YOU and GOD

Another Word to Fathers and Families

My last post included a poetic tribute I penned to my godly father on the occasion of his 75^th birthday. In this blog, I want to share with you a powerful tribute written by a young Bible college student when he was serving on our church staff as a summer intern in 2018.

Michael was a quiet farm boy from northwestern Iowa (I grew up in southeastern Iowa—Ottumwa). He dearly loved his father, as you will know after reading a brief “salute” to him, which I asked Michael to share with our church family. Here it is:

“My Father, the man who gave me life. The person who protected me as I grew up and showed me what loving your family truly looks like.

The one who taught me to love playing board games, and also to love playing, watching, and listening to sports. The person who taught me what true hard work was, but also showed me how to have fun. My dad, who got me into wearing hats, into mathematics, into computers. He was there to encourage me and to be beside me as I rode my first roller coaster. He was also there to pick me back up after I broke my two teeth. But most of all he was the first person that I looked up to and admired—for his apparent love of God and His truth presented in His Word. My father’s love for Racoon River Bible Camp was transferred to me, as it has become my favorite place in the world. A man whose character and love shown through each interaction he had with people.

Thirteen years ago, I lost my father in a farming accident, but the life he led here on earth left an impression on me to lead me to where I am right now. God has used experience in my life to shape me into who He wants me to be, and that includes every single, thing about my dad. From the adventures that I had with him, to the sorrow of losing him. But I know that he is right now with His Lord and Savior, praising Him because of His glory and majesty.

Dad, I thank you for everything you did for me while on this earth. I know that you would be proud of where God is leading me, and that I am trying to follow His commandments no matter what. I know that I falter and stumble at times to truly embrace God’s truth, where I sin because of my inherent depravity. But I pray that in the steps that I take you would be proud of me, and have the knowledge that God has me headed in the direction that He wants me in. And I know that I am on my way because of the values and attitude that you and mom instilled in me.”

Thank you, Michael. Your memories and thoughts shared in that tribute inspire all of us. We know that, through you, your Dad’s dreams and desires for God’s glory will live on till time shall be no more.

Many readers of this blog will be familiar with “Our Daily Bread”—a devotional publication founded by Dr. M.R. De Haan and led by his son, Richard De Haan, and now by his grandson, Mart De Haan. Mart wrote about his father, Richard, in an essay that he shared a few years ago in an “Our Daily Bread” publication—”Ten Things I Learned From My Father.” I want to pass them on as wise words to all. Here they are:

Admit when you are wrong
Don’t try to be someone else
Think small while dreaming big
Be careful what you say about others
Read biographies with a grain of salt
Relax with those who are important to you
Cultivate balance
Avoid irreverent jokes
Question your use of Scripture (i.e. don’t try to make any particular passage say what it really does not say)
Trust in God and do the right

Finally, on a different note, a sobering thought for all fathers on this Father’s Day weekend: I once was privileged to pastor a dear husband and wife who loved the Lord and His church. Many times, when they were both living, I would visit them in their modest home on the east side of Indianapolis and we enjoyed sweet fellowship together. They lived a very simple life—simple in dress, diet, and demeanor. On a couple of occasions, Brother Travis shared with me how that, when their only child was a little girl, she would beg her daddy to go to church with her. He would always summarily dismiss her pathetic pleas, saying “not now, maybe some other time. I am too busy.”

One day, when the little girl had grown up and her father had grown old, the girl’s Dad, having gotten saved in the course of time, went to his then-adult daughter—who had, having reached adulthood, dropped out of church. This time, the “daddy” would plead with his adult child, “Please come to church with me, honey. I am saved now. You used to beg me to go to church with you and I always put you off. Now, let’s go together.” Sadly, Brother Trav ended his memory by dropping his head as he said, “Now, no matter how hard I try, I cannot get my little girl to go to church with me.”

Dads everywhere, take heart. Don’t let the precious years pass without loving your little tikes the way our Lord loves them—“suffer the little children to come unto me.” Redeem the golden opportunities today; they will not last long.

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou riseth up.” (Deut. 6:7)

A Tip of the Hat to Our Fathers

This coming Lord’s Day has been set aside in honor of our fathers, those who have already passed from us and those who are living still. The worth of a good father, a godly father, cannot be overstated. Our nation suffers deeply today, largely because of a breakdown in the family. The absence of fathers in single-parent households is taking a terrible toll on early-21st century America.

