God’s Tear Bottle

The prophet Jeremiah, speaking for God, wrote: “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," declares the Lord, "who steal My words from each other” (Jeremiah 23:30). Well, I am not a prophet, but this verse gives me to understand that God is not any more pleased when preachers today steal from other preachers, any more than He was pleased with lazy, false prophets. Having said that, I want to thank my brother and friend Wayne Burger for the thoughts that follow.

King David wrote: You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? (Psalm 56:8). The reference to putting tears in a bottle meant that David was asking God to remember his tears; remember his suffering. David suffered a great deal in the days between his being chosen to replace King Saul and Saul’s death.

In the verses before this one, David had expressed himself in this song (psalm) concerning what he has suffered. In fact, in the very first verse he refers to himself as one whom “man has trampled upon.” He says that his enemies have fought against him, distorted his words (verse 5), attacked him, lurked around against him, watched his steps and waited to take his life (verse 6).

Have you ever felt like that? I know many of you have. I know I have. Most of the time when I have felt this way, things were not really as bad as I thought, but there have been a few times when they were. It was true for David and it might be true for you right now. Does it encourage you to know that God can keep your tears in His bottle and remember what you suffer? It should!

After all that David suffered, read what he said in verses 10, 11: 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I hope that you can truthfully say today that you praise the Word of God Almighty, faithfully obeying that Word. I say it that way because it is important to realize that if we say we praise Him and His Word, but do not obey it, we are deceiving ourselves. I want you to be able to say, with David, “This I know, that God is for me” (verse 9). God will be for you if you submit yourself to Him because He loves you. And I love you, too. Have a great day!

Donnie Bates

A Heart Weighed Down

Solomon writes: Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad (Proverbs 12:25). This is good Biblical evidence that stress is a bad thing! Read Genesis 4:6, 7. These days it seems that anxiety is just the normal response to normal everyday life, doesn’t it? And yet, God’s Word so clearly says that it weighs a man’s heart down.

In the context of this verse it seems that Solomon is contrasting the one who does the right thing with the one who does the wrong thing. Doing wrong is one way to bring anxiety into your life. It might be that you are wrestling with a sin that has a hold on you and seems as though it will never let go. You struggle with it and sometimes you win and resist the temptation, but most of the time…it gets you. And there is anxiety.

Solomon’s alternative to anxiety in this verse is “a good word.” That is a word of encouragement. A word of encouragement is a word that edifies, or builds up (Ephesians 4:29). It is a word that gives strength in the struggle with temptation. It is the reason why we should not be afraid to confess our faults one to another so that we can pray for one another (James 5:16).

Is your heart weighted down today? I hope that I can give you a word of encouragement that will make your heart glad. God stands ready to help you with your heavy burdens (Matthew 11:28-30). He will not take all your pain away in this life, but He will give you the strength you need to help you survive (1 Corinthians 10:13). I know life seems hard sometimes, but there is reason to hope. You can survive if you will give yourself in faithful obedience to God. He will help you get through the tough times because He loves you and so, by the way, do I.

Donnie Bates

O Lord, You Are My God

Isaiah the prophet wrote: O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness (Isaiah 25:1). In the context of this passage, Isaiah is really giving glory to God because God is able to destroy the enemies of His people. That should be a word of encouragement for those who make their “calling and choosing” certain (2 Peter 1:10). In other words, if you will make sure that you are indeed a faithful child of God, you can take a great deal of encouragement from the fact that God can work wonders and “plans from long ago with perfect faithfulness,” such as helping you to overcome rather than to be overcome by the trials of life.

I want you to just listen to Isaiah’s description of our God: For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a rain storm against a wall. Like heat in drought, You subdue the uproar of aliens; like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced (Isaiah 25:4, 5). Have you felt defenseless lately? Well, God will be your Defense if you will let Him. Has it seemed as though you were in the midst of a terrible storm? God will be your Shelter. He will be the Shade under which you can take a break from the relentless heat of trial and tribulation. He subdues those enemies which threaten to overwhelm His children. What a wonderful thought!

Isaiah continues to describe Jehovah to his readers in the following verses and even though he specifically applies this to Moab, one of the enemies of Judah in the eighth century B.C., these are still words of hope for the faithful Christian. God’s attitude toward His children has not changed. He still loves them and protects them, even though we must suffer in this life from time to time. I know there are some who wonder why they have to suffer if God loves them as much as people like me say He does. Passages like James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:1-5 give us some idea of God’s design for the spiritual beings we are, and how we may grow stronger even in the midst of turmoil and suffering. I am so glad that I can open my Bible and read passages like Isaiah 25 and can speak Isaiah’s prayer of verses 1-5 as my own. And I am so happy that you paused long enough in your day to read this note from me. I want you to know that God stands ready to “prepare a lavish banquet” for you on His mountain and “will wipe tears away” from your face (Isaiah 25:6-8). He will do this for you because He loves you, and so, by the way, do I.

Donnie Bates

Grace and Mercy

I don't know about you, but I am very glad that God is gracious and merciful. The psalmist said, "The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness" (Psalm 145:8). Actually, although I do not know your specific situation, the grace and mercy of God is something you need, too. All of us do.

I am so glad that: The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:9), aren't you? I need Him to be good to me today, because I have not been as good and faithful to Him as I should have been. It means so much to be able to open His book and read that He sustains me and raises me up when I am down (Psalm 145:14). Sometimes I am bowed down by the circumstances of this life and sometimes I am bowed down by my own sin. Today, it is the latter.

All of us find ourselves in this situation from time to time. Either we have done something we know is wrong, or we have found ourselves in a situation that causes us great stress even when we do what is right. In either case, I want you to know today that God sees you and His graciousness and lovingkindness (mercy) is available to you. You can have that great weight lifted from your shoulders. When Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden..." he was not just giving preachers a great memory verse with which to end a sermon. He was offering to take your load, which is too heavy for you to carry, and give you one that is "easy" and "light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Please do not try to get through the rest of the day, or the rest of the week, or the rest of your life carrying a load you simply cannot carry. Try the yoke and load of Jesus "and you shall find rest for your soul." God makes this offer because He loves you and I wanted to tell you about it because I love you, too.

Donnie Bates

Guard My Soul

I know people today who are lonely. Perhaps you do, too...or, maybe you are lonely and/or feel afflicted by life. I know a few people who seem to be squarely in the center of the target of affliction. Every time they turn around some new affliction has them in its sights. And when you are suffering, it is very easy to feel all alone.

King David wrote several psalms that deal with this kind of affliction. One of my favorites is Psalm 25. At the very end of the psalm is where we find the words of comfort dealing with loneliness and affliction. Hear what he asks of God in verses 16-21: 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. 18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. 19 Look upon my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with violent hatred. 20 Guard my soul and deliver me; do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.

David understood that when life comes at you in full fury, the best thing to do is turn to the Lord. Ask Him to turn to you; tell Him how you suffer; ask for His help and His forgiveness. Sometimes it seems that our enemies are truly many and that they hate us with a violent hatred, and that may actually be true and not just how it seems. In that case, call on Jehovah to guard your soul and deliver you.

When David said, “...do not let me be ashamed...” he really means in the eyes of God. He was calling on the Lord to help him remain faithful in the midst of his afflictions. I know that we are tempted to run in the face of our enemies, especially in the face of our real enemy—Satan. However, we must stand firm (faithful) if we want to have any hope of overcoming.

Let me encourage you to take refuge in God and let integrity and uprightness preserve you as you wait on Him. That is what He wants of you because He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Jonah's Salvation

I am sure that most of you have heard the Bible story of “Jonah and the Whale.” There has been a lot of discussion about this story – Did it really happen or is it an allegory? If it really happened, was it a “great fish” or a “whale”? Well, since the purpose of Barnabas Notes is to offer encouragement, I do not intend to spend a great deal of time on this aspect of the discussion. Let me say, for the record, I find nothing in this short book of prophecy to convince me that this is just some “fish story” that never really happened. Nor does it make a great deal of difference to me if it was a “great fish” as some versions have it, or a “whale” as some others translate the word. Since it was appointed or prepared by God (Jonah 1:17), it could have been a Guppy for all the difference that it makes.

The real import of Jonah’s story, as far as this issue of Barnabas Notes is concerned, is how we understand God’s relationship with Jonah. There are few Bible stories that offer as vivid a picture as Jonah being swallowed by this creature and then being vomited up on the beach. Most of us probably think that such as experience served to teach him a lesson, and apparently, he did learn not to run from God. Jonah obeyed God the second time He commanded him to go to Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-3). However, I want to suggest something that may sound radical to your mind. Have you ever considered that the whale/fish was Jonah’s salvation and not his punishment?

