Praying Advent, Three Minute Reflections on Peace, Faithfulness, Joy, and Light (7x4 Daily Meditatio

PRAYING ADVENT THREE MINUTE REFLECTIONS ON PEACE, FAITHFULNESS, JOY, AND. LIGHT 7X4 A MEDITATION A DAY FOR A MONTH. New City.
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H ere all his abilities converged, declares Dr. He was most at hom e as he stood before a congregation and proclaim ed the everlasting gospel of the Christ he loved so m uch. In evaluating the preaching style of Dr. Reed, one is reminded of Ian M acp herson s statement in The Burden of the Lord Abingdon Press when he very vividly decries the practice of attempting to be clever for the sake of popularity. Reed w ould heartily agree with him as he writes: What a tragedy when the preacher licks the boots of the philosopher and gets kicked by him for his pains!

Such, it must be owned, is the fault and fate of many nowadays. Cleverness, in some quarters, has com e to be m ore highly rated than holiness, and intellectual brilliance than humble devotion to Christ. R eed s preaching was Christcentered, as it was also Bible-centered, and yet it went directly at the heart of the needs of his listeners. Perhaps one reason this can be said is that he had a unique degree of love and understanding for others which was born of his own suffering. He fought physical disease for many years.

Reed, reveals that for more than thirty-one years he suffered from a diabetic condition which placed a terrific strain upon his vitality. A big heart and a warm soul resulted from his attitude of patience and submission to G od s w ill in his ow n physical suffering. Ralph Earle, his colleague on the seminary staff, said soon after his death, I feel certain that if Dr. Reed could speak to us today, he w ould say, Carry on!

Finish the J ob! To this writer, those words seem especially significant as we add the name of Louis A. Reed, pastor, scholar, teacher, counselor, and preacher, to the Holiness Hall of Fame. L e i s u r e D on t expect to be paid two dollars an hour for your working hours when you use your leisure hours as though they w ere worth five cents a dozen. D o h e r t y, quoted in Grace Pulpit. October, 9. John W esley, writing in his Journal, tells of his m other s last hours on earth. From three to four the silver cord was loosing, and the wheel breaking at the cistern; and then the soul was set at liberty.

W e stood round the bed and fulfilled her last request: Children, as soon as I am released, sing a psalm of praise to G od. Though usually less noble than that of Susannah W esley, request is not infrequently made of loved ones to rem em ber the deceased by some act of memorial. It is infrequent, h ow ever, for that request to include the habitual and regular perform ance of that act.

W e are urged never to forget but rarely to observe an established rite. There must have been some extraordinary purpose, then, when Jesus gave this com mandment to His bewildered disciples, This do ye The ritual the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine was certainly meant to be an aid to the w eary pilgrim, a com fort to the com fortless, a refreshing spiritual feast to the famished, and an appropriate place for a man to examine himself before God. But what, specifically, are we called upon to rem em ber? W ould it seem a strange thing if I were to suggest that we are called first of all to simply rem em ber Christ?

For surely no one w ould ever forget that Man. Yet, in our hurrying, irrational world, even w e who are His own must sometimes plead guilty to an underestimation o f our Master. W e forget who He really is! He is still the m iracle-w orking Christ, He is still the soul-searching Christ, that He was when the Samaritan wom an met Him at the waterwell; the rich young ruler found Him to be the sinner-loving Christ, even as we may; the Christ, w ho b y seem ing chance had prepared a fine breakfast for hungry fishermen, is able also to provide for our personal and material needs; He wept no m ore for Jerusalem than He weeps today for m odern Sodom s and m odern prodigals; the friendly Christ w ho cuddled and caressed the little children would today befriend all friendless; our Jesus, w ho so readily forgave the repentant Peter, is today no less able and willing to forgive; the Christ whose greatest joy was to share His last Passover feast with His friends desires today, in like manner, the privilege of sharing a vital faith with all who will.

But above all, He is the resurrected and living Christ. Pilgrim, in your The Preacher's Magazine. W hen sorrow once m ore overtakes you unawares, never forget that Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us. Under the withering discipline of pain, never forget that Christ knoweth our fram e. W hen disappointment, tragedy, death, or any one of a hundred contingencies breaks in upon you like a tidal wave, never forget that our great Captain was tempted like as w e are, yet without sin.

Resurrected living and a D eliverer whose com ing again is imminent! Paul records these w ords of the Master, A s often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the L ord s death till he come. Perhaps even while w e eat and drink at this sacred table, He will appear before every eye and catch us away to a feast eternal, called the M arriage Supper of the Lamb.