Like many who read this, I am grateful to almighty God for having known—and having grown up with—a wonderful, exemplary father. He and my mother married about the time the Great Depression was full-blown. Their early years—bringing up five children in those meager times—was a hard, taxing, tedious life. In 1947, their lives became even more burdensome by the tragic drowning death of their 11-year-old son, my only brother. That “tragedy,” though, drove them to seek God; and the terrible loss of life in their household resulted in eternal life for members of our family, as we one by one became part of the glorious household of faith.

Dad never wavered in his devotion to his Savior all the rest of his life, until at the age of 94—having been married to mom for 72 years—God called him to enjoy, at last, his eternal rest. During his sojourning with us, by his walk of faith, he taught us so many practical principles of character: love for family, commitment to duty, enduring hardships without complaining, a work ethic that was impeccable, and so many other truthful traits. We, his offspring, will ever be indebted to his memory, with lingering love and gratitude.

Thirty some years ago, in admiration for my Dad on his 75th birthday, I wrote to him these lines:

“A father, guide, and counselor—
This is what a Dad is for;
Mine’s all these and more to me,
And for him, Father, I thank Thee.

A friend indeed, example true,
A man of strength and graces, too.
A beacon to the eyes of youth,
A lighthouse on the path of truth.

A man of prayer and wisdom sound,
In whom God’s Word was ever found.
A man of love and kindness rare,
Who lived to give and help and share.

Today Dad’s fourscore years less five,
And very much well and alive.
From God he’s had good years of health;
And gathered much of life’s true wealth.

So on your Day I wish you, Dad,
All the best to make you glad.
I pray God has for you in store,
Happy birthdays—many more.

And all the days that I shall live,
With heart and lips my praise I’ll give;
For father, guide and counselor—
All of these and so much more.”

An anonymous father wrote a letter to his son that reminds anyone who had such a father of the one we called “Dad.” It reads:

“As long as you live in this house, you will follow the rules. When you have your own house, you can make the rules. In this house, we do not have a democracy. I did not campaign to be your father. You did not vote for me. We are father and son by the grace of God, and I accept that privilege and awesome responsibility. In accepting it, I have an obligation to perform the role of a father.

I am not your pal. Our ages are too different. We can share many things, but we are not pals. I am your father. This is 100 times more than what a pal is. I am also your friend, but we are on entirely different levels.

You will do in this house as I say, and you cannot question me because whatever I ask you to do is motivated by love. This will be hard for you to understand until you have a son of your own. Until then, trust me. Your Father.”

Old-fashioned, some will say. And old-fashioned it is! But how’s the “new-fangled” method of rearing children working?

Happy Father’s Day, Dads!

“Give ear, O my people, to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth…Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done.” (Ps. 78:1-4)

Knowing and Doing The Will of God

Maybe you have been at a crucial juncture in your life’s journey, and there loomed before you what was certain to be a life-changing decision. What to do? Which way to go? Who to ask? “Oh, Dear Heavenly Father, please give me an answer that I will know with certainty has come from You.”

Ever been at that crossroad? Most have; surely most will have at some time or other. It would be so simple if God would just direct us with small Post-it Notes here and there, with an arrow or a word or two pointing in the right direction at the corner of Crunch Time Blvd. and Decision Time Highway. But, He doesn’t.

Yet I submit to you that the will of God is not difficult to find. Nor is it hard to know that you are either in His will or not at any given moment. Before I share with you the simple, Biblical formula for knowing the will of God, and whether you are in it at any given moment, listen to what some wise and godly believers have said on the subject through the years:

Ron White, missionary to Japan for more than 40 years: “You don’t have to know God’s will for tomorrow—you just have to do God’s will today.”

Unknown author quoted in The Bright Side (a Campus Crusade publication): “Being in God’s will is like being in the eye of the storm. There is a calmness, a peace, when we know that we’re in the center. And if we move out of that area, we are subject to a lot of turmoil.”

Miriam Booth, daughter of William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army: “It’s wonderful to do the Lord’s work, but it’s greater still to do the Lord’s will.”

Martin Luther: “If it were the will of God, I’d plant an oak tree today, even if Christ were coming tomorrow.”

Donald Grey Barnhouse: “I can say from experience that 95% of knowing the will of God consists in being prepared to do it before you know what it is.”

David Livingstone: “I am immortal until the will of God for me is accomplished.”

We too often want to make finding the will of God something that is difficult, like a mystery to solve, or a “nut to crack.” Author and pastor Arnold Fleagle spoke of this kind of frustration when he wrote: “I sailed far out to sea, Lord. You waited at the shore. I walked the teeming highways; You waited at my door. I climbed the mountain peak, Lord; You waited at the base. I tunneled to earth’s bottom; You waited at the face. The hard way, Lord, I struggled, the quest for change of heart; My treks were all in vain, Lord, You waited at the start.”

