God Bless America

Today I read an article written by Dr. Tom Ascol entitled A Theology of Tragedy. You can read this excellent article at http://www.founders.org/blog/2006/09/theology-of-tragedy.html. This article is precise in it's biblical assertions, well written, and may stretch your theological mindset.

One question which arose while reading Dr. Ascol's article was how much had God changed me since September 11, 2001. I went back to read some of the things which I had written for publication and had preached since that awful day in our lives. What I found is that while I feel that God was definitely at work in my life and my preaching during the early days after 911, I no longer feel as inclined to state specifically that I know exactly what God's exact purpose is in anything that occurs. The article that follows was written October 5, 2001 for publication in the local newspaper. While the article continues to adequately represent my theological position, I will note in a couple of areas where my feelings have changed a degree or two.

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God Bless America
Larry W. Brown
Friday, October 5, 2001

While driving up and down our highways, one cannot help but be impressed with the number of signs reading God Bless America. In the beginning, (immediately following 9-11) I looked at this as a signal that America was waking up to her need of God. As time has progressed, however, I have detected emptiness in this much like that of the Israelite nation as recorded in Hosea 6. Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Hosea 6:1-2 KJV.

Just like a vending machine spitting out its wares, we expect God to pour out His blessings at our beck and call. After all, He is God. And being God, He is supposed to bless us. It is in God's job description to bless His people. All we have to do is ask. Or is it?

God Desires to Bless His People
When Pharaoh and his army pursued the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, God protected His people. Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:13-14 KJV. God's hand did provide for them on that day and on many other days afterward. There was a very good reason for that. Exodus 14:10 declares that when the Israelites saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them they were very frightened and cried unto the Lord for help. They had run headlong to the sea, the place of death. Death was in front of them and death was behind them. But their trust was in the Lord and their hope was certain. God delivered them.

I do not know of an instance in the scripture where God hands out gratuitous blessings. That is not to dispute the reality that the unjust enjoy good things from God right along with the faithful but God's direct favor to a person or a nation has always come because of faith which results in our trusting Him. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:9 that they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, the promise is given to King Asa, who had been unfaithful to the Lord, that "the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him."

God's Blessings are Conditional
Much of the bible message can be summed up in the words, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV. The truth is that God wants to bless America. (Looking back I don't know that I can substantiate this last statement. I may have been presuming too much about what God wants to do. The one thing that I am certain of is that it is His will to glorify His name and that He will do.) From the beginning of time, He has blessed those who would walk close to Him and obey Him. It is that close walk and obedience which is the key to blessing from God. The Power of God was manifest on behalf of Israel at the Red Sea but getting across Jordan was another story. When Israel believed the majority report of the spies who had seen the land God had promised, "the LORD was wroth, and sware, saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers." Deuteronomy 1:34-35. Lack of absolute trust in God earned for these people the title "evil generation." Like the Promised Land He promised Israel, God has blessings for His people today that defy description. But as with Israel of old, God expects our total commitment to His guidance in order to realize those blessings. Deuteronomy 28:1-2 outlines the rewards Israel would receive for obedience. "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." Verses 3-14 fill in the details. Notice, in verse two that these blessings "shall come on thee, and overtake thee." If you are faithful, trusting and obedient, you just can't help but be blessed. (Whatever the word "blessed" actually means. Many things have happened in my life since this article was written that have taught me that "blessings" often don't take the form we imagine.) In contrast, the remainder of the chapter declares the "curses" which will "shall come on thee, and overtake thee" (the nation) for disobedience. "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field." Deuteronomy 28:15-16 KJV. God, then, is not a vending machine who passes out his favors for every frivolous cry for His help from those who do not meet the conditions to receive his blessings.

Why should God withhold his blessings from America?
Deuteronomy 32 is a very interesting chapter, especially in light of the events of September 11 in our country. "But Jeshurun (America) waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges."

America is a highly secularized nation.

