Mountain Monergism Movement

In the February 2008 issue of “The Christian Excavator,” Pastor Shawn Davis of Old Paths Baptist Church wrote these words:

    “If I really believe like some people say they believe, I would…

    1) Get me a new Bible because the one we have now was translated by “heretics” (not a Baptist in the bunch)

    2) I would get new hymn books with songs not written by “heretics” like Fanny Crosby (an Arminian Methodist) or John Newton (a Calvinistic Anglican) and find hymns only written by Independent Fundamental Baptists.

    3) I would never mention great revivals from the past. I’d pretend that leaders in the Great Awakening were all Independent Fundamental Baptists, and not Edwards (a Calvinistic Congregationalist), Whitefield (a Calvinistic Methodist) and the Wesley’s (Arminian Methodist’s)

    4) I’d never read or let my children read biographies of Christians from the past who were not Independent Fundamental Baptist.

    5) I’d be really careful and only mention those who believe just like I did.

    6) I’d never mention any Baptist again who were Calvinistic in their doctrine. I’d ignore men like Keach and Spurgeon and Leland and Carey and Bunyan. I would pretend like they never existed. I would try to convince people that first-rate Christianity started about 70 years ago.

Davis, being an Independent Fundamental Baptist pastor seems to be making a point that he is disappointed and even frustrated with other Independent Fundamental Baptist’s line of thinking. To hear someone say, “Baptists are the only true believers” and yet love to sing songs written by a Methodist, show ignorance at a high degree and would indeed cause one to be frustrated. I have no reason to believe Davis wants to leave the Baptist faith. I feel he wants others to listen closely to what they are saying, and understand the ramifications of such thinking if it is expressed in reality. Davis clearly wishes his other Independent Fundamental Baptist believers to examine such statements and biblically correct them when necessary.

It is wise to examine yourself and your church body from time to time. Man has a tendency to go astray after a few years of going unchecked. What will often times begin as a good idea for a church to carry out, can turn into a monster out of control and beyond the principles of both the Bible and the founders of those ideas. A quick study of church history and you will know what I’m talking about.

The Greek Orthodox Church had a long battle with icons throughout its history. Church leaders knowing that many could not read and also that most did not have access to the scriptures to read them if they could read, felt led to build pictures depicting the stories of the Bible so that all that saw them would know the gospel. The problem was that after a few generations had passed, these icons became scared relics of worship. Church leaders of course rightfully saw this as idol worship. Therefore they would send out men to tear the icons down. Maybe a hundred years would pass and another generation of church leaders would try the icons once again. The icons would always seem to work for the purpose it was intended for, for a few years, and then behold if the people didn’t start worshipping the icons again.

The Reformation of course was a rather large time when brave men of the Church had to take a stand and in some cases lose their life to point out what they saw as false doctrines and malpractices within the Church, involving the teaching and sale of indulgences. This corruption was seen by many at the time as systemic, reaching as high as the position of the Pope. Of course there was also the issue put forth: did the Pope’s word contain errors as all other men or was his word just as high as God’s?

I write all of this to get to this point. I was raised a Fundamentalist. I attended Fundamentalist Churches and sang from their song book. I went to Fundamentalist Bible camps as a teen. I knew all the Fundamentalist colleges back then and I know most all of them now. I also know that this list of colleges has some missing from the list I once knew as a teen. I know Fundamentalism from the inside out very well.

In the last ten years I, like Pastor Davis regarding Baptists, have become very frustrated with the Fundamentalist movement. Where as in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the then young movement among conservative evangelical Christians, was clearly the right thing to do as they stood as one for the inerrancy of the Bible, the virgin birth of Christ, the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and the imminent personal return of Jesus Christ, it has grown into a monster of Pharisaical thugs.

Don’t get me wrong. I still consider myself a Fundamentalist in that I hold dearly to the original tenants listed above as the founders of Fundamentalism had intended the movement to be. What Fundamentalism has become and that which also bothers me is a bunch of bullies with thousands of Pharisaical laws one must follow in order for you to be able to be viewed as a true believer. This short column would not allow me to list them all.

Again I must not be misunderstood here. Most all of the requirements that the hyper- Fundamentalists try to enforce on others, I count as my standard in my walk with Christ. What I do not like is the way the hyper crowd treats others that do not follow such standards. Most are treated as heretics and will never hear from the Fundamentalist again unless the labeled heretic repents and starts to act like a “real Christian” or in other words, just like them. Such actions are not only uncalled for, but borders on playing God. Hyper Fundamentalists need to understand the goal is not to be like them, but like Christ.

I have seen young men pay the “heretic price” for picking a non-Fundamentalist Bible school, over a Fundamentalist Bible school. They were treated as if they were going to hell for doing so. Yet in the end, the young men became great men of God. If for nothing else one would have to conclude God knows better then any man.

This infestation of the Pharisaical attitude now found in many Fundamentalist camps affects their whole life. They think all Christians should dress like them, walk like them, use only their translation, sing only their songs, and have only their denomination on the doors of their church. All others should go to only their list of six schools and no other or else you will be cut off. Bob Jones University once was held as the height of Fundamentalist education, is now viewed by some hyper-Fundamentalists as too soft to be considered a good school. Those that know BJU as well as I do also know such ideas are lacking in the truth.

I talked with a missionary that feared having their home church cutting all support based only on the fact that the DVD “Facing the Giants” was seen in their home. No doctrinal issues were reported to be in question. No gross moral sin was found. The crime was that this movie has one contemporary Christian song in it that the home church did not approve of. The missionary did not care much for the song either, but felt the movie was still worth viewing. Folks, such action by a faithful servant of God, is not a crime nor a sin.

I know of one missionary that had their funds threatened to be pulled because the man had a goatee. The goatee was always neatly trimmed and clean, but this did not count. If the missionary did not remove his goatee, he would no longer be able to speak at their facilities and all support would end. What absolute stupidity to be leveled at a family dedicated to God that had moved their family thousands of miles to an overseas land in order to share the gospel with the people. This organization that is based in the USA cannot deal with the liberty found in the Bible. People, there is nothing wrong with a goatee.

Others have been cut off for using a New King James Bible over the so-called 1611 King James Bible. Maybe you do not like the New King James Bible, but those that do like it are not heretics and should not be treated as if they were. This is not only wrong, but is borderline cultistic.

To show you I am not alone on my soap box, I quote you pastor William Dudding who is also a Fundamental Baptist who has voiced these same concerns:

    When Elvis introduced Rock 'n Roll and the Beatles lead the British Invasion of boy bands to America, Fundamentalism abandoned the theological fight and entered the culture wars. These culture wars have been a distraction from the real war that the Devil has been waging on Christianity which has always been against the Word of God. John R. Rice spent most of his time writing books like "What's Wrong with the Movies" and "Hippie Hair" produced by The Sword of the Lord. By the 70's and 80's Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority started up as a counter attack to political liberalism, Jack Hyles started Hyles-Anderson College to produce preacher boys who would fight against cultural wickedness and worldliness. All this time, fundamentalists have been fighting the wrong war, the Devil has crept in and stolen the crown jewels of doctrinally sound, biblical theology. Pseudo-Theologies like 'secondary separation', and 'King James Onlyism' have taken the place of the essentials: the fundamentals.

Like Dudding and Davis, my frustrations have not caused me to leave the Fundamentalist movement, but I can understand why some such as John MacArthur refuses to be called a Fundamentalist. I rather have seen a need to call for a reformation of sorts within the movement itself. The time has come when we must look at what Fundamentalists have become in hopes of returning to what its founders had envisioned in its conception. The movement made and led by mere men has become unbiblical in many areas and therefore must be closely looked at in order to remove bad doctrines and teachings. To many good people have been “eaten alive” and destroyed by unbiblical practices now seen in some Fundamentalist circles. This must stop.

