Familiar Friend

Good Morning,

Our Lord was “…in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” This is one of the things I wonder about.  Jesus could have died for us without sleeping in the hills or being lied about, at least it seems He could have.  Consider all that our Saviour tolerated in those thirty-three years. I think the reason he chose to face those situations was so you and I might know that He understands. He also faced injustices and hurts, and through it all, He stayed true to God. 

Betrayal by someone we love is one of the hardest situations to bear, yet the prophecy and reality of Judas is clear. 

Psalm 41:9 “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” 

Judas ate with the Saviour, traveled with Him, shared meals and places to sleep, as did the other apostles.  Betrayal from someone you love and have a deep relationship with is difficult to even describe. That is why divorce or any serious family trouble is so painful.  

David faced betrayal from his sons Absalom, Amnon, and Adonijah.  David’s wife also mocked him. The leader of his army, Joab, betrayed him; also the high priest. His own men sought to kill him at Ziglag.

Another example is Joseph, who faced betrayal from his brothers and his employer.

You are not alone when someone you love dearly turns to harm you.  This is also a sign of the end of this world as we know it. As the great tribulation begins, or at some point in the seven years, Satan shall turn men against each other as no other time in history.  Make no mistake – the betrayal and hatred between those who love one another is also satanic today and should be shunned as witchcraft or murder. 

Matthew 10:21 “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.”

Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another 

The point is that Jesus knows your sorrow, and He understands your pain. He faced those same feelings – to the extreme. 

I hear stories of betrayal off and on, but honestly, I am never sure exactly where the fault lies, except that Satan sows discord and God hates it. (Proverbs 6) 

You can do with the Bible what you like, but as for me, I will seek to implement Its truths into my life in every way possible.  Consider the famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13:

vs. 4 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,”

vs. 5 "Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;”

vs. 6 “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”

vs. 7 “ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

These are the Christian’s marching orders. 

If we add the writings of Paul on the fruit of the spirit to these thoughts, you will read the perfect biography of the child of God. 

Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”

vs. 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

We will never control the actions of those who seek us harm, but we can control our response. 

Pastor

Reproach

Good Morning,

1 Peter 4:14 “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” 

Reproach is the term God chose for the way some people will treat us, but  then the Lord offers the exhortation to not allow the reproach to bother us. 

Yes, we are different. No, we will not fit in with this vile world.  Yes, we will face pressure to give in and join the world and run to the same parties and excess of riot (1 Peter 4:3-4). 

The danger for the child of God lies in our desire to be accepted and to fit in with the world.  We want our children to dress like their friends, to listen to the same music, and to go to the same dances or social events.  As a child of God, we are to be different, and we are to expect the reproach that comes with it. Many a parent who will bear the reproach does not wish their child to bear the same; so mom and dad will shift their style of living to attempt to take away the reproach from their children.  

If we live as Christ desires us to life, we will not fit in, and that will bring a response from the world around us. As someone very tall or very short, or as one with a handicap, curious looks are the least to be expected, perhaps followed by comments or more. 

Many a loving parent simply wants the child to be able to walk to school, play a game, spend time with family or friends, and be “normal.” 

I remember when our oldest was about ten years old; we were visiting out of town relatives.  A cousin asked what kind of music he liked to listen to, mentioning rap, rock, and a few other genres.  The question was casual– not accusing; a question young people might ask to get to know them.   I was close enough to hear the question and wondered what he might say.  There was a tense moment, and he said, “Christian.” The cousin said, “Oh,” and they went on with other conversation.  It was not good or bad, but obviously not ground they could connect on because neither knew enough about what they other liked to begin a conversation.  The conversation changed to sports since they had more in common on that subject.

As we walk through life, close to the Lord with the Bible as our Guide, we will fit in with the world less and less, and with that comes the occasional “reproach.”  We are following the One Who was crucified, mocked, and abused.

Matthew 27:39 “And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads…” 

Moses made his decision to follow God when he walked away from the palace of Egypt to walk with the Jews. He would face reproach but he would also gain rewards.

Hebrews 11:26 “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

He did face reproach; but notice the end of the verse - he also gained reward.  We are encouraged to go outside the camp, away from the normal path, to walk a different direction and to bear His reproach – with it comes the promise of future rewards.  

Hebrews 13:13 “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.”

vs. 14 “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”

Do not fear about your children being misfits. In a world of anger, betrayal, unfaithfulness, and confusion, we do not want to fit in with the world, neither do we want our children to fit. In a world where adultery is common, drug and alcohol is used as the sedative for hurt in the soul, and lies are endless, why would we wish to fit with that?  Trust the Lord, and He will make things right, as He did with David in the conflict with Nabal. David was treated shamefully, but Abagail interceded to stop David from killing all her household, and in a short time, God killed Nabal.  God cared for the reproach David faced. 

1 Samuel 25:39 “And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head.” 

Yes, there is some “reproach” when we choose to submit our spirit and lifestyle to the Word of God, but we will find ourselves in good company.  While we worry about “fitting in” or our children “fitting in,” remember that the end of the worldly lifestyle is broken and hurting more often than not.  Our path has a happier end, both on earth and in eternity.

Pastor

Blessed People

Good Morning,

Luke 12:22-33

The Lord makes a simple statement in Luke 12:32: "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom...”

As Christians, we fear far too often: we worry about bills, jobs, or a layoff; we worry about the President, the economy, the weather, or any number of other things that affect our children and grandchildren.

The Lord reminds us of a few principles:

1. We have a Father Who is powerful, loving, good, and faithful. A Father Who is trustworthy. A Father Who knows better than us and has our best interests, as well as, His glory in mind.

2. Our Father looks at us with “good pleasure.” He delights in caring for us eternally, as well as, physically in this temporal world. To think that it is my Heavenly Father’s “good pleasure” to do anything involving me is unfathomable. The fact that it pleases the Father to care for me is incredible. I do not have a wicked step-mother as Cinderella did, but I have a Father Who looks with pleasure on my life and my destiny.

3. It is the Father’s pleasure to give me the Kingdom. The day will come when the King will reign, and I will have a part in that Kingdom. God's plan to allow me to reign and to be entrusted with a portion of His Kingdom pleases Him.

