A MIRACLE IN GAZA- CHARLES WOODRUFF

The following is a message I wrote almost two years ago in October 2006.We haven't put it on Cyberwordoftruth until now, mostly because it is longer than average. But, I think if you are interested in the Bible you can read it, even in two or three sessions. Please try it out, I think you will find it interesting. It concerns the story of the evangelist Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, and is a subject I have preached on a number of times. The Bible is clear that God is no respecter of persons. He has saved millions over the centuries of all races and nationalities. As it says in Revelation 5:9 "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation". Here is the article:
A MIRACLE IN GAZA

Surely you have heard of Gaza. It has been much in the news these days. It is SW of Israel,(between Israel and Egypt). The Palestinians live there now, controlled by Hamas, a political terrorist group. According to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Gaza, the city, in what was formerly called the Gaza strip, was settled as one of the oldest cities in the world and was later the capital of the Philistines.(1) Philistines became known much later as Palestinians. Then to the North of Israel is Lebanon, which is being used in our present day by another terrorist group, Hezbollah, as a staging area to attack Israel. Every one of these names is the same as New Testament times (except the terror groups), but the divisions of the territory are not exactly the same today.

Something happened in Gaza in the first century that was a miracle. Something worth our remembering today. I want to divide this story into three sections, but first, as introduction, I must tell you about a deacon. Deacons don’t get much recognition today. There are a lot of jokes made about them. Most, in the strongest Bible believing churches anyway, just quietly do their job with humility before the Lord. This is exactly what they are set apart to do. A deacon is strictly a New Testament office. In Greek it is diakonos= servant..(2) They are servants of the church. The origin of deacons is found in Acts 6:1-8. The job of caring for widows, and possibly other daily tasks was being neglected. So the twelve apostles said to the multitude of other disciples, who were now part of the fast growing church, “It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men, of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:2,3).

Of these seven, it is likely that only two, possibly three, are known by the average Christian. We know Stephen, who was to become the first martyr in the New Testament Church, (considering John the Baptist as the last Old Testament martyr). Martyr is from the Greek martus, which means witness..(3) Stephen and John the Baptist witnessed---with their lives! We have heard of Nicolas of Antioch, of whom we know more legend than truth.

Then, I want us to look at Philip, of whom scripture tells us much. Like Stephen, Philip did not just wait tables and take care of other church business, he went to preaching Christ! While Saul, the persecutor, was making havoc of the church, and helped scatter them abroad (which only served to grow the church that much more), “Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them” (Acts 8:5). Great miracles were done, including the matter with Simon the sorcerer. Some of the apostles came down from Jerusalem. They also were there preaching and seeing mighty works done in the name of Jesus Christ.

In the midst of all these glorious events, just after Peter, John, and perhaps other disciples, returned to Jerusalem, Mssrs. John Gill, Matthew Henry, J.A. Alexander, M. Baumgarten, and James Grey all agree Philip was still in Samaria when God had an angel direct him to immediately change locations. “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert” (Acts 8:26). He was going to see:

A Man

“ And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot” (Acts 8: 27-29).

First it was an angel that changed the direction of Philip’s itinerary, and later he was prompted by the Holy Spirit. The man he was being led to see was a Cushite, a black man. He was a man of great authority in his native land, a land that still exists today, though for a time it was called Abyssinia instead of Ethiopia. He had charge of all the treasure of the queen called Candace ( a title, like Caesar or Pharaoh). The fact that he came to Jerusalem to worship indicates he was a proselyte Jew.

The meaning of the word “eunuch” usually means the male has been castrated..(4) Often in the east eunuchs were placed over the harems of the sheiks, and their emasculation prevented any troublesome problems with the women. Assuming this man was in that neutered category, he would have been forbidden to enter the temple under the Mosaic law. So he could be a"gate proselyte” which allowed him to worship at the temple gate, but not in the temple.(5) Since the things done concerning Christ “were not done in a corner”, he was possibly trying to connect things he had heard in Jerusalem about Jesus’ crucifixion with the scriptures. While John Gill favors the view he was reading Hebrew, Matthew Henry holds that he was likely reading the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament), which was common in the world, even in Israel. He says this because of some phrases that Luke, the writer of Acts, uses that are minor variations from the original Hebrew.

Whatever language he was reading as he was returning to his home from Jerusalem, he was intent on understanding it as he was sitting in his chariot reading the “Gospel of Isaiah.” You heard me right, for as Leonard Ravenhill points out, there is perhaps as much of Christ in Isaiah as any Old Testament book.(6) It was certainly in God’s purpose that he be reading that particular book.