We can no longer call ourselves a Christian nation in any respect. Of course, there are Christians in the nation and, as always, God has His remnant. This was true in ancient Israel and it is true today. And while there are manifold blessings for knowing God as individual Christians, when the nation suffers, all suffer. In this regard, God does not cause mans inhumanity to man, He simply does not prevent it. He has "hidden His face from us." (As I look back, I remember what I meant when I wrote the last two sentences. God withdrew His hand allowing the terrible events of 911 to occur. I believed then that God likely was involved only in a passive manner. While that may have been true, I do not have a clear window into the mind of God. What the terriosts meant for evil, perhaps God meant for good.)

According to a recent survey by the Barna Research Group only 41% of adults in America's twelve largest denominations can be classified as born again. Only about 41% of the adults surveyed believed in the total accuracy of the bible. Only forty percent believed Christ was sinless and 27% believed Satan to be real. That is the state of the twelve largest Christian groups in America and says nothing of the millions of Americans who claim no religious affiliation at all. Americans, including most Christians, are biblically illiterate. Either we have no idea what the Word of God actually has to say or we no longer care. Mainstream churches or branches of them now routinely accept homosexuality into the church. Abortion is the plague of America, differing from the Jewish Holocaust only by its immensity. Prayer and the Ten Commandments have been removed from our schools. Even conservative churches routinely accept extra-marital sex as acceptable. Drugs have become the scourge of our society, a self-inflicted wound from which there may be no recovery. There are churchmen who are telling us that God is not the God we always thought He was. According to the Open Theists of our day, He is neither omniscient nor omnipotent. He makes mistakes. He regrets His actions. His advice to His people has not always worked out. He is not the sovereign God of both the old and the New Testaments. How can God bless a society so openly hostile to Him? Our walk does not equal our talk. We have disdained knowing God in our land and yet we continue to ask for His blessings. In Hosea 6:6-7, we find God's final word: "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me." Hosea 6:6-7 KJV.

Will God Bless America?
In great contrast to the sixth chapter of Hosea stands the fourteenth chapter. In chapter 6, the Israelites offered something less that real repentance for their sins. They gave lip service to repentance and thought God would hear them and respond just because He is God. They gave no thought to a real change in their lives. They sought God's blessings without making any commitment to Him. In chapter 14, however, there is a difference in their approach. They ask God for forgiveness of their sins, for which they are genuinely sorry. They then promise to keep their promises to God. It is as important for us to keep our promises to God as it is for God to keep His promises to us. Then they acknowledge that God is their only source of protection. Assyria cannot protect them nor can they trust their (war) horses. They get rid of the other gods in their lives. Only the God of their fathers can give them the blessings they seek.

More important that putting up signs saying God Bless America, America must go to God and seek forgiveness of sins. We must once again keep our promises to God. So much is required of us in the real work of becoming disciples. We must change the way we live and the way we think. God must be honored in our lives. When we once again know God in the way He desires, we will once again know the blessings of God. To paraphrase Hosea 14:5-7 "I will be like a dew to America, and they will blossom like a lily. Like the cedar trees in Lebanon, their roots will be firm. They will be like spreading branches and the beautiful olive trees and the sweet-smelling cedars in Lebanon. The people of America will once again live under my protection. They will grow like the grain, and they will bloom like a vine, and they will be famous as the wine of Lebanon."

May God Bless America!

What God Does For Us

Romans 8:26-31

September 10, 2006

Romans 8:26-31 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (27) And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? KJV

Intruduction: In her classic work, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, Hannah Whitehall Smith begins by stating, "In introducing this subject of the life and walk of faith, I desire, at the very outset, to clear away one misunderstanding which very commonly arises in reference to the teaching of it, and which effectually hinders a clear apprehension of such teaching. This misunderstanding comes from the fact that the two sides of the subject are rarely kept in view at the same time." She then continues on to say, "I would like to state as clearly as I can what I judge to be the two distinct sides in this matter... To state it in brief, I would just say that man's part is to trust and God's part is to work."

