Flight Paths

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

What is the job of a song leader?  I think a lot of us would say that he is the guy who stands up front and starts each song.  That's true enough, and it leads to the idea of starting us off on the proper pitch, keeping the congregation singing at an appropriate pace for the song and maybe even utilizing musicality to enhance the impact of the song.  All of that is true, but it doesn't encompass the entirety of the job of a song leader. 

What is the purpose of singing?  Again, many would answer, "To praise God!"  That is certainly one purpose of singing.  Moses and Miriam each separately led the Israelites in song praising God for their salvation through the Red Sea.  David danced and sang before the Lord.  Certain Levites were assigned to sing in the Temple, praising God.  In John's Revelation we see that in Heaven the saved sing praises to God.  Certainly praising God is a reason to sing; worshipping Him in song has a long history.  While acknowledging this, what does the New Testament teach us about the purpose of singing? 

Eph 5:18-20  And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit;  speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;  giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 

Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. 
 
We are to be speaking to one another with these songs.  The Word dwells in us when we teach and admonish through song.  Our song service is not just a time to praise/worship, but is also a time to teach, edify, and encourage each other. 
 
Understanding that our singing is meant to be a teaching tool what, then, is the job of a song leader?  He should be choosing songs that teach, edify, and encourage (and maybe even rebuke), as well as songs that praise God.  With very little effort, he can choose songs that all follow a single theme, and thereby reinforce the teaching that is being done in song.  All modern songbooks of which I am aware have topical indexes in the back which group the songs by theme.  Therefore, it takes little time or effort to choose a list of songs for a service all of which follow a theme:  the Christian life, or assurance of hope, or our love for God, or His for us, or exhortation to be about His work, or any number of other themes.
 
For example, one might begin a "traditional service" (you know, two songs, a prayer, a song, the LS, a song, the sermon and an invitation song) with "I Want to be a Worker for the Lord" and then sing "O the Things We May Do" before the prayer.  Any Lord's Supper song you like would follow that and then maybe "We'll Work til Jesus Comes" before the sermon and maybe even "Room in God's Kingdom" as an invitation song.  If you're thinking, "wow, that's a little on the nose", then I'd sadly say that you must be unaware of how little attention the average pew-filler pays to what he/she is singing.  It takes being that obvious for the message to seep in and the person to think, "hey, these songs follow a theme!"  I can't tell you how many times I've done this and then asked someone afterward if they had noticed, only to get a dull look and a negative response.  Once, ONCE!!!!! someone said to me, "your songs always seem to follow a theme."  Yes!  I wanted to dance a jig right there in the building!
 
Even if a majority never notice, a strong minority will, and will appreciate the effort the song leader has made to enhance the service by choosing songs that actually teach and that reinforce the teaching through following a theme. 
 
With a bit more effort, the song leader can set out themes that don't just follow the topical index.  When teaching the Psalms on Wednesday night several years ago I noticed that one psalm praised God simply by listing His attributes.  The next Sunday we sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness", "Grace Greater than All Our Sins", "He Loves Me So", and "Holy, Holy, Holy". 
 
Recently on a Sunday evening I led "The Rock that is Higher than I", "Dare to Stand Like Joshua", "This World is not My Home", and "On Jordan's Stormy Banks".  On the surface, that may not sound like a themed song service, but "The Rock that is Higher than I" is about the difficulties of this life and our reliance upon the Lord to get through it, then "Dare to Stand Like Joshua" is about making the decision to follow God no matter how hard it is.  That being followed by "This World is not My Home" shows the maturity of a Christian who is no longer tied to this world and is waiting anxiously for the reward while "On Jordan's Stormy Banks" is a declaration of the reward being sure.   Picking a list like that still isn't hard, but it does take a few moments of thought, and an understanding of what each song is about and what it teaches.  While the average Christian may not catch the fulness of the theme in a service like that, he/she is singing through it and some of those ideas will stick.  Oh! and notice that how fun the song is to sing or how musically challenging it is has NOTHING to do with a leader choosing songs which help his congregation in "teaching and admonishing one another". What matters is the message, the words we sing, not the catchy tunes.
 
