YOU and GOD

On Duty

“Open the gate, my boy,” said the rider who headed the hunting party. “I’m sorry, Sir,” answered the boy, “but my father sent me to say that you must not hunt on his grounds.”

“Do you know who I am?” demanded the man gruffly.

“No, Sir,” answered the boy.

“I am the Duke of Wellington.”

The boy took off his cap to the great man. But he did not open the gate. “The Duke of Wellington will not ask me to disobey my father’s orders,” he said quietly.

Slowly the man took off his hat, and smiled. “I honor the boy who is faithful to his duty,” said the great man, and with that his party rode away. (copied)

Webster defines “duty” thusly: “That which one is bound, by any natural, legal, or moral obligation, to pay, do or perform.”

Many would not like to think that we should render service to Christ as a matter of duty. We would like to feel, rather, that we would render service to our Lord as a matter of love. But duty is the right word. We are called servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was a servant of Jesus Christ, as were James, Peter, John and Jude. The word “servant” means “bond-slave.” Bond-slaves are duty-bound. They render service out of duty.

Like it or not, as a believer you are duty-bound. Daniel Webster said, “A sense of duty pursues us ever. It is omnipresent, like the Deity. If we take to ourselves the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, duty performed or violated is still with us—for our happiness or our misery. If we say the darkness shall cover us, in the darkness as in the light our obligations are yet with us.”

So, as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is:

The Duty of undaunted service to Him and to His Church. Each believer has received a gift (I Peter 4:10) that equips him or her for service. It may be the gift of teaching, of administration, of serving, of giving, of helps, prophecy, or exhortation (Rom. 12:6-8), but as a member of His Body, the Church, each follower of His has been equipped with a gift to be exercised in the building up of His Body. The exercise of those gifts may be daily, as in Ezra 3:4, where in worship the Israelites “offered daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required.” Day after day, month after month, it was a repetitious duty. Then, too, it might have gotten to be monotonous—as is much of what we do in life. A laborer stands at a punch-press eight hours a day and may well battle monotony with the job, but he has a family to support and mouths to feed and his work is his duty, and he does it therefore with thankfulness. Or, it may be an inglorious job to which you are called. Others may be on the front lines, where the action is, while you are just “staying by the stuff.” But when the battle is over and the spoils of victory are divided, the ones who faithfully discharged their duty by staying by the stuff will receive an equal reward with those who fought on the front lines. (I Sam. 30:24)

The Duty of undivided submission. The servant does not question the wisdom of the Master. “Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus?” (Romans 9:20) “The servant is not greater than his Lord,” (John 13:16) and we are “in His house,” not over it. A great orchestra conductor was once asked what the most difficult position in the orchestra to fill was, to which he replied: “Second fiddle. Everyone wants to play first fiddle.” We are called to execute His commands and to follow His orders. Jesus to His disciples: “Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). As a servant, our first duty is to obey His orders. Lord Nelson, the celebrated English naval general, said in his dying words, “I have done my duty. Praise God for it.” At the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson raised the banner before his men, and the banner simply said, “Not glory, not victory, not honor, not country, but duty.”

The Duty of undying support. Our labor is that of supporting our Lord. We support His kingdom work through life, and we support it unto death. “The way of duty is often rugged, but it is always royal. It gives dignity to life from the moment we take our first step.” David said: “I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Ps. 84:10) “No servant can serve two masters,” Jesus said. We will give Him our undying loyalty and allegiance until death or we will forfeit the crown which He promised: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10)

The early-Church leader Polycarp was given the option of denying his Lord or going to the stake, to which he replied: “Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He hath done me no wrong. How can I speak evil of my King who saved me?” He was faithful, loyal, dutiful—even unto death.

So, as we face the challenges of another new year, “remember the value of time, the necessity of perseverance, the pleasure of working, the worth of character, the dignity of simplicity, the power of kindness, the wisdom of saving, the virtue of patience, the beauty of cheerfulness, the influence of example, and the obligation of duty.” (copied)

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

The Call to Preach, Part 2

In the previous installment of “You and God” I discussed, in general, the call to preach. If you are interested in what constitutes a call to “full-time” gospel ministry, specifically to preach or pastor or to be in vocational ministry that involves a teaching/preaching ministry, I encourage you to read that discussion (“You and God,” January 3, 2023). I cited several scriptural references and noted some biblical, early-church precedents. This discussion is organized around four defining elements of the call to preach: Confirmation, Conviction, Commission, and Commitment.

