YOU and GOD

First Love

Today is Valentine’s Day, a day when lovers young and old mark in some special way the breadth, length, depth, and height of their love one for another.

Actually, all that we know about genuine love comes from God, for “God is love,” and His love has been “shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:5).

In the Greek New Testament world, a writer or speaker could employ three words when discussing or writing about love. First, the word eros, from which we get the English word erotic, referring mainly to physical, sexual attraction. It does not appear in the New Testament.

Second, the word phileo, which refers to a friendship kind of love. It is common for someone today to say “I love you” without implying a romantic or physical attraction to the person spoken to—but merely, “I value our friendship deeply,” or something to that effect. The English word Philadelphia comes from the Greek word phileo, and of course the word Philadelphia means “city of brotherly love.”

Third, the New Testament word agapao means genuine, selfless, sacrificial, pure love that can only originate in the heart of God. “God so loved (agapao) the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” (John 3:16) This is the love of which Paul wrote when he said that “Now abideth faith, hope and charity (love)…but the greatest of these is charity (love).” (I Cor. 13:13)

The nuances of the latter two words comes subtly into play in the post-resurrection discourse between Jesus and Peter on the seashore following an early morning breakfast between Him and some of the disciples. (John 21) Three times, Jesus asked of Peter, “Do you love (agapao) Me?” Three times, Peter answered “I love (phileo) Thee.” It was not that Peter did not understand the difference between what Jesus was asking and what Peter was offering up as an answer. He knew well that he was affirming a deep affection for the Lord Jesus, a “best friend” kind of relationship. But, fresh from the early morning scene at the Judgment Hall of Pilate when Peter denied vehemently that he even knew who Jesus was, Peter was not going to allow himself to say, “Yes, Lord, I love you with a genuine, God-like love.” Not then at least, maybe later on.

So, having said that, how do you love your beloved? I mean, the cherished person whom you pledged your heart’s affection to at an altar some time ago when the two of you exchanged holy vows and promised before God and witnesses that your bond of love in marriage would be severed only by death.

Jesus wrote a once-model church, the church at Ephesus, as recorded in Revelation 2, that they had left their first love! In less than a generation, this privileged church—which had been the recipient of one of the loftiest and loveliest New Testament epistles—had lost their affection for, and admiration of, the Lord Jesus. They had drifted from ardent devotion to indifference.

If that can happen to a church that was at one time “red hot” in their love of Jesus and His Word, it can happen to “lovers” in a marriage relationship. The drift is gradual and, at first, almost imperceptible. But with month added onto months, years onto years, the cares of life and the burdens of living can take their toll on the once-sweet and deeply committed twosome.

Do you remember your “first love?” The spasm that swept across your soul or soul and body when you “by chance” crossed paths with him/her as you walked across campus? The speed with which two hours “flew by” when you were in each other’s presence, exchanging dreams one with the other about what your futures together might hold? The day or night that you stood facing each other, hands clasped together in the other’s, before an assembled crowd of witnesses, each affirming “I do” to the pastor’s “in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, until death doth you part?” Ah, first love. There is nothing to be compared except the soul-thrilling rapture that touched every fiber of your being the moment you bowed your heart before your God and Savior, trusting Him as Lord and instantaneously experiencing the new birth; transformed from death to life, and translated at that moment from the kingdom of darkness and death to the kingdom of light and life!

But, back to Valentine’s Day. For any who may read this who are still waiting for that “first love” in romance to come into your life, I want to share with you what our friend, the late Dr. Monroe Parker, shared with us once when he was visiting. Someone asked him what should be the criteria for looking for a life’s partner. He wrote the answer on a 4×6 card and handed it to my wife, Ellen. For anyone interested, here is what he wrote:

“(1) Born again; (2) has same philosophy of life as I do; (3) has same ideals and goals; (4) has affinity or that mystique which is sometimes mistaken for love; (5) Must have a good sense of humor; (6) Must have loyalty; (7) Must have common sense; (8) Must be committed to Christ and (9) Must be committed to me.”

Dr. Parker, when mentioning these nine “musts” in a message, once said of Mrs. Ruby Parker that “on a scale of 1-9 she rated about 27!” I hope, if you are still waiting and wondering how God will meet your need for a helpmeet, that you will be prayerfully patient, trusting that “He shall direct your path.” (Prov. 3:5, 6) It’s worth the wait!

And, above all, I pray that you and your church will never be such that the letter Jesus gave John to deliver to the church at Ephesus concerning their relationship with Him will apply to you. Let us guard zealously our love for Him so that it may never be said of any: “You have left your first love.” (Rev. 2:4)

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (I Cor. 13:13)

Crime in Our Cities

We have a huge problem with crime in our city, Indianapolis. Just this past weekend—the first weekend of February 2023—three homicides were reported in our metropolitan area. Sadly, the out-of-control crime wave is not plaguing our city alone, as most major cities across America report the same problem.

It’s not for lack of money, nor for lack of concern. City leaders are exhausting storehouses of ideas and programs and grants from the Federal government in hopes of finding the secret of checkmating crime locally, statewide, and nationally. The more money, marches, and marathons focused on curbing crime, the less crime seems to abate. What is the answer?

In a word, the answer is wisdom. And the wisdom which is from above, God’s wisdom, is found in the Bible. (James 3:17,18) I know that sounds very simplistic, but has anything else worked?

