I Will Make You Fishers of Men

I see him frequently in a local business, and we often joke a bit when I’m in his check-out line. Recently he was on his knees stocking shelves when I came in.

“It’s good to see you on your knees praying,” I said with a smile.

When he came to the counter to help me after I got what I needed, he said, “I don’t pray. I’m an atheist and it works out well for me.”

I was a bit surprised by his serious reaction to my light-hearted comment. Then he continued, “I don’t fear for eternity. I think I’ll be fine.”

I suppose I navigate in a tight circle and don’t often meet self-proclaimed atheists, though some studies suggest around 12 percent of Americans say they don’t believe in God. I’m in a hobby club with an atheist and we’re friends. I tell my friend frequently that I pray for him that he’d find Christ. And I responded to my clerk friend, “Well, eternity is one thing, but serving Christ in life is a happy experience.”

It’s not just atheists that the church meets, but also those who are apathetic. Fewer people attend services now than in the past. One source suggests 40 percent of Americans attend worship, but only 28 percent of those between 23 and 37. And it’s not unusual to see many churches having fewer services or even closing their doors. I saw in a home and garden magazine in a doctor’s office about an architect who transformed a chapel into a family residence. We have a former church in our community that’s now a police annex.

Churches have reacted to new realities in a variety of ways, including additional service times, website and online giving options and using social media. Even Pope Francis has more than 10 million Twitter followers.

Our church installed a projector a few years ago when we re-lamped the sanctuary. One lady was outspoken in opposition fearing that we planned to “put the hymns on the screen.” We didn’t until an 80-year-old saint requested it. She said she had carpal tunnel in her hands and holding the hymnal could be painful. A senior adult prodded us to try something new!

Stats also assert that about half of unchurched Americans would consider attending church if invited by friends. All of us rely on friends when we move to a new community and need a doctor, dentist or hairdresser. And Christians who make friends can be true friends by inviting others to worship with them.

And we mustn’t discount the power of prayer as Christians. We believe in the power of God that can melt hard hearts and bring people to faith.

How Would Jesus Drive?

It was a number of years ago that eight-year-old Whitney stopped me in the church hallway.

With hands on hips she said, “Preacher, you need to wear your seatbelt!”

Her mother laughed and explained they’d passed me in the city that week and perceptive Whitney saw I was beltless. She couldn’t wait to chide me at church the next Sunday. And justifiably so since I was at fault.

I thought about Whitney lately when I spoke from 1 Peter—a book Southern Baptists are studying this year. Peter wrote, “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works which they observe, glorify God . . .” (1 Peter 2: 12).

Christians were ridiculed and lied about in Peter’s day. Nero blamed Christians for the burning of Rome, accused them of cannibalism when they observed communion and said they were disloyal citizens since they had a higher authority than Rome. But, Peter insisted, unbelievers must not be able to ridicule us because of the wrong we do. A part of doing right is obeying the laws of the land, including traffic laws.

I took the familiar WWJD (“What would Jesus do?”) bracelet in the message and changed it to HWJD, or “How would Jesus drive?”

I told our congregation that I’m sure Jesus would drive safely, obey the speed limit and be courteous to other drivers. And if we follow him, we must do the same.

I asked our members how they taught their 15 and 16-year-old children to drive, and if they drove the same way. This sobering question is worthy of deep reflection, for many Christians leave holiness at home when they get into their automobiles.

Oh, my. They had the torches, tar and pitchforks out for me after the sermon! Actually, it wasn’t that bad. But to alleviate the tension, I told our people the kind of car Jesus drove: a Christsler. One of our worshippers spoke up and said, “But the disciples were in one Accord.” Normally parishioners are to say “amen” to the pastor, but this retort was a good one and we all had a good laugh.

But back to the main idea, Christianity is to superintend every part of our lives. Jesus said we’re to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). And this certainly includes the time we spend behind the wheel. None of us is guiltless, of course, but we must guard our personal witness. I blew it with young Whitney, but now, 20 years later, I still think of her and don’t want to disappoint others with my carelessness or rebellion. We must be Christians 24/7.

Behold. How They Love One Another

The season of love is here, and most of us are thinking of ways to show others how much we love them.

A teacher colleague always waited until the day following Valentine’s Day to buy his wife candy because the store had a BOGO sale that day. His argument was that she got two boxes of candy, and her argument was that her gift was the day after Valentine’s Day. This happened so often that I suppose they agreed to disagree and continued with the process.

