The Secret of the Blessed Man

(A Faithful Churchman)

Psalm 1:1–6 Every dad has his favorite chair, the place where he drops at the end of a tough day to watch the news, to read, to catch an athletic event, and sometimes to sleep in. It’s the familiar place. You’ve seen him there many times.

Every husband and every father also sits in some other chairs. John Maxwell had names for these metaphorical chairs:

•     The Chair of Compromise: the chair of “lukewarmness” toward God, connecting with God only when it’s convenient.

•     The Chair of Conflict: the chair marked by coldness toward God because of no relationship to him. Since this man doesn’t personally know God, he lives in conflict—pushed and pulled by everything the world has to offer.

•     The Chair of Commitment: those men who occupy this chair live for God and seek him with all their heart.¹

The Bible describes such a man. He is found in Psalm 1. [Read this psalm at this point.] The man whose life is being celebrated today is the kind of life we see in this psalm.

I. Character

Note first the character of the man who is blessed. The word blessed means “happy” in the Beatitudes. The man who is blessed is the man who makes it his purpose to be a godly man. How does a man become a godly man and mature into the nature of his Savior? It begins with three refusals, three choices he makes.

First, he “does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (v. 1). Wicked people are godless people. They live their lives horizontally. They have no vertical dependence on the God of heaven, the supernatural. They do it their way. Their lives are marked by independence. The blessed man does not expose himself to their lifestyles or philosophies.

Second, the blessed man does not “stand in the way of sinners” (v. 1). He is careful where he hangs out and spends time. He is spiritually discerning. He is alert to moral distinctives. Sinners are people who miss the mark. Their goals and values are counter to the ways of God. Their god is self.

Third, the blessed man does not “sit in the seat of mockers” (v. 1). Mockers are cynical and skeptical. Life is lived for their own purposes. Their ambitions and goals are built on the idea of the superhero—the macho man—who pulls himself up by his own bootstraps and does not need the assistance of God or man. The blessed man is the opposite of the ungodly. The ungodly begin to walk, then stand, then sit, and become comfortable with their lives apart from God—a steady progression downward. But the blessed man has his heart set on piety, purity, and purpose—all in the context of a heart set as the psalmist states at another place: “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this” (Ps. 37:4–5).

II. Conduct

The blessed man’s secret begins in character formed by his relationship to Jesus Christ. It shows itself in the conduct of his life. The ability to conduct life at the highest level doesn’t just happen. It is the derivative of a man who is pursuing the heart of God. How does a man get to have the character of God so that he conducts his life in such a way that it mirrors his Creator and Lord? Verse 2 gives us this open secret: “His delight is in the law of the Lord.”

What is God’s law? It is his requirements for man. They are summed up in Jesus’ words: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” ’ (Matt. 22:37–39). God’s law gives us the precepts of life. They are God’s boundary lines. They are guiding principles which a man sees as his north star, the compass of life.

III. Conclusion

The blessed man’s life has a happy conclusion (v. 3). His is a tree planted “by streams of water.” The man who is in Christ is, as Christ promised, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). That tree does two things. First, it “yields its fruit in season” (v. 3). Jesus said, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). Second, his “leaf does not wither” (v. 3). He will be an ever-bearing evergreen!

Unashamed. Examine some of the fruit of the tree of this blessed man. It can be seen in his unashamed personal faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32–33).

Unmistakable commitment. He was unmistakably committed to the church of our Lord Jesus. He took joy in counting himself a member of the church. He understood that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25), and that “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:21). In a day of noncommittal, anonymous Christianity, he understood the critical importance of the community of faith.

Untiring service. In the church, he not only was a faithful member, but he was untiring in his service to Christ through the church. He did more than occupy a pew. He understood that ministry was not an option, but a joyful responsibility to pour out his life helping others to know Christ, to follow him, and to be a servant in time of need. He imitated his Lord, who took upon himself the form of a servant and taught us, “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matt. 23:11).

Unconditional love. His life was marked by an unconditional love for his family. He kept his marriage vows to his wife, being faithful unto death. He made a promise to God and her, didn’t look for an excuse to get out of it, and did not go back on it. He remembered the words of our Lord Jesus: “ ‘And the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Mark 10:8–9). It has been said that most women do not want their men to die for them. They want their man to live for them.² He lived his life joyfully with his sweetheart of the years.

That love was seen in his pride for his family. He was a role model for his children. He understood the importance of being a father. Newsweek published an article on fathering in which a dad told a reporter that when he takes care of his children on the weekend his friends sometimes say, “Oh, you’re babysitting.” “No, I’m not,” he replies. “I’m being their father.”³

He did not pretend to be flawless; however, his lack of perfection did not keep him from striving to be his best.

One woman, reflecting on her father’s role in her life, wrote him a letter on Father’s Day and stated well her view of her dad. This is reflective of this dad.

And who are you!

The author of my memories and dreams

My teachers, prophets, and preachers

Sculptor of my soul …

Stepping back now—ever receding

Pushing me forward, upward,

Yet always there when I call.

Fathers,

Pied pipers playing horns of plenty—

Understanding, caring, concerned,

Aging, yet never growing old

Reaching out, but not holding back,

Love incarnate—

Ever striving to understand my world

Bending, but never breaking

Praying I’ll find that rainbow’s end

Wishing the path were better marked

And knowing that Never-Never Land

Will one day change into Tomorrowland.