A Harvard doctor, some years ago, said what now sounds like a prophecy come true: “For several years now, social scientists have warned us the family is disintegrating and will not survive this (20^th) century. Is there danger that the American family will cease to exist? I do not think so. We do, however, have serious cause of concern—not that the family will disappear, but that certain trends prevalent today will incapacitate the family, and cause its members to suffer such crippling emotional conflicts that they will become an intolerable burden to society.” (Quoted in Our Dance Has Turned to Death by Carl W. Wilson)

Is the family disintegrating? A recent Census Bureau report showed that one American youngster in four lives with just one parent. More than 40 percent of children are born out of wedlock. Sixty percent of today’s children will spend at least some time in a one-parent household. It is not difficult to understand, then, that with these trends only ticking upwards, it is becoming increasingly difficult for children to grow up in today’s world properly adjusted socially, emotionally and spiritually.

Patrick Fagan of the Heritage Foundation delivered a speech at the Center for Constructive Alternatives in which he said, “None of this is to say that fighting crime or rebuilding stable families and communities will be easy. But what is easy is deciding what we must do at the outset. We begin by affirming four simple principles: First, marriage is vital. Second, parents must love and nurture their children in spiritual as well as physical ways. Third, children must be taught to relate and empathize with others. And, finally, the backbone of strong neighborhoods and communities is friendship and cooperation among families. These principles constitute the real root solution to the real root problem of violent crime.” (Quoted in IMPRIMIS, Oct. 1995)

Before the turn of the century, evangelist and counselor Sammy Tippit wrote of the dilemma that faced America when he spoke of the “Culture Killers of the Family.” He listed the following: (1) Institutionalization of Selfishness—Boomers spoiled by unparalleled prosperity; marriage severely damaged, with children suffering from the effects; (2) Success syndrome—less time for family; (3) “Everyone’s doing it”—divorce can’t be that bad; living together is OK, as is gambling; (4) Psychological and emotional baggage—sexual impurities; (5) Pornography; (6) American mobility and (7) Television. Today Tippit would probably list Tik Tok and other social-media platforms along with television.

When I was a young seminary student back in the early 70’s, one of my professors said to a room full of future pastors, missionaries, and Christian workers: “Your home is not apart from your ministry, it is part of your ministry.” (Howard Hendricks)

My wonderful wife and I have been married now going on 58 years. On or about my 29^th anniversary of marriage, I penned the following notes under the heading of, “If I were starting my marriage over:” 1. I would love my wife more; 2. I would develop feelings of belonging. 3. I would laugh more with my children. 4. I would be a better listener, and 5. I would do more encouraging. I cannot tell you now what went into the thinking process for each of those points as I was preparing the message in January, 1994, but I am sure that they are still pertinent for a solid marriage.

I began this post by speaking about crime, and it looks as though I am going to finish it by speaking about marriage and the home. There is, unquestionably, a direct correlation between the disintegration of the home and the unprecedented rise of crime in America. I said earlier that God’s wisdom, as revealed in His Word, is the key to curbing crime. Listen to what God says: “Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And, thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deut.6:4-7)

Again, hear what God says about instructing our children: “For He established a testimony in Jacob; and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” (Ps. 78:5-8)

Crime problem solved! But we need families. Two-parent families with a father active in the process of rearing children, teaching them God’s laws (right from wrong), all the while supported by a loving wife and mother.

“To our forefathers our faith was an experience; to our fathers our faith was an inheritance; to us our faith was a convenience; to our children our faith is a nuisance.” Selah.

“And ye, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Eph.6:4)

Sin’s Plaguing Presence

We are delivered from sin’s penalty through justification and from its power through sanctification. This side of glory, though, we never will be rid of sin’s presence. Any believer who thinks otherwise is doomed to frustration and failure in the Christian life.

In a message from I John 1:8, the late Bible teacher Lehman Strauss told a story of a man who, at the close of a service, met Dr. Strauss at his car and announced, “I’ve heard you for the last time.” “Why?” the Bible teacher asked. “Because you preached that the sin nature cannot be eradicated, and I’ve not sinned in word, thought, or deed for seven years.” Dr. Strauss said: “If I get down on my hands and knees and beg you to come one more time, and bring your wife with you, will you?” “Why?” asked the man. “Because,” said the preacher, “I want you to tell me in the presence of your wife you have not sinned.” The man stormed off and committed his first sin in seven years.

Even those who preach sinless perfection, or the eradication of the sin nature in this life, know they aren’t practicing what they preach. H.C. Morrison, a Methodist evangelist and former President of Asbury College, believed somewhat in sinless perfection. But when someone asked him, “Dr. Morrison, have you gotten to where you can’t sin?” his reply was: “No, I haven’t gotten to where I can’t sin, but I’ve gotten to where I can’t enjoy it!”

There are some common misconceptions when considering the subject of sin’s presence in the life of the believer: (1) Our old nature, at the time of conversion, got a complete makeover. Wrong. God gave us a new nature at the moment of our new birth. He did not take the old nature away, nor did He rework it. We have a new nature, and we are “new creatures, in Christ Jesus.” (2 Cor. 5:17) Salvation is not rehabilitation; it is transformation. (2) Ultimate sanctification in this life is possible. Wrong again. We have been sanctified positionally; we are being sanctified practically; and we will be sanctified perfectly. It is a process that begins at the time we are saved; it will be finished at the time we behold Him and shall be like Him. (I John 3:2)

Paul deals with the dilemma of indwelling sin in Romans 7:7-25. The theologian, church-planting missionary, and apostle confessed that there was an ongoing spiritual battle within him every day: “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that I do not; but what I would not, that I do.” Every honest follower of Christ will affirm that this is his/her daily battle. Paul attributes this conflict to the fact that “it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Rom. 7:17,20) He confessed, too, that in his “flesh dwelleth no good thing” (7:18) and affirmed that he delighted in the law of God after the inward man. (7:22) This war within was the daily dilemma: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (7:23) In total frustration, Paul exclaimed: “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (7:24) And the apostle answered his own question with the only correct solution to the ongoing struggle of every believer: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (7:25) There is victory! The indwelling sin will never be eradicated, this side of heaven. But Jesus Christ, who is also indwelling each believer, can and will give victory! This is the only path to victory over the battle between the indwelling new man and the ever-present, also indwelling, old nature.

