Keep it Simple!

“In the promulgation of your exegetical cogitations and homiletical prowess, in the articulation of your comprehensive fundamentality, amicable philosophy, or psychological inductive illustration, beware of platitudinous ponderosity.

“Let your conversational communication possess a clarified conciseness, a compacted comprehendedness, a coalescent consistency, and a concatenated cogency.

“Eschew all conglomerations of flagrant garrulity, insipid babblement, and asinine affectations.

“Let your theological incantations, extemporaneous descanting and unpremeditated expatiations have intelligibility and voracious vivacity, without rodomontade or thrasonical bombast.

“Judiciously avoid all polysyllabic profundity, pompous prolificy, vetriloqual verbosity, and vain vapidity.

“In other words, SAY WHAT YOU MEAN, MEAN WHAT YOU SAY, AND DON’T USE SUCH BIG WORDS WHEN YOU SPEAK!”

                                                     (Found in my illustration file…)

To which we all say, "HUH?"

Believe it or not, this illustration so tickled my fancy, I actually memorized it when I was 17.  I loved to quote it just for the reaction it would get from friends and acquaintances.

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you probably have found yourself using words that the average person has no idea what they mean.  Words like these: rapture, redemption, born again, regeneration, accepting Jesus, soul winning, glory, salvation, sanctification, holiness, tithing, missionary, faith promise, etc.

In the ear of the average unchurched friend or neighbor, these terms sound much like the verbose illustration I quoted above.  When you have opportunity to speak to your friends or neighbors about Jesus, remember that our religious terminology will have little meaning to most of them.  Or, if they do have an understanding of the term, it may be completely different than your intent.

Let me encourage you to live your life everyday in such a way that those around you see that your relationship with Christ is not a religious duty that you discharge on Sunday, but that God is real in your life and impacts how you live on Monday!  And then, when God gives you opportunity to share why you have hope in Christ, take care to explain the words you use so they may understand.

Remember, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).    

Salvation is Not Dependent on a Good Memory!

This past week, a dear saint of God who was a member of our church passed from this life into eternity after a prolonged illness that robbed her of her mind long before her body ceased to live.

In her final days on this earth, Mrs. Geraldine Hoagland spent most of her time sleeping, and no longer recognized even her loving and faithful husband of 60 years.

One of the last times I visited with Geri, she was mostly unresponsive as I spoke to her and prayed with her.  But then, I began to sing the chorus:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  

There’s just something about that name. 

Master! Savior! Jesus!

Like a fragrance after the rain.  

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. 

Let all heaven and earth proclaim.  

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away.  

But there’s something about that name!

                (William J Gaither, ©1970)

As I sang to her, suddenly Geri’s lips began to move, and she began to sing along with me, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”  We then sang “I Just Keep Trusting My Lord” and “Because He Lives.”  Then, she went back to sleep.  It was a precious few moments.

As I went back to my car, I thanked God that salvation is secure, not based on our memory, but on the promise of God by whose Holy Spirit we “are sealed until the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).  

While Geri’s memory was gone, God’s Holy Spirit still indwelt her, and she still sang the songs of Zion in her last days in this life.

At the graveside service, we were reminded of the words of that great song of hope for every believer, “When We All Get to Heaven”:

        Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,

        Sing His mercy and His grace.

        In the mansions bright and blessed,

        He’ll prepare for us a place.

        Let us then be true and faithful,

        Trusting, serving, everyday.

        Just a glimpse of Him in glory

        Will the toils of life repay!

       

Onward to the prize before us,

        Soon His beauty we’ll behold.

        Soon the pearly gates will open,

        We shall tread the streets of gold.

        When we all get to heaven,

        What a day of rejoicing that will be!

        When we all see Jesus,

        We’ll sing and shout the victory!

                        (Eliza Hewitt, Emily Wilson, public domain)

So, now Geri, along with countless other saints who have gone before, waits at the foot of the throne of God for the day when Jesus Christ will return and reunite her spirit with a resurrected body, free from pain and disease, forever to live with her dear Savior.

Along with Geri, I am so glad that salvation is not dependent on how good my memory is, but rather, it is dependent on the promise of God!  “For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

"For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able, to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Timothy 1:12)

Reading Your Bible in 2011

Many of us will start this New Year with a decision to read our Bible.  If you have never read the Bible in its entirety, I encourage you to begin this year with reading it.  Instead of just hearing other people and pastors tell you what God says, you will be able to see for yourself His very words to you.

Last year, for the first time, I read through the Bible chronologically.  

There are many Bible reading schedules that people follow, the most common being to read the Bible canonically (that is, in book order), perhaps alternating between Old Testament and New Testament passages each day.

A chronological Bible reading plan takes the reader through the pages of God’s Word in the order of the events, rather than chapter and book order.  Let me illustrate why this is another great way to read God’s Word:

• We begin with Genesis 1-22 – We are introduced to God the Creator; the seven days of Creation, Adam and Eve and the Fall of Man; Cain and Able; Noah and the world-wide flood; the Tower of Babel; and Abram called by God into the land of Canaan; Sodom & Gomorrah; Isaac is born; and God providing a ram in place of the sacrifice of Isaac.
• Then, we then read the Book of Job in the land of Uz, as that is the time when he lived.
• Then we return to Genesis 23 and continue reading.
• Later, as we are introduced to Moses in the Book of Exodus, we will then read Psalm 90, which was penned by Moses’ hand.
• When David comes on the scene, the reading will move back and forth between the events of his life, interspersed with his Psalms.
• In the time of the Kings, we read a little about the king and the events of his time, then read the words of the prophet who God was using to speak in his day.
• In the New Testament book of Acts, after reading of Paul’s visit to Ephesus, we read the Book of Ephesians; after Thessalonica the Books of Thessalonians, etc.

If you have never read your Bible through, may I encourage you to begin this year to work your way through it?  It only takes about 20 minutes a day for most people to read the entire Bible in a year.  There are many good reading schedules available, but just doing will bless and strengthen your spiritual life.  

And, perhaps like me, you will be blessed by reading chronologically this year.  I understand there are some Bibles that have been published in chronological order, but if you are like me and don’t want to spend the money for one, do an internet search for “Chronological Bible Reading Plan” and you will be able to find several websites that provide one.

Here is a link to the Chronological Bible Reading Plan from Back to the Bible.  Chronlogical Bible Reading Guide

But whatever your plan, whatever your schedule, read your Bible this year!  It will help you to grow in the Lord in 2011!