Apples of Gold (Proverbs 25:11)

A second peacemaking edition of Quote of the Week, which will henceforth be refered to as apples of Gold. Proverbs 25:11. Everyone wants peace, but few there be that find it. Here on this last day of the year, know there is no peace without Christ. You cannot make peace with God. You can HAVE peace with God through Christ. May the Lord bless.



“These easy-going, peace at any price people are often lacking in a sense of justice and righteousness; they do not stand where they should stand; they are flabby. They appear to be nice; but if the whole world were run on such principles and by such people it would be even worse than it is today. So I would add that your true peacemaker is not an “appeaser”, as we say today. You can postpone war by appeasement; but it generally means that you are doing something that is unjust and unrighteous in order to avoid war. The mere avoidance of war does not make peace; it does not solve the problem.” (Lloyd-Jones)


“The person who is not willing to disrupt and disturb in God’s name cannot be a peacemaker. To come to terms on anything less than God’s truth and righteousness is to settle for a true—which confirms sinners in their sin and may leave them even further from the kingdom. Those who in the name of Love or kindness of compassion try to witness by appeasement and compromise of God’s Word will find that their witness leads away from Him, not to Him. God’s peacemakers will not let a sleeping dog lie if it is opposed to God’s truth; they will not protect the status quo if it is ungodly and unrighteous. They are not willing to make peace at any price. God’; peace comes only in God’ way. Being a peace maker is essentially the result of a holy life and the call to others to embrace the gospel of holiness.” (MacArthur)



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Douglas Newell IV

Energy of a child

I am reading "Spiritual Depression" by D.M. Lloyd-Jones, which I am finding very helpful. He gave an example that I confess, I really had not thought about before. I'll paraphrase. He saw a young child bounding out of the house, jumping and skipping down the drive as children do, and there, followed Mother, walking out the door. He noted most would say that the child had more energy, but in fact, the mother does.

I confess, as the father of four young boys, I objected immediately. As I read the words, my boys were running through the house wrestling and fighting with their Nerf swords. But I thought about it, and perhaps he is right. My children are full speed ahead, throttle wide open from the time they wake up, until NAP TIME, then the same until their 8 pm bedtime. They cannot keep up the wide open pace. However, their mother and I work all day, while they nap and while they are asleep for the night. The have youthful enthusiasm for life, not more energy.

Think about it.

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Douglas Newell IV

What happens when you push the emergency button at the gas pump?

Dumb Woman Pushes Fire Button - Watch more Funny Videos


HT Phil Johnson

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Douglas Newell IV

Quote of the Week

Happy Monday,

Welcome to the puritan edition of the quote of the week.


"Evil Ministers are such as have no bowels to the souls of their people. They do not pity them or pray for them. They seek not them but theirs. They preach not for love but lucre. Their care is more for tithes than souls. How can they be called spiritual fathers, who are without bowels? These are mercenaries, not ministers." Thomas Watson, Beatitudes



"For a close, remember this, that your life is short, your duties many, your assistance great, and your reward sure, therefore faint not, hold on and hold up, in ways of well-doing, and Heaven shall make amend for all." Thomas Brooks Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices




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Douglas Newell IV

A Child of the King

My former pastor, Joe Wilson, who has since gone home, used to sing this song, and it brings back fond memories of Bro. Joe, my childhood and the Calvary Baptist Church, but most of all the truth of the song. God Bless.

A Child of the King

One day a prince was riding through the forest near the castle were he lived. In the distance he heard the sound of a wood-chopper, busily engaged in the task of chopping wood. Farther down he hear the sound of singing, he rode and listed to see if he could tell what was being sung. As he listened, this is what he heard.
My Father is rich in houses and lands, he holdeth the wealth of the world in his hands! Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

I’m a child of the King, a child of the King, with Jesus my Saviour, I’m a child of the King.

The prince rode on through the forest and came to the clearing where the wood-chopper was working. He stopped, dismounted and said to the wood-chopper "I do no see how you can claim to be the child of a king. To be a child of the King you must be born into the family of the King, such as myself. You, well you are the son of a poor wood-chopper, just like yourself. How then can you claim to be the child of the King" To this, the wood-chopper made the following reply.
I once was an outcast stranger on Earth, A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth; But I’ve been adopted my name’s written down, An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.

I’m a child of the King, a child of the King, with Jesus my Saviour, I’m a child of the King.

The prince the said to the wood-chopper "I still do not see how you can claim to be the child of the King. Children of Kings live in palaces, like in the one such as I live, and you live in a little cottage in a clearing in the woods. With a wood-chopper for a father, a cottage for a home, How can you pretend to be a child of the King?" To this , the wood-chopper made the following reply.
A tent or a cottage why should I care, they’re building a palace for me over there; Tho’ exiled from home, yet still I may sing: All glory to God, I’m a child of the King

I’m a child of the King, a child of the King, with Jesus my Saviour, I’m a child of the King.




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Douglas Newell IV

ABORTION KILLS BABIES

This is my son Ethan in his mother's womb. Abortion kills babies.





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Douglas Newell IV

You Will Pay for Abortion

Is this True Love?

Imagine two people about to be wed, going out to dinner. As the man looks into his future brides eyes he says "I love you with all of my heart". She is overwhelmed thinking about it.

Then the waitress comes to the table, and he says to her "I love you with all my heart". A little taken back, "Who was that?" she asks. "Oh, I don’t know, but I love her." Then they leave and go to a gas station, he pays for the gas and says to the attendant "I love you with all my heart". "Who was that?" she wondered. "I don’t know" he replies again. He stops at a red light, rolls down his window to the stranger next to him and says "I love you with all my heart".
"I guess you don’t know her either?" He turns and looks deep in her eyes and says "I sure don’t, but I love her, just as I love you."
Is this a perfect love? Will Jesus say I love you, then say I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity?
This is true love!

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)

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Douglas Newell IV

The Word of God

O Word of God incarnate!
O Wisdom from on high!
O Truth unchanged, unchanging;
O LIght of our dark sky!

We praise Thee for the radiance,
That from the hallowed page,
A lantern to our footsteps,
Shines on from age to age." --W. How


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Douglas Newell IV

Quotes of the Week

A weekly feature.


"Doubting of principles is the next way to the denying of principles." Thomas Watson


"I maintain that that man I is void of judgment and conscience who hath not a fact and practice which correspond therewith."
John Clarke to the infant baptizers who had jailed for conscience, then turned the charge from conscience to the act of 're' baptizing.


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Douglas Newell IV

What Do You Know?

1. Name one citizen from the Land of Oz.
2. Name one citizen from the Land of Uz.
3. List the character names of the children from “The Brady Bunch”.
4. List the names of the children of Israel.
5. Put these shows in order based upon date of airing.

a. Gunsmoke
b. Seinfeld
c. NCIS
d. Cheers

6. Put these books in order based upon their appearing.

a. Zephaniah
b. Habakkuk
c. Amos
d. Hosea

7. Who was the 1st President of the United States?
8. Who was the 1st King of Israel?
9. Name the two major political parties.
10. Name the two divided kingdoms.
11. What is your favorite movie, and how many times have you seen it?
12. What is your favorite book of the bible, and how many times have you read it?
13. Who won the Super Bowl last year?
14. What did your pastor preach on last Sunday?
15. List 10 current TV shows.
16. List 10 Commandments.

Fill in the blank.
17. John and Kate plus _________.
18. I Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, _______souls were saved by water.
19. What does CSI stand for?
20. What does T.U.L.I.P stand for?

Is 100% a good score? Is 50% a good score? Did you get more odd numbered questions than even?
Something to think about; what is it we think about?


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Douglas Newell IV

Adopted for Life by Russell D. Moore

Adoption should play a major part in every Christian’s life one way or another because if you are a Christian, you have been adopted. In adopted for Life, Russell Moore weaves the story of the adoption of his two sons from Russian with the biblical truths of adoption, and practical advice and biblical principles for Christian’s in the adoption of children.