Lord willing, over the next few weeks I would like to take a close look at what I have seen go wrong over the last few years in the movement. Maybe this will led to answers and maybe it will not. Regardless these are issues in the Fundamentalist camp that must be looked at and addressed.

Maybe there is a reader that would be willing to share his or her own thoughts on this. If so, I want your input and feedback. I understand many readers of this column are Fundamentalists or those that have departed from it’s circle. Please email me or leave anonymous comments on the web site. I want to hear your stories, good or bad about the movement and suggestions on ways to better Fundamentalism so that it can get back to where it needs to be.

R C Sproul said “One of the great weaknesses of today’s church is a tendency to denigrate and neglect the Old Testament."

This is a sad but true statement. Just a few weeks ago, a pastor said boldly..

“The reason I do not like Bob Jones University, is that they teach too much from the Old Testament.”

This is not the first time I have heard such remarks. I once attended a church that echoed this same feeling, claiming that the Old Testament need not to be used now that we have the New Testament. The pastor said it himself more than once in a Sunday School setting, while adding he disliked teaching from it. Needless to say, this church showed the results of this mindset in their weakness in the doctrinal truths of its members.

Such beliefs of course are nothing short of hogwash and show poor understanding of theology, and in particular Biblical Theology. If anything these days, we do not see enough preaching from the Old Testament. Thank God for schools that still teach that all the books of the Bible are God’s Holy Word and should be studied. When the Bible tells us “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” this includes the Old Testament, does it not?

The fact is both the Old and New Testament is the Gospel of God. The reformers knew of this truth and held this as their conviction. Martin Luther wrote, “Enfolded in the Old; unfolded in the New.” Today we may say it like this.. "The New is in the Old concealed, The Old is by the New revealed." Or maybe, “The New is in the Old contained, The Old is by the New explained.”

This idea does not limit the Old Testament, it will enhance its meaning to us. The deepest students of the Word of God have always seen the inter-relationship of the two testaments.

I can remember as a young boy, my then pastor Edgar Delaney drawing “word pictures” of the Old Testament Tabernacle and how each article pointed to Christ. Delaney showed us that how the furniture was placed in the tabernacle in such a manner that it displayed the cross. Again, pointing to Christ. The Old Testament is laced through and through with Christ.

In Isaiah Christ is shown to be our Rock of Ages (26-4), the Commander (55-4), the Cornerstone (28-16) and our Gold (13-12). Christ is our Headstone, our Day and our Gate in Psalm118, and as a Pelican and Owl in Psalm102. When you reject the Old Testament, you will be left without these truths.

The Old Testament is filled with passages foretelling the coming of Christ. What a blessing it is to read of the promise of Christ in the Old Testament and know of it’s fulfillment in the New Testament. Passages such as..The "seed of a woman"; Genesis 3:15, stamped as complete in Galatians 4:4. As a descendent of Abraham; Genesis 12:3, 18:18, stamped as complete Acts 3:25, Matthew 1:1. Said to come from the Tribe of Judah; Genesis 49:10, stamped as complete in Luke 3:33. The Hair of the Throne of David; Isaiah 9:7 stamped as complete in Luke 1:32-33. To be born in Bethlehem; Micah 5:2, stamped as complete in Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-7, …of a Virgin; Isaiah 7:14, stamped as complete in Matthew 1:18 and Luke 1:26-35. To have a triumphal entry in Jerusalem on a donkey; Zechariah 9:9 stamped as complete in John 12:13-14, and being betrayed by a friend, for 30 pieces of silver; Zechariah 11:12, and Psalm 41:9 stamped as complete in Matthew 26:15. It was said He would be Spat and struck; Isaiah 50:6, stamped as complete in Matthew 26:67, and would be crucified, "pierced through hands and feet": Zechariah 12:10, Psalm 22:16 and stamped as complete in Matthew 27:35 and John 20:27, …..with malefactors: Isaiah 53:12 stamped as complete in Mark 15:27-28, ….with no bones broken; Psalm 34:20 stamped as complete in John 19:32-36… buried with the rich; Isaiah 53:9, stamped as complete in Matthew 27:57-60,….resurrecting from the dead: Hosea 6:2, Psalms 16:10, 49:15 stamped as complete in Luke 24:6-7, Mark.16:6-7, …then ascension to Heaven; Psalms 68:18, 24:3 stamped as complete in Lk 24:50-51, Acts 1:11, Mk.16:19.

Page after page we see Christ in the Old Testament. Why would one think we should not read and study the Old Testament? In fact, not only is this a good idea, we are told to do so by Christ himself.

In Luke 24 we read that after Jesus Christ arose from the dead, He made himself known unto two disciples. Cleopas and the other disciple ( most likely Cleopas’ wife) were on their way home from Jerusalem on that Sunday morning after the crucifixion. While they were talking together as they went along, “Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him” (vs 15,16) He asked them what they were talking about that made them so sad. They told Him about His own death, and how they had been expecting that He should have turned out to be the Messiah. This means of course they had in mind the verses in the Old Testament that describe the coming of Messiah in terms of power and earthly kingship, not realizing that the other set of prophecies telling of His suffering had to be fulfilled first. Jesus then replies “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (vs 25,26).

The rebuke from our Lord was because they had the Old Testament, but did not know the truth found in it. They had failed to study the Old Testament completely and therefore had a one sided view of Christ. Christ could not come as King until He first completed His work of redemption for sin and called out the people for his kingdom, the true church, the living group of all true believers of every denomination who believe on Him and in His atoning death as the Saviour of those who put their trust in Him.

The passage then concludes with Jesus teaching them.. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” This is the first Bible study led by Jesus after His death. And what is the subject? The subject was, that the truth and glory of Christ in the New Testament is founded in the Old Testament.

All believers should hunger for the gems found in the Old Testament as we are told to do. This desire is shown by Jesus’ disciples in this passage…”And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

In John 5:18 some leaders wanted to kill Jesus because He said things that placed Him equal with God. Jesus challenged his accusers to ..“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (vs 39) This challenge should be every believer’s desire. Now, notice verses 45 - 47.

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Jesus is asking these leaders, how can they possibly know Christ if they did not believe what Moses wrote of Christ. That truth is paramount. If you do not believe Moses, as in the books of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy), Christ says you will never believe Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the gospels.

That is an astounding claim and one that explains many things. The Lord says we cannot pick and choose within the Word of God. You take it all or nothing at all. With such a warning, why would you not teach the whole Bible? Satan levels so many attacks upon the book of Genesis. It’s sad to see these attacks come from within a church.

The Old Testament’s value is indicated by the following:

    1. It was the Bible of our Lord and His apostles.

    2. It is the foundation of the New Testament:

        a. Regarding its basic teachings such as unity and holiness of God, creation, the fall of man and justification.

        b. Regarding prophecies about our Lord that were fulfilled.

        c. Regarding God’s program for the world, which comes to a climax in Christ’s work.

    3. It contains a wealth of material that promotes devotional and spiritual growth, such as found in the Psalms.

    4. It gives us many details of Christ’s earthly rule which are not repeated in the New Testament.

    5. It presents the many pictures of the love of God in the dealings with His chosen people so that we can peek into and understand better the love for His bride the church.

The Bible is the Holy Scriptures. Holiness is a word that comes from a root meaning “wholeness.” In other words there is nothing lacking in the Scriptures. Keep your study of God full and complete when you vow never to set aside the teachings of the Old Testament.

Over 30 years ago Elvis Presley passed away. Yet, just a few days ago, Elvis came to town. That was what was reported on a local TV station. As it turns out, it was yet another Elvis impersonator. There seems to be many of those nowadays.

There are internet sites for Elvis fan clubs and even Elvis baby food. Wine can be found called "Always Elvis Wine." A former NFL coach often left two tickets for Elvis at the will-call window on game days. There is even a "First Presleyterian Church."

