Editorial

The water pump in our little travel trailer sometimes loses its prime. When this happens the motor will run and run but there is still no water. To get water again it is necessary to prime the pump. Once primed, the water flows freely again.

We can be like the water pump, we too, can lose our prime. When this happens we can run and run but there is still no water. Certain kinds of water pumps will burn out if they are allowed to continue to run without pumping water. It only takes a small amount of water to prime a pump and then there is plenty of water again. Peter describes a class of wicked people as being “wells without water.” There were no electrical pumps in Peter’s day so a well without water would be as useless to him as would a pump that has lost its prime. The difference, however, would be that it may be easier to fix our pump than Peter’s well.

What does it mean, spiritually, if we have lost our prime and have gone dry ? It means that at least temporarily we do not feel close to God. Even though He is not far from any of us, there are times when we feel far away from Him. It is like the children of Israel in the wilderness when they said, “Now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.” We think how ungrateful they were to complain when they had angel’s food to eat. God has richly blessed us yet it is possible for us to feel ungrateful, to feel dry spiritually. David must have been in this position when he said, “As for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.” David questioned God when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. He temporarily lost his prime, he went dry, he felt estranged from God. He wondered if it really paid to be good because the wicked seemed to have it so much better than the children of God.

When we feel this way, and we all do at times, we must do something to prime the pump to get the water of life flowing through us again. Jesus makes the gracious offer that “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” It takes the water of life to prime the pump to get us going again. When David was dry he went into the sanctuary of God and then he understood, then he primed his pump, so to speak, and soon he was flowing again. He felt foolish and ignorant that he had been so dry, he felt as a beast. Then he took courage and said, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”

We can see the change in David’s mood once he got the water of life flowing again. If we feel dry, let us do what David did. Let us prime the pump and get the water of life flowing through us by drawing near to God, by reading His word, by prayer, and by going into the sanctuary of God.

We will never get the answers to our spiritually dry feeling in the world, for it is the world and its evil ways that causes our pumps to lose their prime in the first place. In the natural, the pump pulls the water through it until suddenly there is a pocket of air, and then the prime is lost and the pump no longer draws the water. The air must now be removed from the pipe and replaced with water in order for the pump to once again function properly. The world is constantly trying to replace the water of life that should be flowing through us with air, which is nothing at all. When the air of the world replaces the water of life, our pump ceases to function properly. It doesn’t take very much water to prime a pump. Let us carefully replace the air of the world with the water of life. Jesus has promised to “give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”

While our three year old granddaughter was visiting us from Canada, we asked her if she would like to go to Disneyland. Her reply was a quick “no.” At her tender age, she did not know if Disneyland was a place, a food or a disease and, since she knew nothing about it, her response was negative. Since we were familiar with Disneyland, we concluded that she would like it even if she had said no, so we took her anyway, and she had an absolutely marvelous time.

We are all like our granddaughter in that we do not yearn for things we know nothing about. This is why so few people want to be in the Kingdom. How could they? The Kingdom is completely unfamiliar to them; how could they want it? We find young people especially have trouble making the Kingdom a real goal in their lives. If we view God’s reward for the righteous as sitting on a fluffy little cloud strumming a harp, we can easily sympathize with them, for this does seem to be a boring way to spend eternity.

The reason people do not want the Kingdom is because they do not understand what it will be like, just as our granddaughter had no desire to go to Disneyland since in her little mind she could not conceive what a fun place it really is. We all need to make the kingdom real, because the more real it becomes to us, the more we will want to be in it, and the more we want to be in it, the harder we will try to follow the path that leads to it.

People do dream about places they want to visit. A person who wants to go to Hawaii will look at pictures of beautiful bays fringed with white sand and swaying palm trees. One that loves the mountains will gaze at pictures of towering snow­capped peaks rising above crystal blue lakes and grassy green meadows. In our mind’s eye we can travel to these places and dream of being there in person. This type of mental fantasy helps us to want to go there all the more and soon we find that we are planning to take our vacation at the very place about which we have been dreaming.

God gave us the ability to imagine, and like all of the other God-given gifts, we tend to use it in the wrong way. Soon after God had made man, He found that “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Imagining evil things leads to sin and death. Jesus explained how we can commit murder and adultery by imagining these things in our heart. This is the trouble with the world today. They fantasize about evil things just as they did in the days of Noah when God destroyed them with the flood.