Often, when I'm preparing to lead I'll have a song I want to sing and I'll just pick other songs that fit the ideas expressed in the first song.  If I know the preacher has been doing a series of lessons, I might pick songs that fit his topic.  Other times I'll pick songs that fit with some idea I've been mulling over, praying and studying about.  It rarely takes me more than 5-10 minutes to get a service ready (after all, I'm not writing the songs) but that is time well spent in leading the people to let the word dwell in them richly.
 
Not every song service needs to be thematic.  There are certainly times for great songs which mean a lot and cross into several areas of Christian life.  Every song should be carefully selected for what it is teaching, however, and what its impact will be on our brothers and sisters. 
 
A song leader's job is more important than most Christians think.  We spend almost as much time leading the congregation in teaching and admonishing as the preacher does is "reproving, rebuking, and exhorting".  While the average Christian may have trouble remembering what the sermon was about on Thursday, that same Christian may still be humming one of the songs we sang.  Song leaders need to take responsibility and be aware that we are to do more than just start the song on the right note. 
 
Lucas Ward
 

My brother-in-law has finished his long journey.  Maybe it was because both of us were the in-laws, but for some reason he was especially kind to me, and I felt comfortable with him.
 
           Mike came a long way in his life, all the way from atheism to Christianity.  Keith had a special hand in turning him around.  Unfortunately, discouragement set in and he lost his way again for awhile.  When this illness hit him, with some words from his wife and Keith, he made the determination to come home.  Unfortunately, he never had the chance to sit in a pew again and commune with his spiritual family after he made that decision.  Things progressed too quickly and he was gone far sooner than anyone expected, including the doctors.

            When I read the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, I notice something important.  The Father was out there looking for his lost son.  It wasn’t just a casual glance—he saw him “afar off.”  This was a Father who wanted to see his son coming home, who wanted to welcome him back.  He stood there looking long and hard for the first sign of that figure trudging down the road.

            Mike’s Father was looking for him too.  Mike had made that determination—he was well on the road home, even having mentioned it to some brethren who visited.  Who is to say that he wasn’t close enough for God to see him coming?  Who is to say that God hadn’t already started running down the road to welcome him home?

            Probably some older brother, that’s who.  I have some of those—brethren who not only expect that long march down the aisle (as if there is a verse requiring that in the New Testament) before they will even consent to forgiving, but who won’t even look down the road in the first place.  I have brethren who are not thrilled with the return of a lost brother but just as grieved as the prodigal’s older brother was.  I have brothers and sisters in Christ who actually seem to enjoy being cynical—“it’ll never last.” 

            But I praise God that He is a Father who is merciful, who wants to forgive, who actually looks for reasons to forgive, instead of reasons to condemn.

            None of us deserves God’s mercy.  Perhaps if we remembered that, we would be eagerly looking to forgive too.
 
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful, Luke 6:36.
 
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Pet 3:9.
 
Dene Ward

We do not have your average watchdog.  Every other dog we have ever had barked when someone drove up to the house.  In fact, they usually started barking as our visitors drove through the gate a hundred yards away.  But not Chloe.

              We were expecting guests one evening recently, and we knew exactly when they drove on to the property.  Suddenly, Chloe went tearing by the window—in the opposite direction.  I am not sure if she actually made it all the way around the house and under the porch to hide before they drove up or not, but she made herself scarce as soon as they exited their vehicle.  At least we knew to go open the door when we saw her tearing across the yard.

              Sometimes we need to learn a thing or two from Chloe.  The Lord expects us to fight, to stand, and be firm—but not always.  At times, the thing we are fighting is too dangerous to get that close.  In those cases he does not want us to be foolhardy daredevils.  He tells us to just run.

              Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (1Cor 10:14)  You may think this is no problem for us.  You would be wrong.  In a culture that worships celebrity, we are just as prone as those first century Christians to follow the pagans in their exciting festivals and sacrifices.  For us, it's falling into the temptation of thinking more highly of people than we ought (Rom 12:3)—just look at the disparity in wages between actors and athletes versus first responders and schoolteachers.  Our skewed sense of values is shameful.  We, too, fall into the temptation of fashioning our lives after popular idols instead of Christ—clothing, lifestyles, recreation, and other things which may not be appropriate for a child of God.  And that is only one of various forms of idolatry our society participates in.

              But as for you, O man of God, flee these things... (1Tim 6:11)  Check the context immediately above this verse and you will see that Paul is warning Timothy about the corrupting nature of wealth.  If ever a culture needs that warning today, it is ours.  We spend too much of our time on it, too much of our energy and thought.  Just compare what you spend on entertainment (TV, movies, vacations, etc.) in a year with what you spend on spiritual things, including your Sunday morning contribution, and see where you stand.  And so like everyone else, we dream of being rich because if we had all that money, we would be different!  It would not be a problem for us to handle it.  If you have ever thought such a thing, run!  You are in danger.  Don't even try to stand and fight it.  It will swallow you whole.

              Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. (1Cor 6:18)  I have seen too many good strong men and women fall by this very sin, people you would never have thought would do so.  Elders, deacons, Bible class teachers, even preachers.  This is so dangerous that even that great hero of faith, Joseph, did not try to fight it.  He simply ran (Gen 39:12).  Do you really think you are stronger than he was?  Don't do anything that will leave you in a vulnerable position.  It isn't exciting, glamorous, or romantic—it is sin.  Period.  Just ask yourself the same question Joseph did:  "How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"  If you want to know how you can, then stick around like a fool and you will find out soon enough.  If you want to save yourself—run.

              But flee youthful lusts… (2Tim 2:22)  Timothy was not all that young when Paul wrote him these words, probably in his late thirties or early forties.  That tells you that "youthful" lusts are dangerous to everyone, not just young people.  Do you want to see youthful lusts in action?  Watch that white-haired man drive down the road in his Corvette convertible with that twenty-something blonde in the passenger seat.  Mid(and later)-life crises happen when people decide they have not been able to do everything they ever dreamed of.  Instead of enjoying life with the wives of their youth, becoming a child again with their grandchildren, and spending their golden years serving God in ways they never could earlier, they have decided that selfishness is the way to go.  It is easy to see the draw.  It is harder to turn away if you stand there too long.  Run, run, and keep on running.  Those youthful lusts would have ruined your life then, and they can ruin what's left of it now.

              So yes, once in a while it's okay to follow Chloe's example.  Running can be good for you, and not just for the exercise of it.  Running can save your soul.
 
Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. (Prov 6:5)
 
Dene Ward

I am sitting here on the back porch of my children's new home, less than ten miles from the place I spent most of my remembered childhood.  Funny how the memories come flooding back.
 
             The sun seems much brighter here than in north central Florida, where I have spent the majority of my married life.  This may be only 120 miles further south toward the tropics, but I can barely stand to even look out the window without sunglasses on down here.  I remember that bright sun reflecting off the pavement wherever we went.  It almost made you wish for black tar roads—until you tried stepping on those barefoot and came away with something much worse than a sunburn.

              The spring breezes down here are cool and pleasant, but without that underlying chill that demands a sweater at the ready just that little bit further north.  We reveled in those almost perfect days when I was young because all too soon they were gone. 

           The summer heat is still that brutal slam when you step outside, but even so much closer to the coast here in Tampa, the humidity is less than that smothering blanket in the northern interior.  I don't ever recall having to deal with pouring sweat at 8 am.  As a child, I never felt like I might drown if I took too deep a breath!

