The Power of Words

It was an interesting comment from a lady in the church after I’d been pastor for a few months.

“I’m glad we have a pastor who writes notes,” she said.

I’d not thought much of it before, but I suppose it’s unusual these days for anyone to write notes to others. E-mail is almost passé now and texting is all the rage. So, to get a hand-written letter or note from someone is unique.

One reason she was a gracious lady is that the late Princess Diana would write beautiful notes of appreciation to her dinner hosts. She would write them in the evening before going to bed so that they could be “posted” the next morning, as they say in Great Britain. I saw one of these notes on auction with a starting bid of $5000, so if you have one, you have a valuable item! But though most of us don’t have a personal note from a princess, we do have her influence to guide us.

The letter to Philemon in the New Testament is very short. Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll has likened it to a postcard, rather than a letter. The letter has been called a “bread and butter note” which is what we used to call those customary notes we sent to people who hosted us for a meal or gave us a gift. And the note is packed with theological truth.

Onesimus was a run-away slave. In the providence of God, he met the apostle Paul who brought him to Christ. Then Paul did the unthinkable—he sent the slave home—earning Paul the wrath of many modern readers of scripture. Paul’s tact was just the opposite of the “underground railroad” that helped slaves escape servitude in the days prior to our Civil War. The railroad was supported by many churches in the North.

It’s been estimated that one-third of the Roman population was comprised on slaves, so it was a common and customary thing. Had Paul begun a crusade to abolish slavery, the Roman empire would’ve crushed him like a gnat. Rather, his mission was to plant churches throughout the Mediterranean world, and he was single-minded in this task.

But Paul planted a seed for abolition when he asked Philemon, Onesimus’s owner, not to treat him like a slave, but as a brother in Christ (Philemon 16). Paul further said if the slave had caused loss to his owner, then Philemon could put the loss on Paul’s account and he would be responsible.

How interesting that God would preserve this simple note as inspired scripture for the edification of the church. Written words have power, especially when energized by the Spirit of God.

Thank A Vet

Veterans Day is a time to honor men and women who spent time in the armed forces and who remain with us, unlike Memorial Day which is a time to remember those who aren’t with us. Our veterans should be honored. They want to share their stories with us, and we should listen.

War is always a troubling time for people of faith. We know that God desires peace, and our savior is known as the prince of peace. But we also know that conflict is a reality in our fallen world. Thomas Aquinas, Augustine and others taught the “just war” theory, and this teaching has shaped our understanding as the church. We believe we must find a greater good above the carnage of war, such as preventing totalitarianism and slavery.

Our American founding fathers believed that God himself is the author of liberty and they unabashedly asked for his blessings as they fought for independence from Britain.

And historians tell us very convincing stories about the intervention of God. Young George Washington served under British Gen. Edward Braddock in 1755 during the French and Indian War. In a battle on July 9 in what is now the state of Pennsylvania, Washington had two horses shot from beneath him and sustained four separate bullet holes in his jacket. He, however, was unharmed, and went on to be the victorious general of the American Revolution and our first president.

Nevertheless, what should our response to war be?

First, we should work and pray for peace. Jesus said the peacemakers are the children of God.

Second, we pray for our family and friends in the military. Most of our churches developed a prayer list of active duty military during the Gulf Wars and prayed for these regularly.

Third, we honor our veterans in every way possible, lifting them up as genuine heroes.

A friend recommended the Ken Burns’ series, “The Vietnam War,” that recently aired on PBS, so I invested the 10+ hours to view it. The series reminded me of this pivotal event of my generation. Several U.S. presidents wrestled with how to conduct this war, and how to conclude it. The anti-war movement was strong, and our country was divided. The series highlighted also how we failed to step up and honor these brave soldiers when they returned home. We should’ve done better.

Memorial Day is a time of sadness. We remember men like my mother’s three brothers who served in World War II who are with us no longer. Veteran’s Day is a time of affirmation. We say “thank you” to the men and women who laid aside their life goals to serve and protect the rest of us.

Which Bible Should We Use?

It wasn’t the “are you still beating your wife?” question, but it was, nonetheless, risky. A student in the Christian school currently meeting at our church said, “My dad wanted to know what Bible you use when you preach?”

I can remember when the King James Version was the accepted Bible for pulpit use. A deacon told me a story when I came as pastor to his church about some ladies slamming their Bibles shut with a loud “thud” if they couldn’t follow the pastor when he read his text. I soon learned that their story was his story, too—he wanted me to use King James only!

Many of us “cut our teeth” on the King James. It was really all we had in those days. One positive result was that scripture memorization was standardized since we all memorized the same version.

To underscore its pedigree, some add another modifier and call it “the authorized” KJV. However, it was authorized form the throne room of King James in 1611, not from the throne room of the Lord. The Pilgrims who came to America didn’t accept the new King James Bible since it was used by the Church of England, but instead brought the Geneva Bible with them on the Mayflower.