Then we are told that the Spirit of God spoke to Philip, and told him to go near, and join him in his chariot. We are not told how the Holy Ghost spoke to Philip. Audibly? By a vision? An inner prompting?. Remember, we do know that Philip was one of “seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.” So such a man knew when God was talking to him just as he knew the angel had led him some 60 miles to the Gaza desert in the first place.

Since he was on a mission from God, he ran up to the Ethiopian’s chariot and without any introduction, asked an urgent question. Note: often ministers of God have long introductions in their messages before they arrive at the urgent questions. Not Philip. He said as he heard the eunuch read the prophet Isaiah “Understandest thou what thou readest?” (Acts 8:30) This question is urgent and vital. Undoubtedly Phillip knew, even though Paul was later to pen the words (perhaps the clearest words on this subject), “But the natural man receiveth not the things of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (First Corinthians 2:14).

SOME MAN

The answer of the eunuch “How can I except some man guide me?” (Acts 8:31-a), shows us, he, though a proselyte Jew, had no real understanding of the scripture he was reading. Religion is not enough to illuminate God’s word. Many people have a Bible in their home, and they might even read it, but without God giving them “ears to hear,” and “eyes to see,” and a thirst for the water of life, they will die and go to hell. “And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:31-b). Even this is remarkable. Here is a wealthy man, a man of great authority, in a desert area of a country not his own, and without hesitation, with hope that "some man", this man, a complete stranger, could help him understand, invites him to sit with him. Philip does so right away, for this is why he came on this evangelistic journey. Philip would be remembered after Samaria and Gaza throughout the centuries in the Christian church, not as Philip the Deacon, but as Philip the Evangelist.

“The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth” Acts 8:32,33). You can see with the spiritual eye why Isaiah is called “Gospel,for this quotation from Isaiah 53:7,8 tells us much of what was to happen in the four gospels about 712 years before it happened! But I get ahead of myself a little.

I don’t have too much more to labor on the point of this “some man”, except to say: to deny that God uses human instrumentality to save sinners is insane. You see it again and again in the word of God. He not only uses humans, but when it pleases Him, He uses angels (as here in Acts). The Holy Ghost is always involved in the salvation of sinners. He does the setting apart (sanctifying), the drawing as the apostle proclaims “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you and peace be multiplied” (First Peter 1:2). This “some man” sent to guide the eunuch, though he was a deacon, and an evangelist, could do nothing to actually save this man. He was God’s “errand boy", a messenger of God, as the angel was to him. Yet he played a vital, God ordained, role in this miracle at Gaza.

SOME OTHER MAN

"And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man?” (Acts 8:34). You see, the eunuch (whose name we never really know from scripture, though there has been much conjecture), was uncertain if Isaiah was speaking of some of his own suffering (which doubtless he had heard of), or of someone else. So we are told: “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). Charles Spurgeon in “Commenting and Commentaries” tells us of Dr. Hawker in his “Poor Man’s Commentary" ,who found Jesus in practically every Psalm, in places where most could not see Him. (7) Well, I believe any preacher, perhaps any man, who has been a Christian for any time at all could read Isaiah 53:7,8 and preach a little about Jesus. Of course, the Jews, largely in blindness until this day, stumble over that stumbling stone; but it is clear to the regenerated person that this passage is talking about Christ. It can be none other!

So as Philip began to preach unto him Jesus as that “some other man” , this great miracle of grace is beginning to fully unfold. “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).A person’s eyes must be opened that they see- not doctrines about Him, but Him! Not Him as the babe in the manger, but as the suffering savior who died on the cruel cross, and rose again the third day! As already stated, I believe in election, predestination, God’s decrees, justification, sanctification, preservation and all these grand old doctrines, as much as anybody alive. But, just knowing these truths will not save anyone! I don’t even care if you say you are elect! Have you ever been to the foot of the cross to close savingly with Christ? Have you ever trusted, and do you now trust in Him alone for salvation. I believe many will be deceived, even knowing good doctrine, even claiming to be full of the Holy Ghost, because they never looked in repentance, and faith to the suffering Lamb of God. That is where our salvation lies, not in the things we believe about Him, but Him alone! Glory to His Holy Name!

