The Iron Pen #90
"...graven with an iron pen and lead..." Job
19:24
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
God & Country
I doubt if any of the readers of this Gospel paper will recognize the
name Samuel Francis Smith. Smith was a Baptist preacher and poet. He was
born in 1808 and went home to be with the Lord in 1895. He graduated from
Harvard, in the same class with Oliver Wendell Holmes and then continued
on to complete his seminary training. He was then ordained as a Baptist
minister and ultimately became the professor of modern languages at
Waterville College.
In 1832, when he was a 23-year-old seminary student, Samuel was
inspired after hearing the national anthems of England, Sweden and Russia.
Within a half hour he wrote the famous patriotic hymn My Country ‘Tis
of Thee…
"My Country ‘tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land
where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrim’s pride, From every
mountainside, Let freedom ring."
The fourth verse proclaims: "Our fathers’ God, to thee, Author of
liberty, To Thee we sing; Long may our land be bright, With freedom’s holy
light: Protect us by Thy might, Great God, our King."(Adapted
from America’s God and Country by William J. Federer)
Three Biblical Principles To Practice In Your Marriage
David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Our text is Ephesians 4:32 "And be ye kind one
to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you."
Kind is a translation of a Greek word, which means
pleasant as opposed to being harsh, sharp, or bitter. It refers to a
person, who is good-natured, and willing to help others.
We seldom use the word tenderhearted today. The word describes a
person who is understanding and inclined to show mercy. Compassionate
would be a synonym. Further, it might also help you to understand
tenderhearted if I told you what the antonym is…hardhearted.
To be hardhearted is to be insensitive and calloused to those in
distress. It is to be merciless, cruel and severe when dealing with the
distresses and difficulties of others.
Be tenderhearted, not hardhearted!
Forgiveness is, choosing to pardon, remit, or overlook the mistake,
fault, offense, hurt or injury of the offender without demanding, a
penalty, punishment or retribution, and then treating the offender as not
guilty.
If a marriage is to remain healthy, there must be the generous
application of the balm of kindness and tenderheartedness as well as a
copious dispensing of forgiveness.
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"Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved."