136 Sermon Illustrations on Confession

Singer Sandi Patty admits affairs occurred in her first marriage.

Sandi Patty, one of the nation’s leading contemporary Christian music (CCM) artists, remarried in August, following a controversial divorce in 1993. This month she plans to reopen her divorce settlement in an attempt to obtain full custody of her children.

On August 6, in Estes Park, Colorado, Patty, 39, wed Don Peslis, a 34-year- old divorced fitness instructor who once was a member of the now-defunct vocal group One, which toured with Patty. The service was performed by Phil Fair, an ordained minister whose wife provides child-care to the four children from Patty’s first marriage. Patty has admitted to having an extramarital relationship with Peslis during her marriage to John Helvering.

When Patty’s divorce was finalized in March 1993, the settlement provided for joint legal and physical custody. Helvering, also her manager for about 15 years, lives a short distance from the singer in Anderson, Indiana, just outside Indianapolis.

At Patty’s request, a court hearing has been scheduled for late September on whether to grant custody of the former couple’s daughter, 11; 7-year-old twin son and daughter; and third daughter, 5; solely to Patty. Helvering’s attorney will contest the action. At present, an evaluation of the children is being prepared for the court. In addition, Helvering himself is planning to remarry later this year.

THE VOICE OF CCM: These latest developments in Patty’s personal life are related to an earlier series of personal and professional decisions, some of which have generated intense controversy.

Beginning her recording career in 1979, Patty rapidly shot to the summit of the CCM industry, receiving an early boost by touring with the Bill Gaither Trio. For 11 consecutive years, from 1982 to 1992, the Gospel Music Association named Patty its Female Vocalist of the Year.

More than any other single artist, Patty came to represent CCM’s public, family-friendly persona, appearing on The Tonight Show, Entertainment Tonight, and The 700 Club, as well as singing at evangelistic crusades for Billy Graham.

Beginning in 1992, however, signs of deep problems became visible. Early that year, she canceled the second half of her Another Time, Another Place tour. And by June, Patty had filed for divorce. The CCM industry and its many fans were in a stunned state of disbelief and were left with many unanswered questions on the reasons for the divorce. In addition, some radio stations permanently pulled Patty’s popular recordings from their playlists because she did not give biblical grounds for her divorce.

Last year, they agreed in writing “both [would] accept responsibility” for the breakup. Helvering told CT recently there was no marital “emotional abuse” and that his ex-wife should not be seen as a “victim of circumstances.”

Patty’s personal life received additional public scrutiny when she held a press conference in February 1993 to report that she had been sexually abused as a child.

‘SINFUL CHOICES’: Even though Patty has declined to give many specifics regarding her divorce and other actions, she has made a candid public statement about her personal wrongdoing.

In a December 1994 open letter, Patty, who earlier in the year also changed the spelling of her last name from Patti to the original spelling, wrote, “The far-reaching effects of my wrong and sinful choices also continue to be made evident to me and my heart is deeply grieved. I have caused many people a great deal of pain in my life.

“I can only publicly and privately seek their forgiveness, which I believe I have done.” Within weeks of issuing that statement, she canceled a scheduled national musical tour in conjunction with the release of “Find It on the Wings,” her most recent album.

However, during the past 18 months, new information has emerged about the marriage of Patty and Helvering, which, from the outside, seemed idyllic, but on the inside had been profoundly troubled for many years.

According to several independent sources who at different times were aware of Patty’s activities, she took part in two extramarital relationships, in both cases with married men. In the first instance, Patty was involved early in her marriage in an intimate “physical relationship” that did not result in sexual intercourse, according to the man who was involved with Patty. Second, Patty was intimately involved with Peslis, her second husband, starting in late 1991, about 17 months before her divorce was final.

BROKEN MARRIAGE VOWS: During a 90-minute telephone interview last month with CT, with her pastor, Jim Lyon, and manager, Matt Baugher, listening, Patty described at length how the relationships occurred, the reasons for her divorce, and why she remarried. In the interview, Patty said, “I had sexual relations with somebody outside of marriage.” She said, “The other mistake, the other sin that I committed, was not being honest about it in the beginning.”

Concerning her first marriage, she commented, “For many, many years, it was a very painful and difficult relationship for me. We shared two different perspectives on everything.” Looking back on her life, Patty said that the sexual abuse incident became a “tremendous handicap” but did not excuse her unwillingness to “own” responsibility for her misconduct until recently.

Since June 1994, Patty has participated in an “accountability” process with her ex-husband and pastoral leaders from their two churches, the Park Place Church of God and the North Anderson Church of God. Patty has also “confessed” to the North Anderson church council in addition to asking forgiveness from Peslis’s ex-wife, Michelle.

Lyon, North Anderson’s senior pastor, told CT that he had advised Patty and Peslis to “part company,” which they did for a time in late 1994. Yet, shortly thereafter, the relationship resumed. Patty said the couple entered premarital counseling for three months this year.

MUSIC CAREER: As a winner of 42 music awards, and with eight gold or platinum albums to her credit, Patty remains a powerful presence in the CCM industry. Although she has not been on tour since 1992, she has continued to perform, including a benefit concert in Oklahoma City after the April bombing there that killed 168 people.

Patty has three remaining albums to complete her existing contract with Word Records, including a Christmas album scheduled for release this month.

During the interview, Patty expressed uncertainty about the possibility of future tours, saying, “I don’t have any clear direction right now.”

North Anderson’s Lyon told CT, “What encourages me about Sandi..., in the face of outrageous behavior, is that she has come back to wholeness. She has two choices. She can run away and hide [or] she could face it. That’s what she chose to do.”

Copyright (c) 1995 Christianity Today, Inc./CHRISTIANITY TODAY Magazine

As crystal methamphetamine takes an increasing toll Americans, Ashley Smith revealed in her new book, her past addiction to encourage users to stop abusing the drug.

As crystal methamphetamine takes an increasing toll on Americans, a “purpose-driven” heroine is revealing her past addiction to encourage users to stop abusing the drug.

Although Ashley Smith was praised for persuading alleged Atlanta Courthouse killer Brian Nichols to release her by reading passages of The Purpose Driven Life to him in March, the hostage-turned-heroine has received criticism for having also offered the highly addictive drug while in captivity – as revealed in her recently released book, Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero.

But Smith says she wanted to give the whole story, as does Purpose Driven Ministries in Lake Forest, California, which conducted an interview with Smith in the face of “superficial” coverage by the mainstream media, according to ministry spokesperson Mark Kelly.

“We felt the media who were interviewing Ashley on her book tour were not doing a good job of getting past the superficial topics,” he said.

According to her book, Smith became addicted to the drug in 2001 after her husband, Mack, was murdered. By March 12, 2005, when she was taken hostage in her own home by Nichols, Smith had started to rebuild her life, but she still struggled with a desire for the drug.

Known as “speed, “meth,” or “ice,” crystal methamphetamine is a highly addictive, cheap alternative to cocaine and heroin. Nearly six in 10 U.S. counties report methamphetamine use is their number 1 drug problem, according to a National Association of Counties survey of 500 counties in 45 states.

While Smith was held captive in her own apartment by the man accused of killing four people in a shooting rampage, the Atlanta-resident was asked if she had marijuana. She didn’t, but offered him the crystal meth she did have. When Nichols asked her to use the drug with him, she refused. What she did instead was read to him from The Purpose Driven Life, which changed Nichols and allowed him let her go. She subsequently phoned the police, who picked him up.

“I really didn’t think God was going to give me another chance,” she said during the interview with Purpose Driven Ministries. “So what I did at that time was surrender completely to him and say, ‘God, You probably are going to take me home tonight, and before you take me home, I need to get right with you.’ In doing that, God did give me another chance.”

Being honest in her book about her struggles was embarrassing but worth it, according to Smith.

“I’ll tell everybody my story if it will bring people out of their misery,” she said. “I’ll be embarrassed for everybody.”

Since her confession, readers of her book have sent in letters about their own struggles.

Smith hopes to be strong enough one day to minister face-to-face to those with drug addictions. For now, she’s letting her book speak for her.

And to the many people who say she’s likely to fall back into drug addiction, she said, “I’m a human being and I pray every day that doesn’t happen. I depend on the people around me and Jesus Christ for that.”

Smith also thinks she knows why God chose to save her life.

“I honestly believe God saw that I wasn’t going to take the glory for myself,” she said, “but I was going to just proclaim His name and let everybody know the truth about how He saved me by His grace.”

According to Smith, sharing the message of God’s grace is what drives her now.

“I’m addicted to Jesus now.”

President Clinton expressed gratitude for the "unmerited forgiveness" he has received in the last year during a Sept. 28, 1999, speech to many of the same religious leaders before whom last year he acknowledged he had sinned in his adulterous relationship with a White House intern.