After Philip preached unto him Jesus as the one who was led as a sheep to slaughter, as a dumb lamb before His shearers, as one who silently suffered all the humiliation, and whose life was taken away for His sheep, they came upon water and the eunuch said:“See, here is water: what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). Most of the modern Bible revisers throw out verse 37, but it is in the received (or majority), text so I have no trouble declaring it. It was confirmed by Philip that baptism is for believers. He said “believe with all your heart”. Too many in our day go under the water a dry sinner, and come up from the water a wet sinner, but a sinner still! Baptism is for believers. I know our paedobaptist friends think if you are sprinkled as an infant, you are in the covenant, and will manifest true salvation later in life. That doctrine just doesn’t “hold water”. Sorry about the pun, but Greek baptizo means “to dip, to immerse."(8) Even John Calvin admits this was the original way in the early church. “Here we see the rite used among the men of old time in baptism; for they put all the body into the water.”(9)

The answer of the eunuch was the answer of every born again person: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So, satisfied with that confession, he and Philip go down into the water and Philip baptized him. I say all this was a miracle. A miracle in the sense that every conversion of a sinner is a miracle. You ask “is it hard for a sinner to be saved?” No friend, it’s not hard, it’s impossible! You see “There is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:11-b).

All men are by nature sinners, totally depraved. Totally unable to move savingly toward God. They are dead.(See Ephesians 2:1). It takes a miracle of God, the same kind of miracle that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, to save a poor, lost, (often religious),depraved sinner and place him in Christ for eternity. Yes this was a miracle in the Gaza desert. God in His grace bringing the preaching deacon to the black guardian of his Queen’s treasure to explain to him the treasure of eternal life as it is in Jesus.

Just as Cornelius was the first European convert, and Lydia the first Asiatic convert, the eunuch was the first African convert mentioned in the Bible. As Philip and the African come out of the water, the Holy Spirit catches Philip away, and the eunuch sees him no more. But with the life of God now manifest in himself, he goes his way rejoicing. Philip continues his preaching and winds up at Caesarea, where he raises his family. The eunuch, history seems to support, started church assemblies in his native land.

God still saves sinners the same way. Circumstances may vary. All are not as the Ethiopian (already religious), or as Saul (a very zealous Pharisee), or as the thief on the cross (a wicked irreligious person until he met Jesus), or as the woman at the well ( a sinner with loose morals as many today). All are different. But all these had one thing in common; they met the living Christ, where they were, and were forever changed. What about you, dear reader? Do you know Christ?

NOTES

(1) Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger, Moody Press, Chicago, 1969 edition, page 392, article on Gaza.

(2) Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, MacDonald edition., Approx 1970. Under heading “Deacon”.

(3) ibid, under “Witness”.

(4) ibid, under “Eunuch”.

(5) Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Fleming Revell, Old Tappan, NJ, no date. My edition around 1968, comments on Acts 8:27.

(6) From an unforgettable sermon I personally recorded, preached in Greensboro, NC in 1974 on Isaiah 6:3 titled “Lo, Woe, Go”. For Ravenhill mp3’s to download free go to: http://www.ravenhill.org/ Be sure you are ready to have some of your pet doctrines challenged somewhat!

(7) Commenting and Commentaries by C H. Spurgeon, Banner of Truth edition, London, 1969, page 13. Original published in 1876 by Passmore and Alabaster, London. To read the paragraph on Hawker online (or the entire delightful book), click link: http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/c&cl1.htm#hawker

(8) Vines, op. cit., under “Baptize”.

(9) Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, John Calvin; Associated Publishers and Authors edition, 1970, page 1076, on Acts 8:38. Originally written in Latin, 1552, Translated into English by Christopher Featherstone, 1585, edited by Henry Beveridge, 1845.

INTERESTING MORSELS

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF

I thought I would share with you material I published in my regular email newsletter Morsels from Charles . This one was sent out about two years ago. Unless you are on my email or postal mailing list, you wouldn't have seen it. If you would like to receive the mailings, send me your email or postal address.

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

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

SPEAKING OF 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.

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

BOOK PURCHASING
I know I am often looking at the writings of theologians of long ago, but I think it is so necessary in this day of apostasy. If you go into the average Christian bookstore, you will find so few of the classic books of yesteryear. You do find a few I know, among so much lightweight, shallow reading. The most popular books in these stores are novels. Then there are the endless trinkets. I ask the clerks sometime “Why don’t you carry Pink’s books, Spurgeon’s books, J.C. Ryle’s books, Lloyd-Jones’ books, or even R.C. Sproul’s books?” The usual answer, “We can order them, but most people don’t buy them.” That is sad, because if you are going to read anything beside your Bible, it ought to be, at least some of these classic, gifted writers.

