A Few Great Preachers (my short list)

I have been privileged and blessed to hear some great preachers. Here is a list and a comment or two about the ones who have been most impactful to me.

Sinclair Ferguson-Now a preacher, writer, and theologian at large. He has an encyclopedic knowledge. His sermons are well thought out. He makes you want to know Christ like he does. He preached the best sermon on heaven out of Revelation 5 I have ever heard as he took 5,000 of us at a Ligonier conference up to heaven for an hour. Literally, no one could move or speak for several minutes after he finished. 

Alistair Begg-Pastor of Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio. Yes, I started with two Scotsman. He has a way of drawing you in with him, and he is the most winsome and most pointed at the same time. Love how he quotes hymns in his sermons.

Ligon Duncan-Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi. He can pull more out of an Old Testament passage than anyone I have ever heard, and always uses it to point to Christ.

Bailey Smith-Southern Baptist pastor and evangelist (at home with Jesus). The best Evangelist I have ever heard. I saw people sweating with conviction when he preached.

Ed Robb Jr-Methodist pastor and evangelist (at home with Jesus). Riveting and powerful evangelist of the old Methodist type. When I heard him preach when I was 16, I could not understand why I was under conviction as I thought I was already a Christian.

Art Azurdia-Yes, I know he fell and fell hard (a warning lesson for every preacher), but was a wonderful wordsmith with brilliant illustrations.

John Bisango-Former pastor of FBC Houston (at home with Jesus). He had a great preaching voice and I always sensed the unction of the Spirit when he preached.

Tom Pennington-Pastor of Countryside Bible Church, Southlake, Texas. Very very solid preacher. You always come away from one of his sermons with something that makes you a better Christian. His sermons stay with you.

Conrad Mbewe-Pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church, Lusaka, Zambia. You don't want to miss a word he says when he preaches. Practical, forthright, thoughtful, and engaging. He has been called the Spurgeon of Africa, but I would call him the John MacArthur of Africa because of his years of faithful preaching and devotion to the church. He has developed an international influence.

John MacArthur-Pastor of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley California. John is the dean of expository preaching. His insights are remarkable and rich. His preaching style has changed over the last few years, but he still brings rich treasures out of the storehouse of God's word. His sermon on Slave is one of the best I have ever heard.

Steve Lawson-One Passion Ministries. The preacher's preacher, and I would say the total package when it comes to expository preaching. What makes Steve a great preacher is not the fact that he went to Texas Tech University (Guns Up and Wreck'em), but that he has such a passion for the word of God and a zeal for the Lord that explode out of his sermons.

R C Sproul-The founder of Ligonier Ministries (at home with Jesus). His zeal for the person of God was inspiring.  His logic, humor, and warmth always came across like a father talking to his children.

Philip Venables-Pastor of Feltham Evangelical Church, London, England. Philip is easily the most unknown of this group. He and I preached during a four day conference last September in India. His passion for and fixation on the exaltation of Christ in his sermons were beyond anyone I have ever heard. I was greatly inspired listening to him. He truly makes much of Christ.

Seeing with Eyes of Faith

while we look not at the things which are seen,

but at the things which are not seen;

for the things which are seen are temporal,

but the things which are not seen are eternal.

...for we walk by faith, not by sight---

II Corinthian 4:18, 5:7

By faith Moses...By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the

wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

Hebrews 11:24-27

and though you have not seen Him, you love Him,

and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him,

you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

I Peter 1:8-9

"Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see My day,

and he saw it and was glad."

John 8:56

This section of II Corinthians quoted above begins with II Corinthians 4:13, when Paul states, "But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written..."  The crescendo of this thought is in 4:18"while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

How can we walk by faith, and not by sight? How can we endure as seeing Him who is unseen? How can we look upon the things which are not seen? How can we be like Abraham and see Christ's day and rejoice in it? How can we not see Him and yet love Him and believe in Him? The answer to all of these questions is simple; we see with eyes of faith. Living by faith is what all true Christians do. It is living with eyes of faith that see the unseen through the Word of God, because we believe and therefore trust the Word through which God has spoken to us.

