The argument could be made that the song ‘Amazing Grace’ is the most well known song of this age. It is likely the most loved hymn in the recorded history of Christians. Everyone knows the history of the song. It was written by a man with a dreadful past. While some may struggle with admitting the sins in their own life, this man was a sinner of the most evil sort. You see, he worked in the slave trade.
Whatever the origin of the song, it tells a most amazing story.
Verse one tell us salvation received. (Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.)
Verse two tells us that it was the grace of God that led him to understand he was separated from God by his sins; but was reconciled to God through God’s grace. (Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.)
Verse three tells how he gave God the credit for bringing him through deadly perils, and trusted God to take him through whatever happened the rest of his life. (Through many dangers toils and snares I have already come. Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.)
Verse four tells of how he believed the words of the Bible, and trusted God to do all that He promised. (The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope assures. He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.)
Verse five tells of faith that God will take those who die in Him to heaven. (Yeah, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease, I shall possess within the veil, a life of joy and peace.)
Verse six tells of eternity with Jesus. (When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.)
There is some controversy regarding whether all verses were actually written by John Newton, or added or revised at a later date. Regardless, the song tells the story of the salvation of a lost man, his progress through life, and his future when he died.
And, the song connects with Christian believers because the story of every individual believer is the same.
They come to understand that they are separated from God by their sins.
They are afraid, but God’s grace relieves them of fear of hell through salvation in Jesus Christ.
They know the Lord gives good things to His children.
They face trials and tribulations throughout their lives, but Jesus is with them through it all. They know that when their flesh and heart shall fail, or when they die, they will go to the better life of joy and peace.
They know that life is eternal, and will never end.
There is no doubt that the salvation offered by Jesus Christ is amazing.
God’s children trust Him to save them, be with them through this life, take them to heaven when they die, and provide an eternal home for them in a place of righteousness called heaven.
Now isn’t that amazing? I mean really amazing.
Which takes us to the next amazing item. It is simply amazing unbelief.
Let’s face it. Christians in general are firm in their belief that God will do all He has promised to them when they die. There may be a lot of nervousness regarding what rewards may or may not be received, but the promise of salvation is firmly believed.
Another marvelous thing about the amazing grace of God is that His love is unconditional. We don’t earn it, and we get to keep it eternally. A Christian may fall into terrible sin, but God’s love never wavers. God is not pleased with us when we sin, but His love is always the same. Good parents are the same. They love their child consistently, but they may hate some of the things their child does.
So, isn’t it amazing that Christians can trust God with their souls, but not with provisions and care for their daily needs? The most amazing thing in all time, creation, and eternity is the amazing grace of God Almighty. Probably the second most amazing thing in all time, creation and eternity is the amazing unbelief of people in general and of Christians specifically. Why do Christians trust God with something as big and important as our eternal destination, but have trouble trusting Him with the problems and trials that we face?
Amazing unbelief is caused, at least in part, by an incorrect image of God. It is easy to see Him working outside time and space because we don’t have any visual contact with where God lives. We do have the things of this earth staring us in the face all the time. Fighting amazing unbelief requires that we go beyond the concept of ‘Jesus loves me and will never leave me’. That is absolutely true. However, it does not end there. God is powerful. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all creation. Christians need to keep that in mind as well. God not only goes with us through trials, He has the power to change circumstances, give strength, and surprise us with unbelievable deliverance. Does anyone think the children of Israel thought God was going to part the Red Sea and let them walk through on dry land? If you don’t see a way out of a difficult or impossible situation, don’t tax your brain trying to figure out how God is going to resolve it. Just trust God to come up with a way out or a way through.
But, you may be asking, where does one get that kind of faith? The Christian who puts God’s words in his or her heart is going to have a better understanding of who God is and how He operates. The better picture you have of God, the more you will be able to trust Him. You may not know how, when, where, or what God is going to do, but you trust Him to do the right thing at the right time. Faith and trust in God are not based on thin air or psyching one’s self up to ‘believe’. It is based on the character and trustworthiness of God. It is based on what God has already done. It is based on what He has done that is recorded in the Bible, which is absolutely true without error. It can also be based on what God has done in the past for believers. And, it can be based on what God has done for you specifically. Obviously, if you are a Christian, God has saved you and guaranteed you a place in heaven with Him. However, the longer you are a Christian, the more things you will have to remember that God has done specifically for you.
It is pretty simple that the more you know about God the easier it is to believe Him during your daily life and during trials or sudden peril in your life. Set the focus of your life to know God and His glory better every single day.
We, as children of God, are important to Him! He will not ignore us. He is not required to answer our prayers on our time frame, or in a manner specifically dictated by us. However, He will not ignore us. He will help us!
