Most often, the inability to sleep, known as “insomnia,” is accompanied by or is the result of “free floating anxiety,” that is, bad thoughts that float in and out of your mind all night long.  These anxieties could be worries about sickness, finances, old age, grief, even worries about not getting to sleep.  Sometimes one may be so angry, depressed, frustrated, even excited about things they cannot drift of to sleep.

One thing I know for sure is this:  the gift of salvation includes things like safety and health.  Because of God’s salvation, Christians should be able to rest and sleep, knowing they are being watched over and protected by God.

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.  (Psalm 4:8)

Worry is essentially is a sin and indicates a lack of faith and trusting in the Lord and in the promises contained in His Word.  That’s not to say we shouldn’t be concerned about things.  There is a vast difference between proper and responsible concern and uncontrolled worry, however.

It might be  helpful, if you can’t get to sleep, to read then meditate on these Scriptures:

• Psalm 3:5               The Lord sustains for sleep
• Psalm 4:8               The Lord gives safety for sleep
• Psalm 127:2          God give those He loves sleep
• Prov. 3:24              Sleep is promised
• Jer. 31:1-26           The assurance of the Lord gives sleep
• Matt. 11:28             Rest is promised from labor
• Isa. 26:3                   How to receive peace

Sometimes just reading the Bible will bring sleep; other times praying for people will help your mind to relax.  There are times when sleeplessness is just the manifestation of deeper problems that need to be dealt with through prayer, behavioral changes, counseling, and even proper medical care.

Of course, if you can’t sleep because of a bad back or physical pain, for goodness sake get a new mattress or see a doctor!  Or if you sleep with your dog, maybe it’s your dog that can’t sleep and it’s keeping you up.  We have a 7 pound Yorkie Poo that seems to take up the whole bed sometimes.

Whatever the reason you can’t fall asleep, I pray that you find some peace through the Word of God or that He will show you what you should do.  There is rarely anything worth losing sleep over.

Let me say, in the absence of details, that some people may have serious mental illness issues that may be caused by physical problems.  Sometimes, the only way to ascertain the cause of a “mental illness” is to seek professional medical help.  I believe the Lord gave us doctors for a reason, and getting a proper diagnosis is a great reason to go to the doctor!

Having said that, what does the Bible have to say about the issue?  The Word of God promises Christians a sound mind.  Mental illness is part of the curse of the Law and is very often the direct result of sin and disobedience to God.

However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you:

The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind.  (Deuteronomy 28:15, 28)

The literal reading of 2 Timothy 1:7 is a promise Christians can depend on:

God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Another enlightening verse is found in Isaiah:

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

You’ll notice a couple of things.  Christians are promised a “sound mind,” which means a mind free from fear and anxiety.  However, in order to have that “sound mind,” Christians need to replace destructive, negative thoughts with other, more positive thoughts.  We need to keep our minds focused on the Lord, not on bad thoughts.  Like me, you have probably found it difficult to not have bad thoughts.  Some days it seems like our brains are like magnets that attract every bad thought floating around out there!   The Bible’s solution implies that those bad thoughts will come, but that we have a the power to control them:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  (Philippians 4:8)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  (Romans 12:2)

Christians are not slaves to their minds!  It is within you to control your thoughts.  Controlling your thoughts is not denying reality, it is freeing your mind from bondage that will paralyze you to the point where you will be so filled with fear or despondency, finding real solutions to your real life problems will always elude you.

If you are stuck in the rut of negative thinking to the point where the quality of your life has been impacted negatively, there is no one to blame but yourself.  Each of us is responsible for maintaining a healthy mind. It is up to you to feed your mind healthy food.  Your mind is like a computer:  it will always put out essentially what goes into it.

If you find negative thoughts a problem, take a look at what you watch on TV, the kind of music you listen to, and what you read.  Consider who you are spending most of your time with.  Negative people will always bring you down to their level.  Most people become like the people they spend most of their time with.  Napoleon Hill was right about a few things, and one of them is this issue about the kind of people we associate with.  If you are a Christian I would strongly encourage you to join a Spirit-filled church and seek out fellowship with solid believers.

Perhaps a “mental illness” is the result of a real medical issue.  Seeking medical help and proper medication can help with that.  But even then it is absolutely essential for Christians to get into the habit of healthy thinking and healthy fellowshiping.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

The question is:  Is what Saul did of God or not?

In order to answer that question, we need to know the context.  The story begins back in verse 19, where we learn that King Saul is in hot pursuit of David, intent on killing him.   When the king heard that David was hiding out with the prophets, he sent a team of soldiers to get him.  However, when the soldiers approached the prophets and saw that the revered Samuel was there among them, these soldiers were apparently touched by what they saw and joined in the emotional worship of God, returning to the king without David.