Jonah had been thrown overboard. He would have died had not God sent this great animal. I do not mean to suggest that the belly of this thing was a pleasant place to spend a weekend, but Jonah did not die and was given the time he needed to repent of his sin. He started praying in that belly (you would have too, and so would I). I want you to pay particular attention to Jonah’s prayer. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, “I called out of my distress to the Lord, and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice” (Jonah 2:1, 2). Did you catch that? He was still in the belly of the fish/whale when he said God answered him (past tense).

How is this encouraging to us? Life can sometimes be overwhelming, can it not? We may find ourselves sinking “to the roots of the mountains” (Jonah 2:6), or so it seems. It is not unusual for many of us to cry out to the Lord when we are so threatened. However, when things change, they may seem to be for the worse. What!? Did God not hear my cry? Why has He sent this new calamity? It just might be that God knows that to get my attention I need a “time-out.” Try to view the difficult times that come in your life as opportunities to trust in God, rather than thinking that God has let you down. God wants you to be truly and eternally happy and that may mean some unhappiness here in this life. If you will put all your faith and trust in Him, He will not let you down because He loves you. And so do I, by the way.

Donnie Bates

Not Afraid?

Psalm 3:6 says: I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about. Wow! I admit I have never had the experience of facing off with ten thousand people, but I have to say, that sounds intimidating.

As I writer I will readily admit that it is easy to write…just about anything. What I mean is that it is easy to write words that make the writer or anyone else sound brave, or sensitive, or any one of many ways. So, it is easy to write about being brave enough to stand in the face of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.

Surely there must be more to this psalm. The psalmist starts out by noting that his enemies are increasing. Do you ever feel that way? Does it ever seem like your enemies are increasing exponentially? A lot of those enemies of the psalmists were saying that there was no hope for him; not even in God. You can almost feel the tension and the rising panic as he turns every direction, only to see more enemies and he can hear them say his situation is hopeless. So, he cries out and he cries out to God; to the One Who they said would not save him.

You know what happened, don’t you? I was crying to the Lord with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah (Psalm 3:4). He goes on to say that he lay down and slept. Now remember, he was facing off with an increasing number of enemies and the only thing that has changed is that he cried to the Lord and the Lord answered from His holy mountain. That is all that it took for him to be able to sleep. Sometimes the stress in our lives builds to such a point that we cannot sleep. Psalm 3 is good medicine for stress. It was in this rested state of mind that the psalmist was able to say he was not afraid of as many as ten thousand enemies.

As we have stated so many times, this world is a scary place. You may have ten thousand enemies, or you may have one who is scarier than any ten thousand could be. It does not matter. You can find salvation in God, no matter what your enemies say. Thanks be to God that He has told us of His salvation and how to secure it in His holy Word. He provided that wonderful blessing because He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Close to Stumbling

The psalmist Asaph wrote: “...my feet came close to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped” (Psalm 73:2). I do not know anyone who cannot identify with that statement. In fact, I don’t know anyone who has not actually slipped and stumbled! Asaph was not referring to the general condition of all men in that we are weak and stumble from time to time. He is describing a more specific problem.

In the next verse, he says why he was having trouble. He was envious of the apparent success of people who do not play by the rules. It is frustrating, is it not, when we try to do what is right, but we see people everywhere who do not make that same effort apparently living happy, successful lives, free from all the stress of our “righteous” life?

Sometimes our frustration comes when those who have authority over us, tell us we cannot do something we think we should be allowed to do. More often than not, young people will be those who suffer this kind of frustration. Maybe we want to go to a party and our parents say, “No.” Perhaps it is a relationship they forbid. And our feet come close to stumbling.

This kind of frustration very often leads to anger. Why do we have to suffer this way? Why does someone else get to “have all the fun” while we must trudge along “the straight and narrow”? Why don’t my parents trust me?

Asaph suffered the same kind of anger. However, he realized that there was a way through it. When he prayed to God he said, “When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory” (Psalm 73:21-24). We may become frustrated and angry, but if we want to get through this, we must realize that God can take us by the right hand and guide us with His counsel.

Today, the popular response to almost everything, it seems, is anger. We must understand that anger is in that area we could call “close to stumbling.” When we are angry, we really are “senseless and ignorant.” Let me close this week’s note with Asaph’s words at the end of this psalm: Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works (Psalm 73:25-28). God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Open the Gates

There is reason to be encouraged. God really is in control. The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains (Psalm 24:1). I look at my life and it does not seem as though God has had the kind of influence on me that He should have; maybe I should say the kind of influence I should have let Him have. It is discouraging to look at myself in the spiritual mirror of self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5). Then, I read Psalm 24 and I am encouraged.

David asks a question of us: Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? (Psalm 24:3). The answer is in the next verse: He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully (Psalm 24:4). So, as long as I have not done anything wrong I am acceptable to God. But, wait a minute! I have done something wrong – many somethings!! In the words of Isaiah the prophet, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5).

I am glad you brought Isaiah up (oh, I brought him up, didn’t I?). God had a job that Isaiah was going to volunteer to do, but first he had to be made ready. Isaiah recognized that he was a sinner and unworthy to be in the presence of Jehovah, but that problem was rectified by the angel touching a burning coal to his lips and taking away his iniquity (Isaiah 6:6, 7). So, even though he was guilty of dirty hands and an impure heart (to use the figure of Psalm 24) he was able to be purified and made ready for the task at hand.

A similar example is Joshua, the high priest during the time the remnant of Judah was rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. In Zechariah 3:1 Joshua (who seems to represent all the people of God) is standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan is standing by to accuse him. In other words, he is guilty. In verse 3 the prophet says Joshua was dressed in filthy garments. However, before Satan can win the victory, the angel of the Lord spoke: “Remove those filthy garments from him” (Zechariah 3:4). So, like Isaiah, Joshua was cleansed of his guilt and our enemy had nothing to say.

David continued his encouragement: Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle (Psalm 24:7, 8). When we see our lives in a mess we need help. That help is God. We have to let Him have control of our lives. That means that we have to live according to His will, which He has graciously given us in His Word (the Bible). I am thankful that God is in control. When I sinned, I gave up any hope of salvation. I was ruined. Thanks be to God that He has provided a way for me to be cleansed. He provided that Way because He loves me. He loves you, too...and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Go, Stand on a Mountain

Elijah was having a bad day; a bad several days, as a matter of fact. After perhaps his greatest victory, in which he won a major contest over the prophets of Baal and the Asherah (1 Kings 18:20-40) and prayed that a three and one half year drought would end that stands still today as an example of the prayer of faith (1 Kings 18:41-45; James 5:17, 18), he was running for his life. The queen had promised to kill him within twenty-four hours. You see, those were her prophets of Baal and the Asherah and she was none too happy that Elijah had killed them! So, he ran.

First, he ran over one hundred miles to Beersheba, which is in the southern part of Judah. He left his servant there and went another day’s journey into the wilderness. He ran a long way to get away from Queen Jezebel. After eating food provided by an angel, Elijah wound up at Mount Horeb (Sinai), which was another 150 miles from Beersheba. And there he hid in a cave.
It was in that cave that God came to him and asked him what he was doing there. It was a fair question. Elijah’s ministry was over two hundred miles away and when you travel by foot, that is a long way to commute. And not only that, but Elijah did not really have a good reason to fear. God had just shown him that He could handle a challenge. If He could defeat the god Baal and his prophets, He should be able to handle a threat from Jezebel. Elijah gives us a great example of what happens when we start walking by sight and not by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).
God’s counsel to Elijah is something we should take to heart. Elijah poured his heart out to God and explained that he was the only one left in all Israel who was faithful to God (he thought). He did not see any reason to continue. He had already prayed to be allowed to die. God told him, “Go, stand on the mountain!” Actually, His words were: “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord” (1 Kings 19:11). You see, it was not the mountain; it was the “before the Lord” part that was important.

Scripture says the Lord was passing by when Elijah stood on the mountain. That would be impressive to anyone, even to someone who had seen what Elijah had already seen. Now, here is where we need to pay close attention. The Lord was passing by Elijah on that mountain. There was a great and strong wind; so great and strong that the rocks on the mountain were being broken, but God was not in the wind. Then, there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but God was not in the fire, either. After the fire there was a “still, small voice” (KJV). It was in this still, small voice where God could be found.

Very often when things go wrong in our lives, we want a great, big sign from God that He still loves us. When we feel threatened, we may be tempted to believe that God has abandoned us. I have heard enough people tell me they felt He had left them to know that this is a real temptation. And so, we look for God in a mighty wind, or an earthquake, or a fire, but He is not there. His voice speaks to us from the gentle blowing of His Word that He has already given us. Before the calamity that you and I deal with ever happened, He had already given us what we needed to be able to endure it.

