Table of Contents:One Generation to the NextPray up a Child in the Way He Should Go The Marriage Supper of the Lamb Exegetically SpeakingWords to Stand You on Your Feet Living out the Living WordFollowing God Points to Ponder Jewels from Past Giants Counselor’s Corner The Story behind the Song Church Builders Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel Marks of the Master Book ReviewsNews UpdateSermon Helps Puzzles and ‘Toons

___________________________________One Generation to the Next: Reflections on FatherhoodBy Justin Lonas

On Father’s Day next month, many churches will take time to honor dads with a few words of praise, maybe an exhortation to love their wives and children, and perhaps a small gift (our church has all the children come up to the front to get Little Debbie snack cakes to pass out to dads in the congregation). It’s traditional and fun, but often rings hollow in the face of the real challenges of fatherhood and the full-on cultural assault on dad’s role in the family.

How many churches, I wonder, will spend any Sundays this year, even Father’s Day, speaking hard truths about the state of parenting in their congregations or urging fathers to joyfully fulfill their calling according to God’s Word?

The world runs rampant with fatherlessness. Just look around to see the pain that causes in millions of homes, not to mention the social crises festering for want of dads to help children grow up into nobility and virtue. It is also possible—whether from working long hours, addiction to hobbies, or simply “checking out” through television, gaming, or social media—for children to be practical orphans even with a father in the home. As a friend of mine put it, what good is providing for your family if you don’t provide them with your presence? The film and sitcom stereotype of dad as a buffoonish overgrown child (or anything but a thoughtful provider and leader) has far too much cultural traction. If the Church is to effectively speak to these problems and work for healing, then we need to expand our vision of what it means to be a father and equip our men to rise to the challenge.

Let me be the first to admit that I do not (and don’t expect to) have fatherhood figured out. This year’s Father’s Day is only the fourth observed on my watch, and I wrestle daily with how to be disciplinarian, disciple-maker, and dad to my two daughters. Even so, Scripture has a lot to say to fathers, and it goes far deeper than teaching them how to provide for one’s family or how to smile after receiving that seventeenth mismatched tie or “World’s Greatest Dad” mug. We need to rediscover and celebrate what it means to be a God-honoring father.I. Father as Image-Bearer

Nothing puts greater fear in my heart when thinking about being called “father” than the realization that I share that title with God Almighty. On good days, I rejoice at the privilege and responsibility of modeling for my children attributes of my Father and theirs: providing, protecting, disciplining,

forgiving, and reflecting the wonder of the Trinity by loving their mother well. On bad days, I quake at the manifold blasphemies my bad example to them perpetrates. Most days, the struggle is on as I see the failures, but strive against them and long for the strength to do better.

If that were the end of it, fatherhood would result in despair for even the best of dads. Mercifully, the Father who made us and entrusted our children to us has a Son of His own: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth…. No one has seen God at any time, the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:14, 18). When I fail to measure up to the Father’s standard, the best service I can offer my children is to bow before the Son in repentance, leaning wholly on His grace.

Unless my children see me in as great need of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice as they are, even my “successes” as a parent will only condemn. After all, the writer of Hebrews points out that we as earthly fathers are but a shadow of the real One—we discipline “for a short time as [seems] best to [us], but He disciplines us for our good so that we may share His holiness” (Heb. 12:10). We are always to point to Him, never stealing His glory, but magnifying it even in our frailty.

II. Father as StorytellerThe bedtime story is a touchstone,

perhaps because it evokes the key role that dads have as the “myth-makers” of a child’s world. The Lord entrusts us with the tremendous task of shaping their understanding of Himself and telling and re-telling the story of His work in the creation,

fall, redemption, and consummation of the world.

Twice in preparing His chosen people for their escape from Egypt, God gives instructions to fathers to explain the significance of the celebrations commemorating His mighty deliverance. “And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians but spared our homes’” (Ex. 12:26-27). “You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt’” (Ex. 13:8). The memory of the Lord’s work must be passed on to each generation. “We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and His strength and the wondrous works that He has done. For He established a testimony in

Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our Fathers that they should teach them to their children” (Ps. 78:4-5).

Your children are watching and listening to you to make sense of their world. The stories you tell, by your words and by your choices, will do more than any other influences to form their perceptions of reality. Are you telling the right ones?

III. Father as EducatorIn addition to myth-making, we are to

be our children’s schoolmasters. This is another side of the same coin, the instructive counterpoint to the imaginative story. In Deuteronomy 6, after the Lord gave His commandments to Israel a second time (after the failure of the first generation to heed them), He charges parents to keep the next generation from forgetting. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house

and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:7-9).

Such an all-encompassing call the teach God’s truth in every circumstance is a necessary corrective to the allure of the world. Satan longs to snatch our children from God’s family, and the Lord entrusts fathers with defending them through what Paul calls “the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). He does not tell us to oversee or delegate this responsibility, but to carry it out ourselves. Whatever decisions you make for the education of your children, remember this: no teacher, counselor, or youth pastor can capture your child’s heart and mind like you do, and God has not given them the mandate to teach His Word and ways to your children. At the end of the day,

this is your responsibility, and God will hold you accountable for it.

Of course, how we teach matters as much as what we teach. In that same verse in Ephesians, Paul tells us not to “provoke [our] children to anger.” In a parallel passage, he writes, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart” (Col. 3:21). As we train up our children, we should shower them with love and encouragement, making certain to show them often that serve and discipline them from gratitude to our Father for His grace given to us.

ConclusionThese passages all share the theme

that being a dad is a high calling and a full-time job. Christian fatherhood is about so much more (though certainly not less) than showing up at ballgames, playing with your kids, or even keeping your family involved in

church. As fathers, we need to see clearly the Lord’s design for us as His image-bearers, storytellers, and educators. This family vision should be the bedrock on which all the daily details of raising your children is built. It must be embraced by dads—if it comes from your church, your wife, your school, or even your parents without your buy-in, your family will struggle in its mission to glorify God and reflect His character.

What about homes with no dad in the picture or families with a father whose sins have scarred and embittered them? What about fathers who’ve earnestly sought to obey God, but whose children have rejected the Gospel? The Lord’s plan doesn’t change in the face of sin; in fact, the reality of sin is what informs most of a father’s calling. These truths should never be reduced to greeting card boilerplate, but pursued in such a way that churches built on the foundation of godly husbands and fathers

become the most natural place for hurting families to turn. The Church’s responsibility to the fatherless and the widow goes beyond providing for their physical needs, but lovingly restoring to them the spiritual leadership they’ve lost—whether by others’ sin or their own choices.

What is the cost of losing sight of this vision, of putting other desires and plans above God’s design? Hear what the Israelites sang after returning to Jerusalem from exile. “For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law or paid attention to Your commandments and Your admonishments with which You have admonished them…. Behold we are slaves today, and as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, behold we are slaves in it. Its abundant produce is for the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins…” (Neh. 9:34, 36-37). Godly fathers

equip their children to obey the Lord and enjoy the freedom that comes from that. Abdication of that responsibility paves a rough road for children, opening wide the door to sin’s bondage. The stakes are high, but God’s grace is great. It is our joyful task to “man up” and prepare our children to praise His name, one generation to the next.

Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine for AMG International in Chattanooga,

Tennessee.Table of Contents

___________________________________Pray up a Child in the Way He Should GoBy Bob Orner

My wife and I have entered a new phase of our lives, one that many of you have already experienced. This phase inaugurated with a family pilgrimage from

Orlando, Florida to Nashville, Tennessee. No, this was not a vacation, nor a time to indulge in the music life of Music City, but the mixed-emotion endeavor that parents have when they take their first child to college. Vanderbilt University welcomed us warmly, with a handshake and a greeting from faculty resident and head of house Dr. Roger Cone and a throng of students who carried all of my son’s belongings to his room. After settling our son in his room, and meeting his roommate and his family, we enjoyed a day of festivities that allowed us to experience the campus and spend more time with our son.

On the day we were to “abandon” our son, the school hosted a breakfast, which was designed a “last meal” of sorts before we were instructed to leave our students behind and go home. I woke that morning with a heavy heart and soon had tears in my eyes; it already felt different as there were

only two of us in the hotel room. In anticipation of the dreaded goodbye my wife and arrived early to the campus to do a prayer walk. As we made our way around the campus we prayed at each building asking God for His blessing and protection for our son. We were keenly aware of our total helplessness, and through tears, we asked God to do what we could not.

Words cannot describe how hard it was for us to drive away that day. We were not only experiencing sending our first child to college, but an empty nest. We left our only child in world where he will face temptations and challenges like neither his mother nor I ever did. I am sure I don’t need to remind you that Vanderbilt hasn’t exactly presented a pro Christian stance.

The last time I felt that helpless as a parent was when we brought him home from the hospital almost eighteen years earlier. At that point I had been a youth pastor for nine

years and fully understood how messy the world is. In fact, in 1994, every four minutes a young child was sexually abused—an experience that could blight them for life. The violence and brokenness of our world overwhelmed me. How would he face the temptations of drugs and alcohol abuse, pornography, secularism etc.? I was also soberly aware of my inability as a parent and was overwhelmed by the reality that his mom and I could do little for him without God. Our little family was in desperate need of God’s grace.

As now, there were plethora of resources on parenting that gave helpful suggestions and much needed guidance to parents as they journey down the confusing path of parenthood. Sadly, the process of simply finding the right resource was overwhelming, as the opinions of the authors often contradicted each other or made brash claims that their method was

God’s way. Though helpful, these resources could not guarantee anything, and in fact some could be dangerous! Sadly, few, if any, spoke of the need for God’s providential hand in the life of our children. How did parents survive before the books, CDs and seminars?

Spend any time with me, and you’ll quickly find out that my father is my hero. I love that man more than words can express. He and my mom raised four of us in the heart of Africa where dangers of different sorts where rampant. Each of us has come to faith in Christ and experienced the grace of God in our lives. When I asked him about his parenting methodology, his humble reply was powerful. Rather than give me the ten essential steps to parenting, he implied that he wasn’t as good a parent as I made him out to be, and had made more mistakes then I recalled. His advice was simple, pray with, for and over your children.

