The Old and the New

I heard an old camp-meeting preacher say once, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?” “In the beginning God created…” God, then, predates the beginning. And when we read, “…time shall be no more,” this does not void the eternal existence of God in the eons to come. He is, was, and will be, everlastingly God. He’s never weary, and He never sleeps. Therefore, we might say, He’s up on everything. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

God is not awestruck with the antique, nor is He overly impressed with the contemporary. God is both old-fashioned and modern day. In Heaven, we’re told, they sing the old song of Moses, but, along with it, they sing a new song. The Jews liked the old ways and doggedly clung to them. This resulted in their rejecting “…a new and living way,” which God provided. All that’s new is not necessarily bad; and all that’s old is not to be thought of as all good.

There is nothing new or old with God. One of my grandsons, Joseph, who sings with a Southern Gospel group, wrote and sings a song: “He’s Already Been There.” God is the only One of whom it can truly be said, “Been there; done that!”

Dear Readers and Supporters,

Just a brief note to update you on a few things many have asked about and some points of interest you might want to pray concerning.

As to my health, I will quote my wife when she’s asked about it, “It seems God gives him a blood transfusion each new day.” I can truly say that the scripture God gave me at the first to lay upon your hearts has come to pass, “For I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.” Please continue to remember me before the Mercy Seat.

My wife, Salle, is getting close to putting out her first book. I’ll keep you informed. I will no doubt follow pursuit as soon as she has completed hers, and has time to help me with mine.

Our 50th wedding anniversary is coming up October 14th, (along with our birthdays on the 5th and 15th). I’d like to do something special, but I just don’t know, with the economy being what it is. Pray God will give wisdom and direct me. It is hard to believe it has been fifty years for us, and even harder to realize that in two short years I’ll be eighty.

Salle will be flying to Louisiana later this month to be with our grandson, Timothy, and his wife, Lauren, who are expecting their first, a little girl, named Kiley Rae. It will be our fifth great-grandchild! I promised Salle she could be at the birth of each great-grandchild, if at all possible. Great-Grandmas like this, you know.

His and Your Debtor,

Brother Sandlin

David's Dilemma...Ours

“Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled...and there he died before God.” The ark was a symbol of the presence of God. It had been absent for over seventy-five years from the Divine sanctuary at Shiloh. Its rightful place was at Jerusalem in the center of the sanctuary. David knew if he could get God back in His rightful place the people would get their minds off their petty differences and divisions, and center their attention once again on the Lord.

The first attempt to bring the ark back is a good illustration of doing the right thing in the wrong way. David had not sought the mind of the Lord as at other times, and this always ends in tragedy. He knew how God had told Moses the ark was to be carried. Evidently, he had forgotten. The designated Levitical priests were to carry it on their shoulders. They were never to touch it, but carry it by the staves on the sides of the ark. Instead, they emulated the world, and carried it on a “new cart,” not following God’s pattern given on Sinai.

When the oxen stumbled, Uzza presumptuously put forth his hand to steady the ark, as though God’s throne needed steadying. His good intentions brought about his death. We can become overly familiar with God. When this happens, we get it in our heads that we can get away with things others can’t. Uzza may have thought he was a pet, but God used him as a pattern.

It’s never right to do wrong in order to get a chance to do right.

                                    (Dr. Bob Jones)

Heavenly Patriotism First

For some years now I have been concerned with what I would describe as the politicization of Christianity. I’m not speaking of employment with, but entanglement in the political process (2 Tim.2:4a). With some Christians and ministers, all they talk about, preach about, think about, or write about is politics. It can be found in segments of every major movement in Christianity.

I agree with C.S. Lewis when he writes, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were those who thought most of the next…all left their mark on earth precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither…we shall never save civilization as long as civilization is our main object. We must learn to want something else even more.”

He goes on to say in another place, “He who converts his neighbor has performed the most practical Christian-political act of all.” To which I add my, Amen and Amen!

“The problem with the “Religious Right” is not their position, but their posture. They more readily stand than knell.” (R.D.S.)

Playing Church

“And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.”

As children have always done, these were “play acting,” no doubt emulating what they had seen when with their parents. While accompanying Mother and Father at festivities, as well as funerals, they would have observed both jubilation at the one and sorry at the other of these events. They now wanted their little friends to enter into the enactment of these performances with them, of which it seems some, refused to do.

As a pastor for many years, I was able to observe on occasions the children of our people “playing church” in the church after the main services. Some were quite good. They had it all down pat, the singing, offering, prayer, and the preaching, along with a hearty “Amen,” once in a while. The one main element missing was the Power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost does not anoint pretenders!

We are told in the gospels, “The power of the Spirit was present.” If this is not the case in your church and ministry, then you are “Like unto children sitting in the market place.”  Play your pretend games, if you will, that is your choice, but don’t get upset at those among us who refuse to “play act” with you.