That still small Voice speaks to you and me today and says, “Trust in the Lord and do good” no matter what happens (Psalm 37:1-3). It says that no matter how bad things get we can still say, “I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:16-19). It says that nothing can ever be so bad that the temptation to leave my Lord will be greater than I can bear, but that God Himself will provide a way of escape for me (1 Corinthians 10:13). Do not be discouraged! Look for God in the “gentle blowing” and hear His still, small Voice in His Word. It is speaking to you now! God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

On the Front

Several years ago, I wrote the following story. It is a fictional account of the Good Fight that all Christians are fighting. It was originally written to call attention to the fact that all of us are in a fight. It is the story of one old soldier, doing his very best to remain faithful to his King, fight the Good Fight and help as many of his fellow soldiers as possible.

The old soldier groaned as he lowered himself to the ground and leaned back against the rock. It had been a hard campaign. There had been victories, as well as defeats for his company. Some of his men were becoming stronger and better soldiers with each battle. Others were beginning to lose heart. Sadly, the old soldier realized that unless he was able to help these regain their spirits, they would likely be the first ones lost in the next battle.

Suddenly, there was a shout and the King rode up on His beautiful white horse. All the men stood and cheered their King. Even the old soldier joined in the exultation. As the cheering died down, the King spoke words of encouragement that were soon drowned out by renewed cheering.

Afterward, the King walked over to the old soldier and bade him make himself comfortable. Together King and King’s man sat more like brothers than Liege and minion.

“How goes the struggle?” asked the King, although He knew full well the strategic situation.

“The men are tired, my Prince,” replied the old soldier. “Some of them want to rest. Others, I think would as soon flee. Still others are eager to advance the cause of their Lord. Your presence here today has given them all new life. Even I feel a surge of loyalty and fealty where I had thought none was lacking.”

The King looked at His servant with eyes at once loving and sad. “Would that I could convince them that I am always with them,” He said sadly. “I never leave them. Not one falls without my tears. If they would see, the power they feel today will be at their side in tomorrow’s battle and every battle until the end.”

As he listened to his King’s words, a single tear made its way down the dirty face of the old warrior. “Forgive me, Master,” he said softly, his voice quivering with emotion.

His own eyes growing moist, the King smiled and laid a hand on the shoulder of His faithful servant and replied, “Done! And never forget that I am with you and will never forsake you, and victory is ours!”

It is my strongest prayer that this story will help you find the strength and courage to continue fighting the Good Fight. All the problems that assail us are flaming arrows of our enemy and they threaten to destroy us, but we have One on our side Who cannot be overcome. He is fighting alongside you and for you and you cannot be overcome with Him on your side. Do not give up; keep the faith; fight the Good Fight and enter into the joy of your Master. He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Who is There to Harm You?

In the last article we discussed the encouragement we can find in passages like Jeremiah 20:9-11. How encouraging it is to know that enthusiasm for the truth can help us overcome the negative side of criticism; the encouragement that comes from knowing that our God is a Dread Champion for us against our enemies. I would like to continue on that subject this week.

Would it not be great if every conflict that might arise between people would be resolved by both parties sitting down to a logical exchange of ideas with both parties being willing to admit defeat when and if the facts proved their position to be wrong? Would it not have been nice for those men in the government of King Darius who were jealous of the prophet Daniel to have challenged Daniel to some kind of discussion to see if, in fact, he was deserving of so much positive attention from the king? Yes, it would have been nice, but they did not do that, did they? They tried to find some dirt on Daniel and when they could not find any, they initiated a plot to use his strength (faith) against him. God took care of Daniel, but sometimes the care that God gives His faithful comes after death. Sometimes good people suffer and even die because bad people are treacherous.

Check out 1 Peter 3:13-17. The first question is key: Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? What a question! There really is no one who can harm the faithful Christian (see Romans 8:31-37). He does not say you will not or cannot suffer. If you are faithful, you will suffer, believe me. If you suffer for righteousness’ sake (for doing the right thing), you are blessed. You do not have to be afraid of anyone’s intimidation; you do not have to be troubled by anything, concerning your position before God. Of course, it is troubling if the source of your suffering for the sake of righteousness is from a fellow Christian, but in this situation, you stand justified before God.

We usually apply 1 Peter 3:15 to the need to study the Bible well enough so that if our friends or acquaintances ask us a Bible question we can answer with a Bible answer. Well, that is a good thing to be ready for, but Peter is really telling us here that in situations where there is conflict (whether it be conflict in the church, or with those outside the body of Christ) we had better be prepared. If we are going to suffer for the sake of righteousness, we must make sure that our cause is righteous; make sure that we are proving zealous for what is good. That is what it means to always to be ready to make a defense. This means constant self-examination on our part to see if we really have that ole’ log out of our eye (Matthew 7:1-5). We must keep a good conscience. That does not just happen on its own. It takes much effort, much prayer and much penitent action on our part. If we will work hard at making sure we line up correctly with the will of God as revealed in Scripture, we do not have to worry and those who slander us (i.e. call us “troublemakers,” “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” etc.) will be put to shame.

There is no question that it is much better to suffer for doing right than to suffer for doing wrong. Someone might disagree and say that suffering is suffering. Well, the person who says that is ignorant of the blessings associated with this passage. If you suffer for doing right, even if your suffering is fatal, you are blessed (see Revelation 2:10). If you suffer for doing what is wrong (and that can be fatal, too) that suffering leads to eternal suffering.

One more thing before I let you go and have a wonderful week. What happens when we suffer for doing right, are slandered and our good behavior is reviled, and those who slander us and do the reviling are not put to shame? You know it happens that way sometimes. People in the right, faithful Christians who stand up for what is right, are “shot down,” sometimes by brethren in Christ, and no one ever knows the truth. The “Christians” who are on the wrong side of the question go on and “build their church” and seem to enjoy all the blessings of God and suffer none of the negative consequences of having stood against the truth and having opposed a faithful brother or sister. How is it that they are not put to shame? Let me assure you: the game (if I can call it that) is not over yet. There is still coming a time when the “shame” of such actions will be meted out. However, we must be careful here. I do not at all want to say all of this so that anyone can read it and start planning for the vengeance dance when the Lord brings down an enemy, either in this life or on Judgment Day. The Holy Spirit did not have Peter write this to have anyone gleefully plan the “shaming” of their enemies. He said it, and I have written this, merely to give the faithful who suffer for being faithful the encouragement of knowing that God sees your suffering and will take care of you.

Let me encourage you to go out this week and prove zealous for what is good! After all, who is there to harm you if you do? No one! That is because God is on your side. He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

A Fire in My Bones

Those of you who preach (either full or part time) know first hand how important encouragement is to the preacher. The title of this article comes from Jeremiah 20:9, a passage which is usually applied to preachers. It seems to me, however, that we can find something in this passage to encourage all of us.

In Jeremiah 20, the prophet had become discouraged. When the priest, the chief officer of the house of the Lord, the head religious honcho of the whole country, heard Jeremiah preaching, he had him beaten and put in stocks. Talk about a negative reaction to a sermon! And this kind of attention was beginning to weigh on Jeremiah. Even though the priest (Pashur) had Jeremiah released the next day, God, through Jeremiah, still had something to say to him. Jeremiah told Pashur that his name was going to be changed. God was going to start calling him Magor-missabib. (Since you are reading this, you just pronounce that name however you want). The name means “terror on every side.” In my life I have worn several descriptive nicknames, given by friend and foe alike. However, this is one that I have thankfully avoided. How would you like it if you found out your new nickname was “terror on every side” and then, to make matters worse, you found out that it was God who gave you that nickname?

You might be thinking that this is the message of encouragement; that when you get down because of the way people (even God’s people, sometimes) treat you, you can call to mind one such person who got his comeuppance. That’s not it! You will notice that in this story we have not gotten to Jeremiah’s statement about a “fire in my bones” yet. You see, just seeing someone else punished and brought low did not make Jeremiah feel any better. That ought to be a lesson to us, too; seeing others brought low should not make us feel better about ourselves.

Actually, Jeremiah is a little put out with God. In 20:7 he accuses God of deceiving him. It sounds like he is blaming God for the trouble he gets into when he preaches God’s Word. Sometimes preachers get into the same trouble today. Nothing has changed on that score. However, all of us, preachers or not, get discouraged and sometimes it is because we are doing the right thing and suffering for it. Maybe you do not get up in a pulpit every Sunday, but I know that there are those who stand for the truth and are called “troublemakers,” “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and all manner of evil things are said about them on account of Jesus. See Matthew 5:10-12. Even if someone else comes to your rescue and pronounces judgment (from God’s Word) on the one who troubles you, that still does not take away the sting of the criticism or attack, does it? Jeremiah 20:9 is where we find the encouragement: But if I say, “I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,” then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.

Do you see it? The encouragement is that when you are the kind of Christian God wants you to be, you cannot stand NOT to speak forth the things you have seen and heard (Acts 4:20). It becomes such a part of you, that it is stronger than that which threatens to overcome you. You may feel like you are too tired to go on, but that fire is a strength that will not let you down. Skip down to verse 11 (this is powerful): But the Lord is with me like a dread champion; therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, with an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten. This is encouraging! I do not have to worry because God is on my side.

