WHAT CHRIST SAID ABOUT GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF

Do you consider the Sovereignty of God important? Do you consider this a harsh doctrine? Many do, and it may surprise these to know that our Lord Jesus Christ taught the absolute Sovereignty of God! That’s right — Christ taught this doctrine. You may not believe that He did, for you may say that He was too meek and lowly, and just taught love to everybody, so therefore man’s total depravity and God’s election were not taught by Christ. But, has it ever occurred to you that your belief just might be wrong? Has it really? It is true that the “Jesus” of today’s popular songs, and the one taught about in the average church, evidently knew nothing about this teaching! But, the Christ of the Bible sure did! This is sufficient for me — what about you?

We will only examine one chapter of the Bible for our proof that Christ taught the Sovereignty of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. You are asked to look at the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel. Here we find all the evidence we need for our case. In verse 37 Jesus Christ said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Notice please, the Sovereignty of the Father: “ALL THAT (meaning certain individuals) THE FATHER GIVETH ME (meaning by His election of them) SHALL COME (by effectual grace and power) TO ME.” This certainly does away with the modern terminology, “give your heart to Jesus.” The heart is not the sinner’s to give to Jesus! It belongs to the Father. If not, how could He give anyone to His Son?

The same 37th verse will be our verse for the Sovereignty of the Son Himself. He said, “And him that cometh to ME I will in no wise cast out.” How wonderful is this promise! So many have claimed this promise as their very own. Have you? You surely may, if you have come to Christ in TRUTH. Notice though, this verse implies that Christ Jesus has the power to cast one out. Otherwise, why should He even say, “I will in no wise cast out?” It is obviously not a lack of power to do no. He has ALL power! See Matthew 28:18. Christ has the power to cast the devil’s children into hell (Luke 12: 4-5). He could REFUSE to accept a vile sinner such as you and me, and be perfectly just and righteous in doing so! Why? For none of us deserve to be accepted by Christ, for He is Sovereign and we are sinners! But, He will NOT reject you if He has placed the desire in you to come to Him. Oh, praise His name! Christ has promised freely, in His sovereign mercy, NOT to cast you out — BUT YOU MUST COME TO HIM! Not come just to an altar, or to shake some preacher’s hand, but to Christ! He ALONE can save you!

Men talk so much of free will and man being willing to be saved. But, it is God’s will that counts. Hear these words of Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), from a sermon entitled “God’s Will and Man’s Will:”

“Salvation hinges upon the will of God, and not at all upon the will of man. So saith our text — “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16), by which is clearly meant that the reason why any man is saved is not because he wills it, but because GOD willed it, according to that other passage, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you’ (John 15:16).”

“The whole scheme of salvation, we aver, from the first to the last, hinges and turns, and is dependent upon the absolute will of God, and not upon the will of the creature......Oh! How happy are we when we come back to the old-fashioned doctrines, and cast our anchor where it can get its grip in the eternal purpose and counsel of God, who worketh all things to the good pleasure of His will.” I must say AMEN to Mr. Spurgeon, dear reader!

Let us look now at the Sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. Notice that Christ said here in our verse, “ALL that the Father giveth me SHALL come to me.” How shall they come? Jesus has given us the answer in this same chapter, John 6:63: “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Naturally, men are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), totally unable to save themselves (see Romans 3:9-10 and Titus 3:5). If the Holy Spirit did not make a sinner alive (spiritually), the sinner COULD NOT come to Christ. No one CAN come unless he is drawn (John 6:44), and the sinner is drawn irresistibly by the Spirit’s power! Only God the Holy Spirit can bring life to a dead sinner. NO GIMMICK CAN DO IT!

There can be human pleading, human effort, human tricks, and yet, no matter how sincere these may be, NO MAN CAN TURN A SINNER TO JESUS CHRIST. When it is all analyzed the true “soul winner” is the Holy Spirit! Let’s don’t try to do His job. Let us that are saved, pray that we may be used by the Spirit, but not to try to use Him! Let each of us point men to the Savior, but let us trust the blessed Spirit to do the saving!

Yes, God is Sovereign. Jesus Christ said so. If you are not yet convinced, please, in Christ’s name, do further study on this vital subject. Read John 4 and tell me why Jesus “MUST needs go through Samaria?” Read John 10 and tell me why He spoke of “other sheep I have,” which He had long before the Gospel was carried to the Gentiles? Yes, just simply sit down and read anywhere in the word of God, and with an earnest open heart, seek to be taught of the Spirit concerning God’s Sovereignty!

Hear these sobering words from A.W. Pink (1896-1952):

“Before God saves a man, He convicts Him of his sinnership.By this I do not mean he says with everybody else ‘Oh yes, we are all sinners. I know that.’ Rather do I mean that the Holy Spirit makes me feel in my heart that I have been a lifelong rebel against God, and that my sins are so many, so great, so black, that I fear I have transgressed beyond the reach of divine mercy.”

“Have you ever had that experience? Have you seen yourself as totally unfit for heaven? For the presence of a Holy God? Do you now perceive that there is no good thing in you, nothing good credited to your account, that all the way through you have loved the things God hates, and hated the things God loves?” From a tract—“The Way of Salvation.”

D.James Kennedy says in “Truths That Transform:”

“There is no man, nor group of men, who could oppose, frustrate, or limit any purpose of God” (see Psalm 2:4). ---“God is God, and not man; and He doeth whatsoever He pleases in this earth, and there is none that can speak against Him.”

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

John Wycliffe, the first man to translate the Bible into English, has given us some of these simple rules as follows:

“It shall greatly help you to understand scripture, if you mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom, and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, and to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows”

For more on “The God who is Never Frustrated”, see an excellent article by W.F. Bell at: www.eternallifeministries.org/wfb_neverfrus.htm

THE NECESSITY OF THE RESURRECTION

By CHARLES WOODRUFF

“Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (1 Corinthians 15: 12-14).

Once again I am drawn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. The first ten verses of this chapter are often called “the gospel in a nutshell”. Because Easter Sunday is near, we are hearing many things in the media and elsewhere regarding the subject of the resurrection. I recall that in 2006, one of the things that caught my ear was a radio skit on the PBS program, Prairie Home Companion. In the comedy skit, a man and wife were talking. He brought up going to church tomorrow since it was Easter. He said “after all, that’s when He rose from the grave”. Her answer was “Well, I have my doubts”. While this was a radio play, this is the position so many take on this subject -- “I have my doubts”.

If you doubt He arose, you doubt the core of the Christian faith. You might as well not claim to be to be a Christian if you haven’t settled this issue. I am not speaking here of someone that is very new as an inquirer in the faith, or one who has never heard the gospel. But there are some, who have attended church for years and been involved in many church activities and events, may have graduated from a Christian school, got married in the church, and even professed faith, yet doubt the resurrection!

Well, you are not alone. The apostle Paul, who wrote the letters to the Corinthians to help them with the same problem, spoke from experience. He had doubted. As Saul of Tarsus, had even hated Christians and persecuted them for teaching that Jesus was alive again. He thought he was serving God by doing so. Yet God revealed the truth to him! On the Damascus road he was knocked down and blinded for a time. He knew it was the Lord whom he had fought against that brought him to his knees. The same Jesus he persecuted had been crucified, dead and buried. At first, he wasn’t buying into “the myth” some Jews were preaching that Christ was raised. Now he knew He was alive! Later when his eyes were opened he became the mighty apostle Paul. Now he is writing to the people of Corinth, and all of us in this magnificent chapter on the resurrection.

He questions particularly why some in the church say there is no resurrection of the dead. We could ask this today. One of the doctrines that all Christendom claims to believe in their various creeds is the resurrection of Christ. Catholic and Protestant, Orthodox and Coptic, Fundamentalists, Evangelicals and Liberals, Calvinists and Arminians -- All claim to believe this! Yet like the wife in the skit, many doubt it.