“I never entered the pulpit when I did not think I’d die if God did not bless.” Bob Jones Sr.

Touchiness

Some words a standard dictionary associates with the word “touchiness” are: oversensitive, irritable, thin-skinned, peevish, flammable, difficult, hard. When we say one is touchy we mean that person is easy to take offence. This type of individual requires special tact or skill in handling them. Or as the little idiom goes, “You must walk on eggshells,” lest you upset or irritate this sort of problematic person.

My wife has a serious burn on her hand. Last evening I attempted to apply some aloe-vera to the wound, and when I did, she flinched, withdrawing her hand, adding, “Don’t touch it!” Is this not what we say to the Lord when He touches those touchy areas in our lives? Yet, when healing, we are told He touched a blind man’s eyes, and that He touched the tongue of one who could not speak, and still of another who had lost his ear, that He touched his ear.

If God is ever going to cure us of our touchiness, He must touch us there. As long as we withdraw and try to cover and protect that particular region, it will never be healed. It will always be a sore-spot. And woe be to the one who touches it, or even comes close. For he or she would rather go through life wearing a band-aide, rather than be cured of their hideous trait. And what’s worse, while this immature, insecure, adolescent goes through life, the rest have to spend their time pampering them. May God help us; may God help me!

The Enemy Within

As I was reading my devotions yesterday morning, it struck me that Jesus warned us to beware of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He didn’t caution His followers of the publicans and sinners, but rather to be on guard for the religious crowd. One thing that can be said about a sinner is “what you see is what you get.” This is not so in professing Christendom. Many times we find wolves parading themselves as God’s sheep. They look good on the outside, but these “white-washed tombs” are full of dead men’s bones.

How many Christians with means have been taken in by one of these religious charlatans? Good and godly young ladies, in their innocence, have been seduced by one of these black hearts who wear a white vest. Scores of young preacher boys have lost their faith in the midst of a Bible School, under the tutelage of one of these deceiving devils. And only God knows the number of His people that are sitting under religious externalists every Sunday, listening to a man emphasize the importance of the husk, while refusing to recognize the value of the inner kernel. Paul preached, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

You can always spot the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees: their one main concern is how others see you, while never troubling themselves to inform God’s people that the important thing is how God sees them.

“Therefore it is of no great thing if his [Satan’s] ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.”

*The Rule of Life

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” Some say since this is part of the Sermon on the Mount, it is addressed to Jews only, but I believe many say this, not because of what they believe but the because of the way they live. God’s standard for Christians today under Grace is no less than it was for Israel of old under Law.

You cannot implement this truth into society by legislation or education. Only by regeneration can one fulfill it. The natural man loves to praise the “Golden Rule,” but he’s inept in practicing it. The Golden Rule is not the Gospel; it’s the fruit of the Gospel. If God’s people lived by this rule, we could do away with our man-made rules.

You can take this rule negatively or positively. It always comes out the same. If we would simply put others on the same level as we ourselves, and treat them as we would be treated, it would make for a different world in the home, church, workplace, and school.

Christ came not only to teach us, but to show us. We will never see others aright until we first see God aright. Until our relationship with God is what it ought to be, our relationship with our neighbor will be lacking. We must see humanity through the eyes of God.

When a Christian lives by the “Golden Rule,” he or she becomes a person of worth.

But Do You Know It?

While texting with my older daughter, Leah, recently, I reminded her of a Spiritual truth. Her reply was, “I know dat,” quoting her granddaughter (and my great-granddaughter) Ava, who is two.

What we generally mean by the statement, “I know that,” is that we are familiar with it. But do we really know it? As an old preacher used to tell his son, “Know a thing and know you know it.”

There is a double knowledge both in the Word and in life. The first has to do with head knowledge, the second with heart knowledge. Until the former sinks into the latter, we’ll never know that we know.

Lest any think I’m speaking in riddles, John, in his first epistle says, “And hereby we do know that we know…” John did not think it was good enough knowing a thing; he believed you should know you know.

A man, who knows there is a sink-hole on the route he daily travels, yet continually gets stuck in it, doesn’t know anything.

*Understanding Why

“...lean not unto thine own understanding.”  We cannot always understand the “why’s” of life, but we can trust  “the ways of the Lord.” We will never find the peace we seek as long as we attempt to understand the “why” of every event in life.  

Bev Shea used to sing a song entitled “Someday I’ll Understand.” That day is not man’s day, but the future day of God. And, until that great day of revelation, we need to trust the wisdom, goodness, justice, and love of God, cleaving to the twin promises that He does all things well and all things will work out for good.

When we understand there are things in life we will never        understand the inward storm will be calmed

The Easy Way

“His commandments are not grievous.” That is, difficult to be borne, as a burden. No, His load is light. His way is the easy way. It’s the way of the transgressor that’s hard. The world loathes His laws. They are opposed to any and all of His commandments. This is seen in their maxims, principles, ideals, and attitude. They are contrary to His commands, and, as a result, there are, and always will be, a continual conflict between the two.