Many years ago, my first-born son expressed His desire to work for me one day. I assured him that he would have to sit back and wait on the will of God. When he graduated from college, I asked him if he would consider further education, but he responded, “No, I have always wanted to work for you. I have graduated and that is what I want to do.” It was a delight to me that my son wanted to work with me, but even more so it was a delight to me that my son wanted to work for God. What a pleasure to have my son's office down the hallway from mine.

The Eternal Father’s pleasure is to provide a kingdom in which I can live with no tears, no sorrow, no hurt, no suffering, and no pain. It is a kingdom of purpose and a kingdom that glorifies Himself; this gives the Heavenly Father ten thousand times more joy than any earthly father can enjoy.

Because of all these promises, God wants us not to panic over earthly trials. In Luke 12:30, God makes a statement about food, clothing, and earthly possessions: “For all these do the nations of the world seek after...” The earthly desires of my unsaved neighbor should be completely different from my aspirations. Why? Because it is my Father’s good pleasure to give me the Kingdom.

The goals of the kings of the world should be far different from the goals of leaders in a nation like America. Why? Because our nation is founded on the Word of God and Bible preachers. Although not every one of our founders or leaders of today is a Christian, our roots are certainly based on a Judeo-Christian mentality. We have a different beginning, and we have a different end. Our goals are different.

The righteous and the unrighteous should have a different set of values. In an old western story, the bad guy might shoot the good guy in the back, but no good guy would shoot the bad guy in the back. Good guys have different values.

We are different. The reason we are different is that our Father’s good pleasure is to give us the Kingdom. Our lives are built upon a different set of values, and our futures are built upon a different destiny; hence, these simple statements in Luke 12:23, 32: “The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.”

vs. 32 “Fear not, little flock..” we need not worry or fret because it is our Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom.

Pastor

Hope Not In Men

Good Morning,

Mankind has many weaknesses, and men do mess up life a great deal. I find it amazing how easily men can recognize the foolish actions of another, but, when the tables are turned, they fail to see the error in their own ways. The fact is, when we are removed from a situation, we often see more clearly.

One reason for this, if not the main reason, is self-trust.

Hosea 10:13 “Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.”

When men trust in their own strength or their own assets, they tend to make poor judgments. The constant urging in the Scriptures to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart…” (Proverbs 3) points us to the solution to all of life — trust God!

2 Chronicles 20:20 “…Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”

2 Timothy 3:15 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

When men turn from self-confidence to rest in the Bible, they find peace, direction, hope, and blessing. God has no intention of letting men HE CREATED, living on a planet HE CREATED, eating food HE CREATED, using brains HE CREATED to study a world HE CREATED get away with denying Him. He will not allow men to prosper while they pretend that the God Who created them does not exist or has no knowledge, or that they (created beings) have better ideas.

Hosea said the Israelite people would have trouble “…because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” I hope that Bible-believing people are not trusting in their president. Praying for God to guide him is commanded. Honoring our national leaders is also a command, but may none of us sit back and rest in the wisdom of any president.

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

Isaiah 31:1 “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!”

Our only hope is in the Lord. Praying for God to have mercy on our sin-sick nation is our hope. Begging for mercy is our hope. Seeking the Lord, reading His Word, and praying often to Him are actions that may turn the hand of God towards us and bring continued mercy. A leader is of no value unless God moves, stemming the tide of evil and holding back the angry mobs of shameful people in the streets, in the newsrooms, and on Capitol Hill. Without the Lord, we are hopeless.

Hosea 8:14 “For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. “ (Sounds like our twin towers!)

Hosea 9:1 “Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.”

Those verses sound as if men rejoice in financial gain more than the knowledge of God. Did you see the statement, "as other people?" Others may act as though there is no God, but we have enjoyed His presence. We received the blessing of God in His founding of our land; and as such, we owe Him more. We cannot do what other nations do.

May we pray for help for our land.  May we not read anything unless our Bible has preeminence in our reading.  Fox, CNN, Twitter, and Instagram have nothing but hopeless words from sinful men.  The Word of God is eternal, spiritual, and Divine!  

Pastor

Shallow Devotion

Good Morning,

Our society is immersed in a “me first” manner of thinking.  The tragedy is that Jesus promised loss of life to those who think and act in such a way.

John 12:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

vs. 25 “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

Do you want to lose your life and all that is precious to you in this world? If so, simply live selfishly, and you will find yourself very empty and alone.  

What word defines the life of the Saviour any more than selfless.  Jesus came to serve:

Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” 

Christ came to give:

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” 

The Lord did not come to get even:

1 Peter 2:23 “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

I could go continue, but the summary is that Jesus left us an example of how to live – right up to the cross, when He prayed, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” 

It is pitiful how the disciples scattered when the Lord faced trouble. They ran because of selfishness.  When Peter denied the Lord three times, it was his selfishness.  When John Mark fled from the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas, it was selfishness.

When Satan said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God,” that was probably the beginning of selfishness (Isaiah 14:13). Another example of the product of fear and selfishness was when the parents of the man healed of his blindness said they knew nothing and to ask the man who was “of age.” Now, I am not saying I would not have joined any of these in their fears and selfish behaviour, but let us at least admit that it was wrong and selfishness was the motive for their actions. 

In our world, a person can be slandered and friends will scatter like roaches in the light for fear of being attacked in the mess.  What if all friends and honorable associates said, “We will keep on loving and working as we have in the past?”  Why, it would make the slanders and accusations benign. 

Cowardice, selfishness, or whatever other term might apply is in direct  conflict with loyalty and honorable behaviour.  

Matthew 26:31 “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."  (Zachariah 13:7) 

During the Reformation, many a Baptist hid in the shadows while others stood and often suffered.  In the colonial days of America, the Protestant leaders abused Baptists a great deal. Some folks went to jail or were beaten, and others moved west to seek freedom.  No doubt, there were others who felt it was safer to step back into the Anglican Church.  

I am an American! Even with its weaknesses, our nation has given me so much.  When it becomes popular to slander our nation, I will not be on that band wagon.  Likewise, I am a Baptist; and as it seems, “Fundamental” has become a negative term, but I say loudly, “I am a FUNDAMENTAL BAPTIST.” Allow me to elaborate more and also say, “I am a male, married to a female; I read a King James Bible daily; I work for a living and pay my bills, and in sixty-six years of life, I have never, knowingly, taken a dime of government help.” To flee one of these things to protect myself would be tragic. By His grace, I will not run. 

Selfishness will sink your ship every time!! 

Our pastor used to quote this song: “Am I A Soldier of the Cross” (vs 2 & 4)

Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?

