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Table of Contents:
Fear of Dying? Not Allowed!
How Well Do You Know Jesus?
On the Peril of Professionalism
Exegetically Speaking
Living out the Living Word
Points to Ponder
The Story behind the Song
Church Builders
Counselor’s Corner
Book Reviews
News Update
Sermon Helps
Puzzles and ‘Toons
___________________________________
Fear of Dying? Not Allowed!
By Joe Mckeever
I’m sorry, followers of Jesus Christ.
The one thing you are not allowed in this
life—and certainly not the next—is fear of
death. It’s verboten, off limits, taboo. Fearing
death ranks first as the ultimate insult to the
Lord Jesus Christ. It is unbelief of the first
order.
Death was the biggest gun in Satan’s
arsenal when the enemy’s forces trotted it
out on that Passover Eve on a hill outside
Jerusalem’s walls. This Jesus would be
dispensed with once and for all. For a few
awful hours, it appeared the diabolical plan
had succeeded. Jesus was dead—really
dead.
Then, on that never-to-be-forgotten
Lord’s Day morning, the tomb was found to
be empty and reports began popping up that
Jesus was appearing to His followers. The
disciples, who had been ready to give up
and go home and deal with their dashed
hopes and the Galilean’s embarrassing
claims, suddenly were energized and “shot
from cannons” as they blanketed the world
with the news: Jesus is alive!
If He was alive, everything else had
changed for all time. That was the point.
Opponents and critics, eager to find holes
and loopholes and potholes in the Christian
message, rush to inform us that one man’s
death and even His resurrection, if indeed
there was one, changes little.
They miss the point. In those three days that
changed everything, the Lord Jesus
absorbed death by His death on Calvary and
defeated it by His resurrection the following
Sunday morning.
The disciples of a long-discredited
Indian guru once scoffed at my question,
“What do you do with the resurrection of
Jesus?” They looked down at me as though
from their throne on high and said
condescendingly, “Sir, we do not believe
anything that happened 2,000 years ago has
any possible meaning for us today.” They
missed it too.
The death of Jesus was all about His
payment for our sins; His resurrection was
all about God’s confirmation of what He had
done, everything He had claimed, all He had
taught, and the Lord He had personified.
If Jesus is alive, everything has
changed for all time. This is why serious
seekers and honest questioners will want to
look into the resurrection, called one of the
most dependable historical realities by
countless historians and millions of
disciples. As Paul told King Agrippa, “This
(the death and resurrection of Jesus) was
not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). Check it
out. Seekers have nothing to lose and
believers have nothing to fear.
They call fear “false evidence
appearing real.” Until something better
comes along, that definition will serve us
well. For 2,000 years, believers have
delighted in the characterization of death by
the Apostle Paul. “O death, where is your
victory? O death, where is your sting? The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is
the law, but thanks be to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1
Cor. 15:55-57). Paul scoffs at death. He
taunts it. He rubs its nose in its defeat. He
laughs, he brags, he overflows with joy.
When facing his own approaching
death, Paul said, “In the future there is laid
up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to
me on that day; and not only to me, but also
to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim.
4:8). Sounds pretty confident, doesn’t he?
Oh, yeah.
Earlier in the same letter, he had
dealt with the matter of fear: “For God has
not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, of
power, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
Think of that triplet in this way: 1) no fear of
people, but a spirit of love; 2) no fear of the
devil (and all his forces, including death), but
a spirit of power; 3) no fear of the unknown,
but a spirit of a sound mind.
Why fear a defeated, cowering, bully
of an enemy?
As I write this, my mother is
approaching her 96th birthday, although if
she makes that milestone, she’ll never
know. Her mind and body are gradually
shutting down after nearly a century of
strong and active service for her God and
her family. We count the days good when
she recognizes us. And, though we will
grieve and miss her something awful, we will
count as a very good day when the Father
takes her to Heaven.
This precious lady—Lois Jane Kilgore
McKeever—did not struggle with faith as
some of us have. Throughout her life, from
infancy on, hers was the simple, pure trust
of a child. She read her Bible and believed
it. She listened to sermons and obeyed
them. She prayed and trusted the Lord to
answer however He chose. Hers was a hard
life, particularly in the early decades of her
nearly 74-year marriage to our dad. But she
never wavered.
Mom hardly noticed as the years
piled up and she grew elderly. She and my
dad, who lived into his 96th year also, would
joke that they just never thought about
getting old. Yet they did it with a flourish.
She will die soon. But fear will have no role
in her homegoing.
Why fear leaving a body that is
shutting down and inheriting a glorious one
not subject to pain and grief (1 Cor. 15:4244)? Why fear leaving this humble earthly
abode for “a kingdom prepared for [us] from
the foundation of the world” (Matthew
25:34)? Why fear departing from a life of
decay to receive one which is “glorious
beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:16-17)?
Why fear dwelling “in the House of the Lord
forever” (Psalm 23:6)? Why fear the
absence of tears and mourning and pain, an
enchanted land where “the former things
have passed away” (Revelation 21:4)? Why
fear “beholding [His] face in righteousness”
and “being satisfied with [His] likeness when
[we] awaken?” (Psalm 17:15).
I have a suggestion. Let’s decide not
to fear death. Let’s make up our minds that
when the fear of dying begins to creep up on
us, we will laugh at it and call it the impostor
it is, then rejoice in the Lord. Let’s decide to
live boldly and to make no decisions from
fear. Let us laugh and dance and sing while
we stake our claims for the reality of the
risen Christ with everything that involves.
I think about my own dying. Just last
night when my wife and I were discussing
some decisions regarding expensive dental
work, which was one of the choices I was
facing, she put it all into perspective. “Joe,
you’re 72 years old. Why spend all that
money for something you’re just going to
leave in the ground?” (How’s that for
perspective!)
If I have a choice, my family will be
gathered in the house at my homegoing.
Some will filter in and out of my room. Tears
will be all right, although I will love one of my
sons telling me a joke or something funny
they heard. And to a grandchild whose tears
are flowing, I want to say, “Honey, it’s just
fine. After all, five minutes after they close
my eyes here, I will be laughing up there.” I
want her to believe that, but not because I
said it. It’s the proper attitude of all who
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. No fear
allowed—just laughter.
Joe McKeever is a retired Southern Baptist
pastor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He
blogs regularly at www.joemckeever.com.
___________________________________
How Well Do You Know Jesus?
By Ted Kyle
“Not every one that saith unto me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. Many will say to
me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? And in thy name
have cast out devils? And in thy name done
many wonderful works?’ And then will I
profess unto them, ‘I never knew you: depart
from me, ye that work iniquity’” (Matt. 7:2123).
Many a church wears the motto: “To
know Christ and make Him known.” The
question for us is “How well are we doing?”
Often exhortations on this theme focus on
the second part, rightly emphasizing the
need to reach the lost with the good news of
the Gospel. I want us to take the time to look
inward, however, and ask “How well do you
know Jesus?”
