Pastoral Resources

A missionary in Jamaica was once questioning some little boys on the meaning of Matthew 5:5 and asked, "Who are the meek?" A boy answered, "Those who give soft answers to rough questions." We shall do well to remember this child's definition The one who has wisdom in his head and heart does not need to shout at others Wisdom speaks softly and persuasively, instead of impelling and forcing Through the use of our tongues people will know whether we are wise or not As that great theologian, Charles Hodge, said, "The doctrines of grace humble a man without degrading him and exalt him without inflating him."

In our physical bodies a toothache makes the whole body react in sympathy; the cessation of that ache makes the whole body give a sigh of relief Why can't it be that way in the Church? Is it because we're so blind to the close and sympathetic union that Scripture enjoins between the members, that we allow the folly of selfishness to take the place of the wisdom of unselfishness?

A fellow decided to rob a convenience store clerk The robber had a neat plan to give the clerk a $10 bill, get her to open her cash drawer to make change, and then grab all the money The plan worked! He got everything in her cash drawer-total $4.34-and left the clerk with his $10 He went in the hole to the tune of $5.66!

The undeniable truth is that sin never gives what it promises It always returns less than the sinner invests in self-esteem, integrity, and spiritual security Want proof?

Adam and Eve were promised freedom, wisdom and life by Satan, only to be led to commit spiritual suicide.

Sensuous Samson fell in love with a woman who did not love God, and he paid with his eyesight, freedom and life.

Ananias and Sapphira were going to get credit for being generous and wound up being buried for being liars.

In each of these cases, sin promised something it could never deliver The same thing is still happening in our world today.

Adolescents are led to see God, their parents, and their teachers as enemies and wind up in rebellion's deep pit.

People date and marry without taking into account that the spiritual element is the critical part of a relationship.

Some church members hide behind masks and fool themselves and their friends, but not God.

Sin costs too much You have to sell your soul to have whatever pretty trinkets it offers you for the moment Then you have to face a time of bitter reckoning You have to "pay the piper." Yet whatever had been promised to you as a reward has already gone up in a puff of smoke or has slipped through your fingers And Judgment Day is coming! The basic lure of sin is the promise of quick gain, without regard to long-term consequences.

Truth and holiness work differently With total honesty about the difficult demands at hand, the God who cannot lie promises to reward you down the line Obedience, purity, integrity, repentance, denial-these are hard words and demanding deeds But what lies at the end is invaluable!

Sin never delivers Christ never fails So don't get robbed while trying to pull a fast one on God.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

It was Palm Sunday, 1987, when a dear woman was waiting for service to conclude and looking forward to an afternoon when the entire family would enjoy a rare day together As the final song was beginning to flow from the congregation, she knew something was wrong Pushing past the other family members, she made it as far as the outside steps It was Tuesday when she awoke and found herself in the hospital surrounded by her family and physician A visit to a neurologist was suggested.

The neurologist found an aneurysm in the major artery of the brain No symptoms: no headaches, no blurred vision, no motor problems-never been in better health Still young in years, still eating correctly, still exercising-yet within a touch of death She had two choices: 1) live with the knowledge of the aneurysm and hope for the best; or 2) have brain surgery.

How does someone handle news like this? How would you handle it? How did our friend handle it? Where is God at a time like this?

The tears came first, then the resolve to stay busy So she went back to work and did not tell anyone about it She discussed it only with family and a trusted physician Her decision-surgery She began to review life and wonder why, and at the same time, be thankful for what God had already provided.

Then the panic attack came Would the surgery leave her paralyzed, blind, or even dead? All were possible There were long talks with her husband far into the night-there was inability to sleep-it was real-it was happening and it was happening to her!

On one of those sleepless nights she walked downstairs, picked up her Bible, looked at a red ribbon imprinted with suggested topics: sorrow, worry, loneliness, courage -and picked courage The passage was Joshua 1:9, and the words jumped out at her: "Be strong and courageous Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord Your God will be with you wherever you go." Tearing a piece of paper from a note pad, she copied the verse and clasped it in her hand The sense of panic then drained away.

The piece of paper remained with her during the days leading up to the day of the surgery Surgery day found her with no fear of the surgery or the future The piece of paper remained in her right hand as she was moved into the operating room The final exam by the attending nurses revealed the paper.

The piece of paper with the verse had served its purpose She told the nurse to throw it away But in her beautiful wisdom, the nurse responded, "I have to take it now; but when you wake up, you will find it taped to your palm."

Twenty-six hours later two smiling nurses appeared "Did you find your verse?" Slowly she opened her fist The tattered scrap was secured with surgical tape Reading it would not be possible for a long time, but the words are etched forever in her memory: "...for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Only He can give us the courage to face life and death May we be moved to call upon His power and promises daily.

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will realize that to know Thee and know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenges Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fall.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

Then, I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."

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.

