Pastoral Resources

While he always kept abreast of the activities of the church, Campbell Morgan detested committee work. He told a friend, “I would prefer to preach three sermons a day rather than spend half an hour at a deacon’s meeting discussing who ought to keep the keys to the door.”

A Presbyterian deacon once asked one of Campbell Morgan’s grandsons if he intended to become a preacher like his grandfather, his father, and his uncles. (All of Morgan’s four sons went into the ministry.) “No, sir!” said the lad. “I’m going to work!”

Early in his ministry, when he was pastor of the Congregational Church at Rugeley, Campbell Morgan studied hard and preached often. He was discovering and developing the gift of Bible exposition that later made him the prince of expositors. His preaching made him popular. One evening, as he sat in his study, he felt God saying to him, “What are you going to be, a preacher or My messenger?”

As Morgan pondered the question, he realized that his desire to become a “great preacher” was hindering his work. For several hours Morgan sat there struggling with God’s call and human ambition. Finally he said, “Thy messenger, my Master—Thine!” He took the precious outlines of his sermons, messages that he was proud of, and laid them in the fireplace where they burned to ashes. That was when the victory was won.

As the outlines were burning, Morgan prayed: “If Thou wilt give me Thy words to speak, I will utter them from this day forward, adding nothing to them, taking naught away. Thine whole counsel I will declare, so help me God!”

George Gordon Liddy, Watergate conspirator recently released from prison: “I have found within myself all I need and all I ever shall need. I am a man of great faith, but my faith is in George Gordon Liddy. I have never failed me.”

Merely because the group is in formation does not mean the group is on the right course.

On a farm in New York state is a pond and a little brook. When I last saw them, it was in the rainy season, and both were full to the brim with clean, pure water. It is in the dry season the difference in their natures shows up. The stream, constantly flowing to water the banks all along its course, still keeps pure and sparkling; it continues to draw from the underground springs at its source and to give freely as it goes along. The pond, neither receiving nor giving, hoards its precious moisture only to have its waters become foul and stagnant. It is the same lesson our Lord was trying to teach His disciples: We gain by giving and lose by keeping. After sharing the mercy of God and thus maintaining and increasing our own purity, we receive the peace of God in such abundance that it overflows to all around us.

Husband consoling wife at daughter’s wedding:

“Don’t think of it as losing a daughter; think of it as gaining a bathroom.”

A large majority of men--married and single--say they wouldn’t have an affair, even if they were certain their loved one would never find out, says a Gallup poll commissioned by Self magazine, in the June (1992) issue. Of 500 men surveyed, 67% of married men and 60% of unmarried men say an affair is absolutely out of the question. Only 5% of married men and 11% of unmarried men would do it (the rest said maybe). Also, 95% of married men say they wouldn’t drop their partner for a trophy wife if they became extremely successful or wealthy.

There was a time when most Americans respected the Bible, and could quote it with authority. In 1963, according to Gallup, 65% believed the Bible literally; today the number is only 32%.

There was a time when most Americans were familiar with biblical doctrine. You could say, “Believe in Jesus,” and at least they knew what you meant. But today most would be mystified. Newsweek tells of a child who saw a crucifix and asked, “Mommy, what’s that man doing?” There was a time when most Americans accepted absolute standards. They might disagree on what those absolutes were, but they knew that some things are really right or wrong. Today 70% reject moral absolutes.

A recent Gallup Poll found that the greatest number of Americans (47% of those expressing an opinion) hold to the strict creationist view, that God created man pretty much in his present form within the last 10,000 years. Most other Americans believe in some combination of evolution and creationism, and only nine percent of Americans believe in strict evolution.

(Andrew) Greeley bases most of his unconventional conclusions on the results of the Love and Marriage Gallup study of 657 married couples, which was conducted in 1989-90 for Psychology Today. According to Greeley, this was the first “full-scale” national probability study of sexuality and fidelity in marriage. Many of the findings defy conventional wisdom and indicate that marriage in America is far healthier than we have been led to believe:

The best predictor of whether or not a couple is happy together is joint prayer. The study found, for example, that couples from two-income families that pray together are less likely to consider divorce than single-income families that do not pray together.

People who live together before marriage are less likely than those who did not cohabit to say their marriage is very happy. Those who have had premarital sex are also less prone to say their marriage is very happy.

A Gallup survey of 657 adults over 18 mirrors the married population. 92% say they’ve had no affairs since marrying. 83% would marry the same person again, given the chance. 76% say their spouse is physically attractive. 48% say they are very playful when they’re alone together. 87% said they were “more concerned about being faithful than most people.”

The Gambler’s Fallacy is the mistaken notion that repetition changes the odds. If you flip a coin five times, always getting tails, there’s still a 50-50 chance that you’ll get tails on your next flip. You can’t say— “Tails has come up five times in a row, so now it’s ‘time’ that heads comes up.”

A New York State woman unknowingly allowed her family jewels to be sold for 10 cents at a friend’s garage sale. It happened after she took the jewels out of a bank safety deposit box to wear to a wedding. The bank was closed when she got home, so she put the jewels in an old shaving case and stuffed it in another box. In time, she forgot about the jewels, and later she gave the shaving case to a friend who was collecting items for a garage sale. By the time the woman realized what she had done, the precious gems had been sold to an unknown buyer for a dime.

In a sense, her pain is similar to Esau’s. He too discovered what it’s like to realize suddenly that he had lost something of great value.

A city in the Netherlands had a problem with litter. The sanitation department tried doubling the littering fine and even increasing the number of litter agents who patrolled the area, but to no avail. Then someone suggested that instead of punishing those who littered, they could reward people who put garbage in trash cans. A plan to devise a trash can that could dispense coins when litter was inserted was rejected as too expensive. But it led to another idea: the sanitation department developed a trash can that played a recording of a joke when refuse was deposited! Different cans played different kinds of jokes, and the recordings were changed every two weeks. Citizens went out of their way to put garbage in trash cans, and the streets were clean again.

