Table of Contents:What if Jesus Had Not Died? The Resurrection and the Life Living for Christ by the Spirit’s PowerExegetically 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

__________________________________What if Jesus Had Not Died?By Joe McKeever

What If? is a series of best-selling books put together by Robert Cowley in which historians look at some key event in history and try to imagine what if it had not happened that way.

“What if Pontius Pilate had spared Jesus?” That is the title of the chapter by Carlos M. N. Eire, chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at Yale University. The subtitle reads, “Christianity without the Crucifixion.”

Eire imagines Pontius Pilate heeding the warning of his wife whose sleep had been disturbed that night by thoughts of “that righteous man.” Her message to the governor said, “Have nothing to do with him.” So, he asks, what if Pilate had done the right thing and

resisted the religious leaders and the rabble who were crying for Jesus to be executed and had released Him? On one page, underneath a 13th century painting of Pilate with the Jewish leaders is the caption: “The decision that made a religion.”

Eire asks, “What if Jesus hadn’t been nailed to a cross at Pilate’s orders? What if he had lived a long, long life? Or even just ten more years? Or one? What if his person and message had been interpreted differently, as they surely would have been?” The answers could easily go all over the map, as Eire acknowledges. He says, “To speculate on what might have happened if anything at all had been different in the story of Jesus and his followers is to sail in an infinite ocean of possibilities.” In other words, your guess is as good as his.

One thing is sure: no crucifixion, no resurrection. And without either a cross or an empty tomb, we have nothing but an inspiring story of a wonderful man who lived an exemplary life. In other words, we’re in big trouble.

Asking “what if Jesus did not go to the cross” is tantamount to wondering: “What if God were wrong?” And when you open up that Pandora’s Box, chaos erupts in every direction. This being Easter season, it’s the “in” thing for preachers and Bible teachers to go to seed on the pivotal event of the resurrection. Without it, nothing. With it, everything.

The crucifixion, however, is the first half of that story. Separating the death of Jesus from His resurrection and trying to make one more important than the other is like running a ripsaw through your torso and trying to decide which half was more essential to your existence.

I find myself wondering why Robert Cowley didn’t assign someone to write a far more intriguing chapter on “What if Jesus had not risen from the grave?”

I think we know why no such chapter can be found. It would be tantamount to admitting that Jesus really did rise from the dead. And if one admits that, he has to deal with a world of implications and consequences. So, it becomes easier for these “objective” historians to ignore the resurrection, which many of them have ruled out as an impossibility without having investigated it for the simple reason that “people don’t come back from the dead,” and to deal only with the crucifixion which poses no problem for historians.

Interestingly, the Apostle Paul wrote his own abbreviated version of “what if Jesus had not risen from the grave?” in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. He identifies seven

consequences for us if Jesus’ body was decomposing in a grave somewhere: 1) our preaching is without foundation, 2) and so is your faith. 3) We are false witnesses about God, claiming that He did what He did not. 4) Your faith is worthless, 5) you are still in your sins, 6) and all who have “died in Christ” are really dead. Lastly, 7) we are to be pitied.

What Paul did not do, however, was to speculate on what would have been the consequences if Jesus had been released by Pilate and lived out the rest of His life in the kind of preaching/healing ministry that characterized the first three years.

Let’s engage in just a little of this kind of foolish speculation. Let’s ask: What would we have if Jesus had not died on the cross for our sins?

1) No sin offering. After all, what could we offer? That’s the question the prophet Micah posed: What should I bring

before the Lord when I come to bow before God on high? Should I come before Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves…? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the child of my body for my own sin? (Micah 6:6-7)

2) No forgiveness. Everyone would be on his own before God. Forgiveness for all your sins against the Holy God? In your dreams.

3) No Gospel. Since “Gospel” means “good news,” we would have none. Our preaching would consist of: “You’re sinners and you’re going to hell.” Period. Come to think of it, our preaching would sound pretty much like some I’ve heard.

4) No Christianity, no church, no salvation. Nothing. Instead of a “Christian movement,” we would have a Jesus Memorial Society at best. A few persons with a love for history might meet occasionally to repeat Jesus’ messages

and study the lore that grew up about Him. Nothing more.

Historian Eire thinks there would have been a religious movement to develop around the teachings and life of Jesus, but more along the line of those honoring Buddha and Confucius. However, he says the members of this religion would still be looking for a Messiah to come. I think he’s right about that.

Without the cross, Jesus is not the Messiah. After all, Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 point to the death of the Messiah for the sins of the people. And “without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus did go to the cross, however, so the news is all good.

God knew what He was doing. Pilate caved in to the crowd and sent Jesus to His death. Jesus died on the cross as He expected. He bore our sins. They buried Him in a borrowed grave. And

on the next Lord’s Day morning, disciples found the tomb empty and the Savior alive and active.

Not only do we acknowledge His death, we celebrate it. We call that day “Good” Friday.“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53:4). Thank God for the cross of Jesus.

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

blogs regularly atwww.joemckeever.com.Table of Contents

__________________________________The Resurrection and the LifeBy Gene Strother

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, April 2003

“Jesus said unto her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth

in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’” (John 11:25-26).

My friend, Clark Bosher, tells of helplessly watching as a lady was burned to death in an auto accident. He talked about the “what ifs” that plagued him about the incident. What if he had gotten to her just a few minutes earlier? Could he have saved her?

Life is that way for us. We are not always in the right place at the right time, and sometimes we regret it (even though we usually have no control over it). Can you imagine the feelings which welled up inside of Martha and Mary? These sisters knew that if Jesus had only been there He could have kept their brother from dying. And Jesus knew that He could have been there, but He chose not to be. So Lazarus died. The result was confusion and bitter

loss for the sisters and deep pain for the Lord, who loved Lazarus and his sisters very much (see v. 5).

Why did Jesus tarry two days after He heard the news of Lazarus’ illness (v. 6)? Why did He not immediately go to the side of His dying friend? Or, why did He not just speak the words or think the thoughts that could have brought healing to Lazarus’ body? The answer is that this was God’s will and for God’s glory (v. 4). Lazarus died, yes. But that was not the ultimate result of the illness; it was only the temporary result. Ultimately, God would be glorified and Jesus’ followers would have their faith strengthened (v. 15).

But my present focus is on Jesus’ response to Martha’s statement in v. 24. This response is found in vv. 25-26 (above). Let’s break it down and let it enrich our lives.

I. “I Am the Resurrection and the Life”—What Comprehensive Words!

What did Jesus mean by that? I once read an article written by a close associate of J. Frank Norris. This man was asked about the role Norris played in American fundamentalism. The man answered, “J. Frank Norris is American fundamentalism. Without him the movement would not even exist.”

That is what Jesus meant by His statement, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Without Him there could be no resurrection. And without Him there could be no life.

“I am the resurrection….” Think about it. If Jesus Christ had never come, died on the cross, risen from the dead, and promised life to all who believe in Him, what right would anyone have to expect to be resurrected? Would we even have such a word in our vocabulary, if not for the

precious Word of God and the ministry of our Lord Jesus? What hope could we give to those who grieve over the loss of a loved one? What could we say? “Well, at least you have your memories. Be thankful for the time you had.” That’s what you might have to say to the lost. But to believers we say with Paul: “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (1 Thess. 4:13-14).

“...And the life.” Jesus Christ is the source of life (John 1:4; Acts 17:28; John 10:17-18). That is why He can promise eternal life. That is why He could promise that He would return to life. And that is why He can promise to resurrect our bodies.

II. “He That Believeth in Me, Though He Were Dead, yet Shall He Live”—What Compassionate Words!

Before you believed, you were dead: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). “For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23). Notice the word “is” in Romans 6:23; not “will be,” but “is.” The sinner is already receiving his wages. He is already spiritually dead!

So Jesus came to minister to dead people. What compassion He had! He did not seek out the holy and whole, but the sinful and needy (Mark 10:45; Matt. 9:12-13). Remember the man who lay by the Pool of Bethesda for 38 years, trying to get into its healing waters? He couldn’t. Apparently others did. Jesus didn’t go to them: He didn’t need to. But He went to this man because this man could not come to Him. That’s how He has come to all of

us who are saved; compassionately, with healing in His wings. He came to us because there was no way we could scale the mountain of God’s holiness and come to Him.

III. “And Whosoever Liveth and Believeth in Me Shall Never Die”—What Comforting Words!

First, let’s define death. Look at John 11:11-14 of our text chapter. Jesus said, “Lazarus sleepeth.” He meant that Lazarus was dead, as you and I count death.

Obviously, since God says that unbelievers are dead, He must see death differently. And He does. Go back to the Garden of Eden. God told Adam, “In the day that ye eat (of the forbidden fruit) ye shall surely die.” Yet, Adam lived 960 years. Did God lie? No. Adam did die—spiritually. Death is separation. Physical

death occurs when the soul is separated from the body; spiritual death occurs when the soul is separated from God, the author and giver of life. This is why eternal damnation is called the “second death.”