It would not do to quote wise men and women of renowned spiritual stature on the subject of the will of God without also—and first in preeminence on the list—quoting the Word of God. So here is a key verse from God’s Word on living in the will of God: “Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God; Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of the upright.” (Ps. 143:10) It is crucial to note that the Psalmist did not ask God to show him what God’s will was; rather, he besought God to teach him to do the will of God.

So the Biblical key in being in God’s will is first to be willing to do God’s will.

And, Paul takes up the theme of God’s will in the extremely practical portion of His letter to the saints in Rome.

Paul had just finished one of the most profound portions of theological truths ever penned— Romans, chapters 1-11, in which he treats the doctrine of man’s justification by faith and grace alone, apart from works, for salvation.

Then, in Romans 12:1,2, the apostle begged his readers to resist being conformed to the world over which Satan rules as “god,” for the present. And he pleads for readers to be transformed daily—a moment by moment transformation of one’s mind through the Word (II Cor. 3:18), so that we can be certain that what we are doing this day is God’s will for us. Which is whatever is good, whatever is acceptable, and whatever is perfect. Ask yourself this question at any given moment of time: “Is what I am doing good, according to the Word of God?” Then ask, “Is what I am doing acceptable, according to the Word of God?” And third, “Is what I am doing perfect—does it lend itself to my maturing—as a believer?”

Simple as that. If you can say “Yes” to each of those questions, you will be in sync with God’s standard for being in, and doing, the will of God each day. As such, He will guide you with His skilled hands—step by step, juncture by juncture, over every mile of the way, opening doors and closing others so that, at the end of the way, you will look back and say, “God graciously led me each day, through peril and peace, to the place of His will. I being in the way, the Lord led me.” (Gen. 24:27)

There is a place of perfect rest—near to the heart of God. It is a blessed place, the will of God. Set yourself out to do His will, and you will never doubt that you are in His will. Selah

“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do Thy will, O God.” (Hebrews 10:7)

“Victory or Defeat, I Have Done My Best”

Those words were spoken by Lt. Hiro Onoda, age 52, when the bearded lieutenant in the defunct Imperial Japanese Army emerged from the jungles and surrendered his rusty sword—in 1974, 29 years after the end of World War II. (Another Japanese straggler-soldier had given himself up in January of 1972, having been hiding in the jungles of Guam.) Lt. Onoda said that he surrendered because he was ordered to by his former commander, Maj. Yoshimi Taniguchi. “I am a soldier. I have to follow orders; without an order, I cannot come out,” Onoda said. The surrender ceremony took place with 150 newsmen crowding around Onoda. Wearing a Japanese military cap and a gray, short-sleeve shirt with neatly patched tatters, he appeared in good health, though with a skinny frame. Also present was a 30-man honor guard. Onoda approached two Japanese military dignitaries, snapped a salute, and handed his sword, with its rusting blade wrapped in white cloth, to his superior, who described Onoda as a “perfect example of a soldier.” For a full account of Lt. Onoda’s remarkable story, you can read this article: Hiroo Onoda: The Japanese Soldier Who Refused to Surrender.

Onoda’s story is a pretty amazing though somewhat pathetic example of what I am going to write about in this post: loyalty! In this case, loyalty to the Imperial Japanese Army. In this 21^st century, we can only scratch our heads in unbelief that there were men who were that loyal to an oath of obedience to a superior—military or otherwise.

“Till death do us part” is generally spoken only as part of a ceremony, with little thought of the implications. And, when one joins a club, an association, a company or organization, loyalty to that entity is not front and center on one’s mind. And this covenantal casualness is easily observed in the relationships that members of local churches, the Head of which is Jesus Christ, evidence today.

A dear friend of mine now with the Lord, Evangelist Phil Shuler, published a newsletter when he was cris-crossing the United States for decades as a “sheep dog”—i.e., helping local pastors in church revivals in their efforts to take care of the sheep under their watch care. Phil and his wife Marie, who was at the piano, did a marvelous work in a few days, singing each night—in his inimitable tenor voice—one of the 450 songs that he had written. His preaching was usually textual, driving a point home in each sermon through a Biblical text, accompanied by stories that kept hearers of all ages hanging on every word.

In one edition of his newsletter, “The Itinerant Evangelist,” Phil began with these words: “Something bothers me. In the last ten years or so I have seen a growing number of Christians who belong to good, strong fundamental churches, leaving those churches to skip across town to join another. The churches that they leave have no real problems with the leadership, nor can they testify to the fact that the doctrine of the pulpit is faulty. They just leave without any scriptural reason, and settle elsewhere.”

