Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"Constancy in Faith and Love"

After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. Hebrews 6:15
   

People who visit Onondaga Cave in Missouri are told that its temperature is constant: Summer and winter, day and night, it is 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Elsewhere the world is given to ups and downs. As the hymn writer states, "Change and decay in all around I see."

People are given to inconstancy, even people who are Christians. Faith can weaken, and the fervency of love can subside. We are to expect this as the end of the world approaches. Jesus said, "At that time many will turn away from the faith ... Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold" (Matthew 24:10, 12). This tendency prevailed from the beginning of Christianity. Through Saint John, the Lord said He held this against the church in Ephesus: "You have forsaken your first love" (Revelation 2:4). The church in Laodicea had attained a constancy of sorts, but it, too, was displeasing to God: "You are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold" (Revelation 3:16).

In contrast to the fluctuations of human love and loyalty stands the permanence of the saving grace of God. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews reminds his readers how God, faithful and true, had kept His promise to Abraham to give him a son and through him the greater Seed, the Messiah. As though the promise were not in itself sufficient, God confirmed it with an oath. At the fullness of time God fulfilled His promise by causing His Son to be born of a woman. Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary, is truly the woman's offspring of Genesis 3:15. He became our great High Priest when He entered the Holy of Holies to offer up Himself on the cross for our sins, then entering the Holy Place of heaven to intercede for us.

God's constant love in Christ, as attested in His steadfast, immovable Word, confirms us in our faith and love. We are both encouraged and enabled to do what Saint Paul bids us: "My dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you:" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Our Christian response to God's love is: "Oh, may my love to Thee, Pure, warm, and changeless be, A living fire."

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"On the Wings of an Eagle"

I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Exodus 19:4
   

On June 30, 1994, it was front-page news in the St. Louis "Post Dispatch" that the bald eagle, on the verge of extinction in the early 1970s, was removed from the government's endangered species list. It has been America's national symbol since 1782.

The remarkable comeback of the bald eagle as a species coincides with the Bible's statement that the eagle rejuvenates itself. David, in praise of the goodness of God, states, "[He] forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, [He] redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, [He] satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:3-5). This is a wonderful tribute to the grace of God, who does all this for believers because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen One.

Eagles are mentioned often in the Bible. They have qualities that invite comparison with the love, power, and providence of God. These qualities include the tender care of the young, the strength of their wings, the swiftness of their flight, and their keenness of sight. Through Moses God reminds the Israelites how He carried them "on eagles' wings" (Exodus 19:4) as He brought the people out of Egypt to the Promised Land. In a special song of praise Moses compares God's guardianship of Israel to the care of a parent eagle "that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions" (Deuteronomy 32:11).

In chapter 49 of his prophecy Jeremiah speaks of the Edomites "who occupy the heights of the hill ... [and] build [their] nest as high as the eagle's" (Jeremiah 49:16). God is the believer's refuge and strength. He guards His people from evil by establishing them in safe places and surrounding them with His love. For this we praise Him.

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"Are We in Shape to Serve?"

Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Hebrews 12:12
   

Saint Paul compared life to a strenuous athletic contest. There are many points of comparison. For one thing, life as a whole, like participation in sports, requires the expending of great energy on a sustained basis. That's why we need to exercise ourselves spiritually--to be and remain in shape.

Saint Paul writes, "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:25-27).

It is not enough once to have lived in Christ. To keep on living in Him as members of His body and as branches connected to the vine, we need to stay in shape--we need to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" (Hebrews 12:1). We can get rid of excess fat and flabbiness and acquire a good muscle-tone of faith. We can cultivate good spiritual health so that these fruits of the Spirit may grow in us: "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

Alive in Him who died for us on the cross to redeem us from sin and who now lives in us, we do want to be in shape to serve Him with the strength that the Holy Spirit gives us. When we are diligent in the study of God's Word and in prayer, we acquire the spiritual vitality we need from day to day to live for Jesus Christ and to serve Him. In doing this, we shall live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us. It's our way of saying "Thank You" to God.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Speaking of Water ..."

He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Acts 9:18-19
   

"Throughout African-American culture, water symbolizes freedom, justice, and privilege," states Langston Hughes, an African-American poet, in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."