First, the purpose of the book was not to be a theological discourse; and perhaps keeping the book from being an academic study and too scholarly, it seemed to me to be a little loose on the doctrine by paraphrasing a little haphazardly biblical doctrine. I believe partly because he was speaking to a wide audience on the subject of adoption, both to Calvinistic and Arminian readers, the lines were not defined as clearly as they could have been in my opinion.

HOWEVER, the practical aspect of the book is excellent. I was blessed, saddened and convicted during the reading of the book. Moore confronted me of my lack of service in the biblical mandate of caring for the fatherless. I was caused to stop and pause at whether we can be more Republican or more Democrat than Christian. It is not the job of the state to take care of the fatherless, but the children of God. Moore compares to the plight of the orphan to our own plight being adopted by God. The tragedy of the orphan, the hurt, the love of the adopter, the legal ramifications of adoption (joint-heirs), the new family, and being raised in new family, the new identity all are illustrated for the believer in the lives of orphans.

Moore also offers sage advice from someone who has traveled the road. He admits that adoption was not his first choice; in fact he didn’t want to adopt. He wanted his “own” children. Moore addresses problems in infertility and the science involved. I was informed with the ethical issues Moore laid out with many of the infertility procedures, including the price; but handles with compassion the heartache of couples that cannot have children letting readers in on the struggle and heartache Moore and his wife had with their infertility.

The book also tackles problems that adopting families WILL face rude and stupid questions, insecurities and the like. It is not a step by step “how to adopt” book, but if you are planning or even thinking about adoption, this book will answer some questions you might have, or even cause you to ask questions you might not have thought of (like health issues, family rejection and disciplining the adoptive child)
I know that I learned much about myself as a child of God when God gave me children; and I am thankful to read this book about adoption from one who has experienced it, both spiritually and with his own family. Christians, in some way, whether adopting themselves, or active in helping others adopt, need to consider this biblical imperative. If we are pro-life, then we must be pro-adoption.

I would put this book on the Second Shelf
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Douglas Newell IV

Coulter, O'reilly, and the Manhattan Declaration

This illustrates my point on the Manhattan Declaration. Here you have a non-denominational Republican and a Roman Catholic coming together in the basis of “Christianity”, deriding anyone who does not “come together” to sign this document (starting at the 3:00 mark). Then it comes back to political action at 4:30.

I have and will fight and stand out against abortion. It is murder, plain and simple. I believe we also must reach out to young women and try to help those considering abortion, to give their children up for adoption, even adopting ourselves. I cannot unite, in the name of Christ, with those who lie about my Lord, and spread a false gospel that leads others to eternal damnation. The document unites all that sign in a unity of faith, thus giving our OK to the faith of the signers, which I cannot do.


Here is a transcript (from Media matters of all places) with a segment from a few years ago featuring Manhattan signer Al Mohler and Catholic supporter of the Manhattan Declaration, Bill O'reilly.


MOHLER: Well, I say first of all that Franklin Graham and Pat Robertson in this case spoke the truth as Christian believers and as Christian truth-tellers, and that's their responsibility. And both of them are men of compassion. And in this case, I've criticized Pat Robertson for some of the things he's said. But on this one, Bill, I have to say I think he's just on target.

O'REILLY: So you think Islam is a demonic religion?

MOHLER: Well, I would have to say as a Christian that I believe any belief system, any world view, whether it's Zen Buddhism or Hinduism or dialectical materialism for that matter, Marxism, that keeps persons captive and keeps them from coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, is a demonstration of satanic power.

O'REILLY: So you're going to go to peace-loving Hindus and look at them and say your religion is demonic, doctor? That's what you're going to do?

MOHLER: Well, you know, that's an historic Christian position. Just understanding like the apostle Paul, that the spirit of this age is blinding persons from understanding the Gospel.

O'REILLY: Can you point to me in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, one time when Jesus looked at a Jew and said, "You're in a demonic religion"?

MOHLER: Well, he certainly never called Judaism -- he was himself a Jew -- a demonic religion. He did speak of persons, however, being under demonic possession and speaking on behalf of the devil, rather than on behalf of his father.

O'REILLY: I didn't hear him say the Romans were demonic. And they, of course, were polytheists, you know, worshipping whatever god.

MOHLER: You're making a good point. You're making a good point. I don't think either one of these men was saying that these people are demonic but, rather, that the belief system is.

O'REILLY: But you can't do that and expect moderate Muslims who respect their religion, all right, to help you, and you can't win the war on terror unless moderate Muslims help us.

So carrying it to its extreme, the Reverend Robertson and Dr. Franklin -- Dr. Graham, I should say -- are putting the country in danger by these kinds of statements that are going to be twisted and delivered to the Arab world as the condemnation of Muslims. And don't think Billy Graham [father of Franklin Graham] would ever say that anyway, do you?

MOHLER: Well, I know Dr. Graham, and I chaired one of his crusades. I do know that both doctors Graham would believe that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation.

O'REILLY: Yeah, but can say that in different ways, doctor. With all due respect, do you think Billy Graham would get out there and say, "Yeah, you go live in Saudi Arabia?" I just don't think they would do it. See, I don't mind -- I know what you're saying. I don't mind you spreading your belief system, but I don't think you should be condemning the beliefs of others, particularly in the war on terror.

MOHLER: Well, there's a point to be made there about how we should learn to speak in a way that follows some kind of etiquette. But at the bottom line, etiquette has to give way to truth. And in the case of the two statements from which you pulled there -- from Dr. Graham and from Pat Robertson, they were speaking a deeply Christian truth there that Christians have believed for 2,000 years. And by the way, not with Muslims, because of course now we have only 14 centuries of dealing with the challenge of Islam, but any belief system that keeps persons from coming to Christ we would see as a manifestation of a demonic power.

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Douglas Newell

Quotes of the Week

"I am more deadly than the screaming shell from the howitzer. I win without killing. I tear down homes, break hearts, and wreck lives. I travel on the wings of the wind. No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt men. I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no mercy for the defenseless. My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea, and often as innocent. I never forget and seldom forgive. My name is Gossip."
From the MacArthur Commentary on James, quoting Morgan Blake.


"A man who does not forgiver another does not know forgiveness himself"
D.M. Lloyd-Jones from The Sermon on the Mount.



"It is thought to be unloving and unkind to hold people responsible for their sins. But that is a cheap grace that is not just and is not merciful, that offers neither punishment nor pardon for sin. And because it merely overlooks sin, it leaves sin; and the one who relies on that sort of mercy is left in his sin. To cancel justice is to cancel mercy. To ignore sin is to deny the truth; and mercy and truth are inseparable, that are "met together" (Ps. 85:10). In every true act of mercy, someone pays the price. God did, the Good Samaritan did, and so do we."
John MacArthur, Commentary on Matthew

"Some people are so busy being clever that they don't have time enough to be wise." Thomas Sowell

Douglas Newell

Baptist, DO NOT SIGN THE Manhattan Declaration

I received an email invitation to sign the Manhattan Declaration, which, according to their statement is as follows:

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1.the sanctity of human life
2.the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3.the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

There are many well known “evangelical” Christian pastors and teachers that have signed this declaration. With our world in turmoil and the godlessness of our country, leaders want to come together and do something about this lack of morality in our land. For those Christians who have been called into a life of public service, good for you, I pray you are successful. However, this group is not founded in the views of a stated political movement. The Manhattan Declaration’s entire basis of unity is under the flag of Christianity. There is a difference between being a member of a political party (Republican, Democrat, Conservative etc.) with those who disagree doctrinally because of the purpose and unifying statements. By signing and joining, you have, either condoned other denominational practices, or compromised the truth. Those that sign the document and claim to hold to biblical doctrine say that they separate the doctrine and unify in what they share in common against a mutual enemy.