1) If you are a Christian, you no
doubt know Him as the Lamb of God
(John 1:29). And in this sense it is fitting to
think of Him as “the gentle Jesus, meek and
mild,” as lambs are. But, of course, He is a
uniquely special Lamb, for He is God’s
sacrificial Lamb—the one, the only perfect
sacrifice, who alone could take away the
sins of the world, because only He lived and
died without sin.
2) Assuming you know Him, then,
as Savior, do you also accept that He is
Lord of your life? Have you given Him the
right to direct your path through life? And if
you have done this initially, do you seek for
His divine guidance in the hurry-scurry of
everyday living?
3) Do you know Him as Your
heavenly Bridegroom? Do you look
forward to the grand consummation of that
spiritual union? For some it will come at the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb. For many
others, it is my belief that this will take place
for each individual child of God after he or
she has passed through the dark portal into
life everlasting. For some the call to meet
the Bridegroom will come at midnight—in
other words, at an unexpected time. Are you
ready?
4) Do you know Jesus as a mighty
blood-stained Warrior, His garments
imbrued with the lifeblood of countless
sinners? Check the following dialog from
Isaiah 63:1-6—this is about Jesus, though
He was as yet unknown to the Old
Testament prophet:
“Who is this that cometh from Edom,
with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that
is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the
greatness of his strength? I that speak in
righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore
art thou red in thine apparel, and thy
garments like him that treadeth in the
winefat? I have trodden the winepress
alone; and of the people there was none
with me: for I will tread them in mine anger,
and trample them in my fury; and their blood
shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I
will stain all my raiment. For the day of
vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of
my redeemed is come. And I looked, and
there was none to help; and I wondered that
there was none to uphold: therefore mine
own arm brought salvation unto me; and my
fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the
people in mine anger, and make them drunk
in my fury, and I will bring down their
strength to the earth.”
5) Are you aware that Jesus, the
Son, along with Jehovah, the Father, will
not only be the Temple in the eternal
heaven-on-earth city of New Jerusalem,
but they will also replace the sun and
moon as illumination for the earth? “And I
saw no temple therein, for the LORD God
Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither
of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of
God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof” (Rev. 21:22-23).
6) Do you recognize Jesus as the
Overseer of Hell, the final destination of
all humans who never acknowledge that
they need saving? Does this shock you?
Read Revelation 14:10: “The same shall
drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which
is poured out without mixture into the cup of
his indignation; and he shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone in the presence of
the holy angels, and in the presence of the
Lamb.”
Truly, our Lord is a Being of many
faces: Born in a stable to a humble godly
Jewish couple—though He was conceived in
the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit, not by
Joseph, to whom she was engaged—and
thus Jesus was and is truly the Son of God,
God with God (John 1:1). He proved Himself
as God with God, the fulfillment of Isaiah
9:6, to the Jewish nation by unnumbered
miracles (also called “signs”). But the
understanding of most was veiled and
encumbered by their devotion to the tradition
of the Law of Moses—a veil that yet blinds
the eyes of most of the Jewish people, and
only a relative handful joyfully realized that
the Messiah they sought was with them in
the flesh.
Sad to say, a similar veil hides the
glorious truth about who Jesus is to most of
today’s Gentile world also. And sadder yet,
the Savior-King is treated casually by a host
of churchgoers, who acknowledge Him with
their lips on Sunday, but ignore Him as their
weekday Lord and Master—much as the
Jews of Malachi’s day ignored the Father: “A
son honoureth his father, and a servant his
master: if then I be a father, where is mine
honour? And if I be a master, where is my
fear? Saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O
priests, that despise my name….” (Malachi
1;6).
May none of us be caught without oil
for our lamps at the midnight call!
Ted Kyle served as managing editor of
Pulpit Helps Magazine (Disciple’s
predecessor) from 1993 until his retirement
in 2008. He lives in Newberg, Oregon with
his wife, Marga.
___________________________________
On the Peril of Professionalism
By William Youngman
“Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and
to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the
Pharisees have seated themselves in the
chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell
you, do and observe, but do not do
according to their deeds; for they say things
and do not do them’” (Matt. 23:1-3).
All pastors have a ministry timeline;
an outline of those events that brought them
to where they are now. Mine is similar to
most.
First, there was my call to ministry.
Then there was my preparation for ministry.
Next, there was my formal installation into
ministry. And, at last, there was my practice
of ministry. These are the mile markers on
that lengthy journey into the pastorate. They
are calendar events identifiable by time and
place.
And what a rush it was to finally drive
up to that small, cement block church in that
small southwestern Kansas town and realize
that this was mine. I was now the senior
pastor, the shepherd of the sheep, the
coach of the team, the CEO.
I had met all of my denominational
requirements and so, armed with my
ordination certificate and my seminary
diploma, I paraded into the sanctuary. Not
quite St. Paul’s cathedral, but it was mine. I
was now a professional pastor.
I knew that many more events would
be added to my ministry timeline. Some I
could anticipate; others would come as a
complete surprise. But as I now review that
timeline, I see an event that was not
planned, not even recognized at the time. It
just silently and subtly evolved. This event,
however, did not add to my ministry practice
or effectiveness. It subtracted from it.
A second glance in the rear view
mirror of my ministry revealed what that
event really was: the peril of
professionalism.
Now we really do need professionals,
people who know what they are doing. But
occasionally a professional might betray the
trust he or she has earned. They might allow
their knowledge and expertise to fool them
into thinking that they are superior to the
less learned folk.
If the general public doesn’t know as
much as I do, then the general public will not
know the difference between my doing this
or doing that. This is professionalism out of
control.
It happens all around us. It is found in
the military, the financial world, in law
enforcement, in the attitudes of some
celebrities, and, once in a while in the
ministry. Maybe in some cases this bad
professionalism is the natural expression of
bad people, but I suspect that more often it
is a matter of good people succumbing to
the perils lurking in the shadows of
professionalism.
For instance the power residing in the
position of pastor can be very persuasive;
but also difficult to use wisely. Here is God’s
minister preaching God’s word to God’s
people. The pulpit, therefore, could be seen
as the final court of authority. The good
people in the pews might confuse the words
of the pastor for the voice of God. They
need to hear both, but they might not always
be the same.
From the pastor’s side of the pulpit,
another aspect of this peril may be
developing. Being constantly pressured to
professionally “function,” the pastor may feel
that there is little time left to “become.”
Doing is clearly written in the job description.
Spiritually developing is seldom mentioned
at the job interviews.
Since most parishioners seem to
equate pastoral professionalism with activity,
pastors may respond accordingly. They
usually don’t stray far from sound doctrine,
but the peril here is to find justification for
staying behind the pulpit and seldom sitting
in front of it. Their study remains more of a
library for their head, than an altar for their
heart.
If it is true that the spiritual condition
of the people of the church seldom rises
above the spiritual condition of the pastor of
the church, then pastors must place a high
priority on their own spiritual maturity
development. If they do this one thing and
keep their eye on the goal then everything
else that they must do will be invigorated
and enhanced.
