FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
December 26, 2002

IN ONE EAR, OUT THE OTHER!

This is the time of year that many people make commitments to do or stop doing things in the coming year. At the end of next year, most will realize that they did not follow through on their commitment. Why? It is for the same reason that many people come forward in a church service to redidicate their life only to find that in a short time, they are back to the same place they were.

The difference between a person who follows through on his commitment and the one who falls by the way side is the difference in their willingness to learn and obey biblical truths. Some do not know what to do. Some know what to do, but do not have the strength to do it.

Everyone needs to make commitments to the Lord to be all He wants us to be and do. To be able to follow through on our commitments, we need to know certain things. We must know that there is always a price to pay for effectiveness. Any athlete who plans to excel in any sport knows that there will be a price to pay. There must be training, exercise, practice, and education. Those who neglect those things will never excel.

The same principle is true in our commitment to spiritual things. No one will learn the Word of God without a sacrifice of himself and his time to be a Bible scholar. There is no preacher who can effectively teach and preach without a sacrifice of time and effort to be proficient.
The Apostle Paul was an example of a man totally committed to a cause. He had died to self. His goal in life was to know the Lord and be pleasing to Him.

Many people loved Paul and tried to get him to not go to Jerusalem because of the danger he would face there. He said in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” The will of God was all that mattered to Paul. He was committed. It made no difference if he lost his life in serving the Lord.
Many fail in their commitment to the Lord because they do not care that much about winning the race God has put them in. Every believer has been put in a race. There are certain things God wants each Christian to accomplish. He is not racing against any other Christian. The race is against himself. If he allows carnality and selfishness to creep in, he will not finish the race in a grand style!

To accomplish our commitments, we must know that commitment is not a feeling. It is a self determined act. It is not simply making an emotional decision to do or not to do certain things. Commitment is based on our understanding of God’s truth and obedience to it regardless of how we feel.

True commitment begins with a love for the Lord Jesus. This means that no unsaved person will be able to maintain commitments he makes to the Lord. That is the reason those who only “profess” Christianity falter before the finish. Jesus confronted Peter after His resurrection with the question in John 21, “Peter, do you love me?” Peter failed the Lord many times in his commitment to Him, but he knew that he did love the Lord. When Peter said, “Yes,” the Lord said, “Feed my lambs.” Love was established before the commissioning.

Before we are commissioned to do anything, there must be the love of God in our hearts. Romans 5:5 says of the Christian, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Saved people do have God’s love in their hearts. This love is revealed by their obedience to Him. Sin steals our love for the Lord!

John Calvin said, “No man will remain faithful in the ministry if the love of Christ is not in his heart.” Paul said, “The love of Christ constrains us.” This is the motivating factor in our lives. This means that the number one characteristic of a dedicated Christian will be the sacrifice of his self life. He will say, “This is what God wants as revealed in His word, but it is not what I want to do. However, I will sacrifice my will for His will.” This kind of decision making reveals true commitment and self sacrifice all wrapped up in one bundle.

The only person who will be committed is the one who knows that there must be obedience. Obedience is the single most important thing that reveals true salvation and true commitment. John 14:21 says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep and follow Him. Peter obeyed which proved his love and commitment.

Every Christian wants assurance of their salvation. The best way to be sure you are saved is to analyze your life by God’s word. First John 2:5 says, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” As you look at your life and see obedience to Scripture, you can know you are saved. Unsaved people do not study nor obey God’s word.

If we are to be committed to the Lord, we must be committed to love God’s people. First Peter 1:22 says, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” Those who do not love the church or God’s people lack a mark of a child of God. First John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” If we keep the commitments we make, we must love God and love His people.

When you want to do something but know that God would have you do something else, you are in a test. Will you sacrifice your will to the will of God? If you do, it will produce a holy and committed life that will bring honor and glory to God and the church and a personal satisfaction you as a believer!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: PASTOR, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
December 5, 2002

WHAT IS “BEING BORN AGAIN?”