First, Confirmation. It’s one thing for a person to have an experience and announce that God has called him to preach. Well and good and praise the Lord! We would anticipate, therefore, that this person would be, in due season and after a reasonable time to prepare some messages, preaching! When and if that happens, there should be a confirmation. The Holy Spirit, first of all, should confirm that call in the heart of the preacher, and there ought to be a confirmation from the hearers of the message. People to whom the preacher ministers will acknowledge that they were blessed, edified, and stirred by the preaching. If a man has the call of God upon him to preach the Word, the people of God will attest to that by their responses. It does not have to be an overwhelming response, but the people of God will let one know that they are blessed by, and convinced of the call of God upon, the man of God. Often, would-be preachers confuse the “call to preach” with the putting of a man into the pastorate. If you are called to preach, then preach. You do not have to have a pulpit in a well-furnished auditorium with a friendly audience. Preach in a rescue mission, a nursing home, a street corner, a prison—or wherever the opportunity presents itself. If God has called you to preach, you will have a divinely-given burden upon you to share, to warn, and to instruct others of God’s Word and His ways. You will find, or make, opportunities to preach the Word! And, when you do, there will be someone—maybe a few, maybe many—who will affirm to you that God has called you to preach, without a doubt. There will be a confirmation of others to your call.

Second, Conviction. When a young man feels called to preach and announces it to his pastor; or, when a council of august men at the time of “ordination” hears his testimony and listens to his statement of beliefs based on his understanding of scriptures, often someone will say: “So you feel called to preach, to pastor; my counsel is that if you can be happy doing anything else, it would be wise not to pursue ministry as a vocation.” Usually the man being ordained will, without hesitation, let it be known that he is fully convinced that he could not be happy doing anything else, because he is absolutely convinced and convicted that God has called him to preach. This unshakable conviction is a must for anyone who desires the office of a bishop or a full-time ministry vocation. That is why, when a pulpit committee interviews a “candidate” for a vacant pulpit, the applicant for the office is not concerned about the benefits that may accrue with the position. He is convinced that God has called him to preach and that God will, therefore, take care of his needs. Salary and/or benefits are not the “front burner” issues. The issues are, rather, Does God want me here? What is His will for this church at this time? And, am I a part of His immediate plan for this local church? A call to preach, to pastor, must be accompanied by an unwavering conviction that God has issued that call and that nothing that man could say or do would change that conviction.

Third, Commission. Every New Testament servant of the Lord Jesus Christ should be identified with a local, New Testament church. It is to the Church that Christ has given gifted servants to “perfect the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Eph. 4:12). No minister of the gospel, called of God, is a “lone ranger.” He operates as an integral part of the local church of which he is a member. Whether he is an evangelist or a missionary; laboring at home or abroad; independently or under the auspices of a mission or ministry board, his or her first accountability is to the local church from which he or she is sent. The local church commissions pastors, teachers, missionaries, and/or evangelists, either formally or informally, to minister either in the local church or as an extension of that local church as a sending church. Any parachurch laborer would be wise to seek the endorsement of his local church and, when feasible, the financial and prayerful support of that assembly of believers. Christ is the Head of the body, the Church, and most of the instruction and emphasis of the New Testament has to do with the life and labors of local churches. Churches ultimately, in Christ’s name, should commission laborers to do the work of the ministry, providing for much-needed accountability and equally needed prayer support—as well as financial support, when possible.

Fourth, Commitment. A call from Christ through His Holy Spirit to preach the gospel is not temporary. He issues the call, and He alone revokes it. Of one who is called to preach, someone said he is “an ambassador, not a diplomat; an evangelist, not an entertainer; a deliverer, not a quiverer; his business is to preach revelation, not reformation; resurrection, not resuscitation; Christ, not culture; conversion, not civilization; theocracy, not democracy; salvation through the New Birth; sanctification through the Holy Spirit, not through human merit.” (The Good News) To fulfill this great commission, the preacher must have an uncommon tenacity, an unsinkable spirit, an unhuman love, an incomparable motivation, an unparalleled loyalty, and an undying adherence to His Lord and to His Church that will compel him to be faithful to his call until relieved of his assignment by His Master.

So, have you been called to preach the gospel? If so, then “Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Tim. 4:2)

Nothing will be able to stop you, for with His call has come a confirmation, a holy conviction, a New Testament commission, and a rock-solid commitment. God help you and may He increase your tribe!

“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Romans 11:29)

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” (2 Pet.1:10)

God’s Call to Preach

I have known a friend who for many years has been frustrated, even at times angry, with God for not having put him into a pastorate. He feels he missed his calling. At one time, he and his wife served on a mission field, hoping that through that experience God would place them in a local church where he would serve as the pastor. To this date, it has not happened.

