Pastoral Resources

Arthur Gordon writes in A Touch Of Wonder: “There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of one candle....

“This inscription was found on a small, new grave stone after a devastating air raid on Britain in World War II. Some thought it must be a famous quotation, but it wasn’t. The words were written by a lonely old woman whose pet had been killed by a Nazi bomb.

“I have always remembered those words, not so much for their poetry and imagery as for the truth they contain. In moments of discouragement, defeat or even despair, there are always certain things to cling to. Little things, usually: remembered laughter, the face of a sleeping child, a tree in the wind—in fact, any reminder of something deeply felt or dearly loved.

“No man is so poor as not to have many of these small candles. When they are lighted, darkness goes away...and a touch of wonder remains.”

A backslidden member of Dr. Philips Brooks' parish called at the study to request that his name be dropped from the roll. Dr. Brooks reminded him that the step he proposed was a serious one and appealed to him to reconsider. However, the man was insistent.

Just then a poorly dressed boy entered the study with a note scribbled in pencil on crumpled paper. After Dr. Brooks read it, he challenged his visitor: "My friend, this note is from a poor, sick woman who is requesting that I visit her. I must go to preach a funeral message in a few minutes. Would you be good enough to go along with this lad to his home and supply whatever his mother needs?"

"Certainly, Dr. Brooks, I shall gladly do that for you and for her," was the answer.

He followed the lad down the wide street into narrower streets and finally, into an alley. The boy stopped at a shanty whose half-open door, held by one hinge, led into an unlighted room. When the stranger stepped in, the half-blinded woman welcomed him, "Oh, Dr. Brooks, I knew you would come! You are God's man. You always come to the call of trouble. I am sick and hungry, but first I want you to pray for me. Please pray."

The backslider had not prayed in years. Should he tell her that he was not Dr. Brooks? While he was hesitating, she pleaded, "Oh, pray for me." His heart would not let him refuse the request. He dropped on his knees. Following his first sentence which was a petition for himself in his own backslidden condition, he prayed for her and closed the prayer. Then he explained, "My dear woman you have discovered by this time I am not Dr. Brooks. He is conducting a funeral and he sent me to help you. Oh, how you have helped me! What do you need?"

She told him anything would be appreciated. There was no food, fuel, or medicine. Accompanied by the son, they went to a store, filled a basket with fruit and goodies which the lad carried home. He then ordered and charged to himself, groceries, medicine, and coal to be delivered.

Hurrying back to the pastor's study, the man, no longer a backslider, found Dr. Brooks in his study. Renewed in spirit, the man extended his hand and said softy, "Oh, Dr. Brooks, I do not want to be dropped from the roll: I am all right now sir, I am all right."

The raising and transformation of a person who has died. Resuscitation means the bringing back of people to this life after they have left it, for example, the raising of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-15) or of Lazarus (John 11). Resurrection is more than that. Jesus rose on the third day after he died, but his new body was transformed. It was not subject to the limitations of his former earthly life (Luke 24:16, 31; John 20:19). Jesus’ resurrection, following his atoning death, is central to the Christian faith (1 Cor. 15:14-19). Believers, too, will be resurrected (1 Thess. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:42-57).

A man once bought a home with a tree in the backyard. It was winter, and nothing marked this tree as different from any other tree. When spring came, the tree grew leaves and tiny pink buds. HOW WONDERFUL, thought the man. A FLOWER TREE! I WILL ENJOY ITS BEAUTY ALL SUMMER. But before he had time to enjoy the flowers, the wind began to blow and soon all the petals were strewn in the yard. WHAT A MESS, he thought. THIS TREE ISN’T ANY USE AFTER ALL. The summer passed, and one day the man noticed the tree was full of green fruit the size of large nuts. He picked one and took a bite. “Bleagh!” he cried and threw it to the ground. “What a horrible taste! This tree is worthless. Its flowers are so fragile the wind blows them away, and its fruit is terrible and bitter. When winter comes, I’m cutting it down. But the tree took no notice of the man and continued to draw water from the ground and warmth from the sun and in late fall produced crisp red apples. Some of us see Christians with their early blossoms of happiness and think they should be that way forever. Or we see bitterness in their lives, and we’re sure they will never bear the better fruit of joy. Could it be that we forget some of the best fruit ripens late?

Someone asked an elderly Scotswoman what she thought of Robert Murray McCheyne's preaching. She hesitated for a moment, then replied, "He preaches as if he was a-dying to have you saved." Is that our spirit? Those who watch us will know. How appropriate was Spurgeon's advice to a young minister who complained of the smallness of his congregation: "It is as large a one as you will want to give account for in the Day of Judgment." The first thing others should discern in us, Paul says, is that we are servants of Christ-subservient, obedient to Him; that He is Master and we listen to what He says and do what He commands.

A Christian leader—we’ll call him Steve —was traveling recently by plane. He noticed that the man sitting two seats over was thumbing through some little cards and moving his lips. The man looked professorial with his goatee and graying brown hair, and Steve placed him at fifty-something. guessing the man was a fellow-believer, Steve leaned over to engage him in conversation. “Looks to me like you’re memorizing something,” he said. “No, actually I was praying,” the man said. Steve introduced himself. “I believe in prayer too,” he said. “Well, I have a specific assignment,” said the man with the goatee. “What’s that?” Steve asked. “I’m praying for the downfall of Christian pastors.” “I would certainly fit into that category,” Steve said. “Is my name on the list?” “Not on my list,” the man replied.

An unbeliever once asked a Christian, "If I told you that this child was born without the intervention of a human father, would you believe it?" After a little thought the Christian replied, "Yes, if he were able to grow up and live like Christ." In other words, Christ's sinless life, His death and resurrection make the virgin birth believable.

