National Day of Encouragement

National Day of Encouragement? How did I miss this? I knew nothing about this holiday until one of my friends told me about it after church today. Apparently this special day has been celebrated since 2007, thanks to some high school students who came up with the idea as a way to resolve the biggest problem facing young people today: a lack of encouragement. Two years later, the U.S. Senate agreed to a resolution designating September 12 as “National Day of Encouragement.”

The dayofencouragement.org website says that this day “is dedicated to uplifting those around us and making a positive impact” — much like American citizens did on the day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

I found out about National Day of Encouragement a day late — on September 13. But I have to say that I really didn’t miss out on anything, because I was encouraged greatly by gathering with our church family today!

• It was our biggest turnout since our building reopened for public worship on July 12.

• We celebrated the Lord’s Supper for the first time in months.

• We sang “The Wonderful Cross” along with other hymns and songs of praise.

• We prayed together and heard God’s Word proclaimed.

• Specifically, we were reminded from Scripture that our God is infinitely powerful, extremely merciful, and always faithful.

Yes, September 13 was definitely my Day of Encouragement.

Nobody understands the value of encouragement more than God himself, for he has said, “encourage each other every day” (Heb. 3:13). I thank God for how his people — our church family — encouraged me today!

A Wedding Reminder

As I entered our church sanctuary early this morning, I took this picture at the back of the aisle. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

The significance of both these sayings converged in my mind as I thought about how the cross should always be front and center in marriage, just as the cross is in this picture. Beneath the cross is the communion table, which reminds us of the mystical union between Christ and his redeemed bride, the Church.

The aisle reminds me that the wedding ceremony is the first step in a lifelong covenant of companionship between a husband and wife. Ruthie and I were married 30 years ago last month. We were right around the same age as the wonderful couple I married today: Michael Smith and Kierra McClure.

The opening lines of the ceremony, which I read this morning, remind me of just how significant and sacred the institution of marriage is. I’ve copied and pasted this part of the ceremony here for the edification of all believers, particularly husbands and wives.

Marriage is a wonderful and sacred union ordained by God himself, who instituted marriage at the beginning in the Garden of Eden, before sin entered the world. The Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Then God created woman from man's own substance and brought her to the man.

Our Lord Jesus honored marriage by his presence and first recorded miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. And he confirmed it as a divine ordinance and as a union not to be severed when he declared, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit sets forth the sacred and exalted nature of marriage when he compares it to the mystical union between Christ and his redeemed bride, the church, saying, "This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church."

For this reason, marriage is commended by the apostle Paul to be honorable among all men: and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God.

I’m so glad that Mike and Kierra recognize the honor and sanctity of marriage, and have made God’s Word the foundation of their relationship, and the gospel the fountain of their union. What about you?

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures” (Prov. 24:3-4).

One Woman's Testimony

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

John 4:39-42

As I read this text regarding Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well (to read the whole account, click here), three aspects of her testimony stuck out to me.

1. She had sinned much. As Jesus pointed out earlier in their conversation, this woman had already been married five times, and the man she was now living with was not her husband.

2. She knew little about Jesus. At first he was nothing but a stranger to her (John 4:9). Then she perceived that he was a prophet (John 4:19). Soon she asked, “Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:29).

3. She impacted many. Even though her initial testimony was nothing more than “He told me all that I ever did” (John 4:39), a whole town came out to see Jesus, and soon “many more believed because of his word” (John 4:41).

This woman’s testimony reminds us that the power of the gospel comes from God, not ourselves. As John Newton, the author of the hymn Amazing Grace, put it, “I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.”

Matthew Henry observed “how God is sometimes pleased to use very weak and unlikely instruments for the beginning and carrying on of a good work…. Our Savior, by instructing one poor woman, spread instruction to a whole town.”

Never underestimate the power of your own personal testimony!

Speaking of which, I found the graphic at the top of this article on a church’s website page dedicated to helping people to produce their own “MyStory Gospel Tract.” To find out more, click here.

Eggshell vs. Satin

Now that our youngest son is in college, my wife Ruthie has been refreshing his room. One of her key tasks has been patching and painting the walls. We didn’t have the original paint, so my wife took a sample to the local home center to see if they could match it. When they found out that she needed just enough to touch up the patched places on the wall, they let her have a few sample amounts for free (which we appreciated).

Hours after Ruthie was done painting, she asked me to go upstairs and look at her paint work, because it didn’t look quite right. It didn't seem to blend in with the paint already on the wall. At first glance I couldn’t tell much of a difference, but as soon as I looked at it from a slightly different angle, letting the light reflect on it, the contrast was unmistakeable. The new paint had a gloss to it, whereas the existing paint had virtually no sheen at all.

This feature is known as a paint’s finish — the measure of a paint’s reflectivity when dry. Paints come in a variety of finishes: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss (in order of lowest to highest reflectivity). Two of the most popular interior paint finishes are eggshell and satin.

Home improvement expert Bob Vila explains the primary differences between the two:

• Satin reflects slightly more light than eggshell, which sharpens the contours of walls to add depth, whereas eggshell looks more one-dimensional.

• Satin is more durable — an advantage in high-traffic spaces. Eggshell paint is more easily damaged by impacts and abrasions.

• Satin is easier to clean, whereas eggshell requires more elbow grease due to its rougher surface.

• Eggshell conceals surface flaws better than satin.

Regarding that last point, home improvement expert Bob Vila explains,

Although satin can fend off scratches, dents, and scuffs better than eggshell, if your painting surface already has these marks, eggshell will conceal them better. That’s because the lower reflectivity dulls the appearance of damages, making the surface look clean and flawless. (www.bobvila.com/articles/eggshell-vs-satin/)

As I considered the contrast between eggshell and satin, along with their respective advantages and disadvantages, it occurred to me that we see a similar contrast in the spiritual realm among Christians.

Many professing believers are “eggshell Christians,” whose primary aim is to conceal their flaws so that they look impressive to others, having no discernible blemishes or short-comings. But such people also tend to be one-dimensional and more easily damaged by other people’s words and actions.

