Faith

FAITH

Romans 10:17; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 11:6

How often we hear, “have faith.” How infrequently we demonstrate our faith. Faith is the first step to salvation, a relationship with Jesus. We find that “. . . faith cometh by hearing.” God has provided for the hearing of the word by building His church during His time here on earth. Therefore we have this instruction, “ . . . and hearing by the word of God.” This publishes the importance of hearing the word of God. That means attendance to the Lord’s church. Yet we must be sure that what is preached from the pulpit is the word of God. That demands that we carry the word of God and follow the scriptures that are used. Here is that scripture; “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 KJB

We have faith as a basis for salvation. Without faith there is no salvation. With our faith, God gives us a free gift of forgiveness of sin. Salvation is completely dependant upon the grace of God. His grace has provide a means to establish a relationship. When we have faith we can be saved and become a child of God. Here is the scripture; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8 KJB

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 KJB Do you believe in God?If you do believe in God, do you want to please God? That means you must exercise your faith in God. Be saved and then through hearing the word, increase our faith. The more time we spend in the word and hearing the word, the more our faith will increase. My prayer, Lord increase my faith.

TO WHAT PURPOSE IS THIS WASTE – MATT. 26:8

Mat 26:8  But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 

Do you believe in being frugal with the Lord’s money? Being careful with the Lord’s money is an admirable trait. But can we be so frugal or careful that we miss opportunities of reaching the lost?

How often we look for direct results from our efforts. How often we are disappointed by the response. We vow not to invest in that means again because it was not profitable. Are we not looking for increase directly from the work we have done? What does the scripture say about increase?

1Co_3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

It is apparent that God gives the increase. Should we then consider that our duty is to be obedient? If we are faithful in obedience, the work will be rewarded. So many today say that house to house door knocking is not effective because they do not see results. Let me rephrase that statement. They do not see results from the work they are directly involved in. I do believe that God wants us to understand he is responsible for giving the increase. This reminds me of a story I read. In a meeting at a certain church a question was asked, how many lost have you lead to the Lord. One woman said, over 2000. That is over an average of 5 per day. There was great pride in the answer. Here we have the “I” in salvation and the pride that attends “I”.

2Co_9:10  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

We need to use God’s approved means and methods. We need to scatter the seed. Sometimes, scattering the seed has a cost. Notice that the scripture above says, “increase the fruits of your righteousness.” Our righteous faithfulness brings the attention of God and he provides the increase. So often we look to the work of our hands to produce the increase when we should look to duty and faithfulness and righteousness and let God provide the increase. Let us be generous in providing for the needs of Soul Winning.

ON THE OBSERVANCE OF DAYS

William Andrew Dillard

The observance of days was very much a part of the Old Testament Law. However to esteem one day more holy than another is foreign to the New Testament. Still there are many in the religious world who would condemn the most dedicated Christian simply because he paused to worship on the “wrong” day. So just what is the truth about the Sabbath and other holy days? Think with me about this as we reference the scriptures for information.
Under the Law it was forbidden to do anything but rest on the Sabbath day. Once, a man was stoned for picking up sticks on the seventh day. “Sabbath” does come from a word that also gives us the number “seven.” However, that same root word also gives us the meaning of “rest.” Then, under the Law, a number of other holy days were designated for special remembrances and worship. So, I have been asked a number of times and probably you have, too, “Why do you not keep the Sabbath?” Think about it!
I do not keep the Sabbath for the same reason that I freely enjoy pork, catfish, frog legs, etc. The Law was fulfilled and removed from us. Not just a part of the Law, but all of it. Col. 2:14-17. The first church met to worship on Sunday, the first day of the week in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus, Who arose on the first day of the week. Is this appropriate? Yes it is! But think with me a little further.
Paul told the church at Colosse that they must not allow men to judge them in respect of new moons, holy days or Sabbaths. So, if the observance of days is unimportant, even wrong, then why do we observe Sunday? The truth is we don’t or at least we should not. This may shock you, but think with me.
We do not observe Easter as a holy day. We say that Easter is all the time with us. Our Lord is risen. We do not observe Sunday as a day more holy than Tuesday or Friday either. But, since the “Christian” world has influenced our calendars and Sunday has been set aside for hundreds of years as a time to worship collectively, we do not buck the trend. It is good that we have a time when it is convenient to assemble to worship. The thing that is important is the spiritual organism of which we are a part—the church. It is our Sabbath!
Much is made of this point in Hebrews Chapter Four. The people of ancient Israel were saved people, but God did not allow them to enter into His rest because they failed to believe Him again and again. That promise of rest to them is given to the New Testament church. However, not all who have their names on the church roll enter into that rest because they do not progress in the teaching of Christ enough to know what He is talking about. However those who are saved, then follow the Lord in baptism, Church fellowship, and continuing discipleship do enter into His rest and cease from their labors even as God ceased from His. Now is this getting clearer?
Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” His rest is Sabbath. Every day is a Sabbath day to the knowledgeable, trusting Christian. Hallelujah! And, this rest we know in Him here and now will continue on in the ages to come, but where will people be when there is no calendar, no days….just one day and it is not named?