Jesus’ use of the word “sleep” in reference to the physical demise of saints is adopted by the New Testament writers. Throughout their writings, they use similar language. Why is this so? Because saints don’t die; they depart (2 Cor. 5:8). Actually, they arrive. From our perspective, we say, “He’s gone.” But in heaven, they shout, “He’s home!” I’ve heard of an African tribe in which the believers take this so seriously that they never say “He’s gone” when a loved one passes on. Instead they exclaim, “He has arrived!”

IV. “Believest Thou This?”—What Compelling Words!

The truth of Jesus’ statement is not in question. The only question is, “Do you believe?” What if you refuse to believe? Does your unbelief make it untrue? Absolutely not (Rom. 3:3-4)! Truth is objective; not subjective. Before Columbus sailed to America the world was round, even though many refused to believe it. Before Galileo, the world revolved around the sun, though people did not believe it. Truth can be discovered by faith, but it cannot be discarded by unbelief.

Jesus Christ is the Resurrection. Jesus Christ is the Life. Without Him you have no hope of either. But with Him, you have the promise—from God, who cannot lie—of both.

Courtesy of The Way-Maker ReviewTable of Contents

__________________________________Living for Christ by the Spirit’s PowerBy Charles Haddon Spurgeon

As believers, we will always be troubled and persecuted in the world, just as Christ was stricken. But in Him, we have hope, help, and strength to endure to the glory of God the Father.

I. Trials Draw Us to God“For as the sufferings of Christ

abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ” (2 Cor. 1:5) 

There is a blessed proportion. The Ruler of Providence bears a pair of scales—in this side He puts His people’s trials, and in that He puts their consolations. When the scale of trial is nearly empty, you will always find the scale of consolation in nearly the same condition; and when the

scale of trials is full, you will find the scale of consolation just as heavy.

When the black clouds gather most, the light is the more brightly revealed to us. When the night lowers and the tempest is coming on, the Heavenly Captain is always closest to His crew. It is a blessed thing, that when we are most cast down, then it is that we are most lifted up by the consolations of the Spirit.

One reason is, because trials make more room for consolation. Great hearts can only be made by great troubles. The spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper, and makes more room for consolation. God comes into our heart—He finds it full—He begins to break our comforts and to make it empty; then there is more room for grace. The humbler a man lies, the more comfort he will always have, because he will be more fitted to receive it.

Another reason why we are often most happy in our troubles is this—then we have the closest dealings with God. When the barn is full, man can live without God: when the purse is bursting with gold, we try to do without so much prayer. But once take our gourds away, and we want our God; once cleanse the idols out of the house, then we are compelled to honor Jehovah.

“Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.” There is no cry so good as that which comes from the bottom of the mountains; no prayer half so hearty as that which comes up from the depths of the soul, through deep trials and afflictions. Hence they bring us to God, and we are happier; for nearness to God is happiness. Come, troubled believer, fret not over your heavy troubles, for they are the heralds of weighty mercies.

II. The Indwelling Comforter “And I will pray the Father, and he

shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16).

Our Great Father revealed Himself to believers of old before the coming of His Son, and was known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the God Almighty. Then Jesus came, and the ever-blessed Son in His own proper person, was the delight of His people’s eyes. At the time of the Redeemer’s ascension, the Holy Spirit became the head of the present dispensation, and His power was gloriously manifested in and after Pentecost.

He remains at this hour the present Immanuel—God with us, dwelling in and with His people, quickening, guiding, and ruling in their midst. Is His presence recognized as it ought to be? We cannot control His working; He is most sovereign in all His operations, but are we sufficiently

anxious to obtain His help, or sufficiently watchful lest we provoke Him to withdraw His aid?

Without Him we can do nothing, but by His almighty energy the most extraordinary results can be produced: everything depends upon His manifesting or concealing His power. Do we always look up to Him both for our inner life and our outward service with the respectful dependence which is fitting? Do we not too often run before His call and act independently of His aid?

Let us humble ourselves this evening for past neglects, and now entreat the heavenly dew to rest upon us, the sacred oil to anoint us, the celestial flame to burn within us. The Holy Ghost is no temporary gift, He abides with the saints. We have but to seek Him aright, and He will be found of us. He is jealous, but He is pitiful; if He leaves in anger, He returns in

mercy. Condescending and tender, He does not weary of us, but awaits to be gracious still.

“Sin has been hammering my heart unto a hardness, void of love; let supplying grace to cross his art drop from above.”

III. To Live Is Christ“For to me to live is Christ, and to

die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).The believer did not always live to

Christ. He began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convinced him of sin, and when by grace he was brought to see the dying Savior making a propitiation for his guilt. From the moment of the new and celestial birth, the man begins to live to Christ.

Jesus is to believers the one pearl of great price, for whom we are willing to part with all that we have. He has so completely won our love, that it beats alone for Him; to His glory we would live, and in

defense of His gospel we would die; He is the pattern of our life, and the model after which we would sculpture our character.

Paul’s words mean more than most men think; they imply that the aim and end of his life was Christ—nay, his life itself was Jesus. In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat, and drink, and sleep eternal life. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life. Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ?

Your business—are you doing it for Christ? Is it not done for self-aggrandizement and for family advantage? Do you ask, “Is that a mean reason?” For the Christian it is. He professes to live for Christ; how can he live for another object without committing a spiritual adultery? Many there are who carry out this principle

in some measure; but who is there that dare say that he hath lived wholly for Christ as the apostle did? Yet, this alone is the true life of a Christian—its source, its sustenance, its fashion, its end, all gathered up in one word-Christ Jesus.

Lord, accept me; I here present myself, praying to live only in You and to You. Let me be as the bullock which stands between the plough and the altar, to work or to be sacrificed; and let my motto be, “Ready for either.”

Three selections from Morning and Evening

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), “the Prince of Preachers,” was a renowned pastor and author who served as pastor of

London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle for 38 years. His works are still widely read today.

Table of Contents

__________________________________Exegetically Speakingby Spiros Zodhiates

The Benevolence of TemptationsJames 1:3

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

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:3).

There are two Greek words which could be translated by the English word “knowing.” They are the word eidotes, “to have seen perceived, apprehended—hence to know, understand;” and the word used here by James, ginōskontes. The first would simply mean knowing, while the second word used here has in it the

implication of discernment and distinguishing. It means recognizing.

Isn’t it true that one of the things that we, as Christians, need today in the midst of trials and tribulations is the spirit of discernment and understanding of the value of things? In each temptation (for the previous verse spoke about temptations) we should distinguish the purpose of God, for there must be a purpose in the things which God allows in our lives. We are to learn a lesson from every encounter we have with the devil.

Now what are we to distinguish? That the trial of our faith does something to us. That word “trial” again is a word in Greek that could hardly be translated by one word in English. The word is doklmion, “proof, test, probation,” which actually is not the trial itself, but the instrument or means by which a man is tested and proved. James here, therefore, assumes

that peirasmos, or “temptation,” is this doklmion, the means of testing our faith.

This is the first time that faith is mentioned in this epistle, which has been misunderstood as the epistle of works. Before James even mentions works he mentions faith, and in all he mentions it sixteen times. He, like the Apostle Paul, believes that the basis of Christianity is nothing less and nothing more than faith in the finished work of Christ. Every time we are tempted, that faith is put to a test. The result is very important and proves the genuineness of our faith.

The word translated “worketh” is katergdzetai. There is something more than “worketh” in the original Greek. It is “to work out, to achieve, to accomplish.” Do not think for one moment that the temptations that come your way accomplish nothing. They leave with you, by the time you finish, an excellent

Christian virtue, the virtue of patience. It is said that the more a tree is tossed about by fierce winds, the deeper its roots go. It is quite possible that Paul read this paragraph from this epistle and expressed it himself when writing to the Romans (5:3) by saying, “Tribulation worketh patience.”

A certain lady prayed a great deal for patience. She complained to another Christian that while she prayed for patience, all she seemed to get was trouble.

“The Lord is sending you trouble in order to produce patience in you,” was the reply. How many times have you prayed for patience, and the Lord sent along your way a child that was naughty, a boss who was demanding, a husband or wife who was exasperating to live with? It was all an answer to your prayer for patience. Therefore do not grumble, but accept it

from the hand of God, for that is part of your training.

Now what is the nature of this virtue called patience? The simple etymology of the word is that it is composed of the preposition hupo, which means primarily “under,” and the word (in its verbal form, of course) menō, which means “to stay, to abide, to stand fast.” It is the picture of being under pressure and, instead of trying to escape, of staying there, of standing fast. Am I getting theoretical, or is this an everyday experience of life for each of us? No matter where we turn today there is pressure. Are we abiding in it calmly and serenely or are we revolting? Those who have learned the art of abiding under pressure are those who are able to go through life without breaking under the strain.

