COOL STUFF FROM LIBRARY BOOKS #26: "Thoughts Written in Mary Slessor's Bible"

Some Thoughts Written in

Mary Slessor's Bible

Albie's Note: When Mary Slessor [1848-1915] arrived in the Calabar River region of what is now Nigeria, West Africa, in 1876, it was designated the most cannibal infested area extant on this earth.  When she died there, in 1915, it was considered the most Christian region in all of the continent.  She may not have accomplished this by herself, but all historians agree it would not have been accomplished without her!  Here, from an old biography of the little Scottish Missionary, Nurse, and Statesperson [called "Ma" by her constituents, patients, and converts alike] are some amazing and totally convicting "Words to live by" found written in her personal copy of the King James Bible at the time of her death. 

When I first read these amazing sayings I just had to blog them!

God is never behind time.

If you play with temptation do not expect God will deliver you.

A gracious woman has gracious friendships.

No gift or genius or position can keep us safe or free from sin.

We must see and know Christ before we can teach.

Good is good, but it is not enough; it must be God.

The secret of all failure is disobedience.

Sin is loss for time and eternity.

The smallest things are as absolutely necessary as the great things.

An arm of flesh never brings power.

Half the world's sorrow comes from the unwisdom of parents.

Obedience brings health.

Blessed the man and woman who is able to serve cheerfully in the second rank — a big test.

Slavery never pays; the slave is spoiled as a man, and the master not less so.

It were worth while to die, if thereby a soul could be born again.

From Mary Slessor of Calabar: Pioneer Missionary by W.P. Livingstone. 8th ed. New York: George H. Doran Co., [1916]

"In Christ," Mary Slessor once said, "we become new creatures. His life becomes ours. Take that word 'life' and turn it over and over and press it and try to measure it, and see what it will yield. Eternal life is a magnificent idea which comprises everything the heart can yearn after. Do not your hearts yearn for this life, this blessed and eternal life, which the Son of God so freely offers?"

"From death in this world unto life in the next," says Jesus.

"If we be dead with Christ, we shall also live with Him," says Paul.

"Eternal life comprises everything the heart can yearn after," says Mary Slessor.

From Blazing the Missionary Trail by Eugene Myers Harrison.

Chicago, Ill.: Scripture Press Book Division, ©1949.

 

PEACE

"Hindrances To Prayer" -- good article by OSWALD J. SMITH

HINDRANCES TO PRAYER

  

Oswald J. Smith

[1889-1986]

  

    There are three hindrances to the prayer life, three enemies with which we have to cope. Of course, if you merely fall down at your bedside in the morning and mumble off a few words of prayer, and then get up and hurry to work, you will not know what I mean. I am talking about real prayer, intercessory prayer, prayer that achieves its objective. I say there are three hindrances.

Interruptions

    Have you ever had the telephone ring when you have been at prayer? Or has the baby cried? Have friends called upon you? Have you been interrupted in one way or another? Satan knows exactly when to send the interruptions. If he can interrupt you when you are at prayer he will have wrecked the efficiency of your prayer ministry.

    Now how did I get rid of interruptions? I discovered that I had to have a time for prayer and a place for prayer. When I am at home I make my study the place for prayer, and I make the first hour of the morning directly after breakfast the time for prayer. Everyone knows when I am at prayer – therefore interruptions are avoided.

    When I am crossing the ocean, I find the most secluded part of the deck I can find, and that becomes my place for prayer. When I am at a summer conference, I go out into the woods, and there, under the trees, I find a place for prayer.

    May I say that your place for prayer will become so sacred that you will think of it as holy ground. I have stained the walls of my study with the breath of my prayers. I always go back to the same place when I pray, and there God meets me.

    You, too, will have to have a place of prayer and a time for prayer. Only then can you avoid interruptions.

Drowsiness

    Have you ever become drowsy when you have been at prayer? You know what I mean. You kneel down and place your head on your arms, close your eyes and attempt to pray. Before very long you become drowsy, and at times you fall asleep. Thus drowsiness hinders your prayer life. Your body is tired and weary. You have become exhausted and you just cannot keep awake.