Love is a major theme in scripture. We’re reminded in the 25 most important words of the Bible that “God so loved the world that he gave his only son” (John 3:16). True love always gives, and God set the example in giving sacrificially for our benefit.

Once we commit to follow the Lord, we also commit to love others. As Simon Peter wrote, “see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Peter 1:22).

The older I get the more I see brokenness in families. I’ve known brothers and sisters who harbored animosity, and parents who have nothing to do with their children. Sometimes parents practice “tough love” when children are chemical abusers, but most often the brokenness I’ve seen is due to inheritance issues that accentuate human greed. A little bit of money can bring out the worst in human character.

I’ve known two brothers, and two sisters from another family, who worshipped every Sunday in the same church while despising one another.

In our spiritual family, too, love must be supreme. We can disagree over carpet, paint and furniture, but there should be no question about our love for one another.

The words of the Apostle John are sobering: “He that loves not his own brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

A pastor I knew befriended a church drop-out, and the drop-out told his story. He was in a business meeting when the pastor tried to encourage the church to buy a bus to pick up neighborhood children for Bible study. This was in the era of church bus ministries when this was common. The meeting became heated when some members objected to spending money for such ministry. In the middle of the meeting a man leapt to his feet and shouted, “Shut up, preacher! Shut up!” The drop-out told my friend that this was the kind of thing one might see in a bar but shouldn’t see in a church.

It was said of the early church by their critics, “Behold, how they love one another.” We should strive for this same kind of criticism.

True Love

In this season of Valentine's Day, it was strange to read about a love-crazed Michigan woman who tried to use the classified website "Craigslist" to hire a killer.

Authorities said the woman posted two ads for "silent assassins" to "eradicate" a California woman whom she saw as a romantic rival. She was arrested after being indicted by a grand jury and faces up to 30 years in prison for soliciting an assassin.

Love causes folk to do some strange things. Love figures into the plot of many Shakespearian plays, sometimes bringing about great harm. I saw the movie "O" recently, a modern adaptation of "Othello," and was reminded of how love can be perverted.

The apostle Paul wrote a summary of true love in 1 Corinthians--a summary that cannot be improved.

The apostle wrote to a troubled church. This fellowship was filled with problems that mocked the church's reputation in the community.

One problem was lack of order in worship. Some church members chose to deliver messages in a "Spirit language" that others didn't understand. This brought about Paul's assertion that he'd rather speak five plain words for the benefit of those seeking God than 10,000 words in a Spirit language that was misunderstood. And if the Spirit language were used, Paul insisted it be used with guidelines.

"Let all things be done decently and in order," he wrote.

And some Corinthian women, rejoicing in a freedom to participate in Christian worship denied them in Jewish worship, used their freedom irresponsibly by casting off social custom.

"What will people think who come to you to hear about God?" Paul asked.

The service of communion had likewise become perverted. The Corinthians celebrated this event much like our tradition of covered dish meals, but worshippers selfishly refused to wait on their Christian brothers and went ahead with their eating and drinking.

Amid all these problems, Paul wrote the beautiful love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13.

Inspired preaching or Spirit language or acts of mercy pale in comparison to love, he said.

Then getting to the very heart of the matter, the he insisted love "seeketh not her own" (v. 5). Another translation says, "love is not selfish."

True love is one that seeks the advancement of others over ourselves. True love means we are servants to others and desire their well-being more than our own. True love means that we never seek the harm of others but their fulfillment in life. True love is giving, not taking.

Paul's standard is still valid.

Unselfish love is the kind God showed when he sent his son to save us all, and unselfish love is yet the standard all who follow him must seek.

Living in God's Grace

We had an interesting Sunday School lesson recently about disciples of John the Baptist. One was Apollos who didn’t know much, or anything, about Jesus, but was a first-rate preacher. He reminds me of the old description of a fanatic: one who has lost sight of any objective but has redoubled his efforts! And then there were a dozen John the Baptist disciples who had never heard of God’s Holy Spirit. All of this is in Acts 18-19.

Our teacher summarized the anomaly by saying that these John followers were living “between dispensations.” They were in the old covenant instead of the new. They lived without knowledge of what God did by sending Christ to save us from our sins.