    "I can get so depressed," admitted a Texas woman, "Anytime I've got anything bothering me, I can get in my car and turn the stereo on and listen to Elvis and just go into a world of my own. . . . It's like he's right there singing directly to me. . . . It's like he's always there to solve everything."

    "I sit and talk to him," claimed a New Jersey follower. "I feel he hears what I say to him and he gives me the will to go on when things are really bad. . . . Somehow you talk to Elvis. . . . I know if anybody ever saw me, they would probably tell me that I was crazy, but I do . . . I love him, I talk to him and I know he understands and I feel so much better after. I think I always will."

What is all this about, really? Why the obsession with a dead rock and roll star? You might think that Elvis fans are crazy! I don’t want to talk about if these people are crazy or not. I will leave that up to you.

I want to address the devotion they have. The obsession they have. Although many would deny it, many take it to a level of discipleship. On the other hand, some people would have no problem saying they worship the rock and roll singer.

Do you have a devotion to the one you follow? Are you a disciple of Christ?

What makes a disciple?

I think John 1:35-42 tells us what a disciple is.

    John 1..

    35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

    36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

 

    1) A disciple of Christ looks to Jesus.

Notice that John looked to Jesus. John looked to Jesus for everything. Like the Elvis devotees, where Elvis became a life style, John saw Jesus in all of life.

Do you see God in all of life? Do you pray to him for parking spaces? Do you really mean what you say as you say “grace” before eating or is it just the thing to do? Do you really think God gave you your meal? Your good health..do you see it as a gift from God?

I saw a man that collected Mr. Peanut stuff on the Food Network. He had Mr. Peanut on everything. I cannot begin to tell you the list of stuff he had. Rooms full of it. He lived a life where he looked for Mr Peanut in everything. He had full devotion to Mr Peanut and all could tell this if they knew him.

Are you this way in your faith?

A disciple of Christ looks to Christ in all things.

    2) A true disciple of Christ causes others to look or to behold Christ.

This is what true disciples do. They point others to the one they follow. John didn’t want others to follow him, he wanted those that followed him to follow the Christ. BEHOLD! LOOK! There he is!! That’s the guy I’m talking about. He is the Christ, not me. Christ is the one that can deliver you.

Do others around you know you follow Christ? If you shared the gospel with them, would they say, ”well I had no idea you even went to church?” If you were put on trial for your faith, would you be found guilty?

A true Elvis lover does not keep his love from the world as we have seen. They proudly wear their white jumpsuits even though they know others think they look ridiculous

    John 1..

    37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

    3) A true disciple of Christ listens and follows Christ

A disciple is willing to do what God leads them to do at all times.

Now wait a minute. Now you’re getting a little bit legalistic. We live in Grace. We need not work to please God. To say we must obey the laws of God is just plain legalistic.

Well, maybe. But that depends on you. The point of grace is not antinomian (lawless living) in nature, nor is it legalistic. If you obey God out of duty, you maybe living a legalistic life. We should desire to serve God for we would have it no other way. To follow in love.

    John 1...

    38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

I’m not sure if the two that followed Jesus knew when they spoke these words how profound they were. They were asked, “What seek ye?” And the answer is Rabbi, or Master, or Master Teacher. It’s like their reply was orchestrated by God.

What are you seeking? I’m seeking a teacher. I want to learn.

A true disciple of Christ listens to Christ and follows Him.

    4) Disciples want to learn and want to know all they can about the one they worship.

When you become obsessed with something you can’t get enough of it.

Are you like me? When I’m in need of a product, I become obsessed with it. I read every review I can and spend hours online seeing what the best product for the money is. I want to know all I can about the product in hopes that I make the right purchase.

The desire to know Him in the greatest manner in which we can, fills the heart of a disciple. Those that never read the Bible, and hardly come to church show no desire to know him.

A disciple of Christ desires to know all about him. Its like when we are dating. When we find the one we love we desire to know what they like and what they dislike. What music they listen to. What food they like. We like to know what their plans are. What they plan on doing the next day, and the day after. The more we get to know them, the more the love grows.

The more we know God the more we fall in love with God. We, too, want to know what He likes and dislikes. We also want to know His will and His plan.

    John 1...

    39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

5) Disciples spend time with or abide with Christ.

To know Christ you must spend time with Christ.. Abide with him.

John 15:4-5

    4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

    5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing

We abide in Christ when we stay with Him and stay in Him. I’m not talking about salvation here. I’m talking about fellowship. Do you talk with God each day? Do you allow Him to speak with you each day?

How do you do this? Read His Holy Word.

Abiding in Jesus Christ is a supernatural experience. The Bible has no secret power that comes alive to fight off evil spirits by only having it in your home. It’s not a magic wand that impacts your life by placing it on the coffee table. The Bible is only another book on the self, if you leave it on the shelf. The power of the Bible comes as we read it's words.

    Luke 24:32

    And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?

Men wrote the Bible as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit still moves in people's hearts. The inspiration of the scripture comes when you read it. It does no good sitting on the shelf.

Daily we need to read the Bible. Christian books should never replace God's Word. I love great writers and I will keep learning from others that came before me. But God needs to speak to us one on one. This is abiding in Christ. This is what a disciple does.

    John 1...

    40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

    41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

Two things I want to point out here in our study of discipleship.

6) Disciples seek out people to share the Gospel with.

You may think this is the same point as made in point number 1, from verse 36. But it is not. You see, we are not just to tell others that we come across about Christ, but we are to seek out others to share the Gospel with. People that we may not know and may not ever see again. In ways it is easier to share with others you don’t know, than sharing alongside others at work. But it will cost you, and that is the hard part. You will need to take time.

Do you have the time to seek others and share with them the gospel? I true disciple does.

7) Disciples let the Holy Spirit guide them.

Have you noticed the words over and over. In this text, “being interpreted" is a good point to bring out. How to read the Bible. Some think that the more verses read, the better. This is not always the case. If you run to get to the end, you may miss the message. I suggest this idea:

As you read the Bible in your quiet time with God and as God works in your heart and speaks to you STOP.

You may have read the passage 100 times before but this time something you have never seen pops out of the pages and hits you like you have been awakened to a new truth. This is Holy Spirit working in your heart. Do not miss this moment. Take your time and read that passage again. Stop and pray, keep your eyes closed after you pray and think about the truth. Bask in the blessing or in the rebuke God has given you. Spend time and allow God to work deeper with you on this truth. Pray again if you need to. Spend time with God and learn of Him and by Him.

My point is this, if you read through the Bible just to say you have read the Bible, it does very little. Be still and know that He is God. Read and let Him work in your life. Look for and expect a message from God each time you read.

8) Disciples of Christ will become Bold.

    42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

We are told in the text the meaning of Cephas. Kephas (kay-fas') is an Aramaic name corresponding to the Greek "Petros," as it says in the text, it means rock. What is also interesting is the word Simon, who was a fishermen, and it's meaning. It means Jellyfish.

From the moment Christ saw Simon Peter, he know he would be a Petros. A weak jellyfish made into a rock. God took a mere fisherman and made him into a great leader. Once Peter denied even knowing the Lord as he shook in fear, as a jellyfish. Then God changed him and Peter had great boldness to stand and proclaim the truth of the gospel.

And this is how you become that disciple of Christ.

    Genesis 41:30

    And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

According to the International Monetary Fund, over the past 12 months, global food prices have increased on average by more than 40%. Most experts believe that there is no single driver behind this unprecedented rise in the cost of food, but rather that numerous factors threaten the food security and well being of millions of people, particularly the poorest of the poor in the developing world.

Are these a sign of an upcoming world wild famine? Can a famine happen today?