John Wesley and a preacher of his acquaintance were once invited to lunch with a gentleman after the service. Wesley's preacher friend was a man of very blunt speech. This well-meaning man, while talking with their host's beautiful daughter, who had been profoundly impressed by Wesley's preaching, noticed that she wore a number of rings. During a pause in the meal he took hold of the young lady's hand and raising it, called Wesley's attention to the sparkling gems. "What do you think of this, sir," he asked, "for a Methodist hand?" The girl turned crimson. The question was extremely awkward for Wesley whose aversion to all display of jewelry was well known. With a quiet, benevolent smile he looked up and simply said, "The hand is very beautiful." He had not denied the implied rebuke but had taken the sting out of it. The young lady appeared at evening worship without her jewels and became a firm and dedicated Christian.

1. Concise. It takes work to get a vision statement that can be stated in a sentence or two. But this also forces a group to choose very specific words to define the vision. Long, drawn-out vision statements are hard to remember and difficult to communicate.

2. Clear. Make sure your vision has clarity and is easily understood. For example, in the vision statement above, it is clear that the group wants to grow personally and in numbers as a group.

3. Consistent. Is the vision consistent with the overall mission of the church? Your vision statement for your group should somehow relate directly to the purpose of the church.

4. Compelling. Is your vision statement something you can sink your teeth into? Is it something worth rallying around? Does it reflect the passion of the group?

5. Easily communicated. Can the members of your group communicate the vision? The vision should be worded in such a way that the phrases or words are easily spoken and remembered. The vision statement above is organized around the concepts of spiritual growth, interpersonal growth, emotional growth and maturity, and numerical growth.

6. Collaborative. Was the vision statement developed in collaboration with the group? It is key that you work with your group members (or at least the regular attenders in some ministries) to develop a vision statement that reflects the values of the group as a whole. The more that people own the vision, the more they will make a commitment to it. Remember, the Scripture says, “Without vision, the people will perish.” Without a vision, the people in your group will wander aimlessly and sense a lack of purpose.

I thank Thee, Lord, as a volunteer

For the chance to serve another year.

And to give of myself in some small way,

To those not blessed as I each day.

My thanks for health and mind and soul,

To aid me ever toward my goal.

For eyes to see the good in all,

A hand to extend before a fall.

For legs to go where the need is great,

Learning to love-forgetting to hate.

For ears to hear and heart to care,

When someone's cross is hard to bear.

A smile to show my affection true,

With energy aplenty-the task to do.

And all I ask, dear Lord, if I may,

Is to serve you better day by day.

They say a wife and husband, bit by bit,

Can rear between themselves a mighty wall,

So thick they cannot speak with ease through it,

Nor can they see across it, it stands so tall.

Its nearness frightens them, but each alone

Is powerless to tear its bulk away;

and each Dejected wishes he had known

For such a wall, some magic thing to say.

So let us build with master art, my dear,

A bridge of love between your life and mine,

A bridge of tenderness, and very near,

A bridge of understanding, strong and fine.

Till we have formed so many lovely ties,

There never will be room for walls to rise.

Last October the Prince and Princess of Wales allowed TV cameras into their home to film them as a normal couple with their two children. During the interview Prince Charles described his job in these terms: “It, more than anything else, is a way of life. It’s more than a job. It’s a complete, 24-hour-a-day business, really.”

Leadership in any organization—whether in the local church or in some other Christian activity—is never just a job. It is always a way of life, demanding from those who would be leaders a 24-hour-a-day commitment. The leader, in a sense, must always be on the job, deciding, directing and developing the work that has been entrusted to him while at the same time encouraging those in the work.

"How much is your salary?" a Muslem asked a mission school teacher who had once followed the crescent instead of the cross. "Five dollars a week," was the answer. "Why, you could get ten times that in a government school!" "Yes, but I do not teach for money; I teach for God." "Well-are those all the clothes the missionaries provide? Don't you have a robe also?" The humble teacher looked down at his cotton shirt and trousers. "No, these are sufficient," he replied. The Muslem shook his head. "I never thought there was anything to this Jesus religion," he observed thoughtfully, "but there must be if a man will give up his robe and his lawful wage for it." Could it be that the gospel is impeded because we are more concerned about food and clothing than reaching others with the gospel of the grace of God? This is what Christ meant when He said, "Woe unto you that are full!"

A little snail that lived by the ocean noticed with envy the big, beautiful shell in which the lobster lived. "What a grand palace the lobster carries on his back! I wish I lived in his place," whined the little snail. "Oh, wouldn't my friends admire me in that shell!"

In time a wonderful thing occurred. The watching, envious snail beheld the lobster walk right out of his shell to grow up in another, larger one. When the empty lobster shell lay neglected on the beach the snail said, "Now I shall have my wish." And he boasted to all his friends that he was going to take up residence in a grand palace.

The birds and the animals then watched the snail pull himself loose from his own little shell and proudly crawl into the towering lobster shell. He huffed, puffed, blew, and gasped in an effort to make himself fit. But with all his efforts he felt very small inside the grand lobster shell. He grew tired, too. That night he died because the large, empty shell was so cold.

A wise old crow then said to the younger crows, "You see! That's what comes of envy. What you have is enough. Be yourself and save yourself from a lot of trouble. How much better to be a little snail in a comfortable shell than to be a little snail in a big shell and freeze to death!"