“Between dispensations” intrigued me. I began to think about some I’ve known over the years who perhaps did the same. They found themselves somehow sandwiched between Old Testament legalism and New Testament grace.

We had a high school coach who felt called to ministry. He came back from a conference believing Christians shouldn’t have television sets in their home. He tossed his and encouraged his church to follow his example. And I had an uncle whose church taught the same thing. It was odd that he kept his TV in the attic and went up there secretly to watch!

It was common in those days for preachers to rail against cigarettes. I remember services where men would put their cigarettes on the altar, making a promise to stop smoking. These were heart-felt commitments, to be sure, and with what medical science now knows, it makes sense not to use tobacco. But there is a dearth of scripture about this, and I suppose one can smoke and be a follower of Christ. The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, used to say he smoked cigars to the glory of God!

I remember being exhorted not to play cards or go to car races as a young Christian. In the intervening years I’ve often joked about eating being the only sin we Baptists can enjoy since we can’t drink, smoke, dance or play cards!

Certainly, I understand the need for moral instruction, and that believers ought to refrain from questionable activities that would harm our influence on those weaker in faith. But I believe falling into legalism to be accepted by God is living between dispensations.

That’s Old Testament.

The new Testament teaches about a God of grace who accepts us as we are, puts his Spirit within us to guide us, and patiently leads us in good decision-making. He works in our lives to make us better people. And grace means he doesn’t stop loving us when we mess up.

Take Charge of Your Money

I was probably 10 or 11 when we visited with a relative one weekend. The family pulled out a deck of cards and I played poker for the first time. My dad was a simple man, and he simply said to me on the drive back home, “Michael, those cards can get you into a lot of trouble.” Point taken.

But there are other cards that can get us into trouble, too: credit cards.

Over 200 million Americans own them, averaging 2.3 cards per user. Of this number 75 million pay their entire debt every month, but 125 million carry debt from month-to-month with interest. The average debt is $8000, which is down a bit from a high of $10,500 in 2008. According to the website, wisebread.com, paying the minimum payment on a credit card purchase results in doubling the original debt over the course of the loan. In other words, if we charge a purchase with a card, we may end up paying twice the price for the item for the sake of instant gratification.

Compare typical credit card interest of 15-22 percent with a bank loan of four or five percent.

Jesus said a person’s life doesn’t consist in the abundance of possessions, but we’ve been arguing with him every since. Our world says things add to quality of life and we can own them now; we don’t have to save our money.

God’s people in the Old Testament honored the Lord with their “first fruits.” The farmers knew the first of the harvest was the best, and it was what they brought to God as a sacrifice. The principle is that God is worthy of our best (Leviticus 2:12).

Modern believers know that rather than bringing grain or sheep to God, the tithe is the way we express this principle. We honor God with our income—the first check, as it were.

But the average Christian gives 2.6 percent of their income to God.

A denominational official talked about this in a pastors meeting years ago. He suggested it might be advantageous to encourage our members, many of whom were mired in debt, to increase their gifts to God by a percentage each year, moving to the biblical tithe. One of my friends sitting nearby grew red-faced and shouted, “OK. If I’m having two affairs, you’re saying I only need to give up one?”

My friend was lobbying for strict obedience, and that’s fine. But I tend to agree with the denominational official’s more reasoned approach. I challenged those in our church recently in the 2.6 percent category to consider increasing their gifts incrementally to the Lord in 2018 as a way of honoring and trusting him.

Forgive Us Our Trespasses

I’ve known a few pastors over the years who seemed to generate conflict, even taking it as a sign of faithfulness to God. Such as the pastor who fired the choir. There was some intrigue going on in music ministry and he simply announced from the pulpit that the choir was toast. I’m unaware of efforts he might have made previously to reconcile, but I always thought this was a good example of how not to win friends and influence people! A few weeks later he was toast.

But it’s also true that many pastors, while trying to be good shepherds to the flock, stumble into issues not of their making.

I was preparing to leave town on a Saturday morning several years ago for an out-of-state conference with an airline ticket in hand. I’ve always been diligent to fulfill these opportunities to gain new ideas and meet new people. The telephone rang minutes before I needed to leave. A church member announced her mother had died that morning and they wanted me to do the funeral on Monday.

Her mother wasn’t a member of our church, but a lady I’d met in the local nursing home.