My parents had prayed for their children from the moment they knew they were conceived. My life was covered in prayer through all the hours I spent climbing snake-infested rocks, to all the years in boarding school separated from my parents, and as I rode my Yamaha RD 350 much faster then I should have down the streets of Nairobi. They not only prayed for my welfare but for the woman I would one day marry. In fact, if you were given the opportunity to sit at their breakfast table with them today, both in their eighties, you would have the honor of hearing them still praying for each of their children and their wives, grandchildren and now great grandchildren. I am convinced that it was not because of my parents excellent parenting skills that all four of us are walking with God, but the mighty hand of God working in us through the consistent prayers of faithful parents.

The story is told of a man who had just bought his first Model T. As he was driving it one day the motor sputtered and it came to a chugging halt. Knowing nothing about these new horseless carriages he opened the hood and just stood by his vehicle. Before long a gentlemen came by and stopped. After looking over the engine for a moment, he quickly fixed the problem. The owner was amazed! “How did you know how to fix it so fast?” he asked. The tall gentlemen replied, “I am Henry Ford; I designed the car.”

God has wonderfully and beautifully designed each of our children. He has created them as complex individuals, no two are alike. Yet complex as they are, God knows them individually, he knows their name! As a matter of fact, He knows them far better than we do! Though we live in a “quick fix” society and would like God to fix every concern and hurt when we want it

done, we must learn to rely on Him and trust His timing. It appears much easier to go to a book or a counselor for a “quick fix” rather than go to the Father in prayer. Please don’t make the mistake of regarding prayer as a useless ritual, but understand it as a powerful and intimate way to ask the Father for His direct assistance. Don’t make it a last resort, but a first priority!

My wife and I made that commitment to pray for our son. In fact, I made it a ritual to put my hand on his head and pray for him and bless him every night. When I traveled, if it got late and he had not heard from me, he would call or text me and say he was ready to go to bed and wanted me to pray for him. And more than once, I stepped out of a meeting to do just that. It was that important to me! My primary time to pray for him was at night, while my wife is the early riser, and poured out her heart to the Father before he woke up each day. I cannot list

the number of ways that we have seen God answer our prayers and work in our son’s life. God has done exceedingly more than we could ever have asked or imagined! (Ephesians 3:2).

If any of us are honest with ourselves, we will admit that prayer is often extremely hard. When we sit down, we are bombarded with everything from items we need to do, to projects we forgot to do. Often when we slow down we get sleepy or distracted with thoughts that creep into our minds. Thus we have a tendency to give up on prayer. In giving up on prayer we are indirectly admitting its lack of importance to us.

With our Western “can do” mindset, we have become very self-reliant and extremely impatient! We often do not honestly feel like prayer will do any good, and are far too impatient to wait for its answer. As we look at Scripture we find it full of commands for the believer to pray. We

even see the example of Jesus Christ as He took time to talk to the Father (Matthew 14:23). Ephesians 6:18 exhorts the believer to “pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for the saints (especially the little ones in your home).” Prayer is direct communication to the Father, through Jesus Christ, and as long as that communication is open we are safe from the schemes of evil one.

James 4:2 reminds the believer that “we have not because we ask not.” Thus, James goes on to write in verse 7 of the same chapter, “submit yourselves to God.” Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us that we are to “pray continually.” It is clear that God has commanded us to pray, thus it is obvious that He uses prayer to work out His sovereign will.

As I write, I am sitting in our quiet and clean living room. Honestly, it is too quiet

and clean. I miss the tennis bag, shoes, books, and other paraphernalia that so often cluttered the room. The TV is off and there is no music playing. No interruptions. But I miss the boy that interrupted my concentration, blared music and left his junk lying around the house! Once again, I find myself at another helpless stage. It would be easy for me to write that there is nothing I can do but pray, however, as I look back I find great comfort and hope in the fact that I still have the best tool of parenting at my disposal, and it is both an honor and a comfort that God has given me the precious gift of prayer! I can no longer put my hand on his head to pray, but I still pray for him like he’s in the room and then send him a text reminding him that I prayed for him and love him more then he will ever know. In my heart, my hands are still on his head when I pray!

Regardless of where you are in your parenting journey, I hope that you will receive the gift of prayer, use it, and find peace in it. Below are some suggestions on how to pray up your children in the way they should go. Remember that, as God’s children, He loves your children more than you do! Read a book or two, but don’t take any of them too seriously. Trust me, your child does not have an owner’s manual! They are all uniquely mysterious. God designed each one that way so we would rest in Him and enjoy every minute you have with them. Please make time to pray daily for your children in at least these 12 basic areas. Then if you and I meet one another in the golden years of our lives, when all our nests are empty, we will not spend the time boasting of our parenting skills, but rather will rejoice together in the grace of God and sing from the depths of our souls the

beloved hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Amen?

1) Pray that your children will come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior early in life (Ps. 63:1; 2 Tim. 3:15).

2) Pray that your children will learn to hate sin (Ps. 97:10).

3) Pray that your children will be caught when guilty (Ps. 119:71).

4) Pray that your children will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, and physical (John 17:15).

5) Pray that your children will have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships (Dan. 6:3).

6) Pray that your children desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends (Prov. 1:10-11).

7) Pray that your children will respect those in authority over them (Rom. 13:1).

8) Pray that your children will be kept from the wrong mate, and saved for the right one (2 Cor. 6:14-17).

9) Pray that your children, as well as the one they marry, will be kept pure until marriage (1 Cor. 6:18-20).

10) Pray that your children will learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all areas of their lives (James 4:7).

11) Pray that your children will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:1-2).

12) Pray that your children will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to the wrong people or places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them (Hos. 2:6).

Robert H. Orner is Dean of Students and a guest lecturer in practical theology at

Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando,

Florida. He blogs on ministry at boborner.blogspot.com.

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___________________________________The Marriage Supper of the LambBy Ray P. Burriss

“‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. And he said to me, ‘Write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God’” (Rev. 19:6-10).

This reference in John’s Revelation is limited in meaning if a person doesn’t know about the culture concerning marriage in the

time of Christ. I’d like to share with you about the background and importance of this coming glorious supper at Jesus’ return.

In ancient Jewish culture, the marriage process began with the contract of marriage. This contract was negotiated between the families—it could be between a son’s parents and the parents of a girl, or between a prospective husband and the parents of the bride-to-be. A cup of wine was then served in a goblet to be shared between the future bride and groom, if she accepted the suitor as her potential husband.

If she did not share the wine with him, the contract was cancelled. Up until the contract was made, she did not give her opinion of him. Once this contract was approved and the wine shared between them, they would move onto the next step: betrothal.

Some compare this betrothal to being engaged—this is a wrong concept, although it may convey some of the attributes of a betrothal. A betrothal had much more meaning than an “engagement” of today. Unlike today’s engagements, which are verbal agreements between prospective spouses, the betrothal was a done deal and was legally binding. There was no changing of the mind at this point, except though divorce.

After the betrothal, the son would return to his parent’s house and start preparing for the marriage, which meant building a place for them to live. Jesus compared the time between His ascension and His return to this practice: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,

and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).

Back at the bride-to-be’s house, she would be given instructions from her mother as what would be expected of her as a wife. The common age of a new bride was in early teen years. During the betrothal period, the betrothed would not meet again until the marriage. This could be as long as 12 months, as this was the maximum amount of time allowed for the groom to prepare a place to live, although it could be a shorter amount of time.

The bride-to-be never knew ahead of time when the marriage would take place, but knew that the groom would come in the night to claim his bride. Each night she and some of her close friends would keep watch in anticipation of the groom’s arrival to take the bride-to-be to the marriage ceremony. Jesus compared His second coming to this custom in the parable of the ten virgins:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom” (Matt. 25:1).

When all was ready, the groom would take some friends and sneak up to the betrothed’s house. He would shout once he arrived, and she would join him outside with her friends and walk back to groom’s house, where the marriage ceremony was to be held. Along the way, they would be joined in this walk by anyone who wanted to be part of the procession: friends, neighbors, and even strangers.

Once in the house, the marriage ceremony took place, followed by loud shouting and seven days, or more, of feasting and more shouting. During this time, the new bride did not participate in the festivities and was “hidden”.

How does the marriage supper of the Lamb relate to us today as Christians?

Christ was able and willing to pay the price needed to make us (the Church) His bride—His atoning death by crucifixion. After paying the price required by the Father, He went to prepare a place for us. We also have the promise that if He has gone to prepare a place for us, like the potential groom in the marriage custom in the day of Christ, He will return for us.  How awesome! The whole process of the Jewish marriage and how Christ used it to illustrate the relationship between Him and His Church is very revealing to me and helps me better understand the Gospels and meaning of The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. What a blessed hope we have in the certain return of our Bridegroom—Jesus Christ! Let us heed His call to be prepared, waiting for Him with anticipation and keeping ourselves pure as a betrothed bride-to-be.

Ray P. Burriss is a retired missionary (having served in Puerto Rico) and is a

marriage and family counselor ordained by the Southern Baptist Convention.

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___________________________________Exegetically Speakingby Spiros Zodhiates

Availability of WisdomJames 1:5

From Faith, Love & Hope: An Exposition of the Epistle of James, AMG Publishers, 1997.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

We now enter upon another section of the first chapter of the book of James. The first four verses deal with the trials and temptations of life. These trials we are to face with joy, and the result of them is patience which is one of the greatest Christian virtues.

We know that it is not easy to face life with all its problems and difficult situations. We are actually unable to face it without some necessary equipment. The mason does not build a wall without bricks and mortar. You cannot imagine a carpenter working without hammer, nails, lumber, etc. James so far has spoken of the trials and temptations of life and the way in which we should face them. Their effect on us should be the development of patience and perfection.

