Hands Off

The Journal

Brief, Biblical Essays for Thinking People

We are all familiar, I’m sure, with the sign, “Do not handle...”; and we are all just as aware, I think, that it is not always heeded. There is something innate in each of us that likes to do our own thing, to be the one in control, even to the extent of other people's lives. In every crisis we are tempted to put our hand to the situation, to steady things so to speak. This in itself is bad enough but when we begin to do it with God, welllll, it reaches the  pinnacle of ridiculousness.  

In the Old Testament a man by the name of Uzzah found out the hard way to keep his hands out of God’s affairs (2Sam. 6:6; 1Chr. 13:9). He had good intentions, but these never supersede the Scriptures, no matter how well intentioned one may be. When things begin to get a little shaky in our or others' lives, we need to count to one hundred before getting personally involved. When Peter, with all sincerity, reached forth his hands and took Jesus, he did not realize he was doing Satan’s bidding.

Abraham and Sarah could not wait beyond God’s allotted time, so they took things into their own hands. Many Bible students believe the dire religious conflict throughout the centuries, as well as that of our own day, is the result of them not keeping their hands off and out of God’s business. We need to learn, as Mary of old, to sit still until the Master calls us to get involved. I’ve observed when a child takes something out of their father’s hands into their own, it spells TRAGEDY! Every time.

rds

A Lesson on Learning

When just a young convert I remember hearing a lay preacher say, “One thing I’ve learned in life and that is to never say, ‘One thing I’ve learned.’” He explained that just about the time he makes such a statement he finds he didn’t learn anything.

This is one of those sayings in life we are to take in a general setting. For example, Paul tells the Philippians, “I have learned…” This is true throughout the Bible of other saints testimonies also. There are some things in life we learn, which once learned, are settled in concret.

I heard a preacher friend of mine once say, “Every unsettled thing in our lives the devil will fight us on.” As an old timer taught his son, “Know a thing, and know you know it.” (1Jn.2:3,a) True, some people never learn: that is the cause of constant repetition of the same old things.

“Our Divine Teacher will only advance us to the next grade when we have learned our present subject. If not, we’ll have to repeat it.”

(rds)

The Call to Return

“I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise...and return...”

(Gen. 31:13)

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE-A CONTINUAL COMING BACK

Studying the life of God’s people throughout the Scripture you are struck by one common thread in each of their personal histories - they all were habitually returning to God. God referring to His people as sheep should have alerted us to this. Characteristically, the woolly little creatures like to stray from their Shepherd. As the songwriter of old put it, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.”

WHEN THE SECOND THING TAKES THE PLACE OF THE FIRST THING

When the intellectual takes priority over the spiritual, it’s time to return to our all-knowing God.  When service nudges out worship, we need to make an about face and fall to our knees.  When the pleasure of this world takes the place of our pleasure of God, we need to head back home, to our Father's House. Bethel means the house of God whereas El-Bethel means the God of the house of God. As the writer of Hebrews puts it, “...He who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.” It is not the place, it is the Person. Jacob had to learn this lesson and so do we!

GETTING BACK TO SQUARE ONE

Recently I heard that familiar call again in my life, as I have so often over these past sixty years, to return to Bethel; to come back to that blessed place where God first became a reality in my life - that sweet place of peace, comfort, joy, and contentment, along with all the other things our inner man longs for. O, to pillow one's head, not on a stone as Jacob of old, but on the bosom of Christ, as John the Beloved. And to listen to that great sympathetic heart repeat over and over, “I know, I know, my child, I know.”

Now and Then

AM I ANY DIFFERENT?

I have thought during this time of grievance, other good and godly men have lost wives, am I any different? The answer I come up with is an emphatic, YES! Other men were not blessed or privileged to be married to this rare gem. When I would be courting her, which went on for some 56 years, I would sing in the car to her the popular song of a few years past, “You’re just too good to be true.” If I told you of all her exceptional attributes, I doubt most would believe them. To mention just one, in all our years of married life she never ever said no to me, on any occasion. See, I told you.

IT HAS BEEN TWO WEEKS NOW SINCE SALLE’S HOMEGOING

During the past fourteen days I have passed through some difficult as well as blessed times. Some of the descriptive words would be: sad-elated; regret-rejoicing;  fearfulness-boldness; doubt-assurance; longing- contentment; hopelessness-cheerfulness; turmoil-peace. One of the things I have always appreciated about Oswald Chambers’ writings, as well as C.S. Lewis, is that they do not attempt to de-humanize the Christian life. Paul told us not to grieve as others, who have no hope. But he did not say not to grieve.

THE FIRST MEMORIAL SERVICE

This Saturday the 26th, at 1:00 p.m. will be the first of two memorial services held for my dear wife. It will be at our home church here in Lodi, California, Temple Baptist. The second in Middletown, Ohio. It will be at Grace Baptist, on Thursday the 5th of October (her birthday), a 6:30 p.m. Please pray for both services. As my daughter Leah said, “We want a sweet, Spirit-filled time.” I am not up on technical terms but think they are going to try to stream it live, for those who cannot attend, athough we do look for a great number of out-of-towners.