Sure I must fight if I would reign; increase my courage, Lord!

I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.

Pastor

Worship

Good Morning,

I would like to address the subject of worship because its unscriptural misuse and abuse is so prevalent in our current society.  Allow me to encourage the easily-offended readers and those who place feeling above Scripture to lay aside this lesson and stop reading - it will help your day be less stressful. If you wish to be a Bible believer, someone with Bible-based faith, read on.  

Have you ever thought about how often you hear the phrase, “style of worship,” yet how rarely you hear the phrase “preaching or teaching the Bible” used? The “style of worship” movement is one of feeling and ambiance rather than life-changing preaching and the power of the Word of God.  Modern “worship” is far from the worship Paul taught to the churches.  (I will limit my comments to worship and address preaching and teaching another time.  Look with me at the Bible and see what It teaches about worship.)

Matthew 14:33 “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped…”  The storm was calmed, Jesus had walked to them on the water, and Peter had walked for a short time on the water as well.  The others in the ship, probably the twelve, came to Jesus and worshipped.  Do you think they brought out the band, light show, skinny jeans, and keyboard and swayed to the music with a crowd with uplifted hands?  No, just a few guys fell on their faces and humbly acknowledged that Jesus was mighty.

In Matthew 4, Satan tried to persuade Jesus to worship him. Jesus responded that the Bible says to worship only God.  Did Satan wish Jesus to gather a praise team or to muster the praise and worship crowd and with dimmed lights to feel warm and fuzzy toward the prince of darkness? Of course not, Satan wanted Jesus to fall down and acknowledge him as all powerful.

In Matthew 8:2, a single leper fell down and worshiped Jesus. (This sounds much like the other stories I mentioned.)  I could continue listing similar stories through the Gospels, but there is nothing that even remotely resembles a band, lights, and a crowd singing a rote chorus repeatedly. 

Allow me give a similar example in the book of Acts. As churches were started and the Gospel was preached to new people everywhere, Cornelius had sent for Peter to come to him; he wanted Peter to tell him how to get saved.  When Peter arrived, Cornelius worshipped. 

Acts 10:25 "And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.”

No band or uplifted hands, or breathy voices were carried from microphones to the ears of the audience; he was just a man on his face saying that Peter was the special man whom he longed to seek. 

Let us refer to the Epistles of Paul where most of our church doctrine originates. From the books of Romans to Hebrews, the word worship is only used six times; it is hardly the main subject of teaching about the church.  These are the books that teach how the church ought to be run and who may run it.  When Paul told Timothy that these things were about how to behave in the house of God, the church of the living God (1 Timothy 3:15), do you think that Paul forgot to mention worship; the word worship is not in either of the books to Timothy.  In thirteen of the books written by Paul, only six times does Paul even mention worship; let us see what Paul said. 

For the sake of time, allow me to summarize the passages; you can look them up on your own if needed: 

1 Corinthians 14:25 One guy heard a sermon and walked the aisle, fell on his face, and worshiped.

Philippians 3:3 says we worship God in spirit.

Romans 1:25 and Colossians 2:18, 23 each mention wrong worship.

(The last time is clearly not about a corporate group singing and worshipping, but for your sake, I listed the passages so you can see it word for word.)

2 Thessalonians 2:4 “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” 

There you have it; all six times, Paul wrote about worship between the books of Romans and Hebrews; these are the books from which our church doctrine is primarily derived. He teaches nothing about the modern style of worship, and almost never even mentions the word worship. The praise and worship crowd probably does not know about Paul’s instructions because they are too busy feeling good about themselves.  

This nonsense called worship today is about as far from Bible worship as pork chops in the synagogue or ice cream at a weight watchers meeting.  The gathering of people they call a worship service is not in the Bible, and has nothing to do with scriptural worship.  

Allow me to add some observations from over four decades of working in the ministry. Those who choose their church on a style of worship, more often than not, find themselves out of church in a few years.  Feelings do not create stability in the spiritual life.  Feelings are vastly different from spirituality and faith. When children are brought up in a feeling-based religion, they will soon seek out other things that feel good  and abandon the church. 

Pastor

Spiritual Battle

Good Morning,

Romans 15:22 “For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.” 

1 Thessalonians 2:18 “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.”

We all know about earthly troubles, simple issues such as running out of gas (our fault) or health troubles that everyone faces from time to time.  I do not aim to diminish the frustration and discomfort these events bring us, but, this morning, my point is another subject.  

A spiritual enemy seeks to hinder us, frustrate us, and keep us from doing the good things God would have us do.  Satan is likened to a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), but he is also referred to as an Angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).  His desire is to steal, kill, and destroy for no reason other than the fact that he is evil.  From the Garden of Eden until today, Satan seeks to get us to rebel against God.  Satan constantly attacks the integrity of our Heavenly Father and His Word.

Many of the criminal political behaviors that we see no reason for are satanic in their motive. The events are simply harmful, shameful, and terrible.  Satan needs no motive to hurt. On his own, no child of God is a match for this evil so we must walk with God and seek His presence daily.  

Satan can only operate in our world at the permission of God, just as Satan could not touch Job without the permission of the Lord. Why God allows Satan freedom to roam is not always easy to explain, except that we know God is good and just and has a plan. We know from the end of the Bible that God wins, Satan ends in the lake of fire, and the believer walks in a golden city lighted by the presence of Christ.  We win!  

1 Peter 5:9 “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."

Yes, we may be hindered, slandered (Revelation 12:10), and attacked, but we need only to walk with God and seek His will and strength.  As the Lord was tempted of the devil (Matthew 4:4) so we will face the enemy seeking to harm us or hinder us.   Perhaps Satan thought he had a victory when Judas betrayed Christ and evil men led the Saviour to the cross, but we all know how that turned out.  Jesus won and will win. 

Pastor 

Prayer and the Spiritual Battle

Good Morning,

Romans 15:30 “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;”

vs. 31 “That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;"

vs. 32 “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.”

As you can see, Paul is on another missionary journey: starting churches, training disciples, and fighting the spiritual battle.  Satan uses evil men to hinder the work of God, to stop churches from being started, and to turn them from the faith. 

Do you think that the churches that closed over the centuries ended their ministry because no one cared or because God no longer wanted a preacher and church in that city?  Of course not!  There is an enemy seeking to destroy the work of God.  What does Paul ask for?  PRAYER! When more missionaries are coming home from the field than going, is it because God does not care?