Whenever you find a professing Christian arguing God’s commands are unreasonable, to justify his or her unruly life, you will find just that, a professing Christian. Christ’s commands go against the grain of all those running the wrong way. You have never heard a true Christian say, “God is a hard taskmaster. As A.W. Tozer says, “God is easy to live with.”

Any duty the Lord may require of us is not beyond our ability to perform. What He commands, He enables us to do. Love lightens the load. Jacob toiled many years for Rachel, but they seemed as a few days for the love he had for her. There is no load to heavy that love cannot carry!

D.V.

D.V. (Deo volente) is the Latin abbreviation for, “God Willing.” I came across it some years ago while reading A.W. Pink’s little book, Letters of A.W. Pink. It often pops up in his correspondence.

The Will of God, for some, is a gradual thing. That is, they somehow seem to have fallen into the flow of it. They cannot pinpoint a day or hour but are assured there was a day and an hour. And their godly lives attest to this fact.

 For others, doing God’s Will was a crisis that became a process. Their thousand mile journey started with a first step. And they can tell you the time and the place they launched out.

Neither of these two is more spiritual than the other; the only important thing in both cases is that the Will of God is being carried out in their daily lives. The Lord’s Will is basically, “Doing the next thing. The Will of God is an ongoing matter. It primarily has to do with “doing.”

Many are confused in seeking God’s Will. They, like Elijah of old, are looking for a “great and strong wind…earthquake… or fire.” Not realizing God is in the “small,” insignificant things of life. You know, like doing dishes, mowing the lawn, finishing homework, etc.

All the above mentioned, along with a hundred and one other things we consider drudgery, are to be found in God’s will for our lives. Once we cease to anticipate the spectacular in our lives we can then see, accept, and enjoy life as it really is: LIFE!

The Possible and Impossible

We are plainly told, “With God nothing shall be impossible.” Yet, when Jesus prayed, “Father, all things are possible unto thee, take away this cup from me,” it was not done. In this case, the impossible was not possible.

Jesus told His followers, “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” Yet, when James and John requested of Him that they be able to sit next to Him on His throne in the Kingdom, it was denied them. Why? Because, says our Lord, “Ye know not what ye ask.” He went on to say, “It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.”

God has a pre-ordained plan for each life. To go contrary to this plan, and ask Him to do the impossible on your behalf, is an impossibility. The impossible is only possible in the will of God.

Keeping Your Spiritual Sanity

It’s all so simple when starting out in your Christian life. You take for granted all of God’s people believe like you, and the particular church or denomination you are associated with. But, gradually, and to your surprise, you realize this is not so. You discover that within Christendom, there are Calvinists, Arminians, Dispensationalists, Reformed, etc. These are found within the walls of churches such as Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Nazarene, and many others. All of which say their doctrine and teachings are the closest to the truth of the Scriptures. Some go so far as to say they are the only ones who are right, tagging all others as apostates and heretics.

If you are familiar with Church history, you realize this has always been the case, for the most part. And why is this? It’s very simple when you think about it. The problem derives from the fact that, although we have an infallible Bible, we ourselves are still fallible. Possessing the infallible doesn’t make us so. Throughout history, Christians have had heated disagreements on minor subjects, but all seem to have agreed on the cardinal doctrines of the Faith. The fall of man, the New Birth, the blood of Christ, the Resurrection, and His coming a second time were basic tenets which all believers adhered to. With so many different voices in the world of religion, if we are going to keep our spiritual sanity, let us major on these basic beliefs.

Someone told me of an old evangelist who said while preaching, that only Fundamentalists would be in Heaven. At my advanced age, I can still blush. And I did, when I heard that statement. How embarrassing to hear such ignorance displayed, no matter what group one may belong to.

In a family, some can be more right than others, but that doesn’t make the others any less kin.

A Word About Words

Job, I think, was expressing to both writer and speaker the power of words when he said, “How forcible are right words!” It could be, the thing making him aware of this was something he said later on, “Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!” Someone has said, “Of our unspoken words we are master; of our spoken words we are servant; of our written words we are slaves.”

As a writer, I claim C.S. Lewis as my main mentor more than any other person. Though posthumously, Lewis has taught me three great truths, each from his own life and writings, the first being his intellectual humility. Second, brevity is best, most of the time; and lastly, simplicity is life’s most becoming garb, as another has put it. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. told a great revival crowd in Chicago in the forties that he was going to bring a simple message that evening, because he felt the intellects among them needed a rest.

It must have been difficult for many of the great intellectuals of Jesus’ day to listen to the Sermon on the Mount. It was so very plain. Is it any wonder we’re told, “The common people heard Him gladly.” He didn’t try to impress by flexing His intellectual muscle. He knew in Himself He could, and that was enough. It was there, if and when He needed it. But He would not sacrifice the sheep for the giraffes; He put the feed on the bottom, where both could get it. The only way the higher- up couldn’t get it would be by refusing to bow his proud neck.

