Special Edition of “You and God”: Health and Ministry Update

It has been almost six years since I bid farewell to my faithful flock that I had “watched over” as an under-shepherd for 40 years. My farewell to Thompson Road Baptist Church as “Senior Pastor” was as follows:

“Farewell, dear friends, it’s hard to say ‘Goodbye.’ At times we want to laugh, at times to cry. We’ve walked, we’ve talked, we’ve worked along life’s way. Our love has grown, His grace He’s shown, From our first meeting 40 years ago today.

You’ve been a flock supreme, A shepherd’s fondest dream; You’ve heard and heeded truths—and grown in grace; you’ve made your goal in life to seek His face.

We part now, yet our sorrow—it is sweet; we’ll soon all cast our crowns at Jesus’ feet; We know by then the victory will be won—our soul’s desire: to hear Him say ‘Well done!’

‘Come, enter child, enjoy eternal rest; you are at home, now with His children blessed. Your work on earth is done forever more; come, child, come boldly through the door.’

Oh! Happy thought when time no more is rushed; when sirens, guns and wailing will be hushed; And with for eons in His precious love, we’ll talk and laugh and share with all above.

The world that now is drear will then be past; no more will weakness wear us down at last. We shall be there, with Christ in Heav’n so fair—Oh blessed thought—His joy for e’er to share!”

Following that farewell occasion, Ellen and I journeyed to Sebring, Florida, where for six weeks we loafed and lounged with friends—old and new—at Maranatha Village, a retirement haven where homes can be purchased or rented by retirees, mostly but not exclusively pastors and missionaries. We enjoyed fellowship with friends, several of whom we had gone to school with a half-century earlier.

The day we left Maranatha Village was the day that EVERYTHING shut down due to Covid-19! We spent one night with my sister in Georgia, then made it home the next day, thankful to be able to get fuel along the way!

In the meantime, I had been accepted by Gospel Fellowship Association as a member of their Interim Pastor’s ministry. I would be available and on call to serve churches without a pastor as the church searched for God’s man to lead their flock. Happily, a church about 40 miles west of Indianapolis, Coatesville Missionary Baptist Church, was searching for a senior pastor. I met with the deacons, and the church invited me to serve as their interim pastor as they continued their search. Ellen and I so very much enjoyed our year-long ministry there with those dear people—a church, incidentally, in which I had served for two summers when I was a college student, helping in their summer camp ministry before I married the love of my life (after graduating from Bob Jones University) in August of 1965!

All of the interim ministry at Coatesville was during the pandemic; but we were never sidelined with that sickness. However, early in 2021, I was told that my body was being attacked by some rogue white blood cells. The doctor said it was multiple myeloma, a cancer for which there is no known cause or cure. It can be treated by chemotherapy and by infusion of a cancer-fighting drug, and it sometimes does go into remission—but eventually will return. The average lifespan after diagnosis is typically between 5 and 6 years. I have been receiving monthly treatments and, until few weeks ago, have been taking chemo by pill—three weeks on and one week off.

After the Coatesville church called a full-time pastor, God opened up an opportunity to serve—with my long-time friend, Dr. Larry Hufhand—a church in Noblesville, Indiana, which is about a 35-minute drive from our house. Pastor Hufhand and I alternated Sundays in sharing the pulpit ministry there. In his mid-80’s at the time, he was limited in physical strength, and due to my weakened physical stamina because of cancer, it was necessary that each of us have a Sunday off between engagements, and the church was “OK” with that. So I preached regularly until mid-December—when Pastor Hufhand, turning 90, announced that he would not be able to continue preaching after the end of the year (2024). The church also announced that there was a man that they believed would meet their need for a pastor. So for Dr. Hufhand, the church, and myself, the end of that chapter had come.

A couple of months ago, my cancer doctor told me that he thought I could stop taking the chemo pill that I had been on for more than three years. He did not say that my cancer was in remission—there are still a couple of markers indicating it is still active—but he wanted to see how I would respond without the chemo. So far, so good. I am, as I have been, fairly weak and not without some pesky pain along with neuropathy, etc. But so far I am able to do light work, write this bi-weekly blog called “You and God” (for five years now, with 500 plus installments), and fill a pulpit occasionally at our home church.

Ellen and I will mark our 60th wedding anniversary, Lord willing, this summer. God is good; and with heartfelt sincerity, I can concur with the apostle: “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.”

“Thank you” to Ellen, our children, grandchildren, pastor, church family, friends, and followers of “You and God” for all the prayers, enabling us to enjoy these last years here. Our son, Theo, a freelance journalist, proofs and edits each of these blogs; our daughter, Sandy, a marketing specialist, does the artwork and posting logistics. Our daughter, Marti, and her family live close by and tirelessly serve us, addressing a myriad of our needs, without which help we would be struggling! Thank you all—and thank Him for such rich goodness!

“But I (we) have all, and abound: I (we) am full, having received…the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Phil.4:18-20)

The Old Rugged Cross

A missionary was visiting with Mahatma Gandhi, and at the close of their visit Gandhi said, “Before you leave, would you sing one of your hymns?” When asked what hymn he would like to hear, Gandhi replied, “Please sing a hymn that expresses all that is deepest in your faith.” After a few moments, the missionary broke out in

“When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died;
My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”


Often, we who have been redeemed from the curse of the law ought to go back to where, for us, life began. “Lead me to Calvary” should be our constant prayer: “Lest I forget Gethsemane, lest I forget Thine agony, lest I forget Thy love for me, lead me to Calvary.”

