THEY LIVED ON OUR STREET

“Barnabas and Paul [said] Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you...Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are.”

(Acts 14:14-15;James 5:17)

Taking it in a spiritual setting, I’d like to ask a question. Do you know who lives down the street from you, maybe only a few houses away, even next door? They’re saints who lived in Bible times, from the greatest to the least. There is no “Knob Hill” in Scripture. They were people just like you and me. They were people who speak to our own need. They were not lofty saints but lowly redeemed sinners. This is why it is so important to read the Scripture: you can meet yourself there.

The Bible is careful to portray its characters the way they really were, warts and all; no cosmetics or touch up. They would never allow others to think more highly of them than they actually were. Paul told the man worshiping Corinthians the facts about himself, lest, as he put it, “... any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be.” He said of himself and Apollos that they were nothing. If you add up 0+0 the answer is 0. Only Christ counts!

I had a man come up to me after a Sunday morning service years ago and say, “You know, you’re not as tall as I thought you were, out of the pulpit.” He knew more than I did, at the time. As I have so often said, “It is important for most of us to be important.”

“Many of us who profess to live in ‘glass houses’ have white washed them.”

(rds)

Unworthy Comparison

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Rom. 8:18

During my wife’s battle with cancer this past year, my precious daughter Leah traveled from Kentucky to be with her at the beginning, staying a month; my son Andrew who lives over an hour away tried to visit weekly as he was able (he travels as a speaker). His wife Sharon came with him as circumstances permitted; during the last few days she stayed by her and my side around the clock. In past years she herself was a Hospice nurse. Hospice came usually once a week, sometimes twice. But generally speaking, I was her main caregiver 24/7. I saw and heard things others did not. It was a difficult time; she knew that and would put those frail arms around me and comfort me with a hug.

Salle had just one chemo treatment, and that sent her to the hospital for a week. I stood by her bedside watching her groan as she vomited incessantly, almost the entire seven-day period. Then, when coming home,  ten long months observing her hurt and listening to the painful moaning throughout the night hours. We prayed, but still little relief. I tried my best, but that was not good enough; it was out of my hands. As Mary of old when watching her dear Son suffer, I also stood helpless as, “a sword pierced my soul.” There were a few screams, a lot of groans and moans, but never a complaint! Her only question was, “Why doesn’t the Lord take me?”

I have said all the above to say this, “I am not as spiritual as some think. Nor am I as spiritual as I’d like to think.” I am a human being in whom God has been pleased to make His abode. Praise His Name! But in spite of my Divine tenant who is always willing, I remain weak. I have experienced questions, doubts, and fears. There have been long intervals of “leaning on my own understanding.” But to His praise I can testify, “out of them all, the Lord delivered me.” One of the great truths the blessed Spirit of God revealed to me during this time of turmoil was our main text, quoted above. To compare our sufferings now with the glory that awaits us, is an “unworthy” exercise of heart and mind. While this world is weighed down by sin, God’s people are going to be “weighed down by glory!” I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO CARRY SUCH A BURDEN!  I know Salle is enjoying bearing hers.

“One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrows will erase.”

A Story to Tell

Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

(Psa. 71:18)

If you’re the least bit familiar with the Old Testament, you are aware of God’s constant admonition to His people to speak often of the great works He had accomplished in their lives, to tell them to their children as well as all else who had not heard of them. This was David’s desire, even into old age.

I am sitting here on the front porch of my mobile home on a beautiful California spring day, reminiscing on the great and mighty deeds God has performed in and through my life and ministry these many years. I’ve made a concerted effort to pass them along to my children and to those willing to hear about these marvelous things.

As one old divine put it,  “Each generation owes to its generation a testimony of the present reality of God in their personal life.” Sad indeed that some have no such blessed experiences to convey, but many do. And those who do give a testimony akin to that of God’s people of old: “The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”

My dear friend, Mark Andrews, who was the main means in my Mother’s, as well as my own, conversion to Christ, wrote a small pamphlet. The title is, “TELL IT TO THEM GOOD!” O, beloved  readers, let us tell it to them good.

