Thoughts and Meditations

Personal comments made by David F. Reagan unless otherwise stated

NOVEMBER, 2004

November 30, 2004

Idolatry Defined – “To hold anything in opinion, or to have anything in affection for God, which is not God, is idolatry. To worship either men, as the Samaritans did Antiochus Epiphanes, (styling him the mighty god;) or the host of heaven, as the Ammonites; or the devil, as the Indians; or the belly, as the glutton; or riches, as the covetous; or the cross, as the papist; is unholiness.” –from The Works of George Swinnock: Volume 1 (p.32-33).

History of Buddhism - The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama.

Wisdom Defined – “What is wisdom? It is the skill to achieve the most perfect ends by the most perfect means. Both the means and the ends have to be worthy of God. Wisdom is the ability to see the end from the beginning, to see everything in proper relation and in full focus. It is to judge in view of final and ultimate ends and to work toward those ends with flawless precision.” –from The Attributes of God: Volume Two by A. W. Tozer (p.130).

Duty of Intolerance - Teachers of evil doctrine are called in the New Testament: heretics, false prophets, ravening and grievous wolves, vain talkers and deceivers, false apostles, deceitful workers, ministers of Satan following his example in fashioning themselves as ministers of righteousness, vessels unto dishonor, men who go onward not abiding in the teachings of Christ and by smooth and fair speech beguile the hearts of the innocent. And Christians are required to beware of them, avoid them, purge themselves from them, refuse them, stop their mouths, rebuke them sharply, separate themselves from them, count them as accursed, not receiving them into their houses and giving them no greeting.

November 29, 2004

Danger of Creeds – “Men who are morbidly anxious to possess a self-consistent creed, --a creed which they can put together, and form into a square, like a Chinese puzzle, -are very apt to narrow their souls. Fancying that all truth can be comprehended in half-a-dozen formulae, they reject as worthless every doctrinal statement which cannot be so comprehended. Those who will only believe what they can reconcile will necessarily disbelieve much of Divine revelation; they are, without knowing it, following the lead of the Rationalists.

Is Atheism Logical? - Atheism is the world view that denies the existence of God. More specifically, traditional atheism argues that there never was and never will be a God. But is this position rationally justifiable? Atheism positively affirms that there is no God. But can the atheist be certain of this claim?

Mormon Concept of God – Mormons teach that God is, in effect, (1) a contingent being, who was at one time not God; (2) finite in knowledge (not truly omniscient), power (not omnipotent), and being (not omnipresent or immutable); (3) one of many gods; (4) a corporeal (bodily) being; and (5) a being who is subject to the laws and principles of a beginningless universe with an infinite number of entities in it.

God Means For Us to Feel  - “God would not have us to be stoics; He leads us into deep waters to walk with us through them; and when His end is reached, He delivers us out of them, to our joy and His own everlasting praise…The great point is to be real, and to go through the stern realities of actual life with a heart truly subject to God. Fine-drawn theories will not stand the test of real sorrow, trial, and difficulty; and nothing can be more absurd than to talk to people, with human hearts, about not feeling things. God means us to feel; and—precious, soothing, consolatory thought!—Jesus feels with us.” –from Miscellaneous Writings by C. H. Mackintosh (p.123-124).

November 27, 2004

Power of Preaching – E. M. Bounds, the author of Power Through Prayer wrote the following on the power of the Word of God in preaching: “The power of preaching lies in the fact that it sows the life-giving, imperishable seed of God’s Word. Only the Word of God has this life-giving energy; beautiful thoughts, fine sentiments, striking and true statements of philosophy, poetry, or genius have no life of God in them. The preacher may gain reputation, popularity, influence by these, but the power to quicken and convict consciences, to perfect holiness, and colonize heaven; to do effectively what God designs the preacher to do, will depend on his trueness to God’s Word. The more simply and earnestly the preacher becomes the mouthpiece of God, the more diligently he feeds on the Word of God by meditation and prayer, and gives it out as the mother gives out her life to her babe, the more will his legitimate power be enhanced.” –from E. M. Bounds by Darrel D. King (p.109).

Missionaries Evacuated from Ivory Coast - A number of mission agencies and ministries have reported on the evacuation of their missionaries out of the war-torn Ivory Coast following a resumption of fighting, ethnic conflicts and lack of progress in resolving a two-year-old division of the West African nation.

Blessings for Each Testament – “Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity of the New, which carrieth the greater benediction and the clearer revelation of God’s favor. Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; adversity not without many comforts and hopes.” –by Francis Bacon (1561-1626).

Creation Wins Hands Down - Americans do not believe that humans evolved, and the vast majority says that even if they evolved, God guided the process. Just 13 percent say that God was not involved.

November 26, 2004

They Paid the Ultimate Price – Missionaries routinely suffer for their work in taking the gospel to foreign lands. But today, we have come to look on outstanding suffering as unusual or unnecessary. In earlier generations, it was much more common. Many died from lack of basic protections from disease. One report in Up From Zero in North China by Anna Seward Pruitt states (p.17): “Even by 1890 there was not, in all the North China field, among with Baptists or Presbyterians, a mother who had lived to bring up her own children.” Truly, they paid the ultimate price.

The Earth is Special - It takes just the right atmosphere, plate tectonics, a large moon, well-placed planetary neighbors, in the exact right location in a spiral galaxy, and much, much more.