Seeing leads to knowing, and we see this played out in the verses in chapter five that follow on the heels of 4:18:
5:1 For we know
5:6 Therefore, being always of good courage and knowing
5:11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord
5:16 Therefore, from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

Abraham saw Christ's day through the promises of God. Moses endured by seeing Him who is unseen through His promises to Moses. We love Christ and believe in Him because we see our salvation in Him through the promises of God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith we accept the promises of God, and it is through the promises of God that we see Him and His salvation. These promises are not just words written upon a page, they are the daily reality in which we live.

These can only be seen with eyes of faith, eyes that look upon the eternal, eyes that look to the promises of God. It is the man or woman of faith who sees eternal things, who breathes holy air, who stands upon  holy ground.

When we have eyes of faith, we do not see Christ as a historical figure, we see Him as the Savior; in fact, we see Him as our Savior. We see that in Him our sins are forgiven. We see His blood as our atonement. W e see His death as our life. We see His shame as our glory. We see His resurrection as our victory. We see His ascension as our hope. We see His completed work as our confidence. All that Christ is and all that He has done have become real to us by faith.  

Even though unseen, the promises of God have substance and reality. The Lord talks to us and we experience Him and come to know Him through the Word of God. When we take Him at His Word and believe His Word, He opens our eyes to see Him and to know Him; and the eternal things become a reality for us...just like they did for Abraham, Moses, and Paul.

Do you have eyes of faith, my friend?  Have you seen Him who is unseen? Have you seen His coming day and rejoiced? Have you looked to the promises of God so that the Promise of God, Jesus Christ, has become real to you?

How to Keep Life's Circumstances in Perspective

First, realize that God is absolutely Sovereign over all of your life’s circumstances…both good and bad. Psalm 103:19 says “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” (NASB) The theological term for His sovereignty over our life’s affairs is Divine Providence. This means that whatever life throws at us has to come through the omnipotent knowledge and permission of God; and the course and direction of our life is ultimately determined by the Lord.

This is practically illustrated in the following verses:

 Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans His way, but the Lord directs his steps. This verse shows us that we are part of the process, but that in the midst of our thinking, planning, strategizing and praying, God is the ultimate determiner.

Proverbs 20:24 Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way. We never know nor understand where our steps will lead because the Lord has ordained (planned and purposed) them, and they are beyond our foreknowledge; but not His.

Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. This verse show us the futility of thinking that we are ever in total control of our life and its destiny. The unseen providence of God is taking us where we would never have imagined or chosen had we known all that was before us.

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in His way. Here we see that the Lord delights (takes pleasure) in the way He has established (planned, purposed, and carried out) for us. His ultimate goal for us is to be completely conformed to the image of His Son in preparation for eternity. His plan for us is not a plan for this world only, but, actually uses this world to prepare us for the eternal world to come, and our final and complete conformity to the likeness of Christ, who, as the God-man, is the complete man. (Philippians 1:6, 2:13, Colossians 1:28, Ephesians 4:11-15, I John 3:2, Romans 8:29)

Romans 8:28 For we know that God cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  This is because God’s plan for us is for our eternal good.  Our time here is short, and even though we are preoccupied with it, God is preoccupied with our place in eternity.

Secondly, what should our response be?

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. In our circumstances we must have confidence in the Lord, His leading and its outcome, and not lean on (depend fully) on our own understanding. In each and every situation of our life we are to have a reverential regard and respect for God as being God, so that we acquiesce to His leading, so that we do not kick against the goads in seeking our way and not His. 

Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will do it.  This section begins and ends with trusting the Lord; and this trusting is accompanied by doing good (being godly in our circumstances), dwelling in the land (staying where He has brought us and not trying to seek our own way of escape), cultivating faithfulness (building our faithfulness to Him by being obedient to Him in our circumstances), delighting ourselves in Him (this is a by-product of the joy that comes from our faithfulness and trusting), committing our way to Him (in all our way acknowledging Him…Lord I am going to follow you no matter what).

Finally, a biblical example.

Read Genesis 12 and consider the call of God to Abraham. God called, Abraham followed, and God led him right into the middle of a famine. Was the Lord surprised?…NO!  He knew where He was leading and what would be there, but God had a purpose, a greater and eternal purpose for Abraham; and through all of this He taught Abraham to trust Him, to be faithful to Him; and as a result, Abraham became the father of faith for all who would come to Christ thereafter.

Remember, in God's economy there are no accidents or happenstances. Whatever comes your way has been Divinely ordained for your good, your ultimate and eternal good, and for the glory of the One who has called you to Himself and blessed you with an eternal salvation that transcends your short time here on this earth. All that transpires is part of His eternal plan for you…even to your children. Thank Him for His eternal plan and its working out in both good and hard providence. For His eye is on you, His thoughts toward you are as numerous as His wonders, and what He began in You He will complete for all eternity.  Bless His holy name!

A Christian Perspective on Death

Sometimes a death seems senseless and tragic. Such was the case of the young Southern Baptist pastor, John Powell, who was killed last Saturday evening while trying to help stranded motorists on a freeway north of Dallas. It brought back to my mind the death of Mary Gardner on March 23rd, 2011. Miss Gardner was a Wycliff Bible translator who had lived in Togo, West Africa, translating the New Testament into the Ife language. She was in Jerusalem for six months learning Hebrew so she could return to Togo and start on the translation of the Old Testament. She was at a bus station when a terrorist's suicide bomb took her life. John Powell left a wife and four young children, and although Mary was never married and had no children, she did have family and friends that were left to mourn her loss.

I was thinking about these two deaths, young Christians in the prime of their lives, zealous for the Lord and actively working for him, and also about the death of J I Packer last week. Jim Packer died at age  ninety three after a fruitful and prolific life for the Lord. The responses to their deaths were so much different. The responses to the deaths of Mary and John were focused on the tragedy of their deaths, while the responses to the death of Jim Packer were focused on his home going and eternal reward. Regardless of the age and the circumstances, there is a sense in which all deaths are tragic; and for every Christian our death is a home going in anticipation of that day when we will receive our eternal reward. Death is certain for us all. The mystery is in the Lord's timing and purpose of our death.

Death itself is the enemy of man and we have been dealing with its awful consequences since Adam and Eve. Death plays no favorites. It brings its suffering to us all. However, those of us who are Christians can look at death from a different perspective, God's perspective; and gain insight and comfort from how He views it, and how He works it for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  Here are a few ways for a Christian to consider death.

1. We need to understand God's sovereignty over death.

Death is not a random event, as God is sovereign in the timing, circumstance, and purpose of our death. Psalm 103:19 tells us that His throne is established in the heavens and His sovereignty rules over all. God is sovereign over all things, even the timing and circumstances of our death, whether it is young and in the prime of life, or after a long and fruitful life, whether tragic or peaceful. We tend to gloss over God's sovereignty in death; and death, in its timing and circumstance, falls within the bounds of His eternal purpose. The Lord has said this about our time here on earth:  

Psalm 139:16"...And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." 

Job 14:5 "Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass." 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--A time to give birth and a time to die." 

So we see that before we were born, our time here on earth was already established.

We also need to consider Ephesians 1:11..".having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will." We need to understand, especially in light of the verses above that God has predestined our time here upon the earth, both its beginning and its end; and this very time is in accordance with His eternal purpose. So birth and death are not random events, but events that happen in the working out of the eternal purpose of God. This is a mystery, but one that we will understand on the day when God reveals all things to us. 

2. We need to look at the death of a Christian from God's perspective.

Psalm 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones (His saints)". Italics mine. 