Of course, language has changed dramatically since 1611. I remember as a boy the chapel where our kindergarten had daily prayer. A verse on the wall read, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” I puzzled over this. “Suffer” in 1611 meant “allow,” not “to cause pain.”  And Paul insisted those who were living at the return of Christ wouldn’t “prevent” those who died. “Prevent” in that day meant “precede,” so the dead in Christ will be raised first, he said.

The Today’s English Version New Testament was published when I was in high school. It was designed for those for whom English was second language, and the vocabulary was under 200 words. It met with instant acceptance, and later became The Good News Bible. Then The Living Bible paraphrase found acceptance, and then The New International Version and others. The trend continues with many translations available to help us understand God’s truth.

I suppose a purist would choose to bring either the Hebrew Bible or the Greek New Testament to the pulpit to be authentic. But a survey I once saw postulated that only 10 percent of seminarians maintain their skills in the biblical languages.

So, what do we do? We show reverence to the familiar King James Version, but we also find increased understanding by using newer translations. Increased understanding is a good thing. After all, the Bible was given to be read, understood and obeyed.

Date Like A Christian

It was a phrase I’d not heard before when co-eds at the college talked about “missionary dating.” When I heard it, I thought this is good: young ladies dating missionaries. But then they told me I misunderstood the concept. Missionary dating occurs when a young woman of faith dates a male ruffian in order to influence him to Christ.

I mentioned this in a sermon once, and Sarah stopped me after the service.

“That’s not what we call it,” she said. “We call it ‘flirt to convert!'” she said with a laugh.

Whatever it’s called, I don’t believe it’s the best course. Dating is auditioning for marriage, and people of faith are cautioned throughout scripture only to marry a partner who shares their faith. As long ago as the Old Testament Moses first, and then his successor Joshua warned the Hebrews not to marry Canaanites. These were the tribes who populated Israel when the Hebrews lived in Egypt. “They will corrupt your faith, and you will begin to worship false gods,” Moses warned.

Sadly, many Hebrews did intermarry, and the consequences were devastating. Three notable examples are Solomon, Ahab and Samson whose spiritual lives were wrecked by pagan women.

This continued to be a problem in the New Testament. Since Christianity was first-generation, many committed to follow Christ without the cooperation of their spouses. The apostle Paul dealt with this in 1 Corinthians. He urged the believing spouse, nevertheless, to maintain the marriage if possible in order to influence the unbelieving spouse. The apostle Peter similarly encouraged believing spouses to live lives of holiness and influence their partners without having to say anything. In other words, Peter argued that you can’t nag someone into heaven (1 Peter 3:1)!

I remember a lady who tried. She was married to a scoundrel. She said to me one day, “I really got him told last night! I told him how low-down he was and how he ought to be ashamed of himself.”

Certainly, I understood her frustration. I knew her spouse and shared her opinion! A better tactic, Peter insisted, is to live an exemplary Christian life at home.

I’ve talked with countless young people over the years who’ve sidestepped the clear teaching of scripture. “He promised when we get married, he’ll change, and he’ll follow Christ with me,” they say. I’m bolder in my old age now and respond by suggesting if he were that serious, he’d make a spiritual commitment before the wedding date, and simply continue this spiritual lifestyle in the marriage.

Christians are supposed to love everyone and share our faith at each opportunity, but dating and marriage is a unique friendship that must be handled with greater caution.

The Power Of One

I’ve had two theories about the fall of the Confederate government. One was failure to take action after the first Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. The federal troops were overconfident and ill-prepared. It was a route. Gen. Thomas Jackson, who earned his nickname, “Stonewall,” in that battle, urged President Jefferson Davis to press forward and force the evacuation of Washington, thus ending the war early. But Davis preferred his own counsel. He wanted a defensive war, not an offensive one.

My second theory is Gettysburg in July 1863. Visitors to the national park today stand at what is called the “copse” of trees overseeing the site of Pickett’s Charge. Gen. Lee tried to take the hill with a left flanking maneuver one day, and a right flanking maneuver the second day, then he inexplicably decided on a full-frontal assault. Thousands of confederates appeared from the forest a mile away, lined up should-to-shoulder and began their charge over the open ground. It was a turkey shoot. Hundreds of rebels died from cannon fire and musket. The few who got to the copse of trees were easily taken prisoner. This site is called the “high water mark” of the Confederacy since it’s the northern-most penetration of the army.

I carried on a good-natured argument with a Selma friend about this battle. He insists Lee ordered the attack at dawn, and Gen. Longstreet dallied until 2 in the afternoon. But I counter that the charge was ill-conceived no matter the time of day.

After Gettysburg, it was apparent the South was doomed.

Bill O’Reilly in his book, “Legends and Lies—the Civil War,” gave me new insight in his chapter on Jackson. Gen. Jackson was shot in May 1863 and died eight days later. Thus Gen. Lee was deprived of his “strong right arm” as he called Jackson. O’Reilly wrote, “Replacing Jackson was impossible. And on that fact the war turned.”

His point is that Jackson wasn’t at Gettysburg and his tactical expertise could have conceivably turned the battle.

I was struck by this idea. We might call it “the power of one.” Yes, there is strength and encouragement in numbers, but many great movements begin with one person of conviction and skill. The church remembers this month the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s protest that brought about the Protestant Reformation—a movement brought about primarily through the convictions of a single man.