“Satin Christians,” however, are not concerned about concealing their flaws but about reflecting the light of Christ. Consequently, they are more durable and able to handle the “high traffic areas” of Christian living without getting so easily damaged by other people’s words and actions. Satin Christians are also easier to clean because they don’t allow sin to work its way into the texture of their lives. Far from being one-dimensional, they display a gospel-depth that is real and beautifying.

Those are the kind of people I admire. That’s the kind of Christian I want to be.

The luster of our lives should always be Christ — his glory, his truth, his love.

Small Flock, Huge Heart

Recently I became friends with a pastor who has a small flock but a huge heart. When I come across such men of noble character, I am eager to “esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thess. 5:13).

I’ve never met this pastor in person, but he has a true shepherd’s heart. He literally lives up to his name (spelled “Shepard”).

My interaction with him began almost a month ago while I was helping my brother and his family find a new church following their move to Mississippi. I live 1200 miles away (in upstate New York), so I was not familiar with any churches in their particular town. However, I know a pastor who lives about 90 minutes from them, so I called my friend, hoping that he could help us out.

He was happy to oblige and went well beyond what I had requested. He made some contacts of his own, which resulted him in calling this Pastor Shepard and talking to him for well over an hour. He asked him questions concerning his background, his teaching, his philosophy of ministry, and more. My pastor-friend was encouraged by their conversation, so he gave me this guy’s number and encouraged me to call him.

So I did. We too talked for over an hour. Since my pastor-friend had already vetted him, I spent most of my time talking about my brother and his family. Without going into unnecessary details, I told him about their situation:

• My brother was newly married and had just been restored to the Lord after a two-year drift.

• My brother’s wife, who had been irreligious, had just received Christ as her Lord and Savior.

• She had been a single mom with three children. The oldest two were twins, and the first one had died one month after birth. The surviving twin, age 7, has cerebral palsy. Her younger sister is two years old.

I wanted this pastor to have this basic background information so that he could pray for them and be on the lookout for them the following Sunday.

I called my brother and told him about all that had transpired and encouraged him to attend this pastor’s church on Sunday. He promised that he would.

Prior to Sunday, Pastor Shepard called me again to let me know that they had been praying for my brother’s family. This touched me deeply.

When my brother and his family showed up on Sunday, they were warmly greeted by everyone. The sermon was solid. The congregation’s love for Christ was evident.

However, the church was smaller than my brother had anticipated. Just a few dozen people. Plus, they were quite advanced in their knowledge of the Bible, as evidenced by the pastor’s sermon. He covered a lot of ground, and my brother’s wife had a hard time tracking with him. Furthermore, there was no children’s program, which my brother and his wife were hoping for, given that their seven-year-old daughter has special needs.

So the next Sunday they checked out a bigger evangelical church in town. These folks were also welcoming, the sermon was easy to follow, and the church had a children’s program. So my brother’s family went there the following week as well. On that visit, one particular lady greeted their family enthusiastically and informed them that she was the aide assigned to their daughter at school! How amazing that God orchestrated events so that this aide attended the same church! In light of these developments, my brother and his wife sensed the Lord’s leading them to make this church their home.

Well, yesterday Pastor Shepard texted me, asking if I had a moment to talk. No doubt he wanted to follow up on the situation with my brother, most likely because they had not been to his church for the last two weeks. I felt bad, given all the time, prayer and effort that he had already poured into my brother’s family. I called him back, trusting that he would understand, even if he was disappointed.

Once again, Pastor Shepard exceeded my expectations. Not only did he understand, but he was also quite empathetic and continued to exhibit genuine love and concern for my brother and his family.

• He said that he would reach out to them one more time just to reiterate their care for them.

• Rather than seeing the other church as competitors, he regarded them as co-laborers and was happy to hear that my brother and his family felt at home there.

• He told me (and this is almost verbatim because it made such an impression on me), “Matt, if in the future you ever need us to do anything for your brother and his family, simply say the word, and we will be there for them.”

Sometimes the pastors with the smallest churches have the biggest hearts. They exhibit the compassion of Christ himself, always looking out for the interests of others instead of just their own interests (Phil. 2:3-5; cf. Jer. 3:15). “And when the chief Shepherd appears, [they] will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Pet. 3:4).

Considering that Christ himself will honor such men, let us do the same. “Esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thess. 5:13).

Waves of Grace

Throughout most of my childhood years, our family lived in a suburb of Chicago, so while Lake Michigan was close by, the nearest ocean was 800 miles away. Yet every year our family would head southeast to spend a week at the beach. It was, without question, my favorite week of the year. Mom would smother us kids in sunscreen, and we would play all day in the sand and surf.

The best days were the ones with the big waves. One by one they would come crashing in, bowling us over and turning our bodies every which way. Sometimes it was scary, but in a fun sort of way. Over time we learned to body surf, and that was the most thrilling experience of all. I remember feeling like Superman as the rush of surging water propelled me to the shore. Just like The Beach Boys sang, “Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world!”

The thrill of this experience came to mind during my Scripture reading this morning as I encountered these words in John 1:16: “For from his fullness, we have all received, grace upon grace.” The context makes it clear that the apostle John is talking about Jesus. In verse 14 he writes, “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth” (emphasis mine). Jesus is full of grace, and it is from his fullness that we as believers have received “grace upon grace.”

The Amplified Bible translates John 1:16 the way: “Out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].” Like mighty waves of the ocean crashing in succession on the shore, God’s grace is continually poured out on us.

On the back cover of Max Lucado’s book, Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Can Imagine, grace is described as

God’s tumbling, rumbling reservoir of strength and protection. It comes at us not occasionally or miserly but constantly and aggressively, wave upon wave. We’ve barely regained our balance from one breaker, and then bam, here comes another.

Yes! “Grace upon grace” (John 1:16)! As Max Lucado reminds us, “[God] has enough grace to pardon every sin, solve every dilemma, wipe every tear, and answer every question. It’s more than we can deserve and greater than we can imagine.”

Unlike the ocean, which was 800 miles away where I lived and something I got to enjoy only once a year, God’s grace is always with us and something we can enjoy every moment of every day. How? By faith. As we wade into God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to bring it home to our hearts, he will.

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free – 

Rolling as a mighty ocean

In its fullness over me.

Underneath me, all around me

Is the current of your love – 

Leading onward, leading homeward

To your glorious rest above.

