And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2
There was one customer in the Oak Street Bible Shop and he was about to leave. Gary had completed engraving a name on a Bible for him. The man, an older, rather severe looking gentleman, looked at the embossed letters, in shining gold, with approval.
“Looks real nice” he said. Then, his glance fell upon a package with a note rubber banded to it, “for Glen”. “Say,” he said,”that’s not Glen Brock is it?”
Gary looked at the man, trying to gauge his intention. “Yes, that’s for him. Do you know Glen?”
“I used to go to his Bible studies” he said rather heavily, “ but not any more. Not since I found out he was a soul sleeper!”
Joy, perched on her stool, took a deep breath, but said nothing. Here we go again”, she thought. People either love the man or despise him. Can’t there ever be a middle ground with Glen?”
Sue, in the back room had just finished wiping off the table where the coffee urn sat. She looked up at the man as he was leaving. She felt resentment against this stern man because she agreed with Glen and disliked anyone who spoke against him.
The shop was silent as each of the three went about their tasks, alone in their thoughts. It was about an hour later when they heard Glen’s footsteps on the porch and the bell jingle as he swept open the door. It was chilly and windy, the kind of weather he liked, and he was smiling.
“Howdy” was all he said as he glanced from one to the other.
“Your Bloomfields are here” said Gary, touching the package with the note on it.
Sue poured a cup of coffee for him and started to walk into the front room. “We had a visitor today” she smiled as she said it. “”A former fan of yours.” Glen reached for the coffee, with a nod of gratitude.
“Former?” he asked. “What have I done now?”
Joy spoke with just a touch of irritation in her voice. “Oh you must have offended him by saying you don’t believe in immortality.”
“Hold on,” Glen replied. I believe in immortality as much as anyone. Can’t figure why anyone would say I don’t. But I agree with Paul on the subject, that’s all. Why would agreeing with Paul offend anyone?”
Sue looked on with obvious enjoyment. She never tired of the way Glen stated his case in such situations. He would turn things around, put his attackers on the defensive. He once told her he learned about how Jesus did that. Dr George Washington Crane called it the “reversible why” technique, he said Jesus spoke in this way to his attackers.
Joy sat up straight. “Why must you always offend people, Glen? You’re not going to change anyone’s mind and you just make them mad, you lose people that way when you could be popular.”
Gary and Sue looked back and forth at the two, as if at a tennis match. Glen took a drink of his coffee, looking out the front window at the tree limbs bending in the wind.
“Isn’t it curious that I am accused of offending people? Have you ever considered that maybe I am offended by people promoting this devilish Babylonian doctrine of intrinsic immortality?” He said this without anger, just raising the question. He paused, drinking the last of his coffee. Sue reached out to take his empty cup.
“Oh, it isn’t true I won’t change anyone’s mind. I read them the scriptures and a number of people see it the Bible way, instead of the devil’s way. Somebody changed my mind with the scriptures, so it can happen.”
Joy took on her persecuted martyr look, wondering to herself why she got into these arguments with Glen.
He continued, “As for being popular, how popular was John the Baptist and the other great prophets? I just want people to think and not just follow what everybody says.”
There was silence for a bit as they all reflected. Then Sue spoke up, “What do you mean you agree with Paul”.
“Yes,”, said Joy, “Do you think people who believe we are immortal disagree with Paul?” She emphasized the “dis”.
“On the subject of immortality, yes, they do.” Glen walked to the counter and turned one of Gary’s Bibles around. He found his place and began to read,
Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So, when this corruption shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:51-55.
Joy was about to speak but saw Glen silently mouthing the words “But that’s just the body” and closed her mouth. Glen continued.
"When I say I agree with Paul, I am saying in this manner, this mortality must put on immortality. If we presently have immortality, why must we put it on at the last trump. Joy, you and I both believe in immortality. You believe we are immortal now, that all people, even the unsaved are. Paul says our immortality is something we put on at the last trump, it is future. I agree with Paul. If we are immortal now, why must we put on immortality at the last trump?”
Again there was silence, if not agreement. Gary spoke, “Do you get mad when people call you a soul sleeper, Glen?”
Glen shrugged. “Oh, I don’t like it. Name calling is not an argument, just act of aggressive ignorance. But I feel I am in good company with the “soul sleepers” of the scriptures. Job would be called a soul sleeper today, so would David. Guess I am in good company in this regard.
Joy’s expression softened. “I think I know where you are going with Job, not that I totally agree, but I have heard you quote from chapter fourteen, am I right?”
Before Glen could answer, Gary began to leaf through his Bible. He read silently for a time. “You know, all of chapter fourteen is a powerful statement of your belief. My Bibles’s note says “Job continues; he awaits resurrection. Of course that’s just a note, but it does state it well.”
Joy looked at Gary intently. Sometimes she felt she was alone against the three others in her belief.
Gary looked at Glen. “I’ve heard you read these words more than once. Shall I read them out loud?” Glen smiled and nodded.
But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea man expireth and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up; So man lieth down, and riseth not. Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. Oh, that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest conceal me until thy wrath be past; that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, , till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; thou wilt have a desire to the work of my hands. (Job14:10-15)
“Thank you, Gary”, He stepped to the counter and turned the Bible’s pages to Job chapter nineteen. “For those who say our souls are with God as soon as we die, and we see Him in our soulish state, Job has this to say:
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. (Job 19:25-27)
“In my flesh” said Glen, “not in my soul”.
Joy was conflicted, Glen’s scriptures were so convicting. But at church, so were the arguments of her preacher and the teachers. She said nothing.
Sue asked, quietly, “But it must upset you to be called a name like soul sleeper, doesn’t it Glen?”
He smiled a little as he conceded, Oh, sure, I would prefer scriptures to slurs. But you get used to it. After all, some people call me a Bible thumper too. That’s real intelligent.”
“But what about David? You said he was a, quote, soul sleeper too.”
“Last verse of Psalm seventeen” Glen said, “But, look, I have to be going, I have a class tonight. He counted out the money for his books and turned towards the door. “See you.” and he was gone.
Joy turned with resignation on her high perch. “Well, lets’s hear it.” was all she would say.
Gary found the place and read, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Psalm 17:15."
Sue repeated the words “when I awake” with quiet wonder. “I’ve read all the Psalms. I wonder why I didn’t see that.”
“Mental set, is what Glen would say”, Gary replied. “You see what you expect to see.”
“Or want to see” Sue added.
Gary closed his Bible. “It’s like going to Bible college every time Glen gets going.”
“Yes,” Joy spoke wearily, “and I always feel like I just flunked my exam.”
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
One of God's Workmen
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15
As I was about to go up the steps to the Oak Street Bible Shop the door opened and Glen backed out with a heavy carton of books, more than his usual supply.
"Can I give you a hand?" I asked.
"No", he said, "I've got this one, but there is another one inside. If you'd bring it out, I'd appreciate it, I've got to go make room in the van."
When I brought out box number two he was rearranging items in the back of his Astro van, a tub of laundry and some wrapped bundles from an art store, which he carefully placed on the back seat.
"Been to the laundromat and the art store", he said. I didn't say anything so he continued, "Since I moved out of our house I don't have any laundry facilities. I have to go to the laundromat now. Jeanie used to do everything for me, but now that she is gone, I have to manage for myself, and I guess I don't manage very well, to be honest."
He saw me looking at the art store packages and explained, "I got some extra large poster boards. I'm learning to make big posters of prophetic subjects. Even Oak Street doesn't have what I need, but they did look for it. I need something I can point to and people can see it several rows back, something real vivid, yet plain too".
He had everything loaded and walked around to the driver's side. I was curious about how he was going to make these large posters, as I had made big photo blowups and asked how he was going to do it.
"Are you artistic?" I asked. He kind of laughed at that, "Oh no, far from it, but I bought something that could help me make what I need. I know what I want, I just can't freehand draw it."
Glen could see my interest and maybe needed to show it to someone and maybe he needed to talk too. "I could show you, if you're interested" he offered, "but weren't you going into the Bible Shop for something?"
I told him the book I had ordered was not in yet and I was just going to talk awhile with Gary and the others. "I'd rather go see how you make the posters if you don't mind." "Well he said, I haven't done much yet, but you're welcome to see what I've done so far".
He drove slowly through the side streets, his eyes going from side to side and checking the mirrors too. When children or animals appeared on the sidwalks, he lifted his foot from the accelerator and poised it over the brake. Soon we arrived at the house where his room was. It was an old wooden house, set back from the street and surrounded by trees. He pulled his van into the gravel driveway and parked near a wooden stairway leading to an upstairs room.
"Let's take the outside steps", he said, "My landlady is real nice, but if I go through the house she wants to talk and I got things to do".