A physically-handicapped student came forward during the invitation period in his church. “Can God use half a man like me?” he plaintively asked the minister. The minister replied, “Oh, yes! God has been waiting to do great things with a man like you!”

Should A Christian Celebrate Halloween?

Bob Harrington, the former "Chaplain of Bourbon Street," preached one night and advertised his sermon title in the local newspaper: "Three Places Where There's No Problem with Racism." This was in the civil rights era and our nation was fixated on this problem.

Hundreds came that night to hear Harrington. He touched on his announced theme only in the first paragraph of his sermon: "The three places where there's no problem with racism are heaven, hell and the heart of a Christian." Then Harrington preached a gun barrel-straight message about repentance!

"Should A Christian Celebrate Halloween?" is, likewise, poised to draw a crowd, but there’s no easy answer.

Some say Halloween is the "devil's night" and refuse to participate or let their children participate. Others say it's a harmless night of fun and see no problem with it.

I remember a boyhood Sunday School teacher who used to rail against race car driving. "It's just like the Roman coliseum," he often told us. "People go there to see drivers crash and die!"

A little harsh, to be sure, but race car driving is as popular as ever. We even have a block of conservatives called "NASCAR voters." And at Talladega and other racetracks, Christians set up booths, give away bottles of water and serve as chaplains.

There was a local pastor when I was in high school who came back from a Bible conference with new enthusiasm, telling his congregation that he'd thrown his TV out the back door and that they had to do this, too, if they really loved Jesus. A few weeks later they threw him out the door!

TV is still here. There are vile things on it, to be sure, but there are also Christian programs sponsored by Billy Graham and local churches and entire Christian networks, too.

If we can’t stop racing or TV, we probably aren't going to stop Halloween. So, how can we respond effectively?

Some churches have used the so-called "Judgment House" drama which tries to communicate the truth about death and eternity. Other churches provide on-site festivals or distribute printed gospel summaries or worship invitations that homeowners can give away with their Halloween treats. I've known some Christians who've designed nice Halloween gift packages and included a simple "God loves you" note. For some trick-or-treaters, this might be the only time they hear such a positive message.

Rather than turning our lights off or scowling at eager boys and girls that we don't celebrate Halloween, why not give a little treat--the equivalent of a cup of cold water in Jesus' name (Matthew 10:42)--and simply say, "God bless you"?

There Is A Balm In Gilead

A few years ago, good news-bad news jokes were popular. One had to do with the pilot announcing over the intercom: “My co-pilot is drunk, an engine it out and we have no more fuel. We’re hundreds of miles from our destination, but the good news is we have plenty of peanuts.”

The ancient prophet Jeremiah likewise had good news and bad news for the nation of Judah. The bad news was that the enemy was “at the gates.” Babylon rose as the great power intent on world conquest. A cruel ruler, Nebuchadnezzar, came to the throne in 604 B.C., and he took pleasure when he saw captives, naked and chained, being lead into the capital city.

Jeremiah wrote, “The whole land trembles at the approach of the terrible army, for the enemy is coming, and is devouring the land and everything in it” (Jeremiah 8:16).

Our nation has known this kind of dread a few times. The young nation was again threatened by Great Britain in 1812. The British burned the nation’s capital and then moved to Baltimore to attack Ft. McHenry. An American lawyer was detained on a British warship and had a front-row seat to the attack. The next morning Frances Scott Key saw the “star-spangled banner” yet waving “over the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

And the present generation shared collective dread on 9/11. No one had ever thought about evil men using airplanes as missiles, but that day 3,000 Americans died.

The Jews thought they were safe because the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem was understood to be the throne of God. They even sang a little chorus: “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these” (Jeremiah 7:4). Dr. Dale Moody used to say this was the first praise chorus in the Bible! The point was that the people treated the temple like a good luck charm, thinking they could live wayward lives and be protected by the Lord.

But Jeremiah had some good news. He said there was a balm in Gilead and physicians there (Jeremiah 8:22). Gilead was famous for a healing ointment and a medical community, much as we’d refer to the Mayo Clinic today. Times were tough, but healing was available for the sin-sick nation of Judah.

In his memoirs, “Decision Points,” former President George W. Bush wrote about an encounter with Billy Graham who encouraged him to ask God’s help in overcoming his drinking. Bush came to Christ and said now he feels a special connection to the testimony of John Newton: “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”

On Revenge

I’d not really planned on reading it, but the bookstore I was in last weekend had a special price on the new Hillary Clinton book, “What Happened?” I’ve found it hard to put down. Clinton admits to numbers of mistakes during her presidential campaign, but she doesn’t stop there! She proceeds to settle scores with many people she considers impediments, including Vladimir Putin, Franklin Graham, Bernie Sanders, Fox News, Jim Comey and the Republican Party.

In contrast, I remember failed candidate Mitt Romney talking with Jay Leno on television. The only negative thing he said about the Obama administration was “I’m not a fan.”

But Mrs. Clinton uses her book to speak, and write, the last word!

