Table of Contents:Leading through Difficulties

Catastrophic Loss

An Agenda for Dying Well

Exegetically Speaking

Living out the Living Word

Points to Ponder

The Story behind the Song

Church Builders

Counselor’s Corner

Book Reviews

News Update

Sermon Helps

Puzzles and ‘Toons

Leading through DifficultiesBy Pete Charpentier

Someone has said, “Life is filled with storms: You’re either in a storm, coming out of one, or heading into one!” While this statement sounds pessimistic, pastors know it’s true. Many days they walk into their office holding their breath and bracing themselves for difficulties.

This should not be a surprise. After all, pastors themselves and everyone they lead are all imperfect people living in a fallen world. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The reality is that pastors will always be called upon to lead through difficulties, and God is faithful to supply the wisdom they need to lead courageously according to Scripture (James 1:5-8).

Even a cursory glance through the Bible confirms the above reality of leadership. For example, Moses faced a relentless flow of problems from the grumbling Israelites. Joshua navigated a barrage of battles during the conquest of Canaan. God raised up judges to deal with a continual cycle of oppressive enemies. David endured painful struggles as he transitioned into leadership and ruled as king. Paul labored daily under the pressure of the churches. Yet God granted wisdom and strength to all the leaders He called into His service.

Of course, pastors experience both enjoyable and excruciating moments in leadership. Calling God’s people to follow Him in faith and seeing them receive His blessings is rewarding, and many pastors can lead through life’s bright, mountain-top moments. However, fewer pastors can lead through the shadowy paths which inevitably

wind through life’s valleys. The bottom line is that many pastors desire the titles of leadership but flee from the trials of leadership. Many covet the positions of leadership but cower before the pains of leadership. Many long for the accolades of leadership, but they desperately seek to escape the adversities of leadership.

So how can pastors not only face the inevitable trials, pains, and adversities of leadership but also lead effectively through them? Scripture reveals at least three important truths pastors need when God calls them to lead through difficulties.

I. Pastors Must Define Biblical Convictions.

Convictions are powerful. They hold leaders to their course whenever the storms of difficulties crash against them. Convictions issue a clarion call to leaders, and as they follow this call, the noise of

distractions around them does not divert them from their course.

But what is the basis for convictions? If pastors follow their own flawed thinking or the latest cultural fads, they are violating God’s command to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5). Therefore, pastors must base their convictions on the rock-solid foundation of obedience to God’s Word.

Biblical convictions will sustain pastors through every storm. Jesus taught that “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matt. 7:24-25). Also, James wrote that “the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and

continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). Lastly, Paul told young Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Clearly, pastors must base their leadership decisions on biblical convictions. The Scripture is their compass, and so they confess with the Psalmist, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).

II. Pastors Must Develop a Practical Course.

Once pastors have made the commitment to base their convictions on God’s Word, they must implement its truth according to a practical course of action. In

other words, they must have clarity in applying biblical convictions.

This aspect of pastoral leadership requires two essential elements. First, pastors must seek to lead with constant prayerfulness. Paul emphasized the importance of prayerfulness as it relates to discernment when he commanded: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thess. 5:16-22).

The significance of prayer in making decisions is also underscored in the fact that Jesus prayed all night before selecting His twelve disciples (Luke 6:12-16). The Apostles likewise relied on the Scripture and prayer when they chose a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:15-26). Pastors must

prayerfully rely on God’s Word as they lead through difficulties.

Second, pastors must seek to lead according to godly counsel. Many times pastors find themselves at a loss concerning how to lead in complex situations, and they may simply need a different vantage point. They may not see all the available options because they are overwhelmed in the midst of a difficulty. They need a fresh, “outside” approach. Of course, they can readily find different perspectives in godly counselors when they follow the guidance of Proverbs 15:22: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

As pastors bathe difficult decisions in prayer and seek godly counsel, Christ will show them how to develop a practical course. This may involve arranging steps for leading through difficulties, including appropriate people in this process, and applying facets of accountability.

III. Pastors Must Demonstrate Christ-like Courage.

Pastors are called to lead courageously at all times, especially when facing difficulties. There will always be temptations for them to lead in the fear of men instead of the fear of God. Paul said in Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

So pastors must lead with Christ-like courage. This type of leadership is not coarse; rather, it’s compassionate. Courageous leadership is not the proverbial “bull-in-the-China-shop” approach nor the egotistical “my-way-or-the-highway” mentality. Instead, pastors who lead with Christ-like courage are like velvet hammers: They are solid on the inside, and soft to the touch on the outside.

Paul instructed Timothy about Christ-like courage when he wrote in 1 Timothy 2:24-26 that “the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” While Paul never counseled Timothy to budge on his biblical convictions, he basically challenged this young pastor to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

Courageous pastors understand that they are not politicians who serve a constituency; they are preachers of the Gospel who serve their Creator and God. They “preach the Word” and are “prepared in season and out of season” because they embrace their call to “correct, rebuke and

encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2). Like Jesus, pastors seek to surrender to God fully so that His Spirit will enable them to strike the delicate balance between conviction and compassion in their leadership.

As long as pastors lead God’s people in this fallen world, they will always encounter difficulties. But they can take heart in the hope that God has promised to supply wisdom abundantly to everyone who asks Him. So as long as pastors base their convictions on the truth of Scripture, consult the advice of godly counselors, and walk in the power of the Spirit as He fills them with His love and boldness, they will experience the assurance of knowing that God will lead them as they lead others through any and every difficulty.

