When PEOPLE are BIG and God is Small: A book review

"We need to need people less and love people more."

When PEOPLE are BIG and God is Small by Edward T. Welch.

This is an excellent book dealing with the fear of man. The fear of man goes so much further than merely being "afraid" of people. The fear of man is setting up people as idols, with our thoughts, actions and affections being controlled by men and not God.
Part one deals with identifying the fear of man in our lives, part two deals with dealing with the fear of God in our lives.

The remedies are not self help remedies, but they are scriptural and immensely practical. The book is not superficial, nor worldly in its focus or application. This deals a death blow to the "self-esteem" controlled times in which we live. The solution is clearly laid out, but this is such a deep running sin issue that only the power of God in us can break this idol of the fear of man. Many will read this book and find that they have been lied to their entire lives and it will be a painful, but profitable look at the deep seated sin that permeates the lives of a great number of Christians.

We need to fear God, not man. The more fear of God a Christian has, the less fear of man there will be. The reoccurring theme is that "we need to need people less, and love people more." Welch shines the light of God's word in the dark regions of the heart where we have those secret hidden idols that we give colorful and pretty names to; self-esteem, needs, peer-pressure, and on and on.
I recommend this book highly. Parents of teenagers, or pre-teens may find this book extremely helpful in helping to identify and help others deal with the fear of man in their lives.

So thankful that I read this book, and it has been one of those books that God has used to minister to my soul. Lord willing, this will be a book that I return to over and over again.

Quote of the day

I love it when I come across a well crafted sentence that compels me to stop, go back and read it again two or three times. Here is such a sentence.

"My interest is not hypothetical reality, but actual reality."

Leland Ryken from his book The Legacy of the King James Bible.

Stay tuned. Later this week I hope to have a review of this book; Lord willing.

A little help? What kind of fish is this?

Does anyone know what kind of fish we are looking at here?



My father-in-law caught it at Falls Lake, NC last week, but I'm not sure what kind of fish he caught. I looked on the species list for Falls Lake, and whatever it is, it wasn't supposed to be in there. It looked like a muskie, in the mouth, sharp teeth and all, but I'm not sure. I like to fly-fish the rivers and am not much of a lake fisherman.

So a little frivolity this Saturday for catch of the day.

God's Search for a Good Man

Psalms 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

I mean no irreverence to suggest that God is lacking in knowledge, the Bible does not teach that; but in our Psalm, God is described as looking to see if he could find a good person. This is a poetic view showing God looking for a few good men. Will he find any? What will we discover in God’s search? What will God find? What will God see? What will be His verdict, and His sentence?

Here is the answer.

I have combinded Psalm 14 then Psalm 53 then Romans 3:9-12 to show the truth about man.

We have in our reading, the Word of the Almighty God, who, as Spurgeon said ‘does not exaggerate or mistake’. God searched the whole of humanity, looking for one that understood, one, even one that sought after Him. One whom could be said ‘doeth good’, yet we have read the result of the finding.

There is none that doeth good (Psalm 14:1)
There is none that doeth good (Psalm 53:1)
There is none that doeth good (Romans 3:10)

They are all gone aside (Psalm 14:3)
They are all together become filthy (Psalm 14:3)

Every one of them is gone back (Psalm 53:3)
They are altogether become filthy (Psalm 53:3)
They are all gone out of the way (Romans 3:12)
They are together become unprofitable (Romans 3:12)

There is none righteous (Romans 3:12)

No not one (Psalm 14:3)
No not one (Psalm 53:3)
No not one (Romans 3:10)
No not one (Romans 3:12)

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yes, that means you too, that means you are a sinner, in need of a Saviour.

Tell me again how Glenn Beck is a Christian?

In a segment speaking about meeting with Billing Graham, notice how he signs off with ” “higher self.

Last August, and the months leading up to Glenn Beck’s I was told how Glenn is leading American “back to God” and how bold it was for a man to talk about God and the Bible.

My response was “which god?” Which god is Glenn leading America too, and if it is not the God of the Bible, then is that really a good thing? The answer, of course, is no. It is not good that American turns to a god and becomes more religious. Would it be better for America to turn from a god of pleasure to a god of legalistic bondage? Or a god of self-interest to a god of patriotism, if they are all false gods? It would be like Israel forsaking the golden calf to worship a golden cat. The only difference would be the presentation.

I used to watch a show when I was a kid called “Mr. Cartoon” and Mr. Cartoon would sign off every day saying “go to the church or synagogue of your choice”. That was the message of 8-28. That whatever truth you come to, that is your truth and hold to that. That is the age we live in; we can have our own "truth" and our truths can be different and even opposite. In the real world, truth cannot contradict itself. 2+2=4, that is an axiom of truth. It doesn't matter how much you want 2+2=5 to be right, and how much you believe it in your heart to be right, it is wrong. There is one God, and one way to God, and it doesn't matter how much you want in your heart to believe that your god is the right god and your way is the right way, it is still WRONG and false if you do not come to God, through faith in Jesus Christ.