It has caused me to give some serious thought as to what a “call” to ministry—specifically, to the pastorate—consists of. I do believe there is a definite call from God given to His surrendered servants to labor in His vineyard as gifted pastors, elders, or bishops (all words used in the New Testament to refer to the same office that we commonly call “pastor”). Paul said to Timothy that if a man desired to serve in that capacity, he desired a good work. (I Tim. 3:1) In the infancy of the New Testament era, when Saul and Barnabas had been on their first church-planting mission, we read that before returning to report to their sending church in Jerusalem, they first revisited the towns where there had been a group of believers assembled so that they could “ordain them elders in every church.” (Acts 14:23) Interestingly, there was not enough time for these would-be elders to get any specialized training for the task; but of course, it was an extraordinary phase of the inception of the church that Jesus said He would build; and it was an extraordinary Apostle who was doing the appointing of these early elders. But there was a proper appointing or ordaining, and there were specific qualifications that had to have been evident in all of the appointees to this sacred office. (I Tim. 3:1-7)

How, then, is a man called of God to be a pastor, bishop or elder? We might broaden the scope of the question to include a missionary, evangelist, or “full-time” servant of Christ.

Paul was “ordained” a preacher, apostle, teacher of the Gentiles. (I Tim.2:7) He said in I Tim. 1:12 that he had been put into the ministry. His desire for his protégé, Timothy, was that he would be a “good minister of Jesus Christ.” (I Tim.4:6) He exhorted Timothy that he should stir up the “gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.” (2 Tim. 1:6) And Paul also exhorted Timothy that he should “neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” (I Tim.4:14)

Of Paul we learn that he, along with Barnabas, had been separated for “the work whereunto I (the Holy Spirit) have called them.” (Acts 13:2) That work was a church-planting, missionary ministry. Paul would later confide that he had been “appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” (2 Tim. 1:11) He would later exhort Timothy to “preach the Word…make full proof of thy ministry.” (2 Tim.4:2) This is consistent with what Paul also had declared to Timothy when he said that God had “saved us, and called us with a holy calling.” (2 Tim.1:9)

Thus, it is evident that to be a pastor, a missionary, an evangelist, or in some other capacity of Christian service, it wise to know that you are doing what God has called and equipped you to do. How does it work in real time, one might ask.

Well, every servant of God is an individual and is dealt with by the Head of the Church individually, within the Biblical parameters set forth above.

I would like to interject, at this point, a personal testimony. I was saved at an early age, grew up in a Christian home, and attended a Bible-preaching church regularly as a child and teenager until I left home for college. I always loved Bible preaching, had a propensity for leadership, enjoyed our church youth-group meetings, and tried to be a good testimony in school (but I could have been much better!). Upon graduating from high school, I had in mind pursuing a career in law, and I attended a college in Iowa on a scholarship that was by today’s standards pretty meager. Away from home for the first time, I began to read seriously the book of Isaiah. Coming to those majestic passages in Isaiah 40-66, I fell in spirit before my creator God, so powerful and patient is He, confessing that my world (in 1961) needed preachers to proclaim the message of “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else” (Isa.45:22) as much as Isaiah’s world did.

I did not know what was happening in common parlance, but in those three months in the fall of 1961 I surrendered to preach the Word of God, if that’s what God wanted me to do. At home for Thanksgiving break, I attended my local church, where Pastor Keith Knauss had invited Evangelist Glen Schunk to conduct a revival meeting that week. Hearing his first message, which I cannot remember a word of, I responded to the invitation, going forward to share with Pastor Knauss and Evangelist Schunk that I felt God had called me to preach and I wanted to make it known that I was surrendering to do that. Evangelist Schunk shook my hand and put into it an application to Bob Jones University, saying that if I were going to preach the gospel, I would need to prepare myself—and that this was where I should go to get prepared. Having no reason to question that advice, I immediately filled out the application, sent it in, was accepted, and found myself in a preacher boys’ class of about 800 men in January of 1962, on the campus of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

That is how God called this preacher to preach His Word when I was still a teenager. He has called other men in various other ways. But to every man of God called by Him to preach, there is never a doubt that it was God at work, and that the purpose was to ordain whomever He was working on to the gospel ministry. Some have resisted, and they may have even fought His call for some time. But God always wins! I will continue this discussion on the call to preach in an upcoming installment of “You and God.”

“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is me if I preach not the gospel!” (I Cor.9:16)

A Special New Year’s Diet

In a couple of days, we will turn over a new page on the calendar of life, beginning a new year with new hopes, dreams, goals—and, yet, with some old fears. I hope it will prove to be a good year for all who read these lines.

I want to write this column from the unique vantage point of a pastor’s perspective. Most of my adult life has been spent doing the work of the ministry—specifically, for this servant, that of a pastor (50 years). So, I write with the perspective of a pastor, an under-shepherd who invested a lifetime looking for and tending to the needs of a flock. Part of those duties included the feeding of God’s flock, a high and holy task with awesome responsibilities and singular privileges.

