Boys, Friends, and the Winter of Life

I knew a boy who loved to play baseball. He lived for the next game and the competition. He played for the Rhinos. But there was another boy who also loved the game. He played for the Cubs. They knew one another as one player who competes against another. Little did they know the kind of friends they would become. These two boys became teammates on the high school football team. One was bigger and stronger and played tight-end. The other had the physical attributes for a running back. In their senior year they played a team that was ranked number two in the state. It was a close game. The score was tied with two minutes left in the game. The quarterback threw a deep pass. The running back flew down the field, turned and jumped and caught the ball. The tight-end laid down a bone jarring block. Touchdown! The number two ranked team was defeated.

They were no longer boys. They were young men. There were matters that were far more important than hits and touchdowns. When the would-be running back was fourteen he was converted to Jesus Christ. He had heard an evangelist preach the good news of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life at the church he attended. His life was forever changed. His friend began to ask him questions about the Christian faith. Was it all true? Could one trust the Bible? The questions kept coming. One evening the two teenagers attended a Youth for Christ rally. The Moody Science film, “Red River of Life,” was shown. The wonder of God’s handiwork in creating the human body demanded a response. The lineman with all the questions went forward at the invitation. His friend followed him into an inquiry room. There the big lineman became small. He bowed his head and trusted Jesus Christ for his salvation. The two friends became brothers in Christ. They began to pray for their high school, their teammates and coaches that they too would come to know the Savior of the world. They talked and prayed about their future.

College took the two friends off in different directions. Preparation for Christian service in Bible College and seminary took the halfback to distant cities. The lineman became a banker in his hometown. But he was restless. He wanted to know the Bible. He wanted to teach the Bible. There was only one thing to do. He enrolled in seminary. Four years later he graduated and took a pastorate. For over thirty years the two friends kept in touch. They were teammates in the body of Christ. Each pastored a church. They could go months without conversing, but when they did they picked up right where they left off. Theological problems, Bible interpretation, and the burdens that go with caring for a flock became their running conversation into the winter of their life. The years had passed so quickly. The playing fields of their youth had long ago yielded to the responsibilities of family and church. Grey hairs had replaced crew-cuts.

One of the most valuable possessions we can own is a genuine, lasting friendship. A true friendship weathers the winds of time (Prov. 17:17; 18:24). Love and loyalty bind two people together and overcomes distance and difficulties. A true friend will accept you as you are, even with your annoying habits and idiosyncrasies. Many a pretended friend has been found to be like a butterfly, fluttering through one’s life to get what they want and then they are gone. Friends tell one another the truth (Prov. 27:6 “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”). Real love is made out of truth, not lies and deception. That is why a genuine friendship can be a source of good advice (Prov. 27:9 “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.”). The disciples had no greater friend than Jesus. He taught them how to forgive, told them how to get along, and was loyal to them even when they abandoned Him. There is a song that in some ways has become worn by its use, yet its truth is a comfort; “What a friend we have in Jesus” (Jn. 15:14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.”).

There is a sense in which our friendships, forged in the family of God, can portray the beauty of the Savior’s friendship with us. A relationship where two walk together in God’s truth, who sacrifice for one another, encourage one another, and have their eyes set on that sweet arrival in heaven, has the look of Christ about it. How sad it is to see men who come to the winter of life and have no male friends. How thankful I am for the men in our church with whom I can pray, laugh, receive counsel, and shepherd the flock of God. It is also a special grace that in this winter of my own life I recently had the joy of spending time with my old friend who threw that block for me under the lights a long time ago.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

The Hungry and the Thirsty

Hurricane Katrina, in its aftermath, has thrust upon us the greatest humanitarian crisis in modern times in America. Thousands of people from the Gulf Coast region, especially New Orleans, are looking for food, clothing, and shelter. The evacuation preceding Katrina’s wind and water left many with little time to pack personal belongings. Try to imagine having only a couple of day’s notice before leaving your home, knowing that you may not see it again. The evacuees from such a calamity are not only physically destitute, but also have to contend with severe mental and emotional stresses. There is much that can be done for those who have lost so much.

