Thank You Lord for Saving My Soul – Update

Posted on July 14, 2012 by jimdavenport

The final version of this article can best be viewed at the following link:

Thank You Lord for Saving My Soul – Final Version

Since the original posting of my article, Thank You Lord for Saving My Soul, on January 14, 2011, it has been read by internet users thousands of times. I suppose that is because a lot of lives were positively affected by this little song some time earlier in their lifetime. Or it could be that the song reminds folks of a special time in their lives which was very important to them. I am pleased that so many people have found the article worthwhile, especially around the Thanksgiving holiday which occurs in November in the USA. With this update, I am providing some additional background on the songwriters and their ministry. For convenience I first present the original article.

Special Note:  October 19, 2015 – This article was originally posted on January 14, 2011.  After a number of contacts with direct descendants of Seth and Bessie Sykes several corrections and updates have been included and are shown below in red.

———————————-  Original Article (edited) ————————————

John 4:29 (NIV) “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

Background: Sometimes things just pop into your head from the past and you don’t know why. Recently a chorus that I learned as a child just keeps ringing in my brain for no apparent reason. The tune and words are etched in my memory. In times when I least expect it, I find myself humming the tune and repeating the words over and over:

Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank You, Lord, for making me whole;
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.

The tune is simple and the words are easy to sing. But I’m not sure that I ever understood how profound these words really are. I recall learning this chorus in Vacation Bible School in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. Later on I know that we regularly sang it in our youth group. And even later, our church would use it as part of our worship service, particularly after someone came forward to give their life to Christ.

SYKES copy.002

Campaign Photos of Seth and Bessie Sykes provided by Eva Sykes Campbell, daughter of Seth and Bessie.

I decided to do a little research on the origin of the chorus and have found that it is actually a part of a hymn written by Seth (1892-1950) and Bessie Sykes (1905-1982) copyrighted in 1940. The Sykes were traveling Evangelists well-known in the United Kingdom.  A number of their hymns including Thank You Lord and Love Wonderful Love made their way to the United States.  The Sykes were also invited to conduct services in the United States but according to a family member World War II “put a stop to that and the moment passed.”

Seth and Bessie lead children to sing songs of the Savior. Note the small folding organ that Bessie is playing. Source: Eva Sykes Campbell, daughter of Seth and Bessie Sykes.

Seth and Bessie lead children to sing songs of the Savior. Note the small folding organ that Bessie is playing. This was taken at Largs Ayrshire – they held children’s seaside services there for 9 years 1941 – 1949. Source: Eva Sykes Campbell, daughter of Seth and Bessie Sykes.

The Sykes home base was located in Glasgow, Scotland the third largest city in the United Kingdom. Seth Sykes began his career as a conductor and motorman for Glasgow Corporation Tramways. He also served as Secretary for the Tramway Christian Association where he was allowed to hand out Christian literature and Bibles. In 1929 Sykes left his job and along with his wife became a full-time traveling evangelist. The Sykes were somewhat like today’s media Christian innovators in that they used lantern slides and rousing hymns played by Bessie on a small, folding organ to gain the full interest of their crowds. Seth’s sermons led countless people to Christ and this hymn was most assuredly sung as a regular part of their services.

The following description of the story behind Thank You Lord for Saving My Soul is taken from “A Great Little Man, A Biography of Evangelist Seth Sykes”, copyright 1958, written by Seth Sykes, Jr. and Bessie Sykes.

“Thank you, Lord was born in a railway carriage between Edinburgh and Glasgow and has been wonderfully used of God.  It has been translated into more than 70 different languages including French, German, Arabic and Chinese, and is sung both on radio and Television throughout the globe.  Many touching stories have been told of how it has brought comfort and cheer to those nearing the end of Life’s weary way.  One dear man heard it sung over a Canadian broadcasting network.  He had come from Scotland to Canada, and somehow had lost touch with Christ.  He determined to renew the covenant.  Seeking the origin of the chorus, he was put in touch with Mr. and Mrs. Sykes and memories of an old friendship were revived.”

Reflection: I thank God for giving … yes GIVING … me my salvation. There is no way I can take it for granted. It is God’s free gift. I simply must tell others what Jesus has done for me. I pray for the fervor that the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well had for telling others about Jesus after she encountered her Messiah. She left her water pot and ran back to town to tell everyone about what Jesus had done for her. John records the results of her testimony in John 4:39 (NIV) – “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’” Her message was simple. She didn’t have Biblical training or a special calling. All she did was tell others what Jesus had done for HER in her own words. That’s all that is required. Tell others in your own words what Jesus has done for you and let Christ do the rest.

I wonder if Seth and Bessie Sykes knew what an impact their simple hymn and chorus would have on future generations. I, for one, am indebted to them for this wonderful hymn and chorus. Perhaps the full lyrics of the hymn would inspire you to tell others what Jesus means to you.

Here’s a link to HymnPod to play and sing along with the hymn “Thank You Lord for Saving My Soul.” Click on the link and then scroll down to the player and click on the start button.

Thank You Lord for Saving My Soul

Some thank the Lord for friends and home,
For mercies sure and sweet;
But I would praise Him for His grace —
In prayer I would repeat:

CHORUS
Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank You, Lord, for making me whole;
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.

Some thank Him for the flow’rs that grow,
Some for the stars that shine;
My heart is filled with joy and praise
Because I know He’s mine.

I trust in Him from day to day,
I prove His saving grace;
I’ll sing this song of praise to Him
Until I see His face.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

————————Updated July, 13, 2012 & October 19, 2015———————–

Seth Sykes Train Conductor - Source Eva Sykes Campbell

Seth Sykes Train Conductor – Source Eva Sykes Campbell, daughter of Seth and Bessie – According to Mrs Campbell, Seth is the conductor in the upper left corner of the photo.

Recently I have come upon additional information about Seth and Bessie Sykes and want to share it with those who continuously search the internet for “Thank You Lord For Saving My Soul” and happen upon my blog. It is often helpful to explore the story behind a hymn to better understand the purpose of the songwriters in penning it to begin with. Figure 1. provides a picture of Seth Sykes in his full Glascow Corporation Tramway uniform. The picture was most likely taken prior to 1929 when Seth left his full-time job at the Tramway so he and Bessie could spend full-time on their already blooming ministry.

Evangelists Mr & Mrs Seth Sykes c.1929

Evangelists Mr & Mrs Seth Sykes c.1929 – Source Eva Sykes Campbell, daughter of Seth and Bessie Sykes

Seth was a slight man with a big heart for Jesus. Seth and Bessie never looked back after they started their full-time ministry. They spread the word of the Lord wherever they went. They wrote Christian hymns and even published songbooks.

Great Gospel Campaign Poster
Announcing services led by Seth and Bessie Sykes at the Belfast City Mission.

A poster announcing a “Great Gospel Campaign” led by the Sykes. Notice that the services were held daily for two full weeks with two services on Sundays. When I was young boy I can remember revival services lasting that length of time. I don’t believe that folks today would attend a series of meetings that would last that long … even for someone as famous as evangelist Billy Graham. Note the emphasis on a “Special Lantern Service” entitled “REVIVAL” that is highlighted on the poster. The “Lantern” was a big draw in that day … a multi-media event well ahead of its time. Today’s society has come to expect such multi-media events complete with Powerpoint presentations, sound, video and references to web sites. But in that day the Lantern was quite a novelty.

Bill Sykes the Burglar - Seth & Bessie Sykes

A promotional poster using a little humor to encourage folks to attend the Sykes evangelistic meetings.

The electric lantern was used by the Sykes to show slides during their religious services to enhance audience understanding and promote interest in the meetings. Use of the lantern was rather unique for that time and served as an additional draw to encourage folks to attend the special religious meetings conducted by the Sykes.

The Sykes wrote a number of hymns and choruses to use in their services. Seth wrote the lyrics and Bessie usually wrote the music. Many of these songs/hymns were published in an evangelists song book, “Songs of Salvation” also known as the S.O.S. songbook, the cover of which can be seen in Figure 5. The S.O.S. songbook is dated to 1930 by Mr. & Mrs. Seth Sykes, 363 Springburn Road, Glascow. I do not know if the Sykes wrote all of the hymns. Also included in Figure 5. is what I believe to be a one-page resume used by the Sykes to explain their background and promote their services with potential hosts.

Left: SOS Songs of Salvation – Song Book by Seth and Bessie Sykes; “A choice collection of Original Songs and Choruses for Evangelistic Meetings, Solo Singers, Choirs, and the Home by Mr. and Mrs. Seth Sykes, Scottish Evangelists, Authors and Composers of “Running Over”‘ “Love Wonderful Love”, “Listening Is”, etc. –
Right: One page resume with the title: The Gospel in Word and Song, Also Electric (see note at the end of this article)** Lantern. Some of the qualifications listed: Evangelists, Authors, Musicians, Composers. In the rectangular box at the top of the page: Christ for All, All for Christ, The Word of God; Undenominational but Fundamental. “We are not affiliated with any {unknown} or {unknown} but entirely dependent upon the Lord for our support.” Lower left corner at the bottom: “Highly recommended by the leading Evangelical Organizations.”

In my research I found additional songs by Seth and Bessie Sykes.  A number are discussed in “A Great Little Man, A Biography of Evangelist Seth Sykes”, copyright 1958, written by Seth Sykes, Jr. and Bessie Sykes.  Some of the most well-known include Love, Wonderful Love, Out of the Mud and the Mire, Sonny Boy, The Last Milestone, Wonderful Place called Calvary, Memories, Everybody’s Loved by Someone and Running Over.  Seth wrote the lyrics to Running Over and H. G. Hunter (and not Bessie) wrote the music.  Quoting the biography: “Running Over has been running all over the world for a number of years and is a great favourite among the boys and girls who at an early age learn to lisp out the words of this simple little chorus with the deep, deep meaning.”

Running Over, Running Over

Music by H. G. Hunter, Lyrics by Seth Sykes

Running over, running over,
My cup’s fill’d and running over,
Since the Lord saved me, I’m as happy as can be,
My cup’s fill’d and running over.

