The Bible: Wonder But Never Wander!

 

Somebody observed that the Bible will make you wonder, but it will never make you wander. To that I would say a hearty, “Amen!” Does the Bible ever make you “wonder?” Wonder is defined @ merriam-webster.com as “a cause of astonishment or admiration; rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience.” The Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the birth of my sons — I (and perhaps you) have been blessed to see at least some of these things that are “a wonder to behold.” Astonishment, admiration, rapt attention and awesomely mysterious — those are words that describe our reaction to such things.

 

So why would anyone say the Bible makes you “wonder?” First, consider its inspiration. The Bible claims, and tons of evidence support the claim, that God is its author. “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God” is the claim in 2 Timothy 3:16 (also 2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:15-16). “God-breathed” is the way the New International Version says it. The Library of Congress in Washington D. C. contains a vast collection of 110 million items stored on 838 miles of bookshelves. The wonder in that is the Bible is the only book in the whole bodacious thing that can rightfully claim God as its ultimate author! Hundreds of times the Bible’s authors record the words, “Thus saith the Lord.” As someone said, if you want to hear God speak audibly, open your Bible and read it out loud! Now consider the Bible’s preservation and duration. Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” There is no debate in Heaven about the Bible being from God. Meanwhile, on earth, the Bible is booed, banned, belittled, burned, denounced, debated and devalued. But one thing the devil and his agents will never be able to do is destroy the Bible! In the words of theologian and author Bernard Ramm, “A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put. No other book has been so chopped, knifed, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified.” And yet, like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps “going and going and going!” It always will. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Now consider the Bible’s translation and propagation. It has been translated into 704 languages as of 2021, the most of any book in the world, reaching 6.1 billion people worldwide (biblica.com). As to propagation, “Christian missionaries” in some 160 of the 195 countries teach the Bible today. Given fair consideration, as stated above the Bible will make you wonder.

 

The Bible makes you wonder, but it will never make you wander! In the words of Psalm 119:105, God’s word “is a lamp to my feet and a light to path.” Faithfully followed, that light guides us to God and to Heaven. The proper attitude we ought to have toward the Bible is captured by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 — “when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” In light of eternity, the real wonder about the Bible is why more people don’t welcome it.

 

Dan Gulley

Worried About the Church?

 Somebody reported a church bulletin blooper with this announcement: “Our church will have a seminar entitled, “WINNING OVER WORRY. Don’t let worry kill you. Let the church help.” Do you ever worry about the church? My aim here is not to discuss the stuff we worry about — our health, houses, kids, the economy, politics, severe weather, war, terrorism, school shootings, money, the rapid rate of moral decline, etc., etc., etc. Rather, my worry here is about whether or not we worry about the church, and if we should. Concern is another word for worry, and concern is defined as having a worried feeling or state of anxiety about some thing or someone that is important to you. See the point? The apostle Paul suffered what he called a “deep concern for all the churches” (that is, congregations — 2 Corinthians 11:28).

 

So it is, if you find yourself at least to some degree concerned and worried about the spiritual health and faithfulness of the church in general and your local congregation in particular, you are in good company. Consider another passage from 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 — “1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.” The apostle Paul wrote those words perhaps a few months after events we read about in Acts 17:1-10. By preaching Christ he established Christ’s church in Thessalonica where there a “great number” obeyed the Gospel. But the devil wasn’t happy about that and so he set out to do to that congregation what he seeks to do to every faithful Christian and congregation today. In Paul’s words Satan sought to “tempt” them away from Christ and so rendered Paul’s spiritual labor and work there “in vain.” Note the sobering prediction in vs 3 and 4 the apostle had issued when he preached there earlier — their spiritual gain by accepting the Gospel would bring physical pain in the form of suffering, afflictions and tribulation. And they had suffered (1:6; 2:1, 14). So it is, twice in chapter 3 (verses 1, 5), Paul confesses, “I could no longer endure it,” or as the New International Version puts it, “I could stand it no longer.” So he sent his co-missionary Timothy back to see how they fared. Turns out they were standing strong, bringing him great comfort and encouragement. I think the case can be made every New Testament writer was concerned (or “worried” if you wish) about the church. The letters Jesus sent to the seven churches of Asia in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 leave no doubt about His love and concern about the strength and faithfulness of His church. If you never “worry” about the church, maybe it’s high time you got started.

