USING THE INTERNET FOR GOD'S GLORY- W.F. BELL

I often look at my books here in my study, wondering about their authors, and exactly how all these hundreds of books came to be written and printed. It was once a very laborious task, from the handwritten originals, to corrected copies, to editing for the press, to laying type by hand, to printing on a manual press (before electricity), then collating the pages, and finally binding. What a tremendous amount of work once had to be done to publish a book, including the Bible (and there still is much work involved).

Once I whacked away at a typewriter, using an eraser constantly, then later using white-out to cover over errors, having to make a copy that was acceptable, discarding lots and lots of paper in the process. After editing and comparing, either a Xerox copy had to be made, or some process of filming had to be done to get a finished product ready for the press. Now, as we all know, you can write, edit, correct, process, and then send out to millions worldwide with a click of a button. How times have changed in the communications world.

God our Creator has given us hands and minds to work with. He blesses our knowledge and wisdom to communicate to others. It is a great blessing from God's hand for us to have the Internet. It has often been used wrongly (just as radio and television), but still the benefits of using such a tool are unparalleled in the history of the world. To that end let us ever use such for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the proclamation of His eternal Word. We don't have to travel by foot over land now, or travel by ship on long ocean voyages, or even go by airplane to the distant parts of the earth, in order to actually tell "the greatest story ever told." What a wondrous opportunity and yet responsibility we have to "declare God's glory among the heathen" (Psalm 96:3).

But what we must remember is this: using any means of communication must be in accordance with God's holy Word. That is, we must never have wrong motives, or tell things that are not true. We must do through the Internet the same as we would do in person, when delivering messages personally. God blesses His Word, but not necessarily our interpretations of it. Errors can be mixed in with truth. We must be very careful about speaking the truth faithfully. "Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; shew forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen {the nations}, His wonders among all people" (Psalm 96:2-3). "And he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully" (Jeremiah 23:28). In every way possible, we must always say with Paul, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

In using the Internet for Christ's glory, let us proclaim His Lordship. Men as sinners must bow to Christ as Lord. This is not an option. This is not something to argue about. Either Christ is truly "Lord and God," or He is not (John 20:28). We dare not compromise the holy Person of our precious Savior. We must honor Him, or we do not honor the Father (John 5:23). There is but one true way of salvation, and that is through the Mediator's spotless life, work, and death, that of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6; I Timothy 2:5). We must not put Christ on the same shelf with other gods!

"We preach Christ crucified" (I Corinthians 1:23), and as a successful Savior. He has not been defeated by men or devils. "He shall not fail nor be discouraged," said the prophet (Isaiah 42:4). "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (I Timothy 1:15), and His mission was accomplished. The angel's announcement to Joseph is blessedly true for all time: "And she [Mary] shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). This is the glorious good news we declare to the nations: Christ Jesus is a real and mighty Savior! Come, poor sinner, bow at His feet, and worship only Him. His righteousness alone can cover your filthy rags, justify you before a holy God, and land you safe some day in heaven's pure world (Acts 10:43 and 13:39). There is no other message to declare. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior of sinners! Repent, turn from sin, worship Christ, for He is your only Hope, and it is His glory alone we desire!

HEAVENLY FATHER

In truth, YOU and what YOU have given are all I have in time and eternity.
In reality, YOU and what YOU have given are all I need in time and eternity.
And because YOU love me more than I understand I trust YOU with the totality of my being and desire to love and trust YOU even more with each passing day.

Wherever YOU guide and whatever YOU provide ~by YOUR great grace I will be satisfied.
In the Name/Authority of Jesus Christ I ask for only that which will bring YOU glory, honor and
praise, and if in my selfishness I request anything that will not accomplish YOUR eternal will in our lives, please forgive and disregard.

In all things I want YOU to be glorified and magnified in my life and the lives of all these for whom I pray.

Your child because YOU selected, saved and secured me by your sovereign love, mercy and grace.
(Ephesians 1:3-14, Romans 8:28-39)

From my friend and brother Charles Rosson in Arkansas.
heaven-bound3@juno.com

GRACE by Charles Woodruff

“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2: 8-10).

Dr. James A. Stewart referred to Ephesians as the “Alps of the New Testament.” Surely the teaching found here in chapter two is very lofty. Every evangelical Bible teacher in the world teaches on this passage, and on the subject of grace. All of us say we believe in salvation by grace “plus nothing, minus nothing.” This is the core of fundamental doctrine, but do we really grasp its full meaning?

We must examine the meaning of the Bible word grace. The Greek word for grace is charis. Most of us simply say grace is unmerited, undeserved favor. The definition is good, if incomplete. Strong’s Greek Dictionary gives this definition: “figuratively, literally and spiritually, especially the divine influence on the heart, and its reflection in the life.” Grace bestowed from God is a free gift of divine favor in contrast to doing good works seeking to find favor with God.

It is even in contrast from the works of the law, freely forgiving the sinner who has broken the law, solely on the merits of another who kept the law perfectly. Remember, law allows no failures, no mistakes: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2: 10).

For now, the Lord has not allowed me to locate my notes on a series I preached on Ephesians at the Lakewood Presbyterian Church in Atlanta about 20 years ago. Most of my ministry has been as a missionary worker, and evangelist. As such, most of my preaching has not been in series on certain books of the Bible, or continuing themes. So it was a real thrill for me to do a somewhat detailed exposition at that time. In the course of two years I was able to cover Ephesians, and a study of the Seven Churches of Revelation. I enjoyed it immensely. In that time I was not able to exhaustively study Ephesians, but we covered some ground even though they only had me there an average of two or three times a month.

There are basically three types of preaching. The first is textual preaching. This is where you take a text from the Bible, and either explore (expound), the text, or build a theme around it.

The second is subject preaching. You take a Bible subject and preach a message on it from all over the Bible, and other resources.

The third is expository preaching which takes a book of the Bible, or a chapter, or good sized portion, and attempts to mine the material as deeply as is practical in the allotted time. This is the best kind for a pastor to use because the people can learn much about the Bible this way. Of course, there are many variations on these types of sermons, but these are the basics.

