Pastoral Resources

As the Union Pacific Railroad was being constructed, an elaborate trestle bridge was built across a large canyon in the West. Wanting to test the bridge, the builder loaded a train with enough extra cars and equipment to double its normal payload. The train was then driven to the middle of the bridge, where it stayed an entire day. One worker asked, “Are you trying to break this bridge?” “No,” the builder replied, “I’m trying to prove that the bridge won’t break.” In the same way, the temptations Jesus faced weren’t designed to see if He would sin, but to prove that He couldn’t.

Suffering from terminal spinal cancer at the age or 47, former North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano spoke with a reporter earlier this year. He looked back on his life and told a story about himself as a 23-year-old coach of a small college team. “Why is winning so important to you?” the players asked Valvano.

“Because the final score defines you,” he said, “You lose, ergo, you’re a loser. You win, ergo, you’re a winner.”

“No,” the players insisted. “Participation is what matters. Trying your best, regardless of whether you win or lose—that’s what defines you.”

It took 24 more years of living. It took the coach bolting up from the mattress three or four times a night with his T-shirt soaked with sweat and his teeth rattling from the fever chill of chemotherapy and the terror of seeing himself die repeatedly in his dreams. It took all that for him to say it: “Those kids were right. It’s effort, not result. It’s trying. God, what a great human being I could have been if I’d had this awareness back then.”

A former park ranger at Yellowstone National Park tells the story of a ranger leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he switched it off. Nearing the tower, the ranger was met by a nearly breathless lookout, who asked why he hadn’t responded to the messages on his radio. A grizzly bear had been seen stalking the group, and the authorities were trying to warn them of the danger.

Any time we tune out the messages God has sent us, we put at peril not only ourselves, but also those around us. How important it is that we never turn off God’s saving communication!

"He hath done all things well" (Mar 7:37).

Some Bible verses are like lanterns. They were made for dark places and dark hours. Did you ever hear about the little girl in the train? She couldn't understand why the trainman was going through the car lighting the lamps. She said, "Mother, it is the middle of the day and the sun is shining, why is he turning on those lights?" The mother smiled, and said, "Wait a bit and you'll see what the lights are for." In a moment or two the train plunged into a long, dark tunnel, and then the little girl saw the wisdom of the lamplighting process.

Dear friend, that Bible of yours contains thousands of verses that seem very ordinary and unnecessary. You can't see why God has gone to all the trouble of lighting those lamps of truth, but some day you're going into the tunnel of bereavement, or the tunnel of temptation, or the tunnel of suffering, and then you will value and appreciate the verses that appear to be commonplace today.

Nothing can stand in the way of a determined soul that obeys God. Helen Keller, deaf, dumb, and blind, joyously welcomed those who tunneled into her imprisoned soul by means of the single nerve of sensation in the palm of her hand, allowing her to conquer vast fields of knowledge. At 14 years of age, she received for a magazine article. How this ought to shame some of us who lie down lazily in front of obstacles, which a little pluck and self-denying exertion would carve into a stairway for higher achievement.

You can’t always go by expert opinion. A turkey, if you ask a turkey, should be stuffed with grasshoppers, grit and worms.

In Brazil, several Indians who had been refused an audience with then President Ernesto Geisel because they were not wearing ties told the press they would “insist that any government official visiting an Indian Village must wear a feathered headdress and body paint.”

When our children are small, we carry enormous responsibility for them. But as they grow, we must turn over to them, one by one, responsibilities that are rightly theirs. They may not carry them as well as we did, and they may even fail sometimes. But if they are to be our heirs, they're going to inherit adult responsibilities as well as adult privileges.

How much more acceptable it is for them if we allow them to inherit those responsibilities a little at a time, not dumping them on them all at once when they are out of our house for good! And how comforting if we strengthen them to carry those responsibilities, cheering them on with encouragement that's based in reality.

To act out the principle of turning prayers over to God, we took a paper bag, wrote “God” on it, and taped it up high on the back of our kitchen door. As I prayed about matters such as my career, my role as a father, my abilities to be a good husband, I would write down each concern on a piece of paper. Then those pieces of paper would go in the bag. The rule was that if you start worrying about a matter of prayer that you’ve turned over to God, you have to climb up on a chair and fish it out of the bag. I don’t want to admit how much time I spent sifting through those scraps of paper.

Commercials are very interesting. We have been able to calculate that the average kid will see about 750,000 of them between the ages of six and 18, which makes them about the most important source of instruction of our children in America today. They are 30 second teaching modules, and the messages they teach are really quite striking. First, they teach that all problems are resolvable. Second, they teach that all problems are resolvable fast. And third, that all problems are resolvable fast through the means of technology. Television commercials do not stress that problems have origins or roots. Problems just seem to strike, which is, of course, very well suited to TV because TV always communicates a sense of the now, of the immediate.

Have you consciously decided to expose your growing child to 18,000 murders? That is what the average young person will view on television by the time he or she graduates from high school. Your child will have spent approximately 12,000 hours in formal classroom learning but will have watched approximately 22,000 hours of television.

Those figures explain the results of a recent World Almanac poll of 2,000 eighth-grade boys in the United States. The poll asked them which people they wanted to be like when they grew up. Their leading role models were, in order, Burt Reynolds, Richard Pryor, Alan Alda, Steve Martin, Robert Redford, and the late John Belushi. Traditional names such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and other noted figures in American history were conspicuously absent from the published list. In fact, no one was named who was not an entertainer or a sports figure.