We need to take this ability to fantasize and use it for good. Let us begin to imagine how wonderful the Kingdom will be. Let us dream about it, clothe it with reality in our mind’s eye, and we will discover that we are being drawn to it in a most wonderful way. Paul tells us that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” This is the reason so few people want the kingdom; they haven’t seen it or heard it or imagined how great it will be. But we mustn’t stop reading Paul’s words, for the very next verse tells us, “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” Yes, because we have our Bibles, we have God’s Spirit telling us how wonderful the kingdom will be. Let us then read about it, think about it, dream about it, and soon we really will seek first the Kingdom of God. Since God made us, He certainly knows how to make us happy and the Kingdom is going to be the happiest and most wonderful thing that could ever happen to us. Dream about the Kingdom in living technicolor! Bro. Roberts did in his booklet “The Final Consolation.” To him the kingdom was real and wonderful. He pictured himself flying through the air; he listened with rapt attention as King David led a chorus in hymns of praise; he visited Abraham’s palace; he flew into the temple area and watched the arrival of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He described “an electric spasm of joy” that “mortal nerves could not stand.”

One of the most important things we can do is to use our imaginations to visualize the Kingdom in all its splendor. When the Kingdom becomes real to us, then we will want it with all our being, and if we want it with all our being, then we will, receive it, because Jesus has assured us that it is his Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom.

Our two grandchildren ages 5 months and 3 are visiting us from Canada. It is great fun to have little children in the house again. Our five month old grandson is just beginning to be interested in toys. Everything he can get his hands on goes right into his mouth. We know that many of the things he wants to put in his mouth are harmful to his health, but when we take them away from him he lets out a loud bellow. How often do we bellow when God takes away from us something we want but would be harmful to us?

God really does know what is best for us, just as we know what is best for our little grandson. If we let our grandson have everything that he wants he would soon be sick. God in His wisdom does not give us everything we want either. Solomon wisely said, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

Both extremes are dangerous. Riches really are a snare. Paul told Timothy that “they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Many times we have seen the truth of these words of Solomon and Paul. We have watched a young brother prosper in business, and as his riches increased his love for the Truth decreased. It happened so slowly and subtly that they did not even know it was happening themselves until suddenly they found themselves no longer interested in the things of God.

There are some little words in Paul’s comment upon riches that should be noted carefully. The first is that he says “they that will be rich fall into temptation.” It appears that he is condemning those who deliberately make a goal of becoming rich. There is no doubt that riches are a snare and those that have money have temptations and problems that never confront the poor, but there seems to be an emphasis here on those who deliberately seek riches. The second phrase that is often over looked is that it is “the love of money that is the root of all evil.” People often misquote this verse saying that “money is the root of all evil.”

Again the distinction is being made of loving money rather than just having some. It has been said that there is only one group of people who love money more than the rich and that is the poor people. This can be true. We don’t necessarily have to possess it to want it. This takes us back to Solomon’s point of the two extremes. The very poor may desire money so much that they will sin in order to get some. We can see now the wisdom of Solomon’s request of neither poverty nor riches. Nearly all of us want more than we now have, but let us trust in God, who really does know what is best for us, and be content with what we have. Our little grandson at the tender age of five months is not content with anything for very long. Let us hope that our years of experience have taught us that God really does know what is best for us, and knowing this we can exclaim with Paul, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” This is really very good advice and very few of us follow It like we should.

So often we plan to do great things when . . . It is better to do small things right now than wait until later to do great things. The poor widow who threw in her two mites might have reasoned that she would give great things when she became rich but she did what she could with what she had right where she was.

Many a young person has put off being baptized until they graduate, until they get a job, until they get married. Many a Christadelphian puts off preaching the Truth until they know enough, until the time is right, until they go into the mission field. The whole world is the mission field and the time to preach is now.

Mary is a good example of doing what she could with what she had, where she was. Her sister, Marha, was much better off financially. Luke tells us that Martha “received Jesus into her house.” Each time we read about Mary she is following Jesus into someone else’s house. Twice it was into the home of a man named Simon and once in the home of her sister, Martha. Mary could not invite Jesus into her home, she didn’t have one. But the important thing is, Mary did what she could. In fact these are the very words of Jesus concerning her. Jesus said, “Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could.”