Notice the phrase, “strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” A war is being waged, and someone needs to be in earnest, sincere prayer before the throne of God on behalf of the missionaries. The casual dinner time prayer to “Bless the missionaries” is shallow at best.  How would a fighter do in the ring if he walked up to his opponent with that level of passion and sincerity? 

If the great Apostle Paul needed some to strive with him in prayer to be delivered from evil men, we must be realistic and ask God who else needs that fervent prayer?  Perhaps it may be your spouse, your children, your pastor, or your church staff.  I understand that Paul was significantly more useful to God than us common folks, but do we not understand that Satan wants to hinder and frustrate the work of God in our homes, churches, and nations?  Satan will focus his repeated attacks on the child of God until the weariness of battle begins to overwhelmed the Christian to the point of quitting.  Prayer is vital!   

We need to learn to pray and to seek the hand of God to protect and bless those out on the front lines of the Gospel ministry. 

Pastor

Update Your Worship

Good morning,

2 Kings 16:10 “And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.” 

The backslidden king of Judah had turned to a heathen king for help instead of turning to the living God – this was one of many problems Ahaz had.

He loved seeing a heathen altar with beautiful carvings and style, and he had drawings of it made to send home. The old altar was built by Solomon around 300 years earlier.  When someone entered the temple, the first thing they saw was the altar; this was where the sacrifice died, where blood was shed, where fire burned, and a sober picture was made of death and suffering caused by sin. 

vs. 11 “And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus:”

The next problem was the backslidden preacher who took orders from the godless king.  It was not the job of the king to dictate the actions of the priest. The priest stood in the place before God and was to follow the Lord and His Word.  Job security and popularity are tragic motivations for any pastor in any era.  

Many religions had sacrifice as part of their worship, so Ahaz adopted some heathen styles of worship in the temple of God. After all, that 300-year-old altar needed to be updated. (Today, they might have brought in fancy lighting and a band.)  

The next problem was the removal of the altar of God to a place of insignificance.  

vs. 14 “And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.”

The king took the altar of God and moved it to the side, out of the way.  He brought in the new altar and positioned it right in front where it was very visible to everyone who came into the temple.  

The old time religion was not wrong, but he needed to move it out of the way for a more palatable form of worship. 

vs. 15 “…and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.”

Just in case he needed to talk to God or to get advice, the old altar was not far away; if needed, he could go there to enquirer of the Lord. He knew the old one had the presence of God, the touch of the Eternal King. Ahaz did not want to totally lose the old religion, but just as the title, Baptist, it did not have the appeal of new ideas.  In our area, trading preaching for teaching and study groups has replaced preaching and altar calls because it “fits our world” more comfortably. 

The wrong was not simply replacing the old altar with a new one but the manner in which it was adopted; they went to the world and to the heathen to get their directions and ideas.  Making a small change or some area a bit more comfy – is it really all that bad?

The fact is that appearance matters!  Where we get our ideas for style matters! Arranging our style of worship after the style of worldly or godless people is tragic yet common today.  

Look at the praise teams and their dress. They did not get their clothing style from the old time religion. If they were at a city park no one would know they were Christian. (I often doubt that they are.)  

Watch the body movements of contemporary singers and musicians and tell me they are not fashioned after the altar of “Damascus.” I remember years ago walking by a music store in a mall, there was a video playing of a famous female vocalist.  Just prior to going to the mall, we visited a Christian book store. (This is something I had to stop doing years ago.)  They also had a female vocalist on a television, and with the sound turned down, you could not tell which one was the Christian.  Both were sensuous in movements, both were dressed to draw the eyes of men to their bodies, and with sound muted, neither would have caused someone walking by to think anything spiritual. 

When we remodeled our auditorium, we wrestled much over using chairs rather than pews.  We decided on chairs for several reasons, but I like that some of our folks said things like, “Preacher, pews just say church.”  As long as our members are guarded and willing to voice their old-time ideas, we may just stay right for the next few decades.  In revising our school handbook, the point of girls blouses was discussed and the idea of sleeveless or sleeves being the standard was disputed.  I like that our folks pushed to keep the sleeveless style out of our school.  It is not a conviction, just a safeguard – and that is a reasonable way to look at life.  

Worship?  Do not try to make it more appealing to the lost world around us.  One thing is sure: change does not stop right where it enters.  You can read on in the chapter to see which other “old ideas” were “cut off” in one place and taken down in another.  Perhaps the worst part was their next step – they “turned” their worship “FOR THE KING OF ASSYRIA” (2 Kings 16:19).

Pastor

Soul Winning

Good Morning,

Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

As a young Christian, I wondered if this command was not just for the Apostles; but in their short lives, they could not reach the world. The world continues to grow, and the need for the Gospel only increases with each generation.  The command was to all believers, not just to a few.  

The "Great Commission" is given several times in our New Testament. When our Lord was about to leave the earth, He left a clear direction that we are to go everywhere!  

Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

This is a command to go – locally, nationally, and globally.

Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist.  (2 Timothy 4:5)  

Thinking about people in our church, I can recount the stories of folks hearing the Gospel and trusting Christ.  The stories often begin with a person they knew talking to them: a parent or a friend, but, at times, a stranger.  For me, it was a high school friend who was taught to witness at church, and he, in turn, told me about the Gospel.  One of our staff men just retired after more than twenty years of service, and his story began with me knocking on doors. I met a widow; in turn, she invited a neighbor who invited her brother from out of town.  He came to church and was saved.  It began with door knocking, then friends, and then a family member.  I spent time with him on several occasions before he made the choice to put his faith in Christ.  

Soul winning is the job of the church, but also the job of each member.   I am certainly not spectacular at reaching people, but I have been out soul winning basically every week for over forty years. That much time spent on the streets ends up reaching some, who reach some, who reach some more.  

The flesh does not like soul winning: it is humbling, it risks rejection, it risks embarrassment, and there is little or no pride in wandering around town talking to people who do not wish you to talk to them.  The flesh would rather play in a praise band or dance around the platform under the eyes of envious listeners and gain the accolades of church friends.  

Go to the rest home and bring church to the elderly and forgotten; watch them fall asleep while you speak, or call out, "Speak up."  Humbling times continue when you go to a jail and bring the Gospel to those who are incarcerated.  Inmates might thank you, challenge your doctrine, or criticize you.  