    When I am praying alone I never kneel. I never stand or sit. What do I do, then? I always walk when I pray. I clear the furniture from the center of the room and then I pace back and forth as I talk to God.

    I have walked hundreds of miles down through the years as I have prayed. I started doing it at the very beginning of my Christian life and I received so much blessing from it that I have continued it ever since.

    Some ministers have to play golf for exercise. I have never had time for such exercise. There has been too much to do. I find that the very best exercise that one can take is that of walking. Hence, as I walk and pray, I get all the exercise I need.

    If I were to fall asleep for a single moment I would crash to the floor and would be wide awake instantly. But that has never happened. As I walk back and forth I am always wide awake. I am on the alert. I am able to pray intelligently, and I never fall asleep. You, too, can overcome drowsiness if you will walk.

Wandering Thoughts

    You know what I mean. Just when you are concentrating on prayer, you find yourself thinking, planning, arranging about the future. Thus Satan fills your mind with wandering thoughts, and instead of praying – you are thinking. Well now, how are you going to get rid of wandering thoughts?

    As I walk back and forth, I put my petitions into words, and by praying out loud I avoid wandering thoughts. You see, I have to concentrate upon what I am saying to God just as I concentrate when I am preaching. If you will pray out loud, you will also find that there will be no wandering thoughts.

    When you kneel to pray, and pray quietly to yourself and to God, the time seems long. Perhaps when you open your eyes you will discover that you have only been praying for five or ten minutes. That has been my experience.

    But, when you walk and pray out loud, you will discover that the time will go by so fast that you will be amazed. You will open your eyes and look at the clock, and you will discover that you have been praying for half an hour, three quarters of an hour, or perhaps an entire hour.

    These, then, are the three hindrances to prayer – interruptions, drowsiness, wandering thoughts. Have you overcome them and are you a prayer warrior for God? If not, you can be – if you will follow these suggestions. Will you do it?

    "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).

BIG AL'S JOVIAL JUKEBOX #13: MEMORIAL WEEKEND EDITION: "Tenting Tonight On The Old Campground" Song from 1863!

Albie's Note:  This is a genuine Civil War song, written by one William Kittredge at the very height of the hostilities.  It become a huge seller,  one of the true "hits" of the 19th century, as it was a particular favorite of Union soldiers on the field and of their families back home. 

When one listens to the words it's easy to see why. They are honest, plaintive, and even chilling.  Some writers have actually considered this tune an early example of an anti-war protest ballad, but the lyrics are simpler and more poetic than that would imply.  In an old book called Stories of Great National Songs, the author, on p. 155 quotes composer Kittredge  as recalling: "I wrote the words and music at the same time in one evening, soon expecting to go down South to join the boys in blue, and I desired to have something to sing for them, as that had been my profession, giving concerts for a few years before the war. ... The song was composed in 1863, and published by Ditson, Boston, in 1864."

I any case it is a sobering reminder of the sacrifice of all the Americans who ever "camped in the Hell of war," from Valley Forge to Afganistan.

As the song says: "We are tired of war on the old camp ground..."

Here is a great version by some fellows called The 97th Regimental String Band:

 

TENTING TONIGHT

 

We're tenting tonight on the old camp ground

Give us a song to cheer

Our weary hearts, a song of home

And friends we love so dear.

 

CHORUS

Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace.
Tenting tonight, tenting tonight,
Tenting on the old camp ground.

We've been tenting tonight on the old camp-ground,

Thinking of days gone by,

Of the loved ones at home that gave us the hand,

And the tear that said, "Good-bye!"

 

CHORUS

We are tired of war on the old camp ground,
Many are dead and gone,
Of the brave and true who've left their homes,
Others been wounded long.
 

CHORUS

We've been fighting today on the old camp ground,

Many are lying near;

Some are dead, and some are dying,

Many are in tears.

 

FINAL CHORUS
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right,
To see the dawn of peace.
Dying tonight, dying tonight,
Dying on the old camp ground.