But the most difficult thing in the world is a correct, Christian interpretation of the circumstances of life. How is it possible

for us to look on the trials and temptations of life not as enemies, but as great benefactors? How can I use, and not merely bear, the particular cross which divine Providence places on my shoulders? What is that power, what is the piece of equipment, which will enable me to take that cross and make it into a bridge to the land across the turbulent river? What you need, declares James in verse 5 of this chapter, is wisdom.

In the King James translation of James 1:5 there is a very small word which the translator missed, perhaps because it did not make good English. But the Holy Spirit put it there for a purpose and we should not ignore it. It is the little word de, which in this instance could be translated “but”. If you have in mind the verses that precede this, you will immediately understand the connection and realize the importance of the word. James takes it for

granted that his readers knew that in order rightly to interpret life they needed wisdom, divine wisdom. But if you lack that wisdom with which you should be equipped, do not be too disappointed. There is hope for you.

It may seem to you that sometimes God takes too much for granted as far as your ability and strength are concerned, that God thinks you are better equipped than you are. We know, however, what weaklings we all are. The weak among us are not the exception but the rule, so do not think that it is only the very few who need this wisdom. Many of us think ourselves wise until such time as circumstances arise which test our wisdom. The first thing, therefore, which God demands that we acknowledge as we face life is our sense of need of something that is not within us, something that originates from without, and that is wisdom. You may go out of your house without your billfold and not miss it until you need it to

pay for something. When that moment comes you will be deeply chagrined. And the next time you will see to it that you are not caught unawares. That is exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us here.

But what is “wisdom,” spoken of here as so necessary if we are to become masters of circumstances and not servants thereof? The Greek word used here is sophía. This quality is of the feminine gender. Abstract nouns are often feminine. Now remember that James is writing primarily to the Jews of the diasporá, the Jews who are dispersed throughout the known world. Life consequently was hard for them. Sophía among the Jews was primarily recognized as an attribute of God and later became identified with the Spirit of God. I believe that is what James is speaking of here. He does not speak of wisdom as the world thinks of it, but speaks of the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling every believer

and then, and only then, can the Christian be the master of circumstances. Unless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon yield to that which is about us.

Of whom are we to ask this wisdom? “Let him ask of God,” declares James. But with the name God he gives an adjective in the form of a participle. The Holy Spirit comes from God, the God whose nature it is to give. The participle which is translated “which gives” in the King James Version has the meaning of continuity. Here is a God who never ceases giving. He gives continuously. It is His nature to give even as it is the nature of the sun to send forth light and heat. So many people today have such a poor understanding of the Scriptures that they think they can have one dose of the Holy Spirit and that is plenty. Far from it. If God continuously gives, who are we to say that we shall take once and for all? As far as I am concerned, I need wisdom daily; I need

to be filled with God’s Spirit every time I have to do anything with man’s spirit.

To whom does God give this wisdom? To him who asks for it, to him who recognizes his own inability to face the circumstances of life. But why ask God for something which He already knows we need? Our prayer does not mean that God is ignorant of that which pertains to His children. It is just assuring Him that we are aware of our dependence upon Him. God will never force His Holy Spirit to indwell anyone’s heart. He only comes in as we invite Him. But He is not a respecter of persons, for our verse says that He gives this wisdom to all who will ask Him. May you be among the all. If you are, nothing will move you. You will be like Martin Luther, who, when the devil came to him and asked him to open the door of his heart so that he could come in and discuss some very important matters with him, said: “I don’t

have the keys to the door; God has them. Ask Him if you wish.” Needless to say, Satan took to his heels.

James also speaks of the manner in which God gives this wisdom, so necessary for our lives. The adverb used here is haplōs, which in the King James Version is translated “liberally.” This is one of the meanings of the Greek word. The verb from which this adverb is derived is haplóō, which means primarily “to spread out, to stretch.” James wants to tell us that we have a God whose hand is stretched forth, whose bounties are spread out before us, who has abundant provision of wisdom, and that no one is to blame if we are lacking it but ourselves. Do not be afraid that God is going to run out of wisdom because there are so many who are asking of Him. His reserves are unlimited. His provision is boundless.

But there is a second meaning to this adverb which makes my heart leap with “joy

unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8) at the wonder of God’s Word. This adverb also means “singly”. Now observe the beauty of it which leads us into the very character of God. This wordhaplōs follows immediately after the word pásin, which means “to all.” We are to ask God who gives to all. But do not for one moment think that God gives His wisdom in a collective manner, en masse. The greatest mystery of the Godhead is that He gives individual attention to men and women. Yes, He cares for all, but He cares for you, for me, in a very special and unique way. He does not give you the same amount of wisdom as he gives to your brother or your sister. Oh, no! God is a God of individual attention, of individual salvation.

When I served in the army, I disliked it primarily because in it I lost my individuality. Do you realize that there is not one exactly like you among the more than

two billion people who live upon the face of this earth? In the same way that God created everyone differently, individually, He is going to treat each born-again child of His in an individual manner. What a comfort, what an inspiration, to know that, although the eye of God is upon the whole world, His eye is particularly, singly, upon you.

And there is still a third meaning to this Greek word haplōs. It is “naturally”. James wants to point out how different the giving of God is from our giving. We have to force ourselves to give something. It is not in our nature to give, while God gives naturally. Would to God that giving with us were as natural as it is with Him. Christian, if you give and then are sorry for what you have given, that means that your giving is not God-like, natural. God is a willing giver and He wants you to be one, too. Try it and see how great will be the blessing you experience.

Many of us Christians are tempted to regard our trials and temptations as a sign of God’s displeasure. Sometimes they are, but not always. That is the meaning which the next word conveys to us. It is translated “upbraideth not.” Of course, this refers to God and His relationship to the circumstances of life. He sees us lacking many things, above all, Wisdom, the Holy Spirit. When He observes such a lack in our lives and gives us that which we need most, wisdom, He does it gently. He does not reproach us for our lack and need.

It may be likened to the case of a beggar we encounter in the street. He asks us for alms. One comes and throws a quarter into the out-stretched hand, and as he does so, he says, “You deserve what you are going through, but I’ll help you, anyway. Another man comes, who throws no more than the first one, but says, “God certainly loves you, and one reason that you are in

need is that I may have the opportunity to be a giver. I am not any better than you are, but I recognize ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35). God’s favor upon you may be as great as it is upon me. Our spiritual state cannot be measured by our temporal state of affairs.”

Such is the attitude of God when He gives. When we realize our lack of wisdom, let us not be ashamed to come to Him to ask for it. Not to have something is forgivable, but if you do not ask for that which you do not have, God can hardly forgive you. Ask, therefore; ask for wisdom; ask for the Holy Spirit, and it shall surely be given you.

Spiros Zodhiates (1922-2009) served as president of AMG International for over 40

years, was the founding editor of Pulpit Helps Magazine (Disciple’s predecessor), and authored dozens of exegetical books.

Table of Contents

___________________________________Words to Stand You on Your Feetby Joe McKeever

How to Bear Fruit That Remains

“I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16).

Years ago, I recall reading an article in the Sunday Parade magazine in which actor Dick Van Dyke was talking about his church’s youth program. They had brought in a dynamic youth minister who was soon packing in the teenagers with an exciting program. However, when he left, all the kids dropped away also. Van Dyke asked, “What good have we done if all we’ve accomplished is to tie the young people in with a minister? When he leaves, they fall away. There has to be more to our ministries than this.”

He’s right, of course. We’ve all seen splashy ministers arrive on the scene and with a rush of gimmicky programming, pull in large numbers of people. On the surface, he appears to be having great success. But when he leaves, the crowd dissipates, and the church is no better than it was when he arrived.

On the night in which He was betrayed, our Lord told His disciples in the Upper Room that He chose them and appointed them for the purpose of bearing fruit, and then added, “and that your fruit should remain.”

How do we do that? How does a minister make certain that the people he has reached for Christ are grounded and established and rooted in the Lord so that, whatever the future holds, they’re steady and faithful? What can he do to make them successful fruit-bearers themselves? Here

are some quick answers to this great question.

1) Point converts to Christ as the focus of their lives. An old minister once said, “Do not pin your religion on the preacher’s coattail. He might decide to take his coat off.” Tie them in with Jesus—in doctrine, in faith, in love, and (most of all) in obedience.

2) Establish converts in the Word. Teach the Word to them and teach them to study the Word on their own. Do that and they will remain steady, no matter what winds of doctrine blow around them or what trouble their church goes through from time to time.

3) Tie them in to the Church. I once knew a church where new converts were tied in by a single strand: their confidence in the preacher. But when that preacher left and his successor was found to be an adulterer, the church membership unraveled

and the next preacher arrived to find himself with half the previous membership but all the burdensome debt.

Had those members bonded with other believers in Sunday School classes, prayer groups, work teams, and fellowship, when the pulpit self-destructed, so to speak, they would have been able to hang tough and make it through the difficult period.

4) Teach them to pray effectively. “He was giving them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart and quit” (Luke 18:1). Pray or quit. Those seem to be the choices. If we would establish our people so solidly that they can withstand whatever gale forces blow through their lives and their church, we must help them to become people of prayer.

5) Tell them to expect difficult times. As Paul and Barnabas reached the far end of their first missionary sojourn, they decided to retrace their steps and do follow-

up work with the converts they had won. Here’s how Luke puts it: “After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the hearts of the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith, and by telling them, ‘It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:21-22).

We recall that in the parable of the soils, our Lord told how the seed sown on rocky ground may spring up and appear to be solid. However, “He has no root in himself...and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Matt. 13:21). Our task is to “root” our people in Christ, in His word, with His people, through prayer, so that they can endure whatever the enemy flings at them. Do that and their lives will be strong, their

testimonies solid, and the fruit they bear healthy and lasting.

Joe McKeever is a retired Southern Baptist pastor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He

blogs regularly at www.joemckeever.com. Table of Contents

___________________________________Living out the Living Wordby Justin Lonas

Honor and Dishonor: Godly Leaders vs. False Teachers2 Timothy 2:20-26

After warning Timothy again about the dangers of false teachers whose shoddy workmanship in studying the Word was being used by Satan to undermine the truth, Paul continues to exhort his disciple to diligence, purity, and faithfulness.