Of course, hers isn’t the first memoir to settle scores. My generation remembers Don Regan who served as treasury secretary and White House chief of staff in the Reagan White House. He allegedly angered Nancy Reagan who urged her husband to dismiss him. In his memoirs, Regan wrote on page one about Nancy Reagan consulting an astrologer who controlled the president’s schedule! Later the astrologer, Joan Quigley, wrote her own book and tried to explain how she gave some assurance to Mrs. Reagan after the attempted assassination.

Most of us can’t write books to settle scores. Thus, we find other ways.

One way we seek revenge is to tell others about our injustices in order to garner support. If I can convince you my enemy is evil, then it makes me feel better to have reinforcements. Of course, we’re good at telling our own version of the particular offense, and in such a way as to make us seem virtuous.

Another way we seek revenge is to bide our time to say a negative word at an opportune time in someone’s life. I’ve known a few people who’ve taken job reference calls, for example, and used these to hurt someone’s opportunity for advancement because of some earlier slight against them or someone they love.

The phrase, “revenge is sweet,” goes back to Homer. But God’s word has a different exhortation: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12).

Gen. Robert E. Lee had it right. It was known that Gen. Joe Johnston disliked Lee. His officers were surprised when Lee said nice things about Johnston.

"General Lee," an officer said, "I guess you don’t know what he’s been saying about you."

"I know," answered Lee. "But I was asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me."

Senior Saints

King Solomon as an older man gave a stern warning: "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Solomon was despondent. His body was weary and he carried the burden of a failed mission. He made poor decisions as a younger man that ruined his testimony later on. It seemed smart to marry into the families of other kings, thus ensuring peace, but the he allowed his perspective to change when he began to worship the pagan gods his wives brought along.

Gail Sheehy in "Passages" wrote about predictable crises, and getting older is one of them. The average lifespan in America is 79. According to the Social Security Administration, a man 65 today can expect to reach 84, and a women 65 today can expect to live to be 86.

The scripture insists old age is one of God's gifts. Solomon wrote in another place, "The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old."

Every day is a gift from God, and the accumulation of days, months and years is the cumulative gift of God. Therefore we should live as people of gratitude. The alternative is to become grumpy old men or fussy old women!

Victor Frankl spent time in several Nazi concentration camps where his wife, mother and brother died. He survived and wrote about his experiences in "Man's Search for Meaning." Frankl argued that everyone has freedom to choose their attitudes, and these attitudes determine our survivability and the caliber of our lives. "When we are no longer able to change a situation," he wrote, "we are challenged to change ourselves."

Seniors can determine to stay active and serve the Lord and his church. Some seniors hide behind the excuse, "I've served my time," thus denying themselves the fulfillment of helping in the Lord's work. Throughout my ministry I've been helped especially by a number of senior men whose counsel I sought regularly. The mistakes I made came in large measure when I didn't seek their advice.

John D. Rockefeller was a billionaire by age 53 when he succumbed to a mysterious disease. His body shriveled and his doctor said he had a year to live. Rockefeller met Christ and joined a Baptist Church where he served as trustee, clerk, Sunday School teacher and sometimes custodian! He then determined to give away his fortune and gave more than one-half billion dollars before his death at age 97.

Christ made a difference in his life, and seniors today can know this, too.

A Word Fitly Spoken

King Solomon wrote, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11). I think of many fitting words I’ve heard over the years.

Ken gave me a Thompson Chain Reference Bible while I was a Samford student. In the day, it was the premier study Bible and I wanted one, and still use it. I demurred, telling him it was an expensive gift. He said, “Throughout your ministry people will want to give you things, so you need to learn to be gracious.”

I was making a brilliant economic point in my sermon, I’m sure, but LaFayette good-naturedly accosted me afterwards, “Don’t ever use welfare and Social Security in the same sentence again!”

Rhonda was our summer youth intern and was headed back to Tuscaloosa for school. On her last Sunday, I made some joke about Alabama (I’m an Auburn grad). Elton came by the next day. “I’ve seen people really get mad in church over this. You’re the leader of our church and you should know that what we do on Sunday is more important than football.” He was correct, and I’ve been more judicious.

At one of our final seminars in Louisville for my doctoral program, Dr. Frank Tupper said, “Men, after you get your degree, let your churches call you ‘doctor’ one time, then get over it!”

More encouraging that any of these is a word spoken by Paul in Romans, the greatest theological document ever written: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). This is a word to empower us when we face evil, and a word to encourage us when we get down.

The early church faced many obstacles including continuing persecution. But they clung tenaciously to their mission and refused to be deterred. They knew God was with them and they wanted to please him. “We ought to obey God rather than men,” Peter said (Acts 5:29).

About 100 years after Peter and Paul were martyred, Polycarp served as pastor of the Christian church in Smyrna in the Roman province of Asia Minor—the modern nation of Turkey. City officials arrested him on the charge of atheism, since he denied the existence of the pantheon of gods the people worshipped. “If you curse the name of Christ, we’ll set you free,” they promised.