Truett tells a moving story of the fam ed and beloved Queen Victoria. One day as she sat in the royal box listening to the chaplain preach of the significance of the com ing again of Jesus into the world, those nearby noticed that the stately lady was shaken with emotion, that her lips quivered and her eyes filled with tears. The service over, she asked to see the chaplain alone. U shered into her presence, he immediately beheld her great emotion and asked as to the reason.

O Sir, she said, what you said about the com ing again of the w orld s rightful king! The chaplain asked, W hy are you so m oved? Then England s queen replied, I wish I could be here when He com es, and with feeling indescribable and sublimely beautiful she continued, that I may lay this crow n at His blessed feet! N or voice can sing, nor heart can fram e, N or can the m em ry find A sw eeter sound than Thy blest name, O Saviour of mankind.

W e could, no doubt, exhaust our time extolling Jesus. But w e are called to rem em ber that, for all His majesty and beauty, we had displeased Him. H ow weak is that word, displeased! The truth is that we rebelled against Him. W e trampled roughshod over His blood and body with rarely a qualm o f conscience. The beautiful name of Jesus was besmirched by our conduct. With our lips and with our hearts we blasphem ed the Father of the Only B e gotten.

Knowing full w ell what we ought and ought not to do, we boldly and brassily disobeyed His com mandments. With the weight of the w orld s sin upon His shoulders, He suffered a broken heart because carelessness characterized our manner of living. A nd finally, the greatest historical indictment against human sinfulness, the Cross, was raised to tip Golgotha s brow! And twas our sins that rose to blot from earth the warming sun. Reared high before the gaping gangs of men was the sym bol of all that treachery and cunning devilishness could do.

And it stood there, hideous and ghastly, because w e you and I were sinners. It is a wonder to me that m ercy is still offered. The record against us is so bloody and bitter that we could never hope to atone for our own sins, let alone help anyone else. Let us rem em ber the Egypt from which we October, The drinking of the wine and the eating of the bread calls us to rem em ber not only that we had displeased Christ, but also what that displeasure cost Him. W e sing nostalgically, There is a green hill far away beyond the city wall, where our dear Lord was crucified, w ho died to save us all.

Surely that spot holds a blessed scene. But let us not lose sight of the events that preceded the clim b to Golgotha. Magnetically, we are lured toward heaven. N ow we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. To exchange rags for riches, sickness for eternal health, loneliness for perfect contentment, weariness for heavenly rest, mortality for immortality is our fondest dream. A dream that Jesus himself has promised will someday be reality to a far greater degree than we can now imagine! Now, however, it is the time to rem em ber that Christ one day left all of that to com e here as a Babe.

He forsook, in order to be a Redeem er, the very things for which we yearn. In every sense of the word, He became poor, that we through His poverty should be rich! Our hearts thrill us when in a quiet place the Father, through the H oly Spirit, comes to refresh our hearts and spirits. Scenes too sacred to share with angels take place between a loving Father and a trusting child. Pause now to rem em ber that Christ left even that to fulfill His mission.

It was God himself who was betrayed that awful night. It was God himself who prayed alone while His closest friends surrendered to their weariness. It was G od himself who suffered one of m an s most offensive indignities, that of being spit upon. Rem em ber that it was G od w ho low ered himself to be lashed and bruised b y m ocking ruffians.

Yet, because He was God, He opened not His mouth! But it was the cross horrible, ugly, bloody the awful cross that caused His greatest agony. W ell might the sun in darkness hide? A nd shut his glories in W hen Christ, the m ighty M aker, died F or man, the creature's, sin. Only the w icked could stand upright here! Only the unrepentant could gaze curiously at this scene! The rest of us will fall on our faces before this meeting place of love and sorrow. M y heart dissolves to see Thee bleed, This heart so hard b efore; 1 hear Thee for the guilty plead, A nd grief o erflow s the m ore.

Twas for the sinner Thou didst die, A n d I a sinner stand; W hat love speaks from Thy dying eye A nd from each pierced hand! But while we w eep contritely at the foot of the old rugged Cross, we hear another anthem. F ive bleeding wounds H e bears, R eceived on Calvary. They pour effectu al prayers, They strongly plead for me. Forgive him, oh, forgive, they cry, N or let that ransom ed sinner die.

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One. H e cannot turn away The presen ce of His Son. His spirit answers to the Blood A nd tells m e 1 am born of God. Not only is there forgiveness but there is com plete cleansing, that we may perfectly obey the command, Go thou and sin no m ore.

This is the blessed carol of the Cross. W e are called joyously to rem em ber that w e are redeem ed with as much com pleteness as the Cross itself is com plete. A s if that were not enough good news for one poor sinner, Jesus promises us more. Kindly, He sought to warn His disciples that there was bitter separation near. Soon the unbelievable was to happen and they w ould be alone. But listen to the additional w ord that passes quietly between these close friends.