Keep the Water Running Clear – “Whilst the stream keeps running, it keeps clear; but if it comes once to a standing water, then it breeds toads and frogs, and all manner of filth. The keys that men keep in their pockets, and use every day, wax brighter and brighter; but if they be laid aside, and hang by the walls, they soon grow rusty. Thus it is that action is the very life of the soul: whilst we keep going and running in the ways of God’s commandments, we keep clear and free from the world’s pollutions; but if we once flag in our diligence, and stand still, oh, what a puddle of sin will the heart be! How rusty and useless will the graces grow!” –quote by Spencer from New Cyclopedia of Prose Illustrations (p.11).

Public Schools Indoctrinate Students - There is a dramatic difference in thinking between students in public schools and those in Christian schools. This is because, while Christian school students are generally taught curricula predicated on a biblical worldview, students educated in public schools, even when they grow up in Christian homes, tend to a very high degree to adopt the non-biblical and socialistic worldviews of the secular humanists in control of their education.

November 25, 2004

Bible Disappearing in United Kingdom - Far fewer households in the UK now own Bibles than was the case fifty years ago. However, belief in the paranormal is on the increase, with 42 per cent of people claiming to believe in ghosts, a 10 per cent rise over half a century.

Literacy a Legacy of the Reformation – “Before the sixteenth century an educated man was almost necessarily a priest or a gentleman; only the Reformation emphasis on Bible-reading made possible, and economic circumstances demanded, a rapid spread of literacy.” –from A Tinker and a Poor Man by Christopher Hill (p.139).

No God in Thanksgiving – What Maryland teachers don't mention when they describe the feast is that the Pilgrims not only thanked the Native Americans for their peaceful three-day indulgence, but repeatedly thanked God.

Bible Comes First – Though Baptist Missionary William Carey faced many difficulties in India, none of them “seriously interfered with what he considered the first essential condition of the evangelization of India, namely the translation of the Bible into India’s vernacular languages, a task he had made his chief interest. He wrote on December 22, 1796: ‘The translation of the Scriptures I look upon to be one of the greatest desiderata in the world, and it has accordingly occupied a considerable part of my time and attention.’” –from William Carey: Father of Modern Missions by Walter Bruce Davis (p.57).

November 24, 2004

Young Preachers in Preparation – In 19^th century Virginia church “leaders invited prospective pastors to ‘exhort’ the congregation. Exhorters took the pulpit after the sermon to underscore the pastor’s message. As a forum for informal and extemporaneous speaking, exhortation provided an opportunity to test a young man’s ability to preach, as well as his success in persuading his audience to repent or to inspire religious feeling. Success at exhortation usually yielded an invitation to preach in earnest…Church leaders scrutinized the young man’s performance in these duties before allowing him to advance to a period of apprenticeship to an elder pastor…These young helpers traveled with their elders, observing their work and doing simple tasks.” This prepared the men for further ministry. –from The Gospel Working Up by Beth Barton Schweiger (p.21).

Preach It! – Isaiah 58:1 states, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” In 1739, George Whitefield said, “I love those that thunder out the word! The Christian world is in a deep sleep. Nothing but a loud voice can waken them out of it! –from George Whitefield: Volume 1 by Arnold Dallimore (p.18).

Unhappy Peace – “No man is more unhappy than the one who is never in adversity; the greatest affliction of life is never to be afflicted. –Anonymous

November 23, 2004

Launch Out! – “But out faith makes us abundant in good works. May I say to you, if you are doing all you possibly can for Christ, endeavor to do yet more? I believe a Christian man is generally right when he is doing more than he can; and when he goes still further beyond that point, he will be even more nearly right. There are scarcely any bounds to the possibilities of our service…We need, like the apostles, to launch out into the deep, or our nets will never enclose a great multitude of fishes. If we had but the pluck to come out of our hiding-places, and face the foe, we should soon achieve immense success. We need far more faith in the Holy Ghost. He will bless us if we cast ourselves entirely upon Him.” –from An All-Round Ministry by C. H. Spurgeon (p.22).

Pornography Works Like Heroin in the Brain - Experts on pornography's effects on brain chemistry testified at a Senate hearing this week where a key point of discussion was whether porn is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment or addictive material that should be unlawful.

God’s Ways – “God’s thoughts are not as our thoughts; nor His ways as our ways; nor His love as our love. If we hear of a friend in distress or difficulty of any kind, our first impulse is to fly to his help and relieve him of his trial, if possible. But this might be a great mistake. In place of rendering help, it might be doing serious mischief. We might actually be running athwart the purpose of God, and taking our friend out of a position in which divine government had placed him for his ultimate and permanent profit.” –from Miscellaneous Writings by C. H. Mackintosh (p.117).

Protecting the US Air Force From Scripture Quotes - Complaints this fall about staff members putting New Testament verses at the bottom of their Air Force Academy e-mail recently led to a crackdown on the practice.

November 22, 2004

Principles and Opinions – English Baptist Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) spoke of his observations of men: “I perceived that men’s characters were not always formed by their avowed principles; that we may hold a sound faith without its having such hold of us as to form our spirit and conduct; that we may profess an erroneous creed, and yet our spirit and conduct may be formed nearly irrespective of it; in short, that there is a difference between principles and opinions; the one are the actual moving causes which lie at the root of action, the other often float in the mind without being reduced to practice.” –from The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller: Volume 1 (p.16).

Personality Plus - Employers love personality tests. But what do they really reveal?