When we go to God in prayer, we are going to our refuge, a very present help in trouble!
‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;’ Psalm 46:1-2
Our God does not dwell in an intangible abstract place in the mind or imagined corner of the universe. He dwells right here with us, and especially when we are in trouble.
You may be asking yourself, ‘As God is a real help, what can we expect from God? What will He do for me in my situation?’ You are looking for a resolution to a difficult situation, and you want to know what God is going to do and how He is going to do it. Well, the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of the situation may be as great a surprise as when God parted the Red Sea so the children of Israel could walk to the other side without getting their feet wet.
We do know that God will provide you with a refuge. He will comfort you with the Bible truths you already know, and He will lead you to learn more of what He has to say in the Bible. I find that when I am personally going through something difficult, I will jump into reading the Bible, and God will distract me from my problem by just leading me through scriptures that have nothing specific to do with my problem. The Bible is filled with interesting things. I am amazed at how I can get so caught up in a story from the Bible that I am able to forget my problem for the moment. I usually find some application to the current dilemma in the end. But, as I was reading and studying, my mind was not on my problem.
In some cases, there may be a physical refuge that is also provided. Elijah took refuge in a cave, and God even fed him while he was there.
We do know that God’s strength will be with you. That’s a relief! I sure don’t have the strength to face a trial on my own!
We do know that God will help you! He is a very present help in trouble.
Even knowing these things, there is a danger that the weight of the trial will cause us to grow weary and faint. ‘Amazing Unbelief’, like a character from ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’, is always staring us in the face, nipping at our heels, staring back at us from the mirror, and in every way imaginable, trying to distract us and cause us to despair and faint. This evil character can be defeated by following the instruction to always pray and not to faint. (Luke 18:1) Actually, that verse gives us two options. We can pray; and by always praying we can avoid fainting. OR, we can skip praying and spend our time fainting, doubting, being fearful and altogether miserable and double minded.
To ‘always pray’ means there is a way of praying as we go through our daily tasks. While we physically do what is required our minds tend to stray from our tasks. We will find ourselves fretting and worrying. When we are ‘always praying’ we reject worry and continually turn to thanking God for His goodness and restating our request for help.
Amazing Unbelief can be defeated by doing the things Christ says to do. Jesus said. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ Matthew 11:28-30 …
Amazing Unbelief weighs down the soul with burdens and worry. If you would exchange the burdens and work of worry and unbelief for rest for your soul and a burden that is light, take up the yoke of learning about Jesus. You will find yourself pulling or carrying a much lighter load.
Although this article began with the song ‘Amazing Grace’, I am going to end it with ‘Come Unto Me’. The song reminds that part of the amazing grace of God is that we can exchange the heavy burdens of this world for the easy yoke and light burden offered by Jesus. Jesus saves those who come to Him, which removes the eternal burden of hell. Then he offers us a light burden and easy yoke as we go through life. Don’t fail to take Him up on His offer. Don’t let ‘Amazing Unbelief’ torment you.
Come Unto Me
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/comeunto.htm
Hear the blessèd Savior calling the oppressed,
“O ye heavy laden, come to Me and rest.
Come, no longer tarry, I your load will bear,
Bring Me every burden, bring Me every care.”
Refrain
Come unto Me, I will give you rest;
Take My yoke upon you, hear Me and be blessed.
I am meek and lowly, come and trust My might.
Come, My yoke is easy, and My burden’s light.
Are you disappointed, wandering here and there,
Dragging chains of doubt and loaded down with care?
Do unholy feelings struggle in your breast?
Bring your case to Jesus—He will give you rest.
Refrain
Stumbling on the mountains dark with sin and shame,
Stumbling toward the pit of hell’s consuming flame.
By the powers of sin deluded and oppressed,
Hear the tender Shepherd, “Come to Me and rest.”
Refrain
Have you by temptation often conquered been,
Has a sense of weakness brought distress within?
Christ will sanctify you, if you’ll claim His best.
In the Holy Spirit, He will give you rest.
Refrain
http://ourhomeschoolideas.com
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
What do we Owe God Considering all that He has Done for Us?
How Interesting!
by Barbara Henderson
In the days of Ezra the scribe, there were those who did not want to see either Ezra or the people he led to prosper. In fact, they wanted him to fail. (As you probably already know Ezra had led a band of Jews to return to Jerusalem and live in the land of their ancestors. This was with the king’s permission.)
As Ezra attempted to accomplish what he had set out to do, those who wanted him to fail set out to stop him. They eventually wrote a letter to the king explaining what was going on with the Jews rebuilding and what they thought would happen if the Jews did actually rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and settle in to live there. Of course the concern of the writers was for the king instead of themselves. They really weren’t even thinking of themselves at all. They were just thinking of the good of the kingdom. Here is verse taken from the letter they sent to the king.