Speaking to about 100 people at a breakfast with religious leaders that has become an annual event since Clinton's first year in office, the president briefly addressed last year's event and what he has experienced since then.

"Last year was one of the most difficult years in my life, and this occasion, because it has come to mean so much to me, was a very difficult one," Clinton said, according to a transcript. "For those of you who were part of that, I want to express my particular appreciation.

"I have been profoundly moved, as few people have, by the pure power of grace -- unmerited forgiveness through grace -- most of all to my wife and daughter, but to the people I work with, to the legions of American people and to the God in whom I believe. And I am very grateful to all of you who have had any role in that, and I thank you."

At last year's breakfast, Clinton agreed he "was not contrite enough" less than a month earlier when he admitted in a nationally televised speech he had an improper relationship with Monica Lewinsky after denying it for almost seven months.

"I don't think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned," the president told the group last year.

"It is important to me that everybody who has been hurt know that the sorrow I feel is genuine: First and most important, my family; also my friends, my staff, my Cabinet, Monica Lewinsky and her family, and the American people. I have asked all for their forgiveness."

At that time, Clinton did not say when he requested forgiveness from Lewinsky and her family. At a briefing later in the day, White House press secretary Mike McCurry said the president had not talked with Lewinsky. McCurry said he thought Clinton's statement at the breakfast "was an apology."

At this year's breakfast, the president also thanked three religious leaders who have counseled him during the last year. They are Gordon MacDonald, an evangelical author and pastor; Tony Campolo, author and professor at Eastern College, and Philip Wogaman, pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington.

They "have kept their word to meet with me over the last year -- both to help me and to hold me accountable," Clinton said. "And I have kept my word to meet with them and to work with them.

"I also want you to know that we are continuing our work. It is interesting and not always comfortable, but always rewarding. And I hope you will pray for us as we do."

According to The Washington Times, Wogaman agreed the sessions are sometimes uncomfortable.

"You're dealing with your failings, with your flaws, and you hold them to view and you discuss them," Wogaman said, according to The Times.

"I've always thought he was a person with great gifts and that this was an area of flaw in his life that he needed to deal with, and he's done so. We don't judge people just by their flaws."

Though his family and he attend Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, Clinton is a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Last October, the president wrote a letter in which he asked forgiveness from the fellow members of Immanuel. Clinton "expressed repentance for his actions, sadness for the consequence of his sin on his family, friends and church family, and asked forgiveness from Immanuel," pastor Rex Horne said in a two-sentence, written statement released at the time. Horne read Clinton's letter at the conclusion of the morning worship service Oct. 18, 1998.

In a time of increasing moral depravity and indifference in the United States, Christians must heighten their praying, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Kenneth S. Hemphill says.

"It breaks our hearts to see our president and our nation facing moral depravity, and no one seems to care," Hemphill said, referring to the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton currently under way in the U.S. Senate. What seems to be worse than the trial, he added, is that people are indifferent to the events in Washington, so long as the economy remains healthy.

"God is calling our nation as never before to pray," Hemphill said.

Using the Old Testament Book of Nehemiah as his text, Hemphill said confession and repentance are essential to praying effectively. From Nehemiah 1:4-7, Hemphill noted Nehemiah's prayer upon learning that the walls of Jerusalem were in ruins: a confession that the Jews had sinned against the Lord and had been wicked.

Corporate confession is good, Hemphill said, but there is a danger in it, because "when we think 'we,' we think 'the rest of them' have sinned." But in Nehemiah's prayer, the Jewish leader went from confessing the sins of the Jewish nation as a whole to the sins of his family and his own sins. "For a revival to occur," said Hemphill, "individual repentance has to occur."

When repenting of disobedience, Christians need to keep in mind that disobedience comes in the form of both unfulfilled requirements and hesitating before following the Lord's commands, Hemphill said.

"Partial obedience is total disobedience. We're carrying around sin and baggage we have not confessed," he said. Delaying doing what the Lord has said is also tantamount to sinning. "Delayed obedience is immediate disobedience. When God calls, we obey. It's not negotiable."

When Nehemiah acknowledged his sins, he remembered God's promise to forgive his sins, Hemphill added. Though Nehemiah came before God empty-handed, he always had the guarantee from God, as recorded in Scripture, that "if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name."

Hemphill also pointed out Nehemiah "sat down to pray," that is, he stopped and listened to God.

Until that time, Hemphill said, Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer to the king of Persia, had a "pie-in-the-sky" view, but the news of Jerusalem's distress "shattered his cocoon." Nehemiah became so grieved at what was happening to his people that he sat down and wept. "He got God's perspective," Hemphill said.

Not only did Nehemiah weep, he also prayed intensely and fasted, said Hemphill, noting that most Christians no longer pray this way. "One of the reasons we don't pray this way is that it's hard work. It's difficult spiritual work," he said.

But fighting a spiritual battle with any chance of success requires that prayer be made earnestly and intensely, Hemphill said. He quoted the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 18, which says: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."

Nehemiah's prayer also focused on the nature of God. Reminding his audience that "man's insufficiency is always met by God's sufficiency," Hemphill said Christians need to focus on "the great and awesome God" to whom Nehemiah directed his prayer.

In addition to focusing on God's glory and his power, Nehemiah also remembered that God keeps his promises for those who love him and obey his commands. Hemphill reminded the students that this promise applies to them. Despite all the challenges that seminary students face, Hemphill said, "If he has called you here, he will sustain you here."

Hemphill closed his remarks with an encouragement to students to meet with others and to form prayer groups as God leads, but "above all else, seek the face of holy God."

*

In 1980 New York City Mayor Ed Koch appeared on a local news program in the middle of the city's financial crisis. Koch had spent over a quarter of a million dollars to put up bike lanes in Manhattan, and they turned out to be a disaster. Cars were driving in the bike lanes, pedestrians were walking in the them, and bikers were getting crowded out. It was a mess and many people in New York were irate about it. Koch was coming up for re-election, so a handful of journalists cornered him on this show, planning to tear him to pieces for spending money foolishly when the city was nearly broke. One reporter said, "Mayor, in light of the financial difficulties New York City is facing, how could you possibly justify wasting $300,000 on bike lanes?" The stage was set for a half-hour confrontation. Instead, Koch said, "It was a terrible idea. I thought it would work, but it didn't. It was one of the worst mistakes I ever made." Then he stopped. None of the other journalists knew what to say or do. They were expecting him to squirm and make excuses, but he didn't even try. The next journalist stammered and said, "But Mayor Koch, how could you do this?" Koch said, "I already told you. It was a stupid idea. It didn't work." Then he stopped. There was still 26 minutes left to go on the news show, and the reporters had to find something else to talk about. The last thing they expected that day was for the mayor take responsibility for his actions. Ultimately, of course, Koch went on to receive both the Democratic and the Republican endorsements for re-election.

Barry Bryson writes: "I had a friend in High School who wanted desperately to be a hurdler on the track team. He could negotiate the low hurdles fairly well, but he couldn't seem to get across the high hurdles. He tried lifting weights to improve his strength, jumping rope to improve his vertical leap, and new shoes to give him an extra edge, but he couldn't seem to get across the high hurdles. finally I said to him, "Bill, you are 5 foot 2 inches tall and weigh 212 pounds. You won't ever be able to run the high hurdles unless you lose weight or grow a foot taller."

British comedian Dave Allen tells the story of his mother being unable to get her car to start. So she cleaned out the ash trays, the glove box, and cleaned off the windshield. To her amazement the car still would not start.

It never ceases to amaze me how easily we humans become oblivious to the obvious.

Early in 1993 British police accused two ten-year-old boys of the brutal murder of two-year-old James Bulger. The two boys pleaded innocence. During the two-week trial the young defendants responded to police questioning with noticeable inconsistency. The climax of the trial came when the parents of one of the boys assured him that they would always love him. Confronted with irrefutable evidence linking him with the crime and the assurance of his parents' love, the boy confessed in a soft voice, "I killed James."

The miracle of God's love is that he knows how evil we are, yet he loves us. We can confess our worst sins to him, confident that his love will not diminish. -Greg Asimakoupoulos; Concord, California

Guilt could be likened to a sore tooth. When a person's tooth is sore, he has basically two options. He could go through self-realization and hypnosis and try to blot out the pain in his mouth, perhaps even successfully, so some time, but the problem is still there. The other option is to pull the tooth: A painful process initially, but once it's gone, it's gone. This is like guilt. We can deny it for a while, but it will hurt us.

Making SURE His Sins Found Him Out:

Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a lineup. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words, "Give me all your money or I'll shoot," the man shouted, "That's not what I said!"

The 1996 walk across America was an eye-opener.