Whatever you read, we owe a great debt to Johann Gutenberg (1400-1468). He is credited with inventing movable type, and a printing press that made mass printing easier. His first project was printing a Latin Bible. He saw the significance of unlocking the Bible’s treasures for the common man. He said “Religious truth is captive in a small number of little manuscripts which guard the common treasures, instead of expanding them. Let us break the seal which binds these holy things; let us give wings to truth that it may fly with the Word, no longer prepared at vast expense, but multitudes everlastingly by a machine which never wearies, to every soul which enters life.” More on this fascinating man and his work at the British Library’s site: http://www.bl.uk/treasures/gutenberg/homepage.html

A NEW START

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF

There is much talk about "change" in this election year of 2008. Some are saying "we are getting a new start" because George Bush will retire as president, and we will either have Obama or McCain. I have been alive long enough to know that change does happen. I have seen much change in my own lifetime. Yet, as a Christian, I see that, sadly, much of the change has not been good. As far as new starts, I have seen a few of these too. This article is sort of a new start. I have not placed a new article here in over three weeks. So today I am starting over.

Actually, in our lives we start over every day. For many of us, today will be no different from tomorrow.That is also sad, because there is not much worse in life than "getting in a rut". This is especially true if you are in the "rut" of sin. One of the worst things about sin is that you are born in it, and you cannot change that. We are told in Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God". Every human being is a sinner. You may not want to admit it, but you know it is true.One proof -- have you ever broken one of the ten commandments? Maybe you don't know what they are. They are found in Exodus chapter 20. One of them is "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain" (Exodus 20:7. Broken that one? or what about this one "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Broken that one? Okay, there are eight more. You have broken at least one, likely more than once. What does the Bible say about this? "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law" (James 2:10,11).
So, based on this, wouldn't you agree that you are a sinner?

Perhaps you have even tried to change from being a sinner. You have tried to make that new start, but have been unable to do so. You are not alone. Millions are there with you. You can't change yourself from a sinner to a saint. You do not have this power. By now the average person has turned me off, maybe saying "he just wants to give us this Bible stuff, but I don't want to hear it, it is just "kid stuff". You may even say the Bible is not true. I will give you one example to prove its truthfulness. It is a truth that man would "change" immediately if it were possible to do so. Hebrews 9:27 says "And as it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment." You cannot deny the first part of this verse and be considered rational. Everyone knows that we all die -- it is just a question of when. Now, you know that the first part is true, so why not the second part "after this the judgment." People do not want to believe that, yet the one who told us why men have to die (because of sin), as Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The same Bible that tells why we die tells us that God may give us eternal life. Many have testified over the centuries that indeed God has given them this eternal life.

You cannot buy this life. You cannot just pick it up on your own. You cannot just change, or make a new start and acquire this life by your own efforts. You cannot earn it, or make a deal to get it. Yet it is obtainable. I can't give it to you! No preacher, or priest, or pope, or rabbi, or guru can give it to you! There is only one that can give it to you. "The gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ". It is a gift to those whom He chooses, yes, those whom He has chosen "from the foundation of the world". (See Ephesians 1:4). You ask how you may know that you are one of these. If you are interested in this change, this salvation, it may be that God has put the desire in your heart. There is nothing I can find in the Bible about a sinner who wants to be saved whom God will not save. If He has moved in your inner being (your heart), to draw you, and made you willing to confess and forsake your sins, even those sins you love dearly, I can tell you "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9) . There is the answer for your new start in life, right from God's word. My friend, it still works in the 21st century. Christ died to pay the price nearly 2000 years ago,and even in our time when many scoff at God, He still saves to the uttermost those who come to Him. If He has convicted your heart, why not ask Him to save you -- yes YOU! He can and will do it!

If you still have questions, and are interested, read the entire book of Romans--slowly. It is only 16 chapters. I have read it many times, and it is the heart of gospel truth. It can change your mind and heart about God. If you still want to ask questions you may ask short ones here, or please email me with longer ones at graceman@minister.com, and I will assist you if I can. God bless you. (CW)

A CALL FOR REFORMATION

BY W.F. BELL

There is a heart hunger in the true people of God in our day for a new and thorough reformation of the church. We firmly believe that many Christians and preachers of various denominations and churches are earnestly beseeching Almighty God to send a vital, spiritual awakening within the present generation. We thank our Lord that we have personal acquaintance with several preachers and brethren who are sincerely and regularly meeting for prayer to pray for this very Reformation!
There are many reasons why we need this new Reformation and Revival. The following are listed as a few of the major ones, which we ask you to consider carefully:

1. The widespread coldness and indifference in most churches. No one with any spiritual comprehension about them at all is going to deny this. The average church service in our day (anywhere in the world) is as dry, formal, and unspiritual as a May Day parade in a Communist country. The churches we have attended through the years have largely convinced us that the chief elements in the lives of religious people are "pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness" (Ezekiel 16:49). How stuck-up is the average church-goer: no friendliness, and no vital holiness, but plenty of worldliness; no real attentiveness to the preaching of the Word (if indeed the Word is even preached). What pretence and sham is in the average church. We can't wait until the last "Amen" to get to our dinners, view a ballgame, or do some other frivolous and idle thing. For those who think this too strong, this just proves what we are saying! We need and must have a change - a Reformation.