I was told and I read how Mr. Beck was a Christian, and he really knows the Christian doctrines and that he wasn’t really a Mormon, in belief, he just didn’t know it. How that Glenn didn’t hold to Mormon doctrine and that once he grows, he’ll leave. On and on.
Your “higher self” and “I am that I am…use it to create who you want to be, I am _____” (2:44).
I’ll not give the link to where I find this definition as I don’t want to send any traffic to their damnable website, but here is a new age cultist speaking on what “higher self” means.

What is your Higher Self?
There are many great words to describe Who or What your highest identity or Self truly is. Below are just a few:
* Higher Self
* I Am Presence
* I Am That I Am
* Pure Being
* Love
* Spirit
* Essence of Life
* Cosmic Consciousness
* Universal Mind
* The Tao
* God
*Christ
* Holy Spirit
And the list goes on...

Depending upon your spiritual path, background, or religious influence, you may be attracted to one or more of these terms. Ultimately, these words are only ideas that point to the unlimited and infinite nature of your True Self. In the end, it does not matter which words you use. It is directly experiencing your Higher Self that you ultimately seek in your heart.

Now that we know what he is urging you to be (your own god), still think that he is a Christian? He is a dangerous man, not because of his political leanings. In fact, I am a conservative and would agree with a lot of his political stances. No, because there is something much more important that this Republic. The soul.

There is only one I AM that I AM, and that is the God of the Bible, Jehovah, Jesus Christ Lord of Glory. There is only one way of salvation, and that is in Jesus Christ through repentant faith, by His marvelous graces, trusting in the His shed blood on the Cross to wash yours sins, that you are forgiven and justified by the receiving Christ Jesus as Saviour.

We are not our own gods, we have no “higher self”. Here is our higher self.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The Hebrew word translated “filthy” is literally defined “menstruation”. That is our “higher self”. We are sinners, impure, rebellious, vile in the sight of a Holy God, and we dare rise up and use His name to “create”? We DARE speak of the god within us? There is nothing in us but a sinful, wicked deceitful heart.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:10-18)

Be careful, and don’t be deceived. The little comments like “higher self” are not expounded, they are just slipped in every now and then. Over and over, you’ll hear things like that, until it starts to sink in, this is how false teachers operate. Do you think it is a coincidence? Why did he want to go and talk to Billy Graham? Why would he talk about Billy Graham and sign off with being your own little god? To deceive. To co-opt a Christian name and ministry and attach it to his new age pot luck religion.

Bringing in the... what?

Psalms 126:5-6
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

If you don't know what "sheaves" are, here is Vincent Van Gogh's Sheaves of Wheat in a Field.



Sheaves are bundles of wheat gathered after the reaping. So, with that being said, bellow is the song I sang as a child that I didn't understand because I didn't know what sheaves were. It would have been nice to have had this picture opposite of the hymn. Isn't it interesting how a picture can change how we understand things? That is why parables and illustrations are so important. They are word pictures. Ages prior to ours, sheaves didn't have to be explained, no more than a gallon of milk needs to be explained today. But for people who are unfamiliar, the picture helps drive the point home and often explains the point.

It is also interesting how you can know the words to a song by heart and yet have no idea what the lyrics mean. We sang this song at church so much as a child I could have easily rattled of the verses from memory. In fact, it has been several years since I sang this song, but I still know the lyrics by heart. And yet for the longest time, I didn't have a clue what sheaves were. It wasn't until a preacher got up after we sang that song and asked "I wonder how many of you know what you just sang about? If I asked each of you, could you tell me?" My first reaction was horror that he might actually ask me, but my second thought was what am I singing about and if I don't know why am I singing?

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,

Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

The Cross, the Crook and the Crown

If there was a list of the most well known passages of scriptures, Psalm 23 would have to be toward the top of the list. Even people who don’t have a clue what it means know the psalm, or at least have heard it often enough. Truly a beautiful Psalm. Psalm 23 is really part two of a three part Messianic Trilogy. Many of the Psalms are Messianic Psalms, meaning simply, they are about the Messiah; they are Jesus Psalms. They are prophecies, praises, and promises of the coming Messiah.

I was reading a book by BH Carroll, and he mentioned that he preached a message on the Cross, the Crook and the Crown. I looked but I couldn’t find that message he preached (it sounded like a good one) but I did like that title, so I used and adapted his title in my message this morning: The Cross, the Crook and the Crown. The three psalms tell a story of our blessed Saviour.