Telling others, telling others,
My life’s work is telling others,
Since the Lord lives in me, I’m as happy as can be,
My life’s work is telling others.

To sing along with this hymn use this link “Running Over, Running Over”

All accounts indicate that many, many people were saved and/or blessed under the ministry of Seth and Bessie Sykes and remember those days fondly. Below are a couple of testimonies in their own words that I located in the public domain of the internet at this link.

Ruth Millar
22nd Oct 2007, 07:57pm
I am remember the Sykes very well. I lived in Guernsey Channel islands and I remember them coming twice in 1935 and 1937. I am now 76 years old and can still hear Mrs Bessie Sykes powerful voice singing “There were Ninety-and-nine” and “[The Land where the Roses never fade”. Both my parents and some of their friends were saved under their ministry in 1935, and I was saved in 1937. They were wonderful days with we little ones singing “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful love” also “Thank You Lord for Saving my Soul” The Lantern Slides which they showed as Bessie sang were very real and moving.
Jessie76
2nd Feb 2009, 01:20pm
Hi Heather,
I have just discovered your correspondence by email. I was born in Springburn, and lived up the same ‘close’ as Molly Weir’s mother. We knew Mrs Weir quite well, and she was so proud of her daughter, Molly. I also played in Paddy’s Park and jumped the ‘midins’ – For many years I was a Gospel singer and was a member of the Garngad Foundry Boys, where my father was treasurer for 40 years (William Robertson). At seveteen I joined the Springburn Gospel Hall. I sang many of Seth and Bessie Sykes songs, and listened to some of her lantern talks, sorry I can’t remember any of them now. They were a most remarkable couple, and have left a legacy of Christian music.
Family Portrait 1949 - Seth, Bessie, Seth Jr., Evangeline

Family Portrait 1949 – Seth, Bessie, Seth Jr., Evangeline – provided by Eva Sykes Campbell

The Sykes celebrated their 20th year of full-time ministry together in October, 1949.   Seth Jr. and Evangeline (Eva) are pictured in a family photo shown on the left.  Seth’s biography tells us that he and Bessie celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on July 16, 1950 while “in the midst of a campaign in the Seamen’s Chapel, Brown Street, Glasgow.”  Though Seth began suffering declining health, their busy evangelical ministry continued its demanding pace.  Unfortunately, in the midst of an active campaign at Port Glasgow Seth “took suddenly and seriously ill” and after “immediate surgery” for a perforated colon passed away a few days later on November 29, 1950.  As Seth wished, Bessie continued their ministry for many years writing in the Epilogue to Seth’s biography in 1958:

“How has the work gone since 1950?  The Lord enabled me to fulfill the engagements which were in our diary and before they were completed other doors had opened up, and through the succeeding years it has been like that. He has set His seal upon the ministry in the salvation of precious souls.  … I thank God for every remembrance of  my husband and partner and look forward to our re-union which is sure.  Together we shall stand in His presence never to part again, and until then, may God help me to keep that memory sweet and green of “A great Little Man.”

Finally, I ran across a blogger, Mark Thompson, who is interested in Scottish history and in particular history related to evangelists from Scotland. You can read Mark’s blog on Seth and Bessie Sykes at this link.

Your comments and contributions to the collective knowledge about Seth and Bessie Sykes are most welcome. Please use the comment section below to communicate with me.

_______________

Jim Davenport is Christian Author who writes on many timely topics from a layman’s viewpoint. View all of Jim’s articles at the links below:

Christian Articles and Books by Jim Davenport:

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On Child Sacrifice

Posted on July 1, 2012 by jimdavenport

Special Note: This article is included in Jim’s book “An Attitude of Thankfulness” along with 19 other articles and is available for purchase in Paperback and for FREE download in eBook format at this link:  Jim’s Books

Background:

I can’t get this topic off of my mind … and it troubles me how calloused we are as a society to allow this to be the law of the land without major outrage.  What troubles me even more is the continuous slide by our nation into total immorality.  Our nation teeters on the collapse of our balanced form of government founded in 1776.  Our forefathers saw fit to create a republic consisting of three branches of government … the executive, the legislative and the judicial.  Counter to popular opinion we are not a democracy as so many have been taught to believe through our governmental supplied public school system.  By design, the three branches are supposed to independently counter-balance each other.  By and large, the system has worked very well for our citizens.  However, recent decisions by the Supreme Court during this early summer session and the recently announced presidential support for same-sex marriage provide further validation of the mess that we are in after only 236 years of existence as a sovereign nation.  Our downward spiral continues.  But that is not exactly the subject of this article.  My hope is that by the end of this article you will see how our governmental mess relates to the stated topic, On Child Sacrifice.

Late this afternoon my wife drove us from our Lookout mountain home in Alabama to our favorite restaurant in all of the world, The Canyon Grill, located on Lookout mountain in the New Salem, Georgia community above the valley town of Trenton, Georgia.

The restaurant is located near the Cloudland Canyon state park.  Perhaps you have been there.  What a beautiful view of God’s creation from the top of that canyon!  Many of you know that I have had health problems for some time that have kept me near to home most of the time.  But I am feeling better these days and we ventured the fifty mile round trip to enjoy a delicious and delightful dinner.

While we were waiting for our food we couldn’t help but overhear the conversation of the six folks seated at the table next to us.  In a loud and firm voice the mature gray-headed gentleman said something like this:  “Well, it comes down to this … if you favor same-sex marriage and abortion, then vote for the democrats.  If you don’t, then vote for the republicans.”  That thought struck home with me and I immediately turned my mind to the thinking that I had been doing earlier this week about this article.  I believe that God allowed me to hear the man’s comment in order to cement into my mind and record the contents of this writing.

Scripture:  (all NKJV unless otherwise noted)

2 Kings 23:10 – And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.

Jeremiah 7:31 – And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.

Jeremiah 19:12-15 – 12 Thus I will do to this place,” says the Lord, “and to its inhabitants, and make this city like Tophet. 13 And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”’” 14 Then Jeremiah came from Tophet, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house and said to all the people, 15 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’”

Isaiah 30:31-33  – 31 For through the voice of the Lord Assyria will be beaten down, As He strikes with the rod. 32 And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, Which the Lord lays on him, It will be with tambourines and harps; And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it. 33 For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it.

Matthew 5:22) – But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire (Gehenna).

Matthew 18:9 – And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

Discussion:

If you know anything about ancient history you will know that many societies often practiced the ritual sacrifice of humans and even their children to gain the favor of their gods.  We often think of this as being related to primitive or tribal people with barbaric lifestyles.  Child sacrifice was practiced in Old Testament days by many of the Israel’s neighbors and mentioned multiple times in the Bible.  Those who worshiped the god Molech in the Valley of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10) allowed their children to be burned with fire (Jeremiah 7:31).  The valley of Hinnom runs east-west and lies on the southern side of the city of Jerusalem.  The cultic site referred to as Tophet (sometimes Topheth) was in this valley.  A note in The Thomas Nelson Chronological Bible relates that the Biblical prophets often mentioned the fire of Tophet in describing Almighty God’s judgement on those who were not faithful to Him.  For example, see Jeremiah 19:12-15 where the prophet says that God would make Jerusalem and the towns around it like Tophet — like a place of burning — because they had “stiffened their necks” against God’s will.  Isaiah also pronounced that a similar punishment would fall on Assyria (Isaiah 30:31-33).  Isaiah said that God’s anger would be like a “flame of devouring fire,” the fire of Tophet.  The flame would be all-consuming and more than adequate to punish all offenders.  Verse 33 closes with the statement that “… the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone kindles it.”

By New Testament times the Valley of Hinnom was referred to by the Aramaic word “gehinnam” which was also known in Greek as Gehenna, or the “hell fire” (see Matthew 5:22).  Jesus warned about the Gehenna, or the “hell fire” in Matthew 18:9 inferring that Gehenna would be a fiery judgement like the fire of Tophet as proclaimed by Isaiah.

Reflection:

So, here’s where I tie all of this together.  I think most will agree that “child sacrifice” for any reason is just plain “murder.”  That, of course, violates one of God’s Ten Commandments.  In my mind and in accordance with what the Bible teaches, I have to ask this question – How is abortion different from “child sacrifice” and thus murder?  Aborting a child to me is equivalent to child sacrifice and murder.  Murder is equated in the scripture with unlawful killing resulting in bloodguilt.  So we have passed and upheld “laws” that make abortion lawful and not resulting in bloodguilt.   So what is bloodguilt anyway?  Follow this link to a Jewish explanation of bloodguilt as presented in numerous Old Testament scriptures.  The New Testament validates the Old Testament teachings.  If you have doubts about the validity of my statement, then refer to the following scriptures: Matthew 23:30-35, Matthew 27:4, Luke 11:50-51, Romans 3:15, Revelation 6:10, Revelation 18:24.  In particular, abortion results in the shedding of innocent blood and is viewed as a direct offense against God as our Creator since all men are created in His image.

So how can so many blatantly ignore that the “murder” of an unborn baby, a child, or an adult for that matter, is totally against what God and the Holy Bible teach us about the sanctity of life?  Yet all three branches of our government … executive, legislative and judicial … have  proposed, discussed, passed and verified under close examination that abortion is legal in the USA.  As I view it, this means that by mans’ law we have allowed the “child sacrifice” of more than fifty-four million (54,000,000) babies under the banner of legal abortion since Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973.  How staggering and sickening!!  That is more than the population of any state in the Union by a long shot.  For example consider the population of California (approximately 36 million), Texas (23 million) and New York (approximately 19 million).  If you want to look at the abortion statistics compiled by the NRLC I have quoted above yourself, then follow the link.  Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D. wrote an article (Fifty Million Lost Lives Since 1973) in January 2008 containing a profound statement I reproduce below without further comment because I can’t say it any better in my own words:

“By the time you read this sentence, America will have passed a tragic, momentous, and most sobering milestone. Within a day or two of January 22, 2008, the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, baby number 50,000,000 will have been sacrificed on the altar of Roe v. Wade.
The magnitude of the killing is staggering. Fifty million represents a population greater than any state, greater than California (36 million), greater than the next two largest states—Texas and New York—combined (23 million and 19 million, respectively). In fact, if you combined the entire populations of all of the 25 states with the fewest people, it still would not equal 50 million.
Of course, the issue isn’t numbers. Each abortion represents at least one lost life and what may be a deeply wounded woman’s soul. Families, too, suffer, and society itself pays a dear price, with lost innovation, productivity, and creativity.
How many great books, symphonies, films have been lost? How many profitable businesses never came to be? What if we aborted the child who would have found the cure for cancer? How much love and laughter has the world been deprived of?”

