of one many would not have been made righteous (Rom. 5:18); so there would have been no room for that amazing display of the Son of God’s love to mankind.

There would have been no occasion for His “being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phil 2:8)” It would not then have been said, to the astonishment of all the hosts of heaven, “God so loved the world,” yea, the ungodly world, which had no thought or desire of returning to Him, “that He gave his Son” out of His bosom, His only begotten Son, to the end that “whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Neither could

we then have said, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5:19); or that He “made him to be sin,” that is, a sin-offering “for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God through him” (2 Cor. 5:21). There would have been no such occasion for such “an advocate with the Father” as “Jesus Christ the Righteous” (1 John 2:1); neither for His appearing “at the right hand of God, to make intercession for us” (Rom. 8:34).

What is the necessary consequence of this? It is this: there could then have been no such thing as faith in God, thus loving the world, giving His only Son for us men, and for our salvation. There could have been no such thing as faith in the Son of God, as loving us and giving Himself for us. There could have been no faith in the Spirit of God, as renewing the image of God in our hearts, as raising us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness. Indeed, the whole

privilege of justification by faith could have no existence; there could have been no redemption in the blood of Christ: neither could Christ have been “made of God unto us,” “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).

And the same grand blank which was in our faith, must likewise have been in our love. We might have loved the Author of our being, the Father of angels and men, as our Creator and Preserver: we might have said, “O Lord our Governor, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!” But we could not have loved Him under the nearest and dearest relation, as delivering up His Son for us all. We might have loved the Son of God, as being the “brightness of His glory” (Heb. 1:3), the express image of His person (although this ground seems to belong rather to the inhabitants of heaven than earth). But we could not have loved Him as “bearing our sins in his own body on the

tree” (1 Pet. 2:24), and “by that one oblation of himself once offered, making a full oblation, sacrifice, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.” We would not have been “made conformable to his death,” nor have known “the power of his resurrection.”

We could not have loved the Holy Ghost as revealing to us the Father and the Son, as opening the eyes of our understanding, bringing us out of darkness into His marvelous light, renewing the image of God in our soul, and sealing us unto the day of redemption. So that, in truth, what is now “in the sight of God, even the Father,” not of fallible men “pure religion and undefiled,” would then have had no being: inasmuch as it wholly depends on those grand principles, “By grace ye are saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8); and “Jesus Christ is of God made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

We see then what unspeakable advantage we derive from the fall of our first parent, with regard to faith: faith both in God the Father, who spared not His own Son, His only Son, but wounded Him for our transgressions and bruised Him for our iniquities; and in God the Son, who poured out His soul for us transgressors, and washed us in His own blood. We see what advantage we derive therefrom with regard to the love of God, both of God the Father and God the Son. The chief ground of this love, as long as we remain in the body, is plainly declared by the apostle, “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). But the greatest instance of His love had never been given if Adam had not fallen.

And as our faith, both in God the Father and the Son, receives an unspeakable increase, if not its very being, from this grand event, as does also our love

both of the Father and the Son. So does the love of our neighbor, also our benevolence to all mankind, which cannot but increase in the same proportion with our faith and love of God. For who does not apprehend the force of that inference drawn by the loving apostle, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

If God so loved us—observe, the stress of the argument lies on this very point: so loved us!—as to deliver up His only Son to die a curst death for our salvation. “Beloved, what manner of love is this” (1 John 3:1) wherewith God hath loved us? So as to give His only Son! In glory equal with the Father; in majesty coeternal! What manner of love is this wherewith the only begotten Son of God hath loved us, as to empty Himself, as far as possible, of His eternal Godhead; as to divest Himself of that glory, which He had with the Father before

the world began; as to take upon Him “the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man” (Phil. 2:7)! And then to humble Himself still further, “being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:8)! If God so loved us, how ought we to love one another?

But this motive to brotherly love had been totally wanting if Adam had not fallen. Consequently we could not then have loved one another in so high a degree as we may now. Nor could there have been that height and depth in the command of our blest Lord. “As I have loved you, so love one another” (John 13:34).

