YOU and GOD

To God and My Country

I solemnly pledge to do my duty to God and my country.

Duty—the ring of the word may cause us to cringe, but duty will be with us as long as we live. Daniel Webster (1782-1852) affirmed this to be true: “A sense of duty pursues us ever,” he said. “It is omnipresent like deity. If we take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea—duty performed or neglected is still with us, for our happiness or for our misery. If we say the darkness shall cover us; in the darkness as in the light, our obligations are still with us.”

Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), one of England’s great Navy officers, said: “England expects every man to do his duty.” British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) once said: “The destiny of mankind is not decided by material computation: when great causes are on the move in the world, we learn that we are spirits, not animals, and that something is going on in space and time, and beyond space and time, which, whether we like it or not, spells DUTY.” (Ed. note: How apropos is this statement for today!)

The Bible speaks of the duty of marriage. (Ex. 21:10) Then, there is the “duty of every day.” (Ex. 3:4) And the wise king Solomon referenced “the whole duty of man.” (Eccl. 12)

What is this whole duty of man?

First, it is to fear God, which is the beginning of wisdom. (Prov. 1:7) The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, is a fountain of life, and causes one to hate evil. (Provs. 10:27; 14:27; and 8:13)

And the whole duty of man is to keep God’s commandments. (Matt. 22:36-38) The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. The second is like unto it: to love our neighbor as ourself, which is the “royal law of scripture.” (James 2:8)

Surely, if we love God with all of our being, we will want to believe on God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for eternal salvation. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Do you believe on Jesus for salvation? “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:13) Recognize yourself as a sinner, repent of your sins, and by faith call upon God right now for salvation. He will not turn you away.

Then, following salvation, we will want to serve our Lord and Savior. The Apostle Paul said it is “our reasonable service” to present our bodies a living sacrifice. (Rom. 12:1,2) And we might remind ourselves of several specific things that are “the believer’s duties”:

To follow the Lord, after being saved, in baptism—as a public testimony of our becoming one of His disciples.
To unite with a Bible-preaching local church.
To pray earnestly; witness to others of Christ’s saving grace sincerely; search earnestly the scriptures, which testify of our Lord Jesus Christ; and give of our income cheerfully to advance the cause of Christ. (Luke 18:1; Eph. 6:20; Hebs.10:25; Acts 17:11; I Cor.16:1)

I cannot conclude this essay on duty without citing excerpts from one of my favorite speeches on the subject, an address by General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) in 1962, when he visited his beloved West Point for the last time—at the age of 82:

“Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.

In memory’s eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs, on many a weary march from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle-deep through the mire of shell-shocked roads, to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many to the judgment seat of God.

I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death. They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory. Always for them: Duty, Honor, Country; always their blood and sweat and tears, as we sought the way and the light and the truth.”

“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)

“There Has To Be A Song!”

The renowned composer John Philip Sousa said, “I care not who writes my country’s laws if I may write its music.”

Music is doubtless powerful. Before time as we know it began, the heaven of heavens rang out: “When the morning stars sang together, all the sons of God shouted for joy.” (Job 38:7). When revival in the Old Testament came, we are told “all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded….” (2 Chr.29:28) Ezra notes, too, that “they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because He is good, for His mercy endureth forever toward Israel.” (Ezra 3:11) Paul admonishes, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Col. 3:16)

Charles Spurgeon spared no words in exhorting his congregation: “Let no Christian be silent, or slack in praise, for this God is our God. It is to be regretted that the niceties of modern singing frighten our congregations from joining lustily in the hymns. Sing in tune and measure, so that the public may be in harmony; sing with joyful notes, and sound melodious. For the heartiest praise is due to our good Lord. No dullness should ever stupefy our psalmody, or half-heartedness cause it to limp along. Sing aloud, ye debtors to sovereign grace…let your voices express your thankfulness; let no Christian be silent in praise, for this God is our God. The gods of Greece and Rome may be worshipped well enough with classical music but Jehovah can only be adored with the heart, and that music is the best for His service which gives the heart most play. Select a sacred song and then raise it with your hearty voices…beat your tambourines, ye damsels; let the sound be loud and inspiriting. Sound the trumpets; beat the drums. God is not to be served with misery, but with mirthful music; sound ye then the loud timbrel as of old ye smote it by Egypt’s dark sea.”