              And the clockwork arrival of a summer afternoon thunderstorm every day, usually at 4:00.  Gray clouds nearly as dark as night, lightning streaking across the sky, thunder like an explosion, winds that increased 20 or 30 mph and temperatures that dropped twenty degrees in mere minutes, followed by a deluge that had traffic pulling off the road to wait it out, and those unfortunate souls caught outside, drenched in only a few seconds.

              I remember all these things from a childhood of walking three blocks to and from the bus stop, standing outside the locked school doors waiting after the bus had dropped us off and returned for a second route, raking up lawn clippings after my daddy mowed the yard, and swimming at a friend's "lake house."  The feel of this place hasn't changed a bit.

              But the details?  The traffic is thicker and louder.  The outlying areas, including the trailer park where we spent our first year of marriage five miles "out of town," are more densely populated and congested.  What used to be pastureland or strawberry and tomato farms is now subdivision after subdivision, "walled off" from the highway by a white board fence.  As Thomas Wolfe said, "You can't go home again," but really, you can, if your memories are strong, if you can sit still and think and feel all those things from so long ago.  That part hasn't changed a bit.

              I find myself remembering my early years more and more lately.  As good friends, some older but some exactly my age, pass on, those memories wake you up to what is really important.  Now I can look back and realize that I had a great childhood. 

             No, it wasn't perfect.  No, my parents did not do everything exactly right.  Neither did I as a parent.  But I am so grateful to them for teaching me right from wrong and respect for authority, for demanding I take responsibility for the things I said and did, for showing me how to keep on working until the task is done, for refusing to give in to pain, belittling comments from worldly acquaintances, and debilitating disease, but to keep on plugging for the Lord as long as you can draw a breath. 

            I am grateful that they made me go to church, do my homework, and even brush my teeth and clean my room.  I love that they taught me to treat honesty as a lifestyle instead of a sometime convenience, and that I learned from them how to manage both my time and my money.  I am grateful that I saw them respect others' opinions rather than running them down for doing things differently than they did and that they never thought the rules, even the unspoken ones, were for everyone else.  I was more than blessed in the age and place I grew up in to have parents who taught me to be color blind and to glorify God whenever an opportunity came to teach and/or help those who were different from us, and for showing me the examples of kindness and generosity, especially to the innocent and needy.  And most of all, I am indebted to them for raising me to be a God-fearing, obedient servant of the Lord.  I hate to think what my life would be like otherwise.

              And then—what my children's lives would be like otherwise, and my grandchildren's.  Don't ever think that what you view as a dull, routine life did not matter.  Your children and your grandchildren and, should you live that long, your great-grandchildren will carry the memories you helped them make.  It is gratifying that my grandchildren will have memories a whole lot like mine, based not only on where they live, but how they live. 

            And it all started generations before them with simple people struggling through as best they could and, we hope, will continue on for generations to come.
 
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.  But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. (Ps 103:15-18)

Dene Ward

Rahab was a harlot, what we would call a prostitute.  I have come across many commentators who have tried their best to turn her into an “innkeeper,” but the word just won’t allow it.

            The Hebrew word in Josh 2:1 is zanah.  It is also translated commit fornication, go awhoring, play the harlot, play the whore, whorish, whore, etc.  It is used in Lev 19:29; Hos 4:13; Ex 34:16; Isa 23:17 and many other places where the meaning is quite clear.  In the New Testament, the word is porne, in James 2:25 for example, and I do not imagine I need to tell you the English word we get from that Greek one.  This same word is translated whore in Rev 17:1,15,16; 19:2.  Rahab was a harlot, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

            So what is the problem with commentators who insist on “innkeeper?”  The same one the Pharisees had.  If Jesus was the Messiah, how could he possibly associate with publicans and sinners?  If Rahab was a harlot, how could she possibly be in the genealogy of Christ?  Yet they talk about the grace and mercy of God like they understand it better than we do.