Approaching a New Year, I would always consider the year ahead and the need for the flock of God, over which the Holy Spirit had made me overseer, as to their spiritual diet. What special food for their souls would they need for the next year, in order to weather the onslaught of energy-draining challenges ahead? Of course, there will always be a need for spiritual vim and vigor that only a balanced spiritual diet can afford.

So, the pastor/under-shepherd will try to serve up messages on his spiritual menu which will be full of soul-nourishing vitamins, replete with vegetables and fruits. It will be wise to go easy on the sugar this next year, spiritually speaking (of course), and major on the basic spiritual food groups: doctrines pertaining to salvation, sanctification, submission and service, and, for good measure, some generous portions of Second Coming servings.

Granted, there are those who may react like some children: you’d rather not have any vegetables at all. Books like the Minor Prophets and even some of the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) just do not appeal to your spiritual appetite that much. And, those history books (Chronicles, Kings)—well, you may not turn your nose up at them, but you don’t seem to want to “dig in” when they are set before you.
But, like a mother carefully plans and prepares a menu of tasty yet enriching foods for her family, so the pastor/under-shepherd feeds the flock of God. He will try to serve up a balanced spiritual diet. Some food from all the groups will have to be included: the milk of the gospels and the meat of the epistles, along with some sweet things from Colossians and Ephesians, and let us not forget Philippians, plus some really chewy stuff from the Revelation.

So, on any given Sunday morning (evening, too, and Wednesday-night Bible study) when the pastor says “please open your Bible to _______,” I trust you will determine that if this man of God is following the direction of his Chief Shepherd, then he has prayed about what spiritual food you (as a body and members in particular) most need for your souls at any given time. His message has been prayed over, prepared carefully, organized, and served up in a somewhat (hopefully) appetizing way so that you will both enjoy the experience (of feeding) and be benefited by the ingestion of that which will enable you to keep maturing as a believer. There will be at the “table,” at any given service, some folk who will need milk, and those who will need meat; some will need meat but not the “heavy” stuff that will be hard to digest. Everyone will need a balanced diet in order to mature spiritually and methodically.

I hope you will enjoy every offering from the under-shepherd’s “kitchen” this year. Try something of everything put before you. And, whatever you do, do not just “skip” a sitting, shrugging it off by saying “I’m not hungry,” or please do not fail to show up at meal time because you forgot to come, or you were too busy doing some other good thing. You know your mother spent lots of time preparing those meals, and she put lots of herself (love) into each one; and for you not to show up at meal time is awfully disappointing to your mom (and, likewise, to your pastor who has put lots of himself into the preparation of each spiritual feast, which he looks forward to setting before you knowing full well that it is good food for you).

So, may the year ahead be a year of growth for all of us. Your pastor shall endeavor to feed you well. He will have a treasure-trove of recipes, tried and proven, to choose from, and, by God’s grace, he will continue to serve spiritual food that will be both satisfying and nourishing. Enjoy every one of them, chew them carefully, digest them wholly, and assimilate them spiritually so that this coming year you will “grow in grace and in the knowledge” of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (I Peter 2:2, 3)

Don’t Quit Before You’re Finished

A couple of idioms come to mind when contemplating the Indianapolis Colts’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, December 17: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” Yogi Berra is known for having said about baseball’s full, nine-inning games with 27 outs; and, “It’s not over ‘til the fat lady sings,” meaning that nothing is irreversible until the final act plays out. The Colts (4-8-1) went into their locker room at halftime with a 33-0 lead over the Vikings (10-3). Interim coach and former Colts’ center, Jeff Saturday, had made it known earlier in that week that he would be happy to be considered for the job of permanent replacement for Frank Reich, the Colts’ fired former head coach.

So, how did the game end that fateful Saturday in Minnesota? When I returned home after running some errands with Ellen, the score was 36-28! I heard an announcer say, as Minnesota scored a TD, “They certainly have the momentum,” and that was pretty obvious! But the Colts had possession of the ball with a little over two minutes left in the game. They had a 4^th-and-1 situation near mid-field. For non-football fans, that means they needed to gain one yard on the next play or lose possession to the Vikings. Normally, a one-yard gain is a “piece of cake.” Quite often, the quarterback will get the ball from the snap of the center and, with an all-out effort by the offensive line, lunge or jump forward enough to make the one-yard gain. That’s what the Colts’ quarterback, Matt Ryan, attempted to do on this critical play. If the Colts made the one yard, it would be 1^st and 10, meaning they might well run out the clock and leave the Twin Cities with a huge win!

It was not to happen. They failed, by just a few inches, to get the one yard on the quarterback sneak; Minnesota took possession and scored easily, making the score 36-34. They needed two points to tie the game, so the Vikings went for a run rather than the one-point kick after their TD. They scored on the two-point play, rather handily, tying the game at 36-36 and sending it into overtime. Then they won the game, 39-36, on a 40 -yard field goal. It was an historic win for the Vikings, breaking the NFL record for greatest comeback ever in a game!

