Long Winded Preaching

The story is told of a congregation who was having trouble with the preacher preaching too long. They and the preacher decided that they would buy a gavel and after one hour, someone would tap on the pew to signal that time was up.  The first night a young boy manned the gavel, but after one hour, the boy was too embarrassed to use it so the preacher continued to preach on.  The congregation looked sternly at the boy.  He became so angry that he tried to hit the pew with a loud knock; however, as he came down with the gavel, he hit the person on the head sitting in front of him.  The wounded member, as he was falling over in his seat said, “Hit me again, I can still hear him!”

All humor aside, it is alarming how people sometimes can’t seem to sit in worship for an hour or so in a comfortable, air conditioned building, yet they have no problem sitting on hard bleachers under a hot sun or in the bitter cold to watch a three and a half hour football game.  It just depends on where your heart is (cf. Matt. 6:21).  The Israelites stood from daylight until midday while Ezra read aloud to them from the
Law of Moses (Neh. 8:1-8).  They wanted to hear it. While in Troas, Paul preached until midnight (Acts 20:7).  This was important.

In the spirit of Matthew 26:40, imagine Jesus saying to you, “What, could you not worship me one hour?” Friends, where would you rather be?

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Born a Christian?

Perhaps there has been no more recognized figure in denominationalism than Billy Graham.  For the past half century, Graham has preached over the radio and television airwaves.  He is famous for his “Crusades” wherein stadiums are rented and filled with people wanting to hear him preach.  Over the past 30+ years he has had access to the highest elected office of our land, the Presidency.  In the book Decision Points, George W. Bush recalls one of Graham’s visits with his family.  George H. W. Bush asked Graham whether or not a “conversion experience” was necessary in order to become a Christian.  Graham’s answer was that some people are just born Christians, no conversion necessary.

The answer flies in the face of what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3 “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Jesus explained that he was not talking about physical birth.  This new birth consists of being born out of water and spirit.  Jesus has reference to baptism, what Paul referred to as the “washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5).  No one can see the kingdom of God without having gone through this process.  Individuals simply are not born Christians, regardless what Billy Graham says.

Jesus also said, “It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (John 6:45).  Christianity is a taught, heard, and learned religion.  If someone were simply born a Christian, there would be no need for such a process.  Jesus would have been wrong to say what he said.

Someone might object and say, “Oh, but what about Hebrews 8:11: ‘And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest’?”  This passage is contrasting the situation under the Old Covenant with the New Covenant.  Men were physically born into the Old Covenant as citizens of the nation of Israel.  They had to be taught to “Know the Lord.”  However, those who are born again do not need to be taught to know the Lord, because they have already been taught to know the Lord prior to conversion.  Upon entering the kingdom they already have God’s word in their hearts and minds.

There are no cases in the New Testament where an individual is born a Christian.  You can search until the proverbial cows come home, and you will not find it.  The New Testament teaches that individuals are converted by hearing of God’s word (Romans 10:17), believing it (Hebrews 11:6), and being obedient to it (Hebrews 5:9).  Billy Graham’s message of salvation does not come from the Bible, but from John Calvin’s theology.  Calvin believed that God personally predestined all individuals to either heaven or hell, and that there is nothing anyone can do to change it.  Graham’s answer is consistent with Calvinism, but not with the Bible.  Let’s believe the Bible and relegate Graham’s opinions (along with all human opinion on this subject) to obscurity.

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Spiritual Growth and Learning

Growth and Learning in the Church

Heb. 5:11-6:3 – 11 of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 but strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Heb. 6:1-3 – 1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

Comments …

The text of our study today has to do with the growth process of a new convert [i.e. one that has recently become a Christian]. The new Christian is considered a baby at the time of their baptism cf. Heb. 5:13 – For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (KJV)   The person who has recently volunteered to be a Christian is like a newborn baby; without ability and ready to begin the growth process from infant to adult [I.e. unknowing child to knowledgeable spiritual adult – one capable of understanding and teaching another person].

Paul is telling the Hebrews that they ought to be full-grown-Christians because of the length of time that they had been Christians. Yet, he chastises them for their failure to grow in the spiritual sense (i.e. from baby to full-grown Christians].

Conclusion:

From this passage of Scripture and others it is apparent that new born Christians are to avail themselves of each and every opportunity that is available to them of learning more and more about their responsibilities and conduct as Christians. Indeed; no Christian will, grow unless they are conscious of the need to ingest more and more spiritual food [i.e. avail themselves of opportunities to learn through Bible study sessions, gospel meetings, and other special opportunities] to learn about their new life; as a Christian.

This growth process is encouraged by the Lord throughout the Scripture; note the following passages that so teach …

Eph. 4:15-16 – 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. KJV

1 Peter 2:2-5 – 2 as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby: 3 if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. KJV

2 Peter 3:15-18 – 15 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; 16 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. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. KJV

So; then; let us come quickly to a proper understanding of our responsibility as a new Christian to put forth reasonable effort to grow spiritually as God directs us. May God bless our efforts to provide opportunities for all new Christians to grow and be eventually mature enough to teach and understand the strong and difficult passages of Scripture.

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Unequal Separation

Separation of Church and State

Children are taught religion every single day at school. Granted, it is not a Judeo-Christian religion that is teaching them a biblical worldview, or even a religion that acknowledges the one True Living God. Nevertheless, they are still being indoctrinated as they sit at their desks. The religion being taught in classrooms today is humanism and atheism. While atheists would cringe at the very suggestion of their belief system being labeled a religion, the fact remains. True, they do not perform sacred acts or worship with songs and prayer, but they do embrace a worldview and place their allegiance in a belief system that is ultimately founded by faith. Ultimately they have their own idols, sacraments, passions, and creed book.