We carried the boxes up the stairs and he put his down to get his key out and open the door. We stepped into the large room and he turned on a ceiling light, then walked to a pole light and snapped on a soft fluorescent bulb over a 4'x 4' sheet of plywood on a table.
"Just set that box anywhere" he said. He pulled a wooden chair over for me to sit on. "You just take it easy while I go down and get that art stuff". When the door closed behind him I looked around the room. There was a small bed with a wool blanket and one pillow. Beside the bed was a pair of the simple black shoes he always wore.
"Navy shoes" he called them. There was a surplus ammo box open with shoe rags and a tin of Kiwi polish. He had the laces out of the shoes which were clean and shiny, ready to be laced up. His room was simple and old fashioned. It had big high windows with white curtains. There were gas lights on swing arms still in place, with pink glass shades. This place really is old, I thought, built before electric lights were used. There was a fireplace with a decorative tin cover over the opening. It had a mantle with a picture of a young woman in a wedding dress. I figured this was his Jeanie. Then I heard his feet on the steps. I got up and opened the door for him. He was loaded down with his art packages plus a bunch of purple flowers.
"She heard us coming in, and came out to give me these" he said nodding his head at the iris. "She knew that Jeanie loved the old fashioned iris, the purple ones and the little yellow two toned ones, but they bloomed early and are all gone by now".
He set the packages down and put the iris into a dark blue vase on a marble topped table by a window. He stepped out into the hall and I heard the water run as he filled the vase with water from a sink in the bathroom.
"They always remind me of Jeanie", he said, "As if I need any reminders".Then he opened the first package, tearing off the brown paper and placing one of the big posters on the plywood sheet and the others against a wall. The device in the second package had me curious. It was a series of metal strips with numbers on them and pivoted so they formed X es, kind of like those folding baby gates.
"I told the clerk at the art store what I wanted to do, and he said what I needed was a pantograph." He was reading the instructions. "It says you can enlarge up to eight times according to how you set it up." He read the instructions some more, then walked to the table and taped a picture to the plywood with some pieces of masking tape. He laid the pantograph on
the board. It had a flange with a screw hole in it for attaching it and holding it steady. He reached under his bed and slid out a small tool box. He pulled out a screw starter and a nut driver plus a box of screws.
"All I got is sheet metal screws, but I guess one will do ok." He attached the pantograph and put a soft pencil lead into its holder. "If I do this right I can trace the stylus over the original and the
lead will draw a bigger picture of it. Then I can use poster colors to represent the different metals and the clay", he said. He turned his chair towards me. "I'll do it later, I'm afraid of messing
up these big posters. I can practice on that brown wrapping paper they gave me. Anyway, that's my plan. I got to get this across to these people".
He gestured toward boxes on the floor. Each box had books and 3 hole punched lesson sheets in them, in see through folders. One box was marked "high rise" another "rest home". He had one marked "YMCA". He saw me looking at it.
"You know they were formed under a Christian charter. Someone said we could have a class there and they were right. They treated us real nice, had a blackboard and an easel, plenty of chairs". I teach any place they let me. It would really help if I could make posters like this". He got up and handed me a copy of the great image of Daniel chapter two. "This is so important, so basic", he said with fervor. "If people only knew that the Bible lays out the future so plain, that if you understood it, you couldn't go wrong." He waved at the boxes of books. "It's all in there, but it really helps if you look at it together. Some people don't get it from a book, not right away. I
know I didn't".
He saw I was interested and I was agreeing with him every step of the way. I had said the same thing a number of times."But" he said, lowering his voice. "People don't know a damned thing, if
you'll pardon my French. You go into a church and everybody smiles at you. They know nothing about you at all. Why all the damned smiles? Maybe I don't feel like smiling, maybe I'm walking around with a knife in my heart, they don't know. And you know why? They don't care, that's
why. They don't have the time to get to know you, that's why. Hell, if you get a new dog or cat or a horse, you got to take the time with them so you know their temperment. Later on, if you treat 'em right they may start liking you. But it takes time! Man, animals are smarter than people in a lot of ways, they've got more sense, and more dignity."
"But that's all personality stuff. It's more than that, it's content,... content. People don't know anything any more. You go to a Bible study, or I guess I should say Sunday School class and it's once over lightly about some material the teacher studied the night before. I don't know how many times I've sat outside a church office waiting to talk to somebody and listened to preachers on the phone laughing it up, haw hawing about this and that. And church people get together and drink coffee and talk about sports and cars and jobs, such shallow stuff! I hope you take this right, but you can have a better talk in a bar sometimes and I don't drink any more or go to bars."
Glen held up a volume from one of the cartons. It was Daniel and the Latter Days. "This is so important", he said with great earnestness. "This is what we need to understand. If we did we wouldn't be involved in so many foolish enterprises. It's heavy stuff. Daniel collapsed when he saw the future for his people, Israel. But angels comforted him. They called him 'Greatly beloved'."
"But it takes years to get what's in here" he said looking at the book. “Daniel chapter two is one of the great prophecies of the whole Bible, get that and it's hard for anyone to deceive you. But you can't sit around with your friends gabbing and learn anything. You have to spend time alone and prepare your mind. If you do that you will never see the world the same way. It changes you after you understand Daniel and the other prophetic books."
From below we heard a TV set being turned up and then off. "That's my landlady", said Glen. "That's her signal that it's supper time. She listens to the evening news while she fixes supper and that's how she signals me to come down."
How you gonna get home? he asked. "Oh, I can walk to where I parked my car, it's not far". I hope your posters come out ok. And I hope people get the message that is in them".
I turned towards the door for the outside steps and Glen turned off the light over his poster table. He gave me a little smile as he walked out of his room to go to supper.
As I was about to go up the steps to the Oak Street Bible Shop the door opened and Glen backed out with a heavy carton of books, more than his usual supply.
"Can I give you a hand?" I asked.
"No", he said, "I've got this one, but there is another one inside. If you'd bring it out, I'd appreciate it, I've got to go make room in the van."
When I brought out box number two he was rearranging items in the back of his Astro van, a tub of laundry and some wrapped bundles from an art store, which he carefully placed on the back seat.
"Been to the laundromat and the art store", he said. I didn't say anything so he continued, "Since I moved out of our house I don't have any laundry facilities. I have to go to the laundromat now. Jeanie used to do everything for me, but now that she is gone, I have to manage for myself, and I guess I don't manage very well, to be honest."
He saw me looking at the art store packages and explained, "I got some extra large poster boards. I'm learning to make big posters of prophetic subjects. Even Oak Street doesn't have what I need, but they did look for it. I need something I can point to and people can see it several rows back, something real vivid, yet plain too".
He had everything loaded and walked around to the driver's side. I was curious about how he was going to make these large posters, as I had made big photo blowups and asked how he was going to do it.
"Are you artistic?" I asked. He kind of laughed at that, "Oh no, far from it, but I bought something that could help me make what I need. I know what I want, I just can't freehand draw it."
Glen could see my interest and maybe needed to show it to someone and maybe he needed to talk too. "I could show you, if you're interested" he offered, "but weren't you going into the Bible Shop for something?"
I told him the book I had ordered was not in yet and I was just going to talk awhile with Gary and the others. "I'd rather go see how you make the posters if you don't mind." "Well he said, I haven't done much yet, but you're welcome to see what I've done so far".
He drove slowly through the side streets, his eyes going from side to side and checking the mirrors too. When children or animals appeared on the sidwalks, he lifted his foot from the accelerator and poised it over the brake. Soon we arrived at the house where his room was. It was an old wooden house, set back from the street and surrounded by trees. He pulled his van into the gravel driveway and parked near a wooden stairway leading to an upstairs room.
"Let's take the outside steps", he said, "My landlady is real nice, but if I go through the house she wants to talk and I got things to do".
We carried the boxes up the stairs and he put his down to get his key out and open the door. We stepped into the large room and he turned on a ceiling light, then walked to a pole light and snapped on a soft fluorescent bulb over a 4'x 4' sheet of plywood on a table.
"Just set that box anywhere" he said. He pulled a wooden chair over for me to sit on. "You just take it easy while I go down and get that art stuff". When the door closed behind him I looked around the room. There was a small bed with a wool blanket and one pillow. Beside the bed was a pair of the simple black shoes he always wore.
"Navy shoes" he called them. There was a surplus ammo box open with shoe rags and a tin of Kiwi polish. He had the laces out of the shoes which were clean and shiny, ready to be laced up. His room was simple and old fashioned. It had big high windows with white curtains. There were gas lights on swing arms still in place, with pink glass shades. This place really is old, I thought, built before electric lights were used. There was a fireplace with a decorative tin cover over the opening. It had a mantle with a picture of a young woman in a wedding dress. I figured this was his Jeanie. Then I heard his feet on the steps. I got up and opened the door for him. He was loaded down with his art packages plus a bunch of purple flowers.