Soul winning is not an option, it is commanded.  The same Book that says do not kill or do not get drunk, also says to go and tell.

When I began attending Hyles Anderson College in 1978 we were sent out soul winning; it was mandatory to go weekly. It helped to develop habits and trained us in reaching all kinds of people.  Any single guy who came home from his bus route before 8 or 9 at night was considered a little soft and carnal.  We were in an atmosphere of passionate ministry.  I fear our Bible colleges today are not pushing soul winning enough.  We have missionary candidates who say they have witnessed to one person a month and won a few to Christ during the past year, and those were in a Sunday school class.  I am concerned we are becoming "inviters" rather than "soul winners."  When I was in college, singing groups and sports were for the soft and casual students.  I know they were fine upstanding people, but college is like boot camp; it is time to push, to discipline, and to deny the flesh.  When we leave college, we might slow down some, but hopefully not trade soul winning for music and sports. (Regarding slowing down – after four decades of ministry, I work more hours now than I did when we started.)

We have young people from our church in four different Bible colleges right now, and one of our boys said he had trouble getting anyone to stay out longer with him than the required couple of hours. He said, "No one wants to start a church or be a missionary– they all want to be a youth director or school teacher."  Those are fine, but where has the passion gone?  

I love our big days, our weekly soul winning, our meeting people on the street, and hearing stories of our public school kids winning friends to Christ in school.  I was only in college a few months before I was sent with a teen bus rider to preach on city buses.  We had a big day, and we preached all over Chicago.  After decades of ministry, we still have those big days at our church when we preach out in public and hold church services in parks and vacant lots – and I love it!  I love to watch my men and ladies speak to small and large groups about the Lord.  That is New Testament Christianity.

Pastor

Faithfulness

Good Morning,

Faithfulness is a lofty virtue in the eyes of God.  

1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” 

God requires faithfulness of those who serve Him.  We do not need to be the best looking or most talented, but our abilities and resources should be at God’s disposal.  

Luke 19:17 “And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.” 

Jesus told the Gentile parable and explained that the reward was given for faithful service.  Faithful means to do what should be done, as best as our ability allows us to do it. I do not need to compete with another, but I should perform at my top level.

Proverbs 20:6 “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” 

Solomon expressed his difficulty in finding a faithful man – it is a rare trait.  Most are loyal and true to their own needs and circumstances, and as such, will be faithful to job or home, but the root value is still selfish, not duty to the job. Talking about himself and his achievements is common, but to simply do what is asked, to the best of his ability, in a manner as close to the directive as possible is rare. 

This year, I would like to challenge everyone to faithfulness:

In Bible reading

In prayer

In giving

In church attendance 

In fulfilling your role at home

Ask the Lord what you should read (do not be unrealistic); for some it might be a few verses a day, for others, faithful would be reading the Bible through once or even twice a year.  

Prayer is greatly helped by a time, a place, and a prayer list.  Set aside a time; schedule it and have a place you know you can pray undisturbed.  For a list, you might use one all the time or a different one for each day – just be faithful.  

Giving: everyone should at least tithe – that is the most basic principle from Abraham (long before the law required it). The extreme benevolence of the New Testament people gave their all, like the widow and her “mites,” or the believers in early Acts.  

FAITHFULLY giving to missions IS SO IMPORTANT. God so loved the world that He gave… and we, too, should seek to follow His example by giving to world missions.  Establish a weekly commitment, and if you did so last year, why not increase it a little (no matter how much) and then be faithful to that commitment. 

Giving to others, to the Christian school, and to special offerings should also become a pattern in our financial habits.  

Becoming faithful to church will help establish your Christian growth.  To attend church once a week or occasionally in the evening services is far from spiritual growth.  Be one of those who walks in the church, if the door squeaks.  

Being faithful to your home is vital. We must understand that our homes are at risk.  Take time to be with your family, as well as with your spouse alone, and be relaxed enough to make it clear you are available to your teens if they need you.  Do not always be hurrying; slow down.  Conversation, especially in serious matters, takes time.  Make it clear you are free.  Be faithful to your spouse and children. 

May God find us faithful in 2024! 

Pastor 

Easy or Difficult Preaching

Good Morning,

In the early months after my salvation, there were times I read some Bible or heard a sermon that was difficult to grasp.  The simple truth was that my knowledge was so limited that I had little to use, as Paul wrote, in “comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:13) As the years passed, and I began to read volumes of Scripture, learning and understanding became increasingly easier.

The idea that every sermon needs to be easy to follow, and that nothing that demands thought and study should be brought up is immature, at best.  Consider these passages:

John 16:12 “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.”

Jesus had much to tell the twelve apostles, but at this point in their spiritual lives, they simply were not able to “bear” them; for some reason, they were not ready so the Lord did not reveal the new truth. The same is taught by Paul to the Corinthian believers.

1 Corinthians 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”

vs. 2 “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”

The trouble with understanding was the immaturity of the listener.  One day, as they grew in grace and knowledge they would be better prepared to hear and understand.  Peter taught this simple principle:

2 Peter 3:16 “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood…”

Peter make it clear that some Scripture is difficult to understand, and that they should “grow in grace and knowledge,” (vs.18) then they would be more able to understand. 

Matthew 13:14 “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:”

vs. 15 “For this people's heart is waxed gross…”

The trouble here was that the listener had heart trouble not understanding trouble.  Their hearts were hard and would not receive the truth.  

The book of Hebrews tells us that there is a time when we ought to be able to teach, but because we have not used what we know, we have need to be taught again the first principles of the faith.  

Hebrews 5:12 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. “

Putting this all together, we observe some great lessons:  

1. There are some principles that we do not need to understand right now, but understanding will come later as we continue to learn.

2. Some scriptural truth is simply difficult to grasp, and will take much learning before it “clicks.

3. Some people struggle with understanding because their hearts are hard. They do not want to learn, and they resist the things God is teaching them. 

4. We do not want a church that is all “pablum” or soft, easy-to-swallow teaching. We want to be able to “study to show ourselves approved.” 

5. We do not want a church that is all strong meat; for the young Christian needs to gain basic truths. 

6. We will not get it all in the first months or even years of our Christian growth, and that is not wrong; we should just keep growing. 

7. In reality, there will always be some who need the most basic teaching, and they will not grow without the most basic teaching.