            And sometimes we are no better.  Whom do we open our arms to when they walk through our doors?  Whom do we actively seek and label “good prospects for the gospel?”  Yet the people we choose to shun are the people who understand grace because they understand their need for it.  We are a bit like the rich, young ruler, who, though he knew something was missing in his life despite all the laws he kept faithfully, still thought his salvation depended upon something he could do.

            Rahab showed her dependence on God with a scarlet line she hung from her window.  Did you know that word is only translated “line” twice in the Old Testament, counting this occurrence in Josh 2:21?  The other translations are expectation (seven times such as Psa 62:5), hope (23 times, such as Jer 17:13; Psa 71:5), and the thing that I long for (once, Job 6:8).  I do believe it was a literal rope of some sort, but it seems more than passing coincident that the word most of the time has those other meanings.  I have often wondered what her neighbors thought of that cord hanging there, but every day Rahab was reminded of the salvation she did not deserve, that she hoped for, longed for, and expected to receive when those people marched into the land. 

            When we get a little too big for our britches, a little too proud of our pedigree in the kingdom, maybe we need to hang a scarlet cord in our windows to remind us what we used to be, and what we have waiting for us in spite of that.
 
But when the kindness of God our Savior, and his love toward man, appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by his grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  Titus 3:4-7
 
Dene Ward

Historical events always have two dimensions: the earthly, where humans act with genuine freedom, and the heavenly, where the sovereign Lord exercises full control.  When human beings fail to take the theological dimension into account, disaster is inevitable.  (Daniel J. Block, The New American Commentary, Judges and Ruth) 

…Until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will. (Dan 4:17, 25,32; 5:21)

Once before I gave you a set of short statements from a class I had taught that I called “Gleanings.”  It was well-received so I thought you might enjoy this latest set from the year and a half we studied faith—65 pages covering every single passage in the Bible that uses that word.  It has been a while since I learned so much, and I believe we all left it with knowledge that has impacted our daily walks—and isn’t that the purpose of studying God’s Word in the first place?

              First you must understand how this class works--we use the Word of God to determine the truth, NOT what Mama said, what the preacher says, what I’ve always heard, or what I’m comfortable with.  We learn—which means sooner or later we all completely change our minds about something, and ultimately the way we live our lives.  Light bulbs pop on regularly.

              So here is the latest list of “gleanings,” capsule statements that summarized whole lessons.  As usual feel free to use what you like.  Everything here came directly from specific scriptures.

              Faith is inextricably bound with hope.

              Both faith and hope involve full assurance, not just wishing.

              Faith can fluctuate but should be growing so that even today’s down times are higher than those in the past, maybe even higher than yesterday’s up times, and the fluctuation should gradually decrease.

              More faith is required to handle difficult times.

              Faith can completely stop, but it can also be revived.

              Faith is active and visible in a person’s life.

              There are such things as “works of faith.”

              True faith is accompanied by positive character traits like courage, morality, love, and forgiveness.

              Faith is a continuing condition in life, NOT a single instance that occurs early on and that’s that.

              Faith obeys.

              Faith protects.

              Faith is an asset in difficult times, not a burden.

              We live by our faith—spiritual survival, not physical.

              Faith progresses, i.e, it grows and matures.

              Faith fights and overcomes.

              Faith doesn’t expect Heaven in this life.

              Faith does not equal righteousness, but leads to it.

              Faith responds in obedience.

              Faith involves commitment, trust, reliance and acceptance of things we don’t like or understand.

              Our faith is in a Who not a what.

              Faith has less to do with great courageous feats than with an everyday recognition of God and His plan and His promises, and allowing those things to direct every decision, every action, and every word.

              Faith in God is not just about believing that He exists.  True faith is about becoming like Him.

              “O ye of little faith” was always spoken to his closest disciples.  God expects the most from those who claim the greatest faith.

