YOU and GOD

As you will soon note, this post will be a bit unusual. It is the result of a recent Sunday School class I taught from Mark’s gospel, chapter 15, a record inspired by the Holy Spirit recording the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to share some thoughts on an important verse that we usually read over rather quickly after visiting Calvary and being reminded of the horrendous suffering of our Savior—and his lamentable cry, “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) Mark continues with the comment that Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. Then he notes, “And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” (Mark 15:38)

Reading again that true and shuddering account of our Lord’s last day on earth in flesh like ours, I had to pause a moment to reflect upon that simple, single reference to the temple veil that was rent in two the moment He gave up the ghost. Matthew also records a statement about the veil being rent in two, and Matthew adds: “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after the resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many.” (Matt. 27:52,53)

I meditated on these verses and, in time, was driven to my files to see if I had preached a message on “the veil” at some time in my ministry. I soon discovered some notes on a 3×5 card on such a message—not one that I had preached but one that Pastor Luther Peake had preached on March 22, 1970, at the Buckner Blvd. Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, the church that Ellen and I were members of when we were living in Dallas (1969-1971) when I was a student in Dallas Theological seminary. Pastor Peake was fairly old at that time. He, along with J. Frank Norris, founded the Bible Baptist Seminary of Arlington, Texas. He was an exceptional expositor of the Word of God, and I took copious notes on this unusual message that day, filling up both sides of my 3×5 card. I want to share some of those notes with you in this blog. Dr. Peake said:

“The (Old Testament) Tabernacle was divided into three parts: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. Gentiles were permitted only in the outer court; Jews were permitted in the Holy Place where they presented their offerings and sacrifices; and the High Priest was permitted in the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was on the Day of Atonement, once annually, to present sacrifices and offerings for his own sins and for the sins of the nation. The Holy of Holies was where God’s visible presence was manifested at times in a cloud or pillar of fire.

Separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was a thick veil—about 4 and ½ inches to 5 inches thick, 36 feet wide and 60 feet long, constructed of 72 plats of 24 threads of blue, scarlet and red colors, all skillfully woven according to instructions given by God to Moses. (Ex.26:33)

When the Lord gave up the ghost, (Matt. 27:51, Luke 23:45, Mark 15:24-38) the veil was rent in two from top to bottom. An earthquake followed immediately (Matthew’s account), but only after the veil had already been rent. What, then, was the significance of the rent veil?

1. It was, first, a sign of deep sorrow, as when David heard of the death of Saul and Jonathan and rent his clothes in mourning. (See also Genesis 37:29; Job 1:20; Ezra 9:5 God the Father, it may well have pictured, was mourning the death of His only begotten Son, a death that caused the Father to temporarily “forsake” His Son as He bore in His body the penalty for the sins of humanity in toto.
2. It speaks to us of the rending of Christ’s flesh (Hebrews 10:20). Christ was as much God as if He were not man; and as much man as if He were not God. God, invisible, omnipotent—yet providing through Christ a once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. The eternal deity was clothed in flesh, so that He would be the one and only proper sacrifice for our sins.
3. The rending of the veil when the God Man, Jesus, had suffered, bled, and died for sins signified that from that moment there now was accessibility for man to God: ‘Whosoever will may come,’ and not just the High Priest on the one yearly Day of Atonement.”

Now, leaving the 3×5 note card that I filled up with Pastor Peake’s message alluded to above, I want to comment on the intriguing statement found only in Matthew’s gospel account of the crucifixion when, in Matt. 27:52, immediately following the statement that the veil was rent in twain from top to bottom (something only God could have done), Matthew notes that “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared to many.”

It is really interesting that Matthew inserted a description of this event—which did not happen until after His resurrection—in the middle of the story of Christ’s crucifixion. This no doubt is part of the “first-fruits” that Paul had in mind when he outlined the order of the first resurrection (see John 5:28,29): “But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.” (I Cor. 15:23) On the day of His resurrection, He forbade Mary Magdalene to touch Him for He had not yet ascended to His Father. (John 20:17) Paul would write in Eph. 4:8,9: “Wherefore he saith, when He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. (Now that he ascended; what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same that also ascended up far above all heavens.”  Old Testament saints were waiting His death, burial, and resurrection in “Abraham’s bosom.” This may explain why some, if not all, of the Old Testament saints—part of the first fruits resurrection along with Christ—were resurrected when He descended into the lower parts of the earth the day He arose, leading “captivity captive”—i.e. Old Testament saints to God and to glory. Selah.

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.” (Hebs. 10:19,20)

In the course of a ministry that spans several decades, there are many unforgettable incidents. In this post, I want to relate one of them from early in my pastorate here in Indianapolis.