Come back with me for a few moments today as we kneel at the cross.

Paul, the Apostle, in his epistle to the Galatian saints, made three references to the cross. In each of these we can find something significant about the cross—the emblem of suffering and shame, and of the Christian’s faith.

(1) The Offense of the Cross: “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased.” (Gal. 5:11) The cross is the source of shame: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” (Gal. 3:13) In Deut. 21: 22,23 Moses gave instruction that if a man committed a crime worthy of death, and he was put to death by hanging on a tree, his body should not remain all night upon the tree, “but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day, for he that is hanged on a tree is cursed of God.” Cicero, a Roman statesman and orator, said of the cross and crucifixion: “The very name should be excluded from the thought, eyes and ears of a Roman citizen: no word can adequately describe such a nefarious thing.”

The cross was also a source of stumbling. (I Cor. 1:23) To the Jews, looking for a Messiah, it was a stumbling block since they were awaiting the appearance of their King. Pilate, interrogating Jesus, asked, “Art Thou the King of the Jews?” He would later have the superscription written on the cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” And, while the cross was a stumbling block to the Jew, it was just plain foolishness to Greeks—lovers of wisdom, beauty, and bodies. The cross, to the Gentile, was not wise; nor was there beauty in a body that was beaten, bloodied and bruised. “Human nature, whether of the philosophic mind of the Greek, the religious mind of the Jew or the analytic mind of the Roman, or the intellectual mind of modern man, recoils from the thought of seeking salvation from a crucified messiah.” (MacArthur)

Contrast what Harry A. Ironside—the 20th-century Bible commentator and one-time pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago—said about Isa. 53:6, a verse which paints the picture of our suffering Savior as he pays the price for sin at Calvary: “To me verse six (‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all’) is the most wonderful text in the whole Bible. I have been trying to preach for sixty years and that is the first text I ever preached on. I was just a boy 14 years old, and out on the streets of Los Angeles with the Salvation Army. I started speaking on that verse, meaning to take 5 minutes, but a half hour later the captain leaned over and said, ‘Son, we should have been in the Hall twenty minutes ago; you’ll have to tell us the rest some other time.’ I have been trying to tell the rest all through these years since, but it is a text I never get beyond.”

(2) The Persecution of the Cross, Phil.3:18: “I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.” Lucifer, of course, is the ancient and age-old enemy of the cross of Christ. He has been—and is to this hour—joined by unbelievers, modern religion, false prophets, and the masses of the world who are simply indifferent to the Cross. Rembrandt, the famous Dutch artist, in painting the scene of the crucifixion of Christ, painted himself in a corner scene, suggesting that he himself was just another interested but indifferent part of the crowd that crucified the Christ. “When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree…when Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by.” (Studdert Kennedy)

(3) The Glory of the Cross, Gal.6:14: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Our Lord, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, “and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2) We can and should then “glory” in the cross, as did Paul. “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 3:13-15)

When Portuguese traders, following the trail of the explorer Vasco da Gama, settled on the south coast of China, they built a massive cathedral on a hillcrest overlooking the harbor. In time, though, typhoons and three centuries wreaked havoc on the structure, leaving only the front façade. That part of the cathedral stood long after most of the structure had crumbled to dust. Left “high on its triangular top, clean cut against the sky, and defying rain, lightning and typhoons, is a great bronze cross. When Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hong Kong, visited Macao in 1825, he was so impressed by the scene that he wrote the famous hymn, ‘In the Cross of Christ I glory; towering o’er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story, gathers round it head sublime.’” (Samuel Zwermer, The Glory of the Cross, 1928)

Think of hamburgers and you might think of a golden arch; think of the Olympics and a burning torch might come to mind; think of freedom and the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island may loom large in your thinking; think of politics and a donkey or an elephant might be the physical emblems of what you have in mind. We do not have a golden arch or a burning torch or a Statue of Liberty or an elephant or donkey; BUT we have an “old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame.” May we ever glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)

The Crucifixion Week

It is often referred to as the “Holy Week,” the last week upon earth of Jesus’ life amongst men as the God-man, culminating in the cruel cross crucifixion.  It serves us well to be reminded often of the unspeakable Calvary event, unspeakable because of the rejection of Jesus by His own whom He came to redeem; yet, precious because of the atonement that His dying secured for all men, specially for those who believe. (I Tim.4:10)  The following is an outline of the events of His last week:

On the Sunday before He was nailed to the cross, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy that Messiah would come as King “riding upon a colt, the foal of an ass.” (Zech. 9:9)  On that day multitudes cried “Hosanna to the Son of David,” (Matt. 21:9) yet just a few days hence the crowds would be crying “crucify Him, crucify Him!” Luke notes that “when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it.” (Luke 19:41)

On Monday, approaching the city, Jesus curses a fig tree that appeared to be at the stage of fruit bearing but was instead barren.  Arriving in Jerusalem at the Temple site, Jesus surveys the merchandizing taking place in His “Father’s House,” and responds by turning upside down the moneychangers’ tables, driving them out as He proclaimed that “…it is written, my house shall be called a House of Prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matt. 21:13)  He had similarly done this temple cleansing at the beginning of His ministry as John records in his gospel, chapter 2. 