For the Colts, it was humiliating. For their fans, it was almost unbelievable and certainly disgusting. For the sports writers, it was an opportunity to reach down deep into their reservoir of superlatives: “catastrophic,” “collapse,” “quit,” were a few of the many. It was a stunning loss for the Colts and a stunning comeback for the Vikings.

Well, I enjoy some sports but decided early in life that there were more important avenues that I could take, knowing of course that I would never be of college-draft caliber; so I did not participate in basketball or football after my sophomore year of high school. But I have never lost my interest in those sports and have learned that one can absorb a lot of life-lessons through the challenges that competition involves.

It was not difficult to pinpoint some lessons to be learned from the Indianapolis Colts’ debacle in Minnesota on December 17. First, of course, “it’s not over ’til its over.” Can you imagine how difficult it would have been for any of the Colts’ players, or even the coaches, to go into the locker room at halftime with a 33-0 lead and not have a deep-down feeling that “this one’s in the bag!” There seemed to be no way the Vikings could dig themselves out of that hole! Yet, the impossible happened, and the Vikings made history. (So did the Colts, but not the kind of history you want to be remembered for.) So with my ministry: It’s not over until it’s over, and though my duties as pastor emeritus are different than when I was senior pastor, I still am “in the ministry,” and my Captain, the Lord Jesus Christ, has not relieved me of my commission. I have a job yet to do, and it would be a huge error were I to breathe a big sigh of relief and think or say to myself, “This one’s in the bag, no way I can lose the victory from here on out.” Too, too many have made that strategic, unforced error and have tragically tripped up just short of the finish line, bringing disrepute to their Savior and to their ministry. God forbid.

When I watch pros play, it really irks me to see, as I did in the Colts game, these multi-millionaires doing “victory” dances in the end zone after they score a touchdown, or on the field after they make a good defensive play. Is that not what they’re paid the “big bucks” for? Ok, it’s good to play with a lot of spirit, zest, and drive (as did the Vikings in the 2^nd half), but to celebrate before the game is over can be ill-advised. If I were a coach, I would ban those “dance” celebrations; they must aggravate and maybe are indeed intended to aggravate the opposing team, and we all know now what can happen if the opponent gets too riled up! Paul rejoiced in that he had finished his course and run the race, but he did so practically on his way to the guillotine. It was not in a boastful, braggadocios manner but as he was praising God and anticipating the crown that he—and all of Christ’s followers who love His appearing—will receive.

So, there are a couple of lessons that we can register or underscore in our “frontal lobe.” (1) It ain’t over ‘til it’s over and (2) Don’t celebrate until there are no seconds left on the clock!

What lessons have you learned through competing or watching your favorite teams playing? I’d be happy to hear of them if you’d drop me a note by replying to this post.

“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, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” (Hebs. 12:1)

Mary, Blessed Among Women

She had held Him in her womb,
	She had sought Him in the tomb;
She made Him a cradle bed,
	Kissed her Savior’s infant head.

Mary was her maiden name,
	She would bear for Him her shame;
Yet the angels bore the news,
	‘Twas this woman God did choose.

Blessed of women she would be,
	Though He’d hang upon a tree.
He had come, God’s gift to men,
	Righteous payment for their sin.

Godly, young, His mother, pure,
	Yet, a sinner to be sure.
Mary loudly praised her Lord,
	Trusted in His precious Word.

Faithful men down through the ages,
	Read of her on holy pages.
Joy—His birth—brought to her heart,
	Pain—His death—tore her apart.

From the rugged cross He spake,
	“To your home the woman take.”
Spoken to the man called John,
	Loved by Jesus as His own.

Story:  one of love and grace,
	In our hearts a sacred place;
On and on the years unfold,
	Sweetest story ever told.

Jesus came from heav’n above,
	Sent by God on wings of love;
Through a virgin young and fair,
	None to Mary would compare.

Yet, a vessel, holy such,
	Through her words has taught us much;
“God, my Savior,” she confessed,
	She, a sinner, specially blessed!

		Anthony Slutz

“And the angel came in unto her, and said, ‘Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with the: blessed art thou among women.’” (Luke 1:28)

Ellen and I wish you all a truly merry Christmas!

A Special Christmas Eve

(“You and God’ features today a column written by Ellen that first appeared in the TRBC Times, December, 2009)

If there is one Christmas Eve that stands out in my memory, it is the one in 1970. Tony was in seminary, so we had to wait until then to travel. We left Dallas, Texas, in the afternoon with our little Volkswagen headed toward North Carolina. It was a picturesque winter night, with a diamond studded canopy overhead and a soft blanket of snow on the ground. After the children went to sleep, we found a radio station that was playing the Messiah, and for more than three hours we worshipped the Lord as that great oratorio covered the life of our Savior.