While I am vehemently opposed to abortion and gay marriage, I do not believe that groups like this one will bring about the change they are seeking. Coalitions are not the power of God unto salvation. Political action groups are not the power of God unto salvation. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Godly King Josiah regulated morality in his kingdom, and the egregious sins were put to an end, for a time. However by reading the book of Jeremiah, we see that because it was only outward obedience without salvation, the people fell away soon thereafter. We are not called to get laws passed, but preach the gospel to lost sinners, baptize believers and teach the saved the truth. A national revival of strong preaching, gospel proclaiming, godly sorrow and repentance will put an end to abortion and gay marriage, for good. Now, after all these centuries, we have the document that will bring about liberty, peace and justice; the Manhattan Document? The document claims that the signers are joined together in the gospel, but which gospel? I know the bible teaches justification by faith in Jesus Christ; however Catholic and Orthodox churchmen do not hold nor teach the truth concerning the gospel, so I ask again, which gospel are they uniting in? This brand of ecumenical unity promotes a post-modern world view; your truth is your own and what you make it to be. We see the further development that Christianity is a term to differentiate you from Jew or Muslim or Atheist, rather than what it is, being born again by the power of God, by his mercy and grace.

You WILL compromise if you sign this declaration if you are a Baptist. By signing this manifesto, you are saying that justification by faith, the doctrines of grace and the gospel of Christ and the truth of His church is secondary when faced with such social issues. Simply by signing, you are compromising the truth of God’s word. The premise of the statement is that Christians are standing together to fight social injustice. Standing together on what? They are not standing together in the truth. Certainly not the Word of God. We defiantly cannot stand together in the gospel when some preach another gospel. There can be no fellowship in salvation in Christ if they believe in another Christ. Why stop at interdenominational confederation?

It is unbiblical. How can two walk together except they be agreed? What fellowship do we have with the Devil? What fellowship do we have with the Mother of Harlots? II Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. Do not forget what our Baptist forefathers suffered at the hands of a powerful, political power called the Catholic Church and her Protestant harlot daughters. And as far as supporting, joining in with, and perpetuating their political power; no thanks. It is hard to imagine that the Catholic Church is advocating freedom of conscience. As a member of the Church that Christ love and died for, that is the pillar and ground of the truth, I cannot, in a clear conscience to God, unite with those historic groups who persecute and persecuted my Baptist forefathers, whose sole source of unity during the Reformation, what a mutual opposition to the Anabaptist. By God’s grace, never.



Douglas Newell

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving day. Psalm 96:4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised.

A variety of Thanksgiving reads.

For those who want to see what Thanksgiving is in a POST-MODERN USA, here is some of President Obama's Thanksgiving day address. Apparently, this day has turned into thanking the Indians and others in public service. How sad.

Today, we recall President George Washington, who proclaimed our first national day of public thanksgiving to be observed "by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God," and President Abraham Lincoln, who established our annual Thanksgiving Day to help mend a fractured nation in the midst of civil war. We also recognize the contributions of Native Americans, who helped the early colonists survive their first harsh winter and continue to strengthen our nation. From our earliest days of independence, and in times of tragedy and triumph, Americans have come together to celebrate Thanksgiving.

As Americans, we hail from every part of the world. While we observe traditions from every culture, Thanksgiving Day is a unique national tradition we all share. Its spirit binds us together as one people, each of us thankful for our common blessings.

I encourage all the people of the United States to come together, whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place where family, friends and neighbors may gather, with gratitude for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own and to share our bounty with others.

Now that I have ruined your appetite...

For those who want to read what Abraham Lincoln said

Kevin Deyoung wrote a good article, "How Did Paul Give Thanks".


Thank the Lord God for all His blessings.



Douglas Newell

DO NOT SIGN THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION!

Don't sign the Manhattan Declaration. There are many men and women who are notable 'evangelicals' and have suprisinly (perhaps not too surprisinly) signed this Catholic/Orthodox/Protestant declaration.

Here are a few signers:

• Randy Alcorn
  
• Kay Arthur
  
• James Dobson
  
• Josh McDowell
  
• Al Mohler
  
• Marvin Olasky
  
• J.I. Packer
  
• Ravi Zacharias
  

I hope to post a more indepth article on the subject, but the jist of it comes to this. Unite with all of proffessing Christianity to stop abortion, gay marriage and other social and moral issues. Put aside doctrinal differnces, put aside even the truth of the gospel and justification by faith in order to unite in this common cause. Compromise the gospel? No thanks. I HATE abortion, but I love Christ and the truth of His gospel, and will not cannot compromise the truth.

More to come on from the side of the Landmark Baptist.

If you have not heard of it, and want some reading on the sujbect, try:

James White
John MaArthur

Douglas Newell

Mary Jones and Her Bible

Mary Jones was a young Welsh born in the late 1700’s. She was born into a poor, but God fearing family. Mary, saved by God’s Grace at an early age, had a love for God’s word. Being poor and uneducated, her heart’s desire was to learn to read, and then purchase a bible of her own. Bibles were few and far between in Wales thus making them very expensive.



This book chronicles the very long and patient journey of young Mary Jones in her quest to know more of her Saviour, Jesus Christ. In a world where we can so easily access the Word of God, it is humbling and convicting to read of this young girl and the love and sacrifice she made to read God’s word. Her trails and her story lead to the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society, which purposed to get the Word of God into the hands of the people who did not have it.

The book brought me to tears, and I highly recommend it to you.


Douglas Newell

Global Warming Fraud?

Man isn't causing the oceans to rise? Really?


Who would have ever imagined that?



Job 38:1-11 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?



Believe GOD'S WORD.




Douglas Newell

Quote of the Week

I read this in Spurgeon's Treasury of David.

Today he puts forth
The tender leaves of hope, tomorrow blossoms
And bears his blushing honors thick upon him:
The third day comes a frost, a killing frost.
And--when he thinks, good easy man, full surely
His greatness is ripening--nips his root,
And then he falls, as I do.
Henry VIII



The next comes from D. Martyn Lloyd Jones from his book Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.

"The world thinks in terms of strength and power, of ability, self-assurance and aggressiveness. That is the world's idea of conquest and possession. The more you assert yourself and express yourself, the more you organize an manifest your powers and ability, the more likely you are to succeed and get on. But here comes this astounding statement, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth'--and they alone. Once more, then we are reminded at the very beginning that the Christian is altogether different from the world. It is a difference in quality, and essential difference. He is a new man, a new creation; he belongs to an entirely different kingdom. And not only is the world unlike him; it cannot possibly understand him. He is an enigma to the world. And if you and I are not, in this primary sense, problems and enigmas to the non-Christan around us, then this tells us a great deal about our profession of the Christian faith."

Read Your Bible

2009 is winding down, and I am almost through the yearly bible reading plan. My plan is not very sophisticated; it consists of starting Thanksgiving weekend rather than January 1st, and reading the Bible. For some reason, starting the plan on January 1st always gave me a feeling of impending failure. I know 12 months is 12 months, but in my mind, when I am 5 weeks into the plan on January 1st I don’t have that sneaking feeling hanging over my head.


Is it wrong to have a reading plan? Of course not. Personally, I am not a fan of the schedules that go back and forth, here a chapter and there a chapter, but that is just me and my personality. When I am in the middle of an account in the Old Testament, I don’t' like to leave in the middle.

I am sure there will be those that oppose such a plan as being legalistic and not very spiritual; however having no plan at all results in never reading the Scriptures through. Sure, a plan is rigid, but isn't that the point? A plan is not a master, but it serves us, keeping us on track. Sermon outlines are not the message, but a guide. They shouldn't be the master behind the pulpit but a help to get us to get where we want to go. When I go and preach at different churches, I go with a message I feel the church needs to hear, one that the Holy Spirit has impressed upon my heart. Even though I trust that I am going to do a spiritual work, I still use my GPS to get me to the building.

Along those lines, what would be the cure for reading the Bible for the wrong reasons? The Holy Spirit’s direction in the Word. You may start the reading because it is time to read, but the Word of God is quick and powerful.