Far up the Amazon River, a Baptist missionary was using a flannelgraph to aid her in telling a group of school children about Jesus. As she talked, an elderly man with stooped shoulders and gray hair joined the children. He listened with rapt attention as the missionary told the story of God's grace as it is revealed in Christ. After the children were dismissed, the old man came up to the missionary with this question: "May I ask, Madam, if this interesting and intriguing story is true?" "Of course," the missionary said, "it is in the Word of God." With countenance and voice revealing his doubt, the old gentleman said, "This is the first time in my life that I have ever heard that one must give his life to Jesus to have forgiveness from sin and to have life with God forever." Then with a note of finality he concluded, "This story cannot be true or else someone would have come before now to tell it. I am an old man. My parents lived their lives and died without ever having heard this message. It cannot be true or someone would have come sooner." Although she tried hard, the missionary could not convince the old gentleman of this truth from God's Word. Turning to make his way back into the darkness of the jungle and the darkness of sin, he kept repeating the words, "It cannot be true; it cannot be true, or someone would have come sooner."

I wish there were some wonderful place

called the Land of Beginning Again,

Where all of our past mistakes and heartaches,

And all of our poor selfish grief,

Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door

And never be put on again.

The Personnel Journal reported this incredible statistic: since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight percent of the time! In its study, the periodical discovered that of 3530 years of recorded history, only 286 years saw peace. Moreover, in excess of 8000 peace treaties were made—and broken.

How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from the inside. But, how does he get in there? Simple. An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out.

Sin, like the worm, begins in the heart and works out through the person's thoughts, word and actions. For this reason, David once wrote, "Create in me a clean heart, O God."

A year untried before me lies.

What it shall bring of strange surprise,

Of joy, or grief, I cannot tell;

But God my Father knoweth well

I make no concern of mine,

But leave it all with Love divine.

The sun may shed no light by day,

No stars at night illumine my way.

My soul shall still have no affright

Since God is all my life and light.

Though all the earthly lights grow dim,

He walks in light who walks with Him.

No ill can come but He can cure,

No word doth all of good insure:

He’ll see me through the journey’s length,

For daily need give daily strength!

"I refused a date to the movies, choosing rather to go to the Wednesday night prayer meeting.

"When I arrived, I looked for several people who were important to me.

"I looked for my Sunday school teacher-but he was not there. I looked for the familiar faces of a couple of deacons whom I knew-but they were not there. I looked for several of the members who seemed to be spiritually real and who had greeted me warmly at the Sunday morning services-but they were not there.

"Perhaps, these Christian friends do not think the Wednesday night services are so very important. I guess next Wednesday night I will go to the movies."

Was this young man from your church?

Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped—but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.

A short time after the tragedy, Bruce’s father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets:

“I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community over the loss of our son Bruce. We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion. We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his brief time on campus.”

Mr. Goodrich went on: “I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, ‘Why did this happen?’ perhaps one answer will be, ‘So that many will consider where they will spend eternity. ‘“

A. B. Simpson is reported to have said that the gospel “Tells rebellious men that God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been atoned for, that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked, the condemnation of the sinner canceled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the gates of hell closed, the portals of heaven opened wide, the power of sin subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the broken heart comforted, the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone.

In Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer attempts to reconcile the seemingly contradictory beliefs of God’s sovereignty and man’s free will:

“An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by proper authorities. Nothing can change it. This is at least a faint picture of sovereignty.

“On board the liner are scores of passengers. These are not in chains, neither are their activities determined for them by decree. They are completely free to move about as they will. They eat, sleep, play, lounge about on the deck, read, talk, altogether as they please; but all the while the great liner is carrying them steadily onward toward a predetermined port.

“Both freedom and sovereignty are present here, and they do not contradict. So it is, I believe, with man’s freedom and the sovereignty of God. The mighty liner of God’s sovereign design keeps its steady course over the sea of history.”

- Douglas G. Gerrard

1. Aaron, a teacher, or the mountain of
   fortitude; so is Christ the true teacher of
   God's Word.
   
2. Aaron was Moses's month to the
   people ; so is Christ His Father's mouth to
   men, declaring His will and mind to them.
   
3. Aaron was the blesser of the people
   (Lev. 9:22); so is Christ the true blesser
   of His people (Acts 4:27).
   
4. Aaron was the high priest of the
   Lord; Jesus Christ is the only true High
   Priest of the Church.
   
5. Aaron died upon the mount; Christ
   was crucified on Mount Calvary. `

Being criticized is not a problem if you develop a positive way of dealing with it. Winston Churchill had the following words of Abe Lincoln framed on the wall of his office:

“I do the very best I can, I mean to keep going. If the end brings me out all right, then what is said against me won’t matter. If I’m wrong, ten angels swearing I was right won’t make a difference.”

In 1858 the Illinois legislature—using an obscure statute—sent Stephen A. Douglas to the U.S. Senate instead of Abraham Lincoln, although Lincoln had won the popular vote. When a sympathetic friend asked Lincoln how he felt, he said, “Like the boy who stubbed his toe: I am too big to cry and too badly hurt to laugh.”

An English woman illustrated what it means to have Christ between us and danger. She said she was wakened by a very strange noise of pecking. When she went to the window, she saw a butterfly flying inside the window pane in great fright; outside a sparrow was pecking at the pane and trying to reach the butterfly. The butterfly did not see the glass pane and expected every minute to be caught; the sparrow did not see the glass and expected every minute to catch the butterfly. All the while the butterfly was safe because the glass was between it and the sparrow.

So it is with the Christian who is abiding in Christ. God's presence is between His child and every danger.

The ambition of a man of parts is very often disappointed for the want of some common quality, by the assistance of which men with very moderate abilities are capable of making a great figure.