This word for precious in the Hebrew is yaqar, and it means precious because of its value or its worth.  As saints our death is precious to God because of the price He paid for us in the death of His Son (I Peter 1:18-19). You always know the value or preciousness of an object by what a person is willing to pay for it. God has rescued us from death, through the death of His Son, so that we can spend eternity with Him and He with us (Ephesians 2:4-8, Revelation 21:3-4). Also, our death is precious and valuable to God, because we will be with Him from that moment on throughout eternity. We are no longer separated from Him, but are with Him forever, and our fellowship with Him is fully completed and will be forever unbroken.

3. We need to consider death from the perspective of Christians who have died.

Philippians 1:21,23 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better." 

II Corinthians 5:6,8 "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord...we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." 

For the Christian death is the door that opens into the arms of Christ; and, for those who belong to Him, He is waiting to receive them to Himself. First of all, what joy it must be for Him to receive into His arms those for whom He died, to receive unto Himself those whom had been given to Him by the Father in eternity past; and to be with them and to receive their joy at their being with Him face to face. Secondly, for the saint, what a joy it will be to be face to face with the One whom we have loved, the One who has walked with us through the ups and downs of life, the One who gave His life for us to ransom us from the dominion of sin and death, and to finally see His face and hear His voice and experience Him fully; for then we shall know fully, just as we have been fully known (I Corinthians 13:12)

Isaiah 57:1-2 "The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; and devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, He enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each one who walked in his upright way." 

When I read this verse, the verse about Lot's righteous soul being tormented day after day by the sin around him comes to mind. For the believer, death takes us away from all evil into the peace of righteousness; it takes us from being surrounded by evil on every side to the very presence of righteousness incarnate; it takes us out of this body of flesh, in which sin, filthiness, and wickedness remain, to a state of awaiting our glorified bodies; it takes us from a state of torment because of the overwhelming presence and dominion of sin and its evil and wickedness in this world to a state of bliss and blessedness because of the ubiquitous and all encompassing presence of righteousness. For the saint God turns the horrors of death into a blessing, and it is His way of taking us away from evil to experience it no more. It is the rest from the weariness of fighting against the sin that is in our own lives and the world around us. It liberates us from the oppressive presence of sin, and transports us into the freedom and joy of righteousness.

4. There is hope, comfort, and purpose for friends and family.

Since the Lord works all things according to His purpose through the counsel of His will, there is a purpose in the timing and circumstances of death for the surviving family and friends as well. Oh, that we could see it and understand it, but until that time when we know fully, we must rest in Him and His sovereignty. We know the promise in Romans 8:28 that He is able to work all things together for good for those that love Him, who are called according to His purpose. We must take Him up on His promise.

God is compassionate and merciful, and in the time of our distress and pain will provide His comfort to us. We see this in II Corinthians 1:3-5 "Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our afflictions....For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ." In Christ there is a special comfort and generous mercy for those who lose friends and loved ones; and the deeper the wound, the greater the comfort. This is there for those who throw themselves upon Christ, who call upon Him for the comfort that only He can give. He Himself has said that He would never desert us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and that He would be a father to the fatherless and a support for the widows (Psalm 68:5, 146:9). 

Finally, in the gospel our hope is anchored. Our hope is a sure and confident expectation that our Christian loved one is in the arms of God, that their death is not a permanent separation, and that God has a purpose not only for the life they lived, but also for the death they died. Their life and death and our trial and suffering are not in vain, but have meaning and a place in the eternal purpose of God.    

Well done, Mary Gardner, John Powell, and Jim Packer, faithful to the end. You have entered into the joy of your Master, you have been received into the bosom of Your Savior. You have entered into the rest from your striving against sin, both yours and the world's. You have entered into the eternal peace of righteousness. Rest well precious saints.