To study the subject of grace, the second chapter of Ephesians is perhaps the best place to be. These verses encapsulate grace showing us what it is, and what it isn’t, in relation to law, works, death, life, God and man. It is not of yourselves. Nothing you could do from within to merit this salvation. You say “What about faith? Isn’t that something I do?” You exercise faith as the vehicle to reach for salvation, but the context of the verse indicates that even the faith is a gift of God. It is not of works lest any man should boast.

Paul, as in all his epistles, tells us from the start to whom he is speaking. In Ephesians 1:1 he says “to the saints”. Paul says it is by grace that we are saved. Sinners are made saints by the Lord. They are saved. This is another great Bible word. It means deliverance. It means life in contrast to the death he talks about in verse one. He says “You hath he (God), quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sin (the broken law) (Ephesians 2:1). He is speaking of spiritual death here, and in the past tense. You were dead! Things are different now. You have been made alive! Our verse {by grace are you saved}, is also past tense. Inverting the words brings it clearer: by grace you are saved through faith. This is the meaning of the text.

John R.W. Stott puts it this way: “You were saved through faith, and even this faith by which you are saved is God’s gift. Theologically, this is true. We must never think of salvation as a kind of a transaction between God and us in which he contributes grace, and we contribute faith. For we were dead and had to be quickened before we could believe. No, Christ’s apostles clearly teach elsewhere that saving faith too is God’s gracious gift.” (e.g. Acts 18:27; Philippians 1:29) From the Message of Ephesians; IVP, Downers Grove, Illinois; 1979 edition (Emphasis mine).

Matthew Henry’s commentary on our text says: “Note, every converted sinner is a saved sinner. Such are delivered from sin and wrath; they are brought into a state of salvation, and have a right given them by grace to eternal happiness. The grace that saves them is the free, underserved, goodness and favor of God; and He saves them, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, by means of which they come to partake of the great blessings of the gospel; and both that faith and that salvation on which it has so great an influence are the gift of God.” (emphasis mine).

He says in Ephesians 2:1: “You have been made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins”. He goes on to tell us that these dead sinners were “dead men walking” according to the world system, which is against God, and following “the prince of the power of the air”, which is Satan. These dead also had “their behavior in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (verse 3). In other words, the apostle is saying that these saints mentioned in Chapter one started out as everyone else, all “children of wrath” under God’s curse. In contrast to now being saved, they were lost.

He goes on in verses four and five to reiterate the quickening of God so that they are no longer dead in sin. Nowhere in these two chapters does he give one iota of credit to man regarding their salvation. It is all of grace! The making alive, the undeserved favor, the faith, the union with Christ, the good works that follow as God’s plan after salvation, are all the gift of Almighty God!

Note that it has brought them (and all of us who are saved), to a position in heavenly places spiritually with Christ. In the entire Bible you do not find any scripture that indicates that any man or woman can be saved without Jesus Christ! This goes for elect and non-elect! In the OT; He is the coming Messiah. In NT: He is the realized Messiah. You see this making alive, this grace, this faith we have been discussing has an objective, and the objective is Jesus Christ. This grace leads us to Him, who as Savior had to die for us. He procured our salvation for us. He is the salvation that this grace and faith lead us to. His very name, Jesus, means salvation. Remember: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father but by me” (John 14:6).

This grace leads one to Christ and no other, and it is absolutely necessary to “look unto Him” by faith to be saved. The goodness of God exhibited in His Grace, leads us to repentance, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 2:4). There is no other way! Praise to His Name!

So we can say grace is:

1) Free Grace---the gift of God.

2) Saving Grace---it brings us to eternal salvation.

3) Sovereign Grace—not of ourselves, but by God’s sovereign will.

4) Sustaining Grace—created in Christ Jesus unto good works. He ordained beforehand that we should walk (move forward) in them.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found,Was blind, but now I see

T’was grace that taught my heart to fear,And grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares,I have already come
‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,And grace will lead me home

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,Than when we’ve first begun

Song by John Newton in 1779. The world’s best-known hymn. These are the four most commonly used verses, of possibly ten, six of which were definitely written by Newton. Click link for more. These are the ones we know so well in most churches in the South.

www.anointedlinks.com/amazing_grace.html also see this site for more: http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/m/a/amazing_grace.htm

Another great hymn of grace is:

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace!
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor,
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen,
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry,
Me to realms of endless day.

For more on this great hymn and the author, Robert Robinson, see: http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/comethou.htm

A THOUGHT REGARDING CHRIST

When our Lord came down to earth, He drew Heaven with Him. The signs which accompanied His ministry were but the trailing clouds of glory which He brought from Heaven, which is His home. The number of the miracles which He wrought may easily be underrated. It has been said that, in effect, He banished disease and death from Palestine for the three years of His ministry. If this is exaggeration, it is pardonable exaggeration. - B. B. Warfield (1851-1921)

THE NAME by Charles Woodruff

“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12).

“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11.

These two magnificent passages are so beautiful in their poetic elegance, because to take us to the highest mountaintops in the English language, nothing surpasses our Authorized King James Version. Yes, I know some of the language is a bit hard to fully comprehend sometimes for us modern readers. The KJV language is considered “archaic”, but it is more accurate to acknowledge that our language has deteriorated since 1769 when the Authorized Version was last updated.

I know, also, that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, and that the Lord, and most characters in the New Testament spoke in Aramaic. I know there was no English language back then, in Judea, or Galilee, or anywhere else. But, that is why we have resources like Strong’s, or Young’s concordances, Berry’s Interlinear NT, and Thompson Chain Bible, or other reference Bibles, to aid our understanding. After all, we are to study the Bible, not just read it!

In these two texts, we need none of these resources to understand the meaning. Just looking at the plain, naked word of God, without any other aid, we can see the most prominent thing in these verses is The name! This name, Jesus, comes from the Hebrew word Yeshua, or Jehoshua (Joshua). There appear to be two other characters in the Bible with the name trans-lated as “Jesus” in the New Testament, and translated as “Joshua” in the Old Testament. The literal meaning of the word is “Jehovah is salvation”, or simply “salvation”.