‘Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonor therefore have we sent and certified the king.’ (Ezra 4:14)
My thoughts about that verse have always been ‘sneaky dishonest self-serving politicians of that day are just like the ones we have today!’ However, I recently read a sermon by Spurgeon that looked at it differently. I am sure he saw the politicians about like I see them, but he had a different take on the application of the verse. Spurgeon said that believers:
Receive our maintenance from our King – God!
As receiving our lives and the things with which our lives are maintained from the King, we owe Him everything.
And, it is not right that we would allow our King to be dishonored!
So, we should take the things that dishonor our King directly to Him in prayer.
Of course taking the things that dishonor God to Him prayer is a wonderful solution. What Christian cannot sincerely pray for new converts or the safety of the unborn? Or, for the working family to be able to keep the things for which they have labored. It is a good thing to pray for our leaders to turn to God, or for politicians to be elected who love our God in the first place. It is a good thing to pray something like, ‘let evil policies come to nothing.’ Or ‘Build up the family and the church.’
It is harder to pray, ‘Forgive me for the sin in my life. Don’t let me dishonor You, my God, by my actions.’ I wonder if we as Christians are somewhat distracted by the evils we see around us to the point that we don’t see the sins in our own lives.
Proverbs 16:7 says, ‘When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’
Now don’t you find that very interesting? Doesn’t it make you wonder, ‘What if the individual Christian set out daily to please God with what he or she does that day?’ No one can make others set out to please God by their actions, but we can set out to please God with our own actions. We can seek to please Him by the thoughts in our hearts as well as the things we do throughout the day.
Just suppose for an instant that all true believers, starting with you and me, followed the instructions in Ephesians 5:30-32. ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’
What can we do for Christ’s sake, considering all that He has done for our sake? It would be pretty interesting to see what big changes would occur in our own lives if each of us set out to live our lives for Christ’s sake. We do many things for the sake of those we love. We work and sacrifice in order to do right by those who depend on us, and to make life better for them. We set aside our own desires in order to do more than our duty to those we love and whose care is our responsibility. Shouldn’t we at least do the same for Christ’s sake?
What interesting changes would come into our lives and those around us if we were begin forgiving as we have been forgiven. I personally find that forgiveness is first a decision and then a progressive action. If we don’t decide to forgive then we wind up with bitterness. As usual with the things Christ requires of us, forgiveness is far more for our own benefit than the benefit of the one being forgiven.
Here is another interesting item to consider. According to biblegateway.com the word ‘thanksgiving’ is used 27 times in the King James Version of the Bible. You should look them up and read all of them. Of course the verse that is probably best known to most of us is Philippians 4:6 which says, ‘Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’
If each of us began to follow this pattern in prayer, it would be very interesting to see the increase in answered prayers. What if we took the time we spend being anxious (filled with care and worry) and spent that same time giving thanks to God for the good things He has already given to us? In thanking Him for His wonderful goodness to the children of men, we are reminded that God gives good things to His children. This encourages us to present our requests knowing that God has answered prayers in the past. We have a written record telling us how God saved the Children of Israel from the Egyptians and continued to save them from the perils they encountered in the wilderness. His mercies fail not. Our God will not forsake us! Furthermore, we have written instruction to ‘boldly approach the throne of grace’! (Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.)
‘May you live in interesting times’ is a phrase commonly quoted as a Chinese curse. However, if the ‘interesting times’ were due to your personal decision to follow the instructions in Psalm 34:8 which says, ‘O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’, then any curse this world has would be turned to blessings.
The third chapter of Colossians is a very interesting chapter in the Bible. It speaks of ‘putting off’ the evil things of life before salvation, and putting on the better things of life as a Christian. I will give you a few verses here, but you should read the entire chapter. ‘ But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath malice, blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:’. Take a few minutes to see if you have truly put off the old things of your life before Christ and put on the new and better things of Christ.
Honestly, ‘interesting times’ are coming. The economy is in turmoil. Governments around the globe are scrambling to just survive. We really don’t have much input in how world affairs are being handled. Too much time spent considering the possible scenarios of the current political and economic situations can lead to anxiety, worry, and fear. It is better to do what you are able to prepare for an uncertain future, and then set your interests on doing the things that please Christ. So much is out of your control. Why not concentrate on something that is within your control? Concentrate on pleasing Christ, and see just how interesting your life will be.