Remember, the faithful Christian is preaching the Gospel whether a full-time preacher or not (Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16). Sometimes that preaching is going to be to Christians who have fallen away or who are still in church, but are following false doctrine or leading others away from God rather than to Him. In many of those cases, the truth is going to be resisted and the attacks can get very personal. All of that is terribly discouraging to the one fighting the Good Fight. It will seem like there is no use in continuing. You may be a laughingstock. Well, let us not be in such a hurry to hand over the keys to the kingdom to the devil. There is new strength to be had. There is a fire that has not gone out and it is in the bones of the faithful who will not be denied and will not be shut up. God put that fire there because He loves you and so do I. Do not let that ole’ Pashur bother you. He’s got his coming!

Donnie Bates

A Slippery Disposition

Did you ever see one of those “greased pig” contests? The purpose of the grease is to make the pig slippery and harder to catch. Everybody has a great deal of fun watching a bunch of guys slip and slide all over those pigs trying to catch one. Well, maybe not everyone. The pigs might say different.

While giving a lesson recently on the beatitudes, the phrase “slippery disposition” occurred to me as something that would be desirable for a Christian to have. I mean the kind of disposition or attitude in a person that would make it hard for the one who is after us to get a good hold; make it harder for him to catch us and easier for us to stay away from the evil one.

The beatitudes can very easily be referred to as God’s formula for success. I do not mean monetary success or success in the arena of politics or society. I mean true, eternal success; eternal life in heaven. That is what every Christian should be concerned with. There are several very interesting things about the beatitudes which begin the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). They all begin with the word “blessed” which describes a happiness or blessedness that is beyond the understanding of the world. It would have to be, would it not? How else could He say that those who mourn would be blessed?

Each of the first three beatitudes describes what most would think of as negative traits: poverty of spirit (which is emptying yourself), mourning and meekness. That does not sound like we are on the right track when it comes to the way to success! When does the good part begin? If you want to skip ahead to the end and find out how we are supposed to make it, after employing such humility, look at James 4:9, 10, but come right back to Matthew 5:5, because that is where we are going to find this “slippery disposition.”

The New American Standard Bible says, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Most versions say, “Blessed are the meek...” The word “meek” or “gentle” is an important one to the Christian. It is in this word that we find the grease. One part of the meaning “meekness” or “gentleness” is “under control.” The person who is meek is cool while others are hot. He does not allow himself to lose control. He is exactly the kind of person who would make a good peacemaker, one who is pure in heart and merciful. It is no mystery why the first three beatitudes are what they are. Before you can ever put on the characteristics of the others you must prepare yourself in humility, and that includes putting yourself completely under control so that you may offer yourself to the control of God.

Another meaning of meekness is self-sacrifice. It takes one who is in complete control of himself to make of himself a sacrifice. The meek person is not concerned with his own betterment. He is not defensive of himself. He does not have to have his own way. He is interested in God being glorified, not himself. This is why Moses is considered the father of the meek (Numbers 12:3). Also, consider Jesus...no one was more meek than Jesus, the Terrible Meek. The first time I read that title and knew the author applied it to Jesus, I was surprised, almost offended. How could Jesus be a terrible anything? And yet, if we consider Jesus from the point of view of His enemy (Satan) that is exactly what Jesus was...the Terrible Meek. Satan could do nothing to Him to overcome Him. He tempted Jesus, but Jesus was willing to suffer rather than give in. He had complete control. He offered Jesus everything that He came here for (the whole world) and Jesus still gave God the glory. He was not interested in His own glory over His heavenly Father’s. The worst the devil could do to Him was the very thing Jesus came here to do. How do you win over someone like that? You don’t! Jesus had such a slippery disposition, Satan could never get a good hold on Him.

This week, when you feel the old devil breathing down your neck, remember the meekness Jesus wants you to have. He did not give us Matthew 5:5 just so we would not get too full of ourselves because He wants the spotlight. He was trying to tell us what we need in order to survive. Put yourself under control. Give yourself up to God and let Him control you through His Word. There will be some situations in your life that will make it very hard to focus your attention anywhere else but at the enemy bearing down on you, but you can do it. Close your eyes (spiritually, at least), take a deep breath and even with your enemy right on your heels, give yourself fully to: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God...You shall not put the Lord your God to the test...You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:1-11).

It may not feel like it, but you have all the strength and weapons you need to fight off a frenzied attack by the devil. You do not have to go out of your house into the world today, or the rest of this week, or the rest of your life in fear. All you need to do is slather on the grease and he cannot touch you. God gave you meekness just for that purpose because He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

According to the Need of the Moment

The apostle Paul wrote of the importance of encouragement in our speech. In Colossians 4:6 he said, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” This is not an admonition to use “salty speech” (i.e. profanity) as some among us are want to do. Salt, as it is used here, would have the same meaning as it does in Matthew 5:13 where Jesus tells us that His disciples are the “salt of the earth.” In other words, it is good for the earth that Christians are a part of it. Our speech should reflect that fact. It should be good for others to be in our company and hear our speech.

In Ephesians 4:29 Paul commanded that no “unwholesome” word be spoken by us. That means that nothing “unwholesome,” or “corrupt,” or “filthy” should come out of our mouths. Obviously, this would apply to profanity. However, profane words are not the only corrupt, filthy and unwholesome communication we can use. Words that bite are filthy. Words that criticize (not constructive and positive criticism, but negative and destructive criticism) and words that teach others to criticize are unwholesome and corrupt speech and should be purged from our minds and mouths. It breaks my heart to hear adults criticize something in someone else and reason that the offending person has impure motives and just wanted offend, as though it was done “just to make me mad!” And when adults offer this kind of criticism in the presence of their children or grandchildren, another generation learns to do the same. That is why Paul said, “Do not let it come out of your mouth!”

The positive alternative is in the same verse (Ephesians 4:29). Rather than filthy communication, use speech that is good for edification. That means language that builds others up rather than tearing them down. We said earlier that being salt means that it is good for the world that we are here. Seasoning our speech with salt that builds means that it is good for those around us to hear what we are saying. Spreading the Gospel message of the saving grace of Jesus Christ is certainly included, but a simple “Thank you” is just as salty! Try it sometime (no, all the time). The next time you are sitting in traffic in the left turn lane and there is a little old lady in the car in front of you and the green arrow comes on and she doesn’t see it and just sits there, try something new. Instead of imagining that she is just callous and rude and doesn’t care that if you don’t get to McDonald’s at precisely 10:30 they won’t have any sausage biscuits left and you blow a gasket between your ears in frustration, try imagining that she has a lot on her mind and needs your patience more than she needs your horn going off in her ears. Try the same thing the next time you have the opportunity to speak to someone who has been rude to you or has given you an opportunity to speak evil or good. Weigh the need of the moment and then speak something that edifies and not something that hurts. What you will find is that the healing and the edification happen to you as much and maybe more than to the one you have blessed with your salty speech.

I know that there are times when constructive criticism is necessary and there are many times when we are too afraid of it to use it and damage is done because we did not criticize. However, for today I want us to concentrate on not being destructively critical of others, but being edifying in our speech and conduct. God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

The Healing Power of Ministry

Did you ever notice how you feel better when you make someone else feel better? When we're down or depressed or stressed, it is hard to think of others, but the evidence suggests that it's worth the effort. Time and again, when Jesus was stressed, the multitudes pressed Him. They would not leave Him alone. And time and again Jesus ministered to the multitudes. Some might think this just shows the sacrificial nature of the ministry of Jesus, and I am certainly not going to suggest that Jesus only ministered to people from a selfish motive of self-therapy. Scripture says Jesus felt "compassion" for those who pressed Him so. That compassion served Jesus well and it will serve us well, also.

If we may use another Scriptural example, we might more easily see the connection between our actions toward others (ministry) and the healing of our spirits. In the first family in human history, one brother became jealous of the other and committed the first murder (Genesis 4:8). However, before that irreversible act of murder was committed, Cain (the murderer) was already angry. His worship had been rejected by God, but that did not require that he kill Abel!
So many times we do not recognize that there is a problem with someone until it's too late. The deed is done! However, even then it's not too late to rescue a soul. What I mean is that most people in the world did not know the names of any of several serial killers we could name before they were arrested and made famous through the news media. That ignorance on our part, however, does not mean they were not around. Certainly they were! And, they each had the opportunity to take a different path in life than murder. Let's go back to Cain. When he and his brother offered their sacrifices to God, Abel's was accepted and Cain's was not. We are not told exactly why, but the descriptions of the offerings give us a hint. Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground (Genesis 4:3). Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions (Genesis 4:4). That suggests that Abel's offering was more of a sacrifice than Cain's. Regardless of the reason, Cain chose to respond in anger. God responded to him by giving advice that rings through the ages: "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?" (Genesis 4:7).