Polycarp spoke a fitting word. “Eighty and six years have I served him, and he hath done me no wrong,” he said. “How then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?”

Polycarp was burned at the stake in Smyrna. But he went into the presence of Christ with confidence. If God be for us, who can be against us?

When A Plan Comes Together

I couldn’t find an item I needed recently at what is now called a “big box” store. The item was for outdoor use, but wasn’t in the outdoor section, so I asked the cashier for help. After retrieving it, I brought it back to her and she said, “I love it when a plan comes together!”

I said, “You watched ‘The A-Team’!”

So, we reminisced a bit about some of the 80s TV we used to watch.

For the uninitiated, “The A-Team” was an improbable story of some misfits unjustly convicted in military court. They escaped and began a weekly series of escapades to help people threatened by bullies. Amazingly, they fired a lot of bullets and used a lot of dynamite, but no one seemed to get seriously hurt. And they managed to stay one step ahead of the military police.

Mr. T played B.A. Baracus, and America fell in love with this quaint character. George Peppard was Hannibal Smith, the team leader, and the aforementioned motto was what he always said at the end of the show.

The Lord of the church gave us a plan to follow as his people. Luke 15 has been called “the gospel within the gospel” because it clearly shows God’s concern for all peoples. Jesus told of a shepherd who lost a sheep. He left the 99 who were safe in the wilderness and went off in search of the lost sheep. When he found it, he brought it back rejoicing.

Jesus modeled this mission for his followers. He said, “I am the good shepherd who gives my life for the sheep” (John 10: 11, 14). I’ve heard pastors say all my life that if one of us were the only one, Christ would’ve gone to the cross for us. I don’t think the Bible says that specifically, but I do believe it. Our good shepherd deemed every one of us important enough to find and bring home. Now the church is exhorted to do the same thing. And we can’t let unworthy attitudes prevent our caring.

In Southern Baptist life, we promote Sunday School enrollment. But I’ve known many classes over the years who ask to drop names from the roll since wayward members haven’t come. “They’re hurting or percentage,” they say. I’ve gingerly tried to explain that we’re not in the percentage business, but the people business. At one point a class accepted responsibility for each person and when does that responsibility end? That class may be the only group on earth praying for the lost sheep and urging them to come home.

Jesus’ plan is that his church rescues the lost sheep who’ve wandered away.

A Monument to Failure

Monuments have been in the news lately, and much of our history is preserved in stone. Our nation’s capital is filled with tributes to Washington, Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt, U.S. Grant, Martin Luther King and others. Of course, these men had flaws along with their great deeds, not unlike the rest of us.

I understand West Virginia is filled with tributes to the late Sen. Robert Byrd, who readily admits he spent time as a Kleagle and Exalted Cyclops in the KKK. But he went on to be a respected member of the Senate. A neighborhood in Decatur has streets named for the fallen Challenger astronauts. These streets commemorate their bravery, but also remind us of human error.

Monuments remind us of heroism, and sometimes they remind us of flaws. Both are part of history and both are tools for learning. We learn from good examples and we learn from bad examples.

I met Keith at Southern Seminary in Louisville when we participated in a weekend preaching mission to Ohio. He became a Christian as an adult, and was filled with holy zeal. I came to admire him and had him speak in several churches I served over the years.

Keith told me once about a framed picture he had in his office. It was a picture of the neighborhood church of his boyhood.

“This church must mean a lot to you,” I said.

“Actually, no,” he replied. “I grew up in a poor family without a father. We lived two doors from this church and no one at any time ever came to us to invite us to church or shared the gospel with us. They didn’t care about us. This picture reminds me our church has to do better.”

Oh, my. We might call this picture a monument to mission failure. What a terrible indictment for a church called by the name of Christ, the friend of sinners.

I thought of this story last year and got a bit convicted about the neighborhood closest to our church. I enlisted a lay member to help me, and we walked the neighborhood one evening, went to every house and invited residents to worship with us. Then I thought of my own residential neighborhood. I spent two evenings knocking on every door and inviting neighbors to worship with us if they didn’t have a regular church home. Keith inspired me to do something positive because of a negative experience.

Many things vie for our attention as Christian congregations, but we fail utterly and miserably is we don’t tell our neighborhoods of God’s love for us all. As the apostle Paul wrote, we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Where Are You?

Every teacher knows that questions can be great learning tools. The Bible is filled with thought-provoking questions. The very first question in the Bible is found in Genesis 3 when God asked our first parents, “Where are you?” Of course, God knew where they were. They were filled with shame because of disobedience, and were trying to hide from their loving creator.

The Bible doesn’t tell us all about creation we’d love to know. Moses seemed to be in a hurry to get to the “big event,” which, in the Old Testament, is the exodus. More space is devoted to God’s leading his people from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land than to any other event. Of course, we live in a scientific age and would have loved to slow Moses down to ask about the Ice Age and dinosaurs! But he moved quickly through the era of creation.

The first two chapters of Genesis deal with the majesty of God’s wonderful creation. On the sixth day he formed man and woman and set them up as his vice-regents to rule the earth. They had one prohibition—they were not to touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

However, the tempter came and told them a different story. He told them they could be “gods yourselves” if they ate from the tree (Genesis 3:5). Therein is the essence of what the Bible calls sin. It is our desire to cast off any restraint and be our own god.