Pliny, the Roman governor of Bithynia, sent a report of the activities of the Christians to the Roman Emperor, Trajan: “They meet at dawn to sing a hymn to Christ as God.” The Church alive has always been a church that has gone up to God in Christian praise and song.

Isaac Watts (1684-1748) was 20 years old when, one Sunday, walking home from church with his father, he commented that the metrical psalms sung that day lacked the dignity and beauty that he felt should characterize hymns of worship. His father challenged the young son to write some music that he believed would be worthy. Isaac took up the challenge and began writing hymns, eventually putting the books of Psalms into rhythmic meter for worship. Coming to Psalm 91, he rendered: “Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart, prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing. Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.” Watts would write 750 more great hymns, including “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past,” eventually becoming known as “the Godfather of English Hymnody.” (Wikipedia)

Years ago, a man and wife attended our Indianapolis church and became faithful members until they were called home to glory. He was known by the name “Sparky,” and it was apparent that he had an “holy” spark about him. He had grown up in a southern state, and never had the benefit of a formal education, but you did not have to know Sparky for long before you realized he received an education that money could never buy. He had the love of Christ in his heart and majored in the Word of God. Occasionally, by request, he would sing a solo in a church service, always without accompaniment and most usually a song that none of us had ever heard. But the rafters were moved a bit, we thought, as Sparky, from the deep recesses of his soul and from the bottom of his heart, belted out a musical tribute to God—to His work of grace and to the salvation He provided with the hope of heaven. No one applauded when Sparky left the platform, for they knew that his was not a performance but an offering of praise to God.

One August afternoon in 2004, Kelvin Krueger, our missionary intern at the time, and I visited Sparky and his wife in their home on Indy’s eastside. We had not been there too long before I noticed what looked like an old hymnal. Sparky told me it was his favorite songbook, so I thumbed through it and was delighted to find, written in his hand in the foreword section of the songbook, these words:

“There has to be a song; there are too many dark nights, too many troublesome days and too many wearisome miles. There has to be a song, to make our burdens bearable, to make our hopes believable, to transform our successes to praise, to release the chains of past defeats. Somewhere down deep in the corners of one’s heart, there has to be, like a cool drink of water, like the gentle touch of a mother’s hand, like the tender love of a child, there has to be a song.”

I knew enough of Sparky’s life to know that for him there had to be a song. Since that day when Kelvin and I sat on a couch, and each of us individually read the beautiful words handwritten in the foreword of Sparky’s favorite hymnal, Ellen and I lost a precious grandson (2007) to the ice-cold clutches of death; we both bid a final farewell to our parents, until we meet again at Jesus’ feet; and our dear friend, Kelvin, serving on the mission field in South Africa, was called home to heaven following an incapacitating stroke. And so many, many others of our church family, and our families and friends, have suffered losses and are battling physical infirmities. I thought, when reading those lines there in Sparky’s living room, that I knew something of the meaning of “too many troublesome days…too many wearisome miles.” But I had so much more to learn, and am still learning. And that refrain, “There has to be a song,” has taken on a depth of meaning in my heart that is profound.

Yes, there has to be a song! “Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.” (Ps. 146:1,2)

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Eph.5:19)

Doing God’s Work in God’s Way

(I Chr. 13)

Ever set out to do something for God, only to find out that you miserably failed?

You had a noble end in mind, and what you did, you were doing for God. But He just did not seem to bless your efforts. In fact, He seemed to indicate displeasure with you, rather than pleasure! Join the club and meet someone who experienced the same frustrations, King David.

He knew the feeling! He had set out to do a worthy thing: move the ark of the covenant back to the city of David, Jerusalem. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was a very spiritual and noteworthy desire; but before it was over, David threw up his hands in despair and said, “How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?” Ever been there, asking “What am I doing here?” “Why doesn’t God bless what I am doing?” “What’s the problem here, anyway?”

You may have asked similar questions. I surely have.

Well, in David’s case, the problem wasn’t that he had not sought counsel, nor that he was not sincere in his effort, nor that he lacked enthusiasm. But, as the passage reveals, there were some major problems that caused David to fail in this noble mission:

Wrong motive (I Chr. 13:12). Notice David’s lament: “How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?” One way to assure failure in any effort to serve God is to somehow believe the result intended is in any way “for me.” Paul reminds us that “whether ye eat, therefore, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Cor. 10:31) John the Baptist set the standard: “I must decrease; He must increase.” (John 3:30) H. C. Morrison (1857-1942)—a Methodist evangelist and president of Asbury College—said, “We are foolish when we want to conquer the world; we are wise when we want to conquer self.” We, no doubt like David, will deal with that “self” problem until we no longer draw a breath. God had to cripple the supplanter Jacob before He could use him. David had to learn that moving God’s ark was not about “me,” but all about God and His glory.