No Taste for Honors – The following account was written of E. M. Bounds, the author of Power Through Prayer: “He was without ambition for honors. In any form they were distasteful. When, unknown and undesired by him, the degree of D.D. was conferred upon him, he was embarrassed that he must carry the title all his days. Shortly after this event, as we sat together at the table of Rev. Felix R. Hill, our hostess addressed Bounds as ‘Doctor.’ He looked up with a pained expression and said, ‘Sister Hill, if you love me, call me Brother Bounds.’ He felt that these titles were borrowed from the customs of the world and had no place among the followers of Jesus, who ‘sought not honors of one another.’” –from E. M. Bounds by Darrel D. King (p.101).

Locust Plague in Israel - The wave of locusts that hit Israel over the weekend intensified Saturday evening, with a fresh swarm of relatively large locusts being spotted over the southern city of Eilat and with the insects reaching as far north as the southern section of the Dead Sea.

November 21, 2004

Unhappy Peace – “No man is more unhappy than the one who is never in adversity; the greatest affliction of life is never to be afflicted. –Anonymous

Source of Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Three hundred years ago, Matthew Henry began his world famous commentary on the bible. Last weekend the congregation at the Matthew Henry Church in Blacon celebrated his achievements.

Following our Noses to God – The nose is smarter than we thought. In fact, it just won two Americans a Nobel Prize.

Limits to Hospitality – Andrew Connaster was a preacher in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the first half of the nineteenth century. “He was pastor of Alder Branch and other churches. In physical build he was raw-boned, muscular and sinewy, a man of rare physical strength and endurance. Before his conversion, according to the custom of his day and neighborhood, he drank some, and would ‘treat’ his associates and receive ‘treats’ in return, on special occasions. After his conversion, even after he had become a preacher and ‘had preached his third sermon,’ I was told, seven of his companions undertook to get him to drink with them and to ‘treat’ in the old-time way.

“To prove his hospitality and to show that he was not ‘stingy,’ he yielded to their solicitations and furnished the ‘treats.’ But they were not satisfied; they wanted him to drink…and undertook to force him. Thinking he had gone far enough on the ‘two-mile’ road with his persecutors, or had taken enough of their abuse to satisfy the law of ‘non-resistance to evil,’ instead of turning the other cheek to the smiters, with his good fist he landed blows on the cheeks of about seven of his assailants, knocking them down as fast as they approached him. After that they ‘let him alone,’ the argument of hard knocks proving effective where the gentle means of moral suasion had proved a failure.” –from Scetches of Tennessee’s Pioneer Baptist Preachers by J. J. Burnett (p.120).

November 20, 2004

Call to Action – “Let not your exertions end in tears; mere weeping will do nothing without action. Get on your feet: ye that have voices and might, go forth and preach the gospel; preach it in every street and lane of this huge city; ye that have wealth, go forth and spend it for the poor and sick and needy and dying, the uneducated, the unenlightened; ye that have time, go forth and spend it in deeds of goodness; ye that have power in prayer, go forth and pray; ye that can handle the pen, go forth and write down iniquity, --every one to his post; every one of you to your gun in this day of battle; now for God and for his truth; for God and for the right; let every one of us who knows the Lord seek to fight under his banner.” By Charles Spurgeon from New Cyclopaedia of Prose Illustrations (p.10).

One World Church on the Way - The top hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States decided to join the broadest alliance of Christian churches in the country so far, a new ecumenical group that would bring the church to the same table as conservative evangelicals and liberal Protestants.

Growth of Christianity in Pakistan - Despite multiple instances of persecution by Muslim extremists in recent weeks, native missionaries in Pakistan report that their work is drawing people to the Lord in growing numbers.

Persecutions in China – A Christian preacher gives testimony of the persecution that broke out in China in the 1950’s. “In just one city in China, Wenchou in Zhejiang Province, 49 pastors were sent to prison labor camps near the Russian border in 1950. Many were given sentences of up to twenty years for their ‘crimes’ of preaching the gospel. Of those 49 pastors, just one returned home. Forty-eight died in prison. In my home area of Nanyang believers were crucified on the walls of their churches for not denying Christ. Others were chained to vehicles and dragged to their death.

November 19, 2004

Expect and Attempt – In 1791, the English Baptist William Carey preached at Northamptonshire Baptist Association a sermon based on Isaiah 54:2-3. In that sermon, he “enunciated the principles which he felt should characterize the missionary movement: ‘Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.’” The association delegates were so moved that they adopted the following resolution: “Resolved, that a plan be prepared against the next Ministers’ Meeting at Kettering for forming a Baptist Society for propagating the Gospel among the Heathens.” –from William Carey: Father of Modern Missions (p.20).

Good News for Israel - Condoleezza Rice, who established close ties with the Israeli government as President Bush’s national security adviser, was chosen as the next U.S. secretary of state.

Satan’s Attempts to Keep a Person Lost – John Bunyan (1628-1688), the author of Pilgrim’s Progress:

·         “Believed that Satan tries first of all to keep men in love with their sins and pleasures, to prevent them listening to those who warn against them.

·         “If this fails, his second ploy is to persuade the sinner that his anxieties about his soul are ‘but a melancholy fit’, calling for physic…

·         “Satan’s third attack was to use consciousness of sin to reduce the sinner to despair of his own prospects.

·         “Finally his fourth line was ‘to make thee rest upon thy own righteousness’, to think that heaven can be earned.” –from A Tinker and a Poor Man by Christopher Hill (pl85-86).