Wanting to ease the pain—

Seeing in the future, the past

Glimpsing in the teacher, the mother,

the grandchild, the meaning of life—

Asking the other Father to take my hand

When you let go

And to guide my star.

What I am and will be

Is because you are.

Thank you.”⁴

Charlie Shedd, author of many family books and the syndicated newspaper column, Strictly for Dads, once told about listening to a famous child psychiatrist read a paper on “theological duplications in the father-child relationship.” His article began by saying that he himself was a believer. And then he made this announcement: “No little child will think more of God than he thinks of his own father!”⁵ This man’s family did not have to run after phony gods or models. They found a father who had a deep love for them and sought to point them to the perfect Father.

IV. Contrast

The contrast of this real kind of man and the world’s kind of man is seen in verses 4 and 5. “You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust—without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people. God charts the road you take, the road they take is Skid Row” (Ps. 1:4–6 The Message). The road this father and dad has taken is the high road. The road of a blessed man. The road that has taken him to the end of life’s journey to join his eternal Father.

In his dying, he clung to Jesus Christ. His passing can do for you and for others what the passing of his dad did for Walter Wangerin Jr. As his dad lay dying, “Walter Junior” wrote:

For forty-three years, consciously or not—it doesn’t matter—my father has been preparing me for this crisis; and it is right to plead with every Christian parent: Please, never make a secret of your faith. For the sake of your children against the day when you will surely die; in order to transfigure, then, their grief into something more healing than destroying, assure them with cheerful conviction, even in the good, green days of childhood, that you live and you shall die in the arms of Jesus, in whose love is life and everlasting life. Let them know that you know. Your knowledge shall be their precious gift. Their freedom. I believe his believing. If his dying doesn’t destroy him, it doesn’t destroy me either. If it is for him a beginning, it can be for me a passage—hope has a marvelous staying power—and this is the evidence of our common, hopeful, liberating faith, that I am writing to you now, my father, my senior, this letter fully as formal as the letter you sent to us, fully as honest and unafraid as yours. On behalf of the seven scattered around the world, I send you our thanksgiving. Whenever it must be, dear father, go in peace. You leave behind a tremendous inheritance, and sons and daughters still unscarred. Go, Dad. We will surely follow you.⁶

The secret of the blessed man. Your legacy. Your peace. Your hope.

¹ John Maxwell, “Which Chair Do You Sit In?” Discovery, June 1996, 2.

² Karen Howe quote, Eternity, December 1974, 11.

³ Timothy K. Jones, “The Daddy Track,” Christianity Today, June 16, 1989, 16.

⁴ Personal letter from Fay Dallas to author, April 12, 1989. Used by permission.

⁵ John Huffman, Preaching, May–June 1990, 27.

⁶ Walter Wangerin Jr., “Gentle into That Good Night,” Christianity Today, November 6, 1987, 25.

Henry, Jim: A Minister's Treasury of Funeral & Memorial Messages. Nashville, TN : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003, S. 46

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Finishing Strong (Hanging Up the Spikes)

(An Elderly Man)

2 Timothy 4:6–8 One of baseball’s greatest players was Lou Gehrig. Known as the “Iron Man” for playing more games consecutively than any other player except Cal Ripkin, Gehrig was stricken with an incurable disease, a painful shrinking of body tissue for which there is no cure, a condition later named Gehrig’s Disease. After fighting this health battle, he was forced to tearfully say farewell to his colleagues and friends at Yankee Stadium. Gehrig had to hang up the spikes.

That’s a reality for all of us at some point in our lives. Paul had reached that milestone in his life when he wrote to his successor, the young pastor Timothy. In fifty-two words this nearly seventy-year-old man penned his testimony and challenge. Writing from a dungeon, Paul’s words are timeless reminders of the power of a life that is lived well and finishes strong. [Read 2 Tim. 4:6–8 at this point.]

I. Confident

Because of his relationship to Jesus Christ, a person who finishes strong is confident in the face of death. Paul used the term departure as a picture of death (v. 6). It is a word that in maritime usage means “to weigh anchor by the loosening of the ropes.” It is also an army term meaning “to break down the tent and leave camp.” Paul saw himself as a man on a journey heading for the next stop. In his other writings, Paul described death as “at home with the Lord” in 2 Corinthians 5:8; “gain” and “with Christ” in Philippians 1:21, 23; and “fallen asleep in him [Christ]” in 1 Thessalonians 4:14.

J. Redford Wilson, who entered the hospital for what would be the last time, was told by the doctors that his chances of survival were small. “But,” they said, “surgery might help.”

Even so, the surgery itself contained risk and his chances were marginal. With steady eye-to-eye contact and a twinkling smile, Redford unshakably replied, “Either way, Doc, I win.”¹

Death is a reality that must be looked squarely in the eye. Martin Luther said, “Even in the best of health we should always have death before our eyes. We will not expect to remain on this earth forever, but will have one foot in the air, so to speak.”²

Only Jesus Christ has the key to victory over death. He conquered death when he rose from its cold clutches two thousand years ago. Because Jesus Christ lives, he offers to everyone the opportunity to overcome death.

In the mid-nineteenth century, a young lawyer named Abraham Lincoln went to observe what transpired at a slave auction. He saw black Americans being chained like cattle and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Eventually, a young woman was brought to the block, and bidding started. Lincoln put in a bid, which was countered by another. He bid higher and was countered again. Finally, he outbid all the others and the auctioneer proclaimed, “Sold!”