You see the doctrine of the resurrection is not a ritual just to be remembered at Easter time. We observe the resurrection every Sunday, really every time the local church meets to worship Christ, who is risen from among the dead. When I was in Russia. I saw some of the colorful ceremonies of the Russian Orthodox Church, which generally does not preach the true gospel, but has a formality. One of their rituals on Easter is when the priest says several times “Christ is risen”; the people give a response “Christ is risen indeed!” It is their ritual. Yet this must be our heart response if we are real Christians!

Paul says in verse 13-14, “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain.” (KJV with phrasing modified). Can you grasp what he is saying? If the teaching of the resurrection is untrue, Christ is not risen, and He is still dead! That also means that all the apostles preaching and all the preaching before and since is vain! In other words, as it says in the Amplified Bible, it amounts to nothing! For those who were preaching in the Old Testament times who were looking for Messiah, and Christ and his disciples who preached with Him while He walked on the earth, as well as those who now preach of his saving grace and his glorious return in the future, are all deluded if He is not risen.

To summarize: Paul goes on to say in verse 15 we are false witnesses because we testified that He lives.

He says in verse16: if the dead stay dead forever, Christ is still dead.

Verse 17: if that is so, you are still dead sinners.

Verse 18: all those who have died before now, believing in Christ are deluded too- they are still dead.

He sums up this line of thought so marvelously that we ought to remember the following verse every day!
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Most miserable! Jean Valjean in the great Victor Hugo novel Les Miserables was not as miserable in all he went through as the apostle would be, or as you and I would be, if there was no resurrection.

But, thank God, Hallelujah! There is a resurrection. Christ is risen, and we who have been born again will also be raised from the dead
(If indeed we must keep our appointment with death). “And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Some will not have to die, but will be alive when He comes as Paul points out in verses 51-55 of this glorious 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians. I urge you to read it all. I trust and pray it will bless you.

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and became the firstfruits of them that slept” (1Corinthians 15:20).


For further study I recommend:

Who Moved the Stone? – Frank Morison – Zondervan reprint-1987
Originally published in the 1800’s. Mr. Morison had been himself a skeptic, a doubter. He set out to prove the resurrection false and proved it true instead! A valuable resource!

Evidence That Demands a Verdict- Josh McDowell -Nelson References 1999. A more modern apologetic originally written for college students. It has become a helpful tool. Get the most updated edition if possible.

Why I Believe- D. James Kennedy- W Publishing Group 1999
Dr. Kennedy was the well known pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He passed away on September 5, 2007. He is remembered as a scholar and defender of the faith. He was a gracious man and I fondly remember he came on the board of ECL/ Door of Hope after I invited him to do so when I was Field Director of the mission. It was after Bro. Haralan Popov was with him in Ft. Lauderdale in the 70’s. Bro. Simion Motz and I also were there at Coral Ridge Presbyterian in the 80’s, and were treated well and received warmly. He wrote later a nice preface for the proposed next edition of On the Way of the Cross in the King’s Service by Simion Motz. We hope it will be reprinted soon. You can find used copies online here and there. The three other books are available at Amazon.com

Also, please don’t forget to read 1st Corinthians 15 this Easter. I suggest that you read in KJV, then perhaps in the Amplified Bible as a study aid.

Matthew Henry is helpful on these verses also, as he usually is.

God Bless all who read this, remembering that every Lord’s Day is resurrection day, but if you especially observe Easter Sunday, may this writing strengthen and help you in your love for Christ.

THINGS WE MUST HATE- W.F. BELL

"Hate evil, you who love the LORD" (Psalm 97:10). "Therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:104).

Christians are truly thankful people! The glory of Christ has been revealed to us; we understand and know the majestic sovereignty of our holy God over all things, including evil. Romans 8:28, Ephesians 5:20, and I Thessalonians 5:18 are all precious Scriptures which we are "thankful" for. Yet, the Word of God is balanced, where we also read, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess" (Ephesians 5:18), and "See that none render evil for evil unto any man" (I Thessalonians 5:15). Even our Lord Jesus Christ (in righteous indignation) "made a scourge of small cords," driving out the money changers from theTemple, and overturning their tables. Yet, though physical violence, this caused no riots or political uproars in Jerusalem. The disciples quoted Christ's actions as fulfilling Psalm 69:9, "Zeal for Your house has consumed Me" (John 2:13-17).

We are commanded to be joyful Christians, ever giving thanks and singing to the LORD in all circumstances of life (Psalm 97:12; Psalm 98:1), yet the same Bible tells us we are to "hate evil" if we love Jehovah. "Every false way" is not something to be thankful for abstractly and passively, but actually hated, and never tolerated. Remember, if this passive attitude toward sin was according to the holiness of God, there would have never been the agonies of the cross. Sin was certainly not tolerated at Calvary.

We are absolutely eaten up with "toleration of evil" in America, and nobody wants to be guilty of being accused of bigotry or being narrow-minded. (In our day the words "toleration" and "intolerant" have taken on new meanings.) But, note carefully this great slogan someone has put on a T-shirt: "Truth Is Hate To Those Who Hate Truth." Clearly, it is NOT wrong to hate! We must never hate people, but indeed we MUST hate all evil. Even the wicked "hate truth," so we as God-fearers must "hate evil."

Here are ten things I am not thankful for, and for which we must continually strive against, hating with all our power (the list is purposely short):

* ABORTION.

* ADULTERY.

* BROKEN HOMES.

* EVOLUTION.

* GAMBLING.

* HOMOSEXUALITY.

* POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.

* PORNOGRAPHY.

* RACISM.

* WAR.

"Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy" (Psalm 99:9).

STRANGE FIRE

By CHARLES WOODRUFF

Though we live in the New Testament age of grace, we cannot neglect the Old Testament, which was written for our learning and admonition. In the NT we have no formal priesthood as they did in the OT. Yet we learn much about how those in authority are to perform their duties. In the NT, every believer is a priest, able to go boldlyonly God’s way, as well.They are not to lord it over God’s heritage, but be examples to the flock. Too often this is greatly lacking in today’s post modern age. before God’s throne of grace. Even so, God has raised up ministry gifts in the NT church.These elders and deacons have a functional role to edify and build up the local churches. As the individual priests,we all have a responsibility to minister God’s way, and as an undershepherd to Christ, pastors and elders have a responsibility to minister God’s way, and

I hope we can draw from the tragic story of Nadab and Abihu, two sons of Aaron the high priest, who were priests themselves, and who did not go God’s way. It cost them dearly.

NADAB AND ABIHU

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:1,2).

Aaron was God’s first appointed high priest. He had four sons, who were also priests. All five of them, as well as other Levites who were appointed certain duties in the tabernacle, had just received detailed instruction from the Lord through Moses on exactly what was required in the sacrificial offerings.Two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, chose to do things their own way. Either they were not paying attention, or wanted to cut some corners. Either way, they blew it-- big time! So God slew them right on the spot.

As part of their training they had been told “And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out” (Leviticus 6:12,13). This was the fire that the Lord Himself started. They understood that no new or unauthorized fire was to be started by man for any sacrifice at the altar. That is why it is called strange fire.

It also seems from the text that they wanted glory for themselves, for they were taking up Aaron’s duty. He was in charge of the sacrifices, and only when he designated them could Nadab and Abihu participate. They both put fire in their own censers, and came presumptuously to offer before Jehovah. Evidently they wanted to “be somebody”. This is under the Old Testament economy of law, yet similarly we see this today in the churches. There are those with a Diotrephes spirit (see 3 John 1:9), who want to be somebody at all costs, whether it is God’s way or not. This is not the religion of Jesus -- it is the religion of Jesse. Jesse Jackson used to pump people up by getting them to say “I am somebody.” Actually, we are all nobodies, and only God can make somebody out of us.