At Texas City, Texas, a deeply troubled couple waited for their guest speaker on the front porch of the thriving church. When they spotted Ted, they excitedly proclaimed, "Thank God you're here. God sent you." They soon explained that their teenaged son had just been arrested and charged with capital murder in the slaying of a convenience store clerk.

When they had completed detailing the sad history of their wayward son, they gratefully confided, "Thank God, we're members of this church. We don't have to be afraid to cry or express our pain in front of our fellow church members. They love us, and they even love our son, in spite of the terrible thing he is charged with doing."

A few days later another church member confided to the cross-country hiker, "My brother has a serious cocaine problem, and I'm worried to death about him!" Her teary eyes confirmed her deep fear for his future. "I love my church," she continued, "but I don't dare try to discuss my brother's drug habit with our members. At my church they play a game of 'let's pretend. Let's pretend no one is hurting. Let's pretend no one has a problem. Let's pretend everything is all right.' But everything is not all right," the young lady lamented. "My brother does have a problem, and he is hurting and so are we."

Whenever we are privileged to speak in churches across the nation, we often ask our rapt listeners the penetrating question, "What kind of church is your church?" We believe that our church fellowships are at last beginning to wake up to the truth. For many years we preferred that others handle the seeming dirty problem of drug abuse. We conveyed the impression that the responsibility for the dark tragedy and its solution lay with "those people" and not us. But now we are coming out of the self-imposed darkness of denial, and we are beginning to understand that the problem belongs to all of us and, therefore, the solution must be worked by those who preach daily, "Jesus is the answer." Surely the ultimate answer must lie in changing the hearts of men and women by the grace of God.

Our recent pilgrimage to Hawaii to share the message of hope confirmed the emergence of the open-door policy among Baptists. At the end of the early morning worship service in Honolulu, we offered the usual opportunity for those who had loved ones hurting because of drug-related problems to come forward and kneel, asking God to work a miracles in the lives of the ones for whom they prayed. We reminded the congregation that those who dared to pray for such a miracle must be willing to be an active part of that recovery experience in whatever way the Lord would lead.

One man knelt near the altar, and prayed tearfully to God for help with his own addiction. And then from a canvas bag around his neck, he carefully withdrew two unopened cans of beer and his crystal meth (amphetamine) pipe and deposited them on the altar as a symbol of his desire to be free at last. We prayed with him for strength and determination that only the Lord can provide.

That day we had been in a church of which the hurting could shout to the heavens, "Thank God for this church. They love me in spite of what I have done. For me there is hope!" We pray for more such churches.

*

Bible Passages: Leviticus 5:1, 4-5, 14-16; 6:1-7

Discussion Questions:

• Why is it important to read the Book of Leviticus as a book about fellowship with God rather than a rule book for religion?

• Why do you think God requires both confession and repentance for the worshipper to give an acceptable offering to the Lord?

• Why does asking forgiveness from someone we have wronged sometimes seem shallow if it is not backed up by actions?

Food for Thought:

Because the blood of Jesus can “cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), believers often take a casual view of sin, thinking all we need to do is say a quick prayer and ask for forgiveness. While God’s capacity to forgive is unlimited, we must remember that all sin offends holy God. Holiness is a concept that is lost in today’s society. Yet God expects His people to be holy. In fact, the theme of the Book of Leviticus is “be holy because I am holy” (Lev. 11:44). Honoring God’s holiness involves right relationships with God and with each other.

God requires us to acknowledge our guilt. Leviticus 5 begins with a section that describes cases when sin offerings are required for both sins of omission and commission. When we dishonor God’s holiness, we need to recognize that a right relationship with God requires a sacrifice. Thankfully, Jesus made that sacrifice for all sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). However, sin destroys our fellowship with God and requires admitting our sin through true confession and genuine repentance.

Since sin offends holy God and breaks fellowship with Him, the sinner needs to get right with God. This requires true confession of sin; restitution is one way to express true confession. Leviticus required an additional 20 percent restitution for those who had damaged others with their sin. A person meets the demand for confession and restitution when he puts his faith in Jesus Christ. Though all those demands are met in Christ, the grace of God also encourages us to make things right with others we have wronged (see Zacchaeus’s example in Luke 19:8).

We honor God’s holiness by living in harmony with His family. To live in harmony, we often must make amends with those who have wronged us or with those whom we have wronged. Leviticus 6:1-7 describes this process. To the best of our ability, we should seek forgiveness from God and attempt to make amends with those we have harmed.

*

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #698]

Some time ago, $180,000, the largest amount ever stolen from the

United States mails by a postal employee, was recovered. The money had

been stolen over a year before. A Mr. M_____ was suspected and

arrested, but strenuously denied his guilt. It could not be proved,

but the authorities were confident he was guilty. When dying, he sent

for the postal authorities and began to make his confession. He did

state that he had stolen the money, and then began to tell where it

was. He began: "It is buried -- " and then choked and died without

ever telling where. However they dug in his back yard, and nine feet

underground they found the stolen money.

How dreadful! It was too much for him to make the statement. It

choked him. But what about the judgment? God says He will "bring every

work into judgment, with every secret thing." All will come to light,

no matter how deeply or securely buried or hidden. We had better

confess now and make it right.

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

Two brothers started to go West to seek their fortunes. One had

money; the other had not. When they got to the frontier, the one

without money murdered the other and, taking his money, fled to

California. Doctors took the head of the murdered man and preserved it

in alcohol. No proof of the murder could be found. No one was present

when the deed was done. The brother was accused, but he declared his

innocence. No eye was there but his and God's. He was brought before

judge and jury, and declared his innocence. The dead face of his

brother was brought into court. He gazed on it, fainted, fell to the

floor, and confessed his sin.

There is a time when all these unconfessed sins will come in before

us -- tramp, tramp, tramp -- till they all come back. When a man comes

and throws himself on his knees in the inquiry room, there is hope for

him. -- MOODY.

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

I remember, in one place, right in the middle of the sermon, an

aged minister, who had been for twenty-five years pastor in that

place, rose up and stood by my side on the front of the platform. But

he did not say anything, and I commenced again. And he said, "Wait --

wait!" And then I saw that he could not command his voice. We waited,

and after a few moments he said, "My dear people, when I rose up this

morning I asked God to make this the best day of my life; and he is

doing it. I have preached sermons enough, and I have made calls

enough, but I have never known in my life what it was to have a tender

heart; and I ask your forgiveness." And a man rose up in the rear of

the room and said, "I am an officer of this church, and the idea of my

pastor talking like that when I am here! I have been immersed in my

business, and I have not been living as I ought, and it is my fault

that people are not turning to Christ. I ask my pastor's and the

people's forgiveness," and he sat down. And then a lady rose up and

said, ''I am a member of this church, but no one would have thought it

from the way lived. Only a little while ago I gave a ball at my mouse

to introduce my two daughters to society, but I have never introduced

them to Christ. Do you think there is hope for me?" Two young ladies

arose and said, "We want to be Christians." And those two young ladies

were the two daughters of this lady. Just the minute she was willing

to get right, her two daughters came to Christ. -- B. F. M.

By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."

A girl in a fashionable home was brought to Christ, and for

several years witnessed faithfully to Him. Then she was invited

to stay with relatives whom she scarcely knew, and whom she had

never seen; and she resolved she would not speak of her Lord,

nor obtrude her religion. On the day she was to leave for home,

an attractive and accomplished lady, a leader in society, while

walking alone with her, suddenly said, "Where is your sister,

and why didn't she come? I mean your religious sister: it was

because I heard she was coming that I came; I am sick of my

empty life, and longed to talk to a real Christian." With shame

she had to confess that she had no sister. --King's Herald

When General Lee was coming up the Chambersburg Road to

Gettysburg, "Gettysburg Hannah" (as she was called) grabbed her

poker and started down the road to meet the enemy. Nothing

happened. Lee came right on, and the decisive battle was fought.

After the war was over, they were having a quilting party in one

of the Gettysburg homes and Hannah was there. The other women

were having some fun with Hannah. Said Mrs. Bomberger, "Hannah,

what in the world did you expect to do with that old poker

against that great Southern army?" "Vell," said Hannah in her

rich Pennsylvania Dutch (if I can spell it right), "I no expect

to do nodings yet a ready, but I left'em know what side I vas

on, ain't it!" --Sunday School Times

An illustration used by a Chinese evangelist: A woman with a bundle

of dirty washing had taken it to the riverside with the purpose of

washing it. But she was ashamed to open it for fear someone would see

how dirty it was; so she just plunged the whole bundle into the water,

jogged it up and down several times, and then went home with it. A lot

of people are like that foolish woman. They have many sins that need

to be cleansed, but they are not willing to bring them out and confess

them one by one. They just say, "Lord, I am a sinner, forgive me." So,

they cover up all their sins, their thefts, and their

lies, and their jealousies, and their hatred. But they have to be

brought out and confessed, and only then can they be cleansed.