Everyone is concerned about their physical life, but few think about their life once they leave this earth! There are only two destinations once we die, heaven or hell. If we would avoid hell, we must do what Jesus said in John 3:7, “Ye must be born again.” Our first birth gave us a nature that came from Adam which produces rebellion to God. When we are born again, we receive a new nature which comes from God and produces love and obedience to Him.

When a person is born again, his body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own” (1 Cor 6:19)?" In the Old Testament, God had a temple for his people. In the New Testament, God has a people for his temple. The bodies of the “born again” are now the temple of God. That is the meaning of, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

The Temple had three parts consisting of the outer court where external worship took place. The inner court was limited to the priest, and Holy of Holies was where the high priest went once each year to offer sacrifice. The new temple, the body of believers, also has three parts. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our body corresponds to the outer court of the Temple where the physical sacrifice is made. Romans 12:1-2 says to those who are “born again” to present their bodies as a living sacrifice.

The soul is the mind, will, and emotion which corresponds to the inner court of the Temple. The soul directs the body. Since sin has affected our mind, will, and emotion, it leads the body in wrong behavior. This is why a “born again” person must "renew their mind" by the Word of God so we can discern God’s will.

The spirit of man corresponds to the Holy of Holies. It is the means by which we communicate with God. The thing which keeps man from being more than a clever animal is his spirit. Proverbs 20:27 says, "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord." Adam was created with a perfect body; therefore, he was healthy. Adam's soul was perfect; therefore, he was happy. His spirit was perfect; therefore, he was holy. Adam had communion with God because of his spirit.

Adam was told that if he ate of a certain tree, he would die. Adam did eat of that tree, but he lived 930 years longer physically. Did God lie? No! Adam did die in his spirit. When Adam’s spirit died, there was no more desire to commune with God. That is why he hid from God instead of running to Him. It was God who came searching for Adam. Since that time, every person is born with a nature that is bent on rebelling against God. Psalm 51:5 says of King David, "In sin did my mother conceive me." Romans 3:11 describes man in his natural birth, "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." This is why you do not have to teach a child to steal, lie, or misbehave. He learns it naturally.

Verse 18 gives another result of the sinful nature, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Second Corinthians 4:4 tells us why man does not fear God, "In whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Man's problem is that he is body and soul with a dead spirit; therefore, he has no desire to commune with God, seek His guidance, nor does he have a reverential fear of Him. When a person is born again, the Spirit of God comes in and makes his spirit alive. That is salvation. That is being born again, and that is what it means to have eternal life!

God’s Spirit gives life to the dead spirit of man. It is only then that man has the desire and ability to worship and commune with God. This is what salvation is all about. When a person is saved, nothing happens to the body. The body still looks the same. It will continue to age and will eventually die. Salvation of the body will take place at the rapture of the church when our Lord returns.

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Scripture says, "For which cause we faint not; but thought our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). Once the spirit of man is “born again” at salvation, it begins to influence the mind, will, and emotion of a person. Whatever influences the will produce behavior in the body. The mind, will, and emotion tells the body what to do. This is the reason we are told in the Bible to guard our mind. Why? Because "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Only those “born again” will have a desire to fill their minds with truth from God’s Holy Word.

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The Lord is “...longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Holy Spirit of God and the Word of God are necessary for salvation of the lost. They are also necessary to live the kind of life that leads to peace with God and man. A mind filled with the truths of God will control the body to live a holy life. When a person misbehaves, it is because the wrong stuff has gone into his mind. If Scripture is continually going in our minds and we yield to God’s Spirit, we will know His will through Scripture and by God’s Spirit will have strength to do it!

Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth (makes alive); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). If you are not born again, God’s Word tells you how in John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

The Lord promises every person in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If we can assist you in knowing Jesus as your Savior and Lord, please call (606) 573- 6839).