In these words, we find the error in which the passage at hand is most often intrepreted. We live as though we believe that God merely helps us in what we do." Here is the cause of the failure of the modern church to see anything much happen which can be explained only by the direct demonstration of the grace and power of God. We have both manipulated the spirit and perfected our skills until the genuine manifestation of the power of God is rarely seen. When Dr. Lewis Drummond spoke of "The Revival That Must Come," he referred to a revival where simple trust produced an outpouring of the Spirit of God.

Before we go further, I would like to read my paraphrase of this wonderful passage of scripture.

26. The Spirit always acts to counteract our weaknesses. For example, we do not know how to pray but the Spirit prays for us and through us with words we cannot even speak.

27. And God, who knows the deep thoughts of our hearts also knows the intent of the spirit as He prays for God's people in accordance with God's will.

28. We know that God enters into all things to work His good on behalf of those who are chosen according to His purpose.

29. God has always known who His chosen ones would be because he had already decided to make them like His Son, in order that his Son might be the first among many children.

30. Much more than that, those whom God had chosen, all of them did He call to salvation, and those whom He called to salvation, He also made them right with Himself, and finally, those whom he made right with Himself, He saw to it that everyone of them continued on to share in His glory.

31. In view of all this, Since God is on our side, who or what can overcome us?

A. WHAT THE SPIRIT DOES FOR US.

B. A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF MAN'S INABILITY.

C. GOD WHO KNOWS THE MIND OF THE SPIRIT AND THE INTENTS OF THE HEART ACTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS OWN WILL.

D. SALVATION IS WHAT GOD DOES FOR HIS PEOPLE.

(Exodus 14:13) And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today.

Conclusion:

George Mueller
David Brainard
Welsh Revival of 1904
New Hebrides Revival of 1949

Green Brier Baptict Church

Utica, KY

September 10, 2006

"Poppy, We Could Get In Trouble For This"

Friday was Grandparent's Day at my grand-children's elementary school. Two days earlier I had received an excited call from my grandson Chris asking if I could come have breakfast with him and Kasie for Grandparent's Day. I was not too thrilled with the idea of driving forty-five minutes to sit on undersized furniture at 7:15 AM and then to lumber up on the bleachers as I am inclined to do if I happen to find a seat but being with these two cookie-crumblers anytime really excites me.

Breakfast was good and the price was right. Two biscuits, two sausage patties and a "pouch" of milk the kids had to teach me to operate set me back a whole buck-fifty.

After the meal, we retired to the gymnasium where I lumbered up the bleachers as expected. While we were waiting for the program to begin Kasie, who is in Kindergarten, was sitting in my lap when she just happened to spot my pocket New Testament. As 5 year olds are inclined to do, she reached and took it from my pocket. "What's this, Poppy?" she inquired as she began to flip through the pages. That's Poppy's Bible, I explained. A look of dread instantly spread over her five year old face. As she quickly returned it to me, she exclaimed, "We're not supposed to have these, Poppy! We could get into trouble."

May God Bless the USA!

The Hope of Glory

Romans 8:18-25 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (19) For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. (20) For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, (21) Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (23) And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (24) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? (25) But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Introduction: Many Christians have the idea that Christians should not suffer, but suffering is as much a part of life as is good health. That is like saying that the rainy season is as natural as the dry times, that cold is as natural as hot, and that feast is co-equal with famine as part of life's variety. Sin introduced suffering into the world. There are many reasons why Christians suffer. Before we turn to those, let us look again at my paraphrase of the passage.

18. Because of our confidence in God, we are certain that there is no comparison between the sufferings of today and the glory which we shall experience afterward.

19. All of god's creation is eager for Him to show who His children are.

20. The creation has been kept in check because of man's disobedience, yet not without hope.

21. When god reveals who His children are the curse of the earth shall be removed and all of creation shall emerge into glorious liberty with them.

22. Even now, throughout the whole earth, all of creation experiences birth pains with us.

23. There is a yearning deep within us for God to show who his children are, for then those of who have experienced the redeption of the spirit will also experience the redemption of the body and our whole being will be free.