Father, we come to you with a sober joy and a full heart. There are so many times when what we have in our heart and our spirit is unspeakable, and we are thankful that not only do You know all things, but You send Your Spirit to intercede for us with utterings and groanings too deep for words. Thank you for redeeming death for us through the death and resurrection of Your Son, and therefore denying sin and death their victory. Thank You for laying claim on us. Only You could do this, only You would do this. 

O how great a love you have bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. Bless Your name forever and ever.  Amen.

The Value, Benefit, and Necessity of Reminding

In Titus 2:15-3:1a, Paul lays out for us several responsibilities for the Pastor in regards to his preaching. All of the verbs here are present imperatives, which mean they are ongoing commands, not just for Titus but for everyone who occupies the pulpit. 

If you have studied what are called the Pastoral epistles of Paul, and followed his ministry through the book of Acts, most of what is listed here should not come as a big surprise; in fact, the commands are the usual suspects when it comes to preaching the word of God. We understand that we are to be continually speaking the word, and with the word to be continually exhorting and reproving. We understand that when we speak the word we are speaking it under His authority, and therefore with His authority. We also know of the importance of never letting anyone disregard or blow us off as we deliver His word.  However, have you ever thought about how a part of our responsibility as a pastor is to be continually reminding our people about what the word says?

That's what Paul says right there in the very first word of verse one of chapter three...be continually reminding them.  It is the last of the commands, and magnifies and reinforces all the others. When you remind someone, what you are doing is bringing to their remembrance something that they already knew. It is not giving them new knowledge, but is the re-giving them of something already taught. It is the re-telling of Biblical truth. It is the re-explaining of Biblical principles. Reminding is for remembering and therefore reinforcing. What are we to remind them of? We are to remind our flock what the Scriptures say, and what they already know to do in light of what the Scriptures say. We are commanded to remind, so it must be important. 

The Lord is big on reminders, from Genesis all the way through the rest of the Bible. In the Old Testament we have memorials and altars. We have covenant reminders. We have feasts that were to be held every year, and rituals to be continually followed (Hebrews 10:1-3). In the New Testament we have the Lord's Supper, which is to remind us of His death and our covenant with Him. In baptism we are visibly reminded or our union with Christ and our new identity in Him. So why is reminding so important, and why does He remind us so often? So we won't forget or be neglectful.

There are three primary words in the New Testament that are translated remind: 

The first is hupomimnesko, and it just simply means to remind, to bring to remembrance. We see this word used in II Timothy 2:4-14, II Peter 1:12-13, and the purpose of being reminded here is to remind them about the things concerning salvation and sanctification. As used in II Peter 3:1 it is so that they would be stirred up to remember the Scriptures. In Jude 1:5 it is used so as to remind them about the judgment of God upon those who do not truly believe. In Titus 3:1-2 it is used to remind them how they are to behave as Christians.

The second is anamimnesko, which means to remind again, to re-remind, if you will. It is used in
I Corinthians 4:17 to remind the Corinthians of Paul's example, his teaching and its uniformity. In II Timothy 1:6 it is used so as to strengthen and encourage Timothy.

The third is epanamimnesko, which means to strongly or greatly remind, so as to never forget. Paul uses this word in Romans 15:15-16 to tell them that he has written this great epistle to them so that they will never forget the gospel. In other words this epistle was written so that the gospel would be forever etched in their minds.

Additionally, in Philippians 3:1 we see Paul telling the Philippians that to write the same things again is a safeguard for them, so here we see that reminding is also for our protection. 

So in these verses we see some of what reminding is intended to accomplish. 