As for me, I do not want to proclaim, declare, or exalt myself, but only Christ. Sadly, there are many in the ministry who are in effect saying “Look at me, look what I have done”. This is like the spirit of Nadab and Abihu. We need to say “Look at Christ, look what He has done. Scripture says it this way “Look unto me, and be ye saved all the ends of the earth; for I am God and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22). This is the verse that God used to grip the heart of 15 year old Charles Haddon Spurgeon and save him. He became one of the spiritual giants of the New Testament church. He being dead yet speaks today! Actually I do not want to listen to, read after, or otherwise attend any preacher that exalts himself. Give me Christ! Exalt Him! Don’t exalt your creed, your denomination or statement of faith, good as they may be. Exalt the Savior!

Beloved, God will not truly bless anything He did not originate. I realize there are great differences in the OT and NT. The old was types and shadows largely, but was foundational. Included in it were the civil laws of the nation of Israel. Violations such as picking up sticks on the Sabbath, or cursing one’s father or mother, brought swift and sure judgment. “And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:17).
They didn’t have to wait for the Great White Throne; it was on the spot! The OT is the NT typified, the New is the Old realized. Yet God always establishes an exact pattern. (see Hebrews 9:23). Even the “fire” of Calvary was lit by God. Evil men put Christ to death, but it was in the divine purpose of Jehovah “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him” (Isaiah 53:10). “But He was wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). It was “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23).

Men today don’t want the fire, the blood, the “slaughterhouse religion”, as they call it. They want a nice, tidy, easy believism gospel. A gospel of man’s making, i.e., strange fire. In most churches the old paths are gone. Long ago they took the blood out of most of the hymnbooks. But you better leave it in there, for “Without the shedding of blood is no remission of sin” (Hebrews 9:22). The only sacrifice God will accept is the one He ordained. It was “not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4), yet Christ’s once for all offering did this for all believers. He is the way, the truth and the life. (see John 14:6).

Just as great fear came upon the NT church when Ananias and Sapphira were slain by the Holy Ghost, so fear came on Aaron’s other two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. After their brothers died, at first they feared to even eat the sin offering, which was their right and duty.(see Leviticus 10:16-20). In a later OT example Uzziah the king didn’t want to go God’s way either, but usurped the office of the priesthood in much the same way as Nadab and Abihu, and Uzziah was made a leper until his death. (see 2 Chronicles 26:16-21). “Thus those who hate to be refined by the fire of divine grace, will undoubtedly be ruined by the fire of divine wrath” (Matthew Henry).

There is a warning given those who presume to take communion unworthily. (see 1 Corinthians 11:27). Yet, none of us are worthy, except in Christ. “A humble communicant who comes ‘not in his own righteousness, but in the Lord’s mercy’ needn’t be discouraged; for He (God), knows how to distinguish between presumptuous rashness or comptemptuous disobedience” (Thomas Scott). Do remember, brethren, there is such a thing as a healthy fear of God, for “Our God is a consuming fire”

MORE GRACE

by CHARLES WOODRUFF

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

“But he giveth more grace” (James 4:6a).

None of us will ever comprehend God’s grace. When we consider His election, we think that’s difficult, but, is anything too hard for the Lord? (See Jeremiah 32:27). He will bring His purpose to pass. He is God, after all.Why should we stumble over His predestination? He has
marked out His plan beforehand.No problem to see this if you try.Wouldn’t you, if you were
absolute ruler of the entire universe, map out your plan and make it happen? But it is not your
plan or purpose, is it? It is the plan of Almighty God, and He is carrying it out.

But, more difficult is to understand how through His amazing grace he could not only choose, save, keep and protect His own, but how He could love the unlovable? How could He love a wretch like me? How could he love a wretch like you? If you have never seen yourself as a wretch, as a worm not worth saving, you may still have some miles to go before you can know
the Living God.Instead of stumbling over why God passes by so many, and only chooses to save relatively few out of all humanity, we ought to ponder why He saves anyone! “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23). “As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6b).

Many more scriptures, and the practical reality of today’s wicked world, show man’s total
depravity, and begs the question: “Why should God save anybody?” But He indeed does still save and not only saves, but keeps. Not only does He keep His own, but He gives them more
grace to live day by day through all of life’s trials. In this life we will never figure out God;
especially as it regards His grace. It is not justice we have received but mercy and grace.

As Arthur Pink said:“Grace is the opposite of justice. Justice gives to each his exact due: it shows no favor and knows no mercy. It gives impartially to all precisely by the wages which thy have earned. But grace is free favor, unwarranted and unmerited by the recipients of it. Grace is the very last thing to which rebellious sinners are entitled; to talk of deserving"grace" is a contradiction in terms. Grace is purely a matter of charity, exercised sovereignly and spontaneously, attracted by nothing praiseworthy in its object. Divine grace is the free favor of God in the bestowment of mercies and blessings upon those who have no good in them, and concerning whom no compensation is demanded from them. Nay more: divine grace is not only shown to those who have no merit, but who are full of positive demerit; it is not only bestowed upon the ill-deserving, but the hell-deserving.

How completely grace sets aside every thought of personal desert, may be seen from a single quotation of Scripture: "Being justified freely by His grace" (Rom. 3:24). The word "freely" gives intensity to the term "grace," though the Greek does not convey the thought of abundance, but rather emphasizes its gratuitousness. The same word is rendered "without a cause" in John 15:25. There was nothing whatever in the Lord Jesus to deserve such vile treatment from the hands of His enemies, nothing whatever that He had done warranting such awful enmity on their part. In like manner, there is nothing whatever in any sinner to call forth the favorable regard of a holy God, nothing done by him to win His love; instead, everything to the contrary. Grace, then, is gratis, a free gift. The very expression "the grace of God" implies and denotes that the sinner’s condition is desperate to the last degree and that God may justly leave him to perish; yea, it is a wonder of wonders that he is not already in hell. Grace is a divine provision for those who are so depraved they cannot change their own nature, so averse from God they will not turn to Him, so blind they can neither see their malady nor the remedy, so dead spiritually that God must bring them out of their graves on to resurrection ground if ever
they are to walk in newness of life. Grace is the sinner’s last and only hope; if he is not saved by grace, he will never be saved at all. Grace levels all distinctions, and regards the most zealous religionist on the same plane as the most profligate, the chaste virgin as the foul prostitute. Therefore God is perfectly free to save the chiefest of sinners and bestow His mercy on the vilest of the vile.”. (From Arthur W.Pink’s Life of David,volume one, page 367, online edition).

Practically everyone who claims to be evangelical, or fundamentalist, regarding the Bible and its
teachings believes in grace, or claim they do. That leads some to ask why we call it sovereign
grace. The reason is this grace, both for salvation and for Christian growth, is from the sovereign God. That is, He is the Absolute Ruler and Sustainer of the universe, and he has said “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” (Romans 9: 15a). Often we hear the word “sovereign” used regarding one of our states in the USA, or the entire nation, as we call it “a sovereign nation”, meaning that it is completely independent and does not answer to any other nation. Well, the Bible teaches that God is independent and does not answer to any other being, or force in the universe.”Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” (Romans 9:20b) He is the creator of the universe and all that is! This is the God that gives us more grace. It’s okay to ask Him for His grace, because you could not, and would not ask Him if He didn’t put it in your heart to do so! I pray that He will do it for you. "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

"The greatest thing we can desire, next to the glory of God, is our own salvation; and the sweetest thing we can desire is the assurance of our salvation. In this life we cannot get higher than to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed. All saints shall enjoy a heaven when they leave this earth; some saints enjoy a heaven while they are here on earth." Joseph Caryl, 1602-1673

SHE HATH DONE WHAT SHE COULD

By Charles Woodruff

“And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her” (Mark 14:3-9).

It seems most evangelical commentators believe, as I do, that the accounts in Matthew, Mark and John are the same, and that the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany was Mary, sister of Lazarus. There was a somewhat similar incident recorded in Luke 7:36 when Jesus was dining with a Pharisee whose name was also Simon (a very common name in those times, as John or Bill is today). An unnamed woman came in with an alabaster box of ointment and washed His feet with her tears, putting on the ointment, and drying His feet with her hair.