"She heard us coming in, and came out to give me these" he said nodding his head at the iris. "She knew that Jeanie loved the old fashioned iris, the purple ones and the little yellow two toned ones, but they bloomed early and are all gone by now".
He set the packages down and put the iris into a dark blue vase on a marble topped table by a window. He stepped out into the hall and I heard the water run as he filled the vase with water from a sink in the bathroom.
"They always remind me of Jeanie", he said, "As if I need any reminders".Then he opened the first package, tearing off the brown paper and placing one of the big posters on the plywood sheet and the others against a wall. The device in the second package had me curious. It was a series of metal strips with numbers on them and pivoted so they formed X es, kind of like those folding baby gates.
"I told the clerk at the art store what I wanted to do, and he said what I needed was a pantograph." He was reading the instructions. "It says you can enlarge up to eight times according to how you set it up." He read the instructions some more, then walked to the table and taped a picture to the plywood with some pieces of masking tape. He laid the pantograph on
the board. It had a flange with a screw hole in it for attaching it and holding it steady. He reached under his bed and slid out a small tool box. He pulled out a screw starter and a nut driver plus a box of screws.
"All I got is sheet metal screws, but I guess one will do ok." He attached the pantograph and put a soft pencil lead into its holder. "If I do this right I can trace the stylus over the original and the
lead will draw a bigger picture of it. Then I can use poster colors to represent the different metals and the clay", he said. He turned his chair towards me. "I'll do it later, I'm afraid of messing
up these big posters. I can practice on that brown wrapping paper they gave me. Anyway, that's my plan. I got to get this across to these people".
He gestured toward boxes on the floor. Each box had books and 3 hole punched lesson sheets in them, in see through folders. One box was marked "high rise" another "rest home". He had one marked "YMCA". He saw me looking at it.
"You know they were formed under a Christian charter. Someone said we could have a class there and they were right. They treated us real nice, had a blackboard and an easel, plenty of chairs". I teach any place they let me. It would really help if I could make posters like this". He got up and handed me a copy of the great image of Daniel chapter two. "This is so important, so basic", he said with fervor. "If people only knew that the Bible lays out the future so plain, that if you understood it, you couldn't go wrong." He waved at the boxes of books. "It's all in there, but it really helps if you look at it together. Some people don't get it from a book, not right away. I
know I didn't".
He saw I was interested and I was agreeing with him every step of the way. I had said the same thing a number of times."But" he said, lowering his voice. "People don't know a damned thing, if
you'll pardon my French. You go into a church and everybody smiles at you. They know nothing about you at all. Why all the damned smiles? Maybe I don't feel like smiling, maybe I'm walking around with a knife in my heart, they don't know. And you know why? They don't care, that's
why. They don't have the time to get to know you, that's why. Hell, if you get a new dog or cat or a horse, you got to take the time with them so you know their temperment. Later on, if you treat 'em right they may start liking you. But it takes time! Man, animals are smarter than people in a lot of ways, they've got more sense, and more dignity."
"But that's all personality stuff. It's more than that, it's content,... content. People don't know anything any more. You go to a Bible study, or I guess I should say Sunday School class and it's once over lightly about some material the teacher studied the night before. I don't know how many times I've sat outside a church office waiting to talk to somebody and listened to preachers on the phone laughing it up, haw hawing about this and that. And church people get together and drink coffee and talk about sports and cars and jobs, such shallow stuff! I hope you take this right, but you can have a better talk in a bar sometimes and I don't drink any more or go to bars."
Glen held up a volume from one of the cartons. It was Daniel and the Latter Days. "This is so important", he said with great earnestness. "This is what we need to understand. If we did we wouldn't be involved in so many foolish enterprises. It's heavy stuff. Daniel collapsed when he saw the future for his people, Israel. But angels comforted him. They called him 'Greatly beloved'."
"But it takes years to get what's in here" he said looking at the book. “Daniel chapter two is one of the great prophecies of the whole Bible, get that and it's hard for anyone to deceive you. But you can't sit around with your friends gabbing and learn anything. You have to spend time alone and prepare your mind. If you do that you will never see the world the same way. It changes you after you understand Daniel and the other prophetic books."
From below we heard a TV set being turned up and then off. "That's my landlady", said Glen. "That's her signal that it's supper time. She listens to the evening news while she fixes supper and that's how she signals me to come down."
How you gonna get home? he asked. "Oh, I can walk to where I parked my car, it's not far". I hope your posters come out ok. And I hope people get the message that is in them".
I turned towards the door for the outside steps and Glen turned off the light over his poster table. He gave me a little smile as he walked out of his room to go to supper.
Jael, Rhymes with Nail
Then Jael, Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand..... Judges 4:21
Gary had barely finished reading the passage about Ehud and Eglon, when Sue’s eyes lit up. “That was great!”, she said with excitement, “but I’ve got another story that I like too.”
We didn’t see a lot of emotion from Sue. She was a devoted Christian. Anyone who spent time around her soon realized that. But she was not what you would call outgoing. There was always an air of quiet about her. She could bond with children and, for some reason, she was not shy around Glen. His rough exterior and blunt manners did not seem to frighten her one bit.
But her avid expression and enthusiasm over the story of Ehud and his home-made dagger, did seem out of character for someone with such a quiet personality.
Maybe it shows that all of us are more complex than is generally realized?
“Have we got time to read it too?” she asked.
“Unfortunately” said Joy. “I mean business this morning has really been slow. But let’s hear the story you like so much..”
“Gary, I bet you know where it is.”
“Where what is?” said Gary, with an air of mild curiosity.
“I mean my favorite story in Judges, or a least one of my favorites. It’s the one where Jael takes a hammer....”
“Oh, sure” said Gary. I know about where it is. The heading in my Scofield has it under “Sisera’s defeat and death.You would think Jael would get the top billing, not Sisera.”
“Sisera was such a powerful force against Israel” said Glen, who had been quietly taking this all in..Not only the subject matter was of interest to Glen, but he liked to find which parts of the Bible appealed to each of his friends. He said he learned a lot about them in this way.
“Sisera had nine hundred chariots of iron. In those days chariots were the equivalent to tanks in the modern army.”
“I’ve read this story” said Joy.“Why doesn’t it mention how many chariots Israel had?”
“Israel was forbidden to have chariots, or even horses” said Gary.
“Good point, Gary” said Glen. “Israel was meant to rely on God to gain the victory, not horses and chariots. When they went out on foot and defeated enemy forces that came at them with armored calvary, their victory showed that it was by the hand off God that they were able to win.”
Sue listen quietly, but you could see she was impatient to hear the story.
“Sorry to interrupt, Sue” said Glen, “Just a little background, is all.”
Joy spoke, after an apology to Sue. “You know, Israel went into battle knowing they would win. Deborah, a prophetess, spoke for God. She said He would deliver the enemy into their hands. Now I’ll shut up so we can hear the story.”
Gary began to read: And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. Judges 4:15
“Imagine Patton leaving his armor outfit and running for his life!, exclaimed Glen.
“That’s how bad this is.”
Gary read on “But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword: and there was not a man left. Judges 4:16
“Not a man left of the army, just their leader, Sisera” said Gary.
Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
“He figured he was safe” said Sue gleefully.
And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in to her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
“Nighty night!” said Sue, obviously enjoying this part of the story.
Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? That thou shalt say, No.
At this point Sue clasped her little hands together in childlike anticipation.
Then Jael, Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. Judges 4:21
“Just like Deborah foretold” said Joy. “Deborah said the Lord would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman”
“Every man feared that fate” said Glen. “It was considered a curse to die at the hands of a woman.”
We turned to Gary, who completed the story: And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, Come and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead. And the nail was in his temples. Judges 4:22
Sue’s left hand curled as if to hold a tent stake. She swung an imaginary hammer down with such vigor that her locket came out of her dress and swung on its chain like a pendulum. “Pow, pow, pow!” she swung three times, killing Sisera again in her imagination.
“Take that!” she said.
We all watched her in amazement.
Joy’s face had an expression that seemed to say “Who have I got working in my store?”
Gary had barely finished reading the passage about Ehud and Eglon, when Sue’s eyes lit up. “That was great!”, she said with excitement, “but I’ve got another story that I like too.”
We didn’t see a lot of emotion from Sue. She was a devoted Christian. Anyone who spent time around her soon realized that. But she was not what you would call outgoing. There was always an air of quiet about her. She could bond with children and, for some reason, she was not shy around Glen. His rough exterior and blunt manners did not seem to frighten her one bit.
But her avid expression and enthusiasm over the story of Ehud and his home-made dagger, did seem out of character for someone with such a quiet personality.