Phil went on to say that he could find nothing in scripture to justify this trend. He then wrote, “I remember problems in my father’s church as I grew up. We had friction, now and then, right up to the board of Stewards. [Phil’s father, “Fightin” Bob Shuler, pastored the largest independent Methodist Church in America, in downtown Los Angeles.] But we hardly saw people right with God jumping ship. We had people leave, but usually it was because they were in rebellion, or they were transferred to another town. We did have some that we handpicked to help out small, struggling churches—but other than these incidents, we saw extreme loyalty to the local church.”

Phil said that he was raised to be loyal. In time, when the Trinity Methodist Church, where his dad had pastored, was led by a modernist, his family was forced to leave. Phil continues, “In searching the scriptures, I find only three real ‘reasons’ for leaving a fundamental church and joining another. First, doctrinal. If the pastor leaves the Apostles’ doctrine, then we leave that pastor. If the pastor will leave the church, all good and well; but if the constitution does not allow for one to leave, even though he turns from the scriptures, then it is up to the members to move elsewhere. Do not give comfort to the enemy.”

The second reason Evangelist Shuler stated was, as taught in the Bible, when there is a moral problem with the pastor, which “we are seeing more and more of this in these last days. Finally, the third reason to leave a fundamental church and join another is the leading of the Lord in one’s life that moves his headquarters to another region, making it impossible for that person to continue in his present church.”

Phil concludes: “I honestly feel that the spiraling divorce rate has given birth to the idea that a Christian can ‘divorce’ a good fundamental church with less pain and strain than a mate, so they do it. Maybe the church across town has a better youth program. Still no reason to leave. Just put your shoulder to the plow and build a better youth group! Don’t put your efforts into the problem, put them into the solution. Don’t be guilty of gossiping and complaining. Refuse to listen to those who criticize your pastor. Stay true, folks. In these last days, many shall faint and fall along the way. Fight it. Continue to pray for the ministry of evangelism. Yours for souls, Phil Shuler.”

Though these words of admonition were penned decades ago, they are still relevant today. Hear them! Heed them! Be loyal to Jesus Christ, the Head of the church. Don’t abandon the post that He has ordered you to watch. Be loyal to the local church He has placed you in to serve. Cultivate the practice of loyalty!

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be manifest that they were not all of us.” (I John 2:19)

“Guardians of a Million Dreams”

The following is a reprint of an earlier post that many of our recipients did not receive due to technical difficulties.

President Ronald Reagan used that phrase in 1986 when he awarded Guy Doud the distinction of National Teacher of the Year. In the presentation, honoring not only Doud but all teachers, Reagan went on: “Your very smile or frown can heal or pierce a heart. Yours are a hundred lives, a thousand lives. Yours the pride of loving them. The sorrow too. Your patient work, your touch make you the god of hope that fills their souls with dreams—to make those dreams come true.”

Beautiful thoughts focused on the power of the teacher. Probably most readers of these lines can call to mind the face, smile, touch, and words of some teacher(s) who impacted you in ways immeasurable—usually for good, sometimes for bad. But a good teacher, who can overstate their worth?

The Bible affords us insight into the work and worth of teaching and teachers. First, some in the Body of Christ, His Church, have been specially and spiritually gifted by God’s Spirit as teachers. (Romans 12:6) In fact, if a man would seek to be a pastor, he must be “apt to teach.” (I Tim. 3:2) But all mature believers, whether gifted by the Holy Spirit as teachers or not, should be taught sound doctrine so that all can in turn teach new believers—or other maturing members of His church—truths they have learned. (II Tim. 2:2) Paul instructs Pastor Titus, who labored in ministry on the isle of Crete, that he should carefully speak sound doctrine to aged men and women as well as to younger men and women. Specifically, Paul says that the aged women should be “teachers of good things…that they may teach the younger women.” (Titus 2:3,4) At some station in life, we are all teachers: at home, in the school, at work, at church, or in any other place where we are relating to others.

Teaching is teamwork. An organist was giving a concert years ago when the organ then was a large pump organ, with bellows backstage to provide air for the pipes. The organist obviously pleased the audience, which rewarded him with generous applause after each piece. Coming to the last number on the program, the musician announced, “I am now going to play…” and announced the number. As he sat down and began the piece with a robust gesture—with arms and hands landing on the keys—the audience held its breath, waiting for the grand music. But there was only silence. Finally, a voice from backstage insisted: “Say ‘we’!” It was a not-so-subtle reminder that any worthwhile artistic offering is a team effort. One pounds and pumps; the other works the bellows. So with the work and worth of the effective teacher. We must first be taught before we can teach. It is not a one-man production. Never overlook the work of those who have preceded you, or of those who accompany you in your efforts.