Tradition of Thanks – Articles on the history and meaning of Thanksgiving in America.

Cures for Sadness – “Active natures are rarely melancholy. Activity and sadness are incompatible. –by Christian Nestell Bovee (1820-1904).

November 18, 2004

Comic Book Christianity - A group of well-known Christian writers joined with representatives of the comic book industry to create the series. The first release was two years ago, with subject matter from both the Old and New Testaments. The "Testament" is a re-telling of the Old Testament. The narrator tends bar at a pub named JJ's. What a sad excuse for evangelism.

Two Goats: Sin and Sins – In Hebrews 9:26-28, C. H. Mackintosh saw a striking type of the two goats in Leviticus 16: “first, the slain goat; and secondly the scape-goat. The blood of the slain goat was brought into the sanctuary and sprinkled there. This was a type of Christ putting away sin. Then the high priest, on behalf of the congregation, confessed all their sins upon the head of the scape-goat, and they were borne away into a land not inhabited. This was a type of Christ bearing the sins of His people. The two goats, taken together, give us a full view of the atonement of Christ, which, like the righteousness of God in Romans 3, is ‘unto all, and upon all them that believe,’” –from Miscellaneous Writings (p.109).

No Vote for Born-Agains? - Speaking in the aftermath of the presidential election, Democrat radio host Garrison Keillor says he is on a quest to take away the right of born-again Christians to vote, saying their citizenship is actually in heaven, not the United States. It was supposed to be a joke.

Blessing of Difficulties – Charles Spurgeon, in reference to the working of faith, said: “Faith leads us to believe in difficulties being overruled to promote success. Because we believe in God, and in His Holy Spirit, we believe that difficulties will be greatly sanctified to us, and that they are only placed before us as stepping-stones to grander results. We believe in defeats, my brethren; we believe in going back with the banner trailed in the mire, persuaded that this may be the surest way to lasting triumph. We believe in waiting, weeping, and agonizing; we believe in a non-success which prepares us for doing greater and higher work, for which we should not have been fitted unless anguish had sharpened our soul. We believe in our infirmities, and even glory in them; we thank God that we are not so eloquent as we could wish to be, and have not all the abilities we might desire, because now we know that ‘the excellency of the power’ shall ‘be of God, and not of us.’ Faith enables us so to rejoice in the Lord that our infirmities become platforms for the display of His grace.” –from An All-Round Ministry by C. H. Spurgeon (p.16).

November 17, 2004

Spiritual Narcotics – The English Baptist preacher and theologian Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) spoke of those who got carried away with some odd doctrine that they carried to extreme: “When I have seen the zeal which has been expended in maintaining some such peculiarities, I have thought it a pity. Bunyan would have called them ‘nuts which spoil the children’s teeth.’ They have appeared to me as a sort of spiritual narcotics, which, when a man once gets a taste for them, he will prefer to the most wholesome food.” –from The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller: Volume 1 (p.14).

Texan Community Wary About Religious Compound - Nearly everyone in this town of 1,900 people on the arid West Texas plains 125 miles southeast of Odessa is wondering about the community that has been established by the members of an Arizona-based offshoot of the Mormon Church, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The sect split from the Mormon Church about 70 years ago after Mormon leaders officially renounced polygamy. Members of the sect continue to practice polygamy.

Missionaries Out of Business – The true work of a missionary is to work himself out of business and turn the ministry over to the native peoples. Unfortunately, missions work sometimes takes on the traits of imperialism with the foreigners running everything perpetually. Hudson Taylor, the 19^th century missionary to China, saw this in his later ministry, when he wrote: “I look upon foreign missionaries as the scaffolding around a rising building. The sooner it can be transferred to other places, to serve the same temporary use, the better.” –from Back to Jerusalem by Paul Hattaway (p.6).

November 16, 2004

Obligations to Convert the Heathen – In the late 1700’s, English Baptist William Carey recommended the following topic at a minister’s meeting: “Whether the Command given to the Apostles to teach all nations was not binding on all succeeding ministers to the end of the world…” An older pastor, John Ryland, Sr., spoke up, “Young man, sit down, sit down. When God pleases to convert the heathen, He’ll do it without consulting you or me.” Carey subsequently became a great missionary to India and is called the Father of Modern Missions. –from William Carey: Father of Modern Missions by Walter Bruce Davis (p.16).

Religious Violence in Thailand - Suspected Islamic militants gunned down a Buddhist ex-policeman and a migrant worker yesterday in the latest violence to hit Thailand's tense, mostly Muslim deep south, police said.

Here We Go Again - An American molecular geneticist has concluded after comparing more than 2,000 DNA samples that a person's capacity to believe in God is linked to brain chemicals.

Nothing Unworthy – “Boleslaus, one of the kings of Poland, carried about with him the picture of his father; and when he was to do any great work, or set upon any design extraordinary, he would look on the picture, and pray that he might do nothing unworthy of such a father’s name. Thus it is that the Scriptures are the picture of God’s will. Before a man engages in any business whatsoever, let him look there, and read what is to be done, what to be omitted.” –from New Cyclopaedia of Prose Illustrations (p.10).