I politely explained that I’d be out of town and that the deacons were aware that my associate would handle things for me until I returned. I’ve driven home to conduct funerals when this was possible, but this wasn’t possible with an out-of-state, non-cancelable event. She wasn’t happy with this and let me know when I returned that though my associate eventually conducted the service, she’d spent money on two long-distance telephone calls trying to enlist former pastors to speak at the service. This was in the day when long distance tolls were 30 and 40 cents.

Years later when I left that place the church had a reception for me.

“Michael, you’ve been a good pastor, but the only issue I ever had with you was trying to find a preacher to do mother’s funeral,” she said.

I’ve thought about this experience over the years wondering if I could’ve done something different. I don’t think so. But I’ve always been bothered to know that she felt I let her down, though I was as apologetic as I could possibly be.

The fifth petition in The Lord’s Prayer is that we ask God to forgive us just as we forgive others. This is the only petition that has a footnote, for Jesus elaborated on it at the end of the prayer.

The Christian life only works when we take God’s forgiveness and grant it to others. All of us need forgiveness for offenses grave and less than grave, but offenses nevertheless.

Watch My Back

It was like Christmas all over again when I decided to reorganize my clothes closet. I found a warm jacket I’d forgotten about, and it’s been comfortable in these frigid days. And I found a suit I’d not worn in some time—a three button suit that looked nice. I wore it to church on Christmas Eve and felt good about myself. A nice lady asked if I was wearing a new suit. I told her no, it was “recycled.” Then she said, “But, there’s a hole in the back of your jacket.” Slipping it off, I saw there was. Somehow in dressing that morning I’d not noticed a tear in the jacket, especially since the suit is dark. This just proves once again that choir members have a vantage point in church that others don’t have. Not only do they get to see the bald spot on the pastor’s head, but they get to see any tears in the back of his jacket!

I told this story in church the next Sunday and we all had a good laugh.

My wife and I had a pastor when we were teen-agers who used to lament from the pulpit that his wife couldn’t afford a new dress. I thought about him, wondering if some church member would take pity on me having to wear “holy” suits to church. So far, no benevolence!

The poet Robert Burns didn’t see a tear in the minister’s suit, but he did see a louse on a lady’s bonnet in church, prompting his famous line: “Oh would some Power the gift give us, to see ourselves as others see us.”

One responsibility we have in the body of Christ is to help one another see ourselves as we really are. We all have blind spots we can’t deal with if we don’t know they exist. Some might call this confrontation, but this is a strong word. Confrontation implies a stern reprimand with a view to repentance. Sometimes we do need a strong word to shake us out of our lethargy, or out of our callousness. But at other times we need a gentle word about improving some area of our character.

Several years ago, I heard Southern Baptist leader Jimmy Allen teach the book of Ephesians to a group of pastors. He dealt with the well-known image of the Christian soldier in chapter six—the sword of the Spirit and the breastplate of righteousness and the like--but insisted the soldier was vulnerable. We were a bit puzzled, until he told us the soldier was vulnerable to an attack from the rear. Then he said, “The Christian army protects one another. We watch one another’s back.”

The What Ifs Of Life

We often hear about the new president's "first 100 days." Writer Thurston Clarke published a history in 2013 not of the president’s first 100 days, but of his last 100 days. The president is John Kennedy and the book documents what JFK was doing day-by-day before the tragedy of Dallas. Clarke pulled together narratives from many sources and many cities. The reader feels a sense of dread as the days tick by and Nov. 22 approaches.

An intriguing aspect of this book is the initiatives Kennedy began that he wasn’t able to complete.

He ordered the removal of 1000 American advisors from Vietnam by December, making clear he saw the war as unwinnable and planning to remove all U.S. troops before the war escalated. He also made secret overtures to Fidel Castro in Cuba, promising better relations if Castro would cease exporting soldiers to other Latin American nations. JFK intended to seek an opening to China as well, many years before President Nixon’s historic trip. Kennedy pushed a tax cut bill that he believed would promote greater prosperity in the nation. He also took new interest in the plight of Soviet Jews and promised to do what he could to help them gain greater freedom.

And on a more personal note, the death of their newborn son, Patrick, brought the Kennedys to a new closeness in their marriage.

We can only imagine the “what ifs” had the assassination not taken place in November.