A violinist was appointed as a professor of music at a prominent university in California. When asked about the change of direction in his career, the violinist said: “Violin playing is a perishable art. It must be passed on as a personal skill; otherwise it is lost.” Paul said it this way to Pastor Timothy: “The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (II Tim. 2:2)

Perhaps the best teachers are those who are creative, and do not lecture or use Power Points but make powerful points. One such teacher made an impression upon some junior high school girls who were “kissing” the restroom mirrors, leaving fresh lipstick marks for the janitor to remove. Each night, the maintenance man would remove the marks, only to find new ones appear the next day. The principal, hearing of the situation, decided something had to be done. She called a meeting with all the girls in the bathroom, with the maintenance man present. She shared with the girls that their misbehavior was giving the custodian headaches, as he had to clean the marks from the mirrors every day. The lecture was met with yawning disinterest from the assembled girls. To demonstrate the difficulty the girls were causing the janitor, the principal asked him to show the perpetrators just how much effort it took to clean up after their messes. So the custodian took out a long-handled squeegee mop, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror. After that creative lesson—taught in a most unusual place in a very unorthodox way—there were no more lipstick marks left by the little princesses on the mirrors! The person who shared this incident concluded: “There are teachers, and there are educators.”

Howie Hendricks, a legendary professor for 50 years at Dallas Theological Seminary, said, “The art of teaching is the art of getting excited about the right thing.” No Bible teacher, pastor or not, should ever be boring! No schoolteacher of any subject should ever be boring. Creative messages and innovative methods should guarantee that there will always be a demand for good teachers, who will ever be “guardians of dreams.”

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:20)

“Precious Memories”

Recently our home church commemorated its 67^th anniversary on a special Sunday. Our pastor, Joel Stevens, asked me to reflect upon some of the events of those years, two-thirds of which I was privileged to have been the under-shepherd. For anyone who may be interested, here are a few memories I shared:

The first Sunday I preached as pastor of Thompson Road Baptist Church, Lonial Wire, long-time lay song leader, pulled me aside and said, “Preacher, we have one unspoken rule here: song leaders don’t preach, and preachers don’t lead singing.” I wiped the sweat off my brow when he said that! I had never aspired to lead singing, and Lonial, who proved to be a dear friend, never had aspired to be a preacher, though he loved preaching and preachers. We got off to a good start together!

That first fall as pastor, in 1979, encouraged by our deacons to do so, I preached the fall revival meeting. All went well, and with parents attending with small, school-age children, I was sensitive to getting families home at a “respectable” hour so that they could get their children in bed before it was too late. There was a large clock on the wall, above the auditorium doors, that anyone could easily read from the pulpit. About the third night, the chairman of our deacons, after the closing prayer, made a bee-line to the pulpit and got into my face with his long, bony finger shaking and said, “Brother pastor, if you don’t quit looking at that clock on the wall back there, I’m going to put a calendar over it!” Enough said and thank you, Brother Henry Davee—a godly man who did everything in his power to assist a new pastor, and to minister to his needs faithfully, until he was graduated to glory.

God never failed in supplying the needs of His church. In the early 1980s we experienced four Sundays in a row of really bad weather, almost blizzard-like. I don’t remember cancelling any of the services, but I do know that many people could not make it to church because of the dangerous weather conditions. There was no “online” giving in those days, and it would be an understatement to say that the offerings suffered during that month. My wife, Ellen, was working in the church office at that time. One day in the middle of the week, after three or four blustery Sundays, a man dropped by the church office. He and his wife had moved quite a distance from the church and had not been attending, even before the weather turned frigid. But they had been putting away their weekly offerings in the envelopes provided to each member/family. With hardly any conversation, the gentleman laid down a fist full of envelopes, then left. Ellen had to catch herself to keep from falling off her chair (at least in my imagination)! We got through that long, cold winter—and decades more—with every need graciously met by our great God! As Pastor R. V. Clearwaters used to say, “Nothing over, nothing lacking.” So true!

