Pastor Matt

Every woman has a choice in life to make and The Path that they take will determine the outcome of their life. They have two paths they can take. The path of the Strange Woman (Proverbs Chapter 7) or the path of the Virtuous Woman (Proverbs Chapter 31). In this sermon we contrast the two so that each woman can see the indicators in their own life to see what path they are on and so that the can correct their ways to get fully on the virtuous path and to avoid the traps of the Strange woman who's discontented spirit seeks to pull them away and destroy their life and full potential for peace and joy.
(Preached Sunday Evening, 4-30-2023, by Pastor John Young, at Maranatha Bible Baptist Church, 16990 S 38th St, Mendon, MI 49072, Between Fulton and Menden in Wakeshma Township, Near Kalamazoo and Battle Creek in South West Michigan, https://www.facebook.com/MbbcFulton)
 

The Companion Of The Way
12 - The Steward Of God's House - John
(Revelation 1)

I. THE SETTING -- THE LORD AND HIS CHURCHES

When the aged Apostle John was permitted to suffer banishment do the dreary isle of Patmos, he might well have mused upon the inscrutable dealings of the providence of God. Must he who had known the wonder of being pillowed on the bosom of Christ come to rest his head on that rugged shore? This, indeed, was fellowship with the Lord Jesus, who dwelt of eternal right in the bosom of the Father but said of the days of His ministry in this world, "the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Yet more than this was embraced in God's will for John, for the time had come for giving through him the book which would complete the canon of Scripture. Seeing that the theme of all of God's Word is God's Christ, it was most fitting that its final part should record the last glimpse of the glorified Saviour given to men in this life ere His coming again. Beyond this glimpse was the unfolding of things to come, and the triumph of the Lamb, but to us in this church age was given the final message from the ascended Lord for our service and testimony. What then would be the nature of this word to the church, and in what character would the Lord manifest Himself to His servant?

John was the sole survivor of the apostolic band. The direct voice of inspiration would soon cease. The church era was well started, and the lips of Paul and of others who had taught the great doctrines of the Church and the churches had long been silent. Local churches had been established in many lands and in their development had already shown the strengths and the weaknesses that would characterize the witness for Christ throughout this present age. In these circumstances it pleased God to reveal His Son once more to John, that through the apostle might be sent to the churches the Lord's mind concerning their progress. Seven churches in proconsular Asia were made recipients of messages that might be termed interim reports, for not only did they unfold that which the Lord saw required approval or censure, but they anticipated the final declaration of His mind at His judgment seat. In the light of these seven letters the churches of Asia, and all others since, would have opportunity to adjust their ways and so live that the day of Christ would involve for them not shame but only rejoicing.

The vision of the Lord Jesus Christ given to John was entirely suited to the purpose of the seven letters. To grasp its meaning more readily, we must remember that the symbolism of the Revelation has its key in the preceding parts of the Scripture. Were our understanding of the Word more spiritual and more penetrative, we would surely find in Scripture itself the solution to the problems of Scripture's last book. The Word of God is a matchless harmony; it is complete; nothing is lacking. Like the sun, it is to be studied in its own light. However welcome may be the help afforded by the research of the historian, the true knowledge of the Revelation belongs to the believer who reads it with a mind saturated with the words and teachings of Holy Writ and with a heart responsive with the obedience of faith.

The language of Revelation 1 to 3 makes obvious allusion to the message regarding Shebna and Eliakim in Isaiah 22:15-25. Shebna was the treasurer of David's house, but because of his pride he was to be replaced by Eliakim. His office placed him over the house and gave him a threefold duty touching the servants of the king. In the morning of each day's toil it was his duty to allot to every man his work and to equip him for it. During the busy hours that followed he would inspect and superintend the labour, and in the evening of the day he would pay the wages of each. For this office Eliakim was called, clothed, and commissioned.

As to his call, he was honored by the Word of the Lord with the title "My servant," which indicated his character in God's sight and pointed to the greater Servant so richly portrayed in Isaiah's prophecies. Eliakim was the son of Hilkiah (i.e., the Lord's portion, the root of Hilkiah being used in the sense of "portion" in Deuteronomy 32:9 -- "the LORD's portion is his people") and foreshadowed the One who was uniquely the Lord's portion, and who where all others failed gave Him all He craved. The name Eliakim (i.e., God sets up) reminds of the prophecy of the Risen One -- "He... set my feet upon a rock." (The word Eliakim includes the root of the verb "set" in this passage in Psalms 40:2). Touching his clothing we read, "I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle" (Isaiah 22:21). Now the robe and the girdle remind of the garments in which the Lord Jesus is arrayed in Revelation.

As to Eliakim's commission, God said, "I will commit thy government into his hand: . . . And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open" (Isaiah 22:21-22). But upon a stronger shoulder and into a stronger hand God has placed all authority, for "the government shall be upon his shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6), and the Father has "given all things into his hands" (John 13:3). The words concerning Eliakim are quoted in the letter to Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7. It is Christ who has the key of David and who opens and shuts at His sovereign pleasure. He has also the keys of Hell and of death; He has supreme control over the destinies of all men.

The presentation of Christ in the first three chapters of the Revelation as the treasurer of the letters to the churches. In them we see the steward going on circuit around the churches and giving to each a report on its welfare. The letters all begin with a glimpse of His Person and authority, for all toil and testimony must spring from His bidding and His equipping. To each church He speaks, "I know," and to five of the seven, "I know thy works." He examines the condition of each, comforts or rebukes as is necessary, and makes recommendations for the future. Finally, He promises rewards to the overcomer. Here, then, are exemplified the three phases of the steward's task. It is Christ who appoints to us our work as servants of God and who prepares us for that work. Christ is the Overseer of our toil, and from His hands shall be received such rewards as He shall be pleased to give at the judgment seat.
II. THE REVELATION -- THE HEAVENLY MINISTER

To the Patmos vision we turn to behold the glory of God's steward, and we listen to the words wherewith John recounts his experience of the unveiled presence of the Lord. "I John . . . was in the isle that is called Patmos . . . I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (Revelation 1:9-10). It was a compensating vision which was given him. It has been truly said that "the world gave us Patmos, but God gives us the Spirit." So often has it been demonstrated that amid trial and affliction the believer is made to overcome by the Spirit's ministry of Christ. John heard a great voice, the voice of the First and the Last, bidding him write what he saw to the seven churches, each of which was named by the speaker. So John proceeds.

"And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle" (Revelation 1:12-13). Each candlestick represented a church, as the Lord stated, and each was golden, because set up by God Himself. How it must have cheered John's heart as he thought of those churches so dear to him, the first of which he had long lived with, to see the value God put upon them! In spite of all their failure they were "of him, and through him, and to him." In their midst was none other than the Lord Jesus. His presence was the secret of their continuance, even as with the churches of every century and of today. But for that faithful presence and His untiring ministry, none could maintain testimony in this dark scene.

"One like unto the Son of man." Often had John heard the Lord speak of Himself by this title of His true humanity, which proclaimed Him to be the One in whom every noble and precious trait proper to manhood found full and harmonious expression. Because of His humanity He was the appointed judge, even as He spoke, "The Father . . . hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man" (John 5:26-27). In John's vision title stresses particularly the experience in manhood of the One whom he beheld in such majesty. Having served the will of God in the conditions normal to human life, sin apart, and being made "perfect through sufferings," He is an assessor who has known every circumstance of trial which a holy being could experience. Perfect in His understanding of His people's path, of their service, and of their needs. He is still the Son of man. His eyes are as a flame of fire, but they are human eyes; His voice is as the sound of many waters, but it is a human voice; His feet are like unto fine brass, but they are human feet.

The garment and the girdle tell of the great glory of person which the Lord Jesus brings to His office as steward. It is noteworthy that John should see them and write of them, for he it was who described in John 13 the scene where the Lord had exchanged His outer garments for the girdle in order that He might wash the disciple's feet. The grace and humility of the upper room pictured most suggestively the facts of the Lord's stoop from heaven. Then He had laid aside His vestments of majesty, the splendor which had always surrounded Him, and condescended to take the servant's form that He might carry out the lowly ministry linked with the girdle. But in Patmos John beheld the Lord wearing both garment and girdle together. Once more He was clothed in majesty, having been glorified with the glory which He had with the Father before the world was, but He nevertheless remained the gracious minister to the needs of men. Moreover the position of the girdle claims attention. It might be worn around the loins, as befitting toil in the harvest fields of earth, or around the heart, as suited to the service of the sanctuary. It was the latter which John saw, for though the Lord retained the servant's form, His toil on earth in weariness and suffering was completed, and in its place was the tranquil ministry of His glorified state.

The sublime description of Christ in Revelation 1:14-16 comprises seven distinct glimpses of His person, which are given in two groups of three and four respectively. That the feet should be mentioned immediately after the eyes, and before the voice and the right hand, indicates a purposive arrangement of John's subject matter. The first group tells of the holiness which ever pertains to Christ's dealings with His people in the witness for Him, for never for a moment can one act on His part be at variance with His essential, eternal purity. He is not only holy, but holiness itself. Hence all that is contrary to His nature is unholy. Because He changes not, there can be neither variation of His character, nor relaxing of His standards for His people. In both Testaments the word is "be ye holy; for I am holy," and this whether as in Israel's case, surrounded by the excesses of heathendom, or, as in our case, amid the disdain of God and the consequent decline of morals so painfully obvious in this present day. The second group tells of Christ's complete sufficiency to supply everything His people require for their life and witness. The unveiling of His person is always God's answer to our need. For every fresh realization of our own inadequacy God has a fresh revealing of the inexhaustible fullness of Christ.