Is it wrong to want to read through the Bible in the year? No, you could do it three times a year if you wanted or maybe once in two years. The point is READ YOUR BIBLE! The goal for yearly reading is set up because it is very easily manageable, if you read your bible every day. Even a very slow reader can read four chapters a day in 20 minutes.

Reading is not a substitute for study. We are commanded to study to show ourselves approved unto God, but it is difficult to study that which we are unfamiliar with. I believe that there are three different types of reading.

1. Reading the bible
2. Devotional reading
3. Study

Each is necessary, each has its place, and none can substitute for the other.

Whatever your plan, read your bible. There is no trick to it, you just have to do it, pick the Bible up, open to page one, and start reading. If you have never read all the way through your Bible, pray that God will help you and prepare to embark on a life changing spiritual journey.

Are You Saved?

Do you profess to be a Christian? How much is your profession worth? If you were to poll this area, I am sure seven out of ten people would profess Christianity. Have you prayed a prayer or made a decision? Perhaps you were told that if you repeated a prayer and you confessed Christ with your mouth, then you were saved. Let me tell you that a profession is worthless.

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The latter part of the seventh chapter of Matthew deals specifically with those who give false professions, meaning they said they were Christians and they claimed to be followers of Jesus, but in reality, they were not. These people said “Lord, Lord” and yet had never been saved. If you are trusting your soul on a vain prayer that someone told you to repeat, that is not salvation. Many will one day stand before the Lord on the day of judgment that said “Lord, Lord”. You may profess to know Christ, but does Christ know you? To this multitude of deceived Jesus will profess “I never knew you”. They SAID they were Christians, but they were not. Their profession was worthless. God’s Word declares to us that it is not going to be just a few people but MANY will be in this position. If you read polls you would see that the overwhelming majority of this country professes Christianity. However, God’s Holy Word tells us that many will be cast into Hell because they were not really saved.

You have an eternal soul. Are you trusting in the word of some preacher or evangelist that told you that you were saved? Are you trusting in some sort of good works? Jesus said that these professors did many works in the name of God, but they were not born again. Are you trusting that the preacher who told you that you are saved told you the truth? Jesus said that many of the same people that said “ Lord, Lord” were those that preached in His name. Do not trust your soul on what a man said, but what God’s Word says.

What is salvation? There is only one God who is a Holy God. He created man in His own image, man rebelled against Him and now the human race is sunk in depravity. God is Just and will punish all sin. Sin is breaking God’s laws. God, also being merciful, sent His Son Jesus, to take the place of sinners on the cross. Jesus accepted the punishment for the sins of His people, He took their place that they might have eternal life. Jesus shed His blood on the cross for an atonement for sin. He died, and rose victoriously from the grave; and by faith, whoever trusts in the work of Christ, shall not suffer in Hell for their sins, but is born again and has everlasting life. Jesus makes it plain, there is only one way to God, and that is faith in Christ. Any other belief system is rejecting the way, the truth and the life. The consequence of rejecting Christ is an eternity in the Lake of Fire.

Matthew 7:16-20 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Did you make a profession and repeat a prayer, but you are not any different than you were before? Was there a change in your life? We are saved by GRACE through FAITH but God tells us that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17. Was there a change in your life? This is called the “new birth” in the scriptures. The Holy Spirit of God gives life to the spiritually dead. We are given spiritual life and a desire to follow after Christ. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, and there are “fruits” or evidences of salvation. We work out in our lives what God has placed in us. These evidences of love, joy and peace are not the reason for salvation, but are because you have been saved. The bible tells men to examine themselves. Are you saved?

Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Is your life built upon your works? Is your life built upon a profession, or saying a prayer? Is your soul anchored to your baptism or church membership? That is sand, a house without a foundation. You would never build a house without a foundation, why trust your eternal soul to something without foundation? “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.”

Christ has bore all the sins of His people in his own body on the tree, drank the cup of God’s wrath dry taking all the punishment due His people for sin, justifying many, the substitute making full satisfaction and removing our sins as far from us as the east is from the west for the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. Oh, and lest you suspect, that God may one day overlook your sin, and you will take your chances consider that the God whom would not spare His own Son, His Righteousness because of others sin, do not be deceived that He will overlook your sins, which you actually committed, knowing it to be wrong, but did it anyway, despising the God you commanded.


Romans 5:6-9

Are you saved? Have you repented, turned from your sins and trusted in Christ alone for salvation? Do you follow Christ? Have you been born again? Examine your life, not by your profession, not by your friends you also made professions, but by the light of God’s word. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God John 3:3. The book of First John was written to believers that they may know that they are saved. If you are unsure, read First John and be sure. If you are not saved and now see that you are a sinner before the Almighty God, then know that Christ Jesus came to save sinners, repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

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Creation

Elder David Green is doing a study through the book of Genesis at the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Mansfield, Oh.

Brother Green is planning on posting the audio from the messages and his study notes each week HERE. I highly recommend it.

In Christ alone,

DPN

Courage of Your Convictions

The following is from an article by Tim Parks, Entertainment Reporter for Digital_Spy.

Roland Emmerich has admitted that he feared a fatwa would be placed on him if he filmed a scrapped scene for 2012.

The filmmaker is well known for decimating famed landmarks on movies including The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day. He stated that while he decided to destroy the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro because he is "against organised religion", he was fearful of the Islamic religious decree for a sequence that was planned but not shot.

The 53-year-old wanted to demolish the Kaaba, which is a cube-shaped building at the heart of Mecca and is the centre of prayers and the Islamic Hajj pilgrimage.

He told Sci-Fi Wire: "Well, I wanted to do that, I have to admit. But my co-writer Harald said I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a movie. And he was right. We have to all in the Western world think about this.

"You can actually let Christian symbols fall apart, but if you would do this with [an] Arab symbol, you would have a fatwa, and that sounds a little bit like what the state of this world is.

"So it's just something which I kind of didn't [think] was [an] important element, anyway, in the film, so I kind of left it out."

2012 is scheduled to open in cinemas on November 13.

I do not find it odd that this man against "organized religion" would symbolically depict the falling of a statue representing Christ as a statment against Christiantiy. No surprise there. What I find interesting is that his convictions end where his own neck begins. Sure, it is easy to mock, and dispute Christ when (in his own mind) he sees no danger or harm. His convictions come to a screeching halt when it is going to cost him something.

No wants to be persecuted or have a fatwah (read death sentence) pronounced upon them. What is telling is his beliefs serve his own depravity. His heart is enmity against God, and he will shout it from the roof tops, as long as it doesn't cost him anything. This shows a lack of conviction rather than the cutting edge bold truth teller that he must imagine himself.

Roland Emmerich feels that reproaching Christianity is safe because Christ has commanded His servants to be harmless as doves. However, facing the Lord Christ at the White Throne Judgment is far more terrifying than anything man can do to you. Revelation 20:11-15.

Saturday Night

• Saturday night and we are changing the clocks and falling back an hour. There are two schools of thought; you either get an extra hour to use or an extra hour of sleep. I try to use the hour, my family has chosen the extra hour of sleep.



• This would drive me CRAZY



• Seeing Newt and other Republicans playing politics trying to beat Pelosi is the reason that I am fed up with the Republican Party. How about a principled stand? Anyone?



• In hindsight, I regret not going to more fellowship meetings when I was in Kentucky.



• I watched Wall-E with the kids tonight. I am getting sick of having "Green" shoved down my throat. Nothing like being lectured by a cartoon to make me want to burn tires in the yard.

Good night.

Buffalo Valley Bible Conference

Last weekend I was privilaged to attend the Buffalo Valley Batist Churches annual bible conference in Clay, WV. I had such a wonderful time. Living in North Carolina now, where everything here is flat covered in a great amount of evergreen pine trees; it was such a blessing to be able to be in the mountains again in the fall of the year. The leaves seemed to be at their peak color and it was breathtaking. The church building is located on top of a mountinain, and you look over the valley to see such a beautiful view. My family had gone ahead of me to visit family in Kentucky, and I made the trip by myself. Starting around Mount Airey, when you first start seeing the mountains through Virgina and then on into West Virginai, I was blessed to see God's glorious creation. I was preaching on "Creation" and as I meditated on the subject as I drove, looking at the fall colors, I marveled at the foolishness of denying the existence of God.