Those who crucified Jesus believed He had no power to save. They were looking for a Messiah who would overthrow the Romans and build a new nation. But as these ‘builders’ rejected and crucified Him, he was revealed by virtue of his resurrection, to be the “chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). In other words, the cornerstone of His own church of which He said: “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

As Peter states in Acts 4:12, “there is salvation in no other”. No other name given to all mankind. This means there are not a number of different roads to God, but only one. This also means there is not a different savior for Orientals (such as Buddha), for Arabs (such as Mohammed), or Indians (such as Krishna), or any of the many gods that are worshipped in this world. None of them can save because they are all now dead, if they ever lived at all. Some are mere inventions of man, because man is incurably religious and will worship something, even if it is self worship. Atheism worships self, saying in effect, “I am god”. It is the core of humanism, socialism and communism, which also worship the state. There is no salvation in any of these systems! It is all dead religion!

In this day and time if you ask someone if they are saved, they may reply to you, as some have to me; “saved from what?” People do not see themselves as lost, hence no need to be saved. But, God sees it different. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Couple that passage with many more such as: “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:10-11). (Here Paul is quoting from Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1).

I’m sure you must see, today in this day of word twisting and “double speak”, nobody believes there is sin, only “mistakes”. So, because of our society today, and to a lesser extent, throughout the ages, most don’t think they need a savior. But, according to our second text, they will. One day, all will see it. Alas! For so many it will be too late. But, they will bow. Man’s will is in bondage to his sin nature. Only God can “make him willing” to be saved. He is still calling out His elect whom He will one day gather from the entire universe. (Matthew 24:31). I do not know who they are, but God does. My obligation and privilege is to declare the name of Jesus Christ to all men and women that I can reach. (Mark 16:15-16)

The striking thing about the passage I quoted from Philippians is that Paul states that every knee is going to bow, and every tongue is going to confess that Jesus is Lord! This means that Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Khrushchev, Pope John Paul, Pope Benedict (and all the other popes), Madeline Murray-O’Hare, Pol Pot, Hugh Hefner, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin-Laden, Voltaire, the Dali Lama, Judas Iscariot, George Bush, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham, you and I, and all mankind great and small, will one day confess The Name; The name that is above all others, Jesus Christ!

He said “things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth”. Even Satan and all his legions will bow and will confess The Name! When God wraps up all events in this world, when all is said and done, The Name will be the only name that matters.

I want to be clear here. Just knowing or saying the name of Jesus is not enough. Much of religion does that by chant or rote. It’s not enough to pray a sinner’s prayer coached by a soul winner if Holy Spirit conviction, and the affections of your heart and are not in it.
As Paul stated: “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8-10). The scripture is saying, confess Jesus as Lord. Believe (trust in, rely on, cling to) in the heart (your innermost being), that He is the risen Christ, and you shall be saved.

When the Philippian jailer in Acts cried out trembling in fear and conviction: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they (Paul and Silas), said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house” (Acts 16:30-32).

It is my sincere prayer for you, dear reader, if you don’t know this One whose name is above every name, that you will be compelled by the Holy Spirit to call on Him. If I can be of any assistance to point you to Christ, please contact me.

God Bless you, Charles Woodruff Sr. Written on May 1, 2006 A.D.
Revised March 11, 2007 my email:oursong2004@charter.net
Snail mail: 90 Raymond Ray Street, Newnan, GA 30265

In memory of my son, Chuck. 12/14/1962- 02/13/2004- (You are missed)!

Check out these:

The Name- Franklin Graham-Nelson Publishing- Nashville- 2002
An interesting and well written book. Reading it sparked my thoughts.

All of Grace - Charles Haddon Spurgeon- Pilgrim Publications- Pasadena, TX- 1999 edition- Most anything By CHS is worth reading!

Names of God (in the Old Testament) - Nathan Stone-Moody Press-Chicago-Original date: 1944.My new edition is 2006.
The copy I had in 1969 I read several times. A very concise, yet satisfying look at God’s compound names in the Old Testament, and the connection to His attributes and actions. I recommend it!

The Names of God in Holy Scripture- Andrew Jukes-Kregel Publishers- Grand Rapids, MI- my copy is 1972 edition- This work was originally published in London in 1888. It is considered by many the classic work on the names of God in the Bible. Spurgeon thought he spiritualized too much in Types in Genesis, but still commended him by saying “Jukes dives deep” (from Commenting and Commentaries by C.H. Spurgeon in the section on the book of Genesis).


Right with God- John Blanchard- Banner of Truth- Edinburgh, Scotland- second edition- 1996. Originally written in the 1980’s, and it is an excellent examination of where you stand with God, what God expects of you, and the way of true salvation. A handy evangelistic tool.

(All available from online stores)

OUR NEWEST GRANDDAUGHTER!!

We welcome our newest grandchild (number 12), a beautiful little eleven pound plus girl named Melody Kaye Woodruff, born March 3, 2007 at Southern Regional Hospital in Riverdale (metro Atlanta), Georgia. Sandra and I, as well as parents Rick and Sheila, are truly blessed! (Please overlook the ugly old man holding this precious child!) May God bless you all- Charles

MARTIN LUTHER ON THE GOSPEL

(16th Century Reformer, Theologian and prolific author. Famous books include "Bondage of the Will" which speaks for itself.)

"We have often said heretofore that the Gospel, properly speaking, is not something written in books, but an oral proclamation, which shall be heard in all the world and shall be cried out freely before all creatures, so that all would have to hear it if they had ears; that is to say, it shall be preached so publicly that to preach it more publicly would be impossible. For the Law, which was of old, and what the prophets preached, was not cried out in all the world before all creatures, but it was preached by the Jews in their synagogues. But the Gospel shall not be thus confined; it shall be preached freely unto all the world." (Sermon on Mark 16:15 Preach the gospel to every creature)

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.

Twenty 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

HEAVEN WITH CHRIST

That which makes heaven superlatively attractive to the heart of the saint is not that heaven is a place where we shall be delivered from all sorrow and suffering, nor is it that heaven is the place where we shall meet again those we loved in the Lord, nor is it that heaven is the place of golden streets and pearly gates and jasper walls - no, blessed as those things are, heaven without Christ would not be heaven. It is Christ the heart of the believer longs for and pants after - "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee" (Ps. 73:25). And the most amazing thing is that heaven will not be heaven to Christ in the highest sense until his redeemed are gathered around him. It is his saints that his heart longs for. To come again and "receive us unto himself" is the joyous expectation set before him. Not until he sees of the travail of his soul will he be fully satisfied.