Have you ever seen a blacksmith work with a piece of iron? He holds it in the

fire to soften it up and make it pliable. That is exactly why God permits the testing of our faith by temptations and trials. He wants us to acquire patience, to acquire pliability. If you and I are constantly out of the fire of affliction, we become stiff and useless. God wants to reshape us according to His image, for in the fall of Adam we lost our divine shape, our divine image.

But the word hupomenō, “to be patient,” also means “to remain alive, to be permanent.” Back of it there is the thought of the constancy and perseverance of pressure from the outside world. But the one who has hupomonē or “patience” stays alive permanently under this pressure, no matter how long it lasts. I know that sometimes we desire a breathing spell, but the fortunate thing is that we are assured that we can breathe under the pressure. That is what those outside of Christ cannot

do. But you and I, because we are indwelt by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, can be under pressure permanently, and yet never collapse; we shall come out from under it in due time to enjoy the reward of patient waiting.

Furthermore, this Greek verb hupomenō has the secondary meaning of “expecting, waiting for somebody.” If it were not for that expectation, how difficult and almost impossible it would be for the Christian to bear the pressure of the world, Satan, and the variety of temptations that assail him. The Christian life is one of constant expectancy. We wait for Him, who shall appear to take us unto Himself, at which time there will be no more need of patience.

“My dear boy,” said a father, “take a word of advice from an old man who loves peace. An insult is like mud; it will brush off much better when it is dry. Wait a little, till

he and you are both cool, and the thing will be easily mended. If you go now, it will be only to quarrel.” That is good advice for you and for me when patience seems to be running thin.

Did you ever try to lift all the burdens of life at once? It is hard to bear yesterday’s, today’s, and sometimes tomorrow’s burdens and temptations in one day. A doctor was once asked by a patient who had met with a serious accident, “Doctor, how long shall I have to lie here?” The answer, “Only a day at a time,” taught the patient a precious lesson. It is the same lesson that you and I need—the day’s portion in its day. Let us be faithful for one short day, and the long years will take care of themselves.

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

Pray Anyway

When you don’t know how to pray, pray anyway. Ignorance is no excuse.

When you don’t feel like praying, pray anyway. Depression is no excuse.

When dullness sits on you like a vulture, and you can’t muster enough energy to change channels, much less to pray, pray anyway. Boredom is no excuse.

When you see no need to pray and no reason to intercede for those about you, recognize this as a sign of impending danger, and pray anyway. Blindness is no excuse.

When you’ve grown spiritually lazy and feel that you’ll never be able to pick up your Bible and read it the way you once did, pray anyway. Laziness is no excuse.

When you don’t understand what the big deal is about prayer, and you think it’s overrated because it never did you much good, pray anyway. Immaturity is no excuse.

When you’re too tired to remember your own name, and you know God will understand if you don’t pray, pray anyway. Fatigue is no excuse.

When you’re embarrassed to be back before God confessing the same sins and admitting the same failures, come on and pray anyway. Shame is no excuse.

When you’ve been unfaithful and you know it and you feel that burden of guilt that makes you want to run and hide under the porch, pray anyway. Sin is no excuse.

When the nagging voice of the enemy keeps telling you there is no God and even if there were, He would never have anything to do with a nothing like you, pray anyway. Unbelief is no excuse.

We can bless ourselves immeasurably by rescuing our prayer life from bondage to our emotions and circumstances. There is no time and there are no circumstances in which prayer is not necessary, not helpful, and not the right thing to do. Let us pray.

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

The Cost of Discipleship: Labor, Persecution, and Glory2 Timothy 2:1-13

After Paul’s passionate charge to Timothy to “guard…the treasure which has been entrusted” (2 Tim. 1:14) to him, even to the point of suffering for the sake of the Gospel, he intensifies the challenge. Paul’s words here, written from a Roman prison cell in the shadow of impending execution, must have carried a piercing weight for Timothy. They speak to us today just as strongly about the intensity of the Christian life, what Bonhoeffer called the “cost of discipleship.”

Summing up his exhortation from chapter 1 to “kindle afresh the gift of God

which is in you,” Paul writes, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2:1). Again, his encouragement and commands to Timothy are grounded, not in Timothy’s strength or abilities, but in the Holy Spirit’s power. The responsibilities of believers outlined in the New Testament, if divorced from the work of Christ and His Spirit within us, become just another impossible standard (Law) that condemns us—it is “Christ in [us], the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27) that transforms obedience and perseverance into our joy.

We know from Scripture (not least from the fact that two books of the Bible bear his name) that Paul and Timothy enjoyed a special connection that has for centuries been an example of mentoring and discipleship for believers. Here, at the end of his life, Paul urges Timothy to take the message and wisdom that he has poured into him over the years and

“reinvest” in a new generation of church leaders. “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2:2).

Just as with the qualifications for elders (who must be “able to teach”) laid out in his first letter, Paul’s concern is for the preservation and propagation of the publicly proclaimed Gospel message far beyond his lifetime or Timothy’s. Church leaders must be faithful to obey God’s Word, but it is through their teaching of it that more men and women hear and respond to God’s reconciliation. The Gospel is “good news”, and it has not been fully grasped if it is not shared and taught.

As Paul knew all too well, boldly proclaiming the truth that “there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5) is not often welcomed by the powers that be

in a sinful world. The persecutions he endured (enumerated in 2 Corinthians 11) were enough to shatter the resolve of human strength, but he persevered through the power of Christ. It is to this life that Paul calls Timothy (and by extension, all of us who serve Christ).

He has already charged Timothy to “join with [him] in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God” (1:8), and here he tells him to “suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2:3). Paul then builds on this metaphor and adds two more to illustrate the work to which Christians, particularly ministers of the Gospel, are called: “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working

farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops” (2:4-6). Each of these pictures shows a different aspect of the Christian’s labor.

1) A soldier is a man on a mission—his time and energy are not his own, but are subject to the orders of his superior. As such, a soldier has focus, he does not allow himself to get bogged down in secondary tasks or let the cares of everyday life distract him from carrying out orders. In the same way, a Christian’s driving passion should be to obey Christ rather than the false masters of the world.

2) An athlete is also highly trained for a specific sport, but he is governed by the rules of the game he plays—cheating not only voids victory, but defeats the purpose of the competition (see the current state of American baseball for modern-day illustration). The application is that followers of Jesus are to live in obedience,

guided toward holiness by God’s rules through the power of Christ in us. Willful disobedience to clear commands is a sure sign that we’ve missed the point of Christ’s work.

3) The farmer’s work is long and hard, but his reward is the fruit that provides food for him and many others. Likewise, Christians are to exercise perseverance in their labor, in the end reaping a harvest of Christ-likeness in their own lives and, as the Lord gives, more disciples of Jesus after them. Hope in the finished work of Christ and a delight in His ongoing work to draw people to Himself are powerful motivators for dedicated service.

Paul then urges Timothy to ponder these things and to trust the Lord to give him clarity and determination to stand firm in call: “Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything”

(2:7). Again, while Paul prods his disciple to action, he is quick to acknowledge that it is not up to Timothy to figure out what he should do—the Lord must bring understanding. He underscores his point, again recalling the Gospel message as the basis for his confidence: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal” (2:8-9a).

In spite of Paul’s imprisonment, however, the Gospel continues to flourish: “but the word of God is not imprisoned” (2:9b). That is the wonder of Christ’s work in the world—the message of the Gospel and the power of God it proclaims are unstoppable. Satan and the forces of this world will go to any lengths to prevent its spread, but no power on earth or in heaven can chain God’s Word.

Paul’s own testimony bears witness to this fact. He wrote to the Philippians from a different prison cell a few years before that “my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear” (Phil. 1:12-14). Far from stopping the progress of the Gospel, Paul’s imprisonment hastened the growth of the Church by emboldening the faith of others. Seeing the one who taught them in chains for his belief served to shore up their confidence in the truth and importance of the message. So it has always been, as Tertullian wrote, that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

To Timothy, Paul confirms that this strengthening of the Church is another motive in persevering: “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2:10). Paul suffered incredible things so that all those to whom he had preached the Gospel would not succumb to fear and doubt. Paul’s continued faithfulness helped ensure that other believers would not fall away because of him. Imagine the impact on the early Church if Paul had recanted to save his own skin! He lived with eternity in view, not just for himself, but for all believers.

Of course, Paul’s endurance was not in his own strength, but by the power of Christ in Him. Meditating on the wonder of this salvation, preservation, and promise leads him to quote what appears to be an early Church hymn or creedal statement:

“It is a trustworthy statement: for if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2:11-13). This stanza has two verses: the first shows the path of faithfulness; the second the path of falling away. In order to receive the blessing of eternal life and reign with Christ, we must first die with Him. If, however, we put our earthly safety and comfort above Christ and deny Him, he will reject us, because He is unchanging and will not withhold judgment. As the Lord Himself said: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it” (Luke 9:24).