The pastor now can say with a bold
humility, “Be imitators of me, just as I also
am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).
William Youngman is a retired elder in the
Church of the Nazarene. He served as a
pastor for 15 years and taught ministry
courses at Mount Vernon Nazarene
University in Ohio for 23 years.
___________________________________
Exegetically Speaking
by Spiros Zodhiates
Jesus in Gethsemane—Part 1 of 2
Matthew 26:36-45
From Exegetical Commentary on Matthew,
2006, AMG Publishers.
[36, 37] Jesus and the eleven
remaining disciples walked from the temple
area to a “place” (chōríon [5564], an
enclosed area, a plot of ground, a field less
than an acre in size) called Gethsemane
(Gethsēmanē [1068], oil press) at the foot of
the Mount of Olives. It was between
midnight and morning. At the entrance,
Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit here while I
go and pray there. And having taken with
Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He
began to be sorrowful (from lupéō [3076], to
grieve) and very heavy (from adēmonéō
[85]; cf. Mark 14:33; Phil. 2:26)” (a.t.).
We do not know the exact derivation
of the verb adēmonéō, but it is always used
with verbs that express grief or sorrow. Here
it is used with lupéōmai, to sorrow, and in
Mark 14:33 it is used with the verb
ekthambéomai ([1568], to be distressed,
astonished, or greatly amazed). Paul writes
to the Philippians about how Epaphroditus
had nearly died while he was with him in
Rome (Phil. 2:26–30; 4:18), adding, “He
longed (from epipothéō [1971], to desire
earnestly) after you all, and was full of
heaviness (from adēmonéō), because that
ye had heard that he had been sick” (Phil.
2:26).
John records some additional words
of Jesus as He contemplated His
approaching death: “Now my soul has been
troubled (tetáraktai, the perfect passive of
tarássō [5015], to be agitated); and what
shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour?
But for this reason came I unto this hour”
(John 12:27; a.t.).
[38] Jesus had selected three
disciples—Peter, James, and John—to
share His deepest sorrow. It was important
for them to learn about suffering for the sake
of the kingdom of God: “My soul is
exceeding sorrowful (perílupos [4036] from
perí [4012], all around; and lúpē [3077],
sorrow, grief; therefore, encompassed with
and hemmed in by grief; cf. Mark 14:34),
even unto death: tarry ye (from ménō [3306],
to remain, stay) here, and watch (from
grēgoréō [1127] from egeírō [1453], to arise,
arouse, to watch, refrain from sleep) with
me.”
This was no ordinary sorrow because
Jesus was not facing an ordinary death.
Now as He began to bear unimaginable
suffering, Jesus wanted these three
disciples to remain and watch with Him as
He entered the terrible sorrow and agony of
bearing the sins of the world (cf. Mark 14:34,
37, 38).
[39] It was inevitable, however, that
the “Man of Sorrows” face this alone, so
eventually “he went a little farther.” Jesus
then “fell on his face, and prayed (from
proseúchomai [4336], to pray), saying, ‘O
my Father’.” God was Father to Jesus in a
unique way. Even though the Lord Jesus
taught His disciples to pray, “Our Father,” as
the Son of God, He stood in a completely
different relationship to the Father.
“If it is possible, let this cup pass from
Me: nevertheless (plēn [4133]) not as I will
(thélō [2309], to intend, to purpose) but as
You will” (a.t.). Though He would not
hesitate to accomplish the purpose for which
He was sent, Jesus was not looking forward
to the suffering associated with the death
that lay before Him. From a human
perspective, He had no prior experience of
being “forsaken” (Matt. 27:46) by a Father
whom He knew “was able to save him from
death” (Heb. 5:7). Bearing the sins of the
world was not going to be an easy event, to
say the least.
[40] When Jesus returned to the
three disciples, He found them “sleeping”
(from katheúdō [2518], to fall asleep; used
here as elsewhere as an antonym of
grēgoréō [1127], to watch, stay awake, be
alert).
Though He spoke to Peter directly,
indirectly He addressed all three with the
plural “ye”: “What, could ye (from ischúō
[2480], to be able naturally) not watch (from
grēgoréō) with me one hour?”
[41] Jesus had called the three
disciples to watch for a short time. His
question now implied that this was a
reasonable request. Perhaps if they had
comprehended Jesus’ mission of
redemption, they would have mustered the
energy to stay awake. Jesus appropriately
reminded them that special tasks that
require fighting against natural inclinations of
the body, such as fatigue, require prayer for
supernatural power: “Watch (from grēgoréō)
and pray (from proseúchomai, to pray)”—
that is, for yourselves. Jesus never asked
other people to pray for Him.
The need was specific: “that ye enter
(eisélthēte, the aorist subjunctive of
eisérchomai [1525]) not into temptation.”
Temptation is always present, especially
when we are tired. This explains the use of
the aorist tense—to highlight those particular
times when we are weak.
What “temptation” (from peirasmós [3986])
did Jesus warn His disciples about? They
would be tempted to avoid suffering, the
escape route Satan offered Jesus in the
wilderness. Jesus clarified this in the words
that follow: “The spirit indeed (mén [3303],
on the one hand, forming a contrast with dé
[1161], “but” which follows) is willing
(próthumon [4289] from pró, forward; and
thumós [2372], mind, temperament, passion,
predisposition; cf. Mark 14:38), but (dé) the
flesh (sárx [4561]) is weak (asthenēs [772],
strengthless).”
Here we observe the fundamental
struggle between the nature that resists God
(flesh) and the nature that responds to Him
(spirit), as Paul graphically describes in the
entire chapter of Romans 7. Our spirits may
be willing to obey the Lord, but the flesh that
God desires to kill (from thanatóō, to put to
death; Rom. 8:13) hinders holy living.
Human nature interrupts the mechanism
between willing and doing; as Paul
confesses, “In me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present
with me; but how to perform that which is
good I find not” (Rom. 7:18).
Jesus shared our (physical) human
weakness: “For though he was crucified
through (ek [1537], out of, from within)
weakness (from asthéneia [769]), yet he
liveth by the power of God. For we also are
weak in him, but we shall live with him by
the power of God toward you” (2 Cor 13:4).
[42] In His second prayer, Jesus
requested, “O my Father, if this cup may not
pass away (from parérchomai [3928], to
pass near, by, or over; from pará [3844],
near, denoting the closest possible
proximity; and érchomai, to come, go) from
me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.”
Jesus knew He had to die, because this
constituted the Triune God’s plan of
redemption. It was the very purpose for
which the Word became flesh (John 1:1,
14).
Accordingly, as Jesus continued His
prayer, we see a “willing spirit,” a holy
resolution operating against a natural
repulsion to suffering: “Thy will (thélēma
[2307], accomplished will or desire) be done
(from gínomai [1096], to come to be
realized).” The human nature of Christ was
in full accord with the sovereign
determination of the Triune God to
accomplish salvation. The –ma suffix views
its root as a completed product; thus,
thélēma means completed or finished will.