By the way, something I find especially interesting is this. Are there problems in your family that you would like to see resolved? Is there a family member or close friend you are separated from by some evil action on his or her part? Do you want to make peace with them, but simply cannot? Read proverbs 16:7 again. ‘When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’ If God will make even your enemies to be at peace with you, don’t you think He will make those you love to be at peace with you as well? I just love that verse.
The song that seems to fit this article is ‘Jesus Paid it All’.
Jesus paid it all – all to Him I owe! Spurgeon was right. Our maintenance comes from God, and we owe Him everything.
Jesus Paid it All
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/p/jpaidall.htm
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Refrain
And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
Refrain
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Refrain
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
Refrain
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Barbara@askbh.com
http://ourhomeschoolideas.com
http://chirpyscats.com
by Barbara Henderson
In the days of Ezra the scribe, there were those who did not want to see either Ezra or the people he led to prosper. In fact, they wanted him to fail. (As you probably already know Ezra had led a band of Jews to return to Jerusalem and live in the land of their ancestors. This was with the king’s permission.)
As Ezra attempted to accomplish what he had set out to do, those who wanted him to fail set out to stop him. They eventually wrote a letter to the king explaining what was going on with the Jews rebuilding and what they thought would happen if the Jews did actually rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and settle in to live there. Of course the concern of the writers was for the king instead of themselves. They really weren’t even thinking of themselves at all. They were just thinking of the good of the kingdom. Here is verse taken from the letter they sent to the king.
‘Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonor therefore have we sent and certified the king.’ (Ezra 4:14)
My thoughts about that verse have always been ‘sneaky dishonest self-serving politicians of that day are just like the ones we have today!’ However, I recently read a sermon by Spurgeon that looked at it differently. I am sure he saw the politicians about like I see them, but he had a different take on the application of the verse. Spurgeon said that believers:
Receive our maintenance from our King – God!
As receiving our lives and the things with which our lives are maintained from the King, we owe Him everything.
And, it is not right that we would allow our King to be dishonored!
So, we should take the things that dishonor our King directly to Him in prayer.
Of course taking the things that dishonor God to Him prayer is a wonderful solution. What Christian cannot sincerely pray for new converts or the safety of the unborn? Or, for the working family to be able to keep the things for which they have labored. It is a good thing to pray for our leaders to turn to God, or for politicians to be elected who love our God in the first place. It is a good thing to pray something like, ‘let evil policies come to nothing.’ Or ‘Build up the family and the church.’
It is harder to pray, ‘Forgive me for the sin in my life. Don’t let me dishonor You, my God, by my actions.’ I wonder if we as Christians are somewhat distracted by the evils we see around us to the point that we don’t see the sins in our own lives.
Proverbs 16:7 says, ‘When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’
Now don’t you find that very interesting? Doesn’t it make you wonder, ‘What if the individual Christian set out daily to please God with what he or she does that day?’ No one can make others set out to please God by their actions, but we can set out to please God with our own actions. We can seek to please Him by the thoughts in our hearts as well as the things we do throughout the day.
Just suppose for an instant that all true believers, starting with you and me, followed the instructions in Ephesians 5:30-32. ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’
What can we do for Christ’s sake, considering all that He has done for our sake? It would be pretty interesting to see what big changes would occur in our own lives if each of us set out to live our lives for Christ’s sake. We do many things for the sake of those we love. We work and sacrifice in order to do right by those who depend on us, and to make life better for them. We set aside our own desires in order to do more than our duty to those we love and whose care is our responsibility. Shouldn’t we at least do the same for Christ’s sake?
What interesting changes would come into our lives and those around us if we were begin forgiving as we have been forgiven. I personally find that forgiveness is first a decision and then a progressive action. If we don’t decide to forgive then we wind up with bitterness. As usual with the things Christ requires of us, forgiveness is far more for our own benefit than the benefit of the one being forgiven.
Here is another interesting item to consider. According to biblegateway.com the word ‘thanksgiving’ is used 27 times in the King James Version of the Bible. You should look them up and read all of them. Of course the verse that is probably best known to most of us is Philippians 4:6 which says, ‘Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’
If each of us began to follow this pattern in prayer, it would be very interesting to see the increase in answered prayers. What if we took the time we spend being anxious (filled with care and worry) and spent that same time giving thanks to God for the good things He has already given to us? In thanking Him for His wonderful goodness to the children of men, we are reminded that God gives good things to His children. This encourages us to present our requests knowing that God has answered prayers in the past. We have a written record telling us how God saved the Children of Israel from the Egyptians and continued to save them from the perils they encountered in the wilderness. His mercies fail not. Our God will not forsake us! Furthermore, we have written instruction to ‘boldly approach the throne of grace’! (Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.)
