by J. Randal Matheny

God did not put the gospel in a movie, but in a book. Nor did he burn it to a CD, a DVD, or stick it on an eight-track tape. The Bible is the divine record of the Creator's carrying out of his eternal plan. What he has done, still does, and will do.

Some think the Bible is open to interpretation. So much so that there may be several valid ones, some better than others perhaps. So when one interpretation doesn't please someone, he can reply, " That's just your interpretation." By that phrase is meant that an interpretation is merely one person's attempt to understand and apply the Bible, which is not binding upon anyone else.

Without demeaning the need to grasp the context of Biblical writings, to appreciate the nature of the type of literature, or to study the meanings of words, sentences, and paragraphs, one can rightly say that the Bible is interpretation. In the Bible God explains his own acts in history.

How do we know, for example, that of three men crucified on Golgotha outside Jerusalem one day, one death had special meaning? Because God caused men to write, explain that event, and associate it with divine intent and observable signs, like the tearing of the temple curtain, darkness during the day, and the resurrection of the dead.

The apostles and prophets of the new covenant further explain the implications and applications of that event for one's life.

Paul said he wrote about God's work so that "when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 3:4, NKJV).

What was written could be, and can be, understood and, as forceful divine interpretation (John calls the miracles "signs"), is capable of causing belief in the reader/hearer (John 20:30-31).

So in a real sense, the Bible doesn't need interpretation, for it already is that. What is needs is response -- belief and obedience.

For who is willing to say to God, "That's just your interpretation"?

by J. Randal Matheny

As my son, Joel, and I traveled to Texas recently to report to churches, we saw in a couple places along the highway a simple billboard, with a single phrase followed by a phone number: "We buy ugly houses."

Why ugly houses? Why not just any house? Maybe this company specializes in dispatching houses that have lost their general appeal to home-owners. I can't really say.

But the phrase suggests a spiritual application. God specializes in redeeming lost mankind. His advertising slogan, if we might apply such words to the divine mission, might be: "We redeem ugly lives."

Ugly because every human being has become repugnant to the Lord from welcoming sin and giving it space. Because the wear and tear of transgression left us dilapidated. Because we no longer deserve to take up space in the exclusive real estate of God's presence.

From space, the earth presents a breathtaking sight. From heaven, however, the "world" is one large, polluted segment of the universe in God's eyes.

That favorite verse of the Bible describes the ugliness of sin. When John 3:16 says that "God so loved the world," the connotation behind the word "world" is dark, sad, bleak, and heavy. The world describes rebellious and estranged mankind running from the Creator's blessed purpose.

Paul uses a one-two-three punch to describe how God redeems ugly lives. In Romans 5, the apostle to the nations scales the heights of the Father's love by sounding the depths of man's sin:

• "when we were still powerless" (v. 6)
• "while we were still sinners" (v. 8)
• "when we were God's enemies" (v. 10)

Who would want us in such a state? Why would a self-sufficient Deity care for such creatures, after we have royally bunged things up? I can't really say, but Love with a capital "L" is the only explanation behind this unbelievable offer, "We buy ugly lives."

Like the stark billboard offering to buy ugly houses, God, too, follows his simple revelation of redemption by a phone number. A means of contact to take advantage of the offer. A way to receive the free gift of grace to beautify and restore what was once perfect.

Faith and obedience. "Trust and obey." A "yes" answer to accept cleansing, purification, restoration of an ugly life marred by rejection of God's greatest gift of himself.

He redeems ugly lives.

Have you called him about that offer?

by J. Randal Matheny

Yesterday morning, at the Iuka, Miss., congregation, a church friend crowed about her intelligent grandson. He had asked, "Grandma, does the tooth fairy exist?"

Not wanting to give it away, she answered, "Well, he puts money under your pillow, doesn't he?"

"Yes," replied the five-year-old, "but the money smells like Daddy's billfold."

The world may try to deny it, hide it, or forget it, but the true Christians and churches will "smell" like their heavenly Father. They will bear the undeniable traces of his goodness, reveal the marks of his transformation, and reflect the pureness of his love.

Instead of cursing when they are cursed, Christians bless. "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9, NIV).

Against the world's perverseness and immorality, Christians shine forth in holiness as obedient children. "... just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15).

And the follower of Christ has a love as broad as his Master. "Be perfect [in your love], therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

People will know who are Jesus' disciples, if they love one another (John 13:35). This fraternal love is a principle identifying mark of the true Christian and the true church.

No matter what others may say, the Christian's life and a church's character will show through, because they are like God. The aroma of their attitudes and actions will be unmistakeable, just as their message will be clear and forceful.

No doubt about it. The saints have been indelibly marked by being in the Father's presence.