Tuesday was an extended teaching day for Jesus, beginning in the Temple teaching His disciples in parables and continuing just outside the Temple where the disciples asked Jesus about the end of the age issues.  Those questions (Matt. 24:3) initiated a lengthy discourse of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 24, 25, called the Olivet Discourse, in which Jesus gave signs that would precede His 2nd coming, and the great tribulation that would take place just prior to that coming; and the judgment of the nations that would immediately follow His return to earth in power and great glory. (Matt. 25)

On Wednesday of “Holy Week” Jesus, at dinner in the home of Simon the leper, had His head anointed by a woman who poured over Him a box of very precious ointment.  The disciples rebuked the woman, but Jesus rebuked the disciples and commended the woman, while Judas Iscariot slipped out of the room to seek out Pharisees with whom he could conspire to betray His Master.

On Thursday afternoon, the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus instructed Peter and John to secure an upper room where He and the disciples could share in the Passover Supper together. It was after this meal that Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, then revealed that Judas would betray Him, while He also warned His followers of their pending denial of Him.  Our Lord instituted the memorial of the Last Supper, (Luke 22:17-20) then launched into a farewell discourse, (John 14-16) climaxing with His great Intercessory Prayer, (John 17) followed by a short walk to the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives where Jesus uttered the agonizing petition, “Let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.”  It was under the cover of an early morning blanket of darkness that Judas then led his cohorts in crime to the garden, betraying Jesus with a kiss, feigning love and loyalty, resulting in the arrest of Jesus and His hearing before Annas, former High Priest and father of Caiaphas, the then current High Priest, before whom Jesus would next stand to be interrogated along with being accused, mocked, charged with blasphemy, beaten, blindfolded and reviled. 

Friday morning, early, Jesus was formally condemned by the Sanhedrin, about the time, interestingly, that Judas, beginning to feel the awful consequences of his betrayal of the Son of God, went out and hanged himself.  Jesus was led to Pilate where the Roman governor asked Him point blank “Art thou the king of the Jews?”  In keeping with the custom of releasing a prisoner on such festive feast days, the blood-thirsty crowd demanded that the seditionist-murderer Barabbas be released and that Jesus, King of the Jews, be crucified.  Pilate, learning that Jesus was from Galilee, sent Him to Herod Antipas to be judged, and it was before Herod that Christ was mocked, dressed for a few moments in a gorgeous robe, and then sent back to Pilate where he was chastised and crowned in mockery with a crown of thorns.

Friday morning, between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., Jesus continued to be mocked and scourged by soldiers and then, with reservations, released by Pilate to the frenzied crowd.  He is led to Golgotha just a little before 9:00 a.m. and nailed to the cross where He would hang between two thieves from 9 until noon, during which time Jesus would utter “Father, forgive them,” and to the repentant thief “This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise,” and to His mother, “Woman, behold thy son,” and to the beloved John, “Son, behold thy mother.” His garments were parted, and soldiers cast lots to see who would get what; and a superscription was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  Jesus would suffer hanging upon the hill called Golgotha for another three hours from noon until 3:00 p.m. crying out four more times:  “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” and “I thirst,” “It is finished,” and finally, under a darkened sky where neither sun nor moon shone and where the earth was about to quake, Jesus cried “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” Immediately Matthew tells us that the veil of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom, the earth did quake, some tombs of Old Testament believers were opened, and some Old Testament saints were observed walking the streets of Jerusalem. (Matt. 27:52) The Centurion Soldier at the cross was overheard saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”  Jesus had died for the sins of the world; then He was carefully anointed for burial before being placed into the never before used tomb of a wealthy man from Arimathaea, Joseph, who was  also a follower of Jesus.

After three days and three nights, (by Jewish reckoning any part of a day is a day, night is a night) Jesus rose victorious over death, hell and the grave, whereupon He appeared to many of His followers before ascending back into the heavens in a visible display of His power and great glory, the full display of which is being reserved for His 2nd coming at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation. (Matthew 24,25)

“Behold He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him:  and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.  Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:7)

(This “You and God” post is a reprint of a March, 2024 article on the Holy Week)

Simon, the Zealot (11th in The Apostles Series)

To understand the apostle who is called “the zealot,” it is necessary to know something of the party after which he was named, the Zealots.

The Zealots were a nationalistic group of extremists before and after the time of Christ’s ministry on the earth. The main goal of the party was the overthrow—by any means possible—of Roman rule in Palestine. They were fiercely bent on restoring “divine” rule, and they were intensely “religious.”

Whereas the Scribes and Pharisees—religious groups that were also prominent in the same time period—were either indifferent or resigned to Roman rule, the Zealots refused to accept and acknowledge foreign domination of their motherland. They despised Rome and thought of them as “the enemy.”  One of their leaders gathered about himself a large and mostly young following at about the time that Jesus was 10 or 11 years of age. Their slogan was “No God but Jehovah, No tax but the Temple tax, No Friend but a Zealot.” To advance their cause, they resorted to terrorist tactics.

It was one of these Zealots, named Simon the Canaanite or Simon Zelotes (Matt. 10:4; Acts 1:13), that Jesus called to follow Him—one of the chosen 12. His name occurs only four times in the Bible, and each of these times he’s only mentioned in a list of the 12 Apostles.