On a lighter note: One year I announced to our church that since Paul told the Corinthian believers that they should “lay by him in store” the collection for the saints on the first day of the week—“that there be no gatherings when I come” (I Cor. 16:1,2)—I wanted our church to do the same, starting weeks ahead of our spring revival meeting. The evangelist was one of my favorites, a friend from school days. And, in truth, I wanted to “put him to the test.” Our folk set aside a generous amount of money as a love gift for the man of God, well ahead of the beginning of the meeting. So, during the week, I never mentioned taking up an offering for the evangelist, not one time. I was satisfied that this seasoned evangelist, living by faith, would not—would not, I repeat—at any time during the week say something like, “Pastor, are you forgetting the love offering?” And, I was right! He said nothing. We had a good meeting, and on Saturday morning, before our guest pulled up stakes (actually, got his motor home ready for departure), I handed him an envelope with the “love offering” plus expense money in it. He thanked me without any further discussion but did not seem to be overjoyed with the whole method of operation that week. He had passed the test, as did our church. I believe the offering was at least equal to what we would have given had offering plates been passed and appeals for giving been made every service. I never did an offering that way again; and the evangelist returned for meetings many times at our church in the ensuing years. He and I remain friends to this day! To pastors who may be reading this: I am not advocating this, and please note that I did it only once in 48 years of pastoring!

I could share many more memories, but one more. Above I mentioned Lonial Wire. On Mother’s Day, he would often sing the tender old song, “Tell Mother I’ll be there, in answer to her prayer.” There was a dear family that never missed a Mother’s Day service with their 90-something—maybe even 100-year-old—mother. On at least one Mother’s Day, I placed a rocking chair near the pulpit and asked the aged mother if she would join Lonial and myself on stage. She was carefully helped to her seat, and Lonial began in his touching, tenor voice singing, “Tell Mother I’ll be there….” Between the first and second stanzas, I quoted (with Mrs. Taylor beside me) the poem that begins: “There she sits, the dear old mother. Time has etched deep furrows into her brow, and her shoulders are a bit stooped having borne a heavy load of cares so many years” (something to that effect). By the time Lonial began singing the second stanza, there were many hankies dabbing tear-stained eyes throughout the auditorium. When the song/poem concluded, the dear old mother was presented a bouquet of long-stemmed roses as she was escorted back to her seat.

These are a few memories—and, of course, there are myriads more. Precious memories, how they linger.

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.” (Ps. 145:3,4)

Apostolic Preaching (A sequel to the series on the Apostles)

Nothing will ever replace the preaching of the Word of God in the program of God and His plan to evangelize the world.

Personal evangelism, one on one, is vital. But it will never replace powerful preaching. The two merely complement each other.

Books, magazines, tracts, Christian films—all are very important and effective tools for getting the gospel out. But preaching will always be necessary in the evangelization and edification of those who receive the Word.

From apostolic times to the present hour, God has used the preaching of the cross and has declared that “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (I Cor. 1:21)

“How shall they call on Him whom they have not believed…and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14)

Yes, preaching is vital: God-ordained, Holy Spirit anointed, sin denouncing, salvation announcing preaching of the whole counsel of God. Preaching by all kinds of preachers: the loud, the long, the short, the simple, the plain, the profound, the narrative, the no-nonsense, the topical, the textual, the mobile, and the motionless; the full gamut of personalities, styles, backgrounds, levels of education—preachers who will stand up, open up the Bible, speak up, then sit down and shut up.

Visit with me an occasion in the life of the apostle Paul, as we look at an example of 1st century, apostolic preaching. Our text is Acts 13:13 and following, and the outline is easy to follow: the content of Paul’s preaching, and the character of Paul’s preaching:

The Content of apostolic preaching

▶︎ It was Bible-centered, v. 15—No Reader’s Digest articles, no current events to discuss, but “to the Law and to the testimony.” (Isa.8:20)
▶︎ It was Christ-centered, v. 23

• The promised Savior, v. 23 (the means, the place, the family, the tribe, the town)
• The crucified Savior, v. 28 (not for His own sins, but for ours)
• The resurrected Savior, v. 30 (according to prophecy and by God’s power)
• The forgiving Savior, v. 38

“I know not how that Bethlehem Babe, could in the God-head be; I only know the manger child has brought God’s life to me;
I know not how that Calvary’s cross, a world from sin could free; I only know its matchless love has brought God’s love to me;
I know not how that Joseph’s tomb could solve death’s mystery; I only know a Living Christ—our immortality!” (unknown)

The Character of apostolic preaching

▶︎ It was powerful, v. 16

• He commanded their attention, v. 16a
• He appealed to them personally, v, 16b
• He appealed to their religious sensibilities, v. 16a
• He pled for an ear, v. 16d

▶︎It was planned, vss. 16-22

• There was an introduction, vss. 16-22
• There was an exposition, vss. 23-31
• There was an application, vss. 32-37
• There was an invitation, vss. 38,39
• There was an exhortation, v. 40
• There was personal work, v. 43

“Pastor Adam reflects the heart of a man truly, and heavily burdened for lost men and women, boys and girls. For almost four years now, I have heard him give an invitation each and every Sunday—at times with a breaking voice and tear-filled eyes. I have seen him weep as a man, for whom we both had been praying, rose from his seat and walked forward to embrace Jesus as his Lord and Savior.” (John Aker in “Thought for the Week,” 5/17/25)