How can our government be guilty of passing so many laws that are so absurdly immoral and ungodly?  I believe our forefathers, were they alive today, would be loudly and passionately voicing their opinions about the lunacy of many of the “laws” we have enacted that go directly against Almighty God’s directives.  Some of you reading this may be thinking that the separation of church and state means that our laws do not have to follow the principles found in the Bible.  I don’t go so far as to say that we should use the rule of law to mandate a religion.  In fact, I believe quite the opposite.  The first amendment to the US constitution reads:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

But common sense should tell you that much of what we have legislated into law and are practicing as a nation to be “politically correct” is not good for our country’s future and is an abomination to God.   If you have followed my writings for any amount of time, then you know that one of my constant themes is that when people and nations go against God and the Bible’s teachings, there are both earthly and eternal consequences that will have to be paid for such unGodliness.  The USA will suffer the consequences of ignoring God’s commands.  There is no doubt in my mind about that.  Our leaders who take us to that immoral ground will also suffer.  And there is no doubt in my mind about that either.

As a people the majority in the USA seem to have “stiffened their necks” against God’s will when it comes to abortion.  God will not let this continue without major repercussions.  God’s anger will be like a “flame of devouring fire,” the fire of Tophet.  The flame will be all-consuming and more than adequate to punish all offenders.   “… The breath of the Lord, (will be) like a stream of brimstone (that) kindles it (Isaiah 30:33).”  How are we that different from the primitive or tribal people who practice child sacrifice?  I say … we are not that different at all.  We have the bloodguilt of more than 54 million souls on our hands.  How many more abortions will it take to wake us up?  And as a final note, I will be voting Republican in the November elections.

To read more of more of my related articles on the topic of abortion and the sanctity of life use the following links:

So Where Is My Choice? A Father’s Day Message on the Sanctity of Life

On the Sanctity of Life and Abortion

Lifestyle Choices and Biblical Truth

Child sacrifice to Molech

Child sacrifice to Canaanite gods

Child sacrifice in modern day Uganda

   Child Sacrifice in modern-day USA!  54 million since 1973 …. and counting!!  Dear God, how can you ever forgive us for sacrificing our children to “Molech” in the fire of Tophet?

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A Recollection – Pine Lake Baptist Church Fire – June, 1996

Posted on June 24, 2012 by jimdavenport

Background:

Things aren’t always as they seem on the “first blush.” So there’s no misunderstanding , here’s how I am choosing to define “first blush” – at the first glimpse or impression; as in, “at first blush the idea possesses considerable intuitive appeal but on closer examination it fails.” That is an important distinction for the reading of this article.

In 1996 the national news media was riveted on stories regarding church burnings primarily in the southern USA, and in particular the burning of black churches. One news outlet after another fell into the trap of “first blush” journalism. Articles flooded the airways and printed media regarding the burnings and characterized them as hate crimes against minorities, even terrorism fostered by white racists. ABC, CBS, NBC, and particularly USA Today and CNN ran continuous negative stories almost daily for a period of 5-6 months. Usually the stories received first place in the news broadcast or front page positioning in the printed media. This went on for months and was broadcast around the world.

The church burnings were eventually viewed as a national problem that had to be dealt with. According to the Chicago Tribune, even President Clinton took to the airways and said “This has got to stop, this tears at the very heart of what it means to be an American. … We need every person from every walk of life and all faiths in America to speak up against this.” Clinton even went so far as to meet with southern governors to “discuss strategies for stopping the attacks.” Click on this link to a June 17, 1996 article to read more about the fire. Here’s another link to a June 18, 1996 article if you want to read even more.

While there were indeed a lot of black church fires over that time-frame, there were many more white church fires as well. No journalist ever did enough homework over the 5-6 month period to check on what were thought of as “white” churches. Finally, when a fire destroyed the original sanctuary and education space building of the Pine Lake Baptist Church (PLBC) in Stone Mountain, Georgia things started to change and the “first blush” mania began to die down. PLBC was my church. Our congregation was now right in the bull’s-eye of the international news media mania.

But PLBC was different as it was classified by the news media as a “white” church though the membership had long been multi-ethnic/multi-racial. Most reports in the national media now spoke of PLBC and the fact that “Pine Lake Baptist’s congregation is mostly white, with about a dozen blacks out of 1,000 members.” Of course, even this first blush comment was a gross exaggeration that the journalists just passed on to one another without really checking the facts. PLBC might have had 1,000 members on its roll, but just like so many other churches at the time of the article, only approximately 150-200 regularly attended the church. The other 800-850 had gradually moved away to other areas and never removed their names from the church rolls.

Since PLBC was still predominately white, the news media couldn’t quite fit that into the perceived “first blush” pattern of southern black church burnings. So news media from all over the USA and some from even other parts of the world including the UK (BBC), Australia, Canada and some European countries descended on PLBC and the Pine Lake community to get the “scoop.” The New York Times hired a writer/investigator that had covered a “hate” bombing of a Jewish Synagogue in Atlanta in previous years. She stayed on site at the church for more than a week interviewing dozens of members, and attending most of the church’s meetings. She also did interviews with non-members from the surrounding community to check on PLBC’s reputation. Her conclusion, the “supposed” terrorist burning of Pine Lake Baptist Church had nothing to do with racism, nor for that matter, terrorism.

Wow! Someone finally did enough digging to conclude something other than the perceived first blush conclusion. From that point forward the front page news story began to gradually fade away. PLBC, like so many other churches moved on to deal with the real tragedy — the loss of an important building to our ministry. The building was not used for administration as wrongly reported in the news media. It was actually now used as our children’s facility where most of our sessions were conducted for boys and girls between the ages of six and twelve including our very successful weekly AWANA program. I will discuss more about this later in the article.

In December 1996 an article by Michael Fumento appearing in The American Spectator kind of summed up the media frenzy as Fumento looked back over the entire series of events and reported: “in late June and early July — with the nation in the grip of a media blitz that was pushing public sentiment to the boiling point — USA Today pulled off the kind of once-in-a-lifetime journalistic coup that forges reputations and launches careers. Racism hadn’t been a major factor in the burnings after all, the paper reported. Many more white churches were being torched, and the number of black churches set ablaze wasn’t significantly higher than it had been in the past.” The article did a good job explaining that the feeding frenzy took place primarily because such stories sold papers and snared watchers … the connection to deep-seated racial tensions, and supposed racial discrimination fueled the fire. Disinformation, made up statistics, conjecture, blowing the situation well beyond reasonable bounds, and down-right lies allowed the story to build and build to the point where facts didn’t matter. “First blush” impressions and misleading information had won out over truth and honesty.

So why am I recounting this story in such detail? What is the point? Is there a Biblical application? The Bible has much to say about honesty (and dishonesty), integrity, half-truths, deception, innuendo, lies, slander, gossip, spreading rumors, and rationalization.

Scripture: all scripture ESV unless otherwise noted

Exodus 20:16 – You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

1 John 1:8 – If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

James 1:26 – If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-5 – For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed— God is witness.

Discussion:

My reference to Exodus 20:16 is clearly related to the topic. This is the ninth of God’s Ten Commandments. Bearing false witness is more than lying in a courtroom. False witness is more than lying in general. False witness degrades one’s reputation and dignity. Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV) says – “16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

In the case of the church fires in 1996 the news media was definitely a victim of the “first blush” syndrome. Sometimes we let our prejudices get in the way of the truth. What seemed to be true was not true at all. It was ultimately determined that only four of the eighty church burnings studied of black churches were racially motivated. Over the same period there were also 140 white churches burned and few of these were racially motivated. These statistics were purposefully ignored by the media, particularly USA Today, because they did not support their preconceived and daily hammered front page story line. However, the erroneous stories did stir up conflict in the community and all across the world. There are consequences to such misrepresentation and everyone suffers as a result. But don’t be deceived … Galatians 6:7 tells us that the sower of false witness information will ultimately be the reaper. The sower may argue that it was just a mistake, not a sin. But the Bible is clear about sin saying that we can easily fool ourselves (1 John 1:8). For the Christian James (James 1:26) teaches that we should bridle our tongue and not pass along misinformation and lies as it is in opposition to our religion and thus our witness.

To carry the analysis a little further, Christians in particular have a responsibility to speak the truth and not pass along false rumors, first blush impressions, unfounded accusations and flat-out lies. Far too often during the black church burning era national “religious” leaders fanned the flames of civil discontent by supporting and repeating the false stories. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-5 speaks to the Christian’s responsibility to not let their motives and actions … “spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” This is good advice for everyone and going against this Biblical advice is exactly the way that false rumors and gossip are spread. You may want to refer to my previous article On Christians Spreading Rumors and Gossip in the Church.

Reflection:

At the time of the PLBC church fire in 1996, the retired Reverend Randy Mullis was our Interim Pastor while we searched for our new permanent pastor. Brother Randy held us together and kept us focused on the right things in a very difficult time. God knew both who and what we needed and He provided.

Brother Randy was the former pastor of Rainbow Park Baptist and Tucker First Baptist. He and his lovely wife Kathleen had the sweetest attitude. Randy’s style of preaching depended heavily on his long life experience and he often told us personal stories related to his scripture lessons. In his late 70’s, Randy would probably have just rather enjoyed his retirement than to take on another church. But God told him differently and sent him to us with a very specific purpose in mind. Randy was good-hearted, kind, always positive, flexible, and very experienced with multi-ethnic and multi-cultural congregations. Mrs. Kathleen was such a compliment to Randy with her radiant smile and sweet spirit. She fit right in with our people and quickly made friends with everyone.