A family in our church lived next to to a family that did not attend Thompson Road Baptist Church regularly but allowed their children to ride our bus to Sunday School and church. They had a boy who was wheel-chair bound, due to a birth defect, and he was able to attend also.

One day, a local funeral director called me and said that the family who were neighbors to our church members had suffered the loss of an infant child. I do not remember the cause of death. But the family was planning a graveside service for the baby, and since I was the pastor of their neighbor friends, they asked if I would conduct the service. I was given the pertinent information about the time and place of the service and, of course, I agreed to conduct a service for the baby and family.

The day arrived and one of the deacons of our church, a retired employee of the Indianapolis Power and Light company, volunteered to accompany me. Henry knew how to get anywhere in the county because he had maintained lights on street lamps in just about every area of the city. This funeral was not in our city proper but rather in an outlying area; yet Henry knew exactly where the cemetery was and said he would give directions. In this pre-GPS era, I was glad to have him come along.

We left early enough to arrive at the small, rural cemetery with time to spare. Our trip would take us on Interstate 74, on the east side of Indianapolis. We headed out; it was a beautiful morning and—apart from a baby dying, for which there was a committal service—there was not a care in the world. Henry and I talked and, taken up with the conversation, neither of us paid much attention to where we were on the interstate. In time, I took an exit from I-465 E onto Interstate I-70 E, heading toward Columbus, Ohio. I kept driving and we kept talking, enjoying the scenery and the conversation.

After quite some time, I became concerned that the hour was getting late, and Henry had not advised me to exit from I-70 E. We were beginning to see signs that Richmond, IN, was coming up soon. I mentioned that fact to my deacon-guide, and his face began to get a bit red as he said that we should have gotten onto I-74 E, heading toward Cincinnati, rather than I-70.

I took the first highway heading south, hoping that we could soon pick up I-74, which we did in a fairly short time. Getting onto the right highway, we headed back a short distance to the cemetery, arriving probably 45 minutes to an hour late. Finding in that small cemetery the only grave that had been freshly dug, we were not surprised to learn that everyone had left. The only person there was a young woman at the graveside, an employee of the cemetery. With a shovel in her hand, she tossed one shovel full of dirt after another into the small grave. On the ground at the head of the grave, there appeared to be a small handgun which, since she was working alone, I assumed was for her protection.

Henry and I got out of the car and I, dressed as a pastor of course, slowly approached the grave, announcing to the young “grave digger” that I was the pastor who was supposed to have conducted the service for the family—but was late because we had missed our turn on the way to the service. I enquired as to how long ago the family had left, etc. The conversation was brief.

Though we had missed the “service,” I read a few verses from God’s Word, and Henry and I bowed our heads in prayer as the young woman stood by patiently in silence.

Before turning to leave, I looked at the young woman, then looked at the ground where the infant’s casket was now buried in dirt, the grave almost fully covered, and said to the young lady: “If this were your grave and your body was being covered in the ground below, do you know where your soul would be?” There were moments of silence—and, after 40 plus years, my memory is now a bit clouded—but I do remember that before we left, I gave her a brief explanation of the gospel, asking her to trust Jesus as her Savior and make certain that when her “burial” day came, her soul would be safe with her Savior. And she then bowed her head and prayed a simple prayer, asking God to save her. Rejoicing, Henry and I made our way back to the car and to Indy.

Yes, it was a terrible mistake, and I felt just awful for having missed the service. But I have been comforted by two things: (1) I did not arrive too late to lead that young woman to Christ on top of a baby’s grave, with no interruptions of any kind—just birds chirping hymns of praise in nearby trees; (2) I called the family as soon as I got back to church to apologize profusely for missing that special service. The mother was gracious, said she understood, and was very kind in spite of my (almost) “unforgiveable” error. And, in the years following, this same family called upon me again, several times, when other relatives, unchurched for the most part, needed a pastor to conduct a funeral service for them. We never saw the family become members, but we were “friends” over the many years to follow, and I had ample opportunities to share the gospel with the family at the many other services conducted for their family members. They forgave the “unforgiveable!” And, hopefully, another name was written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life on the morning that Henry and I “spaced it” on our way to a cemetery where one lonely grave digger needed to be saved.

“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.” (Romans 8:28)

I am going to share with you a message delivered by my longtime friend, Pastor Larry Hufhand—retired now at the age of 91—more than 20 years ago. I have obtained his permission to quote excerpts from the message. I do so believing that it will bless every reader, as it surely blessed me and others when he first preached it.