Paul, one of the world’s great thinkers and intellects, wrote, “I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that [by my voice] I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [unknown] tongue.”  I doubt seriously the Apostle would have used uncommon words in speaking to common people, without first explaining their meaning. Polished words are like the curl on a pig’s tail, they’re pretty, but they don’t give you anymore pig!”

The Con Artist

One of the old-time con man’s tricks was to focus attention on his left hand while doing something different with his right. I’m noticing more and more Christians emphasizing on the one hand, the fact that their lifestyle is not sinful, while on the other hand, living one that is shameful.

Somewhere along the road, this generation has lost all sense of shame. Whether dress, speech, or manners, they seem to not know the meaning of the word embarrassed. Jeremiah, speaking of this sort said, “…neither could they blush.” We need a new group among God’s people who can once again get red- faced at such things as immodesty, immorality, and intemperance. No longer are we shocked by anything.

Shamefacedness is an invaluable characteristic in the life of a child of God. Our ability to feel shame is what distinguishes us from beasts. As George MacDonald writes, “The beast does not know that he is a beast, and the nearer a man gets to being a beast the less he knows it.”       

O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over [our] head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

                                                 

Twin Lies

Until recently, I didn’t realize that we Christians have two sins we hold in good standing. They are what you would call, “respectable sins.” Since most of us commit them, and they are done in “good taste,” we wink at them, giving them a pass. But I’m not sure God does.

They are twin sins, like Siamese twins--always connected together. They are committed in order and almost simultaneously, as in thunder and lightning. This duet goes something like this: “How are you? and the second answers, “Just fine.” Now, granted, I’m not speaking of every case, but, generally, we all know the truth of what I’m speaking of.

More times than not, the first, who questions, “How are you doing?” could care less about the other’s condition. As an old-timer said once to me, when I asked him this question, “Why tell it; nobody cares.” The second little white lie is the answer we give: “I’m doing just fine,” while all the time, we’re hurting from something. True, there are times we can ask in sincerity and truthfully answer in the affirmative. But lets’ make sure when we ask, we are really concerned. And when we answer, let’s be truthful. Lately, when asked this question, my reply is, “By faith, I’m doing great.” And that’s no lie!

God gives you permission to say, “I’m cold.” (Rev.3:16)

                                       Marvin Clanton

Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?

“...and set him [Christ] at his [God’s] own right hand in heavenly places, Far above all...dominion…God...hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” When Jesus raised Lazarus, He didn’t leave him in a grave yard. The next time we see this risen saint, he is seated with our Lord. And so it is with us; we are called from the grave, in grace, to be seated with Him in Glory. Our union with Him necessitates this. The text is not a prophecy of the future but a fact of the present. We are seated with Him now in Heavenly places.

Because of this, we are no longer under Satan’s dominion. We have been translated out of his earthly kingdom of darkness into the Heavenly kingdom of God’s dear Son. We have been turned “...from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.” We have been delivered “...from this present, evil world.”

Adam lost his dominion power to the devil. We regain it in Christ. We need not run from him but use our God-given authority to make him flee from us. Once we accept, by faith, our Heavenly, God-given position in Christ, we can exercise our rightful authority over the power of darkness, both in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.

Satan is not fearful of our vested authority as long as we do not exercise it.

*The Meek Man

Meekness is not weakness. It is primarily an internal virtue. Meekness has to do with our spirit; it’s a heart matter. It is something that God sees. We are told Moses was, “…very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” But I am sure many in his day would have questioned this quality hidden within this man’s man. This was the secret of his power; it was not his might, but his meekness that made him an overcomer.

Meekness is a very strong word. It implies force and strength held in check. The word was used of breaking-in horses, with the idea of energy held firmly in hand. It is controlling the forces of one’s character. The meek person will yield to no man, where eternal principles are involved. But he is strong enough to give way when a matter of purely personal advantage is involved.

Meekness can subdue wild, beastly, situations. Remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the back of a wild ass’ colt!

*Onlookers

If we are not very careful in this game of life, we will spend all our time as spectators rather than participators. Some spend their lives collecting, but never distributing. Like the Dead Sea, it takes, but does not give.  

Each of us has at least one gift, and we are expected to use it, not hide it like the wicked servant. Jesus made this clear to His disciples when He told them, “…freely ye have received, freely give.” There are those with greater gifts than some of us, but our testimony should be to those in need, “…such as I have give I unto thee…”

A long life does not necessarily mean a fruitful one, nor a short one wasted. John the Baptist only had a six month ministry. As someone has so apply said, “The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.” 

Heavy Hearts

“I have great heaviness...in my heart.” The apostle who said he was a man “of like passions,” knew what it was like to carry a heavy heart for his kin. We, who are burdened down with concern for our loved ones’ Spiritual condition, will not only find solace from Paul, but other Bible saints.

