I borrow his story from the life of Dr. Mathbie Babcock. During his pastorate in New York, a physician of his congregation, interested in his pastor's physical welfare, presented him with some theater tickets. He felt sure that his pastor needed some relaxation.

Upon examining the tickets, the pastor realized that this was of a kind he could not conscientiously attend, thanked the donor saying, "I can't take these. I can't go."

The physician asked, "Why not? You need the entertainment."

"Yes, I'm tired and I do need some relaxation. But, doctor, it's like this. You're a surgeon, and when you operate you carefully scrub your hands until you know that you are aseptically clean.  You wouldn't think of operating with dirty hands. Well, I'm a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and deal with precious immortal souls. I wouldn't dare to do my work with a dirty life."

A guy named Guy

Christians are caring people. This old saying has made the rounds: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Guy was a drinking man whose wife was a radiant and faithful Christian. From the day of her conversion she never wavered. These were people I knew well.

Then I left the area of my first pastorate and was gone for many years. Occasionally I heard from the church, and a few times held revival services there. Things for Guy and his wife went on as usual. Guy often attended church and had many friends there.

One day Guy said to a man who was a member of the church, a younger brother of mine, "They say you would give the shirt off of your back if somebody asked for it."

"Yes, if somebody needed it," was the reply.

"Well, I need it."

Then and there - they were not at church on this occasion - my brother took off his shirt and gave it away.

I don't know if this give-away had anything to do with the sequel, but after this demonstration, this guy named Guy came to the church and was converted. Now he went "all out" and wanted to be baptized. Then he wanted to be sanctified. The old life was all history.

As far as we know, he kept good victory until he died. You know the old saying, "All's well that ends well."

Helping Sir Christopher Wren

Our viewpoint makes all the difference!

While St. Paul's Cathedral was being built in London, the architect Sir Christopher Wren was visiting the work site. He came upon a stone mason and asked him what he was doing. The man replied that he was cutting this stone to a certain size and shape. Moving on, the architect asked another workman the same question. His answer was that he was earning so much money, shillings and pence, per day. That was all. The third laborer when asked the very same question, looked up, squared his shoulders, and proudly stated,  "I am helping Sir Christopher Wren Build St. Paul's Cathedral."

All of us are builders! We are building for eternity! Note what St. Paul states in I Cor. 3:9-15 "For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building . . . I have laid the foundation . . . let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon . . . Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire . . . " (Please read the entire passage vs. 9 through 17).

Let's be careful how we build!

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury which now graces the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It is reported that the poet John Milton was married in this church. During World War Two this church was bombed, as was about 480 others, by the Germans. After the 1946 visit of President Truman and Sir Winston Churchill to Westminster, and Churchill's famous Iron Curtain speech, the ruins of the old London church were brought to Fulton and reconstructed on the college campus. At it dedication, the son of an acquaintance of mine, and a cousin of my cousin, Leland Wren, was asked to cut the ribbon.

Annually, Thousands visit this Churchill memorial church.