‘May you live in interesting times’ is a phrase commonly quoted as a Chinese curse. However, if the ‘interesting times’ were due to your personal decision to follow the instructions in Psalm 34:8 which says, ‘O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’, then any curse this world has would be turned to blessings.
The third chapter of Colossians is a very interesting chapter in the Bible. It speaks of ‘putting off’ the evil things of life before salvation, and putting on the better things of life as a Christian. I will give you a few verses here, but you should read the entire chapter. ‘ But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath malice, blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:’. Take a few minutes to see if you have truly put off the old things of your life before Christ and put on the new and better things of Christ.
Honestly, ‘interesting times’ are coming. The economy is in turmoil. Governments around the globe are scrambling to just survive. We really don’t have much input in how world affairs are being handled. Too much time spent considering the possible scenarios of the current political and economic situations can lead to anxiety, worry, and fear. It is better to do what you are able to prepare for an uncertain future, and then set your interests on doing the things that please Christ. So much is out of your control. Why not concentrate on something that is within your control? Concentrate on pleasing Christ, and see just how interesting your life will be.
By the way, something I find especially interesting is this. Are there problems in your family that you would like to see resolved? Is there a family member or close friend you are separated from by some evil action on his or her part? Do you want to make peace with them, but simply cannot? Read proverbs 16:7 again. ‘When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’ If God will make even your enemies to be at peace with you, don’t you think He will make those you love to be at peace with you as well? I just love that verse.
The song that seems to fit this article is ‘Jesus Paid it All’.
Jesus paid it all – all to Him I owe! Spurgeon was right. Our maintenance comes from God, and we owe Him everything.
Jesus Paid it All
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/p/jpaidall.htm
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Refrain
And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
Refrain
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Refrain
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
Refrain
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Barbara@askbh.com
http://ourhomeschoolideas.com
http://chirpyscats.com
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
You Cannot Compromise Your core Values
No Compromise
by Barbara Henderson
Today in America there is renewed talk of ‘bipartisanship’ in the halls of government. Control of the US House of Representatives was won by the conservatives by a remarkably large turnover. The senate was very nearly lost by the liberals as well. Prior to this election, the liberal Democrats controlled both the house and senate, and they pushed through evil legislation that caused America to basically vomit out many of the elected liberals. The current president actually called conservatives ‘enemies’, and said that if conservatives wanted to get on board with his liberal agenda they would be allowed on board, but they would have to sit at the back of the bus. He clearly sees conservatives as a bunch of ignoramuses unworthy of being given serious consideration. Now the tide has turned to a large degree. So, the liberals now are considering bipartisanship as a way to go forward with their agenda. You see, right and wrong have nothing in common. There is no middle ground. Liberals know that any compromise on the part of conservatives is a win for them.
So, what I would like to see congress do is absolutely deadlock any legislation proposed by the liberals and make repealing greedy intrusive legislation that has already been passed a priority. There is no room for compromise. To compromise is to lose.
HOWEVER:
Even more important than anything done in the United States Government, or any other government for that matter, is for Christians to clearly define the areas in which there can be no compromise. Then Christians who take their faith seriously must set their hearts and minds on never compromising these principles.
Now, I am sure that most of our readers already know these things, but we will go over them just as a refresher and in case there are some new Christians who have not clearly defined things yet.
First there are what is commonly called the Fundamentals of the Faith. Christians must understand these fundamentals, and understand their importance. When doing a search on the fundamentals of the Christian faith, you will find that wording varies and the number of fundamentals may vary, but the crux of the matter is the same.
Inerrancy of scripture – the Bible is without error. When placing one’s eternal destination on the line, it is important to know that you can rely on the source of your information. The source is God Almighty. God, who spoke the world into place and made man out of dirt certainly can have his Word recorded in a book exactly as He wants it recorded.
Pre-existence of Christ – Deity of Christ - He is of the Trinity.
Virgin Birth – Jesus was born of a virgin. Why do people wonder about that? God made the first man and woman without a father or mother.
Death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ has power over death.