However, before some of the various deeds of love, mercy, and kindness can be proposed, there are some necessary biblical perspectives. One of these is an understanding of the role of good deeds in response to those in need. The apostle Paul said, “Let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10). Christians are to make the invisible God visible through demonstrations of His love. The parable of the Good Samaritan should come to mind here. Who is my neighbor? It is anyone who has a need. So, the question is actually, am I a neighbor? Someone has said that, “Love is not measured by the intensity of its feelings, but by the sacrifice it stands ready to make.” As children of God we owe a debt of love to believer and unbeliever alike (Rom. 13:8).

Another fundamental understanding of the nature of good deeds is that they cannot merit God’s favor and acceptance. One verse that is frequently quoted when pondering the human condition is Matthew 25:40, which says, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” These words of Jesus have quite often been ripped from their context in order to advance a works-righteousness theology. The false idea is, to quote from a recent newspaper article, “The criteria for entrance into the heavenly kingdom, Jesus tells us, is whether or not we treated the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick and those in prison as if they were Christ Himself.” If by this is meant that we get into God’s heaven by our deeds of mercy, then that is a heresy. It is possible to give all of one’s possessions away to those in need, and die and spend eternity in hell (1 Cor. 13:3; Matt. 7:22, 23). But what was Jesus saying? Works serve as a “spiritual character-index.” Those who are born again will demonstrate this spiritual reality by their response to the physical needs of fellow believers. The failure to demonstrate tangible acts of kindness to those who are hurting is a symptom of unbelief.

How then should the church, Christ’s body on earth, respond to the victims of Hurricane Katrina? We should pray for all sufferers. Pray that relief will find its way to them and that much grace from God will come in the form of helping hands, loving deeds, and gospel witness. Give financially to a reputable charitable organization. Give generously to Christian ministries who are loyal to the Scriptures and have a proven record of mercy in the name of Christ. Give to your own church’s established disaster relief project. Look for churches within the area hardest hit by the storm. Let them be your eyes and ears in determining specific projects that will help people. Our church is communicating with two such churches in the New Orleans area in order to identify meaningful ways to assist God’s people. Visit local relief shelters in order to lend a helping hand. Thousands of people have made their way to the Atlanta area from the Gulf Coast region in need of hospitality, conversation, and encouragement. Volunteer to help the church staff in gathering information on needs that can be presented to the congregation. Think of some way in which you can use your own resources to alleviate the suffering of displaced people (an apartment, an automobile, food, a refrigerator, etc.). Keep up with the news regarding special needs that have arisen in the hurricane damaged area (the internet can guide you to many helpful links).

The above are only a few of the avenues open to those who want to show Christ’s mercy to suffering people. Be wise. Be careful. Be patient. Be active. But don’t not do anything while waiting on the “perfect” opportunity. There will probably be many things over a period of months our church can do to serve the thirsty, hungry, and homeless. “But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in Him?” (1 Jn. 3:17).

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

A Hurricane’s Story

On the television screen it appeared only as a four-inch-in-diameter swirling red mass. But the reality was that it was a category five hurricane named Katrina. Its outermost cloud bands gave it coverage of hundreds of water-churning, land-buffeting miles. It came ashore early in the morning on August 29 with the eye-wall slightly east of New Orleans. It slammed into the Gulf coast with a deadly ferocity. Homes, stately live oaks, barges, and bridges were demolished and pushed around like a child’s toys. But this was not child’s play. Thousands of people have had their neighborhoods blown away or washed to who-knows-where. All storms have an unsettling nature about them. We may like to watch them from a distance and even be exhilarated by the wind, thunder, and lightning. But to be caught in the middle of nature on a rampage can make even the strongest weep.