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

“The gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision [Jews], the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles.”

(Gal. 2:7-8)

The expression (“Robbing Peter to pay Paul”) refers to times before the Reformation when Church taxes had to be paid from St. Paul's church in London and to St. Peter's church in Rome; originally it referred to neglecting the Peter tax in order to have money to pay the Paul tax. Simply put it means, taking from one merely to give to another; to discharge one debt by incurring another.

There are those (I use to be one) who would have us believe Paul and Peter’s gospels were different. But they were not! It only has to do with emphasis, not content. As my dear friend, Dr. John R. Rice, use to say when explaining the two, “When you preach at a youth camp you emphasize life as it relates to the gospel; at an old folks home its relation to death. Same gospel, different emphasis.

The New Testament doesn’t differentiate between the gospel of the Old Testament and that of the New. “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham,” (Gal. 3:8). “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it,” (Heb. 4:2).

Most certainly we New Testament saints have more light than those of the Old, but in both cases the light came from the same flashlight-not two separate sources. “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day,” (Prov. 4:18) One God, One Son, One Spirit, One Book, One People, and ONE GOSPEL!

People Like Us

Bible biographies are an interesting and rewarding study. Unlike our contemporary biographies, the scriptures do not use cosmetics on their characters — they show warts and all. How thankful we should be to God for this. For the most part, the saints’ lives who are written about today are so high and lofty only an angel could achieve such a life. One can come away discouraged, realizing he can never reach such moral heights. But in Bible biography, there is an encouraged spirit, finding Bible believers were men and women of like passions as we are.

One such Bible character we all, for the most part, can relate to is scheming, manipulating Jacob. It would be difficult to find one who could top him in this area, unless it be his father-in-law, Laban. He would come in a close second. Jacob, like ourselves, found sooner or later you meet your own kind face to face. It is then we find out what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that kind of deplorable person. Much of Jacob’s life was spent in manipulating loved ones and friends, but even worse, God Himself! Are we not all familiar with trying to bring about God’s will by our carnal means?

But there is good news for each of us who are of Jacob’s seed. There are twenty-five exact references to, “The God of Jacob,” as well as many more, although not exact, but close. Such as, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” God wasn’t ashamed to be called, “Jacob’s God.” And just why was this? Could it be that most of Jacob’s sins, faults, and failures had to do with spiritual matters? This unloveable character loved God with all his being, in spite of all the weaknesses of his flesh. God knew something about Jacob’s heart that none around him knew! And so we read, “JACOB HAVE I LOVED!”

“Leave Jacobs to their God. He is able to make a Prince out of such.”

(rds)

A Coveted Compliment

Oswald Chambers, describing his dear and respected friend, Duncan MacGregor, used just three words: “Character, character, character.” This is just about as high a compliment one can be paid, other than their love for God.

Contrary to what some low people in high places may say, character counts. We hear a lot today in religious circles about a person’s faith, as if it were the pinnacle, not realizing it’s foundational. Peter tells us, “Add to your faith...” We are to be cultivating character as we grow in the Lord. It’s a continuous process that culminates in Heaven.

Until Christians once again begin to honor their commitments, pay their debts, show appreciation, clock in on time, along with a list of other Godly character traits, we will never convince this world that we are made out from a different fiber. They’ll be content with their own garments.

The best collateral is character.

The High Calling of a Servant

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle.”

(Rom. 1:1)

God calls both men and women from low positions to high ones. He calls the humble, not the haughty. Paul went from a servant to an apostle. You’ll find this throughout the Holy Scriptures. For example, Elisha went from serving as a plowman to a prophet. One of several reasons for this, I imagine, is the fact it is the servant that heeds his or her master’s call. Thus, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Here we find He gives even the “high minded” a chance for advancement, but they show their character by their unresponsiveness.