2. The unscriptural and God-dishonoring preaching of most preachers. It seems as if the modem preacher does not even know what he believes, listening to his sermons. Someone has said, "If you hear a man preach several times, and still do not know what he believes, either you did not listen carefully or the minister doesn't know himself what he believes." Is not this the sad case in multitudes of churches across our world? The churches are fed constantly on a diet of man, man, and more man. But, what of God? Who declares that God Almighty is Who He says He is: "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy" (Isaiah 57:15)? Where are the declarations thundering forth from modern pulpits that God is absolutely Sovereign: "All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" (Dan. 4:35). This is indeed a strange and unknown God to most modern religious people.

3. The denial of Christ's Lordship. Well did that great prophet of the Lord put it more than twenty years ago: "We modern evangelicals need to learn the truths of the sovereignty of God and the Lordship of Christ. God will not play along with Adam; Christ will not be used by any of Adam's selfish brood. We had better learn these things fast if this generation of young Christians is to be spared the supreme tragedy of following a Christ who is merely a Christ of convenience and not the true Lord of glory after all" (A.W. Tozer). Have not the prophet's words come true? With great sorrow we say that the "Christ" of modern religion is not the Sovereign Christ of Scripture! The Lord Jesus Christ is not a beggar, but a King. Christ is not trying to save men, but actually saving "His people" (Matt. 1:21). To preach a defeated Saviour is to preach no Saviour at all. The Bible declares Christ to be King, Lord, and Prince (Luke 23:2; Acts 2:36; Acts 5:3 1). James A. Stewart hits the nail on the head, "So great has been the perversion (of the Gospel) that many congregations are astounded when they hear the true Gospel of the Lordship of Christ. They believe that we are preaching a new Gospel."

4. The appalling disrespect for God's name, His church, His word, and His people. This is heartbreaking, to say the least. Where once many were restrained in their language of filth and cursing, now the world curses God publicly. National television spews forth blasphemy daily. Radio stations across the world belch out hard rock around the clock, with its cynicism and mockery of God. We even hear many preachers (yes, the devil's ministers) telling off-color jokes and "tickling the ears" of people with the world's smut (which makes these preachers ever so popular with the worldlings). Pornographic literature is rolling off the presses in incredible numbers. Oh, it is time to sound an alarm! "Set the trumpet to thy mouth" (Hosea 8:1). "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand" (Joel 2:1).

Let us cry to God! Let us weep! Let us confess and truly repent of our transgressions and sins! If we have no burden to do so, this is all the more cause to weep. May God grant that we can pray in our day as the early church did: "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word, By stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Thy holy child Jesus." And if God does indeed deign to send us a Reformation, this will undoubtedly be one of the results: "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:29-31).

"It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they (the wicked) have made void thy law" (Psalm 119:126)."

MOSES MEETS GOD

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF

Moses was keeping the flock for Jethro, his father-in-law, and as he approached Horeb, called the mountain of God, the angel of God appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush. “and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt” (Exodus 3:2,3).
There was both curiosity and fear in Moses as he saw the burning bush. More fear came when a voice revealed just who it really was there in the burning bush. “Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God” (Exodus 3:6). Fear of God is necessary, and normal. A sign of the decadence of our society is -- “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18). It was a mark of identification for God to reveal Himself this way. He was to be feared and respected as the God of Moses' ancestors. This was progressive revelation. He had revealed Himself to Abraham as Elohim, the true God who should be feared and obeyed, and as El Shaddai (Almighty God). Then upon the test of offering Isaac, Abraham, as well as Isaac understood God to be Jehovah Jireh (The Provider, or Jehovah Will Provide). “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen” (Genesis 22:14).

A GOD WHO SPEAKS

God spoke to Isaac several times in his life and was almost always called Jehovah (perhaps because Moses, the human writer of Genesis, was given the fuller revelation of Jehovah). (1) Then we have Jacob (later called Israel). God also met with him in a special way: “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:12-17). Jacob had the encounter with God at Bethel (House of God) and went on to be a prince of God named Israel. He had 12 sons. One of his sons was Levi. This became the line of the priesthood. Moses and Aaron came from that line. Remember Aaron became the high priest, while Moses became a prophet of God, and also the civil authority. At the bush God meets with Moses and reminds him of His history with these patriarchs.