Here, Paul switches metaphors, from workmen to the dishes of a great house, to give another shade to the same message. “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2:20-21). Paul’s choice of word picture does more than simply draw a contrast between honorable and dishonorable men. A dish or vessel, whatever it is made of, is known primarily for what it holds. Vessels of honor are reserved to hold only the most precious of things, whereas vessels of dishonor are used to hold less valuable or even worthless (such as refuse) things.

In the context of challenging Timothy to hold fast to the truth of the Gospel and to

beware of false teachers, it seems that the vessels of Paul’s image, like the workmen earlier in the chapter, refer to teachers in the church rather than to church members in general. The master of the house, the Lord, delights in using those vessels which are made honorable by holding His Gospel to be poured out for His people. A dishonorable vessel then, is made dishonorable by containing falsehood. Paul tells Timothy that an honorable vessel is cleansed and set apart for the Lord to do His bidding; that is, anyone who wishes to be a teacher of God’s people and have a ministry blessed with His presence and power must first purge any teaching that is not in line with the truth of Christ.

Paul then goes on to flesh out for Timothy what that cleansing looks like: “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and pace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure

heart” (2:22). The verb for “flee” here is the same one Paul used in 1 Timothy 6:11, evoking a sharp break from sin—he does not tell Timothy to tiptoe around the temptations of youth (not just sexual lust, but the general impulsiveness of young men in any area of life) but to run for his life at top speed. Holiness is more than just striving to escape sin, however, and Paul as always offers a positive command in conjunction with the negative (“put off”; “put on”). He tells Timothy to pursue the character of godliness; to run towards righteousness with just as much vigor as he was to run away from sin. Moreover, he is to do his fleeing and pursuing in the company of other sincere believers seeking to honor God together. The battle for holiness and truth is not one we must fight alone; the support and accountability of a church family is critical as we seek to grow in righteousness.

Returning to his warning from verses 14 (“not to wrangle about words”) and 16 (“avoid worldly and empty chatter”), Paul again warns Timothy to guard his words carefully: “But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels” (2:23). In 1 Timothy 1:4, he contrasts such “mere speculation” with “furthering the administration of God which is by faith.” The false teachers who continued to bedevil the church at Ephesus were not teaching the truth of God, but rather relying on their own ideas and thereby destroying the unity of the body.

Whenever we trust in our own intuition rather than the truth of Scripture to speak to issues in the church, we drift further and further from that solid foundation and threaten to collapse entirely. Once we are standing only on our own opinions, we naturally become at odds with others in the church, creating factionalism and infighting

that mar our witness to the watching world. As John Stott put it, “The combination of unbiblical speculations and uncharitable polemics has done great damage to the cause of Christ.”

Paul often called himself God’s “bondservant”, and here applies the same title to Timothy (and by extension, to all who serve the church as leaders and teachers) with an exhortation to live out the complete opposite of the parallel sins of speculation and quarrelling: “The Lord’s bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth” (2:24-25). The qualities he lists here spell out the contrast between God-honoring leaders and false teachers. Rather than bickering, a servant leader is to be kind. Rather than preaching from the soapbox of

his own opinion, he is to be able to teach the truth. Rather than having a thin skin for criticism, he is to endure opposition with grace and trust in God’s judgments. Rather than lashing out at those in the wrong, even from the standpoint of truth, he is to gently show them their errors while working and praying for their repentance and return to God’s Word.

Such is the calling of ministry. The fruits of the Spirit should abound in the work and words of the man God puts into service for His Church. Of course, this character comes only by God’s grace working in our hearts. Paul’s last words in this chapter show a sympathy for those who are following after falsehood. This comes from a right understanding that, were it not for God’s work in his own life, he could be just as wrong: “and they may come to their sense and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do

his will” (2:26). There is always a place for bold contention for the Gospel, but the target of such blows is always the willful false teacher, never those sheep whom he has led astray. We must recognize that unbelievers and deceived Christians deserve compassionate pleading rather than attacks; they are in bondage to Satan, the real enemy of God and His Church.

Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine for AMG International in Chattanooga,

Tennessee.Table of Contents

___________________________________Following Godby Wayne Barber

God Reveals His Will to Those Willing to Obey

Editor’s note: After 15 years writing for Pulpit Helps and Disciple, Wayne has decided to bring His “Following God” column to an end. We will continue to run his articles from our archives until we find another columnist to take on this column. We are very grateful to Brother Wayne for his years of faithful service through writing, but also for the many ways he has served and continues to serve with AMG International: as co-host of the New Testament Light television program with Spiros Zodhiates, a guest speaker at numerous events and conferences, a pastor-training volunteer in numerous countries around the world, and author of books for AMG Publishers.

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, August 2003.

God’s will is not mystical. Walking with God is a joy and He reveals His will to

us to the degree we are willing to receive it. The key to walking with God is being willing to do what He says to do, even when God chooses to use a bad circumstance to say it.

As we follow Paul’s journey of discerning God’s will for him through some tough circumstances, we have watched as God showed him that His ways were not Paul’s ways. Paul wanted so much to go back into Asia and preach where he had preached on his first journey, but the Holy Spirit had other ideas. Then we saw how God showed Paul that His wisdom is so much greater than Paul’s wisdom. God brought him right to Troas, where it was clearly revealed to Paul that God wanted him in Macedonia.

It is so exciting to watch how God’s wisdom is also revealed in the fact that God’s world is always much greater than our world. In Acts 16:10 we see Paul’s absolute willingness to obey God. Luke writes: “when

he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Note the word “immediately”. It comes from the Greek word euthús (or euthéōs, which is often used interchangeably in the mss.). Euthús means “straight forward, without any hesitation.” It is interesting that the verb is plural: “We sought to go into Macedonia.” Others besides Luke were with Paul, but there is no hesitation or disagreement with Paul’s decision. This is leadership. We follow Him, they will follow us!

Secondly, note the word “conclude”—sumbibázō. This word shows that the vision was not the only thing that settled it in their minds that they were to go to Macedonia. Sumbibázo is from sún, meaning “together with, that which causes something to be cohesive,” and bibázō, meaning “to cause to

come together.” Combining the words gives emphasis to the joint meaning, and we could translate it as “when things finally come together.”

The fact that they couldn’t get into Phyrgia and Bithynia was a major piece of the puzzle! Then they had to factor in the vision that God had given. It wasn’t just the pizza that they had had the night before! Summarizing it all, they “concluded” that they needed to go to Macedonia.

“So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis and from there to Philippi…” (vv. 11-12). Philippi was the first city in which a church was established in Europe. The man from Macedonia was Europe standing and pleading for the Gospel in a figurative way. Paul had a simple province on his mind but God had the world on His.

God’s world is always bigger than our world if we will just allow His wisdom to change our course in life. But aren’t we funny people? How frustrated we get when it appears God has not accepted our agenda.

Years ago, I was hunting deer in a Louisiana swamp. The swamp looked the same in every direction, so the leaders gave us each a compass to find our way back.

I didn’t need a compass! I might get lost in a mall but not in the woods. But they insisted, so I took the compass and headed off into the swamp. I walked and walked, slowly stalking through the woods. After about three hours, having seen a few deer but no bucks, I thought that I’d better be heading back to the Jeep.

I was not about to use the compass! I walked in what I was sure was the right direction, and walked right into a creek. Oops! I hadn’t seen a creek all day. Then I walked in the opposite direction and ran into

the creek again! It seemed like I was surrounded by that creek. Finally I had to get my compass out, which was preset to take me to the Jeep. Then I walked very deliberately in the direction it indicated—and to make a long story short, I walked right to the Jeep! I could almost hear God say, “Hey, you aren’t as smart as you thought, are you?”

If we would just allow God to lead us through His Word; willing to do whatever He tells us; we would discover that His ways are so much better than ours! His wisdom is so much better than ours! And His world is bigger than our world, always!

Wayne Barber is senior pastor of Woodland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga,

Tennessee.Table of Contents

___________________________________Points to Ponderby David L. Olford

The Faith-Full Life

Text: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

Thought: This is the time of year for graduations, commencement exercises and new beginnings. Often there are questions concerning the next steps in life and future plans. These wise and instructive words (above) from the Book of Proverbs direct us to trust the Lord every step of the way. But these well-known verses from Proverbs are not just for people starting a new chapter in life; they are counsel for all of us who want

to walk with the Lord and experience His leading in our lives.

The outline below is very similar to one my father used to share when he would present truths from this classic text. Being that this chapter in Proverbs begins with the words “My son, do not forget my teaching…” (Prov. 3:1), I think it is fitting to pass on a slightly different version of the instruction my father shared with me and many others. Notice what the wise and faith-full life involves.

I. A Definite Decision to Trust (“Trust in the Lord…and do not lean…”)

We are called to a type or level of trust that is not casual. We do not drift into an “all your heart” trust. This kind of trust involves a definite decision that we make initially and continually. It is such a strong personal commitment that it calls for a rejection of even a natural reliance on our

own way of thinking (not aided by God Himself). We trust the Lord because of who He has revealed Himself to be (trustworthy), and because He has revealed His will and ways to us in His Word.

This is not some blind trust against all human wisdom, it is a trust in the God who is the source of wisdom and knowledge. As Christians today we have the new covenant revelation that has come to us in Jesus Christ as well as all the blessings that are ours in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. As new covenant Christians we are still called to the life of faith, and this faith requires a definite decision on our part daily. The wise person will choose to trust the Lord completely and continuously.

II. A Dynamic Devotion Expressing Trust (“…in all your ways acknowledge him…”)

Flowing out of the decision to trust the Lord completely should be a daily

devotion to the Lord. This devotion is not a few minutes of Bible reading and prayer, good as these disciplines are. The writer of this proverb is speaking of an acknowledgment of God in every aspect and arena of life. That is why we speak of this devotion as being “dynamic,” it is a pulsating devotion throughout our activities and relationships. The life of faith sees God in all aspects of life and serves God in every activity of life. The “all your heart” trust leads to an “in all your ways” acknowledgement of God. All of life becomes worship and service to the God who is worthy of our heartfelt trust.