24. We are saved by hope and since we have not yet received the promise, we continue in our earnest expectation that His next blessing will be the best blessing.

25. Though we have not yet received this blessing, the nearer we come to the time, the more precious is appears to us.

I. THE GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US. v.18

A. Revelation of the sons of God.
B. No comparison! How shall we know?

II. ALL OF CREATION IS EAGER FOR THIS REVELATION. v.19

A. All of creation was cursed because of man's sin but not without hope. v.20
B. When God reveals His chilren this curse shall be removed. v.21

III. EVEN NOW THE WHOLE EARTH IS EXPERIENCING THE PAINS OF THIS BIRTH. v.22

A. We have a deep down yearning for God to reveal His Children.
B. Up to now we have only received the redemption of the Spirit.
C. We await the redemption of the body. v.23
D. Our whole being will be free.

IV. WE SAVED BY HOPE. v.24

A. This hope is based upon our relationship with Him.

For we are not timid as slaves, but the Spirit gives us condfidence to be intimate with God as a child looks to his earthly father expecting the next blessing. Romans 8:15.

B. We are certain that His next blessing will be the best. v.24.
C. The longer we wait, the more precious this blessing appears to us.

Conclusion: Our glory, which Paul speaks of in ths passage comes when "the fulness of days" has come and God reveals who His children are. We can't know just when that time will come but we can answer His call to prepare in order to be ready for His coming. Jesus spoke of five wise virgins and five foolish virgins. Five were ready. Five were not. Which group will you be a part of?

Green Brier Baptist Church
Utica, KY
September 3, 2006

We Are Debtors!

Sermon Preached at
Green Brier Baptist Church
August 27, 2006


Romans 8:12-17 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Introduction: Paul begins here with the words, "Therefore... we are debtors." If you stop and think about it, we become debtors because we receive something. Often we do not receive full value for the obligations we incur, but not so in our dealings with God.

In the previous passage we are told that we have received (1) Release from Condemnation, (2) the righteousness of God, and (3) the resurrection life. The proof of this transaction is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That is why we are debtors. Let’s look at my paraphrase of this passage.

12. Because of this, we are obligated to abstain from living according to our human nature.
13. Living according to our human nature only brings death, but life led by the spirit is our participation in the resurrection.
14. Only those people who are led by the Spirit of God are really His children.
15. For we are not timid as slaves, but the Spirit gives us confidence to be intimate with God as a child looks to his earthly father expecting the next blessing.
16. It is through this intimacy that God's Spirit confirms that we are truly his children.
17. We have confidence then, that we will possess the limitless treasure troll of God right along with Christ. Sharing his sufferings results in the sharing of His glory.

This passage speaks of the results of salvation in our lives. The debt that we owe must be repaid. Here, we look at not the why, but at the how, we are to repay the debt.

I. WE ARE DEBTORS! v.12-13

A. Because we have received priceless salvation.
B. To live by human nature brings death.

1. To return to the fallen condition.

a. impossible
b. caused God to send Jesus

2. We have received real life

II. WE ARE SPIRIT LED! v.14-17

A. Body is dead and the Spirit is life because of righteousness. v.13 (12)
B. God's children are spirit led. v.14
C. We have confidence that God will treat us right. v.15
D. We have this confidence because we are sure that we are His children. v.16
III. WE HAVE AN INHERITANCE! v.17

A. Suffering
B. Glory

Conclusion: Only those who will go through the valley of the shadow of death with Him will experience His glory. We look to pass from death unto life but life is received because we pass through death with Him.