In March of 1981, President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. , and was hospitalized for several weeks. Although Reagan was the nation’s chief executive, his hospitalization had little impact on the nation’s activity. Government continued on.

On the other hand, suppose the garbage collectors in this country went on strike, as they did not long ago in Philadelphia. That city was not only in a literal mess, the pile of decaying trash quickly became a health hazard. A three-week nationwide strike would paralyze the country. Who is more important—the President or a garbage collector? In the body of Christ, seemingly insignificant ones are urgently needed. As Paul reminds us, “The head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (I Cor. 12:21-22). - David Parsons

When I think of perspective I am often reminded of a conversation between me and my son in the summer he turned four. That spring Mark had asked for a spot in the family garden to call his own. He turned the soil, broke the clumps, and planted his favorite vegetable—corn.

Toward the middle of July, Mark was concerned that his corn was not growing fast enough. I tried to reassure him that the corn was doing just fine by quoting him the familiar benchmark used by farmers, “…knee high by the fourth of July.”

My lesson came with his retort: “My knees or yours?”

According to a story in the Grand Rapids Press, the owner of a small foreign car had begun to irritate his friends by bragging incessantly about his gas mileage. So they decided on a way to get some humor out of his tireless boasting, as well as bring it to an end. Every day one of them would sneak into the parking lot where the man kept his car and pour a few gallons of gas into the tank. Soon the braggart was recording absolutely phenomenal mileage. He was boasting of getting as much as 90 miles per gallon, and the pranksters took secret delight in his exasperation as he tried to convince people of the truthfulness of his claims. It was even more fun to watch his reaction when they stopped refilling the tank. The poor fellow couldn’t figure out what had happened to his car.

The strongest walls are useless if the gates are weak or if the gatekeepers are careless or disloyal. The Great Wall of China was penetrated by enemies at least three times, and each time the guards were bribed. The church desperately needs strong gates and loyal gatekeepers.

I study my Bible like I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest may fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each limb, I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf. I search the Bible as a whole like shaking the whole tree. Then I shake every limb—study book after book. Then I shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters. Then I shake every twig, or a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences and words and their meanings. - M. Luther

Have you heard about the “gator aid” that was given to enlisted men in a Florida training camp during World War II? The daily training for those GIs included a run through an obstacle course. On the final stretch of the endurance test, they had to grab a rope and swing across a broad, shallow pool.

Under the blazing southern sun the water looked so inviting to the men that most of them soon developed a habit of making it only halfway across the pond—that is, until an enterprising lieutenant made it the new home for a large alligator. From that day on, the recruits left the ground 15 feet from the water’s edge and fell sprawling in the dust on the other side.

The first date Jim (Elliot) asked me for was to a missionary meeting at Moody Church in Chicago, late in April. Not surprising that he would choose an event like this rather than a concert or dinner out. The speaker was one of the daughters of the famous missionary to Africa C. T. Studd. She told of her father’s last hours. He lay on his cot, gazing around the little hut and at his few possessions. “I wish I had something to leave to each of you,” he said to the handful of people present, “but I gave it all to Jesus long ago.”

It’s those stately geese I find especially impressive. Winging their way to a warmer climate, they often cover thousands of miles before reaching their destination. Have you ever studied why they fly as they do? It is fascinating to read what has been discovered about their flight pattern as well as their in-flight habits. Four come to mind.

1. Those in front rotate their leadership. When one lead goose gets tired, it changes places with one in the wing of the V-formation and another flies point.

2. By flying as they do, the members of the flock create an upward air current for one another. each flap of the wings literally creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. One author states that by flying in a V-formation, the whole flock gets 71 percent greater flying range than if each goose flew on its own.

3. When one goose gets sick or wounded, two fall out of formation with it and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the struggler until it’s able to fly again.

4. The geese in the rear of the formation are the ones who do the honking. I suppose it’s their way of announcing that they’re following and that all is well. For sure, the repeated honks encourage those in front to stay at it. As I think about all this, one lesson stands out above all others: it is the natural instinct of geese to work together. Whether it’s rotating, flapping, helping, or simply honking, the flock is in it together...which enables them to accomplish what they set out to do.

Perhaps you have heard the geese honking as they fly northward in a “V” formation. They head toward the grain fields of Canada and Alaska to spend the summer. Two engineers calibrated in a wind tunnel why geese fly in formation. Each goose, flapping its wings, creates an uplift for the goose that follows. The whole flock gains 71% greater flying range than if they journeyed alone. That’s why the leader of the “V” formation falls back periodically to let another leader take the point, and why the rest stay in line.

The man who says he is kept away from religion by hypocrites is not influenced by them anywhere else Business is full of them, but if he sees a chance at making money he does not stop for that.

Society is crowded with them, and yet he never thinks of becoming a hermit.

Married life is full of them, but that does not make him remain a bachelor.

Hell is full of them, and yet he does not do a thing to keep himself from going there.

He wants to have you think that he is trying to avoid the society of hypocrites, and yet he takes not a single step toward heaven, the only place where no hypocrites can go!

During World War II, a military governor met with General George Patton in Sicily. When he praised Patton highly for his courage and bravery, the general replied, “Sir, I am not a brave man … The truth is, I am an utter craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn’t so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.”

Years later, when Patton’s autobiography was published, it contained this significant statement by the general: “I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears.”

General Robert E. Lee was a devout follower of Jesus Christ. It is said that soon after the end of the American Civil War, he visited a church in Washington, D.C. During the communion service he knelt beside a black man. An onlooker said to him later, “How could you do that?” Lee replied, “My friend, all ground is level beneath the cross.”

The soldier’s first article of faith is summed up nowhere more eloquently than in an 1865 letter from William Tecumseh Sherman to U. S. Grant: “I knew wherever I was that you thought of me, and if I got in a tight place you would come—if alive.”

During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, “Sir, I am a corporal!”

The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, he turned to the corporal and said, “Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again.”

It was none other than George Washington.

The Civil War was carnage. Then Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy died. And Ulysses Grant of the Union died. Their widows, Varina Davis and Julia Grant, settled near each other. They became closest of friends.