III. A Divine Direction for Trust (“…and he will make straight your paths”)

There is a certainty about these words. It is not a certainty about wealth, ease, or worldly success in life. The certainty is about God’s involvement and

direction in the life of the faithful child of God who lives according to the directives shared in the earlier part of our text. The one who chooses to trust the Lord completely and acknowledge Him continually will know God’s specific involvement in his life, and this involvement will be that of enabling progress and direction in the life of righteousness.

The Lord will “make straight” the way, meaning that the child of God will be able to walk rightly and in the right direction. This is not just a promise to be guided in a job or career, although these are important aspects of our daily lives, the direction of the Lord has a moral dimension to it. God will make sure that we walk in the right path, and will guide and protect us as we go. What an expectation for the child of God who wants to do God’s will in the future!

Thrust: “Trust in the Lord!”

David L. Olford teaches expository preaching at Union University’s Stephen

Olford Center in Memphis, Tennessee. Table of Contents

___________________________________Jewels from Past Giants

Waiting and Strength—Part 1 of 2George H. Morrison

From a sermon by Morrison reproduced in the 1907 book Great Texts of the Old Testament.

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31).

These words of the prophet were primarily written to comfort the Israelites in exile. A gloom had settled down upon their spirits; they thought they were forsaken by their God. No longer was He concerned about their welfare; no more was He watching them with love and pity. “My way is hid from the Lord,” they said in Babylon, “and my judgment is passed over from my God.”

It was to strengthen these desponding exiles that the chapter with its promises was given. They were recalled to such a view of God as even in Babylon would make them strong. For He was the Creator of the ends of the earth—and at the ends of the earth they were in exile; and He faints not, neither is weary—therefore they need not think He would grow tired of them; and there is no searching of His understanding—can they not trust in the light beyond the cloud?

And then the message closes full in this, that He who faints not, empowers the faint. Let them not wonder if by the waters of far Babylon even the youths should be weary and should fall. But “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

It is on these words, then, in their spiritual application that I wish to speak for a little while, and I may handle the message of the text as follows: 1) What is meant by waiting upon God? 2) How does waiting upon God renew our strength? 3) How does this renewed strength reveal itself?

I. What Is Meant by Waiting upon God?Now, the first thing we must imprint

upon our minds is that waiting is not an idle and impassive thing. When the Bible speaks of waiting upon God, it means something

different from doing nothing. We commonly contrast waiting with working, and there is a sense in which the contrast is a just one; but if it leads us to think that waiting is not working, it has done wrong to a great Bible word. Think, for example, of the Cabinet minister whose duty it is to wait upon the king. Is that an idle or a sauntering business? Can it be entered on without a thought? Will it not rather claim the whole attention, and make the statesman eager and alert? For him, at any rate, waiting is not idleness; rather is it the crown of all his toil.

I have heard soldiers say that in a battle the hardest thing is not the final rush. In that wild moment a man forgets himself and is caught into a mad tumult of enthusiasm. The hardest thing is to stand quiet and wait, while the hail of the enemy’s fire is whistling round—to wait in the darkness and in the face of death, and be forbidden to return the fire. It is that which

tries the nerves and tests the heart. It is that which shows the stuff that men are made of. In such an hour a man is not asleep—he is intensely and tremendously alive. And I mention that to show how the word waiting does not describe a dull or sluggish state, but is compatible with ardent feelings, and with a spirit that is burning at its brightest.

Brethren, it is such thoughts as these that we must import into waiting upon God. To wait upon God is not to be inactive. It is not a state of spiritual torpor. It tests a man—shows what is in his heart—calls his whole being into high vitality. Never was life so strenuous as Christ’s, and the whole of it was a waiting upon God.

Now, let me try to distinguish some of the elements that lie in the thought of waiting upon God; and the first and most conspicuous is dependence. As the newborn child waits upon its mother, just because without its mother it would die; as

the patient waits the coming of the surgeon, because in him the hope of life is centered; so, when a man is said to wait on God, it means that he is dependent upon God, and that he has been wakened by the Holy Spirit to realize that he is thus dependent.

It is true there is a broad and general sense in which all created beings wait on God. “The eyes of all things living wait on thee,” says the psalmist in one of the choicest of the Psalms. Just as the earth waits upon the sun that she may be vestured in her summer glory; just as the ocean waits upon the moon that she may be drawn to the fullness of her tides; so every bird that sings, and beast that ravens, and every wretch who curses and blasphemes, is moment by moment waiting upon God. That is a scriptural meaning of the word; but that is not the meaning of our text. Here the dependence is felt and realized. The soul delights herself in leaning hard. And just as

we consciously depend on God for pardon, for sanctification, yes, for everything—just in that measure do we learn the secret of waiting upon Him.

Again, at the heart of waiting is obedience. To “wait on” is another term for service. As the eyes of a servant wait upon her mistress, so, says the Scripture, does man wait on God. There is a waiting which is little else than flattery, as many a courtier waits upon his monarch; but God abhors the waiting of the lip, if there is not at the back of it the waiting will.

One of the noblest instances of waiting is in the oft-told tale of Casabianca. We have been familiar since our childhood with the story of the boy who “stood upon the burning deck,” And it was not recklessness that kept him there, nor any insensate passion for red martyrdom. He waited because he thought that in waiting he was obedient to his father’s word.

Brethren, are we not often tempted to narrow down the great words of the Bible? Are there not many for whom waiting upon God means little else than the exercise of prayer? Just as the Roman Catholics have taken the great word “discipline” and narrowed it to the penitential scourge, so Protestants have taken waiting upon God, and robbed it of every meaning except prayer. Now, far be it from me even to suggest that without prayer we can truly wait on God. Whenever we pray, then do we wait on God, and waiting is never so blest as when we pray. But I want you to learn that waiting upon God must never be confined to prayer alone. The root idea of it is not devotion. The root idea of waiting is obedience.

We wait on God when we seek to do God’s will, when we say “Not my will, but Thine be done.” We wait on God when we do a kindly deed, and do it in the name of

Jesus Christ. When we give a cup of cold water to the thirsty, when we pay a visit of comfort to the sick, when we teach our little class for Jesus’ sake, when we hold out a helping hand to any brother, in all that ministry, however humble, we are most truly waiting upon God. The servant in the kitchen waits on God when for Christ’s sake she does her duty faithfully. The mistress in the drawing-room waits on God when for Christ’s sake she is a lady to her servants. The eager man of business waits on God when he prays for strength to abhor that which is evil. The husband in the home waits upon God when he is true and tender to his wife. To wait upon the Lord is to obey. What else doth the Lord thy God require of thee? And when the obedience is all steeped in prayer, then it is waiting upon God indeed.

But there is one other element we can distinguish. It is not obedience, it is love. For as love is the source of all the

finest work, so it is the secret of the finest waiting. Jacob waited for Rachel seven years, and they seemed but a few days for the great love he bore for her. He was strong to wait when others would have wearied, and he was strong because he loved her so. What makes the mother wait upon her child, and start from her pillow when she hears it cry? What makes her wait on it with tireless patience, when it frets and tosses in some childish fever? Ah, sirs, I need not tell you what—you know that the secret is a mother’s love.

Now, as it is with our waiting upon others, so is it with our waiting upon God. Unless we love Him with our heart and soul, our waiting on Him is a shallow thing. And therefore it is that in a Christian’s waiting there is a depth and fullness never known before, for love to God is a new thing altogether when once we have looked on the face of Jesus Christ. Who, then, are

those who wait on God? They are those whose life is strenuous and full. They are those who consciously depend on God. They are those who make it their life-work to obey Him. Above all, they are those who have been wakened to feel the wonder of God’s love in Christ, and who love Him because He first loved them.

George H. Morrison (1866-1928) assisted the great Alexander Whyte in Edinburgh, he pastored two churches, and then became a

pastor in 1902 of the distinguished Wellington Church on University Avenue in

Glasgow. His preaching drew great crowds; in fact, people had to line up an hour before

the services to be sure to get seats in the large auditorium. Morrison was a master of imagination in preaching, yet his messages

were solidly biblical. He is perhaps best remembered for the volume of his sermons

published under the title Highways of the Heart. Table of Contents

___________________________________Counselor’s Cornerby James Rudy Gray

Truth and Confidentiality

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, June 2006.

It has been said that when a burden is shared it becomes half a burden. I am not sure of the validity of that statement, but I do know that when emotionally distressed persons can genuinely share their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment, they usually feel better.

Confidentiality is a vital trust in the counseling process that must be protected. When counselees feel they can share what is on their heart with a counselor who can be

trusted, the outcome is almost always much more positive and successful. Confidence should not be broken. A counselee should not become the subject of stories among peers or illustrations in sermons.

The agreement to keep private what is promised to be kept private is an essential act of trust. However, confidentiality does have its limits. When clients are involved in something illegal or harmful to themselves or others, intervention takes priority over confidentiality. One of the most obvious examples of this would be in the case of child abuse. A counselor should report abuse of this nature because it is both a legal requirement and a moral responsibility. There are many other examples that could be used, but the key to remember is that an agreement to confidentiality is not an absolutely binding commitment.

A person who comes to a pastor or counselor for help is in a position of

vulnerability. That position should not be compromised by unethical or immoral practices. Still, a counselee could sometimes be helped more effectively if confidentiality is sacrificed in order to more appropriately help a client or someone at risk because of the counselee’s actions.

Beyond the basic issue of confidentiality is the whole question of honesty. The Bible teaches us that we should be the truth in love. It is important how we say something, but it is critical that we speak the truth! Counseling, to a large degree, is about helping people move toward health and wholeness through the dynamic of hope. Counselors do have influence on their clients. We should never resort to deceit or dishonesty in order to offer a struggling counselee a false sense of hope. Quick fixes rarely work. Truth-based counseling is decidedly better than the best alternative.