<> My Source: FOUR STATE GOSPEL NEWS

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<> Author: Don Deffenbaugh

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CONFESSION

by Don Deffenbaugh

A subject often misunderstood and abused is confession. For one to "confess" means that he acknowledges something, that he owns up to something, or admits something. To say that one has made a confession, however, does not necessarily imply that he has done wrong. For example, men confessed they were strangers and foreigners on earth (Hebrews 11:13). Some confessed their belief in angels and the resurrection (Acts 23:8). Paul confessed he worshipped the God of his fathers (Acts 14:24). Jesus made the confession before Pilate (1 Timothy 6:13). While, on the other hand, some confessed sins (Matthew 3:6), and others confessed Christ (Romans 10:9). Confession is important to the one desiring salvation because it is something that both the alien and the erring must do.

The New Testament teaches that the alien sinner, seeking salvation, must confess Christ (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-37). When such a person confesses Christ it means that he acknowledges belief in Him. He has faith in Him and His word. He acknowledges Christ is what the Holy Spirit said He is. To make such a confession implies that the one who makes it recognizes he is a sinner in need of Divine help.

Of importance to this study is the place of confession of Christ in the Divine plan. It is quite obvious that one will not confess Christ as the Son of God until he has faith in Him. Neither will one confess Christ until he has been willing to cease from sin. According to the teaching of the New Testament one must be willing to confess Christ before being baptized into Him (Acts 8:36-37). Have you confessed Christ?

David Fidler, 49, had been a respected Darwin, Australia, news journalist for fifteen years; Fidler enjoyed the attention he received from those who believed him to be national Olympic champion ... none of which was true! The burden of these stories had accumulated in Fidler's mind and heart, but the weight was lifted when the lie of it all was revealed. Fidler recently admitted in an interview he had not swum for Australia at the 1968 games in Mexico. The former newscaster said, "The Olympic thing was something that was said that should not have been said and I didn't know how to unsay it. I wished I could, but I just didn't know how. For 15 years there wasn't a day go past when I didn't want it to stop. It was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head."

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Commentary: Believers have know the relief of confession for millennia. When sinners go before the Royal Throne of Grace and asks the Kings pardon the burden is lifted. At first it's a surprise! Most are aware something is wrong but are not able to put their finger on it. Only when the burden is lifted do they come to see it was their sin that burdened them. God is faithful to forgive us our sins if we would but ask. Psychiatrists have known for some time that most of their patients would experience a significant level of healing if they could simply experience forgiveness preceded by a healthy dose of confession.

Source/Attribution: Adapted from Australian Associated Press, National section, "Exposed Olympic lie a relief, says disgraced newsreader," 28 March 2000; John Gillmartin

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The Confession of St. Patrick, translated from the Latin by Ludwig Bieler:

I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many. My father was Calpornius, a deacon, son of Potitus, a priest, of the village Bannavem Taburni; he had a country seat nearby, and there I was taken captive.

I was then about sixteen years of age. I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity to Ireland with many thousands of people - and deservedly so, because we turned away from God, and did not keep His commandments, and did not obey our priests, who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought over us the wrath of his anger and scattered us among many nations, even unto the utmost part of the earth, where now my littleness is placed among strangers.

And there the Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might at last remember my sins and be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my abjection, and mercy on my youth and ignorance, and watched over me before I knew Him, and before I was able to distinguish between good and evil, and guarded me, and comforted me as would a father his son.

Hence I cannot be silent - nor, indeed, is it expedient - about the great benefits and the great grace which the lord has deigned to bestow upon me in the land of my captivity; for this we can give to God in return after having been chastened by Him, to exalt and praise His wonders before every nation that is anywhere under the heaven.

Because there is no other God, nor ever was, nor will be, than God the Father unbegotten, without beginning, from whom is all beginning, the Lord of the universe, as we have been taught; and His son Jesus Christ, whom we declare to have always been with the Father, spiritually and ineffably begotten by the Father before the beginning of the world, before all beginning; and by Him are made all things visible and invisible. He was made man, and, having defeated death, was received into heaven by the Father; and He hath given Him all power over all names in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess to Him that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe, and whose advent we expect soon to be, judge of the living and of the dead, who will render to every man according to his deeds; and He has poured forth upon us abundantly the Holy Spirit, the gift and pledge of immortality, who makes those who believe and obey sons of God and join theirs with Christ; and Him do we confess and adore, one God in the Trinity of the Holy Name.

For He Himself has said through the Prophet: Call upon me in the day of thy trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. And again He says: It is honourable to reveal and confess the works of God.

Although I am imperfect in many things, I nevertheless wish that my brethren and kinsmen should know what sort of person I am, so that they may understand my heart's desire. I know well the testimony of my Lord, who in the Psalm declares: Thou wilt destroy them that speak a lie. And again He says: The mouth that belieth killeth the soul. And the same Lord says in the Gospel: Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it on the day of judgment.

And so I should dread exceedingly, with fear and trembling, this sentence on that day when no one will be able to escape or hide, but we all, without exception, shall have to give an account even of our smallest sins before the judgment of the Lord Christ.

For this reason I had in mind to write, but hesitated until now; I was afraid of exposing myself to the talk of men, because I have not studied like the others, who thoroughly imbibed law and Sacred Scripture, and never had to change from the language of their childhood days, but were able to make it still more perfect. In our case, what I had to say had to be translated into a tongue foreign to me, as can be easily proved from the savour of my writing, which betrays how little instruction and training I have had in the art of words; for, so says Scripture, by the tongue will be discovered the wiseman, and understanding, and knowledge, and the teaching of truth.

But of what help is an excuse, however true, especially if combined with presumption, since now, in my old age, I strive for something that I did not acquire in youth? It was my sins that prevented me from fixing in my mind what before I had barely read through. But who believes me, though I should repeat what I started out with?

As a youth, nay, almost as a boy not able to speak, I was taken captive, before I knew what to pursue and what to avoid. Hence to-day I blush and fear exceedingly to reveal my lack of education; for I am unable to tell my story to those versed in the art of concise writing - in such a way, I mean, as my spirit and mind long to do, and so that the sense of my words expresses what I feel.

But if indeed it had been given to me as it was given to others, then I would not be silent because of my desire of thanksgiving; and if perhaps some people think me arrogant for doing so in spite of my lack of knowledge and my slow tongue, it is, after all, written: The stammering tongues shall quickly learn to speak peace.

How much more should we earnestly strive to do this, we, who are, so Scripture says, a letter of Christ for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth, and, though not an eloquent one, yet...written in your hearts, not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God! And again the Spirit witnesses that even rusticity was created by the Highest.

Whence I, once rustic, exiled, unlearned, who does not know how to provide for the future, this at least I know most certainly that before I was humiliated I was like a stone Lying in the deep mire; and He that is mighty came and in His mercy lifted me up, and raised me aloft, and placed me on the top of the wall. And therefore I ought to cry out aloud and so also render something to the Lord for His great benefits here and in eternity - benefits which the mind of men is unable to appraise.

Wherefore, then, be astonished, ye great and little that fear God, and you men of letters on your estates, listen and pore over this. Who was it that roused up me, the fool that I am, from the midst of those who in the eyes of men are wise, and expert in law, and powerful in word and in everything? And He inspired me - me, the outcast of this world - before others, to be the man (if only I could!) who, with fear and reverence and without blame, should faithfully serve the people to whom the love of Christ conveyed and gave me for the duration of my life, if I should be worthy; yes indeed, to serve them humbly and sincerely.

In the light, therefore, of our faith in the Trinity I must make this choice, regardless of danger I must make known the gift of God and everlasting consolation, without fear and frankly I must spread everywhere the name of God so that after my decease I may leave a bequest to my brethren and sons whom I have baptised in the Lord - so many thousands of people.

And I was not worthy, nor was I such that the Lord should grant this to His servant; that after my misfortunes and so great difficulties, after my captivity, after the lapse of so many years, He should give me so great a grace in behalf of that nation - a thing which once, in my youth, I never expected nor thought of.

But after I came to Ireland - every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed - the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was moved so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many in the night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountains; and I used to get up for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm, and there was no sloth in me - as I now see, because the spirit within me was then fervent.

And there one night I heard in my sleep a voice saying to me: `It is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country.' And again, after a short while, I heard a voice saying to me: `See, your ship is ready.' And it was not near, but at a distance of perhaps two hundred miles, and I had never been there, nor did I know a living soul there; and then I took to flight, and I left the man with whom I had stayed for six years. And I went in the strength of God who directed my way to my good, and I feared nothing until I came to that ship.

And the day that I arrived the ship was set afloat, and I said that I was able to pay for my passage with them. But the captain was not pleased, and with indignation he answered harshly: `It is of no use for you to ask us to go along with us.' And when I heard this, I left them in order to return to the hut where I was staying. And as I went, I began to pray; and before I had ended my prayer, I heard one of them shouting behind me, `Come, hurry, we shall take you on in good faith; make friends with us in whatever way you like.' And so on that day I refused to suck their breasts for fear of God, but rather hoped they would come to the faith of Jesus Christ, because they were pagans. And thus I had my way with them, and we set sail at once.

And after three days we reached land, and for twenty-eight days we travelled through deserted country. And they lacked food, and hunger overcame them; and the next day the captain said to me: `Tell me, Christian: you say that your God is great and all-powerful; why, then, do you not pray for us? As you can see, we are suffering from hunger; it is unlikely indeed that we shall ever see a human being again.'

I said to them full of confidence: `Be truly converted with all your heart to the Lord my God, because nothing is impossible for Him, that this day He may send you food on your way until you be satisfied; for He has abundance everywhere.' And, with the help of God, so it came to pass: suddenly a herd of pigs appeared on the road before our eyes, and they killed many of them; and there they stopped for two nights and fully recovered their strength, and their hounds received their fill for many of them had grown weak and were half-dead along the way. And from that day they had plenty of food. They also found wild honey, and offered some of it to me, and one of them said: `This we offer in sacrifice.' Thanks be to God, I tasted none of it.

That same night, when I was asleep, Satan assailed me violently, a thing I shall remember as long as I shall be in this body. And he fell upon me like a huge rock, and I could not stir a limb. But whence came it into my mind, ignorant as I am, to call upon Helias? And meanwhile I saw the sunrise in the sky, and while I was shouting `Helias! Helias' with all my might, suddenly the splendour of that sun fell on me and immediately freed me of all misery. And I believe that I was sustained by Christ my Lord, and that His Spirit was even then crying out in my behalf, and I hope it will be soon the day of my tribulation, as is written in the Gospel: On that day, the Lord declares, it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

And once again, after many years, I fell into captivity. On that first night I stayed with them, I heard a divine message saying to me: `Two months will you be with them.' And so it came to pass: on the sixtieth night thereafter the Lord delivered me out of their hands.

Also on our way God gave us food and fire and dry weather every day, until, on the tenth day, we met people. As I said above, we travelled twenty-eight days through deserted country, and the night that we met people we had no food left.

And again after a few years I was in Britain with my people. who received me as their son, and sincerely besought me that now at last, having suffered so many hardships, I should not leave them and go elsewhere.

And there I saw in the night the vision of a man, whose name was Victoricus, coming as it were from Ireland, with countless letters. And he gave me one of them, and I read the opening words of the letter, which were, `The voice of the Irish'; and as I read the beginning of the letter I thought that at the same moment I heard their voice - they were those beside the Wood of Voclut, which is near the Western Sea - and thus did they cry out as with one mouth: `We ask thee, boy, come and walk among us once more.'

And I was quite broken in heart, and could read no further, and so I woke up. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord gave to them according to their cry.

And another night - whether within me, or beside me, I know not, God knoweth - they called me most unmistakably with words which I heard but could not understand, except that at the end of the prayer He spoke thus: `He that has laid down His life for thee, it is He that speaketh in thee'; and so I awoke full of joy.

And again I saw Him praying in me, and I was as it were within my body, and I heard Him above me, that is, over the inward man, and there He prayed mightily with groanings. And all the time I was astonished, and wondered, and thought with myself who it could be that prayed in me. But at the end of the prayer He spoke, saying that He was the Spirit; and so I woke up, and remembered the Apostle saying: The Spirit helpeth the infirmities of our prayer. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit Himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings, which cannot be expressed in words; and again: The Lord our advocate asketh for us.

And when I was attacked by a number of my seniors who came forth and brought up my sins against my laborious episcopate, on that day indeed was I struck so that I might have fallen now and for eternity; but the Lord graciously spared the stranger and sojourner for His name and came mightily to my help in this affliction Verily, not slight was the shame and blame that fell upon me! I ask God that it may not be reckoned to them as sin.

As cause for proceeding against me they found - after thirty years! - a confession I had made before I was a deacon. In the anxiety of my troubled mind I confided to my dearest friend what I had done in my boyhood one day, nay, in one hour, because I was not yet strong. I know not, God knoweth - whether I was then fifteen years old: and I did not believe in the living God, nor did I so from my childhood, but lived in death and unbelief until I was severely chastised and really humiliated, by hunger and nakedness, and that daily.

On the other hand, I did not go to Ireland of my own accord. not until I had nearly perished; but this was rather for my good, for thus was I purged by the Lord; and He made me fit so that I might be now what was once far from me that I should care and labour for the salvation of others, whereas then I did not even care about myself.

On that day, then, when I was rejected by those referred to and mentioned above, in that night I saw a vision of the night. There was a writing without honour against my face, and at the same time I heard God's voice saying to me: `We have seen with displeasure the face of Deisignatus' (thus revealing his name). He did not say, `Thou hast seen.' but `We have seen.' as if He included Himself, as He sayeth: He who toucheth you toucheth as it were the apple of my eye.

Therefore I give Him thanks who hath strengthened me in everything, as He did not frustrate the journey upon which I had decided, and the work which I had learned from Christ my Lord; but I rather felt after this no little strength, and my trust was proved right before God and men.

And so I say boldly, my conscience does not blame me now or in the future: God is my witness that I have not lied in the account which I have given you.

But the more am I sorry for my dearest friend that we had to hear what he said. To him I had confided my very soul! And I was told by some of the brethren before that defence - at which I was not present, nor was I in Britain, nor was it suggested by me - that he would stand up for me in my absence. He had even said to me in person: `Look, you should be raised to the rank of bishop!' - of which I was not worthy. But whence did it come to him afterwards that he let me down before all, good and evil, and publicly, in a matter in which he had favoured me before spontaneously and gladly - and not he alone, but the Lord, who is greater than all?

Enough of this. I must not, however, hide God's gift which He bestowed upon me in the land of my captivity; because then I earnestly sought Him, and there I found Him, and He saved me from all evil because - so I believe- of His Spirit that dwelleth in me. Again, boldly said. But God knows it, had this been said to me by a man, I had perhaps remained silent for the love of Christ.

Hence, then, I give unwearied thanks to God, who kept me faithful in the day of my temptation, so that today I can confidently offer Him my soul as a living sacrifice - to Christ my Lord, who saved me out of all my troubles. Thus I can say: `Who am I, 0 Lord, and to what hast Thou called me, Thou who didst assist me with such divine power that to-day I constantly exaltand magnify Thy name among the heathens wherever I may be, and not only in good days but also in tribulations?' So indeed I must accept with equanimity whatever befalls me, be it good or evil, and always give thanks to God, who taught me to trust in Him always without hesitation, and who must have heard my prayer so that I, however ignorant I was, in the last days dared to undertake such a holy and wonderful work-thus imitating somehow those who, as the Lord once foretold, would preach His Gospel for a testimony to all nations before the end of the world. So we have seen it, and so it has been fulfilled: indeed, we are witnesses that the Gospel has been preached unto those parts beyond which there lives nobody.

Now, it would be tedious to give a detailed account of all my labours or even a part of them. Let me tell you briefly how the merciful God often freed me from slavery and from twelve dangers in which my life was at stake - not to mention numerous plots, which I cannot express in words; for I do not want to bore my readers. But God is my witness, who knows all things even before they come to pass, as He used to forewarn even me, poor wretch that I am, of many things by a divine message.

How came I by this wisdom, which was not in me, who neither knew the number of my days nor knew what God was? Whence was given to me afterwards the gift so great, so salutary - to know God and to love Him, although at the price of leaving my country and my parents?

And many gifts were offered to me in sorrow and tears, and I offended the donors, much against the wishes of some of my seniors; but, guided by God,in no way did I agree with them or acquiesce. It was not grace of my own, but God, who is strong in me and resists them all - as He had done when I came to the people of Ireland to preach the Gospel, and to suffer insult from the unbelievers, hearing the reproach of my going abroad, and many persecutions even unto bonds, and to give my free birth for the benefit of others; and, should I be worthy, I am prepared to give even my life without hesitation and most gladly for His name, and it is there that I wish to spend it until I die, if the Lord would grant it to me.

For I am very much God's debtor, who gave me such grace that many people were reborn in God through me and afterwards confirmed, and that clerics were ordained for them everywhere, for a people just coming to the faith, whom the Lord took from the utmost parts of the earth, as He once had promised through His prophets: To Thee the gentiles shall come from the ends of the earth and shall say: `How false are the idols that our fathers got for themselves, and there is no profit in them'; and again: `I have set Theeas a light among the gentiles, that Thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth.'