Whom do your children want to emulate and admire? Will they someday say, "Aw, come on," if you suggest that they should want to be like Jesus?

On the table side by side;

The Holy Bible and the TV Guide.

One is well worn but cherished with pride,

Not the Bible, but the TV Guide.

One is used daily to help folk decide,

No! It isn’t the Bible, it’s the TV Guide.

As pages are turned, what shall we see?

Oh, what does it matter, turn on the TV.

Then confusion reigns, they can’t all agree

On what they shall watch on the old TV.

So they open the book in which they confide

No, not the Bible, it’s the TV Guide.

The Word of God is seldom read,

Maybe a verse e’er they fall into bed.

Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be,

Not from reading the Bible; from watching TV.

So, then back to the table, side by side,

Is the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.

No time for prayer, no time for the Word;

The plan of salvation is seldom heard.

Forgiveness of sin so full and free

Is found in the Bible, not on TV!

The TV set is my shepherd.

My spiritual growth shall want.

It maketh me to sit down and do nothing for his name’s sake.

Because it requireth all of my spare time.

It keepeth me from doing my duty as a Christian,

because it presenteth so many good shows that I must see.

It restoreth my knowledge of the things

of the world and keepeth me from the study of God’s Word.

It leadeth me in the paths of failing to attend the evening worship services

and doing nothing in the kingdom of God.

Yea, though I live to be 100

I shall keep on viewing television as long as it will work,

for it is my closest companion.

Its sound and its picture,

they comfort me.

It presenteth entertainment before me

and keepeth me from doing important things with my family.

It fills my head with ideas which differ from those set forth in the word of God.

Surely, no good thing will come of my life,

because my television offereth me no good time to do the will of God;

thus I will dwell crownless in the house of the Lord forever.

Only 700 people—writers, producers and actors—produce 75% of all TV programming. According to a Lichter-Rothman survey, 86 percent never or seldom attend a church or synagogue; 84 percent say government should make no laws regarding sex; and 95 percent believe homosexuality is not wrong.

James Dobson cited a Cornell University study showing that fathers of preschool children on the average spend 37.7 seconds per day in real contact with their youngsters. In contrast, the study indicated that children watch television approximately 54 hours per week.

’Twas a sheep, not a lamb, that strayed away in the parable Jesus told. A grown-up sheep that had gone astray from the ninety and nine in the fold. Out on the hillside, out in the cold, ‘twas a sheep the Good Shepherd sought; And back to the flock, safe into the fold, ‘twas a sheep the Good Shepherd brought. And why for the sheep should we earnestly long and as earnestly hope and pray? Because there is danger, if they go wrong, they will lead the lambs astray. For the lambs will follow the sheep, you know, wherever the sheep may stray; When the sheep go wrong, it will not be long till the lambs are as wrong as they. And so with the sheep we earnestly plead, for the sake of the lambs today; If the sheep are lost, what terrible cost some of the lambs will have to pay!

Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house

Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.

Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care

In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,

Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.

And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap

Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.

With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray

I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head

It was Jesus returning just like He said

And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,

I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in his hand,

Was written the name of every saved man.

He spoke not a word as he searched for my name;

When He said, “It’s not here” my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love,

He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without a sound

While all the rest of us were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;

I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;

Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;

The coming of Jesus is drawing near.

There’s only one life and when comes the last call,

We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!

David Rice Atchison—Forget what the history books say. The 12th president of the United States was David Rice Atchison, a man so obscure that Chester A. Arthur seems a household word by comparison.

At exactly 12 noon on March 4, 1849, Zachary Taylor was scheduled to succeed James Polk as chief executive. But March 4 was a Sunday; and Taylor, a devout old general, refused to take the oath of office on the Sabbath. Thus, under the Succession Act of 1792, Missouri Senator Atchison, as President ProTempore of the Senate, automatically became President.

Atchison was said to have taken the responsibilities of his office very much in stride. Tongue in cheek, he appointed a number of his cronies to high cabinet positions, then had a few drinks, and went to bed to sleep out the remainder of his brief administration. On Monday at noon Taylor took over the reins, but the nation can look back fondly on the Atchison presidency as a peaceful one, untainted by even a hint of corruption.

In a survey by the American Sociological Review, working women said they talk with their husbands an average of 12 minutes each day.

A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim.

1. God’s presence—“I will never leave thee” (Heb. 13:5)

2. God’s protection—“I am thy shield” (Gen. 15:1)

3. God’s power—“I will strengthen thee” (Isa. 41:10)

4. God’s provision—“I will help thee” (Isa. 41:10)

5. God’s leading—“And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them” (John 10:4)

6. God’s purposes—“I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil” (Jer. 20:11)

7. God’s rest—“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)

8. God’s cleansing—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

9. God’s goodness—“No good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly” (Psalm 84:11)

10. God’s faithfulness—“The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake” (1 Sam. 12:22)

11. God’s guidance—“The meek will He guide” (Psalm 25:9)

12. God’s wise plan—“All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28)

1. Never both be angry at once.

2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.

3. Remember that it takes two to make an argument. The one who is wrong is the one who will be doing most of the talking.

4. Yield to the wishes of the other—as an exercise in self-discipline, if you can’t think of a better reason.

5. you have a choice between making yourself or your mate look good—choose your mate.