John Wesley (1703-1791) was a prominent evangelist and theologian within the Church of England. With George Whitefield, he was

a prominent figure in the Great Awakening of the 1730s-40s. He is today best known as the founder of the Methodist movement and

is the namesake for hundreds of colleges, seminaries, and churches within that tradition. Wesley held strongly to the

Arminian view of salvation, but is generally highly regarded by Protestants of all

denominations for His passionate preaching of the Word and commitment to living out the teachings of Christ to the fullest in his

personal walk.Table of Contents

___________________________________Counselor’s Cornerby James Rudy Gray

The Importance of Education

It is possible to go to a school and not receive a very good education, and it is also possible to be educated without the formality of school. What is the purpose of school?

The short answer is, to educate or to teach knowledge and how to use it.

To be an educated person includes but is not limited to school or institutionalized systems of learning. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that character and moral development are necessary in order to give the critical intellect human purposes. A morality that reflects the great moral principles of Scripture is essential for the best education.

We may not realize it, but we all have a worldview—a way we see the world. We do not have it at birth, but it is developed as we are schooled and educated. When the academy, the church, and the home share a Biblical worldview, the impact on a student is powerful. When a worldview that is not Christian is modeled and taught, that too will powerfully impact the learner. What kind of worldview a person has will influence what kind of person and citizen they will be.

Whether it is public school, private school, Christian school, home school or some other structure for training and instructing, morality and values will always be taught. The question has never really been, “Can we teach morality?” But, “what kind of morality will we teach?” Our school boards, courts, congress, president, or other officials may pass laws or create legal standing, social acceptance, and advocacy for sin, but that does not make it any less wrong and immoral.

Harvard College, founded in 1636, stated in its declaration of rules that every student should be “plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.” That statement

reflected the beliefs of Harvard for many years, but Harvard changed.

America has changed, too, and so has our education. There have been improvements but also changes that have left our public schools secular in nature. There can still be the presence of Biblical morals, but most often that is not the case. The myth of neutrality is pursued while the values that help make us all better people are ignored.

To follow the theories or legacies of educators like John Dewey who espoused a secular school system, is to miss the most significant part of a full education—the knowledge of God.

Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote on his blog that “any debate over education is an ideological debate—a worldview clash. There is no neutrality in education. The education is designed to

produce some kind of result, some kind of citizen. There is no way that this can be separated from character, morality, and worldview.”

Mortimer Adler, building on the theories of progressive education adherents like John Dewey and George Counts, cited three objectives in educating our children and youth: the development of citizenship, personal growth or self-improvement, and occupational preparation.

But education must be more than that. If it is not, the very foundation upon which our great republic has been built is in danger of collapsing. To have the best education, we must have more than knowledge. We need wisdom and real wisdom comes from God. We need to be skilled in the sciences, math, civics, history, language, and technology. But, we need to know more that these to be better educated. If the chief aim in life is to glorify God and

enjoy Him forever, we cannot neglect God or His truth.

As school starts back this fall, all children will not be exposed to Godly morality in the classroom. Many will be experiments in social engineering. Children need to be shown what is true and right. They need to be educated but also nurtured and protected. The most basic education, especially in values and morality, may have to come from the institution God ordained before any other—the home. What goes on in the home does not stay there—we carry it with us throughout life. Schools educate. Churches educate. So do homes.

Very few parents will actually go to school with their children but they can and should be involved in the total education of their children. The goal of a balanced education is not simply knowing how to make a better living, but how to live better.

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. Table of Contents

___________________________________The Story behind the Songby Lindsay Terry

“I Thought I Missed the Call of God”Song: “Seek Ye First”

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).

With her music and the spoken word, Karen Lafferty shares her Christian faith to the farthest places on our planet. She has

an extremely varied background, and the Lord uses her experiences in her ministry.

This talented woman was born in Alamogordo, New Mexico, February 29, 1948. During her early childhood, her parents, Walter and Ollie Lafferty, began to carry her to the local Southern Baptist church. She later attended Eastern New Mexico University, graduating with a degree in choral music and oboe.

Karen told me, “I made a commitment to Christ at age eleven, but in college began to drift from the Lord. I had a wonderful friend, Rhonda Ray, with whom I had grown up, who became involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. She was a dedicated, vibrant Christian, and I became hungry to have what she had. I realized that Christ was not on the throne in my life. I had ego and ambitions on the throne, and not Jesus. I was faced with a strong decision, I said, ‘Okay, I’m not going to be a hypocrite about

this. I’m going to live for Christ or I’m not.’” Karen found that she had learned to put on three faces, one for her family, one for the church, and another for the clubs in which she performed. She said, “I truly felt like a hypocrite.”