Not only was Cain angry, but his countenance (face) showed it. Of course, God can see a man's heart, but His point is that anyone could tell by looking at Cain that he was having problems. He was angry; angry enough to kill. And yet the solution was not that someone needed to minister to Cain! Did you hear that? Then let me say it again: The solution was not that someone needed to minister to Cain...he needed to minister to someone else. Or, more specifically in this context, Cain needed to "do well!" The different course Cain could have taken to deal with anger was for him to actively "do well," or reach out to someone else.

When you feel stressed and assailed from every direction, rather than retreating within your own "comfortable" shell and waiting for someone to come and minister to you, try reaching out to someone else who is suffering even more than you are. They won't be hard to find, if you look. And if you remain in your "safe place," you will find that it is not all that safe. Your suffering will fester and you will be worse off in the end. Hear the words of God to a troubled young man and apply them to yourself: "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?" If you feel bad, do something good for someone else. You will feel better! God made you that way because He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

The Words of a Friend

The encouraging words of a friend are worth more than gold. I know that the encouraging words that my friends give me keep me going. I look on them as blessings directly from heaven above. I thank God for them (the words and the friends) and I thank my friends for building me up with words that edify according to the need of the moment (Ephesians 4:29).

Many of you continue to respond to Barnabas Notes with words of thanks and encouragement to me. I want to use this issue to say, “Thank you,” and to tell you that those comments are deeply appreciated. BN started out to be a word of encouragement to my friends (and I hope that it has been to all who have read it), but it has also been a source of comfort and strength for me through your responses.

Solomon wrote: A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17). You do not need me to tell you how important a friend is. Scripture is full of passages that tell us that God will watch over us and not allow us to endure more than we are able; that we ought to approach the throne of grace to find grace to help in time of need (2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 4:16; 1 Corinthians 10:13). One of the ways that God provides this care and protection is through the friends that surround us. Solomon’s point is that a friend, a true friend, loves you no matter what happens; will stick with you through thick and thin. I said at the beginning that the encouraging words of a friend are worth more than gold. However, sometimes the worth of a friend is not seen in his (or her) words, but in his (or her) presence. Sometimes just knowing that someone is there is enough to get you through a difficult situation.

Americans live in a culture that was built by “rugged individualism.” We are a freedom-loving people and we do not want anyone fooling around with our freedom and independence. One thing we want to be careful of, however, is letting our pride shut out our friends. Sometimes when we get into a tough situation, we do not want to ask for help or cry out at all because that would not be in keeping with the rugged individual. We do not want to take charity! Did you know that “charity” is a word that means “love”? I realize that we do not want to be perceived as someone who always has their hand out, but the “charity” of our friends is a star in their crowns and a blessing to them. If we deny them the opportunity to bless us, we deny them a blessing, as well.

Let me encourage you to let God help you and bless you through the friends who are around you. Now, we need to recognize that such a blessing is only going to come through those friends who encourage you according to God’s will. It is not a blessing when your friends encourage you to go against God’s will. Still, when you are in trouble, when you are besieged from every angle, let your friends be a help and a support to you, always remembering to pray for God’s help, too. He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

For the Love of the Church

The apostle Paul wrote about the things that he had suffered in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. I have to tell you, when I read the list of things he suffered for his faith, it makes my puny little complaints seem to evaporate. I have not suffered physically like he did. However, there is one part of this list that I can, at the very least, begin to understand. At the end of his list of trials, Paul said, “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28). If you love the church the way a Christian must love the church, you know what it is like to have concern for the church.

Christians must always have a concern for the bride of Christ, the church, the kingdom of God, the household of the living God, the temple of God. We understand that. However, there is a growing concern for the church today that she is being threatened from within. Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of Hades would not overpower it (Matthew 16:18). That statement was and is true. Even if the enemy is able to infiltrate the hearts of Christians and lead them out of the grace of God so that they lose their souls forever, the church is not overcome because of the faithful who remain and the faithful who have already gone to their reward (Revelation 2:10). Still, anyone who pays attention to the growing dilemma in the church today cannot help but be concerned.

I want to offer a little encouragement here to those who are suffering through the attacks of the enemy on the church of our Lord. The first word of encouragement comes from one of you who put this in a way I had not thought of, but it truly encourages me. The church is His bride, not mine; our Lord Jesus Christ will take care of His bride. Remember that. Jesus is not blind nor is He just waiting patiently (and dispassionately) until the church (and each member of the church) decides what it is going to do. He is not going to let the faithful down. Second, remember those passages we noted a moment ago. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

You and I, as members of Christ’s church, have a job to do. Our job is to remain faithful and to help our brothers and sisters remain faithful, among other things. When false teachers appear in our ranks (and the apostle Peter said they would, 2 Peter 2:1) we must oppose them. We will have that concern for the churches that Paul speaks about, but know this: we do not fight this battle alone! There is Someone fighting alongside us Who is more powerful than our enemy and if we remain faithfully at His side, we will not lose this battle!

Go back to that passage in 2 Peter. Verse 1 says: But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Did you catch that these false teachers come in among us and secretly introduce heresies? The do not do it openly. Many of those who are hearing false doctrine today think they are hearing “nothing unscriptural.” That is why it is so important to search the Scriptures daily to see if these things be so (Acts 17:11).

Notice how God is dealing with this problem. Peter wrote that these false teachers are bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Now, it may not seem very swift, but that is only because we are applying our own understanding of time to the problem. You may rest assured that God is in control and that destruction, when it comes, will be swift and decisive and, sadly for those who do not repent in time, eternal. In the verses that follow 2 Peter 2:1, Peter shows that God has always been in control and no one in history has been able to “get away with” the sinful lives they lead and the righteous who have been afflicted by such unrighteousness have been rescued. Peter said all of that to say that God …knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties (2 Peter 2:9, 10).

The “daily pressure of concern for all the churches” is going to continue if we remain faithful because we are going to care what happens to the bride of Christ. However, we can be encouraged to know that the Bridegroom is equally concerned about His bride and not just sitting idly by. In order to be faithful, every one of us must resist the enemy and fight against the attempts to defile the pure and holy and blameless bride (Ephesians 5:26, 27), but take courage. God is fighting with you and if you remain faithfully His, you will win! He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

The Blessings of Suffering

You would think that a newsletter dedicated to encouragement would say something like “the suffering is going to end,” wouldn’t you? How encouraging is it to tell someone who is suffering to just “grin and bear it”? Well, on the surface, not very! Still, there is encouragement when we realize that our heavenly Father has made provision for us to be able to endure and even thrive while suffering in this life (James 1:2, 3).

Yes, it is true that someday the suffering will end for those who are faithfully united with Christ. A day is coming in which God will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). “There’ll be no sadness, all will be gladness” in heaven. However, we are not in heaven yet, are we? Many people are all too well acquainted with that fact; perhaps some of you. I take great comfort in knowing that God is with me until the end (Matthew 28:20); that He makes sure that I do not suffer more temptation than I am able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). But there is one passage that speaks directly to how we should suffer and the blessings involved in suffering the right way, that I find especially encouraging.

Most of us are familiar with “The Beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3-12). We could spend weeks studying the depth of this passage of Scripture. There is much wisdom here concerning many aspects of everyday life, but let’s stay on the subject of how to suffer and the blessings involved. The first three beatitudes have to do with suffering more than those beatitudes that immediately follow. In verses 3-5 we read that there are blessings involved for those who voluntarily take on the qualities of poverty of spirit, mourning and gentleness (meekness). Perhaps you have heard it explained that the word “blessed” means “happy,” but let me assure you that it is not a happiness as the world understands happiness. The world thinks of happiness as an emotional response to, or determined by, circumstances. If someone knocks on my door and presents me with a “big ‘ole” check for $10,000,000.00, I am going to be happy because of those circumstances. Jesus uses a word in the beatitudes that describes a happiness in spite of circumstances. It is happiness on a much deeper level than the world generally thinks about. That is the only way to be happy in mourning.

“Poverty in spirit” is not depression. Depression is a humbling or “lowliness” caused by circumstances. Poverty of spirit is a voluntary humility or “emptying of self.” See Philippians 2:5-8. “Mourning” is not just sadness, but sadness on a level that requires action. It is the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11). "Gentleness” (meekness) is a word worthy of a great deal of study. It involves humility to a great extent. It involves self-control. It is the quality of keeping your own wants and desires in check for the good of another. We sometimes call Moses the “father of the meek,” but not because he was a weakling (read Exodus 32:19, 20 if you think he was weak). Moses was more concerned with God and His Name than he was about anything to do with his own life.

So, what we find is that the first three steps on God’s ladder of success are downward, not upward. Interesting, isn’t it? But now, catch this point. God does not just leave us in the basement. James writes that if we humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up (James 4:10). And the point is that only by God lifting us up can we get where we need to be.