Oh, the deep, deep love -

All I need and trust -

Is the deep, deep love of Jesus.

(To listen to a beautiful rendition of this hymn, click here.)

Charlotte's Web

Today I began refreshing my blog site and refining its theme. Whereas previously it was “truth be told,” that theme seems to be a bit broad. Plus, I’m seeing many cranky “truth-tellers” out there in the blogosphere! What people need today is gospel encouragement. Hence I have created a new blog title that is both an acronym and an exhortation:

G.E.T.

Gospel Encouragement Today

Social media is flooded with negativity. My goal is to stem the tide, and hopefully turn it, by posting daily doses of gospel encouragement. Most of these will be based on my daily readings, personal experiences, and interactions with others.

Today’s post is titled “Charlotte’s Web.” I’m not referring to the children’s novel by E. B. White, but an altogether different web in which a woman named Charlotte Elliot was entangled. Like many people today, Charlotte “suffered from chronic pain, depression, and feelings of uselessness.” I read about this poor lady, who lived in the 1800s, in Shelby Abbott’s brand new book, DoubtLess: Because Faith Is Hard.

In recounting this woman’s hardship, Shelby writes,

At one point, she was visited by a clergyman who said to her, “You need to come just as you are to the Lamb of God.” She listened but refused his advice until one day, coming to the epiphany that God wasn’t in a relationship with her because she was useful. She had a breakthrough moment that inspired her to write the world-renowned and beloved hymn, “Just As I Am.” the hymn became a staple for hymnals and was widely used as the altar call song for the Billy Graham crusades….

In the third stanza of the hymn, Charlotte wrote, “Just as I am, though tossed about / with many a conflict, many a doubt / fightings and fears within, without / Oh Lamb of God I come, I come.”

Isn’t that what Jesus tells us to do? “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).

Thankfully, Charlotte didn’t let her tangled mess of troubled feelings keep her from coming to Jesus. She discovered that “she could come to God just as she was because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for her….” God not only received Charlotte as his beloved child, but the Lord also used her transparency to impact millions of people across the world with the truth of the gospel.

Who knows how God might work in and through you, if you will but come to Christ just as you are and receive him for all that he is.

Pastoral Exhortation

Before we sing our next song, I want to share a brief word from my heart to yours. I love this church, and I thank the Lord for calling me here to serve as your senior pastor nearly ten years ago.

Some of you have been here for decades – a select few for more than half a century. You have seen this church weather many storms and come through stronger as a result. This is a tribute to God’s grace and your grit.

But now we’re in a crisis that’s quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. The drastic change it has brought to our lives is unsettling enough, but it’s been made worse by all the differing opinions, preferences and politics involved. On top of all that, the COVID crisis has catalyzed other crises – such as racial tensions, public riots, and political finger-pointing.

The world has responded as we would expect it too – with the “works of the flesh,” as listed by Paul in Galatians 5: “enmity, strife, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions … and things like these.” The Bible says, “that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

God’s people, the citizens of heaven, are different because his Spirit lives in us and produces his fruit in our lives – godly qualities that go together like a sweet cluster of grapes: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” These qualities are not generated naturally, but supernaturally – by the Holy Spirit of God as we yield our spirit to his.

Jesus said, “As I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” It’s the love of God in us and through us that makes us different from the world around us. And make no mistake: The world is watching us – on social media, the public square, and everywhere else.

Many of us have strong opinions concerning the coronavirus and how to regulate it, and we believe that we have compelling reasons for our position. The same is true of our political views. We all come from different backgrounds and experiences that shape our perspectives – even as we do our best to think biblically and live accordingly. The truth is, we are all works in progress. “And,” to borrow the words of the apostle Paul, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart … [and] all of you share in God’s grace with me” (Phil. 1:6-7a).

The beauty of God’s grace is seen as people are reconciled to God and to one another through the power of the gospel. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:9-10, “God is faithful, who has called you in to the fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” The only way we can truly “agree with one another in what [we] say,” and “be perfectly united in mind and thought” with “no divisions among [us],” is if we keep our focus on Jesus and the gospel.

Let’s show the world what we’re made of. Let’s show them that the gospel which unites us is stronger than anything that can divide us. Let us obey, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all the “one another” commands of the New Testament – Let us love one another, forbear with one another, forgive one another, serve one another, encourage one another, build up one another – sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another.

Our next song, “Speak, O Lord,” is a prayer for the Lord to have his way in our hearts as his Word is proclaimed. I can’t think of a more fitting song for such a time as this. May we sing it with “holy reverence and true humility.”

The Final Judgment - Are you ready?

When is the last time you heard a sermon on the righteous judgment of God? Last Sunday I preached on this topic to my congregation as part of our series on the Apostles’ Creed. This ancient statement of belief was formulated in the centuries following the time of the apostles to sum up their teachings, particularly the core doctrines of the Christian faith. 

After affirming several truths about Jesus Christ, including his ascension to the right hand of God the Father, the Apostles’ Creed declares, “From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.” 

Jesus said in John 5:22-23, “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father who sent him.” In Revelation 20:11-15, the apostle describes the Final Judgment, saying, 

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

I preached a sermon on this text when I was only 13 years old. The title of my sermon was “The Four Impossibilities of the Great White Throne Judgment.” As I think about this text nearly forty years later, I’m more sobered than ever by those four impossibilities.

1. It will be impossible to avoid the judgment.

2. It will be impossible to alter the records.

3. It will be impossible to argue your case.

4. It will be impossible to appeal the verdict.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “The White Throne Judgment will be nothing like our modern court cases. At the White Throne, there will be a Judge but no jury, a prosecution but no defense, a sentence but no appeal. No one will be able to defend himself or accuse God of unrighteousness. What an awesome scene it will be!”

The Good News is that we can be delivered from this judgment that we deserve on account of our sin by repenting and believing the gospel. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:8-9, “God demonstrated his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Three days after his death, Jesus arose from the dead, thereby proving his power and victory over death, sin, and Satan. Now Jesus sits enthroned at God’s right hand, granting forgiveness and eternal life to all who will trust in him alone for salvation.

“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:35-36).