Paul gave this admonition in Gal 6:9, "And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

A scientist once conducted an interesting experiment in his laboratory. From the ceiling he suspended an iron ball weighing a ton, attaching it to a cable strong enough to sustain its weight. Beside the huge iron ball, he hung a small sphere made of cork attached to a thread fastened to the ceiling. An electrical mechanism kept the little cork ball swinging slowly, pendulum-like, against the iron weight.

At length, after days of unceasing swinging back and forth on the part of the cork, the iron ball weighing a ton began to swing very gently to and fro in harmony with the little cork ball. Gradually, its motion increased until it was prescribing a wide arc, all because a tiny cork ball had kept persistently knocking against its massive side, day in and day out.

Our effort to influence people to love God, accept Christ as Savior, and live under the direction of the Holy Spirit should be as gentle as the tapping of the cork ball, but also we should be persistent and faithful. May we be so.

The great evangelist George Whitefield was relating the difficulties of the gospel ministry to some friends. He said that he was weary of the burdens and was glad that his work would soon be over and that he would depart this earthly scene to be with Christ. The others admitted having similar feelings -- all except one, a Mr. Tennant. Noting this, Whitefield tapped him on the knee and said, “Well, Brother Tennant, you are the oldest among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time is so near at hand when you will be called Home?”

The old man answered bluntly that he had no wish about it. When pressed for something more definite, he added, “I have nothing to do with death. My business is to live as long as I can, and as well as I can, and serve my Savior as faithfully as I can, until He thinks it’s time to call me Home.”

Whitefield accepted that word as a gentle rebuke from the Lord, and it helped him go on with his work calmly and patiently.

Joel C. Gregory writes:

"The testing we go through demonstrates the genuineness of our faith. In the phrase 'the testing of your faith,'the word 'testing'is an almost untranslatable word. The Williams version explains it as showing what is "genuine in your faith." The idea refers to iron ore that has gone through the refining fire and comes out the other side clean and pure and genuine. This is the word Job used when he said, 'When he has tried me in the fire, I will come out like gold.'

"Actually, there may be something suspect about a faith that has never been tested. An army going through basic training is not ready for battle. Not until soldiers have faced the battle and been under fire, do they consider themselves proven, hardened, worthy. A ship cannot prove that it's been sturdily built as long as it stays in dry dock. Its hull must get wet; it must face a storm to demonstrate genuine seaworthiness. The same is true of our faith. When we hold fast to belief in Christ in spite of life's storms and crushing criticism, that's when we demonstrate the genuineness of our faith."

I have now reigned above 50 years in victory or peace, beloved by my subjects, dreaded by my enemies, and respected by my allies. Riches and honors, power and pleasure, have waited on my call, nor does any earthly blessing appear to have been wanting to my felicity. In this situation I have diligently numbered the days of pure and genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot: they amount to 14! O man, place not thy confidence in this present world!

I remember hearing a story of Mr. George Stewart. One day the Governor of Pennsylvania came to him and said, "Mr. Stewart, I want you to go to such a prison and tell that man for whose execution I signed the warrant the other day, that there is not a ray of hope for him. When the day and hour comes he must be executed. His mother has been tormenting the life out of me; and all his friends have been running after me day and night, and they are giving the poor fellow a false hope." "That is a very disagreeable thing to do, Governor," answered Mr. Stewart. "Well, I want you to go and tell him, so that he can be settled in his mind." The story goes that when the doors of the cell were opened, that prisoner seized Mr. Stewart's hands, and in his joy cried, "You are a good man. I know you have come with a pardon from the Governor." But when Mr. Stewart told him the Governor had sent him to say there was not a ray of hope for him, that upon the day and hour he must be executed, the man completely broke down and fainted away. The thought that at such a day and such an hour he was going to be ushered into eternity, was too much for the poor fellow. Suppose I come to you to-night and tell you there is not a ray of hope--that you have broken the law of pardon. How many would say, "I know a great deal better. The blackest sinner on earth Christ can save. He says so." But, my friends, there is no hope without the deliverance to be free from the bondage of sin.

George Bernard Shaw is perhaps most renowned as a free thinker and liberal philosopher. In his last writings we read, “The science to which I pinned my faith is bankrupt. Its counsels, which should have established the millennium, led, instead, directly to the suicide of Europe. I believed them once. In their name I helped to destroy the faith of millions of worshippers in the temples of a thousand creeds. And now they look at me and witness the great tragedy of an atheist who has lost his faith.”

George Burns once said, “Tennis is a game for young people. Until age 25, you can play singles. From there until age 35, you should play doubles. I won’t tell you my age, but when I played, there were 28 people on the court -- just on my side of the net.

Friends of George Burns have always kidded him about his singing. Burns, a master of self-deprecating humor, decided to take advantage of this and insure his voice for a million dollars. He thought it would be a wonderful publicity stunt.

“I was so excited,” said Burns, “I couldn’t wait to rush down to the insurance company. I took a cassette and a tape recorder with me so the insurance man could hear my voice. It was one of my best numbers—a syncopated version of Yankee Doodle Blues with a yodeling finish. The insurance man listened patiently to the whole thing, then he just looked at me and said, ‘Mr. Burns, you should have come to us before you had the accident.’”

Charles Jennins (likely a believer) wrote the text for Messiah–Handel (not a believer) was commissioned to write the music for Messiah.

Handel donated much of his time and money to the needy, talked about God’s guidance during a sword fight, maybe he was a deist or maybe a believer who lived for himself and not the Lord? He did not show a Christ-like attitude in his behavior with people, had many arguments with his singers, had a hot temper, was known to go into long bouts of depression, liked to consume lots of food and drink, swore like a sailor in three different languages, boastful.

Handel was the king of opera and had made most of his money from opera.

Handel was hesitant to give up Italian opera even when he began to lose money on it. His opera company suffered great financial loses but still he churned out new operas adding ballet and hoping the public would have a change of heart. When it didn’t, he gradually became depressed and reclusive, strolling the dark streets at night and remaining locked inside his house during the day.