I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in m y Father s kingdom.

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To be sure, it w ould be a new wine and a new place, but the day w ould com e when they w ould share again in this fellowship. Here is the prom ise of resurrection from the grave, glorification like unto His own glory, and final, eternal reunion with the Lord. What m ore could be asked or even imagined? Redem ption will be com plete in every sense of the w ord when the shades are lifted and we step into the light of an eternal day.

Som eday the silver cord will break, A nd I no m ore as now shall sing; But, oh, the joy when I shall wake W ithin the palace of the King! Som eday m y earthly house will fall, I cannot tell how soon twill be; B id this I know my A ll in All Has now a place in heaven for me. A nd I shall see Him face to face, A nd tell the story, Saved by grace. God grant that you and I may be among those who, having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb, may pass through the gates of pearl and enter the city; for then w e shall rest beneath the tree of life and know bliss unm ixed with blight, weal untouched by w oe foreverm ore.

I can endure the thorns of earth the better because I know their savagery is short, and that heaven is my hom e. These, then, are the things that we rem em ber when often w e do this deed. Happy are we, as sinners saved by grace, to approach this table today.

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W e are the humble guests of the great Host, Jesus Christ, and we eat this com m on meal because rem embrance has brought us close to heaven. I d e a s Ideas have m uch in com m on with rubber balls. The way they bounce depends on w here they start from the force with which they are thrown, dropped, tossed or pushed the character of the surface on w hich they hit; the texture of the ball or idea itself; the ambient tem perature in which the bounce takes place.

A ll these influence the bounce of a ball and the rebound of an idea. S h i d l e, editorial, SAE Journal.

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October, It appears in the N ovem ber 2, , issue of the Christian C entury1 and under the title Yes and N o. According to Ferre, in this book by Tillich, Biblical religion is given through a primitive personalism which does not present the true nature of ultimate reality. Ontology bridges the gap between the prim i tive personalism of the B ible and the mature understanding of the Being itself of ultimate reality.

Biblical religion affords man the right sym bolic apprehension of reality whereby we can find personal and social righteousness and salvation, while ontology makes available to man that deeper peace and joy which transcends all human thinking and as Being itself lies beyond human experience p. This is a rem arkable book by Tillich, and F erre s review is unusual.

I can t here present much of the content of it as it is outlined by Ferre. Suffice it to say that Ferre does not believe that it stands for classical, or supernatural, Christianity. N evertheless, he is sure that Tillich is neither a reductionistic naturalist nor a humanist. He does think, how ever, that Reprinted by permission of "The Christian Century" from the issue of November 2, Tillich s view has close affinities to high Hinduism and neo-platonism. The last m ilestone in this controversy has to do with a three-cornered conversation which was published in the Chaplain- for A pril, It was arranged for by Dr.

M ollegen leads off in the conversation, and then is follow ed by Tillich and Ferre. The three articles are follow ed by three postscripts, or rebuttals, beginning with Ferre and closing with M ollegen. The title of the discussion as a whole is The Christian Consum m ation, and it deals almost altogether with the type of existence w e will have after this life. First, I discuss M ollegen s article. He begins with the follow ing question: H ow literally can the Bible be taken? In other words, how m uch must it be dem ythologized? This is a problem for all of us for the Fundamentalist as w ell as the Modernist, according to him.

Then he briefly explains the nature of revelation. Only the know ledge which cannot be found out otherwise is given to us in divine revelation. This means that philosophical categories and empirical scientific knowledge are not given to us by divine revelation. H owever, revelation may radically transform the meaning of such knowledge. B iblical m ythology or symbolism may be deliteralized and rem ythologized but it cannot be dem ythologized. Personal immortality and the soul in paradise can have no meaning unless they in some sense indicate the continuation of temporal existence.

They must mean something m ore like than unlike temporal existence or else they have no significance at all. W e can only speak of consummation and the intermediate life as likely m yths, a phrase w hich Plato uses. Revelation must always be received and expressed in myths and symbols, but it is very important what myths and sym bols we use.

W e must not be guilty of either agnosticism or anthropomorphism. Thus M ollegen lays dow n some general principles. W hat does the N ew Testament picture actually give us what can we say about it in spite of its sym bolism? The N ew Testament picture of the consummation: No creature can separate us from G od s pow er and love as manifested in Jesus Christ. The psychosom atic character of man is preserved along with his sociality, historicity, bond with subhuman nature, and unique concrete, individual humanity p.