 

Dan Gulley

Popinjays in the Church?!

I  may be showing some ignorance here, but I recently read the term “popinjay” for the first time in nearly 70 years of living. It was in an article by Cable Neuhaus in the March/April 2024 issue of “The Saturday Evening Post Magazine” (p 12). Keep reading. The title of the article was “STARSTRUCK” and a sub-heading read, “Once upon a time people became famous because they did great things.” The article was a thoughtful critique of what we call “celebrities” in America. He notes the number of people we call “celebrities has proliferated in modern times, writes: “Today, what we refer to as serious ‘celebrity’ is cooked up in a stew consisting of personal vanity, bejeweled popinjays, and hyper- caffeinated publicists, amplified a billion times by the internet, especially on social media. The process by which [a person] is fabricated into a bonafide celeb’ is not always ugly, but usually it ain’t pretty. Having talent helps, although it’s not essential. (Hello, any Khardasian).” Neuhaus also states the obvious — our biggest celebrities are found in TV, film, and music, and already famous professional athletes who seek even higher profiles in showbiz. His view is that neither our definition of nor our rabid fascination with these “bejeweled popinjays” as celebrities and “stars” are positive forces in our culture.

Let’s define these “popinjays” Neuhaus referred to in the paragraph above. The term originally referred to a parrot, and being compared to such a beautiful bird was considered a compliment. But over time the term popinjay developed a pejorative sense and has come to mean a vain or conceited person, especially one who dresses or behaves extravagantly. As used today popinjay describes a strutting, supercilious person (that is, a person who thinks and behaves as though superior to others). The website vocabulary.com defines popinjay as “a person who is talkative and cocky, who struts around chattering like a parrot.” Let’s see now — conceited, cocky, extravagant, supercilious, talkative, chattering, strutting people. Seen or heard any of them lately? Abundant evidence points to a proliferation of popinjays in our culture. Yep, from the well-known on the national stage to those who are legends only in their own minds, to be a popinjay seems to be the rage of the age as cocky, conceited people strut and chatter. What’s the point, preacher? Just this. No Christian, including preachers, should ever be a popinjay. Words from the Bible in 1 Thess. 2 provide Biblical proof for that assertion. In that chapter the apostle Paul denies he ever used flattery or deceit or was greedy (vs 5); he denies self-centered motivation or that he ever sought glory or praise from people (vs 6). Instead, he asserts he was “gentle, just as a nursing mother cherishes her children” (vs 7). He expressed genuine affection and his desire to share not only the Gospel but also his own life “because you had become dear to us” (vs 8). He affirms they were witness to “how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you” (vs 10), as he “exhorted and comforted and charged” them with all the care / concern of a loving father for his own children (vs 11). His whole concern was to help them “walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (vs 12). Cocky, strutting, chattering popinjays in the church’s pews and pulpit? May it never be!!

by: Dan Gulley,  Smithville, TN 

Climbing Up Higher!

There’s a joke about mountain climbing that asks, “Why do mountain climbers tie themselves together? The answer makes complete sense to me — “So nobody can turn back.” My aim in this little article is not to talk about mountains or mountain climbing per se. It is about a teaching of Jesus that, like mountain climbing, requires determined and sustained effort to go up higher. The teaching has long been known as “The Golden Rule.” Found in Matthew 7:12 it reads this way — “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Luke 6:31 states it this way — “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (New International Version). That principle is easy to understand but not always so easy to practice because some people just seem bent on doing to you what they jolly well please. So what does the Golden Rule have to do with mountain climbing? To quote one preacher, “The Great Commandment is probably the most universally praised statement that Jesus ever made. It has been called ‘the topmost peak of social ethics ... the Everest of ethical teaching.’ ” Why would anyone make that comparison? You may or may not know that Mount Everest, part of the Himalayan Mountain range on the border between Nepal and China, is the tallest mountain peak in the world (29,032 above sea level). Even pictures and videos of its height evoke awe and wonder that any sane person would dare try to climb it! Successfully reaching the summit of Everest is viewed and praised almost universally as the pinnacle of achievement in mountaineering.