▶︎ It was personal, v. 26

• “Men of Israel” v. 16
• “Men and brethren” v. 26
• “Men and brethren” v. 38

▶︎ It was pertinent, v. 32

• The promise was made to our fathers
• The promise has been fulfilled to us, their children

▶︎ It was persuasive, vss. 42,43

▶︎ It was productive, vss. 49,50

• Many received, v. 49
• Many rejected, v. 50

“I preach—I dare to say it—because I can do no otherwise; I cannot refrain myself; a fire burns within my bones which will consume me if I hold my peace. Preach the gospel very decidedly and firmly, no matter what people may say of you, and God will be with you.” (Warren Wiersbe)

“Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” (II Tim. 4:17)

“Guardians of a Million Dreams”

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:20)

The Value of God’s Servant

(The following is a message preached by Dr. Larry Hufhand, who pastored for more than half a century. His crowning ministry was a 41-year stint as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Tipton, Indiana.)

There are some fundamental factors essential in every pastor’s ministry if it is or was successful. Someone has said, “A man’s value is not determined by the abilities he possesses, but by the ability he uses.”

In II Samuel 12:1 we read, “And the Lord sent Nathan unto David.” Here we see the intrinsic value of God’s servant. It’s about David and his clever scheming to cover up his sin, but what I want to demonstrate here is that the full story of David’s life would have never been told, had it not been for the obedience and bravery of Nathan. God sent Nathan to David.

That’s how it always begins. A man falls into a pit and breaks his leg. He has to have help in getting out. It’s useless to expect him to climb out by himself. He must have the help of another; so it was with David. David had sinned a great sin, and his moral backbone was broken. If he was ever going to get out of the slime pit of his moral dilemma, someone was going to have to come along and help him out. I wonder how many people would still be gripped by their sin had it not been for some faithful servant of God that came along to extend to them a spiritual helping hand. God sent Nathan to David.

I am going to ask you to consider some truths found in Hebrews, chapter 13. It is a great passage dealing with relationships: to each other, to strangers, to those suffering in persecution, to our spouses, and to those who are our pastors. God gives us in verses 7, 17, and 24 the recipe for a perfect relationship between the pastor and his flock. It is the recipe for a long and fruitful pastorate.

Let me point out two things that give value to the man of God: first of all, his value is seen in what he does; and, secondly, his value is seen in how he musters the forces. In this message I will deal with “What he does.” Let me make something clear: Being a pastor is not a 40-hour-a-week job. It’s not a five days-a-week job, starting at 9:00 o’clock and ending at 5:00 o’clock. Most of the time, it is 10, 12, 14 hours a day, and he’s on call 24/7. Even when he takes a day off, you’re not out of his mind. From Hebrews 13, we see the pastor’s value in three areas:

He speaks unto you the Word of God (v. 7). Whatever else the church has to offer, nothing else comes close to this. When the preacher opens his Bible and speaks to you the Word of God, he is speaking with the same authority as if God Himself were speaking to you. You may argue with his opinions; you may even debate some of his conclusions. But when he expounds to you the Word of God, there is no debate. Nathan delivered to the king God’s message. Period. Case closed. That’s what the prophet/pastor does. You come for preaching. You come to hear the man of God open this Book unto you—the Word of God. It pleases God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who are lost. Preaching gets men under conviction; preaching gets people saved; preaching brings backsliders back to Christ; preaching makes people aware of their sin; preaching introduces people to Jesus; and preaching gets people down the aisle so that we can take them to a side room and lead them to Christ.
Then, too, the pastor watches over your souls (v. 17). The word “watch” comes from two words which mean to “chase away sleep.” The idea is that he dare not get sidetracked or distracted by other things. He’s got to stay focused, watching over your souls. Why? I’ll tell you why: because sheep can get themselves in trouble. They are easily led astray. They can get lost in a minute. They’re like children; sometimes they find themselves in places and situations that they can’t get out of. You may think the pastor who watches out for you is meddling. He’s not fussing with you; he’s not getting on your case. No. He is simply watching out for your soul, like Nathan was—at God’s bidding—watching out for David’s soul. Then, finally…
He gives direction to your life (vss. 7, 17, 24). Notice the word “rule.” Three times he uses this word to describe the responsibility and value of the pastor. Now I know we don’t like that word. It smacks of tyranny and dictatorship. But the word “to rule” here means “to guide,” or to “give direction.” Listen, folks, the pastor is not here for himself. He’s here for you. He wants you to have the full benefit of his wisdom, as well as God’s blessings on your life; he wants to guide you into green pastures and lead you beside still waters; he wants to help in the restoration of your soul, so when you walk…you need fear no evil.