Pete Charpentier serves as the senior pastor of Woodland Park Baptist Church in

Hammond, Louisiana, and he is the author of the new discipleship resources entitled

“Reaching the Next Level”.___________________________________Catastrophic Loss: A Local Picture of a Global TragedyBy Curtis Brickley

A Local Picture Buildings gone, children missing, and

lifeless bodies thrown effortlessly about like dry leaves in an autumn’s breeze; this is “catastrophic” and it is the current reality for many in the American South and Midwest who were recently slammed by devastating tornadoes that swept through entire towns like dry brooms on dirt floors.

How do we define a “catastrophic loss”? Usually with some difficulty, but we generally know one when we see one. In legal terms, they are “those cases where there has been a life changing or life ending

injury. The injury might be quadriplegia, brain damage, wrongful death, or multiple wrongful deaths. They are emotionally charged, sympathy evoking cases...”

Even the natural man is moved when, upon sight, catastrophic events breaks violently into his circumstances; when he or those closest to him are touched personally by these events outside of human control.

But what of the man who walks not in the flesh; those who walk according to the spirit? It is here where you see the Body of Christ functioning as God intended. Here you see an unnatural unity in the selfless and sacrificial pursuit of another’s good. It is here where the Samaritan gives comfort and aid to an injured man in his hour of desperate need. It is here where the individual’s pursuit of personal peace, prosperity and private comfort are set aside for the greater good of those in the greatest need.

It is in this hour where the man or woman, walking in the spirit, loves his neighbor more than himself and the incomprehensible love of the Lord Jesus is laid bare before a watching world. This love cannot be produced by man but is instead initiated by God in man, as he walks yielded and surrendered to the new life of Christ that dwells mightily within him. A Global Tragedy  

In the face of such tragedies and triumphs, it is easy for us to forget that every day there exists a global catastrophic loss of eternal significance, much greater in scope than the first. Another important difference is that this catastrophe remains out of sight for most of us.

More than 2,000 years after the Lord Jesus Christ told us to proclaim His freedom to every tribe, tongue and nation, there are still almost 4,000 people groups

representing 2.5 billion people with little or no access to the freedom the Good News brings; untold billions walking in darkness, staggering to the slaughter, being taken away to death, like sheep without a shepherd, and no one has gone looking for them!

And to paraphrase pastor and author John Piper, surely this same new life, or Christian impulse, that breaks our heart for the catastrophic losses at home would also break our hearts when we consider unreached people who have no Christian advocates for these same eternal, global catastrophic losses that happen daily. The same love of Christ and the same sense of justice that burdens us at home, where we live and work, should also burden us for the very same needs in people groups in faraway places where absolutely no Christian impulse exists at all.

“If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited. Deliver those who are being taken away to death and those who are staggering to the slaughter. Oh hold them back. If you say, ‘see, we did not know this,’ Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to a man according to His work?”(Proverbs 24:10-12).

One commentary, expounding upon this passage, says it this way, “Here is, a great duty required of us, and that is to appear for the relief of oppressed innocence. If we see the lives or livelihoods of any in danger of being taken away unjustly, we ought to bestir ourselves all we can to save them...if any be set upon by force and violence, and it be in our power to rescue them, we ought to do it...if we see any through ignorance exposing themselves to danger, or fallen in distress, as travelers

upon the road, ships at sea, or any the like, it is our duty, though it be with peril to ourselves, to hasten with help to them and not forbear to deliver them, not to be slack, or remiss, or indifferent, in such a case.”

And what of our excuses, which are myriad? “He knows and considers whether the excuse we make be true or not, whether it was because we did not know it or whether the true reason was not because we did not love our neighbor as we should, but were selfish, and regardless both of God and man. Let this serve to silence all our frivolous pleas, by which we think to stop the mouth of conscience when it charges us with the omission of plain duty...as his knowledge cannot be imposed upon, so his justice cannot be biased, but he will render to every man according to his works, not only the commission of evil works, but the omission of good works.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible)

“They do not know nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken...arise O God, judge the earth! For it is You who possesses all the nations” (Ps. 82:5, 8).

Curtis Brickley and his wife, Stacey, are missionaries to unreached tribes in

Southeast Asia with AMG International. He has previously served as a missions pastor

and church missions coach. ___________________________________An Agenda for Dying WellBy John T. Dunlop

Editor’s Note: This is the first of two pieces covering a Christian perspective on end-of-life issues from John Dunlop. This article focuses on the spiritual discipline of “dying well”, and our next article will discuss

the use of medical technology in prolonging life.

When I started medical school in the late sixties, sudden death was the rule of the day. Chicago would have a heavy snowstorm. The stalwart would go out to shovel snow and keel over, his heart unable to handle the strain. If people were nearby, they would run to the nearest phone and call the fire department. But little could actually be done to preserve the person’s life until he or she was inside the emergency room. Most commonly, the victim was DOA (dead on arrival).

This course of events doesn’t occur as often today because of a well-known telephone number: 911. Upon seeing someone in a life-threatening situation, an alert person quickly pushes three keys on a handy cell phone, setting in motion a sequence of amazing life-saving procedures. The same patient who would

have been dead on arrival in 1970 is now back to work in a week.

Whether you look at the statistics for heart attacks, strokes, gunshot wounds, or car accidents, sudden death has become less common. More and more of us will need to adjust to our deaths coming slowly. This will not be easy, since modern people prefer their lives to end quickly. Having some time between when we recognize we will soon die and when it actually happens can provide opportunities to bring closure to this life. If we are to have a good death, we must have a clear understanding of the things that need to be done before we die.

I. Examine Your FaithThe apostle Paul exhorts us:

“examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5). If you have lived your life trying to please God and earn your way to heaven, now is the time to recognize

that is impossible. Trust Him. Find your rest and peace in what He has done.