There the similarity ends. This woman in Luke was a repentant sinner. Some do think she was Mary Magdalene. Because Jesus allowed her to touch Him, Simon the Pharisee protested much. Jesus gave an illustration about forgiveness. He told the woman her sins were forgiven, and riled up the Jews. The Luke incident is much earlier in the ministry of Christ. It was not said to be in Bethany, while Luke does record Him visiting there later in Luke 10:38, where He found Martha serving, and Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet, which is so characteristic of these two women. Let us examine three main points about this second woman who anointed Jesus.

The Magnitude of Her Deed

This was the last time in his earthly life that Jesus visited Bethany. Remember that Lazarus lived there with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is where the mighty miracle was wrought by Jesus of raising Lazarus from the dead, a man who had been dead four days! Remember Jesus had told Martha (and us), “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?” (John 11:25, 26) Believeth thou this reader? I ask you this question. A question we will explore another time soon, D.V., along with the story of Lazarus.

This time Jesus was having dinner at the house of Simon the leper, whom He had healed. No, scripture doesn’t expressly say that Christ healed him, but two things are evident. First, a leper under the Mosaic law was not allowed to mingle with clean society, much less dine with them, unless healed. Second, leprosy was an almost incurable disease, meaning that only God could heal it. Evidently Simon was healed, or Jesus and other guests would not be there. Third, Since only God could heal it, and Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, obviously He healed him. Simon was called the leper to distinguish him from other Simons, because it was a very common Hebrew name. This was similar to Matthew (Levi), still being called a tax collector, though he was no longer that, but a disciple of our Lord.

As they sat at dinner, a woman came with an alabaster box of ointment, very expensive spikenard, and she broke the box and poured it over His head. Albert Barnes remarks: “Alabaster is a species of marble, distinguished for being light, and of a beautiful white colour, almost transparent. It was much used by the ancients for the purpose of preserving various kinds of ointment in”.(1)

This alabaster box, or cruse, was very beautiful, and the cruse itself rather costly. The ointment inside was not medicinal, but rather a perfume, pure nard from the orient, with a very pleasant odor. We are told she brake the box. Albert Barnes takes that to mean she “broke the seal”, otherwise she couldn’t have poured it easily, and some would then in reality have been wasted.(2) I do not know if he is correct or not, but either way, she cared very little how costly the perfume was, she willingly gave it for Christ.

John’s account again shows us these two women, Martha and Mary, right in character, Martha serving, and Mary worshipping. “There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” (John 12:2, 3)

John’s account tells us several additional things. Jesus had came into Bethany six days before the Passover, yet Matthew and Luke speak of this incident being two days before the Passover. A discrepancy has been imagined. The answer is more than likely Jesus abode there in Bethany for the difference of four days with his friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary. These were the closest friends He had on earth, besides His disciples, and He enjoyed being with them. John tells us that these three, along with some of the disciples, and perhaps others, were there at Simon the leper’s house for the dinner. Martha was serving (right in character), Lazarus was at the table (the recipient of the miracle of being raised from among the dead), and Mary was preoccupied with worship of her Lord, again, right in character..

So here at this table we have a healed leper, a man who had been raised from the dead, and two others that were loved by Jesus, hence all sinners saved by His grace! What a sight, as Jesus Christ was about to go to be crucified in Jerusalem, which was about two miles away, and bring final fulfillment to 333 Old Testament prophesies concerning Himself.

But meanwhile, Mary anointed Him (for John 12;3 tells us it was Mary who took the pound of spikenard and anointed Jesus). Matthew and Mark tell us of her anointing His head, while John tells us she anointed also His feet and wiped them with her hair. It was easy to do both, because at the table in those times, one did not sit in a chair, but rather reclined on couches. The four gospels do not contradict each other, but complement each other. John expounds on the incident by telling us that “and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment” (John 12:3b).

We are told that some were filled with indignation and complained and said “Why was this waste of the ointment made?”(Mark 14:4) Matthew says the complainers were “the disciples”. Mark says “some had indignation among themselves”, but John, who was no doubt there, shows Judas Iscariot as the instigator. He who was about to betray Christ was the one who had the money bag, and often cheated and stole from it. He started the complaints, pretending to be concerned about the poor. They all understood the value of this spikenard- a pound (twelve ounces in present US weight), could be sold for 300 pence (denarii’s), or about one year’s wages for the average working man of that century. Compared to today in America, that would possibly be $25,000 to $30,000 . Of course wages were lower then in that part of the world, as they still are today. Even if today’s value is “only” equivalent to $10,000 to $15,000, it is still a considerable sum. My point is; the alabaster box and spikenard was very valuable by any standard.

The Faith of Her Deed

When the murmuring began, our Lord spoke up immediately. He said “Let her alone; why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on me” (Mark 14:6). Christ was ready to take the side of one who was intent on worshipping Him. Worship was the very thing that stirred the devil here. Sure, the ointment was costly, but Mary, so often at His feet to worship Him, wanted to honor him with all she had. Did she perceive that He was about to give His life for sinners? I believe so, because John tells us that Jesus said “Let her alone; against the day of my burying she hath kept this” (John 12:7). It appears she had more spiritual perception than any in the room. She knew it would be the last time to do Him good. It was a deed of faith, and remember who it is that gives the gift of faith. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9)

Mary and Martha both had faith, but manifested it in different ways. Martha served, Mary worshipped. Martha gets commendation as well. In his commentary on the Gospel of John, A.W. Pink said: “And Martha served”-This is most blessed. This was her characteristic method of showing her affection. On a former occasion the Lord had gently reproved her for being "cumbered with much serving," and because she was anxious and troubled about many things. But she did not peevishly leave off serving altogether. No; she still served: served not the less attentively, but more wisely. Love is unselfish. We are not to feast on our own blessings in the midst of a groaning creation, rather are we to be channels of blessing to those around: John 7:38, 39. But mark here that Martha’s service is connected with the Lord: "They made him a supper and Martha served." This alone is true service. We must not seek to imitate others, still less, work for the sake of building up a reputation for zeal. It must be done to and for Christ: "always abounding in the work of the Lord"(1 Corinthians 15:58).

"And Martha served": no longer outside the presence of Christ, as on a former occasion—note her "serve alone" in Luke 10:40. "In Martha’s ‘serving’ now we do not find her being cumbered, but something that is acceptable, as in the joy of resurrection, the new life, unto Him who has given it. Service is in its true place when we have first received all from Him, and the joy of it as begotten by Himself sweetly ministers to Him" (Malachi Taylor). (3) (emphasis mine-cmw)

Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ body was an act of faith. God gives faith - honors faith. Mary was seeing the moment of the cross and beyond. Remember both had been at Lazarus’ tomb. Both said to Jesus “If you had been here my brother would not have died.” Mary and Martha saw that miracle power. Simon saw that miracle power. Lazarus who had been dead, yet was now alive saw that miracle power. Some had called it “waste”, but that done in faith for Christ and in the faith of Christ is never waste. To the unregenerate, and unspiritual it would seem to be “waste”.

Judas, the thief and traitor, had pretended to be concerned about the poor, but Jesus, who really does care about the poor, said “For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me you have not always”( Mark 14:7).

The Honor of Her Deed

The commendations of Jesus Christ in scripture to mere mortals are remarkable. This is because any good work He receives from us is because we have received His free grace in the first place! All of grace, all praise to Him! We are nothing without Him!

What an honor to have the Lord Christ commend you! The changed heart, (which He changed!) draws His praise. In out text in Mark, He tells all who are there (and us through the Gospels), regarding the woman who anointed Him, “She hath done what she could.” He says that wherever the gospel is preached, this will be remembered as a memorial to her. Wherever-- India, China, Japan, England, the Philippines, the United States--- wherever and whenever this gospel shall be preached what she has done shall be remembered as a memorial; she hath done what she could! Jesus, no mere teacher, but God Himself declares it and it is so! What He commends is commended still. What He curses is cursed still, now and for always!