Yet, though nothing of significance is said about Simon, the Zealot, there are several things a careful contemplation of God’s Word will reveal.

First, he had a saving faith in Jesus Christ. He knew that his “good works”—even on behalf of his beloved motherland, if indeed those works could have been considered “good”—were not going to “pass muster” at the Judgment Bar of God Almighty. He was saved, like every other person who has ever been saved, by believing through faith in Jesus as Lord, and then by confessing Him and calling upon Him for salvation—all of grace. (Eph. 2:8,9)

After Simon was called and ordained by Christ as an apostle, he was sent out with the other apostles on preaching missions, during which endeavors Simon exercised the “signs of an apostle.” (II Cor. 12:12) These included casting out demons, raising the dead, healing the sick and, on occasion, speaking in tongues. But none of these apostolic wonder-works saved Simon; he was only a sinner, saved by grace!

Simon, when called by Christ to be His follower, left family and friends. He was, like his compatriot apostles, willing to forsake all to follow Christ. (Matt.19:27) When the time came, he obeyed Christ’s commission to go on a preaching/healing/miracle-working tour for His kingdom’s sake. (Matt. 10:5,6) The field for these men was the Jewish field of Israel—which, Jesus said, were “lost sheep.” (Matt. 10:6) Their message: “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

There is never an indication that Simon, having put his hand to the plow, ever looked back. His life as a Zealot was past; his mission as an apostle was ever and always present and future. On the first appearance of Jesus to the apostles after the resurrection, Judas Iscariot and Thomas were absent; Simon, though, was present. He was with the Apostles watching Christ ascend up into the heavens. (Acts 1:11) He met with the 120 in a room in Jerusalem, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit, as Christ had instructed them to do. Simon was in the number of willing, watching, waiting followers of Jesus.

Simon the Zealot met Christ, was converted—and his life was radically transformed. His battles with blades would be abandoned for a fight for the faith with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. His greatest ambition after conversion to Christ would no longer be national, but spiritual. His first concern would be about a heavenly rule rather than an earthly reign. His affections would be set on things above and not on things of the earth. Now he would not be a zealot against something; he would be zealous for Someone.

Simon would recognize Caesar as someone to whom he ought to pay taxes, as Christ had wisely taught; but he would bow to Christ as One for whom He would be willing to die and, like Paul, his mantra would be “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)

Those whom Simon at one time hated and felt murder in his heart for, now—as one of His—he loved and longed to see accept the One as Savior Who would make them “new creatures.” Rather than working against them, Simon would—with his heart, head, and hands—work for their deliverance from Satan’s bondage.

Simon would never write a New Testament epistle or preach a powerful message recorded for the ages, as did Peter on the day of Pentecost. But he was faithful unto death and, like most of the apostles, he died, according to history, a martyr’s death.

His mark—many may have thought to have been minor—but forevermore his name will be engraved on one of the 12 foundations of the heavenly, holy city, the New Jerusalem.

Not too shabby for a former Zealot, huh?

“And the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and in them the names of the 12 apostles.” (Rev. 21:14)

Honor in Reverse

On one occasion while I was senior pastor, the church chose to mark an anniversary with a special reception. That is always a humbling experience because, as any pastor knows, the honors should go to a whole lot of people, starting with his wife and family as well as scores of others. Paul spent a lot of ink in the last chapter of the book of Romans expressing his heartfelt appreciation for all who had helped make his ministry possible—people who for the most part were unknown. More about that later.

Let me share with you a bit of what I said when honored on the above-mentioned anniversary:

“Actually, you folks are the ones who ought to be receiving the honor here today. Without you, I would not be here. Without faithful parents, I would not have had the opportunities, the encouragement, and the direction necessary to pursue God’s calling as I have. Without good people who’ve influenced me—pastors, teachers, friends along life’s way, I’d not be here speaking to you today.

Without a devoted wife and helpmeet, I could not have given myself to the ministry as I have desired and done these past years, with Ellen always by my side. Without children who have honored me through obedience and respect, who have believed in my Savior and made my God their God, and who have lived their lives in a way that has not brought reproach upon our Lord, I could have no ministry to you or to any of the Body of Christ at this hour.

Without faithful deacons who’ve supported me through bad times and good—through thick and thin—I’d not have any effective ministry in this church. Without a faithful and Bible-loving flock who have loved and obeyed the Gospel and the whole counsel of God, and who have followed the leadership of their God-appointed under shepherd, I would be a pastor without a congregation, a man without a church.

And so, you’ve honored me and for that reason I am indeed appreciative, BUT you are also deserving of much honor. I think a fitting scriptural lesson in this regard is Romans 16. Paul, in writing to the saints at Rome, which place he had at that time not yet visited, singled out many people who were to be greeted, saluted and commended on his behalf. I could single out many of you by name and commend you and salute you. Many who have gone more than the 2nd mile. Many who have labored behind the scenes to make the public ministry of your pastors more effective. I will not do that, but I would direct your attention to this passage and to some thoughts from Paul concerning such helpers—then and now.