And there I wish to wait for His promise who surely never deceives, as He promises in the Gospel: They shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob - as we believe the faithful will come from all the world.

For that reason, therefore, we ought to fish well and diligently, as the Lord exhorts in advance and teaches, saying: Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men. And again He says through the prophets: Behold,I send many fishers and hunters, saith God, and so on. Hence it was most necessary to spread our nets so that a great multitude and throng might becaught for God, and that there be clerics everywhere to baptize and exhort a people in need and want, as the Lord in the Gospel states, exhorts and teaches, saying: Going therefore now, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world. And again He says: Go ye therefore into the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned. And again: This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all nations, and then shall come the end. And so too the Lord announces through the prophet, and says: And it shall come to pass, in the last days, saith the Lord, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And upon my servants indeed, and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And in O see, He saith: `I will call that which was not my people, my people; ...and her that had not obtained mercy, one that hath obtained mercy. And it shall be in the place where it was said: ``You are not my people,'' there they shall be called the sons of the living God.'

Hence, how did it come to pass in Ireland that those who never had a knowledge of God, but until now always worshipped idols and things impure, have now been made a people of the Lord, and are called sons of God, that the sons and daughters of the kings of the Irish are seen to be monks and virgins of Christ?

Among others, a blessed Irish woman of noble birth, beautiful, full-grown, whom I had baptized, came to us after some days for a particular reason: she told us that she had received a message from a messenger of God, and he admonished her to be a virgin of Christ and draw near to God. Thanks be to God, on the sixth day after this she most laudably and eagerly chose what all virgins of Christ do. Not that their fathers agree with them: no - they often ever suffer persecution and undeserved reproaches from their parents; and yet their number is ever increasing. How many have been reborn there so as to be of our kind, I do not know-not to mention widows and those who practice continence.

But greatest is the suffering of those women who live in slavery. All the time they have to endure terror and threats. But the Lord gave His grace to many of His maidens; for, though they are forbidden to do so, they follow Him bravely.

Wherefore, then, even if I wished to leave them and go to Britain - and how I would have loved to go to my country and my parents, and also to Gaulin order to visit the brethren and to see the face of the saints of my Lord! God knows it! that I much desired it; but I am bound by the Spirit, who gives evidence against me if I do this, telling me that I shall be guilty; and I am afraid of losing the labour which I have begun - nay, not I, but Christ the Lord who bade me come here and stay with them for the rest of my life, if the Lord will, and will guard me from every evil way that I may not sin before Him.

This, I presume, I ought to do, but I do not trust myself as long as I am in this body of death, for strong is he who daily strives to turn me away from the faith and the purity of true religion to which I have devoted myself to the end of my I life to Christ my Lord. But the hostile flesh is ever dragging us unto death, that I is, towards the forbidden satisfaction of one's desires; and I know that in part I did not lead a perfect life as did the other faithful; but I acknowledge it to my Lord, and do not blush before Him, because I lie not: from the time I came to know Him in my youth, the love of God and the fear of Him have grown in me, and up to now, thanks to the grace of God, I have kept the faith.

And let those who will, laugh and scorn - I shall not be silent; nor shallI hide the signs and wonders which the Lord has shown me many years before they came to pass, as He knows everything even before the times of the world.

Hence I ought unceasingly to give thanks to God who often pardoned my folly and my carelessness, and on more than one occasion spared His great wrath on me, who was chosen to be His helper and who was slow to do as was shown me and as the Spirit suggested. And the Lord had mercy on me thousands and thousands of times because He saw that I was ready, but that I did not know what to do in the circumstances. For many tried to prevent this my mission; they would even talk to each other behind my back and say: `Why does this fellow throw himself into danger among enemies who have no knowledge of God?'It was not malice, but it did not appeal to them because - and to this I own myself - of my rusticity. And I did not realize at once the grace that was then in me; now I understand that I should have done so before.

Now I have given a simple account to my brethren and fellow servants who have believed me because of what I said and still say in order to strengthen and confirm your faith. Would that you, too, would strive for greater things and do better! This will be my glory, for a wise son is the glory of his father.

You know, and so does God, how I have lived among you from my youth in the true faith and in sincerity of heart. Likewise, as regards the heathen among whom I live, I have been faithful to them, and so I shall be. God knows it, I have overreached none of them, nor would I think of doing so, for the sake of God and His Church, for fear of raising persecution against them and all of us, and for fear that through me the name of the Lord be blasphemed; for it is written: Woe to the man through whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed.

For although I be rude in all things, nevertheless I have tried somehow to keep myself safe, and that, too, for my Christian brethren, and the virgins of Christ, and the pious women who of their own accord made me gifts and laid on the altar some of their ornaments and I gave them back to them, and they were offended that I did so. But I did it for the hope of lasting success - in order to preserve myself cautiously in everything so that they might not seize upon me or the ministry of my service, under the pretext of dishonesty, and that I would not even in the smallest matter give the infidels an opportunity to defame or defile.

When I baptized so many thousands of people, did I perhaps expect from any of them as much as half a scruple? Tell me, and I will restore it to you. Or when the Lord ordained clerics everywhere through my unworthy person and I conferred the ministry upon them free, if I asked any of them as much as the price of my shoes, speak against me and I will return it to you.

On the contrary, I spent money for you that they might receive me; and I went to you and everywhere for your sake in many dangers, even to the farthest districts, beyond which there lived nobody and where nobody had ever come to baptize, or to ordain clergy, or to confirm the people. With the grace of the Lord, I did everything lovingly and gladly for your salvation.

All the while I used to give presents to the kings, besides the fees I paid to their sons who travel with me. Even so they laid hands on me and my companions, and on that day they eagerly wished to kill me; but my time had not yet come. And everything they found with us they took away, and me they put in irons; and on the fourteenth day the Lord delivered me from their power, and our belongings were returned to us because of God and our dear friends whom we had seen before.

You know how much I paid to those who administered justice in all those districts to which I came frequently. I think I distributed among them not less than the price of fifteen men, so that you might enjoy me, and I might always enjoy you in God. I am not sorry for it - indeed it is not enough for me; I still spend and shall spend more. God has power to grant me afterwards that I myself may be spent for your souls.

Indeed, I call God to witness upon my soul that I lie not; neither, I hope, am I writing to you in order to make this an occasion of flattery or covetousness, nor because I look for honour from any of you. Sufficient is the honour that is not yet seen but is anticipated in the heart. Faithful is He that promised; He never lieth.

But I see myself exalted even in the present world beyond measure by the Lord, and I was not worthy nor such that He should grant me this. I know perfectly well, though not by my own judgement, that poverty and misfortune becomes me better than riches and pleasures. For Christ the Lord, too, was poor for our sakes; and I, unhappy wretch that I am, have no wealth even if I wished for it. Daily I expect murder, fraud, or captivity, or whatever it may be; but I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven. I have cast myself into the hands of God Almighty, who rules everywhere, as the prophet says: Cast thy thought upon God, and He shall sustain thee.

So, now I commend my soul to my faithful God, for whom I am an ambassador in all my wretchedness; but God accepteth no person, and chose me for this office - to be, although among His least, one of His ministers.

Hence let me render unto Him for all He has done to me. But what can I say or what can I promise to my Lord, as I can do nothing that He has not given me? May He search the hearts and deepest feelings; for greatly and exceedingly do I wish, and ready I was, that He should give me His chalice to drink, as He gave it also to the others who loved Him.

Wherefore may God never permit it to happen to me that I should lose His people which He purchased in the utmost parts of the world. I pray to God to give me perseverance and to deign that I be a faithful witness to Him to the end of my life for my God.

And if ever I have done any good for my God whom I love, I beg Him to grant me that I may shed my blood with those exiles and captives for His name, even though I should be denied a grave, or my body be woefully torn to pieces limb by limb by hounds or wild beasts, or the fowls of the air devour it. I am firmly convinced that if this should happen to me, I would have gained my soul together with my body, because on that day without doubt we shall rise in the brightness of the sun, that is, in the glory of Christ Jesus our Redeemer, as sons of the living God and joint heirs with Christ, to be made conformable to His image; for of Him, and by Him, and in Him we shall reign.

For this sun which we see rises daily for us because He commands so, but it will never reign, nor will its splendour last; what is more, those wretches who adore it will be miserably punished. Not so we, who believe in, and worship, the true sun - Christ - who will never perish, nor will he who doeth His will; but he will abide for ever as Christ abideth for ever, who reigns with God the Father Almighty and the Holy Spirit before time, and now, and in all eternity. Amen.

Behold, again and again would I set forth the words of my confession. I testify in truth and in joy of heart before God and His holy angels that I never had any reason except the Gospel and its promises why I should ever return to the people from whom once before I barely escaped.