M ollegen believes that Tillich trusts God, even though he does not know the how and the then or even that there will be a how and a then as to the consummation. Still, he believes that G od w ill give som e thing which is like a how and a then which is tasted now. What is tasted now guarantees its com pletion, for G od is trustw orthy in both love and power. Tillich believes even as a child, although he is a philosopher. His ontological language dances the figures of separation as creation, separation as estrangement, and reunion which does not abrogate the original separation p.

M ollegen thinks that Tillich has becom e more orthodox since com ing to America. He is also inclined to believe that we shall not know for sure where Tillich stands until he finishes Volum e II of his System atic Theology. On Biblical grounds, M ollegen does not like F erre s phrase, personal imm ortality. H owever, he likes even less Tillich s denial of temporal existence after death.

In connection with this he closes his article with these two sentences: For I am quite sure K yrie eleison [ Lord have m ercy ] that Tillich shall meet Augustine and that if m y faith holds I shall listen to some choice theological debate. If eschatological maturity destroys this hope, the reality will exceed the hope p. Tillich starts off his article by saying that it is difficult to answer the questions raised by M ollegen in terms of heavy conceptual analysis because of the charming character of the latter s contribution.

Then he goes on to say that M ollegen s purpose is to find a way between Ferre s position and his, that is, Tillich s. Further, Tillich states that it is also made more difficult because Ferre, in reviewing his tw o recent publications, has declared that his F erre s theology is strictly supernaturalistic, while Tillich rejects supernaturalism com pletely. In addition, Tillich asserts that M ollegen is not a supernaturalist in the sense of believing in a w orld behind the world, a divine realm from which God acts into the human realm.

This divine realm for the supernaturalist is also the place of final fulfillment for man and his w orld. Tillich doesn t think that M ollegen says anything in his article which implies that he be October, Tillich does admit, however, that M ollegen sides with Ferre in rejecting his rejection of temporal existence after death. Nevertheless, Tillich gets com fort out of the fact that M ollegen likewise rejects F erre s concept of personal immortality.

Follow ing this, Tillich accepts what he calls the Biblical hope of eternal life. His objection to endless continuation of life after death is that it deprives death of its seriousness and turns the blessedness of eternal life into the condemnation to endless temporality whatever its experienced content may be. He states that resurrection and not immortality is the predominant Christian sym bol for our participation in eternal life. Eternal life is not the endless continuation of the finite but participation in the divine life which is eternal p.

The eternal is neither endlessness nor timelessness; it qualitatively transcends both of these. The qualitative difference between time and eternity is decisive. It parallels the difference between G od and the world. On the basis of the above, Tillich rules out personal immortality because, as we experience it, it is life within the subject-object structure of reality. Such a life is conditioned by time. The experience of the eternal is both a real experience and the ex perience of something real.

Participation in eternal life on the part of man involves no subject-object relationship. Eternal life transcends the subject-object relationship just as it transcends both finitude and infinity. This brings us finally and forever to the ineffable, the eternal. Sometimes even in this life we have moments of this type of experience. The eternal grasps our temporal being and elevates it beyond itself p.

In those moments we transcend the 16 subject-object relationship which is involved in tem poral experiences. We are lost in God! Such experiences a r e unspeakable, unapproachable. But they are real, the very ground of everything real. In emphasizing the resurrection in connection with his discussion of eternal life, Tillich says that the story of Christ s resurrection is a poetic rationalization. It is a rationalization because the concept of emptiness is physical and leads to absurd questions like that about the place w here the atoms form ing the body of the Christ have gone after the resurrection.

It is a poetic rationalization, for it shows in images of great beauty the inability of death to keep in its bondage him in whom the estrangement of the tem poral from the eternal is overcom e p. Tillich ends his article by declaring that he is neither supernaturalistic nor naturalistic, for within either of these categories it is impossible to understand the Christian hope. It can be com prehended only within a concept which transcends both the supernatural and the natural. Ferre starts his discussion b y com plimenting M ollegen s article.

He says that it is theologically significant and marked by superior literary merit. Then he states his fundam ental position as that of supernaturalism a belief that G od is literally the Creator of the world, R uler of human history, and has incarnated him self literally in Jesus Christ. This G od also literally raised Jesus from the dead after His crucifixion and w ill raise us all to literal life after death.

Next, he says that the point at issue now is life after death. This is follow ed by the definition of life after death as the conscious continuation of the existence of the same actual person w ho lived and died. B y literal he means that w e have know ledge which reliably states that G od is personal Spirit and that The Preacher's Magazine.

A long with this he makes it clear that we do not know everything about God or life after death. He stands, as he asserts, betw een agnosticism on the one hand and anthropom orphism on the other, relative to these matters. Ferre points out that Tillich basically accepts the position of K ant s first critique and what he believes to be the verdict of m odern science, to the effect that supernaturalism is no longer a live issue!