He Came Unto His Own

He Came Unto His Own - a Bible Study on John 1:11-13

Joh 1:11-13 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

During the early sixties, John 1:12 was popularly quoted, most often with a great lack of understanding. These were the days when there was a renewed awareness of God. The "God is Dead" controversy had met its own demise. I remember struggling with the book written by Langdon Gilkey entitled "Naming the Whirlwind: The Renewal of God Language." It took me a month to understand all the words in the first chapter in which Gilkey assured us that God is not dead as many had supposed. People were talking about God. People were finding God everywhere and it was believed by many that it was a very easy thing to do. Count me in the many. After all, the Word said, "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." As diligently as I struggled to understand Gilkey, I never took time to understand this passage in context. We never stopped to think that perhaps we weren't finding God, but that God was finding us. After all, we were lost, not He.

These verses raise several questions that must be answered in order for the passage to be understood.

1. Who is it that is referred to as "his own" in verse 11?
2. Why did "his own" receive him not?
3. What power did God give to those who became his children?
4. What does it mean to believe on His name and how do you do it?
5. What does it mean to be born of God?


Who is it that is referred to as "his own" in verse 11?

The passage begins by telling us that he came unto his own. Who are those that are called "his own"? When I looked into the several commentaries to which I have access, I found that a great number of writers and theologians believe that the “his own” referred to here refers specifically to the nation of Israel. While it is true that the "his own" is this passage does speak of Israel specifically, it does so, it seems to me, in the same way that Adam is spoken of as representing the entire world. Jesus did not die for the sins of Israel alone but for the sins of the entire world. It seems to me that it is better to understand the "his own" of verse 11 as all of God's creation, after all, in verse 10 we are told, "He was in the world... and the world knew him not."

This is a rather lengthy explanation of "his own" but we need to be certain that we know that the world is His. He has a proprietory right to it. It is His because He made it. We are His because He created us. Psalm 24:1-2 declares, "The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods." The earth and all that dwell therein are His by right of creation and ownership. That includes all the plants, all the animals, and all of us.

It should not be difficult for us to understand that the inhabitants of the garden were His. He made them for His glory. Adam and Eve understood His ownership, at least until disobedience brought death into their world.


Why did "his own" receive him not?

Satan deceived Adam and Eve into believing that the Word of God might not be true. God had said, "You eat this fruit and you shall surely die." Satan said, "Truthfully, God knows that you shall not die." In this case, half-truth is worse that no truth at all. While it is true that sin did not cause an immediate death of the body, there was, nonetheless, an instanteous death. This immediate death was neither the death of the body nor the death of the soul, but rather the death of the spirit, the part of man which allows us to communicate in the spiritual realm. Evidence of this death is first revealed in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of God and testified to by Paul in Ephesians 2:1 when he states, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Herein is found the answer to the question, "Why did his own not receive Him?" They were spiritually dead. A dead person can do nothing! They cannot see, hear, feel, smell, or think. A dead person cannot act in any way. Adam and Eve could not relate to God after the fall because God is a spirit and their spirits were dead. In Romans 8:5, Paul said it this way, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." In First Corinthians 2:12-16, Paul explains what I am saying here. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (15) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (16) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

In Genesis 6:5, God, Himself, observes "that every imagination of the thoughts of his (mankind’s) heart was only evil continually." Again in Genesis 8:20, God acknowledges that evil totally controls the thoughts of man. The will of mankind has been totally subverted by sin.

It is often said that God made man free to choose. He did. Man chose. He chose sin and disobedience rather than obedience and trust. As a result, unregenerate mankind is now the slave of sin. It is not that he will not come to God. He cannot. Not on his own at least. Man does not have free will. He has free agency. This is an important distinction because mankind can never choose against his own sinful nature. So, then, "He came unto his own and His own received Him not." This was not due to the lack of invitation. There is a general invitation inviting all people everywhere to come to Him. God has said whosoever will, may come.

The difficulty with this general invitation is two-fold. First of all, no one responds positively to it. Not even one person has ever responded to the “whosoever will” call of God. The second difficulty with this universal invitation is that we suppose that some or many will respond positively. Here is what the bible says about this matter. Rom 3:9-20 “... for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; (10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (13) Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: (14) Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: (15) Their feet are swift to shed blood: (16) Destruction and misery are in their ways: (17) And the way of peace have they not known: (18) There is no fear of God before their eyes. (19) Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (20) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” The bible clearly states that nobody will ever come to God by his or her own free will. Charles Spurgeon once said, freewill never sent anyone to heaven, but it has sent many people in the other direction. Considering, therefore, man's helplessness God has acted on our behalf to bring life to those who would be saved.