There was a man who was saved by grace from strong drink. He was seen one day by the tavern keeper, whom he knew only too well, carrying a sewing machine to his wife. "Come and have a drink," cried the tavern keeper. "It will strengthen you." "No, no," replied the former customer. "I've seen the day when I could not carry a dollar past your door; but since God saved me I can carry a whole sewing machine."

The Court’s justification for removing Bible reading from public schools. The Court at this time declared that only 3% of the nation professed no belief in religion, no belief in God. Although this prayer was consistent with 97% of the beliefs of the people of the United States, the Court decided for the 3% against the majority.

When you’re raised in the country, hunting is just a natural part of growing up. For years I enjoyed packing up my guns and some food to head off into the woods. Even more than the hunting itself, I enjoyed the way these trips always seemed to deepen my relationship with friends as we hunted during the day and talked late into the night around the campfire. When an old friend recently invited me to relive some of those days, I couldn’t pass up the chance. For several weeks before the trip, I had taken the time to upgrade some of my equipment and sight in my rifle. When the day came, I was ready for the hunt. What I wasn’t ready for was what my close friend, Tom, shared with me the first night out on the trail.

I always enjoyed the time I spent with Tom. He had become a leader in his church and his warm and friendly manner had also taken him many steps along the path of business success. He had a lovely wife, and while I knew they had driven over some rocky roads in their marriage, things now seemed to be stable and growing. Tom’s kids, two daughters and a son, were struggling in junior high and high school with the normal problems of peer pressure and acceptance.

As we rode back into the mountains, I could tell that something big was eating away at Tom’s heart. His normal effervescent style was shrouded by an overwhelming inner hurt. Normally, Tom would attack problems with the same determination that had made him a success in business. Now, I saw him wrestling with something that seemed to have knocked him to the mat for the count.

Silence has a way of speaking for itself. All day and on into the evening, Tom let his lack of words shout out his inner restlessness. Finally, around the first night’s campfire, he opened up.

The scenario Tom painted was annoyingly familiar. I’d heard it many times before in many other people’s lives. But the details seemed such a contract to the life that Tom and his wife lived and the beliefs they embraced.

His oldest daughter had become attached to a boy at school. Shortly after they started going together, they became sexually involved. Within two months, she was pregnant. Tom’s wife discovered the truth when a packet from Planned Parenthood came in the mail addressed to her daughter. When confronted with it, the girl admitted she had requested it when she went to the clinic to find out if she was pregnant.

If we totaled up the number of girls who have gotten pregnant out of wedlock during the past two hundred years of our nation’s history, the total would be in the millions. Countless parents through the years have faced the devastating news. Being a member of such a large fraternity of history, however, does not soften the severity of the blow to your heart when you discover it’s your daughter.

Tom shared the humiliation he experienced when he realized that all of his teaching and example had been ignored. Years of spiritual training had been thrust aside. His stomach churned as he relived the emotional agony of knowing that the little girl he and his wife loved so much had made a choice that had permanently scarred her heart.

I’m frequently confronted with these problems in my ministry and have found that dwelling on the promiscuous act only makes matters worse. I worship a God of forgiveness and solutions, and at that moment in our conversation I was anxious to turn toward hope and healing.

I asked Tom what they had decided to do. Would they keep the baby, or put it up for adoption? That’s when he delivered the blow.

With the fire burning low, Tom paused for a long time before answering. And even when he spoke he wouldn’t look me in the eye.

“We considered the alternatives, Tim. Weighed all the options.” He took a deep breath. “We finally made an appointment with the abortion clinic. I took her down there myself.”

I dropped the stick I’d been poking the coals with and stared at Tom. Except for the wind in the trees and the snapping of our fire it was quiet for a long time. I couldn’t believe this was the same man who for years had been so outspoken against abortion. He and his wife had even volunteered at a crisis pregnancy center in his city.

Heartsick, I pressed him about the decision. Tom then made a statement that captured the essence of his problem...and the problem many others have in entering into genuine rest. In a mechanical voice, he said “I know what I believe, Tim, but that’s different than what I had to do. I had to make a decision that had the least amount of consequences for the people involved.”

Just by the way he said it, I could tell my friend had rehearsed these lines over and over in his mind. And by the look in his eyes and the emptiness in his voice, I could tell his words sounded as hollow to him as they did to me.

According to a traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw an old man, weary from age and journey, coming toward him. Abraham rushed out, greeted him, and then invited him into his tent. There he washed the old man’s feet and gave him food and drink.

The old man immediately began eating without saying any prayer or blessing. So Abraham asked him, “Don’t you worship God?”

The old traveler replied, “I worship fire only and reverence no other god.”

When he heard this, Abraham became incensed, grabbed the old man by the shoulders, and threw him out his tent into the cold night air.

When the old man had departed, God called to his friend Abraham and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, “I forced him out because he did not worship you.”

God answered, “I have suffered him these eighty years although he dishonors me. Could you not endure him one night?”

- Thomas Lindberg

Many years ago a young Midwestern lawyer suffered from such deep depression that his friends thought it best to keep all knives and razors out of his reach. He questioned his life’s calling and the prudence of even attempting to follow it through. During this time he wrote, “I am now the most miserable man living. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell. I awfully forebode I shall not.”

But somehow, from somewhere, Abraham Lincoln received the encouragement he needed, and the achievements of his life thoroughly vindicated his bout with discouragement.

One afternoon in 1865, President Lincoln’s Cabinet entered a council room for a meeting and found the President seated at the head of the table, his face buried in his hands. Presently he raised his head. His face was grave and worn. “Gentlemen,” he said, “before long you will have important news.” Someone inquired, “Have you bad news, Mr. President? Is it something serious?”