Truth and confidentiality do not contradict each other in the counseling endeavor. Rather, they complement each other. Good Christian counseling will keep confidential what is shared as long as the greatest help and the least amount of hurt is achieved.

A powerful and important part of the foundation of counseling is truth. Confidentiality is the means of assuring our counselees that we as counselors can be trusted. In order to be truthful, we should inform our counselees that our commitment to confidentiality has limitations. In order to be helpful, our clients must be encouraged to share the truth with us. Even if this causes difficulty and pain, it is a path that potentially leads to the best kind of mental health and emotional healing.

Jesus taught us that He is the truth. His Word is truth. God’s people should be people who build their lives on truth, learn

the truth, and speak the truth. The truth, Jesus said, would set us free. Real freedom of the soul is not the right to justify wrong behavior but the power to do what is right. We can know what is right because we can know truth. Our God of truth does not give us error. He does not put us in bondage but delivers us into freedom. Freedom cannot be divorced from God’s truth.

Truth is absolute but confidentiality in counseling is contextual. Our goal as counselors is help our clients change from distress to freedom. We should honor confidentiality and only break it when the greater health of our counselee is at stake.

James Rudy Gray is certified as a professional counselor by the National

Board for Certified Counselors, and is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He serves as the editor of The Baptist Courier, the official

newspaper of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Table of Contents

___________________________________The Story behind the Songby Lindsay Terry

While Lightning FlashedSong: “How Great Thou Art”

“O Lord, how great are Thy works!” (Ps. 92:5).

“How Great Thou Art” is loved by followers of contemporary worship music (at the time of writing it is number twenty-seven on the CCLI Top 100 Songs list), by people who favor traditional Christian music, and by those who love Southern Gospel. It has been recorded by thousands of singers—some in all three categories.

I have learned about it from extensive research and from a personal friend, Victor

Nischick, who visited the home of the English missionary who brought the song to the English-speaking world.

The life of this great hymn began in 1886 on an estate in southern Sweden. A young preacher, Carl Boberg, was caught in a thunderstorm while strolling across the beautiful grounds. He was in awe as he watched the sky go from gray to black and then back to a beautiful blue again.

He later put his response to this display of nature in the form of a poem that he titled “O Store Gud” (“O Great God”)—a poem of adoration and praise. It was then set to a Swedish folk tune. In 1907, Manfred von Glehn translated it into German, and five years later a Russian pastor, Reverend Ivan Prokhanoff, translated it into the Russian language.

English missionary Stuart Hine was born in 1899, in Hammersmith Grove, a small hamlet in England, and was dedicated

to the Lord by his parents in a Salvation Army meeting. He was led to Christ by Madame Annie Ryall, on February 22, 1914, and was baptized shortly thereafter.

In 1931, Hine and his young wife went as missionaries to the Carpathian area of Eastern Europe, then a part of Czechoslovakia, today in Ukraine. There they heard a very meaningful hymn that happened to be a Russian translation of Carl Boberg’s Swedish song.

Hine found himself in a thunderstorm one day as he strolled through the Carpathian Mountains. While the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled through the mountain range, his mind went to the Russian hymn that he had heard. English verses began to form in his mind, verses that were suggested by portions of the Russian translation. He wrote a second verse sometime later as he roamed through the forests of Romania with some of the

young people of that region. He completed a third verse before returning to England.

Stuart Hine and David Griffiths visited a camp in Sussex, England, in 1948, where displaced Russians were being held. Only two in the whole camp were true Christians and would profess their belief. The testimony of one of them, and Hine’s anticipation of the second coming of Christ, inspired him to write the fourth stanza of his English version of the hymn.

Hine wrote a book titled Not You, but God that presents two additional, optional verses that he copyrighted in 1953 as a translation of the Russian version. Dr. J. Edwin Orr introduced Hine’s “How Great Thou Art” in the United States in 1954. Three years later it began its orbit around the world by way of the Billy Graham New York Crusade.

In my possession is a prized copy of “How Great Thou Art” in the Russian

language. All four of the men who helped bring us this song—Boberg the Swede, Von Glehn the German, Prokhanoff the Russian, and Hine the Englishman—carefully preserved the awesome message of the song. I personally held a letter in my hand from Hine’s daughter, Sonia, dated March 16, 1989, which contained the somber news that Stuart Hine had died peacefully in his sleep two days before. He was ninety-two years of age. His memorial service was held at the Gospel Hall on Martello Road, Walton-on-Naze, Essex, England. Thus in quiet dignity ended the life on earth of a man whose long years had been dedicated to serving the Lord.

God’s majestic creations all testify to God’s greatness. As we look around us at the things He has made, we, too, stand in awe of the Creator, the Power of all the universe. And just think—this great God sent His Son to die for our sins and has chosen

to live in my heart and yours and in all who have accepted his gift of love, making Christ Lord in their lives.

© 2008 by Lindsay Terry. Used by permission.

Lindsay Terry has been a song historian for more than 40 years, and has written widely

on the background of great hymns and worship songs including the books I Could

Sing of Your Love Forever (2008), from which this piece is excerpted, and The

Sacrifice of Praise (2002). Table of Contents

___________________________________Church Buildersby Bernard R. DeRemer

George Coles Stebbins: Hymn Writer

George Coles Stebbins (1846-1945), born near East Carleton, N.Y., was educated in public schools and an academy at Albany.

He moved to Chicago as a young man and worked for the Lyon & Healy Music Co. Then he became director of music at the First Baptist Church and was a charter member of the famous Apollo Club. During his time in Chicago he became acquainted with Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey and also with Philip Paul Bliss and Major D. W. Whittle, both of whom early joined the great evangelistic movement inaugurated by Moody.

In 1874 he went to Boston and led singing in A.J. Gordon’s church. Later he served as music director of Tremont Temple. In the summer of 1876, Stebbins visited Moody and was persuaded by him to enter into evangelistic work. He agreed, and served Moody and Sankey by organizing the

great choirs for many of their evangelistic meetings.

Stebbins had married Elma Miller before moving to Chicago. When he began his evangelistic work, she became actively involved, assisting him most efficiently in his singing, besides conducting meetings and giving Bible readings for ladies.

In 1890, Stebbins, Elma, and their son accompanied George F. Pentecost to India for an outreach to the English-speaking people there. During this trip, they led music and singing in many major cities, doing the same in several cities of the Middle East and Europe during their return trip.

In addition to this work, Stebbins was frequently engaged to lead the singing at international and state conventions of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), Sunday schools, Christian Endeavor, and other religious gatherings.

Perhaps his most lasting legacy is as a hymn-writer and music editor. Stebbins composed more than 1,500 hymns and gospel songs. With Ira D. Sankey and James McGranahan he co-edited many widely used hymn books including Gospel Hymns.

His many numbers include “Some Day the Silver Cord Will Break”, “Saved By Grace”, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”, “Take Time to Be Holy”, “Jesus, I Come”, “Ye Must Be Born Again”, “Jesus Is Tenderly Calling”, “Must I Go And Empty-handed?”, “Throw out the Life Line”, and “Saviour, Breathe An Evening Blessing”.

His remarkable music career was “equaled by few, excelled by none, singing, leading choirs and congregations, composing, and working with most of the leading evangelistic workers of his generation over a period of nearly 50 years.” He was a leading music figure “in the great

evangelistic campaigns at home and abroad.”

“With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Ps. 91:16).

Bernard R. DeRemer chronicled the lives of dozens of heroes of the faith in more than a decade of writing for Pulpit Helps Magazine.

He continues to serve in this capacity as a volunteer contributor to Disciple. He lives in

West Liberty, Ohio.

References: Who Was Who in Church History, by Elgin S. Moyer, excerpts used by permission of Moody Publishers; Wikipedia “George Cole Stebbins”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Stebbins.

Table of Contents

___________________________________Advancing the Ministries of the

Gospel

Jesus Touched Lepers, and You Can TooBy AMG International Staff

In Jesus’ day, leprosy was a physical and social “death sentence.” The incurable disease stripped its victims of dignity, relationships and prosperity. Jews would not go anywhere near leprosy victims, requiring them to shout out “unclean” as they walked.

Jesus, however, showed that God’s love extended beyond such boundaries, reaching even the lowest of the low. As Jesus, surrounded by a crowd of followers, came down from the hillside where He gave the Sermon on the Mount, “Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. ‘Lord,’ the man said, ‘if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.’ Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ And

instantly the leprosy disappeared” (Matt. 8:2-3).

That man had probably not been touched by another person since he first discovered his illness—Jesus’ touching a leper would have been almost as astonishing as healing him, both to the man and to the crowd.

While leprosy has been mostly eradicated from the West through antibiotics, thousands still suffer from this disease in developing countries. Particularly in India, the stigma attached to leprosy still runs strong, leaving its victims as impoverished outcasts.

For decades, AMG India International has endeavored to follow Christ’s example by touching leprosy victims with food, medical care, and the eternal healing of the Gospel. It is an outreach that truly makes a difference to some of the most unfortunate people on the face of the earth.

AMG India’s director, Arun Kumar Mohanty, explains how this work is carried out: “AMG believes we are doing God’s will by taking care of thousands of lepers in Chilakaluripet, Rajamundry, and Visakhapatnam areas. They are shunned by society and forced to form leper colonies, and their children are not allowed in local schools. AMG has started leprosy relief and rehabilitation projects and their children are offered an education. AMG also shares the Gospel every time we visit a leper colony and many victims have found hope of eternal life in accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior.”

Among leprosy’s scourges are severe cataracts, often resulting in a victim’s blindness. To help with this, AMG India operates the Kadyum Eye Hospital to compassionately restore sight. Patients are treated for all manner of vision problems,

and medicines and glasses are made available at no cost if needed.  As a result, patients regain their lost sight, enabling them to return to normal life and work with confidence.