November 15, 2004

Plain English – English Puritans of the 16^th and 17^th centuries emphasized plainness of speech in their writing. Their writing had, “in Cranmer’s words, to be ‘so plain, that the least child…in the town may understand thee.’ The way to write well, Roger Ascham said in 1545, was ‘to speak as the common people do, to think as wise men do.’ Nicholas Udall attacked the high style: ‘special regard [should] be had to the rude and unlettered people.’ Latimer practiced as well as preached this…Insistence on plain native English became a Puritan commonplace.” –from A Tinker and a Poor Man: John Bunyan and His Church, 1628-1688 by Christopher Hill (p.33-34).

Historical Reality of Genesis – Nine reasons why we can be certain that the first chapters of Genesis are historical.

I Expect God Will – In the early 1800’s, Robert Morrison served as an early English missionary to China. He ostensively worked in Canton as a mercantile clerk and interpreter while translating the Bible into Chinese—a work that would certainly have brought death to himself and his Chinese helpers had the real nature of his work been discovered. In 1807, Morrison had been in Boston arranging passage for China since the East India Company had refused to take any missionaries to the Orient. When the owner of the ship on which he set sail discovered his purpose, he commented, “And so, Mr. Morrison, you really expect to make an impression on the idolatry of the great Chinese empire.” To which he replied, “No, sir; I expect God will.” –from To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson (p.52-53).

Religious “War” in the Netherlands – Netherlands’ Christian community faced a series of attacks this past week, as church after church has been targeted by arsonists. Recently two churches were nearly burned to the ground. Arsonists are trying to burn down Protestant churches to retaliate against recent attacks that have been seen against Muslim sites.

November 14, 2004

Resolutions of the Apostles? – “I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the apostles, but a great deal about their acts.” –by Horace Mann (1796-1859).

Blasphemer or Persecuted? – Pakistan is a Muslim dominated country. Pakistan’s Blasphemy law adopted in 1986 imposes life imprisonment on anyone insulting the Qur’an and the death penalty on anyone defiling the name of Mohammed. However, the law is often misused to settle personal vendettas and arguments over property or money, particularly against the minority Christian community.

Attributes of the Trinity – “Loraine Boettner wrote: ‘The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be distinguished, but they cannot be separated; for they each possess the same identical numerical substance or essence. They do not merely exist alongside of each other, as did Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, but they permeate and interpenetrate each other, are in and through each other.’ He further stated: ‘What the one knows, the others know; what the one desires, the others desire; and what the one wills, the others will. Independence and self-existence are not attributes of the individual persons, but of the Triune God.’” –from The Virgin Birth by Robert Gromacki (p.25).

Birthday of Augustine of Hippo – Born November 13^th, 354AD. True doctrinal founder of Catholicism.

November 13, 2004

Hindu Festival in East Africa – Kneeling next to the gigantic bonfire, a woman fans the smoke closer – to cleanse her body. Nearby, a man rummages in the fire, hoping to extract a burning stick to take home. Others scoop smoldering ashes into containers. All hope these acts will cleanse their souls of any demons and bring good luck for the rest of the year.

Distinction Between the Church and the World – “Fifty years ago it was contrary to Baptist rules for their members to frequent such places of amusement as multitudes of them now resort to without any official censure of complaint. Our people then made a broad distinction between the church and the world, and if any of their members went over the line to the world’s side, they were at once put under church discipline.” –from 50 Years Among the Baptists by David Benedict (p.77); first published in 1860.

Preach the Gospel – “The Gospel is a revelation of divine truth—and while it can, while it certainly will save all that believe it—it cannot save those who are ignorant of it—who neglect it, who misapprehend it, who reject it—who do not understand and believe it. The Gospel is ‘the power of God unto salvation to every one what believeth:’ in other words—‘The Gospel believed is God’s effectual method of saving mankind.’ In this we find a very good reason both why Paul should not be ashamed of the Gospel, and why he should wish to preach it.” –comments on Romans 1:16 from Analytical Exposition of Romans by John Brown (p.8)

November 12, 2004

World Loves "Christian" Artists - Artists who sing the praises of a Higher Power are increasingly performing on the same stages as those who extol the virtues of fast cars and fast living, and they are making big bucks on those stages, too. Are these people your idols?

Dry Seasons – Even Charles Spurgeon experienced dry seasons when God seemed far away. During one of these, he wrote to his wife Susannah: “I fear I am not so full of love to God as I used to be. I lament my sad decline in spiritual things. You and others may not have observed it, but I am now conscious of it, and a sense thereof has put bitterness in my cup of joy. Oh! What is it to be popular, to be successful, to have abundance, even to have love so sweet as yours—if I should be left of God to fall, and to depart from His ways?” –from Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Lewis Drummond (p.258).

Third Temple Expectations - According to the Jewish prophecy (not Bible), the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, now upon us, will be the month of the dedication of the Third Temple, the ultimate declaration of God's sovereignty and unity.

Two Washings – The Bible teaches of a washing of regeneration at salvation and a daily washing of sanctification for all believers. “We have a figure of this in the case of the priests of the Mosaic economy. Of the great day of their inauguration they were washed in water. This action was never repeated. But after this, from day to day, in order to fit them for the daily discharge of their priestly functions, they had to wash their hands and their feet in the brazen laver in the tabernacle, or the brazen sea in the temple. This daily washing is the figure of the action in John 13.

“The two washings, being distinct, must never be confounded; and being intimately connected, must never be separated. The washing of regeneration is divinely and eternally complete: the washing of sanctification is being divinely and continually carried on. The former is never repeated; the latter is never interrupted…The washing of regeneration gives us a part in Christ: the daily washing of sanctification gives us a part with Christ.” –from Miscellaneous Writings by C. H. Mackintosh (p.100).