Therefore, we read the piercing question of the Lord: “Where are you?” In other words, Adam, you are now your own god. Are you in a better place, or not? The answer was no. The results of this first rebellion was disappointing.

And still it is. Humanity that has rejected God is living beneath its privilege. God is merciful and kind. He invites us rebellious ones to come to him for forgiveness and reinstatement into his royal family.

Alfred Nobel of Sweden awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the newspaper. His brother Ludvig had died and the reporter confused his facts. Today we’d call this “fake news”!

Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, read that he was a proponent of war and a merchant of death. It was disturbing. He decided to change his legacy. He determined to leave his considerable fortune to fund an annual peace prize and to honor those who make the world a better place. And it’s true that Nobel is best remembered today as the proponent of peace rather than the proponent of war.

God specializes in change. His power is available to change our lives and to change our legacies.

The Shack

A friend kept encouraging me to read “The Shack” so I could discuss it with her. I told her I don’t read much fiction and kept putting her off. But I found the DVD at the local library last week and watched this version of William P. Young’s 2007 book. I must say, though the viewing took two nights, it was hard to hit “pause” and go to bed!

“The Shack” deals with tragedy when a little girl is kidnapped and murdered. In this regard, the book isn’t sugar-coated. Tragedy is part and parcel of life, and one of the most difficult things to deal with in a life of faith. “Why do good people suffer?” is a question as old as the book of Job, and the answer, or what we have of it, depends on one’s theological slant.

One branch of Christendom insists God decrees all things and ultimately gets glory from all things. Another branch insists God may or may not decree all things--there are forces in our world that bring about bad things, such as human will and Satan. And those in this camp say we must have faith to believe we’ll be stronger and better for having faced tragedy, and one God will offer an accounting.

Whatever the case, Mack Phillips and his wife entered a period of grief. Mack eventually received a unique invitation to meet God. One surprise in the film is that he experiences God in a different way since God is female.

Of course, the author is taking some liberties. Biblical culture was male-dominated and God is almost uniformly referred to in the scripture as male. I suppose if we were pressed on this we’d admit that maleness and femaleness is a human quality and really transcends the nature of God. But in our everyday Christianity we refer to God as Jesus did: “Our father.”

The author uses word and drama to demonstrate God’s love for all, even for the evil man who took the Phillips’ daughter. This was the most significant idea I came away with. God does, indeed, love everyone. Jesus prayed forgiveness for those who murdered him, so this concept really shouldn’t be surprising.

To those who suggest “The Shack” takes liberties with scripture I’d simply say the book doesn’t claim to be scripture. It’s a parable, just like John Bunyan used in “The Pilgrim’s Progress”—now a classic. “The Shack” probably won’t achieve Bunyan’s status, but it’s simply one man’s attempt to explain to this generation that God doesn’t abandon us in our pain. It’s true, and we trust some hear this who might not come and hear a sermon in church.

Back To School, Part 2

The reformer Martin Luther said his mother would wake him up for school when he was a boy by knocking on one of the posters on his high poster bed. "Martin," she said, "get up. It's morning."

Luther later said this is what will happen on resurrection day. Jesus will knock on his casket and say, "Martin, it's morning. Get up!"

My mother did something similar, but wasn't quite as theologically profound as Mrs. Luther. She'd come in singing,"School days, school days, dear old golden rule days." I grew up hating those lyrics!

I have appreciation for wonderful teachers I had in those school days. All of us have fingerprints on our souls left by teachers who taught us the metrics of life, but also taught us the meaning of life.

Jesus was the master teacher. The Jewish people called him "rabbi" which means "teacher." He said "Come to me and learn from me" (Matthew 11: 28-30).

Jesus came to teach us about God.

The greatest question humanity asks is "what is God like?" And our greatest quest is "how can I find him?" The Christian message is that God took the initiative and came to us."The word became flesh and dwelt among us," said the gospel writer John (John 1:14).  And Jesus said, "He that has seen me has seen the father" (John 14:9).

Jesus came to teach us about life.

Most of his teaching had to do with everyday living. He taught about choices, exhorting us to seek God's kingdom first and trust that God will make everything else fall into proper order (Matthew 6:33). He taught us about forgiveness, making our forgiveness from God dependent on the forgiveness we offer to others (Matthew 6: 14-15). And he taught us about service, telling us that the greatest is not the one with many servants, but the one who serves (Matthew 23:11). We serve others because we love God and want to follow the example of Jesus.

Jesus came to teach us about heaven.

He said surprisingly little about the physical nature of heaven. It is John in Revelation who gave us photos of heaven: gates of pearl, walls of jasper, streets of gold and the fountain of life-giving water. Jesus seemed not as concerned about this. He basically taught that heaven is where God is. Our innate search for God is finally satisfied through being with him in eternity.

 Jesus further taught that he himself is the way to heaven (John 14:6). Peter may or may not be the gatekeeper, but Jesus is the key! Without him we have no hope of heaven. We follow him safely into eternity.