II. Pray Spending time with God is a high

priority as life ends. Our prayers will likely take on a different emphasis. In our more active years we are tempted to focus on what we need or want. Is it not wiser to focus our prayers on God and His glory? I find many of my older friends will pray this way. One of the old saints prayed, “May the vision of Your beauty be my death.”

III. Strengthen Family RelationshipsResearch indicates that 39 percent of

terminally ill patients indicated that strengthening family bonds was one of their major priorities. I have often seen dysfunctional families start working well as a team when a loved one is approaching death. It may be necessary for the dying

patient to directly confront family members. I can hear Fran take her two daughters aside and say, “Now Jill and Suzanne, isn’t it time to forget what happened at Jimmy’s wedding and start loving each other again?”

IV. Bequeath a Legacy Christians have an opportunity to

leave behind something more valuable and lasting that a piece of property or some of money. We have the privilege of bequeathing to others a testimony to the might and power of God. One way to do this is by writing “an autobiography of grace.” Write your life story with God as the main character, not you. As you describe your experience of Him and chronicle His gracious role in your life, you will be fulfilling Psalm 145:4: “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your might acts.”

V. Have Some Enjoyable TimeI have seen dying patients having fun

and not allowing grief to rob them of some good times as they near the end. I tell my patients: “It is okay to kick back, relax and make the most of the days you have left.”

VI. Provide Closure with Loved OnesNormally, dying people desire to

spend time with loved ones. Conversation will no doubt drift to serious matters. In his book, The Four Things That Matter Most, Ira Byock tells how he encourages those coming to the end of life to say four things frequently: “I love you; thank you; forgive me; I forgive you.”

VII. Determine to Die WellThe end of life presents many

uncertainties. We do not know what challenges lie ahead. However, as Christians we should not allow the unknown

to be a stumbling block. If we know that Christ is with us, we can face the future with a bold confidence that He will give the strength we need when we need it.

Charlie had faithfully served as a church usher for over fifty years. Now he was dying of prostate cancer. He always said he had no pain, but you could tell he was minimizing his suffering. Nevertheless, he determined to be at the door of the church right to the end. He missed only three Sundays. Charlie kept going to the end because he made a mental commitment to die well.

If we recognize that we are slowly dying, we have a window of opportunity to make the best of the waning days of our lives. Because we do not know when death will come, each of us should be working on our agenda today.

John T. Dunlop, M. D., is a fellow for The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity and is on staff at Zion Clinic, Zion, Illinois,

where he practices internal and geriatric medicine. He is also an elder and founding member of the Lakeland Evangelical Free

Church, Gurnee, Illinois.

Taken from Finishing Well to the Glory of God: Strategies from a Christian Physician by John Dunlop, © 2011, Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. 60187, www.crossway.org.___________________________________Exegetically Speakingby Spiros Zodhiates

David’s Son and LordMatthew 22:41-46

From Exegetical Commentary on Matthew, 2006, AMG Publishers

[41, 42] The Pharisees had had their day in court trying to entrap Jesus by His own words. It was now Jesus’ turn to try them with a question of His own: “‘What think ye (from dokéō [1380], to suppose) of (perí [4012], about, concerning, regarding) Christ (from Christós [5547] from chríō [5548], to anoint)? Whose son is he?’ They say unto him, ‘The son of David.’”

“Christ” is preceded by a definite article, meaning “the Messiah,” the anointed One of God anticipated in Old Testament prophecy.

By asking the question in the third person, Jesus directed attention away from Himself, perhaps to mitigate the effects of the ever-present, intimidating accolade, “Son of David,” which throngs of people shouted out regularly. The definite article

here points to a uniqueness that does not mimic the anointing on Old Testament kings like Saul (1 Sam. 10:1) and David (1 Sam. 16:13) or prophets like Elisha (1 Kgs. 19:16). In Psalm 105:15, the words “anointed” and “prophet” are used interchangeably. The “Servant of the Lord” said He was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor (Isa. 61:1), a prophecy Jesus applied to Himself (Luke 4:18).

The present tense of eimí (to be) has a timeless ring to it, perhaps because Jesus intended to discuss the subject in principle or because He wanted to imply that the Messiah was currently alive.

The expression, “son of David,” means David’s descendant. In Matthew 1:20 it is used for Joseph, Mary’s husband-to-be, but it is frequently applied to Jesus as one of the messianic titles (Matt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15; Mark 10:47, 48; 12:35; Luke 18:38, 39). A related messianic

title predicated to Jesus Christ is the “root of David” (Isa. 11:1, 10; Rev. 5:5; 22:16; also the “seed of David” in Rom. 1:3). The kingdom of the Messiah is referred to as the “kingdom of David” (Mark 11:10), the “tabernacle of David” (Amos 9:11; Acts 15:16), and the “key of the house of David” (Isa. 22:22; cf. Rev. 3:7).

[43, 44] As soon as the Pharisees responded, Jesus asked, “Why then does David in Spirit (pneúmati, the dative singular of pneúma [4151], spirit) call him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord (Kúrios [2962]) said unto My Lord (also from Kúrios), “Sit (káthou, the present middle reflexive deponent imperative of káthēmai [2521], to seat oneself) on My right hand until I make (from títhēmi [5087], to place) Your enemies (from echthrós [2190]) a footstool for Your feet”?’” (a.t.).

Although there is no definite article with “Spirit” here (lit.: “in spirit”), the definite

article is usually implied in Greek prepositional phrases. Therefore, most English versions translate the phrase as reference to the Holy Spirit rather than to David’s human spirit. (See Rev. 1:10; 4:2, which have the same phrase in Greek.)

The prophecy is Psalm 110:1, and Peter later quotes it in Acts 2:33–36 where he qualifies the “Spirit” in Matthew 22:43 as the “Holy Spirit” (cf. Mark 12:36). That the Jews understood Psalm 110 as messianic (110:4-5) is incontestable, as did, later, the Apostles (see Eph. 1:20; Heb. 1:3; 5:6–7; 1 Pet. 3:22). The dative case means under the control of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Triune God.