When I teach a series of lessons on the beatitudes I make the point that when you talk about voluntary poverty of spirit (emptying oneself), it is a lot like making yourself a doormat. Well, you know what happens to a doormat, don’t you? It gets stepped on. And that hurts; sometimes a lot. The last beatitude addresses that one little problem.

I count Matthew 5:10-12 as one beatitude. You can count it as two or three if you want, but look at these three verses very carefully. When you make yourself a doormat, people will step on you. That won’t be fun, but there is a blessing here, too. There were (and are) people doing the right thing (righteousness) and suffering for it; being persecuted for it. And Jesus says they have access to that deep level of happiness that the world doesn’t understand. Why? Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven, that’s why! But Jesus continues. He says that sometimes the persecution is going to come in the form of insults and people falsely saying all kinds of evil against us because of Jesus; because of doing the right thing (righteousness). And here, too, is that deep happiness. Now He tells us how to approach this kind of suffering; what attitude to have. He says, “Rejoice and be glad…”

What??? I thought I was supposed to moan and groan, to gripe and complain! No, that’s the world’s response! Christians are supposed to “rejoice and be glad” and He gives a reason. Not only can we have that happiness that is deeper than any worldly happiness, but we can take comfort in the fact that we are in good company “…for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

I have to tell you that it is harder for me to endure it when people insult friends of mine than when they insult me. I don’t mean that insults do not hurt me, because they do. I do mean, though, that when you insult a friend of mine, you have stepped much further over the line (in my mind) than when you just insult me. Still, I must resist the temptation to lash out and realize (and make sure my friends who have been insulted realize) that there is a blessing for us. God is with us. We are in good company. You may have some difficult circumstances to deal with this week. There may be people who are going to insult you and say all kinds of evil against you on account of Jesus, but you hang in there! You may get stepped on by a lot of muddy feet (that is as insulting as I choose to get this morning toward those who persecute us), but don’t give up! God is with you and loves you more than you can know in this life and so do I.

Donnie Bates

What's Up, Doc?

As is the case with most preachers, I suppose, my ministry has been full of opportunities to sit with, cry with, minister to and encourage families suffering through the hospitalization of loved ones, frightening diagnoses and heartbreaking prognoses. And, like every other person on the planet, I have had to deal with the same things in my own family. Sickness and death are a part of life in this world and we have to deal with it, but sometimes it gets really, really hard to know how. I have to be honest with you (don’t panic, I’ve been honest in all the other notes, too), but I do not have a magical incantation that I mutter that takes all the pain and anxiety away. I do, however, have some encouragement that will make the pain and anxiety somewhat easier to bear.

One of the truest statements I ever personally heard was what a nurse said to my family and me when my mother was in the hospital for heart surgery. He said that the next few hours were going to be a lot harder on us than on my mother. Boy, was he ever right! Even though the operating room staff called us every hour or so to give an update (and every report was good and encouraging) those hours of that surgery were pure agony. We sat around and talked and joked and did everything we could to do what none of us expected to do; take our minds off what was happening in the other room. And we prayed. We prayed as a group out loud and we prayed as individuals to ourselves; and we prayed throughout the whole surgery. I do not hesitate to say that the Lord heard our prayers that day and gave us a favorable answer.

But sometimes it does not happen that way, does it? Sometimes an elderly loved one is stricken down with an illness and even though the family and the church pray continually, death is the outcome. Sometimes it is not an elderly loved one, but one stricken down “in the prime of life” by an accident or an illness and again, though heaven be flooded with prayers, a life is ended. What then? Some react angrily, blaming God and giving up on the notion of prayer. What do you do when you pray and pray and the answer comes back, “No!”? You keep praying, that’s what!

When someone you love is on his or her deathbed, you pray “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When the doctor comes in with the test results and says someone you love has a few more months to live, you pray without ceasing. When that terrible phone call comes in the middle of the night and one of your children has been in an accident, you pray without ceasing. And when the last enemy we will face in this life (death) wins a battle and a loved one dies, you pray even more because you need it even more.

The apostle Paul said that death was an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26) and I would never disagree with someone inspired by the Holy Spirit, but death is not the only enemy at work in situations like these. Our true enemy is Satan and when tragedy strikes or threatens, he is at work trying his best to convince you that God will not take care of you. And many, many people fall into the trap of thinking he is right. They blame God. They give up on prayer because “it doesn’t work or Mom would not have died!” And they fail the test and they lose the battle.
When you find yourself suffering through what every family of man has suffered and will continue to suffer until the Lord returns, take the necessary steps to give yourself the best chance of enduring with a sound faith. Pray…pray without ceasing!! Pray believing that you will receive what you ask (Mark 11:24). Pray in faith without doubting (James 1:6). And tell your concerns and fears to your brothers and sisters in Christ and get them praying, too. Know the truth and the power of James 5:16: The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. It has always made sense to me that if that verse is true, imagine what can be accomplished by a whole room full (or church full) of righteous people praying. And when those times come (and they will come), times when all the prayers that are offered cannot stop what is appointed for every person, pray all the more that God will help you through the death of a loved one. My word of encouragement to you this week is that through the most difficult times, do not give up on God because He has not given up on you. He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

At the End of My Rope

Sometimes I feel like nothing ever goes right in my life. Every little thing makes me angry and when I’m not angry, I’m depressed. In my more lucid moments, I realize that I’m just being selfish and that seems to make me even more depressed. My mind struggles with what I should do. I’m not helpless to the point that I cannot reason, so why can I not think of an answer? Why can’t I get my attitude where it should be? Why am I like this?

When I consider what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:14-25, I realize that I am not the only one who suffers like this. And, I don’t really think that Paul and I are the only two, either. I have generally found that I am enough like everyone else that if I preach sermons I need to hear, most everyone else benefits, as well. The same is true of this battle with depression. Now, I realize that some suffer from depression more than others and some suffer from clinical depression and need professional, medical care. Please do not take what I say here to mean that I do not think there is a need for professional help for the clinically depressed. I am speaking more to the spiritually depressed; those people like me who occasionally get “down,” feel self-pity and who need a little encouragement to get their ship aright or their act together as the case may be.

If I will think this through, I will remember Paul’s words in Romans 7:24,25: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” That is the main bit of encouragement we need to get us out of the doldrums. However, there are some other things from Scripture that will help.

Some time ago I read an article written by Neal Pollard in the Gospel Gleaner quarterly, entitled: “God’s RX for Depression.” It is an excellent article and I want to give this brother credit for a job well done. In his article, brother Pollard gives a 3-part plan for handling depression. I have found these things to be true in my own life, but I didn’t think to write them out this way. First of all, Find Someone to Serve. A few weeks ago I was in a foul mood. I did not know why and that just made my angrier. I finally decided I would find something nice to do for someone else and guess what…it worked! How many times do we find Jesus at a particularly stressful point in His life, turning to the multitudes and healing all kinds of diseases and feeding the hungry? There is something cathartic about helping other people.

Second, Find Some Time To Meditate. By meditation we mean, of course, meditation on the Word of God. The further you get from God the weaker spiritually you are going to be. Every one of us needs to be spending more time in the Word of God, especially when we are depressed and the whole world seems to be falling apart. Brother Pollard points out: “Meditation works! Delight follows meditation (Psalm 119:15-16). Strength follows meditation (Psalm 119:27-28). Depression may be defeated by saying, with our deeds, what David wrote, ‘Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the Lord’ (Psalm 104:34, NASB).”

Third, Find Some Thing To Eliminate. Brother Pollard suggests eliminating doubt, or dread, which is a good suggestion. Both doubt and dread suggest a lack of faith in God. Remember, before you can ever be filled with Christ you must empty yourself. Something in you is causing depression; get rid of whatever it is and give yourself completely to Christ. Your problems won’t necessarily go away, but you will have much more ammunition to use in dealing with whatever this life throws at you.

God is for you if you are with Him. And if God is for you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31)? You can and should have a great week because God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

A Glorious Life

One of the most inspiring passages of Scripture to me is 2 Corinthians 3. Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to know that he considered them and the work he did among them as adequate testimony of his faithfulness. He did not consider that he needed letters of commendation from anyone. His work spoke for itself. He was confident in Christ.

You may not feel confident. I know I sometimes do not feel I have confidence through Christ toward God (2 Corinthians 3:4) because of the things I do or say or think. You might think it all well and good for Paul to feel confident, but he was Paul! He was an apostle! “He wasn't like me!!” Spend some time reading Romans 7 if you don’t think Paul suffered through the same kind of turmoil in his everyday life that you and I do. Paul’s confidence did not come from his apostleship in some miraculous or automatic way. He did not consider himself adequate in himself, but his adequacy was “from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Here is the thought I want you to begin your day with: Your adequacy is from God, too! Paul draws a contrast in this chapter between the old law and the new law; the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ. The old Law of Moses came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (2 Corinthians 3:7). It was full of glory and yet compared to the Christian life, Paul called it a “ministry of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7). And if that old “ministry of death” had all that glory, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit (the Christian life) be filled with glory? How much, indeed!