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: PASTOR, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
December 12, 2002

THE RIGHT KIND OF FEAR!

There are many fears which torment people in this life such as fear of sickness, death, crime, etc. But, there is one fear we need. It is a fear that will bring an abundant and long life. It is the fear of God.

God said to Israel, “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged” (Deuteronomy 6:2).

By learning, teaching, and obeying God’s word, Israel was promised that their days would be prolonged. There are many wonderful promises in the Bible to those who fear God. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” Any woman who fears God will have the praise of people in this life.

It use to be that people in this country were known as “God fearing people.” That is not the case anymore. We are now a nation who does not fear God. As a result, we do not have the wisdom and knowledge we should have. Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Since we do not fear God, we are no longer a “wise” nation. We have all kinds of problems without wisdom to solve them.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This nation is quickly becoming a nation of fools because of the lack of the fear of God. We are described as, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). We know many facts, but we cannot come to a wise use of those facts.

Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Without the fear of God, the knowledge we get will not be used with wisdom. That is why two people can become medical doctors with the same talents and ability. One has the fear of God and recognizes that he is a steward of what God has given to him and seeks to use his skill and knowledge in the best way for man and God.  The other person could becomes an abortionist. Why? Because there is no fear of God. He uses his skill for personal gain without consideration of what God says. The fear of God is the foundation on which all true knowledge is built. The fear of God will determine the right outlook on life.

An example of this is given in Proverbs 11:1 where God says, “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.” The world picks up on this and comes up with the slogan, “Honesty is the best policy.” We would all agree with that, but those who fear the Lord have a different outlook on this than the rest of the people.

The average person says, “If you are honest, people will trust you. You can do better in your business because of your good reputation.” We know that is true, but the person who fears the Lord will say, “Honesty is the best policy because God delights in it. God says to be honest; therefore, I will be.” This attitude recognizes God instead of the customer or financial gain.
When there is fear of God, there will be wisdom. Wisdom recognizes that God sends poverty as well as riches, and God exalts some and brings others low. God’s word says, “The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up” (1 Samuel 2:7).

Only by the fear of God will there be wisdom and only by wisdom will there be joyful living. We have been sold a bill of goods by the world, flesh, and the devil. We have been led to believe that we must have all kinds of material things in order to be happy and content. If we have the wisdom which comes by the fear of God, we will know Proverbs 15:16 which says, “Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.”

Where the fear of God is, there will be a learning and obeying of Scripture. This will control our thought life and our attitudes. We know by Scripture and by practice that the amount of things we have will not produce happiness. Luke 12:15 tells us, “...Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Material things never has nor will they ever bring happiness.

One of the greatest things about having the fear of God is that God has a trust fund for those who fear Him, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men” (Psalm 31:19). God is pictured as a wealthy father who stores up wealth for his children when they reach maturity.

God stores up good things to be given at the appropriate time to those who fear Him. What this goodness is and how it will be given will be unique to each person. Things may be dark now, or you may see the dark clouds coming, but remember, “God has good things stored up for you if you fear Him.”

This fear of God is not the same as being afraid. It is a reverential awe of God who created and sustains this world and all that is in it. The lack of this fear is the basis for all sin. You do not offend those you have reverential fear for. The less fear we have of God, the more sin we will commit. If you want to live a life of obedience, contentment, and happiness, then grow in your fear of God!

We are in the season where we celebrate what God has done for us by leaving heaven and being born as a human so that He could pay the penalty for our sin. What a great reason to love, serve, honor and obey our God!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: PASTOR: Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
November 7, 2002

THE DANGER OF DRIFTING!

Sometimes at a class reunion, a person will see an old class mate he has not seen in many years. He will look at his long lost friend with surprise and think, "I can't believe how he has gone down hill in 20 years! I barely recognized him." Your old class mate looks your way and thinks, "That person looks familiar. I wonder who he is?"