SOME HAVE ASK ABOUT OUR WRITING MINISTRY

Soon we will be back in the saddle, so to speak. In recent weeks we have been sending older Journals. But we will be back to those fresh off the press in a week or so, Lord willing. The saying is, Jack of all trades, master of one.” Well, Salle was master of all she put her hand to, one of which was proofreading my articles. As A.W. Tozer, I only attended the ninth grade, but unlike him I am not a wordsmith. I am in the process now of finding someone to pick up Salle’s duties in this area. It is a kind of a on-call-now, type of ministry. That is, as I do them the proofreading needs immediate attention.

MY HEALTH

I have several upcoming tests at the V.A. the next couple of months. Enlarged aortic aneurysm, endoscopy for bleeding stomach, cat-scan to check some things going on around my heart, and liver problems. Other than these, I’m as healthy as a sick horse. My son Andrew along with his wife Sharon, take real good care of this old disciple. Sharon was previously a nurse. Does not God look ahead for us?

Blessed Words, “And it came to pass.”

Brother Sandlin

Bitter Sweet

"Thy heart is not right in the sight of God…For I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness.”

The context of our scripture is is built around the person of the Holy Spirit. One similitude the Bible gives to the Holy Spirit is that of a dove. I am told that of all God’s fowl creation, it is the only one without a gallbladder, that is, the place where bitterness is stored. Harboring bitterness is not only hurtful to one's self, Hebrews tells us, "...lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." Not only does this deep rooted sin affect you but those around you.

It is virtually impossible to be filled with the Holy Ghost and be full of bitterness at the same time. Amy Carmichael writes, "For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted."  As James tells us in his little Epistle, “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”  You’ll remember it was when Moses put a tree into the bitter waters of Marah that they became sweet. Only the Cross can cure this cancerous curse.

The acid test for bitterness, I find, is if when a particular person's name is mentioned, there is a sick feeling in the heart. If so, it is pretty safe to say one's heart is filled with vinegar, so to speak. As a preacher friend told me once, "You're servant to the one you're bitter toward." They dominate most all your waking hours...thought, talk, etc.

Ezekiel mentions an "old hatred," let us each judge our hearts and make sure no old grudges are festering there.

Ripe For the Pickin

Some of the definitions the dictionary gives for the word ripe are: ready to harvest; sufficient age; fully developed; mature; seasoned; mellow. As we grow older in the Lord these synonyms ought to characterize our lives.

Billy Graham’s third daughter, Ruth, has written a book entitled, Things I Learned from My Father. In describing the change the years have brought to his life she writes, “I am much more warmed by the embers than I ever was by the fire.” She goes on to quote what her father’s pastor used to say to him on various occasions, “Billy, the older you get the more like yourself you become.”

When I was just a young convert and dismayed with my spiritual development, my brother-in-law gave me some great words of encouragement. He said, “I’m not what I wanna be; I’m not what I oughta be; I’m not what I’m gonna be; but, thank God, I’m more than I used to be!”

I don’t know about you, but when God calls me home, I want to be ripe for the pickin.

No, Never Alone

“Every man…shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me”. Someone has said, “Loneliness is the result of the absence of personal intimacy.” No child of God should ever think of himself or herself as being alone. “For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Whether you are a widower, single, divorcee, shut-in, or aged, you have an unseen companion with you always. You may be by yourself, but you’re not alone. God is good company!

Jesus left us an example, when, in His darkest hour of loneliness; He confessed His unshakable confidence in His Father’s abiding presence. Some have difficulty appropriating Hebrews 13:5, feeling the promise is only for Jewish believers. They feel as though they are opening someone else’s mail, not addressed to them. But the Gentile believers at Galatia are reminded, “If you belong to Christ, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to promise.”

Therefore, our text in Hebrews becomes one of God’s greatest therapeutic agents for lonely saints everywhere, no matter what their ethnic background!     

Hibernation Time is Over

To All My Beloved Friends in Christ Jesus,

I want to thank each of you for allowing me to mourn the death of my beloved, this past week. Tomorrow, Tuesday, at 1:32 p.m. (actual time, not official) my darling went to be with her DARLING exactly one week ago! Unknown to anyone, even my children, I had set aside one week for grieving the greatest loss of my life. We both had previously discussed the surviving one doing this, long before her cancer. Then, we agreed, to take a nice long trip in the car to a place, or places of our choosing. After this, to get up and go again, living out the rest of our days, as in the past, to the Glory of God. The time I've chosen will be when I travel to Ohio for her memorial service. I will take my time returning home to California enjoying some sights, as we used to do together.

Tomorrow, the 14th of August, she will be buried at Sunset View Cemetery, in Jackson, CA. The reason for the delay is because they had to order the casket, since we live in a very small western town. Some years ago we decided, together, we would not have funerals, but memorials, never realizing, that in her case, we would not, and could not show, the Temple of God that the cancer had so destroyed. To put it bluntly, it was skin covering bone. None would want to have seen her this way. 