Is there anything to be learned from such a catastrophic storm as Katrina? The television networks are filled with angry victims and politicians blaming everyone but themselves. Why didn’t relief come sooner? How could there be such seeming ineptness in the richest nation of the world? Debates rage over the future of the city of New Orleans. Should it be bulldozed or restored to its historic charm? However, there is a story behind this storm and all storms that goes relatively untold. Centuries ago King David of Israel watched a monstrous storm in his own land. It was so overwhelming that the moods of the mind could only be expressed in poetry. With his God-guided hand the psalmist penned a song that could be entitled, “The Lord of the Storm.” It tells a story that transcends low pressure systems, gale force winds, and ground-shaking thunder. It is a poem about God, His power, and where to take refuge when hurricanes take over.

Psalm 29 opens with an unrelenting call to worship the Lord. David was so impressed with the power of the “forces of nature” that he calls for worship of the King of creation (vv. 1-2). He even calls on the angels to assist in offering praise to the Lord of the storm. The declaration of God’s greatness is the only sane thing to do when rain, wind, thunder, and lightning overwhelm the senses. A subplot may also be found in this appeal to give God credit for His glory and strength. The Canaanites interpreted the weather in terms of their god Baal, the alleged storm god. Like mother-nature to moderns, Baal was a figment of the imagination. It is the true God, not a fictitious god like Baal, to whom our will and mind is to be subordinated. David proceeds with his riveting, poetical account of the march of the wind and devastation. One can almost hear the thunder roll in the repetition of “the voice of the Lord.” Storms communicate eternally valuable lessons. God is in absolute control over all of nature. Not one rain drop falls without His permission. “For God is the King of all the earth” (Psa. 47:7). What we call disasters execute God’s infinitely wise purposes (Isa. 45:7; Amos 3:6). The champions of unbelief may scorn “Intelligent Design” as contradicted by the massive destruction of Hurricane Katrina, but in doing so are pitiful in their attempts to challenge the Maker of heaven and earth (Job 38:1-3; 8-11). The majesty and power of the God of the universe should leave us awestruck. The peals of thunder echoing across the land reminded the sweet psalmist of Israel of the actual voice of God “which is infinitely beyond it.” When God speaks, the earth trembles. As one commentator has said, “The storm is not an outbreak of meaningless or hostile forces, but the voice of the Lord, heard in all His works” (Derek Kidner).

Many are reluctant to associate storms with the judgment of God. One does not want to appear insensitive to human misery left in the wake of storm surges and violent winds, but the fact remains, hurricanes tell us that the world is under the judgment of God. We live in a sin-cursed world that is dying. What we see in nature is not the way things ought to be. The rebellion of the first Adam plunged the human race into the mire of moral and natural evil. Nature is groaning, longing for its redemption. It “waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:19, 22). Hurricanes tell us that God is calling sinners to repentance (Lk. 13:1-7). Jesus made no bones about it. We all deserve to die. Judgments in this life are God’s last effort, so to speak, to bring sinful human beings to Himself for the eternal joy of fellowship with Him. As God ruled over the universal flood of Noah’s day, He continues enthroned, offering the grace of forgiveness to those who repent and come to Jesus Christ for eternal life.

Where did David’s storm leave him and the rest of us? God’s power is available to benefit those who trust in Him (Psa. 29:10). He alone can enable hurricane-weary people to live hopefully. God’s peace is available to those who trust in Him. There is a greater storm that is coming when the wrath of God breaks upon the earth in the great and terrible day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:3). The Lord of the storm offers His people shalom. Peace with God can be ours because the howling winds of God’s wrath fell upon His beloved Son, in whom He was well-pleased. Because of the refuge that is in Jesus Christ things can be as they ought to be in this life and in the world to come.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Are You Growing?