Brother Randy spoke to the national and international media repeatedly about our church and the fire. No matter who called, he responded. He was professional and kind. He spoke calmly on camera with CNN and never once broke from his Christian character. I thank God to this day for Randy and Kathleen … both now in Heaven with the Lord.

The real loss to our church as a result of the fire was the lack of adequate space to continue to conduct our active community serving Children’s program.  We never focused on self-pity.  We were concerned about ministry. As it turned out, the building that burned was covered completely by insurance.

Pine Lake Baptist Church Children’s Building

Over the next six months, contractors built a brand new Children’s building with wonderful educational space, a half-court basketball space, and an area specifically suited to our AWANA program where children learned scripture and participated in activities that would guide them through rest of their lives. Some of the AWANA children ministered to in the succeeding years went on to become leading citizens in the community finishing college and even graduate school. Many of these children came from single parent homes. Some of their parents joined our congregation and are still a vibrant part of our church in 2012.

2008 Trunk or Treat for AWANA Children

How many children has the “tragedy” aided through the ministry of Pine Lake Baptist Church in the years after the fire? God blessed in the midst of a seeming tragedy … in the midst of false first blush impressions … in the midst of lies and false accusations … in the midst of a real need.

Adult Sunday School Christmas Party 12-20-2008

PLBC is still a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic church, however we don’t concentrate on that at all. We are simply a church focused on serving the Lord Jesus Christ and equipping the saints. Our people love each other and our church serves the community. I am proud to be a part of such a vibrant congregation. And I am glad that God used our church to help change the tide of the negative international media reporting in 1996 regarding the church fires. We have so much for which we are thankful. God has blessed our ministry and seen us through a number of major transitions.

Looking back some sixteen years later, I am thankful that the truth finally came out about the church fires. I am concerned that today’s national news media has fallen even further away from reporting the news truthfully and factually. It appears that they are now focusing less on truth and more on opinion and support for their own agendas. God will not be mocked. There is a price to pay for arrogance, disinformation and lying.

Christian, make sure that you are doing what is right in the sight of God.  Tell the truth, support your local church by not participating in the spread of half-truths, lies, gossip and rumors. Do not be deceived by first blush impressions. Remember, God expects Christians to live by His standard as recorded in His Word and not our fleshly desires.

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Related  Articles by Jim Davenport on this subject:

See all of Jim’s Books.

Other Christian Articles by Jim Davenport:

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So Where Is My Choice? A Father’s Day Message on the Sanctity of Life

Posted on June 17, 2012 by jimdavenport

Special Note: This article is included in Jim’s book “An Attitude of Thankfulness” along with 19 other articles and is available for purchase in Paperback and eBook formats at this link:  Jim’s Books

Prologue: 

Today is Father’s Day, June 17, 2012.  I’ve been thinking about my father today … in particular I have been thinking about a time in our lives when my father was my hero.  I was twelve years old.  My mother had a serious case of tuberculosis.  At that time tuberculosis was highly contagious and the state required that Mom be isolated at Battey State Hospital in Rome, Georgia some 75 miles from our home in Decatur, Georgia. Almost every Sunday my Dad would drive to Rome to see my mother and he would take me along.  Regulations forbid me to be anywhere near my mother.  Dad had such a privilege, but he had to wear a clinical mask and had limited contact with my Mom.  I would sit in the car, preferably in the shade, and wait on his return.  When my Mom felt up to it she would go to a window and wave to me. That was the only way I could see her for more than a year.

When school was out, my younger sister Barbara stayed with my older sister Patricia at her home in Detroit.  My Dad and I “batched” it together for that summer.  He cooked, got me ready for YMCA day camp, made me a lunch, and took me to the pickup spot for the bus to pick me up for day camp.  He then drove twenty miles to his job and worked all day.  He usually got home late in the evening since he was one of the store managers.  I had learned to swim at the day camp and was so excited about it that I wanted him to see what I could do.  So, after he got home and even before he made dinner he would take me to the swimming pool to show off for him.   In the fall Barbara came home to go back to school.  My dad was a wonderful Dad to us.  He somehow managed to find time to take me quail hunting on his day off.  He generally did everything at home my Mom had previously done.  Looking back I don’t know how he kept the pace.  Eventually Dad had his half-sister, Ruby Akins, come to live with us to handle some of the household duties.  Those were tough times for my younger sister, my Aunt, and particularly for my Mom and Dad.

Wow!  In recalling those times I realize that I never gave enough credit to my Dad during his lifetime for the sacrifices he made during that two-year period.  My thinking has always been mostly about my Mom and how she suffered.  I really missed her, and she missed all of us deeply.  It would have been easy for my Dad to give up, to decrease rather than increase his time with me, to complain … but he didn’t.  My Dad loved me and I knew that until the day he died.  He loved me even before I was born and he still loves me from his home in Heaven with our Heavenly Father.

What if this were you?

These memories caused me to hearken back to a previous post I wrote in 2011 on The Sanctity of Life and Abortion.  One of the thoughts that crossed my mind was … “What if my mother and father had decided to have an abortion when she was pregnant with me … there would be no love between me and my mother and father, no life at all, no dearly beloved wife of 49 years, no children, no grandchildren, no great-grandchildren.”  What if my parents had said, “we just can’t afford another child right now and any way it’s not really a baby that’s inside Lottie, it’s just a fetus, part of her body, and her decision to do what she wanted to do with me.  Besides we are right in the middle of World War II and we should be focused on helping our country … not on raising another baby.” Of course, this scenario would have ignored the truth about abortion, that is that abortion is tantamount to murder and millions of unborn babies are murdered each year.

While a number of people were following my blog when I first started writing early in 2011, there are many new readers now who may have not read my original post “On the Sanctity of Life and Abortion.”  So bear with me as I reproduce it in its entirety within the context of this article.

Background:

Friends, I am burdened by the way that we so easily brush off the “lawful” murder/sacrifice of unborn children in the US.  I believe that God will place our complacency toward this genocide alongside that of what Hitler did to the Jews through their mass slaughter.  Since abortion has been “lawful” in the US, over 40 million unborn babies have never seen the light of day.  As so many consider the decision to abort a child solely that of the mother, I wonder if those same people could agree that it is also the mother’s right to kill her baby after it is born.  Our law calls that murder, but the abortion/murder decision is the sole privilege of the mother.  I find this totally inconsistent from a human law standpoint.  More important it is clear that the Bible teaches that abortion is murder.  Would you pray during this “Sanctity of Life” week that God will intervene in this terrible genocide and allow man to truly see the error of his ways?  May God forgive us as Christians for such complacency and urge us to tell everyone we know that as a society we will pay for the consequences of our collective sin.

The comments below are summarized from a Sunday School lesson I first taught to a married couple’s class in 1994 and have updated recently.  They offer some biblical background on valuing human life.  Unfortunately, it has only gotten worse in these past 17 years.

Discussion:

During the 20th century, humans have lived through the greatest period of change in the history of the world.  Discoveries by natural science and countless new technical inventions have provided us with previously unheard of luxuries such as personal computers, iPhones, iPods, iPads, etc.  However, during this same period, moral and spiritual values that withstood the test of the ages have gone into major decline.  Our spiritual senses have been dulled primarily due to the influence of materialism.  Everyday conduct that was condemned by previous generations has been commonly accepted as a life-style by today’s generation.

Particularly noticeable in today’s society is the lack of value placed upon human life.  Just look at some of the evidences that the value is cheap:  the rising murder rate; the advent of car-jacking and senseless killings; the controversy over euthanasia and voluntary suicide; the violence and illicit sex which fills our streets, movies, television, and communities; and perhaps the most telling of all, the millions of aborted babies who were never given a chance to be what God planned for them to be when they were conceived.

Sadly, many adults prefer to change the subject when the topic of sanctity of life and abortion arises.  Most prefer to let others deal with the abortion issue.  But unfortunately, there is no way we can avoid this crucial issue.  Directly or indirectly, each of us is affected by the decisions enacted by our government in relation to abortion.  There really is no middle ground on this issue with God.  Let’s look to the Bible for God’s directive.

Scripture:

I.    All human life comes from God (Gen. 1:27).

Genesis 1 (NIV)

27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

The Hebrew word for “create” is used only of God.  It expresses the incomparable creative activity of God.  While it is possible for people to invent or even to discover, only God can create.  Consider how God made the first human Adam. (Gen 2:7)  God breathed into man the “breath of life”, and that is what makes man unique on this earth.  John 4:24 tells us that “God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”  If we are created in His image, then we too are spirit.  Jeremiah 1:5 tells us about how God views the pre-born child by stating “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” A person’s worth to God does not depend on age, gender, or nationality.

II.   Jesus instructs Christians to influence society (Matt. 5:13-16) (all scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted).

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Christians are the “salt” of the earth.  We lose our “saltiness” when we do not stand up for what is right.  Eventually the lack of saltiness leads to the loss of purpose.  We are also to be visible in the world (light), not hidden away from view.  Christians must express their convictions regarding crucial moral issues such as abortion, pornography, child abuse, homosexuality, and substance abuse.  I contend it is “right” for a Christian to take a stand and strongly urge those in government to correct the wrongs we see in our society. Christians must take the initiative to be salt and light on the abortion issue.

 III.  Jesus calls us to a new attitude concerning the value of Human Life (Matt. 5:21-22).

21 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

The sixth commandment tells us that murder is wrong.  How can people seem to have great understanding of the commandments of God and fail to see this command as it relates to the pre-born baby?  Jesus speaks about man’s outward appearances and inward thoughts in verse 22 and tells us that we will be subject to judgment.  It is clear from the scripture that man be judged by God on the abortion issue.  Regardless of what you think about abortion, God’s position is clear.  It is murder.  The term “Raca” is a reproach used by the Jews in the time of Christ, meaning “worthless.”  The Jews used it as a word of contempt. It is derived from a root meaning “to spit.”  Is there really a question in your mind on where Jesus stands on the issue of abortion?