The transcendent cannot be expressed in terms of being but only in terms of m eaning. For Tillich, a G od related to the cosmos w ould be finite relative and not absolute. Such a view w ould exclude experience that is not in time and space, and life after death as the continuation or renewal of temporal existence. Ferre calls on Tillich to admit that Jesus is now actually a conscious Person, and that we shall live after death as discrete, conscious individuals.

He w ould not tie Tillich down to stating the matter just as he does, but he should say something about m an s state hereafter w hich w ould indicate that he believes in literal life after death. Ferre grants, also, that this truth is not central to Christianity.

God, w ho came in Jesus Christ, is the central truth. A s to M ollegen s article, he agrees with its general intent and substance. I am heartened by the fact that one w ho has stood so close to Tillich still believes in life after death p. He thinks that M ollegen s position in detail seems debatable, and to oversim plify the N ew Testament.


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Nevertheless, he has rightly affirm ed the main Biblical position. He accepts for the most part M ollegen s criticism of his use of personal immortality as not really scriptural. He affirms that from now on he w ill talk rather about resurrection as a m ore prevalent N ew Testament term.

He defines resurrection, however, as the continuation or, preferably, renewal of temporal existence after death by the pow er of God. Christ was also raised by God. M ollegen is right in holding that resurrection is the death of selfishness for time and eternity, whether that of Jesus or our own. Ferre in his rebuttal after reading T illich s article disagrees with Tillich s claim that M ollegen is not supernaturalistic. Then he further declares that Tillich clearly rejects personal identity after death and thereby bars supernaturalism.

This is undoubtedly proved by the fact that he excludes the subject-object relation in the next world, which involves com munion rather than union. Over against this, Ferre once m ore asserts that on Christian grounds he refuses to accept T illich s conception of being itself as ultimate, and of eternity as the negation of temporal existence. Ferre is sure of G od s concern for the eternal significance of the individual soul, and he is also certain that such a view means indescribably m ore than some momentary participation in eternal life of man in his total being.

In the Biblical conception, eternal life is everlasting. Finally, in this rebuttal Ferre denies that Christ s resurrection and our own beyond physical death are only poetic rationalizations, as Tillich holds. In his rebuttal, Tillich once more rejects supernaturalism as Ferre defines it, including the doctrine of life after death. He also says that F erre s definition of literal know ledge as reliable know ledge has nothing to do with the literal meaning of literal.

He is m ore confident than ever that he cannot give up the truth that eternity is not the continuation of time. The experience of the eternal transcends both timelessness and time October, G In conclusion, F erre s conception is not clear and adequate to the mystery of being, including m an s being. M ollegen s postscript closes this three-cornered conversation. H e begins by saying that they are all agreed that the problem is that of adequate symbols. Then he summarizes his position thus: Only G od is supranatural. The natural participates in the supernatural or it w ould not exist. Consummation is the natural s perfect participation in the supranatural.

It means the destruction of the natural as well as its fulfillment. M ollegen accepts survival after death as the proper way of stating the situation rather than extinction. H ere he definitely disagrees with Tillich. Eternal life or age includes that which is everlasting. This is a better way to describe it than to say that it is tim e less. He believes that the everlasting life will not be m arked by the subjectobject relation which we know now. It is perfect participation in God, but the self is not deified, swallowed up, or obliterated. Then he gives this final paragraph: I still have to say, therefore, that if I am not to be permitted to listen to Augustine and Tillich in theological conversation, I may hear them sing the Truth in unison and be permitted to join in the chorus.

A nd if we sing ineffably as no doubt w e shall even Bach will listen appreciatively. Stand by for more from Dr. White next month on "The Controversial Ferre. For then thousands of servicem en w ere com ing home, m entally and emotionally disturbed, often broken in health, their life plans upset, and they themselves a baffling problem for the church, and often for their loved ones. A t that time most seminaries were beginning to provide courses in those sciences.

Since then, the young ministers of many denominations have had the new vistas which such courses opened up to them. Even a smattering of psychiatry and scientific counseling gave them a new confidence in their w ork and added to their task of being pastors. This new training in the aggregate spells a new day for the ministry and the church.

I hail this new day with gladness. But the entrance of this new type of minister raises a grave question. Is the minister basically to be a shepherd or a specialist? A re w e to see in the new ministry a transition similar to that seen in the medical profession? The beloved old-tim e family doctor was at once physician, counselor, and friend of all. Close beside him in esteem and affection was the fam ily pastor, friend of all, an intimate in the fam ily circle.