The music is by George Handel, written in 1741 and premiered in Dublin, Ireland, in 1742. Charles Jennens compiled the lyrics from the King James Bible, conceiving the work as an oratorio in three parts. Part One was the prophecy and realization of God’s plan to redeem mankind by the coming of the Messiah. Part Two: the accomplishment of redemption by the sacrifice of Jesus, mankind’s rejection of God’s offer, and mankind’s utter defeat when trying to oppose the power of the Almighty. Part Three: A hymn of Thanksgiving for the final overthrow of Death.*

Much of the libretto comes from the Old Testament. Part one draws heavily from the book of Isaiah, which prophesies the coming of the Messiah. There are a few quotations from the Gospels at the end of the first part and the beginning of the first and second parts. Part one recounts the story (in Luke) of the Angel appearing to the shepherds, and the “His Yoke is Easy” section draws from Matthew. In part two, “Behold the Lamb of God” draws from John. The rest of part two is composed of psalms and prophecies from Isaiah and quotations from Hebrews and Romans. The third part includes one quotation from Job (“I know that my redeemer liveth”); the rest is primarily from First Corinthians. The “Hallelujah” chorus at the end of part two and the final chorus, “Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain,” are both from Revelation.*

My first recollection of hearing a live performance of this great oratorio was at a small Bible College in Fort Worth, TX. The music director there was also the music director at the church we attended in Dallas, and he invited us to hear the choir he directed at the college. I’ve heard it many times since then, and usually plan to attend the program whenever the Indianapolis Symphony performs it. When you realize all the prophecies that the birth of Christ fulfilled, and all the promises yet to be fulfilled, you feel like shouting “Hallelujah!”

Probably the most bittersweet recollection I have of the “Hallelujah Chorus” was in 1996. My mother was in the hospital with a heart attack, and I intended to go to North Carolina as soon as our Christmas programs were finished at church. On Friday night, about a week before Christmas, we attended a living Christmas Tree in another city and they ended the program with the “Hallelujah Chorus.” On the way home, we received word that my Mom had graduated to glory. I was glad she was out of her suffering, but so sorry I was not with her in those final hours. The song, however, was a sweet assurance that Christ had conquered death, and that we too shall rise again.

If you can get a copy of the Messiah, I urge you to listen to it during the Christmas season. It is just scripture put to music. You can worship the Lord through the music. It is said that Handel’s assistant walked into the composer’s room after shouting to him for several minutes, to no avail. The assistant found Handel in tears, whereupon he asked the artist what was wrong. Handel held up the score of the movement and said, “I thought I saw the face of God.”

*Information from Wikipedia

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” (Col.3:16,17)

The Wonder of it All

In a few days we will once again come together on Christmas Day, a day to gather with families to celebrate and commemorate the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Savior, to the world!

Perhaps before the day is over, we shall need to pray the prayer once prayed innocently by a little girl who, along with her family, had been caught up in the pre-Christmas swirl of activity that came to a head in her home on Christmas Eve. Dad, loaded with bundles, seem to have an even greater number of worries. Mom, under the pressure of getting ready for the special occasion, yielded several times to tears that very day; even the little girl, trying to help, found that she was always under foot. Finally, now in tears herself, she was hustled off to bed. There, kneeling to pray the Lord’s prayer before tumbling in, her mind and tongue betrayed her and she prayed,

“Forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who Christmas against us.”

We may have to pray that childish prayer ourselves this year before Christmas Day concludes! We need, therefore, to be careful to keep our focus upon the ONE who is to be center stage at Christmas, our Lord and our Savior! It will always do us well to rethink and rejoice in the Marvel of His Birth, the Miracle of His Birth, and the Mission of His Birth:

The Marvel of it. There are many things that could be said about the marvel of His birth; it was surely marvelous as to the timing: ”when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His own Son.” (Gal. 4:4). It was the absolute right time prophetically. Prophets had foretold His coming hundreds of times. Daniel’s vision in the 9^th chapter of that book pretty well pinpointed the time of the Messiah’s arrival; thus, wise men from the east came looking for “he that is born King of the Jews.” (Matt.2:2). Not only was it the right time prophetically, it was the right time practically: the Greco-Roman world was ripe for the appearance of this one who came to be the Savior of the world. The Greek language, like English today, was almost universally spoken, a significant factor in the spreading of the good news; and the Roman roads made it possible to travel the then-known world. It was surely the “fullness of time,” prophetically and practically.