Then the slave traders brought the young woman off the block and set her at Lincoln’s feet. He reached down, unlocked the chains, and said, “You’re free.”

The emancipated slave looked at Lincoln with a quizzical look and asked, “What does it mean to be free?”

Lincoln responded, “It means that you can think anything you want to think, you can say anything you want to say, you can go wherever you want.”

The reality of her newfound freedom began to sink in and, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she said, “Then I will go with you.”

That’s what Jesus wants to do with us. He came to find us, to forgive us, and to free us from the power of sin.³ Finishing strong can only be done by a life that has chosen Christ as Savior and Lord.

II.Concentrated

To finish strong is to have a concentrated life. A concentrated life to the lordship of Jesus Christ results in a focused, centered life. Paul looks in the rearview mirror in verse 7: “I have fought the good fight.” The word fight comes from a word from which we derive our word agency. It’s the picture of an athlete in any contact sport leaving it all on the field—giving everything he has. It is to give a total effort.

Paul found many adversaries in his life: sin, guilt, spiritual oppression from demonic forces, violent opponents, physical problems, internal fears. Yet, Paul never failed to give his all. The time to do that is now. One of the greatest saboteurs of dreams and goals is that little word, someday.

Zig Ziglar tells the story of the man who went next door to borrow his neighbor’s lawnmower. The neighbor explained that he couldn’t let him use the mower because all the flights had been cancelled from New York to Los Angeles. The borrower asked him what cancelled flights had to do with him borrowing his lawn-mower. “It doesn’t have anything to do with it,” the neighbor replied. “But if I don’t want to let you use my lawnmower, one excuse is as good as another.”

The same is true for any person looking to put off the work that brings him closer to reaching his goals. “Someday when I have the time or money.” “Someday I’ll study up on that.” “Someday after the kids have moved out.” “Someday …”⁴ To finish strong is to give your best now.

Paul also had concentrated on completing his work. “I have finished the race” (v. 7). Paul always kept his objectives in front of him. “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).

Many people start well but do not finish well. A prominent pastor listed the names of twenty-four young men who were ministering with him in their twenties. Thirty years later, only three of those twenty—four were still in the ministry.

Life is most fulfilling when it is filled with purposes. Purpose becomes the driving force of contentment. George Bernard Shaw expressed it this way: “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live … life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch, which I’ve got a hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”⁵

Finishing strong also means to play by the rules. Paul said, “I have kept the faith” (v. 7). Athletes in the Greek Olympic games took an oath to compete with honesty and integrity. There are several possible meanings to this term, “keep the faith.” Among those meanings is “keeping faithful to one’s commitment to Christ.” The person who finishes strong is the person who keeps the faith.

Modern culture knows little of this kind of life. However, it is a commodity that builds strong marriages, communities, churches, and nations. How does that kind of life become a reality?

Steve Farrar, in his book Finishing Strong, suggests that it’s done by four steps:

1.     Stay in the Scriptures. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it” (Josh. 1:8).

2.     Stay close to a friend. “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Heb. 3:13).

3.     Stay away from other women. “Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down … Her house is a highway to the grave” (Prov. 7:25–27).

4.     Stay alert to the tactics of the enemy. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around … looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Pet. 5:8–9).

A life that finishes strong resonates with the words of Josiah Gilbert Holland:

God, give us men, a time like this demands

Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands;

Men whom the lust of fire does not kill,

Men whom the spoils of fire cannot buy,

Men who possess opinions and a will,

Men who have honor, men who will not lie.⁶

III. Contemplates

The strong finisher is the man who contemplates the future. “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (v. 8). The crown about which Paul writes was made up of laurel leaves formed into a wreath and presented to the victor in athletic events. Paul affirms that on “that day,” the day of the Lord’s return and at the judgment seat of Christ, he will receive this award. It is a reward the Lord will present not only to Paul, but to “all who have longed for his appearing.”

Someone has said, “Finishing is a rare and valuable commodity. Completing the task. Staying till the final whistle. Driving the last nail. Never walking away. No pulling back. No drifting. No waffling … finishes have certain qualities.”⁷

The world is looking for men and women who finish strong. Today as we admire and pay our respects to this man of faith, it’s a good time to examine our journey of life. Is there any change in lifestyle or attitude we need to make? Is there anything not settled with Jesus Christ or someone else that needs to be settled? How would we recap our lives? Could we say what Paul said in this powerful farewell?

When Sir Walter Raleigh laid his new coat on the ground so that Queen Elizabeth might walk without getting her shoes dirty, he knew that there is no price too great for royalty. Whatever he could do to honor the queen of England should be done. And whatever we can do to honor the King of kings should be done now.⁸ We can be like the writer to the Hebrews who wrote these words: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1–2 NKJV). We should make it the priority of our lives to finish strong. And in some measure to be able to say to our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us how to finish well: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV).

To finish strong does not mean living a perfect life. Every man has his successes and failures. Guilt and regret must not dog the rest of your life. Solomon wrote, “For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity” (Prov. 24:16). You can finish strong. Determine today to run the best you can.

¹ Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000), 191.

² Ibid., 185.

³ Scott A. Wenig, “Hide and Seek‚” Preaching, January–February, 2001, 27.

⁴ Les Parrott II, Rev., July–August 2002, 33.