IV.   Jesus commands us to live with sexual purity (Matt. 5:27-28).

27 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

President Jimmy Carter got in trouble with the news media for admitting that he had “lusted” in his heart and for stating that he was a “born again” Christian.  The teaching of Jesus clearly indicates that inward lust is sin … not just the outward act of adultery.  This is different from what was being taught and practiced by the Jewish leadership based on their interpretation of the scriptures. Sexual attraction was created by God and is to be limited to the confines of marriage.  Lust is the product of Satan and has been adopted by the sinful nature of man.  Lust has been marginalized and popularized in our modern-day through movies, television and advertising.  At every turn we are bombarded with messages that encourage us to accept sinful and sexual pleasures as a normal lifestyle.  Couples live together outside of marriage in open defiance of God’s word.  Countless Fortune 500 companies use sex as the central point of their message to sell their product.  Ultimately the abortion issue just blends into our tolerance for immorality.  In 1 Corinthians 9:27 Paul calls Christians to be accountable for their conduct and “bring their bodies into subjection.”

V.    Jesus demands that we value all human life (Matt. 5:43-45a).

43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

Christian love as described by Jesus compels us to love all individuals, even our enemies.  Such love includes protecting those individuals who cannot defend themselves.  Some might argue that Christians have no responsibility in changing the attitude of our nation toward abortion.   I contend that Christians have a deep responsibility to defend the un-born child, to counsel the unwed mother that there are alternatives to abortion, to counsel a mother who has had an abortion that God will forgive her of her heinous sin,  and to persuade  a couple who is considering abortion not to terminate an unplanned pregnancy.  

Reflection:     

If all of human life comes from God, will you follow God’s example and consider all life precious and sacred?  How will you as a Christian influence our society?  It is not enough to sit back and let someone else do it for you.  A healthy and growing relationship with God means that our attitudes and actions must change to promote the value and worth of all people, particularly those who never get a chance to be born for the first time.

The link below will take you to a video posted on Facebook by the Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, California.  It is a wonderful depiction of the unborn child’s life cycle.  I urge you to spend the few minutes it takes to view it and then pray that God will embolden you to take action about the pitiful human tragedy “we the people” are allowing to continue by “law” in the United States of America. 

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=488452018044

Epilogue:

The opening portion of this article dealt with a time in my life that had a great deal to do with shaping the rest of my life.  My life-values were already established when my mother got sick with tuberculosis.  But I can tell you that the example my father set for me during that two-year ordeal had a lot to do with cementing them into my fabric for the rest of my life.  I loved both of my parents dearly for the rest of their lives.  My father passed away in 1986 at 76 years old after nearly a year-long illness brought on by a stroke.  He had a sweet spirit and he loved me.  I learned so much from my father.  He was an honest man who had his faults, but then don’t all of us.  The thing I remember the most about him was that he was a friend to all, but mostly to me.  I thank God for both my earthly and my Heavenly Father.

My mother lived on to be 91.  She and my father were married for 57 years.  I will never forgot how hard they fought together to beat the tuberculosis and return the family to normalcy.  And I thank God that they did not abort me in 1943 when it was not “convenient” nor “affordable” to have another baby!

What if this were you?  Would you want your parent to abort you?  Unborn babies have no choice!

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The Lost Generation

Posted on June 8, 2012 by jimdavenport

Background:

I read my daily Open Windows devotional for April 16, 2012 and was struck by the brevity and power of the message.  This particular devotional was contributed by Marvin Minton, Senior Pastor, Crawford Road Baptist Church, Phenix City, Alabama.   The entire devotion is included here for convenience.  It will take only a couple of minutes to read it.  It will be worth it.  I’ll add my thoughts in the Discussion and Reflection sections below.

The Lost Generation
Devotional Passage:  Judges 2:6-11
Focal Passage: Judges 2:10
And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
My father’s wedding band was too large for me, so I hid it away in a jewelry box.  As time passed, I put on weight, and my own wedding band grew tight.  My wife suggested I wear my dad’s ring until I could get mine resized.  It fit perfectly!
When I looked at that ring, it reminded me I was my father’s son.  I looked, talked, and acted like him.  His values, molded by the Great Depression and World War II, became my values through his influence.  I think he would be proud to have me wear his wedding band.
Joshua’s generation passed away, and their influence for the Lord died out.  The new generation received material benefits from their parents but missed the spiritual connection vital to their continued success.
Everyone in the kingdom of God has a personal spiritual birth certificate, so every upcoming generation is a potentially lost generation.  What can leave our children to remind them of their spiritual heritage?
Father, help me share Your love with the next generation. 

Scripture: (all scripture KJV unless otherwise noted)

Judges 2:6-11 (focus on verse 10) –  6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.  7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.   8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.  9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.  10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.  11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim.

Discussion:

Judges 2:11 says it all … once Joshua and his generation died the chosen people of God that had been given the Promised Land by Jehovah God “did evil in the sight of the Lord.”  One generation is all that it took for the followers to turn away from God and adopt the religions invented by man.  The perverted generation that followed Joshua completely lost their way … not just in their worship of God, but they lost their way by trusting in life-values that were diametrically opposed to those given by God and taught to them by Moses and Joshua.  They searched for answers in the wrong places with the wrong people and the wrong goals in mind.  They became “The Lost Generation.”  They had completely forgotten what their ancestors had experienced when they turned away from God. Their “lostness“ resulted from direct disobedience of God’s commands.  They intermarried with unGodly foreigners that were not driven out of their land in accordance with God’s specific instruction to their ancestors.  They accepted the religious practices of their mates and surrounding neighbors losing all touch with God Almighty.

There were some who were still seeking to serve God and “do what was right in the sight of the Lord,” but the vast majority of “The Lost Generation” ignored God’s commands.  They lived empty and useless lives serving other gods such as the Baals.  They worshiped idols made with their own hands, not the God of universe that spoke everything into existence (including them). They could have cared less about The Ten Commandments … especially the first two that speak directly about having “no other gods before me” and making and worshipping “graven images” of gods.

What a sad commentary on the times.  But, thank God that there was still a small remnant that continued to seek and serve the one and only true Jehovah God.  

Reflection:

If you have read this far then you can’t miss my point … how different are we?  We live in a world that is lost.  The vast majority of our American people are lost.  So many of our political leadership appear lost as they support popular and self-serving political policies that are directly opposed to God’s Ten Commandments and teachings in the Holy Scripture. My prayer today to the Lord God Almighty went something like this:

“Lord, it appears that we are headed in the same direction as that traveled by The Lost Generation in the days following the death of Moses and Joshua.  I pray that the current generation will not become another Lost Generation because my generation fails to speak up for and teach ‘what is right in the sight of the Lord.’ Empower me to be an instrument of Your will and speak boldly about You in my final years here on earth.  In the wonderful saving name of Jesus, Amen and Amen!!

Perhaps you don’t know how you can be saved and exempt yourself from The Lost Generation.  This link will help you know “How to Become a Christian” by accepting the free gift of salvation offered by Jesus Himself.

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His Grace is Sufficient for Me

Posted on June 1, 2012 by jimdavenport

Background:

One of my favorite people in all of the world is Fred Weyer, a former Minister of Music at Pine Lake Baptist Church. Fred is a dear friend.  He has served most of his life as a bi-vocational minister of music while holding down demanding full-time positions.  He served Pine Lake multiple times over many years and under many pastors and interim pastors.  He always conducted himself with enthusiasm and integrity.  Over the years Fred served 15 or more churches in 3 states.  Fred attended Centenary College of Louisiana where he studied music and participated in choral groups.  He received special coaching and training from his mentor, Martha Moore Clancey, then professor of music theory and voice at Southwestern Seminary.

On the vocational side, Fred worked for a major automobile manufacturer and traveled extensively every week.  Somehow he always made his way back to the Atlanta area for Wednesday night services and choir practice.  I sang in his adult choir, sang duets with him, and sometimes filled in for him when he was on vacation.  I have often said that Fred was the most enthusiastic congregational leader that I have ever known and the best Minister of Music Pine Lake has ever had.  He could get the most out of a choir and the congregation every Sunday.  I loved to sing in his choirs and especially in the special music presentations at Christmas and Easter.  Over the years our choir had as many as 50 people singing and as few as 15.  But Fred was just as enthusiastic no matter how many were singing.

One of the things I admired most about Fred was his flexibility and his unique ability to change things on the fly to match the Pastor’s message and the spirit of the service.  I learned so much under his leadership and can not tell you how much I have appreciated his friendship and his service for the Lord over the years.  He and his lovely wife Dolores are now retired living in a suburb of Atlanta and are true examples of life-time Christian servants.  I love them both dearly and look forward to singing with them in Heaven’s choir.

One of the special music numbers that Fred taught our choir has been running through my mind over and over lately.  The song is “His Grace Is Sufficient For Me” by Mosie Lister. Every time the choir sang the chorus of the song it touched me deeply, bringing tears of joy to my eyes and to my soul.   I believe that recalling the song so many times recently is God’s way of telling me to write something about it.  So, below you will find a brief story behind the song, the scripture that inspired it, and a link to a great presentation of the song by the Statesmen and the Booth Brothers via Youtube.

Scripture: (all NIV unless otherwise noted)

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 –  8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Discussion:

In 2 Corinthians chapter twelve, Paul speaks first of a vision and revelations he has received from the Lord.  He boasts about the Lord (Jesus) but refuses to boast about himself.  If fact, Paul says that “in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me (vs. 7).”  Paul “pleaded with the Lord” three times to take away the thorn but Jesus told him “My grace is sufficient for you.”  Why?  Paul said it was to keep him from becoming conceited.  So, the emphasis should not be on Paul, it should always be on Jesus where the true power for the Christian really comes from.