Whatever level of Christian growth you are at, grow and do not panic if things seem difficult or other things seem simple.   We do not want to ignore simple truths because others still need them.  Be willing to listen and say to yourself, “Some truths will sink in another day. Today, I simply do not have the background to grasp that truth.”

Pastor 

Who Owns the Nations?

Good Morning,

If you have politically sensitive ears you might skip this lesson.  It certainly will offend many in our world, although not many of the left-leaners read anything I write.    Here is our verse:

Ezekiel 29:19 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.”

God sent Nebuchadreszzar to destroy Tyre, there was a problem from the start.  Who is God to allow that?  Well, God owns the nations; He made them, and He can do as He wishes. The story continues: Nebuchadrezzar and his army were never paid for their obedient efforts, and God said, since Egypt had ignored and offended Him, He would give Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar as a paycheck.  

vs. 20 “I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD.”

If you read your Bible at all you know that God gave Israel to Assyria, and He gave Judah to Babylon.  The nations belong to God, and He can do as He wishes with them and to them.  

Now you can look around the world and tell this story with the names changed however you wish, but the truth is there.  At times, God gives one nation to another!  I know some people are considered evil for their actions, but when it comes to the root cause, God did it, or God allowed it, or God planned it. God deals with nations.  Our job is to win the individuals to Christ. Our job is to tell every person that Jesus saves; but nations, cultures, and people groups belong to God.  

I cannot tell you what God did or is going to do, but I can tell you that He is Lord of Lords.  Why are there almost no Gospel-preaching churches in Europe?  Perhaps because of the Dark Ages when the European countries killed over 50 million Bible-believing people?  How did England go from one thousand Baptist preachers working along side Charles Spurgeon to the spiritual mess it is in today?  Perhaps because they left John Bunyan and countless others sitting in prison for being Bible believers and not baptizing their babies.  I do not know, but I do know Who orders the events.  Why is the 10/40 window so poor and so filled with suffering?  I cannot say. Those nations are where they are at the hand of God, and our job is to go and tell each individual about Christ.

What about America and her rejection of the most basic moral decency we once embraced? What about America that once was filled with good Bible-preaching churches and homes where the Bible was read?   If God gives away our nation to those of another nation, it is His business, not ours.  Our job is to tell everyone we can about salvation.  

Pastor

Good Morning,

As we begin a new year, we would be wise to create a plan of action on how to better a specific area in our lives.  

In the world, economic trends shape countless lives.  For example, from November to January, we are surrounded by food.  Every store, magazine, commercial, etc. promotes holiday food; when walking into Costco, we see specialty foods at the end of every aisle. My guess is that when you walk in now, you will find diet and exercise items. 

These trends in marketing move us.  Last week, marketing said, “Eat, drink, and be merry.”  This week, marketing says, “You are overweight and eat like you are a garbage can.”

Philippians 1:20 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death." 


We should not only exalt Christ with feelings or emotions, but we also ought to exalt Christ in every word, in every deed, and in every plan for our families.  


One way to lift up Christ is to exalt His Word.  Notice what David writes about how God treats the Bible. Psalm 138:2  “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”


“...for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”


God lifts up the Bible higher than His Own Name.  God wants His Word lifted up.  When I was in college, I did baby and family photography to pay my college bill.  In one home, the father insisted that the Koran be in every picture, and always right in front.  Although he was misled, he sought to magnify the Koran. I wonder how many of us have ever had the Bible in a family picture.  I would rather live it than display it, but there is a point in showing what we love. 


When someone walks into our homes, can they see a Bible or written Scripture anywhere?  When we travel,  can a Bible be found in our bags?  I am not a t-shirt wearing guy (unless we are camping or somewhere very casual), but I like Bible slogans on shirts; I have a couple of them.  If we advertise anything on our car with bumper stickers, is the Bible a part of it?  


God magnifies His Word above His Name.  How do we treat the Book?  (That is what Bible means, THE BOOK.)

Let us begin our year by seeking to exalt THE BOOK.  Read it every day; memorize it and carry it.  Put down the phone or tablet in church and carry a Bible.  Make sure your children treat the Bible with extra care, more so than any other book.  Read the Bible to your children, not just a Bible storybook. Ladies, I know you like to decorate your home just right, but is there a Bible in sight anywhere in your home?   Remember the days when there was a family Bible on the living room table?  Maybe not, most of you are too young, but for many years, it was a common place for God’s Word in the homes of early Americans.  


Talk about the Bible as much as you talk about your favorite sports team.  More importantly, seek to live It’s truths daily.  May our speech and actions reflect the Word of God in every way.  May our actions never betray the instructions in our Bible.  


Did you ever see a hat that says, “Proud to be a Marine” or something like that?  Hmm, how about a hat that reflects the wonder of the Bible?  We have some guys in church who compete and banter about the Army versus the Marines.  People like their basketball or football teams or their branch of the military.  I am in favor of fun, but let us talk about the Bible and lift It up in casual conversation, for there is no book like The Book.  

Psalm 56:4 “In God I will praise his word..”.

Psalm 56:10 “In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.” 

Isaiah 42:21 “The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.” 

If we hope to magnify Christ this year, it will begin with magnifying His Word.  This will not happen unless we plan. Carry It; read It; love It; care for It; talk of It and teach it.


Pastor

The Curse of Pride

Good Morning,


With widespread media, an influx of worldly thinking is prevalent in our society today; one trait has especially raised its ungodly head – personal arrogance.  From athletes to actors and musicians, we are surrounded by arrogant overconfidence.  Sadly, there are Bible principles that condemn this kind of thinking. 

1 Peter 5:5 “... God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

James 4:6 “... God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

God will resist the proud and push away the arrogant and self-sufficient, and He makes promises to the contrary as well.


Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” 

God dwells with the humble and contrite.  God will be near to those who have a broken heart and a humble heart.

Isaiah 66:2 "...but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." 

God will look to the humble and contrite and to those who tremble at His Word. I want God looking after me.  I want God hovering near, watching out for me, and guarding me as I pass through life.  When I spend time around someone who is a big talker, I tremble for the wall of separation that they are creating between themselves and Almighty God. 

Any confidence I have is founded in the Bible or in the instruction of older, godly men who have taught me.  There is no good in me, and I dread the thought of God looking at my self-righteousness and stepping away to leave me alone. 