Back To School

Where has the summer gone? Area schools open their doors again soon, to the chagrin of many students and to the delight of many parents. It was always a depressing time for me as a child when the more relaxed summer schedule was done!

Christians go to school, too, for the New Testament calls us “disciples.” This word has two meanings: to follow and to learn. As someone noted, the followers of Christ are branded on their ears and feet, for we hear his voice and we follow him.

Jesus, the master teacher, invites us to learn from him. He said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me” (Matthew 11:29).

How do we learn in the school of Christ?

First, God through his Holy Spirit equips some to teach the Bible (Ephesians 4:11). This is a significant gift because teachers impact our lives.

I had some very good Bible teachers as a child and teen-ager. These were laypeople in our church who loved the scripture and taught us to love it, too. I had good teachers at Samford University, too, where I majored in religion.

The late Dr. W.T. Edwards challenged us to apply ourselves and learn.

We’d complain, “Dr. Edwards, this material is over our head.”

“Lift your head!” he’d always reply.

I had good teachers at Southern Seminary in Louisville, too, including Drs. Dale Moody, Frank Stagg and Lewis Drummond.

The pastor is a teacher and we should value time we spend hearing the Bible taught from the pulpit. Sometimes people get a bit nervous when high noon approaches and the service isn’t done. My family sat in the Atlanta Braves stadium some years ago. When the tied game went into the 10th inning the announcer said, “Free baseball!” When your pastor goes past twelve you ought to think “free church!”

We also have several fine Christian radio stations in our area so we can access good Bible teaching while relaxing at home or driving.

A second way we learn is by studying the scriptures ourselves. Luke said of the Berean church that they “searched the scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11). There’s no magic plan to personal Bible study. The most important principle is to have a daily appointment and do it.

And the final way we learn is through fellowship with Christ.

“Abide in me,” Jesus said (John 15:4). Just as we invite Christ into our lives to bring salvation, we invite him every morning to walk with us that day. Fellowship with Christ teaches us more about him.

Dr. Sigurd Bryan at Samford once said that the school of Christ never graduates a class, for we continue to learn until we die.

The Good Ol’ Summertime

It’s a great time of year, except for the bugs!

Or so says a new survey reported in "USA Today." Insects are the most often mentioned detriment to backyard outings and picnics. But there are other irritations. Fifty-one percent of respondents don’t like flimsy paper plates, 36 percent don’t like unsteady lawn chairs, 35 percent don’t like plastic utensils and 31 percent don’t like the plastic squeeze bottles with mustard and ketchup drippings running down them.

The survey even included the hard core complainers, since 15 percent of men and 10 percent of women don’t like checked tablecloths!

In spite of all these negatives, summer is a great time. A time for family and friends and travel and baseball. For grandparents it's a time to take the young ones to the zoo or fishing or to the beach. Grandparents enjoy these outings as much or more than the grandchildren.

But, alas, summertime is not usually a good time for our churches since attendance plummets and finances falter. I’ve never really understood why attendance goes down in the summer. If our members went to church when they were out of town, the out-of-town churches would have good attendance, and the church back home would have good attendance from the out-of-towners who were visiting. I’m afraid the truth is many of us simply take vacations from church when we travel.

So, a few suggestions to keep your church healthy in the summertime.

First, attend church someplace while out-of-town. We can be encouraged and refreshed worshiping with another congregation while traveling. And it does us good to see what other churches are doing--we might learn some new ideas we can bring home with us. Be sure to pick up a worship bulletin and give to your pastor or music minister when you return. They usually like to look these over for new ideas, too. Many ministers don't get to visit other churches very often and they enjoy knowing how others are doing things. (Lay folk should be sure not to brag on the sermon you heard while on vacation to excess!)

Second, be sure your responsibilities are taken care of before you leave. Enlist someone else to usher or teach or count money. Nothing is more disconcerting than having tasks go undone when no one is aware of a planned absence.

Third, leave your tithes and offerings with your church before you depart. Expenses go on even when you’re not there. 

Enjoy your trip, but don’t take a vacation from God. We need him and his church-- even in the summertime.

The Oil of Forgiveness

It will happen sooner or later. Somebody we know, and trust, will mess up. They’ll fall short of an acceptable standard of conduct and thrust those of us who know them into the fray. What will we do?

I suppose our natural reaction when somebody messes up is to pile up. We say, “I knew this was going to happen,” or “There was something about him that made him suspect to me.” However, when we do this we most often compound the guilt of the stumbler and we abdicate our Christian responsibility to be a healer.

In making such post-mortems about brothers and sisters who fail we find we’re living a contradiction. How can we sincerely pray the Lord’s Prayer if we’re not forgiving people? We pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” And remember Jesus gave a pretty disturbing footnote at the end of the prayer emphasizing that lack of forgiveness means we have no right to expect God’s forgiveness in our lives.

The Bible reminds us that the process of forgiveness began with God. He trampled our sins beneath his feet and hurled them into the deepest ocean (Micah 7:19). Then he exhorts us to forgive ourselves, refusing to wrap ourselves in a blanket of self-loathing, and then to offer forgiveness to others.