I must say, for me, it was one of the best meetings that I have ever attending; top three easily. The preaching was great and there was such liberty with the men of God bringing the sermons with authority and in love.

Thank you Buffalo Valley Baptist Church for hosting such an oustanding time in the Lord.

Great Preaching

There is nothing like hearing preaching, good or bad because it has the same result in me; it makes me want to preach. I have some great preaching this weekend. More to come on this meeting in my next post.

Please reconsider sending your child to a goverment school. I read this quote from Voddie Bauchman's blog Truth in Love.

"http://www.voddiebaucham.org/vbm/Blog/Blog.html

“I had motive for not wanting the world to have a meaning; consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics, he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do, or why his friends should not seize political power and govern in the way that they find most advantageous to themselves. … For myself, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation, sexual and political.” Aldous Huxley (evolutionist, leftist, and grandson of T.H. Huxley, known as "Darwin's bulldog"):

God help us.

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October 18th Services

We had good services today. Any day that God's people can come together and pray, fellowship and hear the word of God is a blessed day. I preached on "1,000 Years with the King". The more I see and read of the political mess that we have in the US, the more I praise God for His coming Kingdom.

Tonight, if the Lord is willing, I am preaching on the first of the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor". This study has been particularly profitable for me, and my prayer is that the church will benefit likewise. God help me to preach tonight. I am finding that Thomas Watson's book on the Beatitude's to be very helpful and extremely deep. I recommend the work.


In Christ alone by Grace,

Doulas >>>----------->

Thankful

I am thankful for:

1. My wife.
2. My children.
3. My health.
4. The health God has blessed my family with.
5. I have a roof over my head, and food in the 'fridge.

God is good!

There is so much more to be thankful for, so I think that this will be a regular feature. In a land of plenty, or a land of recession, it is always good to thank God.

Radio Ministry

The Sovereign Grace Baptist Church has had a weekly radio broadcast every Sunday morning at 10:00am on 102.5 FM. We have not had much response; but the word of God does not go forth void, and I pray that God use it for His glory, whether a savor of life unto life, or death unto death.

Spare a dime?

Deuteronomy 15:6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

Anytime a person or a nation leaves Biblical principles in favor of earthly wisdom they are walking quickly into error. Our leaders are spending money and continue to spend money that we do not have. Every second we go further into greater and greater debt; so much so that we will never be able to pay it back. The United States is in great debt and continues to keep spending someone else’s money.

Our passage refers God speaking to the nation of Israel, declaring the blessing God would shed upon them according to His faithful promise. One of the blessings was that Israel would lend to others and not borrow. Israel did not need a good credit score because they had enough to lend to others. That was their blessing and the consequence of that blessing resulted in Israel reigning over many nations. Who were the nations that they reigned over? The people they loaned money to. The United States is quickly becoming the servant of her lenders. There will come a pay day, when the creditors (China) will stop the lending and want their money back; then what?

Psalm 37:21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

One more reason to homeschool

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/24/mmm-mmm-mmm-new-details-about-the-dear-leader-song-video/

Be sure to watch video at the end of the article.

The Kind of Revival We Need

The Kind of Revival We Need

by

Charles Haddon Spurgeon


It is good for us to draw nigh unto God in prayer. Our minds are grieved to see so little attention given to united prayer by many churches.How can we expect a blessing if we are too idle to ask for it? How can we look for a Pentecost if we never meet with one another, in one place, to wait upon the Lord? Brethren, we shall never see much change for the better in our churches till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians.But now that we have come together, how shall we pray? Let us not degenerate into formality, or we shall be dead while we think we live. Let us not waiver through unbelief, or we shall pray in vain. Oh, for great faith with which to offer great prayers!We have been mingling praise and prayer together as a delicious compound of spices, fit to be presented upon the altar of incense through Christ our Lord; may we not at this time offer some special far-reaching petition? It is suggested to me that we pray for a true and genuine revival of religion throughout the world.

1. A Real and Lasting Revival
I am glad of any signs of life, even if they should be feverish and transient, and I am slow to judge any well intended movement, but I am very fearful that many so called revivals in the long run wrought more harm than good. A species of religious gambling has fascinated many men, and given them a distaste for the sober business of true godliness.But if I would nail down counterfeits upon the counter, I do not therefore undervalue true gold. Far from it. It is to be desired beyond measure that the Lord would send a real and lasting revival of spiritual life.We need a work of the Holy Spirit of a supernatural kind, putting power into the preaching of the Word, inspiring all believers with heavenly energy, and solemnly affecting the hearts of the careless, so that they turn to God and live. We would not be drunk with the wine of carnal excitement, but we would be filled with the Spirit. We would behold the fire descending from heaven in answer to the effectual fervent prayers of righteous men. Can we not entreat the Lord our God to make bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the people in this day of declension and vanity?

2. Old-fashioned Doctrine
We want a revival of old-fashioned doctrine. I know not a single doctrine which is not at this hour studiously undermined by those who ought to be its defenders. There is not a truth that is precious to the soul which is not now denied by those whose profession it is to proclaim it. To me it is clear that we need a revival of old-fashioned gospel preaching like that of Whitefield and Wesley.The Scriptures must be made the infallible foundation of all teaching; the ruin, redemption and regeneration of mankind must be set forth in unmistakable terms.

3. Personal Godliness
Urgently do we need a revival of personal godliness. This is, indeed, the secret of church prosperity. When individuals fall from their steadfastness, the church is tossed to and fro; when personal faith is steadfast, the church abides true to her Lord.It is upon the truly godly and spiritual that the future of religion depends in the hand of God. Oh, for more truly holy men, quickened and filled with the Holy Spirit, consecrated to the Lord and sanctified by His truth.Brethren, we must each one live if the church is to be alive; we must live unto God if we expect to see the pleasure of the Lord prospering in our hands. Sanctified men are the salt of society and the saviours of the race.

4. Domestic Religion
We deeply want a revival of domestic religion. The Christian family was the bulwark of godliness in the days of the puritans, but in these evil times hundreds of families of so-called Christians have no family worship, no restraint upon growing sons, and no wholesome instruction or discipline. How can we hope to see the kingdom of our Lord advance when His own disciples do not teach His gospel to their own children?Oh, Christian men and women, be thorough in what you do and know and teach! Let your families be trained in the fear of God and be yourselves "holiness unto the Lord"; so shall you stand like a rock amid the surging waves of error and ungodliness which rage around us.

5. Vigorous, Consecrated Strength
We want also a revival of vigorous, consecrated strength. I have pleaded for true piety; I now beg for one of the highest results of it. We need saints. We need gracious minds trained to a high form of spiritual life by much converse with God in solitude.Saints acquire nobility from their constant resort to the place where the Lord meets with them. There they also acquire that power in prayer which we so greatly need. Oh, that we had more men like John Knox, whose prayers were more terrible to Queen Mary than 10,000 men! Oh, that we had more Elijahs by whose faith the windows of heavens should be shut or opened!This power comes not by a sudden effort; it is the outcome of a life devoted to the God of Israel! If our life is all in public, it will be a frothy, vapoury ineffectual existence; but if we hold high converse with God in secret, we shall be mighty for good. He that is a prince with God will take high rank with men, after the true measure of nobility.Beware of being a lean-to; endeavour to rest on your own walls of real faith in the Lord Jesus. May none of us fall into a mean, poverty-stricken dependence on man! We want among us believers like those solid, substantial family mansions which stand from generation to generation as landmarks of the country; no lath-and-plaster fabrics, but edifices solidly constructed to bear all weathers, and defy time itself.Given a host of men who are steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, the glory of God's grace will be clearly manifested, not only in them, but in those round about them. The Lord send us a revival of consecrated strength, and heavenly energy!Preach by your hands if you cannot preach by your tongues. When our church members show the fruits of true godliness, we shall soon have inquiries for the tree which bears such a crop.Oh the coming together of the saints is the first part of Pentecost, and the ingathering of sinners is the second. It began with "only a prayer meeting", but it ended with a grand baptism of thousands of converts. Oh that the prayers of believers may act as lode stones to sinners! Oh that every gathering of faithful men might be a lure to attract others to Jesus! May many souls fly to Him because they see others speeding in that direction."Lord, we turn from these poor foolish procrastinators to thyself, and we plead for them with thine all-wise and gracious spirit! Lord, turn them and they shall be turned! By their conversion, pray that a true revival has commenced tonight! Let it spread through all our households, and then run from church to church till the whole of christendom shall be ablaze with a heaven-descended fire!"

