In his song entitled “Unanswered Prayers,” country singer Garth Brooks refers to God as “the Man upstairs.” Similar phrases referring to Almighty God include: the Big Man, my Co-pilot, my Homeboy, my Golf-buddy, or simply JC. The user may not intend it this way, but such references are highly disrespectful, and reveal a lack of understanding about who and what our Great High God really is.

When the Apostle John encountered the Lord Jesus Christ, who was instructing him to write what would be revealed to him, he said, “I fell at his feet as dead” (Rev. 1:17). Notice there was nothing casual in John’s response. Why? When the Lord Jesus Christ spoke, it was with “a great voice, as of a trumpet” (vs. 10). “His eyes were as a flame of fire” (vs. 14), and “His countenance was as the sun” (vs. 16).

This brief picture, and the reaction of a mere man in the presence of God, is consistent with the rest of Scripture. Isaiah says he saw “the Lord…high and lifted up” with dynamic angelic hosts attending Him crying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts” (Isa. 6:1-3). Isaiah’s response was not casual or irreverent. He said, “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (vs. 5).

People of old had a far greater reverence for the Lord. King David described his great God by saying, “The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength…Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting” (Psa. 93:1-2). He continued, “God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness” as He reigns over all men (Psalm 47:8). He’s not just a co-pilot or a buddy. Balak declared, “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Num. 23:19).

The Lord tells us this is because, “…My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways…For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9). In the context of all this information, the Lord Jesus said of the Father, “Hallowed [meaning holy or sacred] be Thy name” (Matt. 6:9).

It would be appropriate to lovingly share articles such as this with lost souls who lack understanding of God’s holiness and magnificence. More importantly, in humility, we believers need always to show great reverence to the Lord and to His name.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Missionary Ben Anderson, International Director at Things to Come Mission, taught a class and shared at chapel time while I was a student at Berean Bible Institute. At the end of his chapel time, he shared a story from a recent trip to Indonesia. He told of a certain village where there was a church-planting effort under way, in spite of the fact that the village was almost entirely Muslim. One of the Indonesians, a recent convert, spoke with Ben and the president of the Grace Bible Churches in Indonesia.

The man was poor, and without shoes, estranged from family having trusted Christ, and he told Ben, “I want you to have my house for the church.” They at first resisted and said, “But that’s your house, where will you live?” The man said “I have a small goat pasture, I’ll sleep by my goats.” They asked him, “But why would you do this? Why would you give up your home?” The man replied, “Because Jesus died for me.”

“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph. 5:2).

No sacrifice is too great to make for Christ who gave Himself for us. The Church is taught by God to “walk in love.” God wants us to be devoted to pursue His selfless love in each step we take in life.

We are to “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us.” Christ’s love is about sacrifice. In His love, Christ willingly allowed Himself to be hit in the face over and over, to have His back ripped raw in His scourging, to have a crown of thorns forced down on His head, to be spit upon, mocked, and to be struck across the head with a large stick. In His love, Christ was crucified for us, having nails driven through His hands and feet. In His love, Christ faced the wrath of God against our sins as our Substitute. He sacrificially took the punishment we deserved and paid sin’s penalty for us so that we might be saved from our sins and live eternally with Him.

Christ gave everything in His love for us. As that love touches our hearts, we too should give ourselves and be willing to give anything and everything for Him. To love as Christ loved us means to be willing to make sacrifices for Him. We should, like this Indonesian brother, be willing to give Him even our house and “sleep by the goats” if necessary, because He died for us.

Note: Some have asked if the man in this article really gave up his house to sleep by his goats.  Ben Anderson said that he did give his house to be used as the church building.  On his property, he also had a shed for his goats.  He tied up the goats outside under a tree and modified the shed so he could live there.  It was much smaller, but he felt it was sufficient for his needs.  Then he built another simple shelter for the goats.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

“I don’t know the exact time and date I was saved. I’ve been told that I should know this if I’m truly saved. Is this true?”

Knowing your spiritual birthday is not required at all. Whether you know in your heart that you’ve placed your faith in the gospel of grace that Christ died for your sins personally, was buried, and rose again is what is required for your salvation (Eph. 2:8,9; 1 Cor. 15:3,4).

In my own life, I have no clue as to the exact time and date that I was saved. I grew up in a home where the gospel was constantly before me. In my father’s pulpit ministry, his hell-fire sermons scared me to death. I can vividly remember praying in the pew, telling the Lord that I believe. I did this many times. Eventually I stopped, because I knew I was right with the Lord and saved from my sins.

The idea that you have to know an exact time you were saved doesn’t come from the Bible. It comes from man. Our confidence for our salvation shouldn’t be in a date anyway. Our confidence is in Christ, His Cross, and the Word of God. “The Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Tim. 2:19), and if you’ve placed your faith in Christ that He died for you and rose again, you are His. Praise the Lord!

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

In this passage, salvation by “faith” is being contrasted to salvation by “works” (Rom. 3:27), the works or “deeds” of the law (v. 28). The law demands 100% righteousness to be saved (Gal. 3:10; James 2:10,11). That means to be saved by the deeds of the law, you would have to bend the law to say that God will accept people who are only 75% righteous, or 88% righteous, or even 99% righteous.