Maybe it shows that all of us are more complex than is generally realized?
“Have we got time to read it too?” she asked.
“Unfortunately” said Joy. “I mean business this morning has really been slow. But let’s hear the story you like so much..”
“Gary, I bet you know where it is.”
“Where what is?” said Gary, with an air of mild curiosity.
“I mean my favorite story in Judges, or a least one of my favorites. It’s the one where Jael takes a hammer....”
“Oh, sure” said Gary. I know about where it is. The heading in my Scofield has it under “Sisera’s defeat and death.You would think Jael would get the top billing, not Sisera.”
“Sisera was such a powerful force against Israel” said Glen, who had been quietly taking this all in..Not only the subject matter was of interest to Glen, but he liked to find which parts of the Bible appealed to each of his friends. He said he learned a lot about them in this way.
“Sisera had nine hundred chariots of iron. In those days chariots were the equivalent to tanks in the modern army.”
“I’ve read this story” said Joy.“Why doesn’t it mention how many chariots Israel had?”
“Israel was forbidden to have chariots, or even horses” said Gary.
“Good point, Gary” said Glen. “Israel was meant to rely on God to gain the victory, not horses and chariots. When they went out on foot and defeated enemy forces that came at them with armored calvary, their victory showed that it was by the hand off God that they were able to win.”
Sue listen quietly, but you could see she was impatient to hear the story.
“Sorry to interrupt, Sue” said Glen, “Just a little background, is all.”
Joy spoke, after an apology to Sue. “You know, Israel went into battle knowing they would win. Deborah, a prophetess, spoke for God. She said He would deliver the enemy into their hands. Now I’ll shut up so we can hear the story.”
Gary began to read: And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. Judges 4:15
“Imagine Patton leaving his armor outfit and running for his life!, exclaimed Glen.
“That’s how bad this is.”
Gary read on “But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword: and there was not a man left. Judges 4:16
“Not a man left of the army, just their leader, Sisera” said Gary.
Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
“He figured he was safe” said Sue gleefully.
And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in to her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
“Nighty night!” said Sue, obviously enjoying this part of the story.
Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? That thou shalt say, No.
At this point Sue clasped her little hands together in childlike anticipation.
Then Jael, Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. Judges 4:21
“Just like Deborah foretold” said Joy. “Deborah said the Lord would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman”
“Every man feared that fate” said Glen. “It was considered a curse to die at the hands of a woman.”
We turned to Gary, who completed the story: And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, Come and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead. And the nail was in his temples. Judges 4:22
Sue’s left hand curled as if to hold a tent stake. She swung an imaginary hammer down with such vigor that her locket came out of her dress and swung on its chain like a pendulum. “Pow, pow, pow!” she swung three times, killing Sisera again in her imagination.
“Take that!” she said.
We all watched her in amazement.
Joy’s face had an expression that seemed to say “Who have I got working in my store?”
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Ray of Hope
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.This commandment have I received of my Father. John 10:17,18
“There are people hidden all over the place” Glen once old me,”Some of them are so hidden away it’s like only God knows where they are.” But Glen knew of a lot of people, often alone, and if they would have him, he would visit them and teach from his Bible to the best of his ability.
One Wednesday, he drove to a highrise for the handicapped and elderly. It was on the edge of town and was sixteen stories high. A crowd had gathered near the side entrance Glen liked to use. A cruiser was there and a policeman stood guard over a corpse covered by a tarp. An old man had gone off a balcony from the twelfth floor, a suicide people said. “He had health problems and he couldn’t take it any more”, said someone who knew him. Children pressed closer, scared but curious, hoping to see something that they could tell to their friends. A boy, about eight, stepped closer. He had an orange popsicle in his hand.
The cop saw him edging closer. “You wanna see?” He reached down as if he was going to raise the tarp. The little boy’s eyes widened and he shook his head to say no.
“Then please get back, everybody,” said the cop. “This is a terrible thing, you don’t want to look at this.” He waved his arm around the alcove where the man had hit. His corpse was covered, but spattered blood was on the gray concrete where he had hit and on the walls of the building.
Glen went through the side entrance and to the elevator. He pressed the button for floor twelve. Today was the day he visited with Ray and Bessie. With Bessie, really, as Ray didn’t care to join them. He walked to the end of the carpeted hall and used the door knocker. Bessie opened the door and motioned for him to step into their little sitting room. She was a small, plump woman with a round face. Her hair was pulled back into a bun. There was a look of deep concern in her brown eyes.
Glen sat with her, but said nothing. Bessie looked at him intently, “I was down on the first floor” she told him, almost in a whisper. “We heard it, like the sound of a collision, that’s what we thought it was, a car. Then when someone told us it was a man who had climbed over to jump.
The first thing I thought, was, what if it was Ray! I realized he couldn’t get out of his wheelchair, but that’s what I thought, just for a minute. How horrible for him to die and not be a believer.” Bessie leaned over to Glen, “Ray is a real he-man type. He was in construction. You wouldn’t know it now, but he was a powerful man when he was young.”
Glen took it all in, but said nothing. Bessie put her hand on Glen’s arm. “Ray said he can’t believe in Jesus, he thinks Jesus was a sissy!” Glen could see that Bessie hated to say this. But he had heard it many times before. He had grown up in a church where Jesus was presented in just this way. He told me once,”The Powers that Be” want you to believe Jesus was weak, and they want you to be the same way, so they can boss you around and rule over you. But the hardest thing for Jesus to do, was to hold back His power and take a beating and execution for you and me.”
Glen once said the hardest thing for him was self control, or it had been. He once told me, “If I had the power Jesus had, I don’t think I could have held back, I know I couldn’t. One day it hit me” Glen told me. “The hardest thing, and the greatest thing, was what Jesus did not do. If He had used his power and not let them take him, we would all die in our sins and lose eternal life.”
It was then that I learned a secret about Glen. That old fighter was imitating Jesus, by not doing the mean thing, when he could, and by learning patience, and Glen was patient.
As they rose to go to the kitchen, Bessie touched Glen’s wrist, “I just thought I would tell you” she said.
Glen seated himself at the little wooden kitchen table. It had red flowers stenciled on it was trimmed in red. On the wall was a crocheted cross. Sunlight lit up the table as Glen opened his Bible.
Bessie stood at the doorway talking to Ray. “Don’t you want to join us, honey? Come on and sit with us.” She wheeled his chair into the kitchen. It was a big heavy chair with a rack to hold his oxygen tank. Glen got up to welcome him, but Ray waved him down. Glen looked at his long arms and legs, he had big hands, but now his body was thin and sagging. He was friendly enough, but had a look of detachment, as if he would rather be somewhere else if he only had the opportunity.
Glen began his lesson for the day. “Jesus is often presented as a kind man, with lots of good intentions, doing kind deeds and so forth, until his luck ran out and the authorities killed him. But the words of Jesus and his life teaches us just the opposite.
Ray listened, but gave no clues as to what he was thinking as Glen continued, “There are two forces at work in the world today. One is the present administrator of the world system, Satan, the devil, once known as Lucifer. He runs the world and owns its kingdoms and their glory. Mankind turned to the devil in the Garden over six thousand years ago and in so doing we turned away from God. God permitted this, but promised our mother, Eve, that one of her sons, would crush the devil’s head under his heel. Thousands of years went by, the devil running the world pretty much like he wanted to, with God setting the limits, like in the book of Job. When evil became too extensive, God intervened with the flood, only eight people surviving it. Then came that wonderful day when God entered the devil’s world to win His people back from the devil.
Glen read from his Bible: But when the fulness of the times was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Galatians 4:4
Here is the son of Eve, that God promised her, oh so long ago, would crush the serpent’s head. This was planned in eternity, but is being worked out in time. God lives in eternity, we live in time, but God knew what the devil would do and had His remedy ready when the time was fully come. Jesus came to engage in the strangest combat you ever heard of”, Glen continued. “And here is why He came:”
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8
Jesus fought the battle to buy us back from the devil using the devil’s own weapon, the cross. By giving His blood He bought us back, out of the devil’s hands. But to give His blood he had to allow himself to be slaughtered. He fulfilled the feast of atonement by giving himself as the lamb of sacrifice. Any attempt to kill Jesus before the day of his slaughtering was impossible, and there were attempts.
Let’s read about one of those threats and how Jesus stood up to it. It’s in the Gospel of Luke chapter thirteen.”
The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. Luke 13:31
Glen looked over at Ray, “The religious authorities, who later would have Jesus killed, by lying about him, threaten Jesus, and warn him that King Herod will kill him. Now let’s hear how Jesus answered them.”