Karen learned about a Christian music conference in California with Campus Crusade for Christ and jumped at the chance to attend, since she was seeking to know how she could best use her music for God. There she saw people using contemporary Christian music in ministry and knew that was for her.

I asked Karen to tell me about the circumstances surrounding the writing of “Seek Ye First.” She said, “Starting to learn about ministry and being part of the Maranatha Music fellowship was very exciting, and I knew I was in the right place. In those days we had very few models of what being in contemporary Christian music

really meant. Many of us had to work other jobs. Yet I remember the night that God called me to stop singing in the restaurants so that I could have my nights free for ministry. I quit my five-hundred-dollar-per-week job and began teaching guitar lessons. At five dollars per lesson, I found that I just couldn’t pay my bills. The rent was due, the car payment was behind and I was discouraged. I thought that I had missed the call of God.

“I knew God wanted me in full-time music ministry, but what was I going to do about my bills? Even though I had a college degree in music, I couldn’t even get a job at a music store teaching guitar lessons. I was starting to sing at churches and coffeehouses where I’d get honoraria, but it just wasn’t enough.

“In my unhappiness, I still knew that I needed what the church had to offer. I attended a Monday night youth Bible study

where the subject for that evening was Matthew 6. During the lesson I heard that God’s people should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these other things, will be added unto us. Somehow I was able to believe God’s Word, and I went home happy. The bills still weren’t paid, but I had my joy back.

“I began to pluck around on the guitar and came up with a melody. It would closely fit with the scriptural passage in Matthew 6:33, which we had studied that night, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ I had written a song! And I went to bed happy about it.

“The following Monday evening I taught ‘Seek Ye First’ to everyone at the Bible study. It was so singable it quickly spread to other Bible study classes.”

Karen’s song has literally gone around the world, being sung in many

languages. We must learn that we cannot out-give God. He is more eager to give us the things we need than we can ever imagine. God’s plan is so simple. First we seek His kingdom and His cause, and then He adds to us all of these “things”.

© 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).Table of Contents

___________________________________Church Buildersby Bernard R. DeRemer

David Abeel: Pioneer Missionary to China

David Abeel (1804-1846), was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He studied at Rutgers College, concentrating on medicine, intending to become a doctor. During his time as a student, however, he was saved and determined instead to become a minister of the Gospel. He entered New Brunswick Theological Seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church. Upon his graduation in 1826, he was ordained a minister in that denomination and became a pastor at Athens, N.Y.

He only served as a pastor for two years before being forced to travel to the Caribbean in the winter of 1828 to recover his health. Partly as a result of this

experience, he chose the life of a missionary. He was appointed chaplain of the Seamen’s Friend Society in New York City, and in 1829, left the United States to serve overseas.

He arrived in Canton (Guangzhou), China, in 1830, and evangelized throughout Southeast Asia, visiting and preaching in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Abeel at some point transferred to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

He spent much of 1833 and 1834 traveling around Europe, advocating for the work of the Gospel in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Switzerland. From 1835 to 1838, he returned to the United States to promote the work and to recruit additional missionaries. In 1839, Abeel returned again to China and the coastal settlements of the region,

establishing a permanent mission outpost at Xiamen in 1842.

In 1845, however, he returned home again. Suffering from another period of ill health, he went home to be with the Lord from Albany, N.Y., in 1846.

His addresses and appeals in London led to the formation of the Interdenominational Society for Promoting Female Education in the East. His influence also led to the founding of the Women’s Union Missionary Society of America after his death. He left several books, including A Narrative of Residence in China, recounting his experiences there, and The Claims of the World to the Gospel. Abeel “is remembered as a saintly, self-sacrificing, rigorous missionary.”

“…well done, thou good and faithful servant…” (Matt. 25:21).

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: Who Was Who in Church History, by Elgin S. Moyer; excerpts used by permission of Moody Publishers. Wikipedia, “David Abeel”.

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___________________________________Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel

The Power of a Bundle: Christmas in JulyBy AMG International Staff

“Indeed, the Lord will give what is good...” (Ps. 85:12)

The truth that “God provides” resounds throughout Scripture, and all Christian generosity is built on this bedrock. Because God provides, we know He will give us the resources needed to fulfill every work He calls us to. Because God provides, we trust Him to raise up supporters to share in that work through prayer and giving. Because God provides, believers lovingly share with others from the abundance He has given them.