Be one of them.

by J. Randal Matheny

This missionary is heading out in a few hours to what many people call a "furlough". Military term for time away from the field. Here are my rushed thoughts on a furlough.

A furlough is an exercise in patience. Who can take care of the house for six weeks? Who can start the car up so the battery won't run down and the tires rot? Who can collect the house mail, and go to the post office box? Who can pay the bills while we're gone? And whose passports are expired? (This year: Leila's U.S. passport. Meaning: a trip to the consulate in Sao Paulo.) Go to the airport five hours early instead of two, since the customs people are on strike.

A furlough is an exercise at juggling. Setting up appointments at congregations to report and speak. Coordinating visits with family. Finding U.S. transportation. Reservations and tickets. Returning tickets when Delta wants to change flight numbers. Picking up new tickets on day of travel. (I was sweating that one.) Hiring a van to transport baggage and bodies to the airport.

A furlough is time away from work. Who can do this and that, preach in my place, go to the new congregation, teach that class? Finish evangelistic study. Interrupt another study and pray the person doesn't lose interest in the interval. Try to keep the magazine from falling further behind. Leave off that visit that needed to be made.

A furlough is a time of reflection and prayer. How can I do better, different, more, less? Distant from the work, the questions come quick and fast: where am I failing, where am I getting it right, who can be trained, who can be encouraged more, who can be reached that I haven't tried before?

A furlough is a time for connections. See how the family is doing. Renew contacts with churches, elders, preachers, missions committees. Take wife for a walk in the park, kids to anywhere except McDonalds. Attend a few funerals, maybe a wedding, even a golden anniversary.

A furlough is a time for thanksgiving. So many years, so many blessings, so many demonstrations of the Lord's care. So many souls, so many efforts, so few workers. So many ... excuse me, telephone.

A furlough is a time to hoof it. Wife just called and said she's ready and I need to pick her up, take her home, go get new tickets, put a document in the mail, and finish a Forthright article.

At least the last one is easy.

But I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

That's what a furlough is.

by J. Randal Matheny

A few weeks ago, Daytimers, always attentive to saving time, sent out this not-so-hard-to-believe tax trivia:

MUNCH, MUNCH: Taxes gobble up 38.2% of the average family's income. That's more than the amount for food, clothing and shelter ... combined!

TIMBER! Nearly 300,000 trees are chopped down annually to produce the paper needed to print the IRS's mountains of forms and instructions.

ASTRONOMICAL! The IRS sends out 8 billion pages of forms and instructions every year. Lay them end-to-end and they'd encircle the earth 28 times. That's a 672,000-mile highway of confusion!

THE ART OF, UH, SIMPLIFICATION? The Gettysburg address has 269 words; the Declaration of Independence, 1,337 words; the Bible, 773,000. However, U.S. tax law has ballooned from a relatively "slender" 11,400 words in 1913, to a seam-busting 7 million words today!

DRIVEN TO COMPLY: American taxpayers spend over $200 billion and over 5.3 billion hours to comply with federal taxes each year. That's more than it takes to produce every car, truck, and van in the United States. SURPRISED? 60% of taxpayers must hire a professional to complete their return.

PERCENTAGES. If taxes take 38.2% of the average income, the Lord requires all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37). Though you MIGHT get a refund from the IRS, God brings you a return equal to and beyond the measure you use (Luke 6:38).

TIMBER. If 300,000 trees are converted every year to IRS forms and instructions, God did his work with only one, hewn in the form of a cross, good for all time.

SIMPLICITY. The seven million words of today's tax law will increase next year. And the next. And the next. The gospel of God has stayed the same for 2000 years and won't change until the end of time. Anybody can read and understand it.

COMPLIANCE. You make all that effort and hire a tax-preparer, and the IRS can still get you on a technicality, if they want. For the soul, all diligence is required (2 Peter 1:10; 3:14), but we can be assured of pleasing the Lord in all things (Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 John 3.22).

DOUBLE-SPEAK. IRS talks about our "contributions," when, in reality, we pay taxes. God calls each thing as it is. Sin is transgression of his law (1 John 3:4). Salvation is pulling man out of his self-made condemnation (Romans 3:23; 6.23).

ENRICHMENT. Our hard-earned monies go into government coffers. God's treasures descend from heaven to enrich our spirits (2 Corinthians 9:8-11) and enable us to make free, generous, and voluntary contributions to help our neighbor and further the progress of the gospel.

We pay taxes because the Lord commands us to submit ourselves to the government, which serves as his agent in this world to preserve peace (Romans 13:1ff).

We save our souls because God gave the greatest gift of his Son to die in our stead.

So do your taxes. And save your soul.

For Mark Twain was wrong. Death and taxes will one day cease.

So the eternal soul deserves our full atention.