"His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace" (Revelation 1:14-15). In the snow-white head we see holiness ruling, in the flaming eyes holiness searching, and in the burning feet holiness moving. His head is white, for His rule is marked by perfect purity. We are His bondmen, over whom He has right of complete dominion, but the basic principle of His government is holiness, even as Isaiah learned when he saw His glory and heard the adoration of the seraphim. If we would see His power put forth in blessing in our lives, then must we yield to His holy will the unreserved submission which is prepared for entire adjustment to the claims of His character. Holiness is imperative to blessing. Is it a vision of Himself which we crave? Then the Word speaks: "Follow . . . holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Is it service in which we would glorify Him? Then the Word speaks: "Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord" (Isaiah 52:11). Is it prayer in which we fail? Again the Word speaks: "I will . . . that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands" (1 Timothy 2:8).

"His eyes were as a flame of fire." We cannot escape their penetrating gaze. The depths of the heart lie bare to the solemn inspection. No motive is missed, and no secret thing is overlooked. To Thyatira the Lord sent the message: "These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire . . . I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts" (Revelation 2:18,23). Those eyes are still upon us today, as they shall be at His judgment seat.

Then, then, I feel that He,
(Remembered or forgot),
The Lord is never far from me,
Though I perceive it not.

In darkness as in light,
Hidden alike from view,
I sleep, I wake, as in His sight,
Who looks all nature through.

From the dim hour of birth,
Through every changing state,
Of mortal pilgrimage on earth,
Till its appointed date,

All that I am, have been,
All that I yet may be,
He sees at once, as He hath seen,
And shall for ever see.

How shall I meet His eyes?
Mine on the Cross I cast,
And own my life a Saviour's prize,
Mercy from first to last.

What things does He see in us -- the unclean thought, the eye not turned away, the secret grudge, the jealousy of another's blessing, the unwarranted suspicious of another's motives, the greed for mammon, the proud ambition? These, and much else hidden from men under the guise of an outward rectitude, must be judged before the gaze of Christ if we are to know "years of the right hand of the most High."

"His feet are like fine brass." Brass is the symbol of judgment, as it is so often in Scripture. When He moves in the midst of His churches to carry out His discipline, His steps are holy. He has not one standard for His foes and another for His friends. It is the same holiness which tests all and judges all. To Ephesus He said, "These things saith he... who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks . . . Repent . . . or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place" (Revelation 2:1,5). Yet even in these activities, His love and patience are fully manifested, and those glowing feet pause in their stately tread that He may stand at the door of a heart and plead for the fellowship which has been denied Him. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).

"And his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength" (Revelation 1:15-16). Nowhere in Patmos would John be far from the surges of the Agean Sea, but they were all hushed by this glorious voice. Its sound is compared in Scripture to the pealing of thunder: "The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth" (Psalms 29:3) (see Job 37:5), and to the voice of a multitude (Daniel 10:6). But when it speaks peace to the soul it is as heavenly music.

Thy voice, like great waters -- how calmly our soul
Shall hear in the glory its deep waters roll!

But here and now it sounds above the restless waves of this world's commotion and stills the heart to rest.

It is in this voice that first we find in this passage the sufficiency of Christ, for embraced within its flow is every stream of truth that comes from the heart of God. The voices of lawgiver, of psalmist, and of prophet, all gave precious words from the one eternal fount, but all their message, and far more, is conveyed by the voice of the Lord Himself. Even so are we taught in the opening verses of the Epistle to the Hebrews that the days of partial revelation are ended, in that God has spoken to us by His Son. He is the ultimate Messenger of God, even as He is all the Message. We listen in all our variety of need to the voice of Christ and find therein no lack of supply, but rather that which is given directly for our own heart. As the many waters blend in perfect harmony of sound, so the streams of truth in the Person and work of Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the life.

"And he had in his right hand seven stars." The right hand speaks of power. As Moses and the children of Israel by the shore of the Red Sea sang to their God, "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power," so with even deeper meaning we acclaim the triumph of Christ's journey through the sea of death to the shore of resurrection and "the saving strength of his right hand." The seven stars were the angels (the messengers) of the seven churches. In the world's darkness each church was a candlestick; each person who was given responsibility within a church was a star. As the star has its shining, so the servant of Christ and of the church has his ministry. Each star was held in the Lord's right hand. Each servant, whatever his service, was safe in His care, safe within a clasp both possessive and protective, which was at once omnipotent in its strength and exquisite in its gentleness.

"And out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword." It is the Word of God which is so described as proceeded from the mouth of its Author -- the Word in all its penetrating and discriminating power and in all its finality of authority (cf. Hebrews 4:12). To Pergamos the Lord said, "These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; . . . I . . . will fight against them with the sword of my mouth" (Revelation 2:12,16). With the sharp sword He will smite the nations at His coming in glory (Revelation 19:15), but first it must deal with evil among His own people. John saw the sword proceeding out of His mouth. It was not that it left the lips of Christ to lie inert, as it were, upon the ground, but that it streamed ceaselessly from Him. Thus was pictured one of Scripture's most profound facts, i.e., that the Word of God, while complete and given once for all, is presented as being ever freshly spoken from the heart of God to the heart of man. It is the living Word, which has been aptly described as being "contemporaneous with every generation of believers." The words of men partake of the frailty of their authors and pass away as they do, but the Word of God is instinct with His timeless life.

"And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." In these words the all-sufficiency of Christ blazes out in full vigor. As the sun in the sky to the physical creation, so is the face of Christ to His redeemed ones. As this earth derives all its light, its heat and its energy from the sun, so in the spiritual realm we derive all from the exalted Saviour. On the holy mount His face shone as the sun; in the Day of the Lord, to those who fear His name, He shall arise as "the sun of righteousness... with healing in his wings" (Malachi 4:2). He is our Sun, and we may well pray --

Oh, may no earth-born cloud arise,
To hide Thee from Thy servant's eyes!

In John's vision there was no cloud. The glory of God poured forth its full radiance from that blessed face. The churches were candlesticks, and their messengers were stars -- all for the world's night, but the Lord was the Sun whose gladdening light shone upon "the children of light, and the children of the day" (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
III. THE BLESSING -- THE ACCOLADE OF THE PIERCED HAND

"And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not" (Revelation 1:17). The glory was more than John could bear. He was not yet in the resurrection body, in which he would be at home in presence of such majesty. Overwhelmed by the vision, he fell at Christ's feet as if dead. Then there touched him the right hand that sways the destinies of the universe, and he felt it resting upon him in all its comforting grace and sustaining strength. Yet it was a human hand, one that long before in weakness had rested in a mother's tender embrace, one that had known the lowly toil of a carpenter's shop and had provided for others the necessities of life. It, too, had known the mystery of pain; through its palm a nail had bound Him to the tree. Upon the scars in His hands the wondering gaze of John had rested in that days when, risen from the dead, the Lord had said, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself."
The touch of His hand brought great cheer to the aged apostle. It was not only that the Lord should bend in grace over His prostrate servant and raise him in life and strength. Others had felt His touch in the days of His humiliation and even after His resurrection, but none had known it in the exercise of its heavenly rule. Thus did John receive the accolade of the Lord of all. Upon their faithful followers, the kings of this world bestow knighthood with the touch of the naked sword, the symbol of warfare, but the Sovereign of the eternal throne gives His honor with the touch of His pierced hand, the symbol of victory already won. Then through the apostle's heart there swept the music of the many waters as Christ spoke His words of peace. John need not fear. It was for the culmination of his life's service that the Lord had appeared unto him, and that He might equip and commission him for the task that awaited. "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."

"I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Revelation 1:17-18).

The Lord Jesus is the first and the last, the eternal One whose being precedes all creature existence, and whose glory is all its goal.

He is the One who has "life in Himself," not derived but His eternally.

He is the inexhaustible fount of life for His people in all their frailty.

He is the One who became dead.

As John heard those words and recalled his memories of Calvary, the spear, and the wounded side, he must have marveled that the Living One could ever taste death. But that death was past, and the crucified One was alive for evermore, and John was bidden to look up and see the triumph of the resurrection in the person of his Lord.

Thus for John also was there the realization of the perpetual presence. John was the last to whom Christ revealed Himself in such fashion, but the fact of the presence is unchanged. For us as we serve here until the Lord comes, there is neither a vision of His glory to these eyes, nor His touch upon these bodies of humiliation. Nevertheless to faith there must ever be visible that wonderful face, and by faith there must ever be heard that voice whose matchless harmonies enthrall the soul, and whose words of cheer hush the sighing of the heart and awaken the song of praise. And faith must feel in every Patmos the invigorating touch of that hand, so gentle and yet so strong, the hand adorned with its nailprint, and in whose care we and all our service are safe. So shall we in our day, amid all the claims of life "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Up to this point in the Book of Romans, Paul the Apostle showed us the Spiritual facts of our faith in Christ. He now concludes the review of facts and focuses on living that faith outwardly in our life, showing the importance of using the Spirit to manifest in, and to rule over, our mind and body. He starts with the assurance that sin can no longer harm our Spiritual relationship with God (No Condemnation in Christ), then how the carnal mind and corrupt flesh needs to be controlled as it opposes and hinders God and hinders our Spirit from growing in us and manifesting outwardly. 
In this message we also note how the two laws that govern us, one in our Spirit (law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus) and the law in our flesh (law of sin and death) are in conflict within us. Yet the flesh will die but the Spirit will continue. Therefor, we owe the mortal flesh nothing and should not allow it to hinder our Spirit which is eternal. We also show how faith should live through and quicken our bodies rather than allowing the body to cause us to be dead towards our faith (James 2:14-26).

James 2:14-26 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
 
 

The Holy Ghost indwells all believers and is personal proof to each of us that we are the Spiritual children, Born of God. In this passage Paul the Apostle shows us how we can discern the Holy Ghost that is within us. In particular the willingness to suffer with Christ, to Hope for our future redemption, and to groan for the things of God, are several of the evidences within us that we have a spiritual union with the Holy Spirit.
In this message we also show how these evidences of Spiritual union, while still in a corrupt mortal body, are used to develop and prepare the believer for eternity. For through them, our character, by our loving father, is trained to rely and focus on our union with Him, by Christ, rather than the abuse of our gift of redeemed freedom in self will or self reliance.
 

Binding Covenants are powerful unions between partners that are mutually beneficial yet also come with detrimental consequences if they are violated. In this passage Solomon shows the benefits and importance of binding the correct things to one's self and uses the difference between Fornication and Adultery, and theft to show how violating those covenants, whither your own or someone else's, is not something a wise person should do.  
(Preached Sunday Evening, 3-26-2023, by Pastor John Young, at Maranatha Bible Baptist Church, 16990 S 38th St, Mendon, MI 49072, Between Fulton and Menden in Wakeshma Township, Near Kalamazoo and Battle Creek in South West Michigan, https://www.facebook.com/MbbcFulton)
Proverbs 20-35 
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 24 to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. 
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; 31 but if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. 32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
 
 

Having right character and integrity will ensure a strong foundation for all our interactions (Relationships) and determinations (carefully choosing right decisions for life). Many of the issues in life often stem from the fact that many have not properly determined and solidified their Godly character and their resolution to hold on to it. In this sermon we show what makes character Godly and how not to deviate from it when pressured to do so.
(Preached Sunday Evening, 2-05-2023, by Pastor John Young, at Maranatha Bible Baptist Church, 16990 S 38th St, Mendon, MI 49072, Between Fulton and Menden in Wakeshma Township, Near Kalamazoo and Battle Creek in South West Michigan, https://www.facebook.com/MbbcFulton)
Proverbs 3:1-12 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 so shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: 12 for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
 
 

I know I am not where I once was in regards to writing devotionals and studies - but I am still studying, and sharing different word studies to encourage and exhort the believers around me. Tonight, the Lord impressed upon me to turn that into a ministry and use what He is teaching me now, even if it is somewhat different than what I used to write.
Proverbs 25:11 says, A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
I can go through my emails and texts to my friends sent out in the last few months and see what apples of gold I can share with my brothers and sisters here on these boards. If I post a date with a word study, it is mostly a gauge for me to know when I originally sent it out - then I am reminded of when in my life the Lord emphasized those devotional thoughts on my heart and mind. Please feel free to interact with the word studies posted, give me your feedback, and I trust the Lord Jesus Christ will bless you and He has blessed me in studying His Word and digging a little deeper as I walk with Him.
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

The Greek word for uttermost is panteles. The root word pan means “all, every.” Teles and the word Jesus used in John 19:30 for “It is finished” come from the same root word meaning “(to set out for a definite point or goal); properly, the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state).”

Just as everything needed to save us was done at Calvary (ie. by our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, shedding His blood, bearing our sins and suffering God’s wrath in our place) - It is finished! - even so, will all be done in and through us (the process of calling us, justifying us, sanctifying us, glorifying us - in fact, every single thing that our Lord promises to do for us in regards to our salvation) will be done by Jesus. Just as He finished the work of dying for our sins on Calvary, even so will He do all things needed to make us fit to dwell eternally with Him - from the guttermost to the uttermost, as they say.
Jerry Bouey
July 31/2021.

Why is it that many Christians today seem to be following and serving God but do not seem to be blessed by God and in the end fail and fall away? Cain is a perfect example of Why.... Outwardly he appeared to be a Model Christian. He Sacrificed to God, God spoke to him and he spoke to God. He asked for forgiveness and obtained mercy from God, and people saw God's mark on him. So why did he fail? In this message we discuss the reason why he and many apparent "Godly" Christians like him fall away from God. We also see how even Cain in his sinful fall received warnings and mercy from God in every step he took to failure. Today we "modern Christians" receive the same warnings. The question is will we heed the callings of God? Will we submit to God in all things or continue down our own path?

(Preached Sunday Night, May 31, 2020, by Brother John Young, at Maranatha Bible Baptist Church, in Fulton, MI, Wakeshma Township, Kalamazoo County, Mendon, Leonidas)
 
Sermon Outline:
TITLE: "Cain: A Model For Modern Christians." 
TEXT: Genesis 4:1-15
Introduction: Why is it that many Christians today seem to be following and serving God but do not seem to be blessed by God and in the end fail? Cain is a perfect example of Why....

I. Why He is a Model Christian.
A. Sacrificed to God. v.3
B. God spoke to him and he spoke to God. v.6, v.13
C. Cain asked for forgiveness. v.13
D. People saw God's mark on him. v.15
II. Why He is a Modern Christian.
A. Sacrificed the wrong things.
B. Ignored God's words and followed his own.
C. Asked God to forgive punishment but did not admit to wrong doing.
D. God's mark was a mark of warning to others.
III. What we need to do.
A. Sacrifice the right things.
B. Obey God's word and pray properly.
C. Admit our wrong doings to God (and refer back to point B).
D. Seek to have a good mark.
Conclusion: Even Cain in his sinful fall received warnings and mercy from God in every step he took to failure as a Christian. We today receive the same warnings. The question is will we heed the callings of God? Will we continue down our own path or submit to God?

Mothers Day Sermon - Evangelist Dan Souza
 

In this message we review what the purpose of Soulwinning is and why it is important, when possible, to emphasize the whole Commission in our soul winning presentations. Not only to save the souls from hell but to also to help sanctify them. We show how salvation (not just from Hell but for all aspects of our lives) is by believing on the LORD Jesus Christ and the Gospel is what we preach in order to led them (through the power of the Holy Spirit) to accepting Jesus as such. We take note of the fact that "Repentance" is not a physical action of turning or stopping any sin but rather turning from a state of Pride and rebellion before God to a state of Humble submission before God. We also show the four points that should make up any gospel presentation and the Biblical reason for each point. Then we finish up with the importance of each believer accepting and modeling each point in their own lives in order to be a proper witness of the LORD Jesus Christ. (Preached: Sunday Afternoon 6-30-2019, Green Meadow Bible Baptist Church, Pastor Steven Zantjer, Kalamazoo, MI)
 
 

Psalm 89 ends with the psalmist longing and asking for the sure and tender mercies of David that were promised to all men through David's house and covenant of Mercy. This shows us that this Spiritual house given to David by God was not just for King David but for all men who would join themselves to the Builder of that house and to David's descendant, the Christ, the Holy one Of Israel, King Jesus. (Isiah 55, Acts 13:34)
In the first three parts of Psalm 89 we are shown, with great confidence, the eternal plan of God, building a spiritual house of Mercy for us in the heavens and his ability to perform all that He has promised and finally the example of his covenant of mercy to us all as seen through the covenant of David. Yet in Part 4 of Psalm 89 we are brought back to the "here and now" by Ethan the Ezrahite, who is trying to reconcile the loving kindness God has for David and His promises to us, and his power, with their feelings of forsakenness, their sufferings, loss and destruction he sees them experiencing in the present times. We see that Ethan does not ask "why" God has chosen to allow thees things but asked "how long", showing that even now his groanings are not in doubt but in hope and longing for the final fulfillment of all things that were promised.
In this final sermon of Psalm 89 we summarize the chapter and encourage Christians to have faith in the eternal promises of God and that He is working even presently to bring them about, even in times when it is not apparent. Like the Psalmist, and even more, Christians can take comfort in the Promises of God through faith in Jesus Christ, the son of David, who said He was departing from us for a time to continue preparing rooms in that same Spiritual house for us. Until we reunite with Him in heaven, and as Paul, Christ's faithful servant and Apostle, said, He has gone on before us and has given us the "Ernest of the Spirit" to keep and prepare us for when he finishes his divine plans for eternity.

John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

2 Corinthians 5:1-5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

To me Psalm 89 is one of the greatest Psalms of the Bible that has helped grow my understanding of bible theology greatly. It is my hope that God will bless the Christian as they study and apply it to their own understanding and that God might open the riches of its wisdom to you, giving you assurance in your eternal salvation and comfort in your times of suffering. Amen.

Preached: February 20, 2019 Wednesday Night. By Pastor John Young, at Edgecliff Baptist Church, Spokane Valley, WA. (Please like, share, and subscribe to the channel for more Bible Sermons!) #TenderMercies #SureMercies #lovingkindness #MerciesOfDavid #SonOfDavid #JesusChrist
 

The Cost of a Soul
We are a cost conscious people. We always want to know the cost of what we are going to buy, or even the cost of what someone else has bought. Food, clothes, car, house, or vacation; we want to know the cost.
We would never dream of buying anything without first finding out how much it cost. But how many in the Christian world consider the cost of their belief system, their salvation, or their soul?
First let me say that I am not suggesting that these things need to be considered and weighed to determine if salvation is worth the cost. No; what I want to examine is more in the realm of appreciation for those things that we many times just take for granted in regard to our salvation. This applies more to an actual realization, after the fact, that there is a cost to these things.
While it is true that salvation is a free gift from God to me, it is also true that my salvation has a cost attached to it. Even though a soul has infinite worth to both the Creator and the created, it is not something that we can put a dollar value on. The value of a soul must be measured in a spiritual sense, rather than a worldly sense.
The creation of the first soul is recorded in Gen.2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Even though man is in possession of this soul, it belongs to God by right of creation: Eze. 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Text: Mt. 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
God, in His infinite grace, has allowed man to have a say in what happens to his soul. In the world of religion we call this “free will”. We won’t get into the controversy regarding man’s free will and God’s foreknowledge and predestination; that’s a subject for another time. But it is needful to point out that while we yet draw breath, while we remain alive; we have a choice regarding what will happen to our soul once we lay down this physical life. Deut. 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Once this body goes into the grave, the soul that God gave it goes back to Him. At that time, what He does with it will totally depend on what we have, or have not done with it in this life.  I say this so that you might consider what the present condition of your soul is. Is it still dead in trespass and sin, or is it alive to God? Eph. 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Rom. 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now let’s look at the cost of a soul to a Christian.
He gives his life and trusts God to sustain him.
Luke 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for      your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse   nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
He subjects himself to the ridicule of the world.
1Cor. 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake.  1Cor. 4:13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
Turning to Jesus for the salvation of his soul costs him his former friends.
Mat. 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.   Mat. 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
I have experienced this first hand. I used to be one of the ones who ridiculed and shunned Christians. But then, once I actually turned to Christ for Salvation I found that those who had been friends before now shunned me.
Next on my list of the cost of a soul to the Christian is his money.
Luke. 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
It costs real money to build church buildings. If The Lord wants a church building in a specific place He will supply all that it takes to accomplish His will. The means by which he accomplishes this is through His people. It is not right for God’s people to turn to the world to build their church building. Many churches err in this kind of thinking. They set out to build a church building and immediately obligate God and their fellow church members to the world through worldly financing schemes. This does not honor God.
My God is not a beggar that He needs to turn to the world to build His house. What hypocrisy we practice in paying usury to worldly institutions.
Psm. 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.
I have a very low opinion of churches holding bake sales, raffles, and yard sales to finance the work of God. I firmly believe that the work of God should be financed wholly by His people. Some might argue, “But we don’t take in enough money to build a building.” To this I would answer with a question; Are we walking by faith or by sight?
David is an excellent example of the provision to be made for the building God’s house. Although he wanted to build God’s house, God would not allow him to do so. But that didn’t stop him from preparing for it.
1Chron. 22:5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
1Chron. 22:3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;
1Chron. 22:14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.
 15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work.
 16 Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.
David spent his fortune to prepare for the building of God’s house.
And what of mission work? Perhaps we ourselves cannot go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature; but we can certainly financially support those who do. What a wonderful blessing it is to see God work through His people, to see Him accomplish the impossible, humanly speaking. I have seen this concept work regarding mission work in Far East Russia. Two whole missionary families surrendered to go and start a mission work in an inhospitable country. The financial aspect of such an effort was seemingly impossible. But by faith we, as a church, took on the responsibility of sponsoring this work. We were a small congregation of less than forty members. God rewarded our step of faith in a miraculous way. Word of our missionary work spread and finances began to come in from sister churches all over the nation.
And last, but not least is the cost to Christians and churches for relief of the poor, both in our midst and also those outside of the church.
Last in the cost of a soul to the Christian is his time.
 
Sadly, many church members today think that showing up for church services Sunday morning fulfills his obligation to serve God. It would come as a shock to some church members who believe this to see their service to God and church put in its proper perspective. God gives us 168 hours of time in every week. Out of that time, we give back to Him 1 hour.
Our time can be one of the most precious elements we can use to serve our God, as well as our fellow man. A Christian who realizes his responsibility to his God will find that there is a huge list of demands on the time God has given him. To list just few will be sufficient.
Time for personal study and worship; time for preparation in his service, whether it be in presenting God’s word, or even for being a real help to others; time to prepare to witness and testify for his Lord and Saviour. 2Tim. 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
He must not neglect time to serve his church in secular ways. For instance, the pastor of a church is called by God to preach the Gospel, teach and exhort his church members, and to be the leader that God has called him to be. Is it reasonable to expect that God’s man also perform the mundane, secular responsibilities of things such as; being the bus driver, mowing the lawn, maintaining the building; cleaning the church and cleaning toilets? Is it reasonable? My answer to my own question is NO! These are all functions that church members should take on as part of their service to God. The pastor has his ministry, but individual church members also have their ministry. Many people do not understand that a ministry is not confined to only spiritual things.
Since this sermon is progressing into more of a book than a sermon, I would like to move on to: The cost of a soul to God.
God has moved all heaven and earth to regain the fellowship that was lost when man fell in Adam. All of bible history, which includes all of this earth’s history, has as its goal the redemption of fallen man. For almost 6,000 years God has used many different methods in His plan to redeem man. Our bible is just one example. In it He gave the law and ordinances as pictures of his purpose for man.
Throughout the Old Testament he gave prophets to verbally speak to man about His purposes. They literally gave man the messages that God had for them.
He gave us kings and people of all kinds as illustrations of his great truths.
In the New Testament he shows us Grace, repentance and faith, which leads us to Him.
The cost of souls resulted in great anguish of heart and great sorrow on God’s part.
In Gen. 1:31 We have a record of God’s finished work in creation; as he created it, it was very good.  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
But disobedient man changed all that was good of God’s work in creation: Listen as God pleads with those he named as His people: Mat. 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Separation from the Son was just a part of the cost of men’s souls to God. In John 17:5 we read the prayer of Jesus concerning this separation and His yearning to have it restored. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
The cost of souls to God was so great that only God could pay it. The God of all heaven and earth came down in the form of His son to pay the price that only He could pay.
Joh. 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
In the end it cost Him the life of His son. For me he had to not only forsake His only son, but to also punish Him for my sin. The words of Jesus on the cross attest to this when he cried out. “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Mat. 27:46
The cost of a soul to Jesus. 
He died the horrible death of the cross for me.
 His entire life on this earth was spent for the benefit of others. He had no home, no social life. His life was spent walking the length and breath of Israel, for the sole purpose of seeking and saving lost mankind.
Never once do we find him complaining or thinking of himself. He never did anything for his own benefit. His sole purpose in life was to accomplish His father’s will and reconcile man to God. In John 5:30 Jesus says, “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
The God of heaven walked this earth clothed in flesh. How could that cost him? It cost him in that, he was God, and lowered himself to the place of man. He put aside all that he had as God for me. John. 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
So, after all that has been said we come to the inescapable conclusion that while salvation is free to me, there is a cost. There is great value placed on man’s soul and that price was so great that God had to pay for it himself. John. 3:16

Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. Genesis 19:20

Lot has just been delivered from the total destruction of sin city (Sodom).

(Bunny trail) What a picture of our salvation, and also (unfortunately) of many Christians. Lot is living in a lost and sin filled world, fully content to allow the alcohol, legalized gambling, homosexual marriage, just so long as his boat isn’t rocked. His mantra? “Hey. I’m a good person, I don’t do those things, I go to church, Hey…I’m a BAPTIST!”. Then a missionary shows up at his door and he begins to realize the sin he is in, and God brings him out of that sin and leads him to a mountaintop retreat. But Lot is not content with the direction he is being led. He can’t entirely leave his sin behind (back on topic).

I find it interesting that the words “is it not a little one” are in parentheses as if added as an afterthought. Isn’t that how sin is? Okay, Lord! I won’t be part of that big sin anymore, but surely this little one over here won’t hurt anything. “Is it not a little one?” Just one beer? Just one website? Just one lottery ticket? Isn’t that how sin always starts? How many of you know of anyone who upon taking their first drink said I’m going to be an alcoholic! No, the typical statement made is, “I can handle it”. After all, is it not a little one?

As the spiritual head of his household his attitude was well received by his family. He already left several of his children behind to the total destruction of sin, and now he turns away from the righteous path set before him to backslide a little: just a little one. Before he knows it his wife emulates his backsliding and turns back too. Except she turns just a little more, and she is turned into a pillar of salt, but if the salt has lost his savour…. Sin has now cost Lot another family member.

Lot and his daughters arrive in their new sin city of Zoar, but he soon realizes that in his saved condition he is not comfortable living in this sin. He begins to fear for his life and decides he had best take the road less travelled and heads for the mountains of God. But his backsliding has left its seed of corruption in the hearts of his daughters, and they sin against their father and his God. From this spring the nations of Moab and Ammon and all the trouble that they brought against the nation Israel.

This is how sin always begins: with a little one. Satan would be a fool to try to overcome a strongly held biblical/moral standard in one stroke. He is content to chip away one peace at a time. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

Just a little one. We see in the story of Lot that just a little sin by one or a few can (and often does) snowball into an avalanche of sin. If you doubt that, just look at the moral state of our nation.

“All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. “ (Eccl. 3:20)

“Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?” (Eccl. 6: 6)

Both of these verses teach us an important truth, that death is the same for all men. The “great ones” that we exalt in sports today, those who have given their lives and hearts to the game, even they will ultimately end up in the same place as the sluggard and the slouch. Though they may spend hours away from their families, and sacrifice many meals and much quality time with friends and loved ones, they will have the same end as those who did not sacrifice any of these things. It is all vanity.

Though many enjoy fame and fortune for a time, and give their “all” for success in business or in sports, or whatever they wish to excel in, they all end in the same grave, and all turn to mere dust. Greatness only lasts for awhile when it is OBtained by worldly means. Riches give us a little respect here on earth, and often gain the envy of others, but what are they when death comes our way? Can you see the futility of these things? Do you see the irony of it? Solomon did. He knew it was all “vanity and vexation of the spirit.” It almost seems unfair that those who excel so much, who give their entire lives to success, should end up the same as those who did nothing, but that is the way it is when we build our hope on the things of this world and not on Christ. Though many of these athletes or millionaires, or even soldiers are thought of as “heroes” they die the same as the pauper and the coward. No matter what contribution they made to society, or what they had achieved, they build their houses on sand, and it does not stand against the storm. They live in a house of paper, and the foundation is as unstable as the waves of the sea. The only thing that really matters is whether they know Christ as their Savior or not.

The saint who dies in Christ is assured of a happy “forever”. His end is not as futile as theirs, he has treasure untold, and CAN take it with him. Our “heroes” ought to be men and women of God that spiritually “move mountains” in the Lord’s work, and make a real difference in the lives of others. They do not have to all be preachers, but faithful servants unto whom the Lord will say “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” Any one of us can hear those words from the lips of our Savior; then we will be “heroes” indeed. Let’s make our “heroes” those who seek the Lord with the same tenacity that the sports figures, politicians, and all those others seek after their goal, and we will share in the fame and glory of God and men.

Genesis 3

“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (2:25)

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (3:10)

In this chapter, and in the last verse of the previous chapter, we see the main reason for clothing. Did you ever wonder why you wear what you wear? Clothing is basically to cover our shame (nakedness). In verse 7 of chapter 3, we see that they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves, because they were naked. They did not know what it meant to be naked before this, and had no shame because of their innocence. Even after the Lord confronted them, they needed to cover their shame, and He provided the skin of the animal, the innocent one, to cover their shame. We see in this a picture of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. He too died to cover our shame, and in Him we are made whole again, and OBtain eternal life. The point I would like to make is that our clothing need not be ostentatious, but simple, as long as it covers us. Anything more than covering our nakedness is pride. Do we need to be adorned with the nicest apparel? Do we need diamond-studded outfits to cover our shame? Of course not. Something much more simple will do. Of course women need to dress modestly, as in Titus 2:9, but even this seems to be speaking of avoiding the showy, attention drawing, and pride building clothing that we often like to wear. It is linked to “gold or pearls, or costly array”, and speaks of dressing “humbly” as much as decently. To “feel good about ourselves” is the worlds’ desire, and ought not to be our desire when it comes to dressing. This thinking is based on pride, which is the bane of all good men and women in every generation. Back to our verses: the shame did not come until the knowledge came. They were not ashamed until after “their eyes were opened” and they became “as gods, knowing good and evil” (3:5).

It is the knowledge then that brought the fear. The knowledge of what? Of good and evil: of the ability to discern between the two. This remains the crux of the matter. When we seek out the flashy, sexy, or showy type apparel, we are merely feeding our ego. This may be hard to swallow, but it is true, nonetheless. We like to offer excuses at to why we dress the way we do, we even try to make it “spiritual”, but the bottom line is pride. For our own satisfaction we want to “look nice”, when we ought to be concerned with covering ourselves. I must be fair, and say that we dress for warmth too, but that is not all the time, and even that should fit the guidelines of “modesty” and humility. Did not our Savior dress “humbly” He deserved spectacular a rOBe of purple, but wore a simple rOBe of white. Folks, be sure your pride shows in the way you dress, and in your appearance in this world; yes, others can see it, even if you will not. It’s for men and women alike.

(Note: The word “modest” in Titus 2:9 means both in a moral aspect, and in a humble aspect. Here is the Dictionary definition of “modest: “

1. Properly, restrained by a sense of propriety; hence, not forward or bold; not presumptuous or arrogant; not boastful; as a modest youth; a modest man.

2. Not bold or forward; as a modest maid. The word may be thus used without reference to chastity.

3. Not loose; not lewd.

Jeremiah 2:13




God had shown His blessings to Israel unlike any other nation at that time. He had called them out of bondage from Egypt. God had parted the Red Sea, led them across dry land, and destroyed the Egyptian army behind them. God then led them through the wilderness for forty years providing their every need as they went. At the end of the forty years God once again parted the waters, this time of the Jordan River, and led them into Canaan land. God gave them the land and drove their enemies from them as they went through the land to possess it.
While God had blessed them time and time again they had not remained faithful to God. While traveling through the wilderness they had murmured against God numerous times. They had turned from God and refused to put their trust in Him at times. Because of that, an entire generation of Israelites was forced to die in the wilderness due to the judgment of God. After God gave them the land of Canaan the children of Israel time and time again would turn from serving and worshiping God to serve and worship idols and false gods. In doing so they had despised the Word of the Lord and made themselves an abomination in the sight of God. They had traded the living waters of God for the broken cisterns of the world.
This is something which is still going on with Christians today. God has blessed us beyond measure. While we, in our sins, deserve to spend an eternity in Hell; God chose, in His great love, to provide a way of salvation for us. God did not leave us to find our own way to Him but He has given us His written Word. God has blessed us in so many ways that we could not pen all the things He has done for us.
While God has blessed His people today more ways than we can count there are still those who stray from God. There are Christians out of church and some in church who refuse to trust God, who refuse to remain faithful to Him, who refuse to follow the Word of God and the will of God. Many of these started out right, they started out on fire for God; yet, something happened along the way to cause them to stumble and stray from God. They have traded the living water of God for the broken cisterns of the world and as a result they are inviting the judgment of God upon their lives.

1. Traded the living waters of the King James Bible for the broken cisterns of modern versions.
How sad it is that people within our Independent Baptist churches are turning from the King James Bible. Many of them have sat under good preaching at some time which exposed the dangers of the modern version of the Bible. At one time they themselves stood unashamedly on the King James Bible but somewhere along the way they have let their guard down and now they embrace the modern versions and the liberal theology which accompanies it. No longer do they embrace the infallible, inerrant, preserved Word of God; but, rather, they have fallen for the same lie which the devil gave Eve in Genesis 3:1, “…Yea, hath God said.” The devil has been casting doubt on the true Word of God since the Garden of Eden. All of the modern versions (RSV, ESV, NIV, The Message, and everything else in-between) are just a continuation of the attack of the devil on God’s inspired Word. All of the modern versions are translated from corrupt manuscripts and no Christian, especially those in Independent Fundamental Baptist churches, have any business reading these false bibles.
Many times those who turn from the King James Bible to follow other version of the Bible do so because they have been listening to those who teach out of these false bibles. They have let down their guard and allowed these hirelings and false teachers to corrupt their way of thinking. They have given the devil an in-road into their life and allowed him to influence their theology. No Christian is strong enough to listen to false teaching from a false bible continually and it not affect them. These so-called preachers may preach some truth and they may have some catchy quotes but we should not be going to the dumpster just to get a couple of bites to chew on. Not when there are plenty of good preachers out there who preach from the King James Bible and are straight down the line in all their theology.
Let us get back to the living waters of the King James Bible and away from the broken cisterns of the modern versions.

2. Traded living waters of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for the broken cisterns of contemporary Christian music.
Some people seem to think that music is neutral or a matter of preference. However, those who study music will tell you that it is not neutral. Even in the Bible we can see that music was not considered neutral. Certain types of music and certain sounds meant and represented certain things. People knew what the music meant by the notes and sounds they heard regardless of the words being said. You can take Biblical words and ideas and put them into song all you want but if you are using the devil’s beat, rhythm, and music with those words then all it does it take something holy and make it unholy. Many of these contemporary Christian musicians are so yoked up with the world that one has to wonder whether they have truly been born again. Many of them have stated publicly that the inspiration for their music comes from wicked, ungodly rock groups (Third Day, Delirious, Casting Crowns, Jars of Clay, MercyMe, P.O.D., Sanctus Real, et. al.). The Bible teaches that you cannot take something as vile and wicked as rock music, throw some watered down Christian lyrics in with it, and expect it to be glorifying to God.
When people begin to lower the standard of God’s Word, then they will also lower the standard of their music. When they begin to lower the standard of music, then their standard of dress will also be lowered. Eventually, you will reach a point where there are no real standards and everyone is simply doing that which is right in their own eyes. We have seen it happen in the world with the introduction of rock music in the 1950’s and 60’s and we’re seeing it happen more and more in our churches today with the contemporary music that is becoming so prevalent. Music should drive us to become more holy, to become more like Christ; not more and more like the world. It should cause us to become sensitive to the Spirit and not sensualized in our flesh. Sadly, many Christians would rather fulfill the lusts of their flesh then to walk in the Spirit.
We need to get back to the living waters of Christ-honoring music and away from the broken cisterns of contemporary Christian music.

Paul warned Timothy that in the last days there would be a growing apostasy and falling away from the faith. We are seeing this happen every day before our very eyes. Christians and even entire churches are trading the living waters of God for the broken cisterns of the world. They are trading the King James Bible and good, Christian music for modern versions and contemporary music. As they turn from God to the world they are throwing standards and personal holiness out the window as well. We need a group of Christians who will stay true to God and will not forsake Him. We need some Christians who will refuse to compromise in their personal walk with God and we definitely need some preachers who will refuse to compromise in their preaching and their stand for the Word of God.

In Christ,
PreacherE

Throughout the Biblical accounts in Luke 2:1-38 and Matthew 2:1-11 concerning the events that surrounded our Lord’s birth, our attention is focused upon two important responsibilities. Indeed, these two important responsibilities ought to dominate our celebration of our Lord’s birth as God in flesh. They are the responsibility to WORSHIP and to WITNESS. Consider the Biblical accounts:

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.”

The angel of the Lord WITNESSED.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

The multitude of the heavenly host WORSHIPPED.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."

The shepherds WITNESSED.

“And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

The shepherds WORSHIPPED.

“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

“And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

Simeon WORSHIPPED.

“And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

Simeon WITNESSED.

“And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”

Anna WORSHIPPED.

“And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord.”

Anna WITNESSED.

“And spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

The wise men from the east WITNESSED.

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

“And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.”

The wise men from the east WORSHIPPED.

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

Is There Not a Cause?

“And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” (1 Sam. 17:29)

We all know quite well the story of David and Goliath. Many children’s books have been written to dramatize this passage, and yet, many suppose it to be a mere childhood story, a fantasy or fictional tale of adventure. The real beauty of the account is often missed, and often lost in the dreamy world of myths and legends. The real beauty of it is that the Lord will deliver us from the giants of this life. Giant prOBlems can be overcome and defeated with the simplest of weapons and with the Lord as our Champion. All the glamor of the Biblical account is there, and is clearly seen, but the outlying fact is that God is our deliverer; He is our victory. And, after all, “Is there not a cause?”

David asked a very significant question here, one that we need to ponder over and over again, and ask ourselves, “Is there not a cause?” Is there no purpose in all of this? That is a question we must settle for ourselves. Unless we see a purpose, a cause worth giving our life to, we will not endure the hardships of service. There is no room for fear when one grabs hold of a cause; There is no need for questioning when one’s mind is settled on a cause; there is no reasoning contrary to truth when one sees the need, and realizes there is a cause. Do you have a cause? Do you see anything in your life worthy of all your attention and time? I hope you do, I hope you see Jesus in it. He was in the one small stone; The Holy Spirit was in the sling, and guided that missile and slew a giant with it, because David came to him in the name of the Lord (see vs. 45-47). Jesus is/was the stone, and now He is our Rock.