For more of CH Spurgeon, visit http://www.spurgeon.org/

Am I my brother's keeper?

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” That was a rhetorical question that Cain posed to God when God asked him where his brother was. God knew that Cain had murdered his brother Able, and like his father, Cain tried to hide his sin from God.This passage has become a political platitude, insinuating that God’s word has mandated us to be our brother’s keepers. “Am I my brother’s keeper” was a smart elect remark by an impious sinner; however, there is a little of truth in what Cain said. He was trying to hide his sin from God and he directed God’s question away from his knowledge of the whereabouts of Able to the fact that Able was a grown man and Cain was not his keeper or his babysitter, or his guardian, which he wasn’t. The fact that one would use this scripture as a basis for political action shows true ignorance of Holy Writ. Why would anyone use this passage as an example for how we should treat one another?

Here are four reasons why the phrase “my brother’s keeper” does not mean what they think it means.

First, it was the words of a murderer. This is not the compassionate words of someone who was lookingout for their fellow man. No one would want to be protected like Cain protected Able. “when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. “

Secondly, it was a lie. When God asked Cain where his brother was, he said “I know not, am I my brother’s keeper?” First, both Cain and God knew where Able was because God knows all things, and Cain just murdered Able. Even though there was an element of truth to what Cain said about being his brother’s keeper, he was trying to keep secret that which was required to be revealed. Cain was standing before God, and was asked a direct question, and Cain lied to God by concealing the truth. A cause should not have, as their foundation, the words of a lying murderer.

Third, it was a cover up. Cain was trying to hide his sin from God. It was not a call to social justice, rather the deceptive cover up of a criminal. His mother and father, Adam and Eve, had tried to cover up their sin in the garden with fig leaves; here Cain tries to keep under wraps his sin. “Am I my brother’s keeper” was not a call to give a helping hand to those who need it, but to conceal a murder and mask his sin. Rather than falling to his face and begging God for mercy, he tries to talk his way out of trouble. Rather than trusting in God for forgiveness of sins, he trusts in himself again, rejecting God for the second time. He attempted to worship God by the works of his hands by offering a sacrifice of works to God rather than the acceptable blood sacrifice typifying Christ’s death and shedding of His blood for remission or sins, but now he tries again to rely on his works to cover his sins.

Fourth, it was an irreverent, smart mouthed remark to God. What a foolish way to address the Almighty God. The fact that God did not immediately destroy Cain is a picture of God’s longsuffering and goodness to even the most hardened sinners. People have not changed. The loathsome language that people spew forth about God is terrifying. Only God knows if blasphemy has ever reached a higher point than is prevalent today, and certainly I do not want that question to be the motto of our land. So, being my brother’s keeper is not the best of scriptures to encourage people to follow.

There are plenty of passages referring to helping our fellow man, loving our neighbor as ourselves and giving, but this is not one of them. Or, perhaps it is the perfect passage for socialism; the words of a lying, murdering, ungodly smart mouth, with a disdain for God and His people.

Last Day Living

God's word tells us that in the last days there will be perilous times and we will live amongst scoffers, or mockers; and these "funny guys" will make a continual mockery of the God's word, God’s people and God himself. No doubt they have a wit and a clever way with words; however their humor and mockery is based in hatred and is destructive to God's people. Merely because something is funny, does not mean that it is good for us. If you examine most of today's humor objectively, you find a very apathetic, mean spirited comedy, mixed with a venomous deconstructive nature.

What is the remedy for last day living amongst the scoffers? God's word. II Peter chapter three deals with the last day scoffers, and tells us to look for Christ and trust in His promises. The passage begins:

II Peter 3:1-2 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour.

This passage begins with exhortations to be mindful of the word of God; to stir up their minds by recalling the precious truths of God's word.

The following verses deal with last day scoffers, and shows the foolishness of their mockery, as the Lord is coming again. Peter ends with another command for the word in verses 15 and 16.

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

This passage opens and closes with the admonition to go to the Bible. Read, study, call into your remembrance; hear the word preached, read the promises over and again, be strengthened in the word. You will find the same happens in II Timothy 3 when speaking of men in the last days, Christians are encouraged to the Word.

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Go to the word. Be grounded in the bible. We have absolute truth, the very words of our Creator, the infallible, sure, Holy Scriptures. The Almighty verbally inspired every word, and that is the remedy for living in the last days, turn to God. Turn off the scoffers; do not pollute your mind with their mockery of your Lord.

Jude 20-21 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Baptism by....Baptism

Among those that profess Christianity and throughout the different denominations there have been for hundreds of years arguments over what mode of Baptism is acceptable and proper. Some baptize by immersion, some by sprinkling and some by pouring. The bible declares that there is “one faith, one Lord and one baptism”; so only one of these ways can be correct. How was Jesus baptized? How did the apostles baptize? What was the New Testament understanding of the word baptism? Answer these questions, and we know the proper mode of baptism.
The answer can be found simply by defining the word baptism. An English dictionary will only tell us what the word has come to mean. The New Testament was written in Greek, and the Greek word that was translated baptism was baptizo. What does the word baptizo mean? John Broadus, former professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote this in his commentary on the book of Matthew the following:

“The Greek word baptize, which we borrow, was of very common use, as is seen in every period of Greek literature and was applied to a great variety of matters, including the most familiar acts of everyday life. It was thus a word which every Greek speaking hearer and reader in apostolic times would at once and clearly understand. It meant what we express by ‘immerse’ and kindred terms, and no on e could then have thought of attributing to it a wholly different sense, such as ‘sprinkle’ or ‘pour’ without distinct explanation to that effect…..Luther and Calvin both explicitly declared that the primitive baptism was immersion and the former said it ought to be restored; but they allowed the existing practice to remain undisturbed. In the course of time many Protestants came to perceive that it was very awkward to rest their practice in this respect on the authority of the Church of Rome, and being accustomed and attacked to the practice they very naturally sought countenance for it in scripture. Such are the unavoidable defects of language, that strongly biased and ingenious minds can always cast some apparent doubt over the mean of the plainest words.”

In fact, the very word means to immerse, and there would have been no question in New Testament times what baptizo meant; dipping or immersing. JR Graves, in his study of the Greek word baptizo in his book John’s Baptism found that “sixty-two standard Greek Lexicons giving only to dip, to immerse, as the literal primary meaning, which is the real meaning, of the work in Greek, corroborating the declaration of Dr. Charles Anton (Episcopalian), [then] President of Columbia ‘The primary meaning of the word [baptizo] is to dip, to immerse; and its secondary meaning, if it ever had any, refers to the same leading idea. Sprinkling and pouring are entirely out of the question”. Using scripture as our sole authority, when a person is saved by God’s grace, they are to be baptized, and scripture declares that we are to be baptized by baptism, which is immersion.

Whatever

Revelation 3:14-19
I have grown weary of the apathy of our day. “Who cares? What difference does it make? Someone should do something.” Only recently have many been awakened by political debate, but even that seems to be merely venting frustration of a few on each side of the health care position. Worst of all is the apathy in God’s house.