Then, too, when thinking of the marvel of His birth, mention must be made of the triumph of it. What God promised Satan in the Garden before He clothed the naked pair that had just sinned—that He would by the seed of the woman bruise his head—God sealed with the birth of His Son, Satan’s final defeat. Along with Satan’s defeat, sin’s ultimate eradication was guaranteed. Jesus came to “put away sin,” and His death on Calvary, 33 years after His birth in Bethlehem, provided the basis for sin’s final death-blow, when Christ shall rule in righteousness. What a marvelous triumph over Satan, sin, and the wages of sin, death!

It was marvelous, and it was miraculous. Miraculous in the conception of the Christ-child. “Before they (Joseph and Mary) came together,” she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Truly, “that which is conceived in thee is of the Holy Ghost,” Mary was assured by God’s messenger. His birth was contrary to the laws of nature; He was reared in obscurity, had no formal education, founded no world-famous institution, was not wealthy nor brought up by influential parents. Yet, His birth changed how calendars were kept. Angels sang to herald His coming to shepherds on lonely hillsides. Wise men trekked thousands of arduous miles to worship the child, bringing precious gifts to this one they called King. His teaching, miracles, ministry and death would turn history upside down. Everything about His birth breathed “Miracle!”

Then, too, think of the Mission of His birth! It was to save sinners: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (I Tim. 3:15). Jesus said it this way: “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10). Hallelujah! What A Savior!

Jesus was a great teacher, but He did not come merely to teach; He was a great example, but He did not come just to be an example; He was a leader of leaders, but leadership was not His mission; He was a great physician and there was no sick person He could not heal, and He did heal many and brought the dead back to life—but healing the sick and raising the dead were not His mission; He was a prophet, too, but He did not come just to prophesy! He came to present Himself as the Messiah, the King of Israel; and He came to save sinners from sin and the eternal consequences of sin. “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17)

So, as we celebrate this Christmas the birth of Jesus Christ, focus once again on the Marvel of it all; the Miracle of it; and surely the Mission of His coming, via the virgin birth, to a sin-cursed world to be our Savior. “Man of sorrows, what a name; for the Son of Man who came. Ruined sinners to reclaim, Hallelujah! What a Savior!” What a Savior indeed!

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matt.1:21)

Why Christ Came to Earth

George MacDonald, in his poem entitled “That Holy Thing,” speaking about the coming of Jesus Christ and the expectation of the world at the time of His coming, wrote: “They were all looking for a king to slay their foes and lift them high; Thou cam’st—a little baby thing that made a woman cry.”

And, as another Christmas draws nigh, our hearts are drawn again to that scene of long ago when the Creator became a creature, when the Babe was born and God became man.

There’s a question that ought to haunt the human race—especially now, as never before—when thought is given to the birth of Him whose birthday the world is now commemorating.

It’s a question the answer to which will not be found in all the volumes of the world’s great libraries.

The learned professors and philosophers in the most notable universities, apart from divine revelation, will not discover the answer to this question.

But it is a question that warrants the utmost consideration. The question, simply stated, is: “Why would a holy and sovereign God send His only begotten Son to a sin-ladened planet such as ours?” The answer can only be found in God’s book to mankind, the Bible.

First, God sent His Son, His only begotten Son, because of sin. Christ came to put away sin, to be an offering for sin, and to be the propitiation for sin. Hebrews 9:26 affirms that “now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” The blood of bulls and goats could never avail for the putting away of sin (Hebs. 10:4), thus it was needful for Christ to do what no Old Testament priest or offering could ever do: “And they truly were many priests…But this man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens.” (Hebs. 7:23ff.)

Christ came as the lamb of God to offer Himself, spotless, an offering for sin. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Thus, He became the accepted propitiation (covering) “for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2)

Man’s problem therefore is not sins, but sin! When our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned, sin entered into humanity. All of us were born with “bad blood,” for all have sinned. “The collective soul of the human race is scarred and marred by sin; like an avalanche of the ages, sins rolls century after century gathering weight, speed and force.” (Copied, unknown). Only the spotless blood of the Lamb of God could take away the sin of world, and God sent His only begotten, sinless Son, to once and for all deal with the problem of sin. He at once put it away by offering Himself as the sacrifice well pleasing unto God and propitiation, acceptable as that which would not only “cover” sin from one atonement day to the next, but fully remove it forever!

So, God sent His Son to earth because of sin, and He also sent His Son to earth because of salvation: “That the world through Him might be saved.” (I John 3:17) Jesus came to be the savior of the hopeless, hapless, helpless world—the whole of which was lost in the darkness of sin. “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” (I John 4:14) “Man of sorrows, what a name; for the Son of Man who came! Ruined sinners to reclaim, Hallelujah! What a Savior!” He was a great teacher, a prophet, a healer, a counsellor, but He came that first Christmas to “save His people from their sins!” He is God’s Savior, presenting God’s gift to mankind: eternal life!