I know sincere believers have many questions about sin and their struggle with it:

Does God forgive me if I commit the same old sin over and over? Is it not hypocritical to ask His forgiveness, knowing that I most likely will do the same thing again? Answer: God sees your heart and knows whether you are sincere and truly repentant. He does not keep a score card; He does not mark our iniquities against us. (Ps. 130:3, 4) He told Peter to forgive 70 times 7. Does that sound like a God who has put a limit on the number of times you can sincerely attempt to achieve victory? “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” (Ps. 103:12-14)

Can I commit the “unpardonable sin”? Answer: No believer can commit an unpardonable sin. Believers are “accepted in the beloved.” (Eph. 1:6) We have been born again and adopted into the family of God. Nowhere in scripture are believers ever warned that their salvation can be forfeited by any sin. Loss of rewards at the Judgement Seat of Christ (I Cor. 3) is their plight, not loss of salvation!

Can I ever achieve victory over my besetting sin? Must I live with it forever? Answer: Yes, you can and must achieve victory over your besetting sin. God has made a way for you to do so: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebs. 12:1, 2). There it is: Look to Jesus. The believer’s first responder can give you the emergency help that will sustain your life. Look to Him, and “lay aside every weight.” The burden is on you to initiate the call for life-support. You must realize that you cannot win the battle over sin alone, any more than the apostle could. But Jesus can win it for you—and through you—if you are willing to “lay aside” and “look.” You can do that!

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:8, 9)

(Note: For victory over struggles with sin, addictions, and besetting sins, I highly recommend John Elmore’s book Freedom Starts Today, published by Baker Books.)

God Never Ceases Being God

Historian Cassius Dio told a story about Hadrian, a Roman Emperor (117-128 AD), and a woman who made a request of him as he passed by her way on a journey. Hadrian curtly replied, “I haven’t time”—to which the petitioner responded, “Then quit being emperor!” Upon hearing that rebuke, the emperor turned and granted the woman a hearing.

Our God never ceases being alert to the cries of His children who are in intercessory prayer: “There is an eye that never sleeps, beneath the wing of night; there is an ear that never shuts, when sinks the beams of light.” We are thankful, therefore, that today—and every first Thursday of February—a National Prayer Breakfast is held at the United States Capitol. Initiated in 1953, when Dwight Eisenhower was president, this annual event has had as many as 3,500 in attendance. This year, between 200 and 300 were expected due to a major scaling back of invitations.

But we are thankful for any movement of men and women in Congress, along with the members of the Executive Branch, to call upon the Sovereign God of the universe for His grace and guidance. May it not be said of our America that “the Lord saw…and wondered that there was no intercessor.” (Isa.59:16)

Leonard Ravenhill once lamented of the church that there were many organizers, but few agonizers; many who pay, but few who pray; many resters, but few wrestlers; many who were enterprising, but few who were interceding; many who were not praying, but playing.” Paul, the Apostle, wrote to the first century church at Ephesus, “whereof I also…cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers.” (Eph.1:16) To the saints at Philippi he wrote: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.” (Phil.1:3) And to Timothy, in 2 Tim.1:3, he reminded his young protégé, “without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.”

I have been humbled on several occasions by some friend, either one who is close by or one who is separated by many miles, that he (or she) prays every day for my wife and myself. Many shut-in saints have encouraged us with that assurance, but sometimes those words come from a person that we would not have guessed would have been daily interceding before God’s throne of grace and mercy for us. It is, to be sure, a humbling experience to know that; and it is, without doubt, why we have been able to continue for decades in the spiritual warfare of ministry without having been wiped out by the darts of the Wicked One.

The early-church leader John Chrysostom is credited with saying: “A monarch vested in gorgeous habiliments is far less illustrious than a kneeling supplicant ennobled and adorned by communion with his God. Consider how august a privilege it is when angels are present, and archangels throng around, where cherubim and seraphim encircle with their blaze, the throne of God, that a mortal may approach with unrestrained confidence and converse with heaven’s dread sovereign. O what honor was ever conferred like that?”

About this privilege of prayer, we must remember to ask, seek, and knock. (Matt.7:7, 8)

We must have a clean heart (Ps. 66:18); we must petition in Jesus’ name (John 14:13-15) and be guided in our asking and seeking by His Word. (John 15:7) It is imperative, too, that we ask according to His will, not ours (I John 5:14); and there must be no unforgiving spirit harbored in our heart. (Mark 11:25, 26) Finally, we must be unselfish (James 4:3) and pray believing. (Mark 9:23, 24; 11:22-24)

History records an incredible prayer meeting that purportedly lasted 100 years, as related by Leonard Ravenhill in his book Revival Praying. He says that Count Zinzendorf, 18^th century founder of the Moravian church, and a small group of believers were assembled in intercessory prayer when, “at precisely eleven o’clock in the morning on Wednesday the thirteenth of August, 1727, the Holy Ghost descended.” One bishop wrote of this, “When the Spirit came, was there ever in the whole of church history such an astonishing prayer meeting as which began in 1727? It went on one hundred years and was something absolutely unique! It was known as the ‘Hourly Intercession,’ which meant that by relays brethren and sisters made prayer to God without ceasing for all the work and wants of His church. Out of that small community, more than one hundred missionaries went from them in twenty-five years.”

