From A Preacher's Notebook

Many preachers keep a notebook of random thoughts on a variety of subjects that they intend to use in a sermon or article sometime.  Many of those tidbits never see the light of day.  Others write articles like this one and present those unrelated reflections.  Here are a few from one preachers notes.

Prayer:  Do you really realize the benefits of prayer?  When you pray to God you never get a busy signal.  He never puts you on hold.  You are never interrupted by call waiting.  You can talk as long as you want.  And the call is toll free.  What a bargain!  What an advantage!  What an incentive!  Dont break the habit of praying, 1 Thess. 5:17.

Long-Winded Song Leaders:  With this clock-watching generation we are living in, preachers become more sensitive to complaints that they are preaching too long.  I regret that some are afraid they may hear too much gospel.  Be that as it may, sometimes preachers are blamed unjustly.  We now have song books that have several songs that stretch out over two pages and some songs have five or six verses.  Some leaders feel they need to lead all of the verses all of the time.  Many would object if a preacher felt he had to read all the verses he quoted from a particular chapter.  Since I like to sing, I have no problem with singing all the verses.  But since I also preach I feel the need to point out that preachers are not always the reason why the service lasted longer than you wanted it to.

Inherited Guilt:  Racial Guilt?  Should we be held accountable for the sins of our ancestors?  Some think so and have tried to make me feel guilty.  The Bible teaches otherwisethe son shall not bear the iniquity of the father (Ezek. 18:20).  Thank God I am not guilty of what my ancestors did to the Indians five generations ago in killing many innocent people or running them off of the land.  (I dont know if any of my relatives were involved, but that is beside the point I am making).  Nor is any Indian living today responsible for what his ancestors did in scalping many innocent men, women, and children, or burning their homes.  Neither should I feel guilty for the sinful way many Negroes were treated by white men who captured them, mistreated them, or made them slaves.  Nor should any black person today feel guilty over the way cannibals treated many white missionaries who went to the native lands of their ancestors.  We should all deplore mans inhumanity to man.  Let us equally deplore the attempt to blame generations that had nothing to do with things that occurred long before they were born.  The judgment will not be based on collective guilt.  If so, nobody has a chance.  We will be judged on a personal basis for what we have done, 2 Cor. 5:10.  No Christian should have a part in radical and lawless groups such as the KKK, Black Panthers, etc.

Sermon Requests: While lighting up a cigarette, a lady asked me to preach a sermon about these wild Jehus who speed and drive recklessly up and down the highway.  Another person who has a weakness for backbiting asked me to preach on smoking.

I have worked with congregations that had a question box in the foyer.  One night per month I would endeavor to answer questions that were submitted.  At one place I soon learned that the box was being abused by those who were not asking for information so they could be edified.  They were using me to get at somebody else in the audience.  They lacked the nerve to do it themselves.  Brethren, these things ought not so to be.  It is refreshing when someone requests a topic because they need itwhich doesnt happen too often.

The Rewards for Debating:  Those who have participated in public debate seem to be unanimous in saying that the work is never harder and the pay is never poorer.  And in some cases there is little appreciation.  It is true that there arent many rewards for defending the faith in this life.  Those who are set for the defense of the faith in debate cant be doing it for financial reasons, in most cases.  We should be set for the defense of the gospel that we might be partakers of His grace, Phil. 1:16-17.

Write Letters:  One source of reaching the public with Bible truth on moral and religious issues of our day is by writing letters to the editors of our local newspapers.  I am convinced this has not been utilized enough by Christians today.

The letter may be trimmed by the editor for brevity but the main body is usually kept intact.  We should take advantage of every opportunity to teach.  A lot of fuzzy thinking in religion and morals appears in our newspapers that need answering.  Christians should be ready to answer, 1 Pet. 3:15.  One advantage to letters to the editor is that it is a free forum.  If you are not good at writing letters dont be ashamed to ask for help from a fellow Christian who may be a better grammarian and speller.  Try to cut out excess verbiage and speak directly to the point.

I also urge more writing to the syndicated advice columnists, such as Abby and Ann Landers.  Though the chance is slim that such a letter will be printed, if enough Christians write, some of them will get through and be printed.  Millions will have the opportunity to hear some truth.

One word of admonition:  Do not write in such a manner as to be unbecoming to the gospel, Phil. 1:27.  Try to shed more light than heat.

Conclusion:  I hope some of these remarks will be worthy of your consideration, and helpful to you.

~Dick Blackford <rlb612@aol.com>

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