Blood atonement – without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin
Another way, or additional way, of explaining fundamental Christianity is to say that it is:
Without Error – that means from the first word to the last word there are no mistakes. It is truth. There are many people who claim to accept the Bible as true, but then they turn around and begin to twist scripture, or allegorize it, or give it a meaning that is more acceptable in the society of the moment. Genesis 1:1 is true. From that point forward, you cannot escape that God has the power and authority to make and sustain the world. He is also the ultimate judge. Attempting to de-throne God Almighty is futile, so people imagine other ways ‘it might have happened’. Then, they believe their imaginations. Then they offer their imaginations to others as truth. Then, more people like that option better than the option offered by God. Thus, they can live in their imperfection, and still be acceptable for a candidate into a perfect heaven. A prime example of this is the Darwinian theory of evolution. Darwin, like many others, would rather have followed a cunningly devised fable than to do what was required to make peace with God. It is very simple. God made everything. God owns it. He gets to say who lives where. He lives in a perfect place. Imperfect beings are not fit to live in God’s home. It would no longer be perfect if even one speck of tainted matter entered into it – much less an entire imperfect human being. To be fit for the heaven of God Almighty, the individual must be made perfect. That is only done through Jesus Christ. Replacing God with manmade theology does not replace the truth. Those adoring creation instead of the Creator will still face the judgment. They will still be judged by the Creator. Neither creation nor any other man made philosophy will be able to keep its followers from the final judgment when God Almighty will sit as the judge. Only those who have Jesus Christ as their advocate will be allowed to enter heaven.
Sufficient – it tells us all we need to know to understand the way to God the Father. There is no need for additional revelation. The Bible is not set up to satisfy our curiosity. It is set up to give us the way to make peace with God, and give instructions on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. Things about which we are curious may be revealed when we reach heaven. I think they will be, but regardless, we will still have sufficient information available to live and enjoy
Relevant – the Bible has the words of life. The Bible is the book by which any person born in any era should live. People want to act as though the Bible is no longer relevant in today’s modern world. But in truth, the Bible is relevant and where applied, has a dramatic effect on the population of creation.
These are things on which there can be no compromise. But now what? It is one thing to understand the importance of these tenants of the faith intellectually, but it is another thing entirely to live as though you actually believe them. Do not trade the truth for a lie set up by intentional deceivers, or self deceivers.
If you accept Genesis 1:1, why would you have any problem with the entire rest of the book? Do not be one of those people who claims to accept the Bible as God’s word, but throws out any part of it in an attempt to stay in synchronization with the current wisdom of the day. I am sure you know someone who says they believe the Bible, but they also believe that theistic evolution is actually what happened. Or they believe the Bible, but not that Jesus died and rose again. Or they believe the Bible, but homosexuality is an acceptable life style. God made it all just like the Bible says. He has control over it all, just like the Bible says.
And, there are people who believe the earth was created by God, but that we have to sustain it ourselves through conservation and lifestyle changes.
And there are other people who claim to believe the Bible, but not the part that says it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment. After all, they reason, a merciful God wouldn’t really send anyone to hell.
And there are other people who claim to believe the Bible, but they add things to it. For instance, they know it says we are saved by grace through faith, but they can’t get past the prideful idea that they have to add personal works to the work of Christ on Calvary.
Honestly, it is time for those who really are Christians to truly give God the glory. The way we do that (at least in part) is to worship Him in how we live our lives. We should act as though we believe God. If God says something happened in a certain way, then true believers don’t try to adjust what God said to suit what current wisdom/folly says happened.
If God says to do something a certain way, then that is the way Christians should do it!
If God says not to do something in certain way, or at all, then we should take obeying our God seriously.
I think it boils down to this.
If God IS God – then follow Him!
If the gods of this world are god – then follow them!
It is time for the individual Christian to make up his/her mind.
If you are having trouble determining if some particular teaching is of this world or of God, then remember the rule of thumbs Evangelist Evan New used to use. He said, ‘If it’s doubtful, then it’s dirty.’ And that is really the truth. You can take the time to trace the origins of yoga, spiritualism, mindless meditation (not meditation on the scripture), materialism, witchcraft, manipulation of god/God through rituals (the health wealth gospel) and so on. But, if you don’t have the time or the inclination to do that, just toss it out with the trash. The more you know about God, the more you are able to spot false teaching from the first time you hear it.
So, remember the fundamentals of the faith.
Include in that these three – inerrant – sufficient – relevant.
These things are the launching pad for your Christian growth. You can’t step outside these boundaries and stay within the teachings of the Bible.
No compromise on Biblical accuracy and authority is the right way for Christians.
Of course these things are not the sum of Christianity, or Baptist teaching, or the teachings of any other traditional Christian organization or denomination. They are just the frame work on which other doctrines stand. Understanding the foundations of the faith is the starting point for anyone seeking to know and interpret rightly the doctrine of the Bible.
And, by the way, I do know that ‘inerrancy of scripture’ is the starting point for both the lists I gave you. It is just THE starting point for all Bible study. Some would probably debate me on this, but I think Genesis 1:1 is the key verse. It gives God the power and authority to manage creation and its inhabitants the way He does it. I think that first verse is the verse that gives credibility to the rest of the Bible. It gives us the power and authority backing up John 3:16.
The Bible tells us that God created the world and everything in it perfect in the beginning.