In fact, in 2005 a federal court in Wisconsin ruled that atheism is a form of religion. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals observed: “Atheism is [the inmate’s] religion, and the group that he wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly rejects a belief in a supreme being.” In her latest book Godless: The Church of Liberalism, Ann Coulter proclaimed: “Liberals love to boast that they are not ‘religious’, which is what one would expect to hear from the state-sanctioned religion. Of course liberalism is a religion. It has its own cosmology, its own miracles, its own beliefs in the supernatural, its own churches, its own high priests, its own saints, its own total worldview, and its own explanation of the existence of the Universe. In other words, liberalism contains all the attributes of what is generally known as ‘religion.’”

Secular humanist John Dunphy revealed volumes on this “religious” aspect when he stated: “I am convinced that the battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith….There teachers must embody the same selfless dedication of the most rabid fundamentalist preacher, for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to convey humanist values in whatever subject they teach, regardless of educational level—preschool, daycare, or large state university.”

Yes, children are taught religion every single day at school. But tragically, the religion they are being asked to embrace is a godless religion—a religion in which men assume the role of deity, and self-preservation and pleasure are the ultimate goals. The reality is your children and grandchildren have been caught in one of the largest and most vile loopholes ever created. The loophole of “separation of church and state.” Christianity has been banned from the classroom—yet one religion remains steadfast: atheism.

Never has there been a perversion from the original intent like there is with the concept of “ separation of church and state. ” Every month we read about court cases filed by civil libertarians who have taken it upon themselves to eradicate any religious presence from public viewing. Crosses, nativity scenes and the Ten Commandments are quickly becoming relics of yesteryear as atheists forcefully silence God all across this country. Beginning with the 1948 decision in McCollum v. Board of Education (333 U.S. 203), Christianity has been under attack in the public school system. Within the past decade the judicial system has ruled that prayers at public school graduations and student-led prayers at football games violate the establishment clause. Yet, is this really what separation of church and state are all about?

On January 1, 1802 Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in which he used the phrase “thus building a wall of separation between church and State.” Jefferson was reassuring this Baptist denomination that the government would not interfere with the free exercise of their religion. Yet, civil libertarians have perverted this phrase to be mean: keep references to God, Christ, and the Bible out of public life. They file lawsuits to remove crosses or biblical references from public display. The phrase “separation of church and state” is commonly used like a crutch by atheists desiring to expunge God from society, and yet it is not even found in the Constitution of the United States!

So consider what happens when an academic setting is created that does not allow any reference to Christianity, the Bible, or Jehovah God because we must separate “church and state”—and yet, this same school system actively teaches the religion of atheism. To put it bluntly, atheism has a free pass, with no competitors or conflicting viewpoints. It is the state-sanctioned and state-protected religion. If liberals are going to argue for the continued separation of church and state, then isn’t it time we eradicate the godless religion of atheism as well? Because as the system stands, the only “religious” course offered is the godless system of atheism—and it’s a religion that is currently being taught every single day.

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Never Forget

We Must Not Forget!

As humans, we are prone to bouts of forgetfulness. As the age-old “joke” goes, three things leave us as we grow older: our memory, “…and I forget the other two things.” The word of God often repeats this necessary admonition. In the Old Testament, Moses provides keys to spiritual success and faithfulness to the second generation of Israelites who left Egypt (lessons their parents did not learn), and among them were his words to remember and never forget (cf. Deut. 9:7). In the New Testament, no passage exists better to emphasize this than the words of Paul in First Corinthians 11:23-26. Concerning some problems with reference to their memorial of the Lord’s Supper, Paul relayed what the Lord Jesus said as he instituted this important event: “… this do in remembrance of me .” Undoubtedly, this is among the reasons why the early church observed this faithful communion every first day of the week (cf. Acts 20:7). This principle carried over from the Old Testament into the New Testament—we need to remember often the significance of the death of our Savior, and Jesus knew this as He instituted this memorial.

With this emphasized principle in mind, let us learn some lessons with reference to an event in the life of the great man of God, Abraham. In Genesis 12, we have the significant statements of Jehovah to him: Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed . (Gen. 12:1-3).

Nevertheless, Abraham knew he and his wife, Sarai, were too old for a child, and time passed after this promise without any results. With a little doubt and evidently in great need of some assurance, Abraham asks God if he could have children through his servant, Eliezer (Gen. 15:2-3). Thus, God assures Abraham and reminds him of His great promise that He would be faithful to deliver. After Abraham successfully proves his faithfulness to God, God again reminds him of His promise: “ That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies ” (Gen. 22:17). Two wonderful illustrations He uses with reference to His promise would stay with Abraham the rest of his life.

If he looked down, he would remember the promise of God, for his eyes could behold the sand on the seashore. In his vain attempt to number each grain, he would understand what God has said in His great promise. If he looked up, he would remember the promise of God, for his eyes would behold the number of stars in the sky. One has tried to number the stars in the sky in any given night into the thousands, but as we understand the wonderful solar system God created, they are innumerable. Thus, during the day (sand), he could remember the promise of God, and during the night (stars), he could remember the promise of God. Therefore, these two illustrations show how Abraham could remember the wonderful promises of God, and how we ought never to forget what God has promised those of us who are His children!

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