I pray those who believe and fear God, whosoever deigns to look at or receive this writing which Patrick, a sinner, unlearned, has composed in Ireland, that no one should ever say that it was my ignorance if I did or showed forth anything however small according to God's good pleasure; but let this be your conclusion and let it so be thought, that - as is the perfect truth - it was the gift of God. This is my confession before I die.

_____________________

Information obtained from the following Web site: http://www.ccel.org/

Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc.

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Our 3-year-old grandson was talking with his grandmother on the phone. And all was well. Then he handed the phone over to his Mom and took off across the room to play. Suddenly, Grandma heard him crying in the background. He had tripped over something and actually he had fallen pretty hard. Nothing serious, but he was hurting. Well, he walked back over to Mom and he cried through his tears - "I want to rewind and talk to Grandma!"

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Rewinding Your Fall."

Our grandson is definitely a child of the VCR Age - when he has a bad fall, he wants to rewind to before the fall. Well, so do some of us. We’ve had some falls - spiritually, morally - and we wish we could rewind and do it over. Obviously, we can’t. But, in a way, God does offer us an opportunity to rewind our falls to get back to where we were before we fell.

His plan for recovering is spelled out in 1 John 1:9, our word for today from the Word of God. Here’s what He says: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." God says that recovering from a fall begins with "confessing your sins." The Greek word for "confess" actually means "agreeing with God" about your sin - you call it what He does, you treat it as seriously as He does. To confess, you have to admit you’re wrong ... you have to understand the seriousness of what you did in light of the price Jesus paid for it on the cross ... and you determine to turn your back on living that way.

And what does God do when you get serious about your sin? First, He forgives it the Bible says. He erases all traces of it from His "videotape" in heaven, taking away any guilt for what you’ve done. Now, you may still feel guilty, but the Judge of the universe is ready to treat you as if you never did that sin. But God does better than just forgiving, as amazing as that is. He "purifies" you too. That means you’re not only forgiven, but you’re totally clean. God's "shower" washes off all the dirt and mud you fell into and you emerge clean in His eyes. You do not ever have to be defined by your fall again. Heaven says it’s over.

In the words of Hebrews 10:17, "Their sins ... I will remember no more!" There is no more beautiful picture of how God rewinds our falls than the return of the Prodigal Son to his father. This one who had wasted everything his father had given him, who had gone to the depths of depravity, returns home saying, "I will ... go back to my father and I will say to him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.'" Amazingly, not only does his father run to meet him and welcome him home, but he treats him like a son who has never been gone. That’s exactly what God wants to do for you - if you’ll turn around today and come home to Him. Your fall is not final. You can be fully forgiven - and fully restored.

You’ve fallen down. You’ve thought you could never get up - you couldn’t rewind and ever get back to where you were with Jesus. Oh, but you can - because of His amazing grace. Come on home.

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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A startling survey by George Barna released last summer demonstrates how desperate the need is for Southern Baptists and other evangelicals to reassert the importance of doctrine in our churches and to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3).

The survey found that only 8 percent of American adults could be considered to be "evangelical" in their beliefs -- a drop of one-third from just 10 years ago. The survey found that only 14 percent of Baptists (of all denominational varieties) fit the evangelical standard. Some of the findings among Baptists are alarming: Only 34 percent acknowledge the existence of Satan; only 43 percent agree that salvation is possible only through God's grace, not through good deeds; only 55 percent of Baptists agreed that Jesus lived a sinless life; and only 66 percent agree that the Bible is totally accurate.

With such appalling doctrinal laxity among Baptists, who could argue that we have a serious need for remedial theological training among us? That's one of the values of the exercise the Southern Baptist Convention undertook nearly two years ago in adopting a revision of the Baptist Faith and Message -- the confession of faith most widely affirmed in Southern Baptist life.

I believe the case is clear that Southern Baptists are instinctively confessional and we have indeed used our confessions as doctrinal measuring sticks for denominational employees. But ultimately, some may question whether the latest edition of the BF&M is a good confession of faith. I believe the answer to that question is a resounding "yes" for two reasons: 1) the criticisms against the 2000 edition of the BFM are ill-founded and 2) there are great strengths in this statement of faith not present in earlier editions.

ILL-FOUNDED CRITICISMS

Various criticisms have been lodged against the BF&M 2000, but three stand out as the most popular and serious challenges to its legitimacy: confessions of faith should not be used as "instruments of doctrinal accountability" (as asserted in the BF&M's preamble and addressed in this series the previous two days); the Bible has been elevated above Jesus Christ; and it is wrong to limit the office of pastor to men.

Has Jesus been sublimated to an inferior position with respect to the Bible? Absolutely not. This claim is very serious since Christians confess that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. It would be a gross theological travesty if Jesus were diminished in any confession of faith, and a grave distortion of the biblical witness itself if the Bible were made a "fourth" member of the Trinity (what some have called the "Quadrinity"), as some BF&M critics have claimed asserting "bibliolatry" is at work. The BF&M 2000, critics insist, is no longer "Christocentric."

This criticism centers largely around the decision of the BF&M study committee to not carry over a sentence from the 1963 edition's article on "The Scriptures": "The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ."

Several responses easily set aside this spurious criticism. First, most critics fail to note what was put in the place of the so-called "criterion" language: "All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation." This statement, as well as the article on "God the Son," declares the centrality of Christ in Scripture. Further, the criterion language does not exist in any Baptist confession of faith prior to 1963. If "bibliolatry" is present in the 2000 edition, it must also be true of the 1925 BF&M and all other Baptist confessions. Finally, the criterion language was problematic for the manner in which seminary professors used it as a means of pitting Jesus against other parts of the Bible they found unseemly. There's great irony in this development since the sentence was added by Herschel Hobbs and the 1963 BF&M committee to answer liberal professors who attempted to undermine the inspiration of Scripture.

No, the Bible has not been made an idol for veneration in the BF&M 2000. Instead, the confession rightly declares the Bible is "God's revelation of Himself to man" and it is "totally true and trustworthy."

The other most widely lamented change to the BF&M 2000 is the following sentence from the article on "The Church": "While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture." Most of the secular media focused on this change, and the sentence has brought continual criticism from certain quarters in Southern Baptist life.

While contrary to America's contemporary politically correct culture, there should be no debate that the sentence in question is centered squarely in the biblical witness (1 Timothy 2:12-14; 3:1-7; Titus 1:6). By God's design and for our good, he has limited to men the role of pastor -- and not just any men, only those "as qualified by Scripture." Although women cannot serve in this capacity, the BF&M 2000 affirms an important spiritual truth that women are "gifted for service in the church." This proper understanding of women's giftedness is found nowhere in any previous edition of the BF&M.

One of the functions of a confession of faith is to express what is commonly believed and practiced among Christians. Until the feminist political movement of the latter half of the 20th century, the fact that the Bible limited the role of pastor to men was not controversial in the least. Even to this very day, this is not a matter of debate among most Southern Baptists. There can be no doubt that the BF&M 2000 clearly conveys the common belief and practice of Southern Baptists on the matter of women pastors -- we just don't have them. A study two years ago found that less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all Southern Baptist churches had women pastors -- only 35 of more 41,000 churches. Clearly, Southern Baptist belief and practice is well-settled in this area and the BF&M 2000 accurately reflects that belief and practice.

STRENGTHS OF BF&M 2000

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is a worthy confession of faith not just because the criticisms against it are ill-founded, but also because there are great strengths in this statement not present in the 1963 statement. This should not be surprising, since the issues facing Southern Baptists today are different than those faced by a previous generation that was well-served by the 1963 statement. One of the reasons confessions of faith are revised is to speak to the matters that are at stake in the Christian church and the society in the present age. In an admirable way, the BF&M 2000 advances the Baptist witness on a number of important theological and moral fronts.

Perhaps most importantly, the newest edition of the BF&M counters "Open Theism," an aberrant theology that claims that God does not know the future. This view is contrary to the biblical and historic understanding of God's character. In the article on "God," the BF&M asserts: "God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures." This important addition puts the SBC clearly on the record against this aberrant theology that is enjoying growing support among evangelicals.

The BF&M 2000 also bolsters the article on "God the Son" by clarifying that the work of Jesus on the cross was "substitutionary" -- Jesus took our place and paid the penalty for our sin. The article further clarifies that Jesus is "fully God, fully man."

Answering our Pentecostal and charismatic friends who claim a "second blessing" following salvation, the article on "God the Holy Spirit" affirms: "At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ."

Responding to much gender confusion in our society today, the article on "Man" is strengthened by affirming that "the gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation." In the same article, the issue of racism is clearly addressed: "Every person of every race possesses full dignity." "Racism" is also added to a list of social ills Christians should oppose in the article "Christians and the Social Order."