  • Their number—about 30 or so individuals were mentioned, both men and women. These were unsung heroes. These kinds of people are the backbone—the nerve center under the guidance of the Holy Spirit—of any church that is alive. It has been said by astute observers that 90% of the work in a church is done by 10% of the people; but to get the job done for Jesus today, it is going to take everyone doing what he or she can. Those of extraordinary talents and those of ordinary skills; those who work with their hands, and those who work with their tongues (as in teaching); those who have money and those who have none; those who are employed and those who are unemployed; those who have been to Bible college, and those who have not; those who have been saved many years, and those who are new-born babes in Christ.
  • Their names—some were well-known; some were unknown to most. In God’s church, there are no “Big Shots.” God keeps His own list of “Who’s Who.”
  • Their necessity—Paul could not have done what he did for Christ without them! Without Acquilla and Priscilla; without Mary, Phebe and Urbane. And each and every one. No preacher can buy love, loyalty and faithful, dedicated servants. Paul: “And this they did, not as we had hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” (II Cor. 8:5)

Their nature—they all had one thing in common: all were servants (succorers, helpers, laborers and/or fellow prisoners, Romans 16:2, 3, 7, 12).

As such, they were in good company: ‘Paul, a servant of Christ,’ ’James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,’ ‘Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ,’ and ‘Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James.’ (Rom. 1:1; James 1:1; II Pet. 1:1 and Jude 1) “And whoever will be the chief among you, let him be your servant.” (Matt. 20:27)

So, that was my message then and remained so until September of 2019 when I then delivered a “farewell” address—but that will be the subject of a later post. Many who were serving with me on that anniversary were still faithfully serving their Savior alongside of me when I spoke my last words to them as their pastor. Now, almost six years later, many of them are still serving Jesus Christ our Lord alongside their new pastor, Joel Stevens. “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Eph. 3:21)

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Hebrews 6:10)

Thaddaeus (Lebbaeus) the Apostle (10th in a series on the Apostles)

When God created the world, on the fourth day He made a greater light to rule the day and a lesser light to rule the night—and He made the stars also. (Gen. 1:16)

In so doing, the Creator of the universe set in place a principle that seems to govern all of life on this planet: namely, that there are greater lights and there are lesser lights, each in their place, each fulfilling God’s ordained purpose for their being.

This is true in the natural world, it seems, and it is true in other realms also. There is the Lion and there is the lamb; the first chair and the other chairs; the captain and the corporal; the supervisor and the supervised.

John the Baptist knew this in the spiritual world. He spake of himself as the one sent to bear witness of the Light, the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. John was merely a lesser light. John had to decrease and Jesus had to increase, the Baptizer announced.

In the apostolic corps, there were greater lights and there were lesser lights. James, Peter, John, and Andrew were lesser lights compared to the greater Light, Jesus; yet they were brighter lights than some of the other apostles.

Thaddaeus, also known as Lebbaeus and identified as “Judas, not Iscariot”—and also as “Judas (Jude) the brother of James”—was a lesser light. He hardly appears in the pages of the New Testament. But, as is true of the other apostles, his name will be forever engraved on one of the 12 foundations of the New Jerusalem, the eternal heavenly city of God.

Thaddaeus was unknown but not unfaithful. He followed Jesus in the beginning and never betrayed his Lord, Master, Messiah. He was with Jesus to the end and, after the end, gathering in the room where 120 of His followers waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit and the genesis of the Church that Jesus had promised the apostles He would found. (Acts 1:13)

Thaddaeus exemplified the first and foremost requirement of a steward, that of faithfulness. (I Cor. 4:3) So, he never became well known; in fact, most people would struggle to come up with his name when attempting to name all of the 12 apostles. He was, at best, faithful over a “few things.” (Matt. 25:23) He was never famous, but he was ever faithful. Jesus, in His letter to the church in Smyrna (Rev. 2:10) did not command the Smyrna saints to be “successful,” or “influential,” or “accepted,” or “diverse,” or “powerful,” or “wealthy.” But He promised them a crown of life if they would be faithful unto death.

Thaddaeus might well have echoed those now-famous words of the apostle “born out of due time” who, in the face of certain death, said: “I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.” (II Tim. 4:6,7) Tradition records that Thaddaeus was clubbed to death, joining all the other apostles, except John, in the ranks of the martyrs.

Thaddaeus, on one occasion recorded in John’s gospel, seemed to have been unclear: “Judas, saith unto Him, not Iscariot, Lord how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us and not unto the world?” Jesus answered, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:22,23) So, this apostle may have appeared to be unclear at times, but he was never accused of being uncertain. He was ready to leave that Upper Room and follow Him to the garden—and on to Golgotha.

Thaddaeus may have been undistinguished, but he will never be forgotten. As has been mentioned, his name will be on one of the 12 foundations of the New Jerusalem. Most of our Lord’s followers—then and now—will forever be “undistinguished.” But none of His faithful followers will ever be forgotten: “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which ye have showed toward His name.” (Hebrews 6:10)

Thaddaeus—aka Lebbaeus and Judas, not Iscariot—was unpaid, but like His faithful servants throughout all ages, neither he nor they will be unrewarded.  Peter, spokesman for the 12 on one occasion, reminded Jesus that “we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore?” (Matt. 19:27) Jesus replied with words that must have plowed through the thick aura around Peter’s heart: “Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matt. 19:27)

Thaddaeus, finally, on the way to Calvary, appeared to have been unsettled, but he proved not to be untrue. Like every other apostle, Thaddaeus forsook Jesus momentarily. (Mark 14:50) But like the women at the cross, the apostles came back to “watch Him there.” Most of us have, at one time or another, forsaken Him in a weak moment in some way. Maybe by just clamming up when we should have spoken up. But Solomon gives us hope: “A righteous man falls seven times, and riseth up again.” (Provs. 24:16) And, Thaddaeus rose up again and was with Him to the end.