              True faith is a product of humility.

              “Sound” faith in the New Testament is only applied to people who live sound lives.  A sound church, then, has more to do with how its members live from Monday through Saturday than with how it conducts itself on Sunday mornings or how it spends its money.

              Abraham became the father of the faithful only after decades of growing in that faith until finally he surrendered his life and his need for logic in two statements on Mt Moriah:  God is able (Heb 11:19) and God will provide (Gen 22:8).  He trusted God to do what He had promised whether he understood how or not.
             
Dene Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Warren Berkley.

While the New Testament says that a local church can die (Rev. 3:1), we should not be rash in expressing that judgment. First, we do not enjoy the insight and authority of the One who gave the verdict against Sardis. Further, there are some things easy to overlook in our haste.

1. Before you get too far into evaluating a group, be certain you evaluate yourself (Matt. 7:1-6). The Lord hasn’t called us to walk into churches and pronounce them dead. He has called us to evaluate ourselves by the highest standard, be patient, avoid grumbling and pitch in and help. Judgment from a distance and without self-examination is often flawed.
2. Most of the spiritual life of a local church will not be visible when the church is assembled. There are members helping needy members privately; preachers and elders encouraging and studying with members and other events private in nature (Matt. 6:1-18). There are members living righteously against the struggles of life, praying, talking to people about the Lord and raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Much of this may not be announced, publicized or obvious between 9:30 and noon Sunday morning.
3. Scriptural leadership is critical to the life of a local church. But there are cases where some resist good oversight. An entire congregation and/or the elders should not be adversely judged by the misconduct of some.
4. The consistent preaching and teaching of the Word of God is essential. If the Word is being presented (even if not in a style or venue you prefer), you should be capable of taking the Word and the lessons from it out of the building and into your life.
5. The care of the members for each other is a sign of life. This care must run far deeper and practical than just the shaking of hands and the smiling of faces. Your judgment about the “emotional tenor” of the group is personal, preferential and subjective. Quick criticism based on “what I want” can express more about me than the group.
6. The life of a local church must never be dismissed based on money, numbers or building. While it is true that faithful members will give to best of their ability, seek to convert people and make the best provision they can for assembling, these three things are not the primary signs of spiritual life. {Many churches pass the test of money, numbers and physical building – but fail to meet the test of submission to Christ.}
7. The key to the life of any local church is, honoring Christ. Poor people and old people can honor Christ can’t they? They may not seem to be lively to the eyes of some. God knows.

 
Warren Berkley

Warren is a gospel preacher, author, and the writer of berksblog.net.  He is also a fellow writer for the emag Pressing On.

A chance remark by an acquaintance has never affected me quite so much.
 
             These were new neighbors, mostly just nodding acquaintances over the south fence line.  But the wife was a social creature who had been uprooted from her friends and moved thirty miles into the country by her husband's retirement dreams.  As soon as I introduced myself, she was ready for a new friendship.

              He, on the other hand, was a bit aloof and quite full of himself, quick and eager to list his life's accomplishments, most of which involved making money, and we didn't have any so we couldn't be too important.  Still, she had talked enough about us to him that he knew the basics. 

              I had traipsed through the woods one morning for a cup of coffee, and as we sat there, he came in from an early morning golf foursome.  To his credit, he sat down for a bit of conversation.

              "Did you see the movie…" he began, but quickly stopped and amended, "Oh no, you're a Christian.  You wouldn't have seen that movie."

              That has stuck with me for years.  Too many times I hear my brethren arguing about what is or isn't a sin.  Most of the time, it's something one of them wants to do, or already is participating in that the other one has questioned.  Isn't it odd that the world knows exactly what a Christian ought not to be doing while some Christians seem mystified?