A GOD WHO LEADS.

The experience at the burning bush was preparing Moses for later miracles when God would reveal Himself as the all sufficient I AM. Moses had no doubt been told that Horeb (Sinai) was the mount of God and that it was a place of awe. (2) God used this to rouse up Moses’ curiosity leading him to investigate Mount Horeb. But even more awesome was to see that bush-- that burned and yet was not consumed! Then God reminded Moses that the place was holy ground; holy only because God Himself was there. “And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, here am I. And he said, draw not nigh hither: put of thy shoes from of thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground”(Exodus 3:4-5). We go on to see that God had a task for Moses. God was going to use him to deliver His people. God uses men. He doesn't have to. He made the universe. He controls all things. He is before all things. He will be here after all things are gone. He is working out all things according to His purpose. Part of that purpose involves man. Here He was getting ready to use a man. Through the ages He has used many men (and women too at times), to work out His plan. God even became a man to finish the greatest part of His plan of redemption.

A GOD WHO CHOOSES WHO HE WILL USE

Moses was perhaps the greatest man in the Bible, with the exception of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Pretty remarkable when you consider that if God had not providentially rescued him from the bulrushes by the Nile River, he would not have survived. How God rescued him was more remarkable. Pharaoh’s daughter had mercy on him and took him and hid him and raised him as her own. It is even more remarkable that Moses’ sister (Miriam is the only sister of Moses ever mentioned – it was most likely her), was at the river when Pharaoh’s daughter saved the baby Moses (see Exodus 2:4,7).It is remarkable also, that she had the sister choose a Hebrew woman to nurse him, and it was Moses own mother, Jocebed. Remarkable too that Pharaoh’s daughter even paid her wages to care for “her” child. Remarkable that Moses obtained position and received the best education possible in the land of Egypt. Later it was remarkable that “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11: 24, 25). It is remarkable that he sided with the slaves rather than be their taskmaster. Remarkable today that three religions revere him as a prophet. “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:1-2).Those words were written by Moses as the psalmist, many years after this first encounter. It is said that Moses spent 40 years in Egypt learning all of man's wisdom available at that time, 40 years on the backside of the desert unlearning all this worldly wisdom, and then 40 years with God learning divine wisdom. Then Moses was ready to be one of the psalmists, as well as a prophet and leader. More later-- D.V.

Notes
(1) The King James Version usually renders Jehovah as LORD, but transliterates Jehovah seven times. Later translations, starting with ASV, using Jehovah almost exclusively, then to later versions going back to LORD (e.g. ESV), and some simply Lord (e.g. AMP). It’s obvious that scholars are divided on what to call Him. Yahweh is accepted, even preferred by many. Of course the ancient Jews wouldn’t pronounce the sacred name. In Hebrew there are no vowels, so it comes out like YHWH or JHVH. It is said the scribes would use a pen to write it once, and then discard it. The point being that this God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that I AM was sending Moses. He said His name was I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14). That is good enough for me!

(2) These mountains are called Horeb, and sometimes Sinai. Some think that Horeb is the name of the whole range, and Sinai is the name of a particular mountain; others, that Sinai is the range, and Horeb is the particular mountain; while Stanley suggests that the distinction is one of usage, and that both names are applied to the same place. (Smith’s Bible Dictionary)

FALSE ADVERTISEMENTS

BY W.F. BELL

To publicly announce something is to recommend the product or service, and this should be done with an understanding of integrity and truthfulness. But we all know that businesses often play "sleight of hand" with their advertisements, tricking the public into buying things they otherwise would not. One common advertisement says, "Free Delivery" when you purchase appliances. But, such is not the case. You pay the delivery price when you purchase the appliances, then send in for a "rebate" on the delivery price. If it was honest advertisement, the advertisement would read "Delivery Price Rebated," but that is not as alluring as "Free Delivery." All of us have been "caught" in this business scheme at times. Especially the big stores love to trick and trap customers, all in the name of competition. And business should always be spelled "G-R-E-E-D."

Now let's transfer this to church-related matters. We have so departed from "the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians. 11:3) and His gospel, that the term "mega church" is a commonly-accepted word today. "Mega" means "B-I-G" (like "big business"), and this modern "church" is running things like the business world. It advertises falsely, and presents a false message that deceives the masses. Paul even says in the passage quoted, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." And is not this exactly what has happened to the modern church (even many not denominated "mega")? We talk about everything and everybody but the Lord Jesus Christ. We magnify ourselves, our singers, our preachers, our buildings, our programs, our crowds, and our accomplishments. In other words, we are guilty of false advertisement. Let's look at a few.