Well, there it is, something about the value of the pastor. Ah, but wait a minute. None of us would be here today if it were not for another person infinitely more valuable than our pastors. Of course, I am talking about our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I would be terribly remiss, and God would be extremely upset, if I didn’t tell you about Him. He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, and the Pearl of Great Price. He’s the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and everything in between. Without Him, we would be doomed and damned, with no hope of eternal life.

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

Contact Dr. Hufhand at drldhmlh@sbcglobal.net

One Mother’s “Beautiful Legacy”

Lisa Kriner Peck was a member of our church in Indianapolis—as was her mother, Marie Kriner—when I was called to Thompson Road Baptist Church as pastor in 1979. When Lisa was in eighth grade, a friend had invited her to attend TRBC, where she heard the gospel, was saved, and was baptized by the church’s pastor at the time, Dr. Fred Moritz. Her mother, a single parent, began attending church and rededicated her life to the Lord.

After graduating from high school, Lisa attended Bob Jones University and received a two-year secretarial diploma, allowing her to teach in one of our local Christian schools for 15 years. For eight years, she served in our church as a secretary. Following her graduation from BJU, Lisa married a young man who was (and is) a member of our church, Matt Peck, with Yours Truly officiating. As a couple they have served the Lord faithfully for many years—Matt as a deacon and Lisa as a teacher, soloist, secretary, church clerk, and wherever needed as a “utility” person! The Pecks have two sons, Lakota and Landon.

By the time Lisa and her mother began attending TRBC in the 1970s, Lisa’s older brothers and twin sisters were adults, and her mother was a single parent. Marie, in order to support herself and Lisa, began a child-care service out of her home on Indy’s southside. She had brought up five children of her own. She was a loving, caring mother and a skilled child-care worker, very successful in her work until the Lord called her Home in 1988.

Now, to the heart of this post. Recently, on social media, Lisa received a note from the mother of one of the children who Mrs. Kriner had cared for in her child-care ministry 40 years ago. When Lisa replied to the inquiry, affirming that she was indeed the daughter of Marie Kriner—child-care “Mom” of decades ago—Lisa received the following letter:

“Your Mom has been on my mind lately…my nephew and his wife have a newborn and I was telling them how Mrs. Kriner did business.

She was so kind, so loving and she made my son his very own birthday cake when he turned three!

What a blessing to have known her! Rest assured that we remember the outstanding way she treated my son and all of the other children in her care!

May your mother’s memory be a cherished blessing! She was the best!

Kind regards,

C______”

But wait, there is more! In a follow-up letter—when this mother found out that Mrs. Kriner was without question the child-care giver who had so wonderfully cared for her son—she wrote again:

“Wow! I am just so delighted that you answered my email! Your mother, probably without realizing it, gave me and Alex a wonderful foundation on which to build our lives. Not only did I trust her implicitly, (I was a young single mother and that alone was scary) I knew that she was on my side.

Because of your mom, my faith in God was strengthened…she lived her faith daily by the way she treated others. She taught me that despite our trials, God is good and has our best interests at heart. I, to this day, believe that God allowed us to cross paths!

Alex, who will be 43 in March, remembers ‘Kriner’ very well! He loved being at her house…he felt safe there.

Your mother left a beautiful legacy…so in many ways, she is still here! I can still see her, in my mind’s eye, in her backyard with all of the kids….

So good to hear from you! You have a lovely family and looks like you are living your best life! God bless you, dear Lisa!”

The wisest of kings once said, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” (Prov. 31:10) Mrs. Kriner fit that description. For a good woman to have been remembered many years after her passing, and praised profusely by someone other than a close friend, family member, or fellow church member, merits our contemplation.

Marie Kriner never knew the impact of her influence on the lives of those she touched. Nor do we. But, for good or for ill, we impact every life we are in contact with; and the influence will never die. Let’s determine anew, with Marie Kriner’s tribute in mind, to make our words and works, no matter how largely heard or seen, count for Christ. Someone just may praise your God—decades from now—for what you meant to them in our passage through time toward eternity.

It is said that an adult lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles away. But, dear parent, your words of training and wisdom will be heard in a child’s heart, as is Mrs. Kriner’s, for decades after you have crossed over into eternity. May we perpetuate her blessed memory by following her sterling example. “Her children arise up and call her blessed.” (Prov. 31:28)

“Who can find a virtuous woman?…Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” (Prov. 31:10, 25)