6. If you feel you must criticize, do so lovingly.

7. Never bring up a mistake of the past.

8. Neglect the whole world rather than each other.

9. Never let the day end without saying at least one complimentary thing to your life partner.

10. Never meet without an affectionate greeting.

11. When you’ve made a mistake, talk it out and ask for forgiveness.

12. Never go to bed mad.

In the operating room of a large hospital, a young nurse was completing her first full day of responsibilities. “You’ve only removed 11 sponges, doctor,” she said to the surgeon. “We used 12.”

“I removed them all,” the doctor declared. “We’ll close the incision now.”

“No,” the nurse objected. “We used 12 sponges.”

“I’ll take full responsibility,” the surgeon said grimly. “Suture!”

“You can’t do that!” blazed the nurse. “Think of the patient.”

The surgeon smiled, lifted his foot, and showed the nurse the 12th sponge. “You’ll do,” he said.

Abraham’s faith was tested at least twelve specific times. Some of them were not what we might call big tests, but together they establish a picture of Abraham as a person whose faith was genuine. After the last of these, God said, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (Genesis 22:12). Each of Abraham’s tests can have applications for us:

(1) Genesis 12:1-7

Test: Abraham left Ur and Haran for an unknown destination at God’s direction.

Application: Do I trust God with my future? Is his will part of my decision making?

(2) Genesis 13:8-13

Test: Abraham directed a peaceful separation from Lot and settled at the oaks of Mamre.

Application: Do I trust God with my interests even when I seem to be receiving an unfair settlement?

(3) Genesis 14:13-18

Test: Abraham rescued Lot from the five kings.

Application: Does my faithfulness to others bear witness to my trust in God’s faithfulness?

(4) Genesis 14:17-24

Test: Abraham gave a tithe of loot to the godly king of Salem, Melchizedek, and refused the gift of the king of Sodom.

Application: Am I watchful in my dealings with people that I give proper honor to God and refuse to receive honor that belongs to him?

(5) Genesis 15:1-6

Test: Abraham trusted God’s promise that he would have a son.

Application: How often do I consciously reaffirm my trust in God’s promises?

(6) Genesis 15:7-11

Test: Abraham received the promised land by faith, though the fulfillment would not come for many generations.

Application: How have I demonstrated my continued trust in God during those times when I have been required to wait?

(7) Genesis 17:9-27

Test: At God’s command, Abraham circumcised every male in his family.

Application: In what occasions in my life have I acted simply in obedience to God, and not because I understood the significance of what I was doing?

(8) Genesis 18:1-8

Test: Abraham welcomed strangers, who turned out to be angels.

Application: When was the last time I practiced hospitality?

(9) Genesis 18:22-33

Test: Abraham prayed for Sodom.

Application: Am I eager to see people punished, or do I care for people in spite of their sinfulness?

(10) Genesis 20:1-17

Test: Abraham admitted to wrongdoing and took the actions needed to set things right.

Application: When I sin, is my tendency to cover up, or confess? Do I practice the truth that an apology must sometimes be accompanied by restitution?

(11) Genesis 21:22-34

Test: Abraham negotiated a treaty with Abimelech concerning a well.

Application: Can people depend on my words and promises?

(12) Genesis 22:1-12

Test: Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Application: In what ways has my life demonstrated that I will not allow anything to come before God?

This is an eye opener; probably we never thought about it nor looked at this Psalm in this way, even though we say it over and over again.

The Lord is my Shepherd — that's Relationship!
I shall not want — that's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures — that's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters — that's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul — that's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness — that's Guidance!
For His name sake — that's Purpose!
Yea, though I walkthrough the valley of the shadow of death — that's Testing!
I will fear no evil — that's Protection!
For Thou art with me — that's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me — that's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies — that’s Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil – that’s Consecration!
My cup runneth over – that’s Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life – that’s Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord – that’s Security!
Forever – that’s Eternity! barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to me."

My father would not have been particularly interested in a book about fathering, although he did like to read. One day when he was reading in the living room, my brother and I decided we could play basketball without breaking anything. When I took a shot that redesigned the glass table, my mother came in with a stick and said, “So help me, I’ll bust you in half.” Without lifting his head from his book, my father said, “Why would you want twice as many?” - Bill Cosby

My father would not have been particularly interested in a book about fathering, although he did like to read. One day when he was reading in the living room, my brother and I decided that we could play basketball without breaking anything. When I took a shot that redesigned the glass table, my mother came in with a stick and said, “So help me, I’ll bust you in half.” Without lifting his head from his book, my father said, “Why would you want twice as many?”

Two boys who were twins, one an incurable optimist, one a pessimist. The parents were worried about the extremes of behavior and attitude and finally took the boys in to see a psychologist. The psychologist observed them a while and then said that they could be easily helped. He said that they had a room filled with all the toys a boy could want. They would put the pessimist in that room and allow him to enjoy life. They also had another room that they filled with horse manure. They put the optimist in that room. They observed both boys through one way mirrors. The pessimist continued to be a pessimist, stating that he had no one to play with. They went to look in on the optimist, and were astounded to find him digging through the manure. The psychologist ran into the room and asked what on earth the boy was doing. He replied that with all that manure, he was sure there had to be a pony in the room somewhere.

I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed. She will be thus from now on. The surgeon had followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh; I promise you that. Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek, I had to cut the little nerve. Her young husband is in the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private. Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry mouth I have made, who gaze at and touch each other so generously, greedily? The young woman speaks. “Will my mouth always be like this?” she asks.

“Yes,” I say, “it will. It is because the nerve was cut.”

She nods and is silent. But the young man smiles. “I like it,” he says, “It is kind of cute.” All at once I know who he is. I understand and I lower my gaze. One is not bold in an encounter with a god. Unmindful, he bends to kiss her crooked mouth and I am so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works.