Godly Esther cried out, “For how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?” Tender-hearted David, speaking of his wayward son, said, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man.” Rahab pleaded, “...show kindness unto my...father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have.” And who can forget the deep anguish of Job, the bereaved father? “Oh that I were as...when my children were about me.”

Our Lord knows what it is to have rebellious children (Isa.1:2); an unfaithful mate, resulting in divorce (Jer.3:8); loved ones who are unbelievers (Jno.7:5); and all the other heartbreaking experiences that may result from family situations. Because of this, we are told we have a High Priest who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities.

If the Lord has any children who are not exercised with spiritual temptations, I am sure that they are poorly qualified to “speak a word in season to them that are weary.” (John Newton)

                                              

The Purpose of Prayer

“As He was praying…when He ceased,  one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray…And He said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father…” A dear evangelist friend, now with the Lord, wrote a popular book years ago entitled, “Prayer-Asking and Receiving.” But this is only one of the many aspects, or should I say, bonuses of prayer. Any and all things resulting from our prayers are to be considered minor in comparison to being in the presence of our heavenly Father.

When we pray, if our main goal and chief desire is in wanting something, rather than “Someone,” then we have missed the real purpose of prayer. God first and foremost longs for fellowship with man, His supreme creation. And He is still seeking for communion with His children, just as He did when “walking in the garden in the cool of the day,” those many years ago.

When Jesus chose the twelve disciples, we’re told the purpose was, “that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach.” Before anything else, Jesus longed just to be with His chosen. This was not only true in His earthly life, but now in heaven also. In His high priestly prayer in John chapter seventeen, His request to God concerning His own was, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” As my wife has often said, “I can understand me wanting to be with Him, but I’ll never understand Him wanting to be with the likes of me.”

Prayer is firstly about relationship, not requests.

The Bottom of the List

The last sin to be acknowledged or confessed in our lives is that of prayerlessness; even if we admit to it then. Samuel says to the Lord’s people, “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.” If it’s a sin not to pray for others, how much more is it not to pray at all? And notice, to not pray is a sin against God.

If we were honest with ourselves we would say with Job, “If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had harkened unto my voice.” It is during those long intervals when God has us wait that we lose our faith. And when this happens, we also lose face. Like the old suffering patriarch, we impulsively say, “…what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?”

Jesus said, “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” If you have fainted during a long night of silence form God, try praying. You’ll find it a good smelling salts. 

You, Too

"In the midst of the throne stood a Lamb as it had been slain.” What a seemingly strange paradox. A Lamb, the perfect picture of gentleness; a throne, the supreme symbol of power. The One in the midst of the other. The Sacrificial Lamb has become the Sovereign Lord.

The homage and worship He receives is not by coercion, but by loving constraint. His subjects are not driven to worship Him as Nero’s servants, against their will. For, our Sovereign has won our wills, and we are drawn to Him by His graciousness.

How wonderful it is to realize that I, too, can stand before Him with my golden vial full of odors. That I, too, may join that Heavenly choir to sing praises to Him. That I, too, can be one of the “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” who say, with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb.” Just to think, I too, may “fall down and worship Him that liveth forever and ever.” Hallelujah! It’s not just “I, too,” but “You, too.”

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name togethe (Psl.34:3)

Knowing Your English

“[Jesus} said…let down your nets for a draught…at thy word I will let down the net.”

God has preserved His Word for us in the English; therefore, I do not overly concern myself with the Greek, or Hebrew languages. He will judge me on understanding and acting upon my own native tongue, not on one given to another people.

There can be a vast difference between singular and plural. The variation is to be seen in addition.  My dear friend, Marvin Clanton, used to say about something that was good and he wanted more of, “If one’s good, two’s better!”

Peter was a commercial fisherman, and since he had toiled all night without a catch, nets would not be necessary, only a net, if that. His expertise was a hindrance to his faith. Professionalism is man at his best, but that is not good enough in the Spiritual world.

When we do not expect great things from God and act on it, it is because we do not believe our God is Great!

Voluntary Slavery

“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Paul’s “all things” are not all-inclusive, but means all, within bounds. For example, it is still not lawful to have your brother’s wife. All vices are unlawful, but what about virtuous things?

It is well to remember, things that are not expedient or profitable are not necessarily necessary. If indulgence in a good thing becomes injurious to ourselves or others, we are to abandon it. If what we allow destroys our freedom of thought, peace of mind, and general happiness, it should be laid aside.

It is possible to become a voluntary slave. We can do this by creating our own craving for something. And, ultimately, this brings us under the power of what is considered legitimate, thus we become slaves to it, and it becomes our master.

You’re either master, or mastered.

Physicians with Colds

The demands some put upon their ministers, mentors, and those attempting to help them, such as pastors, parents and friends, is both unfair and unkind. Such high expectations are unrealistic as well as unreasonable. The proverb going around in Jesus’ day, “Physician heal thyself,” is part of the record of inspired truth; but the saying is not necessarily true. For example, it’s true the devil said certain things, but that doesn’t make the things he said true.