PEACE

 

 "And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

 

--Micah 4:3

MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM SERMONS #4: Warren Wiersbe On The Over-Rating Of The Puritans, 1995... Classic!

 

Albie's Note: Warren Wiersbe (born 1929), who just celebrated his 84th birthday this Thursday last (May 16) is one of the great American Bible commentators and preachers of our time.  He is perhaps best known for his series of 50 books in the "BE" series of informal commentaries: Be Real, Be Rich, Be Obedient, Be Mature, Be Joyful, etc. and many. many other books. 

I transcribed these words from the great SermonAudio.com site (you can hear the entire "Q and A" session-- recorded at a Bible conference in 1995--  HERE)

In this excerpt, Wiersbe, a Baptist and long-time radio minister/communicator, answers a query as to which are his "favorite Puritan authors."  His common sense answer is a classic... and a great antidote to much of the shameless "Puritan worship" one runs into occasionally even today:

"Well, I may make some enemies when I say this, but I'm not a great devotee of the Puritans!  I'm not against them-- I have them in my library-- but I find some of them are very boring.

"I know there's a lot of  'groceries' in there, a lot of good food in there, but you've gotta plow, and you've gotta dig so much.  That may be good for me. 

"I was preaching through the Book Of James, and I was using Thomas Manton [1620-1677] on James, and I almost resigned from the ministry!  [audience laughter]

"Man, if we preached today the style the Puritans had, we'd empty our churches!  If anybody comes along and says 'the Puritans are the model'-- NOBODY is the 'model'-- Jesus is the model! [several audience "amens"]

"The Puritans had as many problems as we have-- they had just as much sin as we've got! And don't let anybody tell you he have to go back to 'the age of the Puritans'-- we don't! Or anybody else-- If you're gonna go back, go back farther than that, go back to Pentecost-- that'd be a good place to go back to!

"I don't have a favorite Puritan writer, unless Alexander Whyte [1836-1921] would be considered a Puritan.  I that case I do, he is a favorite of mine.

"Do not become a 'system disciple'-- whether it's  Arminianism, Calvinism, Dispensationalism, whatever-- Puritanism-- don't become a 'system disciple' because 'we know in part.' [quoting I Cor. 13:9]

"Nobody knows enough to be able to say 'here's God-- this is it!' 

"See, I read Calvin. I read Finney, who disagreed with Calvin.  I read Presbyterians, I read Assembly Of God.  I think most of my reading is of people I disagree with,  including secular folks!  I do a lot of secular reading.

"Don't become a devotee of a system. We may get to heaven and discover the system wasn't God's system!  See?"

PEACE

CLASSIC TV EPISODE REVIEW: BONANZA #124-- "The Way Of Aaron"

Since I spend way too much time watching Classic TV in re-runs out in my "man-cave" anyway, I decided to begin a new blog series of reviews of certain episodes of various series that I find interesting-- for one reason or another.

I decided to begin with an episode of TV's 2nd longest running series western BONANZA, since I have been meaning to re-evaluate this show for quite some time, anyway.  A few years back, in one of my very earliest blogs ["Some Thoughts About Westerns"-- see it HERE if you like], I said some pretty harsh things about both BONANZA and GUNSMOKE-- basically the two most cherished TV westerns of all time-- and a few people called me on it. 

Now, I still have little patience for GUNSMOKE-- [I'm sorry, but that show just doesn't do it for me... between the irritatingly flawless character of Matt Dillon and the strange refusal to develop any of the main characters over literally decades of time... well it just bores me!  Please let's just agree to disagree on that'un]--  I have been watching BONANZA on TVLAND and feeling a little-- I repeat a little-- more partial to it.

First of all... the show does present Capitalism in a pretty cosistently sympathetic light-- always a big selling point with me-- and... it also strives quite often to have serious and well-developed moral undertones.  Now mind you, this last "quality" is always a two-edged sword, as moralistic intentions can always morph into mere  "preachiness" and "pedanticism" in the wrong hands-- and frankly,  BONANZA-- I am afraid-- really suffers from this particular syndrome quite often.