Did Timothy take this challenge to heart? The best evidence we have for that is found at the end of another letter from a different writer: “Take notice that our

brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you” (Heb. 13:23). Some time later, after Paul’s death, Timothy’s faithful witness for the Gospel had landed him in prison also. Notice too that upon his release, he does not retreat, but has plans to continue on in ministry. Clearly, Paul’s challenge, backed up by his own intense faithfulness, strengthened Timothy as it has so many millions who have suffered for the sake of the cross even to the present day. May we have ears to hear and the courage to stand firm when our time comes.

Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine for AMG International

in Chattanooga, Tennessee.Table of Contents

__________________________________Following Godby Wayne Barber

Letting God-in-Us Deal with the Mean-Spirited

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, March 2004.

God produces His love in us for others, especially with people who are intolerable. This love is characterized in Galatians 5:22-23 by joy, and peace, patience. All these characteristics of His love emanate from Him. Christ in us manifests His character through us. But His love is accompanied by His kindness.

You see, we are not talking about a grin-and-bear-it attitude because Christ living in and through us does not grin and bear it! His love is powerful and is manifested in the spirit of kindness towards

others—especially those who are mean-spirited in the body of Christ. The word for kindness is chrēstótēs in the Greek. It does not necessarily refer to what one does to show love for someone, but to the tender heart with which he does it. It is associated with the love of Christ in Titus 3:4: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared.”

Chrēstótēs is a beautiful word. God’s love so tenderizes us when we walk by the Spirit! He takes the sting out of our hearts towards others who have treated us wrongly. There is nothing that the intolerable individual in the body of Christ or anywhere else can hold against us when Christ is manifesting His kindness through us.

Chrēstótēs is the word used for wine that has mellowed (Luke 5:39: “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”). It

is so wonderful when God’s people walk by the Spirit. They are always looking out for the needs of others instead of themselves. They rejoice inwardly with the knowledge that God is in control. Outwardly, they realize that people are not always going to be nice. So, along with love, joy, and peace, they have God’s patience as they bear with the ugly way in which they are treated. And their hearts are so tenderized by God’s Spirit that people are softened and disarmed just by being around them. Chrēstótēs comes from chrēstós—translated “easy” in Matthew 11:30: “For My yoke is easy….”

Even our Lord’s commandments are not burdensome to the one who is seeking to live under His Lordship: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). What a wonderful life Christ lives through us when

we yield to Him: a life characterized by His love, His joy, His peace, His patience, and His kindness towards others. 

In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul begins to show how God’s love is manifested towards others. His next word is goodness: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness….” “Goodness” is agathōsúnē, which refers to the actual deeds done that are totally benevolent to others—especially those who don’t deserve it. God-in-us directs us to do for them what they need!

It is this agathōsúnē that baffles pagans who are in authority. Paul says, in Romans 13:3: “Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.” It’s this act of goodness that overcomes evil. Romans 12:19-21: “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of

God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Goodness can be manifested through what you say: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29). It is amazing how some people who are mean spirited, opinionated, even obnoxious are so disarmed when God’s love in you says words to them that bring healing. God’s love in us is inwardly effective but it is also outwardly sufficient to minister to those who treat us wrongly.

Are you experiencing God’s love in your life? Saying yes to Christ and to His will releases His love in us that no one can deny.

Wayne Barber is senior pastor of Woodland Park Baptist Church in

Chattanooga, Tennessee.Table of Contents

__________________________________Points to Ponderby David L. Olford

The Testing of Abraham

Text: “He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me’” (Genesis 22:12).

Thought: The account of God’s testing of Abraham is emotionally gripping,

at times mentally perplexing, and spiritually inspiring. The account is told in such a way that you can only imagine what must have been going through Abraham’s emotions and his inner being. The text itself simply and clearly outlines Abraham’s immediate and detailed obedience to God’s directive. Very little insight is offered concerning Abraham’s emotions.

The narrative is perplexing in that the command of God seems almost incomprehensible. Yes, specific commands from God against child sacrifice were not yet revealed, but this directive to Abraham can still seem harsh and irrational in the light of Isaac being the special child of promise. There is no shortage of spiritual inspiration as we view the powerful example of Abraham. Abraham passes God’s test in exemplary fashion by demonstrating complete obedience and a

willingness to sacrifice, to “not withhold” Isaac from God.

This obedience was not a simple quick act, but rather a detailed series of activities. Abraham’s obedience involved careful preparations, a journey of three days, various decision times (when Abraham could have turned back), the cooperation of Isaac, and a few verbal evidences of a strong faith despite not knowing the nature of God’s provision.

Here are a few further observations concerning this familiar biblical account.

I. The Time of the TestGen. 22:1 begins: “After these

things….” These words point back immediately to the treaty with Abimelech and Abraham’s sojourning “in the land of the Philistines” for many days (Gen. 21:34). Right before this account is the narrative of the birth of Isaac, and the

Hagar-Ishmael account within which it is clearly stated that “through Isaac shall your offspring be named” (Gen. 21:12). So, God’s test in Genesis 22 comes late in the life of Abraham and after God has made clear that Isaac is the child of promise. Isaac is the apparent guarantee of future blessings.

How difficult a time for such a test! So much had happened in Abraham’s life already. One might think that the big tests were already passed, and now life would be easier with no more hard challenges. But, such was not the case for Abraham, and such may not be the case for us either. We can never assume that we are beyond the time of testing in this life.

II. The Nature of the TestGen. 22:1 records God’s words to

Abraham after gaining his attention: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you

love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” The test itself is summarized in the three words “take”, “go”, and “offer”. God’s words emphasize the love that Abraham had for Isaac. The test for Abraham was to take his special loved one, and having traveled to a distant place (which would involve much effort), offer him as a burnt sacrifice.

This test clearly would challenge the obedience and the faith of Abraham at the deepest level. The obedience aspect of the test is straightforward, but faith is always related to obedience, and the narrative subtly indicates a faith that the writer to the Hebrews expounds upon (Heb. 11:17-19). Both Abraham’s words concerning the return of Isaac and himself after the act of “worship” (Gen. 22:5), and Abraham’s words concerning God’s provision of a lamb for the burnt offering (Gen. 22:8)

reveal a profound trust in God, or someone not willing to tell the whole story. But, as we have noted, the New Testament clearly sees faith where it is may be missed just reading the Genesis account. We should not underestimate the faith of a man who among other things had seen the birth of a promised child in old age.

So, this was a true test of obedience and faith that took Abraham to the place of sacrifice. Then the narrative climaxes with Isaac bound on the altar and the knife in Abraham’s outstretched hand. At this point, with knife in hand, we are seeing what it meant for Abraham to “fear God.” The angel of the Lord speaks, revealing what God wanted to know, Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son. Abraham demonstrated a true fear of God that expresses itself in the costliest kind of obedience, and the ultimate kind of faith. Then God provides a substitute for Isaac,

and re-affirms His covenant promises to Abraham.

III. The Truths of the TestOn the personal level, the truth is

that God desires complete obedience, unshakeable faith and a “no-holding-back” surrender on the part of His people. A corollary truth is that God may test His people any time He chooses. But, Abraham also learned that “The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:14). God was satisfied with Abraham’s obedience, and a ram was provided as a replacement for Isaac on the altar. This provision was a very real provision for Abraham, but points beyond itself to the God Who provides, and the God Who would provide the sacrifice of His own beloved Son.

On the covenantal level, we see God re-affirming His promises to Abraham in the light of Abraham’s response to God’s

test. Abraham will be blessed, his offspring will be multiplied, victory over enemies is assured, and the nations will be the ultimate beneficiaries of blessing. These are not new promises, but they are stated again and emphatically (Gen. 22:16-18) in the light of Abraham’s obedience. God’s covenant, purpose, and promises will not be denied. Also, the redemption of the first-born would be a continuous aspect of Israel’s life under the Law of Moses.

On the canonical level, Abraham is to be viewed as the “father of us all” due to his faith (Rom. 4:16), and his ultimate seed is Christ Himself (Gal. 3:16). The blessings of Abraham are now available to the nations through Christ, even as promised and predicted in our text. God has not rejected His ancient people, but His blessing has expanded outward to the nations in Christ.