Edwin Robinson became blind and deaf after a truck accident. Nine years later he was struck by lightning and within hours his vision and hearing were restored.

Two apples up in a tree were looking down on the world. The first apple said, “Look at all those people fighting, robbing, rioting—no one seems willing to get along with his fellow man. Someday we apples will be the only ones left. Then we’ll rule the world.”

Replied the second apple, “Which of us—the reds or the greens?”

Two hunters came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the hunter in the cave came rushing out, almost ran into the waiting bear, hesitated, and then dashed back in again. The same thing happened a second time. When he emerged for the third time, his companion in the tree frantically called out, “Woody, are you crazy? Stay in the cave till he leaves!” “Can’t,” panted Woody, “there’s another bear in there.”

Rabbi David A. Nelson likes to tell the story of two brothers who went to their rabbi to settle a longstanding feud. The rabbi got the two to reconcile their differences and shake hands. As they were about to leave, he asked each one to make a wish for the other in honor of the Jewish New Year.

The first brother turned to the other and said, “I wish you what you wish me.”

At that, the second brother threw up his hands and said, “See, Rabbi, he’s starting up again!”

A sidewalk interviewer asked a retired man what he thought of the two candidates for an election.

“When I look at them,” the retired man replied, “I’m thankful only one of them can get elected.”

Three men were arguing over which profession was the oldest. Said the surgeon: “The Bible says Eve was made by carving a rib out of Adam. I guess that makes mine the oldest profession.”

“Not at all,” said the engineer. “In six days the earth was created out of chaos—and that was an engineer’s job.”

Said the politician: “Yes, but who created the chaos?”

After giving what he considered a stirring, fact-filled campaign speech, the candidate looked out at this audience and confidently asked, “Now are there any questions?”

“Yes,” came a voice from the back of the room. “Who else is running?”

Dr. Albert Schweitzer one evening at his hospital in Africa announced, “As you all know there are only two cars in a 75-mile radius. Today the inevitable happened. We will soon be working on the injured. If anyone wishes to work on the machines, he may.”

Men fall into two categories:

1. “Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous” (2 Tim 3:2); or

2. “Men of truth, hating covetousness” (Ex 18:21). With Achan (Joshua 7) coveting began with his eyes (“When I saw”), went deeply into his mind and heart (“then I coveted them”), and ended up in his hands (“took them”). The end result was death.

Comparative expressions used for the two classes of mankind:

1. Sinners, saints

2. Wicked, righteous

3. Unbelievers, believers

4. Reprobates, heirs

5. Enemies, friends of God

6. Foolish, wise

7. Tares, wheat

8. Ungodly, godly

9. Wicked, righteous,

10. Children of the world, children of the kingdom

11. Those who live after the flesh, those who are led by the Spirit

As someone has said, "There are two dogs within us; one is white and one is black, and they both try to bark through the same mouth, and the result is confusion." Our blessing of God is consequently not clear-cut and it offends those who hear it rather than attracting them to the God whom we seem to bless.

The story is told of two ducks and a frog who lived happily together in a farm pond. The best of friends, the three would amuse themselves and play together in their waterhole. When the hot summer days came, however, the pond began to dry up, and soon it was evident they would have to move. This was no problem for the ducks, who could easily fly to another pond. But the frog was stuck. So it was decided that they would put a stick in the bill of each duck that the frog could hang onto with his mouth as they flew to another pond.

The plan worked well—so well, in fact, that as they were flying along a farmer looked up in admiration and mused, “Well, isn’t that a clever idea! I wonder who thought of it?”

The frog said, “I did…”

The new minister’s sermons were so dull that the congregation voted to give him his notice. “May I have one more chance?” he pleaded. “If you’re not satisfied with my sermon next Sunday, I’ll leave.”

To everyone’s surprise, the following Sunday’s sermon was interesting and inspiring. The congregation not only voted to retain the pastor but to increase his salary. A church leader said to him: “That was the finest sermon I ever heard. But there’s one thing I couldn’t figure out. Just as you were about to speak, you raised two fingers of your right hand. Was there a significance to that gesture?”

“Yes,” replied the minister. “Those were the quotation marks.”

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl;

The one was wise, and a cheery soul.

The other one took a gloomy view

And bade his friend a sad adieu.

Said the other frog with a merry grin,

“I can’t get out, but I won’t give in;

I’ll swim around till my strength is spent,

Then I will die the more content.”

And as he swam, though ever it seemed,

His struggling began to churn the cream

Until on top of pure butter he stopped,

And out of the bowl he quickly hopped.

The moral, you ask? Oh, it’s easily found!

If you can’t get out, keep swimming around.

Two golfers stepped up to the first tee on the St. Andrews course at Ardsley, New York, one of America’s oldest courses. The elder one was a kindly man who played a thoughtful, deliberate game. The younger man was full of pride and impatience. On the first hole he sliced, lost his ball in the tall grass, shot another one, and had a score of eight instead of four or five. On the second tee he began to lecture the caddie: “Keep your eye peeled. I’m not here to do your job for you!” Thereafter, every bad shot was the caddie’s fault! At the end of the first nine holes, the young man was so enraged that he discharged the caddie and carried his own bag. “That caddie doesn’t like me,” he said to his companion, “ and I’m **** sure I don’t like him. He made me nervous. Thank God he’s gone!”