F.B. Meyer, when once crossing the Atlantic by ship, was asked to address the passengers. At the Captain’s request, the pastor spoke on the subject of prayer. An agnostic who was present at the service was asked what he thought of Dr. Meyer’s sermon, to which he replied: “I didn’t believe a word of it.” That afternoon, on his way to a service, the agnostic passed an elderly woman sitting in a deck chair with both of her hands open and extended while she was apparently sound asleep. The agnostic, having some good-natured fun, pulled two oranges out of his pocket and put one orange into each of the woman’s hands. Later, passing back by where the woman had been sleeping, the agnostic found the woman happily munching on one of the oranges. He said to the woman, “You seem to be enjoying that orange,” to which she replied, “Yes, sir, my Father is very good to me.” “Your father! Surely your father cannot be alive still,” the agnostic replied. “Praise God!” she said, “He is very much alive!” “What do you mean?” queried the agnostic. She went on to explain, “I’ll tell you, sir. I have been seasick for days. I was asking God that He might somehow send me an orange. I suppose I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had not only sent me an orange, but just like my Father, He sent me two oranges!” The astonished unbeliever came under conviction and was later led to Christ!

Never underestimate the power of prayer, or the possibility of any prayer being answered by our God. He hears your petitions millions of years before you mouth the words, as with Him there is no time but only infinity!

So, we applaud the National Prayer Breakfast today. You may be able to tune in via YouTube, CBN News, or C-Span.

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honestly. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” (I Tim. 2:1-3)

When Life Seems Unbearable

A pastor friend once wrote me: “Spurgeon said, in his lectures to his students, that ‘depression goes with the territory.’ I had just finished a rigorous two-year study leading to my doctorate. The course of study was completed and I was being awarded my hard-earned degree. Both my wife and I were excited as I walked across the platform. As we left to go home, I sensed in my body a letdown that I had never experienced before. Despite achieving at long last what I had worked so hard to get, the exhilaration of victory was no longer there. Instead, a sense of despair had entered in. I had gone from the mountain top to the valley in a matter of hours. I didn’t understand it. Over the next few weeks, that despair deepened and turned to darkness. Unbeknown to me at time, I had entered into a state of depression. Things were going well at the church. My marriage was stable, warm and affectionate. My body was free from disease. At the same time, things were beginning to fall apart inside of me. The process began with sleeplessness; then a dreadful sense of emotional despair entered my soul; then a series of events took place, which included ‘weariness in well doing;’ a dread of Sundays coming; long periods of crying; a loss of appetite, accompanied with a loss of weight; aloofness, along with a touch of paranoia.” (Used by permission)

I am a pastor, not a psychologist, so I approach this subject from that perspective. I know depression is real; that it can cripple believers; that its causes are sometimes physiological and not necessarily spiritual. I have, through the course of my ministry, counseled godly people who suffered from depression, but my counsel was never given with the intent that the sufferer need never seek the assistance of a professional clinician. I was quick to offer spiritual counsel with biblical support, but I never presumed that all who suffered depression were suffering solely from a spiritual malady. My pastor friend whose testimony I have shared sought and found good medical counsel and, following a month’s rest, returned to resume his successful pastorate of many years. He is still ministering the Word of God more than 30 years later.

Too many times, I have been made aware of the debilitating effects of depression. A few years ago, I received a lengthy, anonymous email from a lady who was reaching out in desperation for help. A few of her pleas were, “I’m in trouble. I keep thinking about not wanting to live and the thoughts are scaring me. I am a new Christian. I know God lives and I experience His presence daily; People say pray and praise (there are days when it is an effort to even open my eyes). Most days I want to be dead and with God. I dread being alive. All I have ever been is someone else’s emotional punching bag or dumping ground. People who I never did anything to have hurt me. My parents reminded me I was worthless….”

I have other similar expressions of people who have been rendered emotionally, physically, and spiritually incapacitated by what is commonly called depression. It is real. It is no respecter of persons. Some people will never be bothered by it, just as some folk never get the flu or a common cold or appendicitis, while others do. But, for those who are attacked by it at some time or other, the common symptoms are not foreign to them: loss of sleep, appetite, and weight; loss of energy, interest and drive; incoherency; memory loss; excessive anxiety and psychic pain (just as real as physical pain), among others.

A man after God’s own heart knew what it was to suffer depression. David pulls back the curtain and lays bare his own experience in Psalm 77. He recalls a time in his life when he was emotionally, mentally, and spiritually distraught, and “my soul refused to be comforted…my spirit was overwhelmed.” (Ps. 77:2, 3) He felt as though the situation was hopeless, could not sleep or speak, spent a lot of time thinking on the past with thoughts that turned inward, and even questioned God’s mercy and grace (vss. 6-9). For David, his spirit was about as low as it could go.

In arriving at a solution to this insufferable personal dilemma, David declared: “And I said, this is my infirmity.” He put everything into perspective, and in so doing ceased to blame God and others; he affirmed that he would meditate upon the “years of the right hand of the most High; the works of the Lord, the wonders of old and… meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of all Thy doings.” Interestingly, in the first 12 verses of this Psalm, David used the first-person pronoun 25 times, more than two times per verse. But in the last eight verses, he used the third-person pronoun 16 times, twice per verse. He got his eyes off of himself and onto His Sovereign God, whose way is “in the sanctuary,” and whose arm “redeemed thy people.” (Ps.77:11, 15)

Godly men and women have suffered from depression. Alan Redpath, former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, once sank into the depths of despondency following a near-fatal stroke. He prayed: “O, Lord, take me right home!” At that point, Redpath later testified, it was as if the Lord said: “It is I, your Savior, who brought this experience into your life to show you that this is the kind of person—with all your sinful thoughts and temptations which you thought were things of the past—that you always will be, but for My grace.”