Whether it be an athlete or a know-it-all Christian, I tremble for those who live on God’s earth, breathe His air, and seem to lift themselves above all others.   I have heard Christian men boast themselves of possessing knowledge and wisdom who do not teach a Sunday school class, have never preached a sermon, and have not won a soul to Christ in months or years, and I feel their arrogance overflowing.  


Even wicked Manasseh found that humility and supplication bring mercy and help from Heaven.


2 Chronicles 33:12 “And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,”

vs. 13 “And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication.”


I may be right, but I do not have to prove it.  I may know more on a given subject, but I do not need to exhibit my expertise.  I may have wisdom in some special area, but it does not have to be shared unless sought.  


The pride that causes me to vaunt myself over another is not only unwise, but it will also cause me to lose the hand of God in my life.  A distaste for arrogance ought to be developed; like a child and spinach, we ought to turn our heads and feel disgust.  Humility can hardly be trained into our spirit while we devour hours of television and rarely read our Bibles.  


Pride and self-sufficiency will curse the child of God, but humility and submission to the Bible will bring blessing.

Pastor

Contend for the Faith - Part 2

Good Morning,

For the sake of those who missed yesterday’s post, this morning I will repeat the first few paragraphs from yesterday about protecting sound doctrine.

As we begin 2024 (an amazing thought in itself),  I am concerned about keeping our ministry and faith based upon sound doctrine.   For the last three decades, we have stood for the truth of the Scriptures; but never doubt that Satan's hatred for the church is undaunted by our steadfastness. He will attack and seek to move people out of the soul winning, Bible-believing church through one means or another.

Paul, Timothy, and Titus spoke of sound doctrine.

2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”

Titus 1:9 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”

Titus 2:1”But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:”

Now to new material.

At church, I have been talking much about prayer and fasting.  To be honest, these two doctrines are very unpopular.  To some Christians, simply attending church is okay.

Hebrews 10:13 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Some Christians are content to attend church, but reading the Bible is difficult. Some people will simply not do it; they prefer a pastor/teacher who will only teach the Bible so they can ignore their Bibles throughout the week.  

Some people do not mind if the pastor prays in church or at a wedding or funeral, but do not ask them to pray on their own.  You see, these things make a man feel small, inadequate, and lacking self-reliance - and, yes,  all that is true.  These believers do not like the feeling of inadequacy, so many of them will simply live without Bible study, prayer, or fasting because these practices are not what they WANT to do.  

Many men are uncomfortable with the spiritual world, embracing a Spirit, or talking to a Person they cannot see or touch.  We are dead men, living with a newly-born Living One (John 3:3).  The old dead man does not want to talk to a spiritual person or to miss meals while seeking favor of the Divine Person - he finds these things very uncomfortable.  Fasting for a blood test is more than acceptable, but fasting for a closeness to God causes one to enter the realm of discomfort. Often, people think the solution is to find a pastor who will teach the Bible but not talk about personal prayer or fasting.  We read it earlier:

2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"

Many people will search for a pastor or teacher who tries to say what the audience wants to hear. These ministers never dreamed of practicing what Paul commanded Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

What would happen if I turned our church service into a prayer meeting for half the time and preaching for the other half?  We would lose much of our congregation. 

Saying, “No,” to the flesh and resisting the carnal, dead world around us is uncomfortable - this is how to cause the “old man” to die.  Living a crucified life and surrendering to the spiritual life is obtained by saying, “Yes,” to the new man.

Even the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (not to learn to preach).  Prayer is vital.  Prayer is urgent.  Prayer is the life blood of the church.

Luke 11:1 "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

Think about numbers in the crowd.  Many people attend church or a school ball game, but a much smaller number will attend Wednesday Bible study, and fewer still will attend soul winning.  Now count those who attend prayer meetings - this number is the lowest spiritual denominator.  The more spiritual the activity and the more humbling the event, the fewer will show up to join. 

We must contend for the faith and labor to maintain "sound doctrine." 

Pastor

Contend For The Faith

Good Morning,

As we begin 2024 (an amazing thought in itself),  I am concerned about keeping our ministry and faith based upon sound doctrine.   For the last four decades, we have stood for the truth of the Scriptures, but never doubted that Satan's hatred for the church is undaunted by our steadfastness. He will attack and seek to move people out of the soul winning, Bible-believing church through one means or another.

Paul, Timothy, and Titus spoke of sound doctrine.

2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”

Titus 1:9 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”

Titus 2:1”But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:”

Notice what Paul says to Timothy.  People, will get to the place in their Christian lives where they do not like or want to hear sound doctrine.  We think only a lost person would do such a thing, but there is no indication in the passage that Paul was referring to lost people.  Religious people who choose their spiritual teacher will find themselves not liking certain doctrines, and will simply find other preachers/teachers who will give them a message they desire.  Reverends “for rent” have always existed.  

The strict Calvinist teaches that all mankind is predestined to go to Heaven or hell.  They teach that before birth, God ordains who will be saved and who will be lost.  This wrong doctrine, like all error, will negatively affect one's Christian living.  Some feel so strongly about this that they will not give invitations at church for fear someone will come forward and accept Christ who was ordained for Hell.  This doctrine is comfortable; for there is no need to go soul winning or preach to the lost because those who will get saved cannot help but do so, and those who are ordained for Hell cannot get saved if they wanted to.  Hence, the Christian can feel no guilt about not witnessing, running bus routes, or being involved in other types of evangelism.  

Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

For the Calvinist, several problems exist.  For instance, they must determine if some babies are ordained for Hell.  Will unborn little ones go to Hell if they are not one of the elect?  Some Calvinists say no.  If some adults are ordained for Hell and others are ordained for Heaven, when does the change take place?  If all babies are saved, then at some point in the little one's life they moved from ordained to Heaven to being ordained to Hell.  What theological confusion!  Little is different to the Catholic who believes an infant is born with original sin and must be baptized by the Catholic church in order to get to Heaven.  According to this belief, a child cannot go to Heaven if he dies prior to the First Communion.   This teaching seemed to be too harsh to many Catholics, so they invented limbo - a place where unbaptized babies go because Hell is too cruel and Heaven is beyond their reach.  This is no problem to Catholics because they already invented Purgatory, so why not invent another imaginary, unscriptural place?  (In case you wonder, many Baptists and others religious people are drifting towards a Calvinistic theological view of Scripture.) 