I’m convinced many of us are tormented with “what ifs” in our lives. “What if I’d gone to the doctor sooner?” or “What if I’d not driven that route that day?” or “What if I’d been morally stronger?”

Alas, the “what ifs” plague us, but there’s nothing we can do to alter the course of the past. No one of us, no matter how strong, is strong enough to pull back the hands of a clock.

This is why St. Paul’s word in Philippians 3 has always been one of my favorite texts in the season of New Year. “Forgetting those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the high calling of Christ,” he wrote (Phil. 3: 13-14).

We do learn from the past, to be sure, but Paul’s word is to forget the failings that discourage us, and to infuse our lives with a new and greater purpose.

The message of the Christian gospel is that there need not be any “has-beens” in God’s kingdom. He is the Lord of mercy who specializes in restoring his wayward people from their failures and dashed hopes. And he promises to be our partner in building a meaningful life of service to himself and others.

Time For Resolutions

It was a moment of levity on an altogether sad day.

We buried a wonderful Christian man several months ago. His death was premature in our judgment and we were heartbroken to lose him. The family elected to return to our church for a meal after we left the cemetery, and the nice ladies in the church had everything ready for us.

While we were eating, the area directors for Weight Watchers came early to set up for their inaugural meeting that evening. We'd recently agreed to the organization's request to make our church their Shelby County site. We feasted in the fellowship hall (since eating is the only sin Baptists can enjoy!) and then walked past the two weigh-in stations in the hallway just outside. I thought, you can't make this stuff up!

It reminded me of a study done by the University of Scranton that found weight loss the number one resolution Americans make each year, followed by exercise and smoking cessation.

The study determined that those who make resolutions are ten times more likely to see positive change in their lives than those who don't. Even though we often joke about breaking resolutions, there is evidence they work. And now’s the time we traditionally think about resolutions.

Luke 2:52 covers 18 years in Jesus's life. The gospel writer says Jesus grew mentally, physically, socially and spiritually. These are good categories for modern believers to consider as we formulate resolutions.

For example, we can grow mentally by reading and taking classes. We can grow physically by beginning an exercise regime or taking up a fun sport offering exercise as a fringe-benefit. We can grow socially by joining a civic club or a hobby group or by repairing broken relationships with others. And we can grow spiritually by making a new commitment to support our church, and a quest to discover and use our spiritual gifts in ministry (1 Corinthians 12:7).

Positive change is necessary in our lives because the Bible urges us to "redeem the time" (Ephesians 5:16). Death comes to us all and ends opportunities to invest in worthwhile things.

The Social Security Administration has an actuarial table on their website. The user puts in their age and the table shows a projected age. I put in my age and found my statistical life expectancy is 17.12 years. Of course, this is only a guess. My dad lived to be 92 after a 30-year retirement.

The point is we're all terminal. Death is coming whether welcomed or not, and we must use the time God gives us to honor him and serve others.

With this in mind, what are your resolutions for 2018?

The Christmas Villain

One of the villains of Christmas is the innkeeper. It’s no wonder the little boy assigned that role in his church’s Christmas pageant did so unwillingly. On the big night the boy stepped forward to speak his part, “I’m sorry. There is no room in the inn.” Then he added, “But please come in for a cup of coffee.”

The innkeeper seems to get more animosity than Herod, the real villain of Bethlehem. Having been an innkeeper, I must admit, has colored my understanding. Potential guests sometimes argued with me about rooms, but if there’s no room, there’s no room. Joseph is the one at fault. He should’ve phoned ahead for a reservation and guaranteed it with his credit card!

The innkeeper really isn’t a villain, but an exemplary person of compassion. He did what he was trained to do—help people. He gave what he had to Jesus. The barn at least offered shelter. It was better than having the expectant Mary camp outside.

We, too, can give what we have to the Christ of Christmas.

We can give our money. Some may argue that they don’t have much, but that’s not the issue. And it’s true that God doesn’t need our money since he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. But giving is a God-given way to keep our hearts warm.

There is a natural illustration in Israel. The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life, and pours this life south through the Jordan River to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is dead because nothing flows out—it constantly receives.

We’re either Sea of Galilee people or Dead Sea people.

We can give our words. If Christ is lord of our lives he must be lord of our tongues, too.