Now in 2007 A.D., two millenniums later, we are right at this moment having a memorial service! We are remembering a poor, trembling sinner; a creature of flesh and blood like ourselves, because He told us we would. What is done for Him in true faith, which He alone gives to His children, is never wasted! She hath done what she could! How marvelous are His ways! May He inspire us, and enable us to do what we can!

NOTES

(1) Albert Barnes, Notes on Matthew and Mark; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI; 1964 edition, page 276.

(2)Ibid, page 381.

(3)Exposition of the Gospel of John, Arthur W. Pink; First appearance in book form, 1945 by I.C Herendeen, Swengel, PA; quote from 1970 edition, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI; Vol. two, page 234.

Serious students should acquire a harmony of the gospels such as A.T Robertson’s (in print), or Stevens and Burton’s (out of print). Life of Christ in Stereo is excellent, and available used, or on CD-ROM.

NEW MONTH, NEW YEAR, OLD GOSPEL

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF

And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: (Revelation 10:5-6).

And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand (Revelation 22:10).

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).

Here at the beginning of a new year, it is time to take inventory of some things. It is time to take stock of time itself. Time defines and limits man. It does not define and limit God. He lives outside of time. He is “the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy” (Isaiah 57:15a). Time is under His control, and time will end someday. Time defines we mortals because people will say in passing “He is an old man.“ “She is a young lady.” “They are middle aged.” Time limits us because we say “I didn’t have time to finish the project.” It’s time for a change.” “ He served his time in the military.” So we are very much creatures of time, and limited by the constraints of time.

Some years ago I wrote an article titled Redeeming the Time, which was a message on Ephesians 5:16. I edited it recently and have it on my main blog if you would like to read it. I have preached many times from that text. It is so relevant to the proper use of the time God has given us to live our lives. We need to redeem or “buy up” the time for His glory. It is said that time changes things. From our human perspective it seems so, but one thing that time will never change is the gospel. The gospel, in essence, is a Person -- Jesus Christ. He is “The same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8b). Paul tells us that there is not another gospel. (see Galatians 1:7). In Revelation the angel has “the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth” (Revelation 14:6b). The gospel doesn’t change, just like God doesn’t change (see Malachi 3:6).

There are many things hard to understand in the book of Revelation, yet it is not meant to be a sealed book. In chapter one it is called the Revelation (Greek= αποκαλυψις, transliterated apocalipsis, or English= Apocalypse). It means a disclosure; a lifting of the veil. It is properly not the Revelation of the apostle John, but the Revelation of Jesus Christ which He gave to John. There is a blessing given to those who study this book, yet because there are so many symbols and shadows in the book, many avoid it altogether. Others have come up with elaborate and doubtful interpretations. As someone once said “After chapter three of Revelation the water gets over the head of the greatest saints.” That being so, there are certainly many “islands” in this water that we can see. Most all of them reveal Him whom the book was meant to reveal, Jesus Christ. It is mainly about Him. As I said, He IS the gospel.

Christians need to be about the Father’s business this year and every year. There is so much I did not accomplish last year, that without making a long list of resolutions (which I, like most of you, would probably break!), I resolve one thing: as God enables me, I want to exalt Jesus Christ this year as never before in all that I do. I want to preach this old gospel, and none other, in print, in person, online, in broadcasts and every way I am able. I do not want some new gimmick gospel. They old one is perfect! It will get the job done. It has, as far as its New Testament aspect, worked for 2000 years, wherever it has been preached in purity, and it will continue to do so until Christ returns.

I know many churches have abandoned the simple, unadulterated, gospel for programs and entertainment. They have largely thrown out the old hymns for slick, largely unscriptural songs, and semi rock, or even hard rock music. I’ll take the old gospel, and the old hymns and spiritual songs. Many who do not want to preach false doctrine will sing it in their songs. It may be a new century, a new month, and a new year, but the old gospel still works just fine. Declare it, brethren!

It is a new year, but we know not what a day may bring forth. We know not how much time we have on this earth, yet God can do much with little. Our efforts are no good unless He is in it. Charles Spurgeon, that most famous English preacher, lived to be only 58 years old, yet what a massive amount of rich material he left us in sermons and writings. Multiplied thousands God has been pleased to convert through his ministry while he lived, and likely far more since he left this world. Most of us have used his material from time to time. Some have preached his messages verbatim. That’s probably okay if God honors it, but at least acknowledge your sources. Be careful lest what you preach is simply a dead letter! If God is pleased to use any man, it is of His sovereign grace. We all “borrow” from each other. The main thing -- preach Christ!

I talked of Spurgeon’s short, useful, life. What about Robert Murray M’Cheyne? This blessed son of Scotland did not quite live until his 30th birthday, yet God has greatly used him. What about missionary David Brainerd? He was desiring to marry the daughter of Jonathon Edwards, that great American theologian and preacher. As his tuberculosis became more evident, he knew that although he loved Jerusha Edwards, they could never marry. Brainerd also only lived to be 29 years old, yet what a profound influence he had. Many were converted through his ministry, and William Carey, later missionary to India, was greatly influenced by him of the need to minister the gospel to every race. When Brainerd died, the man who would have been his father-in-law wrote the biography Life of David Brainerd. It is still in print. Read it, Christian, and you will likely be on your knees before God!
What of Jonathon Edwards himself? He died at age 54, yet left a great body of work that still influences so many today. He was perhaps the greatest American theologian ever.
Then there was his contemporary from England, George Whitefield, the mightiest evangelist of the Great Awakening. He only lived to be 55, yet was so used of God. Oh, just reading of all these men that God chose to use humbles me in the dust. It causes me again to realize how little I have accomplished in 65 years! Oh God, help me to be focused on thee! I am not saying we should never rest or relax, but perhaps we do that more than we need. We can rest with Him in glory!

Some Ultra Calvinist might dare to say “honoring all these men does not honor the Sovereign God.” Not so! God Himself honors some men He chose to use all through the Bible. Noah found grace. Moses was a meek man. Job was a perfect man. David was a man after God‘s own heart. Paul was a chosen vessel for the Lord. Some of the same Ultra Calvinists will certainly honor the founders of their group. All I am saying is God uses men and women, and I desire to be used to point men to Christ this year. No gadgets, no gimmicks. What about you? Please read what follows and be edified..

AMUSING THE GOATS
By W.F. Bell
C. H. Spurgeon is often quoted by Christians of all denominations. Here are some thoughts by Mr. Spurgeon on the subject of entertainment in the Church, which may not be too liked. Judge for yourself.
"The devil has seldom done a more clever thing than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them."
He then relates how entertainment and amusement in the Church was once viewed: First, "spoken against, then toned down." Secondly, it was "winked at, then excused." Thirdly, it was "tolerated, then adopted." Is this not the same downward trend we see today?
Spurgeon again: "My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in Scripture as a function of the Church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? 'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.' That is clear enough. And it would have been added, 'and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel.' No such words, however, are to be found."
"Then again, 'He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry.' Where do the entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people?"
"Providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all of his apostles. Short and sharp was the utterance, 'Let the dead bury their dead.' He was in awful earnestness!"
Let us hear loudly Spurgeon's prayer (and start praying it ourselves): "Lord, clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods."
As Thomas Brooks said about zeal, we would say about entertainment: "Zeal is like fire; in the chimney it is one of the best servants; but out of the chimney it is one of the worst masters." Entertainment may have its place in the world, but it is a terrible master in the Church.

GOD'S CROWD OR YOUR CROWD?

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF

On a recent Sunday morning as I was preparing for church, I had the TV on, and Joel Osteen was on the air. In case you have been on Mars for the last year and don’t know it; Joel is pastor of America’s largest congregation, the 47,000 member Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. He is author of two best selling books Your Best Life Now, and the newest (released in October 2007), Become A Better You.