Grasping the fact that God loves all humanity and that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) is not difficult - but "sin is not imputed where there is no law." (Romans 5:13) If the child is unable to grasp the law and the difference between right and wrong, that child has no "imputed sin."  This doctrine covers the mentally handicapped, the infants, and others in this category.  Of older children and adults, we read, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)  

For this reason, it is the duty of believers to tell folks about Christ and salvation, and yes, to clearly explain the free gift (Romans 6:23) and forgiveness (John 3:16) so they will understand enough to believe and trust the Lord to save them.  The problem is the pressure this places on the believer to TELL - they are looking for a way out of this command.  


We must keep our doctrine SOUND.   We also must guard ourselves against those who could influence our pulpits to compromise through their money or prestige.  The truth must be so dear to us that we are willing to contend to keep it and cling to it.

Jude 3 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Pastor

Grow

Good Morning,

Since beginning these Morning Moment emails, many years have passed and our culture has changed.  A few good changes included my Morning Moment videos during the onset of COVID. Another good change is the availability of podcasts for those who like to listen to messages all day.


Not knowing the email reception, I am considering shifting all my resources to podcasts and video.  If these emails are significant to you, I would appreciate if you would send a text or email to me.  Many people have shifted from one to another, and as this lesson says, we are to grow in grace.   

One ought to have growth in Christian grace.

2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”


We begin this growth by simple changes. We should ask ourselves if we care enough or have enough character to read our Bibles daily?



The young believer needs to learn to converse with the Lord and form a relationship (we call this prayer) just as we would with a person we recently met.  The next step of growth is in the area of separation. Stages of separation will change with time, and some areas will be revealed revealed in order to grow.  The list of things we will be "led" to do or to stop doing is individualized according to each person and the areas in which God sees the need to develop. 

I remember a man who got saved who overcame his cocaine habit but still smoked.  His wife was frustrated, but I assured her that he was growing and that she needed to let him do so at his own pace. 

As we grow, we will find more difficult lessons to learn, one of which is how to respond in different situations; just as an ambulance driver has to be ready to deal with any situation when arriving to the scene of an accident.


A believer needs to learn to forgive, to cast down wrong thoughts, to resist temptation, and to deal with many more temptations that are far more difficult than the stopping of drinking alcohol or smoking. 

In all of these situations, a procedure has been put in place to know what to do and how to act.  Although, we may be caught off guard, we usually know what we should have said or done, even if we drop the ball and are caught by surprise.  Every situation usually has a right and a wrong reaction.


Graduate course Christian growth comes next.  When we face situations in which no "what to do" procedure is in place, we need to "stand still, fear not, and see the salvation of the Lord."  We will face times when God trains us by hanging us over the cliff with no ability, no training, and no strength to handle the situation.  

Abraham was asked to leave home, family, and security to follow God.  Years later, he was asked to bring his son to the mountain as a sacrifice; and again, no clear solution to the problem existed except to obey and wait on God.  

How do you act, when you do not know how to act?  What do you do when there is no direction, no instruction, no slight leading from God as to your next move?   When a child is sick, a spouse dies, or evil creeps into your world via government or criminal behavior, how do you respond?  

In all this, we are to continue to grow.  The ultimate goal of the Lord is for us to become more and more Christlike from each situation.  

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

vs. 29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Conforming to the image of Christ is the real goal in God’s dealings with His children. This is a life-long journey that will only end when we see Christ in person.  Until then, we simply, or not so simply, need to continue to grow.  

Pastor

Story of Grace

Good Morning,

Jeremiah brings us a wonderful story of grace. For a long time, Jeremiah had warned about impending doom.  It was truly, “repent or perish” preaching, and no one wanted to hear it.  They threatened him, criticized him, jailed him, and more.  At one point, he was dumped into a sewer/dungeon and only lived because of a slave that rescued him.  In the end, judgment came and tragic suffering followed.  

In Jeremiah 39-40 there is a great “end of the story.”

A slave is set free.  The man who stood up for Jeremiah and God was promised freedom and safety.  (Jeremiah 39:17-18)

A king became a captive. The king who refused to obey the preaching and repent became a captive.  (Jeremiah 39:7)

A preacher was rewarded. The preacher who was mocked and dishonored was given the most wonderful opportunities. (Jeremiah 39:11; 40:5)

A heathen spoke for God.  A heathen commander for the army of Babylon was the one God used to pronounce the judgment of God and deliverance of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 40:3)

Never doubt the mercy of God. Although it may not be on our time table, He is good and faithful, and He rewards mankind.  There is an end; there is a judgment; there is a time when God will make right the wrongs that were inflicted.  Sometimes, we see it on earth, as with Job, but be sure, we will all see it in the end. 

Keep doing right, and leave the results to God.

Pastor

God Gave Them Up

Good Morning,

We all enjoy the thoughts about the love and mercy of God.  He is love, and He is certainly merciful, but the nature of God is vastly more than a sugar-coated grandpa out in space. 

In his sermon against the leadership of Israel, Stephen reminded them of their history, and at one point, brings up a tragic time in history when God gave up the people.  

Acts 7:41 “And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.”

vs. 42 “Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?”

Israel had so resisted the things that God asked of them, that He simply said (in our terms) “Go on, do what you want.” God gave them up to worship stars and idols.

One simple thought I would like to mention is that I want God pulling on me, drawing me, urging me, and helping me towards right.  I do not want God to let me alone to my own folly.  I do not want God to abandon me to my shame.  I do want the Spirit’s conviction. 

Another passage more familiar, yet states the same truth is in Romans 1:

vs. 24 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:” 

vs. 26  “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:”

vs. 28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

The book of Romans tells a vile story of moral depravity which we are living among today, and our situation is not getting better but worse.   The reason was because God GAVE THEM UP.  They did not like to think about God, give God glory, or thank Him; God said they could go their own filthy way unrestrained.  

There is a line that can be crossed where God ceases to help, draw, convict, and nudge us toward right and away from wrong.  We do not want to find ourselves in that place. 

Of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, we read that He will help us. 

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” 

John 16:8 “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:"

The Holy Spirit is given to the believer to teach, comfort, correct, and help.  Sadly, walking away from His guidance creates a risk that God will let us go our own way.  We need the Lord every hour; we need His guidance and His instruction to remind us of things we have read but might fail to recall. 

Do not risk losing all a close relationship with God because of selfishness.  I am not speaking of losing salvation, I do not believe that is possible, but we can so grieve the Spirit that we end up on our own, and that is no place to be.

Ephesians 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” 

Pastor