The fact of the matter is, physicians get sick and can’t heal themselves, but this does not take away from the fact they can still cure others. I’m sure Peter, James, John, and Paul would love to have had some undesirable, inherent weakness cured in their lives, but that did not stop them from offering their expertise to others. Nor did it hinder those who were wise from asking for it.

Let’s not keep a cancer specialist from helping us, simply because he can’t get rid of his cold. When in dire need, we are in no position to make trivial demands. In such situations, we might remind ourselves, “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

 “He saved others; himself he cannot save”   (Matt.27:42)

Tormented by Temptation

None of us is exempt from temptation. Not even our blessed, sinless Lord was excused. It will dog us until we enter our heavenly city of refuge, where nothing that defiles can follow us in. Or to put it another way, until we are, as the Irish say, “Safe Home.”  

Temptation comes in many forms, but has only one objective: to break our fellowship with God. Therefore temptation never comes from God; He tries us, but never tempts us. James tell us, “…every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”  

Our Tempter is a solicitor. And all the wares this street vender peddles are evil. No matter how they appear, even if they’re good and pleasant. Ask Eve if you have any doubts. To be tempted with evil is an agony of soul; but to be tempted with good is even a greater a torture. The devils dainty delicacies are much more difficult to resist than his depraved delights. It’s green grass that lures the sheep to stray, not the parched.

It has always amazed me how that after a temptation is refused, something extraordinarily good always follows it. I agree with C.S. Lewis when he said, “A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later.” “And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him…and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him…And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit…”

Trusting Our Guide

“…when he was called to go out…he…obeyed, and went out, not knowing whither he went.” Two great difficulties were involved in this crisis decision. First, much that had been precious in life was to be left behind. Secondly, entering into, and undertaking, this new venture entailed uncertainty as to his future.

Nevertheless, he plunged into this desert journey by faith, being assured that, though he may not know the way, he knew the Guide. And he was confident his Friend would lead him aright.

We who are believers are called “…the children of Abraham,” and, as such, we are told that we’re to “…walk in the steps of that faith,” which our father, Abraham, had. And as we take each step, remembering that God will not show us everything, but He will always show us the next thing.

The faith that enables us to enter into God’s best must first be used to come out.

Winnie’s Good Advice.

As a boy, during the Second World War, I had two heroes, one on each side of the pond, so to speak. On this side, it was General Douglas Mac Arthur, on the other, Winston Churchill.  The latter, in a speech at Harrow School in 1941 said, “Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

I am no super-saint, but I say the truth in Christ, I lie not; I do not know how to quit! I can honestly tell you I have tried on more than one occasion, but never found the “wherewithal” in following through with it. It costs one dearly to do so; but as Ruth, of old, the rewards are worth the price you pay.

People who are constantly re-tracing their steps never get anywhere in life. I often wonder about the lives of those who quit on the Lord. What became of them? There’s no record. All we are told of these quitters is, “From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. All one can do is speculate, and I believe you would be close in guessing they spent their lives in regret.

For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these “It might have been." -John Greenleaf Whittier, "Maud Muller" (1856)

The Evolution of Good and Evil

Far too many Christians have a one-track mind when it comes to the usage of a word. Words, like “The Word,” can have two edges. That is, they can be used in more than one way.  It is not wise to condemn a word by association. To sight just one case, is that despised word, abort. But there are times when it is good and right to use the word. For example, “Because of mechanical problems, the flight was aborted.”

And so it is with the word “evolution.” Rage should not surge through one when it is used in the right connotation. Among its several meanings are, 1. an unfolding; process of development or change. 2. to develop gradually. And so, the scriptures teach there is an evolution in the lives of both saint and sinner.    

As to the latter we are told, “Evil men…shall wax worse and worse.” But of the former, it is written, “As touching brotherly love…ye [should] increase more and more.” And so, as the one gets worse and worse, the other is to be getting, better and better. I have seen the first taking place over the last fifty years, at a rapid pace. But have noticed very little of the second happening, as it relates to the Body of Christ.

Many fear by loving all the brethren they it will be seen by their peers as diluting their convictions; but to the contrary, it will make them more savory. Try it; both you and the recipients will like it. By the way, it never fails!

        

What God Expects

I’ve often said, “Some people have standards so high that even the angels couldn’t keep them.” J At our best, we shall always come up short. But this should not curtail us from giving our best. Doing less than your best is sin. Therefore, I should be the best that I can be.

Some of us are four-cylinder Christians, tormented because we are not an eight-cylinder. The important thing is to stay tuned-up, and make sure we run on all four, if that’s our lot in life. Wanting to be something you’re not keeps you from what you can be. Comparison only brings frustration.