After several holes had been played without a word, the older player broke the silence: “Several years ago a little kid from Yonkers came up here and was taken on as a caddie. He was a wonderfully sweet-natured boy; quick-witted, willing, and had a nose for golf. Everybody liked him. His name was William; he had a club foot. But that didn’t affect his quality as a caddie. It was a pleasure to go out with him. A certain famous doctor, a member of the club, became interested in William and took him South on a long trip. When William returned, he went back to caddying. The doctor, however, had to give up golf shortly after that because of his health. He died a few months later. One morning I was playing a round with William carrying my bag. Spring was running riot all over Westchester County and the fields and hedges were alive with blossoms. William gathered flowers until he had quite a bouquet. ‘Who’s the girl, William?’ I asked. ‘I haven’t any girl, sir,’ he said sheepishly. ‘They’re for my friend, the doctor—twice a week I take flowers to his grave.’ “You see,” the man went on, “the doctor took him down South that winter and operated on his foot. He made the boy whole again. And William never forgot the doctor’s act of kindness.”

“Now that’s a caddie worth having,” the younger man said. “What ever happened to this William?”

“He carried your bag today for the first nine holes.”

Someone asked Augustine where God was before the heavens were created. Augustine replied, "He was in Himself." He is indeed that only self-contained Being; for He is the only Infinite One. And when Luther was asked the same question, he answered, "He was creating hell for idle, proud, and inquisitive spirits like you."

If you are grateful, say so! Thanksgiving is only half said until you have done something to show your thankfulness.

A missionary to India was traveling through a city and stopped to speak to a man beside the road. He talked with the man for a time about Jesus. Then, having to travel on, he gave him a few pages of the Bible in the man's language. The Indian read them and was thrilled to learn of Jesus.

To show his gratitude, the man measured the footprints left by the missionary, and made a pair of moccasins. He then traveled 200 miles to give them to the missionary as an expression of thanks.

The missionary's life was enriched by the gift, but the Indian man was much more enriched because he had expressed his thanks.

Have you ever tried to give 200 miles of thanks?

Try it-you will be a better person because of it.

An amusing news story from Wales told of a feud in a church looking for a new pastor. It read: “Yesterday the two opposition groups both sent ministers to the pulpit. Both spoke simultaneously, each trying to shout above the other. Both called for hymns, and the congregation sang two—each side trying to drown out the other. Then the groups began shouting at each other. Bibles were raised in anger. The Sunday morning service turned into a bedlam. Through it all, the two preachers continued trying to out shout each other with their sermons.

Eventually a deacon called a policeman. Two came in and began shouting for the congregation to be quiet. They advised the forty persons in the church to return home. The rivals filed out, still arguing. Last night one of the group called a “let’s-be-friends” meeting. It broke up in argument.

The item was headlined, “Hallelujah! Two Jacks in One Pulpit.” It could have been bannered, “Two Factions in One Fellowship.”

1. Experiential (Phil 4:7)—day by day experience of the believer, can be forfeited.

2. Judicial (Rom 5:1)—The war with God is over.

A person can experience 2) and not 1). Example of WWII Japanese who hid for years in jungles, long after peace was established between the warring nations.

My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there.

When Abraham Lincoln had to write a letter to someone who had irritated him, he would often write two letters. The first letter was deliberately insulting. Then, having gotten those feelings out of his system, he would tear it up and write a second letter, this one tactful and discreet.

A woman who came to know Christ as her Savior returned home full of joy-the unique gladness that overflows the heart of a repentant sinner. After a few weeks, she expressed a desire to leave the community in which she lived because it was so sinful. When her pastor heard this, he said with some severity, "How would you like it if the city removed all the lights from the dirty, dangerous streets and left lights only in the good neighborhoods where no crimes are committed? Didn't Christ say, 'Ye are the light of the world'?" (Mat 5:14). The woman accepted the rebuke, and some time later said to her pastor, "Now there are two lights that shine in our street." She had led a soul to Christ.

A doctor wrote a letter of thanks to a schoolteacher for having given him so much encouragement when he had been in her class 30 years before. He later received this reply: "I want you to know what your note meant to me. I am an old lady in my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely, and seeming like the last leaf on the tree. You will be interested to know that I taught school for 50 years, and yours is the first letter of appreciation I have ever received. It came on a cold, blue morning and cheered my lonely old heart as nothing has cheered me in many years."

One day, two monks were walking through the countryside. They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops. As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river. She was upset because there was no bridge, and she could not get across on her own.

The first monk kindly offered, “We will carry you across if you would like.”

“Thank you,” she said gratefully, accepting their help.

So the two men joined hands, lifted her between them and carried her across the river. When they got to the other side, they set her down, and she went on her way.

After they had walked another mile or so, the second monk began to complain. “Look at my clothes,” he said. “They are filthy from carrying that woman across the river. And my back still hurts from lifting her. I can feel it getting stiff.” The first monk just smiled and nodded his head.

A few more miles up the road, the second monk griped again, “My back is hurting me so badly, and it is all because we had to carry that silly woman across the river! I cannot go any farther because of the pain.”

The first monk looked down at his partner, now lying on the ground, moaning.

“Have you wondered why I am not complaining?” he asked.

“Your back hurts because you are still carrying the woman. But I set her down five miles ago.”

That is what many of us are like in dealing with our families. We are that second monk who cannot let go. We hold the pain of the past over our loved ones’ heads like a club, or we remind them every once in a while, when we want to get the upper hand, of the burden we still carry because of something they did years ago.