We change just like other people, but since we see our self every day, we do not recognize the changes which have come so slowly in our physical appearance. The same thing can happens in our spiritual appearance. There are certain things we say we would never do, but we end up doing them. Teenagers say, “I will never be hooked on drugs." Young lovers say, "We will never get a divorce." The devoted young parents say, "I would never have an extra marital affair." The dedicated church member says, "I will never quit church."

They solidly affirm these things, but later in life they find that they have done exactly what they said they would never do. Why? It is because of drifting! No one becomes a drug addict over night. No one suddenly gets into an illicit marital affair. No one is a dedicated church member one week and out of church the next. It all begins with a gradual drifting from where you are and ends up where you said you would never be!

A government study was done at the expense of 200,000 dollars to find the cause of alcoholism. The results gave many reasons why people became alcoholics, but alcohol was not mentioned. Common sense tells us that if a person never started drinking alcohol, he would not become an alcoholic. One reason for a person becoming a drug addict, a sex offender, or an unfaithful church member is influence. No one takes drugs unless someone evangelizes him. He will be lured into something that is seemingly harmless. He sees the beer commercials on television. He sees his friends drink. The natural thing to think is, "It must be alright. It seems everyone is doing it."

With these thoughts in his mind, a so called "friend" offers him a beer. The first taste is repulsive, but because of the strong influence, he keeps drinking until he develops a taste for it. These are the first steps which could cause him to end up an addict. This is an example of how bad influences can cause a person to end up on the wrong road.

The next ingredient of a ruined life is the failure to obey known truth. Almost every person who smokes, drinks, or takes illegal drugs were told about the danger of these things, but they neglected the truth so long that it did not seem so truthful. The same thing is true in spiritual life. The Bible is full of warnings about things we are to do and not to do in order that we do not end up where we do not want to be.

There is no one who wants to go to hell just like there is no one who wants to become a drug addict. The Lord has made it very simple about how to avoid hell and gain heaven. He has told us as Christians some things to do and not to do to in order to live a life that is not only satisfying to us, but is pleasing to our Lord. The Book of Hebrews tells us why Israel failed to enter the promised land. It is for these same reasons that people fail to get saved. The same reasons are given for Christians not growing, maturing, and being all God wants them to be.

The first principle given to avoid hell is in Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." When an unsaved person hears the Gospel and learns how to be saved, he is under obligation to obey what he has been privileged to hear. If he does not obey the truth, the truth will slip away. One man said, "The first time you hear truth, you will marvel. If you do not obey that truth, the next time you hear it, you will yawn." Truth obeyed leads to more truth. Truth not obeyed is in danger of slipping our of your mind!

Hebrews 3:8 contains another warning to these people who failed to obey, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness." The result of hardening their hearts is given in verse 11, "So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest." God was angry with these people because they had seen the miracles of God, but they would not trust Him. When anyone fails to obey God's truth, they are in danger of losing it. This will result in the heart getting hard. The same person who use to marvel at the truth can get to the place where he doesn't care about it.

Another warning is given in Hebrews 5:11, "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing." These people could not understand some things because of the dullness of their hearing. When we fail to obey truth, not only do our hearts get hard so we do not understand, and our ears get hard of hearing, but the truth that we once knew begins to slip away.

The same principles apply to those who are in the church. When people of God fail to obey truth, it slips away from them. The truth that use to be exciting will become boring. The natural result of that will be a slow down in their church attendance, prayer, giving, and Bible study. The most precious thing in this life is the truth of God. It teaches God’s people how to be satisfied, content, and how to live in a way that is pleasing to God.

It teaches those who are not saved how they can have eternal life and live in a loving relationship with their creator. Those who fail to obey the truth of the Gospel will spend eternity in the torment of hell wishing they were never born. Christians who fail to obey the truth they are privileged to hear will stand before their Lord in shame at His coming.