Far from the stopgap for our own earnings that we often relegate it to, God’s provision is all-encompassing, touching every aspect of our lives as a constant reminder of His power and grace. Paul wrote Timothy to “instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all good things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17).

What a truth! He gives us everything we could ever need—not only the provisions to make it through another day, but the life in our bodies, the bounty of Creation, the love of family and friends, and everything else we have ever benefitted from. Our God is extravagant in His love for us, showing it above all in “His indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15) of His Son to save us from His wrath and set us apart for His glory.

When Christians go to the nations with the message of the Gospel, our obedience is the natural overflow of the abundance of grace God has shown to us. In the same way, His material blessings are poured out in love to comfort those in need through giving—The Lord blesses us to be the instruments of His blessing to others.

Providing for others is, in a sense, the core mission of AMG. First, we strive to provide everyone we serve with a clear and consistent Gospel witness. For many, we

also provide basic needs of food and shelter. For others, medical care, education, and other services as appropriate. Each Christmas, however, every child, national worker, and leprosy patient under AMG’s care around the world receives a special gift we call a Bundle of Love.

These Bundles include specific items selected to benefit the individuals receiving them, whether school supplies and uniforms, shoes, clothing, blankets, books, or toys. We also provide copies of God’s Word to those who do not have one. While the contents of a Bundle are often very practical and sometimes very necessary, they are still a special gift provided over and above the basic needs met by sponsorship. In a small way, they teach each recipient about the extravagant provision of God.

The power of a Bundle is hard to measure, but the effects are visible on the faces of each person as they receive these

simple gifts. The “return on investment” of this ministry is not always apparent, but we trust that the emotional and spiritual impact of these gifts carries a value far greater than their cost and continues long after the gift itself wears out. When our national staff hand out Bundles of Love, there are joyful celebrations where the Christmas story and the Gospel are retold, tying this gift with the ultimate gift God offers each of us.

Doug Hanson, one of our ministry supporters who was privileged to help with a Bundles distribution in Guatemala last year shared his experience: “It was wonderful to see that Jesus Christ was the focus, and that the spreading of the Gospel to these children and their families was paramount. It was refreshing to us…just to see the joy on the children’s faces when they saw the magnitude of these gifts. When they knew they could carry home [these gifts] and share them with their families…they were

able to share the goodness of God to all the people in their family, and to be generous in their spirit.”

When you read this column each month, you know we are going to ask something of you on behalf of AMG. We write not to burden you, but to thank you and remind you of the absolutely vital role your prayer and generosity play in the work we do together. While Bundles of Love doesn’t fit the usual categories of need, it presents a unique occasion to bless others with a gift.

Just as with every other opportunity we bring to your attention, we trust the Lord to call faithful Christians to provide for this gift. Every gift of just $20 provides one Bundle Get a few Bundles of Love coin banks to store up spare change for this ministry, or ask us about how to get your whole church involved through a Bundles of Love Sunday. What better way to celebrate

God’s gift of His Son at Christmas than to share a gift with another?

To learn more about AMG’s Bundles of Love ministry and how you and your church can

partner with us in giving blessings this Christmas, 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 30 countries around the world through partnership with national believers.

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___________________________________Marks of the Masterby the Old Scot

Hard Working Bird: Australia’s Mallee Fowl

Originally published in Disciple, February 8, 2010.

What is it that looks like a turkey and works like a horse? Actually, nothing exactly matches those qualifications, but the Mallee Fowl of Australia comes close.

It is only the male of the species that works so strenuously, though his mate also labors intensively in her own way. The Mallee cock puts in up to eleven months of hard labor every year, striving to cope with a unique problem presented by his hen.

The problem is the size of her eggs. She is about the size of a domestic chicken,

and weighs perhaps three and a half pounds. Her eggs, however, are more than three times the size of chicken eggs, weighing about half a pound each. Since the nest contains eight to ten eggs at a time throughout the laying season, Poppa Mallee’s problem is that there is no way Mrs. Mallee can cover all those eggs to keep them at hatching temperature.

The cock’s solution is the reason he is also called “the incubator bird” or “the mound-builder.” Since his mate cannot possibly hatch all the eggs, he arranges an artificial incubator from sand and damp vegetation. But in the desert interior of Australia, even this presents a problem—and that is why his work continues through so many months.