How grateful I am to God for saving me at such a young age. How I thank him for parents and pastors who warned me of the coming judgment and urged me to put my faith in Christ. It was during this season of life, when my siblings and I were still quite young, that my dad crafted a poem concerning the Final Judgment. He wrote, 

I often watch my children play,

And how amazed I am that they

Are occupied for hours on end

By games that start with “let’s pretend.”

They play at “house”, they play at “store,”

They play at “school”; they play at “war."

They play at “cops and robbers”, too.

There’s nothing little minds can’t do.

Yes, “let’s pretend” contributes joy

To every little girl and boy;

And drab and dull would childhood be,

If it were not for fantasy.

The thought that weighs upon my mind is:

Some don’t leave those years behind.

Concerning things “beyond the veil,"

They still let fantasy prevail.

They make believe religion saves,

And scorn the thought that sin depraves – 

And so delude themselves within

That God is dead or winks at sin.

They make believe there is no hell;

They make believe their souls are well.

They reason, under false pretense,

That works will be their sure defense.

Behold the final, fearful end

Of those, like babes, who still pretend!

For in eternal things, you see,

There is no room for fantasy.

For fantasy oft times conflicts

With that which God on high edicts;

And fiction from the days of youth

Must not displace the written truth – 

Because the Bible doth reveal

That mankind’s need for Christ is real.

Imagination has a role –

But not in matters of the soul. 

And what of you, good Christian friend?

Do you serve God or just pretend?

Do you the Holy Spirit grieve

With service only “make believe”?

These are good questions worth considering. How would you respond?

Are you prepared to meet your God?

"I Sing Because I'm Happy" - But What If I'm Not?

A couple of Sundays ago, our congregation sang “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” The first words of the chorus filled the room: “I sing because I’m happy….”

But what if I’m not? Should I still sing, or would that make me a hypocrite?

This question was posed to me in a recent email by one of our church members in response to our current sermon series, Let Us Sing!, which is based largely on Keith & Kristyn Getty’s outstanding book, Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church. In chapter two, the Gettys point out, “There are more than four hundred references to singing in the Bible and at least fifty direct commands” (p. 24). One such command appears in Psalm 149:1: “Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.” The Gettys note, “The command in Psalm 149:1 contains no caveats or conditions” (p. 14). The bottom line is: “we are commanded by God to sing - so we must do it. Not to sing is to disobey” (p. 13).

The New Testament reinforces this command, telling us that we are to be “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16; cf. Eph. 5:19-20).

This creates a bit of a quandary. Should I still sing when my heart isn’t into it, or am I actually sinning by doing so?

TO sing or not to sing?

A thoughtful church member raised this question during a small group discussion. He confessed,

Sometimes I’m singing even though I’m distracted in my mind/emotions, and I’m just singing the words so that nobody looks at me and sees me not singing. This is probably more pernicious than just not singing because inwardly I’m withholding praise from God, and outwardly I’m attempting to deceive my brothers and sisters with the false image that I am praising God. That’s a double sin versus just not singing.

He’s right. And his concern raised questions about what a person should do under certain circumstances, such as:

• “I had a fight with my spouse on the way to church, and I’m feeling terrible and guilty and angry and can’t genuinely sing praise.”

• “I recently lost a loved one or am doing through a trial and am feeling emotionally sad, on the verge of tears, but the songs are upbeat and happy.”

• “I’m questioning, wrestling, struggling with my doubts about God, my salvation, and my faith — and don’t feel like I can honestly sing the lyrics. Maybe God feels distant to me, but the lyrics are the opposite of that.”

These are excellent questions that deal with real-life issues! That’s why I wanted to post and respond to them in a blog rather than to respond in a personal email, so that everyone can benefit from this exchange.

In short, I would say that the very time you feel like singing the least is the time that you should sing the most. Why? Because in those moments of guilt, anger, sadness, anxiety, doubt, and loneliness, you need to stop listening to yourself and start talking to yourself.

TALK TO YOURSELF

This is what the writer of Psalm 42 does.

• In verse 3 he describes his present condition, saying, “My tears have been my food day and night, while they sat to me all the day long, ‘Where is your God?’”

• In verse 4 he recounts his former condition, saying, “I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise….”

• In verse 5 he gives himself a good talking to! “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), senior minister at Westminster Chapel in London, preached a series of sermons on Psalm 42 that were published in 1964 and became one of his most popular books, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure. Lloyd-Jones writes,

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself.

Lloyd-Jones goes on to apply the pattern of the psalmist to present-day Christians:

The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. Yo have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself . . . and say too yourself: “Hope thou in God” - instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way, and then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and . . . what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: “I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God.”

John Piper, in his helpful book, When I Don’t Desire God, agrees with Lloyd-Jones’ application of Psalm 42 and asserts that the gospel is the main source for truth about “Who God is,” and “what God has done,” and “what God has pledged himself to do.” Piper states,

These are the great discouragement slayers. They are all in the gospel. In the final analysis, the cross of Christ alone that can kill the joy-killers in our lives.

Meditating on gospel truth gets us moving in the direction we need to go.

And that’s where congregational singing can have such a positive impact! Gospel-centered singing is how we teach and admonish one another in the Lord, letting “the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” (Col. 3:16). Since congregational singing is about ministering to “one another,” we are to sing not only for our sake but also for others’ sake. It’s not about making ourselves look good to them, but to do good to them! We sing not to impress others, but to bless others! Scripture says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). There are several ways to apply and benefit from the corporate dynamics of congregational singing:

1. By singing gospel truths, I am talking to myself instead of listening to myself. I am reminding myself of who God is, what he has done, and what he will do. I can sing even when I’m not happy, because the truth of God doesn’t change, even though my circumstances and feelings do.

2. When I’m feeling spiritually weak, I can have my faith strengthened and hope renewed by listening to all the other voices around me singing the word of Christ.

3. I can and should rejoice in others’ blessings, even as they help to lighten my burden.

4. Since over a third of the psalms in Scripture are “laments,” pastors and song leaders should include songs that deal with the painful realities of life while pointing people to the Lord, who is our strength, our song, and our salvation (Ps. 118:14).