Sometimes we think that we just need to try a little harder … to be a little better … to dig a little deeper … when what we really need to do is depend totally on the Lord Jesus and keep the focus on Him and not ourselves.  Man seeks the praise of other men.  But Jesus wants us to praise Him and not man.  The Lord’s grace (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense) is abundant and costs us nothing.  Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us.  He gave His life for us.  He was sinless.  Yet He took upon Himself the sin’s of man and paid the price for the forgiveness of our sins.  Nothing else is sufficient — only God’s grace.

Let me now expand further on Mosie Lister’s song, His Grace Is Sufficient For Me.  I did a little research and found that John Scheideman wrote an article for the Absolutely Gospel Music web site profiling Mosie Lister.  You can click on the previous link to see the entire article.  Some of it is reproduced below for convenience.

“Thomas Mosie Lister was born on September 8, 1921 in Cochran, GA. In the early 1940s, Lister became one of the original members of the Sunny South Quartet in Tampa, FL … a quartet that spawned the careers of such singers as Jim “Big Chief” Wetherington, John Mathews, Horace Parrish, Lee Kitchens, and JD Sumner. Sang with the Melody Masters after WWII.  Ultimately replaced by Jake Hess.
1948 He joined original Statesmen Quartet formed by the famous Hovie Lister (no kin) but sang only a short time due to health reasons.  From that point on he concentrated on writing gospel music and primarily wrote for the top gospel groups of that day.
One Lister song, 1952’s “I’m Feeling Fine” was originally conceived as a slow ballad-type number, and that’s how he pitched it to the LeFevres. Instead, however, the LeFevres performed the song in a rollicking, uptempo version and it was so successful that way that the song was done that way by virtually every other artist that subsequently recorded and performed it. Since the song was successful that way, Mosie Lister didn’t mind the alteration too much.
Other Lister songs more closely followed their writer’s intentions, including 1955’s “Then I Met The Master”, recorded by the Statesmen (with Jake Hess featured), and 1953’s “His Hand In Mine”, the title song for a gospel album from Elvis Presley.
A roll call of Lister’s other major songs will amply demonstrate the breadth of his ability and influence, many of these becoming gospel classics still performed today by many artists. They include “How Long Has It Been” (1956), “Happy Rhythm” (1953), “Goodbye World Goodbye” (1952), “He Knows Just What I Need” (1955), “I’ve Been Changed” (1959), “Till The Storm Passes By” (1958), “Where No One Stands Alone” (1955), “The King And I Walk Hand In Hand” (1954), and “While The Ages Roll” (1970).”

In her book “Stories Behind 50 Southern Gospel Favorites, “Lindsay Terry records an interview with Mosie Lister where he discusses the story behind “His Grace Is Sufficient For Me.”  In that interview Lister said the song …

“… was literally a gift from God.  In the mid-1960’s, I realized I had gone for an incredibly long time without writing a song that had real worth — that really meant something.  It had been more than a year, and that was really rare for me.  Though I sometimes worked on songs for several months, I never thought they were difficult to write.  I had never been through a dry spell like that before.  I  began to search my mind and my heart.  We were living in Tampa, Florida, then, and one morning I was driving downtown to pick up my mail.  On the way I started thinking about how long it had been since I had written a song, and I just sincerely and honestly prayed to God about it.  I told Him that I felt that I might be at a place in my life where He was pointing me in another direction — away from writing music.  Yet I really loved it and felt that it was given to me from Him.
I told God that I was despondent over not writing anything in a long time, and that I just didn’t understand the reasons for it.  I said, ‘Right now I just give You whatever ability I have.  If You want me to go in another direction and leave writing, I’ll do that, and I will be happy about it.  I just need to know what Your will is.  If you’ll show me Your will, I’ll do it.’
After returning home, I did what I had done very often in those days.  I took my guitar, sat down, and started strumming and humming to myself.  I found myself singing, ‘Many times I’m tried and tested as I travel day by day … .’  I was on the second verse before it dawned on me what I was doing.  It occurred to me that this was a new song, and I hadn’t written one in over a year.
I then thought of the verse in Scripture where Paul says, ‘My Grace is sufficient for thee’ (2 Corinthians 12:9).  That became the chorus of my song.  Since then, I’ve never doubted that I’m doing exactly what God wants me to do.  I feel that this song came along when I needed its message for my own heart.”

Mosie Lister was in a real dry spell.  Writing gospel music was his profession.  He had fluidly written many, many songs which were recorded by top Southern Gospel groups.  Perhaps his personal success had caused him to focus too much on himself.  When he admitted to God that he was despondent about not being able to write music and turned his abilities over to the Lord, the Lord’s grace was immediately sufficient for all of his needs.  He once again began to write amazing gospel music and continued to do so for the rest of his career.  No telling what would have happened if Lister had continued to depend on his own sufficiency instead of the Lord’s.

God’s grace is not something that is earned, rather it is provided freely to those who trust in the all mighty, all powerful, all sufficiency of the Lord.

Reflection:

I sang in the The Good News, a Southern Gospel quartet for more than twenty years.  We sang many of Mosie Lister’s songs over that period including Where No One Stands Alone, While The Ages Roll, and How Long Has It Been.  In addition, Mark Fuller, our piano player, loved to play an uptempo version of  Goodbye World, Goodbye which always brought the house down.  Mark’s presentation of Goodbye World, Goodbye is on our recording, Spreading The Gospel, and can be played at www.jimdavenport.wordpress.com under the “Listen To The Good News” tab.  (Note: If you are reading this article online, then the “Listen…” tab can be found near the top of this page.)

Every time I hear this song or even think about it I think of Fred Weyer and his unselfishness, his love for the Lord, and his dependence on the Lord’s sufficiency.  I miss being with my friend physically, but we are still together spiritually and will spend an eternity in Heaven singing about the sufficiency of God’s grace.

Well enough babbling, here’s a video of Hovie Lister and the Statesmen singing His Grace Is Sufficient for Me.  I hope you will enjoy this wonderful song as much as I do.

Here’s a more recent video version of  His Grace Is Sufficient For Me by the Booth Brothers … different presentation but the same wonderful song.

His Grace Is Sufficient For Me (Mosie Lister)

Many times I’m tried and tested
As I travel day by day
`Oft I meet with pain and sorrow
And there’s trouble in the way.
But I have a sweet assurance
That my soul, the Lord will lead
And in Him there is strength for every need.

CHORUS:
O, His grace is sufficient for me.
And His love is abundant and free.
And what joy fills my soul,
Just to know, just to know
That His grace is sufficient for me.

When the tempter brings confusion
And I don’t know what to do,
On my knees I turn to Jesus
For He’ll always see me through
Then despair is changed to victory.
Every doubt just melts away
And in Him there is hope for everyday.

Repeat Chorus

And what joy fills my soul,
Just to know, just to know
That His grace is sufficient for me.

You can read another of my articles on a similar topic by clicking this link:  The Believer’s Sufficiency In Christ.

Posted in Bible Studies, Christian Devotions, Southern Gospel Music, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Sanctity of Marriage

Posted on May 25, 2012 by jimdavenport

Special Note: This article is included in Jim’s book “An Attitude of Thankfulness” along with 19 other articles and is available for purchase in Paperback and eBook formats at this link:  Jim’s Books

Background:

Jim and Charlotte Davenport
April 7, 2012 at our Granddaughter’s Wedding

In August 2012 my wife and I will have been married for forty-nine years. ALL of the years have been God blessed. We met at a church sponsored summer youth camp in the north Georgia mountains when I was a rising senior in high school. I was immediately struck with her personal beauty, her purity, her character, and perhaps most importantly, her Christian behavior. She was different than the other girls that I had dated. I wanted to ask her out but the timing just wasn’t right. Truthfully, she didn’t care much for me in the beginning. I later learned that some of her girlfriends had told her that I had the reputation of dating a lot of girls then dropping them. In other words, I wouldn’t be a good match for her … period.

Months later I asked her to come to one of my basketball games. To my delight, she came. I was thrilled. Over time I won her over and she was my date at my Senior Prom. By that time I knew that I wanted to partner with her for a lifetime. In my eyes she would be a perfect mate. We dated no one else after we began dating. A little over two years later and after my Sophomore year in college we were married. Ultimately I completed college and graduate school with her strong help.

I know that God put us together. There has never been a doubt in my mind. God blessed us with a wonderful son. We raised him in a Christian home. God led him to marry a wonderful Christian young woman and they too have raised their children in a Christian home. His daughter recently completed college and married a fine Christian young man and we fully expect them to live a successful Christian life led by the Lord. Our grandson just graduated from high school with honors. He is bound for college and is dating a fine Christian young lady. We fully expect him to lead a successful Christian life as well.

God has blessed us in so many ways spiritually and physically. I could not imagine sharing my life with anyone else. God put us together. He knew what was best for us. There are dozens of scripture passages that speak to the sanctity of marriage. Let’s examine my favorites for the purpose of this article.

Scripture: (All English Standard Version – ESV – unless otherwise noted)

(1) Genesis 2:18 – Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

(2) Genesis 2:24 – Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

(3) Matthew 19:4-6 – He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

1 Corinthians 7:39 – A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

(4) Proverbs 18:22 – He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

(5) Hebrews 13:4 – Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

(6) Exodus 20:14 – You shall not commit adultery.

(7) Luke 16:18 – Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

(8) 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 – Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

(9) Mark 10:2-7 – And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

(10) Matthew 5:31-32 – “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”

Discussion:

Webster defines “sanctity” as follows: 1 – holiness of life and character; godliness. 2 – the quality or state of being holy or sacred; inviolability (refers to being secure from violation or profanation.) Thus the phrase “sanctity of marriage” refers to marriage as being sacred, holy, secure from violation, and of God.

I don’t believe that my selected verses need that much discussion for the purpose of this article. These words are not only time-honored and such sensible advice, they are direct communications from God Almighty himself recorded in His Holy Word. Those that believe in Jehovah God and do their best to follow His commands understand that ALL of the Bible is true, inerrant (without error), and is THE GUIDE for our how we as His children are to conduct our lives and our marriage.