Rivers--and water as such--play a part in the Bible. A river, dividing into four headstreams, flowed out of Eden. The Jordan, flowing from beyond the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, is mentioned often in the Bible; in it John baptized Jesus and many others. Saint Paul and Silas met Lydia, the first convert in Europe, and other women gathered for prayer at a riverside near Philippi. In a heavenly vision Saint John saw "the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal" (Revelation 22:1).

Water as such, whether it flows in rivers or is poured into a font when it is used for the sacrament of Holy Baptism, does more than symbolize "freedom, justice, and privilege." When connected with God's Word, as Jesus directs, it has the power to cleanse from sin, to grant freedom from the curse of the Law, to impart justice and other virtues of faith, to endow the baptized person, young or old, with the privilege of belonging to God's family with the right of inheritance guaranteed.

Water, with the Word, did all this for Saul the converted Pharisee, to whom Ananias of Damascus said, "What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away" (Acts 22:16).

Also your baptism and mine is a precious means of grace through which the Triune God grants a flood of blessings: "clothed ... with Christ" (Galatians 3:27), "forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38), "washed ... sanctified ... justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 6:11), and a "good conscience toward God" (1 Peter 3:21). Let the rivers, or plain, simple, tap water, remind you of this.

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"Speaking the Truth"

Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15
   

Rumors, especially those involving prominent persons, can last a long time. On July 9, 1850, President Zachary Taylor died suddenly. Some believed he was poisoned and the rumor persisted. More than 140 years later the remains were exhumed, but no evidence of foul play was found.

False rumors are lies, and they have fast feet. They are perpetuated because some people prefer them to the truth. The Bible speaks of this. At the end of his Gospel Saint John corrected a rumor circulating in his day because of what the risen Jesus had said to Peter: "The rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple [John] would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; He only said, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?'" (John 21:23).

Some rumors are far worse. The Bible (Revelation 22:15) speaks of malicious rumormongers as being in the same class with "those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murders, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." Christ's enemies circulated outright lies to account for the empty grave. They claimed the disciples came by night and carried the body away (see Matthew 28:11-15).

Christians refrain from speaking and listening to rumors, especially false ones. Saint Paul wants each reader to "put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor" (Ephesians 4:25). Again: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (Ephesians 4:29).

How can it be otherwise? Christians are like Christ, who speaks the truth and is the Truth. He rose from the dead after completing our redemption, establishing us in the truth that sets us free--and in truthfulness as a result.

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"The Right Kind of Ethics"

Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law. Romans 13:10
   

Business, government, and the professions seek to hold their members to ethical codes. The subject of ethics has to do with moral do's and don'ts. Ethics can be systematized and taught as a subject. But much more is necessary. You can, for example, outline on paper how the game of baseball is to be played. But if the individual has neither the desire nor the ability to play the game, very little is accomplished.

There is a right way to motivate, teach, and enable people to lead ethical and moral lives. It is the Christian way, the way of the Bible. It begins with God's moral law drawn from the Ten Commandments. The moral law is like a mirror. It shows us our sins and condemns us for them. It calls for love to God and the neighbor but does not give us the power to fulfill it. But God does not leave us in this predicament. In His grace He comes to us in the Gospel and makes us new people. He grants us faith in Jesus Christ, His own perfect Son, so that we trust in Him for the forgiveness of our sins. Our coming to faith was accompanied by a change of heart. We are His new creation in Christ. We are, as Jesus said to Nicodemus, born again, regenerated, converted. Now Christian life can begin, a life of good ethics and morals not merely in outward deeds and demeanor but in our innermost thoughts and emotions.

God's moral law is still there for Christians, not as the source of Christian ethics and morals, but as the norm, as a guide or rule showing us what good works God wants us to do. Through the Gospel true love is instilled, and God's Ten Commandments are our guide (not our motive) for its exercise. The apostle Paul writes, "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law" (Romans 13:10). Again, Saint Paul: "The goal ... is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5).

It has been said, "Ethics teaches that man is a morally responsible being." Christian ethics go further. Through faith in the Gospel it enables a person to be morally responsible.