Remember, God blesses a life on the basis of not what we have done, but what we would have done, had we been able. His judgment is according to quality, not quantity; sort, not size (1Cor. 3:13b). God is not a hard taskmaster. It’s the Pharaohs of this life that are always demanding that more work be placed upon the people of God.

Overworked saints lose something that is essential in a believer’s life. Martha would be a good example of this. The Lord is not looking for sweatiness, but sweetness (Ezk.44:18b cp.11Sam.23:1b). The latter is the man or woman who is …”after God’s own heart.”

Jesus said, “She hath done what she could.” Not, what she couldn’t. And this has been spoken of around the world for two thousand years!

Check it Out

I believe in classic Christianity. What I mean by this is what the word itself denotes: “an excellent model; formal; simple; traditional.” In general, churches used to major on the fundamentals of the Faith—the basic things all Christians believed in and adhered to. Now we major on minors, leaving God’s people without a sure foundation, having left the fundamentals.

It can be said of many past fundamental churches that they are no longer classic, but cultic. We could even add, comic to some of them. It staggers the imagination to think of all the things that are being passed off as Scripture to God’s dear children today. The cause of their being duped is not difficult to find. The answer is that the “Berean” breed has become extinct. It says of these noble believers that they “…searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so.”

Today would be a good day to start checking out what we believe and what others have, and are, teaching us as being authoritative. Any addition, subtraction, or change to the text doesn’t count for anything! A good rule to always go by is, “WHAT DOES THE TEXT SAY?”

A good order of questions is, “What saith the scripture?” Then, “What meaneth this?”

Tough Hide-Tender Heart

You’d think God would have spoiled Job a little after all that he had gone through. But on the contrary, He tells His suffering saint on two occasions, “Gird up now thy loins like a man.” God will not coddle us; He is in the business of making real men and women.

There is no room for self-pity in the presence of God’s crucified Lamb. Anyone can dish it out, so to speak, it’s how much we can take that counts with God. The Lord certainly wants us to have soft hearts, but not so with our hides. They’re to be leather-tough.

To use the excuse that our weak flesh cannot go on, will not cut it. The Spirit is willing; our problem is that we’re not. We are all going to suffer in this life, one way or the other. Peter tells us, “…it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” The former brings reward, the latter regret.

In glory, God will not look at our medals, degrees, or diplomas, but for scars we received being true to His dear Son.

The Language Barrier

Dry wells cannot satisfy the thirsty; neither can tearless Christian’s parched souls. Many who profess to be followers of Christ have. Jesus wept over a wrecked world; we cannot even weep over our wrecked lives. If some of us would follow Peter’s example and weep bitterly over our sad spiritual condition, we too might experience the blessings of a Pentecost.

Unsanctified tears have no merit with God. Carnal Esau proved this to be so. But tears do have a strong sway when they come from one devoted to the Lord. Concerning Hezekiah God says, “I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears.” There is a gospel song that says, “Tears are a language God understands.” David knew the importance of tears when he penned, “…put thou my tears into thy bottle.” They’re preserved. I wonder what for?

Sometimes we hear the argument from saints with dry sockets, that those who weep over our crushed culture have a different temperament from them. But it doesn’t have anything to do with a different kind temperament, but with a different kind of heart. Anyone familiar with the Apostle Paul’s temperament knows it was completely out of character for him to shed tears. Yet, we are told that when he exchanged his life for Christ’s, he went about weeping night and day for a wounded world. That, my friend, is a profitable exchange, both for us and the hurting!

The Elijah Complex

“…and I, even I only, am left.” So says the discouraged prophet. To which God replies, “I have left me seven thousand…” Through the years I’ve observed the ruination of many good churches and ministries who fell into this isolation syndrome. C.S. Lewis says, “The worst sins of men are spiritual.” And the “I only,” I think, would be one at the top of the list.

You’ll remember that if young Joshua could have had his way, no one would have prophesied in the camp but Moses. But the old man set the younger straight concerning this mistake.  Paul thanked God Christ was preached, even when motives were in question. And our Lord told the disciples to leave alone one who was doing a work in His name. Not join him or promote him, but simply let him alone.

An old Methodist preacher used to say, “If a hound dog comes to town and barks for Jesus, I’m not going to try and stop him.” Let’s face it, all of we Blood bought Believers have a little heresy in us, but it will not keep us from Heaven. We need to be careful not to shut out those whom God has not shut out.  

Defeat at Every Corner

I find many Christians today do not realize we do not fight for the victory, but from victory to victory. We have the “Victor” within us. The battle is not in getting, but in the keeping of the high ground. Our Mighty, Conquering Captain, has already entered the “strong man’s” house, and carried off his armour wherein he trusted.

The only thing, it would seem, that Satan was left with were his “wiles” (tricks, craftiness). You’ll remember this is the tactic the Gibeonites used to win over Joshua, not having sword or spear in hand (Josh 9:4 cp. Verse 22). When they got the Israelites to think their way, they got their way.