Actually, though I have seen him a couple of times in brief TV interviews, and have seen his photo on books and ads, I had never viewed his program. I met his father, John Osteen, once when I was in mission work with ECL/Door of Hope. John was a Southern Baptist pastor who came to embrace charismatic views and started the church Joel now pastors. Under John’s preaching the church grew to 6000 members. John died of a heart attack in 1999. Joel stated that though he was in the church there, he had never preached in his life until one week before his father died. Upon John’s death, Joel assumed the role of pastor.

Just watching this pleasant, nice looking, energetic young man as he spoke, I wanted to like him, listen to him and not criticize him. He really seems like a “nice guy”. I listened for some good word from the scriptures, some exposition, some admonition, some doctrinal content, or at least a verse I could meditate on. Something that might help the estimated total for two services of over 40,000 people in the audience that resembled the crowd at an NFL game; or that might help his millions of TV watchers with scriptural truth. I heard -- nothing! I think Joel was just giving some highlights of his book. He was telling everyone they shouldn’t feel second rate because of lack of success. He said “God wants you to succeed”. “If you fail, don’t take it so hard -- try again”. “Always look at the positive side”.

What makes his teaching different than the Schullers, or the late Norman Vincent Peale and their “positive thinking”, or “possibility thinking” theology? They have also pastored very large churches. Basically, Osteen’s teaching seems to be the same as theirs with a “name it and claim it” charismatic edge. Lakewood Church (as of October 2007), was almost twice as big as Willow Creek Church in S. Berrington, IL pastored by Bill Hybels, or Saddleback Church in Orange County, California pastored by Rick Warren, writer of The Purpose Driven Life. (These two pastors with their “seeker sensitive” philosophy could be discussed also, but another day perhaps).

I do not know if it is this way every service for him, but when Joel got to the end of his message that Sunday morning, with almost no quotes from the word of God for his great sea of possibly 25,000 faces, he took about 30 seconds to say “if you need to trust Jesus Christ as savior, ask Him right now to come in your heart. Now you’ve done that -- you are now born again. Contact us and let us know”. So divine “magic’ here. Just a few hocus-pocus words and men are “born anew”. Such a “just prayism” gospel! Such an “easy believism” gospel! I want to tell you, my friends, that isn’t the gospel! It is not the gospel that Christ Himself preached -- or that Paul preached -- or that Peter and John preached -- or that Spurgeon preached -- or that true Bible preachers preach today. Beware! It is another gospel! “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6,7 ESV)

Some will think me overly critical, and probably say “Who do you think you are?’ Well, I am nobody. I am not a pastor. Most of my ministry has been as a missionary, Bible teacher, evangelist and writer. Most of the large crowds I have addressed have been overseas. But brothers and sisters, is our goal simply to have a large crowd? It would be nice to have a large crowd if they mostly came with a desire to hear the gospel. John MacArthur and John Piper have pretty large congregations. There is nothing wrong with that. These two men preach the gospel of grace to their crowds. Yet, having a crowd is not to be an end in itself. Better to have a handful that love Christ, and a desire to hear the word of God and grow, than to have a huge crowd of worldlings that have to have multiple programs and entertainment to keep them coming. Remember, if entertainment brings them in, you will have to get better entertainment to keep them! If all you want is a large crowd, and the money they can give, and the fame it will bring you, you are playing games with the souls of men and women! Now hear the late Vance Havner, that old down to earth man of God on the subject of crowds.

FIGURES CAN LIE- VANCE HAVNER

Of the many delusions from which the ministry needs to be delivered today is the notion that a preacher may be judged by the size of his crowd. There are some prophets in every generation who are called and gifted for leading the multitude and attracting the throng. More power to them. But straightway we get out on a limb and conclude that every brother who is not speaking to packed houses is a failure and that something is wrong with him.

Something may be wrong with him and he should check up on himself, search his heart and take stock. But if he finds nothing after an honest inventory, then he need not get under the juniper because he is not preaching to overflow audiences. Once in a while some successful preacher is held up and this lesson is drawn: “This man gets crowds because he preaches the Gospel. If Christ is preached, the crowd will still come, for He will draw all men unto Himself." Thus the inference prevails that an unfilled house means unfaithful preaching.

Such argument is a lot of hocus-pocus. For one thing, some men who are not preaching the Gospel are having crowds for, having itching ears, men are heaping to themselves teachers and the Athenians turn out for their kind. Then, again, there are true and faithful pastors ministering to small flocks who are as consecrated to God, and sometimes more so, than some of the headliners. It is true that Christ draws, but men resist His drawing and they resist the Gospel and going to church.

Concerning the true preacher, Alexander Whyte wrote:

“He may have, he usually has, but few people, as people go in our day, and the better the preacher, sometimes, the smaller the flock. It was so in our Master's case. The multitude followed after the loaves but they fled from the feeding doctrines till He first tasted that dejection and that sense of defeat which so many of His best servants are fed on in this world. Still, as our Lord did not tune His pulpit to the taste of the loungers of Galilee, no more will a minister worth the name do anything else but press deeper and deeper into the depths of truth and life, till, as was the case with his Master, his followers, though few, will be all the more worth having."

Matthew Henry lamented over the poor response to his ministry and felt that his labors in his parish were done, since many had left and few had been added. But he still feeds us with messages not too well appreciated in his own time.

This worship of crowds is part of our Americanism, and a poor part. We are such confirmed lovers of big statistics, quantity production, and mass movement that we low-rate anything that does not run into big figures. The great god Ballyhoo has most of us on our faces, and any Hebrew children that will not prostrate themselves before him land in a fiery furnace. But in that furnace there is a fourth party “like the Son of God."

The Son of God trod this road. He had crowds at the beginning, but the closer He came to the cross, the thinner His crowd. And the closer we come to the cross and all it means, the fewer the people—but the better they are!

All of this can be twisted into an excuse for laziness on the part of some preachers who will not work. They are a different sort and must give account. But if a man be honest, right with God and men, and faithful, let him watch for souls and not for statistics. God keeps the books.

Vance Havner-excerpt from Pleasant Paths; Baker edition, 1983; now out of print; original publisher-- Fleming Revell in 1945

WHAT IS A TRUE REVIVAL?