I. The Cross of the Good Shepherd (Psalm 22/John 10:11)
II. The Crook of the Great Shepherd (Psalm 23/Hebrews 13:20)
III. The Crown of the Chief Shepherd (Psalm 24/I Peter 5:4)

I have chosen the way of truth

Psalms 119:29-30 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.

C.H. Spurgeon on the Christians responsibility in Christian living in light of God's Sovereignty.

“As [David] abhorred the way of lying, so he chose the way of truth: a man must choose one or the other, for there cannot be any neutrality in the case. Men do not drop into the right way by chance; they must choose it, and continue to choose it, or they will soon wander from it. Those whom God has chosen in due time choose his way. There is a doctrinal way of truth which we ought to choose, rejecting every dogma of man’s devising; there is a ceremonial way of truth which we should follow, detesting all the forms which apostate churches have invented; and then there is a practical way of truth, the way of holiness, to which we must adhere whatever may be our temptation to forsake it. Let our election be made, and made irrevocably. Let us answer to all seducers, “I have chosen, and what I have chose I have chosen.” O Lord, by thy grace lead us with a hearty free-will to choose to do they will; thus shall thine eternal choice of us bring for the end which it designs.”

It stares you in the face

I was doing some reading about the King James Version, and came upon an interesting quote from in a book entitled The Works of Augustus Toplady volume 2, 1794. My studies were geared toward opinions of the Geneva Bible, specifically the notes as I wondered what was the mind of the people during this time.

The quote that really struck me was why Toplady applauded the removal of the study notes, even though they were Calvinistic in nature.

Toplady is dealing historically with England and the doctrines of grace and Arminianism. There is one chapter devoted to King James I. I've linked to the particular section I'm referring to, and I've done my best to update the spelling of words to their modern spelling and all emphasis are mine.

In 1611, that translation (used at this day) was finished by the excellent divines, to whose care this great work had been assigned, and who had spent about three years in the important employ. Instead of human annotations, the margin of this version is very properly filled with references to parallel Scriptures: so that the Bible is now a commentary on itself. If it be asked 'Whether the ancient notes were omitted, with a simple view to render the Scripture its own interpreter?' I must confess, that this is a question which I can answer by conjection alone.** And my conjecture is, that Jame's suspicious policy was afraid to entrust even the bishops and clergymen of the church of England, concerned in this translation, with the insertion of any marginal notes at all; left some remark or other might flip in, tending to emblazon the wickedness and absurdity of despotic power.

He was a better textary, than to be ignorant, that there are a multitude of passages, and of instance, in the inspired volume which grind the doctrine of non-resistance to powder, and disperse its atoms in empty air. Better, therefore, in James opinion, to forgo all explications whatever, than to run the risque of render those unfavourable passages more visible than they render themselves. This I conceive to have been the true cause of the simplicity, by which our present version is distinguished.

As to the Calvinistic doctrines, there is no need, nor was there any need from the first, of erecting marginal banners, to distinguish in what places of Scripture they are to be found. What I observed, several years ago, concerning the liturgy; I now observe, concerning the Bible; open God's Word where you will, Calvinism stares you in the face.

**(Note: there is a footnote in the text that where he gives an account of the Hampton-court converence in refernce to omitting the study notes of the new translation, to which Toplady says his conjecture is proved to be "...the true and undoubted cause of the said omission.")

The first thing I noted was that Toplady felt the translation to be a "great work". Only those that have an agenda could possibly deny that fact even if they don't read or preach from the KJV. But I thought it good to read some original source words of men of his era giving his opinion of the KJV.

But what really caught my attention was the quote on the omission of the study notes. Toplady was a STRONG Calvinist, and was known for his battles against Arminianism with Charles Wesley. Yet he applauded the removed of the study notes. Why?

They were not needed for the truth to preserver. I agree with his assertion that "open God's Word where you will, Calvinism stares you in the face". The Bible, as its own interpreter is what the child of God needs, and the truth will not falter. The truth IS THERE, and if you open the Bible, you will find God's Grace written there.

I truly believe that if a child of God sat down with an open heart and an open Bible, they would leave the study a Baptist, in belief anyway, because the truths Baptist hold to are taught in God's Word. I don't need a catechism and a theological framework to understand the doctrines of grace, or believers baptism. The truth is there as scripture interprets scripture. Certainly study helps are wonderful tools, but what is wonderful about the truth of God's grace and God's Word is that it isn't dependent upon men because it was not invented by men or is not perpetuated by men. The wonderful truth of grace is found on every page of God's inspired Word and will endure forever because it is God's Word and it is God's Grace.

Dinner Conversation

Here is the transcript from dinner tonight.

Dad: “A Triceratops has 3 horns. A tricycle has three wheels. Both start with TRI. What does that tell us?”
Son: “Oh, I KNOW! A tricycle is a dinosaur!!”

I thank God for the joy of raising little boys!