The same thing happened two more times to two different teams of soldiers.  At last, Saul took matters into his own hands and went to get David from the prophets.  Some time before this, Saul and Samuel had a falling-out (1 Samuel 15:17-35), where Samuel made it clear to Saul that God had officially rejected Saul as king of Israel.  For this reason, Saul was reticent in approaching Samuel, which is why he sent two teams of soldiers to do the work.

King Saul was a man with severe mental problems, often given to wild mood swings (1 Samuel 14:14-23; 18:10-11; 19:9).  As Saul got closer to the prophets and saw them prophesying and worshiping God, he found himself caught up in the excitement for no particular reason.  Remember, he was not going to see the prophets to worship God, he was going to capture David, God’s anointed, with the express purpose of killing him.  Influenced by what he saw and experienced, Saul began to shout and sing and dance right along with the prophets.  This isn’t the first time this happened to Saul; earlier in his life a similar incident occurred, 1 Samuel 10:5, 6, 10.  Saul seemed to be a man who was easily influenced by those around him.

Unlike the rest of the prophets, who were genuinely moved by the Spirit of God to worship, the king got so carried away in his ungrounded enthusiasm that he stripped off his clothes and carried on naked, eventually collapsing in exhaustion.

He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”  (19:24)

This saying among the people was a compliment, it was an insult that no doubt humiliated the king even more.  This embarrassing episode, ending in complete humiliation, was a judgment from God on a man who opposed the will of God at every turn and lived in open rebellion of Him.  So, in answer to the question, we might say that what Saul did was, in fact, of God, but not in the way we might first think.   God was behind what Saul did, but in judgment of him.

There is a valuable lesson here.  It is very easy to get “caught up” in emotional exuberance in the presence of God.  While there is nothing wrong expressive praise and worship, such praise and worship must be motivated by God, not on one’s feelings in the moment.

These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.  (Deut. 29:1)

Deuteronomy 29:1 makes it sound like there is another treaty/covenant that was agreed upon at Moab.  What is that about and what were the additions?

In the Hebrew text, 29:1 is really 28:69, and grammatically it probably refers to the words Moses is about to speak, not what he has already spoken.

Deuteronomy serves as a kind of summary of God’s communication to Moses regarding the Law and Moses’ communication of the Law to the nation.  In the early portions of Deuteronomy, there are two locations given as to where the Law was given:  Moab and Horeb.  A close reading indicates that while there were two locations and two declarations of a covenant given, there was only one covenant.

The bulk of Deuteronomy is really an exposition of the covenant originally given at Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai, and along with the various affirmations and restatements of the covenant, revelations of additional stipulations and exhortations are given as a new generation is about to enter the Promised Land.

In Song of Solomon 2:1, the text is referring to “the beloved” as a rose of Sharon and a lilly of the valley.  I have always heard Chrsit referred to this in hymns and  such and it seems to me, hermeneutically, that this does not refer to Christ at all but is an endearment between two lovers.  Is this correct?  I can’t see any way to make it about Christ.

The very simple answer to this question is that Jesus Christ is never referred to as either a rose of Sharon or a lilly of the valley; these are not names of Christ.   The fact that most Christians think Christ is the rose of Sharon and a lilly of the valley shows that most Christians know hymns better than they know their Bibles, which is sad.

Having said that, over the years the Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) has been one of the most misunderstood and abused books of the Bible.   There are four basic ways to interpret this book.

1. The Song of Solomon illustrates in poetic fashion the beauty of wedded love.  This would be the literal interpretation; the Song of Solomon shows what real love within the bounds of marriage looks like.
2. It sets forth the love of God for Israel.  This is a largely Jewish approach to this book, given that the prophets frequently referred to Israel as God’s wife.
3. The Song of Solomon is a picture of Christ’s love for the Church.  This is, I think, a bit of a stretch and relies solely on the dangerous allegorical view of Biblical interpretation that the early church fathers  practiced.  There is no New Testament evidence that any of the writers of the New Testament understood the Song of Solomon this way.
4. Finally, some think the Song of Solomon shows the communion of Christ and the individual believer.  In other words, the love between the two lovers is like the love Christ has for the Christian.  Of all the way to misuse Scripture, this one is the most offensive to  me.

My own view is that the Song of Solomon illustrates the glories of wedded love between a man and woman; nothing more.

1 Samuel 16:14 says that God sent an evil spirit to torment King Saul.  Did God really send an evil spirit?  Or did it really come from Satan?

Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil 1spirit from the LORD tormented him.

Granted, this verse is troubling, but I personally find 1 Samuel 18:10 even more so:

The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did.

For that matter, how about this verse in Isaiah 45:7:

I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

These verses and many others seem to indicate that a lot more than “good” comes from God.   According to the Creation account in Genesis, everything God originally created was “good.”  James 1:13 teaches in no uncertain terms that God cannot be tempted by evil and that He does not tempt anyone else with evil.  That is, God does not trick or manipulate people into committing a sin.

However, because God is completely moral and ethical and treats the people He created fairly and justly, He must demonstrate the difference between good and evil in a way that is abundantly clear to them.  Furthermore, because God is righteous and He has established a moral order for His creation and is the sustainer of that moral order, it is God’s responsibility to punish sin; regardless of how much He may love the sinner or how much compassion He may feel toward them.

If we take Isaiah 45:7 as the basis of our understanding of “evil” coming from God, the context must be taken into consideration.   Isaiah is referring to the approaching consequences of Israel’s sin and rebellion; those consequences came in the form of foreign invasions.

In the case of King Saul, in his pride and rebellion he performed a sacrifice to God in violation of God’s law and he spared King Agag and much of the cattle belonging to the Amalekites in spite of being commanded by the Word of God to put them all to death.  In addition, Saul was sinfully jealous of David because of the praise the young man got because of his victory over the giant Goliath.  These and more sinful, rebellious, and prideful acts accumulated to the point where the King opened himself up Satanic influence, much the way Judas Iscariot did after he decided it was in his best interest to betray Jesus.

God has established certain spiritual laws that govern His creation.  We are familiar with some of them:  a man reaps what he sows, for example.  Another good example is that the promised blessings of God are almost always contingent on us doing something that pleases God.   All of God’s spiritual laws are based on “cause and effect.”  Saul’s continued disobedience literally cut him off from fellowship with God and God’s guidance, both of which he had previously enjoyed in abundance.   Well said Henry David Thoreau,

Nature abhors a vacuum, and if I can only walk with sufficient carelessness I am sure to be filled.

Nature does indeed abhor a vacuum, so that where the Spirit of God is absent, another spirit will come in.  In Saul’s case, he was besieged with the spirits of depression and jealousy that eventually drove him to suicide.  The book of Job teaches that all spirits, good and bad, operate only with the permission of God.

The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything [Job] has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.  (Job 1:12)

James tells us how insidious sin works, and he places the blame wholly on man himself:

[B]ut each of you is tempted when you are dragged away by your own evil desire and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  (James 1:14—15)

Regardless of how it is worded, all consequences of sin are penal in nature, and come by way of God.  God is the author of the moral law for His creation, and He always does what is right.

Mike, what do you think of beauty pageants?  Was it wrong for Esther to be a part of a pagan beauty contest and to become part of Xerxes harem?  Thanks.

I’ll answer the second question first.

A lot of people have noticed that not once is God’s name mentioned anywhere in the book of Esther.  However, His providential presence and guidance is obvious throughout the book.

Esther’s time was perilous for the Jews.  Haman, the prime minister of Persia, had decided it was time to wipe out the Jewish population once and for all.  To stymie this evil plan, God raised up a woman named Esther, who would make herself available to Him for the deliverance of God’s people.  Esther, coincidentally, was both beautiful and intelligent, and the only way she could intervene on behalf of her people was to present herself before the king as a candidate in his beauty contest.

There is some question as to whether Esther volunteered  to become a contestant or was forced into it.  Esther 2:8 says this–

Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.

This probably means that she had no choice in the matter.  Whatever the case, voluteer or conscripted, Esther was no doubt God’s instrument to halt the wicked purposes of Haman.

As we read the whole book, it becomes obvious that God was in control of the situation from beginning to end and that Esther acted completely within the will of God.  Esther was truly a remarkable woman; willing to risk her life for the sake of her people–

[I]f I perish, I perish.

While it is true that God used Esther’s beauty and courage to deliver His people from certain extinction, the story of Esther does not teach that young Christian women should use beauty pageants to achieve some sort of life goal or fulfill some kind of ambition.  The survival of a nation is not at stake in any beauty contests these days and, in my opinion, it would be wise for young Christian women to avoid them.

Mike, I hear Christians use the phrase “It’s a sign of the times” when bad things happen.  What do they mean?  What signs and what times are they referring to?