Mary couldn’t do much but she did what she could. This is all that the Lord asks of any of us. Just to do what we can.

Martha too should be commended for doing what she could. How many housewives of today would not have invited Jesus into their home because the living room needs painting or the carpet is worn or there are others who can cook a fancier meal? Again Martha did what she could. Her home was not the best in town and maybe someone else was a better cook but she invited him because she was doing what she could with what she had where she was.

Now the important thing is for us to make sure that we are doing what we can with what we have where we are. Right now is the time to begin. Is anyone sick? Go see them, write them a card today, phone them up and let them know we care. Do it now. Who do we know that does not know the Truth? Have we told hem about our wonderful hope that there is no need to worry about the fuel shortage, the threat of war, the runaway inflation, the moral decay going on around us. People are concerned about these things. We know that everything is on schedule for the return of Christ. Are we telling everyone we can about our wonderful hope? You need not wait until there is a special lecture in town to invite your friends. Do what you can with what you have where you are. You do not need to wait until you understand Daniel and Revelation before you begin to preach the truth. Tell them what you know and begin now to tell it. The more you tell it, the more you will learn yourself.

Many babes in the Truth have interested their friends while many of the seasoned veterans are waiting until just the right time to bring it up. If someone’s house was on fire we would not wait until we had a megaphone or a loud speaker system to yell out “Fire!”. We would do it right where we were with the vocal chords we now possess.

Paul told the Corinthians “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The time for us to serve the Lord is right now. Begin today “to do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

Our little two and a half year old granddaughter likes to pretend that she is a lion. She takes great pleasure in roaring and growling, and she is delighted if grownups pretend to be afraid and run from her ferocious antics.

There are a lot of grownups who still like to pretend that they are lions, and they too take pleasure in growling and intimidating their fellows. Actually grownups are really just big kids, for it seems that in many respects we never grow up. We can see through the childish pranks of the 2½ year old, and God surely sees through the childish ways of all of us. We become more expert at camouflaging our games as we grow older, but many times even other adults can see right through us. Certainly God always does.

Paul said that when he was a child he spake as a child, he thought like a child, he reasoned like a child; but when he became a man he gave up childish ways. We should all try to be more like Paul, for he told us to follow him even as he followed Christ. We do not read of any childish actions of Jesus; even at the age of twelve when most “boys will be boys,” not Jesus, he was about his Father’s business.

Why is it we like to growl and scare others? At 2 ½ it is cute, but it ceases to be funny when we do it as adults, and many of us are still growing and trying to scare our brethren and sisters. It has been said of many people that behind that gruff exterior lies a heart of gold. This is good to know, but why the gruff exterior? Why must we look past an unpleasant exterior to find something beautiful? If we have an heart of gold, why cover it up with a gruff exterior? If we are a lamb inside, why be a lion on the outside ?

To our little granddaughter it is much more fun to roar like a lion than to baa like a lamb. It must be so among the grownup kids who are still roaring. We need to think the very thoughts of Christ, and Paul tells us that we can, but in doing this we must put away childish things like roaring and begin to act more lamb-like. The lion is proud and haughty, he struts around as the king of the beasts, while the little lamb has no defense and no pride. Whatever we have, we have received it from God. Paul tells us, “What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?” If we are stronger than our fellows, we should not use our strength to intimidate them. If we are wiser than our fellows we should not use our wisdom to intimidate them. If we are richer than our fellows, we should not use our riches to intimidate them. Yet we know that many people do use their strength, wisdom and riches to intimidate others. They are playing the role of the lion and scaring those they should be helping.

Just how do we use our strength, wisdom and riches? After all, the childish mind reasons, what good are these things if we don’t use them to impress others. Yet Jeremiah tells us exactly what we should do. “Thus saith the LORD, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty nun glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he under­standeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”

It’s fine to play lion when we are 2½, but when we grow up let us not use our strength, wisdom or riches to roar at others, but let us glory in the fact that we know and understand the LORD who, when Jesus comes, will change us from the lamb role we now possess to be like him who will be the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. When we possess immortal bodies and are truly “like him” then we can roar for “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”