“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” (Matt. 19:29)

The Reign of Grace

Words escape us when we attempt to explain the concept of grace. An oft-sung hymn is about as good as one can do: “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.”

As do many believers, I began reading through the Bible in January and am now just about through with the Penteteuch—the books penned by Moses under the direction of God, books that major on the Law given by God to govern the ways, work, and worship of His chosen people before Christ’s first advent.

I often remind myself that the Law is “holy, just, and good.” (Romans 7:12). Paul told the Galatians that it was given as a “school master” to bring us to Christ. It reveals the sinfulness of man and the holiness of God. Old Testament believers never had to wonder whether something was “right” or “wrong” because a law governed every aspect of life—from diet, dress, and deportment to work and worship. One could not live under that economy without coming to the realization, eventually, that Paul came to when, in spiritual exhaustion, he exclaimed: “Oh wretched man that I am!” The law condemned; the law convicted.

But “marvelous, infinite, matchless grace—freely bestowed on all who believe! You that are longing to see His face, will you this moment His grace receive?” As John 1:17 says: “The Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.” Jesus, John declares, was the Word that was “made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

What a day that was! The reign of the law was about to be fulfilled by the only One Who could keep it, the only begotten Son of God! The reign of grace was about to be initiated by the only One Who was qualified to administer it, God the Son, Grace incarnate.

The following simple outline that God gave me recently will provide some hooks upon which to hang our thoughts on the inexhaustible subject of grace:

  1. The Word of Grace, Titus 2:11

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

➢God’s word of grace for salvation…to all men
➢God’s word of grace for service…teaching us

  1. The Wonder of Grace, Eph. 2:8,9

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”

➢Wonder, that Jesus would save, cf. Romans 3:9-20—“They are all gone out of the way…there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
➢Wonder that salvation would be a “gift!”

  1. The Way of Grace, John 1:14,16,17

➢He giveth grace: “And of His fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.”
➢He giveth more grace, Romans 5:20,21. His grace reservoir is never depleted!

  1. The Wisdom of Grace, I Cor. 15:10—”But by the grace of God, I am what I am.” Paul, killer of Christians, chief of sinners—now the least of apostles—by the grace of God.

➢The law condemns, grace converts
➢The law sentences, grace saves
➢The law restricts, grace releases
➢The law separates, grace seeks

  1. The World of Grace, Eph. 3:8: “Unto me, who am the least of all saints, is this grace given….”

➢The world of sinners: sought and saved!
➢The world of saints: sealed and sanctified (“…that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”)

  1. The Worth of Grace, Rom.6:6; Acts 20:32

➢It is marvelous. By it the “old man”—the body of sin—is destroyed “that henceforth we should not serve sin.” “I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” WOW!
➢It is matchless, Eph. 2:7: “That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ. For by grace are ye saved through faith.” Take that, Devil!

“O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.” (Robert Robinson-“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”)

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Romans 5:21)

James, son of Alphaeus, an Apostle (9th in a series on the Apostles)

In describing the newly nominated Supreme Court Justice, David Souter—President George H.W. Bush’s nominee to fill the vacancy created by Justice William Brennan’s resignation in 1990—one commentator described the New Hampshire nominee as a “blank page.” By that, he meant that Souter was virtually unknown. He had not written many decisions on matters of national significance and thus had not left a “paper trail.”

That’s about how one might describe the subject of this installment in this series on the apostles of our Lord. James, the son of Alphaeus—compared with the other apostles—is sort of a blank page.

His name is mentioned only in the three New Testament synoptic gospels, where the apostles are listed, and possibly in Mark 15:40—where “Mary, the mother of James, the less” is mentioned. The “less” may mean that he was short in stature, or of modest influence, or of a “retiring” personality—if indeed this person whose mother is mentioned as being at Calvary with Mary Magdalene and Salome—was James, the apostle.

There is some conjecture about him. For instance, Matthew the apostle is also said to be the son of Alphaeus in Mark 2:14. It may be, then, that Matthew and this James, both called the son of Alphaeus, were brothers. They are never called brothers, however, so each may simply have had a father named Alphaeus. Also, some have thought this James to have been one of the brothers of Jesus who wrote the epistle of James. But, since the brothers of Jesus were spoken of in John 7 as unbelievers, initially at least, this in an unlikely possibility.