Here it is: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)

Wisdom is a matter of the heart: “He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments and live.” (Proverbs 4:4) When a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, He replied that the “first and great” commandment was to love God with all of one’s heart, soul, and mind. (Matt. 22:35-38) Jesus spoke there of all our capacities:  emotional, volitional, and mental—heart, soul, and mind.

Since Jesus began with the heart in his reply to the lawyer, I want to speak to the heart issue in this post.

I have already quoted Solomon’s advice to his children that they should, in their heart, retain God’s commandments and live. (Prov. 4:4) He had much more to say: A man who lives by the philosophy that life consists of eating and drinking has an evil eye, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7) Again, “Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” (Prov. 23:12) And, “My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.” (Prov. 23:15)

He continues: “Let not thine heart envy sinners…be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.” (Prov. 23:17,19) And, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” (Prov. 23:26)

In his epistle to the church at Rome, in the introduction to that letter, Paul gives a brief essay on the issues that the original sin, in Eden’s garden, left to the first couple and all their descendants. One of the problems was with the heart: “Because, that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21) So, from nearly the beginning, humans have had a heart problem.

The good news (gospel) is that our heart problem can be fixed! Paul makes it clear in II Cor. 4:6: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

His glorious light has shined in these once-darkened hearts! How did that happen? Well, it was by the gift of grace and the power of God. And it happens instantly when a person—by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8)—believes in his or her heart.

The Ethiopian Eunuch, after the evangelist Phillip had explained to him the gospel, expounding some of the passage in Isaiah 63, believed—and, upon believing, wanted to do what he had seen thousands of people in Jerusalem do after accepting Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost. Thousands of believers were baptized. The Eunuch, seeing water from his chariot perch, asked Philip: “What doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:36). And Philip said, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” (v.37)

Salvation is a heart issue. It starts with believing. Paul told the Philippian jailor the same thing when asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” It starts in the heart with believing. (Acts 16:31)

So, in his excellent theological treatise on salvation in Romans 10, Paul made it unmistakably clear: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9,10) It all begins in the heart.

Jesus answered the lawyer who had tried to trap Him—by asking which was the great commandment—with the simple yet profound statement, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” It all begins with the heart.

How is it today with your heart? Do you believe? It is not a matter of education, rank, or station in life. Salvation is a matter of believing. It begins with a heart change.

That wonderful truth inspired the 19^th-century preacher to write the song that still appears in some of our older hymnals: “Have thy affections been nailed to the cross? Is thy heart right with God? Dost thou count all things for Jesus but loss? Is thy heart right with God?

Is thy heart right with God, washed in the crimson flood, Cleansed and made holy, humble and lowly, right in the sight of God?” (E.A. Hoffman, 1839-1929)

Is it? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:13) It starts with the heart. Believe now. Be saved today. Give your heart to God.

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” (Ephesians 3:17)

P.S. In September 1964, marking my upcoming 22^nd birthday, my parents gifted me with a beautiful Scofield study Bible. Inside the cover they wrote these words: “To our beloved son Tony, a token of our love in remembrance of your birthday…. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, records the instruction given to him by his father in Proverbs 4:5-27. We cannot improve upon these words but choose them as our own desire for your life that you may profit by them. ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’” (v. 23)

“Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12) Paul reiterates that 5^th commandment in Ephesians 6:2-3, adding that it is the first commandment to which there is a promise attached—the promise of a long life.

Mother’s Day is the day after the day after tomorrow; don’t fail to show her special honor in some way. I know that some were born into a family where the mother was, more often than not, dishonorable. But I refuse to believe that is the norm; in fact, I believe every mother has a special “mother’s heart” for each of her children. That conviction moved me to write this poem in honor of my mother some years ago—and, when she passed away almost 20 years ago, to share it with all mothers in honor of motherhood.

God’s Gift to Mankind:

“Built for us in God’s own heart,
     She would love us from the start;
Watching o’er us like no other,
     We would cherish our dear mother.

In her arms she drew us near,
     There would chase away each fear;
Through her loving, soothing voice,
     We knew we were hers by choice.

From her eyes there shone rare grace,
     Love was written on her face;
With her hands she met each need,
     All our calls and cares did heed.

She was our first loving teacher,
     Doctor, nurse and even preacher!
Words of kindness she would say,
     Coaching us along life’s way.

Her wise lessons were our rule,
     Ere we set a foot in school.
She would teach us by her life,
     How to cope with stress and strife.

One could see her angel eyes,
     When we called with coos or cries;
She was ever quick to come,
     Caring ‘til the day was done.

Lullabies and sweetest song,
     We could listen all day long.
Darkest room with heaven’s light,
     Mother’s presence would make bright.

With a word or touch we’d know,
     All was peaceful here below.
In her warm and caring arms,
     We were safe from fears and harms.