What power did God give to those who become his children?

Imagine this. Those who are "His own" are slaves to sin in such a way that they have no awareness of sin because they are dead. The term we have used all of our lives describes the lost ones correctly. They are spiritually dead. Enticed by Satan, the original inhabitants of the earth could not trust God. They hid from Him because their spirits were dead. This is the curse that has followed to all of us. We do not trust God because we cannot. The lost person has exactly the same hope as Lazarus as he lay in the tomb. I could stand in the graveyard and shout all day and not one dead person would hear but just let God call his name and he immediately responds. It is the power of God that gives new life.

Apart from the intervention of God, no one will become his child. This is the explanation of verse 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.... In John 3:3 and 1 Peter 1:3, 23 we see the term "born again." The greek word (gennao) translated here literally translates begotten anew or begotten from above and emphasizes the activity of God in salvation. Salvation is not initiated by mankind but by God. He gives the power and the grace. In John 5:21, Jesus is quoted as saying, "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will." We always called this power that He gives conviction. Whatever you cal it, it is what happens when a person actually becomes aware of his or her need for God. In John 16:8 Jesus, speaking of the Holy Spirit, declares, "And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." (ESV) Perhaps the plainest statement on this comes from John 6:43-45 where Jesus says plainly, "Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 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." Can it be said any clearer, a special teaching, a divine revelation, a personal anointing comes from the Father giving a person a new insight into his or her sin nature. God teaches us to hate our sin as much as He hates it Himself. At this, we should cry out with Isaiah, "Woe is me! for I am undone...."

This power is the power to see both God and ourselves. It is the power to recognize that apart from God we have no hope. It is that which was lacking in the life of the rich young ruler when he went away sorrowful (Mat 19:22). Though he came to Christ and inquired concerning the way to have eternal life he went away sorrowful. Today, I often find myself repenting of the number of times when someone asked me, "What must I do to be saved? And I answered, (1) Do you believe God loves you?, (2) Do you believe you are a sinner?, (3) Do you believe God will forgive you if you ask Him to do so? If they answered yes, "I said pray this prayer....” Jesus sent the rich young ruler away sorrowful. He was willing to accept Christ nominally but was not willing to commit his entire heart, mind, soul, spirit, and body to Him. Unless God had taught him he could not do that. What a revelation we find in John 6:45, "Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." What a wonderful liberating promise for the one who is telling of God's power to save. We are not responsible for the results but we are responsible to tell every lost person about God.


What does it mean to believe on His name and how do you do it?

Jesus said unless a person is born again he cannot be saved. Born again translates literally to “begotten again from above.” There is something wonderful and powerful that occurs in this second begetting when we are begotten of God from above. It is not of an earthly conception that we are born again. It is from above. Peter states that from this begetting we are born again of an incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23). When Lazarus was called to life by the voice of the Lord, he was still in the tomb - still bound in his grave clothes. He was not yet free from them but he was very much aware of them for the first time. When Jesus cried, Lazarus, come forth, no one had to cajole or convince him to leave the tomb. He obeyed the voice of God. Because we receive this teaching (John 6:45) from God we will always come to Him for Salvation when He calls. None will ever do any other. When one comes to the foot of the cross in simple faith, trusting God to do only what God can do, God has already provided both the power and the grace to do it.


What does it mean to be born of God?

John 1:3 states, "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." What do these words mean?

The first thing that the verse tells us for certain is that those who had become the children of God had savingly believed on the name of Jesus. The one thing that is missing from the testimony of many people is absolute trust. As previously stated, people don't trust God because they cannot trust him. By grace and through the revelation of truth, those who come to Him are able to savingly believe.