You can see them alongside the shuffleboard courts in Florida or on the porches of the old folks’ homes up north: an old man with snow-white hair, a little hard of hearing, reading the newspaper through a magnifying glass; an old woman in a shapeless dress, her knuckles gnarled by arthritis, wearing sandals to ease her aching arches. They are holding hands, and in a little while they will totter off to take a nap, and then she will cook supper, not a very good supper and they will watch television, each knowing exactly what the other is thinking, until it is time for bed. They may even have a good, soul-stirring argument, just to prove that they still really care. And through the night they will snore unabashedly, each resting contently because the other is there.

They are in love, they have always been in love, although sometimes they would have denied it. And because they have been in love they have survived everything that life could throw at them, even their own failures.

An English born preacher (Edwin Fesche, now of Baltimore) taught this writer years ago that to be a valid ordinance of the Christian church, an observance had to be three things:

1. Instituted by Christ Himself

2. Practiced in the Acts of the Apostles

3. Explained in the Epistles of the N. T.

Only two ordinances meet these three criteria: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other.

Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.

One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.

God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination.

Yet when the program takes priority over people, people often suffer.

How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain?

An old country preacher used to say: "There are two parts to the Gospel. The first part is believing it, and the second part is behaving it." The hearer only is the one who is satisfied with just believing without behaving. That is what James describes as dead faith (Jam 2:17).

A college-football coach was faced with the possibility that his star player might be declared academically ineligible, so he pleaded with the math professor not to flunk the kid. “Tell you what, coach,” said the professor, “I’ll ask him a question in your presence. If he gets it right, I’ll pass him.” The athlete was called in, and the prof asked, “What’s two and two?” “Four,” replied the player. Frantically the coach cried, “Give him another chance! Give him another chance!”

Joe Theismann enjoyed an illustrious 12-year career as quarterback of the Washington Redskins. He led the team to two Super Bowl appearances--winning in 1983 before losing the following year. When a leg injury forced him out of football in 1985, he was entrenched in the record books as Washington’s all-time leading passer. Still, the tail end of Theismann’s career taught him a bitter lesson: I got stagnant. I thought the team revolved around me. I should have known it was time to go when I didn’t care whether a pass hit Art Monk in the 8 or the 1 on his uniform. When we went back to the Super Bowl, my approach had changed. I was griping about the weather, my shoes, practice times, everything.

Today I wear my two rings--the winner’s ring from Super Bowl XVII and the loser’s ring from Super Bowl XVIII. The difference in those two rings lies in applying oneself and not accepting anything but the best.

Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other's business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival.

One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, "I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?"

The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!"

One sign of jealousy is when it's easier to show sympathy and "weep with those who weep" than it is to exhibit joy and "rejoice with those who rejoice."

During his days as guest lecturer at Calvin Seminary, R. B. Kuiper once used the following illustration of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.

“I liken them to two ropes going through two holes in the ceiling and over a pulley above. If I wish to support myself by them, I must cling to them both. If I cling only to one and not the other, I go down.

“I read the many teachings of the Bible regarding God’s election, predestination, his chosen, and so on. I read also the many teachings regarding ‘whosoever will may come’ and urging people to exercise their responsibility as human beings. These seeming contradictions cannot be reconciled by the puny human mind. With childlike faith, I cling to both ropes, fully confident that in eternity I will see that both strands of truth are, after all, of one piece.”

Imagine that you are out in the middle of a lake and there are two rowboats and you are standing with one foot in each boat. One boat, however, is filled with holes and is sinking fast. It is obvious that unless you do something you will soon be in the lake. The boat with the holes represents ourselves with all of the leaks caused by sin. The boat without holes represents Christ. It should be obvious that with one foot in each boat we shall end up in the same place that we would have ended up in we had had both feet in the boat marked “self.” The only safe place to be is to have both feet firmly planted in the boat marked Christ.

Or to change the picture, suppose that you were trying to cross from one cliff to another one which is a hundred feet away. It is five thousand feet down to the rocks below. You have, however, a one inch thick piece of rope which is capable of holding up several tons. There is a difficulty though, for you have only fifty feet or rope. I say, “Do not worry! I have fifty feet of thread. We can tie my thread to your rope and then tie that to trees on either cliff and then you can go across.” You decline my offer and I respond, “What is the matter? Do you not trust the rope?” “Yes,” you say, “I trust the rope but I do not trust the thread.” Then let’s change the story and make it ninety feet of rope and only ten feet of thread. You’re still not comfortable. Then suppose we make it ninety-nine feet of rope and only one foot of thread. One inch of thread? You see, if you have one inch of thread, you will be just as dead on the rocks below as if you tried to cross on a hundred feet of thread. The rope obviously represents what Christ has done and the thread represents what we have done. We must trust in Christ alone. As Charles Spurgeon put it, “If we have to put one stitch into the garment of our salvation, we shall ruin the whole thing.”

Any argument has two sides, and they’re usually married to each other.

One of the changes that came with the rise to power of Oliver Cromwell in 17th-century England was the nation’s coinage. New coins were struck with the engraving “God with Us” on one side, and on the reverse “The Republic of England.”

One old nobleman, a royalist and anti-Puritan to the core, saw the coins and commented: “Quite proper that God and the republic should be on different sides.”

Someone once remarked, "There are two sides to every question-my side and the wrong side." An illustration of this concerns an argument that arose between two young chaplains of different denominations. The senior chaplain said, "Let's bury the hatchet, my brother. After all, we are both doing the Lord's work, aren't we?" "We certainly are," said the junior chaplain, quite disarmed. "Let us do it, then, to the best of our ability, you in your way, and I in His." I'm afraid too many of us are inclined to think our ways are the Lord's ways, and the ways of other fellow Christians fall short of that standard.