Famine does still exist. Reading the headlines each month you will find stories like these:

    Unicef: Six million children in Ethiopia are at risk of acute malnutrition following the failure of rains. (BBC)

    North Koreans are dying because of food shortages in rural areas, and a massive famine is just a matter of time. (CNN)

    Pakistan: People across South Asia are struggling to cope with a severe shortage of affordable wheat and rice. (BBC)

It’s pretty safe to say that none of us have lived through a real famine. From stories of famines of the past, we never want to see one. In a real famine, there is no food to be had or the little food there is, costs more money than most people have. Everyone needs food to live. In a famine, people give up everything to get food including land, house and jewelry and after that is gone they turn to crime. Families are divided in search of work to buy food at very high prices or go to live in streets and beg for it. Children are even sold for food. John MacArther in his book “The Tale of Two Sons” tells of a famine in the 1800’s

    The writer tells of children being sold into slavery to keep them from starving. He speaks of men found dead every morning on the streets. And when the numbers increased, the ruler of the city declared every man responsible for throwing the dead bodies in front of his house into the river. And not wanting to have all the dead bodies in front of their house, inhabitants of the city would drag the dead in front of other people's houses. Every morning quarrels would ring out across the city as men fought over where the dead bodies really died. Small merchants had to keep hippopotamus hide whips nearby to drive off the maddened beggars who would attack them bodily and ravish the little they had in their shops. Small merchants with their wares on the street would throw themselves across their wares as the miserable wretches came by to steal something to eat. Men venturing out at night unarmed were attacked and eaten. Straying animals were killed and eaten raw. Shoe leather, rotten flesh and garbage were all devoured. They ate palm trees. Families in the village seeing death on them bricked up the doors of their houses and awaited death in a room to keep their own bodies from being devoured by hyenas. Entire villages were wiped out in this manner. This is a famine.

But this type of thing is past us. Right? Man has built such a high-level global market system that we will never see famines like this again. Right?

Some have fooled themselves into thinking we live in a blessed land because of something we the people have done. It’s as if they think God will always send the rains needed to grow the corn we need to eat. Just why should God do this? This once great nation that was founded on the Bible, now laughs at the laws of God. Should God bless us anyway?

Just a few years ago, we as a nation saw how helpless we humans are when God sent a great storm that hit our nation hard. Was the storm Katrina God’s judgment on our land? I’m not sure it matters if it was God’s judgment or not. My point is, God did send Hurricane Katrina in all the power we beheld, and for a few months even the Godless person knew he was not in control. Man was helpless in his efforts to place control on the waters. The greatest nation on this earth could not stop it. All the structures of man, built to withstand high winds and water, God laughed at, as He blowed them down as nothing but works of folly. Sadly the nation soon forgot the power of God found in just a storm.

Can something like this not happen to our breadbasket in the Midwest? With fuel prices so high, food prices have gone up as high as 140% in the last year, a long draught or too much rain to the Midwest would only make things worse. Not only would it hurt our food supply even more, but also little food would be left to send to others.

Can this happen?

    Deuteronomy 11:17

    And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

Back in May of this year WV Standard reporter Carolyn Harmon wrote a story entitled “The End of the Honeybee is the End of the Human.” In the story Harmon quoted Allen Leadmon of Hurricane WV as saying, "Once the honeybees go, humans will go. They pollinate everything."

Honeybees are very important to our food supply. Without honeybees, we would not have a garden and most grains would no longer grow. Our whole food supply would change.

Voice of America (voanews.com) reported in an article “Disappearance of Honey Bees a Mystery”..

    What has happened to America's honeybees?

    Last fall, beekeepers from states with warm climates began to report a sudden loss of honeybees. Losses were reported in twenty-four states and into Canada. Today, some beekeepers say thirty percent to ninety percent of their honeybees are gone. Food prices could go up as a result.

The mysterious loss of honeybees nationwide has the attention of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for that reason. Although research has not yet identified why the bees are disappearing, many experts believe the changes are being caused by a combination of disease, stress on the bees and pesticides. To get an idea how bad this could be, let’s look at some numbers.

U.S. beekeepers produce approximately $200 million in honey annually. By comparison honeybees as pollinators are valued at $34,159,938,000 according to South East Farm Press.

Honeybees can die during the winter. But few dead bees have been found. Instead, the bees seem to have disappeared. Experts call the condition "colony collapse disorder."

Has man faced another thing he cannot control? Are we not forced to admit that we need honeybees as pollinators, but being sure they are here for that reason is out of our hands? So, where have the honeybees gone? Is this loss of bees a judgment of God on our nation?

Again, I do not know if it’s a judgment or not. But this should show us that there are many things we do not control. Blessings we find in this land can end at any moment.

Jonathan Edwards, a colonial American Congregational preacher of the 1700s, is well known for a sermon called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” In it Edwards repeatedly ask his listeners if they could give any reason for God not to send them to hell that very moment. Is there any reason for God not to send a famine on our land?

For what reason should God not take all the bees away?

For what reason should God not stop the rains for three years?

Give me one reason God should not send another Katrina or two or three Katrinas at once.

In this day when God is nothing more than a curse word in anger to most men, would this give God a reason to let our food supply grow or stop? When states in this nation pass laws that God says are an abomination to Him, why should He bless us as He has in the past?

Just what can we do as a nation, to assure we never see a famine hit our land? Often times the weatherman can get the weather report right. But name me a weatherman that can change the weather. There is none.

Folks, we are not in control as much as we like to kid ourselves. God could send a great famine on us and be just in doing so. Why not send one, when our nation has turned it’s back on Him? We need to pray that this nation will turn back to Him.

    2 Chronicles 7:14

    If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

As Edwards claimed years ago, “It’s a terrible thing to fall into the Hands of an angry God.”

God’s judgment is coming, for He says He will judge the whole earth. Those that laugh at God, will laugh no more.

By Gods grace, I have written this column for over a year and a half now. During this time, many readers have asked where is a church that preaches the doctrines found in this column? The inquiries go something like this made-up letter below.

*********************

To Whom it May Concern:

I'm looking for a good Christian church. I don't want to sing songs from an overhead projector, the same five notes, over and over and over again. There's a record of the hymns of God's people that spans 2,000 years. Why are we so arrogant as to think we don't need those wonderful songs any longer? Have we gone through more suffering, more affliction, more pain for Jesus than those who wrote these enduring hymns? Does a semi-secular songwriter in Nashville with a multi-million dollar music contract have more to say to us about God and the Christian life than the 17th-century hymn writer who lost four children and his wife during the 30 Year War?

I don't want to have my eardrums bashed in by the three kids in the "worship band" who can't be bothered to bathe, shave, dress or comb their hair on Sunday morning. If it's really all about the God that Scripture describes as ineffably holy, shouldn't that be reflected in attitude and dress for those who serve in church music?

I don't want a vampy "praise and worship" leader who is flaunting her wares at every male within view as she does her worship moves on "stage." If we are to worship God in spirit and in truth, as Scripture tells us, then what's all the flesh about? Can we no longer discern the difference?

I don't want to see people in beach attire with their backsides peeping out of their shorts because they think that God isn't worth their best efforts at dressing. "God doesn't care about clothes, only man," they say. But the real reason is that it's just plain easier to cruise into church in dirty blue jean shorts or whatever is still lying on the floor from the night before. Dressing up for worship of the Lord would cost them a little bit of time. It is said that time is money. If this is true they show God is not worth their time or money. It is as if they are saying, "It's only church, the house of God, there is no need to dress up. Its not like it's for a business meeting or a date or something like that."

I also don't want to see all the variations on lovers' back rubs where Chuck and Sue take turns massaging each other's neck and shoulders during the sermon so everyone behind them is completely distracted. Behavior affects other people. Are Christians so self-absorbed that they never think about the people behind them trying to hear the message?

I don't want to hear announcements during "worship" about the youth group pizza blast and laser tag event next Tuesday night, the need for grills for the upcoming church funfest or jokes about how Bill burned the wieners last summer at the church picnic. Why can this not be done before we begin our "worship" service?

I don't want Christian karaoke for "special music." Screeching females trying to imitate their favorite pop stars belong at the local bar, not in a house of prayer.

Let me tell you what I am looking for in corporate worship of believers.