Furthermore, as we have already noted, we cannot miss the picture of God the Father giving His beloved Son as a sacrifice to establish the new covenant in His blood. If one is to ask, what kind of God would test His people with the kind of test He presented to Abraham? The answer is the kind of God who would not hold back His own beloved Son in order to bring about salvation for rebellious sinners, indeed His enemies. And if He would not “spare His own Son but gave him up for us all, how will He not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

Thrust: So many truths are seen in this classic text when viewed in the context of God’s great plan of redemption. May we be people of like faith and obedience in the light of all that God has done for us through His beloved Son. Such faith, such obedience, such a fear of God is what He wants to see in us. Should not our

surrender be complete in the light of the blessings of the new covenant that abound to us through Abraham’s Seed, who likewise surrendered Himself completely to the will of the Father?

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

Olford Center in Memphis, Tennessee.Table of Contents

__________________________________Jewels from Past Giants

Isaiah’s Vision—Part 2 of 2By Richard C. Trench

Transcribed from a sermon delivered by Trench. Published as part of Sermons New and Old, 1886. Edited slightly for modern spellings.

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.And one cried unto another, and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory’” (Isa. 6:1-3).

How can it be that this dreadful moment—when our sinful selves are “undone” by God’s revelation of His eternal holiness—can be our greatest and most blessed comfort? When God reveals His law, which has been broken a thousand times, as the righteous and eternal law of the moral universe; when we know that the evil which we have done never can be undone; when we do not as yet know that it can be done away; forgiven, and forgiven on the ground which alone satisfies the

deepest cravings of the conscience—namely, because the penalty of it has been already paid. A moment that in the spiritual history of a man, when death seems rather to be chosen than life, the burden of discovered sin as one greater than the soul can bear; and yet that moment with all its dreadfulness is a passage, in some sense the only passage, into a true life.

And such the prophet found it; for hear what follows; hear God’s answer to this cry of his, and then judge whether this does not justify me in saying that so to be undone as he was, is not to be undone, but rather to be made forever. “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, ‘Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged’” (Isa. 6:6-7).

Observe, I beseech you, the manner in which sin, I mean the guilt of sin, is here, as evermore in Holy Scripture, spoken of as taken away by a free act of God; an act of His in which man is passive; in which he has, so to speak, to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord; an act to which he can contribute nothing, save indeed only that divinely awakened hunger of the soul after the benefit which we call faith. It is quite another thing with the power of sin. In the subduing of the power of sin we must be fellow-workers with God; all the faculties of our renewed nature will need to be strained to the uttermost. So, too, it is quite another thing with the stain of sin: this, to be effaced, will demand the fuller’s soap and the refiner’s fire; the patient toil, it may be the many tears, of him who would indeed have this stain effaced from his soul.

But, in the matter of getting rid of the guilt of sin, we have nothing to do but to stand still and see the work of our God. This is the universal language of Scripture, and with nothing less than this will the heart of men be content. When Joshua the high-priest (the passage, let me say, constitutes a most instructive real parallel to the present) stands before the Lord clothed with filthy garments, the word of grace which goes forth concerning him, “Take away the filthy garments from him”, is in its essence identical with this; the interpretation of that symbolic act following close upon the act itself—“Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee” (Zech. 3:4).

It is this which in Scripture the saints of God, who feel themselves sinners too, crave after; such an act of taking away as shall be wholly God’s, and which, as being such, shall be perfect—“Purge me with

hyssop, and I shall be clean wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Ps. 51:7). It is this which the soul, rejoicing in its deliverance from the condemnation of sin, avouches that it has received: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12); or again, “Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7:19).

Still and evermore this forgiveness is represented to us in Scripture as purely the work of God—of God through Christ, as we have learned in that clearer dispensation under which we live; though it was not a whit less truly through Christ in the times of that elder covenant. Indeed He that sat on the throne, whose train filled the temple, before whom the Seraphim veiled their faces, whom they hymned with alternate song, He at whose bidding one of these flaming fires touched the prophet’s lips with the coal from the altar, He was

Himself no other than the Son in His pre-existent glory, in the form of God, in that form of God which was from eternity His own.

This we might safely have concluded from the analogy of other Scripture; for all the appearances of God in the Old Testament are appearances of the Son, anticipations of his Incarnation; but we do not need to argue it. We gave St. John’s distinct declaration that the glory which Isaiah at this time saw was the glory, not of the Father, for no man hath seen Him at any time, but that of the only begotten Son of the Father, and that Isaiah, speaking these things, “spoke of him” (John 12:41).

Let us keep, then, that distinct which the Scripture keeps distinct—deliverance from the guilt of sin, which is God’s act and His only, and deliverance from the power and dominion of sin, in which we must bear

our part, in which we must be fellow-workers with Him. Distinguish them, if you would have any true peace, a conscience which shall be indeed at peace with Him; distinguish, but since God has joined, see that you do not so much as attempt to divide them. Think not (it will be a vain thought) to keep the peace and the joy, while you are not following after the holiness, while you are not yielding yourselves to God, and offering yourselves to do his work and to run in the way of his commandments, now that He has set you at liberty.

If you do, will not the prophet who has been leading our thoughts this day himself condemn you? Behold in him the fruit of iniquity taken away, and of sin purged. Behold the joyful readiness with which he now offers himself for the service of his God. A moment before he had cried, “Woe is me! I am undone;” but now when

the voice reaches him from the throne, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isa. 6:8), at once he offers himself, “Here am I; send me.” O joyful liberty of those whom Christ has made free! He stops not here to enquire whereunto the Lord would send him, to undertake what painful labor, to drink what cup of suffering, to be baptized with what baptism of blood. Be the task what it may, he is ready for it.

And you, dear friends, who have known the grace which he knew, will you not offer yourselves, if you have not offered yourselves already, for that work, whatsoever it may be, to which your Healer and your Purifier would send you? Shall there be no “Here am I; send me,” from that lightened heart, from those cleansed lips of yours? Your mission, it may be humble, or it may be high; the adorning the doctrine of Christ in some lowliest estate, or the adorning of it in some highest, and

before kings; the teaching of some little child, or the helping to cast down some huge iniquity which darkens half a world.

Isaiah’s mission, we know what that was; cast your eyes but to the close of the chapter, and you will see that it was from that day forth to bear to his people the saddest message and burden of woe which it could be committed to a loving heart to bear; even as there is all reason to believe, that in the end it was appointed to him to resist to the death a bloody and idolatrous king; and, if Jewish tradition may be trusted, only in the fire-chariot of an agonizing martyrdom to pass into the presence and to see forever the face of that King immortal, of whom now this passing glimpse was vouchsafed him.

It is to humbler trials, to easier tasks, that in all likelihood He invites you; but He does invite, He does expect you to offer yourselves to these: “Lord, what wilt

thou have me to do?” And say not that this question has been asked already, and that you have received no answer to it. What, is not everything within and without you an answer to it? Within you, is there not abundance there to be done, and that He would fain see done; a work of grace begun indeed, but which needs in every direction to be deepened, strengthened, purified; a work of grace which has strangely lagged and loitered since that day when in baptism you were made a child of God, and made free of all the powers and privileges of the heavenly kingdom? And without you, in a world like ours, in such a world of woe, is there no work for Christ’s volunteers, for any and for all who have a willing mind to the work? Look around you, and will you then dare to say this?

What, are there no burdens that you can bear, no tears that you can staunch,

no ignorance that you can scatter, no hearts which have utterly lost faith in the goodness and love of God, which you may bring back to faith in Him and in His love, by showing what love there is in the children of God? See to it, I beseech you, that your faith be no barren acquiescence in what God has wrought for you, with an indolent resting thereupon; that your joy go forth for the gladdening of others; else, be sure, it will presently be no joy at all for yourselves; the very springs of it will soon be dried up. If God has given to you any of His peace and joy, then when He says, as presently He will say in your hearing, and meaning that you shall hear, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” see to it that Isaiah’s answer be also yours, “Here am I; send me.”

Richard Chenevix Trench (1807-1886) was a philologist, poet, professor, and Anglican

clergyman. He became dean of Westminster Abbey and eventually

archbishop of Dublin. His Proposal for “a new and independent dictionary” led to the creation of the monumental Oxford English

Dictionary (OED). Among his published works are Notes on the Parables of our

Lord, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord, Synonyms of the New Testament, The Study of Words, and English Past and

Present. Though often criticized during his lifetime for his leadership of the Church of

Ireland during its disestablishment from the state-supported Church of England, he is today remembered as a wise and patient leader who was also a scholar of the first

order. Table of Contents

__________________________________Counselor’s Cornerby James Rudy Gray

Has Bible-believing Christianity Been Marginalized in America?

A version of this article appeared in The Baptist Courier, March 2013. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Rick Warren tweeted recently, “Fast food Christian CEO bullied (Chick-Fil-A). Pastor bullied out of praying publicly (Louie Giglio). Athlete bullied out of speaking AT A CHURCH (Tim Tebow).” Has Bible-believing Christianity been marginalized in this culture? If it hasn’t yet, the war is on to see that we are marginalized or worse.