The growth of children is a fascinating thing to watch. From infancy to young adulthood the process of physical, emotional, and mental change is a story filled with expectations, surprises, and measurement. When our son Eric was still in his preadolescent and adolescent growth patterns, we regularly measured his height with marks on the wall (I’m sure the next owners of the house have painted over them by now). He was playing basketball and developing height was a concern. Even weight was a consideration when playing on a football team with a seventy-pound weight limit. Some of the boys were taken to a sauna to sweat off a few pounds before a playoff game.

This is all rather amusing, but there is one kind of growth that is most serious. When we are born again by the Spirit of God, the Christian is called a babe in Christ (1 Cor. 3:1; Heb. 5:13). As a new creature in Christ two spiritual realities exist side by side. The believer is adopted into God’s family as a son with the full rights of heirship (Gal. 4:5, 7). Everything the new Christian needs to live a godly life is immediately supplied at the moment of spiritual conception (i.e. regeneration, Tit. 3:5; 2 Pet. 1:3, 4). But at the same time, a growth process begins. Change must take place. This takes time, massive amounts of biblical truth, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the necessary amounts of pain and suffering. It is God’s design for the believer in Jesus Christ to live a productive and fruitful life. This will prevent uselessness and lack of productivity (2 Pet. 1:8). To underscore the gravity of this condition, it is described in terms of becoming spiritually nearsighted and blind. What does this entail? The lack of spiritual growth, which is actually retrogression (i.e. backsliding), can lead to acute mental confusion regarding spiritual realities. It could be called spiritual amnesia (2 Pet. 1:9). This is a warning light. Because of disobedience to God’s Word, there can be periods of lack of fruit-bearing in the Christian life. This is an abnormality, but it can happen.

The Corinthian church suffered from an epidemic of carnality (1 Cor. 3:1-3). And it was leading to varying degrees of divine chastisement, even sin unto death (1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Jn. 5:16). To lapse into a carnal state (i.e. a Christian living like an unbeliever) is not establishing “a special class of Christianity.” The carnal Christian is one who is disobedient to Christ in certain areas of his or her life. It is ugly. It shouldn’t happen, but it does. What does all this have to do with the maturation process of the Christian? Growth in Christ is to be a climb toward increasing degrees of godliness. But becoming more like Christ can be impeded by rebellion and reversion to non-Christian ways. Fruitfulness is stymied. There must be repentance or there will be discipline.

What conclusions can be drawn from all this as we participate together in knowing what it is to love God more? Fruitbearing is the expectation of God for every believer. Fruitbearing is the change that occurs in the believer’s life by the power of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God (love, joy, peace, patience, etc. become the identity of God’s children). The lack of fruitbearing may occur in the believer’s life. It is possible to go through times of uselessness to God. It is also possible for a believer’s fruit (evidences of Christlikeness) to be restricted and variable. We must be careful about passing judgment on whether one is saved or not, based merely on our own perception (e.g. “If you are not bearing fruit, you are not a Christian”). Our list of spiritual fruit may be incomplete, uninformed, or prejudiced. There are also those who evaluate the caliber of a person’s Christianity based on the “total” concept. It is claimed that following Christ is all or nothing. The failure to appreciate the relative nature of discipleship/spiritual growth can lead to confusion and even the discouragement of struggling Christians. If one is not following Jesus Christ at all costs, dead to self, totally committed, or experiencing “total transformation,” does that mean they are not saved? There is a treasure of truths that belong to the new believer (i.e. positional truth) that has to be translated into experience.

Growing in holiness of life is a life-long pursuit. Every child of God should long to be conformed to the character of God (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Any argument, excuse- making, or rationalization that raises the flag for spiritual mediocrity is deceitful and must be rejected. We don’t coast to the gates of the heavenly city. It is a rigorous but joyful journey. Christians are not all traveling at the same rate. Some lag behind, disappoint, fail, and get off on side roads that prove to be dead-ends. We are to “admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with all” in our pilgrimage to the city of the living God.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church