And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Luke 13:32
Ray smiled “That fox!”, he said to himself
Glen concluded his little session, knowing that people get tired. “Don’t try to go too long.” he once told me. Glen arose from his chair and started for the front door. Bessie wheeled Ray to his room. “Is he coming back?” he asked.
“Yes, he’s coming back” she replied.
“Good” Ray said “I want to hear more stories about Jesus.”
Bessie looked at him in surprize, “Oh yeah, since when!”
But you could tell she was pleased.
“There are people hidden all over the place” Glen once old me,”Some of them are so hidden away it’s like only God knows where they are.” But Glen knew of a lot of people, often alone, and if they would have him, he would visit them and teach from his Bible to the best of his ability.
One Wednesday, he drove to a highrise for the handicapped and elderly. It was on the edge of town and was sixteen stories high. A crowd had gathered near the side entrance Glen liked to use. A cruiser was there and a policeman stood guard over a corpse covered by a tarp. An old man had gone off a balcony from the twelfth floor, a suicide people said. “He had health problems and he couldn’t take it any more”, said someone who knew him. Children pressed closer, scared but curious, hoping to see something that they could tell to their friends. A boy, about eight, stepped closer. He had an orange popsicle in his hand.
The cop saw him edging closer. “You wanna see?” He reached down as if he was going to raise the tarp. The little boy’s eyes widened and he shook his head to say no.
“Then please get back, everybody,” said the cop. “This is a terrible thing, you don’t want to look at this.” He waved his arm around the alcove where the man had hit. His corpse was covered, but spattered blood was on the gray concrete where he had hit and on the walls of the building.
Glen went through the side entrance and to the elevator. He pressed the button for floor twelve. Today was the day he visited with Ray and Bessie. With Bessie, really, as Ray didn’t care to join them. He walked to the end of the carpeted hall and used the door knocker. Bessie opened the door and motioned for him to step into their little sitting room. She was a small, plump woman with a round face. Her hair was pulled back into a bun. There was a look of deep concern in her brown eyes.
Glen sat with her, but said nothing. Bessie looked at him intently, “I was down on the first floor” she told him, almost in a whisper. “We heard it, like the sound of a collision, that’s what we thought it was, a car. Then when someone told us it was a man who had climbed over to jump.
The first thing I thought, was, what if it was Ray! I realized he couldn’t get out of his wheelchair, but that’s what I thought, just for a minute. How horrible for him to die and not be a believer.” Bessie leaned over to Glen, “Ray is a real he-man type. He was in construction. You wouldn’t know it now, but he was a powerful man when he was young.”
Glen took it all in, but said nothing. Bessie put her hand on Glen’s arm. “Ray said he can’t believe in Jesus, he thinks Jesus was a sissy!” Glen could see that Bessie hated to say this. But he had heard it many times before. He had grown up in a church where Jesus was presented in just this way. He told me once,”The Powers that Be” want you to believe Jesus was weak, and they want you to be the same way, so they can boss you around and rule over you. But the hardest thing for Jesus to do, was to hold back His power and take a beating and execution for you and me.”
Glen once said the hardest thing for him was self control, or it had been. He once told me, “If I had the power Jesus had, I don’t think I could have held back, I know I couldn’t. One day it hit me” Glen told me. “The hardest thing, and the greatest thing, was what Jesus did not do. If He had used his power and not let them take him, we would all die in our sins and lose eternal life.”
It was then that I learned a secret about Glen. That old fighter was imitating Jesus, by not doing the mean thing, when he could, and by learning patience, and Glen was patient.
As they rose to go to the kitchen, Bessie touched Glen’s wrist, “I just thought I would tell you” she said.
Glen seated himself at the little wooden kitchen table. It had red flowers stenciled on it was trimmed in red. On the wall was a crocheted cross. Sunlight lit up the table as Glen opened his Bible.
Bessie stood at the doorway talking to Ray. “Don’t you want to join us, honey? Come on and sit with us.” She wheeled his chair into the kitchen. It was a big heavy chair with a rack to hold his oxygen tank. Glen got up to welcome him, but Ray waved him down. Glen looked at his long arms and legs, he had big hands, but now his body was thin and sagging. He was friendly enough, but had a look of detachment, as if he would rather be somewhere else if he only had the opportunity.
Glen began his lesson for the day. “Jesus is often presented as a kind man, with lots of good intentions, doing kind deeds and so forth, until his luck ran out and the authorities killed him. But the words of Jesus and his life teaches us just the opposite.
Ray listened, but gave no clues as to what he was thinking as Glen continued, “There are two forces at work in the world today. One is the present administrator of the world system, Satan, the devil, once known as Lucifer. He runs the world and owns its kingdoms and their glory. Mankind turned to the devil in the Garden over six thousand years ago and in so doing we turned away from God. God permitted this, but promised our mother, Eve, that one of her sons, would crush the devil’s head under his heel. Thousands of years went by, the devil running the world pretty much like he wanted to, with God setting the limits, like in the book of Job. When evil became too extensive, God intervened with the flood, only eight people surviving it. Then came that wonderful day when God entered the devil’s world to win His people back from the devil.
Glen read from his Bible: But when the fulness of the times was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Galatians 4:4
Here is the son of Eve, that God promised her, oh so long ago, would crush the serpent’s head. This was planned in eternity, but is being worked out in time. God lives in eternity, we live in time, but God knew what the devil would do and had His remedy ready when the time was fully come. Jesus came to engage in the strangest combat you ever heard of”, Glen continued. “And here is why He came:”
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8
Jesus fought the battle to buy us back from the devil using the devil’s own weapon, the cross. By giving His blood He bought us back, out of the devil’s hands. But to give His blood he had to allow himself to be slaughtered. He fulfilled the feast of atonement by giving himself as the lamb of sacrifice. Any attempt to kill Jesus before the day of his slaughtering was impossible, and there were attempts.
Let’s read about one of those threats and how Jesus stood up to it. It’s in the Gospel of Luke chapter thirteen.”
The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. Luke 13:31
Glen looked over at Ray, “The religious authorities, who later would have Jesus killed, by lying about him, threaten Jesus, and warn him that King Herod will kill him. Now let’s hear how Jesus answered them.”
And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Luke 13:32
Ray smiled “That fox!”, he said to himself
Glen concluded his little session, knowing that people get tired. “Don’t try to go too long.” he once told me. Glen arose from his chair and started for the front door. Bessie wheeled Ray to his room. “Is he coming back?” he asked.
“Yes, he’s coming back” she replied.
“Good” Ray said “I want to hear more stories about Jesus.”
Bessie looked at him in surprize, “Oh yeah, since when!”
But you could tell she was pleased.
Potato Bread
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness. Ecclesiastes 7:25
For once, Joy was hoping she could spend some time alone in her Oak Street Bible Shop, it was inventory time. She sent Sue out to a nearby store to get a cellulose sponge and some liquid floor wax. When inventory was over she wanted to go over the floors again. To a casual observer the shop’s floor looked perfectly clean and shining, like everything else in her immaculate little store. But she would move her head around to catch the sunlight reflecting off the sunny spots and see places that were not as bright as they could be and it bothered her. She had instructed Gary to wipe his feet carefully when he came up from the basement where he was moving cartons around and generally cleaning up.
She counted on being alone for at least an hour, Sue said she would be back “right away” but Joy knew from experience that she would wander into the fabric section and look at all the patterns and colors and dream of another one of her sewing “creations”.
She stepped over to Glen’s “prophecy corner”. As usual he had mixed up the books. “Oh, Glen” she thought, “”You’ve put Dwight Pentecost in with John Waalvoord.! Don’t you know the difference between a “P” and a “W”?
But, she was thrilled to think there would be no distractions from his presence for at least long enough to finish this dreaded inventory. Just then she heard his feet clumping up on the porch and the little bell jangling as he came into the room. “Howdy” he said in a rather distracted way. He headed for the coffee urn table.
“If you’re here for the genealogy charts, they’re not in yet” she said, anticipating his question. “Oh, the charts, “he said, “tell you the truth I had forgotten all about them.”
He sat down on the chair by the coffee urn and reached into the pocket oh his blue dyed field jacket. He took out a carefully wrapped grilled cheese sandwich and plopped it onto the table.
“Did Cheryl make you another sandwich” asked Joy. She preferred he talk about something simple, this morning. She was trying to concentrate on her inventory sheets and was in no mood for one of Glen’s endless discussions.
He was looking out the side window at the birds gathered at the feeder.
“Cheryl? Oh, no,” he said rather absent mindedly.” My landlady made this one for me. I got her one of those toaster ovens and she made this to thank me. She wanted to know if I liked the combination of Colby cheese and potato bread. I told her I was sure I’d like it, but I never even heard of potato bread before.” He poured out a small cup of coffee and began to unwrap his sandwich.