Sing Oldham, Southern Baptist Convention executive committee vice president for convention communications and relations said, “It’s open season on

those who profess personal faith in Jesus Christ and pattern their lives by biblical morality.”

Fox News accused NBC of “declaring war” on Christians for a Saturday Night Live episode that mocked Jesus and for bashing Tim Tebow’s decision to speak at First Baptist Church of Dallas. Shortly after this, Tebow cancelled his speaking engagement at the church. A couple of weeks later, he spoke at Liberty University. Todd Starnes of Fox News said, “I find it interesting that the networks always mock and ridicule Christianity—but they give other religions a pass.”

Gregg Doyel, CBS sports writer and blogger who attacked Tebow after he first agreed to speak at the Texas church wrote, “I don’t like Tebow now. Liking him means liking someone who wouldn’t just agree with, but would support, Robert

Jeffress. And I despise Robert Jeffress (senior pastor of FBC Dallas).”

Jeffress and the church he pastors hold values and beliefs that are biblically consistent. He has been bombarded by homosexual rights activists and the media for his stance on, frankly, biblical principles. He responded to the firestorm a couple of weeks ago when he addressed his congregation. “As long as I am pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, we are not going to kneel before the altar of political correctness or convenience.”

The story behind Tebow backing out of his commitment is about why this church is being attacked and why the values and beliefs of the overwhelming majority of evangelical Christians being attacked. These beliefs are based on mainstream Bible-believing principles. What is going on in America? Are Christians being marginalized by a more liberal culture? Are

we moving from a post-Christian culture to an anti-Christian nation?

Among other things, Jeffress had stated that Mormonism is a cult, and later endorsed Mitt Romney (a Mormon) for president. He received much criticism over what was an inconsistency in the minds of many in the media. A presidential run by a Mormon does not erase the fact that he is a Mormon and Mormonism has been regarded consistently as a cult by the evangelical world. We should not hate anybody, but we must be honest with our convictions and beliefs. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. A person must be born again to enter heaven. It is not Christ plus something else but Christ alone. We should love God, which means obeying His Word—we should love our neighbor, which means caring enough about them to share the truth with them.

There is an easy type of cultural religion that passes for a genuine relationship with Christ. It cannot save anyone, and it typically will not risk controversy or persecution. Speaking at the 2013 Verge Conference in Austin, Texas, Pastor David Platt of the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., said, “We’re living in a day when it means almost nothing to be a Christian.” Yet Paul wrote in 2 Tim. 3:12, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Our culture may be marginalizing genuine Christians, but that does not mean we are wrong. It presents a challenge, but our forefathers in the faith met challenge after challenge. Now is the time to be confident in our Lord; strong in our convictions; and grounded in His Word. We are still called to be salt and light in this world. Our mission is to disciple as many people as God gives us both opportunity

and grace to do. I would imagine those early Christians in the Roman Empire felt more than just marginalized. Still, by the grace of God, they stood strong and made a difference. That is the opportunity of our time.

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

My Songs Are Like ChildrenSong: “He Is Exalted” by Twila Paris

“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all” (1 Chron. 29:11).

Twila Paris continues to write songs because, in her own words, “My songs are like children who will grow and expand and do things I could never do. They make their way around the world as they are being used for the purpose that God gave them. A song that was given to me in a time of worship is now offered back to Him on a Sunday morning in a small church on a faraway island. ‘He Is Exalted’ has gone far beyond the people who know my name.”

Twila, a “PK”, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1958, into the home of evangelist Oren Paris and his wife, Inez.

She grew up with music all around her, starting her singing experiences at the age of two in her dad’s services. As she grew older, her dad, a pianist of extraordinary talent, began to teach her music and challenge her creativity. She wrote her first recorded song at age seventeen and included it on one of her albums at age twenty.

After finishing high school, Twila enrolled for one year in the discipleship program of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), thinking that she would enter college the following year. One year turned into two, and by then she was already writing and recording songs, so she continued in her music ministry. Those thoughts brought us to the real reason for the interview, and so I asked Twila to share the circumstances surrounding the writing of “He Is Exalted”.

“As was my custom, I was sitting at the piano in my parents’ home worshiping

the Lord for a period of time. I would usually start singing—one of my songs or a song written by someone else that happened to be meaningful at that particular point in my life. As I was there before God, ‘He Is Exalted’ was given to me by my heavenly Father. I recognized the moment and knew that this ‘gift’ from the Lord was something extra special. It was like taking dictation.

“I first sang ‘He Is Exalted’ in a Sunday service at the YWAM base in Arkansas. I became a worship leader there a number of years ago. The song was well tested before it was first recorded in 1985. Several years later I became aware that a lot of people in churches across the country seemed to know my song. It wasn’t a big splash, but it gradually made its way from town to town.

“One day I was watching a network television news show, and the story being

reported was of a religious nature. During their comments they cut away to a congregation singing ‘He Is Exalted.’ For several moments it was almost surreal. It took me a few seconds to realize, ‘Hey, that’s my song.’” She then added, “I hope I never get used to hearing my songs.”

In the twenty years that Twila has been writing, the Lord has given her approximately two hundred songs, most of which have been recorded or published. This story space does not permit the many awards and accolades that came to Twila Paris and her songs. When she thinks of the ministry of songwriting the Lord has graciously given, her mind goes to the impact the songs have had on the world—and she is grateful.

She and her husband, Jack Wright, reside in Elm Springs, Arkansas, and continue their involvement with Youth With A Mission. On April 29, 2001, after sixteen

years of marriage and many sincere prayers, God blessed their lives with their first child, Jack Paris Wright.

One of Twila’s favorite verses of Scripture, the essence of her songwriting, is Romans 11:36, which says, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever.”

© 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

David Livingstone: Explorer, Visionary, and Missionary Pioneer

David Livingstone (1813-1873), missionary and explorer, was born in the village of Blantyre, near Glasgow, Scotland, in a poor family. At 10 he started work in a cotton factory along with his brother. There he studied with a book propped up on a spinning jenny, and he attended school at night. He also read widely on travel and science.

David’s father, Neil Livingstone, was a Sunday school teacher who was ardently devoted to his beliefs and read often about theology and missions. This was a tremendous influence on young David, who

adopted his parents’ faith and their zeal to reach the lost with the Gospel of Christ.

At 17 he began studying medicine and theology at the University of Glasgow. He earned his father’s support for his studies by arguing that medical missions could be a tool to spread the Gospel to unreached nations.

His early goal after reading appeals from the field was to become a missionary to China. He joined the London Missionary Society and undertook missionary training while completing his medical studies. By the time he was ready to depart, however, the outbreak of the First Opium War forced the London Missionary Society to consider another destination for him.

Inspired by Robert Moffat’s pioneering work in South Africa, he decided to set his sights on the so-called “Dark Continent” in 1840. Moffat took a shine to young Livingstone, and became

convinced that he was the right man to carry the work north into the interior of Africa to “the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary had ever been.”

In 1845 he married Moffat’s daughter Mary and built a home at a mission outpost in the northern part of South Africa. Influenced by Moffat’s vision and the ongoing work of abolishing the global slave trade, Livingstone began his great work of missionary and colonial exploration, saying, “The end of the geographical feat is the beginning of the missionary enterprise.” He believed that the combination of a Christian witness and legitimate trade for the tribes would bring an end to slavery.

He became the first European to make a transcontinental journey across Africa, succeeding where others failed primarily because he traveled lightly bringing the Gospel with medicine and

handshakes rather than soldiers and swords.

In time his reputation as an explorer spread back in Britain, capturing the imaginations of the people during the Victorian era of imperial expansion. In later years, he saw much suffering and many hardships, and he sent his family back to England temporarily. In 1856 he returned to England with high acclaim as a world-renowned explorer. He “opened Africa both to missions and to civilization.”

He left the London Missionary Society but returned to Africa under the British government, with these goals: 1) to make Christ known to Africa, 2) to find the source of the Nile and open Africa to the West, and 3) to eradicate the pernicious slave traffic. Mary rejoined him during an expedition on the Zambezi River, but died from Malaria on the shores of Lake Malawi in 1862. Livingstone continued on, but

returned to England in 1864 after the expedition failed to result in significant gains for the crown.

He returned in 1866 to attempt a second time to discover the source of the Nile, but many of his companions deserted him, disease and hardship nearly killed him, and he lost contact with the outside world. Sir Henry M. Stanley was sent by the New York Herald newspaper to find him. Stanley’s expedition finally met Livingstone on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in 1871, the only non-African for hundreds of miles around. Upon meeting him, Stanley is said to have uttered the line (immortalized by Spencer Tracy’s portrayal in classic film Stanley and Livingstone), “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

Stanley could not persuade Livingstone to return to civilization, and he continued his work of exploration and evangelization. In 1873, while based in

present-day Zambia, Livingstone’s native helpers found him on his knees in prayer, but his spirit had gone to be with the Lord he had served so long and so well. His body was returned to England and buried in famed Westminster Abbey.