I'm looking for a spirit of reverence among God's people, a sense that we have come to join in with the company of angels, archangels, and the church triumphant who gather before God's throne in that never ending heavenly worship.

I'm looking for a service that is founded upon and completely focused on God and His Word. I want to begin the worship in prayer and end in prayer. I want to hear the Bible preached between these prayers. I want to hear the name of God invoked at the beginning and as often as the speaker can say it.

I need to be reminded I'm a sinner and that God is holy. I want to corporately confess my faith with my fellow believers. I need to sing of God's holiness, His attributes and His greatness through the hymns of the faith that have been handed down through the ages from the pens and the lips of those who have gone before us.

Why? Because God is truly "Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise, in light inaccessible, hid from our eyes." Because God is "Holy, Holy Holy," our Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. because it is right and fitting that our souls should praise the King of Heaven. He is worthy of all our praise because He is "Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor".

I need to hear the Scriptures read out-as much of it as possible. The Bible is God's Word, is it not? Three Scripture lessons are hardly enough. Why is Scripture so often limited to the text of a message, if it's there at all now? The Old Testament Lesson. The New Testament Lesson. The Gospel Lesson. I need all the lessons that God's holy Word can provide.

I need to hear the Scriptures preached and I want to hear doctrine preached. Why do I want preaching? Because faith comes by hearing, the Bible says, and hearing by God's Word. I need conviction of the Holy Spirit in my own heart and life. I want to be reminded who God is and my duty before Him. I don't want a pastor who spews vulgarities and crude talk to show how "real" he is, or who feeds on Hollywood so that the only thing that comes out of his mouth is foolishness in his pathetic attempts at cultural relevance. God's Word is eternally relevant.

I want a time of serious prayer in church, seeking God for His help and wisdom in these dark times, for the needs of the congregation and for the witness of the fellowship in the community. As we kneel, we're reminded of our utter helplessness without the Lord.

Outside of the corporate worship, I want a church that believes in evangelism and outreach. There is a world out there that needs the message of the Gospel. It is our responsibility to take it to them, and churches should facilitate and train members for this critical mission. Truly saved believers have a burning heart to share it with others. I want to be part of a church that has this burning heart.

If you know of such a church in my area, would you please contact me at your earliest convenience. I would be grateful.

Sincerely,

A Christian

God has entrusted a Church for us to meet in and worship Him and in honor of Him and His holy Word. The church is in Hamlin WV.

I trust someday you can visit us. For now we are meeting only once a week at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoons.

How many times have you asked yourself, or you have heard others ask these questions?

    What is God’s plan for my life?

    How can I know God’s will for me?

These questions come naturally to Christian people. This is the implication of Romans 12:1-2.

    1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

    2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

In Philippians Paul writes,

    3:15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

The Psalms are filled with this theme. Psalms 25 tells us that David ask God..

    4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.

    5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Asaph says in Psalm 73,

    23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.

    24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.

These verses do not mean we can see the whole path of God’s will for our lives. But it does tell us that God has a plan for us and that God will lead us revealing that path one step at a time as we go forward.

Now there are some things that must be understood about God’s will. Part of His will, we will never know for it is hidden from us. But the other part of God’s will, can be revealed to us.

    Deuteronomy 29:29

    "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

What He does reveal is the kind of life and character we should follow that pleases Him

In the Bible one part of God’s will is that of the sovereign or efficacious will of God. This will of God is beyond anything we can fully know on earth. God’s will is absolute. It is unlimited. It is determined only by God himself. God does not consult anyone as to what to do, nor does he need help from anyone to carry out his plan. This is not to say that God does not use others. But this is not the same thing as saying God needs them. God is the self-existing one and needs no one.

The other meaning of God’s will in Scripture is the disposition of God or what pleases Him. In the Lord’s prayer is the petition which says, “Thy will be done.” This does not refer to God’s sovereign will, for if that were the case there would be no need to pray this prayer. God’s sovereign will, in this sense will always come about whether we pray for it or not. What we see in the Lord’s prayer is an asking that we may know what pleases God in our life and in the lives of others.

But how does one know what pleases God? How do you know what school to go to? How do you know whom you should marry? How do you know if you should join this church or another? How about that new job? Should you take it, or stay where you are? What is the best way to spend you money that would please God?

There are a few principles that we should follow that will help us as we seek to please God.

First is a precondition that will solve many problems if we are seeking to please God.

1) We must be willing to do God’s will, even before we know what God’s will is.

    John 7:17

    If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.

Jesus in a broader principle is telling us that knowing the will of God consists of being willing to do it. The problem with most of us is while we say we are seeking God’s will, we are in fact praying God will agree to our own will and bless us in what we want to do. We are then in hope and even go on to pray that God sees things our way.

This should be removed from our thoughts and be replaced with a servant’s heart. A good healthy prayer life and daily Bible study is the best way to over come this self-seeking notion. Christian fellowship is another support we must use.

Romans 12 1-2 is clear that we have that servent heart, but are we willing to do it?

This leads is to our second principle.

2) God has revealed what pleases Him in scripture.

God will not reveal the name of the person we must marry to please Him, but Scripture does reveal what type of person we should look for in marriage. It does not tell us if we should marry Bob or Joe, but it does tell us we should not live with either before we are married. It does not tell us to be a doctor or a lawyer, but it does tell us we are not to be a thief or a prostitute. The Bible gives us guidelines in which to operate. Romans 12:1-2, tells us that anything that contributes to our spiritual growth in holiness is God’s will for us. This means that anything that hinders that growth is not God’s will.

    1 Thessalonians 4:3

    For this is the will of God, your sanctification:

    Colossians 3:23

    Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

At times Christians will see difficulty in life and think maybe they are not in God’s will. This however should not be the only consideration of trials you face. At times God brings trials that we may be blessed in the end. If you are in God’s will that placed you in that position to face those trials, the best advice I can give you is to stay put. Be still and know your God, for He is trying to teach you something. Do not miss the blessing by running from difficulty into a life that seems filled with ease. If you stay put and in his holy Word, and you stay on your knees in prayer, in God’s own time He will reveal not only his will but the meaning of that trial you face.

As we look to apply this principle to things rather then people there are good guides to follow here. You need to ask yourself, “am I using things or are things using me?”

Take food for instance. Food is good for you and is needed. But if not controlled it is bad for you and can harm your health. The same can be said of drugs, sex, cars, houses, sports and much, much more. It is God’s will for you to live life in control.

    1 Corinthians 10:23

    All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up.

This brings us to our last principle.

3) When wanting to do God’s will but not knowing which door to walk though, we are to choose the best.

    Philippians 4:8

    Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things

I want you to notice that the context is not just talking about Christian virtues although it is clear it includes them. However, we can also rejoice in the best of the arts and good literature. We can thrill to great music. We can love beautiful architecture. These are things that God has blessed man with.

Ecclesiastes tells us we are to enjoy the blessings that God gives us, but not to worship them nor get attached to them for when we do get attached to them, in the end they will bring emptiness. When the choice is in art or music God wants you to choose the best of those choices. One that is excellent and shows honor. Stride for excellence in all that you do.

With these guidelines we can understand and know God’s will. God’s will can be found in all of our lives. With each choice, in all areas of life, God’s will is there to guide us. We know it only when we are close to God in our prayer life and Bible study. We know it only when we carry a desire to serve Him in our life.

Is this your desire to know and do the will of God? I pray that it is. 

Since man's creation it has been his nature to seek what he perceives to be freedom. Eve, thinking she and Adam were in bondage by not having a "knowledge of good and evil," exercised their "choice" and ate of the forbidden tree. The Serpent represented the tree as the source of freedom from their restraints but in fact it was the source of their ultimate bondage. By exercising their will, and trying to better themselves, they went against God’s will and fell into sin and death and placed themselves under the subjection of the Serpent.