That’s why the very time you feel like singing the least is when you should sing the most. The reasons we don’t want to sing (anxiety, fear, guilt, etc.) are the very reasons that we need the gospel! We all fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

Read that paragraph again. Think about it! In our best moments, can we honestly say that we worship God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength (Luke 10:27)? No, our best efforts fall short of giving God the full praise and worship that he is due. That’s why we need a Savior; that’s why we need the gospel! Singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs remind of our constant need for Christ and that “he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).

Gospel-centered singing helps get my heart where it needs to be. We saw a good example of this in our own church last Sunday. Midway through the sermon, the congregation joined me in singing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” As we raised our voices together, many eyes filled with tears as we reminded one another of God’s faithfulness through every season of life. People that came in with heavy burdens felt them lifted as we sang and went home with their hearts encouraged. By singing gospel-centered songs together,

• Fighting spouses experience repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation in Christ.

• Our sense of loss or loneliness is met with the comfort of Christ who has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).

• Doubts and fears are overcome as we sing the truths of Scripture, since “faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).

The 18th century evangelist John Wesley declared, “Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.”

A Poetic Charge to the Bride and Groom

My dad, James William Fletcher, is known by his family and friends for his knowledge of Scripture and knack for writing poetry. Those two strengths converged on the wedding day of my son Elijah and his beautiful bride Natalie. They had asked my dad (Elijah’s grandfather, a.k.a. “Pepaw”) to deliver the charge to the bride and groom, but they did not know until during the actual ceremony that my dad had prepared the entire charge as a poem.

Although written specifically for Elijah and Natalie, this charge can benefit all married couples who will take its biblical principles to heart and put them into practice. For this reason I have posted here my father’s charge for your encouragement.

Elijah and Natalie, thank you for having me

Speak at your wedding today.

It will be my great pleasure, and something I’ll treasure

The rest of my natural days.

But I do have to ask:  Am I up to the task?

‘Cause I’ve never done this before;

So you might be nervous this part of the service,

You really don’t know what’s in store.

Like, what if I’m boring?  Those folks will be snoring, 

You don’t want them falling asleep;

The rhyme’s for your sake, just to keep ‘em them awake,

And you’ll get a copy to keep.

Despite the fun format, I want to be sure that

You know it’s a serious time;

The vows you’ll be taking, the commitment you’re making,

Will be in God’s presence divine.

My principal function is giving instruction,

But not in the wisdom of men.

For truth that’s inviolable, look in the Bible,

And that’s where my charge will begin.

I’ll deal unilat’rally, starting with Natalie;

Not ‘cause she’s a beautiful belle;

I’m observing the order the apostles accord her,

In Ephesians, First Peter, as well.

What a blessed condition to be in submission

To your husband as unto the Lord!

Our culture rejects it, but Jesus expects it,

And pleasing Him yields its reward.

You see, Paul in Ephesians states clearly the reason:

The husband is head of the wife;

Even as Christ is the head of the church,

For He is her Savior and Life.

Your adorning should not be just outward each morning--

Cosmetics and the aesthetics of hair;

Not overly caring about what you’re wearing,

There’s no lasting value in there.

But do as God’s bidden, let it be the hidden

Person within, free of vice,

Even the gem of a meek, quiet spirit,

In the sight of our Lord of great price.

To grandson Elijah, it just might surprise ya,

That you are not getting off free.

In fact, I’ll be tougher - and probably rougher -

Than you thought your Pepaw could be!

Don’t make her submission your lifelong ambition--

It’s not about power or force;

It means in God’s wisdom and marital dictum,

That you ride in front on the horse.

First off, you’re to love her, above every other,

Yes, love her as Christ loved the church;

He gave Himself for her—that’s really important. 

Do likewise: put Natalie first.

At home be the leader, and spiritually feed her,

Put her needs ahead of your own;

Remember she’s special, and life’s weaker vessel,

And she is the heart of the home.

Listen intently, and handle her gently;

Attend to her ‘motional needs,

Always protect her, and never neglect her,

For that’s how a husband succeeds.

Well, I’m already tired, and my time has expired;

So I better be winding it down;

But here is the gist, and I’ll leave you with this,

To keep you on rock solid ground:

 Just love one another; and pray for the other,

Surrender to each in the Lord;

Give each other space, and do it with grace.

That’ll strengthen, it’ll lengthen love’s cord.

 October 12th, 2019

James W. Fletcher

Grandfather of the Groom

Stop Being a Secret Disciple

Jesus said in John 12:32, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” Jesus wasted no time in doing that. As soon as he died, he drew two men to himself: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.

After Jesus died, God stirred the hearts of two men who came to see that half-commitment won’t cut it; King Jesus deserves full honor. You see, up until the time that Jesus died, both Joseph and Nicodemus had been secret disciples. They didn’t want to be seen with Jesus or speak up for him because they feared the other Jewish leaders who hated Jesus and wanted to kill him.

Joseph and Nicodemus had been on the fence when it came to following Christ. But when Jesus died, all that changed. The apostle John tells us in chapter 19, verses 38-42 of his gospel, “After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no on e had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.”

We know from the other Gospel writers that this tomb was actually Joseph’s tomb, and that Joseph was a rich man. God used Joseph to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy that Jesus would be “with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence, and had not spoken deceitfully” (Isa. 53:9). In addition to being buried in a rich man’s tomb, Jesus was anointed with an immense amount of spices, the aroma of which would have filled the entire area. Jesus died like a criminal but was buried like a King. R. C. Sproul likened it to getting buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. That’s what Joseph and Nicodemus wanted to do – honor their king. Since they had done so inadequately during their life, they made sure they did so after his death. They realized that half-commitment won’t cut it; King Jesus deserves full honor.

By their actions, Joseph and Nicodemus demonstrated two qualities of devoted disciples:

1. They identified with Jesus publicly.

2. They gave to Jesus lavishly.

How do believers identify with Jesus publicly today? Through baptism. Baptism is going public with your faith. It’s how you go on record as being a Christian. After the resurrection, before Jesus ascended to heaven, he commanded his church to baptize disciples. That’s why the church commanded sinners who were turning from their sin and trusting in Christ to be baptized. We see this all throughout the New Testament.

According to the New Testament, an unbaptized Christian is a contradiction in terms. Jesus says, “Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). If you have put your faith in Christ alone for salvation but have never been baptized, stop being a secret disciple! Go public with your faith!