“I have heard nothing; I’ve had no news,” he replied. “But last night I had a dream. I dreamed I was in a boat, alone. I had no oars, no rudder. I was helpless in a boundless ocean.”

There was silence for a moment. Then the President added: “I have had that dream many times during the war. And each time, some great battle came within a day or two. Yes, gentlemen, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in just a few hours, you will have important news.”

Five hours later, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

When he was an attorney, Abraham Lincoln was once approached by a man who passionately insisted on bringing a suit for $2.50against an impoverished debtor. Lincoln tried to discourage him, but the man was bent on revenge. When he saw that the man would not be put off, Lincoln agreed to take the case and asked for a legal fee of $10, which the plaintiff paid. Lincoln then gave half the money to the defendant, who willingly confessed to the debt and paid the $2.50! But even more amazing than Lincoln’ settlement was the fact that the irate plaintiff was satisfied with it.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, was born in 1809. A well-known writer says: "The worldwide interest in President Lincoln, from the time he left his home in Springfield, Illinois to take the presidential chair at Washington in 1861, and the universal and real sorrow for his untimely death on the 15th of April, 1865, are very pronounced. Even to this present day there exists among the different nationalities of the earth a great interest in this wise and benevolent ruler. President Lincoln had endeared himself to the hearts of millions by his human sympathy, great wisdom, and kindly acts toward friend and foe alike in the most critical and difficult periods of the history of the United States, and after his death this was more fully realized and appreciated by all."

When Lincoln left Springfield, in 1861, on his way to Washington to take the Presidency of the United States to which he was elected, he made the following farewell address: "My friends, no one not in my position can appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. Here I have lived for a quarter of a century, here my children were born, and here one of them lies buried. A duty devolves upon me which is greater perhaps than that which has devolved upon any other man since the days of Washington. He never would have succeeded except for the aid of Divine providence, upon which he at all times relied. I feel that I cannot succeed without the same Divine aid which sustained him, and on the same Almighty Being I place my reliance for support. Again I bid you all an affectionate farewell." These simple words, addressed to his friends and neighbors, plainly show a reliance upon God, and indicate a work of God in his soul at that time.

For family devotions, Martin Luther once read the account of Abraham offering Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. His wife, Katie, said, “I do not believe it. God would not have treated his son like that!”

“But, Katie,” Luther replied, “He did.”

While an estimated 74 percent of Americans strongly agree that “there is only one true God, who is holy and perfect, and who created the world and rules it today,” an estimated 65 percent either strongly agree or somewhat agree with the assertion that “there is no such thing as absolute truth.”

Flaw 4: Being exposed to sound Bible teaching automatically solves problems. Bible instruction alone will not result in instant solutions to problems. No matter how reliable the teaching or how gifted the teacher, the declaration of truth does not provide the removal of difficulties.

Think of the Scriptures as an absolutely accurate map. A map tells you how to get to a certain destination. But just looking at a map won’t automatically transport you to Arizona or England or Peru. Getting to those places means you have to make the effort…pay the cost…take the time for travel…stay at it until you arrive. In a word, persevere.

So it is in the Christian life. God’s map is reliable and available. It is also clear and direct. But there is no hocus-pocus in its pages that automatically sends its reader by way of a magic carpet. Please don’t misunderstand. I love God’s Word! I am more convinced than ever in my life that its trustworthy truths are of inestimable value. But although the Bible may be a trustworthy book, it is certainly no magic potion that you rub on yourself three times a day to chase the devil away. Nor is it something you take internally with a pious promise to God, hoping that the next morning you will suddenly know and experience all its truths.

There is no such “instant maturity” available on this earth. God does not offer a formula that produces fully mature Christians overnight. Christian growth comes through hard-core, gutsy perseverance (a forgotten word!) of applying what you hear and obeying it…and thereby learning how to handle those inevitable problems.

Little Johnny’s grandfather was something of a philosopher and never missed an opportunity to give out bits of sage advice to his grandson.

“Yessirree, Johnny,” he said one day, “remember, fools are certain, but wise men hesitate.”

“Are you sure, Grandpa?” asked Johnny.

“Yes, my boy,” said the old man, laying his gnarled hand on the youth’s head, “I’m absolutely certain.”

Two men who lived in a small village got into a terrible dispute that they could not resolve. So they decided to talk to the town sage.

The first man went to the sage’s home and told his version of what happened. When he finished, the sage said, “You’re absolutely right.”

The next night, the second man called on the sage and told his side of the story. The sage responded, “You’re absolutely right.”

Afterward, the sage’s wife scolded her husband. “Those men told you two different stories and you told them they were absolutely right. That’s impossible—they can’t both be absolutely right.”

The sage turned to his wife and said, “You’re absolutely right.”

Portion of American adults who don’t drink alcohol: 33%

Deep, earnest thoughts have often stirred in me on bodily abstinence, as the condition of helping the spirit through the strait gate of opposing animalism, into the sweet and holy Paradise element. There is an element of which Jesus is the Prince, and there is an element of which Satan is prince. While we appropriate the elements of the nethermost prince, we may be strong in the powers of nature, but perhaps not so strong in the life that is hid with Christ in God; for in the exercise and indulgence of our fleshly appetites we do not breathe deeply enough to inspire the holy element of our risen Prince. Finding that deep and holy spirit-breathing was suspended during bodily enjoyments, godly souls have often interdicted the gratifications of the flesh, in order to help their spirits in the God-ward direction.

Many a woman who thinks she has purchased a dress for a ridiculous price has actually bought it for an absurd figure.

It is absurd for the Evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make everything out of nothing, and then pretend that it is more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into anything.

Too many, Lord, abuse Thy grace

In this licentious day,

And while they boast they see Thy face,

They turn their own away.