⁵ Bob Buford, Half Time (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 32.

⁶ Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–1881), quoted in Steve Farrar, Finishing Strong (Sisters, Oreg.: Multnomah, 1995), 75.

⁷ Stu Weber, Tender Warrior (Sisters, Oreg.: Multnomah, 1993, 1999), 206.

⁸ Erwin W. Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward (Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 160.

Henry, Jim: A Minister's Treasury of Funeral & Memorial Messages. Nashville, TN : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003, S. 38

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She Did What She Could

(A Godly Wife, Mother, or Woman)

Mark 14:3–9 We are here to focus not so much on what we have lost, but on what we have gained because this godly woman came into our lives. We are here because we have hope: not hope with a question mark, but hope with an exclamation point! We are here to acknowledge that death is an enemy, not a friend. It is an enemy of God and of us—an enemy because it destroys life that is in contrast to God, the creator and author of life. We are here to praise Jesus Christ, the conqueror of our ancient enemy. Our hearts and minds are riveted on the only one who has said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25).

Shortly before Jesus was crucified, he came to the home of Simon the leper. They were having a celebration because of his miraculous healing. Among the guests were some cherished friends of Jesus: Martha, Lazarus, and Mary. While they were talking and enjoying the event, an astounding thing took place. Mary, who loved to sit at the feet of Jesus, knelt unexpectedly beside him, shattered the neck of a flask of expensive perfume, and poured it on Jesus’ head and feet. She wiped the rapidly evaporating perfume from his feet and dried them with her hair. It was a spellbinding moment. This act of devotion is one of the most incredible stories of devotion in Scripture. It speaks of the love, humility, and sacrifice in Mary’s heart. In this magnificent moment, we see the heart of a woman who did all she could for her Savior, as did this one whose life we celebrate today. Her actions were symbolic of her life—a life broken and poured out for Christ and others.

I. Prolific Act

See it as a prolific act. The alabaster vial probably contained perfume imported from India. It was worth a year’s income of a day laborer. A day laborer earned about twenty cents a day, which is equivalent to about sixty dollars for a year’s work. With the inflation of today, we are looking at the equivalent of a gift worth thousands of dollars. To some it was a waste. To Mary, it was the expression of an extravagant love. In this act we see the splendor of a giving, generous heart.

When someone has done something important and good for us, we must express gratitude. At the height of William Faulkner’s writing career, it was reported that his income was so great that it amounted to ten dollars a word. One enterprising young man wrote to Faulkner, saying, “Enclosed is ten dollars. Please send me one of your best words.” In reply, William Faulkner sent back this word: “Thanks.”¹

The lady we remember today was also a generous and thoughtful woman.

II. Providential Act

Mary’s act was also a providential act. Jesus reminded the bewildered audience, “You will not always have me” (Mark 14:7). Some opportunities come to us only one time. We must act at the prompting to do the right thing at the right time. It has been said that opportunity does not send letters of introduction.²

Priceless moments remind us of the value of time. The samurai would begin his day meditating on his own death. He would even visualize all the ways he could die on that very day.³ The Bible constantly reminds us of the brevity and uncertainty of life. “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

III. Practical Act

Mary did all she could. We readily see it as a practical act (Mark 14:8). For her, there was no time to go to the market, to prepare a meal, or to weave a robe. Leave that to Martha or others. Some people are theoretical and some are practical. She did the thing nearest and dearest with what she had. Love does what it needs to do with whatever is available. “Love is not really blind. It has the most generous of eyes. Professor Henry Drummond used to say if you buy a box, it must be flawless. But if your little son, with his rough tools, makes you a box, very probably it has a hundred faults. Yet you appreciate that clumsy workmanship far more than what you purchased in the market, because it’s the work of the little boy you love.”⁴ How powerful is the action of love that does the right thing at the right time with the insight of practicality.

IV. Perceptive Action

Mary’s ministry was also a perceptive action (Mark 14:8b). Jesus had often spoken of his death. He mentioned at least seventeen times that he would die and be resurrected. But his followers didn’t get the picture. Sometimes the truth nearest us is the truth that evades us. Their spiritual ears didn’t hear, but Mary’s did.

Mary knew that a person who died as a criminal—according to the law of that day—was denied the customary anointing oils and perfumes. At Jesus’ birth, the wise men brought gifts that included the gift of myrrh. Myrrh was used by the Egyptians for embalming and by the Hebrews ceremonially. In the Old and New Testaments, we see it used as a symbol of blessing and life. Mary’s action highlighted not only her devoted love, but her spiritually perceptive spirit. Jesus would die, but not unsaluted! The conduct of our lives is a strong indicator of the presence of Christ that enables us to say and do those things that reflect his heart.

We must be grateful for those thoughtful people whom God’s grace places in our journey of life. They know when to say the right words, when we need encouragement, how to send a card or E-mail when our burdens are heavy, how to share a gift when the bank account is low. They stop to pray when we do not know the way, or they put an arm around us when a touch rejuvenates our spirit. Have you ever been on the receiving end of such a perceptive and thoughtful act? These acts are in the category of what one might call “those things we are willing to count, anxious to multiply, and reluctant to divide.”⁵

V. Perpetual Transaction

Mary’s gift has been forever memorialized. It was a gesture that took one brief moment, but it became a perpetual transaction. Jesus promised it would never be forgotten: “I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (Mark 14:9 The Message). As we celebrate and remember the life of this godly woman, we are fulfilling what Jesus said of Mary over two thousand years ago.