But faith in the sacrifice of Christ for our sins doesn’t have to bend the law, it establishes the law. Faith acknowledges that “the law is holy, and…just, and good” (Rom 7:12), but that we are “carnal, sold under sin” (v. 14). That is, faith establishes that there is nothing wrong with the law, there is something wrong with us. We can’t keep the law perfectly, so we must place our faith in the Christ who kept it perfectly for us, and then died a sacrificial death on our behalf.

It was because the righteousness of the law couldn’t be fulfilled by us that Christ “gave Himself for us” (Titus 2:14), that “the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us” by Him (Rom. 8:4).

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

“For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God…” (2 Cor. 5:13).

The Greek word translated as “beside ourselves” means, in this context, to be out of one’s right mind, insane, or mad. Because of his zeal for the truth and constant drive to live for the Lord and get the gospel out to the lost, the Apostle Paul was viewed as being crazy. With his fervor for serving the Lord, he seemed like a man out of balance and fanatical to the world.

In Acts 26:4-23, we learn how Paul shared the testimony of his conversion before Governor Festus and King Agrippa. In verse 24 of this passage, we read that “Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.” This statement put Paul in the best of company. People also said our Lord was “beside Himself” and “mad.” Mark 3:21 tells us, “And when His [the Lord’s] friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him: for they said, He is beside Himself.” Likewise, in John 10:20: “And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad….”

Being called crazy for the sake of Christ is not an insult, but a compliment for the believer. If people think we’re crazy because we live for the Lord, that’s a good thing. It shows we’re following the Lord and His Word. Following the Lord and living by His Word will make us appear different to the world because we’re not going with the flow and we are not living “according to the course of this world” (Eph. 2:2), and so it seems to them that we’re a bit off and crazy.

Dogmatism, belief that the Bible is absolute truth, also makes people think you’re crazy. Dogmatism is uncommon and unacceptable in a society that demands tolerance. When you say that, based on the Word of God, something is the absolute truth, the world will think you’re crazy. The Word of God, however, is an absolute. It is our authority. When it says that there is only one way to God, and it’s through the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s the truth, and we must proclaim it, even if people call us crazy.

As we follow Paul as he followed Christ (1 Cor. 11:1), we too, like Paul, should have a deep-seated devotion for the Lord, consumed with a zeal for the things of God, living for unseen, eternal things. This will make people think you’re out of your mind, but that’s good. It’s good to be called crazy for the Lord. Like Paul, we remember that if we appear to be out of our right mind because we hold nothing back and are zealous and dogmatic, “it is to God,” it’s to please, honor, and glorify Him.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

That’s the question Juliet asked upon learning that Romeo’s last name was Montague, the family name of her rival. When she went on to say, “that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet,” it is rumored that Shakespeare was poking fun at the Rose Theater, the rival of his own Globe Theater. The less-than-desirable sanitary conditions at the Rose were said to have created an atmosphere that was somewhat odoriferous!

The name “Paul” means small or little, but the apostle who bore that name was originally called “Saul” (Acts 13:9), a name that means desired. When the people of Israel desired a king (I Sam. 8:5), God told the prophet Samuel to choose a man named Saul (I Sam. 9:17). In relaying this to Saul, Samuel said, “On whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee?” (v. 20).

This prompts us to ask about the Apostle Paul, “Why would a man whose name means desired choose to go by a name that means small?” We believe the answer is that he no longer wanted to be desired of men. He now wished to appear small in the eyes of men, so that the Lord would loom large in their sight, and they would begin to desire Him instead. If you are looking for fulfillment in life, you might want to consider following his example, for that is the only path of joy for a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We see this clearly emphasized in the case of King Saul, who chose a path that was opposite of the path chosen by Paul. King Saul started out little in his own eyes and then got “too big for his britches,” as they say. We know Saul started out well, for when Samuel told him that God had chosen him to be Israel’s king, he responded,

“Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?” (I Sam. 9:21).

As a member of the smallest family in the smallest tribe of Israel, Saul felt unqualified to lead God’s people. But God chose him because he considered himself to be less than the least of all the saints in Israel. We know this because when he rebelled against God, Samuel said to him,

“When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel… Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD…” (I Sam. 15:17-19).

Samuel’s use of the past tense here indicates that Saul was no longer little in his own sight. Evidently he began to think, “I’m the king of Israel, I can do as I please!” If you’re thinking that you’re the king of your life, and can do as you please, you’ll soon find yourself like Saul, someone who is no longer “meet for the Master’s use” (II Tim. 2:21).

Beloved, it’s human nature to want to be desired of men, but it’s an evidence of divine nature to desire to look small in the sight of men so that the Lord might loom large in their eyes. Why not learn from King Saul’s poor example, and choose the path the Apostle Paul chose. He started out as one who was desired of men, but learned to look at himself as “less than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8), one who longed that “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death” (Phil. 1:20).

Do you long for the Lord to be magnified in you?

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.