Tim Schoap, a pastor from Tennessee, recently visited AMG’s leprosy ministry while participating in this year’s Hope for India conventions. He shares the following testimony:

“I had the privilege of seeing AMG India’s ministry to men and women afflicted by leprosy first hand…an incredibly challenging, humbling, and ultimately encouraging experience.

“Leprosy is a terrible disease, destroying the body bit by bit. At the Valley of Love and Bethesda leprosy centers, many men and women had only stubs of hands, feet, or arms. Some were terribly deformed in ways that pass description.

“I saw God’s care for these people poured out in very tangible ways: human contact without flinching or complexity, food so they wouldn’t have to beg, God’s Word preached and a place to worship, schools for their children. Their response was summed up by an ancient woman, disfigured, blind, so hunched over she appeared no bigger than a child, who, upon being given a small bag of oranges, responded with a song about Jesus’ faithfulness to her when everyone else had abandoned her.

“AMG India is doing world-class work, truly giving the Gospel wings in a country that is generally hostile to it. They are reaching out to the neediest of the needy, being the church to the outcasts of India. There is no greater testimony to the power of the Gospel.”

We at AMG believe true ministry often consists of serving those who could

never repay the service they receive, just as Christ served us by sacrificing Himself for our sins. Ministry to leprosy victims is a perfect example of this work—the service they receive is a pure blessing to them, and is an ongoing work with outcomes that are not always seen in this life. The value of each of these souls to Christ, however, is eternal.

To learn more about AMG’s ministries around the world and how you can provide

life-changing medical care and other services to leprosy victims, please visit

www.amginternational.org or call 1-800-251-7206.

Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel (AMG) International is a non-

denominational, international missions agency based in Chattanooga, Tenn. AMG’s

distinctive has always been its reliance on

national workers to carry the Gospel in their own cultures. Today, they operate ministries

in over 40 countries around the world through partnership with national believers.

Table of Contents

___________________________________Marks of the Masterby the Old Scot

The Balances of Life

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, January 2008.

The more we learn about the conditions under which life is possible, the more remarkable it seems that life as we know it can exist at all. Consider, for example, some of the many delicate balances in nature which are vital for life on earth:

The distance of our Earth from the Sun is one of those balance points. Were the Earth as much as 5 percent closer to the Sun, or merely 1 percent further away, scientists calculate that life here would be impossible. The dangers, they believe, would come from a run-away “greenhouse” effect if we were too close, or run-away glaciation if we were too far away.

Just as greenhouses accumulate heat under a shelter, so it is believed that a closer Earth would have built up a thick atmosphere and a high-temperature surface—as indeed our neighboring planet Venus has done.

While current popular speculation dwells on planetary warming, we should not forget the evidence that the Earth survived a major crisis some thousands of years ago, when glaciers overspread about 10 percent of the globe’s land. “Some estimates indicate that the high was within one-tenth of

a degree (F) in average temperature from becoming too glaciated for life to continue,” according to a popular science writer.

But there are many other critical balance points. For example, it is estimated that if the Earth rotated on its axis at much less than its actual 1,000 miles per hour, each segment would successively be exposed too long to the Sun’s heat—followed by too long a deprivation of heat—and would therefore burn and freeze in daily succession. Vegetation could hardly survive in such a condition.

Again, if our Moon were much closer to our Earth, its tidal force would cause twice-daily flooding of much of Earth’s land surfaces.

Still another critical balance point is the depth of our atmosphere. If it were much thinner, many of the meteorites which constantly bombard the Earth would blaze through to the surface, starting fires and

causing other great damage. As it is, the vast proportion burn up harmlessly in the air.

There is another type of bombardment from space, of which we are hardly aware—for cosmic rays are invisible and undetectable by our un-aided senses. Yet life would probably be impossible if we were not protected from their deadly effect by the thin layer of ozone in our upper atmosphere.

Still another balance point is the wonderful relationship between plant and animal life, which provides just the right amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air. Animal life must have oxygen to breathe, and then exhales carbon dioxide as a waste product. Plants require this carbon dioxide to support their life processes, and give off surplus oxygen in return. If it were not for this marvelous replenishment of each substance, neither the plant nor animal kingdom could long continue.

Also contributing to this essential balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide is the amount of water in our oceans and seas. It has been estimated that if they were a few feet deeper than they are, the greater volume of water would absorb so much of both the oxygen and carbon dioxide from the air that life could scarcely exist.

On the other hand, we are dependent upon the oceans not only as a vital source of water vapor for rain but also upon their capacity to store and distribute heat, thus greatly moderating extremes of weather around the world.

These are only some of the critical balance points which make life on Earth possible. What are the chances that all these “just happened”? Probably not nearly as good as the chances of a tornado accidentally assembling all the thousands of parts of a modern jet airliner, merely by

blowing across a junk yard which contained all the parts at random!

All are free to believe in that sort of statistical monstrosity if they wish. But we believe the evidence clearly shows that life is not an accident at all, but the deliberate creation of One who knew exactly what He was doing. If we think on this, we will be led to “stand still and consider the wondrous works of God” (Job 37:14).

The Old Scot (Ted Kyle) served as managing editor for Pulpit Helps magazine

(Disciple’s predecessor publication) from 1993-2008. He was always fascinated by the natural world, and readily saw God’s

hand in every detail. Ted went to be with His Creator and Savior in April 2013.

Sources: The Coattails of God, Robert M. Powers, Warner Communications, N.Y., 1981, pp. 106-107; A. Cressy Morrison,

former president of the New York Academy of Science, quoted in a church bulletin; Illustration borrowed from Astronomer Fred Hoyle, used in a sermon by David Brink, Duke Street Church of Christ, Portland, Oregon, in 1985.

Table of Contents

___________________________________Book Review—5/20/13

Recent Releases

Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength, J. I. Packer, 2013, Crossway, Wheaton, Ill., ISBN 9781433536830, 128 pages, $14.99, printed hardcover.

For Christians, weakness should be a way of life. Yet most of us try desperately to be sufficient on our own, and we resent our limitations and our needs. Renowned Bible

scholar and theologian J. I. Packer reflects here on his experience of weakness—having been hit by a bread truck at a young age and now facing the realities of aging—in order to teach us the importance of embracing our own frailty, and also to help us look to Christ for strength, affirmation, and contentment. Find here a path from discouragement to freedom in light of our all-sufficient God.

Name above All Names, Alistair Begg and Sinclair Ferguson, 2013, Crossway, Wheaton, Ill. ISBN 9781433537752, 192 pages, $19.99, hardcover.

Jesus Christ has been given the name above all names, the highest seat of honor, the right to reign and rule. Yet the busyness of our lives and the diversions of this world often distract us from knowing the most important person we could ever know.

Perhaps we need some help to see Jesus afresh.

In this thoughtful study and worshipful reflection, two influential pastors draw on decades of pastoral experience in order to guide us through the whole sweep of Scripture and examine seven key qualities of Jesus’s identity and ministry to help readers see and meditate on the incomparable character of Christ—a spiritual exercise that enables us to readily respond to the exhortations of Scripture, to focus our gaze upon the King of kings, and to better understand just how great Jesus really is.

Recovering Classic Evangelicalism: Applying the Wisdom and Vision of Carl F. H. Henry, Gregory A. Thornbury, 2013, Crossway, Wheaton, Ill., ISBN 9781433530623, 224 pages, $17.99, softcover.

Once upon a time, evangelicalism was a countercultural upstart movement, positioned in between mainline denominational liberalism and reactionary fundamentalism. Evangelicals saw themselves as evangelists to all of culture. Surveying the current evangelical landscape, however, one gets the feeling that we’re backpedaling quickly. We are more theologically diffuse, culturally gun-shy, and fragmented than ever before. What has happened? And how do we find our way back?

Using the life and work of Carl F. H. Henry as a key to evangelicalism’s past and a cipher for its future, Thornbury’s book provides crucial insights for a renewed vision of the church’s place in modern society and charts a refreshing course toward unity under the banner of “classic evangelicalism.”

Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation, Anthony J. Carter, 2013, Reformation Trust, Lake Mary, Fla., ISBN 9781567693140, 139 pages, $15.00, printed hardcover.

Christians often sing and preach about the blessed blood of Christ and the wonderful things it accomplishes for believers. To the uninformed ear, such language can convey the idea that Jesus’ blood had semi-magical qualities. Actually, Jesus’ blood was normal human blood, but the Bible refers to it in metaphorical terms to portray the benefits that come to Christians by Christ’s death.

Carter traces this theme through the New Testament, showing how the biblical writers used the powerful metaphor of the blood of Jesus to help Christians grasp the treasures Jesus secured for them in His death on the cross. In doing so, he provides

a fresh perspective on the atonement Jesus made.

What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur’an, James R. White, 2013, Bethany House, Bloomington, Minn., ISBN 9780764209765, 311 pages, $16.99, softcover.

Relying on the media and politicians to tell us what Muslims believe isn’t going to cut it. Christians need to be better informed, whether the goal is to understand global politics or to talk to a Muslim neighbor across the street.

Through fair and accurate use of the Qur’an and other documents, White examines what Muslim sacred texts teach about Christ, salvation, the Trinity, the afterlife, and other crucial topics. This book guides readers to engaging in open, honest

discussions about Islam with Muslims and others.

Matthew: The Gospel of Identity, Michael Card, 2013, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill., ISBN 9780830838127, 267 pages, $18.00, softcover.

The world tries to define us in different ways, but who are we really? How does God define us? The Gospel of Matthew was written to a group of Christians who didn’t yet know who they were. They had been faithful Jews in the synagogue community in Galilee, but Jesus had changed everything.

In the latest installment of his Biblical Imagination series of devotional commentaries, singer-songwriter Michael Card explores Matthew’s emphasis on prophetic fulfillment confirms early Jewish Christians’ connection to the Torah, while

focusing on the kingdom to establish their new identity in Christ. Card leads readers to follow Matthew as he reveals the identity of the One who asks, “Who do you say that I am?,” and helps us see who we are in Him.