Eventually his health began to suffer. After a minor stroke and a mental collapse, he took a short leave of absence and traveled to a French spa where he hoped to be revitalized by the waters. It seemed to work.

Handel returned with renewed energy but once again he applied that energy to opera. His last two operas had only three performances, finally he had to surrender to the truth—opera was out.

Now in his 50s, Handel began to think more and more about working in other forms—especially the English oratorio. He sometimes used English writers for his inspiration, including the poet John Milton.

When he was 56 Handel decided to concentrate fully on oratorios and give up opera all together. (at that time, oratorios were often biblically based.) Handel’s decision to write oratorios came in part from an invitation from the Duke of Devonshire who was the King’s representative in Ireland. The Duke asked Handel to compose something for Dublin for a benefit for the poor. The assignment was just what Handel needed to bring him out of his doldrums and help get over his attachment to the unpopular Italian opera form.

Handel responded to the Duke by promising an oratorio. The oratorio he said would be called Messiah. He already had the idea for Messiah because his friend Charles Jennins had given him the script (or labreto) for it. Now he would create the music. Although most of Handel’s oratorios were based on stories from the Bible, Messiah is an exception. It was based solely on quotations.

These quotes were gathered from the Bible by Handel’s friend Charles Jennins and then Handel chose the ones that worked best with the music. Messiah contains no story or dramatic action, but through the quotes, Handel illustrated the founding of Christianity in songs that tell of the prophecy of Christ’s coming, his birth, his life, death and resurrection. He said it was easy that Jennins had chosen quotes and put them in such an order that they were musical to begin with.

In all his future correspondence with Jennins, Handel always referred to his masterpiece as "Your Messiah."

One day when George MacDonald, the great Scottish preacher and writer, was talking with his son, the conversation turned to heaven and the prophets’ version of the end of all things.

“It seems too good to be true,” the son said at one point.

A smile crossed MacDonald’s whiskered face. “Nay,” he replied, “It is just so good it must be true!”

Is reading the Bible a necessary part of your day or does it have a low priority in your life?

George Mueller, after having read the Bible through one hundred times with increasing delight, made this statement:

“I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the Word of God. Friends often say, ‘I have so much to do, so many people to see, I cannot find time for Scripture study.’ Perhaps there are not many who have more to do than I. For more than half a century I have never known one day when I had not more business than I could get through. For 4 years I have had annually about 30,000 letters, and most of these have passed through my own hands. Then, as pastor of a church with 1,200 believers, great has been my care. Besides, I have had charge of five immense orphanages; also, at my publishing depot, the printing and circulating of millions of tracts, books, and Bibles; but I have always made it a rule never to begin work until I have had a good season with God and His Word. The blessing I have received has been wonderful.”

Things looked bleak for the children of George Mueller’s orphanage at Ashley Downs in England. It was time for breakfast, and there was no food. A small girl whose father was a close friend of Mueller was visiting in the home. Mueller took her hand and said, “Come and see what our Father will do.” In the dining room, long tables were set with empty plates and empty mugs. Not only was there no food in the kitchen, but there was no money in the home’s account. Mueller prayed, “Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat.” Immediately, they heard a knock at the door. When they opened it, there stood the local baker. “Mr. Mueller,” he said, “I couldn’t sleep last night. Somehow I felt you had no bread for breakfast, so I got up at 2 o’clock and baked fresh bread. Here it is.” Mueller thanked him and gave praise to God. Soon, a second knock was heard. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. He said he would like to give the children the milk so he could empty the cart and repair it.

One day George Mueller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Mueller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Mueller’s funeral the last one was saved.

The promise of today’s text (1 John 3:13-24) carries two important conditions—”if our heart condemn us not” (v. 21), and if “we keep His commandments” (v. 22). In other words, when we are in the center of God’s will and have a clear conscience, the resources of heaven are at our disposal. The following incident vividly illustrates this truth:

The captain of an ocean steamer tells that on one occasion his ship was engulfed in a dense fog off the coast of Newfoundland. It was Wednesday evening and the captain had been on the bridge for 24 hours when he was startled by someone tapping on his shoulder. He turned and saw one of his passengers—George Mueller.

“Captain,” said Mueller, “I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon.”

“That’s impossible!” replied the captain. “I’m helpless!”

Mueller suggested, “Let’s go down to the chart room and pray.”

The captain thought he had a lunatic on board. “Do you know how dense the fog is?” he asked.

“No,” came the reply, “my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life.” Once in the chart room, Mueller got down on his knees and prayed, “O Lord, if it is consistent with Thy will, please remove this fog in 5 minutes. Thou knowest the engagement Thou didst make for me in Quebec for Saturday. I believe it is Thy will.” Within a matter of minutes the fog lifted.

Is reading the Bible a necessary part of your day or does it have a low priority in your life? George Mueller, after having read the Bible through one hundred times with increasing delight, made this statement: “I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the Word of God. Friends often say, ‘I have so much to do, so many people to see, I cannot find time for Scripture study.’ Perhaps there are not many who have more to do than I.

For more than half a century I have never known one day when I had not more business than I could get through. For 4 years I have had annually about 30,000 letters, and most of these have passed through my own hands.

“Then, as pastor of a church with 1,200 believers, great has been by care. Besides, I have had charge of five immense orphanages; also, at my publishing depot, the printing and circulating of millions of tracts, books, and Bibles; but I have always made it a rule never to begin work until I have had a good season with God and His Word. The blessing I have received has been wonderful.”

The late actor George Sanders was one of Hollywood’s leading men a generation ago. After a glamorous life, however, he felt there was nothing else to live for. Having no peace, Sanders took his life, leaving this note: “I committed suicide because I am boring and because I have already lived long enough.”

Do not let anyone claim the tribute of American patriotism if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics.

George Washington from his Farewell Address to the Nation:

Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind.… It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in the sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.

Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 1892.

English evangelist George Whitefield (1714-1770) learned that it was more important to please God than to please men. Knowing that he was doing what was honoring to the Lord kept him from discouragement when he was falsely accused by his enemies.At one point in his ministry, Whitefield received a vicious letter accusing him of wrongdoing.