There is a cause folks, there is a need for winning the lost; there is a great need for defeating giants of frustration and doubt; there is a cause to get behind and run with, because there is a need. Join the cause of Christ and become partners with Him in the service of the Father. The giants of fear will melt away, and the joy of the Lord will be yours when you find a cause in Christ. It is said that a man with a cause is unstoppable, but I’ll go one better and say, a man with the Lord is unstoppable, and if that cause is the same as the Lord’s cause there is no limit to what you might accomplish “in His name.” Seek Him; find Him; take Him along with you wherever you go, and be a giant-slayer, after all, “Is there not a cause?”

(Actual Calvinist song as documented in The Other Side of Calvinism by Dr. Laurence Vance)
"We are the Lord's elected few, let all the rest be damned; there's room enough in hell for you, we won't have heaven crammed!"








http://articles.truthandsong.com/#category8.


This article is not meant to mock Calvinists. There are many God loving people who have held to Calvin’s system of soteriology, not the least of whom was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. On the flip side, there have always been very good Christians who’ve held to the opposite view, Armenianism, such as John Wesley.

Pointing out the errors in doctrine is not the same as demeaning those who believe it.

That being said, Calvinism, if taken to its logical end result can be very harmful. Those who take it there are called hyper-Calvinists, and they tend to spend their time in groups muttering about the elect, eternal decrees, and doing everything but soul winning. Thankfully, Charles Spurgeon was not a hyper-Calvinist and he actually spoke out against them.

Regardless of whether your beliefs lean towards Armenianism or Calvinism, it’s important to take a step back and examine them. I’ve seen many Calvinists accuse those who do not adhere to their doctrine as being lazy, unwilling to study the scriptures, and taking the easy way out. If you are a Calvinist, I hope you will hold yourself to the same standard of diligence that you hold others to as we take a look at the five points of T.U.L.I.P.



Total Depravity:


Rom. 3:10-12, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

The idea behind this point in Calvin’s system is that man is so totally depraved that he lacks the ability to be able to come to God or seek Him out. Calvin is correct on this point, to a certain degree. On his own, man is so depraved that he will not seek after God. That’s easily ascertainable in the above passage.


The story doesn’t end there though; consider this woman who just wouldn’t give up:

Matt. 15:21-28, “Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word.”

This woman came to Jesus for help. He did not seek her out at all, she went out of her way searching for Him, and when she found Him she asked Him for help.

Jesus gave her the cold shoulder, first rejection.

“24 And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.”

Second rejection. The disciples ask Jesus to tell her to go away, right in front of her. Does this deter her?

“25 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Third rejection, right in front of the woman Jesus ignores the woman again, and tells the disciples that at that time the gospel wasn’t intended for the gentiles. At this point, the woman has experienced rejection three times and Jesus still hasn’t spoken to her directly.

“25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.”

After being rejected three times, the woman pleads with the Lord to help her. He rejects her, insults her, and insinuates that she’s not good enough to even be able to hear the gospel. The plan was not for her at the time.

In Matthew 10:6-7 Jesus clearly told his disciples to ignore everyone who was a Gentile and to only bring the gospel to the Jews. Sure, the Gentiles were going to get a “crack at it”, but not until the Jews had heard it first. The reasons behind this have to do with dispensations and the gospel of the kingdom, something that is another Bible study in of itself. Regardless, Jesus rejects this woman directly after ignoring her twice.

“27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

After being rejected four times, the woman doesn’t try to defend herself at all. She understands that she is a lost, hell bound sinner who deserves nothing. She doesn’t argue with the Lord, she agrees with Him. Jesus is moved by this woman’s persistence and faith and goes outside of His own dispensational guidelines to save her.

How does THAT line up with the idea of total depravity, or better put, total inability?


Does this mean we take the verses in Romans 3 and throw them out the door?

Of course not. Then how do we reconcile the woman in Matthew 15 with what is written in Romans 3?

John 12:32-33, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.”

Jesus Christ is the game changer. Jesus Christ is the bridge between God and man; the woman in Matthew 15 couldn’t help but be drawn to Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and anyone in the same room as Him would know it instinctively regardless of any dispensational boundaries that may exist! We read in John 12:32 that when Christ was lifted up (“lifted up” is defined as crucifixion in the very next verse) that all men would be drawn unto Him.

Before Christ, there are many instances of men choosing of their own free will to OBey God. OBviously the depravity of man does not extend to his will, when given light from God and given a choice man is able to respond to it. Without the light, man doesn’t seek out God, but with light he certainly has the ability to choose God.

So the “T” in T.U.L.I.P is a moot point. It doesn’t matter whether or not man can come to God on His own or not, Jesus promised that if He was crucified that He’d draw all men on earth to Himself one way or another.



Unconditional Election:


Eph. 1:5, 11, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will… In whom also we have OBtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

The idea behind Unconditional Election is that those who trust Christ were meant to do it from the foundations of the earth. The idea is that not only did God know who would trust His Son Jesus before they were ever born (which no Christian would dispute), but He actually predestinated them to make that decision. Some He predestinated to get saved, others He left out. Even if such a thing were true, such election would be based upon foreknowledge so as to not violate man’s free will.

Most Calvinists hate to admit this, but if God unconditionally (that is the key word) predestinated some to go to Heaven that means that God also unconditionally predestinated some to go to Hell. In fact, it would mean it is God’s sovereign will that most people go to Hell. In order to help take the teeth out of this John Calvin taught that God predestinated all babies to go to Heaven, very convenient to say the least and doesn’t exactly fit with the idea that the election is “unconditional” to some people and not to others. Of course all babies go to Heaven (Rom. 7:9; 4:15, 5:13; II Sam. 12:23), but it’s not because they’re predestined to salvation.


What Calvinists who are hung up on God’s sovereign will consistently ignore is the fact that God’s will is VIOLATED every time we sin, every time someone rejects the gospel, and especially every time someone goes to Hell.


1. When we Sin:

I Thess. 4:3, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”

I Thess 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”


2. When the Gospel is Rejected:

Acts 17:30, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”

II Tim. 2:4-6, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”


3. When a person goes to Hell:

II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”


God is not some sadist that loves you enough to send His Son to die for you, but willingly chooses for you to go to Hell. You won’t find that anywhere in the Bible.

What you will find is a couple verses here and there that talk about people being predestinated. Once again, do we ignore those verses because at first glance they do not seem to fit with the rest of scripture? Of course not.

Here’s the critical statement:

Nowhere in the Bible will you ever find anyone ever being predestinated to get saved, what you find is people being predestinated who already are saved.

Example:

“Those in the bus are predestinated to arrive at the bus station in two hours.”

Being predestinated is conditional on one thing – being in the bus!

The same thing applies to being predestinated in scripture; you have to be “in Christ”. Being “in Christ” (I Cor. 12:12-13, Rom. 6:3, Gal 3:26-27, II Cor. 5:17) means being in the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23), being in universal church (Col. 1:18, 24), and being part of the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:9, Eph. 5:23-32). They’re all the same thing. The only way you get “in Christ” is by getting saved.

In both cases in Ephesians chapter one, if you look at the verses that are talking about predestination you’ll see that they’re talking about people who are in Christ. Those who are chosen are “in Him” or “in Christ”.

Eph 1:4-5, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

Eph. 1:10-11, “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have OBtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

The term “predestinated” means basically that you establish to do or receive something before it actually happens. Calvinist assume that these verses mean that a person is predestinated to get “in Christ” (or get saved) before they actually receive Christ.

In both sets of verses, the people in question are predestinated to two things, the adoption of children and an inheritance. Neither verse says these people are predestinated to receive these things before they are saved, it just says that those who are in Christ are predestinated. The next logical question is what is the adoption of children and what is this inheritance that these people are predestinated to?


1. The Adoption of Children:

Rom 8:23 “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

According to this verse, we haven’t yet received the adoption, we’re still waiting for it. The adoption is the redemption of our bodies that happens to believers at the resurrection (I Cor. 15). So this verse on predestination is actually one of the strongest verses on eternal security in the Bible, because if you’re saved and in Christ you are at that point predestinated according to the will God to have your body changed into a glorified body.


2. The Inheritance Incorruptible:

I Peter 1:2-5, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto OBedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

I Peter 1:2-5 takes care of several questions. First of all, what is the inheritance that is spoken of in Ephesians? In Ephesians it says we already have it, and here it says it’s reserved in Heaven for us. The only thing I can imagine it would be is a mansion (John 14:2). We, in Christ, are predestined to receive this. Not surprisingly, in the same context, we see in verse 5 one of the strongest and clearest verses on eternal security in the Bible. Predestination falls under the doctrine of eternal security for the believer who is within the body of Christ, not an unbeliever who the Bible says is dead and “in Adam”. If you’re in Adam, you’re not predestinated to anything.

The second thing this solves is how a person becomes part of the elect. Calvin would tell you that a person is part of the elect “unconditionally”, even though you’ll never find a passage anywhere in the New Testament that says someone is saved without putting their faith in Christ. I feel like saying that once isn’t good enough, no where in scripture is anyone saved unconditionally! Salvation is conditional on you putting your faith in Jesus Christ. Do you see how if you take a verse and start building a doctrine around it you can find yourself ignoring hundreds of verses in the Bible in favor of your strange isolated interpretation?

So how does one become part of the elect then? It’s very simple; it’s through sanctification of the spirit. Look, if someone is part of the elect before they’re saved that means they have the promises of a new body and a home in heaven, something that is reserved for members of the body of Christ, while they are still “in adam” and “dead in trespasses and sins”. Do you see how ridiculous this is?
There’s one last passage on the subject of predestination in the Bible, and once again it has nothing to do with anyone being predestinated to be saved.