This was not progressive thinking in
Christ’s mind, an evolution from weakness
to power, from doubt to faith, from sin to
recovery. From His first prayer in verse 39—
“not as I will (as man), but as thou wilt”—to
the last concession in verse 42—“Thy will be
done”—Jesus determined to submit to the
eternal will of the Trinity. His disciples,
however, were not capable of understanding
this tension within Jesus’ human will.
[43] When Jesus returned to His
disciples, He found them “sleeping” (from
katheúdō as in v. 40). Since it was beyond
midnight, the time they ordinarily slept, they
were naturally tired. “Their eyes were (ēsan,
the imperfect tense of eimí [1510], to be)
heavy (from baréō [916] used with the
imperfect indicative of eimí as a periphrastic
tense: lit., ‘their eyes had become very
heavy’).” As their eyes became heavier, it
became more difficult for them to stay
awake.
[44] Jesus did not wake the three
disciples but left them to return to pray to His
Father.
[45] When He returned this time, “He
said to them, Do you sleep (katheúdete, the
present active indicative or imperative) and
rest (anapaúesthe, the present middle
indicative or imperative of anapaúō [373], to
rest)?” (a.t.).
There are several ways to interpret
this statement. For example, since the
original Greek had no punctuation marks,
the indicative mood can be taken as either a
declarative statement, “(I see that) you are
still sleeping and resting” or as an
interrogative question, “Are you still resting
and sleeping?” And since the forms are the
same in the present tense for the second
person plural in both the indicative and
imperative moods, this could also be
understood as a command. “Go on sleeping
and resting.” We could also combine the first
and third possibilities, “You are sleeping. Go
on resting now because the hour of betrayal
has already arrived.”
No English versions understand
these statements to be simply declarative
statements. A few English versions
understand both statements as commands
like the King James Version. But most
Greek editions and most English versions
understand both statements to be questions,
as we do. Why do we interpret both as
questions? There are several reasons.
First, Luke quotes Jesus as saying
“Why (tí [5101]) sleep ye?” (Luke 22:46).
Second, a command to sleep under
conditions that had not changed—namely,
temptation to sin under the threat of arrest—
would contradict Jesus’ prior command to
remain awake and pray. His response is not
a concession to sin—and falling asleep was
a sin since He commanded, “Watch and
pray” (v. 41)—as if He had given up. Jesus
never concedes to sin in general, and here,
specifically, He did not relax His imperatives
to watch and pray under the pressure of
persecution.
Third, a command to sleep does not
easily attach to what immediately follows:
“Behold, the hour is at hand (for Christ to be
betrayed)…. Rise, let us be going” (vv. 4546). It is unlikely Jesus wanted them to
sleep for the microsecond before His
command to get up. “Behold (idoú [2400],
the imperative of eídon [1492], the aorist of
horáō [3708], to perceive, calling attention to
the extraordinary), the hour is at hand (from
eggízō [1448], to approach or has
approached), and the Son of man is
betrayed (from paradídōmi [3860], to betray,
deliver) into the hands of sinners”
God the Father struck the Son for the
redemption of humankind but used the evil
motive and act of Judas to accomplish it.
And Jesus fixed His mind on the joy (from
chará [5479]) that lay beyond the cross
(Heb. 12:2).
Jesus fully realized that sinners (from
hamartōlós [268]) were going to crucify Him.
The betrayer delivered Him into the hands of
the jealous (the Jewish leaders) who in turn
delivered Him over to the paranoid (the
Gentile rulers threatened by His kingdom).
The full gamut of sinful motives was
included: personal, religious, and political.
Spiros Zodhiates (1922-2009) served as
president of AMG International for over 40
years, was the founding editor of Pulpit
Helps Magazine (Disciple’s predecessor),
and authored dozens of exegetical books.
___________________________________
Living out the Living Word
by Justin Lonas
Nourished on Faith and Sound Doctrine
1 Timothy 3:16-4:6
At the conclusion of his instruction on
the qualifications for overseers and
deacons, Paul tells Timothy the reason the
Church needs tried and faithful leaders: “I
am writing these things to you, hoping to
come to you before long; but in case I am
delayed, I write so that you will know how
one ought to conduct himself in the
household of God, which is the church of the
living God, the pillar and support of the truth”
(3:14-15).
That, in essence, is Paul’s theme
throughout 1 and 2 Timothy—the protection,
preservation, and flourishing of the Church.
In this passage, he goes deeper into the
truth of which the Church is “the pillar and
support,” and addresses why true and
proven doctrine is of vital importance.
Chapter 3 closes with a passage that
Paul seems to be reciting, rather than
composing: one of the earliest recorded
confessions of the Church that reads like a
stripped-down version of the middle
segment of the Apostle’s Creed. “By
common confession, great is the mystery of
godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh,
was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations, believed on
in the world, taken up in glory” (3:16).
This “common confession” of the
“mystery of godliness” (that is, the core of
the faith), that which was affirmed by
believers across the known world at that
time, has to do with the person of Christ and
His ongoing work through the Church. The
meter of these truths tells us that they were
probably recited aloud in the churches, or
perhaps even sung as a hymn, in order to
embed them into the hearts of believers.
What is this “mystery”? When Christ
humbled Himself to be “revealed in the
flesh”, His identity and authority were
“vindicated by the Spirit” at His baptism
(Matt. 3:16, etc.), through His resurrection,
and also in the hearts of believers beginning
at Pentecost (Acts 2). That He was “seen by
angels” probably refers to His glorification in
heaven after His ascension. He was
“proclaimed among the nations (ethnesin, all
peoples)” by the apostles, and people the
world over responded in belief (episteuthē,
put faith in). Christ was “taken up in glory”
(anelēmphthē en doxē), which could refer
again to His ascension and glorification in
heaven, or perhaps mean that His name
was raised up in worship by those who put
their faith in Him after hearing His work
proclaimed to them.
After this brief creedal statement, the
purpose of the letter comes back to the fore,
namely refuting the false doctrine circulating
in the Ephesian church and rebuking the
false teachers who were spreading it. “But
the Spirit explicitly says that in later times
some will fall away from the faith, paying
attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of
demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars
seared in their own conscience as with a
branding iron, men who forbid marriage and
advocate abstaining from foods which God
has created to be gratefully shared in by
those who believe and know the truth” (4:13).
The construction of Paul’s statement
here seems to indicate that this warning was
something he received from the Holy Spirit,
as this is not a quote from the Old
Testament. His message certainly accords
with Christ’s warnings that many will be
deceived, thinking they have salvation, but
who have indeed fallen away for one reason
or another (Matt. 25). Paul knew that Satan
loves nothing more than to snatch people
from belief in the Gospel by whatever means
necessary.
These specific people Paul refers to
have been listening to all sorts of bad ideas
and deceitful sources of teaching. He is
likely referring to those led astray by the
false teachers who were “wanting to be
teachers of the law, even though they do not
understand what they are saying or the
matters about which they make confident
assertions” (1:7), who were not “keeping the
faith with a good conscience” (1:19), and
spreading all manner of “myths and endless
genealogies…mere speculation…fruitless
discussion” (1:4, 6). Here, he describes
these men as “seared in their own
conscience,” that is, they are no longer even
capable of listening to the God-given
warnings about their false beliefs.