What a great question; thanks so much for taking the time to ask.  Like you, I often hear that time-worn phrase used when bad things happen.  A series of hurricanes hit and the church deems it “a sign of the times.”  A strong earthquake strikes the east coast and it’s a dire “sign of the times.”  A minister gets caught in a sin and it’s “a sign of the times.”  A Democrat gets elected President of these United States, and, let’s all say it together:  “It’s a sign of the times.”  It’s funny that nobody ever uses that phrase when good things happen!

That phrase is not found in the Bible per se.  People, Christians especially, like to use it to indicate that the bad thing (the hurricane, the earthquake, etc) shows that the end of the world is near.   Even outside the Church, the phrase is used when bad things happen.  This seems to show that even people who don’t know the Lord or the Bible have a sense that the world is coming to an end and that things will get worse the closer the end gets.

My guess is that most people use “it’s a sign of the times” ignorantly.  That is, if you were to ask them, “What sign is that?” they would not know how to respond, or they would say something like, “You know, that the world is ending.” A Christian might say, “You know, a sign that Jesus is coming back.”  Of course, even that is still an unsatisfactory answer.  If you really want to see that person flustered, hand them a Bible and ask them for the chapter and verse.

Or the other question,  “What time are you talking about?” would also go unanswered.

That phrase is not found in the Bible, but there are, in fact, many signs given throughout the Bible for all kinds of reasons.  Many signs were given to people in the Old Testament to show, for example, when things will happen or to help a person make the correct choice.  God would give the King of Israel a sign, for example, so he would be prepared to do battle.

In the prophetic books, there were signs given to help people discern when the Messiah was to be be born and/or return.

In the New Testament, signs continue pretty much for the same reasons.  Paul was given signs to direct him to go in a certain direction, for example.

People often use Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 24 and the signs He gave that point to the “end of the age” in relation to the time in which we are living.  In Matthew 24, Jesus talks about wars, earthquakes, famines, and other bad things as signs that the end is near and that His return is imminent.  My guess is that Christians use that chapter especially as a kind of indication that we are living in the last days.

First, let me say that I believe we are living in the last days, not because of any signs, but because that is what the Bible declares.  Second, while it is true Matthew 24 is full of signs, if you read it contextually, you see that the signs Jesus is referring to are signs that will occur during the Tribulation, not signs for today, unless you think we are in the Tribulation.

It is vitally important to read the Bible, especially books of prophecy in their proper context.   I know that we all like to feel vindicated, and the temptation to use current events to “prove” the Bible is great but unnecessary.   The fact is, we don’t have to “prove” anything about the Bible.  In fact, when we rip Bible verses out of context, we are being disingenuous and too often come off looking foolish.  The power of the Bible comes when it is read and interpreted correctly.  When that happens, nobody can argue with you.

So, there are signs, but probably not the ones everybody is talking about.

Luke 24: 31-32 — Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Hi Mike. This scripture is about the two guys who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. My question — as a Christian, my heart “burns” within me when I hear or read the word of God. Why is that not true for EVERYONE who is a born-again Christian? What’s going on?

I love the story of Jesus walking with a couple of guys on the road to Emmaus.  My mother has a painting of this incident, in fact, that probably still hangs in her home; I still see it in my mind’s eye every time I re-read the story found in Luke 24.  Of all the Gospel writers, Luke’s account is the most complete; Mark gives it a scant two verses, while Matthew and John ignore it all together.

Godet calls this appearance of the risen Lord “one of the most admirable pieces in Luke’s Gospel,” and for good reason; it is a precisous story of divine truths told on the human level.

I am tempted at this point to give a detailed exegesis of Luke 24:13-35, but the question asks for an opinion, not a Bible study.  I would, however, encourage all of you to take the time to re-read, or maybe read for the very first time, the beautiful story of an incident that occurred on the road to Emmaus.

The question involves one verse, a comment made by the men who encountered the risen Jesus:

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”  (Luke 24:32)

As Jesus was walking with the men, they failed to recognize who He was.  Jesus had been crucified and the last thing they expected was to see Him up and walking around.  Note what they said–

[W]e had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. (verse 21)

In other words, they were disappointed that this Jesus didn’t seem to accomplish what they wanted Him to; here it was, three days after He died and nothing had changed.  They were down in the heart.  At this point, Jesus (whom they did not recognize) did something–

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  (24:24-27)

In other words, Jesus had a short Bible study with these two men, going through the Old Testament and teaching them about the prophecies concerning Himself.  Only later, in hindsight, after they realized who He was, did they make the connection between what they felt in their hearts as their Scriptures were explained to them and the One doing the explaining.

I think this a very common experience among believers.  Sometimes when we study the Word of God during our private devotions we have times of “illumination” when one or two verses seem to jump off the page and smack us in the head.   They may be verses well known to us, but for some reason, they strike us and the Holy Spirit makes them “come alive” in our hearts.