The fam ily doctor is no more. There is the very grave danger that in the place of the family minister w ill be a pastor directing a church organization from his office, and an office counselor for the few who have the time and inclination to go to his office. The new training has made the pastor an em bryo specialist. The dream of m y article of is being realized. Is the realization to bless or to blight? D e c a d e n c e o f t h e P a s t o r a l F u n c t i o n But what I could not foresee in was how far the trained counselor function w ould crow d out the shepherd function of the pastor.

Of course he is still shepherd to a degree, but far less than form erly. H ow m uch of the shepherd w ill remain in him as he specializes further is the serious question. Living under the shadow of a church college and a seminary, I am able to watch the trends among some five hundred young ministers. Right eagerly they devour the courses in psychiatry and counseling.

If only I could have had those courses in m y day! A s pastors they will be experts com pared with me fifty years ago. But will they be good shepherds? This is m y disturbing fear. A Q u e s t i o n o f E m p h a s i s I hold the new training in psychiatry and counseling to be highly valuable, even essential, since half the hospital beds in the nation are occu pied by mental patients, and thousands m ore show neurotic tendencies and need the help of trained pastorcounselors. But in this new day where will the new pastor put the main emphasis? Jesus put it on being the good shepherd.

He had the shepherd heart, and w ent after the sheep, even into the wilderness, among the thorns. This article has been called out by signs which disturb me. I hear of young pastors, fascinated with the idea of expert counseling, frankly asking their people not to expect them to visit much. Let me give my time to those that really need me; when you need me, call me as you call your doctor; I ll have office hours; com e w henever you need m e. A nd why not? For church people should set a high value on every minute of their pastor s time, and zealously co-operate to help him use it where it is most needed.

They should urge him even not to waste time calling where he is not needed, and should be ever alert to inform him where a visit is really needed. No pastor can minister adequately to more than individuals: Partly with such a mass of need in mind, the great businessman was speaking with true Christian insight w ho said to his pastor: W henever October, I hail it as a good omen when the new minister, in the new day of insight into real values, pleads with his people not to require him to be a ringer of doorbells, but to go where he is needed.

For Jesus, m oved with compassion, could never have been shut up in an office to wait for callers. He must find them. And, once feeling His heartbeat, they drew near, and follow ed Him. The pastor who dreams of people crow d ing to his office with their special needs must go first to them and show them that he cares. That done convincingly, he may find a place for a limited office ministry. T h e C r y o f t h e S h e e p Before me is a disturbing array of data which shows yearning hearts reaching out for shepherd hearts that care.

I find them nearby, and in letters from across the continent. A n old saint of eighty-eight writes: I am lonely and long for people, especially m y pastor. It is a high day for me when he drops in five minutes for a few w ords and a prayer. B ut he is too busy to com e oftener than once in several m onths. M y pastor is a grand preacher, but can call on but few in his large parish. I went and took my turn at his office five minutes to tell him m y burden and to give place to another. I said, w on t you drop in to see m y son?

He says he doesn t know you, and doesn t care to hear you preach. If he knew you personally, I think he w ould like you and want to hear you preach. I fear he is about to be lost to the church. Please drop in and see him. Tell him to com e to m y office, he said. M y son told me, I don t want to see him. Six weeks later he dropped in for five minutes. M y son saw him com ing and escaped.

M y pastor didn t even ask for him. A nd that made the breach com plete. A nd I think a little time and attention from the pastor w ould have saved m y son from going over. As a pastor I repeatedly said in a like situation, W on t you let me com e and sit with the family at a meal no matter what and let me be one of the fam ily at table, just to know you at close ran ge?

I learned the technique from Jesus. He invited him self to dinner at the table of Zacchaeus the publican, just to win him. A nd he got him. I trust the new pastor in the new day will be a good counselor. I am sure he w ill be better than I ever could be. H owever, he will be a m uch better one if he first dedicates him self to being a good shepherd like his Master.

It is stated that this judgm ent will be according to truth v. This suggests a good sermon outline. Three tests are proposed. The first is that of sincerity according to truth. M any w ill feel that they pass this test with flying colors. They are sincere, not hypocritical. But that is not enough. Everyone is going to be judged according to his deeds. Again most people claim that their lives w ill pass inspection m orally. They do not cheat their neighbors or com m it gross sins. But a good m oral life does not guarantee entrance to heaven.

Paul declares that G od is going to judge the very secrets of men according to m y gospel. The N ew Testament nowhere teaches that a person is saved by living a good life. One is saved only b y accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour. W ithout believing in His name and trusting His blood there is no salvation. That is the constant, consistent teaching of the N ew Testament. The gospel is the good news that, although all men are sinners, Christ died for the ungodly, and all may be justified by believing in Him.