ARTHUR W. PINK in Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross.

THE CONTEMPORARY CHURCH by W.F. Bell

The true church is not about entertainment, show business, making people feel comfortable, or being in any sense, contemporary. The true gospel is concerned about truth, righteousness, holiness, and most of all, magnifying the God of the Bible. We must not be reading our Bibles rightly if we fail to see these things. Listen: "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
Let us define "contemporary" first of all. As an adjective, the word means, "belonging to the same period of time; of or having to do with the present time; modern." This is certainly not a definition of the "church" in Scripture. "Church" (ekklesia) means "called out ones," or those whom God has effectually called from sin and darkness into the "marvelous light" of the Son of God (Colossians 1:13; I Peter 2:9). The true church of Christ is out of step with the world.
The true nature of a gospel church is spiritual. It is not carnal or worldly. The gospel makes no sense whatever if regeneration does not effect mighty changes in sinners. And what are those changes, if they are not clear lines of separation from the world and its ways? The problem today is our society is saturated with entertainment, and we want that same environment brought into the contemporary church. This is not to say we should not be relevant, for the true gospel is always relevant (meeting the needs of sinners in any age, culture, and time). We are to be "real people who care" (ad) and loving to all men. But that is not the issue! The issue is the gospel. The issue is the message of the gospel.
The gospel humbles sinners, discloses to them their awful depravity, and reveals to them the mighty grace of God in Christ, which alone can redeem them from their sins. As John MacArthur has rightly said, "There can be no salvation for those who aren’t convinced of the seriousness of their sin" (The Vanishing Conscience, p. 60).

YOUR NAME--CHARLES ROSSON

A name is important because it's not just a word ~ it's who you are.

It's part of your identity. Your name is your character, your

reputation ~ the essence of who you are

and what you stand for.

What do people think when they hear your name?

This is much more than an interesting question

to be asked at a game we may play.

You may not be able to change your name (at least, not without

a lot of expense and trouble), but you can change what

people think about when they hear that name.

That's why Solomon wrote:

"A good name is to be chosen

rather than great riches."

(Proverb 22:1a KJV)

Alexander the Great once shouted to a young man named Alexander

in his army who was guilty of some violation of military code:

CHANGE YOUR NAME OR CHANGE YOUR CONDUCT.

Is this a command Jesus Christ might speak to

some of us today? (Luke 6:46)

In a real sense, you and I are choosing our names

daily by how we live. Think about it.

Once more: What do others think when

they hear our names? It's a sobering

thought ~ or it should be.

A GOOD NAME IS MORE IMPORTANT

AND SHOULD BE MORE DESIRED

THAN GREAT RICHES.

From CHARLES ROSSON
readytogo3@juno.com

JOHN GILL

(17th Century English Baptist Pastor and Commentator)

HISTORICAL NOTE: "He was one of the most learned men that the Baptist denomination has ever produced. His great work, The Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, is still held in the highest esteem even by those whose sentiments widely differ from the author’s. His Body of Divinity is also a masterly condensation of doctrinal and practical theology, and his Cause of God and Truth is highly esteemed by many. The system of theology with which many identify his name has chilled many churches to their very soul, for it has led them to omit the free invitations of the gospel, and to deny that it is the duty of sinners to believe in Jesus: but for this, Dr. Gill must not be altogether held responsible, for a candid reader of his Commentary will soon perceive in it expressions altogether out of accord with such a narrow system; and it is well known that, when he was dealing with practical godliness, he was so bold in his utterances that the devotees of Hyper-Calvinism could not endure him. "Well, sir," said one of these, "if I had not been told that it was the great Dr. Gill who preached, I should have said I had heard an Arminian." (C. H. SPURGEON writing about John Gill. 4 Volume Autobiography Vol 1 p.335)

PREACHING WITH SERIOUSNESS AND POWER

“Preachers cannot quicken the dead, but they can be used to arouse those at ease in Zion.”

How few ministers do preach with all their might! Alas, we speak so drowsily or gently, that sleepy sinners cannot hear. The blow falls so light that hard-hearted sinners cannot feel. The most of ministers will not so much as exert their voice, and stir up themselves to an earnest utterance. But if they do speak loud and earnestly, how few do answer it with weight and earnestness of matter! And yet without this, the voice does little good.

It would grieve one to the heart to hear what excellent doctrine some ministers have in hand, while yet they let it die in their hands for lack of close and lively application. In the name of God, brethren, labor to awaken your own hearts, before you go into the pulpit. A sleepy preacher will hardly awaken drowsy sinners. Though you give the holy things of God the highest praise in words, yet, if you do it coldly, you will seem by your manner to unsay what you said in the matter.

Though I move you not to constant loudness in your delivery (for that will make your fervency contemptible), yet see that you have a constant seriousness; and when the matter requires it, then lift up your voice, and spare not your spirits. Oh, speak not one cold or careless word about so great a business as heaven or hell.

I confess I must speak it by lamentable experience, that I publish to my flock the distempers of my own soul. When I let my heart go cold, my preaching is cold. And so I can oft observe also in the best of my hearers that when I have grown cold in preaching, they have grown cold too. Oh brethren, watch therefore over your own hearts: keep out lusts and passions, and worldly inclinations; keep up the life of faith, and love, and zeal; be much at home, and much with God. A minister should take special pains with his heart, before he is to go to the congregation; if it be cold, how is he likely to warm the hearts of his hearers? Therefore, go then specially to God for life!
RICHARD BAXTER (1656)
*******
“And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (I Corinthians 2:3-5). THE APOSTLE PAUL

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed to thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (I Timothy 4:15-16). THE APOSTLE PAUL

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). THE APOSTLE PAUL

CHAPTER 14--SAVING FAITH

I. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts; and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word: by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.

II. By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatesoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of god himself speaking therein; and acteth differently, upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come. But the principle acts of saving faith are, accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.

III. This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed and weakened, but gets the victory; growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.