PROPHESIED DAYS ARE HERE

(Understanding our day)

William Andrew Dillard

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matt. 24:11-12

The words of the above scripture were spoken by Jesus as He foretold conditions approaching the close of the present age. At that point in time, the church was being cared for by the personal presence of the Son of God. It was totally Jewish as it would be until sometime post-Pentecost. Notice the key words in Greek New Testament writing, their import, meaning, and fulfillment in the present day.

“False Prophets” is “Pseudoprophetes” “False or lying prophets.”
“Deceive” is “Planao” “deceit, fraud, lead one cunningly away from truth.”
“Iniquity” is “Anomia” “Not observant of rule or law; esp. that of God; anarchy.”
“Abound” is “Plethuno” “Multiplied; multitudinous.”
“Love” is “Agape” “Genuine love as for God and His work.”
“Wax cold” is “Psucho” “to cool by blowing (process of evaporation)”

Let us rephrase this precious verse with the definitions above: “Lying prophets shall rise up to cunningly deceive and lead nominal Christians away from truth. Due to the lack of their observing the teachings of God’s Word, spiritual anarchy will be multitudinous and the sweet, pure love for God and His work shall evaporate.”
For the first 1500 years of the Lord’s church, there was persecution from state religion. It never succeeded in eliminating it. So the devil changed tactics beginning with the Protestant Reformation. Now, the church would be counterfeited again, and again, and again practically without end. As those multi-viewed organizations permeated society, all claiming to be the Lord’s church, and engaging in evil and iniquitous practices, there would ultimately come the discouragement, and falling away by those who would rather listen to man than to search out answers from the Creator Himself.
Certainly, the conditions described by Jesus, and those evidenced by present day status appear to coincide. Who, then will stand in this evil day, and in that near day of our King’s appearance Whose question was: when the son of man comes will He find faith on the earth? Those who stand will be those who have sought the true answers; who are not content to hinge their eternal destiny with that of other religious sinners who may be as wrong as wrong can be. Certainly, the world is full of them, and they shall not stand when the Son of Man appears, but will cry for the rock and mountains to fall on them; to hide them from the face of Him Who comes.
To whom are you listening today? Is it the proverbial Dr. Whizbang, or the Word of God? Has your love of God and His Word waxed cold (evaporated)? It is time for each one to get into the Word. Let Dr. Whizbang answer to God for himself, which he most surely will, but he will not, cannot answer for you! You and you alone will do that!

HOLY STUFF OR HOLEY STUFF, WHOLLY?

HEBREW HONEYCOMB
HOLY STUFF OR HOLEY STUFF, WHOLLY?

BY: William Andrew Dillard

Words with the same, or very similar, phonetic sounds are called homophones. Since they are often indistinguishable in sound, understanding them depends on proper context in spoken language, and proper spelling in written form.
“Holy” means sacred, worthy of reverence, etc. “Holey” means full of holes. “Wholly” means all, or complete. The homophonic quality of these words with meanings so different lends itself to a lesson application.
In an acute, spiritually anemic world of religion, many variant voices are heard purporting to be the will of the Lord. Such voices may have a well chosen “springboard” verse of scripture twisted out of biblical context to support the peculiar nuance of the speaker. Pity the poor listener who believes whatever may be set before him simply because a pet scripture has been used as a prop.
A sane and sensible question one should ask is, “Is this message holy stuff or simply holey stuff, wholly?”
Once a scripture has been twisted out of context, it no longer conveys the holy truth it is meant to convey within its context. It is full of holes, and will not hold spiritual water. The practice creates a common commentary of the last days.
Let it be underscored that the Bible is not a disjointed collage of opposing ideas, neither is it a code known only to a select few. It is not the gift of the church to the world, rather it is God’s gift to the church to share with the world that they may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
The honest Bible student will not read into the scriptures pre-supposed ideas, but will read out of the scriptures the contextual ideas that are harmoniously conveyed.
Since the Bible is the plenary word of God, one may be sure that harmony, symmetry, and unity prevail in its presentation to the exclusion of any contradiction whatsoever.
The depth of the inspired instruction is such that the serious Bible student will continue to learn from it as long as he lives, but such learning will always harmonize with the elementary, indisputable lessons first learned.
But, the charlatan purveyors of that which is holey continue in increasing numbers as biblically predicted for the last days. By these things the necessity of a life anchor in the Holy Word is underscored. All who are blessed to know the Lord in these last days do well to “try the spirits” to determine from which source they come. This may take the initial form of simply questioning with a determination to know the answer: “Is this holy stuff, or is it simply holey stuff, wholly?” Every message must stand of fall by the unerring measure of Heaven’s unified Word!

