TREASURES FROM THE CHEST

(The following are some items I have previously published, but now with some revision. Talking of Christ and all He accomplished is always a good thing. Our lives are short, and eternity is long. We need to be ready for eternity. Christ is the only option. Many claim to know Him, but it is doubtful. Do YOU know Him? It is my prayer that these items speak with God's blessing. Charles Woodruff)

                                                   ONE SOLITARY LIFE                                             

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.- Original author unknown

The above well-known little morsel states of Christ that He never had a family, i.e., He never married. By now you probably know that James Cameron, best known as director of the movie Titanic in 1997, is behind a “documentary” that aired on the Discovery Channel recently, trying to prove that the graves of Jesus and “His family” have been found. Their flimsy “proof” largely depends on the names on the graves “Jesus” and “Miriam” (Hebrew for Mary).Then there is “Joseph” “Judas” and “Matthew” (supposedly the children of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene). You can see they are buying into some more Da Vinci Code theories and nonsense. With Easter coming in April, it is not unusual to see assaults on Christianity like this in the name of science. 

Jim Fleming, director of The Museum of Biblical Life in La Grange, GA said in an interview for the Newnan Times-Herald that in  the Jerusalem area at that time (around 30 A.D), there were about 60,000 named Mary, 15,000 named Judas, 13,000 named Jesus, 7,500 named Matthew. We know from other sources that these were very common names. So there may be many graves with these names. An occupied grave for Jesus has never been found, and never will be.

                            

                                              PRESENT DAY CHRISTIANITY

Present day Christianity has largely rejected the teaching of God's grace in its biblical fullness. Instead, we have on all sides a largely man-centered religion. "Media Event Christianity" is the norm in so many churches. The manipulation of souls and "decisionism" has given us a watered-down gospel that couldn't save a flea. It has been taught that God can only do what man "lets" Him do! But this is a far cry from the God of the Bible. He is the Sovereign of the universe! He does not need our help, we need His!

Naturally, to declare God as God Almighty is going to ruffle some feathers. The Baptists of today forget the London Confession, the Philadelphia Confession, and the New Hampshire Confession of Faith, which all contain clear and strong statements regarding the Sovereign God. The Baptists are not alone in forgetting. The Presbyterians of today often fail to take note of the old landmark Westminster Confession of Faith (which differs from the Philadelphia Confession very little). The heritage of the church is largely discarded today, and the “emerging church”, “wealth and health gospel” along with “new evangelicalism”, and most of today's fundamentalism cannot shape up when compared to the faith of our fathers. Truth has fallen in the streets! (I originally wrote the majority of these words in 1983. Some things have changed for the better, but it is evident that many things are worse). We desperately need revival. I pray for it. I believe that reformation must come before true revival will come (By the Editor; cw).

                                  

                                       SOME ADDITIONAL NUGGETS                                       

John Newton’s autobiography introduced me to a new word: concatenation. It means a series of events (providentially) linked together. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). (The title is Out of the Depths, Moody Press, Chicago, 1972 A.D. edition. The 2003 Kregel edition is revised and may not even have this word). Anyway, it is recommended reading in either edition. John Newton was truly one of God’s remarkable men. I dearly love him.

God found John Newton in a strange place, as we have pointed out before. A slave trader and blasphemer saved by grace. As Arthur W. Pink said: “The high favorites of Heaven are sometimes to be located in queer and unexpected places. Joseph in prison, the descendants of Abraham laboring in the brick-kilns of Egypt, Daniel in the lions’ den, Jonah in the great fish’s belly, Paul clinging to a spar in the sea, forcibly illustrate this principle. Then let us not murmur because we do not now live in as fine a house as do some of the ungodly; our "mansions" are in Heaven!” (The Life of David, Reiner Publications, Swengel, PA, 1969 A.D. edition, page 79.)

David was a type of Christ in many ways including: David was a prophet as well as a king; so was our Lord. David was anointed about the 30^th year of his life; so Christ, the son of David, was baptized and anointed at 30. David in his wars had many poor men follow him such as were in debt; so Jesus Christ had many poor men who followed Him, and became His disciples, who were heavy laden under the burden of sin, called a debt.

(Adapted from Preaching from Types and Metaphors by Benjamin Keach, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1972 A.D. edition. Benjamin Keach was a Baptist Preacher in London who lived from 1640- 1704.This work was originally called Tropologia.)

                              

                                     A WORD FROM STEPHEN CHARNOCK

“The devil directs his fiercest batteries against those doctrines in the word, and those graces in the heart, which most exalt God, debase man, and bring men to their lowest subjection to their creator. Such is the doctrine and grace of justifying faith.” Stephen Charnock (1628-1680), The Existence and Attributes of God, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1971 A.D. edition, page 106. An amazing book! Read some of his works- free. Click on link:

www.puritansermons.com/charnock/charindx.htm

Published by Charles Woodruff- email    oursong2000@yahoo.com