“Too bad those blue jays run off all the little guys, isn’t it? he asked.
Behind the counter, she put down her inventory sheet. She hoped she could remember where she was when he stopped talking, if he stopped talking.
“ I don’t know what I can do about it, they have to eat too, you know, she said”
Glen was still looking at them. “Oh, sure they do. I like blue jays, beautiful birds, so full of life and spirit, never saw a blue jay mope around. You know, when I was a kid I always thought they looked like policemen. And you ever notice how they’re the first ones to spot danger? Then they give out a loud scream and all the birds take off. They can be a bother, but they can save the lives of the other birds by giving the alarm.”
Joy put down her sheet. “What’s the use!” she thought. Like Sue and Gary, she loved Glen, but sometimes he was just too much, and today was one of those days. “How’s your sandwich?” she tried.
“Good, good!” he said. “But it doesn’t taste much like potatoes.”
“It’s not supposed to” said Joy.
“Then why do they call it potato bread if you can’t even taste the potatoes?”
“They put potatoes in the dough to give it texture” said Joy with growing impatience.
Glen was looking at the birds again. “Oh.” was all said. He had a sip of coffee and took another bite of his sandwich. It was quiet and Joy risked picking up her inventory sheet.
“You ever see those squirrel proof bird feeders, Joy? The have a perch that is set so when a bird lands on it it stays put. But when a squirrel gets on, it closes up. You could make’em for different weights of birds, one for real little guys like chickadees and Carolina wrens, and medium size birds too. Then one just for big guys. The Blue jays could have their own feeder that way. Leave the other guys alone. Maybe you could make’em adjustable?”
Joy, put her chin down on the heel of her hand. “I think I’m running a Glen feeder” she thought. All this detail stuff to do and he just goes on and on!”
“How’s the cheese?” she thought she might as well go along with him.
“Very good!” said Glen, with enthusiasm, “Always liked Colby, although I thought it was used mainly grated on salads, stuff like that. It’s a type of cheddar, you know. Named after a place in England. They came up with what is now called the cheddaring process. They adjust the acidity of the curds, makes it milder. Longhorn is a type of Colby. I might ask her if this is Longhorn. My landlady, I mean.”
Just as Joy thought he had run out of things to say about the cheese, Glen spoke again. There’s another Colby you know. Former director of the CIA. After he retired he started talking too much and they offed him. Joy sat up, startled. “How do they know he was “offed”? she said.
“It just figures” said Glen. “To begin with he was typical CIA, very meticulous. They are the kinds of guys who wear belts and suspenders, take no chances, you know. Ever read The Spike? It tells how they recruit such guys, they like gourmets, they feel a man who knows which wine goes with which meal, has discernment, has a good mind. On the day he died William Colby was having clams with wine. The table was still set, clamshells in the sink, and suddenly he decides to go canoeing with a storm coming up! He did canoe, but checked the weather each time before he went out and always wore a life jacket. They never found a life jacket or his floating paddle. Nothing fits. He wouldn’t leave those shells in the sink or dishes on the table, his friends said. And never go canoeing in a storm. He was taken out because he was ready to talk. I could tell you about two books he was associated with that were total shockers.”
Joy got to her feet and opened the door to the stairway. He heard her feet on the steps going upstairs to where she and Dave lived. He ate some more of his sandwich and finished his coffee. After about five minutes Joy came back down with a china cup and a kettle of hot water.
“Look Joy,” he said apologetically, “I’ll get out of here and stop bothering you. I know I talk too much and I’m really sorry. It’s just that I like to get to the bottom of things.”
Joy put the cup on the table and dropped in one of his Constant Comment tea bags. She poured water from the kettle into the cup. “Here,” she said, “when you get to the bottom of this, I’ll make you another one!”
For once, Joy was hoping she could spend some time alone in her Oak Street Bible Shop, it was inventory time. She sent Sue out to a nearby store to get a cellulose sponge and some liquid floor wax. When inventory was over she wanted to go over the floors again. To a casual observer the shop’s floor looked perfectly clean and shining, like everything else in her immaculate little store. But she would move her head around to catch the sunlight reflecting off the sunny spots and see places that were not as bright as they could be and it bothered her. She had instructed Gary to wipe his feet carefully when he came up from the basement where he was moving cartons around and generally cleaning up.
She counted on being alone for at least an hour, Sue said she would be back “right away” but Joy knew from experience that she would wander into the fabric section and look at all the patterns and colors and dream of another one of her sewing “creations”.
She stepped over to Glen’s “prophecy corner”. As usual he had mixed up the books. “Oh, Glen” she thought, “”You’ve put Dwight Pentecost in with John Waalvoord.! Don’t you know the difference between a “P” and a “W”?
But, she was thrilled to think there would be no distractions from his presence for at least long enough to finish this dreaded inventory. Just then she heard his feet clumping up on the porch and the little bell jangling as he came into the room. “Howdy” he said in a rather distracted way. He headed for the coffee urn table.
“If you’re here for the genealogy charts, they’re not in yet” she said, anticipating his question. “Oh, the charts, “he said, “tell you the truth I had forgotten all about them.”
He sat down on the chair by the coffee urn and reached into the pocket oh his blue dyed field jacket. He took out a carefully wrapped grilled cheese sandwich and plopped it onto the table.
“Did Cheryl make you another sandwich” asked Joy. She preferred he talk about something simple, this morning. She was trying to concentrate on her inventory sheets and was in no mood for one of Glen’s endless discussions.
He was looking out the side window at the birds gathered at the feeder.
“Cheryl? Oh, no,” he said rather absent mindedly.” My landlady made this one for me. I got her one of those toaster ovens and she made this to thank me. She wanted to know if I liked the combination of Colby cheese and potato bread. I told her I was sure I’d like it, but I never even heard of potato bread before.” He poured out a small cup of coffee and began to unwrap his sandwich.
“Too bad those blue jays run off all the little guys, isn’t it? he asked.
Behind the counter, she put down her inventory sheet. She hoped she could remember where she was when he stopped talking, if he stopped talking.
“ I don’t know what I can do about it, they have to eat too, you know, she said”
Glen was still looking at them. “Oh, sure they do. I like blue jays, beautiful birds, so full of life and spirit, never saw a blue jay mope around. You know, when I was a kid I always thought they looked like policemen. And you ever notice how they’re the first ones to spot danger? Then they give out a loud scream and all the birds take off. They can be a bother, but they can save the lives of the other birds by giving the alarm.”
Joy put down her sheet. “What’s the use!” she thought. Like Sue and Gary, she loved Glen, but sometimes he was just too much, and today was one of those days. “How’s your sandwich?” she tried.
“Good, good!” he said. “But it doesn’t taste much like potatoes.”
“It’s not supposed to” said Joy.
“Then why do they call it potato bread if you can’t even taste the potatoes?”
“They put potatoes in the dough to give it texture” said Joy with growing impatience.
Glen was looking at the birds again. “Oh.” was all said. He had a sip of coffee and took another bite of his sandwich. It was quiet and Joy risked picking up her inventory sheet.
“You ever see those squirrel proof bird feeders, Joy? The have a perch that is set so when a bird lands on it it stays put. But when a squirrel gets on, it closes up. You could make’em for different weights of birds, one for real little guys like chickadees and Carolina wrens, and medium size birds too. Then one just for big guys. The Blue jays could have their own feeder that way. Leave the other guys alone. Maybe you could make’em adjustable?”
Joy, put her chin down on the heel of her hand. “I think I’m running a Glen feeder” she thought. All this detail stuff to do and he just goes on and on!”
“How’s the cheese?” she thought she might as well go along with him.
“Very good!” said Glen, with enthusiasm, “Always liked Colby, although I thought it was used mainly grated on salads, stuff like that. It’s a type of cheddar, you know. Named after a place in England. They came up with what is now called the cheddaring process. They adjust the acidity of the curds, makes it milder. Longhorn is a type of Colby. I might ask her if this is Longhorn. My landlady, I mean.”
Just as Joy thought he had run out of things to say about the cheese, Glen spoke again. There’s another Colby you know. Former director of the CIA. After he retired he started talking too much and they offed him. Joy sat up, startled. “How do they know he was “offed”? she said.
“It just figures” said Glen. “To begin with he was typical CIA, very meticulous. They are the kinds of guys who wear belts and suspenders, take no chances, you know. Ever read The Spike? It tells how they recruit such guys, they like gourmets, they feel a man who knows which wine goes with which meal, has discernment, has a good mind. On the day he died William Colby was having clams with wine. The table was still set, clamshells in the sink, and suddenly he decides to go canoeing with a storm coming up! He did canoe, but checked the weather each time before he went out and always wore a life jacket. They never found a life jacket or his floating paddle. Nothing fits. He wouldn’t leave those shells in the sink or dishes on the table, his friends said. And never go canoeing in a storm. He was taken out because he was ready to talk. I could tell you about two books he was associated with that were total shockers.”