Still, I am just as often impressed by those old writers' frequent attempts to address moral issues and their definite-- if infrequent-- artistic success in so doing.

Also, I should note that-- in the early seasons at least-- these same writers really tried for some actual historical veracity, and some of the best episodes I have seen involved actual historical characters [Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Nobel Prize winning astronomer Albert Abraham Michelson all make appearances] who had a real-life connection with Virginia City, Nevada in real-life frontier days.

Now... the episode I would like to discuss-- "The Way Of Aaron," first aired on March 10, 1963-- is a notable example of this attempt at realism and historical veracity.

 

 

THE PLOT

 

Aaron Kauffman, a Jewish peddler, makes a sales call at the Ponderosa Ranch. He is already a familiar friend to the Cartwrights, but on this visit he is accompanied by his lovely daughter-- newly arrived from back east-- Rebecca [played well by future Andy Griffith Show regular, "Helen Crump" herself,  Aneta Coursault-- who, by the way, looks great with long hair!] 

 

Adam Cartwright [Pernell Roberts] and Rebecca are immediately attracted to one another, and Adam contrives a way to meet with Rebecca again on her peddler father's return visit a week later. After this second visit, Adam talks with his father Ben [Lorne Green] about arranging a party at the Ponderosa to help Rebecca and her somewhat reclusive father [played expertly by character actor Ludwig Donath] to meet other folks in the area. Ben agrees to this, and so Adam rides off to carry the invitation to Rebecca in person.

 

When he reaches them, Adam discovers that Aaron and his daughter have stopped on the trail to camp for the night, as it is sundown on Friday and old Aaron is extremely strict in his observance of the Hebrew Sabbath.

 

 

Adam is even more impressed when he learns of Aaron's great faithfulness in the practice of his Orthodox Jewish faith.

 

Unfortunately, two nasty outlaws-- the nastier of whom is well-played by a very young Harry Dean Stanton-- have been stalking the kindly peddler. 

 

Without giving away any spoilers, let's just say-- in closing-- that Aaron and his daughter are in grave danger... unless Adam can help them.

 



OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

All in all, I couldn't help but like this episode. 

For one thing, it is the one and only western I have yet seen that actually gives some time to a pretty prevalent real-life frontier character type: the Jewish Peddler.  Old western shows often have peddler characters, but the Jewish aspect is usually non-existent [See my review of Harry Golden's book on the subject HERE, if interested.]

Not only that, but the details regarding an old-time peddler's life are very interestingly and factually presented.  I know that Golden's book had not yet been published yet in December of 1962 when this episode was filmed [1963 was the first year it was published] but there is a great scene in the episode where old Aaron basically gives a  poor frontier wife material for a dress under the pretense of having her make a "prototype" dress out of it to encourage future customers for himself-- a common act of the peddler's unique capitalistic charity that Goldman described almost identically in his great book!  Perhaps the episode writer had access to the same research later used by Golden.

Also, the scene of father and daughter celebrating "Shabbos" on a western roadside was displayed very respectfully-- and in alarming detail-- including the recitation of several full-length prayers in Hebrew!  This, I thought, made for pretty unique television.

CONCLUSION

In short... while the episode's climax was one of those tidy and convenient "wrap-ups" so common on these old television series-- and... while the overall tone was kind of melodramatic and preachy to say the least-- I was still pretty darned impressed with this one and I would have to give the episode a composite 4 stars out of a possible 5.

The high rating is due mainly to 2 things:  the noble attempt to realistically portray a little known aspect of frontier history; and the overall message of tolerance to one's fellow man.

And by the way...

Westerns rule!

"The Way Of Aaron"
March 10, 1963
Written by: Raphael D. Blau Directed by: Murray Golden

      
         Guest Stars: Aaron Kaufman...Ludwig Donath,...Rebecca Kaufman...Aneta Corsaut,...Stiles...Harry Dean Stanton,...Hank...Jason Wingreen,...Mrs Cardiff...Sarah Selby.

         Filmed on location at: Iverson Ranch in Southern California.