—Westminster Confession of Faith (1646).

GRACE! UNMERITED MERCY! SOVEREIGN LOVE!

"No truth shines with clearer luster in the Bible than that salvation, from first to last, is of God. God is sovereign in salvation!

He often selects . .. the poorest…the vilest…the most depraved…the most fallen…as if utterly to
explode all idea of human merit, and to reflect the free grace of His heart in its richest luster.

O precious truth!

It stains the pride of human merit!

It lays the axe at the root of self!

It humbles and abases!

It empties and lays low!

It ascribes all the praise, honor and glory, might, majesty and dominion, of the new creation in the soul, to the Triune God!

No worthiness of the creature allures Him to the sinner's heart! What worthiness can be supposed to exist--what merit can there be in . . .

a guilty criminal,

an outlawed rebel,

a poor insolvent, one whose mind is enmity,

one whose heart is swelling with treason against God, His government, and His Son? One who owes millions, but has 'nothing to pay'? None whatever!

And that the eternal Spirit should enter the heart of such a one . . .

convincing of sin;

subduing the hatred;

breaking down the rebellion;

leading to Jesus, and sealing pardon and peace upon the conscience;

oh! what but free grace, unmerited mercy, and

sovereign love could thus have constrained Him?

"Lord, what did You see in me," exclaims the converted soul, "that moved You with compassion, that drew You to my heart, and that constrained You to make me Your child? Nothing on my part, but poverty, wretchedness, and misery! Nothing on your part, nothing but love, sovereignty, and unmerited favor!"

O the riches of His grace!"

-OCTAVIUS WINSLOW

PRAYING ALWAYS

"Prayer is air to the soul. Just as the body can not live without air to breathe, so the soul cannot live without prayer." FRANS BAKKER

THE GOSPELS

"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

EARTHLY RICHES

"There are three things that earthly riches can never do; they can never satisfy divine justice, they can never pacify divine wrath, nor can they ever quiet a guilty conscience. And till these things are done man is undone."
-- THOMAS BROOKS

BACKSLIDING ON ICE

"The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up, nay, you have to cut every step with an ice axe; only with incessant labour in cutting and chipping can you make any progress; you need a guide to help you, and you are not safe unless you are fastened to the guide, for you may slip into a crevasse. Nobody ever slides up, but if great care be not taken they will slide down, slide back, or in other words backslide. This is very easily done. If you want to know how to backslide, the answer is leave off going forward and you will slide backward, cease going upward and you will go downward of necessity, for stand still you never can."
CHARLES SPURGEON

UNKNOWN PURITAN PRAYER

" Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride, at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before Thee. Help me in all my doings to put down sin and to humble pride. Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ's nature be seen in me day by day. Grant me grace to bear Thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiseled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where I have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where I may be built in Christ for ever."

ABORTION IS ABOUT GOD by Charles Woodruff

With tomorrow being the 34th anniversary of the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision that opened the door for legal "abortion on demand", our pastor this morning gave us a sermon reminding us of the radicalism of the advocates of this murderous procedure. Yes, I said murderous because it can't be called anything else when you realize that an estimated 45 million babies have been aborted in America alone in these 34 years! Worldwide it is said the figure is now 45 million in one year! So it is a slaughter which no real Christian can support.

Genesis 1:27 says “God created man in His own image". This image has been defaced many times in history, but never more than in the taking of human life for mere convenience. Never has womanhood went further downhill, with the help of man (haven't you heard, it takes two to make a baby?) I know since my pastor and I are men, there will be those sleazy advocates of this slaughter who will chime "what do you know about it, you are a man?", they will say "it is a woman's right to choose- what she does with her body is HER business alone." WRONG!! It's Almighty God's business!

The following is a summary of part of Pastor Ron McCurry's sermon on the subject :

Abortion is mainly about God. Abortion is about God, the Creator of the universe, the Giver and Sustainer of all life, the Judge of the living and the dead, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Redeemer and Forgiver of all who trust Him.
Abortion is about God. To leave God out of the picture of abortion is to trivialize it. All things are trivial without God. God is the ultimate reality over the uni­verse. All other reality is derivative and dependent and has no ultimate meaning at all without reference to God the ultimate reality. In Him we live and move and have our being. If we leave Him out of account, we know nothing of any lasting signifi­cance about ourselves or the world.
Therefore the message that we have to give is that abortion is about God. And therefore it is not trivial. Motherhood is about God; there­fore (and only therefore) it is not trivial. Fatherhood is about God, and therefore it is not trivial. Chil­dren - inside the womb and outside the womb - are about God, and therefore they are not trivial. Abortion is about God. The most important things to say about abortion are how it relates to God and how God relates to it.

The Pastor also referred in his message to a Princeton bio-ethics professor named Peter Singer. He is originally from Australia, he is 60 years old, and has been in the heat of controversy for his radical views. Pastor Ron told us about the statement Singer made stating that "pigs are more valuable that human babies". That got me to digging on this guy. He also stated dogs are more valuable than human babies. While many that advocate late term abortion and partial birth abortion want to have them allowed in the last month of pregnancy, Singer goes further promoting destroying young children after they are born if they are found to have no real "quality of life".

He also believes in euthanasia for old folks, though he admitted that his own mother having Alzheimer's caused him to search his own beliefs. When called a hypocrite by some, he stated that having her killed was a decision he was not allowed to make alone. "Others were involved in this situation" he stated.

He believes that homosexuality "is not immoral". He believes bestiality is ok in some circumstances if the animal is "not forced".This is the same guy who has pushed to have great apes recognized as human, because after all, "humans are just advanced animals of the ape family!" I am not making this up! Check the two links on him at this site, and "Google" his name for more if you like.

This man who has many of the same beliefs as the Nazis of the 20th century is gaining a following of other kooks like himself in the 21st century. It is sadder still when we remember that the founder and the first eight presidents of Princeton were ministers. The first was Jonathon Dickinson (1747). Then Aaron Burr Sr. (he was father of future Vice President of the USA, Aaron Burr Jr. (who was later disgraced as a traitor to America).