When we do what we can, it has a long-term effect in the spiritual world that continues to touch lives for many years. At Christmas time in a rural church, the congregation privately collected money to give the young pastor and his growing family a cash gift for Christmas. When the gift had been gratefully received, and most of the people had left the sanctuary, an elderly woman—who lived on a fixed income—pulled the pastor aside and timidly put a five-dollar-bill in his hand. He tried to refuse, but she insisted, telling him that the Lord told her to do it, and he must not rob her of the joy of giving. In later years of ministry, he said that this one small act was the planting of a seed that taught him to become a gracious giver.

It’s been said that Jesus has a lot of strange things in his treasury: widows’ pennies, cups of water, broken alabaster vases, ruined recipe boxes. Has he anything of yours? Do you feel the impulse to do something beautiful for God? Then crown it with action.⁶

Our beloved did what she could. No better words can be spoken of any person than these. That kind of loving devotion characterized the life of the one we remember today. This kind of woman is a gift to her husband, children, family, church, neighborhood, and above all, her Lord. Perhaps this is best captured in these words: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life” (John 3:16 GNB).

We have all played the mental game of “What If.” What if I rubbed a magic lamp and a genie gave me three wishes? What if a good fairy appeared and gave me a magic charm with great powers? We may not have any basis to believe in genies or fairies. But what if God himself appeared to us and said, “Hold out your hands. I want to give you a most wonderful gift. This gift has great power: both to help and, if misused, to harm. The power of the gift will grow as you become familiar with it. As you develop the ability to draw power from the gift, you will find great satisfaction and fulfillment from the things you are able to accomplish through it … things that will affect generations to come and will have an eternal effect on many lives. In preparing this gift for you, I have taken into consideration your capabilities and desires. You will find the powers of this gift will both compliment and supplement your own. You will find the capacity to accomplish tasks you would not have undertaken before, and where you have strengths now you will greatly surpass your old ideals. Before you accept it, let me tell you there are responsibilities that go along with the gift.”

Would you interrupt at this point and say, “Sure, God. Just toss it in the back of the car and I’ll check it out at my earliest convenience.” I think not. You would not take lightly a gift offered by God.

God continues, “You must not mistreat this gift for although it is very durable, it is also very fragile. It can be damaged and great harm can come to you and many other people if this is allowed. You will be called on by many to share the powers of this gift, because others will need it also. But you must use discretion and protect the gift from misuse. I will be with you, will strengthen and guide you. But if you think these conditions will be too difficult, you must not accept the gift. The gift that I have prepared for you is your mate. It is my plan that this be a mutual gift. For you see, I have also prepared you in a similar way as a gift. Although you will not completely understand this, the gift, though it is for a lifetime, might better be considered a loan.”

I have come to understand in the years since I first had these thoughts that the gift was not the person of my mate. For God maintained ownership as she really belonged to him. But the gift was time we would have together to enjoy each other and the work that God would give us.⁷

This devoted follower of Jesus Christ would urge you to give your best to him. If you are a Christian, renew your pledge to do what you can. If you have never received Jesus Christ as God’s best for you as your personal Savior and Lord, there is no better time than now. Jesus is truly the best that God can do. God’s alabaster perfume was wrapped in a human body. His was a body that was broken for our sins. This became the greatest gift of all. That truth is captured in these familiar words: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16 GNB).

At the end of his life, Michelangelo expressed it this way: “I have loved my friends and family. I have loved God and all His creation. I have loved life and now I love death as its natural termination … knowing that although Christendom may be over—Christ lives!”⁸

¹ John Hewitt, church newsletter, First Baptist Church, Asheville, North Carolina, date unknown.

² E. C. McKenzie, 14,000 Quips and Quotes (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), 374.

³ Charley Reese, “Samurai Wisdom: We are all alike in that one day we will die,” Orlando Sentinel (July 25, 1999).

⁴ George Morrison, Morrison on Mark (Ridgefield: AMG Publishers, 1997), 100.

⁵ Author unknown.

⁶ R. Kent Hughes, Mark (Westchester, Ill.:Crossway Books, 1989), 2:148.

⁷ Eulogy by Richard Downes, given at memorial service for his wife, Beverly, June 3, 2003, Orlando, Florida.

⁸ Malcolm Muggeridge, Confessions of a Twentieth Century Pilgrim, as quoted in church bulletin, Branch’s Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia, November 21, 1999.

Henry, Jim: A Minister's Treasury of Funeral & Memorial Messages. Nashville, TN : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003, S. 30

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The Life That Conquers

(A Student)

Romans 8:35–39 [The memorial service for a student is a time off deep sorrow and reflection. Young people sometimes feel immune to death and tragedy. When it strikes, they are hard hit. Emotions run high. Memories of regret and happiness comingle. In such a time, the pastor has a golden opportunity to bring comfort, hope, and the message of salvation.

In planning with the family for a memorial service, the following suggestions serve as helpful guidelines for a meaningful tribute to their deceased student. These include: music by the school choirs, an opening and closing prayer by a classmate, and remembering the student with brief testimonials by friends, classmates, or a student pastor. The testimonials should include some humorous memories, as well as those of high moments of accomplishment or service to the Lord, church, school, friends, and community. A video always carries images that bring out the best of the student’s life. Worship music should be that which speaks to eternal truths, as well as to the contemporary ear of their classmates.]