If you are not saved, do you know how to be? If not, please call at (606) 573-6839. We can give you God's truth about how to be saved and become a child of God. We will be glad to send you some free information to get started right in the Christian life.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor: Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
November 14, 2002

HOW TO HANDLE STRESS!

Stress is defined as harmful or unwanted pressure on a person. Everyone has stress, but some people handle it well while others are devastated by it. Job 14:1 says, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." Trouble is coming to everyone and will produce stress unless dealt with rightly.

For all unsaved people, this life is the only heaven they will know. Any pain, sorrow, or stress can be devastating. It will steal their joy and happiness; therefore, the first step in handling any kind of stress is to be saved from the wrath of God to come on unbelievers. It is a very stressful thing to realize that you are one step from facing an eternity separated from God in a burning torment called Hell! Trusting Christ as Lord and Savior will take care of that problem and relieve the stress associated with it.

Another source of stress comes from setting unbiblical or unrealistic goals. We hear about something called "A mid-Iife crisis." This crisis comes to those who have not met the goals they have set. This can be remedied by knowing what the will of God is for your whole life and developing right goals. Sometimes stress comes from the kind of life a person lives. One survey stated that 80% of people spend 110% of their income. That lifestyle will cause a lots of problems which brings lots of stress.

Stress can be handled by developing the right attitudes, and Scripture tells us what our attitudes are to be. Our attitudes determine whether or not a circumstance will bring stress or not. Time magazine quoted a doctor who stated, "Far more important than the trials and tribulations of life is how one deals with them." This means that the same circumstance can cause one person joy while causing another pain. The attitude determines whether joy or pain is experienced by any condition in our life.

For example, if a heavy snow came, your attitude toward it would determine whether or not it was a stressful situation. If you are a skier, you would be thrilled at the new fallen snow. If you were a mother trying to get to work and was afraid of slick roads, you could have a lot of stress. It all depends on the attitude. If we maintain the right attitudes, every potential stressful situation can be a stepping stone to a more stable life. If our attitude is wrong, stressful situations can be stepping stones to the mental ward of a hospital!

A lack of knowledge about God or a failure to remember what we have learned can contribute to stress when trouble comes. Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” God will turn the things we consider bad into things which are good for us. If we know that, we can go into bad situations with a good attitude and avoid the stress that would other wise come.

If our thinking is not right when trouble come, a bad attitude will develop which causes the body to gear up for this bad thing that is happening. This has devastating effects on the body which can cause anger, fear, anxiety, high blood pressure, and the secretion of all kinds of hormones. This condition is like putting a car in overdrive with the gas pedal to the floor while applying the brakes. Stress not handled properly can cause heart disease, ulcers, diarrhea, colitis, headaches, etc. Stress can be a killer!

To handle problems correctly, we must learn some Bible principles. The first one is that God is in total control of total control of every situation. Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." God governs, controls, and guides the governors of the earth so that His plans will come to pass. He will do the same in our lives.

God said, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:31). Every problem we face must go through God’s hands first, and He has already made a way out of it.

To handle stress properly, we must know God's word and His character. If we did not know that God is in total control and involved in every detail of our lives, we would have reason for stress. Scripture says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:2-3). We know problems cause our patience and endurance to develop. This attitude relieves the harmful stress.

Scripture tells us to give thanks in everything. This would be difficult if we did not know that God is in total control of everything and is working out all things for my good according to Romans 8:28. I can give thanks in everything because in everything my heavenly Father is in control. That does not mean we give thanks for bad things that happen to us, but we can give thanks because we know we serve a God who is in control os the problems.

When Jesus died on a cross, He had the right attitude which allowed Him to endure the greatest problem. He knew the joy that was set before Him. By investing His life, He gained the souls of all who would believe in Him. We must know we are investing our lives for all eternity. If we know what the goals of God are in bringing or allowing problems in our lives, it will help us to have the right attitudes which will lessen the stress. Romans 8:29 says, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Every thing God brings or allows in our lives is for the purpose of making us more like Jesus! Armed with this knowledge, our attitude toward the next problem can be one without stress!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: PASTOR: Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
November 20, 2002

HOW TO ENDURE!

