My wife is away from the house for the day, and it is quiet–not even any phone calls (which is highly unusual). I have spent the time with two of God’s choice servants who have stirred my mind and warmed my heart. Of course they were not here physically, but they have spoken to me just as if they had been. Who were they? Mr. Bill MacDonald and Mrs. Madge Beckon. What wonderful companions they have been! Both of them directed my mind and heart to the Lord Jesus Christ–and have made Him more real to me. So in reality there have been four of us here together. And that is the wonder of reading. In what other format could I have had this gathering today?
There is a real difference in the writing styles of the two books. Mr. MacDonald spoke to my mind and stirred me to action in following the Lord. Mrs. Beckon spoke to my heart and warmed me to go on to know the Lord. Both mind and heart need stirring in all of us, and to have both at one time is a great tonic.
Be Holy, The Forgotten Command, is a powerful call to holiness in the believer’s life. The author first defines holiness, shows its necessity and possibility in the Christian’s life. Then he takes up many issues that certainly need to be dealt with once again in a public way. When I was growing up, issues were raised publicly and dealt with. Worldliness was defined and preached against. Separation was demanded and spelled out. In these days of tolerance and calls for unity and love at the expense of moral justice, we don’t hear these things preached anymore. The Christian and politics, moral purity, gambling, gossip, the conscience, TV, and the tongue are not subjects for the platform–they might step on some toes! But just as they needed to be dealt with in the past, they still need to be taught. The world is running rampant in the church, and the church is lowering itself to the world’s standard. As a result, its effectiveness is almost nil. Mr. MacDonald calls us to a life that is distinct, separated, and effective as lights in the world of darkness that we live in (Phil. 2:14-16).
With my conscience still smitten by the first book, I picked up Madge Beckon’s new book, At His Feet. This originally was written to women. It takes a woman to communicate at the level of feeling as Madge does. I felt as though she were sitting across the table from me, sharing from her heart the experiences she has had with God during her life. I laughed with her as she would tell of experiences that brought her joy. Don’t tell anyone, but I cried with her as she shed tears of joy because of God’s goodness and comfort and strength in the trying times of life. I felt the struggles she had with times of anger, or bad moods, and how the Lord dealt with her and she learned from God how to overcome those things. I learned how important a woman is in God’s program–even if their roles are different from a man’s. This is a powerful book. Men, you should buy one for your wife for Mother’s Day. Then when she’s out of town someday, get alone and read this book. It will do you good. It will warm your heart. It will make you worship your God for His care and goodness. It will cause you to know how important your wife is in God’s program.
I’ve thanked God today for these two servants of God who have taken the time to instruct me and warm my heart toward God. As you read these books, I believe you will also rejoice in God, be stirred to live for God, and thank God for gifts given to the Church that we might be matured and become a little more like Christ.