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"Looking in the Mirror"

I became a servant of this Gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. Ephesians 3:7
   

God sent the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king of Israel. The prophet was impressed by the size and outward demeanor of the firstborn. But he was not God’s choice. The Lord said, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

What if we could see ourselves as we really are? This is hard to do. The Scottish poet Robert Burns said in his quaint English, “Oh wad some power the giftie gie us to see oursel's as others see us.” We may not actually be what we seem to be in the eyes of others. Some emotions as expressed in one’s face can be misinterpreted. Fear is easily misread as anger. Shyness can be confused with pride or self-centeredness. If we could see ourselves through the eyes of others, we could make improvements in our outward appearance.

It is much better, however, to try to see ourselves as God sees us. God’s Word is a mirror in which we can see a true image of ourselves. The Law reveals us as sinners, but the Gospel assures us that through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, God forgives us and accepts us as His beloved children. To be loved by God and to love Him in return makes us changed people, a people of a pure heart. This is how we should be able to see ourselves. God looks on us as His forgiven children.

Saint Paul realized that he had no personal merit before God. He had formerly persecuted Christ’s church. In great humility he considered Himself “less than the least of all God’s people” (Ephesians 3:. That was the self-image he saw in the mirror of God’s law. But he saw himself also in the light of the Gospel. God gave him the grace to preach the Gospel of salvation totally in Christ. It was the same grace by which he was also saved and at peace with God. This faith gave him inner strength. Never mind that some said, “In person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing” (2 Corinthians 10:10). He saw himself not as unfriendly people did, but as God saw him.

The Gospel enables us also to see ourselves through the eyes of God.

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"Twice a Child"

"No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3
   

In “Hamlet,” Shakespeare has one of the actors declare, “They say an old man is twice a child.” The reference, of course, is to a man’s early childhood and his return to childish ways in old age. The latter we call senility.

As far as Christians are concerned, Christians of all ages and genders are twice children. They have their natural childhood and they have a spiritual one. They are the sons and daughters of their parents and they are the children of God, their Father. The latter status is achieved through conversion. This is their second birth brought about through the water of baptism and the Word of the Gospel. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). He explained it as a rebirth through “water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). Saint Paul likewise links up our childhood under God with baptism: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).

The truth of being a child for a second time is explained as a relationship established by divine adoption. “In love,” writes the apostle Paul, “He [God] predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ … In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:4-5, 7). Here the apostle also points to the benefit of being God’s adopted children. If we are His spiritual offspring, His true sons and daughters, we are then His heirs and heirs of eternal life.

How greatly blessed and enriched we are to be “twice a child!” We owe a debt of gratitude to our parents for bringing us into the world and giving us a Christian upbringing. Yet we are especially thankful to God for bringing us into His family. Be glad that you are “twice a child!”

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"Life’s Highest Choice"

"Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:42
   

“Choose something like a star” is a line from the poet Robert Frost. He encourages us to set our ideals high and to select our activities accordingly. A great loss occurs when people use their talents to gain only whatever glitters here below. The glamour soon vanishes, and what people consider a great gain often turns out to be fool’s gold.

A star stands for hope. This is especially true of the Christian faith. Christ Jesus is the promised Star who was to rise out of Jacob. He is, in the words of Saint John, “the bright Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16). The Wise Men saw His star in the East and in a very literal sense chose to follow it until it brought them to Christ, Himself the Star of hope.

Our Lord blesses all who by faith choose His Word as the polestar of their lives. In the town of Bethany He upheld Mary for regarding His teaching as the one thing needful, saying to busy Martha: “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). Mary believed—and so did Martha as she revealed at the tomb of Lazarus—that Jesus was the promised Messiah (see John 11:27). In Him is salvation, for by His atoning offering on the cross we have the forgiveness of sins. He is the Resurrection and the Life.

To this day the message goes out into the world and, in the words of Saint Peter, we “do well to pay attention to it [the prophetic Word], as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in [our] hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

At a huge gathering of people at Shechem the aged Joshua in effect told the Israelites to choose the Star. “Throw away the foreign gods” (Joshua 24:23), he said. He told them not to worship the hosts of heaven—sun, moon, and stars—but to choose the true God, adding, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). This is our resolve as well.

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"Having God in Our Hearts"

"If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." John 14:23
   

A favorite frequently used word, in the secular world and in the church, is “enthusiasm.” A salesperson needs to have enthusiasm for the product he or she sells. In the church we need enthusiasm for missions such as Christ’s apostles had. Interestingly enough, the word is derived from the Greek “entheos,” which means to have God in oneself and thus to be inspired by Him.

To say that we sinners have God in us in a pagan sense, or to go so far as to say, as some religions do, that we are a part of God and that He is a part of us, is blasphemy. It erases the distinction between creator and creature.

Yet Christians do have God in them. Jesus promised the believer that He and the Father “will come to him and make Our home in him” (John 14:23). Saint Paul told the Romans that “the Spirit of God lives in you” (Romans 8:9). He explained to the Corinthians that they, in body and in soul, are the temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19). Biblical scholars call this indwelling of God “the mystical union.”

How does God’s indwelling in Christians come about? He is in them because they have faith in God’s Word. Through the Word the Holy Spirit enters human hearts, creating and confirming the saving faith in them. Christians rely altogether on the atoning death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. They have God not only in their hearts but also in their minds. He enters into their thinking. It can therefore be a proper prayer to say with the song writer in the title of his anthem, “God, Be in My Head.”

God is in us when we keep His Word in good and honest hearts and bring forth the fruits of faith. God is in us when we love Him who first loved us and when we love one another, as our Savior bids us. Thus understood, we can put right meaning into the word “enthusiasm” and express it as we joyfully and hopefully fulfill God’s Word and work.

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"Side by Side: Rich and Poor"

"They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals." Amos 2:6
   

Many world travelers say they know few places where the rich and the poor live in such obvious contrast as Hong Kong. The rich, more than anywhere else, stand off from the rest by their jewelry and dress. They drive Rolls Royces and drink cognac. The poor, not far away, live in boats amid abject poverty.

Utmost prosperity and grinding poverty are portrayed also in the Bible, sometimes as existing side by side. The prophet Amos speaks of the rich as stretching themselves on ivory beds and dining on choice meats while the poor are being sold for a pair of sandals.

Jesus draws attention to the rich man dressed in expensive clothes and faring luxuriously every day. At his door lies poor, sick Lazarus, clothed in rags and living from crumbs and food scraps thrown out to the dogs.

The great contrast has its roots in sin—in greed, indolence, and negligence. Many of the rich are born into wealth, while many poor are locked into poverty from generation to generation. Christianity seeks to improve life for the poor by urging the wealthy to give them food and clothes. But the difference remains. Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us. Apparently we will always have the rich with us also. Christians can improve conditions, but because of sin we cannot eradicate socio-economic problems. Private efforts in the past on this score have failed. Christianity has first of all to do with the salvation of sinners, rich or poor.

The truths of the Bible establish the basis for a hope that transcends all earthly wealth. It speaks of “riches;” these are spiritual but very real. The full enjoyment of eternal life and all that it includes awaits us in heaven. Saint Paul reminds the Corinthians how the wealth of faith came about: “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). How rich? Again, Saint Paul, “In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

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"Letting God’s Voice Come Through"

"We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them." Acts 14:15
   

Praying Christians are at times concerned about the seeming silence of God. “Why don’t we hear His voice?” Perhaps He has been speaking to them all the while, even shouting, but they can’t hear Him because they aren’t tuned in properly.

An English writer commented that the Cistercian religious order kept silence, hoping to hear the voice of God speaking to them through silent days and nights. All the while they heard, says the writer, “the soft singing of the waters, the whisperings of the river grass, the music of the rushing winds.” Is it not true that God speaks to us through the sounds and sights of nature? To Elijah, isolated in the desert, God spoke in a whisper, a thin, small voice, perhaps resembling a soft wind (see 1 Kings 19:9-13).

God speaks through His marvelous, majestic works in nature, as the psalmist exclaims: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). Saint Paul said: “The living God, who made heaven, earth, and sea and everything in them … has not left Himself without testimony" (Acts 14:15, 17). He states that God has revealed to us (in nature and in history) His “invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20).

Does God still speak? The psalmist writes: “Day after day they [God’s mighty works] pour forth speech (Psalm 19:2). It is a speech in which God reveals Himself as the all-powerful, all-wise Maker of heaven and earth.

But God has much more to say to us. In Jesus Christ, His Son, He reveals His love and saving grace to sinners. God has once for all spoken to us through His Son, who is therefore called the Word, by Saint John: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14). This Son, crucified for our sins, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. But His message is still heard—the Gospel. It is proclaimed from the pages of Holy Scripture; whenever we hear it or read it, we hear the voice of God, who speaks to us through the prophets and apostles. Are you hearing this voice?