Job 14:1 says, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." We know there will be pains and sufferings in this life; therefore, we need to learn how to endure them. Our Lord has given us the resources to go through trouble victory, but we must learn what those resources are. Failure to learn and practice these principles will produce misery instead of victory.

Three reasons for endurance given in 2 Corinthians 4:16, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." We are not to faint or give up regardless of what happens to us. This means we are not to lose heart, become discouraged, or depressed.

The first principle which will help us to gain victory in our trials is to value spiritual strength over physical strength. Verse 16 says, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day ." Paul could endure physically because he was more concerned about what was happening spiritually. Paul knew that it was only a matter of time before he would face old age and death, but he knew his inner man could be renewed and grow stronger every day. If we dwell on the fact that as our physical bodies weaken, our inner man can become stronger, it will help us to endure.

One of Paul's prayer for us is given in Ephesians 3: 16, "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." Paul greatly suffered physically, but he endured because he was more concerned about the inner man than he was the outer man. This caused him to be able to says in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." Paul learned the truth that troubles, trials, and problems are really contributors to inner strength because they drove him to God. Anytime we go to God, we are strengthened. If trouble drives us to God, then we can thank God for the trouble as Paul did.

First Peter 5:10 shows us that it is God's will for us to suffer some in this life, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." It is only after suffering that people are matured and strengthened.

The second principle to help us is that we will endure when we value the future over the present. Verse 17 says, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Paul knew that the greater suffering he had here would mean a greater glory in heaven. Paul knew that there was no comparison between what he suffered here and the glory he would experience after he left this life.

In the midst of great suffering Paul said, "This light affliction, which is but for a moment." Paul knew Romans 8:17 which says, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." He knew that there could be no amount of suffering that could compare with the glory he would receive over there.

He said in Romans 8:18, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Paul knew pain and suffering like no other man, but he said, "It does not matter how much I suffer here when I compare it to the eternal weight of glory I will have in eternity ." Paul knew his physical body was decaying, but he also knew that his inner man was growing stronger every day. Paul took the long look. He was willing to sacrifice some fleeting pleasures in time for a greater weight of glory in eternity.

Paul could endure because he knew that eternal things were more important than the temporary things in this life. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." Paul did not put his faith in the things which he could see. He knew they were only temporary. He kept his eyes and mind on the things that could not be seen. He knew these were the eternal things.

Anything that begins and ends with time will perish. This includes our bodies, this earth and all that is in it. The things which are eternal are God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, angels, and souls of men. All of our ideas, systems, ambitions, achievements, and things of this world are passing. They did not matter very much to Paul and they should not matter very much to us.

If Paul did not have a bank account, house, or great material possessions, he would have been considered a flop in this life, but he was considered great in the sight of God. Paul was consumed with the more important things in life which are the things unseen. He was more concerned about the inner man than the outer man. He was more concerned about the future than he was the present. This outlook enabled Paul to have the right attitude while going through any trouble or trial. He not only endured in these, but have victory over them.

Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21.) If you say, "For me to live is my children, or my family, or my job, or my money, or my pleasure," then you will end up saying, "For me to die is loss!" If we are to endure the trouble and trials in this life in victory, we must learn to put the spiritual above the physical. This article could be condensed to these statements, "As we read, learn, and obey Scripture, we walk by faith which is pleasing to God. This enables us to develop and maintain the right attitudes to endure with victory the troubles in this life!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: PASTOR, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
November 27, 2002