Ignorance Of Scripture Could Be Hazardous To Your Liberty

There is a profound ignorance of Scripture among so-called “Christians.”

Ignorance Of Scripture Could Be Hazardous To Your Liberty

CALLED UNTO LIBERTY, 21ST CENTURY SERMONS

By Francis J. Manion, ACLJ

On October 1st, I had the privilege of defending Mr. George Krail, of Burlington County, New Jersey in a trial in Cherry Hill New Jersey Municipal Court. Cherry Hill, a prosperous stretch of post-World War II suburban sprawl that buried the once blooming orchards of South Jersey beneath miles of asphalt and shopping malls, hosts not one, but two, thriving abortion businesses.  At the Cherry Hill Women’s Center unborn babies up to six-months’ gestation are slaughtered at a breathtaking clip. The Center was the site of thefirst Operation Rescue sit-in back in 1987, and more recently was the location of the notorious viral video by a young actress (an employee of the Women’s Center) who filmed and posted on the web her own abortion. Not surprisingly, then, the place has been a focus of protestors, sidewalk counselors, and prolife activists of all kinds for three decades now.

One of the most faithful of those folks has been George Krail. George, along with his equally zealous wife, Tina, has long been a fixture on the sidewalks surrounding the Women’s Center. A self-described “outlaw biker for Jesus,” George looks like what John the Baptist would have looked like if John the Baptist had worn a leather vest and denim instead of a leather belt and camel’s hair. And while George’s message to the patients entering the Center has always been one of compassion – he and his wife have sheltered in their home literally dozens of frightened, abused, desperate women who were about to have abortions – his message to the abortionists and their henchpersons has always been full bore, all-out John the Baptist. “I tell them they need to repent,” Krail says. “I give them the whole Gospel, not just the nice parts; that God hates the shedding of innocent blood, that Jesus said it would be better to have a millstone put around your neck and be thrown into the ocean than to harm one of His little ones.”

It’s true that not all prolifers necessarily care for George’s approach.  But it’s hard for anybody to argue with his, and Tina’s, record of saving women and their babies from the abortionist’s grasp. I myself once held in my arms one such baby saved by George and Tina’s “whole Gospel” approach, while I argued to a municipal court judge that – given the very tangible (and very squirming) results – the court should forgive the Krails their trespasses at least that one time.

This week’s case involved a charge of “harassment” brought against George by the Director of the Cherry Hill Women’s Center. Among other things, the case illustrated one of the dangers Christians in this country face living in a decidedly post-Christian world, a world that daily loses touch with even a semblance of connection to the Christian roots of Western culture. There was a time in this country when people of all religions, or no religion, were at least familiar with and had some vague notion of the Biblical origin of phrases like “the blind leading the blind,” “a house divided against itself,”  “casting your pearls before swine,” “all things to all men,” and dozens of others. But no more.

So when George Krail, in April of this year, stood outside the Cherry Hill slaughterhouse and yelled in the direction of the Director that “Jesus said, anyone who harms one of these little ones would be better off having a millstone placed around his neck and being thrown into the sea,” he found himself facing a charge of criminal harassment for threatening tohang the Director and dump her body in the Atlantic ocean!

Now, there are plenty of legal arguments, constitutional and otherwise that we are making in answer to this ludicrous charge, arguments the court reserved decision on following yesterday’s trial. (The judge asked the parties to submit further written arguments, after which the he will issue a decision.) But what particularly struck me during the trial was just how profound has become the disconnect between the average American and familiar Biblical allusions that used to be part and parcel of a common cultural matrix. The judge himself expressed surprise to hear Krail testify that the phrase about millstones and harming little ones and being thrown into the sea was actually from the Bible. Likewise the prosecutor and, obviously, the Complainant herself. The good news is that the judge seemed receptive to our argument that, in all likelihood, what happened here was that the Complainant simply misunderstood George’s quotation of Scripture and, being completely unfamiliar with the source, misconstrued it into a literal threat to her immediate safety. Krail might just as well have been speaking Martian.