A fully devoted disciple not only identifies with Jesus publicly, but he also gives to Jesus lavishly. Joseph gave up his own burial plot! Nicodemus brought 75 pounds of spices, which would have cost him a lot!

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” To find out where your treasure is, look at your bank record, your credit card statement. They’re like spiritual EKGs, detecting whether your heart is healthy or not.

The New Testament teaches that we are to give according to what God has given us. Moreover, we are to give sacrificially; otherwise, we’re not loving Jesus lavishly. Remember, God gave his own Son for you. Don’t give him chump change. And whatever you give, do it joyfully, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

Jesus got a burial fit for a King – and God used two men to make it happen. Two men who had been secret disciples. But they came to see that half-commitment won’t cut it; King Jesus deserves full honor.

What about you? Will you go public with your faith? Will you give lavishly to Jesus? Baptism reveals our initial commitment. Our bank statements reveal our ongoing commitment.

Jesus went to the cross for you. To what lengths will you go for him?

Christ and the Kidron

Most of us have heard the expression, “There’s more to it than meets the eye.”  This means that there’s greater depth to a matter than what’s initially apparent.  Such is the case with a little phrase tucked in the middle of John 18:1, which says,“When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.” This verse follows Jesus’ prayer for his disciples in chapter 17 and sets the stage for what happens in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

“Across the Kidron Valley” is a phrase that we could read with little to no thought to get to the dramatic scene that takes place in Gethsemane. But there’s more to this phrase than meets the eye. It’s the tip of a biblical and theological iceberg that holds tremendous significance.

The Old Testament tells us that during the period of the divided kingdom, there were at least three cleansings of the temple that took place to purge Israel from idolatry. The first cleansing took place around 900 B.C. under King Asa, the third king of Judah, who destroyed the idols and burned them in the Kidron Valley. A similar cleansing occurred 200 years later under King Hezekiah. Then a third cleansing took place a century later, under King Josiah, around 622 B.C., shortly before the Babylonian Captivity. Israel’s idols were broken down and burned to ashes in the Kidron Valley.

Despite these cleansings, Israel kept returning to her idols. That was her problem … and ours. John Calvin described the human heart as a perpetual idol factory, always leading us to worship something other than God. This pattern continued throughout the Old Testament – and it would have continued, had God not intervened. At the outset of the Babylonian Captivity, the Lord promised that a day was coming when he would cleanse his people from idolatry and give them the power to follow him faithfully. Speaking through his prophet Ezekiel, the Lord said,

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

- Ezekiel 36:25-27

This promise would come at a price – the precious blood of God’s own Son. Hebrews 9 says that just as death is necessary for a will to take effect, so Jesus’ death was necessary for us to inherit this inner cleansing that God promised. So Jesus deliberately crossed the Kidron, ready to pay the price for us to receive the the blessings of the New Covenant – namely, pardon for sin and the power to obey God.

Hours earlier, a quarter-million lambs had been sacrificed on the altar of the temple, in preparation for Passover. This produced massive amounts of blood that had to be drained from the temple courtyard, along with all the water from the ritual cleansings. Where did all that blood and water go? To the Kidron Valley just outside the Temple walls! So as Jesus walked across the Kidron that night, water and blood flowed through the valley – a harbinger of the water & blood that would flow from his own body as he was pierced for our transgressions.

There’s one more thing you should know about the Kidron and how it relates to what happens in John 18. Second Samuel 15 tells us that King David crossed the Kidron when he was fleeing from his son Absalom. Scripture says that David “went up the slope of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went.” To make matters worse, David was then told that Ahithophel, his close friend & advisor had betrayed him. It was on this occasion that David wrote Psalm 41, where he says, “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.” This is the verse that Jesus quoted just hours before crossing the Kidron, during the Last Supper, when he predicted that one of his own disciples would betray him. Jesus said, “I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he” (John 13:19) – literally, that you may believe that I AM.”

This is God going to the garden! Jesus isn’t on the run, he’s on the move! He deliberately goes to the place where he knows Judas will betray him. Jesus goes there in order to complete the mission that God the Father gave him – to provide salvation for all who would believe in him. Jesus went “across the Kidron Valley,” which symbolized what he would accomplish at the cross.

Quite often, there is more to the text than meets the eye! If we are willing to dig into God’s Word, we will discover a treasure trove of truth that will enrich and encourage us.

A Simple Remedy for Self-Pity

This past week I came across a quote by Ray Pritchard, who wrote, "Self-pity is the enemy of all spiritual growth." That statement really resonated with me, so much so that I replied to Pritchard (in a tweet) saying, "This is the simplest, most practical & helpful statement on personal sanctification I've read in quite a while. Thank you!"

Whenever we have a "pity party," usually only three people show up: me, myself, and I. Because we're focused on our ourselves, we're not "looking to Jesus" as Scripture instructs us (Heb. 12:2). Furthermore, we're probably sinning by complaining (Phil. 2:14) rather than rejoicing in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). And we're certainly not looking out for the interests of others, which means that we are not having the mindset of Christ (Phil. 2:4-5).

All of us get down from time to time. If I'm not careful, I can easily fall prey to self-pity. One of the best ways to counteract this tendency, I have found, is to take a "Thank-You Walk." It doesn't have to be long; most of mine are 10-15 minutes. During that time I'll praise God for who he is, and I'll thank him for his many blessings. Scripture says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength" (Prov. 17:22). As one author notes, "being grateful floods the body and brain with positive endorphins and emotions and combined with walking is a powerful energy booster." (Jon Gordon, The Energy Bus, p. 52). Such are the psychosomatic benefits of praise and worship. God has wired us this way!

So why not give it a try? Shut down the self-pity party and go for a "Thank You Walk" instead. In a matter of minutes you'll feel like a new person!

What Only the Christian Can REALLY Know About Suffering - 10 Things (by Reid Ferguson)

On Saturday, March 30, Webster Bible Church and the Evangelical Church of Fairport (ECF) co-hosted a conference centered on the theme “Where Is God When It Hurts? God’s Goodness and Human Suffering.” All three conference messages, as well as the panel discussion, were outstanding.