Joy got to her feet and opened the door to the stairway. He heard her feet on the steps going upstairs to where she and Dave lived. He ate some more of his sandwich and finished his coffee. After about five minutes Joy came back down with a china cup and a kettle of hot water.
“Look Joy,” he said apologetically, “I’ll get out of here and stop bothering you. I know I talk too much and I’m really sorry. It’s just that I like to get to the bottom of things.”
Joy put the cup on the table and dropped in one of his Constant Comment tea bags. She poured water from the kettle into the cup. “Here,” she said, “when you get to the bottom of this, I’ll make you another one!”
How to become a Virgin
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Cor. 11:2
The world may well marvel at the words of Paul in this verse. How can someone who is stained with the world ever be considered a pure virgin bride? Yet that is exactly what Paul says we are. The Corinthians are a notable example for the world and for us of the miraculous power of God to clean up the unclean.
Among the early churches it would be difficult to find a more corrupt origin, a more evil background from which to emerge. Without the knowlege of how evil they were it we do not see the irony in the words "a chaste virgin".
Paul is reminding them of his mission. He is to present them to Christ as a bride.
There was a girl in my school who was a prostitute. It was not a rumor, it was an open thing with her. I remember as a kid walking to school hearing her make a date with an old man who was cutting grass, concluding a business deal and turning to grin at me in her impudence. She was shunned at school for the most part. But there was a Catholic girl who, knowing what she did about her, befriended her, sat with her and walked with her. One day in study hall the girl who was a prostitute used the name of Jesus profanely. The Catholic girl said to her with great seriousness, "You should never speak that way, that is a holy name you just spoke". It was touching to see the aplologetic attitude of the first girl. "I'm sorry," she said, "I won't do it again."
I learned a lesson that day. The extended friendship, the shared conversation and sympathies, made the rebuke effective. The Catholic girl had treated her with respect and this made all the difference to her friend. The rebuke was over her words and not her person, and was spoken in friendship, not scorn.
The Catholic girl taught me by example, that day and I have never forgotten her or her example. It took me years to learn about the nature of our faith and God who is its author. It is completely wrong to shun those on the fringe of society, who we think of as below our station. I remember the statement, "The ground around the cross is level". Amen to that.
You cannot be almost pure in the eyes of a holy God. We all have to be cleaned up completely. That is what Jesus does. We need to remember that Jesus said ;
"They that are well have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentece. Mark 2:17
In the eyes of God the Catholic girl, and her friend the prostitute, needed the same forgiveness and the same salvation. And God offers us all the same benefits. To use a modern example it would be like a car wash that cleans up a dusty little sedan or a muddy truck exactly the same. When they come out they both are gleaming clean.
Such an offer God makes to us all, Let me clean you up, let me make you perfect, I want to do it. Then you can live with me forever. Who would turn it down?
Do you remember Anita Bryant, the singer? She made a fatal career move when she became a Christian and told a group of homosexuals that they needed, like everyone else, to be made clean. I remember her at a gathering starting to read the following words; Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
As she read the following words the crowd began to shout her down;
And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor.5:9-11
Anita Bryant had tears in her eyes as she pleaded with the group who shouted their hatred of her and the words she read. She had told them they needed to be made clean and to change how they lived.
I worked with a man who joined a homosexual church. He was looking forward to Wednesday evening, he told me. It was to be a special dress up night. It was Shelley Winters look-alike night. This was their response to the offered grace of God.
What of those who know they are filthy and want to be clean? King David wanted another man's wife. He had sex with her and murdered her husband so he could have her as a wife. That is dirty. Nathan called him on it, publicly. God's word records this in detail. The Bible shows us what depths a person can fall to and be recovered. The story is told in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25
David wrote a Psalm of repentance over this sin, Psalm 51
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me....
My best friend worked for a government agency. His job could be very complicated and burdensome. One day he complied a list of documents that needed to be copied so they could be mailed to offices across the country. It was an intricate job of duplication and collation. There was a young lady who worked on such matters. Could she help, he wondered. He approached her with this armload of material. "What do I need to do to have these all copied and in order" he said. "Just ask" was her calm reply. He told me this story and described her gracious manner and how she put him at ease.
The story of David's adultery and murder, and his forgiveness, is just one example in the Bible of how God forgives when we ask him. David's later life was not easy, there are consequences to sin. The baby born of his liason with Bathsheba, died. But in eternity his name is cleared and his kingdom is assured. The same can be said of everyone who comes to God and confesses their sin. Just ask. Some will not do it, out of pride, and a spritual blindness that only God can take away. But for those who do humble themselves there is a wonderful future. They have lost their uncleaness and become virgins unto God. Paul uses this imagery of us all united in the church;
...even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word;
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27
The world may well marvel at the words of Paul in this verse. How can someone who is stained with the world ever be considered a pure virgin bride? Yet that is exactly what Paul says we are. The Corinthians are a notable example for the world and for us of the miraculous power of God to clean up the unclean.
Among the early churches it would be difficult to find a more corrupt origin, a more evil background from which to emerge. Without the knowlege of how evil they were it we do not see the irony in the words "a chaste virgin".
Paul is reminding them of his mission. He is to present them to Christ as a bride.
There was a girl in my school who was a prostitute. It was not a rumor, it was an open thing with her. I remember as a kid walking to school hearing her make a date with an old man who was cutting grass, concluding a business deal and turning to grin at me in her impudence. She was shunned at school for the most part. But there was a Catholic girl who, knowing what she did about her, befriended her, sat with her and walked with her. One day in study hall the girl who was a prostitute used the name of Jesus profanely. The Catholic girl said to her with great seriousness, "You should never speak that way, that is a holy name you just spoke". It was touching to see the aplologetic attitude of the first girl. "I'm sorry," she said, "I won't do it again."
I learned a lesson that day. The extended friendship, the shared conversation and sympathies, made the rebuke effective. The Catholic girl had treated her with respect and this made all the difference to her friend. The rebuke was over her words and not her person, and was spoken in friendship, not scorn.
The Catholic girl taught me by example, that day and I have never forgotten her or her example. It took me years to learn about the nature of our faith and God who is its author. It is completely wrong to shun those on the fringe of society, who we think of as below our station. I remember the statement, "The ground around the cross is level". Amen to that.
You cannot be almost pure in the eyes of a holy God. We all have to be cleaned up completely. That is what Jesus does. We need to remember that Jesus said ;
"They that are well have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentece. Mark 2:17
In the eyes of God the Catholic girl, and her friend the prostitute, needed the same forgiveness and the same salvation. And God offers us all the same benefits. To use a modern example it would be like a car wash that cleans up a dusty little sedan or a muddy truck exactly the same. When they come out they both are gleaming clean.
Such an offer God makes to us all, Let me clean you up, let me make you perfect, I want to do it. Then you can live with me forever. Who would turn it down?
Do you remember Anita Bryant, the singer? She made a fatal career move when she became a Christian and told a group of homosexuals that they needed, like everyone else, to be made clean. I remember her at a gathering starting to read the following words; Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
As she read the following words the crowd began to shout her down;
And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor.5:9-11
Anita Bryant had tears in her eyes as she pleaded with the group who shouted their hatred of her and the words she read. She had told them they needed to be made clean and to change how they lived.
I worked with a man who joined a homosexual church. He was looking forward to Wednesday evening, he told me. It was to be a special dress up night. It was Shelley Winters look-alike night. This was their response to the offered grace of God.
What of those who know they are filthy and want to be clean? King David wanted another man's wife. He had sex with her and murdered her husband so he could have her as a wife. That is dirty. Nathan called him on it, publicly. God's word records this in detail. The Bible shows us what depths a person can fall to and be recovered. The story is told in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25
David wrote a Psalm of repentance over this sin, Psalm 51
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me....
My best friend worked for a government agency. His job could be very complicated and burdensome. One day he complied a list of documents that needed to be copied so they could be mailed to offices across the country. It was an intricate job of duplication and collation. There was a young lady who worked on such matters. Could she help, he wondered. He approached her with this armload of material. "What do I need to do to have these all copied and in order" he said. "Just ask" was her calm reply. He told me this story and described her gracious manner and how she put him at ease.