The BF&M 2000 responds to the growing clamor of universalism in our culture and even among some Christians by insisting, "There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord" in the article on "Salvation." Jesus himself declared: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me" (John 14:6).

Speaking to America's sex-saturated culture, the BF&M 2000 stands against "all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality and pornography" in the "Christians and the Social Order" article. Also, America's culture of death is rejected: "We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death."

Finally, the entire article on "The Family" is a much-needed witness to the biblical pattern of the family against those in the culture and even some Christians who seek to undermine God's design.

The BF&M 2000 is not inerrant; only God's Word enjoys that status. One day, if the Lord tarries, it will be necessary to amend this confession of faith. Nevertheless, this statement speaks to the most pressing theological and moral issues of our day in a manner that is consistent with Southern Baptist belief and practice, as grounded in Scripture.

In an age that rejects absolute truth, waters down theological verities and spurns biblical standards of morality, Southern Baptists have stood against the tide by affirming a confession of faith that exalts Jesus Christ, contends for the faith and witnesses to God's standards of righteousness. The BF&M 2000 is a confession of faith that is worthy of our support.

_________________

Smith is executive editor of the Florida Baptist Witness.

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God Wants Your Garbage

Read: 1 John 1:5-10

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. --1 John 1:9

Once a week, a truck moves slowly down our street, pausing at every house. Full and sometimes overflowing garbage containers are picked up, emptied into the truck, and returned to each house. During the next week, as the rubbish accumulates and the odor increases, we become eager for the return of the garbage truck.

More repulsive than this is the personal trash that accumulates in our hearts and minds. Some of our garbage--hatred, gossip, bitterness, lust--is obviously foul. But even what looks like good deeds or upright behavior can reek like garbage if contaminated by our selfish pride.

The Bible calls our inner garbage "sin." In 1 John 1:9, God's disposal system is outlined: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Confession means calling our sins what God calls them. We needn't fear revealing them to Him, for He already knows them.

Thank God, His sin-disposal service is available everywhere and every day, not just at church on Sunday. He wants to get rid of your garbage. Why not let Him? The moment you confess your sins to the Lord, He casts them "into the depths of the sea" (Mic. 7:19). --JEY

He has buried them there--

Where no mortal can see!

He has cast all our sins

In the depths of the sea! --Anon.

The best eraser in the world is an honest confession to God.

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It was a "slack day" in the confessional, with "only 88" parishioners receiving the sacrament of penance, a New York City priest recorded in his diary for 1899. Another day was even slower, when he heard a "few" confessions -- 71 at one sitting.

Several generations later, National Opinion Research Center surveys in 1965 and 1975 found that monthly confession among American Catholics fell from 38 to 17 percent during that interval, while those who never or almost never went rose from 18 to 38 percent. A decade later, noted historian James O'Toole, a University of Notre Dame study found that 26 percent of active, "core Catholics" never went to confession and another 35 percent went once a year.

Today, a typical parish priest may hear a dozen confessions a week.

"Catholics just don't want to do this anymore," said O'Toole, who teaches at Boston College. "They go to communion week after week and they simply don't go to confession. They no longer see a connection. ... Some people think that everything would change if the priests got tough again and started talking about sin and confession and hell. The reality is more complex than that."

This is Lent, when Catholics should be lining up to say their confessions before receiving Communion on Easter, which is April 15th. Even though this ancient tradition remains in effect, "I have never heard a priest point out this duty in Mass, not even in the days before Holy Week," said O'Toole. "This canonical standard ... seems to have vanished."

What happened? Writing in Commonweal, O'Toole noted that some women don't want to confess to males. Many Catholics now prefer to discuss institutional and societal sins, rather than personal ones. Some believe the Vatican II reforms undercut the need for private confession. And who believes in hell, anyway?

But while confession has faded, there has been a sharp rise among lay people in a practice called "spiritual direction." For centuries, priests, monks and nuns have met regularly with individual spiritual directors to receive spiritual guidance. This can include confession, but now the emphasis is on advice and mentoring.

"It's hard to talk about this without psychoanalyzing it a bit," said O'Toole. "The key is that a spiritual director is supposed to help you, quote, 'work on the spiritual issues in your life,' unquote. There are elements of the patient-counselor relationship in this. This is what people are going in for, these days."

Traditionally, spiritual directors have been monks and priests. In a convent, a sister would take spiritual direction from a mother abbess, then go to a priest to confess. Now, more nuns and lay people are assuming the role of spiritual directors and O'Toole said the students enrolled in seminary programs teaching this skill are overwhelmingly female. For many, counseling from a layperson has replaced confession to a priest.

Nevertheless, "working on your spiritual issues" is not the same thing as "confessing your sins," said O'Toole. Part of the problem is that, for generations, Catholics were expected to come to the confessional with lists of specific sins to confess as quickly and efficiently as possible. The emphasis was on the kinds of sins that could be counted on one's fingers. "Sin" was a highly legal, technical concept.

"Confessing your sins meant saying, 'I was angry with my kids five times. I kicked the cat three times,' " he said. "Today, Catholics are telling their spiritual directors, 'I've been angry and I don't know what's causing me to be so angry. Can you help?' ... The bottom line is that sin -- especially those embarrassing, specific sins -- just don't come up very often in what most people call 'spiritual direction.' "

So repentance is out and sympathy is in. People want spiritual advice, rather than penance. Once, confession was one of the rites of life that separated Catholics from Protestants. Now everybody goes to counseling.

"People want help," said O'Toole. "But what people are not doing is going to a priest and saying, 'I committed this sin and I know that I need to be forgiven.' That's not how they think, anymore. ... At some point, American Catholics stopped seeing the world that way."

Terry Mattingly (www.tmatt.net) a senior fellow for journalism at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. He writes this weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service.

BRANDON, Florida (BP) -- A prominent Florida pastor, Ken Alford, announced his resignation Sunday, Feb. 24. According to a Feb. 25 news release from Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Alford cited "the need to work on the restoring of his marriage as his reason for leaving the church. His decision is final and immediate."

Alford, at the time of his resignation, was trustee chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board and a member of the Florida Baptist Convention's state board of missions. He also was the 1999-2000 president of the Florida convention. Bell Shoals Baptist Church, where Alford, 47, has been pastor for more than eight years, is among the largest Southern Baptist congregations in the Tampa Bay area.

According to the Tampa Tribune, Alford was accompanied by his wife, Cynthia, as he acknowledged marital problems that had led to an "improper relationship." The St. Petersburg Times, meanwhile, reported that Alford told each of the church's four Sunday worship services that he was resigning after marital problems and a "one-time moral indiscretion."

The St. Petersburg newspaper quoted Ed Shaw, chairman of the church's personnel committee, as saying that the indiscretion was of a "high enough order" that Alford felt it necessary to resign.

Alford went to church leaders during the previous week and "disqualified himself from the ministry," Shaw told the Times. Alford cited 1 Timothy 3, which includes admonitions that leaders must be "blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior ... ," the newspaper reported.

Shaw declined to be specific about Alford's marital indiscretion, and Alford did not return calls to either newspaper for comment.

Alford and his wife have a daughter, 14, and son, 10.

The Times reported that Alford and his wife are seeking counseling. Shaw told the paper that Alford will continue to receive his salary, which was not disclosed, for at least 90 days.

Robert E. Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board and a former pastor of the Bell Shoals congregation, contacted by Baptist Press, said, "I'm brokenhearted for Ken, his family and the Bell Shoals family.

"For making such a tragic mistake, I applaud the way he is openly and honestly confessing and accepting responsibility for this sin," Reccord said. "He has asked for prayer support as he puts his marriage and life back together. NAMB is committed to praying for him, his family and the church and to helping in any way possible."

Reccord, who has written a recent book about Christian infidelity, titled "Beneath the Surface," told BP, "We are facing an epidemic of moral failure by some of our very best leaders. This is a clarion call to all of us to guard our hearts, even, and especially, when we believe our marriage is the one area where we will not fail, because that's where we'll be most tempted. The Adversary wants to destroy the church and the home from the inside out, and we're so vulnerable to that."

Alford has been a pastor for more than 20 years, leading churches in Alabama and Mississippi before accepting the Bell Shoals pastorate in 1993. The 40-year-old Tampa-area congregation had doubled its membership to 6,000 under Alford's leadership, according to news reports Feb. 25.

The eight-paragraph church news release stated in part, "The congregation and staff are appreciative to Dr. Alford for his great service. ... The congregation and staff pray that the community will pray for their beloved pastor and his family. They also hope that the community will pray for the church during this time of transition."

Evangelist Kelly Green delivered the sermon in each of Bell Shoals' four worship services Feb. 24, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

"We have not swept anything under the carpet," the newspaper quoted Green as saying. "You have seen the results of someone who has been courageous and outward and honest. Now, the question is, will you do the same thing?"

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