I want you to notice just how Paul describes the Christian life in the next few verses: For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory (2 Corinthians 3:9-11). How many times does he mention “glory” here?

I know it’s hard to remember passages like this when the going gets rough, but we have to try. There are times when life seems too difficult. The demands of faithful Christianity are too demanding (we think). The temptations of life are too difficult to resist. Or so they seem. In reality, they are not! The devil has done a good job of convincing us otherwise, but we can have confidence. Yes, even a spiritually broken-down old horse like me or you!

Did I say “confidence”? Yes, confidence! Confidence is a difficult commodity to have or to hold on to, I know, but it is available. I can look my enemy straight in the eye and tell him to give it his best shot. I do not have to worry about the devil winning over me. I can have confidence that I will win over him. The writer of the book of Hebrews says we can enter the holy place (the presence of God) with confidence (Hebrews 10:19) and that we should draw near to the throne of grace to find grace to help in time of need...with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). And Paul says that because of the hope we have within us, the hope of eternal life, the hope of salvation and the love of our heavenly Father, we can speak out with boldness (2 Corinthians 3:12), “boldness” and “confidence” being the same.

When you look at the week ahead of you, what do you see? Do you see intimidation? Do you see weakness? Do you see temptation? Do you see an enemy standing before you, ready to torture you and make you give up your faith? Well, take a good look at the glorious life of a Christian, then, look that old devil in the face and spit in his eye! He cannot touch you! He can tie you to a chair, tie your hands behind your back and hit you with everything he’s got and you can still laugh at him because of the glory of your life in Christ!!! Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Wait for the Lord

It is a scary world we live in. On September 11, 2001 the World Trade Center was destroyed and the Pentagon attacked. The “War on Terror” continues in Afghanistan and Iraq. Violence is on the news in other parts of the world. The news is full of accounts of children being abducted (thankfully, some have recently been found alive and/or have escaped their captors). Yes, it is a scary world!

We do not have to look far to see several who would harm us if they could. Some of them are terrifying. It may be that someone is intimidated by a boss or a co-worker; perhaps someone at school scares you to death. When we watch the news and see what is happening around the world and around the corner, it is hard not to be a little frightened. Parents in the United States are paying closer attention to where their children are (or they should be). As a missionary (and I’m still a missionary at heart) I think about what it would be like to be on the street in Jerusalem, Kabul, or Baghdad right now. Scary! Still, someone has to be in those places or in those situations. Those things that terrify us across the globe make up everyday life for the people who live there. And the things in your everyday life that terrify you would probably terrify others, too. I have to admit, so far this “word of encouragement” is not sounding very “Barnabas-like,” is it?

Well, there is good news. Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled (1 Peter 3:13, 14). I know it sounds trite and easy to say, but it’s true! What harm can really come to us if we are zealous for what is good? I don’t mean that our hearts won’t break when some of the things that happen in this life happen to us. Those of you who have lost children know the deep and awful pain the parents of those recently in the news are going through. I do not for one moment want to give anyone the impression that there is no pain involved in this world or that if you feel such pain, you have no faith. Of course there is pain! But it cannot overcome you if you refuse to be overcome!

Are you familiar with Isaiah 40:31? It says: Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Did you ever wonder about mounting up with wings like eagles? Pictures flood our minds of soaring high, presumably high over those things which threaten us. Rather than being overcome, we overcome. That is a very good way to understand the picture being drawn here. But did you ever wonder what happens to the eagle when a storm threatens? Not far from where my family and I used to live in Colorado is Gore Canyon. The Colorado River runs through it. There are cliffs in that canyon that rise 3,000 feet straight up. There are a lot of golden eagles there. If an eagle is caught on the face of such a cliff when a storm strikes, it could be thrown into the mountain and killed, except for one thing – God has given the eagle the instinct to set the attitude of his wings to allow the updraft of the storm to carry him up and out of danger. Do you see the comparison? It doesn’t matter whether you are talking aeronautics or life in general; attitude is the key.

I once heard a character on a TV program say, “Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” There may be some truth in that, but Scripture says it also builds character. James wrote: Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2, 3). Adversity will produce endurance, if we will endure it with the right attitude.

If my boss or co-worker or teacher or acquaintance threatens me, or if my friend hurts my feelings, I have to set my attitude so that the threat itself lifts me out of danger. If some catastrophe were to befall a member of my family, I would have to set my attitude so that the threat would not overcome me, but lift me out of danger. If I find myself on the streets of some city anywhere in this world and my life is threatened or taken, who could really harm me if I prove zealous for what is good? What really is there to fear? Nothing! Hallelujah, praise Jehovah!!

Take care and have a great week because Jehovah loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

The Salvation of the Lord

“What are we supposed to do now, huh Moses?” You can almost hear the sarcasm that must have crossed the minds of at least some of the cynical among the Israelites. It had been a hectic few weeks. First, Moses showed up after forty years and told them Jehovah had remembered them and would set them free. That got everyone excited. Pharaoh, on the other hand, had a different plan. He made them work even harder. Thanks, Moses! In the end, after a monumental struggle of wills, Pharaoh was beaten and the children of Israel marched out of Egypt leaving that country in ruins. The only thing the Egyptians had left was the most powerful army on the planet. And now, that army was hot on their trail and had the Israelites pinned against the Red Sea with nowhere to run. You know some were sarcastic to Moses because of what we know they said: Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11).

Have you ever had your hopes built up for something really great and then had them dashed before your very eyes? I used to know a fellow who would answer the question, “How are you?” by saying, “Fine, but I’ll get over it!” Now, he was joking and I thought it was funny, but some people really do look at life that way. They are afraid to get their hopes up because they just know those hopes will be dashed. Have you ever had your back up against the wall with nowhere to go?

Listen to how Moses answered the fear of the people: But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent” (Exodus 14:13, 14). Did you catch that? Here is the formula for their deliverance: 1) Do not be afraid! 2) Stand by – don’t run! 3) See the salvation of the Lord! 4) Keep silent!

The first thing we do when victory seems about to be snatched away or when we have our backs against the wall and there is no way out is…fear not! I love 2 Chronicles 20:15: and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’” Wow! The battle is not yours, but the Lord’s!!

The next thing we have to do is stand still, or do not run. This battle may not be ours, but we cannot run in the face of the enemy. We must trust in the Lord, even when we do not see the salvation yet.

The third step in this formula is to see the salvation. The apostle Paul promised that part of God’s care to see that we do not suffer more temptation that we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) is that He provides a way of escape. We must be looking for that way of escape to avoid temptation. When our backs are against the wall and the whole world (it seems) is against us, God will take care of us, but it takes spiritual eyes to see it. In other words, your salvation may not come in physical form. You may die, but if you are faithful unto death, He will give you a crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Do you see the salvation? Do you see (understand) with your spiritual eyes that God is in charge of the situation?

The fourth thing Moses told the people to do was to keep silent. Have you ever noticed that you cannot hear very well when you are talking? My ears work a lot better when my mouth is shut! Scripture tells us that the tongue is a terribly destructive thing when misused (James 3:5). Amazingly, it causes no damage when kept behind the bars of a clenched jaw. Do not challenge God! Do not hold out your innocence as a reason why you do not deserve to suffer this problem or that calamity! You and I do not have anything to brag about or complain about. We have been given an opportunity to be children of God; to be under His protective wing.

Do you remember those mean old Egyptians that were coming after the Israelites? You know the story, don’t you? God parted the sea and the Israelites walked across on dry land. The Egyptians followed, but God caused the wheels of their chariots to swerve and made it hard for them to drive. When the Egyptians realized that God was fighting for the Israelites they tried to go back, but it was too late. Jehovah had Moses stretch out his hand over the sea and it returned to its place drowning all the Egyptians. Look what happened next: When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses (Exodus 14:31).

Have you ever seen the salvation of the Lord in your life? Let me challenge and encourage you to not be afraid, stand by, see the salvation of the Lord and keep silent before Him! If you do this in faithful submission to His will as outlined in Scripture, you and He are one unbeatable combination! Your enemies do not stand a chance. Remember, God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

The Lord Goes Ahead

Did you ever count how many times the Bible says, “Do not fear,” or “Do not be afraid”? The exact number of times is…a lot! After Moses told the Israelites that God had told him he would not be crossing the Jordan River, he called Joshua, the son of Nun, and commissioned him to lead the people of God. Moses told him: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:7, 8). I love that passage!

Think for a moment what Joshua was being asked to do. He was to lead a nation of refugees, over a million strong, into a region made up of several established nations with standing armies and fortified cities and kick them all out! This nation of refugees had proven themselves more than capable of being a handful for their leader. In fact, for almost forty years now, these Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness, forbidden by God to enter the land of Canaan, precisely because of their rebellious attitude. They gave Moses fits. Granted, after forty years in the wilderness, being cared for miraculously by Jehovah God, the people’s faith had grown, but this was still no easy task. And Moses says, “Don’t be afraid!”? Yeah, right!