Wrong man (I Chr. 13:7, 15:5-13). At the first attempt to move the ark, we are simply told that Ahio drove the cart. In chapter 15, however—to make the second and successful attempt at moving the ark—David assembled all the Levites, and from them he carefully instructed specific priests to move the ark, indicating that “because ye did not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the order due.” (I Chr. 15:13-15)

Wrong method. God had instructed the Israelites on the right method of moving the ark. (Numbers 4:15) The sons of Kohath were to bear the ark and “they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.” I Chr. 15 demonstrates that in moving the ark, or attempting to, David ignored Numbers 4:15 and its clear instruction. Because of that disregard of God’s specific word about the right method of moving the sacred furniture, a man died. There is a right way to serve God, and there is a way that seems right unto man—but “the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Provs. 14:12)

God has given us a task, the Great Commission. He has given us a manual on missionary methods. We can go to the world or we can go to God’s Word. Paul knew that doing things the right way was so important that he wrote to Timothy “that thou mayest know how thou ought to behave thyself in the house of God.” (I Tim. 3:15) We must know what God says about how to do His work, the methodology. This principle would apply to soul-winning, music, dress, discipline, church polity, Christian education, and more. Paul would also write to Titus that he had left Titus in Crete to “set in order the things that are wanting.” (Tit.1:5)

I, for one, could give many a testimony of my attempts through 50 years of ministry of doing things that seemed logical, but upon further examination were not Biblical. God worked on me through various means to get things set in order. The earliest New Testament church learned the lesson the hard way, and to solve it, deacons were appointed to serve widows, for, the twelve affirmed, and rightly so, that “…it is not reason that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables.” (Acts 6:2) There is a right way and a wrong way. The Jerusalem church discovered that when the wrong was righted, “the Word of God increased, and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly.” (Acts 6:7)

God’s ministry—done with a pure motive, by the right man, using biblical methods—will assure those involved in ministry in 2026 of the blessings of our great God. When the second attempt to move the ark was done in the way that God had prescribed, the Israelites succeeded. We read: “Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.” (I Chr. 15:28). There was great rejoicing through obedience, resulting in God’s approval and blessings, and in praise raised to God.

Can we do any less today as we attempt to fulfill His great commission in these last days?

“If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.” (Gen.4:7)

The Uttermost Part

That’s where Jesus told his disciples to take the gospel to: “the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) We sometimes hear that verse misquoted as “…the uttermost parts of the earth,” but it was to the very remotest, uttermost PART that the good news, having begun in Jerusalem, then in all Judea, then Samaria, was to be delivered by people whom Jesus labeled as witnesses who would be filled with the Holy Ghost.

That assignment has not been completed as of yet. If any reader is in the Orlando area and has not visited the Wycliff Bible Translators world headquarters there, it would be a fascinating half-day for you to invest and would cost you very little but your time (which, in Orlando, FL, is a rare place to find, i.e. some place to visit that does not cost quite a good sum of money!) You will be amazed as your guide demonstrates to you the thousands of tongues and the myriads of places where there has never been a readable translation of scriptures produced in the native tongue of the local people.

We know that Jesus also instructed His disciples before He made His final journey to Jerusalem that the end of the age would not come before the gospel would be preached “in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 24:14).

In His “Great Commission” to the disciples just before He ascended back to Heaven, Jesus instructed them to teach (disciple) all nations (Matt. 28:19).

The task seems almost impossible; in two millennia we have still not reached nearly two thousand people groups with a clear presentation of God’s plan of salvation! What to do?

Well, as our Lord said, we should occupy until He comes. He is coming back as He promised He would, for His church, the body of Christ. That coming is imminent (I Thess. 4:13-18) and it will precede His second coming, what the Old Testament prophets and also the Apostles referred to as the “Day of the Lord,” or the “Day of Christ.” (I Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2)

It is before the second coming, the subject of Matt. 24 & 25, that the gospel will have been preached in all the world. That will not happen before Christ’s return for His church, commonly called the rapture of the church, the blessed hope of every believer (Tit. 2:13).