You see, going to church, studying the Bible, and listening to sermons is not always about hearing or learning something new, but many times it is to be reminded of what we already know. We are never too old in Christ or too old in years to learn something new, and we will never reach a place where we have heard it all or know it all. However, we will also never reach a point or ever reach an age where we won't need to be reminded. You see, so much of our Christian life is about being reminded. We, being the weak frail creatures that the Scriptures tell us that we are, need to be reminded. We need to be reminded so we won't forget. We need to be reminded so our faith will be reinforced and strengthened. We need to be reminded so as to be refreshed when we grow weary. We need to be reminded to be reproved for not doing what we know to do. We need to be reminded so as to be revitalized so we will fight the good fight and press on in our faith. We need to be reminded so we can be restored when we have been wounded or brought low. We need to be reminded so as to be renewed to a greater state of Christlikeness. Sometimes we just simply need to be reminded that we need to be reminded; and, if you  think about it, many times we are the most blessed by hearing a truth that we already hold dear.

So, fellow pastors, let us not forsake, neglect, or forget our responsibility to remind our people about what the Bible says. Let us not be afraid to remind, for we are in the reminding business. Those of us who preach should love to tell the story, again and again. Indeed, that is our charge. 

And how is the best way to do this, so that it doesn't grow stale from the repetition? Preach through the Bible verse by verse, book by book. This is one of the beauties and benefits of consecutive expository preaching. This way you will present the same truths and cover the same themes, but in different contexts and from different angles; and, in doing so, the gospel will be kept fresh, both for you and for your people.

The Encouraging Mystery of the Gospel

And He was saying, "The kingdom of God

is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, 

 and the seed sprouts and grows--how, he himself 

does not know. The soil produces crops by itself;

 first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain 

in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately 

puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Mark 4:26-29

As providence would have it, this section of Scripture comes on the heels of the parable of the four soils in Mark 4:1-20; and I believe it is placed here to be an encouragement for those who are sowing the seed of the gospel. As you might know, the parable of the four soils deals with the sowing of the gospel, with the seeds that are sown being the word of God. It is in only one type of soil that the work of God, the gospel, takes a firm root and bears fruit. The questions that are not answered in this parable are when and how does the gospel actually take root and bear fruit. Is it immediately? Are there certain steps or procedures to be followed? What kind of process is it? How long does it take?

God answers those questions in verses 26-29, and His answer is...just as the process of the seed germinating and sprouting is unseen and unknown to the sower, so is the gospel that takes root and sprouts in the heart of man. The Scriptures don't tell us how and when the Gospel works, they just tell us that it does. When we share the gospel we don't know what kind of heart soil our gospel seed is falling into, nor can we see or understand how it works; but work it does.

There is a parallel here with the explanation Jesus gives to Nicodemus about being born again. We see it in John 3:7-8 when Jesus tells him, "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of God."  The work of God's Spirit and His word is unseen and mysterious, but real and tangible, just like the plant sprouting from the seed and the blowing of the wind; and, like both, is completely out of our hands.

What the Lord is showing us is He is providing the seed for sowing and He is taking care of its results.  We can trust that in His good way and proper time the intended results will happen. Just as God causes the physical seed of the grass to sprout in Psalm 104:7, He causes the spiritual seed to sprout as well, as He is author and giver of all life.

When reading this section in Mark I thought back to a time in Dallas several years ago. My friend Don Conry and I were visiting people who had visited our church. That evening we spent over an hour with one couple sharing the gospel and answering questions. Almost two years later, after a church service, I had a man call my name and run up to me with his wife. It was that couple we had shared the gospel with. He remembered my and Don's name and told me how, after their initial visit to our church, they did not attend church for quite some time, but all during that time they kept thinking about what we had shared with them and explained to them, and finally they surrendered to its truth. He then thanked me, shook my hand, and told me that he and his wife were being baptized that evening.

For those who share the gospel, be encouraged that when you sow the seed of the gospel that God is at work. In ways unseen and mysterious God germinates the seed of His word in the heart of man so that it takes root and bears fruit. The Lord always honors His word and it does not return to Him empty or without accomplishing its purpose.

For those who have heard the gospel, follow the admonition, the call of James 1:21, receive the word that has been sown in you by believing what you have heard concerning your need for salvation and the remedy God has provided for you in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then follow Him in the obedience of faith.