              Of course I understand that "what the world thinks" is NOT to be our barometer of authority.  But Paul told the Corinthian church they were accepting something "that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles," 1 Cor 5:1.  When he lists the works of the flesh in Gal 5:19-21, he begins with, "The works of the flesh are obvious," and ends with "and anything similar."  The way some argue, you would think that what is and isn't appropriate behavior for a Christian is some nebulous, hard to decipher principle.  God, through his apostle, says that anyone with an ounce of brainpower can figure it out.

              What does it say about us when we cannot?
 
“Therefore thus says the LORD: Ask among the nations, Who has heard the like of this? The virgin Israel has done a very horrible thing.  Does the snow of Lebanon leave the crags of Sirion? Do the mountain waters run dry, the cold flowing streams?​  But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway, making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head. (Jer 18:13-16)

Dene Ward

It must be a sign of age.  I find myself reminiscing a lot more lately.  When we walked the property with Lucas last Thanksgiving we talked more about the past than the present.  Certainly more than the future—which for us is suddenly so much smaller than the past.

              “Remember the wild myrtles by the fire pit?”

              “Yes, we sometimes hung a tarp on the branches so we could scoot under it and have a hot dog roast even in a drizzle.”

              “Remember the pine tree in the field?”

              “Yep.  That was first base.”

              “Remember how small these oak trees used to be?”

              “Yes.  I used to climb up limbs that are too rotten to trust any longer, what there are left of them.”

              I remember wondering what it would be like after the boys were grown, when we were living here alone in a quiet house and an empty yard.  No more wondering, only remembering.

              I have said to more than one who came seeking advice that looking back on our past can be helpful.  If you despair at ever becoming the Christian you ought to be, look where you were ten years ago.  Can you see any improvement?  Can you say to yourself, “I don’t act that way now,” about anything at all?  God meant for us to be encouraged, and I find nothing in the scriptures telling me I can’t take a moment every now and then to check my progress and use it as a gauge, both to spur myself on if I see none, and to invigorate my growth with any positive impetus it gives me.

              Many times we quote Paul’s comment to the Philippians, “Forgetting the things that are behind…” (3:13). In fact, I have heard preachers say we shouldn’t think about the past at all.  But Paul didn’t believe that.  He remembered all his life where he started, “the chief of sinners,” 1 Tim 1:16.  He used that memory to keep himself humble before others and grateful to God for the salvation granted him. It bolstered his faith enough to endure countless hardships and persecutions.  As a “chief sinner” he could hardly rail against God for the tortures he suffered when he knew he deserved so much more.

              God has always wanted his people to remember the past.  I lost count of the passages in Deuteronomy exhorting Israel to remember that they were slaves in a foreign country, and that God loved them enough to deliver them with His mighty hand.  Here is a case, though, where the reminding didn’t work as it did for Paul.  Still, God tried.  What is the Passover but a reminder of their deliverance from Egypt?  What is the Feast of Tabernacles but a reminder of His care for them in the wilderness?  What was the pot of manna in the Ark of the Covenant, the stones on the breastplate of the ephod, and the pile of rocks by the Jordan but the same?  “Remember, remember, remember!” God enjoined.  It’s how we use that memory that makes it right or wrong.

              Paul says we are to remember what we used to be.  “And such were some of you,” he reminds the Corinthians in chapter 6, after listing what we consider the worst sins imaginable.  You “were servants of sin” he reminds the Romans in 6:17.  You once walked “according to the course of this world,” “in vanity of mind,” “in the desire of the Gentiles,” and in a host of other sins too numerous to list (Eph 2:2; 4:17; 1 Pet 4:3; Col 3; Titus 3.)  Those memories should spur us on in the same way they prodded Paul.  Nothing is too hard to bear, too much to ask, or too difficult to overcome if we remember where we started.  Be encouraged by your growth and take heart.

              And then this: let your gratitude be always abounding, overflowing, and effusive to a God who loves us in whatever state we find ourselves, as long as that growth continues.
 
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, Ephesians 2:11-13.
 
Dene Ward