The great translator of Scripture, St. Jerome, once wrote that “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” But Christians, beware! As this Krail case shows, the ignorance of Scripture that now pervades our post-Christian world could also be hazardous to your liberty.

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Francis J. Manion is Senior Counsel with the ACLJ who emphasizes First Amendment law and pro-life legal matters before state and federal courts. A 1980 graduate of Seton Hall School of Law, Manion honed his litigation skills with more than 15 years of experience as a trial attorney in private law firms where he served as trial counsel on behalf of pro-life demonstrators. He joined the ACLJ in 1996 and emphasizes protecting constitutional rights in the public school, the work environment, and the public arena. Manion also emphasizes defending the public displays of the Ten Commandments and other historic displays that are part of our nation’s heritage. He also focuses on safeguarding the rights of medical personnel who are often required by employers to violate their consciences and religious beliefs by participating in pregnancy-ending procedures.

194 – July 12 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

Catholics and Protestants both engaged in burning Baptists Protestant reformers were sometimes as guilty of atrocities as the Romanists against the Baptists and Anabaptists. Catholics and Protestants taught that tradition, reason and Scripture made it the pious duty of saints to torture and burn men as heretics out of pure love for their holiness and salvation. Protestantism told them that it was a sacred duty to slaughter those as schismatics , sectaries, malignants, who corrupted the Church and would not live in peace with the Reformed. The sad instances of persecution practiced against the Baptists by the Protestants in King Edward VI’s reign are in the Latin version of Foxe’s Book of Martrs but were left out of his English edition in order to protect the reputation of some of the martyrs of Queen Mary’s day who had persecuted the Baptists during Edward’s reign. John Rogers, one of Foxe’s friends, called for the death of those who opposed the baptism of infants. It was reported that Rogers declared “That burning alive was no cruel death, but easy enough.” It is believed that Foxe responded that Rogers himself may be the first to experience this mild burning. And so it was, Rogers was the first to be burned when the Catholic Queen Mary came to the throne. During the last year of Edward’s reign Humphry Middleton was cast into prison by the Archbishop. After Bloody Mary arose to power, the bishops were cast into prison and Middleton was burned at Canterbury on July 12, 1555. The time of baptism as well as the mode was debated at this time because some of the Protestants immersed. So the issue was believer’s baptism v infant baptism. During Mary’s reign the prisons were crowded because both of these positions were anathema to the Catholic Mary. None was recorded by Baptists. Dr. Greg J. Dixon: From This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins/Thompson, pp. 285-86. The post 194 – July 12 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST appeared first on The Trumpet Online.

Atonement

kāpar
Woven into the very fabric of Scripture, and a key to understanding the OT concept of forgiveness of sin, is the word atonement. The Hebrew is kāpar (H3722), from which is derived kippūr (H3725), as used in the name of the well-known Jewish feast Yôm Kippūr (“day” of “atonement” in Leviticus 16).
The root kāpar, as well as its Arabic equivalent, means “to cover over or pacify,” but not in the sense of simply trying to conceal something. “It suggests the imposing of something to change its appearance or nature.” In Isa_28:18, for example, it refers to a covenant being “disannulled” (i.e., “written over”). It also appears in Gen_6:14, where it is translated “pitch,” a substance put over wood to make it waterproof, that is, to change the appearance and nature of the wood. To illustrate further, painters often paint over an existing picture they no longer want and create a new one. The old picture is still there, but has been covered over in such a way as to change its appearance.
This fundamental meaning tells us the true nature of OT atonement: It was a covering for sin not simply to conceal it but to change its appearance and nature. It didn’t remove the sin totally, as Christ’s sacrifice would do, but it did “paint over it.” As mentioned earlier, that is exactly what it means in Gen_6:14 (which actually is the very first occurrence of kāpar). While it’s rendered “pitch,” this is not the usual word for this bituminous substance. Moses’ infant basket, for example, was waterproofed with “pitch,” which is zepeṯ (H2203), what we think of today as “tar” (Exo_2:3). “Whatever the exact nature of this pitch [in Genesis],” writes Henry Morris, “(probably a resinous substance of some kind, rather than a bituminous material), it sufficed as a perfect covering for the Ark, to keep out the waters of judgment, just as the blood of the Lamb provides a perfect atonement for the soul.”
So while “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb_10:4; cf. Heb_10:10), which was only an atonement, our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross did just that. “This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Heb_10:12). While the OT priests never sat down, since the work of sacrifice was never complete, our Lord was the Last Lamb.
Scriptures for Study: Read the following verses, noting what Christ’s sacrifice accomplished: 1Jn_1:7; 1Jn_2:1-2; 1Jn_4:10.