The desire to be free and have one’s own way is what drives one into sin. But the other side of this is to replace the liberty God has given each believer that also leads one to sin. For those that are “churched” it is easy to see where with no standards can lead to sin, but the fear of losing control makes us want to force others to our own standards for living. This is the mindset of a Pharisee.

Human history is filled with accounts of individuals and groups of people stealing liberty from others. From physical bondage (such as slavery) to "intellectual bondage" (Catholics who deny their people access to the Scriptures), many feel it is their "duty" to suppress the freedom of others. This is the very reason liberty is to be jealously guarded. In Galatians 5:1 Paul says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Paul wrote the book of Galatians to explain to the Galatians the preciousness of the liberty they have in Christ. There was a group of Jews who were insisting the Galatians must keep the law to become and remain a Christian. Paul spent six chapters explaining to them how they are free in Christ and cannot be perfected by the bondage of the Mosaic Law. He told them they were "foolish" for so readily giving up the liberty they have in Christ and "not obey[ing] the truth" (Gal. 3:1).

The Pharisees are the most notorious advocates of bondage found in the Bible. Christ said of them, "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matt 23:4). They developed legalistic, man-made rules such as hand washings and tithing of flower seeds which placed great burdens on the gullible and impressionable public. Christ held these self-righteous hypocrites in the utmost contempt. He directed towards them some of the most scathing words in the Scriptures. Many of the traits of the Pharisees can be found among Hyper-Fundamentalist believers today.

The Pharisees of old had the right "Bible," believed their Bible was the very word of God and took it literally, spent countless hours reading and studying it, believed the promise of the coming Messiah, believed in angels and the spirit world, and held to every other fundamental doctrine found in their Scriptures. To the Jewish public they were devout, dedicated, godly, and orthodox, each a model or example for the common believer. Ironically, when the God they claimed to serve came to them in person they didn't recognize Him, and in less than four years they were so opposed to Him they directly caused His death! Their "godly" and "devout" appearance did not reflect the truth.

Even though they had a reputation of being extremely consecrated and devout, Christ reserved for them His most searing remarks and criticism. He sternly and publicly rebuked them for their pious attitude and hypocritical behavior while He exercised kindness, grace, and compassion towards those who were publicly branded as sinners.

Where did the Pharisees go wrong? They had the right God, Bible, heritage, and doctrines, but what power or influence led them astray? What caused them to be so harshly castigated by their Creator?

The Pharisee's besetting sin was a vice called PRIDE. Pride and envy are probably the most consuming and destructive vices one can entertain. Their first victim was not even a man but no less than the anointed cherub Lucifer. Lucifer's five "I wills" found in Isaiah chapter 14 expose Lucifer's pride and arrogance for all creation to see. The “I wills” are still alive to this day as man tries to better the grace God has given him.

The most proud, self-righteous, and legalistic is the persons that I have metis the Hyper-Fundamentalist. Some are so dogmatic in their subjective standards and positions that they, like the Pharisees, actually believe they are doing God service by compelling their biblical standards on others. They are blinded by their conceit. This causes Hyper-Fundamentalists to become "hyper-separationists" in their attitude toward others.

Since Pharisees believe they are God's true and pure people, they feel they must separate from all others who don't follow their truth. True, as seen a few weeks back, Christians are to separate from the world, ungodliness, obvious heresy, and carnal believers, but to refuse fellowship from all other believers simply because they don't look or act as they do is a wrong that Hypers can not see for they are blinded in their pride.

Constantly trying to force ones convictions on others about movies, television, even radio, dress, translations, songs, and other things and to strongly imply if others didn't live like they live they couldn't be in God's will and God won't use them is nothing short of the same pride we find from the beginning of time.

The Lord's most used descriptive term for the Pharisees was "hypocrites." The reason is pride. They see themselves as a better believer for they follow the Law by the letter as they see it and therefore are closer to God than others that do not see it their way. Pride wants a person to look good and be well respected regardless of the truth and will devise all sorts of schemes and plans to make this happen. To pride, image is everything.

Pride loves praise. Often when one goes to a "camp-meeting" he hears enough preachers praising each other to last a lifetime. One word that is commonly heard around preacher conferences is "doctor." If one didn't know better he would think there are more "doctors" in some of these conferences than a hospital could hold. Have you ever looked through a "Sword of the Lord" or another Christian paper regarding the lineup at one of the larger meetings? They are nearly all addressed as "doctor." But you know what's really interesting about this, is that most of them aren't doctors at all. They hold an "honorary doctorate" which is nothing more than a piece of paper saying someone has placed honor on you.

In their eyes the highest form of praise one preacher can give another is the esteemed title of "doctor" so many Christian colleges and universities have granted a "doctorate" to their favorite preachers as an honor.

However, instead of treating the doctorate as an honor, many preachers actually treat it as if it were earned! They call themselves "doctor," sign their names "doctor," encourage others to call them "doctor," and even monogram "Dr." on their clothes.

Why do otherwise sound and sensible preachers engage in such deceptive behavior? Pride.

"Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?" (Pro. 27:4)

One doesn't have to be within the Fundamentalist camp very long before he realizes there are certain "patriarchs" within its ranks. To follow a man who is following Christ is a Biblical practice, but to idolize someone like some of these preachers are idolized is obviously not Scriptural.

We are not mentioning this to make light of or demean the work of these men, many of them have been used of God to win souls and exalt Christ. However, pride loves a good ego trip and delights in being exalted and esteemed by others, so it is very easy for any believer to allow and even encourage others to think more of him than they should. The self-indulgence of allowing excessive praise of one's self will always lead to the person beginning to believe it.

The remedy for legalism or pharisaical behavior is simple in concept but hard for many in practice. It is seeing legalism as sin folks. The way out of this life style is to confess it as sin and repent from it. Once you see your sin for what it really is and give your life over to grace the strength of the Holy Spirit gives power and understanding to overcome.

Now is the time that Hyper-Fundamentalist deal with their pride problem. Now is the time for them to ask God to forgive them so that they can get back to the grace of their salvation and away from their own self-holiness.

Keep your standards if they based on the Bible, for God has given these to you. Return to the love and mercy found only in the grace of God and know your works make you no better then the other believer. Wanting others to be like you is a sin and must be seen as such.

Once again, let us look to God for our holiness and not our works.

I used to operate a small Graphics Company in Charleston, WV. Through the internet I took on a lot of work from outside the state. One client was a small Fundamentalist book publishing company. They were a rather small customer and not something that would make or break my company. So when they asked me for a discount, being they were publishing Christian works, I did not hesitate to give them one. Not so much to keep them, but to help them out. God had blessed my company in many ways through the years with larger accounts that paid the bills and then some.

For over two years I did work for this small publishing company and had talked over the phone with them weekly. After we talked business, we would then talk about our faith in Christ. We had a good, close relationship.

This all changed in a rather short fashion. One time on the phone I told this same Fundamentalist publishing company that another good customer yet much larger company, The Disney Store, had given me a lot of work. The response from the Hyper-Fundamentalist group was they could not believe a Christian would do work for Disney. I never heard from them again. I was cut off, as a heretic, not for supporting Disney, but because Disney gave me some work to do.

I did work for many companies that were not known as Christian, because I was just another company like you find on any Main Street of your town. Not that it matters, but I did not seek out the Disney account, they came to me. I did not give Disney a price break as I did the much smaller Christian company. All I did was take fair wages from Disney for work I had done on some t-shirts. For this I was cut off. This is the mindset that is now found in the Hyper-fundamentalist camp.

Mindsets such as this come when we leave the gospel of God and enter religion. It is interesting to me that one of the things that Hyper-Fundamentalists stand against so strongly, they turn into. They hate the use of the word religion to describe their faith, but they setup all these practices to follow in order to remain a Hyper-Fundamentalist, so that they become a religion unto themselves. As for the Christian company above I had broken one of their religiosity rules and therefore was not fit to talk with and surely could not do business with. They would rather pay twice as much to an atheist on down the street, than to any Christian believer that did not follow their set rules.