(1) "BEST SELLER FOR 2000 YEARS." This ad is on a large roadside billboard in a town in North Georgia (beautifully done in several colors, with a large open Bible also printed). Then there is the name of the large, local church where it is said "Bible Studies Are Now Forming." In other words, this church wants us to believe that the Bible is a "best seller" book, and has been for 2000 years. But, this is false. In the first place, the Bible canon as we know it today was not even completed until around 350 AD, then was not available in book form for mass selling! But this church wants to capitalize on people's ignorance by "selling" itself with false advertisement. Further, even if the Bible is a "best seller," that does not mean those who purchase these Bibles either read them or understand them. Or for that matter, that this church is actually teaching the Bible in all its naked, pure truth. (This is not being judgmental of this particular church, but of the advertisement in general.) We do not have to encourage people to study the Bible by saying it is a best seller. So are a lot of romance and mystery novels.

(2) "BIBLE BELIEVING." This is easy to say, hard to practice. We almost laugh when we see this on numerous church signs. No one ever says, "Here, we DO NOT believe the Bible." That would be too blatant. We had rather craftily say that we do believe it. But, again, is not this false advertising? Does a church have to say that it believes the Bible? Come on. True church = Bible believing! Don't we prove this by what we teach and how we live? Ever seen any restaurant advertise that they had "Bad Food Here"? They may indeed have such, but they always advertise, "Good Food Here." The truthfulness of the statement is only in the eating! So it is with a church. Labels and names mean absolutely nothing. The proof is in the teaching, experience, and practice of the Christian people themselves, not in any thing they advertise. See I John 2:3-6 for "proofs" of true Christian love and character.

(3) "NOT YOUR GRANDMA'S CHURCH (BUT WE THINK SHE'D LIKE IT TOO!)." Can you believe this? Maybe not, but the ad is full-page in a local area magazine, with (of course) church name, location, web site address. Hooray, there is finally a local church our grandma would approve of! What foolishness this is. Not the old-fashioned assembly, where there was just preaching, praying, singing, shouting. None of that. Let's get modern, sister. Wear your beach clothes and sandals, meet early so you can get to the afternoon ball game, swing with us to the tunes of Christian rock, and don't worry about being told you're sinners, etc. Have we come to this, brethren? Indeed, we have. Where is the true fear of the great Jehovah? Where are the weepers and mourners? Where are the proclaimers of Christ and Him crucified? Who dares to be a Daniel? Anyone out there who really cares?

"SIMPLICITY IN CHRIST." That's not advertised. Sounds too corny. Who cares for purity, honesty, simplicity? Only God's humble, elect people, but they don't advertise their humility. That would be nothing but religious pride. And we already have plenty of that.

TRUE AND FALSE FAITH

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF
(Note: although this article was written one year ago, it is still relevant today, so I publish it again with some minor changes).

Last month I watched a two hour ABC 20/20 news program on religious faith. As it turned out, that is mostly what it dealt with: religion. There is a great difference between religion in general, and true Bible faith; between religion and salvation; between Christendom and Christianity. It is the difference between Christ and Satan! It reminded me of an article I wrote in 1984 titled Millions Drugged On Religion. I have considered reprinting it, but much of the information in it is obsolete because of changes in the Soviet Union, and the Eastern European communist bloc. Yet today, as it was then, most of the world is religious.

The 20/20 segments revolved around various kinds of faith that people professed. There was a segment about a Hindu woman in India called Amma, who has become famous worldwide through a “ministry” of giving people a hug. Thousands at a time come to see her. She speaks a message, mostly her Hindu concepts of love, though she claims to be “of no particular religion”. Her main focus is hugging people. She gives a big motherly hug to each stranger that comes forward in a line to receive one. It is said to give emotional healing to those who come. I can see how it would, especially for someone who felt they were unloved, as many do in our day.

Another segment dealt with a completely paralyzed girl named Audrey Santo, who gives off some kind of healing aura to those who come to see her. Religious portraits and statues are said to “weep” oil. Several examples of oily icons were given. Her mother, who selflessly cared for her night and day, was seen as the biggest promoter of her daughter’s healing power. The daughter later died.