The specific teachings they were
promulgating seem to be related to a
legalistic approach to religion, not unlike the
teachings of the “Judaizers” Paul contends
with in Galatians and elsewhere. These men
were preaching “Christ, plus” doctrines,
giving rules to obey that took the work of
salvation out of God’s hands, depriving
believers of the hope and assurance of
grace. In particular, they were advocating a
false asceticism, depriving people of the
good gifts of God in order to replace the
freedom and joy of true faith with the selfexalting of legalism.
Paul refutes all their teaching in a
single sentence, reaffirming the freedom that
is ours in Christ: “For everything created by
God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if
it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified
by means of the word of God and prayer”
(4:4-5). Paul reassures Timothy in his own
beliefs, reminding him that He is sanctified in
Christ alone, and, therefore, that all other
things are secondary to that. In the reality of
Christ, withholding the good gifts of God
(marriage, certain foods, etc.) doesn’t avail
anything. The focus of all such discussions
(excluding, of course, things expressly
forbidden by God) should center on our
attitudes, whether or not we are receiving
God’s blessings with gratitude and prayer,
checking our conclusions against His Word.
Lastly, Paul comes back to his reason
for encouraging Timothy in matters of
doctrine and church government: “In
pointing out these things to the brethren, you
will be a good servant of Christ Jesus,
constantly nourished on the words of the
faith and of the sound doctrine which you
have been following” (4:6). Paul knew that,
without faith in Christ and the sound doctrine
that comes from His Word, confirmed by His
Spirit, believers would be immature,
susceptible to be taken “captive through
philosophy and empty deception, according
to the tradition of men, according to the
elementary principles of this world, rather
than according to Christ” (Col. 2:8).
In his charge to Timothy, Paul shows
that the doctrines of Scripture are not
ancillary to our faith, but that we are to be
“constantly nourished” by meditating on the
truth. This is why he makes it clear that men
who are given positions of leadership in the
Church be “able to teach” (3:2), so that
Christians are fed. If we find our sustenance
in the Word and are filled by it, we will not be
led astray when someone offers the “treats”
of false doctrine.
Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine
for AMG International in Chattanooga,
Tennessee.
___________________________________
Points to Ponder
by David L. Olford
Pass It On
Text: “You therefore, my son, be
strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And the things that you have heard from me
among many witnesses, commit these to
faithful men who will be able to teach others
also” (2 Tim. 2:1-2).
Thought: The Apostle Paul was
finishing His earthly race, but Timothy
needed to take the baton and keep on
running with the truth of God’s Word. He
needed to faithfully fulfill his ministry and
pass on the truth he had received. 2 Timothy
is filled with directives, exhortations,
instructions and words of testimony written
to encourage Timothy to run his race well.
This specific, succinct text clearly presents a
priority concern of the Apostle for his son in
the faith, Timothy, and this priority needs to
be a priority for those involved in similar
pastoral and leadership ministries today. In
order to pass on the “things” that Timothy
had learned, he needed to be:
I. Be Strengthened by Dynamic Grace
“…be strong in the grace that is in
Christ Jesus” (2:1). Timothy could not fulfill
his ministry on his own. He needed dynamic
grace. Paul’s directive to Timothy comes in
light of the Apostle’s own challenges,
sufferings and experience in ministry. At the
same time, Paul knew what Timothy was
facing and what he would face in the hard
times ahead (2 Tim. 2:3, 3:1-5, 4:3-5). Grace
was sufficient for Paul in the midst of
suffering (2 Cor. 12:1-10), and it would be
needed by Timothy.
In short, there is the need for dynamic
grace for us today. The source of dynamic
grace is very important to note; it “is in Christ
Jesus.” Neither Timothy nor we today should
seek artificial or alternative sources for true
strength for life and service. What we need
is found in our Lord Himself, our sufficiency
is in Christ. Whatever practical and personal
helps we have or find will not substitute for
the resource of divine grace in Christ
Himself.
Timothy was to experience dynamic
grace as an act of willful dependence; he
was to be strengthened by the Lord. This
strength would be necessary for the tasks
and trials that he was to face, and the same
is true for us today. Being strengthened by
dynamic grace is necessary to be a truthbearer to those around us and the next
generation.
II. Be Focused on a Definite Goal
“And the things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit
these to faithful men who will be able to
teach others also” (2:2). The definite goal
focuses on the passing on of truth (“things
that you have heard from me”). Timothy was
not to keep the truth or the ministry of the
truth to Himself. These “things,” the truths
and practices that Timothy had learned from
the Apostle, were now to be passed on to
others.
These others were to be “faithful
men” with an ability to “teach others also.”
The vision is one of truth and ministry
multiplication. This passing on of truth is at
the heart of disciple-making. This was not to
be a casual process; this was to be a
mandated ministry of entrusting truth
purposefully and specifically.
This directive stands alongside of
other challenges that Paul gave Timothy.
Timothy needed to “stir up the gift of God”
that was in him (2 Tim. 1:7), he needed to
“hold fast the pattern of sound words” that
he had received (2 Tim. 1:13), he need to
“rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim.
2:15), and ultimately he needed to “preach
the word” himself (2 Tim 4:2). Within the
context of his ministry, though, Timothy
needed to give priority to the practice of
mentoring and training others to further the
ministry of the word. We need to hear this
today in the midst of the various activities
that demand or call for attention.
Thrust: May dynamic grace empower us to
fulfill the definite goal of multiplying ministry
and furthering the truth of God’s word.
David L. Olford teaches expository
preaching at Union University’s Stephen
Olford Center in Memphis, Tennessee.
___________________________________
The Story behind the Song
by Lindsay Terry
Surprised by a Song
Song: “All Hail King Jesus”
“I charge you in the presence of God,
who gives life to all things, and of Christ
Jesus, who testified the good confession
before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the
commandment without stain or reproach
until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which He will bring about at the proper
time—He who is the blessed and only
Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of
lords, who alone possesses immortality and
dwells in unapproachable light, whom no
man has seen or can see. To Him be honor
and eternal dominion! Amen” (1 Tim. 6:1316).
You and I would be thrilled to have
millions of people around the world sing our
songs. But what about our first published
song? How exciting is that? That is exactly
what Dave Moody experienced after the
publishing of his “All Hail King Jesus”.
During a trip to India and Japan in
1987, only ten years after writing the song,
he experienced that joy firsthand while
visiting churches in those countries. He said,
“I had no idea that people over there even
knew the song, so to have heard it sung in
those nations, not expecting anything of that
nature, was probably the most significant
feeling I’ve ever experienced regarding my
song.”
Through his teen years, Dave worked
hard toward a goal of becoming a piano
teacher. He later graduated from the Royal
Conservatory of Music in Toronto in 1970
with a piano teaching degree and then
taught piano for fourteen years.