He begins in the winter, months before the egg-laying season, by digging a circular pit about six feet across and three feet deep. Into this pit he piles all the plant

material he can scavenge within a fifty-yard radius. After the winter rains have soaked the leaves and bits of brush, he covers the pile with a layer of sand. As the damp mulch begins to decompose fermentation sets in, giving off quantities of heat.

For the next four months, the cock Mallee tends his “cooker,” uncovering the pile periodically to turn and stir the mixture and vent off excess heat and moisture. When it’s time for his mate to begin laying, his incubator is ready for occupancy. If he had waited until spring to begin his preparations, all would have been in vain, for normally there are no rains in the spring, and thus there would have been no fermentation.

We might imagine that after the egg-laying has commenced, he could take a well-deserved brief rest, but such is not the case. Instead, his routine becomes even more demanding because now he must

keep the nest at a constant 91 degrees. During the spring, night and morning temperatures are low, while afternoons are usually warm. Consequently, he is constantly busy, either building up the sand layer atop the nest to hold in heat or removing sand to prevent overheating.

To aid him in his determination as to what is needed at any given moment, he has a remarkably accurate “thermometer” built into his mouth. If we were to observe him at work, we would see him frequently pause to dig his beak into the pile for a mouthful of sand. He lets this sift slowly out the sides of his bill as he takes the nest’s temperature.

As spring gives way to summer, the heat potential of the mulch falls off. This is fortunate, for now solar heat not only replaces the nest’s internal source but also brings new problems. Now, the blazing noontime sun would cook the eggs in short

order if they were not protected. Father Mallee does this by adding more sand, as long as this is feasible. But when the layer reaches a thickness of about three feet, his limit is reached. By this time he has moved almost twenty cubic yards of sand and earth, using only his claws. Some of this mass he must remove and replace twice a day—making it thinner when the precious eggs require more heat from the morning sun, and thicker when the sun beats down too strongly.

By midsummer, however, this system is no longer adequate to protect the eggs. So Poppa Mallee installs a “refrigeration system.” In the morning, when breezes are cool, he spreads out large quantities of the sand covering to cool. Then, before the sun gets too hot, he digs troughs in the remaining cover and fills them with the cool sand, adding additional top cover for insulation.

By the time fall arrives, most of the clutch of eggs will have hatched but there will still be several of the last-laid eggs not yet ready. Now Poppa Mallee has the reverse of the midsummer problem: his eggs are in danger of growing too cold. He solves this by reversing his summer strategy: Instead of introducing cool sand into the next environment in the morning, he now brings in warm sand in the afternoon—having made sure of a supply by spreading sand out to heat while the sun was high.

Throughout all these long months of intensive labor, Mrs. Mallee hardly raises a feather to help. But we must remember that she is laying eggs at approximately weekly intervals, each of which takes from her about twelve percent of her bodily resources. The thirty-five eggs she typically lays in a season equal more than four-and-one-half times her own weight!

Ironically, all of the Mallee Fowls’ work is expended upon the unhatched eggs. After they leave the shells, the chicks are entirely upon their own—and life presents a struggle at the outset. After breaking out of the shell they must burrow out of the incubator mound. Many are not equal to the task, and suffocate. Those that succeed are generally so exhausted that it is all they can do to crawl to the shelter of the nearest shrub. But, after a rest, they scurry off, and within a day or two are well able to look after themselves.

Most chicks never see their parents, and certainly they learn nothing from them about the techniques of mound-building. Yet when their times come to mate and reproduce, they somehow know exactly what they must do.

How shall we explain this? Instinct is the answer, of course—but where does it come from? Remember that the incubator

mound must be kept at a constant temperature for about seven months, through a succession of seasonal changes and daily temperature cycles. The cock Mallee Fowl cannot afford even one lapse, for it could kill the eggs.

But the important consideration is that this has always been a strict necessity in every generation—else there would have been no following generation. In other words, they had to be equipped with the specialized knowledge needed for survival from the very first. There was never time for trial-and-error development of the technique.

There is only one way these incubator birds could have come by the skills they have to have, and that is for Someone to instill the fully-developed instinct in them. That Someone is God. The Bible says He created each type of animal, each variety of life, “after its kind.” That is to say, He made each species to fit its

particular niche in our world. He created a place for each, and each for its place.

That is true of you and me, also. The Apostle Paul spoke of God’s creation with these words: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life and breath and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him and find Him, though he be not far from every one of us; for in him we live and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:24-28).