So on this her special day,
     We would simply pause to say,
‘Mother, mother, mother dear,
      You have brought to us such cheer!

We thank and praise you for your love,
     You’re a gift from heaven above!
From our earliest infant cry,
     To the day that we shall die.

We’ll thank God for you forever,
     Nothing from your heart will sever.
‘Till we draw our life’s last breath,
     We will cherish you till death.

We will honor our dear Mother,
      For she loved us like no other;
Built for us in God’s own heart,
     She has loved us from the start.”

(ALS)

I am happy to say—and I am sure many husbands/fathers who read this would say the same of their own wife—that God in His grace gave me a wonderful wife who fully fits the description painted in this poem of a mother who is a gift from God. We join together, then, in wishing these wonderful wives and mothers the happiest Mother’s Day this year.

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed: her husband also, and he praiseth her…Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:28,30)

Once again, it will soon be “Mother’s Day.” (5/10/26) My mother (and Ellen’s) has been with the Lord almost 20 years now, but we always cherish their memories. And, as has been my custom since before Mom’s passing, I want to pay a tribute to not only our mothers but all mothers. 

This one will be brief, but I will share another one in my “You and God” blog on Thursday. Here is this year’s tribute to mothers:

Mother’s Heart

Deep within her breast of clay,
     Filled with love from day to day;
All for you from life’s first start,
     Is your mother’s holy heart!

Heart of passion, peace and prayer,
     Heart of Mother’s daily care;
For her children one and all,
     Should they stand, or should they fall.

Heart endowed with God’s own love,
     Filled with goodness from above;
Heart that cheers and wishes well,
     When your world has turned pell-mell.

Blessed heart—that gift from God,
     Heart that softens cruelest rod.
Heart that weeps and heart that prays,
     All her life-long earthly days.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mothers!

ALS/2021

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Health update and personal note:  This fall I will have been “pastor emeritus” for seven years, passing the “baton” to Pastor Joel Stevens in September 2019. After pastoring full-time for 48 years, Ellen and I took up temporary residence in Maranatha Village in Sebring, Florida, for six weeks, returning to Indianapolis on the day that everything pretty much shut down due to the pandemic (Covid). When things began to normalize, I accepted a call to be interim pastor of the Coatesville Missionary Baptist Church, where we served for about a year until Pastor Brian Harr became the full-time pastor. Next, for a couple of years, I assisted Dr. Larry Hufhand in filling the pulpit of Pleasant View Baptist Church in Noblesville, IN, alternating Sundays in the pulpit ministry there for almost two years.

In late 2021 I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a bone cancer for which there is no known cause, nor any known cure. With treatments, the cancer does sometimes go into remission. New treatments are becoming available all the time. I am now in “deep medical remission.” From what I understand, that means I am not in full remission but am a lot closer than when I started treatments. I get fusions weekly and take a daily chemo pill. The cancer has not caused any major problems, but the medicines have side-effects that cause some mobility problems, along with a few aches and pains. 

Your prayers have been “felt” and Ellen and I deeply appreciate your loving concern. My caregiver is just the absolute best (Ellen), and our children have gone above and beyond the call of what might be expected or hoped for. Thank you all! Our church has been generous, gracious, and patient with us at every turn; and Pastor Joel has called upon me to teach or preach when needed, if I am “up to the task.” 

I will be 84 this fall and, for all practical purposes, should have been graduated to my home in heaven by now. So every day is a gift from our heavenly Father. I write this bi-weekly blog, “You and God,” and have archived over 600 installments so far. If you are reading this on a smartphone, you can access any one of them by scrolling down to the end of any post and looking for “Read in Browser.” Click on it and the text will reappear. Scroll down to the end of the text until you see a list of the months of each year. You can click on any one of those months and a listing of the titles of each blog post published for the month will appear. You can print off any one that you want to use or file for future reference. This can be especially helpful for holidays that, like Mother’s Day, are always on the same date; so you can pull up four or five (years) of the posts for that holiday. 

Feel free to use any of the material in those posts. I have tried to give credit to anyone I have quoted, where possible—but if you are using any material of mine, do not feel that you need to contact me for permission. I have tried to pass on, especially to preachers, the choicest “gems” that I have gathered in 50 years of ministry so that present and future generations can enjoy them and use them, as I have.

That should suffice for now. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I want to thank my son Theo, a freelance researcher/writer by profession, who is proofreader/editor of each blog; and Sandra Wagner, our daughter, who uses her skills as a professional marketing specialist to publish the artwork that accompanies each blog post. 

Best wishes to all who faithfully read these blog posts; I would welcome any feedback or comments!

“And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (II Tim. 4:18)