Burr Sr. was also father-in-law to the next Princeton President, the great theologian, Jonathon Edwards. Edwards died after two months as president. There were other good men to follow. I can't cover them now (see my link on Princeton). The point is that Princeton , a once great theological and liberal arts school, has slid so far down that they would even hire a professor such as Singer. This is, sadly, a story that can be told again and again about once great colleges.

My friend, if you claim to be a Christian and this situation doesn't convince you that America is under God's judgment, I do not know what will!
"And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" ( I Peter 4:18).

BECAUSE HE CHOSE TO.....

Some little time ago, after the conclusion of one of Mr. Brownlow North's addresses in Edinburgh a young man came into the room where he was receiving persons anxious for private conversation, and said to him, "I have heard you preach three times, sir, and I neither care for you nor your preaching unless you can tell me why did God permit sin." "I will do that with pleasure," was the immediate reply,—"Because He chose to." The young man, apparently taken by surprise, stood speechless; and Mr. North again replied, "Because He chose to; and," added he, "if you continue to question and cavil at God's dealings, and vainly puffed up by your carnal mind, strive to be wise above what is written, I will tell you something more that God will do,—He will some day put you into hell-fire. It is vain for you to strive with your Maker—you cannot resist Him; and neither your opinion of His dealings, nor your blasphemous expression of them, will in the least lessen the pain of your everlasting damnation, which, I again tell you, will most certainly be your portion if you go on in your present spirit.

There were such questioners as you in St. Paul's time, and how did the apostle answer them? 'Nay, but 0 man, who art thou that replied against God’ (Romans 9:20).”
The young man here interrupted Mr. North, and said, "Is there such a text as that in the Bible?" "Yes, there is," was the reply, "in the ninth chapter of the Romans; and I recommend you to go home and read that chapter; and after you have read it, and seen there how God claims for Himself the right to do whatever He chooses, without permitting the thing formed to say to Him that formed it, 'Why hast Thou made me thus?’ Remember that, besides permitting sin, there is another thing God has chosen to do,— God chose to send Jesus. Of His own free and sovereign grace God gave His only begotten Son to die for sinners in their stead—in their place; so that, though they are sinners, and have done things worthy of death, not one of them shall ever be cast into hell for his sins who will receive Jesus as his only Saviour, and believe in Him and rest in His Word. I have no time to say more to you now: others are waiting to see me. Go home, attend to what I have told you, and may God the Holy Spirit bless it for Jesus Christ sake."

This conversation took place on Sunday evening. On the following Friday, Mr. North was sitting in a friend's drawing room, when the servant announced that a young man wanted to speak to him. On being shown upstairs, he said, "Do you remember me?" "No." "Do you not remember the young man who on Sunday night asked you to tell him 'why did God permit sin'?" "Yes, perfectly." "Well, sir, I am that young man; and you said that God permitted sin because He chose to, and you told me to go home and read the ninth chapter of Romans; and also that God chose to send Jesus to die for such sinners as I am; and I did, sir, what you told me, and afterwards I fell down at God's feet and asked Him to forgive my sins, because Jesus died for me, and He did; and now I am happy—oh! so happy, sir; and though the devil still comes sometimes to tempt me with my old thoughts, and to ask me what reason I have to think God has forgiven me, I have always managed to get him away by telling him that I do not want to judge things by my own reason, but by God's Word, and that the only reason why I know I am forgiven, is that for Christ's sake, God chooses to pardon me.

The changed expression of the young man's countenance was quite sufficient to account for Mr. North's not knowing him again. It was radiant with joy and peace.
Dear reader, the first lesson a poor sinner has to learn, is to trust in the Lord, and not to his own understanding; to trust God not only for what he does understand, and for what is explained, but for what he does not understand, and for what is not explained. This is faith, and such faith honors God and saves the soul. This is receiving the kingdom of God as a little child; and let us ever remember that it is written (and the scripture cannot be broken), that unless we receive the kingdom of God as a little child, we shall in no wise enter therein.
"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. v. 8.)
(copied from an old tract in my files- author unknown)- (emphasis mine-cmw)

Brownlow North was known as the great Evangelist of 19th century Scotland. God’s hand was on him in unusual way. When converted at age 45, he had been a sinful playboy, but went on to be remembered as one who spoke to the common man. Several books of his sermons have been published, but all seem to be presently out of print. The best are “The Rich Man and Lazarus” and “Wilt Thou Go With This Man?” You may find used copies at Amazon.com.

FUNERAL OF A PRESIDENT by W.F. Bell

My friend W.F. Bell has some very worthwhile thoughts on
President Gerald Ford's Funeral. I submit it for your reading.

Those of us who were blessed to witness the telecast of President
Gerald Ford's Funeral, Tuesday, January 2, 2007, saw something
of great historical importance. What a sight to see the leaders of
our nation, both past and present, gathered at the Washington
National Cathedral, at a service highly filled with the singing of
many great Christian hymns, prayers glorifying the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the reading and exaltation of God's Holy Word. It
left me in tears, and deeply grateful that in this land there is still
(even if only in the outward form) the public acknowledgement
that the God of the Bible is "Our Help and Hope."

Let us remind ourselves that we live in a divided nation. Not only
are we divided politically, but also morally and spiritually. Yet,
even with that said, how good to see in this National Service,
that even America can shine as a light to the world. It would
surely be difficult for anyone to not sense and see that the whole
tribute of our government (and granted, primarily of the Ford
family) was decidedly Christian and Christ-focused. For that,
let us truly and humbly thank our gracious Heavenly Father.

Look at what occurred, as the Service unfolded before our eyes:
> God-honoring music of a first-rate caliber, as "O God Our Help
in Ages Past," "The Lord's Prayer," and "Holy, Holy, Holy."
> Statements by former President Bush that the "hand of
Providence" was seen in bringing Gerald Ford into the Presidency,
with a reading of Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, emphasizing that Mr. Ford's
leadership came to the nation in 1974 as "a time of healing."
> Henry Kissinger even acknowledging that Mr. Ford's political
achievements were "providential."
> President Bush stating that Mr. Ford was "a man of character,"
"a great man," and "honest," and that Ford was "a beloved
leader," then wishing the blessings of "Almighty God" upon our
nation and the Ford family.
> Great portions of Holy Scripture were read, such as Isaiah 40:
28-31, Matthew 5:1-11, John 11:25-26, John 14:1-6, Hebrews 13:
20-21, and James 1:19-25 (the first and last of these being read
by members of the family).

