Language Lapse

Learning and speaking a non-English language is far from easy. I studied German for four years and French for five, but I have forgotten much of what I learned, especially the oral part. It is a little easier for me to read German and French than it is to speak in those languages. The other day, I had an opportunity in the morning to practice German, and in the afternoon I had an opportunity to practice French. A woman who grew up in Germany drew blood from me for an A1C test. She said my German was good, but she was being overly kind. In the afternoon I met new neighbors who recently moved to Colorado Springs from Quebec. The husband, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force works at NORAD. We had a brief exchange in French.

Hats off to missionaries who immerse themselves in a foreign culture and learn the official language so nationals can hear the gospel in their native tongue!

I wonder if we will all learn a new language in Heaven. Kenneth Wuest, my Greek teacher at Moody Bible Institute, voiced the opinion that koine Greek will be the language of Heaven. As a Scottish-born lad, I ha’ ma doots. But whatever the language, we will all join in exclaiming, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev. 5:12).

Feel free to say “Amen” in the language of your choice.

The Rescue of Tiny Skippy

About three weeks ago our daughter Sherrie and son-in-law Jim adopted a dog from the Humane Society. It is a tiny two-year-old male Bichon with a hint of poodle. When they rescued Skippy, his white hair was wild and had burrs stuck in it. However, after a trip to a groomer, Skippy emerged with quite a makeover. He looks like a million dollars, and I am sure Sherrie and Jim think he is worth at least that much. If he isn’t the perfect dog, he is close to it. He is quiet, playful, and loving. He enjoys snuggling close to Sherrie’s face.

What has happened to Skippy reminds me of what has happened to every believer. Jesus rescued each of us from our lost and perilous estate. He cleaned us up, and now we are the objects of His eternal love. Let’s draw a little closer to Him today.

Bend and Stretch

A newspaper ad read,” NORDIC TRACK $300 Hardly used, call Chubby.” Feel free to laugh; doing so will exercise your facial muscles and a few more muscles if you laugh hard enough.

Exercise is good for us. It improves cardio-vascular health and lifts our spirits. Unfortunately, the only exercise some people get is that of jumping to conclusions and running up bills. Couch potatoes exercise their thumbs by operating the TV remote, but how many calories does that operation consume?

Just a reminder—the Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19) and should be used to glorify God (v. 20). The apostle Paul compared the Christian life to the life of a first-century athlete. The athlete disciplined himself and dedicated himself to his athletic career. He trained and strained to win “a corruptible crown”—a laurel wreath that would last only a short time (1 Cor. 9:25), but the Christian’s eyes are on a greater prize, an “incorruptible” crown (v. 27b). That enduring prize is worth all the self-discipline we can muster.

It is hard to be at our best spiritually if we are at our worst physically. So let’s begin an exercise regimen or increase the one we have adopted. If you need to begin, a good start might be to push yourself away from the dinner table. If you need extra motivation, meditate on Romans 12:1, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Friendship

Proverbs 17:17 says a friend loves at all times. Obviously then, Job’s friends were not true friends. When he struggled with horrific trials, his “friends” added insult to injury by telling him the trials had resulted from some sin he had committed. Ultimately, God vindicated Job and told Job’s friends His wrath was kindled against them, He ordered them to offer sacrifices. He also told them Job would pray for them.

Who needs friends like Job’s friends? But “friends” can disappoint us in other ways. They can become “invisible” when we undergo a trial. They can be silent when they should speak up on our behalf. They can befriend us when they wish to use us—when they think we can benefit them—but break communication when we are no longer able to help them get what they want.

I am grateful for friends who stay in touch for no other reason than to let me know they are thinking of me and praying for me. Some of my most cherished friends are members of churches I pastored almost 50 years ago. They have grown old, but their friendship hasn’t died. Other friends served as fellow editors in publishing houses. A few of my friends are golf buddies.

My greatest Friend—and yours— is the Lord Jesus. He is not a fair-weather friend, but a true friend. He will never abandon me or you. Our friendship grows sweeter as the years go by, and the best is yet to be.

A Time to Bark

Sadie, our Coton, barks excessively when something is added or changed in the house. Seasonal decorations catch her attention immediately. So does rearranged furniture. Sunday, after church, I removed my tie and draped it over a room divider. Sadie reacted by staring at the tie and barking loudly. The barking stopped as soon as I removed the tie.

Strange, isn't it, that churches that once preached the gospel and taught the full counsel of God slipped into theological liberalism. I'm sure Christians in those churches saw the incremental changes and disliked them, but no one "barked." Silence isn't always golden. Sometimes it is just plain yellow! If a pastor, a Sunday school teacher, a professor, or a publisher introduces a false doctrine, we should "bark" until it is removed.

Some changes are beneficial, but Bible truth is perfect and therefore requires no changes. Let's contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 3).