That does not diminish our responsibility to fulfill our Lord’s Great Commission to disciple all nations. The field Jesus said is the world. We are to lift up our eyes and behold fields that are white unto harvest (John 4:35) So, keep your eyes open and up, your heart tender, your hands ready and engage in the most rewarding employment at the most exciting and opportune time in the history of the church and where ever your Jerusalem is, get ready, get set and go!

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

All Bundled Up

Ever been tied up in a sack with someone? Doesn’t sound too enticing, especially if the sack is burlap and the heat is like some days we’ve had of late!

Well, though it sounds bizarre, our text today (I Samuel 25:29: “Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God….”) speaks of being tied up together with someone. It may be difficult to imagine a closer kind of relationship. But, if you are a believer in Christ, your life is tied up together with God in a bundle of life.

That’s what a woman named Abigail said to King David. She reminded the young, yet-to-be crowned monarch that his life was in a bundle with God’s! If you are a Christian, so is yours! About this startling truth, there are some important things one should remember:

• The Reason for this truth: God is our creator, and He is our sovereign. So, there is a natural tie between men and God—as Paul, on Mars Hill, reminded a crowd of unbelievers: “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God….” No matter what the atheists claim, or the philosophers, it still remains a blatant falsehood that “Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul. It matters not how strait the gate; how charged with punishment the scroll—’I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.’” (Wm. Ernst Henley)

We are not god. God is God! We are not becoming God, nor will we ever become God! We are His creation; He is our sovereign—by a natural tie of the Creator to the creature. But that is not the “bundle of life” of which Abigail spake when she reminded David that he was bundled up with God.

There is, though, the supernatural tie to those who are children of God by faith: sons of God. Christ is in us and we are in Christ. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27b) We are “complete in Christ….” (Gal.2:10) A baby in a womb is in its mother, and the mother is in the baby—an inseparable union!

• The Realization of this truth:

First, there is a scriptural realization that can only come through faith. As we grow in grace, we become more aware of the spiritual life that is ours with and in Christ. “I am crucified with Christ,” Paul affirmed, “nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal.2:20) How do you know that Christ Jesus the Lord is living in you? The same way you know that Christ spoke the worlds into existence: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God….” (Hebs. 11:3) Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) Hear the Word of God, grow in your faith as you do, and the realization of spiritual truths will become more settled in your soul.

• The Ramifications of this truth:

(1) We need never be afraid—afraid of what man can do to us, afraid of what the Devil can do to us; afraid of the known or the unknown. Ps. 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” One day I saw a spider in mid-air, but upon closer examination, I noticed that there was one almost invisible thread the spider was latched onto; that one thread is all that the spider needed. Our God may appear to be invisible, but our life in Him is all that we need for eternal safety and security. We are in Him and He is in us!

(2) We can look upon obstacles as opportunities:

o Physical affliction can be an opportunity for God to show His sufficient grace and to prove that “His strength is made perfect in our weakness.” (II Cor. 12:9)
o Personal crises again provide an opportunity for God to demonstrate His faithfulness in taking care of His own. Isaiah was directed by the Holy Spirit to say it so beautifully: “When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” (Isa. 43:2)
o Spiritual “lows:” Confusion, droughts? Because our life is tied up in a bundle with God’s, we can take courage, assured that “He that hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ,” and that, “He will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” (Phil. 1:6; Hebrews 13:5)
o Old age, infirmity, uncertainty, death? Because my life, as was David’s, is tied up in a bundle with God, I can face the uncertain future—assured that “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” and confident that “My times are in Thy hand….” (Ps. 23:1; 31:15)

Therefore, “I will not doubt, though all my ships at sea come drifting home with broken masts…though all my prayers return unanswered…though sorrows fall like rain, and troubles swarm like bees…I will not doubt; well anchored in the faith like some staunch ship, my soul braves every gale….” (Ella Wheeler Wilcox)

And so it is with me. How about you?

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” (Psalm 56:3)

God’s Faithfulness Through a Time of Crisis

(This is a special edition of “You and God” written by my wife, Ellen, who, as many of you know, has recently been in a local ICU hospital unit for a week, and, at one time, was told her condition was of urgent concern, as you will note when you read this. I have asked her to share the testimony of her experience with our “You and God” readers. Ellen is home now, benefiting from several home-healthcare professionals’ visits. She still covets your prayers, and all of us are deeply grateful for your prayerful concerns.)

For over sixty-one years, Romans 8:28 has been our life verse as a couple: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We have seen many ups and downs in our life together, and God’s promises have never failed.