 

Filthy Rags

Clothing makes the man. May we be clothed in the righteousness of the Lord and not found in our own tattered and torn righteousness.

‘iddâ begeḏ

Addressing the ever-increasing propensity for redefining salvation and the gospel nowadays, no teaching is more prevalent today (or throughout history) than the one that insists that salvation is either wholly, or at least partly, the result of human merit or works. There is perhaps no more graphic verse in Scripture that speaks to the contrary, however, than Isa_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.”
Rags is begeḏ (H899), which is the most common OT word for clothing and by itself refers simply to any kind of garment, as in its first appearance in Gen_24:53, where a servant brought jewels and “raiment” to Rebekah. When coupled with a qualifying word, however, it is used to refer to specific types of garments, from something as common as a widow’s clothing (Gen_38:14) to the specialized, holy garments of Aaron (Exo_28:2-4).
Our text, therefore, adds a very unique qualifying word to begeḏ. (We do not wish to offend any reader’s sensitivities, so we will say this as delicately as possible.) Filthy is beged (H5708), which appears only here in the OT and refers to a woman’s menstrual period, and therefore, the cloth that accompanies it when coupled with begeḏ. Does this not clearly demonstrate what all our good works are, what any “righteous deed” we might perform really is? All of them are as filthy and repulsive as begeḏ.
No truth is clearer in Scripture than that salvation is apart from any merit or works of men. Scripture repeatedly declares man’s uncleanness and depravity (Job_15:14-16; Job_25:4; Job_40:4; Psa_51:5; Rom_1:21-32; Rom_7:18; Rom_7:24; Eph_2:1-3) and that works cannot save (Job_9:20; Rom_3:20; Rom_3:28; Rom_4:5; Rom_9:11; Rom_9:16; Rom_9:30; Rom_11:6; Gal_2:16; Gal_3:16-21; Eph_2:8-9).
Sadly, every false religion, cult, and human philosophy teaches that enough works will result in salvation, “renewal,” “enlightenment,” or whatever concept they choose as their goal. Even some today who call themselves evangelicals are diluting salvation by insisting that works have a part in salvation. James makes it clear that works are the result of salvation (Jas_2:14-26), but it is grace (April 6, 7) alone through faith (April 9) alone that is the cause. Let us rejoice this day in God’s power, for that alone can save us.
Scriptures for Study: Read the verses cited above about depravity and the insufficiency of works, and then rejoice in God’s power (and willingness) to save.

 

 

 

HEBREW – Sin (1)

The pictorial power of the Hebrew language,” writes one Hebrew authority, “is seldom exhibited more clearly than in connection with the various aspects of evil.” Of the four main words that indicate sin in the Hebrew, chātā’ (H2398) is used most often and means “to miss the mark.” It is used in this literal sense, for example, in Jdg_20:16, where Benjamin’s 700 left-handed slingers “could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.” It also refers to breaking civil law (Gen_40:1, “offended”).
Human failure and sin, however, are the prominent focus of chātā’. Sin, therefore, means “missing the mark.” Which mark? God’s mark, the mark He sets as the standard, namely, His righteousness and commands. Just as an archer sets his sights on a specific target, it is God’s righteousness at which we “shoot” our arrows, but miss every time.
It is extremely significant that the Septuagint translates chātā’ using the Greek hamartanō (G264), which also means “to miss the mark.” The pivotal NT verse, of course, is Rom_3:23 : “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Again, what is the mark for which we shoot? The glory of God, which includes His righteousness and perfection but we always miss, whether deliberately or unintentionally. As Paul wrote earlier, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom_3:10, paraphrasing Psa_14:3).
If there is one doctrine that has been diluted by modern thought, it is most certainly the doctrine of sin. Opinions vary from “a low self-esteem” and “psychological self-abuse” to simply “felt needs” and personal problems. Even worse, while the word sin, along with its other forms (sins, sinner, sinners, sinful), appears some 900 times in Scripture, many “preachers” refuse to even mention the term. When asked in a television interview about the gospel, one popular leader (who proudly never preaches on sin) said, “To me good news is letting people know that God loves them, Jesus came, that we can overcome any obstacle, that we can be forgiven for our mistakes. I don’t see how beating people down [apparently by preaching about sin] . . . helps them grow closer to God.”
That, however, is not the gospel, as we will see. Oh, how we need to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jud_1:3).
Scriptures for Study: Compare Rom_3:10-18 with the following OT passages, from which Paul either quotes or paraphrases: Psa_5:9; Psa_10:7; Psa_14:1-3; Psa_36:1; Psa_140:3; Isa_59:7-8. His indictment of the Jews has the authority of Scripture behind it.