The story of David's adultery and murder, and his forgiveness, is just one example in the Bible of how God forgives when we ask him. David's later life was not easy, there are consequences to sin. The baby born of his liason with Bathsheba, died. But in eternity his name is cleared and his kingdom is assured. The same can be said of everyone who comes to God and confesses their sin. Just ask. Some will not do it, out of pride, and a spritual blindness that only God can take away. But for those who do humble themselves there is a wonderful future. They have lost their uncleaness and become virgins unto God. Paul uses this imagery of us all united in the church;
...even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word;
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27
Alexander the Coppersmith
The little bell on the door of the Oak Street Bible Shop tinkled as I entered, but the occupants hardly looked up. Apparently I had come into a discussion in progress.
Glen was holding up a little volume titled "Forgiveness, Our Christian Duty” “ You take this sappy little book”, he said. “I don't even have to read it to know what it's about. If someone murders a member of your family, it's your fault if you don't love and forgive them. The focus is all on you.”
Glen was off on one of his tirades again.
Joy had just come up from the basement and overheard his remark. She was sensitive to any criticism of her books.
“You can't just throw out the sermon on the mount”, she said. “Jesus said, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. That’s in Matthew chapter six, verses fourteen and fifteen.”
Joy really did know her Bible, it was admitted. Arguments with her were about how she interpreted it.
“I'd like to get my hands on the creep who smashed out my car windows”, said Sue, her blue eyes blazing. She held out her smooth little hands, “ I'd strangle him if I had the chance.”
It was hard to imagine Sue strangling anyone, but her anger was evident, and understandable. She had never harmed anyone and it was rare for her to even raise her voice.
“Well, you had better try to forgive unless you want to be unforgiven by God” said Joy, in her Mother Superior voice.
“Or go to hell”, said Glen. He knew Joy was big on hell.
Gary was looking at his MacArthur's Study Bible. “ You know, MacArthur has a really good note on those verses. He says the issue is not salvation, or eternal forgiveness, God does not take away justification from his children. What it is, is a chastening, it has to do with our daily walk, not our eternal destiny. I'm sure we all agree that once saved, always saved.”
“ Once born always born”, said Sue. There was a silent assent from all present.
Glen was still hot. “That's another thing”, he said. “This whole sermon on the mount thing really bothers me. When I was a kid that's all we heard in our church, the sermon on the mount, and the parables of Jesus. All that meekness was a real turnoff for a boy trying to be a man.”
Joy persisted with her theme of unconditional forgiveness. “Jesus set the pattern for us all. From the cross he said,Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Glen replied, "But he is saying forgive them because of their ignorance. What about those who do know what they do? Stephan, when he was dying, said, Lord lay not this sin to their charge, that is in Acts chapter seven. Doesn't that sound a little more
severe? He calls their actions sin.”
Gary spoke up with an air of moderation. “There seems to be a progression in the doctrine of forgiveness, the more you know, the more you are held accountable. In the days of the crucifixtion, and Stephan's martyrdom, the Bible hadn't even been written. Today it's hard to plead ignorance.”
Joy seemed to have been reconsidering her stand. She really was sensitive to the Word. You couldn't get her to back down on a personal basis, but if you used scripture she would listen.
“We really have to be careful about basing our doctrine on a single quotation. I remember what Jesus said in Luke seventeen. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”
She looked down into her pocket testament, “That's in verse three.”
“If he repents! If he repents!” Glen spoke with satisfaction. “That doesn't sound like the sermon on the mount, does it?”
“Progressive revelation”, intoned Gary. “Progressive revelation.”
“We need the whole Word don't we?”, said Sue. “ You have to keep on reading.”
“That's why I love my Strong's”, said Gary, his hand resting on his big volume.”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God”. Sue recited from memory. “That's what Jesus told the devil in Luke chapter four. Every word.”
“God really does understand our weaknesses and limitations”said Joy. She seemed to be moderating. The Scriptures had that effect on her. “Look at Romans chapter twelve verse eighteen, what Paul is saying; “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceable with all men.”
“Two modifiers”, said Glen. "If it be possible" and "as much as lieth in you". That sure is an understanding way of saying it”.
"I know sometimes not much lieth in me, I'm so glad God understands.” Joy, still looking at Romans, continued, “This sure sounds like a mixed message doesn't it, quoting from verse twenty "Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him: if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head”.
“I'd like to heap coals of fire on someone's head”, said Sue, still thinking of her shattered car windows. “And speaking of progressive revelation”, Glen, who loved The Book of Revelation, quoting from chapter eighteen:” Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; “
That is what God says about Babylon at the time of her judgment.”I know of someone Paul did not forgive, said Gary. At the close of his life, Paul remembered a man who wronged him and his ministry. He knew God would take care of this person. He read from his MacArthur Bible:
“Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. Second Timothy chapter four, verse fourteen.” “Have you ever heard a sermon on Alexander the coppersmith?” asked Glen. “Do you think you ever will?”
Glen was holding up a little volume titled "Forgiveness, Our Christian Duty” “ You take this sappy little book”, he said. “I don't even have to read it to know what it's about. If someone murders a member of your family, it's your fault if you don't love and forgive them. The focus is all on you.”
Glen was off on one of his tirades again.
Joy had just come up from the basement and overheard his remark. She was sensitive to any criticism of her books.
“You can't just throw out the sermon on the mount”, she said. “Jesus said, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. That’s in Matthew chapter six, verses fourteen and fifteen.”
Joy really did know her Bible, it was admitted. Arguments with her were about how she interpreted it.
“I'd like to get my hands on the creep who smashed out my car windows”, said Sue, her blue eyes blazing. She held out her smooth little hands, “ I'd strangle him if I had the chance.”
It was hard to imagine Sue strangling anyone, but her anger was evident, and understandable. She had never harmed anyone and it was rare for her to even raise her voice.
“Well, you had better try to forgive unless you want to be unforgiven by God” said Joy, in her Mother Superior voice.
“Or go to hell”, said Glen. He knew Joy was big on hell.
Gary was looking at his MacArthur's Study Bible. “ You know, MacArthur has a really good note on those verses. He says the issue is not salvation, or eternal forgiveness, God does not take away justification from his children. What it is, is a chastening, it has to do with our daily walk, not our eternal destiny. I'm sure we all agree that once saved, always saved.”
“ Once born always born”, said Sue. There was a silent assent from all present.
Glen was still hot. “That's another thing”, he said. “This whole sermon on the mount thing really bothers me. When I was a kid that's all we heard in our church, the sermon on the mount, and the parables of Jesus. All that meekness was a real turnoff for a boy trying to be a man.”
Joy persisted with her theme of unconditional forgiveness. “Jesus set the pattern for us all. From the cross he said,Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Glen replied, "But he is saying forgive them because of their ignorance. What about those who do know what they do? Stephan, when he was dying, said, Lord lay not this sin to their charge, that is in Acts chapter seven. Doesn't that sound a little more
severe? He calls their actions sin.”
Gary spoke up with an air of moderation. “There seems to be a progression in the doctrine of forgiveness, the more you know, the more you are held accountable. In the days of the crucifixtion, and Stephan's martyrdom, the Bible hadn't even been written. Today it's hard to plead ignorance.”
Joy seemed to have been reconsidering her stand. She really was sensitive to the Word. You couldn't get her to back down on a personal basis, but if you used scripture she would listen.
“We really have to be careful about basing our doctrine on a single quotation. I remember what Jesus said in Luke seventeen. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”
She looked down into her pocket testament, “That's in verse three.”
“If he repents! If he repents!” Glen spoke with satisfaction. “That doesn't sound like the sermon on the mount, does it?”
“Progressive revelation”, intoned Gary. “Progressive revelation.”
“We need the whole Word don't we?”, said Sue. “ You have to keep on reading.”
“That's why I love my Strong's”, said Gary, his hand resting on his big volume.”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God”. Sue recited from memory. “That's what Jesus told the devil in Luke chapter four. Every word.”
“God really does understand our weaknesses and limitations”said Joy. She seemed to be moderating. The Scriptures had that effect on her. “Look at Romans chapter twelve verse eighteen, what Paul is saying; “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceable with all men.”
“Two modifiers”, said Glen. "If it be possible" and "as much as lieth in you". That sure is an understanding way of saying it”.
"I know sometimes not much lieth in me, I'm so glad God understands.” Joy, still looking at Romans, continued, “This sure sounds like a mixed message doesn't it, quoting from verse twenty "Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him: if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head”.
“I'd like to heap coals of fire on someone's head”, said Sue, still thinking of her shattered car windows. “And speaking of progressive revelation”, Glen, who loved The Book of Revelation, quoting from chapter eighteen:” Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; “
That is what God says about Babylon at the time of her judgment.”I know of someone Paul did not forgive, said Gary. At the close of his life, Paul remembered a man who wronged him and his ministry. He knew God would take care of this person. He read from his MacArthur Bible:
“Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. Second Timothy chapter four, verse fourteen.” “Have you ever heard a sermon on Alexander the coppersmith?” asked Glen. “Do you think you ever will?”
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