Table of Contents

___________________________________News Update—5/20/13

Blasphemy Charges Becoming New Weapon against Egyptian Christians

According to a new study, blasphemy and evangelizing accusations are disproportionately used against members of Egypt’s Christian minority—particularly those working in education, Christianity Today reports.

A study to be released at the end of this month by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) found that 41 percent of blasphemy cases taken to court

from Jan. 25, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2012, were filed against Christians, who make up only about 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 83 million people. Ishak Ibrahim of the EIPR said people are targeting Christians using the nation’s blasphemy statues as a weapon.

The total of 36 blasphemy cases involved 63 people, and the country’s Sunni Muslim majority, which makes up almost 90 percent of Egypt’s population, were charged in 59 percent of the cases. Ibrahim noted that approximately 30 percent of the blasphemy cases were filed against someone in an education environment. Ibrahim also expects to see an increase in charges against Christians, as Egypt’s new constitution employs vague language that could prohibit evangelism, though evangelism is not specifically illegal.

At the same time, the new constitution more explicitly criminalizes

criticism of Islam. Along with the disproportionate number of Christians charged with blasphemy, sentences are harsher for Christians compared with those handed to Muslims, EIPR noted. The study notes that the sentences are also unusually harsh in relation to the nature of the offenses.

Religion Today Summaries

Black Pro-Life Leaders: Gosnell Worst Kind of Racist

Black pro-life leaders are calling for investigations of other abortion clinics like the one run by Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, CBN News reports. Many gathered in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, accusing the abortion industry of targeting black Americans.

“Kermit Gosnell is a racist of the worst kind because he preyed on women and young girls of his own race,” said Day

Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-Life Union. “For more than 30 years, Kermit Gosnell participated and perpetuated the epidemic of black-on-black crime.”

Rev. Walter Hoye of the Black Pro-Life Coalition, said: “From 1882 to 1968, 86 years, the Ku Klux Klan lynched 3,446 Negroes. While it took the Klan 86 years to accomplish this, abortion on demand in America accomplished that in less than four days.”

Rev. Arnold Culbreath, founding member of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition, noted, “79 percent of Planned Parenthood’s surgical abortion facilities are intentionally placed within walking distance of minority neighborhoods.” Earlier this year, black leaders pledged to find new strategies to spread the pro-life message to their communities.

Religion Today Summaries

Saeed Abedini Released From Solitary Confinement in Hopeful Sign

Iranian authorities released American pastor Saeed Abedini from solitary confinement this week after forcing him to spend the week of his birthday in a “small dark hole,” according to the American Center for Law and Justice.

Abedini, imprisoned for 225 days in Evin Prison because of his Christian faith, turned 33 on May 7 while in solitary confinement. Supporters sent more than 52,500 birthday messages to the prison addressed to Abedini. His wife, Naghmeh, wrote in a letter: “With tightness in my throat, pain in my heart, and tears streaming down my face…I promise to stand strong in the strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fighting with every strength of my being until you are united to our family again.”

Abedini and nine other prisoners were sent to solitary confinement April 29

after fellow prisoners protested Iran’s lack of medical care, representatives from the ACLJ said. During his time in solitary, Abedini’s family in Iran was not allowed to visit him. The family worries about Abedini’s health: he complained of internal bleeding from beatings by prison guards even before the solitary confinement and had been denied medical treatment for his injuries.

The ACLJ said last month that Abedini suffers from frequent fainting, constant abdominal pain, blood in his stool, and is in need of immediate medical attention. Naghmeh told the ACLJ that her husband’s return to the general prison is a hopeful sign: “His release from solitary is a direct result of the multitudes praying. I am relieved my husband is out of solitary, but still am deeply concerned about Saeed’s health. While this is a small victory, I am still demanding justice be done and that Saeed be released.”

Religion Today Summaries

Report: Two-Thirds of ‘Worst Violators of Religious Freedom’ are Muslim Countries

Ten out of the 15 countries with the worst religious freedom abuses are Muslim nations, according to the recently released U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom 2013 Annual Report, which identifies the status of religious freedom throughout the world and cites countries that are the least tolerant, the Christian Post reports.

The 15 most intolerant countries, identified as “countries of particular concern,” cited in this year’s report are Burma, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Of these, 10 are Muslim countries.

The nearly 400-page report details a range of human rights violations occurring in these countries. According to USCIRF chairwoman Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, the state of international freedom around the world is “increasingly dire” because of “religious extremists…[who] target religious minorities and dissenters from majority religious communities for violence, including physical assaults and even murder.” The report suggests a number of reforms the United States could recommend to each country, in concert with the United Nations, that could coincide with economic and humanitarian assistance or sanctions.

Religion Today Summaries

U.S. Calls on North Korea to Release American Christian From Prison

The United States is calling on North Korea to release a Korean-American

Christian sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, CBN News reports.

Washington state resident Kenneth Bae, 44, entered North Korea on a tourist visa and was arrested Nov. 3 in the city of Rason, near the border with China and Russia. North Korea’s Supreme Court convicted Bae of attempting to topple the government and other unspecified “hostile acts” against the state.

“We’ve had long-standing concerns about the lack of transparency and due process in the North Korean legal system,” U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. “So, now that Mr. Bae has gone through the legal process, we urge the DPRK to grant him amnesty and immediate release.”

Friends and colleagues say Bae is a devout Christian who frequently traveled to North Korea to feed orphans; Doo Hee Yoon, an activist based in South Korea, told

AFP he may have been detained for photographing emaciated children.

Bae is the sixth American to be detained by the Communist state since 2009, and his sentencing comes amid heightened tensions between North Korea and the United States. Analysts have speculated North Korea could be using Bae as bait to get a high-profile American to visit the country.

Religion Today SummariesTable of Contents

___________________________________Sermon Helpsfrom www.sermonhall.com

Sermon OutlinesTrue WisdomProverbs 1:7-9

I. Request: “How does a man become wise?”II. Reverence: “The first step is to trust and reverence the Word.”

III. Rejection: “Only fools refuse to be taught.”IV. Respect: “Listen to Your Father and Mother.”V. Reward: “It will gain you many honors.”

Croft M. Pentz

Solid as a RockPsalm 15:1-5Intro.: What characteristics are evident in the life of a child of God? Psalm 15 is one of those passages which give clear view of what God desires in His children. King David listed these characteristics:I. He walks with integrity (cf. Gen.20:5-6; 1 Kings. 9:4-5).II. He works righteousness (cf. Matt. 5:16; James 1:22; 4:17).III. He speaks truth in his heart (cf. Matt. 6:21).IV. He does not slander with his tongue. He does not backbite, defame, libel, denigrate,

or vilify.V. He does no evil to his neighbor—and who is our neighbor? VI. He does not take up a reproach against his friend (John15:13).VII. In his eyes a reprobate is despised.

A. Reprobate persons are those whose lives are stinking wells of evil and depravity, whose time is spent in ungodliness.

B. “Despising him” has the sense of hating ungodliness and unrighteousness.

B. Sadly, we are in a day and an age where it is politically incorrect to hate something, even in the Church.VIII. He honors those who fear the Lord (cf. Prov.1:7; Rom. 3:18).IX. He swears to his own hurt, and does not change (cf. Ps. 15:4).X. He does not put out his money at interest (cf. Lev.25:35-38; Deut. 23; 1 Tim. 6).

XI. He does not take a bribe against the innocent. Application: Our walk with Christ is a series of choices…forks in the road. Jesus tells us, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16-20).

Anonymous

IllustrationsMy Dad Knows God

When my son was a small boy playing with his buddies in the back yard, I overheard them talking one day.

One of them remarked, “My Dad knows the mayor of the town!” I overheard another say, “That is nothing—my Dad knows the governor of our state!” When I wondered what was coming next in the “program of bragging” I heard my own little son of four years of age say, “That is nothing—my Dad knows God!”

I hurriedly left my place of eavesdropping with tears running down my cheeks. I looked up to God and prayed, “Oh God, I pray that my boy will always be able to say, ‘My Dad knows God.’”

Anonymous

The First Path“But seek first his kingdom and his

righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).

My family camped for three weeks each summer. It was the highlight of the year, but sometimes old familiar spots would lose their allure, and then we felt a need to locate a new place. While hunting for a new campsite in the Mammoth area of central California, my father pulled his Suburban into a beautiful alpine meadow. It was an ideal campsite, but there was no water.

Dad knew we couldn’t stay there without water, so he headed up the canyon

in search of a spring. In a few hours he returned with a grin on his face, carrying a canteen of clear, cold water.

With each subsequent trip, the path to the springs became more established and easier to traverse. In a few years, others were using the trail my father had blazed. Many have since enjoyed the beauty and comfort of the meadow because someone took the time to seek out the water source.

Likewise, certain things in prayer also come first: Seeking God and His righteousness. This type of seeking is not an occasional endeavor; rather, it is a persistent searching until a well-worn path develops. Just like blazing a trail to good water, establishing a good relationship with God has priorities and some exceptional benefits. When we make the daily seeking of God’s kingdom and His righteousness our first path in prayer, we can enjoy the beauty

of God’s Kingdom and have assurance He will provide our other needs as well.

Charles E. Harrel

Bulletin InsertsOn Fatherhood and Parenting

Home Improvement: Take your family to church

Anonymous

There must always be a struggle between a father and son, while one aims at power and the other at independence.

Samuel Johnson

As you bed the sapling, so you shape the tree.

R. Whitson Seaman

Grandchildren: Your rewards for not choking your teenagers.

Erwin Lutzer

Time invested in children will always reap big dividends.

Old Union Reminder

The main problem in our society is that people are expected to raise children in their spare time.

The Book of Living Quotations

In the old days, if a father found his son on the wrong track, he provided switching facilities.

Life LinesTable of Contents

___________________________________Puzzles and ‘Toons

Church ‘Toons by Joe McKeever

Answers to last issue’s puzzles:

Father Abraham and Hidden WisdomBy Mark Oshman

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, May 1997

On Following Pages

Table of Contents