This verse makes it very clear. This does not happen because of the will of man but by the will of God. Sin has made it impossible for us to will to be right with God but when God calls us, He wills it on our behalf.

The result: we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father (v.14). He came into the world and the world did not know Him, that is, the world did not see His glory. Make no mistake about it. Salvation is not about us. It is about some, a portion - those who would be saved, recognizing the glory of God.

I'll close by quoting one of my favorite passages for in it is expressed the sum of God’s eternal purpose: "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. (Psa 115:1-3 ESV)

Let me quickly add an important footnote. If you have read this Bible study and you are not a born again child of God, it could be that God is calling you right now to come to Him. Won't you bow your head just now and cry out to God for mercy. Here is a prayer prayed first by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. You can make it your prayer if you will.

"Lord, I am guilty, I deserve thy wrath. Lord, I cannot save myself. Lord, I would have a new heart and a right spirit, but what can I do? Lord, I can do nothing, come and work in me to will and to do thy good pleasure.

Thou alone hast power, I know,
To save a wretch like me;
To whom, or whither should I go
If I should run from thee?

But I now do from my very soul call upon thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of they dear Son... Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus' sake.

(From Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1973], pp.101f.)

If you would like to discuss your salvation I would like to hear from you. Email Me.

Crashed and Burned: Paramount Stint Over For The Top Gun

He's the guy with the baby face, the face which never seems to age. Regardless of what is being publicly stated, perhaps the real reason The Top Gun finally crashed and burned is found in his refusal to grow up.

I like Tom Cruise. On the screen, he is always fresh and young, oh so young. You just have to like a guy who always seems to be smiling. His demeanor seems to say that he always gets the utmost pleasure from life.

But does he? What is real pleasure? Can you find real joy in worldly pleasures? Does pledging your faithfulness to one person and then changing to another when the new wears off find you real purpose? Can you find it in fame and fortune? Can it be achieved in brief media notoriety that one achieves by making outlandish statements or by acting out in crazy ways? Is lasting pleasure to be had by becoming part of a religious group which is on the fringe at best and then making bizarre and outrageous claims in the name of that group. Scientology itself may yet ground this Top Gun. For a humorous view of the zany antics of Tom Cruise go to http://www.TomCruiseIsNuts.com.

What I am describing in the life of Tom Cruise is another kind of religion. It can be practiced wherever you are, in the limelight or out of it. It is called Hedonism. Hedonism is the deliberate and wanton pursuit of pleasure. It is not just a part of Tom Cruise's life, it is the way many of us have been taught to live today. We come to the place where we believe that life is all about us. We are the center axis upon which the universe rotates. Life is about my immediate pleasure. This is not a new philosophy. It has existed for thousands of years. It is practiced by the non-religious and it is practiced by the religious. There are Baptist Hedonists, Catholic Hedonists, Methodist Hedonists, Pentecostal Hedonists, Evangelical Hedonists and Hedonists in every place there is organized religion. Outside of religion, it exists within the lives of those who have determined to make any changes necessary in their society in order that they may make more money or have more pleasure in their life. Nothing else can explain the changes we have seen in America for the past 60 or 70 years. (I can't remember back further than that.)

Tom Cruise is an icon. He is us. He is the representative of the teeming millions searching for meaning and purpose and real happiness in life. We search diligently only to discover that what meaning, peace and joy, we thought we found is fleeting. We find ourselves as wise King Solomon who "became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." Like Solomon we crash and burn because our search is for all the wrong things in all the wrong places.

What Solomon ultimately discovered is that it was not about him. It was and is about God. Solomon's conclusion must be the message our broken world ultimately hears: "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them"; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut--when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low-- they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets-- before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecc 12:1-7 ESV) Real allegiance to Jesus Christ, will make all the difference in our lives as we delight in Him and delight to bring Him glory.