His legacy as an explorer is as the discoverer of the African great lakes and Victoria Falls and as the man who made Britain’s colonial rule in East Africa possible. But his greatest legacy is as an example of longsuffering for the cause of the Gospel who inspired many others to take up their cross and follow Jesus as missionaries to the uttermost parts of the earth.

“…Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21).

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 “David Livingstone” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Livingstone). Table of Contents__________________________________Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel

Be Still and Know: Camping MinistryBy AMG International Staff

In the hustle of daily life, we often fail to recognize how God is at work in our hearts. As we rush to meet the needs and expectations of our families, homes, jobs,

etc., it is easy for His still small voice to be drowned out by the cares of this world.

When that happens, we would do best to follow our Lord’s example. Over and over again in the gospels, when the crowds pressed in, when He could’ve taken the opportunity to “expand His ministry” or “make a name for Himself,” Jesus retreated to spend time with His Father. Just look at a few instances from Luke: “And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). “And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). “…He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28b).

Just as we struggle with listening to God’s voice amid the noise of life here, so do the children AMG International serves through our childcare ministries around the

world. They often come from broken homes and wrestle with grinding poverty, hunger, and miseries that are difficult for us in the West to understand. If we need a retreat in order to reflect and seek God, how much more do they?

To meet this need, AMG tries to provide the opportunity to participate in camping ministry for as many of the children in our care as possible. Just as it does for so many of our own kids, a trip to camp offers AMG sponsored children a peaceful environment where they receive a clear presentation of the Gospel and a chance to feel safe and open to ask questions about Christ.

This special emphasis on giving children time to reflect on Christ’s love for them is why we love and support camping. AMG’s child sponsorship program isn’t just about giving a child adequate food and clothing, providing medical care, and giving

them with a good education; we desire to see each child come to know Christ as their savior and to help them grow in their relationship with Him.

The stories from our camping projects confirm over and over again that these precious times help the consistent message children hear from our national workers “click” for them and lead them to saving faith in Christ.

Esmeralda, a 13-year-old sponsored child at AMG’s Childcare Center in Guatemala, shares how her life was transformed by Christ’s redeeming love through the ministry of AMG’s Camp Canaan: “I want to testify from the marvelous things the Lord have done with me. When I was younger I used to be a rebel girl with bitterness in my heart. My family doesn’t have money and we cannot have many things, and I always wondered why other children had beautiful houses

and toys, and lots of food, and we couldn’t have these things. I was always fighting with my siblings, and I really did not like to obey my parents.

“I have attended Oratorio Childcare Center since I was three, and the teachers have always shared with me about the love of Jesus, but I really did not like to listen, and God was not real to me. I went to Camp Canaan as a fifth-grader, and again learned about the love of God and His Word, but inside my heart I did not feel that I needed Jesus, and my behavior did not change.

“Another year passed, and I had another opportunity to attend Camp Canaan. There, they talked to me about the wonderful sacrifice of Jesus. They told me that He died for me, he was alone and poor, as I am, but that He is God and He is with me. I started to cry and I asked Him to come into my heart, I felt peace and full of

love. I went back home and asked my siblings for forgiveness and tried to be more obedient to my parents. Now, I have started attending a church and I want to be baptized because I want to serve in the church.”

The costs of operating camps like Camp Canaan, Camp Joy in Thailand, and Living Hope Camp in the Philippines are not covered by regular child sponsorship funds, so AMG supporters give generously to ensure that these life-changing ministries continue. What better gift could there be for a child than eternal life in Jesus Christ?

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

child go to camp, 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

Pine-Tree Parents

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, September 2007.

It is the nature of all living things to reproduce themselves, to produce the next generation of their kind. But when trees in

dense forests try to do so, they often encounter a serious problem: there is no place for their offspring to grow. Even though there may be plenty of room on the forest floor, the leafy canopy overhead blocks out the essential sunlight. The result is that seedlings cannot get a real foothold on life.

The parent trees attack this problem in various ways. Some produce “winged” seeds, or seeds with “parachutes,” which can be carried away by wind currents. Others depend upon birds or squirrels or other small seed-nibblers to carry away and hide more seeds than they will eat. Still others equip their seeds to lie dormant for many years until the right conditions for sprouting exist.

But perhaps the strangest provision for the next generation of trees is that made by some species of pine. These

trees hold their children close in the womb until a forest fire clears a space for them.

While the cones of most conifers open when they are ripe to allow the seeds to fall, the cones of these pines remain tightly closed. Only one thing will cause the cones to spread their scales and release the seeds within: extreme heat. Frequently it is only the heat generated by the torching of the parent tree which opens the cones. These pines give birth only in the throes of death!

Only thus can they insure living space for their progeny. And thus also is provision made to heal the forest fire’s wound and reclothe the blackened hills with new growth.

But we must ask: How did this come about? Is this the end result of an evolutionary chain of adaptations, as many would claim?

The theory of evolution would have us believe that little by little, as eons passed by, these pine tree species moved further and further from the normal summer-time dropping of seeds, toward never dropping them until calamity strikes. Could intermediate methods have worked?

They could not! The first changes toward requiring ever-greater heat for seed release would have meant that any little fire, or lightning bolt, or even a hot sunny day, would have triggered the dispersal—without creating the necessary break in the forest canopy overhead. No, we see yet again that there is really no place for trial-and-error development, nor for incremental development—though both of these concepts are required by the evolutionary theory. To function at all, the finished system had to be in place and operational.

This points, of course, to the Master Planner, who lovingly fashioned each

individual element of nature, and gave to each species the unique properties which would sustain that species, and at the same time create a harmonious whole. We are looking at the handiwork of God.

Our Creator watches over every blade of grass, as well as the cows which eat the grass and those who drink the cows’ milk. And, lest we think too highly of ourselves, His Word reminds us that: “As for man, his days are as grass: As a flow of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone” (Ps. 103:15-16).

We are not here forever, nor are we here without a purpose. Purpose is inherent in the design of every leaf, every rock and rill, every creature—and not least, every human being. The Bible tells us what this purpose is, in Revelation 4:11: “Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all

things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”

We were created to give God the pleasure, the joy that a father feels—that parents feel, when their children return their love.

While man’s rebellion against the peace and purposes of God has forestalled this fulfillment at present, the Bible foretells a time coming when Jesus Christ, our Lord, will step dramatically back into history to bind up Nature’s wounds and bring peace again upon Earth. But we do not have to await that time to make our individual peace with God. He gives heart-peace and joy, even in the midst of perils and persecution, to all who call in true faith upon the name of His Son.

The Old Scot (Ted Kyle) lives in Newberg, Oregon, with his wife, Marga.

Sources: Biology of Plants, 2nd ed., Peter H. Raven, Ray F. Evart & Helena Curtis, Worth Publishers, NY, 1976, p. 334. Plant and Planet, Anthony Huxley, Viking Press, NY, p. 164. Table of Contents__________________________________Book Review—3/18/13

The Gospel’s Power and Message, Paul Washer, 2012, Reformation Heritage Books, Grand Rapids, Mich., ISBN 9781601781956, 274 pages, $20.00, softcover.

Do evangelical churches preach the Gospel anymore? Have we so customized, contextualized, sold, and “relevant-ized” our namesake evangel that it has become “no Gospel at all”? This is precisely the case which missionary and evangelist Paul Washer boldly makes in The Gospel’s Power and Message.

With an uncommon zeal, Washer proclaims from Scripture the truths that together make up the Gospel of Christ: that God is Creator and Ruler of all, that man has rebelled against Him and fallen into sin, that God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world as fully God and fully man, that Christ died on the cross to make payment for our sin, that He was raised from the dead on the third day to defeat sin and death, and that He is reconciling men to Himself from every tribe, tongue and nation.

This book is more than (though certainly not less than) an eloquent restatement of the Gospel message, however. It is a fervent plea for today’s Church to return to the proper understanding of this message as the core of the faith from which every other teaching, application, task, or benefit flows. Washer calls the Gospel the “acropolis of

the Christian faith”—the high, fortified, gloriously beautiful center of our city that gives the rest its reason for existence.

Reading Washer is like reading the Puritans that so influenced him—he writes straightforwardly, not mincing words or couching his message in soft terms. Whatever your background or experience, your toes will be stepped on repeatedly. Upon reflection, though, the pain this brings is necessary, encouraging self-evaluation and recommitment to our call to follow Christ in making disciples.

In today’s over-trendy evangelicalism, Washer is a breath of fresh air. This is not merely another title in the present “Gospel-centered” fad (helpful though many of those books are), but an unblinking call for revival and outpouring of obedience. As he puts his case, “We must seek to rediscover the Gospel of old, to be recaptured by it, and to preach it with

passion like people who know their God and understand what He has done for them!” (P. 27).