Cathy Rice once wrote of a time when she was home with four lively little children while her evangelist husband was on the road, and all of the children were sick at the same time: “I felt I could take no more and was almost ready to give up! I was miserable…one day I was desperate and full of tears and began to read my Bible, which opened up to Proverbs 3:5, 6: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.’ That was just what I needed.”

And that is always, for the believer, the first and best place to go to for help! God’s Word. Sometimes you will and should seek the help of a counsellor; sometimes it might be necessary to access medical or clinical help. But don’t forget what David said when he was so far down, he could only look up: “I remembered God…I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old; I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.” (Ps. 77:3, 11, 12)

“Look around and be distressed. Look inside and be depressed. Look to Jesus and be at rest.”

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.” (I Peter 5:7)

For Preachers Only

Well, not really for preachers only, but for anyone interested in preaching which, I trust, will include most anyone who subscribes to “You and God.” I have been a lover of preaching ever since I first set foot in a Bible-preaching church at the ripe old age of six. It has been my privilege to have been a preacher starting unofficially when I was about 18 years old. What I am going to share with you is nothing original with me, but is some of the best advice I have collected through the years directed to preachers who desire to become more effective in preaching. I hope you will be blessed, if not benefited, by this post.

Haddon Robinson, a teacher of homiletics, says there are three kinds of sermons from the perspective of a listener: “Those I can’t listen to, those I can listen to, and those I must listen to. One of the greatest sins of a sermon is for it to be boring. For communication to be effective it must be verbal, vocal and visual. Movement, animation, humor, intensity and good illustrations are all part of a good sermon. To be effective with an audience, a sermon must have first been effective in the preacher’s life. Longfellow once said, ‘A sermon is not a sermon unless I feel my heartbeat.’ This should be true for the listener and the speaker.”

Dr. Bob Kelley was a faithful pastor for 43 years before being called home to heaven in 2006. In 2007, Sword of the Lord printed an article by Dr. Kelley entitled “The Greatest Lessons I have Learned as a Preacher of the Gospel.” Here are a few of them: (1) Your best sermon is your family; love your wife, and teach your children to stay close; (2) Empty wells produce dead cats and dry leaves—personal devotions are a must to prevent burnout and keep a fresh presence of the Lord; (3) Love people as they are, rough edges and all, and never, ever give up on them. (4) You do not get what you want in life, you get what you are—character matters. (5) Never, ever lose your burden for souls; (6) Guard your tongue; (7) Learn to calculate what is worth making an issue over; learn the difference between convictions and preferences. (I will share more of Dr. Kelley’s life lessons in a future column.)

Dr. Robert McCheyne was a great Scottish pastor. A visitor to Dundee, Scotland, attempted to find someone who could share some memories of the great preacher. He found an old man who had known the pastor and his preaching. “Can you tell me some of the texts of McCheyne’s great sermons?” he asked.” “I don’t remember them,” said the old man, shaking his head. “How about some of his striking sentences he uttered, or some of his best sayings?” “I’ve forgotten them entirely,” was the reply. Greatly disappointed, the visitor in desperation said, “Don’t you remember anything at all about him?” “Ah,” replied the old man, brightening, “that is a different question. One day when I was a laddie playing by the roadside, Robert McCheyne came along and, laying his hand upon my head, said, ‘Jamie, I’ve been to see your sick sister. I’m always glad to see her and help her as I can.’ Then he paused and after looking a bit into my eyes added, ‘And, Jamie, I’m very much concerned about your own soul.’ I’ve forgotten his texts and grand sermons, sir, but I can still feel the tremble of his hand and see the tear in his eye.” It’s obvious, but a lesson we dare not lose: Preachers must love people, all kinds of people, without qualification, loving them for Christ’s sake even as He loved us and gave Himself for us.

Next, preachers must love to preach! That’s what God has called you to do. It must ever be your primary concern and foremost passion. One man of God put it this way: “I would rather preach than do anything else in the world. I would rather preach than eat my dinner or have a holiday. I would rather pay to preach than be paid not to preach. It has its price in agony, sweat and tears; and no calling has such joys and heartbreaks, but it is a calling an archangel might covet. Is there any joy like that of saving a soul? Any thrill like that of opening blind eyes? Any reward like the love of children to the second and third generation? Any treasure like the grateful love of hearts blessed and comforted?” (Samuel Chadwick)

Rev. George Ridout lamented the weak pulpits of his day: “We are suffering today from a weak pulpit and pointless preaching. We have clever speakers but few prophets; we have too few fearless speakers for God and truth. We have the best paid and best educated ministry but too much of it is popular, flabby and insipid and stirs neither heaven or hell. We sadly lack men to whom the pulpit is a throne of power; we have too many men flying kites of superficial thinking instead of men whose utterances burn and whose sermons scorch the wicked. We have too many who coddle the saints and fail to collar the sinners. The American pulpit needs a great awakening.” One might guess these were words of a contemporary commentator on the pulpits of America, but George Whitefield Ridout lived in the Toronto area, where he was a lawyer, judge and businessman in the early 1800’s. His concerns for the pulpits of his day are still apropos two hundred years later!

(More on preaching in a forthcoming installment of “You and God.”)

“Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Tim.4:2)

Forgiveness

A Spanish father and son had a falling out, and the son ran away. The father, overcome with remorse about how he had treated his son, and having looked for months for him, in desperation ran this ad in the Madrid newspaper: “Paco, meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon on Friday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your father.” That Friday at noon, in front of the newspaper office, 800 Pacos showed up, all of them looking for love and forgiveness from their fathers.