 

Back to the words quoted above. The Golden Rule is “probably the most universally praised statement Jesus ever made.” In similar words, David Roper said, “Almost everyone admires these words — even people who do not live by the precept admire the principle.” But that’s precisely the problem, isn’t it? It’s one thing to praise Jesus’ teaching but quite another to practice it. Some 8.1 billion people now share space on Planet Earth according to recent United Nations estimates. It is abundantly clear that if life is to be livable and doable human beings must observe certain rules of behavior toward each other. Jesus squeezes the grand solution to interpersonal relational problems into the few words of the Golden Rule — “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” The following will illustrate. Ed called his mother one week after moving into a new apartment to complain about his neighbors. He said, “I can’t believe it, Mom. I’m surrounded by people with problems. One woman cries all night, another lies in bed moaning, and then there’s the guy next door who screams and just keeps beating the wall.” Ed’s mother advised, “You better keep away from them.” Ed said, “I do. I just stay inside and play my tuba all night.” There’s a right time and place to play a tuba — but I’m pretty sure playing it all night in your apartment is not loving your neighbor or practicing the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule has never tarnished. When observed, it changes the world and makes it more kind, forgiving and loving. Edwin Markham said, “We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life.” You may never attempt to climb Mt. Everest. But you go up higher anytime you do to others as you would have them do to you.

 

  by:   Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN

Real McCoy Christians!

The phrase “The Real McCoy” is defined by idiomsthefreedictionary.com as “something that is genuine, authentic, or exactly what it is claimed to be; the real thing.” They add that the origin of this phrase is not definitively known. We might also note many people use the phrase to describe a person who is of high moral and ethical character. A synonymous phrase would be that something or someone is “the real deal.” That is, not a fake. Harry Truman said, “Always be sincere, even if you don’t mean it.” I wonder if he really meant that, or was he faking it? Truman was President, of course, and his quote brings to mind the little girl who asked her dad, “Daddy, do all fairy tales begin with, ‘Once upon a time’?” He replied, “No, sweetheart. A whole lot of them begin with, ‘If elected, I promise ...’ ” Ever hear the term “fake news?? The words are used to describe false or misleading information presented as news. It is often created to influence political views or as a joke. The term does not have a fixed definition and has been applied broadly to any type of false information presented as news. Fake news reduces the impact of real news by competing with it. The Bible’s words for “fake” include words like “deceive, deceit, guile, false,” etc. We don’t have space to refer to many Bible passages, but a very famous one by Jesus warns in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” He was talking about religious leaders who advocate false doctrines / teachings. Fake gospels? Religious fakes? Even fake preachers and fake Christians?! Say it ain’t so. But the evidence is in — and sadly, it is very true.

 

The topic we are thinking about here is character, and perhaps a little more precise, integrity. Things like honesty, truthfulness, goodness, sincerity, purity, etc. The Bible has many statements about integrity and the difference that it makes in a person’s life. Proverbs 11:3 states, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Again, Proverbs 19:1 declares, “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.” Jesus was talking about integrity when He first met Nathanel and said in John 1:47 (New King James Version), “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” The King James Version uses the words “in whom is no guile.” Nathanel was not a fake! He was “the real deal.” He was “the real McCoy.” The take home point in all this is Christians should always “keep it real.” Have integrity. Be honest. When the apostle Paul reminded Christians at Thessalonica how he and his companions Silas and Timothy behaved while in their city, he used these words — “But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ” (1 Thess.2:1-6). The character Paul personally claims should describe every Christian — no pretense, no attempts to fake others out or teach something false or do a cover-up. As a Christian, just be a “real McCoy.”

 

 by: Dan Gulley,  Smithville, TN

Are We Too Slow To Go?

You are about to read a preacher’s story. Be advised it may be fictional (!!). Three turtles in the forest decided to have a cup of coffee. Rain started to fall, so the biggest turtle said to the smallest turtle, “Go home and get an umbrella.” The little one replied, “I will if you won’t drink my coffee.” The other two turtles echoed together, “We won’t.” Two years went by and the little turtle did not return. The big turtle said to the middle-sized turtle, “I guess he isn’t coming back, so we might as well drink his coffee.” At that, a little voice called from behind a nearby bush, “If you do, I won’t go.” Talk about slowwwww to go! What was he waiting on?!!