His reply was brief and courteous: “I thank you heartily for your letter. As for what you and my other enemies are saying against me, I know worse things about myself than you will ever say about me. With love in Christ, George Whitefield.”

He didn’t try to defend himself. He was much more concerned about pleasing the Lord.

About 1830, a man named George Wilson killed a government employee who caught him in the act of robbing the mails. Wilson was tried and sentenced to be hanged. The President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, sent Wilson a pardon. But, Wilson did a strange thing: he refused to accept the pardon.

No one seemed to know hat to do because of this, so Wilson’s case was sent to the U. S. Supreme Court. Chief Justice Marshall wrote the opinion: “A pardon is a slip of paper, the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged.” And he was.

The cross of Christ is a revelation of God’s love for all people. We may do cowardly and disappointing things and bring deep pain to the Father’s heart, but in the cross we see that He never gives up on us. Something happened that day on Calvary that forever makes a difference in the relationship between people and God. Even when the love of Jesus was thrown in His face with spitting, mocking and cursing, it remained unbroken.

The death of Christ on the cross is the pardon God has sent. But before it becomes a pardon, we must accept it in faith and obedience. It is through the cross, and only through the cross that we can be saved from sin and its consequence of eternal separation from God in hell.

Have you accepted God’s pardon in Christ Jesus? If not, will you?

There had been a long dry season, and there wasn’t enough hay to keep the cows fed, so Gunister and one of his friends decided to go into the hay merchandising business. They got a truck and drove to another state, where they bought hay for three dollars a bale. Then they brought it home and sold it for $2.50 a bale.

After a few weeks in the business, Gunister’s friend said, “You know, there must be something wrong. We’re just not makin’ any money.”

“I know,” replied Gunister. “Maybe we ought to get a bigger truck.”

The first electric light was so dim that a candle was needed to see its socket. One of the first steamboats took 32 hours to chug its way from New York to Albany, a distance of 150 miles. Wilbur and Orville Wright’s first airplane flight lasted only 12 seconds. And the first automobiles traveled 2 to 4 miles per hour and broke down often. Carriages would pass them with their passengers shouting, “Get a horse!”

Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgment…Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller, and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen.” These are the words of Leonardo da Vinci, and no idler he; he excelled as a painter, sculptor, poet, architect, engineer, city planner, scientist, inventor, anatomist, military genius, and philosopher.

Someone once asked Paul Harvey, the journalist and radio commentator, to reveal the secret of his success. “I get up when I fall down,” said Harvey.

Sign in Ken Stabler’s boat:

“Get in, sit down, shut up, hang on.”—like many marriages.

Have you heard the story of Charlie Riggs? Over 50 years ago, he came to Christ and was discipled by a young man named Lorne Sanny, who himself was being discipled by Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators.

Charlie was willing to grow in Christ, but he was a bit rough around the edges and didn’t seem very promising as a Christian leader. When Lorne wrote to Dawson, he told him that Charlie Riggs was the only man he was working with and he felt discouraged by the prospects. Trotman wrote back and said, “Stay with your man. You never know what God will do with him.” So, Lorne Sanny continued to work with Charlie Riggs.

A few years passed and a young man named Billy Graham came on the scene. In 1952, the Navigators “loaned” Charlie Riggs to the Graham team to handle the follow-up in their early crusades. He planned to return to the Navigators eventually. However, he worked out so well that he stayed with Billy Graham.

In 1957, on the eve of the famous New York City crusade at Madison Square Garden, the crusade director suddenly had to be replaced. Who could they get? The lay chairman suggested Charlie Riggs, but Billy Graham wasn’t sure if he could handle the job. “All he does is pray and quote Scripture.”

The layman insisted, Charlie Riggs got the job and the rest is history. The New York campaign became a model for the many crusades that would follow in later years. Billy Graham said, “I didn’t think he could do it. But I had this peace—that Charlie so depended on the Holy Spirit that I knew the Lord could do it through Charlie.”

Charlie Riggs retired after many years of effective service to the Lord. What was his secret? How could a man with little formal training rise to such a high position and hold it for so long?

He says, “I always asked the Lord to put me in over my head . That way, when I had a job to do, either the Lord had to help me or I was sunk.” God was delighted to answer this prayer time after time. He put Charlie Riggs in over his head—and then bailed him out.

So many of us dads play it safe with our families. We pray only for what we think we can handle. Our answers are small because our prayers are small.

Here’s a challenge. Let’s take Charlie Riggs’ prayer as our own: “Lord, put me in over my head.” It’s safer to stay in shallow water where you can always feel the bottom under your feet, but the real challenge is to jump in where the water comes up over your head. What are the challenges we face when we’re in over our heads? Job changes, teenagers, college costs and church schedules to name a few.

How about it, dads? Are you ready for some excitement? I am. Let’s ask God to put us in over our heads. And then, let’s watch God keep us floating just when we think we’re about to sink.

A sheep rancher in the remote mountains of Idaho found that his violin was out of tune, and, try as he would, he was unable to make the instrument sound the way it should. A frequent listener to a radio station in California, he wrote the station concerning his problem, asking these good people at a certain hour and minute on a certain day to strike the right note for him. This they did: stopping everything else, silencing all other sounds for a moment, they struck that note. In his shepherd's hut in the distant mountains, the shepherd heard that sound, and from that single note he put his instrument into tune again.

Thus is the hour of worship, a special time of being in touch with God. Here we listen for the signal-tone He strikes for our lives, for the pitch He gives by which our hearts may be put in tune.

Suppose an artist sees a piece of canvas on which he desires to paint a beautiful picture. However, if that piece of canvas does not belong to him, do you think the painter would work diligently on that canvas? No! Yet people want Jesus Christ to bestow His grace upon them in taking away a bad temper or some other sin, though in their hearts they have not yielded themselves to His command and His keeping. It can not be. But if you will come and give your life into His charge, Christ Jesus waits to be gracious; Christ Jesus waits to fill you with His Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit alone who by His indwelling can make a spiritual man.