Unforgiveness is a terrible alien for anyone to harbor, especially followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. He concluded His model prayer with the admonition, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt 6: 14,15)

In his book The Progress of the Jesuits, James Broderick observed that Pope Paul IV “never forgot…incidents, which was one of his fundamental weaknesses. He might bury the hatchet for a time, but he gave the impression of always carefully marking the spot.” (From Haddon Robinson, “How Much Can You Forgive?”)

Believers simply cannot live with a spirit of unforgiveness: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (Col. 3:13)

Jesus related a kingdom of heaven parable about a man who had been forgiven a staggering debt (10,000 talents). He then found a man who owed him 100 pence but could not pay and, turning a deaf ear to the debtor’s piteous pleas, had him thrown into prison until he could pay all. When the lord who had forgiven the heartless man a huge sum heard of this travesty, he found the wicked servant and “delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him.” Jesus concluded with this lesson: “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Matt. 18:23-35)

It is a dreadful plight to be turned over to the tormentors. Maybe the leader of the tormenting pack is bitterness. You go to bed with it, nurse it through the night, and when you are exhausted by the dawn of day, there it is in your day’s first thoughts. But bitterness is not alone in the tormenting troupe: there follows close by anger, resentment, hatred, envy, malice, scorn and, yes, even murder. Oh, did I mention guilt, pride, loneliness, sorrow, and memory as cousin tormenters of bitterness? It is a plague that only the grace of God, with His unfathomable forgiveness, can cure. The price one pays for allowing these spiritual renegades to take up residence in one’s heart is too horrific to describe!

Struggling with these tormenters? If so, camp on Eph. 4:31,32: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Robert Lee, President of the Confederacy during the Civil War, was known as a man who could forgive his enemies, never holding a grudge. On one occasion, he met a woman who laboriously lamented the fact that during the war, soldiers had scarred a beautiful and treasured tree that had adorned the front yard of her family’s home for decades. When given the opportunity to respond, having listened patiently for quite a while, the general said, “Cut it down, madam, and let it go.”

Forgiveness: it must be a priority. You will not be forgiven unless you first forgive.

The Prerequisites for forgiveness: a desire to please God; a willingness to abandon personal rights; cultivating a love for others as God loves you; and a moment by moment walking in the Spirit.
The Principle of forgiveness: unconditional and unending: 70×7 plus.
The Practice of forgiveness: “As God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
The Price of forgiveness: Your pride: confession, humility, repentance.
The Pattern: of forgiveness: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave thy gift…go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matt.5:23, 24)
The Process of forgiveness: It begins with the new birth and ends with the new body.
The Prize: An assurance of answered prayers; enhanced ability to love, and deliverance from the tormentors. (Mark 11:25, 26; Luke 7:47; Matt. 18:15)

When Leonardo da Vinci was painting his masterpiece, The Last Supper, he became quite angry with a friend, launching into a tirade of hot and bitter words, even threatening the friend with vengeance. Returning to his canvas, he began to paint the face of Jesus. He found, however, that he was so perturbed that he could not compose himself sufficiently for the delicate work before him. He went out immediately, sought his friend, and humbly asked for forgiveness. Then the artist was able to return to complete the work at hand as he finished painting the face of the Savior. (Copied/Unknown)

Forgiveness is powerful. Give it a try!

“Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” (Matt.18:21, 22)

That Smacks of Heresy!

To be labeled a heretic is a serious charge that no believer would want to wear. The word means, in its root form, “to take to one’s self.” From that core meaning, heresy became known as a disunion, a schismatic, a choice, a sect. Paul instructs Titus that if there is a heretic in the body, he should be warned once, maybe twice, then rejected if he persists, “knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” (Titus 3:10)

As he writes to the carnal Corinthian believers, establishing proper protocol for the keeping of the Lord’s table, Paul bluntly states that “there must also be heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” (I Cor. 11:19) That clarification followed Paul’s acknowledgment that he had heard, and was inclined to believe, that there were divisions amongst the members. Then followed the Apostle’s instructions about how the Lord’s Table should be administered.

Thus, heresies and heretics were at work in the earliest days of the New Testament church, and they have wormed their way through His Body to the present. When Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, he mentions heresies right there in the midst of the worst kinds of transgressions: “…idolatry, witchcraft, hatred…wrath, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like.” (Gal.5:22) Peter says in his epistle that false prophets were among the people who “privily shall bring in damnable heresies.” (2 Pet.2:1)

Heresies were present from the beginning, even before the New Testament epistles were written, the most notable being Gnosticism. That false doctrine propounded that humans are divine souls, trapped in material bodies and created by an imperfect god. Paul combated this heresy in Galatians and other books. Not long after the Apostles were gone from the scene, Arianism poked up its theologically deformed head—teaching that Jesus, like all human beings, was created by the Father, was not divine, had a beginning like every other being, and that ”Son of God” was a title given to Him out of courtesy.

Many other theological aberrations surfaced through the ages. In time, the Roman Catholic Church considered itself to be the bastion of “orthodoxy,” and from that pinnacle of power it labeled any non-conformist body or movement, many of which were truly New Testament bodies, as heretics. The most egregious of them all, in Roman Catholic thinking, was of course Protestantism and its reformers.