Dr. John Howell told of a counselee who grew up feeling worthless because her father’s most oft-spoken words to her as a child were, “You are stupid.” It’s hard to imagine a father saying this, but it’s hard to imagine in our saner moments that we speak cruel words to others—words that can sting and scar.

One lady had it right when she said she “tasted” every word before speaking.

We can give service. All of us have gifts we can use in the service of Christ. We may not preach like Peter or pray like Paul. We may not sing like Elvis or play like Liberace. But there’s some ministry we can do for the glory of God.

Methodist evangelist Sam Jones used to say that if he could have religion in any part of his body, he wanted it in his right arm so that he could do something definite for Christ.

When Santa Came to Church

Former Democratic National Committee interim chair, Donna Brazile, in her recent book wrote about Donald Duck who followed the Trump campaign around the country in 2016. The character’s presence was intended to suggest Trump “ducked” hard questions. Brazile received a complaint from ABC/Disney about copyright infringement and moved to shut down the duck. She found the Washington DNC wasn’t responsible for the duck, but rather what she referred to as “Brooklyn”—the Clinton campaign headquarters in New York, and the candidate herself.

This story reminded me about Santa following me to church.

I served an Indiana Baptist church while a student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. I learned that a Christmas tradition was for Santa to come to the sanctuary after a worship service and give gifts to the boys and girls. I was shocked. “This is the place reserved for worshipping God,” I said. “I don’t think it’s right for Santa to be here, especially since we have a fellowship hall if this has to be done.”

The church had an adequate fellowship hall, though some seniors complained about the steps required to get there. But for the next two years the church acquiesced to the pastor’s opinion that Santa didn’t need to be in the room where we worshipped God.

I’ve often wondered if the congregation didn’t revert to the traditional Santa visits after I graduated and moved to a full-time ministry!

The Christian church has debated the propriety of many things in public worship in recent years.

I suppose the first to go was “dressing up” for church. Since many unchurched make not having “Sunday” clothes an excuse, some churches determined to “dress down” and make this one less impediment. Now we even have unshaven pastors wearing grungy jeans and tee-shirts in the pulpit, if they have a pulpit!

And then our hymnals became an endangered species. My generation revered the hymnal since it taught us music and theology. But now many churches project words on a screen for singing. One of my acquaintances insisted this is better since “we look up to God” when we sing. Another friend reminded him “God is in China, too” when we look down and sing!

And another jettisoned item is artwork. Churches through the ages installed stained glass and portraiture to teach spiritual truth and to instill an appreciation for beautiful art. Now churches build simpler buildings, often with black walls for better stage lighting.

As we continue to discuss what is appropriate in the worship place, we do so with thoughtfulness and prayer. The paramount principle is that God is the object of our worship, and we must approach him with reverent and contrite hearts (Psalm 51:17).

Advocate and Redeemer

We’ve certainly seen some unusual things in America this past year, and the list grew a few weeks ago when three UCLA students were arrested in China for shoplifting. They faced the specter of five to ten years in a Chinese prison, but fortunately the U.S. president was in China last month. President Trump convinced Chinese President Xi Jinping to drop the charges and send the young men home.

Now our president has a habit of tweeting multiple times on issues, and he did after this event when he reminded the students to thank him. I believe one request was probably enough, but the president didn’t ask my opinion. Nevertheless, the students held a press conference and did thank both presidents, their coach and their school, as they should have.

It occurred to me that this incident has a biblical parallel.

President Trump spoke up on the men’s behalf, so he was their advocate.

The scripture declares that advocacy is one ministry of Jesus Christ. The apostle John wrote, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).

John said that Christ comes before the judge of the universe, the one who demands obedience to his laws and precepts, and pleads for mercy for us unworthy sinners. He is our advocate.

But the Bible further teaches Christ to be our redeemer. The same apostle John also wrote, “And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

In this analogy, President Trump would have been a redeemer had he offered to go to prison for the UCLA students, to take their rightful punishment so that they might be free. Of course, this is a bit ludicrous to imagine, and it didn’t take place.

But think of our savior who not only pleads our case before the heavenly father, but also was obedient “even unto death” as the apostle Paul wrote. Jesus went to the cross as an innocent victim bearing the sins of the world. The unblemished lamb of God took your sins and mine on himself so that we might know forgiveness and acceptance from God.

When we think of Christ as both advocate and redeemer, we marvel at God’s love. And we learn afresh the earnest desire of God that everyone come to him for forgiveness and salvation. He’s demonstrated this love by paving the way to heaven for us all.