Interestingly, though very little is said of James in Scripture, his life can be inspiring! I believe every one of us can be and should be encouraged by the life of James, the son of Alphaeus, because we can all be—like him—what God wants us to be: 

  1. He was a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, Matt. 10:1ff. He did what his Lord equipped him to do:

► He preached the gospel of the kingdom, v. 7

► He did some great things in Christ’s name: (Matt. 10:1ff.; 2 Cor. 12:12)

  • Healed the sick, v. 8
  • Cleansed lepers, v. 8
  • Raised the dead, v.8
  • Cast out devils, v.8

► He was persecuted, v. 22

► He was, above all things, a servant, v. 25

  1. He was a faithful and obedient servant of Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:13)

► He wrote no epistles (like Paul)

► He preached no classic sermons (like Peter)

► He founded no church that we know of, nor did he pastor any great church

► But he was what Christ expects every follower to be:

  • Faithful in all things, even that which is least
  • Faithful unto death. Believers will be rewarded at the Judgment seat of Christ, based not on fame but on faithfulness; not so much on what we did but on how we did what we did—and why

Conclusion:  James, son of Alphaeus, was not of the stature of Peter or John. But what if Christ had chosen 12 to be with Him and to preach the gospel of the kingdom—and every one of them had been like Peter or John?

A painter completed his work of the Last Supper and asked some friends to view it. One friend remarked on how beautiful the cups were from which the apostles were drinking. The artist took a brush and painted out the lovely cups, to the astonishment of his admiring friends. His reason: “I want people to see Jesus.”

That’s the way James, son of Alphaeus, was. When people saw him, they were reminded first of Jesus.

By the way, “Isn’t it strange that princes and kings, and clowns that caper in sawdust rings—and common folk like you and me are builders for eternity? To each is given a set of rules, a shapeless mass, and a bag of tools. And each must build ‘ere life has flown, a stumbling block or a stepping stone.”  (R.L. Sharpe)

“Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.” (I Cor. 4:3)

I’d Rather Have Jesus

(Editor’s Note: Please take a few minutes to read the following testimony that my friend John B. Aker—a retired pastor and former military chaplain and educator—shared with me. You will surely be blessed and inspired, as I was.)

“Once in a very great while, someone is blessed, as perhaps you may have been, in meeting another on whom a scripture passage or promise seems to have alighted and become alive.  To know such a one, and to see a living illustration of some biblical truth, is truly inspiring…

In my life, I have been privileged to know a few such men.  My friend Bob, for whom some of you prayed during his operation and post-op recovery, is truly an example to me.  I have seen Bob up close and personal for more than fifteen years—and to me he pictures the kind of man of whom David once wrote, the kind of man I long to be:

How blessed is that man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in The Law of The Lord,
And on His Law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers…

Psalm 1:1-3

Another man, whose name and ministry might be familiar–one whom I was privileged to know personally–truly personified a most special passage.  Canadian born,  George spent most of his adult life in The States.  During my tenure as vice-president of Trinity College/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (now Trinity International University), George was a member of The Board.  At the suggestion of then President Harry Evans, George agreed to sing at some of our informational (another word for fund-raising) banquets at which I was the speaker.  And, George, who had traveled with one of the world’s most notable preachers, was ever and always encouraging, never condescending.

Decades earlier, while working for Mutual of New York in New York City, George lived in Cresskill, New Jersey at the home of Pastor Cronk (whose son Dr. Malcolm Cronk had been my advisor during my own student days at Trinity).  In 1933, a year before marrying his childhood sweetheart, George earned an audition with the famed Lyn Murray Singers. 

After his audition, and before learning its outcome, George returned to that little parsonage in Cresskill, but stopped first to pray in its small worship center.  He sat at the piano and quietly, prayerfully, composed the music to Rhea Miller’s now world-renowned I’d Rather Have Jesus.  He did not know as he brought that piece of music to life that he was also extinguishing his desire of ever singing before thousands.  As he played and sang these words, he renounced his own desire to sing on a worldly stage:

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I’d rather be His than have riches untold
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or land, I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced Hand

Than to be the king of a vast domain, And be held in sin’s dread sway
I’d rather have Jesus than anything This world affords today

I’d rather have Jesus than worldly applause, I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause,
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame, Yes, I’d rather be true to His holy Name

Than to be the king of a vast domain, And be held in sin’s dread sway
I’d rather have Jesus than anything This world affords today.

When the call came early that evening, George declined their offer.  Little did George realize as he sat at the piano that God was in that chapel speaking to the young musician who, one day—and for many, many years—would sing before presidents, kings and queens, heads of states, and crowds of tens and tens of thousands simply because he purposed in his heart that

I’d rather have Jesus than worldly applause,  I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause,
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame, Yes, I’d rather be true to His holy Name.

George was twenty four years old when he made that decision—and for almost eighty years after, George Beverly Shea would, before literally countless millions, tell The One Who spoke to him in that tiny church How Great Thou Art!

And so, in the late 1980’s, George was willing to sing while this unknown preacher spoke—and it never seemed to bother him.  I often wondered why?  Why was he willing to sing in little banquet halls in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa with an unknown young preacher…

I know now.  Do you?  It was more than his humility.  It was simply that no matter where, no matter how large or small the crowd or its applause—for George it was always about The Audience, and his Audience never changed.  He sang not for presidents, politicians, nor earthly rulers and royalty—George Beverly Shea sang only and always for an Audience of One…The King of Kings!

Oh, the verse.  I did not forget.  As I think of this great man, who now sings with angels and saints before our Father’s throne,  I see in him the personification of a verse that alighted on him and became alive in him, a pledge made by another man who also shared a platform before the kings and great men of his day–Daniel:

And Daniel purposed in his heart

that he would not compromise…

Daniel 1:8

What a testimony—faith in the flesh of Daniel…and George Beverly Shea!  Whatever verse you or I might choose to be our own, one which we would want other men to recall as they consider our lives, we must first be willing  to say and live, as did John The Baptizer:

He must increase but I must decrease…

John 3:30

To do that, we must be willing to never compromise…

Selah…and…Blessings!”