In “The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine” by Jaroslav Pelikan is written “The Centrality Of The Gospel”

    In its strict sense as the good news of salvation through the victory of Christ, the gospel stood in the sharpest possible contrast to the law. Out of that contrast Luther shared one of the most pervasive themes of his theology of the cross. “The truth of the gospel is this,” he said, “that our righteousness comes by faith alone, without the works of the law,” and therefore the only “real theologian” was one who “knows well how to distinguish the gospel from the law.” “the knowledge of this topic, the distinction between the law and the gospel” he went on, “is necessary to the highest degree, for it contains a summary of all Christian doctrine.” (Book 4, page 168)

In my own words Luther is saying the truth of the gospel is necessary to the HIGHEST degree, for it is the center of all Christian doctrine. Now many may agree with this before they understand the full impact. Paul addresses this in Galatians.

    Galatians 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

I want you to notice “walking according to the truth of the gospel.” We see here that the gospel is much more than “God saves sinners” for Paul is addressing Peter, a believer. The gospel is a life that we walk by. We live it, breathe it and treat others in light of it. The gospel is greater than just salvation, for it impacts our whole life. We no longer need to work under laws to be “upright.”

Paul is not saying we all should do as we want. We all need to have standards based on the Bible. Paul is showing Peter his error in treating others wrongly. “why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” or why do you think others should be just like you? Again please remember this is addressing another believer.

Pastor Tim Keller picks up on this idea….

    First, Paul is showing us that that bringing the gospel truth to bear on every area of life is the way to be changed by the power of God. The gospel is described in the Bible in the most astounding terms. Angels long to look into it all the time. (I Peter 1:12). It does not simply bring us power, but it is the power of God itself, for Paul says "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation" (Rom.1:16). It is also the blessing of God with benefits, which accrue to anyone who comes near (I Cor.9:23). It is even called the very light of the glory of God itself--"they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ...for God...has made his light shine into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (II Cor.4:4,6)

    Second, Paul is showing that we never “get beyond the gospel” in our Christian life to something more “advanced”. The gospel is not the first “step” in a “stairway” of truths, rather, it is more like the “hub” in a “wheel” of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s but the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom. We are not justified by the gospel and then sanctified by obedience, but the gospel is the way we grow (Gal.3:1-3) and are renewed (Col.1:6). It is the solution to each problem, the key to each closed door, the power through every barrier (Rom.1:16-17). It is very common in the church to think as follows. "The gospel is for non-Christians. One needs it to be saved. But once saved, you grow through hard work and obedience." But Col.1:6 shows that this is a mistake. Both confession and "hard work" that is not arising from and "in line" with the gospel will not sanctify you--it will strangle you. All our problems come from a failure to apply the gospel. Thus when Paul left the Ephesians he committed them "to the word of his grace, which can build you up" (Acts 20:32)

Last week I quoted Tertullian.

    "Just as Christ was crucified between two thieves, so this doctrine of justification is ever crucified between two opposite errors."

Interestingly Tertullian is quoted by Luther, Keller and Pelikan on this subject. Maybe because it is also interesting to see that this is not a new problem in the church and that it goes back to the early church. Legalism keeps popping its ugly head back into the church and must be dealt with. This time around it finds its roots in Hyper-Fundamentalism.

What Tertullian and others want us to understand, is that legalists/moralists/religionists will “steal” the truth of the gospel and the power found in it, and cause us to live in error.

It is hard for the Pharasee to see the sin in it’s camp for they feel they are “walking holy” unto God. But it is just as great a sin to live as a legalist as it is to live as an irreligionist. Both are sin and both take away the gospel that Paul says we should walk in.

These two errors are very powerful, because they represent the natural tendency of the human heart and mind.

Keller Says..

    These “thieves” can be called moralism or legalism on the one hand, and hedonism or relativism on the other hand. On the one hand, "moralism/religion" stresses truth without grace, for it says that we must obey the truth in order to be saved. On the other hand, "relativists/irreligion" stresses grace without truth, for they say that we are all accepted by God (if there is a God) and we have to decide what is true for us. But "truth" without grace is not really truth, and "grace" without truth is not really grace. Jesus was "full of grace and truth". Any religion or philosophy of life that de-emphasizes or lose one or the other of these truths, falls into legalism or into license and either way, the joy and power and "release" of the gospel is stolen by one thief or the other.

    "I am more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe" (vs. antinomianism)

    "I am more accepted and loved than I ever dared hope" (vs. legalism)

    The moralism-religion thief. How does moralism/religion steal joy and power?

    Moralism is the view that you are acceptable (to God, the world, others, yourself) through your attainments. (Moralists do not have to be religious, but often are.) When they are, their religion if pretty conservative and filled with rules. Sometimes moralists have views of God as very holy and just. This view will lead either to a) self-hatred (because you can't live up to the standards), or b) self-inflation (because you think you have lived up to the standards). It is ironic to realize that inferiority and superiority complexes have the very same root. Whether the moralist ends up smug and superior or crushed and guilty just depends on how high the standards are and on a person's natural advantages (such as family, intelligence, looks, willpower). Moralistic people can be deeply religious--but there is no transforming joy or power.

 

Moral and religious people seek to be their own saviors and lords through religion, "religious" pride. ("I am more moral and spiritual than other people, so God owes me to listen to my prayers and take me to heaven.”)

They are both based on distorted views of the real God.

Next week we will look at someways to change this attitude of self- holiness.

John 2:1-5

    1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

    2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

    3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

    4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

    5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it

In the Old and New Testament worlds, weddings were happy, festive occasions just as they are today. However,the marriage ceremony was considerably longer, and a full time of feasting and celebration.

Leon Morris supplies us with some additional background from the Jewish writings:

    The wedding would take place on a Wednesday if the bride was a virgin and on a Thursday if she was a widow. The bridegroom and his friends made their way in procession to the bride’s house. This was often done at night, when there could be a spectacular torchlight procession. There were doubtless speeches and expressions of goodwill before the bride and groom went in procession to the groom’s house, where the wedding banquet was held. It is probable that there was a religious ceremony, but we have no details. The processions and the feast are the principal items of which we have knowledge. The feast was prolonged, and might last as long as a week.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is at the wedding, although her role seems to be more than that of a guest. One gets the impression that the couple being married are either friends, or possibly related to Mary, and that she is helping with the arrangements, especially the serving of the food and wine. Whatever the case may be, Mary seems to be one of the first to know that the wine is running out. She instructs the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do, and they appear willing to follow her instructions.

Jesus and His disciples are also at the wedding as invited guests. Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and John. The fact that Mary, Jesus and His disciples are all invited to this wedding suggests that this wedding is that of someone known to all of them, perhaps a friend or a relative. Some writers have suggested that the wedding is that of Nathanael’s. It could be that it is Nathanael's wedding being that he was from Cana, but this is simply a guess. Well into the festivities, Jesus’ mother becomes aware of a most embarrassing situation—the wine has run out, and there appears to be no solution.

Either no more wine is available, or there is no money to buy more wine. However, the guests seem unaware of what is happening.

Jesus’ mother steps in and takes charge when she says to Jesus, “They have no wine left.” Mary may have considered this crisis providential. Perhaps she thinks it is time for Jesus to present Himself to the world as the Messiah. John the Baptist has already designated Him as Messiah, and He already has a following of disciples.

Jesus knows that His mother expects a response of some kind, and He gives her a response, though it is hardly what she expects. Yet, it is not an unkind response—it simply serves to set the record straight by redefining His relationship to Mary, His earthly mother. Jesus asks Mary the question, “Why are you saying this to Me?”. Or maybe "What does this have to do with me?"

As His mother, Mary might think she has some parental authority over Him. As her sovereign God, she has no authority over Him at all!

I want to point out that Jesus was indeed submissive to his parents. In his Gospel, Luke makes the point clear.