For the opening session, Pastor Reid Ferguson of ECF set before us a theological framework for suffering based on ten biblical principles. Here they are, along with key biblical references, with no additional comment.

What Only the Christian Can REALLY Know About Suffering (10 Things):

1. That the entrance of sin is at the root of suffering, and so I kneed to learn a right hatred of it. - Gen. 1-3; Rom. 5:12 (Real Reality)

2. That if my suffering were really a one-for-one corresponding punishment for sin, I’ve never received the full of what I am due - not even close. - Rom. 6:23; Ps. 73:11-13 (Justice & Mercy)

3. That a sovereign God is at the helm. - Rom. 8:28; Gen. 50:19 (An Absolute Comfort)

4. That the enemy may act, but not apart from permission which will eventually work for God’s glory. - Job 1:6 (An Eternal Identity and a Cosmic Conflict)

5. That I can sanctify and redeem it for the good of the brethren - to comfort others. - 2 Cor. 1:3 (A Magnificent Purpose)

6. That I can be driven to know God by it in fleeing to Him. - Jer. 29:1-14 (An Unspeakable Privilege)

7. That for the saved, there is grace in everything. - Ps. 103:10 (A Governing Grace)

8. That I can learn to crave Heaven by it. - 2 Cor. 4:8-5:6 (A Glorious End)

9. That I can have an increased gratitude for redemption through it. - 1 Thess. 1:9 (A Sweet Reminder)

10. That I can enter somewhat into the sweet sufferings of Christ. - Col. 1:24 (A Mysterious Union)

In closing out the conference I sought to answer explicitly the question that had already been answered in all three messages: Where Is God When It Hurts? He (God the Father) is on the throne; He (God the Son) is interceding for us before the throne; He (God the Holy Spirit) is within us fulfilling his role as the Comforter.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” - Romans 15:13

Don't Be a Hoarder

At times I’m amazed at how the Lord providentially brings together various readings to communicate one unified theme.

This year for my daily quiet time with God, I’m reading through the Bible as well as two additional devotional publications: Tabletalk magazine (by Ligonier Ministries), and Morning by Morning (by Charles Spurgeon).

Today a portion of my Scripture reading included Psalm 40, where David says,

You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. … I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. (vv. 5, 8-10)

David doesn’t just take in God’s Word; he talks about it. He tells the congregation about God’s faithfulness, love, and salvation. God calls us to do the same today as his people: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16; cf. Eph. 5:18-20). Like David, we are to treasure God’s truth in our hearts, but we’re not to keep it to ourselves; we’re to tell others, too!

That was my main takeaway from this psalm. Then I opened my Tabletalk magazine, and read I read a the weekend devotional by Deepak Reju titled “Weaponize Your Quiet Time.” Deepak writes,

Biblical truth should never be hoarded. To told on to it is selfish. God’s truth was never meant to stop with us. … Let’s strive to take something from our personal study of Scripture and weaponize it. Let us find someone and boldly and graciously hand them truth.

Don’t hoard God’s truth — herald it!

Finally, I turned to Spurgeon’s Morning by Morning and read the opening line for today’s devotional:

No promise is for private application. Whatever God has said to one saint, He has said to all. When He opens a well for one, it is that all may drink.

This truth encourages us in two different ways. First, on the receiving end. What God said to Moses, Abraham, and David, he meant for you and me. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).

Furthermore, we can be encouraged to know that God’s Word for us is also his word for others. The specific application may differ from person to person, but the truth remains the same. So let’s share it!

This can be done through text, social media, and, best of all, personal conversation – especially when the church is gathered each Lord’s Day. Sing God’s Word! Pray God’s Word! Speak God’s Word! That’s how we encourage and build others up in Christ. For it is through the written Word that we meet the living Word, Jesus.

"Though He Died, He Still Speaks": MLK's Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Sad to say, MLK Day is just another holiday to many Americans. To others, it’s an occasion for launching verbal grenades while tucked safely behind a computer. (Often such comments do not arise from personal convictions, but from a perpetual craving to be applauded by one’s own tribe.)

Wouldn’t our time be better spent seeking to understand the heart and soul of MLK’s message to us as his fellow Americans — especially on this day that has been set aside to honor his legacy? Why not take a few quiet moments to read his Letter from a Birmingham Jail and plead to the Lord for “justice [to] roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24).

If you’re not familiar with Martin Luther King, Jr., I would encourage you to read the brief biographical sketch provided on The Nobel Prize website. Here you’ll find, among other fascinating facts, that “Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.”

“On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.”

Today I took some time to read MLK’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, which he wrote in 1963 — one hundred years after President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation. The purpose of the letter was to respond to the questions and criticisms of white clergy who publicly challenged MLK’s tactics of nonviolent civil disobedience. Listed below are some quotes I pulled from the letter as I pored over it. Please take the time to read MLK’s letter in its entirety, for the sake of hearing its message and honoring the martyr who wrote it.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.

Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.

Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.

I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle. If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as "rabble rousers" and "outside agitators" those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black nationalist ideologies--a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare.

But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise?

So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent--and often even vocal--sanction of things as they are.

Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

FaceTime with Jesus

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Ever heard of that line?

Or how about, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That sort of suggests the opposite, doesn’t it?

Either statement can be true, depending on the subject at hand.

In my case I’m thinking about our daughter Megan, who along with her husband and our two grandchildren, moved over a thousand miles away from us a few weeks ago. Prior to their departure, they lived ten minutes from us and even stayed with us their final month here. We got to wake up with our grandkids on Christmas morning!

But after New Year’s they moved away.

Living away from family is hard, but it’s even tougher when you’ve been together for so long.

Yep. Absence indeed makes the heart grow fonder.

Now we communicate with them through phone, text, and FaceTime. That last mode of communication is my favorite. The other day when my wife and I called our grandkids Ivy (3) and Ezra (1), and our faces popped up on the screen, they gave us big smiles. Ezra reached out to give me a hug, but the best I could do was wave and blow him kisses.

In that moment I was reminded that while modern technology is great, seeing each other is not the same as being with each other.

This reality made me think of what it must have been like for the disciples when Jesus returned to heaven. No wonder they kept gazing into heaven after a cloud took him out of their sight (Acts 1:9-10), just as I kept looking down the road after my family drove off, until I couldn’t see them anymore.