It tells us that man sinned, fell from grace, became imperfect.
It tells us that ‘un-regenerated’ man is separated from God by sin. (That means ‘you ain’t perfect’. In fact, nobody is perfect.)
Then it gives us John 3:16. But until someone understands they are separated from God by their sin, they don’t understand the need to be reconciled to God.
We cannot fulfill the ‘Great Commission’ if we don’t even know what the gospel that we are attempting to take to unbelievers actually contains.
There is a song titled, ‘Win the Lost at Any Cost’. The first cost to the individual Christian is to study and know what the Bible says. This is of course an ongoing leaning process. You don’t have to complete a Bible theology degree to be able to effectively tell others the way of salvation. You do need to work at knowing enough to be able to tell the truth and answer questions.
Here is a youtube link to ‘Win the Lost at Any Cost’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv8IWtydbCg
There is a line that says ‘Souls are crying – men are dying’…. It is important that we get busy today.
Barbara
by Barbara Henderson
Today in America there is renewed talk of ‘bipartisanship’ in the halls of government. Control of the US House of Representatives was won by the conservatives by a remarkably large turnover. The senate was very nearly lost by the liberals as well. Prior to this election, the liberal Democrats controlled both the house and senate, and they pushed through evil legislation that caused America to basically vomit out many of the elected liberals. The current president actually called conservatives ‘enemies’, and said that if conservatives wanted to get on board with his liberal agenda they would be allowed on board, but they would have to sit at the back of the bus. He clearly sees conservatives as a bunch of ignoramuses unworthy of being given serious consideration. Now the tide has turned to a large degree. So, the liberals now are considering bipartisanship as a way to go forward with their agenda. You see, right and wrong have nothing in common. There is no middle ground. Liberals know that any compromise on the part of conservatives is a win for them.
So, what I would like to see congress do is absolutely deadlock any legislation proposed by the liberals and make repealing greedy intrusive legislation that has already been passed a priority. There is no room for compromise. To compromise is to lose.
HOWEVER:
Even more important than anything done in the United States Government, or any other government for that matter, is for Christians to clearly define the areas in which there can be no compromise. Then Christians who take their faith seriously must set their hearts and minds on never compromising these principles.
Now, I am sure that most of our readers already know these things, but we will go over them just as a refresher and in case there are some new Christians who have not clearly defined things yet.
First there are what is commonly called the Fundamentals of the Faith. Christians must understand these fundamentals, and understand their importance. When doing a search on the fundamentals of the Christian faith, you will find that wording varies and the number of fundamentals may vary, but the crux of the matter is the same.
Inerrancy of scripture – the Bible is without error. When placing one’s eternal destination on the line, it is important to know that you can rely on the source of your information. The source is God Almighty. God, who spoke the world into place and made man out of dirt certainly can have his Word recorded in a book exactly as He wants it recorded.
Pre-existence of Christ – Deity of Christ - He is of the Trinity.
Virgin Birth – Jesus was born of a virgin. Why do people wonder about that? God made the first man and woman without a father or mother.
Death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ has power over death.
Blood atonement – without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin
Another way, or additional way, of explaining fundamental Christianity is to say that it is:
Without Error – that means from the first word to the last word there are no mistakes. It is truth. There are many people who claim to accept the Bible as true, but then they turn around and begin to twist scripture, or allegorize it, or give it a meaning that is more acceptable in the society of the moment. Genesis 1:1 is true. From that point forward, you cannot escape that God has the power and authority to make and sustain the world. He is also the ultimate judge. Attempting to de-throne God Almighty is futile, so people imagine other ways ‘it might have happened’. Then, they believe their imaginations. Then they offer their imaginations to others as truth. Then, more people like that option better than the option offered by God. Thus, they can live in their imperfection, and still be acceptable for a candidate into a perfect heaven. A prime example of this is the Darwinian theory of evolution. Darwin, like many others, would rather have followed a cunningly devised fable than to do what was required to make peace with God. It is very simple. God made everything. God owns it. He gets to say who lives where. He lives in a perfect place. Imperfect beings are not fit to live in God’s home. It would no longer be perfect if even one speck of tainted matter entered into it – much less an entire imperfect human being. To be fit for the heaven of God Almighty, the individual must be made perfect. That is only done through Jesus Christ. Replacing God with manmade theology does not replace the truth. Those adoring creation instead of the Creator will still face the judgment. They will still be judged by the Creator. Neither creation nor any other man made philosophy will be able to keep its followers from the final judgment when God Almighty will sit as the judge. Only those who have Jesus Christ as their advocate will be allowed to enter heaven.