Jesus Christ came to this earth as a humble servant; therefore we are told, “God hath highly exalted Him.” Our Lord loved being a servant, so much so that He chooses of His own will as “THE MAN CHRIST JESUS” to be an eternal servant to God in glory. Paul informs us of this in 1 Corinthians 15:24–28. There we find after Jesus has put all things under Him, He will deliver up the Kingdom to His Father and become, what I like to refer to Him as, “THE ETERNAL SERVANT!” Think of it, the KING OF KINGS with a servants heart.

“No matter what exalted position you may promote a servant to, a true servant never loses his servant heart.”

(rds)

Hurry Up Lord?

In the book of Psalms eight times in six verses darling David asks the Lord to, “Make haste,” in coming to his aid. In today's vernacular we’d say such things as: “Hurry up, Lord”; “Get a move on, God”; or, “Step on it”; etc. The spiritual elite among us would never dare use these terms, thinking they would border on blaspheme.

But David was human, he never denied his humanity: after all his Creator made him so. Moses, Jeremiah, Jonah, along with the other Bible saints were open and honest before their God in such matters. And God heard and answered them. God can help an honest person; He can’t a self-deceived one.

We all get to our “wits’ end”  from time to time. On the verge of giving up, as David puts it, “Ready to halt.” That is, to stop in our tracks. This was the problem with the saints addressed in the book of Hebrews. Thus the Lord tells them, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

I believe the answer's on the way

I believe the Lord has heard me pray

Cast not away your confidence

Saith the Lord our God

Now by faith in Him alone I stand

Firmly held by His Almighty hand

Fully trusting in His promise

Praise the Lord

The Embarrassment of Short Trousers

Years ago, when pastoring, we established a Christian school for our own church kids. I felt so sorry for one particular boy, who was in the growing stage and had outgrown his trousers. They came well above his ankles. To make things worse, he had a tall, skinny, frame.

Samuel’s mother, Hannah, would have no such thing happen to her little boy. She saved him from this humiliation, for we are told, “Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year.” One of the price’s of growth is letting go of the old for the new.

It is easy to get attached to Linus’ security blanket! As one grows in the Lord there are some things, good things, we must leave behind (Heb.6:1). You can no longer fit in your crib, or use your baby blanket for a covering (Isa.28:20).

Samuel’s character and principles didn’t change, but many, many other things did. In growth, it is necessary that allowances and adjustments be made. If you don’t, you’re going to be “too big for your own britches.” And I don’t mean this in the proud sense, but an embarrassing one.

"Arrested development consists not in refusing to lose old things but in failing to add new things!"

(C.S. Lewis)

He said...We say...

“For He hath said…So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear…”

Contrary to some who think of Hebrews as a book that contains only dire warnings, they have neglected to see, it is also one of the greatest books in the Bible on a Christian’s confidence and assurance. Warnings, yes; fearfulness, yes; but only to those who neglect the Word of God. But for those who feed upon it, blessed assurance and a settled confidence. It was my wife's favorite book.

The boldness to say God is my helper, and that you do not fear, is based on the fact, “He hath said.” Boldness comes from His authoritative Word. Therefore, to neglect the Word is to lack boldness. For example, one will never come before His throne boldly without the assuring Word to tell us we can do so. Rather we’ll come with fear and trembling.

Dear child of God, at this very moment you can be as bold before God as His Word permits you to be! If we can truthfully say, “He hath said..." then “we may boldly say...”

Use the Faith You Have

“And Jesus…saith unto them, Have faith in God.”

Not all Christians live on the same plane of faith. There are different degrees. We read in the Scriptures of “no faith,” “little faith,” “great faith,” and “so great faith.” All of us, I’m sure, desire to live life possessing one of the latter two. But raw reality proves most of us manifest one of the first two.

We need to learn to use the faith we have. You’ll remember the distraught father who cried out, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief,” saw a miracle performed because he used what faith he had. And we are told, though Peter’s faith wavered with the waves, he still, miraculously, “walked on water,” having only “little faith.” It is possible for the feeblest believer, with the weakest faith, to see God do great things. Jesus said, if we’ll sow the mustard seed of faith, it will grow into something great.

"Weak faith" no matter how feeble, if it lies in Christ is still a true faith.”