Since Anthony’s retirement as Senior Pastor seven years ago, we have spent five years going for treatment for his multiple myeloma. This has involved many things such as daily chemotherapy, immunotherapy infusions, drugs to combat the side effects, vitamins and doctor’s visits. Through all of this, he’s still alive and able to minister weekly to several men in a book study, be an interim pastor at two churches, and write his bi-weekly blog. God has been faithful in giving him the strength to do what he enjoys—writing, teaching and preaching.

This past month, I went to see my family physician because I had a cold that had turned into bronchitis. Because I had pneumonia earlier in the year, they suggested I go to the emergency room and get checked out although x-rays didn’t show any pneumonia. While there, they discovered my heart was in A-fib, so they put me in a room to monitor and treat that. In the meantime, my cough was ignored for a few days and I continued to get worse until a nurse observed that my oxygen levels were falling and called in a lung doctor. From there I went to isolation in ICU because they didn’t know what type of infection they were dealing with. I received continual antibiotics through IVs and oxygen, and the x-rays showed a buildup of fluid in my lung which had collapsed. Late Friday afternoon, the doctor on call said I had an internal obstruction and I needed a bronchial wash immediately. He presented it as if the choices were I would probably die if I didn’t have the wash or be on a ventilator if I did have it. Of course, our church was notified right away and asked to pray and the decision to go ahead with the wash was made by my family. When I awoke, I was not on a ventilator. The doctor didn’t talk with the family and left confusing messages in his notes, so no one knew exactly what had happened; therefore, for the weekend I continued on with the prescribed treatment.

After two weeks at home, I am still weak, but I am improving with the help of home health aides with physical therapy and nursing.

Because this has been a crisis in our family, I would like to offer some observations from this experience.

I am encouraged that God is still growing my faith. In the middle of the darkest night, I could listen to a Christian radio app on my phone and rejoice in the words of old hymns and listen to preachers who reminded me that God never breaks a promise and that he’s a great God.
I’m thankful for a local church where members are concerned about each other and pray for their needs. I’m thankful that when missionaries around the world read about my condition, they wrote and reassured us they were praying also. God says “the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16
I’m thankful for the many skilled medical personnel who work long hours to administer help to the critically sick.
I’m thankful for family who pitched in and helped with many things. As soon as our grandson Tim and his wife, Claire, heard I was in the hospital, they went out and bought several items I needed. Theo, our son who lives in Chicago, extended his work trip to help Anthony get to his medical appointments. Theo also provided me with good coffee every morning he was here. Our daughter, Marti, was faithful in visiting and making sure I was as comfortable as possible. Our grandson, Anthony Nye, flew in from Washington, D.C., to add comfort and provide little things for pleasure. Many friends have sent cards, flowers, and cooked meals or gift cards to show their love and concern. Thank you for praying and for each gesture of love you’ve shown.
This has taught me that each day is still a gift and we’re not promised a tomorrow. : James 4:15 says, “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live, and do this, or that.” I simply went to the doctor’s office for a visit and ended up in ICU.

This Present Hour

“The present hour is an hour of crisis worldwide. I think these are the most critical days that we as a nation have ever faced, and since we are citizens of the United States of America, we must not turn our backs upon our beloved Motherland in her most critical hour. I do not think I have ever stood before a group of people when the urgency was greater than it is right now.”

With those words, I began my message on October 26, 1980—some 46 years ago. America did survive that present hour and many such since, but only by the grace of God. There will be critical hours yet to come. Gideon, 1,250 years before Christ, faced such an hour when God called him to lead his nation to victory—against all odds of winning. What Gideon learned about facing crises, we—and all the nations of the world—would do well to remember now and in the days ahead. Here is what Gideon learned, and every nation under God needs to know:

There was—and is—a cause. In Gideon’s day, there was spiritual dearth, Judges 6:1; there was physical drought, 6:6, and there was national despair, 6:13. Like Israel of old, we are living in troubled times and dire days. Henry Blackaby put it this way: “If you put the U.S. up against the Scriptures, we’re in trouble. I think we’re very close to the judgment of God.” (Quoted at a Billy Graham Training Center Conference, May 22, 1999)

There was a call, Judges 6:11, 12. It was a call from God to a man—not a prophet, but a courageous young man threshing wheat by the winepress because he was not willing to give what little bit of wheat he had left to the enemy. “If our call is from God, we do not have to bother ourselves currying to the favor of man.”