Every death reminds us that our time on earth is limited. We are never guaranteed a tomorrow. We only have today. That is a reminder to all of us to live life to the fullest, to love life, to appreciate life, and to make life count. Jesus, who lived only thirty-three years, reminds us that he came that we might have life and have it to the full.

What is a full life? What is real life? What makes a life—though short in number of years—a life that conquers? Paul, one of the most brilliant men who ever lived and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, understood that kind of life. Near the end of his own life, he wrote, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

Webster’s dictionary uses several synonyms for the word conquer. It means “to vanquish, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow.” These conquerors are what a football coach calls “impact players.” Impact players influence our lives. They are people who make a difference wherever they are, whatever their age. These individuals hold certain things in common.

I. Makes the Right Choice

The first thing they hold in common is that they make the right choice. Years ago, Joshua, a great soldier for God, spoke these words: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). A young man approached Jesus and asked him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ response was, “Follow me” (Mark 10:17, 21). We are very valuable to God. So valuable that he gave his Son Jesus Christ to die in our place and granted us the privilege to choose to live with him forever. We must make that choice.

Adam Burtle, a student atheist from Woodinville, Washington, startled many eBay searchers when he ran this item: “20-year-old Seattle boy’s SOUL, hardly used. Please realize, I make no warranties as to the condition of the soul. As of now, it is near mint condition with only minor scratches. “The bidding had reached four hundred dollars when eBay officials removed the listing and suspended Burtle from the site.¹

How much is our soul worth? “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). The life that conquers realizes that we are very special to God, and that we have made a personal decision to choose him to be our Savior and Lord. This is the most important choice you will ever make.

II. Fulfills God’s Purpose

The second thing that conquerors in Christ hold in common is a life that fulfills God’s purpose. God has a purpose and plan for every one of us. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jer. 1:5). Every person should ask himself the questions that a teacher once asked a group of students to ponder: What do you live for? How do you get it? Is it worth it?

Dr. Seuss, whose writings have entertained children for years, spoke at a commencement at Lake Forest College, outside Chicago. He decided to make it the world’s shortest address and get it down to one minute, fourteen seconds.

Dr. Seuss talked about an uncle who placed an order for popovers at a restaurant. As he gazed at the roll of pastry lying before him, he concluded it was mostly air. He made the philosophical observation that in life a person would be very wise to do a lot of “spitting out the hot air” that passes for wisdom in a dumbed-down world.

God’s purpose for your life includes the big things and the little things. He has a plan for your education, your school activities, your involvement in his church, whom you are to marry, and what you do for a living.

Many students feel like the student who was asked by Lloyd Ogilvie, chaplain of the U.S. Senate, “What is your greatest need and your greatest fear?” To which he responded, “Sir, my greatest need is to know God’s perfect will for my life. My greatest fear is that I will miss it, or if I know it, that I will resist doing it.”²

You can be sure of knowing God’s purpose for your life through a genuine relationship with him. He is your Father, and he is the one who will communicate with you. He will communicate that purpose through his Word—the Scriptures, godly counselors, and circumstances. He will lead you as you release your will to him.

That release can be best pictured by imagining a blank piece of paper. Sign your name at the bottom, and then let God fill in the blanks. You will be in for the ride of your life, whatever its length may be.

Someone has said:

To know Him is to love Him;

to love Him is to trust Him;

to trust Him is to obey Him;

to obey Him is to be blessed.³

In the National Gallery of Art hang some of the great original masterpieces—done by the artists themselves in their own oils with their own strokes. They are masterpieces. In a little shop at the gallery you can purchase copies of the originals for a dollar. Someone has pointed out that each one of us must decide whether we will “give ourselves to Jesus Christ and become the divine original God intended or whether we will refuse Christ … and remain a cheap copy of what we might have been.”⁴ The life that conquers is a life that is intentional in knowing and doing God’s will.

III. Conquers with Courage

The third characteristic of a life that conquers is a life of courage. God has never promised us an easy life, but he has assured us that he will give us courage to face the difficulties, struggles, heartaches, and disappointments of life. At least sixteen times in the Bible, God encourages us to take courage. We need courage to fight prejudice, to speak up for those no one will speak up for, to keep our lives pure, to be a friend to those whom others may leave out, to face fears, to try again when we have failed, to live our convictions that come from character formed by eternal truths, and to persevere.

The movie Braveheart tells the story of William Wallace, probably the greatest hero of Scotland. His life and legend have been strong in Scotland for nearly seven hundred years. William Wallace was a committed Christian. When England tried to claim Scotland, Wallace would not surrender to the king of England. He fought and defeated the English in several key battles. The king tried to gain his cooperation by offering him position, titles, money, and land. Wallace refused.

His courage was so contagious that it rubbed off on Robert the Brave, the logical successor to become the next king of Scotland. Robert’s father was a coward who was secretly cooperating with the king of England. He persuaded his son to do the same. Disguised as a masked knight, the son was dispatched to kill Wallace. In combat, Wallace got the upper hand, unmasked Robert the Brave, and was shocked to see his betrayal. Rather than killing him, Wallace rode away to safety.

Young Robert realized he was a Judas, a betrayer. He returned to his father in anguish and confessed that his actions were tearing him apart. His father said, “All men betray. All lose heart.” The son replied, “I don’t want to lose heart. I want to believe as he [Wallace] does. I will never be on the wrong side again.”