Rom. 8:29-30, “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. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

The saved people in this passage are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His son, that happens at the resurrection, it goes right back to the adoption which is the redemption of the body. The subsequent event to the foreknowledge in this passage is not salvation! Does it say “For whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate to receive redemption?” No, it doesn’t say that. The event that follows the foreknowledge is a Christian getting predestinated to get a new body; it has nothing to do with salvation.

Calvinists take a couple verses in Ephesians 1 and this passage in Romans 8 and completely get the cart before the horse. The foreknowledge and predestination in this passage and I Peter 1:2 are both conditional upon “…sanctification of the Spirit, unto OBedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…” In other words getting saved. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, because we’re told over and over again in the New Testament that salvation is conditional upon faith, and the benefits of being saved are conditional upon (amazingly enough) actually being saved.


Before we stop on this subject, there’s one last verse that should be considered:

II Tim. 2:10, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also OBtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

Ok, so the Calvinist will tell you that this shows that the elect aren’t saved, and that Paul’s ministry was to get the elect saved. Wait a second though, according to Calvinism, Paul wouldn’t have to endure anything for the elect to get saved, they’ll get saved regardless. What’s the point? While you’re mulling that over, let’s consider another verse to help us understand this verse.

I Tim. 2:14-15, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sOBriety.”

Does this mean that women have to have children to qualify for salvation, and that ladies who never get married, have physical difficulties, or are married to men who are sterile are bound for Hell regardless of whether or not they’ve put their faith in Jesus? Of course not, being “saved” in this passage has nothing to do with the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Consider another verse along the same lines:

I Tim. 6:11-12, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

This verse is commanding a preacher to lay hold on eternal life by living right. Wait, I John 5:11-12 tells us that eternal life is a present possession, not something we get later on! Also, eternal life is not conditional upon good works (Eph. 2:8-9), so what is it talking about in this verse when it says for us to lay hold on eternal life if we already have it? It’s talking about the same thing that Paul was suffering for in II Tim. 2:10. What would that be? Does Paul clarify what he’s talking about when he says that he’s working for the elect to receive salvation? Where would the best place to look be?

How about the very next few verses:

II Tim. 2:10-13, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also OBtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”

The “salvation” in II Tim. 2:10 is the same thing as the “eternal life” in I Tim. 6:12, it’s talking about earning rewards in Heaven. Paul wanted his converts to receive a “full reward” (II John 8, Phil. 3:14). We don’t know this because it sounds nice, we know it to be true because within the immediate context of II Tim. 2:10 the scriptures talk about Christians suffering to reign with Him. As a Calvinist, if you’re going to protest this then you had better make childbirth a part of salvation for a woman (I Tim. 2:14-15) and start preaching works salvation (I Tim. 6:11-12).

So the “U” in T.U.L.I.P is ridiculous because any student of the Bible can tell that salvation is not unconditional. As far as predestination, scripture is very clear that it occurs after salvation and not before.



Limited Atonement:


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

This passage is used to demonstrate that Jesus ONLY shed His blood for the sheep.

When you adhere to the “U” in T.U.L.I.P. you’ll find yourself going down the slippery slope of having to believe in “L”, “I”, and “P”. The last three letters of T.U.L.I.P are completely ridiculous, and hardly merit much of a response. The first one, Limited Atonement, is the blasphemous teaching that Jesus only shed His blood for the elect.

When you start believing that God controls everything we do in life, most importantly acceptance and rejection of the gospel, then the sky’s the limit. If God only chose a select group to go to Heaven and created billions of others for the purpose of going to Hell, then it is only rational to conclude that Jesus only shed His blood for the elect and they are the only ones capable of making use of it for redemption. If there’s no such thing as free will, then of course this makes sense.

Let’s look at a couple of clear verses that debunk this idea:

I Tim. 2:4, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

I Tim. 2:6, “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

The Calvinist will insist that “all” means “all the elect” in these verses. Ok, fine, show me in the context of those verses where the elect are mentioned.

There’re not.

They’re not mentioned in the entire chapter. In fact, nowhere in the entire book are any “elect” human beings mentioned at all. The only elect in I Timothy are “elect angels” in I Tim. 5:21. All “elect” means is “chosen”, Israel is an elect nation (Is. 65:9) and Jesus was called God’s elect (Is. 42:1-4).

I Peter 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

Jesus shed His blood for false prophets and false teachers in this passage.

I Tim. 4:10, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”

Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all men, and a clear distinction is made between those who believe and do not. He is especially the savior of those that choose to accept Him.

I John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

His blood atonement is not only available for those who accept Him, but for the whole world.

If there’s really such a thing as limited atonement, then Hell was made for the billions of people that God would put in Hell. Why was Hell made?

Matt. 25:41, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

Hell was made for Satan; it was not originally intended for people. Hell was created after Satan fell, and it was intended for Him and the angels that rebelled against God. What the Calvinist is saying, whether he wants to admit it or not, is that God willfully creates people so that He can put them in Hell.

Meaning, it’s God’s will for most people to perish.

II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Yes, there are plenty of verses that talk about Christ’s blood being shed to redeem men and that His blood was shed for the saved, His bride, and His sheep. That is doesn’t mean that His blood was only shed for those who would accept Him. His blood was shed for every man, woman, and child that ever lived.

II Peter 3:9 tells us that it is specifically against the will of God for anyone to go to Hell. That means, contrary to Calvinism, the atonement at Calvary is unlimited.



Irresistible Grace


Acts 13:48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.”

The teaching of Irresistible Grace is that not only does God choose who’s going to get saved, but He also overpowers them and basically forces them to accept Him. Those who are predestinated to receive Christ must accept Him, and they are unable to resist the Holy Spirit in the matter of salvation.

Unable to find a verse that would even hint at such a thing, the Calvinist will yank this verse out of Acts and a couple other verses about God forcefully preparing somebody for a specific task (none of those tasks have anything to do with receiving Christ) and claim that God’s sovereign will forces people to accept Him outside of their free will. At best, this is a quantum leap based upon a couple verses in the Bible, ignoring a huge host of verses that talk about men having free will to choose Christ or not.


If man is unable to resist the Holy Spirit, then how does the Calvinist explain these verses?

Acts 7:51, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”

Matt. 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

II Tim. 3:8, “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprOBate concerning the faith.”

Duet. 8:20, “As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be OBedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.”

II Chr. 33:10, “And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.”

These verses demonstrate that man can overrule the will and commandment of God. God’s grace and His commandments are clearly resistible. Yes there are cases in the Bible where God hardens someone’s heart (Ex. 9:12), allows them to be deceived (I Kings 22, II Thess. 2:11), gives them over to a reprOBate mind (Rom. 1:28), or even turns away from an entire nation or group of people (Acts 13:46, Rom. 9:22) – but in every case it’s only after the person or group of people have continually rejected the light that God has given them.


Now back to Acts 13:48. When it says that these Gentiles were ordained to eternal life, what does it mean? We’ve already determined from several other passages that it doesn’t mean they had no choice in the matter and were predestinated to receive Christ, so then what does it mean that they were “ordained to eternal life”?

Romans 2:4-7, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:”

At first glance this passage could seem to teach that God renders eternal life according to the good deeds of people. In other words, works salvation. We know that’s not true based upon plenty of other verses in the Bible that say salvation is a free gift of grace through faith. So what is it talking about? It’s talking about repentance, look at verse 4. Lost people who respond to their conscience and seek after God (because Christ was lifted up they can do that, see the part about Total Depravity) are rewarded in this life for their good works by receiving more light. An example of this would be Cornelius.

Acts 10:1-4, 21-22, 30-31, 44-45, “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.”

This man was a lost Gentile. He sought after God, and God heard his prayers, saw that he fasted and wound up sending Peter to him so he could get saved.

“Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? 22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.”

Peter tells the man that God has heard his prayers, and that God told Peter to go to him.

“30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.”

Peter preaches a message to Cornelius and several other Gentiles who are present, and in the middle of the message they wind up accepting Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit.

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Another example of a Gentile seeking out God of his own according and God rewarding him with more light is the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. The Bible is very clear that God rewards those that seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

With all that being said, do you see how God takes extra care and prepares some to get saved, based upon how they respond to the light that God gives them? See, the prOBlem is the Calvinist takes this one verse and one word in it, “ordained”, and builds a doctrine around what they think that word means, without checking out the rest of the Bible first.

They assume that “ordained” means “predestinated”. If you can find a verse in the Bible that says people are predestinated before salvation to receive Christ, then you might have a point – but you can’t. All ordained means in this case is “prepared”, God takes special care and attention to those who seek after Him and he prepares them to one day receive Christ. He doesn’t make them do it, but He gives them every chance He can and helps them out as much as possible. That is what the Bible teaches, and that is the correct interpretation of being “ordained to eternal life”. That interpretation is not based upon a Greek word or a dictionary definition; it is based upon clear scripture with scripture Bible study.

It’s a sad thing when someone resists the calling of the Holy Spirit to salvation, but it happens all the time. God’s grace is resistible, and man does have a free will.



Perseverance of the Saints


Matt. 10:22, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Depending upon how it’s taught, this can actually be the one point in Calvinism that is correct. If taught that the believer has eternal security, then it’s correct. We understand that eternal security is a Bible doctrine based upon several verses in the Bible (Eph. 1:3, Heb 13:5, I Peter 1:5, Rom. 8:38-39).

Many Calvinists take a skewed view of Matt. 10:22 and teach that if you’re part of the elect you will endure to the end. In this case, “the end” would be the end of your life. What results in that kind of thinking is actually very ironic.

Here you have a group of people that swear on three verses in the Bible (not to be confused with swearing on a stack of Bibles) that God unconditionally predestinated certain people to be saved. He then overpowers them and forces them to choose Him. These folks really have no choice in the matter, and they’re pretty much eternally secure before they’re even born.