World War II was at its height. Forces were engaged in what was known as, “The Battle of the Bulge” -- or “The Christmas War of 1944.” The fighting was fierce in the bitter cold and snow.

The Allied Forces bombed and established control of a strategic area. The commanding officer turned to several of his men and said, “Sweep across that field, and kill all German soldiers still entrenched in the snow. I want no prisoners. Absolutely none!”

One of the American soldiers selected gives his account of what happened next. “As I walked, I immediately shot and killed two wounded and suffering soldiers.” He continues, “Then, suddenly I approached a tall, young guy with a broad Teutonic forehead. He was leaning against a tree. He wasn’t wounded -- simply exhausted. He had no food, no water, no comrades in sight, no ammunition. Fear, fatigue, defeat, and loneliness overwhelmed him. He spoke English with a beautiful vonderful-vorld-type accent.”

“When I noticed a little black Bible in his shirt pocket,” he reminisces, “we started to talk about Jesus and salvation. “Wouldn’t you know it, that lanky German soldier turned out to be a born-again Christian who deeply loved the Lord. “I gave him water from my canteen; I even gave him crackers. Then, we prayed and read God’s Word together. And we wept together too.” His voice began to tremble, as tears splashed down his cheeks. His face began to reflect anguish.

“It seems like only yesterday. We stood a foot or so apart, as he read a Psalm from his German Bible. Then, I read Romans 12 from my King James translation. He showed me a black-and-white picture of his wife and daughter.”

The soldier took a deep breath. “You see, in those days, I was a young man in my early twenties. I had just graduated from a Christian college in Illinois and hadn’t had time to sort out my thoughts on the war.

“Maybe that’s why I did what I did.” I bid my German brother farewell, took several steps away, then returned to the soldier. Romans 13, the ‘thou shalt not kill’ commandment, the promises of eternal life, the Prince of Peace, the Sunday school distinction between killing and murder, the irrationality of war -- all swirled in my mind

“When the German soldier saw me returning, he bowed his head and closed his eyes in that classic prayer posture.

“Then it happened. I said three crisp sentences that I still repeat once or twice a week when I have nightmares about the war, ‘You’re a Christian. I am too. See you later.’ “In less than a second, I transformed that defenseless Christian soldier into a corpse.”

Sometimes there are effects of our influence that we may never know. G. Brook Adams kept a diary from his boyhood. One special day when he was eight years old, he wrote in his diary, "Went fishing with my father; the most glorious day of my life." Throughout the next 40 years of his life he never forgot that day he went fishing with his father, he made repeated references to it in his diary, commenting on the influence of that day on his life.

Brook's father was an important man; he was Charles Francis Adams, the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain under the Lincoln administration. Interestingly, he too made a note in his diary about the fishing trip. He wrote simply, "Went fishing with my son; a day wasted."

Of course the day was not wasted; its value may well have proved to make it one of the most well-spent days in his life. No one can measure the influence of a man on his children, and that is all the more reason to take the job and its responsibilities seriously.

Someone has written, "last night my little boy confessed to me some childish wrong; and kneeling at my knee, he prayed with tears, 'O Lord, make me a man like Daddy-wise and strong. I know you can.'Then while he slept, I knelt beside his bed, confessed my sins and prayed with low-bowed head, 'O God, make me a child like my child here; pure, guileless, trusting thee with faith sincere.'"

What kind of a father are you?

A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.

There are two ways of being united—one is by being frozen together, and the other is by being melted together. What Christians need is to be united in brotherly love, and then they may expect to have power.

One is to accumulate more and more

The other is to desire less.

Once there were two women who never knew each other.

One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first gave you life and the second taught you to live in it.

The first gave you a need for love and the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name,

One gave you the seed of a talent the other gave you an aim.

One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears.

One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.

One gave you up--it was all that she could do.

The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me through your tears, the age old questions through the years,

Heredity or Environment--which are you the product of?

Neither my darling-neither; just two different kinds of love.

William Tyndale, first translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English, making a Bible for the common people. In 1535 he was betrayed by a friend, taken prisoner to the castle of Vilford, and continued to work on his translation. He was unable to finish his work because he was sentenced to die a heretic’s death: strangulation and burning at the stake. On October 6, 1536 he cried out his last words, “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes!” and then he died. His prayer was answered within a year.

October 6, 1998 marks 462 years since another Christian was burned at the stake for his translation and distribution of the English Bible.

William Tyndale was a highly educated man fluent in several languages, including Greek and Hebrew. He had been hired as a tutor for the children of Sir John Walsh at Little Sodbury Manor. During his free time, Tyndale would gaze out into the fields below the manor and observe the ploughboys diligently working in the fields.

The ploughmen represented the uneducated and superstitious people of England. No one really cared about the ploughmen. They were destined for a life of ignorance, imprisoned within their own village.

The scholars had their Latin Bible, and the Erasmus Greek New Testament had recently been completed, but these were of little use to a poor country farmer. Redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ awaited the ploughman. The message of salvation seemed foreign to their existence, and in fact it was, until a man named William Tyndale decided to compile the “Words of Life” in English—the language of the ploughboy!

Tyndale had to hide in Europe under an assumed name to complete his translation.

In 1526, Tyndale’s English New Testament began trickling into England. The Scriptures, now referred to as the “pirate edition,” were printed smaller than conventional books. This made them easier to smuggle in bales of cotton and containers of wheat being shipped into England.