Now look at our divided nation (in sad contrast to the above):
> Some of the very Congressmen and Supreme Court Judges in
attendance argue against the Scripture which was being upheld,
even debating the relevance of the Ten Commandments.
> The meaning and sacredness of marriage continues to be
debated, including gay rights, infanticide, and euthanasia (this
would have been unheard of just two generations ago).
> An awful attitude of intolerance has gripped our nation, where
we are not allowed to stand for absolute truth, but fail to see that
there must never be tolerance of that which is evil.
> Many in our nation glorify sports to an extreme, and Sunday has
become a self-centered pleasure day, or another business day.
> The movie industry belches out cursing and blasphemy against
God to such a degree that it has infected our language in everyday
conversation. Even "ladies" now talk vulgarly in public.

So, these are thoughts on this history-making day, thoughts that
make us "search our hearts," and cause us to "consider our ways."
One America is dark, demonized, degraded, drugged almost to
death. Another America shines with light, glorifies traditional
views of morality, works hard on the farm and in the office, seeks
to honor the Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday and through the week.

How I praise God for what I heard and felt today! I thought the
Funeral of Ronald Reagan in 2004 would never be equaled in its
grandeur and spiritual power, but now this one honoring Gerald
Ford will certainly take an equal place.

May we remind you (and upcoming children) that even though we
may disagree with some of the doctrines and practices of the
Episcopal Church in America (Washington Cathedral is an
Episcopal Church), still we rejoice in the rich history of the Church
of England (Anglican), known in our country as "Episcopalian."
It was this English Church which gave us our King James Bible
(1611), and produced (by God's grace) some of the most Christ-
exalting ministers who ever lived, such as George Whitefield,
John Newton, and J. C. Ryle. Many of our finest Christian hymns
are Anglican in origin. Then, in our own country's history, we have
been blessed to have such God-fearing leaders as Robert E.
Lee, who was Episcopalian. May their tribe increase in our day!

How refreshing to see Presidents, their wives, their families,
leaders of Congress, lawmakers, members of the media, and all
in attendance today at Ford's Funeral, closing the Service with
"Alleluia" on their lips, fulfilling the SCRIPTURE at least in part:
"His name shall endure forever; his name shall be continued as
long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in him; all nations
shall call him blessed" (Psalm 72:17). How we felt the power of
this name anew today: the power and great glory of the worthy
name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

NOT BY CHANCE

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." (Romans 8:28)
When a shepherd leads his flock over a narrow ledge, with a cliff on one side and a chasm on the other, the sheep have no choice but to follow him along the only path. In the same way, the Lord sometimes surrounds us with so many obstacles that we can't turn to the right, to the left, or even around. The Israelites, after leaving Egypt, would not have ventured to cross the Red Sea if the Egyptians had not been pursuing them. The Apostle Paul and his co-workers would never have gone to Europe to preach the Gospel if the Holy Spirit had not restricted their entrance to other areas. We would not have all the valuable letters Paul wrote if he had not been imprisoned. In our personal life it is easy to recall many incidents when circumstances forced us to do something that did not appear to be the best. We must not forget, however, that these circumstances don't happen by chance, but according to the will of the all-powerful and very loving God
Copied from Herald of Truth, 1978 (underground magazine of the Evangelical Christian Baptists of the USSR, before communism was brought down in Russia)

A NEW YEAR

We come to the end of 2006, and as I finish my latest articles, I am seeing a news report that Saddam Hussein has been executed by the Iraqi government. What this will mean in our soon to be new year, only God knows. We do know this; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is in total control of all events that shall come to pass. That gives me great comfort to know this; I hope it does for you also.

I do pray that God will grant to you a happy and prosperous new year. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding” Proverbs 3:5).

Enemies of the Christian That Rise Up Against Him

We know that the world, the flesh and the devil are our enemies. We may have our worst problems with the flesh, though that very flesh may lead us to say “the devil made me do it”. The flesh brings the believer these problems:

1. Indifference= spiritual coldness.
2. Ingratitude= unthankful to God.
3. Inconsistency= unstable in all our ways.
4. Inactivity= Not interested in the things of God.
5. Indecency= Immorality, sin, rebellion.
The remedy can be found in Psalm 3:3, 4

-If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself (Augustine of Hippo).

-A preacher finished the service one morning by saying, “Next
Sunday, I am going to preach on the subject of liars. As a preparation for
my sermon, I would like you all to read Mark 17.” On the following
Sunday, the preacher rose to begin. Looking out at the congregation he
said, “Last week I asked you all to read Mark 17. If you have read the
chapter, please raise your hand.” Nearly every hand in the congregation
went up. Smiling, the preacher said, “You are the very people I want to
talk to. Mark has only 16 chapters”.
Compiled by Charles Woodruff

YOUR SWORD FIRST by Charles Woodruff

A French officer, whose ship had been captured by British Admiral Nelson, was brought on board the latter's flagship. He walked up to the great Admiral and offered him his hand. "No," said Nelson: "Your sword first, if you please."

There are people today who would take Christ's hand. They tell the world they have made a "decision for Christ." They want to identify with Him, at least enough to hopefully receive the benefits of heaven. But, Christ says to them: ''Repent ye" (Mark 1:15 & Luke 13:3). He is saying in essence "Your sword first; you must lay down your weapons of rebellion." You cannot become His friend until He is acknowledged as your Lord (see Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Colossians 2:6).

You see, repentance is just this — a surrender. And when you surrender you do not keep your weapons. The war is over! You throw yourself at the mercy of your former enemy. The one you opposed and fought has you at His mercy. It is up to Him whether to save you or destroy you (James 4:12). Your will must bow to His or it is not a surrender. In other words, you must acknowledge Christ's Lordship in true conversion.

Of course, in evangelical repentance your surrender includes the idea of agreeing with a holy God that you are a hell-deserving sinner. True repentance does not argue with scripture, which declares that "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "There is none righteous no, not one" (Rom. 3:10). "And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6).