November 11, 2004

Trinity Explained – “Since God is one in His basic essence, how can He also be three? First, it must be pointed out that ‘one’ and ‘three’ are not being used in the same sense. The word ‘one’ applies only to the nature of the divine being; there is only one God. The word ‘three’ refers to the three Persons or personal distinctions within the divine oneness. It is just as wrong to state that God is one Person as to claim that there are three gods.” –from The Virgin Birth by Robert Gromacki (p.20).

Brain Drugs on the Way - Cosmetic neurology one day could mean not only sharpening intelligence, but also elevating other dictates of the brain — reflexes, attention, mood and memory. Studying for the SAT? Take this drug to retain more of those pesky facts. About to report for duty at the fire station? These pills will improve your reflexes.

Revealing Deeds – “The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts” –by John Locke (1632-1704).

New "Human Ancestor" Not Necessarily New - Australian scientists last month made world headlines by announcing the discovery of a new twig in mankind's family tree, a one-meter hominid with a grapefruit-sized skull. Their theory, published in the British weekly scientific journal Nature, was that it was the smallest of the 10 known species of the genus Homo. Another team will aim to prove that the skeleton is from a 25 to 30-year-old omnivorous sub-species of man, not a 30-year-old female from the new species as previously announced. They believe the skeleton's small skull is related to mental defects rather than being evidence that it is a different species.

Stay Close to Mary Advises Pope John Paul II - "In a rapidly changing world, there are some things that should not change," the Holy Father wrote. "Among them, surely, is the bond of filial love between members of the Church and the Virgin, 'full of grace,' whom Jesus, from the cross, entrusted to us as Mother."

Wang Mingdao – A twentieth century Christian hero of China, Wang Mingdao was born in Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. He became a Christian at age fourteen. At age twenty he was fired from his teaching position at a Chinese Presbyterian school because he rejected sprinkling and believed that baptism required full immersion in water. The stream where he was baptized was so icy that Wang’s clothes froze after he was baptized. He insisted that the Bible was the only authority for all Christian doctrine and practice. He preached hard messages that called upon the people to repent and forsake their sins. When opposed for his stands, he replied, “I prefer to be attacked by men than to call forth the wrath of God.”

Wang insisted that Chinese churches be completely independent from foreign mission organizations and foreign church denominations. He held that they should support themselves financially and do their own evangelizing. He also refused to join the Three Self Protestant movement set up by the Chinese Communists. His Christian Tabernacle in Beijing continually had trouble holding the crowds that came to worship.

In the middle of the night on August 7, 1955, Wang and his wife were arrested. After months of terror in prison, he broke and began to write confessions. He was released so that he could join the Three Self Movement, but he could not bring himself to do so. He and his wife were rearrested in 1958 where he would remain for 22 years. However, instead of breaking further, he withdrew his earlier confessions and never gave in again to the threats and torture. He was released in 1980 and died in 1991, a true Christian hero. –information from Jesus in Beijing by David Aikman (p.47-57).

November 10, 2004

Whitewashed Walls in Church – “In my youthful days, the old Baptists never paid any bills for stained glass and inside adornments of their most finished religious temples. In the times here referred to, our people were well satisfied if they could get the outside of their meeting houses well painted; this, with a good whitewashing within, was all that they asked for…But after all, a pure white wall, in my judgment, is the most befitting for a religious sanctuary. In the language of the poet, we may say it is, ‘When unadorned, adorned the most.’” –from 50 Years Among the Baptists by David Benedict (p.76); first published in 1860.

Was Darwin Wrong? - Mr. David Quammen of National Geographic Magazine is dismayed over the fact that Gallup polls for decades indicate 44% of Americans remain solidly skeptical of macro-evolution but his article appeals to no new findings, no specific breakthrough, but appeals rather to the same tired approach that is unlikely to dissuade skeptics.

Sermons in Candles – Charles Spurgeon “had said to his students at the College that sermons could be seen in even a tallow candle. He said there were enough illustrations in a simple candle to last six months. The students questioned that seriously, so he promised to prove his words. That inspired the famous lecture, ‘Sermons in Candles.’” This lecture became one of his most famous. –from Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Lewis Drummond (p.257).

200 Million Persecuted Christians - Some sufferers live in countries long pegged as religious persecutors, such as Iran, Sudan, China, and North Korea. Others face religious harassment in the shadow of terrorism: Christians in Iraq this year, for instance, have faced multiple targeted bombings and in some cases are fleeing the country, leaving stalwart believers to face attacks from Muslim terrorists.

Swarms of Locusts - Egypt has killed swarms of a type of locust that has infested parts of Africa and Cyprus this year. Desert locusts have ravaged the countryside in countries including Mauritania, Mali and Niger. Swarms of the large, pink locusts have also recently arrived in Cyprus. It is thought they were carried on winds from North Africa.

True Secret of Peace – “The true secret of peace is, to get to the very end of a guilty, ruined, helpless, worthless self, and there find an all-sufficient Christ as God’s provision for our very deepest need…The unsettled state of so many of God’s dear people is the result of not having received into their hearts a full Christ, as God’s own very provision for them…the work of Christ is the only true resting-place for the conscience; His Person, the only true object for the heart; His Word, the only true guide for the path.” –from Miscellaneous Writings by C. H. Mackintosh (p.79).