Of all people, we should be the least indifferent. The church in Laodicea was mired in apathy. One reason for their lethargy was their riches. When people have a lot they begin to get comfortable in what they have. The problem was Christ said that they were not rich or even in a position to be sluggish because they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Talk about misreading a self-diagnosis. They had a “whatever” attitude. They were not hot, they were not cold but right in the middle. Not really on fire for God, but not cold to the point they stopped believing, just comfortable. “Sinners are going to Hell” somebody says, “oh, yeah, uh.. somebody should go preach to them”. Or “look at the worldliness in the church” and you might hear “It’s the last days, what are ya’ going to do”.

The least we should do is care, right? Christ, the Faithful and True came and suffered on the cross the wrath of God, shedding His blood that we might have forgiveness, justification and eternal life, and we should at least care, right? Jesus told the church it would have been better if they were cold or hot, but the lukewarm temperature of their church was going to cause Him to “spue thee out of my mouth”. Jesus makes it crystal clear what He thinks of apathy in His church.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and repent”. Why should we repent from apathy? Because He loves us we should love Him and our love should be evident. He said not to be lukewarm; but rather be zealous, be on fire for God. We should care, we should be passionate, and we should be zealous, full of passion and vigor for the truths of God, His gospel, the cause of Christ.

Jesus, The Only Way

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me.

The foundational truth of Christianity is Jesus is the only way to Heaven. Jesus simply and authoritatively declares that in John 14:6. The context of this passage tells us that Jesus informs His disciples that it would be necessary for Him to die upon the cross; Jesus was going to lay down His life for His people (John 10) to suffer God’s wrath for sins in their stead. Starting in the 14th chapter, Jesus then tells the disciples not to be troubled because His death will secure them Heaven, and that Jesus would live, and return for them. Thomas asked Jesus, if you leave, how will we know how to find you, how can we get to Heaven?

Then Jesus tells Him that He is the way, the truth and the life.Jesus is the way to Heaven. Some want to make God bend to the sincerity of a man’s heart, and as long as a person believes in “a god” then they will go to Heaven. Can you go to Heaven without faith in Christ? Jesus answers the question for Thomas, and for any who ask it, Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

Jesus is the truth. In our post-modern society, everyone gets to have their own truth, and the only thing that is definitive is, nothing is definitive. Truth is absolute, God’s word is absolute truth and in it we read that God sent His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for sin, then He was buried for three days and three nights, and rose from the grave for our justification, and whosever believes in Him and by faith and trusts in the finished work of Christ, shall be saved. That is the only truth of the way to Heaven.

Jesus is the Life. Man has an eternal soul and one will either be present with the Lord in Heaven, or lift up their eyes in Hell to pay for their sins. Only Jesus can provide eternal life in Heaven. No man can come to God, expect through Jesus Christ. Some say that different faiths worship the same God, only in different ways. Jesus said no man cometh unto the Father, but by me; no one will be saved unless they believe in Jesus Christ. If a person tries to know God or worship God in any other way than through Jesus, according to Christ they are “thieves and robbers” (John 10:8) and will go to Hell.

This is basic Christianity, this is the gospel. There is one God who is a Holy God. He created man in His own image, man rebelled against Him and now the human race is sunk in depravity. God being Holy and Just must punish sin, which is breaking God’s laws. God also being merciful sent His Son, Jesus, to take the place of sinners on the cross. Jesus accepted the punishment for the sins of His people, He took their place that they might have eternal life. Jesus died, the just for the unjust, and shed His blood on the cross for an atonement for sin. He died, and rose victoriously from the grave; by faith, whoever believes in Christ, shall not suffer in Hell for their sins, but be born again and have everlasting life.Jesus makes it plain, there is only one way to God, and that is faith in Christ. Any other belief system is rejecting the way, the truth and the life; the consequence of rejecting Christ is an eternity in the Lake of Fire.

Case Against Public Education

http://americansfortruth.com/news/%e2%80%98gay%e2%80%99-leader-kevin-jennings-says-dream-is-to-%e2%80%98promote-homosexuality%e2%80%99-in-schools.html


Need I say more?

Why Preach Church Truth?

Things would go a lot easier for us if we would just 'get along' and agree to disagree on the church; however, we have not been called to a life of ease. Better to be despised by the world and hold to the truth than to be praised by the world and compromise the faith once delivered. When I think of my Baptist forefathers who were truly persecuted and despised and beaten and imprisoned; those preachers who were torn from their wives and children and were taken from their homes, sharing their life with a blessed family to sharing them with the rats and disease of the dungeon cell, I am embolden to carry on in this eleventh hour, when we serve in the cool of the day here in America. If the worst that happens is a couple walk out of services without shaken any one's hand because of the truth of baptism, or that some ministerial association think us bigoted and naive, then I have it easy comparatively. In light of what I face, even more disgrace to compromise.

God help His churches,
By Grace,
Douglas Newell IV

Population Control

Disturbing post by Michelle Malkin.


http://michellemalkin.com/2009/07/24/ghoulish-science-obamacare-health-hazard/

Sermons on Gilt-Edged Paper

Exerpt from a sermon delievered by BH Carroll entitled Sermons to Preachers.

Let me tell you of a case: In a city once, I went to hear a sermon. Preachers get hungry to hear others preach. I was oppressed in spirit and gravely solicitous about a great matter. I wanted my faith strengthened. Quietly taking my seat I listened. The rendition of the music, confined exclusively to the choir, was very artistic, I suppose. I held myself in reserve for the sermon. That, I took it for granted, would have body to it. The preacher rose, at last, with his sermon in his hand. I looked at it. It was a neat essay, on note paper, gilt-edged, and perfumed, I verily believe. I know it was tied with a delicatly shaded ribbon, and he gracefully read the dainty document through in just fifteen minutes; and that seemed to me too much for it. My sensations were never paralleled except once when, on a moonlight night, I stepped confidently upon what I supposed was a plank, and found it a sluice of muddy water fully knee deep. Some one asked me what I thought about the sermon. Perhaps my disappointment made me say: "Well, I've figured it out, and if there is no mistake in my calculation it would take 879,316 years for 579,314 such sermons to reach one could, and then they would make no more impression on it than a cloud of thistledown blown by human breath against the granite face of Mont Blanc. I think it mighty safely pass through Texas from Sabine Pass to El Paso, and no Baptist, if all the General Convention were out hunting for a sermon, would fire a shot at it."

My Move and Other Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts for a Saturday afternoon.

God has blessed my family, yet again, and given us a house. For the past two months, we have been working to purchase this particular home, and through many ups, downs, twists and turns, we finally closed. The current mortgage crisis has been hard for many, but it turned out to be a blessing for us finding a home that we could afford, actually paying half of what we were paying in rent.

I have had some PC problems, and had limited use of the net, so posting has been pretty much out of the question. Today I carried the second load of empty boxes to the recycling depot, and I may be corrugated free! Half of my books are on the shelf, while the other half are lying in repose, waiting for me to finish typing.

We went on visitation today, and spoke to several, and witnesses to most we came in contact with. Today, I spoke with an Iraq war veteran. I am still heartbroken over speaking with him. War has left him cold and bitter, or maybe war hardened his already stony heart. I pray that God would break it and give him a stone of flesh. He would not even allow me to engage him with the gospel once he saw my bible and understood the reason for my visit. Heartbreaking.

Sorry for the delay on the series on public education, I will try to resume on Monday.

A Case Against Government Education

Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

I know that there are a great many godly school teachers that have a positive effect on the lives of thousands of young souls who are fortunate to enter into your classroom. There are good Baptist teachers, I know many, who may be the only Christian influence on a child in their whole life. I thank God for you, and pray that you use the opportunity you have for the glory of God. This article is not directed toward those Christian teachers (who are few and far between) but the government system of education itself. I also know that there are many who will read this, and will want to tune out every thing I say because they send or sent their children to a government school for education. All I ask is that you prayerfully consider my position.