Dave shared with me the following
story behind his famous song “All Hail King
Jesus”:
“I was at home one Wednesday
afternoon in 1977, preparing to teach some
piano classes. The youngsters were to come
for their lessons after school, beginning at
about 3:30 p.m. On that particular afternoon
I had some time before they arrived, so I sat
down at the piano and began worshiping the
Lord.
“The furthest thing from my mind was
the writing of a song. My only purpose was
to spend time with the Lord. Quite suddenly,
I began to develop a melody that was
coming to me—something I had never
played before. And just as quickly came
some words that I began to sing, using the
melody the Lord was giving. When I
finished, I realized that the Lord had given
me a song. I played it over several times
and put it on paper so I wouldn’t forget it.
During the next couple of days, I played it for
a couple of friends, just to see their
response, which was very favorable.
“The following Sunday I was eager to
share ‘All Hail King Jesus’ with the
congregation. From my position at the
Hammond organ, I sang the song a couple
of times, allowing the congregation to learn
it. I then asked them to sing it through with
me. They did so, and afterward sat with very
passive and stoic expressions. I thought the
song had flopped. I was puzzled. I
remember that I also thought, ‘Well, maybe
it’s just that they don’t know it well enough.’
So I sang it through again with them.
“As we were finishing the song, the
associate pastor, Lou Peterson, who was
leading the service in the absence of the
pastor, stepped over to me and asked that I
sing it with them again. I did so, and as we
were nearing the end of the song, I opened
my eyes, and to my surprise I saw the
congregation of more than eight hundred
people on their knees, with their hands
raised toward heaven, singing my song.”
As Dave’s song is sung by people
everywhere, and as the different names
given to the Lord Jesus, such as “Morning
Star,” “King of kings,” and “Lord of lords,”
flow from the congregation, it creates a
wonderful spirit of joy and worship. The song
has been placed in a number of hymnals
and has been arranged into choral settings,
greatly helping it to be sung and heard by
believers around the world. It has also been
recorded by scores of recording artists and
choral groups.
There is something about the names
of Jesus that evoke a spirit of worship in all
of us who know him as personal Savior and
Lord.
© 2008 by Lindsay Terry. Used by
permission.
Lindsay Terry has been a song historian for
more than 40 years, and has written widely
on the background of great hymns and
worship songs including the books I Could
Sing of Your Love Forever (2008), from
which this piece is excerpted, and The
Sacrifice of Praise (2002).
___________________________________
Church Builders
by Bernard R. DeRemer
James Chalmers: Missionary Martyr
James Chalmers (1841-1901),
Scottish missionary to the South Sea
Islands, first heard the call to the mission
field in his early teens.
Saved at 18, he left his work as a
lawyer’s assistant and began to prepare for
full-time Christian service. At 20, he joined
the Glasgow City Mission as an evangelist.
While in Glasgow, he met George Turner, a
missionary to Samoa, who suggested that
he apply for foreign missionary service.
After special training at Highgate, he
was appointed by the London Missionary
Society to the South Sea Islands and began
an intensive study of the Rarotonga
language.
In 1865, Chalmers married Jane
Hercus, and, two days after the wedding,
was ordained to the ministry. Shortly
thereafter, the couple sailed for the field,
arriving in Australia in 1866 and moving on
to Rarotonga in 1867.
There he labored for 10 years,
“seeing wonderful changes on the island
during this time,” but desired to reach
unknown tribes with the Gospel for the first
time.
In 1877 he transferred to New Guinea
to begin work on that island. He won the
hearts of natives in the coastal regions, and
brought many to Christ. As Christian
settlements were established, he pressed on
farther into the interior to reach other tribes.
His wife passed away in 1879, but he
pressed on in the work.
In 1885, Work and Adventure in New
Guinea 1877 to 1885, which he wrote in
collaboration with W. Wyatt Gill, was
published in London. Next appeared
Adventures in New Guinea (1886) and
Pioneering in New Guinea (1887) solely by
Chalmers. A year’s leave in Great Britain
(1886-87) generated much interest in his
work.
During this furlough, Chalmers
married Sarah Elizabeth Harrison, a widow
who had been a childhood friend of his first
wife. She followed him to the field and
became a devoted helper.
Ever desiring to reach deeper into the
island with the Gospel, he toured new areas
where he saw marvelous changes taking
place. “Cannibals became Christians,
churches were built.” In 1894 he returned to
England for another furlough to help
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
London Missionary Society.
Back on the field he entered upon
new explorations. In 1900, his second wife
died after a long illness.
In April 1901 Chalmers and another
missionary with a band of 12 national
Christians sailed for the region of Goaribari
Island to make friends with the uncontacted
natives there. Alas, “the whole band were
massacred, beheaded, and their flesh eaten
by the cannibals.”
His legacy of friendship and
faithfulness lives on in the ongoing Christian
influence in New Guinea and in the example
of daring service he left.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the
Lord…and their works do follow them” (Rev.
14:13).
Bernard R. DeRemer chronicled the
lives of dozens of heroes of the faith in more
than a decade of writing for Pulpit Helps
Magazine. He continues to serve in this
capacity as a volunteer contributor to
Disciple. He lives in West Liberty, Ohio.
References: Who Was Who in Church
History, by Elgin S. Moyer, excerpts used by
permission of Moody Publishers; Wikipedia
“James Chalmers”.
___________________________________
Counselor’s Corner
by James Rudy Gray
People in Crisis
Originally published in Pulpit Helps, May
2003.
People do not plan a crisis. It is
typically something that is unexpected and
unwanted. It is a time of real or potential
danger, loss, threat, hurt, pain, etc. It is also
a time when people are usually more open
to change than at any other time in their
lives. A crisis, then, is a time of opportunity.
Helping persons who are
experiencing a crisis can be a daunting
assignment. They are often anxious,
nervous, illogical, irrational, emotional,
depressive, and even delusional. They need
help in order to begin to see their crises as
real opportunities for good and healthy
change. However, unless they are able to
deal with the crises immediately, the
opportunity for change will likely be lost.
When individuals are having a crisis,
they are in a state of disequilibrium. They
have been knocked off balance by a
developmental event or a situational
occurrence. The first task of helping persons
in that state of crisis is to aid them in
regaining their equilibrium. They need to get
balance back into their lives.
Because God is sovereign, a crisis is
limited, and there is meaning and purpose in
the experience. When Christians have
crises, they often need some
encouragement to help them relate their
crises to the power and character of a
sovereign God who does love them.
A great example of focusing on God
in a time of personal crisis is found in Isaiah
6. Uzziah had reigned during a time of
renewal and prosperity. His tenure as king
lasted for 52 years. When he died, there
was a national crisis. In Isaiah’s personal
time of crisis, he went to the Temple,
knowing there was a crisis of leadership in
the land. What he saw was God on His
throne. Isaiah’s situational crisis was averted
through faith in a sovereign God who is Lord
over all crises on earth. It was a time of
profound change for the prophet.