So, God sent Jesus to this earth because of sin, because of salvation, and also because of sinners: “For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matt.9:13); “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10); “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (I Tim.1:15)

Finally, God sent His only begotten Son from Heaven’s glories to earth’s sinful cesspool because of Satan. Satan, the deceiver and murderer, was the devil that became the vehicle through which sin and death made its ugly entrance into God’s wonderful world. Satan had to be dealt with, and only one person could do that: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same, that He might destroy him that had the power of death; that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:15) Jesus came to destroy death and triumph over it (the resurrection) and to dispel darkness: “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:46)

Because God sent His Son Jesus to this earth one Christmas morn to deal with sin, salvation, sinners, and Satan, we can live in “hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (Tit. 1:2) Eternal life with Him in a place where there will be no more crime, no disease nor death, no funerals, no “adult” book stores; no war, famine, divorce courts; no cancer clinics, penitentiaries, reform schools, cemeteries, sexual deviants, crooked politicians, church splits, hungry and abused children, beaten wives, drunkards, or hell-holes!

Aren’t you glad that God sent His only begotten Son to this world? I am, too! Merry Christmas!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!” (John 3:16)

“Agape Love”

I have known William Holder for more than 40 years. At our first meeting, I came away from his home feeling he was pretty gruff. He was younger then, as was I, and I felt that he was combative concerning church, faith, and matters spiritual. His wife was then, as she always has been, quiet and sweet and of a beautiful spirit. She attended our church, but in those early years he did not come much, until his eventual retirement. I was given the honor of preaching his godly mother’s funeral, and Bill and I were drawn a bit closer. Then it just happened, with no momentous event that stands out in either of our minds but gradually, with the passing of the winters and arrivals of the springs, we became friends.

Our respect for each other grew and today, I think I can speak for both of us in saying that there is genuine, Christian love in our hearts, the one for the other. Bill has listened to hundreds of my sermons, and the days when he would as soon argue a point as accept it have long since ceased. I have preached more than one of his loved one’s funerals. He has stood by my family as we have suffered the anguish of loved ones taken from us by the icy, cold grip of death. Our tears have paralleled each other’s as they have trickled down time-worn cheeks.

Now, Bill greets me with a broad smile. His dear wife, shoulders a bit more stooped by the gravity of years, still has her beautiful countenance through all the heartaches that she may have suffered; and, in spite of the physical challenges of toting first grandchildren and then great grandchildren back and forth to church, to school, to eating places and to wherever duty demanded, she still manages a smile that seems to say, “Good to see you.” The Holders have been there through the thick and thin for many, many years. We’ve kind of grown old(er) together. I don’t even think Mr. Holder is technically a member of our church, but his place in our body as well as in all of our hearts is undeniable, and his mark is indelible.

Some thirty years ago, Bill wrote a poem about an elderly couple, in their nineties, that he had observed in a restaurant. As a Christmas gift to you, I’d like to share his poem, which he entitled “Agape Love”:

“I first saw them in the parking lot, both with hair as white as snow. Walking hand in hand, moving rather slow. Shoulders bent and rounded, from toil and many a year; probably in their nineties, gently smiling, full of cheer. There seemed to be a glow, on each wrinkled face. They chatted with each other, walking at a steady pace. Four legs strode in unison, as if their bodies were one; keeping up a steady cadence, having moved together so long. To the restaurant door they moved; he opened and held the door, and gently held her arm, to evade slipping on the floor. They stopped at a corner table, as if it were their own. He helped her remove her coat, held the chair as she sat down. The waitress came by with the menu, they smiled and said “hello.” She asked “Will you have the usual?” as if she seemed to know. The meal was brought to the table, she gave a little nod. They gently held the other’s hands, bowed their heads, and remembered God. Throughout the meal they chatted, occasionally one would grin. You’d see their gentle hands come together now and then. When they finished eating, the waitress wandered by. They teased her about something, with a twinkle in their eye. She asked if they’d have desert, they said, “We must control our weight.” They talked about a piece of pie, and they settled on chocolate cake. The waitress came with the desert, with an extra fork and plate. The old lady carefully halved it, and shared it with her mate. When the meal was over, they sat and talked awhile. Gently touching the other’s hands, now and then they’d smile. He moved her chair and held her coat, the door he opened wide; she took his arm and they walked out, slowly side by side. They held hands across the lot, until they reached the car—a like new older Ford, shining like a star. He helped her in, gentle and kind, as if she were a queen. They drove away, her next to him, love like this is seldom seen. This is known as ‘agape love,’ that’s shared by God with man. Seldom do we see it expressed, in this old, evil land. When the New Jerusalem descends from God above, all that dwells within its walls, will share that kind of love.” (William L. Holder, 1989)

(Note: I first shared this poem in the December, 2012, TRBC Times and have reprinted it here, hoping that it will be a blessing to you this Christmas season.)

“This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)