THE TRAGEDY OF INGRATITUDE

Luke 17 gives a story which illustrates a tragic flaw in the human nature. As we enter the Thanksgiving season, all of us need to learn the lessons illustrated by Jesus healing the ten lepers. It begins in verse 11, “And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up [their] voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Leprosy was the most dreaded disease these people knew about. It separated families. Leprosy is very contagious; therefore, the leper was not allowed to come to populated places. Their bodies were literally consumed by the disease and infections that resulted. If you came upon a group of lepers, you would see arms without hands, legs without feet, and eye sockets without eyes. The Jews thought this was a curse brought by God because of some sin in their lives. Everywhere they went, they had to cry out, “Unclean, unclean, unclean!” These people were literally walking dead people. They had to beg to sustain themselves. There would be no jobs for them, no family life, no pleasure, no recreation, and no hope.

Can you imagine their thoughts when they saw Jesus coming? They had heard about Him healing others. Could it be possible that He could do something for them? The hope begin to rise in them as they came as close as they could to where Jesus was. They did not have enough faith to ask for healing, but there was enough faith to cry out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

The Lord simply told them to go show themselves to the priests. This seemed like a ridiculous command. If a leper was healed, he was to go to the priests so that the priest could examine him and certify that he was healed. It was only after this that they could become part of the society again. These men started walking toward the priests in obedience to the Lord’s command. They may have thought, “This is ridiculous! We are not healed. The priest will probably laugh at us, but that is what Jesus said to do, and we’ll do it.”

Notice that it was only after they stepped out in obedience to the command of the Lord that they were healed. The only hope they had was to obey what Jesus said. It did not seem possible. It was not reasonable. It did not even make good sense. They did not see any change in their bodies. All they had to give them hope was the words Jesus said, but as they stepped out in obedience, they were healed. All ten were filled with joy and excitement. They could now go back to their homes, children, jobs and families and be part of society. They had their health that had been gone for a long time. They did not have the physical pain nor the loneliness they had almost gotten use to. They were all truly happy, but only one returned to give thanks! What lessons can we learn from this story?

One thing is for sure, more receive benefits than give thanks! There were 10 healed, but only one gave thanks. How many of us receive daily blessings from the Lord such as life, health, friends, family, food, and a multitude more, but seldom give thanks? It is very easy to take for granted our many blessings!

This story teaches us that more pray than give praise! Ten were praying, but only one gave thanks. When we are very sick or some disaster happens to us, we are very quick to pray, but when relief comes, we are not so quick to give thanks. Prayer is for a beggar, but when a beggar receives, it just seems right that he should give thanks!

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When we thank God for what He does for us, we give Him honor and glory. We recognize that it is from God from whom all blessings flow. It shows a humble and thankful heart to give praise and thanks to the giver.

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It was their faith that resulted in their healing. Ten wanted healing and ten received healing from the Lord. It doesn’t take much faith to be blessed. There was no doubt some doubt mixed with their faith, but there was enough faith for them to be obedient. The obedience shows that they believed Jesus, but healing was all they expected, and that was all they got, except for one who went back and got an extra blessing of salvation because of his thankfulness.

True thanks and praise to God must be done individually. You can sin in a crowd and go to hell in a crowd, but if you thank God, it must be individually. If you receive salvation, it must be done individually. All were healed, but only the one who returned to give praise and thanks received eternal life. The thankful are more blessed than those who commit the sin of ingratitude.

Sin is to the soul what leprosy is to the body. Just as leprosy is contagious, so is sin. If you hang around the sinners, you will end up committing their sins. If a good child and a rebellious child are put together, it won’t be long before there are two rebellious children. Whoever you run around reveals what you are or will soon become!

Sin has caused every tragedy we face including separation from God, loneliness, misery, and eventually hell for the unsaved. One sin we can avoid is the sin of not being thankful! This Thanksgiving Season, may all of us put into practice the Bible principle of “exercise thyself unto godliness.” One exercise we should practice daily is giving of thanks to our great God for His many gifts to us!

(Immanuel Baptist Church: Pastor, Arnold Martin)