A crisis is nearly always short-lived,
ranging from a few hours to a few days. In
rare cases, a crisis may last a few weeks. A
crisis often carries with it feelings of being
overwhelmed. The person needs the
assurance of a calm and steady helper who
can comfort him with an honest and caring
perspective.
A counselor needs to determine if
three basic factors are operating in the
person’s life: a realistic attitude, good
situational support, and adequate coping
mechanisms. When those three factors are
present, even though they may not be
effectively operating, the crisis can be
defused. However, when these three basic
factors are absent, the crisis will usually
escalate.
A practical strategy for helping
someone in crisis is as follows:
 Analyze the situation in the
light of biblical truth.
 Evaluate the person’s spiritual,
mental, emotional, and
physical condition—paying
particular attention to clues
relating to behavior, attitude,
and resources.

Follow biblical principles as
you provide encouragement,
hope, and direction.
Listening to, empathizing with, and
praying for the individual is helpful. Working
with them to make needed real changes is
essential. They need to see the importance
and value in connecting with the resources
available to them—not the least of which are
God’s Word, the extended family, friends,
and the church.
It may be wise to refer a person in
severe crisis to a trained professional.
However, if you are involved in helping
persons in crisis, the one thing to keep
before them is hope. Hope does not
disappoint if it is anchored in the truth of
God.
James Rudy Gray is certified as a
professional counselor by the National
Board for Certified Counselors, and is a
member of the American Association of
Christian Counselors. He serves as the
pastor of Utica Baptist Church in Seneca,
S.C.
___________________________________
Book Review—5/28/12
Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the
Triumph of Christ, Russell D. Moore, 2011,
Crossway, Wheaton, Ill., ISBN
9781433515804, 196 pages, $14.99,
softcover.
Temptation is something Christians
don’t like to talk about, at least not seriously.
We may joke about it; we may discuss it in
the abstract; but to open up about the very
real pull to sin that is always going on in our
own lives makes us uncomfortable to the
core. We tend to confuse temptation with sin
(i.e., acting on our temptations), and so we
are reluctant to address it.
In Tempted and Tried, Russell Moore
broaches this difficult subject by looking at
temptation through the experience of Christ.
He reminds readers that temptation itself is
not sin, because Christ endured it in
righteousness. He calls up this fact to
encourage and challenge believers, recalling
that “we do not have a high priest who
cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has been tempted in all things
as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).
Moore looks specifically at the
temptation of Christ by Satan in the
wilderness immediately following His
baptism (Matt. 4). Through each of the
temptations Christ endured (“turn stones into
bread,” “throw yourself from the temple,”
“bow to Satan and receive all the kingdoms
of the earth”), he shows the message Satan
was really purveying was little more than a
replay of Genesis 3:1, “Indeed, has God
said…,” attacking God’s acknowledgement
of Christ as His beloved Son (Matt. 3:17).
In the temptation to turn stones into
bread, Moore expounds on the God-given
appetites we all have and the need to submit
those good desires to the will of God. He
shows that Satan’s pull was to get Jesus to
distrust the Father’s provision for His
physical needs and take matters into His
own hands. Rather than give in, Jesus
refutes Satan by quoting Deuteronomy: “It is
written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that proceeds out of the
mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:4). In this, Christ
modeled for us that trust in Him goes
beyond trust in our own power to meet our
needs.
In the temptation to leap from the
temple, Moore draws out a reflection on the
deep-seated desire for vindication and
respect. He shows that Satan was, in effect,
tempting Christ to prove His identity as
God’s Son. In this, Moore shows how we are
tempted to seize our honor now (even in
ways that seem “respectable”) rather than
waiting on the Lord for Him to declare us
righteous at the end.
In the temptation to reign over the
world, Moore shows that Satan was willing
to give up his earthly realm in order to keep
Jesus from fulfilling His work as the
Messiah. Because Christ knew that,
ultimately, He would reign over all heaven
and earth, seen and unseen, through His
sacrifice (not in spite of it), He resisted. In
the same way, we are tempted to build our
own kingdoms here instead of submitting to
the promised kingdom of God in which we
will reign with Him. Moore shows how even
things that are good and right in themselves
can become idols that turn our focus away
from the Gospel of Christ.
Moore writes with an uncannily clear
vision of the human soul, piercing our ideas
of sin and temptation and shining the light of
the Gospel into the darkest recesses of our
hearts. What he offers is not a “how-to” on
the “victorious Christian life”, but an
invitation to see ourselves daily as sinners in
need of a Savior.
Justin Lonas
Target: All
Type: Christian Life
Take: Highly Recommended
___________________________________
News Update—5/28/12
Gallup: Percentage of Pro-Abortion
Americans Drops to Record Low
A new Gallup survey finds the
percentage of Americans who identify
themselves as supporting legalized abortion
has dropped to a record low, LifeNews.com
reports.
“The 41 percent of Americans who
now identify themselves as ‘pro-choice’ is
down from 47 percent last July and is one
percentage point below the previous record
low in Gallup trends, recorded in May 2009,”
the polling company said. On the other
hand, 51 percent of Americans call
themselves pro-life, one percentage point
away from the record high.
The percentage of pro-life Americans
has trended higher since 1995, when the
partial-birth abortion debate began in
earnest and ultrasound technology made
images of unborn children the first baby
pictures most parents saw.
Religion Today Summaries
A Year Later, Joplin Church Rebuilds,
Reaches Out to Tornado Victims
A year after a deadly EF-5 tornado
struck Joplin, Mo., a church that was
destroyed plans to reach out and minister to
victims of recent tornadoes in Indiana, the
Christian Post reports.
Rev. Aaron Brown of St. Paul’s
United Methodist Church announced
Sunday that the church plans to not only lay
the foundation of its new building, but also
send money and volunteers to help victims
of March tornadoes in southern Indiana that
caused widespread destruction and wiped at
least one town of about 1,900 people
completely off the map. Brown said, “God
will use what we’ve been through to show
the world who He is.”
On May 22, 2011, about one-fourth of
Joplin was destroyed by the half-mile-wide,
13-mile-long tornado; 161 people were
killed, nearly 7,000 houses were leveled and
more than 850 others were damaged. The
storm also destroyed or damaged 27
churches.
Pastor John Myers of the Joplin Full
Gospel Church, which too was destroyed,
says that though the church now has a new
building, he will always live with the fact that
he could do nothing to help the members of
his congregation who died. “You’re glad to
see a new building, you’re glad to see things
happening, and the people are happy,” he
said. “But still yet, in the back of your mind,
you still remember it. It is still there yet, and
it will be.”
Religion Today Summaries
Christians in Egypt Worry as Elections
Near
As Egyptians prepare to vote May 23
in the first post-Mubarak elections, the
country’s minority Christians are deeply
worried, fearing their situation may go from
bad to worse, CBS News reports.
Thirteen candidates from all over the
political spectrum are running, but the two
frontrunners are hard-line Islamists—and
Christians don’t think any of the candidates
are capable of protecting their community or
making them a priority.