The one Greek word Kúrios does not translate the literal Hebrew, which contains two distinct words for “Lord” (Kúrios): “Jehovah said to my Adonai”; conceptually, however, Jehovah and Adonai are identical, meaning sovereign, and thus the one Greek

word. Also, David calls Adonai “my Lord,” not Jehovah, thus acknowledging the mediatorial role of the Adonai Messiah. Finally, David’s Adonai is commanded to “sit” while Jehovah serves Him, a voluntary and temporal subordination of the Person of the Father to the Person of the Son. On the other hand, the “right hand” is a position of functional equality, implying a fellow judge, one who shares equal authority and dignity (Matt. 20:21, 23; 26:64; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22).

This last statement tells us that the Messiah will have “enemies” throughout history “until” all enemies have been subjugated. Who are these enemies? All unbelievers, Gentiles (Luke 1:71, 74; specifically at the time, the Romans, Luke 19:43), apostate Jews (as we saw in the parable of the wedding feast), and so in general, any who do not want Christ to reign

over them (Ps. 110:1; Mark 12:36; Luke 19:27; 20:43; Phil. 3:18; Heb. 1:13; 10:13), including Satan (Matt. 13:25, 39).

The apostle Paul describes the eschatological subjugation of all enemies to the Father’s anointed One: “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:24–28).

[45] Jesus reiterated the question He asked in verse 43: “If David then calls him

Lord, how is he his son?” The question is framed in a way that implies that one of three possible statements is true. Either the Messiah is the human son of David, He is the divine Lord over David, or as God and man He is both over and of David. Moreover, David’s description does not seem to be just prophetic; rather, according to Peter, David was speaking about something that was true when he spoke it: “For David speaketh concerning him [Christ], I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved” (Acts 2:25).

While the Pharisees could not answer Christ’s question, Paul, a former Pharisee, later explains how both statements can be true in Romans 1:3-4: “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made (from gínomai [1096], to become) of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared (from horízō [3724], to define,

constitute, appoint) to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Paul contrasted two verbs: “made” and “declared.”

Jesus, according to the flesh, was the descendant of David; hence, He is called the son of David. But according to the Spirit, He was Lord over David. Furthermore, the resurrection is a declaration of “God the Son” in that the Son of God raised up His own body from the dead (John 2:19; 10:17-18). The Pharisees had a theological problem with Jehovah addressing David’s Adonai at His right hand, an exalted position reinforced by the unexpected inversion of Jehovah serving Adonai by subjugating His enemies (i.e., the Father working for the Son).

[46] Jesus’ critics were again muzzled by their own Scriptures: “And no one was able (from dúnamai [1410]) to

answer (apokrithēnai, the aorist passive deponent infinitive of apokrínomai [611]) Him a word, neither dared (from tolmáō [5111], to dare) any one from that day forth to question (eperōtēsai, the aorist active infinitive of eperōtáō [1905], to question intensely) Him any more (oukéti [3765] from ou, the absolute “not”; and éti [2089], yet, hereafter)” (a.t.).

The Pharisees had no more questions for Jesus. The aorists apokrithēnai and eperōtēsai mean that they could neither answer His questions nor ask Him questions that would trap Him. Their repeated attempts to trap Him en lógō (“with logic,” v. 15) ended with their being entrapped by the Lógos (the Logic personified) who is God (John 1:1).

Thus, “the wicked [falls] by his own wickedness” (Prov. 11:5; a.t.), the arrogant by their own arrogance.

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.

___________________________________Living out the Living Wordby Justin Lonas

Rejoicing in the Protection of GodPsalm 48

In looking at a few of the psalms of the “Sons of Korah” over the course of this series, we’ve paid special attention to the theme of God’s rule over the whole earth (not just the nation of Israel). In Psalm 48, we see this theme played out in the praise of God for His dramatic protection of Jerusalem. As is so often the case throughout Scripture, we see that this

passage tells us more about God, His plans, and His character than it does about the physical place described here.

Perhaps more so than Psalms 46 and 47, Psalm 48 seems clearly directed to the people of Israel without as many statements obviously applicable to God’s people across time and space. The challenge in interpreting a passage like this is to “keep it between the gutters”; that is, we have to avoid writing it off as “not for us” on the one hand and avoid over-allegorizing it on the other.

The psalm begins with a declaration of joyful worship: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain” (48:1). The phrase “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised” recurs several times in Psalms and the books of Chronicles, usually in the context of extolling God for His actions (rather than for His attributes). This construction and the

general content of this psalm leads many commentators to believe that it was written as a hymn of praise following the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the siege of Sennacherib and his Assyrian army during the reign of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19), but it could easily be in reference to any number of attacks on Judah. That Mount Zion is described as being “in the far north” (48:2) indicates that this psalm was written for the people of Judah after the kingdom was divided.

Even in the psalm’s first sentence, the psalmist begins tying his praise for God to “the city of our God, His holy mountain”, that is, Jerusalem. He continues, “Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King” (48:2). To the Jews, Jerusalem was indeed the symbol of the blessing of God on their land. The city perched high in the Judean hills was the storehouse of the

nation’s wealth and the place of the Temple, the site God chose to commune with His people. The “great King” of the city was not David, but God Himself, as Jesus alludes to in quoting this passage in Matthew 5:35 (warning people not to swear by Jerusalem).

We can understand why the city was the pride of the Jews, but why is Jerusalem “the joy of the whole earth”? I think this is a statement of deeper truth that the psalmist may or may not have understood as he wrote; the truth that Jerusalem became the gateway through which people from every nation could be reconciled to God.