John 14:21

(Pastor Aker writes a weekly “Thought for the Week”—similar to what you have just read. To be included on his mailing list, contact him at jba@akerjba.com.)

Thomas, the Apostle (8th in a series on the Apostles)

Bad impressions can be difficult to shake. They sometimes follow you around like a stray dog you’d like to be rid of.

Sometimes they are even unfair, but that does not matter. They still persist. Remember Dan Quayle misspelling potato (or was it tomato?). Or, former president Gerald Ford hitting someone in the head with a golf ball, making Ford the butt of cartoonists who pictured him as wild and dangerous? Then there was Dick Cheney, who accidentally shot a hunting partner. And on and on.

Enter the apostle Thomas, aka Didymus, the twin. If I were to ask you to fill in the blank, what would you say: “Why worry, when you can pray; trust Jesus, He’ll be your stay. Don’t be a doubting ________, rest fully on His promise.” For more than two millennia, the apostle Thomas has been stuck with the moniker “Doubting Thomas.” He is often portrayed as melancholic, pessimistic, gloomy and skeptical.

But consider with me another view of Thomas—not the doubter but instead the leader, the learner, the leary, and the loved:

  1. Thomas, the Leader. When Jesus heard of the death of His friend, Lazarus, in Bethany, and waited four days before going to visit his sisters Mary and Martha, some of His disciples favored “letting well enough alone” in response to Jesus’s statement that Lazarus was sleeping (“howbeit Jesus spake of his death”) (John 11:12,13); others questioned the wisdom of Jesus going back into Judea, where He had not been welcomed (John 11:8). But it was Thomas who sided with Jesus, and with loyalty and courage said, “Let us also go that we may die with Him.” Some think these were the words of a despondent, despairing person; might they rather be the words of a totally, courageously committed follower of his Lord who was willing to face the possibility of being stoned to death with Jesus (John 11:8) if He were going to go to visit the grieving sisters of His friends. Jesus was developing committed, consistent, creative, courageous disciples. Maybe, just maybe, Thomas was displaying his courage—to go with Jesus in spite of personal danger—rather than to play it safe by staying where they were, even though Lazarus’s sisters had urged Jesus to come quickly when he had fallen gravely sick.
  2. Thomas, the Learner. In John 14, when Jesus told the apostles that He was going to prepare a place for them, then return at some future time to receive them to Himself, it was Thomas who said (in reply to Jesus’ statement that “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know,”): “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” (John 14:4,5) But do not mistake an honest inquiry for doubt or disbelief. Thomas believed that Jesus was going to prepare a place; he desired to go with Jesus, and he was simply seeking more information. He had learned not to assume anything, nor to take anything for granted. If Jesus were going to prepare a place, Thomas wanted to be sure he was going to see Him again at that very place, and he wanted to get the directions down pat! No problem there! I often, even with GPS, need to ask someone to repeat the directions so as to be sure I can arrive at the desired destination!
  3. Thomas, the Leary. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples in the Upper Room on the first day of the week. Thomas was not at that time present; but, having heard that he had missed seeing the resurrected Jesus, Thomas declared, “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) Eight days later, when Jesus appeared to His followers again, He bid Thomas to put his fingers into the nail prints and to thrust his hand into His side—and “be not faithless, but believing.” Thomas, like a disciple was supposed to be doing, was ever growing in his faith; the patient Teacher so often comes to us and proves beyond any doubt that He is sovereignly at work in our lives. Upon birth (as in the new birth) we are not suddenly full-grown in our faith, and we often find ourselves echoing the apostles’ plea, “Lord, increase our faith.” By the way, when Mary Magdalene first saw Jesus, and at His bidding went and told His disciples that He was alive and that she had seen Him, “they believed not.” And when the two men who had walked and talked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus told the disciples that they had seen Jesus risen and alive, “neither believed they them.” (Mark 16:11-13)
  4. Thomas, the Loved. Thomas was one of the seven disciples of whom we read in John 21 that Jesus prepared an early morning breakfast for, following His resurrection. Read the whole of this unique chapter and you will surely conclude that, like the other six seasoned fishermen-followers of the Lord Jesus, Thomas was included in a morning meeting with the risen Lord around a prepared fire, where fish had been fried and lovingly served by the Savior. This indicates that Thomas, too, had witnessed a miracle, enjoyed a meal, and heard a memorable message from the Lord as He patiently taught Peter about love and life, service and separation (death).

So, who’s going to condemn Thomas for being a doubter? He never denied Jesus. He followed Him when others were hesitant. He was bold enough to ask a question so as not to miss heaven. And he—like his compatriots, hearing that the crucified Savior had risen and had been seen—could not at first believe what seemed too good to be true. But seeing, he believed. And kneeling, he confessed: “My Lord, and my God!” Thomas had an evangelistic ministry in India and died a martyr’s death, tradition records, by being thrust through with a spear in 72 A.D.

So, be cautious about those first impressions. Thomas the Doubter? Or, Thomas the Leader, Thomas the Learner, Thomas the Leary, Thomas the Loved?

“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)