But what about today? Are there schismatics still at work, planting seeds of division in His Body? To be sure, there are. When I was a seminary student nearly 60 years ago, there was a charismatic pastor who mesmerized his followers with his brilliant mind, his apparent command of Biblical languages, and his unique ability to organize and catalogue a system of doctrines using language and terminology peculiar to him. His ministry broadened from the local church he pastored to a nation-wide following of disciples who read his books and listened to his tapes. Many good, Bible-loving people defended his ministry and promoted it. But when it became known that he had purged the word “blood” from all hymnals used in the church he pastored, his heresy was manifested to all, and many of his followers abandoned him. I offer this illustration as just one of many examples in our day of heresies. Many others could be named: Calvinism (limited atonement), the Modern Tongues Movement, Baptismal Regeneration, Ultra-Dispensationalism, King James Only (some make it a test of fellowship and are mean-spirited, castigating all who disagree with them), and more.

There are some hallmarks of heresies and heretics. They include an “intellectual” approach with an individualistic style, accompanied by an inordinate authoritarianism; a tendency toward some extreme, a man-centered ministry; a rejection of most other ministries, and of the Church at large; an intolerance of anyone who disagrees with them; a doctrinal system built on taking a few verses out of context, and not comparing scripture with scripture; and often a mean-spirited, divisive demeanor that does not smack of Christian charity or a Christ-like attitude.

In this 21^st century, it is so easy to tune in to ministries that broadcast to world-wide audiences. We can and should thank God for the blessing of “attending church” via streaming and media opportunities at our finger-tips. The recent pandemic opened up a whole new world and way of listening to, and broadcasting, the Word of God. But with that, and with the blossoming of new ways of communicating, comes the dangers of deception. If Satan was able to deceive Eve when she had a mind that had not yet been darkened by the fall, he is able with his wiles to deceive the masses yet today. And through heresies he is able to spoil once vibrant lighthouses where local churches beamed the life-saving gospel.

It behooves us, then, to beware. The churches singled out by Jesus with a special letter addressed to them in the book of Revelation had been, in part at least, infected by doctrinal deviation even before the close of the first century. Satan is a master deceiver and divider. Be on guard for his damnable heresies, and do not let Paul’s advice to Titus fall on deaf ears today. After one, maybe two, admonitions, reject the heretic for the good—the spiritual survival—of the body.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1)

Psalm of the Senior Saint

When I preached a message from Psalm 71 in 1989, I began, “If time continues, sociologists are saying that the world may be ruled by what they call a ‘gerontocracy.’ By the year 2000, there will be 32-36 million senior citizens in the U.S. (there were 39 million), and twice that by the year 2020.” (There are now 54.1 million citizens of the United States who are 65 years of age or older).

Old age, as we know it now, can be both a blessing and a burden. A noted psychologist said that most men are “old fogies” at 25, suggesting that one’s mental attitude has a lot to do with the matter of age. Jack Benny, who never admitted to being over 39, said age was just mind over matter: if you didn’t mind, it didn’t matter! One senior citizen wrote a poem lamenting some of what those who are growing old must endure:

“Thought I’d let my doctor check me, cause I didn’t feel quite right. All those aches and pains annoyed me, and I couldn’t sleep at night. He could find no real disorder, but he wouldn’t let it rest; what with Medicare and Blue Cross, it would not hurt to do some tests. To the hospital he did send me, though I didn’t feel that bad; he arranged for them to give me, every test that could be had! I was fluoroscoped and cystoscoped, my aging frame displayed; stripped upon an ice-cold table, while my gizzards were x-rayed. I was checked for worms and parasites, for fungus and the crud; while they pierced me with long needles, taking samples of my blood. Doctors came to check me over, probed and pushed and poked around, and to make sure I was living, they wired me for sound. They have finally concluded, (their results have filled a page); what I have will someday kill me, my affliction is OLD AGE!”

Because of the physical-mental-spiritual complexity of human beings, the aging process brings changes that are sometimes not pleasant to deal with. Senility, the loss of control of some bodily functions, Alzheimer’s disease, the passing of many of our dearest friends, arthritis, loss of memory, and a host of other complications work upon the minds of those staring old age in the face. Apart from God’s grace, one can be overwhelmed by it all. Yes, old age can be something to anticipate with great pleasure or face with deep pain. David, the psalmist, knew this, and in the sunset years of his life he wrote a Psalm that any adult would benefit from reading and pondering. It is Psalm 71.

David’s Refuge, vss. 1-8: He found that God was his refuge from predicaments, or as he put it, from “confusion.” He prayed God would deliver him in His righteousness, be his strong habitation to which he could resort, and deliver him out of the hand of the wicked. He affirms that God had been his help from his youth up and had held him from his mother’s womb. People looked at David in wonderment as they saw in him one whose refuge was the living God, so that David exclaimed “Let my mouth be filled with praise and with thy honour all the day.” (v.8)

David’s Reservation, vss. 9-11. David was honest in admitting his concern for God’s presence and for His protection as he faced growing old. “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.” (v.9) Such fear, probably not uncommon in the minds of our senior citizens, might have been what has given birth to the following “Beatitudes of the Aged:” “Blessed are they who understand my faltering step and palsied hand. Blessed are they who know that my ears today must strain to catch the things they say; Blessed are they that seem to know my eyes are dim and my wits are slow. Blessed are they who looked away when coffee spiled at the table today. Blessed are they with a cheery smile, who stop to chat for a little while. Blessed are they who never say, ‘You’ve told that story twice today.’ Blessed are they who know the way to bring back memories of yesterday. Blessed are they who make it known that I’m loved, respected and not alone. Blessed are they who know I’m at a loss, to find the strength to carry a cross. Blessed are they who ease the days on my journey Home in loving ways.”

David’s Resolve, vss. 14-24. David said that he would “hope continually.” (v.14) Not only righteousness, His wondrous works and His power (vss.15-18) would be the subjects of the psalmist’s praise.