Christmas Grace

Joe (not his real name) called me one day about a dozen years ago when he read in a collectors' newsletter about a planned convention in Plains, Ga., and a banquet with former president Carter. He told me about his collecting interests and the famous politicians he'd met. We met in Plains, shared a meal and became friends. We'd talk every few months and looked forward to our annual meeting.

I was shocked to get notice a few Christmases ago that Joe died at age 57. He'd had a number of health problems after a recent hospitalization. I drove to the funeral and was surprised to see a former church member officiating.

Darryl (not his real name) was a member of a church I served in the 80s. He was a coach and a fine Christian layman. He did lay preaching over the years and told me he was now a part-time pastor. Joe had some anxiety issues and someone recommended he contact Darryl. The men shared friendship and prayer and Joe made a commitment to Christ before he died

God used Darryl to help a man who was about to be called home.

An interesting thing about Darryl is that he and the wife I knew divorced several years ago. I thought of how divorce used to be a cardinal sin in some places, leading to congregational disagreement about who was qualified to serve in various offices. Whereas the church must uphold the biblical standard of marriage, it's true that all of us fall short in some areas.

I was grateful that in his capacity as a Christian minister Darryl invested his life in Joe's and made a difference.

En route to the funeral I passed a familiar house. I remembered going there years ago with two deacon officers to visit a man rumored to be guilty of heinous sin. He received us graciously, tendered his resignation as a deacon without our having to ask, and pleaded with us to pray for him. We did and continued to pray for him. He didn't drop out of church, but found other ways to serve God.

It was years later after we'd moved that I read in the church newsletter about his being elected a deacon once again. I wrote a note congratulating him and telling him how proud I was that he'd proven faithful.

I've been thinking lately of how God worked through caring congregations to love two men and bless them in God's work.

Because Joe loved Christmas, a soloist sang "Silent Night" at the grave site—my first time to see this.

One message of Christmas is that God loves us and offers grace in our failures.

Empty Chairs At The Table

Thanksgiving is, indeed, a wonderful time for families and friends to get together and enjoy themselves around a table of good food!

I’ve been thinking lately about other memories from the holidays. I remember my boyhood pastor saying once that Christmas always had a tinge of sadness since it was the time his father died.  Little did I realize for Donna and me the same kind of memories would materialize.

It was Thanksgiving, 1992, and we sat at the table with my in-laws in Birmingham. My father-in-law, Robert Bell, always a good-humored man, joked that afternoon about his getting older. He’d been forgetting things and laughed that a few days before he’d missed his cup while trying to pour coffee. A few weeks later the medical tests came back and revealed a brain tumor.  He died that summer. 

The next Thanksgiving, my mother talked about her medical ailments. She’d not felt well for some time. Still not feeling well at Christmas, she had to go lie down in the middle of our dinner. Family members insisted on taking her to the emergency room. The doctor found a spot in her lungs, and suggested she go to a hospital as soon as possible. The good doctors at St. Vincent’s in Birmingham found that her cancer had started in her right kidney, had traveled to her lungs, and possibly to her brain. She died in only seven weeks.

The older I get the more convinced I am that what my boyhood pastor said is often true. Part of the mix could be that Thanksgiving and Christmas are easily-remembered benchmarks for family losses. I’m not sure. But I do know that for many of us there are feelings of loss tucked away in the pleasant holiday memories.

But, maybe these aren’t entirely unpleasant memories. Despite their premature deaths, in our estimation, my family can look back with gratitude to the years we had with our parents. Mr. Bell was the gentlest and most generous man I’ve ever known. He worked hard for what he had, but was always willing to give of himself to help others. And what can I say about my mother other than she was a sweet and loving woman who was always my advocate, no matter what. The older I get the more I see her as a role model of what a mother ought to be.

Many of us think about those who won’t be with us on Thanksgiving. But we’re grateful that God loaned us some special people and enriched our lives through them. As Paul wrote to his Philippian friends, “I thank God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3).

The Power of Words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank A Vet

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

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

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

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

Nevertheless, what should our response to war be?

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

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

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

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

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

Which Bible Should We Use?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Date Like A Christian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Power Of One

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

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

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

After Gettysburg, it was apparent the South was doomed.

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

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

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

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