W e are not saved by our sincerity or m orality but by the precious blood of Christ shed on our behalf. P a t i e n c e One of the m ore interesting words in the G reek N ew Testament is hypom one. It occurs thirty-two times. Twenty-nine times it is translated in the King James Version as patience. There is, surprisingly, a wider spread in the Revised Standard V ersion, where hypom one is translated seven different ways. A check of all the passages as yet there is no concordance for the R.

In Romans it is translated twice each by patience, endurance, and steadfastness. In looking for some pattern of translation it was discovered that steadfastness was used always in the Thessalonian letters, the Pastoral Epistles, and the General Epistles. The rendering patient endurance occurs only in Revelation four out of seven tim es. This w ould seem to reflect the preferences of individual translators a factor that cannot be avoided entirely in a w ork translated by a committee, as was the case with the King James, Am erican Standard, and Revised Standard versions.

It will be seen that the dominant October, W hich is closer to the basic connotation of the term? The w ord hypom one is a com pound of hypo, meaning under and meno, the verb remain. Literally, then, it means, remain under. This suggests that the prim ary idea is that of endurance. Thayer s L exicon gives as the first meaning steadfastness, constancy, endurance Patience is the quality that does not surrender to circum stances or succum b under trial. The w ord occurs only in the later Greek, and answers to the usual karteria, karteresis, holding out, enduring.

The close connection between hope and endurance is obvious in the passage in Romans now being studied. It is the hope of future glory that enables one to endure patiently the hardships of this life. In seeking the exact shade of meaning of hypom one it is necessary to note its synonym, makrothumia. The latter occurs fourteen times in the N ew Testament. Tw elve times it is rendered longsuffering.

The classic distinction between hypom one and makrothumia is that given by Trench. He says that m akrothumia will be found to express patience in respect of persons, h ypom one in respect of things. In this connection it is interesting to note that hypom one is never used of God, while makrothumia is. God continually has to exercise forbearance or long-suffering toward sinful men.

But He does not have to endure circumstances relating to things, for they are under His control. It is only the free will of intelligent beings w hich causes G od difficulty. One more w ord needs to be said. It is clear that in this passage h ypom one means m ore than passive endurance.

It obviously has the sense of active perseverance or steadfastness. For the G reek literally reads steadfastness of [or, in] good w ork. The Christian is not only to endure the difficult circum stances of life. Positively and actively he is to persevere in good w ork. I n c o r r u p t i o n The w ord rendered im m ortality in the King James Version v. Most scholars are agreed that the King James translation here is not the best; the w ord does not prim arily mean immortality.

That idea is conveyed in the w ord athanasia, literally deathlessness. In the K ing James Version aphtharsia is rendered incorruption four times, im m ortality and sin- 1Thayer, op. It comes from the verb phtheiro, which means destroy, corrupt, spoil. So its basic meaning is incorruption.

It is used in I Cor. It rests there between pastor and people, a sort of visible rallying point. Perhaps as at no other point in the service, the moment the Bible is opened is a supreme moment. The w ords of the message will be spoken over the open Bible. The broken Bread of Life will be seasoned by the open Bible.

Its presence will enrich, w ill give authority, and w ill open minds and hearts. The open Bible constantly reminds us that ours must be a Bible-centered ministry. D octrine must be interpreted in the light of the Bible, rather than the B ible interpreted in the light of a doctrinal standpoint.

W e must not allow ourselves to becom e specialists in certain selected areas and unlearned in other portions. W e will know some parts better but w ill seek to be honestly inform ed concerning all. W e w ill want to be prepared to face up to any Biblical selection. W e are rem inded that our people have a right to read and know the Bible. W e should be encouraged when they go hom e to check our statements against the W ord.

The normal church is one w here not only is the Bible "Pastor, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, October, open on the pulpit, but it is open also in the hands of the people and in every home. A laity well instructed in the W ord leads to a m ore productive ministry. W e are reminded that all of our finely phrased sentences are no equal for the simple language of G od s revealed W ord.

M ore and more we realize that our ministry is cold and ineffective when it proceeds over a closed Book. The Lord is m y shepherd; I shall not want, Let not your heart be troubled, He that dwelleth in the secret place W ho shall separate us from the love of C hrist? Let our people hear the scriptures that they love. W e are reminded, too, that when the Bible is forgotten by us, we will be forgotten by God.

When we lose the glory, w e will have already laid aside the Book. Pulpit inspiration goes hand-in-glove with Biblical inspiration. W e hope that a day of lost anointing will never come. But certainly we help to keep it away when we love, honor, and preach G od s W ord in its fullness and purity. So, reverently we will turn the blessed pages next Sunday morning and thank God that, from behind our pulpits, we see the open Bible! Old and New Testament studies. DeWitt Talmage These ten famous volumes, so much in demand in used bookstores, are now back in print.