A clergyman from New York, during a call on President Lincoln at the White House said: "I have not come to ask any favors of you, Mr President; I have only come to say that the loyal people of the North are sustaining you and will continue to do so We are giving you all that we have, the lives of our sons as well as our confidence and our prayers You must know that no boy's father or mother ever kneels in prayer these days without asking God to give you strength and wisdom."

His eyes brimming with tears, Mr Lincoln replied:

"But for those prayers, I should have faltered and perhaps failed long ago Tell every father and mother you know to keep on praying, and I will keep on fighting, for I know God is on our side."

As the clergyman started to leave the room, Mr Lincoln held him by the hands and said: "I suppose I may consider this as sort of a pastoral call?" "Yes," replied the clergyman "Out in our country," replied Lincoln, "when a parson makes a pastoral call, it was always the custom for the folks to ask him to lead in prayer, and I should like to ask you to pray with me today Pray that I may have the strength and the wisdom."

The two men knelt side by side, and the clergyman offered the most fervent plea to Almighty God that ever fell from his lips As they arose, the President clasped his visitor's hand and remarked in a satisfied sort of way: "I feel better."

All curiosity implies more or less skepticism and mental uneasiness If our faith were unlimited, we should not seek to have so many questions answered Imagine a physician whose fidelity and skill have inspired such confidence that, when he is called in, no one ever dreams of asking what treatment he is adopting or of cautiously checking his diagnosis; or a commander to whom his chief gives a free hand, not being asked to divulge his plan of campaign The man is not yet born who commands that kind of unlimited confidence But God demands and deserves this matchless honor He ordains not a few of the mysteries that confront us so that we may have occasions for glorifying Him by our unquestioning trust in His wisdom and goodwill.

Following the Civil War, Robert E Lee was visiting in Kentucky where one lady showed him the remains of what had been an enormous, old tree This tree stood directly in front of her house She bitterly cried to General Lee of how its limbs and trunk had been shattered by Federal artillery fire Having poured out her anguish she looked to the old soldier for a condemnation of the North Following a brief silence, Lee responded, "Cut it down, my dear madam, and forget it."

It is better to forgive the injustices of the past than to allow them to take root and add bitterness to your future Memory is a marvelous thing, particularly when it brings us wisdom or joy; however, forgetfulness is equally marvelous for it allows others to succeed where once failure reigned.

Forgiveness does not always mean that we trust the individual In his weakness this does neither him nor you any favors Forgiveness is the measure of putting yourself on his side, not seeking revenge but success It is the opening of opportunity's doors, to say "try again, I will not shut you out." This requires setting aside or forgetting the emotions which might halt forgiveness.

Clara Barton, Red Cross founder, was asked if she remembered an especially cruel thing done to her years before When she seemed not to recall it, a friend asked, "Don't you remember?" "No," said Miss Barton, "I distinctly remember forgetting it." God has forgiven us, is it now time that we forgive others so that we can get on to a bright future Is some cruelty holding you back? Forgive and Live.

The doctrine of future punishment is so clearly taught in God's Word that no one can escape it It is not that God wants to threaten or frighten people into being good As Dr S M Merrill says, "It is the last resort of God's wisdom and holiness In it God takes no delight Yet the necessities of good government, the maintenance of order under rightful authority, and the highest regard for the welfare of the good, require this ultimate vindication of righteousness at the expense of the incorrigibly wicked."

Let us remember that wisdom never imposes itself, but it woos the hearts of others It is true that we are anxious to help God accomplish His work in the hearts of people, but sometimes we are like the little girl who, after being out for a while, was asked by her mother where she had been She said, "In the garden, Mother." "What were you doing in the garden?" "I was helping God," the child replied She explained that she had found a rose almost blossomed and had "blossomed" it She had only ruined the rose.

A happily married woman with two children lost both of them They were buried in the same grave, and she went into a deep emotional collapse For some years she became as weak and helpless as a little child She had to be fed by members of her family who ministered to her One day as her aunt, who was a joyful Christian, took her turn at feeding her, this woman who was unusually despondent that morning said, "Oh, Auntie, you say that God loves us You say it, and you keep on saying it I used to think that way, too, but if He loves us, why did He make me as I am?" The aunt, after kissing her gently, said with the wisdom of years, "He hasn't made you yet, child He's making you now!"

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

As I was walking down life's highway a long time ago,

One day I saw a sign that read "Heaven's Grocery Store."

As I got a little closer, the door came open wide

And when I later found myself, I was standing there inside.

I saw a host of angels that were standing everywhere.

One handed me a basket and said, "My child, now shop with care."

Everything a Christian needed was in that grocery store;

And all you couldn't carry, you could come back next day for more.

First I got some PATIENCE, and LOVE was in the same row.

Further down was UNDERSTANDING, which you need wherever you go.

I got a box or two of WISDOM, and a bag or two of FAITH.

I just could not miss the HOLY GHOST 'cause it was all over the place.

I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE to help me run this race.

By then my basket was getting full, but I remembered I needed GRACE.

I did not forget SALVATION, for salvation there was free,

So I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me.

Then I started up to the counter, to pay my grocery bill.