Then the same people teach that the elect will serve the Lord and endure for Him up until the end, and that they are predestined to do just that. The prOBlem is, when you take this teaching and bring it back into the real world, you wind up with a bunch of Hyper-Calvinists wondering if they’re really part of the elect. In other words, these good folks who believe in eternal security on a doctrinal level have no assurance of their salvation on a practical level. It’s actually very sad.

Matt. 10:22 has nothing to do with people who are saved enduring to the end of their lives. The context is the Tribulation, and all it means is that saved folks who manage to survive the horrors of the Tribulation will be delivered out of it at the very end by Jesus Christ Himself when He comes back.


In conclusion, let me say that John Calvin was a shining light for his day and was used to God to rebel against the oppressive and tyrannical Roman Catholic Church. He had, however, a huge list of practical and doctrinal shortcomings, and those who refuse to go further than him in Bible study are bound to be fouled up.

Calvinism is just like any other cult. It is built on a few verses, taken out of context and interpreted without supporting scripture.

What is clear in the Bible is that God loved the entire world enough to send His Son to die and pay the penalty for everyone, that He wants all men to come to Him, and anyone who does come to Him He will not cast out.

Rom. 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Rev. 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

How tragic that we hear little preaching about the precious blood of Christ nowadays. This doctrine seems to have been shoved aside by the church for...who knows what?

The Blood

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
(Col. 1:14)

As we can easily see, our redemption is OBtained through the blood of Christ. We make much of the death of Christ, and the resurrection, but it seems little is said these days about the blood. So, let us look at some scripture that depicts the true value of the blood to us, and begin here:
There is nothing more valuable than our redemption. Were it not for the blood, but merely the death of Christ, we would all still be lost in our sin, and spend an eternity in hell. Some proclaim that the death alone was enough, but without the shedding of blood is no remission. Look with me at Hebrew 9:22; “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” I suppose that some have made much of the word “almost”, but what concern is that to us? Whatever isn’t purged need not worry us, it is something that doesn’t need purging. The fact remains that the last part of the verse clarifies our standing--And without shedding of blood is no remission” So, the blood redeems.



“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:13)

The blood will draw us toward our God! We live afar off, away from Him and His grace, but it is the blood that brings us near Him. How wonderful to be near the Almighty. We can walk with Him, and bask in His glory because of the precious blood of Christ. The blood is a uniting blood; once applied, it gives us peace in Christ; it unites us with Him, as one body.


“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Col. 1:20)

The blood is a reconciling blood, Eph. 2:14, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”
Thus we are reconciled to Him who we were once at enmity against; this too is through the blood of Christ. What value! What joy we receive in Him because of the blood.


“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14)

By the blood of Christ, our conscience is clear--we have no more sorrow for sins past. We have no worry over our dead works, but have been re-born to present good works unto the Lord. (Eph. 2:10). Our conscience’s are clean because of the blood of Christ; it purges us through and through.


“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,” (Heb 10:19)

His blood emboldens us! By the blood of Christ, we have access to the Father, and are allowed to approach the throne of grace without fear “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may OBtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16) It is important to us that we OBtain an interview with the Father, and it is made available to us through the blood.


“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Finally, the blood cleanses us from ALL sin, past, present, and future. Such power in this blood! What a precious commodity it is for us. To think, we now go through life without sin! Glory Be! As far as God is concerned, our sin is gone, and we are sinless before Him because of Christ’s blood, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9) but wait! Christ will sit on the Bema seat and we will be judged for our works, even those which promoted sin.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Lev. 17:11)


Atonement:
All of these blessings are wrapped in one word “At-one-ment” wherein we become one with Christ.


Some say that there was not much blood shed at Calvary, but what they fail to see is that it is not the quantity, but the quality of the blood that counts! One drop of pure, untainted blood from the veins of our Savior is sufficient to wipe away all sin--forever! What glorious power there is in the blood of Christ!

All blood, whether oriental, Caucasian, Arabian, or Latino, looks the same, and all is the life of the flesh, (Lev. 17:11, 14). So it is with the blood of Christ, it is the same for all men, and provides eternal life for all flesh.

This is my first attempt at writing a Wednesday night devotional, I was told it was pretty good. Let me know what you think.






The Bible Should Be Read and Studied



As time permits I would like to share 3 things about the bible that God has laid on my heart. 1st that we should study the bible, 2nd that the bible is the infallible word of God, and 3rd that God gives a stern warning to those that mess with his word.

Now take your bible and turn with me to 2 Timothy 2:15;
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
God commands the believer to study the scripture.
AStudy to shew thyself approved unto God@ is a command. You can find this command throughout the bible, but I have selected the 119th psalm to show another verse that commands you to study the bible.Turn with me to Psalm 119 1-11
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. 4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. 7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. 8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
This is just a glimpse of the various ways this psalm talks of keeping this command, so now that we have established this to be a command, lets talk about the bible. As you study the bible you will discover that it does not just contain the Word of God, but it is the Word of God.
Look with me at Psalm 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

And then at Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

So keep that in mind as you study.

The bible contains the words of God, as well as the words of Satan, Demons, Angels, and Man.



Turn with me to Matthew 4:1-11


1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Here we have Satan speaking with Jesus trying to tempt him. Next we will see a demon speaking to Jesus in the Gospel of Luke chapter 8:28-31
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

Angels have been visiting man throughout the bible I have listed one of many accounts in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1:20-21
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Throughout the bible you read words of good and bad men. God is truth and cannot lie, we are told in the Gospel of John chapter 8 verses 44 that Satan is a liar and the father of it. Man is natural and is therefore limited and does not always speak the truth. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 22:15-46
15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.


23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of JacOB? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
In this portion of the scripture we have the words of Jesus, of the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees. The Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees were trying to entangle Jesus in his teachings, that they might accuse him of breaking God=s law. Their words were spoken with evil intent, revealing the thinking of the natural man, along with the words of God that came from the lips of Jesus. As you study the bible ask yourself who is speaking, who is he speaking to ( Isreal, gentiles, church, men in general, or the individual), and then how can I apply this to my life to make me a better Christian.

Now I have shown you that it is a command to study the bible and one way to study it, but is the bible the word of God?
Turn with me to 2 Tim 3:16 it says 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

AAll scripture is given by inspiration of God@. By inspiration we mean that the Holy Spirit exerted his supernatural influence upon the writers of the bible. Therefore the scriptures are God inspired word for word. The writers did not write by natural inspiration, or act of the human will. 2 Peter 1:21 says
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.



David said this in 2 Sam 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

So we see that the author of the bible is the Holy Spirit, man was the instrument, and the results are the infallible word of god. Therefore the bible is free from error and absolutely trustworthy Psalms 119:89 says Forever, O Lord thy word us settled in Heaven.
Matthew 25:35 says Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Now we see that we should study the bible and that it is the word of God, but we should also remember that God has also given a strong warning concerning his words. Satan has been busy through the centuries trying to keep the word of God from Christians. In today=s time we have to be on guard from all the different translations, many of which are taking things out of the bible such as the blood, the deity of Christ, the virgin birth and the list goes on and on. In the revised standard version
Isaiah 7:14 says therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The King James Version says this
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

You see they have taken virgin out and put in a young woman, this is a very different thing, because if not for the virgin birth Jesus would have been tainted by the sinful bloodline of man. I could list a lot more from other new age versions, but I will not at this time. Now lets see what God says about these new age bibles.

Turn with me to Revelations 22:18-19
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

That=s strong words from a Holy God!

Brothers and Sisters

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are Holy its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to sustain you, and comfort to cheer your weary heart.
It is the traveler=s road map, the pilgrims staff, the soldiers sword, and the Christians charter.


Christ is its subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its ultimate end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.

We should read it daily.

In closing remember to study to shew thyself approved. the bible says in 2 Tim 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

A CALL TO PRAYER




Joel 2:12-19




Joash,Jehoiada, Revival. Jehoiada dies. Joash allows idols. War. Locust. God’s wrath. Joel the prophet calls nation torepentance. We, too, are living in anemergency hour.

I. There is a Weakening of theConsciousness of Sin

a. In our personal lives.

b. In our homes.

c. In society.

d. In business.

e. In politics.

f. In the Church

II. Many Church Members Manifest aTerrible Indifference to the Claims of Jesus Christ and His Cause

a. We take all He has to give us, butgive little or nothing in return.

b. We claim the blood regeneration andact as though we had never even heard of the blood.

III. There is a Lowering of MoralStandards

a. The Church is conforming to theworld. Lax standards of morality – ofmarriage vows. Filthy movies, music,literature, video games, etc.

b. The Ten Commandments have not beenrepealed. The Sermon on the Mount isstill the law of the King.

IV. There is a Blighting lack of Passionand Compassion for Lost Souls

a. No weeping mothers, no burdenedfathers, no praying deacons or elders, no agonizing Sunday school teachers, noanxious church members, no all night prayer meetings.

b. No intense driving, longingcompulsion to see souls saved. It is outof style to weep, and shout in the church.

V. Sinners are Coldly Indifferent toTheir Desperate Condition

a. The Gospel has become a mockery, abyword, because of us.

b. Our lack of compassion fails to warnsinners.

VI. Here is God’s Appeal to Us(Vs.15-19): A Call to Prayer

a. It is a universal call – topreachers, to deacons and elders, to men, to women, to children, to babes inarms.

b. It is a call to repentance.

c. It is a call to confession (Ps. 32:1-3).

d. It is a call to dedication: “Sanctify the congregation.”

e. It is a call to prayer.

f. It is universal.

g. Supplication and intercession areinvolved.

VII. Promised Results

a. A return of the Lord.

b. Overcoming OBstacles.

c. Showering of blessings.

d. Visitation of the Holy Spirit.



Adapted fromHyman Appleman, Preached By Pastor Jim Nicholson 1/30/2011