Thy book displays a gracious light

That can the blind restore;

But these are dazzled by the sight,

And blinded still the more.

The pardon such presume upon,

They do not beg, but steal;

And when they plead it at Thy throne,

Oh! where’s the Spirit’s seal?

Was it for this, ye lawless tribe,

The dear Redeemer bled?

Is this the grace the saints imbibe

From Christ the living head?

Ah, Lord, we know Thy chosen few

Are fed with heavenly fare;

But these,—the wretched husks they chew,

Proclaim them what they are.

The liberty our hearts implore

Is not to live in sin;

But still to wait at Wisdom’s door,|

Till Mercy calls us in.

In revival services, a young evangelist preached the severity of God's judgment on many of societies' ills. In the spirit of love, the older and wiser pastor approached him after a service and instead of showering compliments on him, said simply, "Young man, don't kick the darkness, turn on the light."

It is common for homeowners to have many locks in their houses, each with different keys, but to have one master key which opens all. So the Lord has many treasuries and secrets all shut up from carnal minds with locks which they cannot open; but he who walks in fellowship with Jesus possesses the master key which will admit him to all the blessings of the covenant; yea, to the very heart of God. Through the Well-beloved we have access to God, to heaven, to every secret of the Lord.

The following are actual quotes from accident reports submitted to various insurance companies by hapless policyholders:

Coming home, I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don’t have.

The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intentions.

I thought my window was down, but found it was up when I put my hand through it.

I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.

The guy was all over the road; I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.

I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.

Many accidental deaths result from taking risks. That’s the conclusion of an organization in Canada that is seeking to decrease accidents between cars and trains. Roger Cyr, national director of Operation Lifesaver, puts most of the blame for fatalities on drivers who are risk-takers. “Studies have shown that when people hear a train whistle their minds tell them to accelerate their speed,” says Cyr. About 43 percent of the accidents occur at crossings equipped with flashing lights and bells or gates. Cyr also said that many drivers “even have the audacity to drive around or under gates.” They take the risk, thinking they can beat the train and somehow miss the collision—but with tragic consequences!

As a young man, film director Robert Flaherty spent many months in the far north looking for iron ore and cod. He found neither, but he did shoot 70,000 feet of film in his travels. Someone encouraged him to edit the film and make a documentary, which Flaherty spent weeks doing. But just as he finished, a match from his cigarette dropped among the celluloid, consuming the entire film and burning Flaherty badly. His response to the disaster was a determination to return to the far north and make a film of Eskimo life “that people will never forget.” He did just that, and the result was the classic 1922 documentary, Nanook of the North.

Have you ever heard of the spiritual disease which people in medieval times called accidie? It is something that threatens all Christian workers after the first flush of enthusiasm has worn off. It’s a form of sloth but not at the physical level. It is apathy of the soul. It shows in a certain toughness of mind and wariness of spirit which often results from hurt and disillusionment.

People with accidie in this sense have grown cynical about ideals, enthusiasms, and strong hopes. They look pityingly at young people and say, “They’ll learn,” taking it for granted that when they’ve learned, they’ll become tough inside too. Once upon a time these leather-souled people were keen, hopeful, and expectant. But nothing happened, or they got hurt, and now they protect themselves against pain by adopting cynical, world-weary attitudes.

If these people are ministers of churches, they work mechanically, merely going through the motions because their light has really gone out and they’re no longer expecting anything exciting to happen. They feel that they know from experience that exciting things don’t happen, and that’s an end of it. So they merely plod on, expecting nothing and receiving nothing.

But the Lord does not send us out on his work in order that nothing may happen. His word is intended to have impact; it’s sent out to accomplish something. We ought never to settle for a non-expectant, defeated attitude. Rather we should be asking and expecting great things from God.

God is willing to make any accommodations to have fellowship with us. Like becoming human. Illustration: A hospital patient was in an accident and is left with the sense of smell only. Her mother wanted to communicate her presence, so used a perfume the girl would remember as her mom’s. Now the perfume is not the mother’s essential nature, but is an extension of her real self to communicate on the girl’s level. God also is not essentially a body, but he became human. He extended Himself to communicate on our level so we could respond.

John Wesley’s father, Samuel, was a dedicated pastor, but there were those in his parish who did not like him. On February 9, 1709, a fire broke out in the rectory at Epworth, possibly set by one of the rector’s enemies. Young John, not yet six years old, was stranded on an upper floor of the building. Two neighbors rescued the lad just seconds before the roof crashed in. One neighbor stood on the other’s shoulders and pulled young John through the window. Samuel Wesley said, “Come, neighbors, let us kneel down. Let us give thanks to God. He has given me all my eight children. Let the house go. I am rich enough.”

John Wesley often referred to himself as a “brand plucked out of the fire” (Zech 3:2; Amos 4:11). In later years he often noted February 9 in his journal and gave thanks to God for His mercy. Samuel Wesley labored for 40 years at Epworth and saw very little fruit; but consider what his family accomplished!

1. Elijah raised the son of the Zarephath widow from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-22).

2. Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman from the dead (2 Kings 4:32-35).

3. A man was raised from the dead when his body touched Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:20, 21).

4. Many saints rose from the dead at the resurrection of Jesus (Matt. 27:50-53).

5. Jesus rose from the dead (Matt. 28:5-8; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:5, 6).

6. Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain from the dead (Luke 7:11-15).

7. Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Luke 8:41, 42, 49-55).

8. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44).