Timothy Pickering rose in rank to general in the Revolutionary War. He went on to serve three cabinet positions under Presidents Washington and Adams until Adams fired him. David McCullough in his excellent “John Adams” wrote a memorable phrase: “Adams and Pickering hate each other with the utmost cordiality.”

When I read that phrase I thought, that’s how we do it in church! We harbor animosity in our hearts toward our spiritual family, but we do it cordially. We smile sweetly when we pass them in the hallway!

Years ago, I was driving home from a trip and decided to stop for my next scheduled oil change at a tire store I frequented. En route home the check engine light came on and the engine died. Literally. The technician failed to tighten the oil filter and all the oil spilled out on the drive home. The car was useless and the company had to rebuild my engine.

Just as oil prevents friction in the car engine, so forgiveness prevents friction in our spiritual family. We’re human, and we often do things we shouldn’t or say things we shouldn’t. Friction occurs. The oil of forgiveness helps keep relationships intact.

Members of Christian congregations have a responsibility to heed the admonition of the psalmist: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

Choosing To Be Generous Or Selfish

The Kingston Trio recorded their song, "MTA," in 1962. I always thought it a great sing-a-long, but never knew the story until visiting Boston a few years back.

The legend is that Charlie boarded the MTA subway system after paying his nickel fare. However, the rate was raised another nickel while he was en route. Since he either didn't have the nickel or refused to pay it, Charlie "may ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston," as the "man who never returned."

The subway pass in Boston is still called the Charlie Card in his honor.

Too cheap to come up with another nickel? I’ve met a few folk like this along the way. Among them was the pastor search committee who showed up unannounced one Sunday. The chairman asked if they could talk with me a few minutes after worship and I agreed to the request. As they prepared to go, the chairman told me they'd confer and decide if they wanted to talk with me again.

"If we decide it's not God's will that we talk with you further," he said, "then you won't hear from me. That way we'll save the church the expense of a long distance call."

The idea that a 35-cent phone call was too much to spend in order to show common courtesy is beyond my understanding.

And then there was Earl. Earl was a good man who loved the Lord. He didn't seem to mind the church asking for people's money, but he didn't want the church to spend it. Earl served on the finance committee one year, and it was one of the worst years I ever had as a pastor. Earl's constant refrain was "I'm against it," and we either had to let it lie or outvote him and make him more determined the next time.

We convinced Earl one month that we needed to buy a new copy machine since the old one died. We had several bids and Earl reluctantly suggested we buy the "American" one. The rest of us knew that all copiers at the time came from Japan, but we kept this to ourselves, agreed with Earl and bought the new copier!

Surely the church can find balance between being cheap and being spendthrift. We must be accountable, to be sure, but we must be compassionate.

How can a church's bank balance multiply every month when we live in a world of overpowering need?

As an evangelist friend of mine used to tell congregations during his revival meetings, "Why do you want to pile up money for the Antichrist to spend after the rapture?"

We Must Pray for Our Leaders

It was in 1992 that I attended a Christian Citizenship Conference in our nation's capital. We had a prayer breakfast one morning superintended by the late Richard Halverson, at the time the chaplain of the U.S. Senate. The chaplain had invited two Southern Baptist senators to speak that morning: Trent Lott of Mississippi and Al Gore of Tennessee. We couldn't have known at the time that Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas would tap Sen. Gore as his vice-presidential running mate later that year.

Chaplain Halverson read from Paul's first letter to Timothy: "I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings and for all that are in authority . . ." (1Tim. 2:1-2).

Halverson said he was most often a guest in various churches on Sundays and rarely heard a prayer offered for the nation's leaders.

"One of the gravest failures of our American churches is our failure to obey the scripture and pray for our leaders," he said. "We sin against God when we don't pray for our president and other elected officials."

I took his word to heart and began to follow his counsel.

It's interesting that the leader when Paul wrote was Nero, one of the vilest men to ever rule Rome. Nero murdered his mother and is believed to have murdered two wives. He blamed Christians when Rome burned and he sponsored the first widespread persecution of the church. It is believed both Paul and Peter died at the hands of Nero.

Yet, Paul said to pray for Nero.

Some seniors helped me years ago when the Gulf War was beginning. At a fellowship lunch I asked them how they prayed during World War II. They said they prayed for their husbands and sons, to be sure, and for the war to end soon.

"What about Hitler?" I asked.

"Yes, we prayed for him that God would change his heart and stop his murderous intentions," they replied.

No matter who our leaders are, and whether they have our political support or not, we're exhorted to pray for them. We ask God's protection, wisdom and humbling grace.

I think Paul would expand his thoughts if he were writing today. He was a Roman citizen, but he had no right to vote. The Caesar was selected by family patronage and the army; then he chose other officials. But American Christians are entitled citizens who enjoy the most basic of civil rights--the right to vote.

Praying is forbidden in many places, but it's not forbidden in the polling place! Americans can and should be wrapped in the spirit of prayer whenever we go to vote.