So here’s a brief synopsis of the selected verses. Marriage was ordained by God (1, 2) to be between a man and a woman. Marriage is designed by God to be permanent (3). Those who are married find God’s favor (4). Marriage is to be honorable and God judges sexual immorality and adultery in a marriage (5, 6, 7). The husband and wife are to yield authority over their bodies to each other (8). God does not expect or want a married couple to divorce (9), but allows it when adultery is present (10).

Unfortunately the wonderful and blessed marriage my wife and I have experienced is not that experienced by today’s average American male/female couple. The majority (52% according to recent government statistics) of today’s male/female “couples” are not married. They just “live” together as though they were married, at least for a season, and sometimes then get married. Often times when things aren’t going well enough to suit one of the partners, they just leave … only to start another relationship where the partners live together. Many argue this is a way to avoid divorce and that it gives the couple time to learn about each other BEFORE they make a permanent marriage commitment. Life is full of excuses for why people don’t follow God’s commands.

Sadly, co-habitation has been “sold” to the American public as an acceptable alternative to traditional marriage. It has been plastered on our TV screens and the subject of countless Hollywood productions. Even many Christians have been deceived by all of the hype and they too participate in this lifestyle. This is a very dangerous practice and goes directly against what God has taught us through His Word, the Bible. The Bible is clear: co-habitation without marriage is sin and sin has earthly consequences. (See my recent article: Sin’s Earthly Consequences)

A Gallup poll conducted just prior to Christmas in 2009 found that 78% of Americans identified themselves as “Christian.” I find it strange that 52% of male/female couples in the United States are living together, unmarried. Coincidentally, 52% of Americans now favor “same-sex marriage.” Such marriages are in direct violation of God’s Word, no matter how much you try to argue otherwise. By the way, having to refer to a “couple” as “male/female” in and of itself bothers me.

So, man has once again overstepped his authority and placed himself above God. The Jews did this many times and always suffered the consequences. I am reminded of when Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving The Ten Commandments and the people took things into their own hands. When Moses descended from the mountain he found the people had fashioned a golden calf so they could worship this god like others were doing in Egypt and other countries. Such disobedience caused their emerging nation tremendous pain and agony as they wandered in the desert for forty years before finally entering the promised land.

Later in the history of God’s people, one king after another in Israel and Judah did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord. Instead they adopted the ungodly and immoral practices of their neighboring countries and worshiped other gods such as Baal, Ashtoreth and Molech. They even participated in perverted sexual orgies as part of their pagan worship. Does this sound familiar? It does to me. Israel and Judah ultimately paid a staggering price for their sin. They suffered the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of their mighty men (soldiers) and citizens resulting in the complete collapse of their nation. They lost their homeland. They lost their way of life. They lost touch with Almighty God. And as a result, they spent generation after generation in captivity in a foreign and cruel land.

Reflection:

Let me take a short side-trip here to provide some insight into a related topic and America’s current political and spiritual situation. Acceptance of the gay lifestyle by Americans is now in the majority. Perhaps this is the REAL reason that President Obama recently came out with his full-fledged support for same-sex marriage. President Obama has actually voiced three differing stances on this issue over the past four years and will likely change again after the election. Each change of heart the President has voiced has coincided with that which was politically expedient at the time. His positions are in direct opposition to what the Bible teaches. I can only presume that the President has placed his beliefs above those of Almighty God. Why? So he can garner enough votes to get re-elected. That’s why! One has to conclude that the President’s recent choice to support same-sex marriage is strictly for political reasons. Why else would he go against the Christian “majority,” the 78%, at this point in time? His advisers have assured him that he will receive more votes by taking this position. I’m rather sure his advisers are right unless Christians, including the 78% who claim to be Christians, stand up for what God expects of them.

Take a look at excerpts from an article that recently appeared in the New York Times … yes, the liberal New York Times. Click on this link: Gay Marriage Rally It is no secret that I am an ultra-conservative by national news media standards. I am a Bible believing Baptist that lives in a southern state. What our President is advocating, same-sex marriage, is an abomination according to the scripture (Leviticus 18:22 – “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination.”) No one, especially a Christian … and including President Obama … can alter God’s viewpoint nor choose to ignore it. There is just no other Godly way homosexuality and same-sex marriage can be viewed. It is a sin and not to be practiced. Our leadership, our nation and future generations will suffer immeasurably and pay the consequences for our nations potential agreement with such an unGodly position. America is in a downward, satanic moral spiral. We are sick and need healing.

Interestingly, since the announcement of support by the President, the NAACP has also come out in support of same-sex marriage. I’m not at all surprised by that move. However, I am agonizingly surprised that many minority pastors are also falling in line and supporting the NAACP and President Obama’s position as a civil rights issue. Come on! I don’t see how any pastor of a Christian church can realistically ignore the Bible’s teachings about marriage. How can so many pastors rationalize this position and compromise their pulpit by supporting a practice that is absolutely condemned by the Bible. I will have to leave the ultimate decision to you. But for me, it is all about supporting President Obama… their preferred political candidate. No matter what is right in the sight of God and no matter what the Bible says. How sad! I suppose I could be branded as a racist because I have “negatively” mentioned the NAACP. So be it! I know my heart.

I expect to receive some negative feedback on this article. I usually do when I write on controversial subjects with the Bible as my guide. That’s okay with me. You see, I am on the Lord’s side. I believe in the Lord’s Word. Love, morality, truth, sin and justice are all defined by God … not man. Marriage is holy. Marriage is of God. Marriage is between a man and a woman, not a man and a man, and not a woman and a woman. I believe wholly in the Sanctity of Marriage! For more reading on a similar topic see the following: On the Sanctity of Life and Abortion

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Gay Marriage Rally

Posted on May 25, 2012 by jimdavenport

Jim Davenport Comment – a sickening development … bowing to those who want to destroy the very fiber of our nation!  If you don’t think TV and the mass media can influence the general populace to adopt lifestyles totally opposite from what the Bible teaches, take a look at the article below by Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times.

__________________________________________________________

By Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times
May 20, 2012, 8:00 p.m.

Gays may have the fastest of all civil rights movements .  Public attitudes have shifted sharply in the last 10 years. Chalk it up to familiarity – among family, friends, co-workers and prime-time TV characters.

People rally in San Francisco in 2010 against California’s Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage. Though many states don’t recognize same-sex marriage, public attitudes have tilted sharply toward approval in the last decade. (Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times / August 4, 2010)

…
Politically, President Obama felt it safe enough recently to abandon his studied ambiguity and endorse same-sex marriage amid a tough reelection campaign. Days later, a top Republican pollster, Jan van Lohuizen, issued a warning to his party, suggesting opponents were on the wrong side of the issue. Support has grown, he wrote in a strategy memo, “at an accelerated rate with no sign of slowing down.”
…
In a convergence of causes, the NAACP board voted Saturday to endorse same-sex marriage, saying “marriage equality” was “consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution.”
…
Popular culture and its shaper, the mass media, have also played a crucial role in changing attitudes, much as news accounts helped advance the cause of the black civil rights movement. Only this time it wasn’t images of fire hoses and police dogs turned on innocents but the sympathetic portrayal of gay and lesbian characters in prime time, in what has become a TV staple.

Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times

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Sin’s Earthly Consequences

Posted on May 18, 2012 by jimdavenport

Background:

In a previous article I raised the point that sin has both earthly and eternal consequences (see When God Has Had Enough).  While the blood of Jesus was shed for the forgiveness of sin and accepting Him as our Savior guarantees an eternal sinless life in Heaven with Him, we often pay the consequences for our sin on earth while we are here.

There is a portion of the scripture that came to mind when I thought this topic through.  It deals with King Uzziah of Judah and takes place almost 2,800 years ago.  I have been reading and studying Thomas Nelson’s New King James Version of The Chronological Study Bible (NKJV-TCSB)over the past couple of years.  Reading the Bible chronologically has significantly enhanced my understanding of the Old Testament.  The Bible is presented in chronological order regardless of the usual book/chapter/verse structure. I’m certainly no Bible scholar.  All I know is what the Holy Spirit has interpreted to me through what I read and have been taught by my local church since I was a child.  But this one thing I know for sure.  Sin has consequences … even for the best of God’s children.

Scripture:

2 Chronicles 26 – all verses in this article from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

1Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah,who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. …  3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. … 16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord—valiant men. 18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God.” … 19 Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him. 21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

Discussion:

King Uzziah’s  was a great ruler by most any measure.  Over his fifty-two years (793-753 BC) on the throne of the southern kingdom of Judah, he led the nation to great political success, expansion and prosperity. The Bible says that this was as a result of Uzziah doing what was right in the sight of God.  Uzziah was sixteen years old when he was placed on the throne by all the people of Judah.  According to 2 Chronicles 26:2, his father Amaziah also did what was right in the sight of God.

But Uzziah violated the role of God’s political leader by taking over a priestly responsibility when he burned incense in the innermost part of the Temple.  This was against the priests will and they tried to stop him.  More importantly, this also violated God’s will.  The Law of Moses required that the priests were the only ones that could perform the ritual of sacrifices (Numbers 3:5-10).  Entering the interior part of the Temple was forbidden to all except for certain orders of Levitical priests.  Therefore, the King of Judah was forbidden to enter the interior of the Temple.

It was common practice in that day for the kings of neighboring political entities to offer sacrifices to their gods. The kings of these other nations were not only the head of the nation, they often had the status as a high priest with special privileges.  Sometimes the king was even thought of as a god himself, and declared himself such.   Consider the Egyptian kings … they were considered to be gods embodied in a man.

In burning incense in the innermost part of the Temple,  Uzziah was acting like his peers, the kings of other nations.  Those peers were not only the political leader, they were also expected to be the religious leader and high priest and offer incense to their pagan gods.  Uzziah sinned by violating God’s Mosaic command.  As a result, God immediately struck Uzziah with leprosy and he lived out the rest of his life in solitude.