An Englishman asked me some time ago, "Do you know much about Job?" "Well, I know a little," I replied. "If you've got the key of Job, you've got the key to the whole Bible." "What?" I replied, "I thought it was a poetical book." "Well," said he, "I will just divide Job into seven heads. The first is the perfect man--untried; and that is Adam and Eve before they fell. The second head is tried by adversity--Adam after the fall. The third is the wisdom of the world--the three friends who came to try to help Job out of his difficulties. They had no power to help him at all." He could stand his scolding wife, but he could not stand them. The fourth head takes the form of the Mediator, and in the fifth head God speaks at last. He heard him before by the ear, but he hears Him now by the soul, and he fell down flat upon his face. A good many men in Chicago are like Job. They think they are mighty good men, but the moment they hear the voice of God they know they are sinners, they are in the dust. There isn't much talk about their goodness then. Here he was with his face down. Job learned his lesson. That was the sixth head, and in these heads were the burdens of Adam's sin. The seventh head was when God showed him His face. Well, I learned the key to the Bible. I cannot tell how this helped me. I told it to another man, and he asked me if I ever thought how he got his property back and his sheep back. He gave Job double what he had and gave him ten children besides, so that he should have ten in heaven besides his ten on earth.

Some folks do not read the Bible because, they say, there are so many things in the Book that they cannot understand. It is said that these things which cannot be understood trouble them. Of course these are excuses.

What does one do when he sits down to a Southern-fried chicken dinner, and finds there are bones in the chicken which he is unable to chew? Does he excuse himself, and say, "I can't chew the bony parts of the chicken, therefore I won't try to eat any of it?" Hardly. He merely puts the bones to one side and enjoys the edible part of the chicken. Why not put at least this much effort into Bible reading?

One rescued sinner said, "The fact that I am alive and on my way somewhere really caused me anxious moments, until I found the answer in the Bible. When I found it, it prompted me to let the shed blood of Christ cleanse me from my sins. God saved me and gave me the assurance of it, and I began to study the Bible, digesting the parts God's Holy Spirit led me to understand, and setting the rest aside, until He opened my eyes to the Truth therein. As God showed me the answers, my worship of Him increased naturally. Oh, indispensable is the Book of books!"

There is an old legend about a herd of mules that was attacked nightly by a pack of wolves from a nearby forest. When the wolves came, the mules began kicking viciously in all directions. Consequently the mules maimed and injured each other while the agile wolves escaped unharmed. Finally, a wise old mule called the rest together for a conference and made known his plans. That night the wolves came yelping from the forest as usual, but instead of the mules kicking, they all ran and put their heads together in a circle and began kicking outward. The wolves were put to flight, and the mules did no harm to each other. Christians need to get their heads together and kick outward against the forces of iniquity. The world must sometimes wonder whether we who call ourselves Christ's fishermen have any heads to put together.

I awoke one night to discover that a squirrel had managed to get into the house. I tried for about an hour to get him out, but even my flailing broom wouldn’t budge him. A bit frightened, I called the fire department. The fireman who answered said he would consult his mates for an idea. I heard him yell, “Hey, this lady’s got a squirrel in her house and can’t get it out.” I heard another voice yell in the background, “Tell her to go out in the yard and act like a nut.”

Mark Twain used to say he put a dog and a cat in a cage together as an experiment, to see if they could get along. They did, so he put in a bird, pig and goat. They, too, got along fine after a few adjustments. Then he put in a Baptist, Presbyterian, and Catholic; soon there was not a living thing left.

Many people today treat religion as a matter of convenience. They have to belong somewhere to be considered respectable. A clergyman once met an old schoolmate of whose activities he had long been ignorant, and finding him a judge of good standing congratulated him upon his success in life. As they were parting, the clergyman said to him, "And best of all, Judge, I find you are a member of our church." "Well," said the judge, "that's more a matter of chance than anything else. You see, when I was getting established in my profession, my wife and I thought we ought to join a church-it was the respectable thing to do. So, after mature deliberation, we settled down with a certain denomination and got on very well for a time; but they kept harping on faith, till we pretty soon discovered that they required more faith than we had; so it became necessary to make a change. We turned the matter over considerably and at last, for various reasons, made up our minds to join another denomination. Here we found the demand was work, work incessantly; and it was presently apparent that they demanded more work than we were able to perform. It was with great reluctance that we concluded that we must change again, and we cast about with much caution, that this move might be final. At last we decided to connect ourselves with your church, sir, and have gotten along famously ever since without either faith or works."

The Carnegie Technological Institute has stated that 90% of all people who fail in their life’s vocation fail because they cannot get along with people.

A nurse was showing a patient to his room. "Now," she said, "we want you to be happy and enjoy yourself while here, so if there is anything you want that we haven't got, let me know and I'll show you how to get along without it."

Ward Kimball was just out of art school in 1934 when he was hired by Walt Disney to work on his studio’s newest project, the full-length cartoon Snow White. Kimball labored 240 days and many nights to animate a four-and-a-half-minute sequence in which the dwarfs show their love for Snow White by making her some soup. After Kimball had completed his task, he was summoned to Disney’s office. “I don’t know how to tell you this,” said Disney, “because I love the sequence. But we’re going to have to cut it out of the picture. It’s getting in the way of the story.”

Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 126

An English preacher of the last generation used to say that he cared very little what he said the first half hour, but he cared a very great deal what he said the last fifteen minutes. I remember reading many years ago an address published to students by Henry Ward Beecher, in which he gave a very striking account of a sermon by Jonathan Edwards. Beecher says that in the elaborated doctrinal part of Jonathan Edwards’ sermon the great preacher was only getting his guns into position, but that in his applications he opened fire on the enemy. There are too many of us, I am afraid, who take so much time getting our guns into position that we have to finish without firing a shot. We say that we leave the truth to do its own work. We trust to the hearts and consciences of our hearers to apply it. Depend upon it, gentlemen, this is a great and fatal mistake.