Someone has observed that there are not many bravehearts left. “There are many faint of heart. The bravehearts have always been in the minority.”⁵ The life that conquers is a life of courage.

IV. Marks Life with Service

The life that conquers is a life that is marked by service. Through the centuries, God has used youth to serve him and mankind. One of Jesus’ disciples, John, was probably a teenager when he began to follow Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a young woman in her teens when she was chosen to bring God’s Son into the world.

Sometimes you may feel like Charlie Brown in the Peanuts comic strip. Charlie and his little girlfriend were looking up at the millions of stars above. Charlie said, “Space is too large.” In the next frame, Lucy said, “We don’t really need all that room … most of those planets and stars are way too big!” She continued in the next frame, “The whole solar system needs readjusting.” Charlie turned to her and said, “What can we, as individuals, do?”⁶

You can be different from the crowd around you. You can take God seriously and make a profound difference wherever he places you. Peter stated this plainly: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others” (1 Pet. 4:10).

In Orlando, Florida, the young athlete, popular student, and active Christian Brent Bolin was killed in an automobile accident. His sudden death grieved his family and all who knew him. Months later, the weight room at his school was dedicated in his honor. Brent’s mother read these words, which speak so eloquently of dedicating what God has given you to him: “You are God’s opportunity in your day. He has waited ages for a person just like you. Go where he sends you to go. Do what he gives you to do. Do you know him? Now, go and make him known by living a noble life. Do “godly-good” for those around you

•     “If he has blessed you with spiritual strength, be noble by praying for those who are weak in their faith. Remind them that they, too, are Jesus’ own.

•     “If he has blessed you with physical strength, be noble by defending those who struggle each day with those who seek to harm them. Speak up and speak out against hatred, prejudice, and malice.

•     “If he has blessed you with mental strength and intellectual abilities, be noble by discovering a cure for a disease, tell the gospel in a language never spoken, and find solutions to elevate your brothers and sisters out of misery.

•     “If he has blessed you to be socially strong and if making friends comes easily to you, be noble by befriending those who feel that they don’t belong and struggle to be accepted … help free them from their loneliness.

•     “If he has blessed you with emotional strength and you are content with who you are, be noble by ‘standing on the wall’ and encourage those who are saddened by life by building them up in Christ. You will strengthen them and help them find joy.

•     “If he has blessed YOU with artistic strength in all its diversity, be noble by using these talents to show the world the divine, unlimited beauty of God.

“Do not refuse God his opportunity that he seeks through you. Remember, there is only one like you on this earth and there is no other.

“In Hebrews 12, the author says to us, ‘Run the race that is before us … never give up … never quit. Keep your eyes on Jesus who began and finished the race of life. He finished strong, so we too can finish strong’ (Heb. 12:1–3 The Message).”⁷

Paul’s words were autobiographical. Out of his own personal tribulations, he challenges us to “be more than conquerors.” Literally, he says, “We are super conquerors!” Not just victors, but “super victors”!⁸ Today we may go away with our grief, but we do not go away defeated. Because Jesus Christ conquered sin, death, and all evil powers, so do we when we choose him as Savior, fulfill his purpose in our lives, live a life of courage, and serve him and our fellow man nobly. We win! We are eternal impact players! We are super conquerors!

¹ Author unknown, Orlando Sentinel, 2001.

² Lloyd Ogilvie, Ask Him Anything (Waco: Word Books, 1981), 46.

³ Adrian Rogers, God’s Way to Health, Wealth, and Wisdom (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1987), 56–57.

⁴ Richard Halverson, “Perspective,” a bi-weekly devotional letter, McLean, Virginia, January 25, 1989.

⁵ Steve Farrar, Anchor Man (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998), 170.

⁶ Charles Schultz, “Peanuts,” Winston-Salem Journal, February 23, 1962, as quoted in Jack Ricks Noffsinger, It’s Your Turn Now (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1964), 41.

⁷ Permission to include this charge to the other students granted by Brent’s mother, Tracy Bolin.

⁸ R. Kent Hughes, Romans (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1991), 170–71.

Henry, Jim: A Minister's Treasury of Funeral & Memorial Messages. Nashville, TN : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003, S. 21

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I’ll Hold You Again in Heaven

(A Child)

2 Samuel 12:15–23 Of all deaths, that of a child is most unnatural and hardest to bear. We expect the old to die. While that kind of separation is always difficult, it comes as no surprise. But the death of a young child or a youth is a different matter. Life with its beauty, wonder, and potential lies ahead for them. Death is a cruel thief when it strikes down the young.

In a way that is different from any other relationship, a child is bone of his parents’ bone and flesh of their flesh. When a child dies, part of the parent is buried.¹ So writes Joseph Bayly, who had the sad duty of burying three of his children.

When we lose a child, the effect is widespread. It not only touches the parents, but it can involve siblings, grandparents, friends, and caregivers in a unique way. In the Scripture there is a story that offers us some insight and comfort as we share in this grief. David and Bathsheba’s little boy lived only seven days.

I. Reminder That All of Us Can Be Recalled

Life, when it is brief, is a reminder that all of us can be recalled at any time. Life is transitory. “Each man’s life is but a breath” (Ps. 39:5). Since we have no guarantee of how long God chooses to grant life, we must maximize the opportunities God gives us. Count every day a blessing. Bless every day by counting.