Shades of this plan were known, even from the consecration of the Temple, as Solomon prayed at its dedication, “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when

he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name” (1 Kings 8:41-43).

Isaiah prophesied, “Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed” (Isa. 28:16). In the New Testament, we see this expounded upon by Peter (who quotes this passage in 1 Peter 2:6) to be a reference to the person of Christ as the foundation of the Church. Jerusalem, where the Lord was crucified, buried, and resurrected, where the Spirit descended at Pentecost, is truly a source of joy to everyone who believes in Christ the

cornerstone and has experienced His salvation. As we said, we have to be careful not to read too much into the Psalms, but this exposition seems to fit with the ways in which Jesus and the New Testament writers referenced passages from this book.

The psalmist goes on from here to describe the work of God in protecting His city: “God, in her palaces, has made Himself known as a stronghold” (48:3). The people of Jerusalem, right up to the rulers (i.e., those “in her palaces”), knew that God was the protector of the city. They were not taking credit for its defense, but praising God for making Himself their stronghold.

He then spells out God’s work of protection: “For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together. They saw it, then they were amazed; they were terrified, they fled in alarm. Panic seized them there, anguish, as of a woman in childbirth. With the east wind You break the

ships of Tarshish. As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish her forever” (48:4-8).

When the enemies of God’s people gathered together to overthrow Jerusalem, they were shaken to their core and fled. The image of childbirth alludes to something sudden. This fits with the story of Sennacherib, who boasted of his strength and the size of his army until, “it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh” (2 Kings 19:35-36).

We see that God crushes the works of men when they are set against His purposes—even the great “ships of Tarshish” (a merchant power in present-day

Spain) are broken and lost by the simplest forces of God’s creation, the wind and waves. In the same way, what of the works of men God chooses to use for His purposes He “will establish…forever.” The people of Jerusalem had seen the hand of God so clearly in their preservation, and they recognized that the city belonged to Him and was preserved by Him according to His plan.

The psalmist then moves from description to praise: “We have thought on Your lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Your temple. As is Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness” (48:9-10). What other proper response could there be to so great a deliverance? The people recognized God’s great mercy in preserving them—that He did what He did not for them, per se, but for His great glory. They were protected because to allow the city to fall at

that time would have brought scorn on His name over the whole earth.

The praise extends to an exhortation for the whole city and nation to consider God’s works and worship Him: “Let Mount Zion be glad, Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments. Walk about Zion and go around her; count her towers; consider her ramparts; Go through her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation” (48:11-13). The psalmist urges the people to rejoice at God’s mercy, but also to walk through the city to see the glory of God reflected in the beauty of its architecture and the strength of its defenses. He wants them to praise God for the salvation of His city and the preservation of His people to their children and their children’s children, whose very existence is a reminder of God’s continued blessing.

The lesson for us is the same. Take stock of your life. What of yours has not

come from the Lord’s hand? What good has come to you that wasn’t authored by Him and protected by Him from the world and the devil? When we consider ourselves rightly in this way, we, too, recognize that our lives are not our own, but serve to glorify Him. We should likewise praise Him, find all our joy in Him, and proclaim His faithfulness from generation to generation. God is our solid foundation, and He will not forsake those whose life is found in Him. “For such is God, our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death” (48:14).

Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine for AMG International in

Chattanooga, Tenn.

___________________________________Points to Ponderby David L. Olford

The Communication of a Living Hope

Text: “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

Thought: The context for understanding this wonderful verse is that of a hostile environment and possible suffering for faith in Christ. Even within such a context, especially within this context, we are to be ready to communicate to others the “living hope” that is ours in Christ. Notice carefully what Peter teaches about sharing the Christian’s hope. These words of Peter present a lifestyle that is our calling as people of faith and hope in Christ.

I. Inner Sanctification “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your

hearts….” Instead of being intimidated and controlled by outer fears and circumstances, we are to honor and submit to Christ as Lord in our hearts. Christ is to be our focus and our sovereign strength. He is to be honored as holy in the “temple” within us. Our outer witness starts with inner commitment.

II. Personal Preparation “…always being ready to make a

defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you….” The call to be ready “always” speaks of a true preparation of mind and life for the sharing of our hope in Christ. Having a “defense” means that we have an “apologetic” for our hope. We can answer questions and explain what our hope is and why we have it. We can give a reason, a

rational for our Christian life, faith and hope. Peter presented the basis or rational for a Christian hope and lifestyle in the first part of his letter (1:1-2:12).

Living a faithful obedient life will raise questions on the part of watching people around us, even if they are skeptical or hateful. The Christian needs to be able to answer these questions with explanations of what he or she believes, why he or she believes it, and why it provides hope in the midst of this life. The Christian needs to give an answer that ultimately points to Christ, and the hope that is found in Him.

III. Authentic Communication “…yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” How we say what we say is

extremely important as is the lifestyle that backs it up.

“Gentleness”—there is no place for arrogance or fleshly forcefulness. A sense of submission to the Lord should be communicated and gracious humility should fill our lives. It is possible to say the right words, but to say them in a way that raises more questions than are answered. An obnoxious witness somehow has lost touch with the Savior and His grace.

“Reverence”—there is no place for irreverence towards God, or ridicule or high-mindedness towards others. Reverence in life and communication will result in respect towards others, even if they are people who are difficult or dangerous.

“Good conscience”—our behavior before a watching world should enable us to speak for Christ without a sense of hypocrisy or the concern that our “bad” behavior might be found out. Even though

challenged and accused of things (of doing evil), these accusations should not be able to stand. Such a God-honoring lifestyle with a good conscience is critical, if we seek to have a clear and authentic communication of the Gospel that will be truly heard by the people with whom we speak.