“We see that in neighboring countries
with Islamic leaders, Christians aren’t safe,”
said Pola Marqus, a Coptic priest. “So we’re
concerned about getting an Islamist
president too.” Since Egypt’s “Arab Spring”
revolution began a year and a half ago,
Islamic politicians and parties have
flourished, and more than 100,000
Christians have already fled the Muslimmajority country.
Religion Today Summaries
Nigerian Reverend Warns of Impending
Jihad
The president of the Church of Christ
in Nigeria (COCIN), the Rev.
Dr. Soja Joseph Bewarang, accused
Nigerian leaders of failing to curtail the
insurgence of Boko Haram Islamists and
warned that they may end up being
consumed by the terrorists if nothing is
done, the Nigerian Tribune reports.
Bewarang said Nigerian leaders were
more interested in using their power and
money to help themselves instead of
protecting citizens, particularly Christians in
the north. He said Nigeria was facing a
jihad, targeted at eliminating Christians and
Christianity, and that the act was becoming
bolder by the day because of the
government’s failure to stop the attacks.
Boko Haram has killed almost 500
people this year alone, most of them
Christians, in an attempt to establish an
Islamic state in Nigeria with sharia as the
law of the land; Christian leaders continue to
call upon the government for protection.
Religion Today Summaries
Eritrea Protest Vigil Marks 10th
Anniversary of Church Closures
Representatives of seven
organizations from the UK and Ireland will
take part in a protest vigil outside the
Eritrean embassy in London today to
commemorate the 10th anniversary of the
Eritrean government’s closure of every
church except those belonging to the
Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran
denominations and the beginning of an era
of mass detentions of Eritrean Christians,
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports.
The vigil will be followed by an
evening of prayer for the thousands of
Eritrean Christians currently being held
without charge or trial in inhumane
conditions in detention centers throughout
the country.
Eritrea is one of the world’s most
repressive regimes, often likened to North
Korea. The regime demands total
allegiance, and Christians are perceived as
a threat to national unity. On May 15, 2002,
all denominations except Orthodox, Catholic
and Lutheran were banned, and the
government began its mass arrests of
Christians, particularly singling out
evangelical and charismatic churches.
Religion Today Summaries
Iranian Officials Heighten Control on
Farsi-Speaking Church
Leaders of the Assemblies of God’s
(AOG) Central Church of Tehran told their
congregation May 6 that authorities have
demanded a list of names and identification
numbers of church members, a major risk to
converts from Islam, Compass Direct
News reports.
Church leaders then asked members
in attendance to volunteer their information.
The AOG church holds two Sunday
services, both conducted in Farsi, and it is
the only church remaining in Tehran that
offers Farsi-language worship on Sundays.
“This [government move] is basically
to make sure the church is not taking in new
members and to make it difficult and risky
for non-Christians to attend,”
said Monsour Borji, an Iranian Christian and
advocacy officer for rights initiative Article
18. “It is an effort to limit the church,
basically.”
The result of the most recent
demand, according to Borji, is that as
members of the church consider whether
they are willing to turn over their names and
identification numbers, “it has created an
ethical dilemma for some church members
who are not sure what to do, because giving
their information feels suicidal.”
Religion Today Summaries
___________________________________
Sermon Helps
from www.sermonhall.com
Sermon Outlines
Truth or Consequences
1 Timothy 1:3-11
Intro.: How to Teach Sound Doctrine
I. Cautions to the Careless (1:3-7)
A. Don’t be fraudulent (1:3).
B. Don’t be factious (1:4).
C. Don’t be fruitless (1:5).
D. Don’t be frivolous (1:6).
E. Don’t be foolish (1:7).
II. Considerations to the Careful (1:8-11)
A. Use proper discernment (1:8).
B. Use proper direction (1:9-10).
C. Use proper devotion (1:11).
Conc.: But you can’t teach sound doctrine if
you don’t know sound doctrine. How much
time do you spend reading, studying and
meditating on Scripture?
Jim Stevanus
The Great Enabler
Intro.: By the Holy Spirit each Christian has
the inward presence of God to enable to him
with humanly impossible assistance and
work.
I. The Holy Spirit Has Indwelt every
Christian (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16)
A. Jesus called this Presence better
than His physical presence (John
16:7-15).
B. Paul felt this Presence gave him
unlimited power to do God’s will (Phil.
4:13).
II. The Holy Spirit Exerts Four Humanly
Impossible Special Powers
A. The power to create (2 Cor. 5:17;
John 3:6-8).
B. The power to change (2 Cor. 3:1718).
C. The power to contribute.
1. By witnessing (Acts 1:8).
2. By comforting (2 Cor. 1:3-6).
D. The power to resurrect (Rom.
8:11).
R. G. Witty
Illustrations
The Fruit of Meekness
An unbelieving Brahmin compared a
Christian missionary in India to the mango
tree.
All its branches hang with fruit. It is
then assailed with stones and clubs by
passersby. How does it respond—by
dropping fruit at every blow at the feet of
those who assail it. At the close of the
season, it stands scarred and battered, its
leaves torn off, its branches broken. But the
next year it bears more fruit than the
previous year.
That is what our meekness should do
in the world—not try to conserve its selfesteem but bear fruit, fruit that descends low
at the attack of cruel words and actions.
Christian meekness cannot be exercised in
isolation. It must be manifested within the
framework of society, a society that hates
the Lord Jesus Christ, openly or subtly, and
all who stand for Him.
Anonymous
Limited Vision
The Bible tells of prophets who “err in
vision, they stumble in judgment” (Is. 28:7)
and of those who “find no vision from the
Lord” (Lam. 2:9).
Christians are too often like the little
boy living in East London who made his first
visit to the country. He lay on the grass in
the orchard and made a chain of daisies.
The swallows flew across the sky.
“Look up, Jimmy. See the pretty birds
flying through the air,” called his mother. He
looked up quickly and in a pitying tone, said,
“Poor little birds; they haven’t got no cages,
have they?”
East London had dwarfed Jimmy’s
vision. So it is with many professing
Christians. They become so occupied with
the paltry things of earth that they scorn
those who place their affections on things
above.
Anonymous
Bulletin Inserts
On Anger
Anger is a gun that often destroys the one
using it.
An angry person is seldom reasonable—a
reasonable person is seldom angry.
Unsolved anger leads to bitterness.
Anger is when two people are trying to get in
the last word first.
He who angers you controls you!
It is better to swallow your pride than to eat
angry words.
When the wise become angry, they put their
wisdom on hold.
These seven Anonymous
A chip on the shoulder is the heaviest load
you will ever have to carry.
R. W. Seaman
Anger puts every offense on an endless
playback loop, but love turns off the switch.
Our Daily Bread
___________________________________
Puzzles and ‘Toons
Church ‘Toons by Joe McKeever
Answers to last issue’s puzzles:
Father Abraham and Hidden Wisdom
By Mark Oshman
Originally published in Pulpit Helps, October
1995. On following Pages.