9. Peter raised Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-41).

10. Eutychus was raised from the dead by Paul (Acts 20:9, 10).

An unsaved farmer, who gloried in his unbelief, wrote a letter to a local newspaper saying, "Sir, I have been trying an experiment with a field of mine. I plowed it on Sunday. I planted it on Sunday. I cultivated it on Sunday. I reaped it on Sunday. I hauled it into my barn on Sunday. Now, Mr. Editor, what is the result? I have more bushels to the acre in that field than any of my neighbors have had this October." He expected some applause from the editor who did not profess to be an especially religious man. But underneath the letter the editor published the simple comment: "God does not always settle his accounts in October"-the day of reckoning will come in His appointed time.

Dr. Charles Ryrie says that according to the laws of chance, it would require two hundred billion earths, populated with four billion people each, to come up with one person whose life could fulfill one hundred accurate prophecies without any errors in sequence. Yet the Scriptures record not one hundred, but over three hundred prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ’s first coming alone.

From the French Enlightenment essayist, Michel de Montaigne, based on a proverb traced to the fourth century church father Jerome: Lying is indeed an accursed vice. We are men, and we have relations with one anther only by speech. If we recognized the horror and gravity of an untruth, we should more justifiably punish it with fire than any other crime. I commonly find people taking the most ill-advised pains to correct their children for their harmless faults, and worrying them about heedless acts which leave no trace and have no consequences. Lying—and in a lesser degree obstinacy—are, in my opinion, the only faults whose birth and progress we should consistently oppose. They grow with a child’s growth, and once the tongue has got the knack of lying, it is difficult to imagine how impossible it is to correct it.

A pig ate his fill of acorns under an oak tree and then started to root around the tree. A crow remarked, “You should not do this. If you lay bare the roots, the tree will wither and die.”

“Let it die,” said the pig. “Who cares as long as there are acorns?”

Our life in Christ can be compared to an aqueduct, the stone waterways that brought water from nearby mountains into parched cities in Italy and Spain, and that are still used in some countries today. The objective foundation of our spiritual lives, the Word of God, is like the huge stone aqueduct itself. The subjective elements, our daily experience of Christ, is like the fresh water flowing through it.

Some Christians neglect the Word and seek only the subjective experience. But without the solid Word of God to contain and channel that experience, the experience itself drains away into error and is lost.

Other Christians boast well-engineered aqueducts based on extensive knowledge of the Bible, but they are bone dry. They bring no refreshment. Strong spiritual lives require both a strong knowledge of the Word of God and an intimate daily relationship with Christ.

Legal term meaning “acquittal,” a declaration that someone is in the right.

Sinners are in the wrong before God. They have broken his laws, they deserve punishment, but on the cross Christ took their place. Now, when they put their trust in Christ, they are declared to be in the right, acquitted, justified. The cross shows God to be just, not simply in the fact that he forgives, but in the way he forgives. To pass over sins would show mercy, but it would not show justice. Forgiveness by the way of the cross shows both (Rom. 3:25-26).

In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote,

“Do not waste your time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.”

Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. “I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me.

Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan “Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you’ve convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt him.” With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!”

And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting “as if.” For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing.

When she didn’t return, Crane called. “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?”

“Divorce?” she exclaimed. “Never! I discovered I really do love him.”

Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds.

- J. Allan Petersen

An interesting phenomenon is occurring in our society. There is a high interest in salvation but a low interest in Christian living.

Recent studies show that church attendance on any given Sunday morning across this great land is at an all time high. There are more men, women, and children filling church pews on Sundays than at any time in our history.

However, the same studies show that moral standards are at an all time low. Some of these same church-goers are divorcing mates, aborting babies, cheating on spouses, drinking liquor, gambling paychecks, and abusing children at an unbelievably high rate.

What's the problem here?

In a recent class, the teacher may have given us a good hint as to what is happening.

He stated, "More people today want to 'Get Saved,'than want to 'Act Saved.'" He referred to this conflict as "Justification versus Sanctification."

We are reminded of the little girl who told a friend who was visiting her father that her brothers set traps to catch birds. He asked her what she did. She replied, "I prayed that the traps might not catch the birds." "Anything else?" "Yes," she said, "I prayed that God would keep the birds out of the traps." "Anything else?" "Yes, then I went and kicked the traps all to pieces." That little girl was bright enough to understand that life needed action as well as prayers.

I challenge those who come to me for marriage counseling this way: “If you do what I tell you to do for an entire month, I can promise you that by the end of the month, you will be in love with your mate. Are you willing to give it a try?”

When couples accept my challenge, the results are invariably successful. My prescription for creating love is simple: Do ten things each day that you would do if you really were in love. I know that if people do loving things, it will not be long before they experience the feelings that are often identified as being in love. Love is not those feelings. Love is what one wills to do to make the other person happy and fulfilled. Often, we don’t realize that what a person does influences what he feels.

He came from splendor to be born in poverty. He left the presence of angels, for the company of me. He laid down a scepter in heaven to be laid in a manger, and exchanged the worship of Arch-angels, for the praise of lowly shepherds.

He walked into the world with all the power of Almighty God at his bidding, but he was carried out a mutilated body lowered from a cross.

He rebuked the pious, but he comforted the sinner. He refused earthly Kingship, although he was still a King. He loved his mother yet gave her away at the Cross. He healed the broken-hearted, yet he himself, died with a broken heart.

He loved the fellowship of friends, yet was cast out by his kinsmen. He rebuked both sage and seer, then blessed the little children. He held an executive meeting on the Mount of Transfiguration, then wept alone in the Garden of Gethsemanee.

He could walk on water, but could not walk away from the tears in the eyes of the Widow from Nain. He could command the stars in their orbits, but he refused to change the circumstances of his own execution. His mission was a commitment to free all men, yet he was imprisoned on the testimony of one man.