    Luke 2:51

    51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

I feel the rebuke has to do with Mary crossing over from the Jesus the man to Jesus the Son of God. So it is now time for our Lord to indicate to His mother that there will be a change. Not only is He a grown man about to set out on His own, He is the Messiah. Mary, nor any other person could not stop him from doing His Father's will.

Catholics and Protestants strongly disagree on this matter. Catholic scholars, consistent with their exaggerated view of Mary’s importance, are convinced that she uses her influence on Jesus to get Him to do what He would not otherwise have done. The text seems to tell us just the opposite. Jesus reminds her that she is just a woman, and that He, as God, cannot comply with her wishes if and when they are not in “His time.”

Mary certainly is not offended, nor is she entirely put off by Jesus’ words. She simply turns to the servants and instructs them, “Whatever He tells you, do it.”

John 2:6-11

    6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

    7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

    8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

    9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

    10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

    11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

 

A devoutly Jewish wedding ceremony might have required many ceremonial cleansings. To facilitate these washings, a substantial amount of water was kept on hand. Each pot has a capacity of between 20 and 30 gallons of water, a total of around 150 gallons. Jesus instructs the servants to fill each of the six waterpots to the brim with water.

Up to this point I doubt that either the servants or Mary, or our Lord’s newly-acquired disciples have a clue as to what Jesus is about to do. When the six stone pots are filled, Jesus instructs the servants to draw out some of the “water” from one of the pots and to serve it to the master of the feast. Not one of them could have ever imagined what Jesus would say next: “Now draw some out and take it to the governor.” In absolute unbelief they must have thought, “I know Mary said to do whatever Jesus said, but surely He can’t be serious! We are to serve this “cleasning water” to the governor? When he finds out it is only water, and not wine, he’ll have our jobs.

No one knows what has just happened. Jesus does not wave his arms over the waterpots, commanding the water to become wine. It appears that He never even touched the water or the pots. Jesus does not even tell them that the water has become wine, or that it is about to do so. As far as they know, Jesus is instructing them to serve water, ceremonial cleansing water, to the governor! This is horrifying!

Yet, As far as we know, the servants immediately obey our Lord. We read of no hesitation, no words of protest. The governor sniffs the cup, and then sips. He then calls for the bridegroom—what is he about to say?

With a smile, and perhaps a pat on the bridegroom’s back, the governor proclaims this wine to be great—the best yet.

A miracle had taken place.

Applications..

I want to look at a few lines in this passage and make application.

Please notice in verse 3….They have no wine.

Just as the provisions in the wilderness were low and Jesus was given opportunity to supply the needs of a multitude, and just as it was permitted that a man should be born blind, “that the works of God should be manifest in him” so is the short supply of wine in this passage. God's grace is shown here in supplying not just needs, but luxury. They had water they could have drunk. God gave them more than they needed.

    1) God lets man want.

It is a paradox, but it is a truth, that it is for our good to suffer need of many kinds.

        a) It helps teach us how limited our resources are and that they can be exhausted.

        b) It causes us to look beyond ourselves, to look above for satisfaction of needs and desires.

        c) It causes us to not only see Him as the giver of all blessings, but also it causes us to long for his intervention into our life. We look for it and we welcome it.

Therefore, prayer only belongs to the spirit of someone that believes God can overpower all things including the will of man.

    2) God supplies man's wants and desires.

        a) He does this at the right moment.

        b) He does this in His own power that the glory may be His.

        c) He does this in a gracious way which is both sympathetic and with authority.

 

Notice the line in verse 4.. Mine hour is not yet come.

God has His own times for all his works. Jesus waited 30 years before he began his public ministry. We also see him withdrawing from the public a few times.

    1) The hour for His advent was His hour of choosing.

This, by many, may seem late in history. But it was in “the fullness of the time” or the fullness of His time.

    2) There was a time or a season for him to enter the public ministry.

A delay on the part of Christ is not fully understood by us, but the right moment was known to the Eternal God.

    3) There was also a time to manifest his glory in miracles.

We see the Jews, His disciples, even Satan himself urge Christ to use His divine powers. He was called to heal and yet waited. He displayed His glory in the divine power that He had, in His own time. It was He that was in charge and no other.

    4) There was a time for him to give himself over to death.

He said… "father the hour has come.” Until that moment, no one could have taken His life. It was time for Him to die and die He did.

    5) There is a time..an hour set aside and known only to Him for his second coming.

“God has appointed a day,” “of that day and hour knoweth no man.” We will not dictate His coming. His hour has not come or He would be here. "He that cometh will come and will not tarry.” His delay gives understanding to the full church of the elect. Once that last member believes the church is full and He will come. What day that is, and who that last person is, we do not know.

Notice next verse 5 ..“whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."

It is the duty of the church to repeat this statement made by Mary to the world. “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” Why, because His authority is absolute.

    1) The authority of Christ is unique and absolute.

All leaders…even great world leaders have limits. It is wise to yield to the divine Lord of all. Again we may ask why?

        a) His authority is divine in it's nature. He that honoureth the Son, honoureth the Father who sent him.

        b) He is not only the Law giver, but also the Law.

The authority is to be acted upon under the power and authority of love.“If you love me…..keep my commandments”

    2) The authority of Christ is universal in its range.

His people are told to.."Call no man master”

He says…Ye call me master and lord, and ye say well, for so I am”

It is binding to all of mankind. He is Lord of all.

He says to all come unto me,

learn of me,

follow me.

The church then adds to this.."Whatsoever then he saith unto you, do it".

Verse 10 ..“thou has kept the good wine until last.”

God works in a progressive revelation.

Whom we knew as God the Creator, we now know as God's Son. Pictures such as this in the Old Testament we could not fully understand until Christ was revealed. God gave us a promise of a Christ. He gave us the Law to understand who He is and to understand ourselves.

Like the best wine, God saved the best for last. Christ is the fullness of God. But the blessings and spiritual delight of eternity (Heaven) we can then say…”thou hast kept the best for last."

Verse 11.."This beginning of miracles. ” (signs)

A man's works and actions can be seen as a picture of his character and aim in life. This is the first of many signs. What was the meaning of these signs? What was Christ's aim? What was the message He wished for us to know?

First, what the signs were in themselves.

    1 ) They were works by the worker, that set him apart from ordinary man.

    2 ) They were wonders to awaken the beholder.

    3 ) They were deeds that overpowered the laws of nature.

This places Christ over the laws of Nature.

Second.. Who were the signs for?

I want you to notice this. It was not primarily for the skeptic.

This canbe seen in other passages that deal with the signs, but it is pretty clear. There may have been some at the wedding that were not believers, but we are not told. But the display of the sign was not open. The governor did not know of the sign. Most likely only a few knew of this sign.

Jesus did not go out looking for public places to perform and amaze a bunch of people. The signs were proofs to the believers that he was God. Do you see how much value is placed on faith? His disciples believed on him that much more after a sign. I have a friend that does not believe the Bible. Hefeels like it is just a bunch of old wives tales. Yet he fears the predictions of Nostradamus. This despite the fact that Nostradamus writings are so broad they could mean anything and the Bible gives eye witness accounts in detail. Signs only help the faith of those that believe.

So it is with us. Before salvation, the Bible had no understanding to us. Anselm of Canterbury said it this way, "I believe in order to understand." After salvation we desire to know more, and God gives more and more understanding.

Verse 11.. "Manifested forth his glory”

    1) Glory was manifested in Christ's command over nature.

    2) Glory was shown forth in the revelation of Christ's love and grace upon supplying more than just needs

    4) Glory was revealed to the believer

Verse 11…"His disciples believed on him"

There is a beauty in this statement found at the end of this text.

    1) Who believed?

Not strangers, but his disciples

    3) What was the result of this belief?

This made their faith stronger. They had peace about their faith and could rest in the one who claims to be God. It brought them real joy.