I’m not sure when I’ll see them again in person, but in the meantime I’ll enjoy seeing them on FaceTime.

That’s kind of how Scripture works as it relates to Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, the apostle Paul says that as God’s children, we have nothing obstructing our vision of Christ and his glory as revealed in Scripture. Paul says it’s like looking in a mirror. Not so much the reflective capabilities of the mirror as the intimacy of it. We can hold a mirror right up to our face and get an unobstructed view.[1]

That’s a beautiful thing when it comes to seeing Jesus.

Even so, seeing Him is not the same as being with Him. That’s why Paul wrote, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Phil. 1:23).

Likewise, Peter encouraged his fellow Christians who had never met Jesus in person, saying, “You love him even though you have never seen him [in person]. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy” (1 Pet. 1:8 NLT).

Seeing Jesus isn’t the same as being with Jesus. But we can enjoy Facetime (or shall we call it FaithTime?) with Jesus in Scripture until we live with him forever in heaven.

Makes you kind of homesick, doesn’t it?

        [1] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), p. 1624.

Those Blasted, Born-Again Christians!

Today at my physical therapy session, I overheard the lady next to me express her annoyance to a staff member at “those born-again Christians.” I caught only the tail end of the conversation, when she said, “They’re all a bunch of Trump-supporters and are always trying to push their religion on me. Well, I’m Catholic, and I can’t stand Trump! Why can’t they just keep their opinions to themselves? I make it my business never to discuss religion or politics!”

I couldn’t help but grin at the irony. She never discusses religion or politics, yet within the first ten seconds of hearing her voice, I knew she’s Catholic, anti-Trump, and can’t stand born-again Christians!

At that point she got up and left, and the therapist (who claims to be a Christian) worked on me a few minutes. Afterwards, I went to the facility next door to continue my personal exercise/therapy routine. I opened the door, and … can you guess who was the only other person in the room? Yep, that’s right — the cantankerous Catholic lady!

As I finished up my routine, I introduced myself to her and said, “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation next door. Would you mind telling me why born-again Christians bother you so much?”

The lady, whom I’ll call Mary, replied, “Well, for one thing, I had a former student invite me and some other neighbors over, and he started talking to us about Jesus! A bunch of my husband’s co-workers are also born-again Christians, and they’re always inviting him to a Bible study – trying to get him to come over to their side! If that weren’t enough, one born-again lady told a friend of mine that she wouldn’t bowl with me because I was a bad person!”

The more she talked, the more I could see that she had adopted an “us versus them” mentality when it came to Catholics and “born-again Christians.” Plus, she was convinced that virtually all born-again Christians were Trump supporters. (Note: According to a Lifeway Research report released last year, 56 percent of born-again Americans identify as Republicans while 39 percent identify as Democrats.)

Taking Mary’s words at face value, and believing the best about her (as love seeks to do, 1 Cor. 13:7), I responded by saying,

Mary, I’m sorry you’ve had bad experiences with born-again Christians. Some folks who wear that label don’t live it out by loving others as they should. Jesus was a friend of sinners. By the way, it was Jesus himself who said, “You must be born again.” So the term itself isn’t bad; it comes straight from the Bible. By the way, Mary, I want to give you full disclosure: I am the pastor at Webster Bible Church here in town. I am not Catholic, but I also realize that the term “born-again Christian” has become a broad label and even a political identity of sorts. That’s unfortunate. If you’re open to further conversation, I’d like to discuss what it truly means to be born again, according to Jesus.

As it turns out, Mary comes in every Tuesday at the same time I do. So I hope to share the gospel with her soon. Please pray that God would give me an open door, and Mary an open heart.

In thinking about Mary’s past experience and our conversation today, the words of the late Baptist preacher, Sumner Wemp, came to mind: “If the gospel is an offense, praise God. If I’m an offense, that’s sin.”

I’m thankful for the boldness of believers to share their faith in Christ. But we are also told to do so in a wise and winsome manner. Scripture says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Col. 4:5-6).

Remember, too, that politics are not part of the gospel. So don’t mix the two. Otherwise, you will build a barrier that the gospel is meant to break down.

Thoughts? Comments?

The Lord's Supper: A Serious Celebration

John Newton, the slave-trader turned hymn-writer, experienced the transforming power of the gospel and wrote about it in his most famous hymn, Amazing Grace. That theme dominated his life, as evidenced by his preaching, praying, and writing.

In another hymn, titled In Evil Long I Took Delight, Newton reflected on his pre-conversion days, how he lived recklessly for his own pleasure until God mercifully saved him. As he pictured Jesus hanging on the cross “in agonies and blood,” Newton felt a mix of emotions known to many of us when meditating on the cross: 

With pleasing grief and mournful joy,
My spirit now is filled,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live by him I killed.

That’s how we should feel every time we partake of the bread and cup: pleasing grief and mournful joy. Not grief without joy, or pleasure without mourning, but a mix of both sorrowful reflection and heartfelt rejoicing.

Furthermore, there's both an individual and a corporate dynamic to the Lord's Supper. As we look at Scripture, particularly First Corinthians, we learn that communion is a time for both individual self-examination ("Let a person examine himself" - 1 Cor. 11:28) and communal celebration ("Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival” - 1 Cor. 5:7-8).

Maintaining this balance is a challenge for every church. Some churches are big on celebration but weak on self-examination. Other churches stress self-examination to the neglect of celebration -- at least during their observance of the Lord’s Supper. Some church members look like they're attending a funeral -- as if Jesus were still dead! (J. A. Medders has written about this rather bluntly in his article, The Lord’s Supper Isn’t a Funeral Meal.)

Our pastoral staff, in conjunction with our music team, strives to help our congregation to maintain a spirit of “pleasing grief” and “mournful joy” as we partake of the Lord's Supper. Practically speaking, we tend to include both soft instrumental music for the sake of personal reflection, and also congregational singing to celebrate our unity in Christ. Our hope is that an appropriate blend of gospel-centered songs, combined with scriptural teaching and exhortation, will help us as a church to strike a healthy balance between individual self-examination and communal celebration. 

If you have any personal insights or practical suggestions you'd like to share, please do so in the Comments section below. I'd love to hear from you.