November 6, 2004

Christian Family Forced Into Hiding - A Christian family from Pakistan was forced to move to an undisclosed location in the country after their daughter received death threats for allegedly desecrating the Qur'an.

Stick to the Object – Of his preaching, James Fraser said, “It is not easy to stick to one’s subject (in a point by point sense) on an occasion like this. I am reminded of that irregular preacher at home who was accused of wandering from his subject. He replied that, whether he stuck to his subject or not, he thanked God that he stuck to his object, which was to bring men to Christ. I hope I shall never lose sight of that.” –from Behind the Ranges by Mrs. Howard Taylor (p.48-49).

Surprise! Mothers and Fathers are Different - Mothers and fathers respond differently to their baby's cry, and the difference can be found in the brain. That's according to one of several studies from the Society for Neuroscience that find mothers are primed for care.

Queries and Circular Letters – Early Baptists associations of churches (17^th-18^th centuries) had a couple of practices that seem strange today.

• “’Queries’ were questions submitted to the association by individuals or local churches…Queries ranged from the awesome to the absurd and reflect early Baptist culture as well as early Baptist theology. Some queries depicted the troublesome issues early English associations faced: the laying on of hands, baptism, the singing of psalms, the doctrine of election and the nature of the ministry.”
• “Associations also produced circular letters and distributed them to churches. Providing further insight in the mid-seventeenth century, circular letters also molded Baptist opinion in an era void of denominational publications. These letters constituted a creative way to provide needed counsel to churches.”
• From Bicentennial Holston: Tennessee’s First Baptist Association and Its Affiliated churches 1786-1985 by Glenn A. Toomey.

November 5, 2004

Counterblast to Tobacco - Introduction to King James I and the text of his pamphlet "A Counterblast to Tobacco." This site has other worthy articles as well.

Do Right – Doing is the great thing. For if, resolutely, people do what is right, in time they come to like doing it.” –from John Ruskin (1819-1900).

Rise of Mysticism - According to this article, Christianity will be eclipsed by spirituality in 30 years. Startling new research predicts the collapse of traditional religion and the rise of mysticism.

Spirit Above and Spirits Below – David Benedict, in his 50 Years Among the Baptists (p.74), tells of the state of Baptist church buildings in the early 1800’s in America. Some would share buildings with other churches or schools. “In other cases, you might see stores and warehouses underneath them. In the basement of one of these buildings a grocery store was in full operation, in which, according to former custom, the ardent article [that is, alcoholic beverages] constituted no small part of the trade. This gave occasion for some wag to place on the building the following lines:

            There’s a spirit above and a spirit below,

              A spirit of joy and a spirit of woe;

            The spirit above is the spirit divine,

              The spirit below is the spirit of wine.

November 4, 2004

Behold the Lamb of God – On October 7, 1857, Charles H. Spurgeon (at age 22) was asked to preach at a special service on a day of National Humiliation at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park in London. Approximately 25,000 people would hear him on this occasion. A few days before the service, Spurgeon went to the Hall to test the acoustics. “Charles wanted to be sure he could adequately fill the farthest recesses of the structure with his resonant voice. He did it by standing in the spot where the pulpit would be placed. Lifting up his beautiful voice, he quoted from the Bible, ‘Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). A workman, busy in one of the galleries, heard him. The words seemed to come from heaven itself. Deeply smitten by the Holy Spirit and convicted of his sins, he laid aside his tools and made his way home. That night he did not rest until he had received Christ as his Saviour.” –from Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers (p.251) by Lewis Drummond.

To the End of Self – “We must be brought to the end of self, and to the bottom of circumstances, in order fully to prove what the life of faith is, and what God’s resources are. God and the creature can never occupy the same platform. It must be God alone...The great difficulty is to get to the end of our own strength. Once there, the whole thing is settled.” –from Miscellaneous Writings by C. H. Mackintosh (p.68, 69).

National ID Card Coming - There is growing support, in post 9/11 America, for a national ID card — and one of the plans now on Capitol Hill requires a unique identifier on your driver's license such as a fingerprint, retinal scan or DNA fingerprint.

Dangers of Trusting Conscience – Charles Bridges, in An Exposition of Psalm 119 (p.167), warns of the dangers of trusting in our conscience, seeing it too is injured by the fall of man and is liable to misconception. His warnings concerning the conscience are paraphrased below:

• The conscience may reach its verdict by the domination of emotional feeling and not of godly judgment.
• The conscience may dwell on trivial matters while neglecting the important principles.
• The conscience may emphasize external points of offense while ignoring the inward state of the soul.

He concludes: “Conscience, therefore, must not be trusted without the light of the word of God.” Bridges makes these comments on Psalm 119:66, which states, “Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.”

November 3, 2004

No Gathering; No Feasting – According to The Works of George Swinnock: Volume 1 (p.29): “The Jews have a proverb, (alluding to manna, which was to be gathered the sixth day for the seventh, because on the seventh none fell from heaven,) He that gathereth not food on the Sabbath eve, shall fast on the Sabbath day. Intimating thereby, that none shall reign in heaven but such as have wrought on earth.” This agrees with the teaching of 2Timothy 2:12 – “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him…”

Loving God - Inasmuch as to love God with all one’s heart, mind, and soul is, according to Christ, the greatest commandment, surely not to do so would be the greatest sin; a fact that must concern us all! Yet this vital truth is rarely emphasized in pulpits, on Christian radio, television, or in Christian books. How can that be?