Cardiff, Wales. When a juror coughed, defendant Alan Rashid had a right to feel sick.

The cough came just as the jury foreman announced a verdict of “not guilty” in Rashid’s trial on a charge of threatening homicide.

The cough coincided with “not,” Judge Michael Gibbon only heard “guilty,” and Rashid was sentenced to two years in prison.

As the jury left the court Thursday, one inquisitive member of the panel asked an usher why Rashid was going to jail after being found innocent. So the jurors were herded back into court.

“It was a very bizarre situation, and I’ve never heard of it happening before,” said Nicholas Williamson, the court manager.

Rashid was brought back to court, the jury confirmed its verdict of “not guilty,” and Gibbon told the defendant he was free to go.

“I am very relieved, as you would imagine,” Rashid said.

There is a close correlation between getting up in the morning and getting up in the world.

When a stretch of street swelled, cracked and then returned to normal within 20 minutes last summer, one city official joked that it was the work of a giant earthworm. Fire Dept. spokesman Charlie McCafferty, who make the quip, later chalked the 20-foot-long bulge up to a natural gas accumulation and forgot about it. Until Tuesday, when he learned that the weekly National Examiner carried the headline, “20-foot earthworm terrorizes city.swallows dogs.” The story told readers about a “top-level investigation ordered into the horrifying sighting of a giant earthworm.” McCafferty said he heard about the article when two frightened women phoned him about a creature “eating up dogs” they’d read about in the magazine. The tabloid quoted unidentified city officials and witnesses who said they saw the worm grab dogs and swallow them whole. Cliff Linedecker, news editor for the West Palm Beach, Fla. weekly, said the paper got the story from Frank Kendal, a stringer who “has given us some pretty good stories. It was a very good story and I saw no reason to question it,” he said. “We run into a lot of really unusual stories here.” When asked if he believed in such giant earthworms, he said, “Well I do now. When you’re dealing with the printed word. All I had to deal with was the printed word.”

The other day I came home from work to find a plate of peanut butter snack bars on the kitchen counter. Accompanying the delectables was a note from my 12-year-old daughter Melissa to her grandparents. “Dear Grandma and Grandpa, I made these for you. Love, Melissa.”

No one told her to do this. She didn’t have to. She just did it.

But why? Was Melissa trying make sure that they loved her? Was she trying to win Brownie points (well, snack-bar points) with her grandparents?

No she cooked up this little confectionery delight just to show her grandparents she loves them. It was evidence of their close relationship. She did it because she is their granddaughter, not to somehow earn the right to be their granddaughter.

That’s how it is with the good works we should do as followers of Jesus Christ. We don’t do good works so we can win a place in heaven. Rather, our good deeds show evidence of our salvation and faith in Christ.

Jesus did all the work of providing salvation. But we still have to work. Why? Not to win His favor but to show our love. It’s an outpouring of a grateful heart. - JDB

A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of oxen. The axles groaned and creaked terribly, when the oxen turning around thus addressed the wheels, “Hey there, why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we—not you—ought to cry out!” Those complain first in our churches who have the least to do. The gift of grumbling is largely dispensed among those who have no other talents, or who keep what they have wrapped up in a napkin.

Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school.

They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.

The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that—except the duck.

The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming.

The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed “charlie horses” from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running.

The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there….”

God seeks and values the gifts we bring Him—gifts of praise, thanksgiving, service, and material offerings. In all such giving at the altar we enter into the highest experiences of fellowship. But the gift is acceptable to God in the measure to which the one who offers it is in fellowship with Him in character and conduct; and the test of this is in our relationships with our fellow men. We are thus charged to postpone giving to God until right relationships are established with others. Could the neglect of this be the explanation of the barrenness of our worship? (Matt. 5:24)

With the rise of the current Charismatic Movement there is a new interest in the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Such desire for knowledge is certainly good and commendable, however for many this has meant a deviation from the teachings of Scripture on what have come to be called the “supernatural gifts of the Spirit” (miracles, healings, tongues and their interpretation). The historic Doctrinal Statement of Scofield Memorial Church clearly states that we believe that these particular gifts were temporary in nature (Article XII, paragraph 3). The intent of this position paper is to expand on this statement in an attempt to help those in our fellowship to better understand our stance as the elders of our church in these most crucial and significant days.

The History and Nature of Spiritual Gifts

At various times in history, God employed supernatural signs and miracles to accompany the message being given by His messengers. The purpose of these miracles was twofold: to draw special attention to the message, for it was, in most cases, new, or stronger than the one given before; and to authenticate the speaker. The miracles, and the special power given men to effectuate them, were not the focus of the message; they were secondary, simply intended to draw attention to the spoken words and to validate the speaker as God’s chosen representative.

Likewise the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ—salvation solely through faith in Him—was new in that it centered men’s relationship with God on Jesus Himself—the Son of God, our Advocate, God as Man. In the same way His promise of the Holy Spirit as our Helper—God in us—required such abandonment of current Jewish thought that Christ’s ministry and that of the apostles were supported by continuous miracles—supernatural healings, speaking in unknown languages, sudden death—designed by God to promote His truth and lead witnesses to a saving faith in Christ.

At the moment of salvation when the believing person is baptized into the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit gives to every believer one or more gifts, God-given abilities for service as He chooses (1 Cor. 12:11). However we believe certain of these gifts were temporary, and were used of God to authenticate the gospel to the first century church and, in the process, to establish the biblical canon. Today, having a completed canon which provides for the full knowledge of God, these temporary gifts are no longer necessary to reveal God’s truth or to validate the speaker, and they are thus not a part of the believer’s normal life. At the same time, other gifts endure to equip believers for service and to edify the whole church body.

The Permanent Gifts

Some of the gifts described in the New Testament were foundations to the beginning of the church: the unique ministry of the apostles and prophets in bringing direct revelation from God (Eph. 2:19-22). Other gifts are evidently permanent or enduring throughout the history of the church and are especially directed toward edification and enablement for worship and service. The list of such gifts which follows with brief definitions demonstrates the diversity of capabilities distributed among believers for mutual edification, care, and direction. The very nature of these gifts precludes any intention to exalt the gifts, but emphasizes humble service to the saints and communication of the gospel to the lost (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-10, 28-30; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 4:10,11).