There was a confirmation, Judges 6:21—through the fire (v. 21) and through the fleece (vss. 36-40). A lot of what is done today in the name of a “fleece” is just foolishness. God generally doesn’t consume sacrifices with fire from heaven today; He does, however, lead us by His Holy Spirit.

There was a conflict, Judges 7:2ff. It required preparation, vss. 2-8, disqualification because of fear and the flesh—the arm of the flesh will fail you. There was also a promise, vss. 9-14, by God’s word and for God’s work (I Cor. 15:57). Finally, there was a plan, vss. 16ff. It was to be through God-ordained leadership. Nothing is inconsequential; there is a right way and a wrong way. Basic rules are universal—and little things are big things.

There was a conquest, 7:19: It was without carnal weapons but through obedience, faith, prayer, and dedication. It was a divine/human effort. God could have chosen angels or prophets, or He could have enlisted nature to His service. But God chose to use a man and a few faithful soldiers.

“When God plucks a soul from the jaws of hell, he uses a soul-winner; when He plants a church that will bring glory to Him, he sends a missionary; when He builds a home that will reflect His love, peace and harmony in a world disjointed by sin, He uses a man and a woman; When He leads a church to spiritual maturity and productive growth, He raises up a man of God to be its leader, a pastor; when God brings a child from infancy to independent adulthood, He has done it by a parent or parents. ‘God has always brought about His will upon this earth through His sovereign power in accord with His sovereign purposes and in conjunction with the instrument of a surrendered person or persons.’” (copied)

God give us men. God give us some 21^st century Gideons!

What makes a nation great, whether in 1250 B.C. or 2026 A.D.?

“Not serried ranks with flags unfurled, not armored ships that gird the world; not hoarded wealth nor busy mills, not cattle on a thousand hills, not sages wise, nor schools nor laws, not boasted deed in freedom’s cause—All these may be, and yet the state in the eye of God be far from great.

That land is great which knows the Lord, whose songs are guided by His Word; where justice rules ‘twixt man and man, where love controls in art and plan; where, breathing in his native air, each soul finds joy in praise and prayer—thus may our country, good and great, be God’s delight—man’s best estate.” (Alexander Blackburn, 1844–1921, “What Makes a Nation Great?”)

“Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

A Read You Won’t Forget

For 20-plus years, a group of men have been meeting to discuss the content, character, and Christian caliber of whatever book we have chosen to read together. We have been blessed beyond measure for many reasons: coffee, donuts, camaraderie and, above all, learning and loving the heart of the main characters of the books and what they taught us by their lives, labors, and often their last days upon this planet. The book that we just finished is like no other book we have ever read. The title is The Insanity of God, and the author is Nik Ripken (a pseudonym, for reasons that will become obvious).

I was turned off by the title when I first saw it on a list of recommended reading compiled by a person whose judgement I respect. The Insanity of God? Sounds a bit sacrilegious, I thought. In spite of those reservations, I ordered the book for our group and would later conclude it is indeed one of the most unusual books I have ever read.

The author grew up on a farm in Kentucky and was saved as a teenager. He was called to preach, studied for the ministry (Bible college and seminary), and pastored for a few years before acknowledging that God wanted him to take the gospel to some place where it had never been, or to a place that would be difficult to do any evangelization. When he applied for missionary status, the board asked him why he felt called to be a missionary. He responded that he had read in Matthew 28 that Jesus said, “Go,” and he was willing to go. Well, after considerable deliberation, the august board did appoint Nik to “Go.” Someone suggested to him that Somalia would be a difficult place to evangelize, so Nik moved his family to Kenya, from whence he would go back and forth to Somalia in his missionary ministry.

Fast forward from the early 1990s to the present day. Nik and his wife Ruth have ministered in about 60 different nations—places that we would label as restricted or closed to missionary work. In the course of those years, Nik met with and listened to the testimonies of hundreds of believers who had been persecuted for Christ’s sake. He carefully recorded, in his memory bank, the incredible stories that the men and women, meeting in secret, shared about God’s grace in the face of the most unrelenting persecution. Of the many countries in which he met with these 20^th century heroes of the faith, Nik said that his time spent in China had impacted him the most. He learned that there were 100 million Christians in China, cut off so completely from the rest of civilization that they were unaware of the fact that Christians existed in other nations, by the millions, worldwide. This revelation staggered the Chinese believers when they learned of it, causing them to shout, cry, and give thanks to God for His marvelous grace.