Pray for the Missionaries – “I am feeling more and more that it is, after all, just the prayers of God’s people that call down blessing upon the work, whether they are directly engaged in it or not. Paul may plant and Apollos may water, but it is God Who gives the increase; and this increase can be brought down from heaven by believing prayer, whether offered in China or in England…If this is so, then Christians at home can do as much for foreign missions as those actually on the field. I believe it will only be known on the Last Day how much has been accomplished in missionary work by the prayers of earnest believers at home…Solid, lasting missionary work is done on our knees. What I covet more than anything else is earnest, believing prayer.” –written by James Fraser, missionary to China, about the year 1911 (in Behind the Ranges by Mrs. Howard Taylor – p.47).

End of the Right to Self-Defense - On July 9, the International Court of Justice, by a lopsided vote of fourteen to one, held that the security barrier being constructed by Israel to shield its citizens from relentless terrorist assault is an affront to international law. This ruling may damage the right of any nation to defend itself.

November 2, 2004

Importance of Maintaining Friendships – If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone; one should keep his friendships in constant repair.” –from Samuel Johnson (1709-1784).

From Wales to the Hmar in India - Until 1910 the ancient Hmar tribespeople of northeast India were infamous headhunters. Now a group of Hmar tribes people are in Cardiff, Wales this weekend to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Welsh Revival -- and to offer their thanks to Wales for bringing them the Gospel a century ago.

More Light, Lord, More Light – “It is recorded of one of the Reformers, that, when he had well acquitted himself in a public disputation, a friend begged to see the notes, which he had been observed to write, supposing that he had taken down the arguments of his opponents, and sketched the substance of his own reply. Greatly was he surprised to find that they consisted simply of these ejaculatory petitions—‘More light, Lord,--more light,--more light!’ How fully was the true spirit of prayer compressed in these short aspirations! Could they fail of success? ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.’ James 1:5” –from An Exposition of Psalm 119 by Charles Bridges (p.166).

Ashes of Augustine - The relics of St. Augustine will be in Rome from Nov. 7-15, for the 1,650th anniversary celebrations of his birth. The urn containing St. Augustine's remains will be in John Paul II's private chapel, as a sign of devotion and of the importance that the Holy Father accords to the thought of the saint. His remains will arrive in Rome from Pavia on Nov. 7, and will be received in St. Augustine's Basilica.

Face to Face with the Enemy – The man who is a Christian in name only “may do well enough when all is calm, smooth, and bright; but when difficulties have to be grappled with—when the enemy has to be met face to face, all merely nominal faith, all mere lip profession, will prove like autumn leaves before the blast. Nothing will stand the test of actual conflict but a living personal faith in a living personal Saviour-God. This is what is needed. It is this which alone can sustain the heart, come what may. Faith brings God into the scene, and all is strength, victory, and perfect peace.” –from Miscellaneous Writings by C. H. Mackintosh (p.64).

November 1, 2004

Three-fold Deliverance from Sin – “Every unsaved person is under the three-fold sentence of sin. He is a sinner by practice, a sinner by nature, and a sinner by divine decree. God deals with this three-fold aspect of sin by a three-fold achievement in grace. There is forgiveness for man in view of the fact that he is a sinner by practice; there is imputed righteousness for man in view of the fact that he is a sinner by nature; and there is the divine decree of justification for man in view of the fact that he is a sinner who, by divine decree, is ‘under sin.’” –from Grace by Lewis Sperry Chafer (p.14).

Bone of His Bone - Online book by missionary F. J. Huegel about the committed Christian life. The chapters in the book are:

1. The Christian Life — A Participation, Not an Imitation
2. Participants of the Cross — Christ’s Death Our Death
3. Participants of the Cross — Christ’s Death Our Death (continued)
4. Paul — The Chief Exponent of Co-Crucifixion
5. Participants of Christ’s Resurrection
6. Christ’s Ascension Our Ascension
7. Christ’s Victory Our Victory
8. Christ’s Victory Our Victory (continued)
9. Christ’s Sufferings Our Sufferings
10. Christ’s Appearing Our Appearing
11. A Typical Case
12. The Bearing of this Position upon the Church, Missions and Prayer

Accidents – Nothing is or can be accidental with God. –by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882).

Discovery in Human Evolution - In late October of this year, evolutionary scientists reported the discovery of “a new human-like species.” Although evolutionists on both sides of the Atlantic are very excited about this find, problems are legion.

According to the Crime – Does God fit the punishment to the sin? Stephen Charnock in The Existence and Attributes of God: Volume 1 (p.548) thinks He does: “He proportions punishments to the sin, and writes the cause of the judgment in the forehead of the judgment itself. Sodom burned in lust, and was consumed by fire from heaven…So Adonibezek cut off the thumbs and great toes of others, and he is served in the same kind (Judges 1:7). The Babel builders designed an indissoluble union, and God brings upon them an unintelligible confusion. And in Exodus 9:9, the ashes of the furnace where the Israelites burnt the Egyptians bricks, sprinkled toward heaven, brought boils upon the Egyptian bodies, that they might feel in their own, what pain they had caused in the Israelite’s flesh; and find, by the smart of the inflamed scab, what they had made the Israelites endure. The waters of the river Nile are turned into blood, wherein they had stifled the breath of the Israelites’ infants: and at last the prince, and the flower of their nobility, are drowned in the Red Sea. It is part of the wisdom of justice to proportion punishment to the crime, and the degrees of wrath to the degrees of malice in the sin.”

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