CHARLES WOODRUFF

“Revival! June 1- June 6th — Special singing each night.” How often we have observed similar advertisements in front of various churches. Also we have seen such wording in the media announcing the special meeting. Because of this type of promotion, the average American would equate having a special meeting with revival. But, is this a true definition? When the late missionary Dr. James A. Stewart first came to the U.S.A. from Scotland, he spotted such a sign in front of a church. He was riding on a bus at the time and was excited by a sign that said “REVIVAL— HERE EACH NIGHT THIS WEEK AT 7:30!” Upon seeing this, he grabbed his wife by the hand and went to see the pastor of the church. An explanation was given that here in the Southern U.S.A., it is the custom for a church, when it has a special meeting for a time, to call it a revival. Then Brother James Stewart asked a very valid question: “It what you’re having at 7:30 each evening is a “special meeting”, why don’t you call it that, instead of revival?” You see, he had been in a real revival in Europe for much of his ministry and to call a series of meetings a “revival” was shocking to this man. He called it prostitution of the word “revival”. He was right. Today, many things pass for revival. Sometimes a spirited gospel song is considered a revival. Perhaps when a few people shout, “Amen”, or “Hallelujah”, it is considered a revival. When several folks get saved in one meeting, some call that revival. These are all good things, but not necessarily revival. Others have had the audacity to proclaim that we are in a mighty revival now; called the “Charismatic movement”. Yet the major fruit of the movement has been a watered down gospel of ecumenism, hardly a true revival! Actually, the Charismatic movement has done more to bring about the one world church than any other force in history! Even when you consider that the Charismatics have called our attention to the work of the Holy Spirit, something often neglected in the churches, we are compelled to renounce it, as a movement. I say this because as a movement, the Charismatic movement has produced much division among true Christians, especially the current “name it and claim it” variety. Perhaps the most striking proof of its failure is the fact that there is generally little holiness, or biblical separation, or true godliness associated with the movement. Too often, standards are thrown to the wind! Some of the Charismatics’ own leaders have said this, so I am not trying to slander them. I do hasten to add that non-charismatics can’t throw any rocks here! When we speak of holiness, we all fall short! But shouldn’t a movement that sweeps the country and purports to be true revival be touching all around? Yet today we have more bars, more pornography, more prostitution, more homosexuality, more child molesting, more abortion, and more nakedness, more divorces, more illegal drugs, more rebellious children — in general, more sin, in spite of any movement! A real revival would certainly change all that! Study the history of the Great Awakening, and other revivals and you should see this clearly. The Foundation for Revival: Truth Since 1968 when I was called to preach, I have seen the need for revival. I titled my first awkward newsletter in 1970-71 “Revival for Survival”. I still believe revival is the only answer for our survival. There has been a resurgence of Puritan literature in our day. Also, the works of sound evangelicals of yesterday such as Charles Spurgeon, J.C. Ryle, John Brown, J. Gresham Machen and many others are abundant as perhaps never before in history if you know where to look for them. The average Christian book store doesn’t stock too much “meaty” reading. Some declare this abundance of good literature as revival. While I certainly count it as a wonderful thing to see all this good literature published at a time when we also have more shallow, carnal, religious books available, in itself, this is not revival. It is foundational to a revival! Before we can have revival, we must know who God is! We must see Him in His awesome majesty. He must be glorified in His attributes. These old writers have a way of pointing us to this omnipotent God. This has been strengthened by many present day writers such as J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Jerry Bridges, etc., who seemed to have picked up the torch from earlier writers now gone such as D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, William Hendriksen, A.W. Pink, etc.. Because of this renewed interest, many preachers have come to appreciate the sovereignty of God. For many years this truth has been pushed aside. I have personally noticed that in the last 25 years there are many more churches and pastors boldly declaring the old paths. Churches have openly declared to adhere to the Westminster Confession (Presbyterian-Reformed), and the London, or Philadelphia Confessions (Baptist). These are definitely “Old Paths”, and is a reformation of sorts “in progress”, which must come before a real revival. It is hopefully a beginning. I am grateful to God for this revelation to His called servants, but this is not, in itself revival! Revival Is The Work of God! The book of Habakkuk is one book that deserves our careful study in these wicked days. It is not my purpose at this time to expound all three chapters, but I do want to take a brief look at the whole book. Chapter one deals with the prophet’s complaint. Sin and violence had covered the land. The situation was much as it is today. Evildoers needed to be punished, yet, justice is forgotten and the guilty go unpunished. God’s answer is startling. He tells the prophet in chapter 1, verses 6.and 7, “For, Lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.” In verse 9 He goes on to say “They shall come all for violence.” The prophet cries out about the sin and God sends the Chaldeans! This is equivalent to us today in the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and other free-world nations crying to God about our sinful nations, and having Him reply by sending the Russians or Chinese! A strange answer, we would say! Then in verse 12, Habakkuk cries to God again and asks the question, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity: Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” In other words, “God, can you use evil people to chastise those who are not as wicked as they?” Chapter two shows us the prophet waiting (something we all have a problem doing). He climbs upon his watchtower to wait upon God’s answer, but, indeed God does answer when we patiently wait upon Him. The reason Habakkuk could wait patiently on God is that he had an understanding of God’s attributes. He saw that: God is eternal — “Art Thou not from everlasting?” (1:12) As the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “He is forgetting for a moment the immediate problem, and asking himself what it was he was sure of about God. The first thing was, ‘Art thou not from everlasting?’ He is not like the gods whom men worship; He is not like the god of the proud Chaldean army. He is God from eternity to eternity, the everlasting God. There is nothing more consoling or reassuring when oppressed by the problems of history, and when wondering what is to happen in the world, than to remember that the God whom we worship is outside the flux of history. He has preceded history; He has created history. His throne is above the world and outside time. He reigns in eternity, the everlasting God”.1 God is self existent — “‘Art thou not from everlasting, O, LORD?’ — he uses the great name ‘Jehovah’ — ‘art thou not from everlasting, O, Jehovah?’ That name tells us that God is the self existing One, the eternal I AM.”2 God is holy. — “‘Art thou not from everlasting, O, LORD my God, mine holy One?’ He is sure, not only of His eternal existence, not only of His self existence, and His independence of everything and everybody, but that He is the ‘Holy One’, utterly and absolutely righteous and holy, ‘a consuming fire’ ‘God is light and in Him is no darkness at all’ and the moment you consider Scriptures like this, you are forced to ask: ‘Can the Lord of the earth do that which is unrighteous?’ Such a thing is unthinkable”.3 God is almighty. — “‘O, Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment and O, mighty God, thou has established them for correction.’ God can take care of all His enemies when it pleases Him.” God is faithful — “‘My God, mine Holy One, we shall not die.’ He is recalling that God is the God of the Covenant. Though He is independent and absolute, eternal, mighty, righteous and holy, nevertheless He has condescended to make a covenant with men. For those saintly men,. the prophets, and all who had spiritual understanding in Israel, this fact was more significant than anything else. While believing in the eternal attributes of God, they might have been chilled by the thought that such a God might be far away in the heavens, and oblivious of their need. But what linked Him to them was the knowledge that He was a faithful covenant-keeping God. God had given His word and He would never break it”.4 So, because of these attributes which the prophet recognizes in chapter 1, we find that he is able to wait upon the Lord in chapter 2. In this chapter Habakkuk pronounces woe concerning seven major sins of his day. It really sounds like our day, though. Listen to this list: covetousness v. 9 murder v. 10 oppression v. 12, 13 drunkenness v. 15 adultery and/or homosexuality v. 15 violence v. 17 idolatry v. 18 While realizing the historical setting of this chapter, and that these sins primarily refer to the Babylonians, clear spiritual principles can nevertheless be found here. God is always against sin in every age and sin does not change. For instance, as Edward Marbury says “Drunkenness itself is a horrible sin; it is one of the fruits of the flesh” (Gal 5:21). “Drunkenness is confessed of all men to be a sin; and they who love it best and use it most will be very angry with you if you call them drunkards.”5 Also, drunkenness leads to immorality, as Edward Marbury recognizes. “Lot was drunk when he committed incest with his daughters (Gen 19) and so overcome with wine, that he neither knew of their coming to his bed nor of their going from him.”6 As in Leviticus 18, both heterosexual (outside marriage) and homosexual (abnormal) relationships are forbidden, so Hab. 2:15 could mean either. Sin never changes, it is always sin and exceedingly sinful! Habakkuk recognizes the awful problems of his day and future days and this brings him to the prayer room. Note that chapter 3 begins by saying a Prayer of Habakkuk the prophet on Shigionoth, “It was a prayer accompanied with music, neither mournful, nor joyful, but expressive of profound and strong