Filming dates: December 4-11, 1962

PEACE

A JACK KELLER HOT ROD CLASSIC: "Slow Joe The Thinker," 1965

Albie's Note: If the sub-genre known as "Hot Rod Comics" had a dominating Shakespeare-type figure, it was undoubtedly the late Jack Keller! (1922-2003)

Ol' Jack did not invent the genre, by any means, but he unquestionably mastered it, defined it, refined it, and left by far the largest and finest legacy within it! Although he remains more famous for writing and drawing Marvel's KID COLT series for many years on end, Jack's HOT ROD stories are still widely sought out-- not so much by comic collectors as by automobile enthusiasts [which explains how cheaply one can still purchase those vintage Charlton Car Comics]-- and one can easily see why.  He not only had meticulous attention to detail and realism, but always told vivid, exciting stories with valid moral undertones.

"Slow Joe, The Thinker" first appeared in the June, 1965 issue of Charlton's Drag Strip Hot-Rodders (#4)

I really liked the character of "Slow Joe" Hyland as presented here. I have no idea whether Keller was a Christian or not, but characters like this one-- and there are several other examples-- really make me wonder.  Joe exhibits so many New Testament Christian virtues it is hard to list them all: Patience, Pacifism, Forgiveness, Peacemaking, Hard Work,  Slowness to Wrath...  if some publisher would re-release these old comics in a new, hardbound full-process edition-- (as has actually been done more and more with the classic comics of my childhood)--  I would be just about the first patron to shell out my hard-earned money for them,  and then gladly hand them down to my own son. 

They are just THAT good.

A Great American writer and artist was Jack Keller-- may he never be forgotten:

 

"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men."   -- I Thes. 5:14-15

PEACE

 

 

WORDS TO LIVE BY: Harold Sightler's "Advice to Preachers"

Albie's Note:  You can quote me on this.  My all-time favorite preacher of the Gospel-- and I am an ARDENT student of preachers and preaching-- was a man I never actually met:  Harold B. Sightler [1914-1995], long time Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Greensboro, SC. 

To me, "Brother Harold" was everything a preacher should be: Bold but Loving, Honest but Compassionate, fiercely dedicated to God and His Written Word but alarmingly gentle in his appoarch to lost sinners.   It helps also that his voice was one of the greatest ever lent to the "pulpiteering" trade!  Here, Brother Sightler gives his advice to young men who feel called of God to proclaim His Word-- a sober responsibility to say the least! 

These words show the wisdom and grace of this departed servant in a special way.

"God calls a preacher for a ministry.  The greatest thing that you will ever discover, is God's will for you and then set out to do that will of God.  Be yourself and serve the Lord where you are.  The most absurd thing you can do is to try to  be somebody else.  Be yourself and serve Him to the best of your ability.  I don't place much stock on glowing reports. I think you ought to serve the Lord where you are, do what you can, and then go home at night and sleep and rest, then get up and do the same thing the next day.  Mind your own business, and keep on preaching the

gospel.  Let the Lord take care of the results.  One of the problems in the ministry is that we try to do what someone else has done, that's a very foolish thing.  I want to do what I can do.  God called me for a job, and I want to do my work.  Do what you can do where God put you.  Do it in your way and God's way, and God will bless you.  You can't have peace in your soul as you grow older unless you have done the will of God.  That amounts to a whole lot when you get to my age.  You will have knowledge in your soul that you have done the will of God.  Don't measure your ministry by the standard of the world.    A lot of what you read is propaganda and promotion.  I heard a preacher say, " If somebody does not walk the isle one Sunday, I am dead."  I feel sorry for him.  It must be awful to live under that kind of pressure, and have that king of attitude, and then to give your church the idea that you think that way is some kind of suicide.  You'll never pastor a church for any length of time with that attitude.  Let the Lord give you the results.  If somebody walks the isle, praise  the Lord.  If not, praise the Lord anyway.  God called me to preach. If they walk the isle, praise the Lord.  If not, I am going to preach anyway, and go on for the glory of God."

 
 

 

 

PEACE