My Son Andrew informs me after the memorial services at our home church in Lodi, CA family members will visit her grave site.

As to my future plans, they remain the same as they have always been for sixty years, MY PLAN IS WHATEVER HE PLANS! After much prayer and thought these last seven days I am assured that the Lord would have me put all ​effort into my writings, maybe a book or two. Concerning going back out into the work, my preaching days are ended, with the exception of an occasional speaking engagement. Paul did his greatest work in giving us his writings, and they outlasted his preaching, by far.

Please pray for me these next few months. I have some extensive medical tests coming up. I was not able to take care of myself the way I had in the past these last ten months, and it has taken its toll. But I would not have had it any other way!

Ask God to give me a fresh anointing for my articles, as well as discernment on what each of you need.

As of tomorrow 1:32 p.m. (West Coast time), I am available for whatever you need. My life is HIS and yours.

An Old Disciple,

Brother Sandlin, or Richard (I like the former)  

Matt.17:8

Addendum: Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever...Psa, 30:11-12 

The days of thy mourning shall be ended...Isa. 60:20  

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified...Isa. 61:3.  

Glorifying God

The man Christ Jesus spent the whole of His earthly life (brief but full) glorifying God. But glorifying God to Him meant it would be at His own personal expense. I’m sure it never crossed His mind it could be done without paying a dear price.

And He never shirked from anteing up, though it ultimately cost Him everything. He emptied Himself that God might be glorified. Truly He was the fulfillment of the drink offering of the Old Testament, pouring Himself out to Jehovah. There was not a drop left that wasn’t offered up to God. “He… poured out His soul unto death.”

The greatest prayer a saint will ever pray is, “God glorify thyself, and do it at my expense.” But before you do, sit down first and count the cost.

To glorify God is to make Him look good!

Geography or Jesus

Down through history, both in sermon and song, Heaven seems to have been made the goal for the Christian. It has been placed first on his list of desires, even above Jesus. We are told that we should long for Heaven. But what if it were (and it shall be) reversed, and Jesus were reigning on earth? Would we feel the same? The truth is, it’s not geography, it’s Jesus.

When Christ returns to this earth again, we are told that He empties out Heaven of all the redeemed. Paul didn’t long for Heaven; he longed for Him. Listen to his testimony, “I have a desire to depart and be with Christ.” Again: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” His emphasis is not on a place, but a Person.

Even our Lord directs our attention to Himself, not on Heaven: “I go to prepare a place for you...that where I am, there ye may be also.” His Priestly prayer was, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am...”WHEREVER JESUS IS,TIS HEAVEN!"

Without the Lord Jesus, the Heavenly City, with its mansions, streets of gold, and fine linen clothing, would be like the earth is now....simply a materialistic place.

(rds)  

The Power of Praise

“...to triumph in thy praise.”

Commentators have little or nothing to say on this excerpt from our text. Those who do have a comment, vary in their interpretation of it. The word praise itself, in its various forms, is found some 314 times in scripture. It is one of the most powerful and poignant words in the Bible.

Rather than concern ourselves with, “What meaneth this?” in reference to this verse, we will first, as we should with all the holy writ, emphasize, “What saith the scripture.”  And that is plain; we are triumphant when we praise our God.

Victorious Christians are praising Christians. To cease from the latter is to bring instant defeat to the former. When David was praising God we are told he was leaping over walls. But on that dark night, standing on his veranda, when praise ceased to come from his lips, he experienced the greatest setback of his life.

We are to always be praising God. But Paul tells us in the New Testament there is a particular time when it becomes special, and that is when we, “...offer the sacrifice of praise to God.”  May each of us follow darling David’s example, “Neither will I offer...offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.

Praise has much more worth when it costs us!

(rds)

Those In-Between Times

The reason so many get hung-up in the book of Acts is because they do not realize (or accept) the fact, that it is a transitional book. It moves us, as it were, from the Gospels into the Epistles, from the earthly into the heavenlies. And just like moving from one house to another, it can be a little bewildering and unsettling during the interval between.

So it is with those in-between times in our lives, when God is transferring us from one phase of life to another. It is not too awfully difficult getting adjusted to a new stage in life, from that of the previous period; it’s the time in-between that can be very problematic. Most of us can take the “from” and the “to”; it is the link connecting the two that tries us most. Its the crossing Jordan, if you please, that’s so challenging. Getting from the one place to the other is one thing. but right in the middle...?

During a transitional time you are letting go of some old things, and acquiring new ones. The difficulty lies in the fact the new has not been proved like the old. There is an element of faith with the one that necessitates us leaving our old comfort zone. None of us like our nest being stirred up. New endeavors take a new, fresh faith, and we are creatures who like to live on the “old manna” of the wilderness, rather than to take the step of faith required to enjoy the “fresh fruits” of Canaan’s Eschol. You can’t get from where you are to where God wants you to be without faith. Faith is the thing that connects the two. It’s the thing in-between.

“It is not the leaving and arriving, it’s the journey between that can be so taxing.”

(rds)