For now I thought I had everything to do my Master's will.

At the end of the aisle I saw PRAYER and I just had to put that in,

For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run right into sin.

PEACE and JOY were plentiful They were on the very last shelf.

SONGS and PRAISES were stacked nearby, so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel, "Now, how much do I owe?"

He just smiled and said to me, "Just take them wherever you go."

Again, I smiled at him and said, "How much do I really owe?"

He smiled again and said,

"My child, Jesus paid your bill a long time ago."

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7:25).

The permanence of any building depends upon three things: the materials used, wisdom exercised in its construction, and its foundation Inferior materials, though skillfully assembled, cannot stand for long against the elements of nature Nor will superior materials, if carelessly put together, be able to stand A combination of sound materials and wise direction in assembling is necessary if the building is to endure, also it is very important that it be built upon a solid foundation The same truths apply to the building of a life One must choose his materials carefully and work them into the structure of his life wisely He must be positive that it is built on a good foundation In the sermon on the mount, Jesus challenges each one of us to build for eternity! Jesus urges men to cast aside such material as selfishness, hypocrisy, lust, and hatred These can only lead to failure and ruin.

Christ prescribes the materials that will stand throughout time and eternity He stresses humility, meekness, righteousness, mercy, and purity The quality of this material has been tested and tried through the centuries.

George Whitefield, the famous English evangelist, said, "O Lord, give me souls, or take my soul!"

Henry Martin, a missionary, cried as he knelt on India's coral strands, "Here let me burn out for God."

David Brainerd, missionary to the North American Indians in the early 18th century, prayed, "Lord, to Thee I dedicate myself, oh accept of me, and let me be Thine forever Lord, I desire nothing else, I desire nothing more." The last words in his diary written several days before he died were, "Oh come, Lord Jesus, come quickly Amen."

Thomas Kempis, 1379-1471, said, "Give what Thou wilt, and how much Thou wilt, and when Thou wilt Set me where Thou wilt and deal with me in all things as Thou wilt."

Dwight L Moody implored, "Use me then, my Savior, for whatever purpose and in whatever way Thou mayest require Here is my poor heart, an empty vessel, fill it with Thy grace."

Martin Luther prayed thus on the night preceding his appearance before the Diet of Worms: "Do Thou, my God, stand by me against all the world's wisdom and reason Oh, do it, Thou must do it Stand by me, Thou true, eternal God!"

"Praying Hyde," a missionary in India, pleaded, "Father, give me these souls, or I die."

Mrs Comstock, a missionary in India, uttered this prayer of parting when she sent her children home: "Lord Jesus, I do this for Thee."

How do you pray for Missions?

"My boy," said the store owner to his new employee, "wisdom and integrity are essential to the retail business By 'integrity'I mean if you promise a customer something, you have got to keep that promise-even if it means we lose money."

"And what," asked the teenager, "is wisdom?"

"That," answered the boss, "is not making any stupid promises."

"Wisdom" may best describe our present scientific and cultural plateau, yet spiritually we are foolish indeed Many men, seen as wise in the eyes of the world, are fools in the eyes of our God.

The atheist who audaciously affirms, "I know there is no God," is elevated upon the pedestal of intellectualism and wisdom by the world of pseudo-science, yet God calls him a fool (Psalm 14:1).

Humanists, who deny the existence of sin, and contend that one's conduct should best be determined by the circumstances in which he finds himself, are applauded and lauded as the wise men of our age God, in no uncertain terms, has said, "Fools make a mock at sin" (Proverbs 14:9).

The world cries out, "Do what makes you feel good; do your own thing!" God has decreed, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool" (Proverbs 28:26).

The rich farmer in the twelfth chapter of Luke, who found comfort in his accumulation of worldly goods, would be seen by many among us today as a wise man indeed God called him a fool (Luke 12:20).

How does God see you, my friend? Our nation seems to be floating with the tide of moral and spiritual corruption Are you drifting with the tide, or are you willing to stem the tide? I would rather be a fool in the eyes of a foolish world, than a fool in the eyes of my all-wise Creator.

Abraham Lincoln spoke about the legacy the people of his time were leaving, and he clearly is speaking to us today as well.

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown.

"But we have forgotten God We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these things were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

"Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."

A preacher once received a letter with a pathetic story of a muddled and disordered life which ended: "It just beats me A doctor of philosophy and unable to solve my own troubles!" It takes more than a friend of wisdom to help us in our troubles; it takes Wisdom personified, the Lord Jesus Himself When everything goes wrong and troubles abound and the Christian can still go about his duties in life without revolting against God, against Wisdom, then he is possessed with this wonderful meekness of wisdom Meekness of wisdom is accepting Wisdom's dealings with us without a murmur and without a sigh It is that temper of spirit which at all times says, "Yes, Lord, Thou knowest best."

The branch that bears the most fruit bows lowest to the ground while the branch with little or no fruit stands most upright So it is with humility and conceit Humility carries with it the weight of wisdom while conceit has the light-headedness of pride.