Sufficient – it tells us all we need to know to understand the way to God the Father. There is no need for additional revelation. The Bible is not set up to satisfy our curiosity. It is set up to give us the way to make peace with God, and give instructions on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. Things about which we are curious may be revealed when we reach heaven. I think they will be, but regardless, we will still have sufficient information available to live and enjoy
Relevant – the Bible has the words of life. The Bible is the book by which any person born in any era should live. People want to act as though the Bible is no longer relevant in today’s modern world. But in truth, the Bible is relevant and where applied, has a dramatic effect on the population of creation.
These are things on which there can be no compromise. But now what? It is one thing to understand the importance of these tenants of the faith intellectually, but it is another thing entirely to live as though you actually believe them. Do not trade the truth for a lie set up by intentional deceivers, or self deceivers.
If you accept Genesis 1:1, why would you have any problem with the entire rest of the book? Do not be one of those people who claims to accept the Bible as God’s word, but throws out any part of it in an attempt to stay in synchronization with the current wisdom of the day. I am sure you know someone who says they believe the Bible, but they also believe that theistic evolution is actually what happened. Or they believe the Bible, but not that Jesus died and rose again. Or they believe the Bible, but homosexuality is an acceptable life style. God made it all just like the Bible says. He has control over it all, just like the Bible says.
And, there are people who believe the earth was created by God, but that we have to sustain it ourselves through conservation and lifestyle changes.
And there are other people who claim to believe the Bible, but not the part that says it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment. After all, they reason, a merciful God wouldn’t really send anyone to hell.
And there are other people who claim to believe the Bible, but they add things to it. For instance, they know it says we are saved by grace through faith, but they can’t get past the prideful idea that they have to add personal works to the work of Christ on Calvary.
Honestly, it is time for those who really are Christians to truly give God the glory. The way we do that (at least in part) is to worship Him in how we live our lives. We should act as though we believe God. If God says something happened in a certain way, then true believers don’t try to adjust what God said to suit what current wisdom/folly says happened.
If God says to do something a certain way, then that is the way Christians should do it!
If God says not to do something in certain way, or at all, then we should take obeying our God seriously.
I think it boils down to this.
If God IS God – then follow Him!
If the gods of this world are god – then follow them!
It is time for the individual Christian to make up his/her mind.
If you are having trouble determining if some particular teaching is of this world or of God, then remember the rule of thumbs Evangelist Evan New used to use. He said, ‘If it’s doubtful, then it’s dirty.’ And that is really the truth. You can take the time to trace the origins of yoga, spiritualism, mindless meditation (not meditation on the scripture), materialism, witchcraft, manipulation of god/God through rituals (the health wealth gospel) and so on. But, if you don’t have the time or the inclination to do that, just toss it out with the trash. The more you know about God, the more you are able to spot false teaching from the first time you hear it.
So, remember the fundamentals of the faith.
Include in that these three – inerrant – sufficient – relevant.
These things are the launching pad for your Christian growth. You can’t step outside these boundaries and stay within the teachings of the Bible.
No compromise on Biblical accuracy and authority is the right way for Christians.
Of course these things are not the sum of Christianity, or Baptist teaching, or the teachings of any other traditional Christian organization or denomination. They are just the frame work on which other doctrines stand. Understanding the foundations of the faith is the starting point for anyone seeking to know and interpret rightly the doctrine of the Bible.
And, by the way, I do know that ‘inerrancy of scripture’ is the starting point for both the lists I gave you. It is just THE starting point for all Bible study. Some would probably debate me on this, but I think Genesis 1:1 is the key verse. It gives God the power and authority to manage creation and its inhabitants the way He does it. I think that first verse is the verse that gives credibility to the rest of the Bible. It gives us the power and authority backing up John 3:16.
The Bible tells us that God created the world and everything in it perfect in the beginning.
It tells us that man sinned, fell from grace, became imperfect.
It tells us that ‘un-regenerated’ man is separated from God by sin. (That means ‘you ain’t perfect’. In fact, nobody is perfect.)
Then it gives us John 3:16. But until someone understands they are separated from God by their sin, they don’t understand the need to be reconciled to God.
We cannot fulfill the ‘Great Commission’ if we don’t even know what the gospel that we are attempting to take to unbelievers actually contains.
There is a song titled, ‘Win the Lost at Any Cost’. The first cost to the individual Christian is to study and know what the Bible says. This is of course an ongoing leaning process. You don’t have to complete a Bible theology degree to be able to effectively tell others the way of salvation. You do need to work at knowing enough to be able to tell the truth and answer questions.
Here is a youtube link to ‘Win the Lost at Any Cost’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv8IWtydbCg
There is a line that says ‘Souls are crying – men are dying’…. It is important that we get busy today.
Barbara
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