 

A goofy story, but I want to use it to make a very serious, sobering point. That turtle was waiting when he should have been going. After all, A slow go is better than a no go. In 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 the apostle Paul makes a most interesting point about waiting. He is pouring out praise for the way these Christians had responded to the Gospel. The passage reads, “so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” If read carefully, Paul’s words stand our common notion of what it means to “wait” on its head. Dictionary definitions of the English word “wait” read like this — “stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens.” It’s definitely okay to wait in some situations. Like when you ring a doorbell. Or sitting at a 4-way stop when another vehicle got there first. But there are times when waiting is not only not good but very bad. Like if you discover your house is on fire. Or for that matter if you discover your neighbor’s house on fire. Now re-read the description of the church at Thessalonica cited above. Paul describes them in verse 10 as “waiting” for Jesus to return — but his earlier words in verse 8 make clear they did anything but stay where they were or delay action until something else happened! Instead we read, “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth .... in every place .... Your faith toward God has gone out.” This church was on the go with the Gospel even as they waited on Jesus to return! They were not “silent saints.” Far from it. Why were they so bent on “sounding forth” the word? Why did they want their faith toward God to “go out?” They no doubt knew, as we should know, Jesus commands the church to go with the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20 * Mark 16:15-16). But the naked and uncomfortable truth is too many of us in the Lord’s church are too mum about Jesus. Instead of a “go, stand and speak” approach,(Acts 5:20), we are frozen in place, standing still and delaying to go, under the grip of a “come, sit and listen” approach. Here’s a vital, sobering question — are we “sounding forth” the word while we wait on Jesus? Or are we been too slow when we know the Lord says go? Just asking.

 

by: Dan Gulley,  Smithville, TN  

Do You Not Hear?

Listen to this question from the Bible in Galatians 4:21: “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?” Galatians 4:21-31 is clear the apostle Paul addressed that question to Jewish teachers who in fact where NOT hearing the law, at least not accurately. An elaborate argument follows verse 21, and Paul completely turns on its head the way the Jewish teachers heard the law. They heard it teaching the Jews alone were God’s favored people because they physically descended from Abraham. Their preconceived, long-held way of viewing and hearing the law left them unable—or more correctly, unwilling—to hear it saying that the Gentiles, too, could be favored by God, not by being physical descendants of Abraham, but by being Abraham’s spiritual descendants through a trusting and obedient faith in Christ (see 3:26-29). Paul sought to change their perspective and to get them to hear the law more carefully and perceive what the law actually said. Paul’s words in Galatians 4 remind us we need to “get the whole picture” when it comes to the Bible and the gospel. The ancient Roman dramatist Terence once warned about the power of preconceived ideas to close our ears and eyes and minds to fuller insight. He said, Beware of prejudices. They are like rats, and men’s minds like steel traps. Prejudices get in easily, but rarely do they get out.” Paul’s question, “Do you not hear the law?” was directed to people (Jewish teachers) who were convinced they heard the law of God more accurately than anyone on earth, but they didn’t!                               

Author Gary Patterson, in Character Forged From Conflict, relates a story that challenges how we hear when we listen to the Bible being taught and / or read it for ourselves. Here is Patterson’s story When the telegraph was the fastest means of long-distance communication, there was a story about a young man who applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the background a telegraph clicked away. A sign on the receptionist’s desk instructed applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man completed his form and sat down with seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally, the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They took more than a little satisfaction in assuming the young man who went into the office would be reprimanded for his presumption and summarily dismissed for the job. In a few minutes the young man emerged from the office escorted by the manager who announced,

“Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this man.” One applicant spoke up with great irritation in his voice, “He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Why was he hired? That’s not fair.” The boss responded, “All the time you’ve sat here, the telegraph ticked out the following message in Morse code: ‘If you understand this message, come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard or understood it. This man did. The job is his.”         

In our very noisy world, Jesus still challenges every person in Luke 8:18, “Take heed how you hear.” So, do you read the Bible? Do you listen to it preached? Tell me, do you not hear the Bible? 

by: Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN