Hypocritical Hearers

 

“Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid,” Isaiah 29:14.

 

As our children have grown, they have each attended the same elementary school in our neighborhood. The route from our house to the school is a route I could drive blindfolded (although I do not). Needless to say, sometimes I zone out during the drive because it is so familiar. The kids, on the other hand, notice everything along the short route.  They are filled with wonder and excitement with everything they see, from big things such as weather transitions and changing leaves on the trees to small things such as barking dogs and darting squirrels. The difference in the way we enjoy the drive is the difference in perception. I usually perceive the drive as simply another task I must accomplish, while my children usually perceive the drive as an exciting journey to a new daily adventure at school.

 

Sometimes our approaches to worship take the same divergent paths. Some days we worship God with awestruck wonder at His presence and power, noticing even the smallest details that showcase His glory and rightly responding with worship and obedience. Other days we simply go through the motions of worship routinely. We might speak, sing and perform the right things, but we are bereft of heartfelt devotion and consequently find ourselves missing the peace, joy and passion for obedience that come as a result of worship. Thankfully, God will not stop showing up, speaking and performing wondrous things that command our attention and compel us to worship Him.

 

 

JUST A THOUGHT

 

Will you worship God in spirit and in truth today?

 

 

Mark Clements

 

 

88 – March 29 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

No Protection for Hypocrites

The events surrounding the ministry of Isaiah Wallace of New Brunswick, was published in the Christian Messenger on March 29, 1871.  Wallace was born in Hopewell, New Brunswick on Jan. 17, 1797, the first-born child of James and Catharine Wallace.  Early on he trusted the Lord Jesus as his savior, and was baptized by immersion.  As he reached maturity, God the Holy Spirit burdened him to preach, and he did so as the opportunity presented itself.  He served as a pastor, agent for the Baptist College at Acadia, and an evangelist.  Everywhere he ministered he experienced the hand of the Lord upon him, and the Baptist work greatly expanded throughout both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  How we need to pray that God will once again awaken that beautiful but spiritually destitute portion of North America.  Often in his evangelistic crusades, Bro. Wallace would preach three times a day, baptize converts, serve communion and move on to another area to do the same thing, crossing bodies of water in cold weather and often walking for many miles.  Many times multitudes were saved in his evangelistic meetings.  At another time ministering in the northern portions of New Brunswick, he was able to establish the Campbellton Baptist Church.  A lady of high social standing requested baptism.  She had belonged to another communion and her friends discouraged her on the basis that she would surely endanger her health by going into the cold water.  Her husband asked Rev. Wallace if he knew of any that he had baptized, taking cold, and Wallace, said, “No.”  He then asked him if he had ever heard of anyone taking cold and Wallace said that T.S. Harding told him that out of a 1,000 converts that only one had caught a cold and that she was a hypocrite.  The man said, “My wife is no hypocrite.”  So he allowed her to be baptized without incident.  Let us pray that Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will once again know the power of God.

 

Dr. Greg J. Dixon, adapted from: This Day in Baptist History III (David L. Cummins), pp.182-184.