1. Apostolic: In a specific sense, the term apostle has reference to the 12 disciples of Jesus; in a general sense, it may have reference to those who are sent by God with the supernatural ability to proclaim the gospel and plant churches as pioneer missionaries (Eph. 4:11).

2. Prophecy: In a specific sense, a prophet was one who received direct revelation from God and gave it to others with supernatural power (in this sense this gift is no longer active with the completion of the canon of Scripture). In a general sense, it is the supernatural ability to interpret the authoritative Word and to proclaim the truth so that it becomes very clear, vital, and compelling (preaching) (Eph. 4:11; Rom 12:6).

3. Evangelism: The supernatural ability to present the gospel with exceptional clarity and effectiveness to the unsaved so they respond with saving faith (Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:5).

4. Pastoring: The supernatural capacity to provide spiritual leadership, nurture, and protection for God’s people in the fellowship of the church (Eph. 4:11).

5. Teaching: A supernatural ability to explain and apply God’s truths which have already been received by the church (Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 12:28,30).

6. Knowledge: The supernatural ability to perceive and systematize the great facts which God has hidden in His Word (1 Cor. 12:8).

7. Wisdom: A supernatural ability to put the insights of knowledge to work in the application of knowledge to specific situations (1 Cor. 12:8).

8. Exhortation: The supernatural ability to come along side of another or to draw close in time of need with counsel and encouragement, and to appeal to believers in an unusual way for action and change in their lives (Rom. 12:8).

9. Serving: The supernatural ability to perform with joy any task in such a way that it strengthens and encourages others spiritually (Rom. 12:7).

10. Helps: The supernatural ability to bring immediate support and assistance to another in order to relieve a pressing burden (1 Cor. 12:28).

11. Showing Mercy: The supernatural ability to cheerfully show practical and compassionate love to relieve the physical suffering of the lowly, the sick and the aged (Rom. 12:8).

12. Giving: The supernatural ability to joyfully and generously share one’s material resources without selfish motives as the Holy Spirit give opportunities (Rom. 12:8).

13. Leadership: The supernatural ability to rule or direct a work or church for the Lord (Rom. 12:8).

14. Organization: The supernatural ability to give vision and direction toward the accomplishment of specific goals ( 1 Cor. 12:28).

15. Hospitality: The supernatural ability to entertain strangers and friends so that they feel welcome and edified (Rom. 12:13; Titus 1:8; 1 Tim. 3:2).

16. Faith: The supernatural ability to believe God for the supply of great needs, to see what needs to be done, and to believe that God will do it even though it looks impossible (1 Cor. 12:9).

17. Discerning of spirits: The supernatural ability to distinguish between truth and error and sense the true motives of a person (1 Cor. 12:9).

The believer who follows Christ in an attitude of humble submission to the teaching and direction of the Spirit is “filled” or controlled by the Spirit and exercises these gifts with lasting benefits to the body of Christ. Such a Spirit-filled life is a command for all believers (Eph. 5:18).

The Temporary Gifts

Of the spiritual gifts mentioned specifically in the New Testament at least four seem to be temporary in nature: (1) tongues, the supernatural ability to speak in a known language which is unlearned (1 Cor. 12:10,29); (2) the interpretation of tongues, the supernatural ability to understand a person speaking in a known language which is unlearned (1 Cor. 12:10,30); (3) miracles, the supernatural ability to perform miraculous acts (1 Cor. 12:28,29); and (4) healings, the supernatural ability to heal any and all diseases (1 Cor. 12:9,28,29). Interestingly, in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, it is these same four temporary gifts that are emphasized as being most significant in God’s program for every believer today. Since God is unchanging in His person and power, He certainly could bestow any of the gifts upon an individual believer as He might choose, but the Scriptures are clear that these temporary gifts are not considered to be the norm in God’s purposes for today.

Five lines of evidence lead us to the conclusion that certain gifts were temporary in their nature.

1. The evidence of the New Testament writers. Hebrews 2:3-4 indicates that these miraculous gifts were given to confirm the apostolic messengers and the message of salvation in Christ, and that this purpose was completed in the life-time of the twelve apostles. 1 Cor. 13:8-13 indicates that certain gifts were temporary in nature and would cease, in contrast to God’s love which is eternal.

2. The evidence of Old Testament history. It is a fundamental assumption of the Charismatic movement that miraculous gifts are to be expected today because they existed in the early church. The history of the Old Testament clearly reveals that miraculous gifts were not always present, and in fact were evident in only two time periods (Moses, and Elijah and Elisha).

3. The evidence of the Book of Acts. Miraculous gifts appear on the biblical scene only during periods of prophecy and/or revelation. With the close of the canon of Scripture, the completion of the New Testament revelation, we would expect the cessation of the miraculous gifts.

4. The evidence of church history. The testimony of history is that certain miraculous gifts ceased with the passing of the apostolic age. For example, the gift of tongues. In the first three centuries after the apostolic age there are but two references to this gift. There are accounts of individual speaking in ecstatic utterances, but not of believers displaying the New Testament gift of tongues (i.e. the supernatural ability to speak in another language without having previously studied that language).

5. The evidence of the nature and purpose of the temporary gifts. For example, the gift of tongues was given as a sign to unbelieving Israel (1 Cor. 14:20-22) before God’s judgment upon the nation in 71 A.D.

Conclusion

God never changes, though His methods of communicating with men do. Some of His methods were temporary—they ended as abruptly as they started. But this in no way limits God from performing miracles in the church today, including those exercised in the form of gifts in the first century, for nothing is impossible with God (Lk. 1:37). In reality all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and supernatural in nature. As believers today we would be wise to concentrate on discovering which of the permanent gifts God has given unto us, and then faithfully developing and exercising those gifts in our daily service for the Lord.

- Approved by the Board of Elders January 14, 1993.