The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
But For One Thing!
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For over half a century it has been my privilege to preach the Gospel to believers and non-believers, in various parts of the country and in various situations. Not only on a Sunday but mid-week as well I have thrilled to the wonderful opportunities of being able to preach the Word of God; a thrill, a joy, and above all, a privilege to preach the truths of Scripture. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT PREACHING WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
During the summer months for twenty-two years within that half-century, it had been my privilege as the Proprietor of a well-established Christian Hotel, to preach the Word of God to the guests at least twice every day, and in the winter months the privilege was still mine, although only preaching the Gospel once every day. God really blessed that continued ministry preaching, Christian guests (and occasionally non-Christian guests) received the Word regularly in a holiday setting. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT PREACHING WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
Through the years I have met many lovely people. (Admittedly, I have met a few of the other kind, too!) Attending the services and meetings it has been my privilege to conduct, listening to the sermons I have been privileged to preach, sharing in the Bible studies and discussions I have been privileged to lead, have been people with a great faith and a deep love of the Word of God. Meeting with them and praying with them in their homes, I have been richly blessed by their faith communicating itself to me. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT FAITH WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
One of the things that blessed me most during the period of ministry in the Christian Hotel was the fact that it was totally non-denominational. People from all denominations (and none) visited there for a holiday and were as one—indeed, we deliberately discouraged any denominational issues by stating quite categorically that “we are all one in Christ Jesus in this hotel and not interested in the church you belong to, only in the fact that you belong to the Lord. And if you don’t belong to the Lord, then we hope you will before your holiday ends!” The encouraging feature was that the people who came shared in a wonderful Christian fellowship by sharing their faith. Some really heart-stirring testimonies were given, demonstrating what great faith some of the guests had. Tremendous words of encouragement came from many who shared their Christian experience. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT FAITH AND ALL THAT EXPERIENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
I still have in my possession (admittedly, pandering to my “hording” instinct!) a bulging file of letters from grateful guests, who had not only written to thank us for a wonderful holiday, but so many of which expressed their gratitude to God for the strengthening of their faith during their holiday, especially through the preaching of the Word. We were delighted to receive such letters, because then we knew the basic purpose of the hotel was being fulfilled - to provide a Christian home-from-home by the sea where God’s people could relax physically and be renewed spiritually - a combination of faithful preaching and pastoral care. Just to read those letters now, even after all these years - testimonies of strengthened faith - still brings great blessing, and strengthens ones own faith, as well as confirming the importance of preaching the Word of God faithfully through those years, and caring pastoraly for those who needed such help. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT FAITH AND ALL THAT PREACHING WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
What a strange thing to keep on saying! All that preaching, faith, experience, a waste of time? Think of all the time spent by so many people preaching the Word of God through the years! Think of all the demonstrations and expressions of faith from God’s people shown through the years! Think of all the encouragement received by so many from so many who have shared their Christian experience through the years! Notice, too, the four little words I have been using all through this article - but for one thing. All I have said is perfectly true. Thinking about it now, BUT FOR ONE THING, all that preaching, all that faith and all that experience really would have been just so much waste of time.
And what is that “one thing”? It is the “one thing” that makes the Christian religion unique amongst all religions of the world - and let us make no mistake about it, of all the major religions of the world, Christianity is different, is definitely unique. What makes it so unique? Unlike all major religions, whose founders are all dead, the Founder of Christianity is still alive. Christians worship a living Saviour. Jesus is alive. No other religion makes this claim. Christians do not have a dead prophet to worship, or to whom he must pay homage - Christians have a living Saviour and Lord whom they serve as well as worship, and who is with us every moment of every day.
During the summer months for twenty-two years within that half-century, it had been my privilege as the Proprietor of a well-established Christian Hotel, to preach the Word of God to the guests at least twice every day, and in the winter months the privilege was still mine, although only preaching the Gospel once every day. God really blessed that continued ministry preaching, Christian guests (and occasionally non-Christian guests) received the Word regularly in a holiday setting. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT PREACHING WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
Through the years I have met many lovely people. (Admittedly, I have met a few of the other kind, too!) Attending the services and meetings it has been my privilege to conduct, listening to the sermons I have been privileged to preach, sharing in the Bible studies and discussions I have been privileged to lead, have been people with a great faith and a deep love of the Word of God. Meeting with them and praying with them in their homes, I have been richly blessed by their faith communicating itself to me. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT FAITH WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
One of the things that blessed me most during the period of ministry in the Christian Hotel was the fact that it was totally non-denominational. People from all denominations (and none) visited there for a holiday and were as one—indeed, we deliberately discouraged any denominational issues by stating quite categorically that “we are all one in Christ Jesus in this hotel and not interested in the church you belong to, only in the fact that you belong to the Lord. And if you don’t belong to the Lord, then we hope you will before your holiday ends!” The encouraging feature was that the people who came shared in a wonderful Christian fellowship by sharing their faith. Some really heart-stirring testimonies were given, demonstrating what great faith some of the guests had. Tremendous words of encouragement came from many who shared their Christian experience. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT FAITH AND ALL THAT EXPERIENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
I still have in my possession (admittedly, pandering to my “hording” instinct!) a bulging file of letters from grateful guests, who had not only written to thank us for a wonderful holiday, but so many of which expressed their gratitude to God for the strengthening of their faith during their holiday, especially through the preaching of the Word. We were delighted to receive such letters, because then we knew the basic purpose of the hotel was being fulfilled - to provide a Christian home-from-home by the sea where God’s people could relax physically and be renewed spiritually - a combination of faithful preaching and pastoral care. Just to read those letters now, even after all these years - testimonies of strengthened faith - still brings great blessing, and strengthens ones own faith, as well as confirming the importance of preaching the Word of God faithfully through those years, and caring pastoraly for those who needed such help. Yet, thinking about it now, but for one thing, ALL THAT FAITH AND ALL THAT PREACHING WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WASTE OF TIME!
What a strange thing to keep on saying! All that preaching, faith, experience, a waste of time? Think of all the time spent by so many people preaching the Word of God through the years! Think of all the demonstrations and expressions of faith from God’s people shown through the years! Think of all the encouragement received by so many from so many who have shared their Christian experience through the years! Notice, too, the four little words I have been using all through this article - but for one thing. All I have said is perfectly true. Thinking about it now, BUT FOR ONE THING, all that preaching, all that faith and all that experience really would have been just so much waste of time.
And what is that “one thing”? It is the “one thing” that makes the Christian religion unique amongst all religions of the world - and let us make no mistake about it, of all the major religions of the world, Christianity is different, is definitely unique. What makes it so unique? Unlike all major religions, whose founders are all dead, the Founder of Christianity is still alive. Christians worship a living Saviour. Jesus is alive. No other religion makes this claim. Christians do not have a dead prophet to worship, or to whom he must pay homage - Christians have a living Saviour and Lord whom they serve as well as worship, and who is with us every moment of every day.
So, Christianity ceases to be just another religion; paradoxically it is a unique religion because it is not a religion! Because our Lord is alive, then our Faith becomes a way of life! “This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life…” (Jeremiah 21:8). Although this Old Testament verse does not specifically refer to Christianity (many years were to pass before Christ was to walk this earth in the flesh, and the disciples in Antioch were first to be called Christians - Acts 11:26), it is a verse which begins, “This is what the Lord says…” These are the words of God our Heavenly Father and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and included in His Word by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore they speak to us of the glorious truth that Christianity is indeed a way of life.
Religion is not a set of rules to be obeyed, a set pattern to be followed, often laid down by man. The dead founder of such a religion cannot become a personal experience or guide in life; we cannot enter into a personal relationship with him - how can we if he’s dead! Christianity, on the other hand, being a way of life, is set before us like a road, because Jesus is alive, because Jesus lives within our hearts and lives through His Spirit, because Jesus is a living Guide through life - as the hymn-writer penned it, “a living bright reality.” Therefore we live every moment of every day with Jesus, and we live every moment for Him, too, because He has set before us the way of life.
So, by now we have the clue and the answer to our question: what is that “one thing” which prevents all that preaching, all that faith and all that experience from being so much waste of time, and makes the Christian religion so unique among all the religions of the world? The answer is in the words of the apostle, Paul, when he wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God…” (1 Corinthians 15:14,15). To put it another way, the whole of our preaching, the whole of our faith, and the whole of our experience (witness) hinges on the fact that Jesus is alive!
As we have said before, Christianity—not a religion but a way of life—which embodies our preaching, our faith and our experience, is indeed a way set before us, made possible only because Jesus is alive, because Jesus lives within our hearts and lives, because Jesus is a living Guide through life.
Thinking about it now, life itself is just so much waste of time, BUT FOR ONE THING!
Religion is not a set of rules to be obeyed, a set pattern to be followed, often laid down by man. The dead founder of such a religion cannot become a personal experience or guide in life; we cannot enter into a personal relationship with him - how can we if he’s dead! Christianity, on the other hand, being a way of life, is set before us like a road, because Jesus is alive, because Jesus lives within our hearts and lives through His Spirit, because Jesus is a living Guide through life - as the hymn-writer penned it, “a living bright reality.” Therefore we live every moment of every day with Jesus, and we live every moment for Him, too, because He has set before us the way of life.
So, by now we have the clue and the answer to our question: what is that “one thing” which prevents all that preaching, all that faith and all that experience from being so much waste of time, and makes the Christian religion so unique among all the religions of the world? The answer is in the words of the apostle, Paul, when he wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God…” (1 Corinthians 15:14,15). To put it another way, the whole of our preaching, the whole of our faith, and the whole of our experience (witness) hinges on the fact that Jesus is alive!
As we have said before, Christianity—not a religion but a way of life—which embodies our preaching, our faith and our experience, is indeed a way set before us, made possible only because Jesus is alive, because Jesus lives within our hearts and lives, because Jesus is a living Guide through life.
Thinking about it now, life itself is just so much waste of time, BUT FOR ONE THING!
© 2005 Denis A. Wheadon. All rights reserved. Website: http://www.Pen4God.co.uk. This document is the property of the Author and
must not be displayed on any other websites without permission. Copies may be downloaded and printed for personal use only. Any contact with
the writer or comments concerning an article, can be made by email addressed to: denis.wheadon@Pen4God.co.uk
must not be displayed on any other websites without permission. Copies may be downloaded and printed for personal use only. Any contact with
the writer or comments concerning an article, can be made by email addressed to: denis.wheadon@Pen4God.co.uk