In closing, I commend to all who will read them, 2 small books. The first is Cat and Dog Theology by Bob Sjogren and Gerald Robison. I have read it several times in the past couple of years. Every time I read it, it brings something new to my walk with the Lord. The second is a little book by John Piper entitled, The Dangerous Duty of Delight. While I may disagree with Dr. Piper about some of his nomenclature, this little book may change your mind about the entire purpose of your Christian life. Links to the web sites where you can get more information about these books are located on my web site at http://www.thegoodnewsmall.com.

We need to be on a course to reclaim America one person at a time. If just one more person finds real peace and real joy today, that is one who will not crash and burn.

Enough - a Devotional by Rhonda Brown Stone

A few weeks ago, the following devotional, written my our daughter Rhonda was published in the online edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. http://www.theoldschoolhouse.com
I believe it is worth sharing here.

Signed

Proud Dad


Enough
By Rhonda Brown Stone, Winchester, KY

Recently I was asked to do something in church that I really, really hate to do - speak in front of the congregation. My family and friends can tell you how much it terrifies me to speak in front of a crowd. It immediately changes me into the town idiot! But that Sunday was a little different situation in that it was not my thoughts, words, or ideas that would be heard, weighed, and judged, but someone else's thoughts, words, and ideas. This only made things worse because I could make two people look bad at once!

Let me explain. My family and I have become friends with a Deaf pastor. That weekend he had driven several hours to visit the Deaf in our church just to get to know them some. When our pastor asked if he would share in our Sunday morning worship service to let our congregation know of any prayer needs he had in his ministry, I thought it was a wonderful idea. That is, until I realized he would need a voice interpreter for the hearing people to know what he was saying. This meant someone familiar with how he signs would need to voice, and they thought I was the woman for the job. I was absolutely and positively sure I was not. There are times I can't understand him when we are just talking in the living room, much less under pressure before nearly 800 people. What's more, I knew I would need to use a microphone - that alone nearly sent me packing. But he and his wife were so encouraging and really believed I could do it. (Did I hear someone whispering, "blind faith?" Oh, that sounded like my voice.)

All Saturday night I prayed and sweated. Come Sunday morning I was ready for church before anyone else, so I sat down with my Bible for some comfort and reassurance. I turned to Proverbs 21, but it wasn't until the last verse that my comfort came. The verse was underlined with a bright pink highlighter. I don't remember ever doing that, but there it was nevertheless.

The verse read:

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory rests with the Lord."

I felt God patiently and lovingly but firmly saying, "You're the horse." Just what every woman wants to hear, right? Yet, just what I needed to hear. I had done all I could to prepare in my own power. OK, granted, sweating may not be effective preparation, but I had prayed. I had been working very hard to learn sign language. I had developed a relationship with the Deaf pastor and his family. I had done all I could do and even though I didn't feel I had done enough, God was saying the victory rested with Himself. What a Word! I don't need to tell you how things came about: what God promises, He performs! The congregation was able to "hear" his heart through my voice. The message came forth clear and true, for which I say, "Glory to God!"

Why tell this story? Many, many times in my homeschooling experience I have felt, well, terrified. I've kicked (not literally, but spiritually) and screamed (spiritually and sometimes literally, I'm ashamed to say). I've cried, prayed, and sweated knowing what a great responsibility it is to educate our children! A privilege, yes. A joy, yes. But sometimes that does not ease the weight of responsibility that can bear down on me at times. But my God is faithful! What He calls me to do, He Himself equips me to do, AND THE VICTORY RESTS WITH HIM! My job is to be like the horse. Ready. Prepared. Following the direction of my Master.

"... being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you [me, my
children, my family] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ
Jesus." Philippians 1:6

So, when you feel overwhelmed with the task of homeschooling, fearful of the outcome, not confident in your abilities or feel you just flat out haven't done enough, I would say to you:

"Yes, make yourself ready for the day of battle - but know this: You are just the horse. The victory rests with the Lord."

Editor's Note: Would you like to see your devotion highlighted here and on our website? Send your devotional submissions for review to devotions@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com For more encouraging devotions written by you, our readers, visit our website's Devotional Door here: http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Devotional_Door/