But, I want to relate a story that Nik says came out of Russia. It is a story about a man who was sentenced to 17 years in a Russian prison, separated from his wife and children, and imprisoned with 1,500 hardened criminals. The believer, Dimitri, was thrown into a cell just barely big enough to turn around in. The unbelievers, learning of Dimitri’s faith, did all they could possibly do to make life miserable for this fellow prisoner, who had a song in his heart that he would sing every night, a “Heart Song,” prompting the prison population to curse him, throw trash and feces at him, and do any other wicked thing they could think of. Dimitri never wavered though. Night after night, for 17 years, he would end the day facing the east, with arms stretched out toward heaven, singing his “Heart Song” to God.

This continued until the day of Dimitri’s release from prison. As he was marched toward the exit, a most unusual incident occurred: 1,500 criminals stood at attention, raising their arms toward heaven, singing the “Heart Song” that they had heard Dimitri sing for 17 years.“ The guards were so taken aback by this, they asked Dimitri who he was, and his answer startled them even more when the soon to be released prisoner said ‘I am a son of the Living God, and Jesus is His name!’”

Well, you may be wondering why I said this is such an unusual book. To borrow a line from the late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey: You will have to read it to “know the rest of the story.” I am pretty sure you will understand why I said it is one of the most unusual books I have ever read. I commend it to you highly—title and all.

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:46, 47)

The World’s Bible

You no doubt have pondered those familiar lines, “We are the only Bible the careless world will read. We are the sinner’s gospel. We are the scoffer’s creed. We are the Lord’s last message, given in deed and word. What if the type is crooked, what if the print is blurred?”

Paul exhorted his protégé, Timothy, that he should let no man despise his youth: “But be thou an example (a stamp, pattern, print) of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (I Tim. 4:12)

What a challenge that is! To be a type—a model for imitation—that others can follow. Paul, in another epistle, said that believers should be followers of him, even as he also was of Christ. (I Cor. 11:1) Could you encourage your friends to follow yourself just as you were following Christ?

Notice the categories:

• A model of speech. James, half-brother of Jesus, said a lot about the tongue and about our speech. His main thesis is stated in James 1:19: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” Our speech should be tasteful—words fitly spoken—”like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” (Prov. 25:11). Our words should truthful as in “speaking the truth in love.” (Eph. 4:15) The tongue “defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature.” (James 3:6)

• A model of behavior (conversation)—which should be holy (I Pet. 1:15); honest (I Pet. 2:12); and winsome (I Pet. 3 :12).

Written by a young adult: “When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and immediately I wanted to paint another; When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals; When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life; When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in God. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who is sick, and I learned that we have to help and take care of one another; When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t; When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel well, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grew up; When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt and that it’s all right to cry. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, ‘Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.’” (author unknown)

• A model of love: without dissimulation (Rom.12:9); in deed, not just in word (I John 4:8) and in serving (Gal.5:13).

• A model in spirit—in the spirit of wisdom (Ex. 28:3), in a contrite spirit (Ps. 34:18), in a right spirit (Ps. 51:10), and in a broken spirit (Ps. 51:17).

Here is one example of the wrong kind of model in spirit: An organization had more than 500 employees, of whom 29 had been accused of spousal abuse; 7 had been arrested for fraud; 19 had been accused of writing bad checks; 117 had bankrupted at least two businesses; 3 had been arrested for assault; 71 could not get a credit card due to bad credit; 14 had been arrested for drug-related charges and 8 for shop-lifting; in one year alone, 84 were stopped for DWI. Can you imagine which organization this was? It was the United States Congress, the same people who crank out hundreds of new laws designed to keep the rest of us in line. (Indianapolis Star, 1/4/00)

• A model in faith—faith that is grounded, growing, and guarded. (Col. 2:6,7; Luke 17:5; I Tim. 6:12)

• A model in purity: blameless, clean, chaste.

Caution: Be wise about choosing a model to follow, and use common sense in following any model, or you may be embarrassed—as were some people from President Coolidge’s hometown who were invited to dinner at the White House. “They were unfamiliar with eating in such a place, so they agreed they would follow their model, President Coolidge. The time came for serving coffee. The President poured his coffee into a saucer. As soon as the home folk saw it, they did the same. The next step for the President was to pour some milk and add a little sugar to the coffee in the saucer. The home folk did the same. They thought for sure that the next step would be for the President to take the saucer with the coffee and begin sipping it. But the President didn’t do so. He leaned over, placed the saucer on the floor, and called the cat. Were they not all embarrassed? He may have been the President, but no one should have followed him blindly. There is One, however, who is absolutely trustworthy to follow, and that is Christ.” (copied)

We are the only Bible a careless world will read.

“Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believer, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (I Tim. 4:12)

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matt. 24:35)

The End of the World

Most of us are aware of the current discussions about AI and the fear that, at the breakneck speed it is reportedly progressing, the intelligence that is artificial may soon usurp control of the human race, with the capacity to wipe out our civilization completely. Reasonable people who hold responsible positions in the AI industry have lent credence to these alarming possibilities. So, is this how the world is going to end?

NEWSFLASH: The world, the universe, the human race—none of these will end because of AI! But, yes, the world as we know it now will one day end and be destroyed by fire before a “new heaven and new earth” will come down from God out of the heavens. (Rev. 21:1ff) Everyone ought to be aware of what God has revealed will happen when time as we know it shall be no more—and, of course, every wise person will want to be prepared for the worldwide cataclysmic events about which the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles warned in God’s holy writ.

In this brief post, I will only mention the most salient points. Take note. Take heed.

In answer to the disciples’ question about signs concerning the end of the world, Jesus revealed several general signs that would precede His world-changing second coming. (Matt. 24) He said that after these signs there would be great tribulation, followed by some dreadful signs and wonders in the heavens, just before He would return to earth in power and great glory to judge the nations. Jesus repeatedly exhorted, “Watch and be ready.” (Matt. 24, 25) Thus, AI will not have destroyed the world that Jesus will come again to reign over for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:1ff.)

Jesus, in this same passage, made two crucial predictions: (1) The gospel would be preached to all nations before the end would come. (Matt. 24:14) Again, AI will not have destroyed the world because there would be some who were alive still (“But he that endures to the end shall be saved,” Matt. 24:13) at the end of what Jesus referred to as “Great Tribulation,” just before His second coming.

The New Testament church in Thessalonica thought that the Lord had already come and that they had missed His return. (II Thess.2:1ff.) No doubt they had read the multitudinous passages in the Old Testament depicting the “Day of the Lord,” a time of deep darkness, unspeakable tribulation and world-wide catastrophes—a period that Jesus would identify as the “Great Tribulation,” just before His second coming. Evidently, what Paul and John described as the last time (I John 2:18) and perilous times (II Tim. 3:1) the Thessalonian church concluded were what they were living in. It was indeed a world that had not been destroyed by AI.

Paul corrected the eschatology of the Thessalonicans by positing that before the great and terrible “Day of the Lord” would come, there had to be a “falling away” first—a great apostacy. How does that fit with the AI fears of a worldwide extinction?

Paul also said that a “man of sin” would first be revealed before Jesus would return (II Thess. 2:3) This man of sin is generally identified as “the Antichrist.” (see Rev. 13:1ff.) None of these things could happen if AI had, at some point, wiped out the human race.

Then, He instructs that “He who now letteth will, let”—a reference to the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the world today—a ministry that will continue until Jesus returns for His Bride, the Church, at which time the Holy Spirit’s indwelling ministry will conclude. (I Thess. 2:6,7) AI will not have destroyed the world and all that is therein, for the Holy Spirit will remain active in the world until Christ comes back for His Bride, the church.

Paul also states that God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation. (I Thess. 5:9; II Th.2:13) Having been wiped out by some artificial intelligence does not square with the promises of God’s deliverance from the machinations of the wicked one, the Antichrist.

After seven years of world-wide tribulation (the last half of the period Jesus called “Great Tribulation”—Matt. 24) Jesus will return in power and great glory to establish His millennial kingdom of 1,000 years, followed by the “Great White Throne Judgment” when unbelievers of all ages will be judged and, because their names will not be found in the “Lamb’s book of Life,” will be cast into the Lake of Fire, their eternal abode. (Rev. 20:11-15)

So, there is a brief outline of history that is still yet future; but all of this is from God’s Revelation, His holy Word—our only rule for faith and practice—and the sum and substance of it mandates—with no “wiggle room”—that AI will not destroy humankind. Rather, God will destroy the heavens and the earth by fire at His second coming (II Pet. 3:10ff.) before He ushers in eternity with a “new heaven” and a “new earth.” (Rev 21:1ff.)

Class dismissed. But, as you leave, ponder with your whole mind and spirit the words of Jesus: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matt. 25:42)

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matt. 24:35)