While the southern kingdom prospered greatly under Uzziah’s leadership, the northern kingdom was in chaos as one king after another was assassinated (the northern kingdom of Israel ultimately fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC).  The Bible says that Uzziah “did what was right in the sight of the Lord (2 Chronicles 26:4).”  Nevertheless, as a consequence of his sin, Uzziah suffered from leprosy, misery and isolation for the last ten years of his life.

Uzziah’s twenty-five year old son, Jotham, served as co-regent for those last and miserable years of Uzziah’s life and for six more years after Uzziah’s passing.  Both father and son did  what was right in the sight of the Lord for most things and the prosperity of the southern kingdom flourished.  However, Jotham’s  son Ahaz did not follow his father’s ways and the scripture records that he “did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 16:2).”  Let’s save discussion on that for another day.

Reflection:

But Dad (and/or Mom) … “Everyone else is doing it!”  I bet you have heard that before!   I can remember saying it to my parents.  And I can remember our son saying that to us when he was a teenager. That is certainly not a reason to defy God’s commands.  There are consequences to sin here on earth.   Matthew 7:13-14 says “13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

What about you?  Have you done “what is right in the sight of the Lord?” All of us are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God.  The point is, there are consequences for our sin … both here on earth and for an eternity.  Jesus died for our sins … ALL of them. Only by accepting Jesus as Savior can we be forgiven of ALL of our sins and spend an eternity with God in Heaven.  If you have not done so, please visit this link to learn how you too can become a Christian.   How To Become A Christian

And Christian, don’t expect to avoid the consequences of your sin on earth.  How many Christian families are broken every year by unfaithfulness?  Sadly, many Christians do not feel they should suffer the consequences of their sin here on earth.  But friends, the Bible speaks plainly and truthfully about this throughout its pages.  As Christians, we should stay in a constant state of conviction and confession, reminded of the fact that God has prepared a way of escape from our sinful life.  The prize is eternity with Him in Heaven!

Here’s a link to a song recorded by The Good News in 1990 from their southern gospel album Jesus Will Lead Me.  The title of the song is “Sin Will Take You Farther.”  The first two lines of the song are “Sin will take you farther than you want to go.  Slowly, but wholly, taking control.”  Oh, how true that is!!

Sin Will Take You Farther

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God’s Glory Roll

Posted on May 11, 2012 by jimdavenport

Background:

I have been thinking about the love of God a lot lately and how He cares so for His children.  I’ve been thinking about Heaven too and how God has reserved a special place just for me because I am one of his saved children.

I became a Christian when I was twelve years old when our church was having a revival.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  My Sunday School teacher was the elderly Mr. Meek.  Actually one of the things I remember about Mr. Meek is that he was a terrible communicator … especially to twelve year old boys.  He stumbled through every lesson … week after week.  Twelve year old boys, and there were about ten of us in his class at the time, are rambunctious and the last thing they want to do is listen to a stumbling and bumbling teacher.  So we talked to each other, picked at each other, squirmed and basically misbehaved much of the time in class.

Mr. Meek was just that … he was meek.  He would never get upset at us or confront us individually in class about our behavior.  But he had a masterful plan that worked over time to bring law and order to the class time.   You see, after each class he would draw one or two of us aside.  His message was always simple and easy to understand … “Do I need to talk to your parents about your behavior in Sunday School?”  That put the fear of the Lord in each of us at least for a while.  You see, when I was raised if the teacher, at church or school, threatened to talk to your parents it was serious business.  You could expect some form of corporal punishment was on the way in addition to a formal personal apology to the teacher, usually with your parents present.  Just thinking about what you faced would improve your behavior, at least for the rest of the day.  Yes, that is what Mr. Meek did.  And guess what?  It worked! He eventually got control of the class and never lost it the rest of the year.

Mr. Meek was still a terrible communicator, but he loved his class and wanted to see each of us saved.  He showed up every week and never failed to tell us that Jesus loved us and wanted us to go to Heaven.  However, the thing that I remember the most about him is that he was the person who confronted me about my need for eternal salvation.  He told me that I could be saved through asking God to forgive me of my sins and praying to receive Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.  At Mr. Meek’s continual prodding, I stepped out in our late spring revival on a Sunday morning during Sunday School seeking to be saved.  It was a special service designed for children ready to turn their life over to Christ.  I remember that special time as the evangelist, Dr. Don Berry, personally and individually led me to confess that I was a sinner in need of forgiveness and right then and there I asked Jesus to come into my heart.

That was fifty-seven years ago!  Things have never been the same since.  In the simple mind of a child I knew that I had accepted Christ and that I was “saved.”  That was good enough for me for a long, long time.  I wasn’t thinking about heaven and the eternal life that God had granted me when I was saved.  But now on the other end of my lifeline here on earth, let me tell you that I get excited every time I think about what God has granted me … eternal life with Him in Heaven.  Eternal life is longer than forever.  It is infinite.  It has no end.  God is the Master of time!  (If you haven’t already done so, please see my recent article “In His Time” at this link:  In His Time – Jim Davenport)

God has written down my name on the Lamb’s Book of Life and nothing can remove it … even physical death on this earth!  Our church keeps a ledger of those members who have passed on to eternity.  Fittingly enough, we call it “The Glory Roll.”  We have made a practice as we remove their name from our church roll of adding them to our Glory Roll.  Of course, we clearly recognize that God had already written down their name in His Glory Roll when they were saved.

Scripture:  (all NIV unless otherwise noted)

Luke 10:17-20 – 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”  18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Revelation 3:5 – He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

Revelation: 20:15 – If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Discussion:

In Luke 10 Jesus appoints seventy-two followers to send out two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go (vs 1).  Jesus told them that the harvest of souls to be saved was plentiful but the workers were few.  Their instructions were to make way for the coming of the Christ, to heal the sick, and move on to the next town if they were rejected.  To their astonishment the seventy-tw0 returned to Jesus with great joy in their heart.  They were ecstatic that even the demons had submitted to them.  Jesus told them that that He had given them authority over the demons and that it was because of Him that they had no power over them.  But the important thing that Jesus pointed out to these Christ followers is not related to the power over demons at all.  Instead Jesus, with a joyful heart, says that they should be rejoicing because their name is written down in Heaven.

When you are saved, God writes your name down in “The Lamb’s Book of Life.”  The “Lamb” is Jesus.  It is His book.  It is God’s Glory Roll.  The names of all those who are going to Heaven through the saving grace of Jesus Christ are written there and will be there for eternity.  In Revelation 3:5 Jesus promised that He“will never blot out” the names of those who are saved and that He will acknowledge each of their names “before My Father and his angels.”  Their reward will be an eternity in Heaven.

The consequences for those whose name is not written in “The Lamb’s Book of Life,” God’s Glory Roll, are also eternal.  Revelation 20:15 tells us that they will spend their eternity in “the lake of fire.”

Reflection:

I am so glad that as a twelve year old boy I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  My name is already written down in Jesus’ book.  How about your name?  Is it already written down in “God’s Glory Roll?”  If not and you want make sure that you to will spend your eternity in heaven, then just like Mr. Meek I am confronting you with this question:  Is it time that you gave your heart and life to Jesus?  Follow this link for an outline of how you may do just that.  How To Become A Christian

I have a missionary friend in Europe who is home in the states as his mother is in her final days.  He shared his prayer today with his supporters.  I am certain that he would not mind me sharing it with you as well.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for <his Mom, name omitted> and for the many, many ways you have blessed me through her life. Now as she continues to hang on to this life by what seems like a thread, I ask that you glorify yourself in her final moments on earth and through her death, whenever you choose to call her HOME.  I thank you for what awaits her…as Peter calls it…an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade kept in Heaven for her…not to mention the godly loved ones and saints that have gone before her…the cloud of witnesses that might be watching and waiting for another daughter of God to finish her race and cross that finish line. May her welcome be becoming of the godly woman that she was and is.

And, Father, in your mercy reduce her suffering, and give grace to those of us caring for her and waiting for her to cross that finish line.

With a heart that is heavy and light at the same time I pray in the Name of the One who has already finished the race…my Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen

The mother of my missionary friend already has her name on The Glory Roll!  It is this knowledge that gives my friend peace.

I sang in a southern gospel quartet for twenty years when I was younger.  The name of the group was The Good News.  We finally retired because most of us had too much on our plate to keep it going.  As I wrote this article I couldn’t help but think about one of the songs we recorded, “When I Get Carried Away.”  The song was exciting and we received a strong response every time we sang it.  The audio of the song is available on youtube at the following link:

When I Get Carried Away – The Good News

If you are online reading this article you can click on the above link to hear the song.  I have included the lyrics below so you can see how it relates to this topic.  Why not sing along or hum as you listen!  The roll that the song refers to is God’s Glory Roll!!  I’m sure you can see why this song still excites me today.  My name too is written down on “God’s Glory Roll.”  Hallelujah and Amen!!

When I Get Carried Away

I’m gonna let the glory roll when the roll is called in glory
I’ll gonna get beside of myself when I get beside the king that day
I’m gonna have the time of my life when the time of my life is over
I’m gonna get carried away when I get carried away

Well, I don’t know why I become a little shy
When I get around a whole lotta people
And I can’t figure out why I never can shout
About the love that floods my soul
I must confess, I can’t express
The feelings deep inside me
The things I know and cannot show
One day will overflow

I’m gonna let the glory roll when the roll is called in glory
I’ll gonna get beside of myself when I get beside the king that day
I’m gonna have the time of my life when the time of my life is over
I’m gonna get carried away when I get carried away

Well, I’ll pass the clouds and shout so loud,
It may sound like thunder
My tearful eyes may fill the skies
Until it looks like rain
When I leave this world past the gates of pearl
And stand before my Savior
I let my soul let the glory roll
When from the roll He calls my name

I’m gonna let the glory roll when the roll is called in glory
I’ll gonna get beside of myself when I get beside the king that day
I’m gonna have the time of my life when the time of my life is over
I’m gonna get carried away when I get carried away

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