God is nearby, even this very moment. Let us honor Him as our Maker and worship Him as 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.

Sources: The Mysterious Senses of Animals, Vitus B. Droscher, E.P. Dutton, NY, 1965, pp. 30-36. Grzimek”s Animal Encyclopedia, Bernhard Grzimek, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY & London, 1975, Vol. 7, pp. 432-435. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th Ed., Micropaedia Vol. 7, p. 1011.

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___________________________________Book Review—July 2014

Everyone’s a Theologian: An Introduction to Systematic Theology, R. C. Sproul, 2014, Reformation Trust, Lake Mary, Fla., ISBN 9781567693652, 357 pages, $19.00, hardcover.

Is theology just a “stodgy science” that tries to pick God apart instead of worshipping Him, or does it have vital and abiding value for believers at every level of spiritual maturity? As the title implies, R. C. Sproul in Everyone’s a Theologian sets out to prove the latter thesis, demythologizing the intellectual pursuit of God from its academic trappings and helpfully breaking down terms and concepts for readers. Sproul’s premise is that we are all theologians, interpreting God, His Word, and

His world. The only question is whether we do this well or poorly.

Sproul opens with eight brief chapters making a case that God is knowable (through general and special revelation) and worth knowing (through systematic theology). From there, he unpacks the nature and importance of Scripture as the one authoritative source of full understanding of God’s character and actions.

The rest of the book’s seven sections, each containing seven or eight short chapters, cover all the bases of a complete theology: A study of God (His nature, attributes, will); a study of man (creation, fall, and redemption); Christology and the Atonement; Pneumatology; Soteriology; Ecclesiology, and Eschatology. Each section hovers over key points of doctrine, neither glossing over nor overly stressing any. Sproul is among the best-known advocates

of a Reformed understanding of doctrine, and though his convictions necessarily guide the structure and emphasis of the book, he even-handedly addresses differing theological systems, endeavoring to clearly state their distinctives and show how their proponents reasoned to those viewpoints from Scripture.

Everyone’s a Theologian is remarkable for the volume of information and discussion it conveys in such an economy of words. In essence, this is “Systematic Theology for Dummies,” and saying so is the farthest thing in the world from a knock on Sproul’s writing. He does here what he has always done better than most contemporary Christian thinkers—putting the vast mysteries of divine revelation in simple, relatable terms that both clarify and invite deeper understanding. One seldom read’s Sproul without feeling a love for Scripture rekindled and desiring to

join him in going back to the source of our faith.

For its simple, logical organization, breadth of content, and quality of writing, Everyone’s a Theologian would make an ideal gift for new believers and for all young Christian men and women to confirm the historic, verifiable foundations of the faith they have received. Justin Lonas

Target: AllType: Systematic TheologyTake: Recommended

Table of Contents___________________________________News Update—July 2014

News Update

Poll Claims Percentage of Pro-Life Voters at All-Time High

A newly released survey claims that Americans who identify as pro-life are at a record high. The poll by Rasmussen Reports says that 44 percent of voters are pro-life; previously American pro-life voters ranged between 35 and 43 percent of the population.

Pro-choice Americans have decreased in number from 56 percent in March of 2013 to 48 percent currently. Others remain undecided on the issue.

According to Life News, many Americans call themselves pro-choice, but actually have pro-life opinions when asked about abortion in general terms. “Fifty-two percent (52%) of voters now consider abortion to be morally wrong most of the time, up slightly from 49% in March but also the highest finding since August 2012. Thirty-two percent (32%) believe abortion is

morally acceptable in most cases, while 16% are undecided,” the Rasmussen report said.

Other statistics from the survey include the following:

39 % of voters believe abortions are too easily accessible in the United States.

49 % of Americans said there should be a waiting period to get an abortion.

44 % of respondents agreed with banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

71 % of respondents who identified as Evangelical Christians were pro-life.

64 % of voters said that abortion affects how they will vote in the next election.

The poll was conducting between June 30 and July 1 via phone; 1,000 people

took part in the survey.Christian Headlines

Iran Jails Three Christian Converts, Seizes Bibles

Iran has arrested three more Christians and sentenced them to prison for spreading the Gospel. “Iranian Christians Mohammad Roghangir, Suroush Saraie and Pastor Matthias Haghnejad were arrested by the security forces at the pastor’s home in Bandar-Anzali,” reports Independent Catholic News.