He delivered many from pain, but he was delivered to suffer agonizing pain. He dried the eyes of multitudes, but no one dried his eyes in Gethsemanee. He carried the burdens of the world, but only one was brought forth to help him bear his Cross to Calvary.

His execution was thought to be insignificant, but became the controversy of the ages. His life was extinguished in a brief second of time, but then ignited to lighten the world. His short span of thirty-three years on Earth should have passed unnoted were it possible, but no one life has ever had such impact on the minds of men.

His three and one-half years in the public’s eye was brief indeed, but his achievements are the greatest ever recorded.

He has inspired more men, conquered more hearts, delivered more prisoners, consoled more mourners, than any figure in the history of man. He spoke of love, but was murdered with hate. He shared all that he had, then on the Cross...he shared paradise with a thief. He gave the World light, only to be driven into the cavern of Death. He gave mankind guidance, only to be guided to Golgotha. He pointed men to the Tree of Life, they nailed him to a tree on a hill called the Skull. He laid down a scepter in heaven, to be laid in a borrowed tomb.

He walked out of heaven, pure, perfect, and beautiful. He returned beaten, mutilated, and nail scarred. he fulfilled all that was written of him, and yet man did not believe Him. His coming changed the course of nations, his return will be to judge the nations. His title was simple as stated on the Cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” but to those who have ever known him, He is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly. Do not mistake activity for achievement. - Mabel Newcomber

Gen. 3:1-14 He was disguised under the Edenic serpent

Gen. 3:15 He is the serpent’s seed

Isa. 14:12 He was Lucifer, son of the morning before the fall

Ezk. 28:14 He was the anointed cherub that covers

1 Chr. 21:1 He energized David to evil

Job 1:7-2:10 He accused and afflicted Job

Zech. 3:1-9 He opposes unbelieving Israel, prefigured by Joshua the priest

Mt. 4:3 He is the tempter

Mt. 12:24; Acts 10:38 He is the prince of the demons

1 Tim. 4:1-6 He instigates false doctrine

Mt. 4:4; Lk. 4:10-11 He perverts the Word of God

Mt. 12:22-29 He works in demon possession

Zech. 3:1 He is Satan, the Adversary

Lk. 4:13 He is the devil, the slanderer

Jn. 13:2,27 He caused Judas to betray Christ

Acts 5:3 and Ananias to lie

2 Cor. 4:4 He blinds people spiritually

1 Pet. 5:8 He seeks to harm believers

Eph. 6:11-12 He heads a celestial hierarchy of evil

Eph. 2:2 He indwells the unsaved

Jn. 8:44 He was branded “a liar” and “the father of lies” by Jesus

2 Thess. 2:9 He works diabolic miracles

Jn. 8:44 He is a murderer

Jn. 12:31; 14:30 He is the prince of this world

Lk. 13:16 He blinds people physically and spiritually

Mt. 25:41 He is a fallen angel

Mt. 13:38-39 He sows tares

Mt. 13:19 and snatches away the Word

Rev. 20:1-3 He will be bound during the millennium

Mt. 13:39 He is “the enemy”

Mt. 13:38 “the evil one”

Eph. 6:10-20 He is routed by Spirit-directed prayer

1 Pet. 5:8-9 He is overcome by faith

1 Thess. 2:18 He hinders God’s will in believers

Rev. 12:9 He is the deceiver

Rev. 12:9; 20:2 He is the dragon, that old serpent

Lk. 10:18 He fell from a sinless high estate

Lk. 22:31 He viewed Simon Peter as a target

Rev. 2:9 He has a synagogue of legalists who deny God’s grace in Christ

Jn. 3:8, 10 His children are unsaved people

Mt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10 His ultimate fate is Gehenna

The 1992 Olympics are now history, but while they were in progress a few months back, we remembered the story of Henry Pearce of Australia, who was competing in the single scull rowing event at the 1928 Olympics. He was leading when a duck and her string of ducklings came into view up ahead. They were on a collision course and Pearce reckoned that his scull would cut the string in two and sink a few ducklings in the process, so he pulled in his oars. When the ducks passed, Pearce again bent his back to the task.

There’s a happy ending to the story. Pearce won.

Usually, acts of sportsmanship result in defeat. Remember Leo Durocher’s pronouncement, “Nice guys finish last”?

It happened a couple of years ago in the marathon tandem kayak racing event at the world championships in Copenhagen. Danish paddlers were leading when their rudder was damaged in a portage. British paddlers, who were in second place, stopped to help the Danes fix it. The Danes went on to defeat the British by one second in an event that lasted nearly three hours.

But there’s a happy ending to this story too. According to The Wall Street Journal, the British kayakers won what many people regard as the highest honor in sports. They became the winner of the Pierre de Coubertin International Fair Play Trophy. The trophy is named for the founder of the modern Olympic Games, and it has been awarded annually for the past 28 years to people in sports who have demonstrated nobility of spirit. It is big news in Europe, but it has not been given much recognition in the United States.

In the past, the trophy has gone to a Hungarian tennis player who pleaded with officials to give his opponent more time to recover from a cramp, and to a high school basketball coach who forfeited the Georgia (US) state championship after he found out that one of his players was scholastically ineligible. The first trophy went to an Italian bobsledder named Eugenio Monti for a gesture that exhibited a touch of class. In the two-man bobsled event at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics, Monti was the leader after his final run. The only one given a chance to beat him was Tony Nash of Great Britain. As Nash and his teammate got ready for their final run, they discovered that a critical bolt on their sled had snapped at the last moment. Monti was informed of the problem and immediately took the corresponding bolt from his own sled and sent it up to Nash. Nash fixed his sled, came hurtling down the course to set a record and won the gold medal.