Here you will find sermons from 53 books of the Bible, unusual sermons, and sermons for all occasions from one of America's most successful preachers. This set available through the volume-a-month plan. Mead Completely revised and enlarged to give the latest and most authentic data available on the history, doctrine, organization, present status of religious bodies.

All material has been read and approved by denominational authorities. The W ritings of Arminius Here is the set every holiness preacher will want at once, the original teaching and writings of one of the world's foremost theologians. Included is "The Life of James Arminius" and an index. Extremely valuable for study and reference.

Make this one of the foundation sets of your library. W hy pastor s salary? W hy m ore new churches? What is all of this about, anyway? W hy did Jesus leave heaven and com e to earth? W hy did He pray and suffer so in the Garden? The answer is one word: W hy did Jesus Christ die on that old rugged cross? To save sinners, is the answer. But G od commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we w ere yet sinners, Christ died for us Rom. W e have then I. Let Him answer that question: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance Luke 5: They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick Luke 5: The real question, then, for us is, A re w e ministering to sinners?

A re w e carrying out the mission of Jesus? H ow many sinners attend our regular services? Or even our revivals? When asked about the results of a recent revival, a Sunday-school superintendent said: Too often that is the story! Let us now consider II. T h e M e s s a g e o f J e s u s W hat was the message o f this peerless Preacher, this m ighty Man from another w orld? W hen preaching to sinners His message was always one of tenderness. Blessed are the poor in spirit: Blessed are they that m ourn: Com e unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I w ill give you rest.

Take m y yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am m eek and low ly in heart: For m y yoke is easy, and m y burden is light Matt. Thus w e have the message of Jesus, one of tenderness and compassion. This, too, must be our message if we w ould win sinners. W e cannot scold them and condem n them we must rather w in them! But how are w e going to reach them so that we might win them? Let us note III. A thousand times No! But I wonder sometimes if we are not guilty of this very silly thing!

Not so with Jesus!


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For the Son of man is com e to seek and to save that which was lost Luke He came to locate to find list Here then is the clue for us. W e must find, locate, tabulate, sinners. That means we must IV. Conduct a Com m unity survey.

Joan Mueller

K nock on every door within forty blocks of your church. Look about the upstairs apartment. W atch out for small cottages in the rear there are human beings back there. Rem em ber Jesus came to seek. H ow can we hope to succeed if we do less than He did? Check you r Sunday-school enrollm ent for sinners. This is your most fruitful place. Do not fail any of them. Check the homes represented by some mem bers of the fam ily now enrolled in your Sunday school. Y ou w ill often find w hole families that need salvation. D on t forget, w e are seeking for sinners! In your search, of course, you will watch out for Christians who are not sanctified.

U rge them on into this blessed experience. D on t overlook that new housing area. Y ou might find several new and friendly families ready to respond to a friendly visit and an invitation to your church. If your church is in a city, there are several new housing sections. Y ou might find an opening for a new church. A s you survey for sinners, keep in mind those who are already Christian and are eligible for membership in the Church.

Set a day and receive a great group into the membership of the church. Plan your w ork and then w ork your plans! O u r N e e d o f C o n t a c t s One pastor, discussing the problem of reaching new people in revivals, said: W e simply do not have any contacts with unsaved people, and therefore do not have any sinners in our revivals. This is tragic, but true! This pastor is not the only one facing this problem. But who is to blam e? Certainly not the sinner! Our people everyw here should cultivate the friendship of the unsaved and sinners.

And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples Matt. Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, this man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them Luke Sinners heard Jesus gladly. W hy do they not hear us? A re w e to blame? M y friend went deer hunting recently. In Advent we celebrate both that God has already come, yet is coming. Already encircled by infinite divine life and love, we try to awaken our souls to Gods vibrant presence.

Many Christians find themselves overshadowed with shopping, preparations for Christmas, unexpected snow and ice storms,. Many Christians find themselves overshadowed with shopping, preparations for Christmas, unexpected snow and ice storms, holiday parties, and endless other distractions. Although the tree might be decorated and the presents wrapped, Christmas sometimes simply falls upon us, our souls feeling woefully unprepared.

Praying Advent can help busy souls prepare for the true Christmas season. The book is divided into four weeks, with a reading, reflection, and spiritual practice for each day. This month-long journey can beautify souls and awaken hearts to the presence of Emmanuel. We will send you an SMS containing a verification code. Please double check your mobile number and click on "Send Verification Code". Enter the code below and hit Verify.

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