Sources close to Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported that security agents confiscated Bibles belonging to Pastor Matthias’ family during the raid, while Human Rights Activist News Agency reports that pamphlets and a personal computer owned by the pastor were also taken.

“Mohammad Roghangir and Suroush Saraie were part of a group of seven

Christians who were initially arrested on October 12, 2012, when security forces raided a prayer meeting. The group was sentenced on July 16, 2013, after being found guilty of “action against the national security” and “propaganda against the order of the system.” Roghangir was sentenced to six years imprisonment, while Suroush Saraie received two and half years. Both sentences were upheld on appeal. “These men have been targeted by the Iranian authorities in the past,” said Mervyn Thomas, chief executive officer of CSW, “and despite the political charges being levied against them, they were clearly arrested on account of their faith.”

Christian Headlines

Questions Remain on Contraception Coverage after Ruling

After the Supreme Court’s decision June 30 in favor of a company that objected to covering contraceptives it found morally objectionable, questions arose: Did the decision apply only to those forms the company believed caused abortions—such as intrauterine devices and morning-after pills—but not common birth control pills or condoms? Or did it apply to all forms?

July 1, the justices offered some clues: They declined to review three other cases won by plaintiffs who objected to covering all forms, and they sent three similar cases in which plaintiffs lost back to the lower courts to reconsider.

Still, observers remain divided over just how broadly Monday’s decision in the case brought by crafts retailer Hobby Lobby and cabinet maker Conestoga Wood Specialties should be read and whether it could also apply to businesses that aren’t closely held like the crafts retailer, in which

five or fewer people own 50 percent or more of the company.

Robert Charrow, an appellate lawyer with Greenberg Traurig, said that even though the Hobby Lobby decision was limited to closely held companies and four specific types of contraceptives, it could easily be applied more broadly to all contraceptives through other court cases. “But the broader the position you take, the more difficult it is to say it’s rationally related to religious beliefs,” he said.

Christian Headlines

Chinese Pastor Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for “Gathering Crowds” in Church

The pastor of a church in China has been sentenced to 12 years in jail. Zhang Shaojie, who pastors the Nanle County Christian Church, was found guilty of “gathering crowds to disturb public order” and of fraud. Shaojie and 23 members of his

church were detained last year after a land dispute with local authorities.

Shaojie’s lawyer says that the pastor was “targeted by authorities who are trying to control the fast growth of churches.” “I strongly believe Zhang Shaojie is innocent,” said Liu Weiguo, Shaojie’s lawyer. “This is a total set-up by the local government.”

The Chinese Constitution allows the right to freedom of religious belief, but that right is limited to worship within state-sanctioned religious bodies. Shaojie’s church is state-approved.

According to Christian Today, a communist official said Christian worship has become “too excessive and too haphazard” in China.

In 1949, the Communist Party came to power and there were just one million Christians in China. Professor Fenggang Yang of Purdue University has estimated that there will be 247 million Christians in

China by 2030 – more than in the United States.

Christian Headlines

Ramadan Prayers for Christians in Nigeria amid Violence and Harassment

Open Doors is asking for prayers for Christians living in Muslim nations where they face discrimination and even death for their faith. They are asking in particular that Christians pray for the church in Nigeria where more Christians have been killed in attacks by insurgents.

Gunmen believed to belong to Islamist militant group Boko Haram killed dozens of people after opening fire on worshippers at four churches. One of the churches was in Kwada, close to Chibok, where Boko Haram kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls two months ago. Boko Haram translates as “Western education is forbidden” and an estimated 2,000 people

have been killed by the group this year alone as Nigerian security forces struggle to get a grip on the situation.

“Join in praying for Christians in Nigeria who have kept their faith despite continued attacks,” said Open Doors.

The organisation asked for prayers for both Muslims and Christians as Ramadan continues. “During this month of Ramadan we take time to pray especially for Christians in Muslim nations, that they might embody the essence of Jesus in their speech and in their actions,” said Open Doors. “And, during this time, when Muslims are seeking God in deeper ways, we pray that God will draw them into the light of Christ.”