emotion.”7 Like so many of the beautiful Psalms of David, this chapter is as much poetry as prayer, yet it has a profound theological lesson for us. Habakkuk heard God’s voice. Like others such as Isaiah, who heard, or saw a vision of God, He became afraid. Men are in our day so flippant regarding God. They are not afraid to take His Holy name in vain! Even professing Christians speak of the Lord Jesus in such casual terms as if to say “He’s my buddy.” They try to treat Him as a “spiritual bellhop,” catering to all their needs and wants. They speak of Him as if He were all sentimental, soft, lovey-dovey; as if He would even wink at sin! This is not the God of the Bible! The God of the Bible, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is majestic and Holy! He is angry with the wicked every day! As Habakkuk said. He will not look upon sin. My friend, if you ever see God, you’ll be in the dust before Him. Read of John the beloved in Rev, 1:17. No flippancy here! He fell at His feet as dead! Thomas, who got a glimpse of the resurrection glory, and who had been an intimate friend, a disciple, cried when He saw Him. “My Lord and My God!” One of the greatest problems today, even in our churches is that “there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:18). A healthy fear of God is needed, even for Christians. In the old days a “God-fearing man” was a man who understood that “His commandments are not grievous”. Professing Christians today scoff at the commands of God, but I have news for you, even in the New Testament there are commandments. I realize we cannot keep them except in Christ, but “He worketh in you” and He says “if you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). It is awesome. There is a famine in the land “for the hearing of the word of God.” The word is here but we don’t hear it. It is preached in many places, but who takes heed? Ungodly humanist “law” is exalted above God’s law. Habakkuk heard from God. He was God’s prophet. Yet he was afraid. When is the last time you heard from God, preacher? I mean, really heard from God. We all need to hear from Him. The need for God is desperate! Revival Comes To God’s People “Revive thy work.” Revival is a restoration. It presupposes a declension. In times of spiritual lull, sin runs rampant and we need a renewal. It is a renewing of His work in the Church. Churches are dead without God’s breath, no matter how orthodox they may be! Renewal in the home — our homes are falling apart. What home in America has not been touched, either directly or indirectly, by divorce? Revival is a renewal in God’s people. To reach the lost, Christians must be renewed first in their prayers, then in their love for God, above all things. Then God becomes the number one topic. He is worshipped and appreciated and the ball games, the theaters and the other amusements and things of the world become “strangely dim”. In other words, God gets our worship and all our attention. How can we give Him less than all and claim to be Christians? Jesus said we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. However we cannot do this in the natural man. We must be divinely enabled. Revival is awakening (Eph. 5:14). Oh, how we need to be awakened! It is bad enough that sinners sleep the sleep of death, but professing Christians also are sleeping, and it is going to take a loud voice, indeed, God’s own voice, to awaken them! Read the history of some of the revivals of old and you will find the same thing each time. Before an awakening swept through the heretofore unconcerned world, it first arrested the Christians. Even genuinely born again people need revival. They, too, have to be on fire for God. Hear these words of Duncan Campbell, who was used of God in the revival of 1949 and after, in the Scottish Hebrides Islands:“What have been the outstanding features of this movement? Three stand out clearly.” “First: an awareness of God. To be fully realized, this has to be felt. A rector of the Church of England, referring to his visit to the Isle of Lewis, said, ‘What I felt, apart from what I saw, convinced me at once that this was no ordinary movement.’” “Second: the main feature has been deep conviction of sin — at times leading almost to despair. I have known occasions when it was necessary to stop preaching, because of the distress manifested by the anxious, and many would find expression for the feeling in their hearts and burden of their guilty conscience, in the words of John Newton: ‘My conscience fell and owned its guilt and plunged me in despair: I saw my sins His blood had spilt and helped to nail Him there.’” “Third: Physical manifestations and prostrations have been a further feature, I find it somewhat difficult to explain this aspect; indeed. I cannot. But this I will say: The person who would associate this with satanic influence is coming perilously near to committing the unpardonable sin. Lady Huntingdon on one occasion wrote to George Whitefield respecting cases of crying out and falling down in meetings, and advised him not to remove them from the meetings as he had done. When this was done, it seemed to bring a damper on the meeting. She said, ‘You are making a great mistake. Don’t be wiser than God. Let them cry out. It will do a great deal more good than your preaching”’8 (emphasis mine). If you are really interested in revival, there are several books I will recommend. But if you read no other, you should read Jonathan Edwards’, Narrative of Surprising Conversions. Here is an excerpt from it: It was very wonderful to see how persons’ affections were sometimes moved — when God did, as it were, suddenly open their eyes, and let into their minds a sense of the greatness of His grace, the fullness of Christ, and His readiness to save, after having been broken with apprehension of divine wrath and sunk unto an abyss, under a sense of guilt which they were ready to think was beyond the mercy of God. Their joyful surprise has caused their hearts, as it were, to leap, so they have been ready to break forth in laughter, tears often mingling a loud weeping. Sometimes they have not been able to forbear crying out with a loud voice and expressing their great admiration. In some, even the view of the glory of God’s sovereignty, in the exercises of His grace has surprised the soul in such sweetness, as to produce the same effects. I remember an instance of one, who, reading something concerning God’s sovereign way of saving sinners, as being self moved — having no regard to man’s own righteousness as the motive of His grace, but as magnifying Himself and abasing man, or to that purpose, felt such a sudden rapture of joy and delight in the consideration of it: yet then he suspected himself to be in a Christless condition, and had long been in great distress for fear that God would not have mercy on him.9 (emphasis mine). “Revive thy work!” — It is God’s work and as the Sovereign of the universe. He controls the keys. “Ministers knock at the door of men’s hearts; the Spirit comes with a key and opens the door” (Thomas Watson) Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). This is true in the Salvation of a soul, of a preacher in the belly of a whale, and of His church. Did not Jesus say in Matthew 16:18, “Upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”? When God begins a work, He will bring it to fruition. God is not abandoning His church. We must remember however that... Revival Comes in God’s Time Habakkuk says “Revive thy work in the midst of the years” — just as in the fullness of time God sent forth His Son. Christ came right on time, just at the exact moment God had chosen to fulfill all the prophecies of His first coming. He will come again and “will not tarry” — just at God’s appointed time the Son of Righteousness will appear with healing in His wings (Mal. 4:2) God has also appointed times of refreshing for His people. The day of Pentecost came when God had decreed it should, and likewise revival will come in God’s time and in God’s way. The Great Awakening came at just the right time. Reliable reports are that in the 20th century Korea, Romania, Russia, Indonesia, and the Scottish Hebrides were places that experienced a measure of revival. Will God do it in Century 21? It is all in God’s time. You can’t work it up or even pray it down. But, prayer is the place to begin to be ready for revival. God controls the time. He has decreed that one day time shall be no more. As for now, we must “redeem the time for the days are evil” (Eph 5:14). “In the midst of the years make known!” Revival is God being really known, not just the abstract truth about Him. Systematic theology has its place, but theology cannot replace God! True theology is the study of God. We must see the veil lifted and really study God, not just about Him. Oh, to really know Him, and the power of His resurrection! Revival is a shaking of the dry bones. The dry bones were once alive, so we can apply it to today’s dead church. When the dry bones live, we can see the church again reap a harvest. True soul-winning can only be done in the power of the Holy Ghost. Why Is There No Revival? As the thundering preacher from Wales, John Elias, pointed out: “We don’t have revival because “The Church does not feel the need for revival as it should.”10 Elias, in one of his famous letters, makes it clear that the reason the word of God has so little effect in our lives is that we do not consider it is the Word of God. We can have revival in any age. There is nothing in Scripture to forbid it. We must, however, apply the word of God to ourselves, We must pray expecting great things from God. We can casually say we want revival without being also willing to pay the price. Can we really cry with Habakkuk, “Revive thy Work in the midst of the years.”? May this be our heart’s cry! Amen! Notes D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, From Fear to Faith (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1953), p. 29. Ibid, p. 29, 30. Ibid, p. 30. Ibid, p. 31, emphasis mine. (All headings, ‘a’ through ‘e’, also by Lloyd-Jones.) Edward Marbury, Commentary on Habakkuk (Minneapolis: Klock and Klock, 1979 reprint. Originally written 1650) p. 506. Ibid, p. 506. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, op. cit., p. 57. Duncan Campbell, God’s Answer (Belfast: The Faith Mission, 1960), pp. 88, 89. Hymn quoted, “In Evil Long I Took Delight”, John Newton. Jonathan Edwards, The Narratives (Asheville: Revival Literature, 1957 abridged edition, James Stewart, Editor) p. 55. John Elias: Life and Letters (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1980) By Charles Woodruff Email: oursong2000@yahoo.com Originally published August, 1989 Edited by http://www.the-highway.com/ for Word of Truth, June 20, 2006. Click link for more articles on various subjects.