However, did you catch Moses’ reasoning for saying not to fear? Joshua did not have to be afraid because the Lord was going ahead of him. If you are a running back in football (American football for those of you outside the United States), how would you like your lead blocker to be the Creator of the universe; the One Who can command the opposition (or even the grass) to get out of your way and it has no choice but to obey? I’m not talking about anything miraculous in the application for us today, but imagine…the Lord goes ahead of His people.

I hope no one misunderstands what I am saying here and thinks that God will condone sinful behavior. God does not go ahead of you or me in endeavors opposed to His will. God did go ahead of Joshua, but when Joshua led the people away from God, or when they abandoned God, He did not remain with them. Notice Joshua 7:12, where God says to Joshua: “Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.” Moses told Joshua that he did not have to be afraid because God was going ahead of him. Now, God tells Joshua that He will no longer be with him unless there is repentance. That translates into, “Joshua, unless you and the people repent, be afraid…be very afraid!!!”

Look what happened next. After Joshua and the people repented and the offender was punished, we read: Now the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land” (Joshua 8:1).

What does all that have to do with Barnabas Notes? It strikes me that there are a lot of people in this world who are faced with some rather daunting tasks; in fact, some tasks that appear downright impossible to accomplish. If those tasks involve fulfilling the will of God in your life, hear Moses’ words that we read from Deuteronomy 31:7, 8. If you are guilty of sin then the words of Jehovah in Joshua 7:12 are vital for you to hear and understand. And when you repent, take Joshua 8:1 to heart. The particulars of what is required for true repentance are different for us now than they were for Joshua and the Israelites. Those particulars are found in the New Testament and are not difficult to understand, but the principle is true for all. The life every person leads is difficult at times, but if you step out in fellowship with God (according to His definition of fellowship with Him), you do not have to be afraid of anything, as long as you remain His. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God loves you so much? Well, He does and so do I.

Donnie Bates

The Return of Barnabas

OK, it's "word eating" time. The last time I posted anything on this blog I said there would be no new posts here. Well, I changed my mind. I'm allowed to do that, am I not? After a month and a half of not posting on this blog, it occurs to me that Barnabas Notes might do more good if we keep this format alive. So, I'm going to start posting these notes of encouragement again.

Right now, the whole set of Barnabas Notes in included in Volumes I and II. The set can be purchased by visiting http://donniebates.com and following the link to "Barnabas Notes." I will also be starting Volume III in the very near future. It is my prayer that these articles will some good for those who read them and bring honor and glory to God.

God bless and know that He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Even In My Darkest Hour

I remember the darkest day of my preaching life. And frankly, I don’t want to dwell on it. Still, there may be some benefit in remembering the time when I most needed encouragement and remembering the fact that I got through it, through no fault of my own except that I put my trust in the only place left…my Friend Who laid down His life for me.

Without revealing too much, let me just say that I had never in my life seen Christians attack one another the way I did that day. I was one of those attacked, but that did not happen until I tried to interject some calm reasoning into what I perceived was a situation getting out of hand. I loved them and hurt for them and tried my best to help ease the pain and bring Christian brethren closer to God. What I accomplished was to merely refocus the attack on myself. I understand the noble concept of self-sacrifice and in some situations would gladly offer myself, but that was not my intention that day.

All of us have been in frustrating situations. I had been before that day, but never had I been so shocked by the behavior of men who call themselves Christians. Nor have I since, “by the help of the good Lord” (as my dear departed friend brother Aubrey Chalmers used to say). For the first (and only) time in my preaching career, when Sunday morning came around I wanted to find a hole, climb in and pull it in after myself. I did not want to go to church. I did not want to preach. How could I preach? How could I stand in front of those same people? Every ounce of credibility I thought I had before had been destroyed, it seemed to me. Honestly, the only reason I went to church that day and preached the sermon I had prepared before this incident took place was because I could not think of a way not to. It was not courage that took me to church that day. It was surrender. I had reached the end of my ability to handle the situation. I was out of answers. The only thing I could do was place myself in the hands of God, take a deep breath and preach.

Some might ask why I would describe such a painful episode in my life in an article that is supposed to be about encouragement. Well, I’ll tell you. It is hard for me to imagine than any one of you has been through anything as bad as my worst nightmare. By the same token, you probably do not think mine is as bad as your worst experience. Regardless of whether or not you or I have suffered as much as the other, God takes care of us. I am so very glad verses like Psalm 139:11, 12 are in my Bible: If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. God saw me in my darkest hour. When I had no more answers, He was just starting. He was in control all along. He was faithful to not allow me to endure more temptation than I was able to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). You had better believe that I was tempted to cut and run. I don’t mean move to another congregation; I mean cut and run that day. But I didn’t. I dejectedly surrendered myself to the will of God and preached the Gospel. As it turns out, that was just what I was supposed to do.

I still, from time to time, get myself into trouble. Sometimes (usually) it is my own fault; other times it’s not. In any case, my Heavenly Father is always there for me. There is nowhere I can go where He is not. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it (Psalm 139:5, 6).
Do you ever find yourself facing a situation you simply cannot see how to overcome? There is just no way out. You cannot go forward; you cannot go back. There is just no hope of winning this one. Thanks be to God, there is a way out. It will not look like a way out, perhaps, but God’s way is a way out! School yourself to remember Psalm 139. Train yourself to look for God’s way out. Know that God is with you and will not forsake you. He loves you and so do I.

The Need for Encouraging Words

One of the most discouraging things that can happen to a faithful Christian is the apparent futility of his or her work for the Lord. When one faithfully pours his heart into a work, failure is much more painful than if he fails at a job that he only halfheartedly attempted in the first place. Our work in the vineyard of the Lord, in order to be carried out faithfully, will be a work we pour our hearts into. And, when it appears that such work is unsuccessful, it hurts; it discourages. This was true even when God told His servant beforehand that the people to whom he would preach would fight against him (Jeremiah 1:19). Still, Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. It can be very discouraging when people will not listen to the truth.

One reason our work may appear futile or ineffective is the actions of brethren who are working with us. We may ask ourselves, “How can I persuade the lost to follow Jesus when my own brethren act the way they do?” Sometimes Christians find themselves in a difficult struggle or an intense battle in the Good Fight. Perhaps the members of a congregation are involved in a difficult and trying time in the life of their local body and the faithful are doing everything they can to stand for what is right. Or, perhaps a team of missionaries is working on some field (foreign or domestic) and is involved in intense Bible study with the lost, teaching classes and individuals for six, eight, ten, or twelve hours a day. When the battle is joined so intensely, we have to understand that our enemy is fighting back just as hard. He will not win, of course, if we remain faithful, but we have to remain on the alert in order to be faithful (1 Peter 5:8). In noticing some of the attitudes and temperaments of Christians in these situations, I have started thinking of them this way. When the faithful are fully engaged in the Good Fight, swords swinging, fighting “knuckle and skull” with our enemy, sometimes we inflict nicks and cuts on our brethren simply because we are in such close proximity and fighting so fiercely. Please do not misunderstand me to be excusing insensitivity or bad moods or biting words. Great care must be taken to avoid such. Having been guilty of some of these things, I have determined to repent of that sin and increase my self-control. It is not easy, but it can be done. When we find ourselves on the receiving end of a harsh word or an insensitive remark from a brother or sister with whom we are working closely and intensely for the cause of Christ, it may indeed be that attention must be called to that injury that has been inflicted. However, we do not have to let the devil win this battle by coming between us (dividing and conquering).

In a marriage relationship there are times over the course of many years when one or the other spouse, for whatever reason, is not at 100% physically, emotionally, or spiritually and needs the other to give the necessary support to get them through a rough time. Loving husbands and wives do that for one another and the relationship survives, even flourishes. Well, sometimes the same things happen in other kinds of relationships and that includes the relationship between Christians who find themselves in stressful times and who may injure one another in the heat of battle. A word of encouragement will go a long way toward healing that wound and preventing the same thing from happening again.

A simple word of encouragement can not only heal a wound; it can strengthen a person’s resolve to continue when a bad experience threatens to stop his efforts in their tracks. It can turn a frown into a smile and dry a tear. I happen to think tears on the battlefield of the Good Fight are a good thing. They signal the passion and love Christians must have in this fight. They also signal a need on the part of a beloved brother or sister to whom we can minister.

When you are on that battlefield (and Christians should always be on the battlefield) remember to keep a scabbard full of encouraging words ready to use in an emergency. You never know when a comrade will be wounded and you may be the only one close by who can heal that wound. God has given you everything you need to get through this battle successfully (2 Peter 1:3), because He does not want anyone to be lost (2 Peter 3:9). He loves you and so do I.