However, I would say a far more common experience is that during our private devotions and Bible studies, nothing special seems to happen.  That is, we read a few chapters, we pray and meditate about what we have read, then we go about the chores of the day.  But then, during the afternoon, something happens or we hear or see something that brings back to our minds something we read earlier that day in the Bible, and at that point, what we read hours ago “comes alive.”

I liken what happened to Cleopas and his friend to the second example above.  Jesus, by teaching them the Word of God, had actually planted spiritrual seeds that would grow to produce fruit when needed.   This is why it is so important for believers to study the Word of God and to regularly attend a church that preaches and teaches the Bible; God’s Word needs to be in your mind so that at the right moment, the Holy Spirit can bring back to your remembrance the things to read or heard.

So, yes, I would say that this spiritual “heart burn” should be a common experience among all believers.  But human nature being what it is, doesn’t always recognize deep and profound things as they are happening, only later upon reflection.

I would be very concerned about the spiritual state of a person claiming to be a Christian who has never experienced this.  They are either immature, have never been exposed to true Bible teaching, or they aren’t really born again.

2 Tim. 2:14-15 says Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. NIV

Would you mind addressing a few issues related to this verse? Is it only meant for pastors? What does he mean exactly by “handling” the word of truth? I know the KJV says “rightly dividing” the word of truth. I think this speaks to context and proper study habits with respect to the Bible but would you say that it is sin to mishandle the word of truth?

When we read letters in the New Testament, we are really reading somebody else’s mail; they are not addressed to us personally, even though God the Holy Spirit saw fit to preserve those personal letters for all generations of believers to read.  This tells me two things.  First, we need to understand to whom a particular letter was written and why.  Second, we need to make a reasonable application of that letter to our own lives, since God thought what was written to that one person was important enough for others.

In regard to the first point, this is the second letter Paul wrote to a young man named Timothy.  Paul was like a senior pastor to Timothy, a much younger pastor, who needed some good advice from one who had been “around the block,” so to speak.  And so in verses 14 and 15, the older pastor advises the younger pastor:

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

The “them” are the people in Timothy’s charge, his congregation.  Paul is giving some sound pastoral advice here.  Christians (congregations) need to be reminded constantly about things they already know because there is a tendency to overlook or forget those elemental things.  A faithful pastor will be somewhat repetitive in the emphasis of his teaching and preaching for that very reason.

Paul gets even more explicit with his advice by warning Timothy against people in his church who cause problems and quarrels by their bad teaching.  Such self-appointed teachers only divide churches.

Then, with verse 15, Paul gives Timothy advice about how to go about his own ministry.   A pastor needs to be a diligent student of the Word of God who is able to take its many truths and show others how to apply them to their own situations.   For Paul, this was the essence of pastoral ministry:  that God’s Word be subjected to sound exegesis and its correct meaning taught.

That is the essential context of the passage.  The broader application is wide ranging indeed.  For the modern pastor, Paul’s teaching is timeless, and we who are in the ministry would do well to set aside the church growth manuals for a while and go back to the Biblical teachings about why we do what we do.  Times change and cultures vary, but pulpit ministry remains the same today as it was in Paul’s day because the believer’s most basic need is the same:  for the Word of God to be clearly taught and applied.

For believers who are members of a congregation these verses give you a glimpse into the pastor’s job.  If you know what he is supposed to be doing maybe you will understand why it takes so long to prepare a sermon and a Bible study and why he sometimes has to decline dinner invitations.  The pastor is not a social butterfly whose job is to visit and harass his members day and night.

These verses also give you as glimpse of how you are to behave in church and since much of Paul’s advice to Timothy concerns people like you, it would well for you heed Paul’s advice by taking it to heart.

I can tell you that after having served in different churches over the years, in different denominations and even different countries, the names and faces of members may change, but every church has its troublemakers, its gossips, its know-it-all “Bible scholars,” and so on.   Paul’s advice to pastor and layperson alike is really timeless.

I would say that knowingly mishandling and misrepresenting the Bible is a sin.  Since none of us is born with all the knowledge we will ever need, learning is a lifelong process.  I look back and cringe at some of the truly awful sermons I preached as a young pastor and wonder how in the world I survived so long in the ministry!  Thank God He is ever gracious and understanding of human weakness and human nature.  We live and we learn, even in the ministry.  When we as preachers make honest mistakes over the pulpit, we can also be thankful that, in most cases, the mistake goes unnoticed by most listeners who are blissfully thinking of other things.