Get a copy of this book; be offended and challenged anew by the scandal that is the Gospel of Christ; then go forth in newfound passion and obedience as the Holy Spirit works in your heart.

Justin Lonas

Type: TheologyTarget: AllTake: Highly Recommended

Table of Contents__________________________________News Update—3/18/13

Torture Likely Led to Death of Egyptian Christian in Libya, Sources Say

Repeated electrical shock torture of an Egyptian Christian accused of

“proselytizing” in Libya likely exacerbated his heart ailment, leading to his death in custody, Morning Star News reports.

Ezzat Hakim Atallah, 45, died March 10 in a Tripoli jail while in the custody of an Islamic militia group known as the Preventative Security Unit. He was arrested without being formally charged in Benghazi on Feb. 13 as Preventative Security—an internal police force formed during the Libyan Revolution by regional rebel leaders—was rounding up expatriate Christians and accusing them of spreading Christianity to Muslims.

Sources close to Atallah said he had a “serious chest condition” that would have cost him his life under the repeated beatings and electrical shocks. Atallah was taken to a hospital once during his captivity, on March 6, but he returned to jail after medical personnel were either unwilling or unable to properly treat him,

they said. Libyan authorities told his family he collapsed in jail and that he died of high blood pressure.

The embassy of Egypt, a country where a majority believes those who leave Islam should receive the death penalty, has claimed he likely died of “natural causes.” Atallah also reportedly suffered from diabetes. He leaves behind his wife, Ragaa Nagah, a 15-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter.

Religion Today Summaries

Pastor Saeed Abedini Petition Nearing 500,000 Signatures Before Congressional Hearing

A petition for the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini, the American citizen currently serving eight years in prison in Iran, has reached nearly half a million signatures a day before an important congressional hearing

concerning his case, the Christian Post reports.

“This is a crucial moment and our best chance yet to spur the United States government into action,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. “We need to send a message. We need 500,000 signatures to help save Saeed by the time I testify.”

The ACLJ, which is representing Pastor Saeed’s wife and two young children in America, has been petitioning for the pastor’s release ever since his imprisonment last year and subsequent trial in Iran, which the legal firm called a “sham.” Sekulow will speak before the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday about Pastor Saeed and the persecution many Christians are facing in Muslim-dominated countries, and he hopes to inspire action from congressmen.

To read more about Pastor Saeed’s case and sign the petition, visit SaveSaeed.org.

Religion Today Summaries

Argentina’s Jorge Bergoglio Becomes Pope Francis

Roman Catholic Cardinals elected Argentina’s Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis I on Wednesday to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, CNN reports. He is the first non-European pope in the modern era, the first South American pope, and the third straight non-Italian pope.

Pope Francis, 76, is considered a straight-shooter who calls things as he sees them, and is a follower of the Catholic Church’s most conservative wing. The decision came after the fifth ballot cast by the 115 cardinals since the papal conclave began Tuesday. Pope Francis succeeds Pope Benedict XVI, who became the first

pope to resign in hundreds of years when he stepped down February 28, citing advanced age. 

Religion Today Summaries

The Bible Sees Big Numbers for History Channel Again

The second week of History Channel’s The Bible miniseries may not have delivered the ratings of the previous week’s record-breaking premiere, but the two-hour telecast still saw big numbers, Entertainment Weekly reports.

The Bible had 10.8 million total viewers Sunday night, down 18 percent from its premiere, but still No. 1 in all of television from 8 to 10 p.m. More than 50 million cumulative viewers have seen at least a portion of the series since it began on March 3. 

Religion Today Summaries

Syrian Christians Fleeing as Islamists Take Over

Islamic rebels have been taking over Christian villages in Syria, leaving Christians facing some tough choices, CBN News reports.

A Muslim group recently captured the Christian village of Yacoubiyeh, and many residents fled, leaving behind empty homes and damaged churches. Some say they won’t return until they see how the Muslim rebel commander treats minorities. Though the commander says he will treat everyone fairly, like many rebel leaders he rules according to strict Islamic law.

Elsewhere in Syria, reports abound of Muslim rebels murdering Christians and kidnapping others for ransom, and the number of Syrians who have fled their war-torn country has now surpassed the 1 million mark.

Religion Today Summaries

Religious Parents’ Divorce May Cause Children to Leave the Church

A new study has found that the children of religious couples are much more likely to leave the religion if their parents get divorced, according to U.S. News & World Report. 

The study, published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, found that children who have two religious parents who get divorced are twice as likely to become estranged from their church as adults compared to people whose parents don’t get divorced.

“When both parents are religious, the effect of divorce has a negative effect on religiosity,” said Jeremy Uecker, a professor at Baylor University and lead author of the study. “They might think their parents’ marriage was ordained by God…

and that breakup can have more of an effect on their religiousness in adulthood.”

The effect of divorce on a child’s future religious beliefs was seen across all religions, Uecker said. In the future, he hopes to study why children of divorced parents seem more likely to be less religious.

Religion Today SummariesTable of Contents

__________________________________Sermon Helpsfrom www.sermonhall.com

Sermon OutlinesThe Offense of the CrossIntro.: How is the cross made inoffensive?I. When We Weaken in Our Stand for Convictions Because They Are Distasteful to the Worldly-Minded.II. When We Attempt to Refine the Cross with Gloss and Sentimental Show.

III. When We Depict the Cross Without the Christ.IV. When We Remove the Cross from the Center of Hope and Redemption.V. When We Conceal the Stark Tragedy of the Cross.VI. When the Cross Does Not Mean Our Holiness.

H. K. Underwood

Who is Jesus to You?Intro.: The identity of Jesus is a fact unaffected by opinion. What a person thinks of Jesus, however, has decisive importance for the individual.I. The Bible Claims a Specific Human Identity for Jesus.

A. The Bible specifies His human genealogical heritage.

1. Matthew and Luke detail His heritage (Matt. 1:18; Luke 3:23-38).

2. Paul states Jesus’ fleshly descent from David (Rom. 1:3).

B. The Bible specifies His human birth.

1. As a voluntary descent from eternal glory (Phil. 2:5-8).2. As taking a prepared body (Heb. 10:5).3. As being born of a human virgin (Matt. 1:20-23; Luke 1:26-38).

II. The Bible Claims a Specific Deity Identity for Jesus.

A. Based on Jesus’ relationship to His Father (John 10:30, 33). Jesus was the visible image of the invisible God (Col. 1:13; John 14:9; Heb. 1:2-3).B. Based on His unique works (John 10:37-38).

1. Jesus is the Creator and upholder of all things (Col. 1:16-17).2. Jesus was unique in earthly works (John 10:37-38).

C. Based on Jesus’ bodily resurrection (Rom. 1:4). Jesus is ever alive (1 Cor. 15:20; Heb. 7:25).

Conc.: Let us worship Jesus for who he is and receive the salvation that God has provided through Jesus.

R. G. Witty

IllustrationsMain Character

Who is the dominant personage in your spiritual conversations?

We’ve come to expect our rulers to fail to grasp the focal point of Easter. As preachers look for national recognition,

they realize that the mere mention of “Jesus” will alienate the audience they so dearly covet. Some give members of Christ’s human family first place. Others have an all-inclusive “God” which allows hearers to make their own interpretation.

Jesus once took Peter, James, and John on a field trip to the mountains. There, Jesus was joined by Moses and Elijah from heaven. The gloating disciples were at first distracted. It took God the Father’s thunderous commendation of Jesus to bring them to their knees and refocus their minds. As they looked up again, the Bible reports: “They saw no man, save Jesus only” (Matt. 17:8). What will it take to get you back on track with Jesus?

Via the Cross Box

“The Lord Is Risen”

Philip Henry used to call the Lord’s Day the queen of days, the pearl of the week, and observed it accordingly. His common salutation of his family or friends, on the Lord’s Day in the morning, was that of the primitive Christians—“The Lord is risen, He is risen indeed.”

He made it his chief business on that day to celebrate the memory of Christ’s resurrection; and he would say sometimes, “Every Lord’s Day is a true Christian’s Easter Day.”

Anonymous

Bulletin InsertsOn EasterEaster says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. 

Clarence W. Hall 

The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice. 

Henry Knox Sherrill Could life so end, half told; its school so fail? Soul, soul, there is a sequel to thy tale!

Robert Mowry Bell Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless. 

Charles M. Crowe We live and die; Christ died and lived! 

John R.W. Stott Once more to new creation awake, and death gainsay, for death is swallowed up of

life, and Christ is risen today! George Newell Lovejoy

 There is not room for death, nor atom that his might could render void: Thou—Thou art being and breath, and what Thou art may never be destroyed. 

Emily Bronte And He departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him.  For He departed, and behold, He is here.

 Augustine of Hippo Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.

Martin LutherTable 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, March 1997. On following pages