Thrust: So, Peter calls us to live in the light of our “Living Hope,” and to be able to share the basis of this hope in a hostile world. Such “Gospel” communication calls for a personal dedication and preparation that should characterize our lives day by day. We must look to the Lord Himself to enable us to live and speak in the light of our gospel and hope in Christ.

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

Olford Center in Memphis, Tennessee.___________________________________The Story behind the Song

by Lindsay Terry

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 1959, Kurt joined Word, Inc., as director of artists and repertoire and later became vice president and director of music. It was not until 1969 that he got the opportunity to try his hand at serious writing. He and Ralph Carmichael co-wrote a musical, Tell It Like It Is, out of which came Kurt’s very popular “Pass It On.” After that he continued to write very seriously, and since that time he has written more than four hundred songs.Following is Kurt’s account of the writing of his most popular song: “Through the years I have been in the habit of keeping my ears tuned to things that people say, a phrase that may give me an idea for a song. I’ll write

it down quickly. I may come across a musical motive or a lyrical idea that I can file away in a special place in my office. Occasionally I will pull these things out and look at them. One day I came across this line, ‘Oh, how He loves you and me,’ and I wrote it down. I remember very well writing it across the top of a piece of manuscript paper, and that’s all I had.

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

“The Copyright Office in Washington said that there was not enough original lyric to warrant the granting of a copyright. I was extremely disappointed, because I knew the song was very singable. A couple of days

went by, and I decided to write a companion verse, or a second set of lyrics. I sent it back to Washington, and this time I got the copyright.”

“Oh, How He Loves You and Me” has traveled far and wide and into the hearts of millions of people. Many hymnals and chorus books have included it, as well as numerous choral collections. There is no telling how many times it has been recorded since it was written in 1975.

In the opinion of this writer, the second “set of lyrics,” or the second verse gives marvelous support to the original song. The message of Christ’s journey to Calvary, showing just how much He loves you and me, is truly soul-stirring.

The strongest drive that manifests itself within the breast of every human being is the need to be loved by someone. Only when we get to heaven will we be able to understand God’s love for us—the real

meaning of the cross of Jesus Christ. “Oh, how He loves you; oh, how He loves me.”

© 2008 by Lindsay Terry. Used by permission.

Lindsay Terry has been a song historian for more than 40 years, and has written widely on the background of great hymns and worship songs including the books I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (2008), from which this piece is excerpted, and The Sacrifice of Praise (2002).___________________________________Church Buildersby Bernard R. DeRemer

Mongolian Pioneer: James Gilmour

James Gilmour (1843-91), Scottish Congregational pioneer missionary to

Mongolia, attended the University of Glasgow as well as other schools.

“Because some of his classes came too early for train service, he walked to school in the morning. Later he furnished a small house which belonged to his father in the city, and prepared his breakfast and other meals as he thought best. He was especially bright in Latin and Greek, the secret of his success being in his ‘unspeakable value’ placed on time. He never willfully lost an hour. Though having money he was very economical.”

“He selected missionary service because the workers abroad were fewer than at home, and ‘to me the soul of an Indian seemed as precious as the soul of an Englishman, and the Gospel as much for the Chinese as the European.’

“When he offered himself as a missionary to the London Missionary Society he was sent to Cheshunt Congregational

Theological College (14 miles north of London) for further training. He studied his Bible with such great earnestness that it was said that ‘his soul became all aflame with love for the perishing heathen.’ His zeal shone brightly at home, too. He would go out evenings alone and conduct open-air preaching services or talk to laborers by the roadside or in the field about the things of Christ.”

The London Missionary Society appointed him to reopen the long suspended mission in Mongolia, and in 1870, he left for the field. After studying Chinese, he plunged into his work in that remote and isolated country.

For 12 years he spent summers with the nomadic Mongols, “acquiring their language by listening…and conversing with them, adopting their dress, living in their tents and eating their food….” He dispensed simple medicines to help win their

confidence and sought to make himself one of them.

During harsh winters he lived at Peking, seeking out Mongols who came to the city and witnessing to them at every opportunity.

In 1874 he married Emily Prankard, who willingly shared Gilmour’s experiences and dangers. In 1882, because of her health, he made a trip to England, during which he wrote Among the Mongols.

In 1883 he returned to the field and welcomed his only convert from the nomadic Mongols. His wife died in 1885, leaving him with three small boys, whom he sent back to England for the care of others.

Then he took up work with the agricultural Mongols. As a lay doctor with no formal medical training he carried on an “extensive and effective” ministry. He also wrote Gilmour and His Boys and continued his rugged work until his death.

“Few missionaries have ever given themselves with more abandon and sacrifice than did James Gilmour for the Mongols.”

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, 1962.Wikipedia, “James Gilmour (missionary”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gilmour_(missionary)

___________________________________Counselor’s Cornerby James Rudy Gray

Out of Focus

The phrase “out of focus” may not be applied to a professional diagnosis, but it seems to be a common problem among professing Christians who find themselves troubled in spirit.

When we think in terms of our calling as disciples, we are stuck with a fundamental reality: We are called to learn truth from Jesus and to follow (obey) Jesus. Yet, we are bombarded with so many distractions, allurements, and temptations that we find ourselves easily losing this disciple focus.

The simple truth is that Jesus is first place in a true disciple’s life. God has made it abundantly clear throughout Scripture that we are to have no other gods before Him. Matthew 6:33 tells us that we are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Hebrews 12:2 warns us to “fix our eyes on

Jesus.” When we fail to obey the basic call of a disciple, we soon lose focus. When Christ is no longer the focus our lives, others things (often conflicting things) become the focus. The inconsistency becomes apparent because, when Jesus Christ is not the focus, the focus on other things changes with rapidity or we become obsessed (slaves to sin).