As the “quiet” distribution of Tyndale’s New Testaments continued, it was inevitable that some would fall into the hands of the “enemy.” Upon discovery of Tyndale’s work, officials began buying up as many of the English New Testaments as possible. William Tyndale was publicly denounced and accused of printing over 3,000 errors within his translations. The confiscated Scriptures were then thrown into the fire.

Hearing of the action, Tyndale replied, “In burning the New Testament they did none other thing than I looked for; no more shall they do if they burn me also, if it be God’s will it shall be so. Nevertheless, in translating the New Testament I did my duty....”

Within a decade, Tyndale’s New Testament was widely distributed throughout England. Although the translator’s vision of the ploughboy’s Bible had come to pass, persecution of those caught with this “illegal” book was severe. The prisons were overflowing, hundreds of New Testaments were burned, and believers were even publicly burned at the stake with Tyndale’s New Testament fastened around their necks.

William Tyndale, through his translation and distribution of the English New Testament, became responsible for a wave of severe persecution. Thousands of Christians were executed. Two of Tyndale’s close friends, Little Bilney and Richard Bayfield, were burned at the stake. Weekly, reports would come to Tyndale, who remained in exile in Europe and continued his distribution of the Word of God and translation of the Old Testament.

The persecutions were no longer targeted at the ploughboy. Every man, woman, or child, educated or not, was at risk if they dared possess Tyndale’s New Testament. Even church officials, once persecutors, became martyrs after finding truth in Tyndale’s work. Thomas Moore arrested everyone he could lay his hands upon if he suspected them of holding the new views or possessing the heretical books.

In the spring of 1535, a man named Henry Phillips arrived in Antwerp, where Tyndale had been hiding. Having learned of the failure to arrest Tyndale, Phillips took it upon himself to betray Tyndale in hopes of gaining notoriety and financial reward.

By the end of May, Henry Phillips had made contact with Tyndale and obtained his confidence, noting that Tyndale was “simple and inexpert in the wily subtleties of this world.” Before Tyndale knew what was taking place, Phillips set an ambush for his newfound friend and two English spies made the arrest.

Tyndale knew his mission was quickly coming to an end. He had chosen this path and was well aware of the consequences. His translation of the Old Testament is believed to have been completed during his 18 months in prison. His final words, as he was to be burned at the stake, reveal the heart of God’s martyr, refhttpusing to conform to man’s laws above God:

“Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.”

There are only two types of people in the world, Type A and Type Z. It isn’t hard to tell which type you are.

1. How long before the plane leaves do you arrive at the airport? Early plane-catchers, Type A, pack their bags a day in advance, and pack neatly. If they’re booked on a flight that leaves at four in the afternoon, they get up at five-thirty that morning. If they haven’t left the house by noon, they’re worried about missing the plane. Late plane-catchers, Type Z, pack hastily at the last minute and arrive at the airport too late to buy a newspaper.

2. Type A eats a good breakfast; Type Z grabs a cup of coffee.

3. Type A turns off the lights when leaving a room and lock the doors when leaving a house. They go back to make sure they’ve locked it, and they worry later about it whether they left the iron on or not. They didn’t. Type Z leaves the lights burning and, if they lock the door at all when they leave the house, they’re apt to have forgotten their keys.

4. Type A sees the dentist twice a year, has an annual physical checkup and thinks he may have something. Type Z has been meaning to see a doctor.

5. Type A squeezes a tube of toothpaste from the bottom and rolls it very carefully as he uses it, puts the top back on every time. Type Z squeezes the tube from the middle, and he’s lost the cap under the radiator.

6. Type Z’s are more apt to have some Type A characteristics than Type A’s are to have any Type Z characteristics.

7. Type A’s always marry Type Z’s. Type Z’s always marry Type A’s.

A type is a representation by one thing of another. Adam was a type of Christ (Rom. 5:14) and so was Isaac (Heb. 11:19). The Passover was a type of Christ (1 Cor. 5:7). There are many types in the Bible and most of them are too extensive and deep to be listed.

An example of a typology follows: Isaac a type of Jesus.

ISAAC

JESUS

Only begotten Son

Genesis 22:2

John 3:16

Offered on a mountain, hill

22:2

Matt. 21:10

Took donkey to place of sacrifice

22:3

Matt. 21:2-11

Two men went with him.

22:3

Mark 15:27; Luke 23:33

Three day journey. Jesus: three days in the grave

22:4

Luke 24:13-21

Son carried wood on his back up hill

22:6

John 19:17

God will provide for Himself the lamb

22:8

John 1:29

Son was offered on the wood

22:9

Luke 23:33

Ram in thicket of thorns

22:13

John 19:2

The seed will be multiplied

22:17

John 1:12; Is. 53:10

Abraham went down, Son didn’t, “not mentioned.”

22:19

Luke 23:46

Servant gets bride for son

24:1-4

Eph. 5:22-32; Rev. 21:2,9; 22:17

The bride was a beautiful virgin

24:16

2 Cor. 11:2

Servant offered ten gifts to bride*

24:10

Rom. 6:23; Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12

1. 42% ask for material things when they pray; of this group, 59% are evangelicals; 66% are black.

2. Meditative prayer increases with age: 45% of 18- to 24-year-olds pray meditatively; 70% of 65-year-olds do so.

3. Of those who say God exists, 70% pray daily, as do 10% of those who don’t believe in God.

I was not

I became

I am not

I care not