Perhaps this would be an appropriate prayer: “Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and someday will be old. Keep me from getting talkative, particularly from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and every occasion.

Release me from the craving to try to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others’ pains. Help me to endure them with patience. But seal my lips on my own aches and pains. They are increasing, and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not want to be a super saint—some of them are so hard to live with—but a sour old woman or man is one of the crowning works of the Devil. Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it; but Thou, Lord, knowest that I want a few friends at the end. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people. And give me, Lord, the grace to tell them so. Amen.” (Author Unknown)

“Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not, until I have shewed Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to everyone that is to come.” (Ps.71:18)

The Slander of Many

What David said, most of us could affirm: “I have heard the slander of many.” (Ps. 31:13) Slander is surely one of the besetting sins of saints. The New Testament epistles are replete with references to this sin. Paul said, “Being defamed, we entreat.” (I Cor. 4:13) Synonyms for slander include the word Paul used in the passage just cited, as well as “backbiting,” “evil speaking,”and “blasphemy.” (2 Cor. 12:20, I Pet. 2:1 and 2 Pet. 2:10)

Slander is making a false statement about someone that is damaging to his reputation. Slander is the spoken version of libel, which is putting the false statement into written form. In some instances, it is a crime and can be prosecuted under defamation laws.

Here is an example of how someone can slander another person. The setting is an aisle of a local supermarket, where Oscar Bruhaha meets up with choir member Sister Saint. After they greet one another, Sister Saint says, “Well, how’d you like the new minster?”

Oscar: “Don’t rightly know, jest yet. It bothers me he’s from Missouri though. Ain’t never had a Yankee for a preacher down in these parts.”

Sister: “Yep, me too, but there’s sumpin what bothers me more.”

Oscar: “What be that Sister Saint?”

Sister: “I heared he’s a cravinist!”

Oscar: “What’s that, Sister?”

Sister: “Oh, you know, they bleve God damns sum to Hell and lects sum to heav’n and that’s it!”

Oscar: “Oh, you mean like them Hard Shell Babitists does?”

Sister: “Yep, no choice, no chance: all set up head uv time.”

Oscar: “I declare! Why on earth did our decons ever bring in someone like that?”

Sister: “Dunno, but I know one thing—he won’t last long here. Brudder Rash will have hiz hide!”

Oscar: “Well, did you ever? A cravinist right here in Hope Holler! What’s this world cumin to!”

Ok, if you remember Paul Harvey, here’s the “rest of the story.” The new pastor was a Yankee, from Missouri, a state that never left the Union during the Civil War. He was not a Calvinist (Cravinist), though someone heard him attempting to expound on I Peter 1:2 (“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father….”) and, taking a couple of his statements out of context, concluded that he believed that some were elected to salvation and others were elected to eternal damnation. The word quickly spread through “Hope Holler” and, as was predicted, Deacon Rash rushed to diffuse the unrest. In less than three months, the new preacher and his little wife were packing their bags. The culprit: slander. The young pastor tried earnestly and honestly to assure his congregation that he believed Christ died for every sinner and that “whosoever” would call upon the name of the Lord would be saved. But all to no avail! The misrepresentation of what the pastor had actually taught stuck. And down went another victim to slander.

It is a sin as old as time. The deceiving devil slandered God to Eve when he said that she would not die, but that God was withholding the fruit of that tree from the couple because He knew that in the day that they ate from it their eyes would be opened, “and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” From that beginning in the garden of Eden, slander has been a dark thread woven through the pages of history—causing division, divorce, destruction and death. It is doubtful that any human being, alive or dead, has avoided its clutches. Most everyone has, at some time or other, probably been guilty of perpetrating this evil—and been its victim.

The Devil is the master of it, and those schooled by him have employed slander to bring about the most heinous of crimes. Jesus was crucified because of slander. The Pharisees were constantly accusing Christ of blasphemy, saying that He did what he did by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. The Pharisees did this because they envied Jesus and the following He had of the multitudes, along with the power He demonstrated by healing the sick of all manner of diseases. Pilate, Matthew explains, knew that “for envy they had delivered Him” to be crucified. (Matt. 27:18) Envy led to slander. The scribes and chief priests sought false witnesses against Jesus, though they found none until finally two witnesses came and said that Jesus had claimed He was able to destroy the temple of God. Mark wrote that the chief priests accused Jesus of many things. Luke wrote that the same slanderers said to Pilate, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar.” (Luke 23:2) Hearing lie after lie, Pilate finally released Jesus to be crucified—a victim of unrestrained slander from some of the most renowned religionists in history!

Solomon warned that “he who spreads slander is a fool.” (Provs. 10:18). The 9^th commandment reads that one should not bear false witness against his neighbor. (Ex. 20:16) In Leviticus 19:16, God said that “You shall not go about as a slanderer.” And, God warns that the person who “secretly slanders his neighbor him will I destroy.” (Ps. 10:15) Writing to New Testament saints, James says: “Speak not evil one of another, brethren, He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law.” (James 4:11)

Sometimes it can appear as a subtle sin, and it may as such surface as a “prayer request.” In a local church prayer meeting, it may sound like this: “Pray for my sister and her husband: they just bought a new BMW and no one knows where they got the money for such an expensive new car. Just pray for them, that he has not gone back to his old ways.”

In light of how devastating this ubiquitous sin is, ought we not all join David in his prayer: “Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” (Ps. 120:2)

Yes, from the lying lips and deceitful tongue of others, and from the sin whereby our own lips become lying lips and our own tongue becomes a deceitful tongue! Deliver my soul, O Lord, indeed!

“For I have heard the slander of many…But I trusted in Thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.” (Ps. 31:13, 14)