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"The River of Salvation"

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. Matthew 3:15
   

Rivers play a prominent part in the lives of people. In the United States, the Mississippi River was, and still is, the principal waterway in middle America. Originating with springs in Lake Itaska in Minnesota, it flows a length of 2,340 miles before it enters the Gulf of Mexico.

The most noteworthy river in the Holy Land is the Jordan. From its several sources in the north, it twists its way some 350 miles until it empties into the Dead Sea.

The Jordan enters frequently into the history of salvation as God planned the Promised Land. It plays so great a part that one writer takes what he calls “a sacramental view of the waters of the river.” In it Naaman of Syria, at the prophet Elisha’s command, bathed and was cured of leprosy (see 2 Kings 5:1-14). The water of the river truly became “sacramental” when, by the power of God’s Word, it healed people of the leprosy of sin as John the Baptist performed his baptism of repentance.

The Lord Jesus, who later replaced John’s baptism with His own (Matthew 28:19), was Himself baptized by John in the Jordan. With Him it was not a matter of washing away sin, for He was without sin. He was baptized not only to set an example but to do something for our good. By submitting to this sacramental act He fulfilled for us “all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). In all His life He was our substitute as He kept the Law, rendered full obedience for our disobedience and, in the end, endured the penalty of death for our disobedience.

We are saved to this day “by the washing with water through the Word” (Ephesians 5:26), regardless of whether such water comes from the Jordan, the Mississippi, or any other source. As baptized Christians, our concern is to fulfill our Lord’s directive to baptize all nations and teach them the Gospel. In a hymn line we pray that the “blest river of salvation” may pursue its onward course and flow to every nation until Jesus returns in glory.

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"Citizens of Heaven"

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith. Ephesians 2:8
   

The Bible tells us how the Israelites entered the Promised Land. It wasn’t easy. The meandering journey took 40 years. They encountered many hardships in the desert. The greatest challenge came when the fortress city of Jericho had to be taken. Then the land had to be conquered.

The “promised land” for many Europeans and other peoples was the United States of America. Between the years 1892 and 1924 some 16 million foreigners entered through Ellis Island. It wasn’t easy for them, either. They had to pass physical examinations and meet other conditions. The fortunate ones were issued a “landing card” and were told through which door to pass to enter the new world.

The real “promised land” for God’s people is not Canaan nor the United States of America. It is the heavenly country toward which they are striving and in which they are citizens already. Saint Paul declares, “Our citizenship is in heaven.” He said it is the home from which “we eagerly await a Savior … the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

The key question has always been: How do we get admitted into heaven? Do we have to pass all kinds of tests and have a “landing card”? Must we make an arduous journey through the wilderness of this world before we can gain entrance? Those who believe in salvation through good works—through human effort and merit—say yes. But this is not what Holy Scripture teaches. Saint Paul clearly states, “By grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:. He means the faith by which we rely completely on the saving merit of Jesus Christ. And what is the blessed result? This: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Spiritually speaking, there is for us no wilderness to cross, no Jericho to conquer, no Ellis Island to pass through. Our citizenship is in heaven. Our names are already recorded in the book of life.

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"Personal Commitment"

I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:27
   

Jesus pointed out a serious inconsistency in the lives of the spiritual leaders of His time, saying, “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:2-3).

Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet of old, gives a better testimony of the village parson in his “Canterbury Tales”:

“But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,
He taught, and first he folwed it him-selve.”

It was the concern of the apostle Paul to subject himself to the same truths of God’s Word that he was teaching to the members of his young congregations. He wrote, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

This is the concern of every faithful pastor and teacher in Christendom. Christ’s representatives in the church realize that they teach by personal example as much as by their words. What they are is often more eloquent than their spoken words. Their Christian life is important. It expresses the personal obedience of those who teach us to accept God’s Word, both the Law and Gospel promises. Also Saint Peter writes, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder … not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1, 3). Parents also, like Chaucer’s village parson, are to be commended when they themselves follow the teachings of Christ which they seek to impart to their children. Little children—also the older ones—are known to be imitators. What a blessing it is in the home when parents and children, in their Christian faith and life, are committed to Jesus Christ, who in love redeemed them and made them His own in Holy Baptism!