It is amazing what a disciple attitude can do for our perspective toward our problems and our duty to make other disciples. When He is the focus, other things are somewhat out of focus and yet we see life more clearly. When He is not the focus, nothing is really in focus and we see life through distorted lens.

In Mark 8:24-26, Jesus summoned His disciples to Him and said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will

lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”

I am convinced that much of the emotional turmoil and difficulty we face in our hearts as professed believers in Jesus Christ is due to our lives being out of focus. When we truly see Him as God and seek to honor Him as Lord, we will see life differently. It is not simply a new perspective, it is the right perspective. It is the outlook that brings us real and abundant life.

It is so easy to drift. It takes discipline to stay focused. In any endeavor in life, discipline brings with it positive dividends. Jesus has to be first place in a disciple’s life. When He is, everything else will usually fall into place.

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

pastor of Utica Baptist Church in Seneca, S.C.

___________________________________Book Review—6/27/11

How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home, Derek W. H. Thomas, 2011, Reformation Trust Publishing, Lake Mary, Fla., ISBN 9781567692563, 157 pages, $15.00, hardcover.

It has been well said that the book of Romans is “the Gospel according to Paul,” because of his comprehensive overview of the story of man’s redemption from the fall to glory. More so than any other chapter in

Scripture, Romans 8, the center of Paul’s letter, distills the grand narrative and powerful truths of the Gospel into a few verses packed with meaning. For this reason, many (possibly) most hold one or more of its passages as their favorite verses. Also for this reason, it ranks as one of few chapters in Scripture that can support a commentary on its own, independent of the book as a whole.

It is with that in mind that Derek Thomas offers theological meditations on Romans 8 in The Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home. Over eleven chapters Thomas expounds on our great and living hope: the work of Christ in Salvation, our adoption and protection by God, the intercession of Christ and the Spirit, and the response of believers through mortification of sin, submission, and prayer.

Though Thomas’ scholarship and depth of reasoning are clearly evident here,

this book is not a commentary “for commentary sake.” It beats with a pastor’s heart for understanding and application (it was even born out of a series of sermons), reading not as an academic study, but as an impassioned appeal for Christians to soak in the truth of the Gospel that it is by God’s grace that His Son was given for our sins and that His Spirit lives within us to bind us to Him. Because of this style, the book would be an excellent choice for a personal, family, or small group study.

Thomas is quick to remind us that this Gospel spelled out so beautifully by Paul in this chapter is the heartbeat of our faith, and that we can never devote too much time and energy to telling and retelling its mysteries to God’s great glory. Indeed the cross of Christ is the center point of all God’s creation and character, as Paul writes, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him

freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). How could we spend our energies on anything less?

Justin Lonas

Target: AllType: Gospel/SoteriologyTake: Highly Recommended ___________________________________News Update—6/27/11

Brutal Beheading: Taliban Murder Afghan Christian

Afghans are warning of dire consequences for the country’s tiny Christian population as some American forces prepare to leave Afghanistan. As a recent, gruesome incident makes clear, the danger for anyone turning from Islam in Afghanistan is not over.

A video released in recent weeks, and made available to WORLD Magazine this week by two separate Afghan sources, shows four Afghan militants beheading a man believed to be a Christian in Herat Province. The militants, who claim to be Taliban, captured the victim, a man in his 40s named Abdul Latif, earlier this year from his village outside Enjeel, a town south of Herat.

In the video, they read a paper degree condemning him for leaving Islam and sentencing him to death. They then carry out the sentence on the video. Many Christians are critical of the Karzai government, but fear a Taliban return to power more.

Religion Today SummariesHostile Rhetoric Turns Up Heat on Iranian Christians

Increased public statements against Christianity in Iran have intensified

pressures on Christians, sources said, but that’s not all. At their core, the statements reflect Islamic leaders’ dismay with the growth of house churches and may signal dissension within Iran’s leadership.

“The reality is most of the house churches are so hidden that the government can’t do anything, and they know it,” said a regional expert who requested anonymity, Compass Direct News reports. “They just see how the house churches are still growing.”

In May, Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi said authorities have not done enough to quench the growth of Christian house churches, considering the “massive funding” the government has spent toward that end. Experts believe public attacks on Christians resulted in the arrest of more than 120 Iranian Christians between December and January.

Religion Today Summaries

Sudanese Bishop Fears Genocide after Independence

The Bishop of Kadugli, Sudan, is calling upon Christians worldwide to pray and fast ahead of South Sudan’s secession on July 9. Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail has warned of a possible “genocide” in the Nuba Mountains region, where violence has broken out in recent weeks.

Christian Today reports that the area has many Christian residents, but will be under the control of the Muslim North after South Sudan becomes an independent country.

“Once again we are facing the nightmare of genocide of our people in a final attempt to erase our culture and society from the face of the earth,” said Bishop Elnail. North Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes by the

International Criminal Court, has said the North will be under sharia law after July 9. 

Religion Today Summaries

India Expels Three U.S. Christians for “Proselytizing”

Indian authorities asked three American Christian women, including a 15-year-old girl, to leave the country after Hindu organizations accused them of attempting to convert non-Christians.

ASSIST News Service reports the women were accused of offering them incentives in Alappuzha district, Kerala State. Indian police admitted they do not have any evidence, but they still asked them to leave because the Christian women were getting ready to attend prayer sessions.

ICC reported that Asok Kumar, a superintendent of police in Alappuzha District said, “Their tourist visa does not allow them to attend any meeting, including

prayer sessions. We were not clear about their intentions. That is why we asked them to leave the country, and they agreed.”