Christian TodayTable of Contents

___________________________________Sermon Helps

from www.sermonhall.com

Sermon OutlinesSolid as a RockPsalm 15:1-5

Intro.: What characteristics are evident in the life of a child of God? Psalm 15 is one of those passages which give a clear view of what God desires in His children. King David listed these characteristics:I. He Walks With Integrity (Cf. Gen.20:5, 6; 1 Kgs. 9:4, 5)Ii. He Works Righteousness (Cf. Matt. 5:16; James 1:22; 4:17)Iii. He Speaks Truth in His Heart (Cf. Matt. 6:21)Iv. He Does Not Slander with His Tongue. He Does Not Backbite, Defame, Libel, Denigrate, Or VilifyV. He Does No Evil to His Neighbor—And Who Is Our Neighbor?

Vi. He Does Not Take Up a Reproach Against His Friend! (John 15:13)Vii. In His Eyes a Reprobate Is DespisedViii. He Honors Those Who Fear the LordIx. He Keeps His Word (Cf. Ps. 15:4)X. He Does Not Put Out His Money at Interest (Cf. Lev.25:35-38; Deut. 23; 1 Tim. 6)Xi. He Does Not Take a Bribe against the InnocentApplication: Our walk with Christ is a series of choices…forks in the road. Jesus tells us, “You will know them by their fruits...” (Matt. 7:16-20).

J. A. Gillmartin

Turning the CheekI. Involves Pain (John 15:18-19)—Persecution Sometimes Hurts More Than Bodily Pain II. Involves Patience (Eph. 4:32)—Patience Not to Strike Back or to Get Even

III. Involves Perception (2 Tim. 3:12)—Perceiving It Is God’s Will to Suffer for Him

Croft M. Pentz

IllustrationsFools for Christ’s Sake

Henry M. Stanley found David Livingstone in Africa and lived with him for some time. Here is his testimony: “I went to Africa as prejudiced as the biggest atheist in London, but there came for me a long time for reflection. I saw this solitary old man there and asked myself, ‘Why on earth does he stop here—is he cracked, or what? What is it that inspires him?’ For months after we met, I found myself wondering at the old man carrying out all that was said in the Bible—‘Leave all things and follow Me.’ But little by little his sympathy for others became contagious. My sympathy was aroused, seeing his piety, his gentleness, his zeal, his earnestness, and how he went about his

business. I was converted by him, although he had not tried to do it.”

Anonymous

Washing Enables LifeIn 1818, Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis

was born into a world of dying women. The finest hospitals lost one out of six young mothers to the scourge of “child-bed fever.” A doctor’s daily routine began in the dissecting room where he performed autopsies. From there he made his way to the hospital to examine expectant mothers without ever pausing to wash his hands.

Dr. Semmelweis was the first man in history to associate such examinations with the resultant infection and death. His own practice was to wash with a chlorine solution, and after eleven years and the delivery of 8,537 babies, he lost only 184 mothers—about one in fifty. He spent the vigor of his life lecturing and debating with

his colleagues. Once he argued, “The fever is caused by decomposed material, conveyed to a wound! I have shown how it can be prevented. I have proved all that I have said. But while we talk, talk, talk, gentlemen, women are dying. I am not asking anything world-shaking. I am asking you only to wash! For God’s sake, wash your hands.”

But virtually no one believed him. Doctors and midwives had been delivering babies for thousands of years without washing, and no outspoken Hungarian was going to change them now! Semmelweis died insane at the age of 47, his wash basins discarded, his colleagues laughing in his face, and the death rattle of a thousand women ringing in his ears.

“Wash me!” was the anguished prayer of King David (cf. Ps. 51:2). “Wash!” was the message of John the Baptist. “Unless I wash you, you have no part with

me,” said the towel-draped Jesus to Peter (John 13:5). Without our being washed clean, we all die from the contamination of sin. For God’s sake, wash.

Anonymous

Bulletin InsertsOn AngerAn angry person is seldom reasonable; a reasonable person is seldom angry. 

Unsolved anger leads to bitterness. 

It is better to swallow your pride than to eat angry words

Anger is when two people are trying to get in the last word first. 

He who angers you controls you! These five anonymous

Anger puts every offense on an endless playback loop, but love turns off the switch.

Our Daily Bread

Forgiveness is a funny thing—it warms the heart and cools the sting.

Many an argument is sound—just sound. These two via the Old Union Reminder

A chip on the shoulder is the heaviest load you will ever have to carry.

R. W. SeamanTable of Contents

___________________________________Puzzles and ‘Toons

Church ‘Toons by Joe McKeeverOn following pages

Answers to last issue’s puzzle:

Hidden Wisdom & Father AbrahamBy Mark Oshman

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, July 1998

On following pages

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