Sending our children to government schools puts us in the position of putting education, money, and jobs ahead of everything else. What is our primary responsibility to our children? Certainly we desire that our children learn, and be productive members of society, and we desire the best for our children, but does this necessarily mean that the government is the only institution that can provide such education? If we stand back, and look at the course of the history of this world, do we imagine that the government now has the best educational system in the history of the world? There are certainly other options to education. So please do not think this is intended on devaluing education in the least bit, but what we are sending our children into five days a week. In my opinion, homeschooling our kids in this day in age is the safest, and best for our kids, but if that is not an option, sending our kids to good Baptist schools where the bible is taught and everything else is taught from a biblical perspective, and biblical morals are enforced with guidance of Christian educators, that is also a good choice.

I desire my children to be wise, not fact memorizing machines. The bible speaks much about wisdom, and that is what I desire for my children. We are told by some that the problem with our children and educational system is that we are not starting young enough, and that programs are being developed for a 0-5 ‘pre-school’ system for the building blocks of government education. I agree that the problem is the foundation, but the solution is not more of the same. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. It is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of knowledge. The government schools are saturated with ungodly theories about man and God’s creation, while under the guise of separation of church and state eliminate the very foundation of knowledge, the Word of God. Those who direct the socialistic and evolutionary educational programs despise wisdom and instruction, but yet are in charge of developing our children’s minds. Our duty, as Christian parents, is to instruct our children and to give them the foundation of true knowledge, not to be taught by fools. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. The Knowledge of the holy is understanding, that is what we desire for our children. Homeschooling, or Christian schools can not only provide the educational needs of our children, but do a better job at it, with the fear of the Lord being the foundation of all learning.

MARRIAGE CEREMONY

I live in a seminary town, a Southern Baptist seminary, and where there are seminary students, there are books, and where you have graduating seminary students, you have former students selling books. There is a gold mine of a store in Raleigh that buys up good, really good books, and I have found quite a few treasures contained within its musty walls. Walls upon walls, millions of books, many of which are out of print, yet shouldn't be. There are tomes of uselessness, and heresy, and in fact, I would be happy if they remain hidden on the shelves forever. But, especially in the Baptist history section, there are countless numbers of old Baptist books. One of the books I found is a book on Church order by J M Pendleton.

I found the marriage ceremony that he wrote, and post it for your perusal.


Marriage is an institution of divine appointment, given in wisdom and kindness, to increase human happiness and to support social order. In the Bible, which should be the lamp to your path in every relation, you will find the directions needed in this.

In token of your decided choice of each other as partners for life, you __________ __________ and __________ __________ will please to unite your right hands.

(Joining of hands.)

Do you solemnly promise, before Almighty God and these witnesses, to receive each other as husband and wife, agreeing to perform the duties growing out of the relation, pledging yourselves to love each other, and to make every reasonable exertion to promote each other's happiness until the union into which you are now entering is dissolved by death?

(When a ring is employed the following can be used. In confirmation of these vows, you will please give and receive this ring, as an emblem and pledge of the pure and enduring love you have promised to cherish for each others.)

In view of the promises thus made, I do now, by virtue of the authority vested in me, as a minister of the gospel, pronounce you husband and wife, henceforth in interest and destiny, as in affection, ONE. And what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

J M Pendleton

Limited Atonement

Atonement so sweet that was made for me
Reconciled, Oh blessed Lord to thee
Once and for all, God commended His love
For all my sins, Redeemed by His blood

The limited atonement, not limited in love
greater love, no man has known
The conqueror came as the Lamb of God
And redeemed each one, each one of His own

The Thrice Holy God who despises sin;
The Righteous God that punishes sin
The just wrath of God, must be satisfied
The merciful God, willing to die

Christ Blood was shed, I'm redeemed with great cost
Not in vain, nor victory lost
Predestined, called, now just and glorified
My Christ, no more, must suffer and die

Oh Victory, victory thus do we cry
No sheep, shall suffer and die
To the praise of the glory of His grace
To our charge, no sin, no sin shall be laid

Not limited in power, dare you profane?
Not limited in Love, Oh Praise His name!
Not limited in Grace, that saves to the end
Not an unfamiliar love, but love for His friends.

They Had Been With Jesus

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

After the persecution of the first church, Peter boldly declared the gospel to his persecutors. Their godly boldness and unapologetic declaration that salvation is in Christ alone, facing, perhaps, their own demise had an effect on the enemies of the cross. They knew that Peter and John had been with Jesus.

Some think that the recognized them traveling with Jesus, which it could have been, but I don't think these proud self righteous men would have paid much attention to the disciples, especially after calling them unlearned and ignorant men. I am of the opinion that their characteristics made it evident they had been with Jesus.

What are some of the marks of Peter and John's actions that made it evident that they had been with Jesus? What was is that they were doing that reminded the enemies of Christ, of Christ?

1. Evidence, the effectual power of their preaching.
2. Conviction.
3. Boldness.
4. Doctrinal truth, though they were 'ignorant and unlearned' their doctrine was flawless. They knew they had been with Jesus by the soundness of their doctrine.
5. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.
6. Their spiritual power.
7. Liberty. cf. Ephesians 6:18-20
8. Fear of God.
9. No fear of Man.

I am still praying about this, and working on this list (add to the list if you wish) and I pray God will help me to live a life where people can say of me "He has been with Jesus."

We Need Creek Swimming, Brier Cutting Men

BH Carroll was right on when he described the need of the Lord's men to act like men. Baptist churches need men to act like men. We need creek swimming, brier cutting men today. Men who will stand up and fulfill their roles God has called them to, namely to act like men. In I Corinthians 16:13 it says "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." God has challenged us, to BE A MAN.

"It is the creek-swimming men that shake the world—the brier-cutting men who will not allow obstacles to keep them from doing what God wants them to do.

Let a congregation get the idea of their pastor that he is pink of perfection, can beat anybody in town tying a cravat [neck tie], and wears the nicest little shoes, knows how to fasten a nose-gay in his vest, and how to enter a room and entertain company; carries an umbrella so as not to burn his delicate skin, then what will be his power to awaken and save the lost? An umbrella is all right in its place, but what I want to impress is this—that a stalwart man, a real man, will accomplish more of the great things in the work than all of these little fellows. He will not stop to consider a thousand things that absorb the mind of the trivial man, but will go right straightforward to the accomplishment of his great purpose. I have heard these dainty essayists preach. I have gone to their churches hungry and tried to -get something—and failed.


It reminds me of the story of a preacher who tells this of himself: During the civil war he went to a house to get some supper. Army rations were poor, and he was very hungry. They had just a little butter and they all wanted to make it go as far as possible, so each one tried to hurry through in order to get another chance at the butter before it disappeared. He said that he could not get rid of the butter in his plate. He even tried to sop it up with his bread, but it did not have any taste to it. At last he looked up and saw through knot-hole in the roof over his head that the moon was shining down through into his plate, and that all the time he had been sopping moonshine.”

Enough Misery

I always think there is quite enough misery in the world without my making any more.---C.H. Spurgeon

I used to work for one of the big cell phone companies, providing over the phone technical support. We were encouraged to put a quote at the end of our email, along with our signature. Mr. Spurgeon provided mine for a while. It was sort of an inside joke, because in technical support, the only customers I spoke to were the ones whose phone was NOT working, and had already been on the phone for 30 minutes talking to customer service before they got to me. There was quite enough misery in my work day without adding more to it. But that is what sin does to our lives. Sin hinders joy and creates misery. There are pleasures of sin, for a season, but ultimatly it brings more misery.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Some people thrive in misery as they create misery, encourage unhappiness in themselves and others. Everyday there are countless tragedies, crisis, tribulations and sorrows all over the world so why should I create my own? Sin has brought pain and misery and death upon this world and sin causes men to wallow in misery. The scornful, the blasphemer, the scoffer all delight in making more misery for themselves and others. The child of God finds joy in Christ, following Christ and obeying Christ; sin doesn't bring joy, only more misery.