Religion Today Summaries

NBC Apologizes for Cutting ‘Under God’ from Pledge

NBC broadcasters and executives have been trying to backpedal since the network aired a segment on Sunday that cut “under God, indivisible” from the Pledge of Allegiance.

According to CNN, the omission happened in a video montage during the U.S. Open golf coverage and incited almost instant criticism. NBC’s Dan Hicks apologized for the edit on air just three hours after it happened.

“It was not done to upset anyone and we’d like to apologize to those of you who were offended by it,” he said. Chris McCloskey, vice president for NBCUniversal

Sports and Olympics, addressed the incident again in a statement Monday. “We are aware of the distress this has caused many of our viewers and are taking the issue very seriously….This was a bad decision.”

Religion Today Summaries

Turmoil in Middle East Continues, Christians Nervous

Six months after the Arab Spring began, Open Doors USA reports that many believers are living in fear and dream of emigration. In Libya, most Christians have fled the country.

According to church leadership in Tripoli last week, 75 percent of the believers in their fellowship have left. However, all the leaders have remained. They further state that life has become much more complicated because prices of food are skyrocketing.

In nearby Algeria, the government has stepped up its campaign against Christians. Eight churches were forcibly closed down in the area of Bejaja, while one Algerian believer was sentenced to five years in prison for handing out a Bible to a neighbor; a sentence without precedent in the entire region. The Christian minority in Algeria makes up less than one tenth of one percent of the population.

Religion Today Summaries___________________________________Sermon HelpsFrom www.sermonhall.com

Sermon Outlines:God’s Provision for Our PerfectionMatthew 5:48 Intro: The Greek word for “perfect” is tēleios, meaning “having reached its end, finished, complete, full-grown.” The Christian ideal is

perfection, or completeness. How do we get there?I. The Scriptures Are Provided for Perfection

A. 2 Timothy 3:15-17.B. This is why studying, hearing,

meditating, and discussion of the Bible is vital.II. Preaching & Teaching Are Provided for Perfection

A. Paul preached to present every man perfect in Christ (Col. 1:28).

B. This is why teachers and preachers should be diligent in preparation, and listeners should be attentive and responsive.

III. The Church Is Provided for PerfectionA. Christ gave leaders “for the

perfecting of the saints” (Eph. 4:11-16).B. Important that leaders function in

their God-given offices.IV. Prayer Is Provided for Perfection

A. Epaphras prayed for others to be “perfect and complete” (Col. 4:12).

B. Paul prayed for perfection in Christians’ lives (1 Thess. 3:10).V. God’s Working in Us Is Provided for Perfection (Heb. 13:20-21)

A. Through trials (James 1:2-4).B. Through suffering (1 Pet. 5:10).C. Through weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

Conclusion: Our attitude should be that of Philippians 3:8-15. Our hope should be that of Hebrews 12:23.

Victor Knowles

Preparation to WitnessActs 1:8I. The Power: “But ye shall receive power”II. The Provision: “After that the Holy ghost is come upon you”III. The Prospect: “And ye shall be witnesses unto me”

IV. The Places: “In Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Croft M. Pentz

Illustrations:The Indestructible Word

Antiochus Epiphanes, perhaps the cruelest tyrant the world has ever known, was furious in his hatred of the Scriptures. He had a search conducted for all the Hebrew manuscripts and had them all burned to ashes. He then issued a proclamation throughout Judea that every Jew who had a copy of the Old Testament should deliver it up to be destroyed or else be executed. But many of the devout preserved their manuscripts at the risk of their lives. Today, Bible publishers print and circulate millions of Bibles in all languages of the earth. It is the Word of God, and lives and abides forever!

Anonymous

Salt of the EarthIn his early remarks during what we

call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes His disciples as “the salt of the earth.” Notice this verse carefully: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men” (Matt. 5:13). Jesus takes it for granted that all understood the uselessness of salt that is incapable of preserving and flavoring. “Throw it away!” is His advice for useless salt.

The application to Christians is clearly seen. God put us here to preserve and flavor His world. If we are not doing that, what good are we to Him or others?

In A.D. 252, a killing plague swept through the North African city of Carthage.

The heathens threw the dead in the streets and fled the city in fear for their lives. Cyprian, leader of the church in Carthage, marshaled the saints and they began burying the dead and nursing the sick. Their action saved the city and thrust the church into prominence in the minds of its citizens.

Good people are salting the earth and preserving the creation of God. They are lighting the world and glorifying the God who made it. I have a question: If we are not salting this earth and lighting this world, then why are we here?

Anonymous

Bulletin Inserts:On ChristWe must live for Christ here if we would live with Him hereafter.

Live as if Christ died yesterday, arose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow.

Anonymous

Jesus calls not those on whom He can build, but those for whom He can become the very foundation of their lives.

Spiros Zodhiates

It is the work of the shepherd to seek the lost. Who ever heard of a sheep seeking a lost shepherd?

D. L. Moody

I am more interested in the Rock of Ages than in the ages of rocks.

William Jennings Bryan

Jesus Christ never met an unimportant person. That is why God sent His Son to die for us. If someone dies for you, you must be important.

M. C. Cleveland via Book of Living Quotations

In the presence of the Holy, silence is more fitting than even hymns of praise.

If you are weak and heavy-laden, you know where to go for rest.

These two from R. Whitson Seaman

A man may go to heaven without health, without riches, without honors, without learning, without friends, but he can never go there without Christ.

John Dyer

No gift is more needed by a dying world than a living Savior.

Croft M. Pentz

___________________________________Puzzles and ‘Toons

Church ‘Toons by Joe McKeever

Answers to last issue’s puzzles:

Father Abraham and Hidden WisdomBy Mark Oshman

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, December 1993

Hidden Wisdom on next page