True repentance is a gift given by God's grace as a direct result of His goodness (Rom. 2:4). In 2 Corinthians 7:10 we note that, "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation," and that this salvation is "not to be repented of." Many there are who have supposedly trusted Christ and yet have turned right around and picked back up their sword. With such the war is not over! “True repentance is inward, not merely external or superficial.” (Sinclair Ferguson)

I believe one of the biggest reasons why present day churches are full of rebels and "nominal Christians" is because repentance is a very missing note in most pulpits. People are not being taught that they are found guilty of treason, by the verdict of God's holy law, against the Lord of glory, and the law pronounces a terrible curse for this (Galatians 3:10; James 2:10). Our only escape is the mercy of God (Rom. 9:15-16).

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Have you laid down your sword?

"When you see a poor blind man here, you do not loathe him, nor hate him, but you pity him. Oh! But soul-blindness makes you abominable in the sight of God." (Thomas Brooks)

"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

That is the English rendering of words by Robert Burns (1759-1796), regarded as Scotland's national poet. His original words used the Scots dialect. Burns is considered by many to be a great influence on liberalism and socialism; hence we will not follow him there.

The phrase "Of Mice and Men" was borrowed by American writer John Steinbeck (1902-1968), for the title of his novel of the same name, published in 1937.

So, I borrowed the phrase from these two men to relate to you that my plan to go to Puerto Rico last week fell through. This was to be my fourth trip there and I greatly anticipated it, but, for now, it is postponed. I am needing some extensive dental work, but I thought I could have that done when I returned, yet intense pain changed my mind. I am getting the dental work done now, then, God willing, I will go to PR in late winter or early spring.

Yes, I am disappointed, but yield to the providence of God. One with more authority than Burns or Steinbeck--the Almighty Himself-- speaking through His servant James said: "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that" (James 4:14, 15). So, Deo Volante (Latin; God willing). I'll yield and gratefully live by that. My dear friends in the churches there were gracious and understanding, thank God.

DAVID

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 30th 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 FEW THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR by Charles Woodruff

-My dear wife of almost 45 years, and how she has been faithful and true.
-My four children, three of which survive. All have declared faith in Christ.
-My eleven grandchildren, soon to be twelve. They are all precious to me.
-Our church where Christ is preached, and the brothers and sisters there.
-The renewed ministry God has given me in writing and pulpit.
-Many brothers and sisters in various places who pray for me.
-A land that still has much freedom, though it is being undermined.
-I am thankful for generally good health for my wife and myself.
-The graciousness and mercy of God every day that I live.

These are just a few of the many things for which I thank God. As you enjoy this Thanksgiving, hopefully with your family, take time to reflect on the mercies of God in your own life, as well as a prayer for our nation and it’s future, and the cause of God and truth through Jesus Christ our Lord..

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (First Thessalonians 5:18).

“ By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

PURITAN QUOTES

“None have engaged against the saints but have been ruined by the God of saints”- Thomas Brooks (1608-1680).

“We fear men so much, because we fear God so little. When man’s terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God”- William Gurnall (1617-1679).

“By the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil: by the fear of man, they run themselves into evil”- John Flavel (1630-1691).

There are three kinds of lies: a lie told, a lie taught, a lie acted out”-

Joseph Caryl (1602-1673).

The Paradox of faith:

“A man cannot have faith without asking; neither can he ask it without faith”

Edward Marbury (about 1590-1658).

All from “A Puritan Golden Treasury”, edited by I.D.E. Thomas; Moody Press,

Chicago, 1975; Banner of Truth edition published 1977.

ASK FOR THE OLD PATHS by Charles Woodruff

"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old

paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for

your souls. But they said. We will not walk therein" (Jeremiah 6:16).

Anyone who has ever gone hiking will immediately relate to the teaching

found in Jeremiah 6:16. An old path, a trail which has been well worn by

other hikers before, is a good way. It beats having to blaze an entirely new

trail through the thick woods and underbrush. There is no rest in this new

trail blazing, but constant work. But many have proven the old paths and

arrived to rest safely. Spiritually speaking, God has said in Jeremiah that

these Old Paths would bring rest for your souls and yet He says there are

those that say, "We will not walk therein" (v. 16).

Today the old paths are not in vogue. Modern theologians, rightly called

Modernists, are departing from the old paths and blazing new trails which

God did not ordain, and they are asking young Christians to follow them.

Yet they have nothing to offer. Instead of an inspired, infallible Word of

God, they offer a mutilated "higher criticism" that dares to judge God's

Word instead of submitting to its authority.

They present Christ as a mere man, not the God-man, not the virgin-born

Redeemer who came to save His people from their sins. If they preach an

atonement at all, they do not preach a definite one, but show us a Christ

who went to the cross puzzled over whether He had done right or even if

anyone would believe He was the Saviour.They show us men with a “spark

of goodness" that needs to be kindled instead of a depraved being who in

his father Adam fell completely and helplessly into sin. This spark is called

"freewill" and is given much more standing than God’s free and sovereign

grace. But free grace is an old path.

These cutters of new paths show us a new morality which is really a

dressed up old immorality. This humanism called the new morality goes

to various extremes. Some have expected the Christian churches to

receive unrepentant homosexuals, whom they call gays (the Word of God says Sodomites! (Deut. 23:17). They call abortion "freedom of choice." The Bible says: murder (Exodus 1:16 & Matthew 2:16). They
call living together without marriage "a relationship"; the Bible calls it fornication (1 Cor. 7:2 & 5:1). Just as you can call a garbage man a
“sanitary engineer" and a coal miner an “energy cultivator", you still
can't cover up the fact that both have dirty jobs!

The fact is, according to the Bible, these "new pathfinders" don't have anything to teach or anywhere to lead. When it is all over and we each
give account to God (Rom. 14:12), those who would not submit to God's
Word will be cast into the lake of fire (the hellfire they don't believe in either!).The reason for the publication of this newsletter is because of
our firm belief that even in this new century, in this time of sexual
deviance, where sin is rampant as never before,even now, and especially in this time, we need the old paths.

Modern tools of evangelism such as radio, television, and the internet, are good, if used in a God-glorifying manner. There is ONE LORD, ONE
FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, and it is these old paths in which we seek to walk and lead others.