In this age in which we live, it would appear that the skirmish is over who is going to control the mind. It’s a psychological warfare, the mind is where the battle is won or lost. Remember, it is not the body that faints first, but the mind (Heb. 12:3,b). It may be beneficial to add this line to the children’s song, “Be careful little mind what you think.”

Every corner the devil ever turned or will turn, Christ meets him with defeat!

The Need of the Needy

“…your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” When theologians use the term “omniscient” in reference to one of God’s attributes, it doesn’t mean much to the average Christian. But when the word is defined and explained, their ears perk up. The poverty-stricken saint takes heart when he or she realizes they have a Father in Heaven who knows their every need. And not only does He know their particular need—whether it be spiritual, psychological, or physical— He has the wherewithal to furnish it.

The old gospel song the quartets used to sing down south is theologically correct. It says, “My Jesus Knows Just What I Need.” Many well-intentioned preachers tell God’s people, if their needs are not being met, there is something wrong in their lives. But there seems to be few who will tell you that one’s need may be to have a need (Phil.4:19 cp. verse 12,b). Therefore, when God creates a need in our lives, He has kept His promise by supplying our need. Have you thanked God for supplying  yours?

Snubbing Good Advice

Ahab, like many today, turned his nose up at good advice. The reason was that the one giving it didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear. He was looking for agreement, not advice. He said of Micaiah, “…he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil.” It was for this reason Micaiah earned Ahab’s hatred.

Some people don’t seem to understand, you can’t prophecy good things to bad people. They criticize their advisor for rubbing the cat the wrong way, while all the time refusing of turn the cat around themselves. If one wants to hear good, he or she must of necessity be willing to do good.

It is always a wise thing to seek the counsel of the wise. Only a fool rejects the advice of a person who has already been down the road they’re to travel. Know-it-alls end up finding out they knew nothing at all. They incessantly run into ditches and wonder why they can’t get anywhere on the road of life.

On my way to a speaking engagement, I once went a hundred miles the wrong way, simply because I would not ask for directions. You’ll never get where you want to go by going the wrong way. The sooner you stop and ask the right way the sooner you will arrive at your desired destination.

Cashing Signed Checks

“According to your faith [appropriation] be it unto you.” This principle is found throughout the Bible. It’s not wishing, longing, wanting, or even praying that gets the blessing. It’s appropriation (taking for one’s own). Drab, defeated lives have been transformed by learning the art of appropriating. They turned promises into facts. They stepped out on a promise and trusted God—sink or swim. And those who do never have to experience either.

In the story of the prodigal son, it says of the father, “He divided unto them his living.” The prodigal may have had a lot of faults, but appropriating what his father had given him was not one of them. This was not so with his elder brother. He accused the father of not even giving him a “kid,” to which his father replied, “Son, all that I have is thine.” Yet, he had not appropriated one kid. The difference was not in bestowal, but in appropriation. We must appropriate what God has given (Josh.1:3 and Eph.1:3).

Addendum: Over fifty years ago, my dear friend Mark Andrews, who was instrumental in my becoming a Christian, gave me a little devotional book by F.B. Meyer. One of the chapter tiles was, “The Law of Appropriation.” This one truth kept me from being a spiritual pauper these many years, which is so easy to succumb to.

Jesus and the "Old Timers"

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time…But I say unto you…” Whenever the term “old times” is used, invariably we are referring to the most recent of past generations; to go back further would be speaking of “ancient times.” Every age had its “old times”, and in each of them most of the people felt the previous age was better than the one in which they lived. Nostalgia can be fine, if it doesn’t turn into nonsense. What woman wouldn’t trade a scrub board for a washing machine? And I doubt there is a farmer who would not prefer a tractor to a horse-drawn plow.

The people of Jesus’ day were quoting the “letter” of their father’s teachings about the Law, but left out the spirit. They emphasized only the externals, but our Lord went to the heart of the matter. Jesus exposed the expositors of His day. He was not correcting the Law, only their erroneous interpretation of it. They taught the mechanics, but mechanical things do not have life; hence, no growth. It’s the Spirit that gives life to the letter.

Let us be careful that we do not make the Word of God ineffective by the tradition of the “old timers.” Some people get more upset over me correcting them, than they are of them corrupting the Word. That kind of tradition is tripe!

God’s way is working from the inside out; the traditionalist, from the outside in. But the latter never seems to be able to get past the first layer.

All or Nothing

You can’t departmentalize God; either He is all, or nothing at all in a life. He refuses to be categorized in our file cabinets, only to be brought out and viewed from time to time. As A.W. Tozer says, “God is a jealous Lover.” He is not in the sharing business when it comes to our affections. He will not play second fiddle to anyone.

The Bible describes the people who live their lives apart from God as being dead while they live. Even though they’re enjoying this world’s pleasures, they’re dead men walking. All Prodigals are considered dead until they return to the Father’s House. As George MacDonald writes, “All that is not God is death.”