II. Respond in Grief Until We Find Relief

The illness and death of David’s child teaches us how to respond in grief until we find relief. There must be the expression of grief. It must do its work. He did not try to bury his feelings. Grief is a felt response. It must not be smothered. David made a mistake in his grief. He tried to grieve alone. A grief shared is a burden divided. “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Rom. 12:15 KJV).

Time will bring some healing, but it will not heal all the wound. Billy Graham wrote, “Time does not heal. It’s what you do with the time that heals … a long life or a short life are of equal importance to God.”² If we bury our grief, it is like a toxic waste. It will surface again, and the contamination makes for more trouble. Time alone doesn’t overcome sorrow, because sorrow is neutral, a vacuum. Therefore, we turn to the only one who can enable us to deal with our grief: God. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). Faith in Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life, gives us unexpected strength. We grieve, but not as those who have no hope.

When he was told his child was dead, David made a statement in his grief that has brought comfort to people for generations: “He is dead … Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam. 12:23). David recognized there was a distinctive line between this world and the next. The child would not come back, but he would go to the child.

How can we be sure that an infant or child has gone to heaven since they may not have accepted Jesus Christ? Because they were too young to have chosen sin, to have reached an accountable age, to have known about sin and salvation through Jesus Christ. The saving work of Christ has reversed sin’s curse and covered this little one.

David felt assured of his child’s presence in heaven and also that he would be there as well. David had sinned. He was accountable. Why did he have hope? Psalm 51 is the eloquent expression of David’s confession of sin and guilt. He sought God’s forgiveness, and he received it. The Scriptures are clear: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13 KJV). This child is in the Lord’s presence by God’s grace. And through Jesus Christ we will get there, too.

III. Recognize the Sovereignty of God

The death of a child is a time to recognize the sovereignty of God. That growing awareness brings rest to our spirit. God loves children. Scripture clearly illustrates this. Hoping that Jesus might touch them, people brought babies to him. When the disciples saw this, they tried to send them away. But Jesus said to his disciples, “Let these children alone. Don’t get between them and me. These children are the kingdom’s pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in” (Luke 18:16–17 The Message).

When a child dies, all of us struggle with the purpose and will of God. Every person has a purpose in the divine design. Marshall Shelley and his wife lost a child shortly after birth. In writing about that brief life and their grief, he said, “Why did God create a child to live two minutes? He didn’t. He did not create Mandy to live two years. He did not create me to live forty years (or whatever number he may choose to extend my days in this world). God created Toby for eternity. He created each of us for eternity, where we may be surprised to find our true calling, which always seemed just out of reach here on earth.”³

IV. Release This Child Until We Are Rejoined

Finally, we ask God to give us peace as we seek to release this child until we are rejoined. David said, “Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam. 12:23). David’s response and insight carries penetrating truth for us. The Scriptures tell us that he went to the house of the Lord and worshiped, comforted his wife, and returned to the business of life (vv. 20, 24, 29).

This child has brought joy and taught us so much about the precious gift of a child. Though grief hammers at our hearts and the memories will always be cherished, we realize, because of Jesus and his victory over death, that there will be a reunion.

Kenneth McFarland told of an item he found on the obituary page of the newspaper in a small southern town. It read, “Billy, it was just a year ago today that you left us and the sunshine went out of our lives. But, we turned on the headlights and we’re going on … and Billy, we shall keep on doing the best we can until that glorious day when we shall see you again.” It was signed simply “Love, the family.” No names, just a simple testimony to the kind of faith that enables a person to go on in the face of sorrow and death.⁴

Until we come to that day when all mysteries, purposes, and plans of God are sorted out for us in the day when we shall see God face-to-face, let us be thankful that this life has enriched us and made us the better because of it.

Nathaniel Timothy Kuck was a beautiful child, who spent most of his four and one-half years overcoming physical obstacles. When he went to be with the Lord, a neighbor, blessed by his life and the comments of his father at the memorial service, wrote these words as if the father, Tim, were writing:

As I look back on what the years did bring,

I wouldn’t change a single thing.

He taught me how to appreciate life,

He taught my girls, and taught my wife.

Now he dances with David and fishes with Peter;

I can’t imagine a life that’s neater.

When I look back, the conclusion I draw

’Twas me who got the longest straw.⁵

This child belongs to God. Today we release his hands as God has grasped them over there, and he will never let them go. “The key to your child’s casket is not in the hands of the keeper of the cemetery. But the key is in the hands of the Son of God, and he will come some morning and use it.”⁶ “ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” ’ (Rev. 1:8).

¹ Joseph Bayly, The View from a Hearse (Elgin, Ill.: David C. Cook Publishing, 1973), 65.

² Billy Graham, Facing Death (Minneapolis: Grason, 1987), 79.

³ Marshall Shelley, “Two Minutes to Eternity,” Christianity Today (1994), 25.

⁴ Quoted in Paul Powell, Death from the Other Side (Dallas: Annuity Board of the SBC, 1991), 27.

⁵ From a letter sent by Paul Kuck to friends. Author of poem is Walter Ketcham, Orlando, Florida, December 2001. Used by permission.

⁶ Erwin Lutzer, One Minute After Death (Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), 76.

Henry, Jim: A Minister's Treasury of Funeral & Memorial Messages. Nashville, TN : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003, S. 15

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