Letters to my brothers » Charles Bennett

That I belong

Charles Bennett — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:10:04 +0000

That I belong, body and soul, in life and in death, not to myself but to my faithful savior Jesus Christ; who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit His purpose for my salvation. Therefore by His Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

This is the answer to the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism; “What is your only comfort in life and in death?”

My dear brother,

These past few weeks I’ve recited this answer over and over in my thoughts. It has been in an endeavor to memorize these truths. In doing so each of the phrases has taken on such great meaning to me that I have been walking in the blessing of their truth.

I thought I would use these letters to you to share some of my thoughts and in doing so I pray you too will be blessed.

The first three words “That I belong” have been of a great comfort to me as I sit and often wonder at the deep beauty of its truth. I can’t begin to tell you the number of times my brother that I have walked this life believing and feeling as I am a complete misfit and alien to this world. To say that “I don’t belong” would be too simple a statement. It wasn’t that was trespassing or that I tried to be something I wasn’t. It was more like no matter what I engaged in or endeavored to do I could never identify with that end.

Yet these three words declare a truth that transcends my own world. “That I belong” tell me that there is meaning and identity. I am no longer an alien no longer a stranger. This truth means I have an identity in that to which I belong. In some ways it is like my automobile. I can describe its make, model and color but when the authorities want to “identify” the auto they seek its owner. They would find that the 2002 black Toyota “belongs” to Charles. In the same way when I read “I belong” and see to whom I belong I find my identity. I belong to Christ. What glory in those words, what peace is given my heart, how my heart loses its longing and finds rest! “I belong”, no words are sweeter to my eyes, my ears, my heart, my very soul!

Brother, I rejoice that you too can speak the words “That I belong”. I pray that as you find time in your day to ponder this wonderful truth you too will be blessed.

Belonging to Him,
Charles

Providence Unknown

Charles Bennett — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:23:23 +0000

Dear Brother,

A couple of weeks ago you and I were talking about the adoption of your daughters. You mentioned that younger children that are adopted from other countries often fear being sent back. In your sharing you also mentioned that the year your two daughters were brought to the United States a law was passed and signed by the President that basically stated “The moment that child sets foot on US soil they are declared a citizen of the United States, and given all the rights of such.”

Over the next few weeks I’ve pondered this conversation and thought about God’s wonderful providence. That at the same time your two daughters were being adopted men and women who never met you or your family were crafting legislation that would seal your daughters’ security as citizens. No letters were sent by you or your wife asking for such things and yet your Heavenly Father, in His providence caused such a law to be enacted.

Isn’t it wonderful how His providence often is unknown by us until we are looking back in time.

Mercy received

Charles Bennett — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 05:36:13 +0000

My dear friend and brother,
A couple of months ago I had the painful experience of being pulled over by a local police officer. As I was talking on the phone and not paying attention to my speed, he explained that I was doing forty miles an hour in a thirty mile an hour zone. The fine was to be two hundred and ten dollars and points on my license. This was bad enough but I realized too that it would end my twenty-one year record of not being cited. Resigned to the facts that I was indeed guilty and the law was simply being enforced I sat quietly waiting for my ticket. The officer returned to my vehicle and told me he would not cite me and after telling me the amount the ticket would have cost instructed me to be more careful and obey the speed limit.
I am sure you can imagine my surprise and delight to pull away without a ticket. The burden was gone and I felt renewed and encouraged.
A few weeks later I was thinking about this incident and reflected on the officer showing mercy towards me. I know it was mercy because it was un-expected, un-earned and completed unmerited. I know this because I was guilty. I had no excuse, no extenuating circumstance and no information to plead that might give him reason to pardon me. Yet he did.
Knowing me as you do, it is no surprise that I began to ponder the wonder of mercy itself. I thought about how mercy is the very cornerstone of our Christian faith. I realized that all of Judaism and Christianity depends on mercy. Without mercy there is no grace, for grace is given only after judgement is replaced by mercy. Without mercy there is no hope because one can not hope when all we have before us is judgement and wrath. I know and believe all this because the scriptures tell us that mercy triumphs over judgement. They also tell us that God’s mercy endures forever, is new every morning and a crown for His children.
I love mercy my friend, more than life itself. I love mercy because I can not breath without it. I think that hell’s most dire state is caused by the absence of mercy. I know the darkest time in my life is when guilt has strangled me and mercy was not shown. But I need to also say the most joyous and blessed day of my life is when The High King of Heaven looked on me and all my guilt and instead of pouring out His judgement and wrath, lavished His great mercy upon me, cleansed me, covered me with Christ’s righteousness and made me His own.
Brother, I would be of no value to you in writing all this if I did not also warn you of the horror of mercy. I am speaking honestly to you when I say this because there is a greater horror that comes when we who have received mercy refuse to give it to others. The judgement to those who withhold mercy will be far greater than if they had never known mercy themselves. How foolish it is for those of us who have no plea but mercy, to even think of withholding it for others.
I recall a sign that was on the door of my apartment which read “Mercy received must become mercy given!” I rejoice my friend because I am confident that this is the case with you. I pray that you will be known to all as one who both loved and gave mercy. May the God of all mercy make it so for us all.

Taking each breath because of mercy,
Charles

Hope

Charles Bennett — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:16:36 +0000

My dearest friend and brother,

I am excited to share with you my thoughts on the subject and idea of “hope”. There are few words that evoke the joy that this word does, both when I read it and also when I speak of it.

The hope that you and I have is so different from the hope of those who do not know Christ Jesus as their Savior. Their hope is focused on the desires for future events and thus uncertain. Our hope however is founded on Christ Himself. In fact He “is” our hope and salvation.

This hope we have is one that is certain and sure. It is certain because it is not only our future that it secures but it also addresses our past. Our sins, the very sins that were the evidence against us when we stood before our Holy Creator, are now forgiven. This can only be accomplished because our hope of forgiveness was granted by the shed blood of Christ. Our hope also looks back to creation’s story and sees the power that the LORD showed in His creating the entire universe. And this same power is what sustains us through the darkest of our days and thus it too is a pillar of our hope. This hope we have also has history to give it certainty. We see how the LORD has been present with His people through all of history and He continues this day in His providence to guide and direct us in ways that glorify Him.

Not only do you and I have a hope that is certain because of our things past, we have a hope that is sure and certain for today. Christ Himself has said “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Again He has said “Those whom You gave Me I have kept.”

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. “

You, my brother, are able to join me in this hope that is certain in the uncertain days, because He who is faithful “is” sustaining us and granting us strength for today.

Finally dear brother our hope is secure and more perfect than all other hope because its future indeed is certain. Certain because He cannot lie, who has promised us heaven. He cannot fail who holds you in His hand. He will not neglect His own promises on which we rest our eternal hope. Most of all my friend, our hope is perfect and secure because He is satisfied with the righteousness of His only Son, which He so graciously has bestowed upon us.

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”

Your friend and brother,

Charles