There was a segment with the “Rev” Peter Popoff, a religious charlatan that I knew about over 30 years ago. At that time this fraud was going around in his “healing meetings” and claiming to be the son of Haralan Popov, a Bulgarian pastor who was imprisoned for over 13 years for preaching the gospel. I worked with Brother Haralan at Door Of Hope ministries at that time. One of our representatives heard Peter Popoff make the claim that Haralan was his father in a public meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. Peter Popoff was exposed as a liar shortly thereafter when it was learned that his father was really George Popoff , another Bulgarian, and no relation to Haralan Popov (both spellings are used for this common Slavic name). For instance, there is a famous Russian clown named Oleg Popov. He is now 77 years old. As the ABC piece says, about that same time Peter Popoff was exposed as a religious fraud using the scam of being prompted beforehand about people he “prophesied” about, and allegedly healed. Now, in 2007, he is back, and his latest scam is selling “magical” waters purported to heal. As of January 2008, Peter Popoff has dropped the "Miracle Spring Water" and now is promoting his new "Miracle Manna Bread".

There were nuns and monks presented in cloisters, and they made their declarations that their faith was “fortified” by the disciplines of cloister hood. There was a priest in Connecticut reportedly casting out demons. They also presented those who had faith in “their own good thoughts” as promoting healing, business success, supposed spiritual growth, etc..

There was recently a man on Regis and Kelly who said his life was changed by faith in his “inner self”. He essentially said that he was his own “god”. Oprah Winfrey has been promoting a book, The Secret, which also supports some new concepts of faith. She recently has conducted internet seminars with Eckhart Tolle, a new age guru, and writer of A New Earth. Basically they are saying faith in anything is okay. Whatever "floats your boat". It is roughly the same old concept taught by earlier New Age teachers. Add in some “name it and claim it", and give it a new twist called “laws of attraction", and what do you get? A best seller book!

Now it’s June, and the presidential election is only five months away. Remember, the politicians running for president started earlier than ever this year. In earlier interviews, several of them were falling all over themselves to express how much “faith” they have. Yet some of them who talked about “their faith” believe it is alright to kill babies in the womb!

ALL DO NOT HAVE GENUINE FAITH

What are we to think about all these presentations of “faith” in light of the Bible? Are these genuine manifestations of the true faith? Do we have definite guidelines to help us discern the true and the false? We certainly do, and what we saw on these programs, for the most part, was not Bible faith. I will endeavor to show from the Bible what faith really is.

Many who have no real understanding think that all persons have faith, yet scripture says: “And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith”( 2 Thessalonians 3:2). This verse shows that not everyone has true Bible faith. There are unreasonable men (and women), who do not have it. There are wicked persons who do not have it. They can’t reach into their “inner self” and find it -- they just “have not faith”.

I might add that everyone does have faith in something if you define the word as trust, or belief. You may trust yourself, based on your ability, to drive a car. You may believe that the airplane you ride on will land at its destination safely, based on your understanding of the aircraft, the pilot’s training, past statistics, etc.. But this is a natural faith. What we are defining is a supernatural faith.

GENUINE FAITH IS A GIFT OF GOD

True faith is a gift. “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). You can see by these verses that salvation is a gift of God, because both the grace and the faith that bring it are God’s gift. Again, it is “not of yourselves” as all persons do not have faith, nor do all have grace, it is the gift to God’s elect. “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God‘s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.” (Titus 1:1). Do you not see that this is a special kind of faith? It brings to the acknowledging of the truth and brings one to seek godliness.

GENUINE FAITH HAS THE PERSON OF CHRIST AS ITS OBJECT

What is truth, as Pontius Pilate asked? We should say Who is truth? Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6). True faith has an object and that object is Jesus Christ. As the Son of God , He is the only way to get to the Father. In the same context of John 14 Christ tells his disciple Philip: “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father: and how sayest thou then. Show us the Father?” (John 14:9). The same Jesus Christ that told him (and us), is the person who told the unbelieving Jews “Before Abraham was, I Am” ( John 8:58). He was identifying Himself as God: “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say unto me, What is His name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” ( Exodus 3:13,14). There can be no doubt about what He meant. Those Jews in John chapter eight surely knew, for they tried to stone Him! The object of true faith is Christ who reveals the Father to us. He is God, as the Father is God. The other Person of the Triune Godhead is also involved in this leading us to true faith. The Holy Spirit sets us apart to Christ: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2).

Remember the main texts in recent articles I published (available by scrolling down on this blog). First, in The Philippian Jailer: when the jailer cried to Paul and Silas “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30,31). Faith is a noun. Belief is a synonym of faith. Believe, or believing, are verbs. To believe is faith in action. Paul and Silas directed the jailer, who was convicted by the Holy Spirit, to believe on Jesus. Jesus Christ is the object of genuine faith.

Another example from A Miracle in Gaza. The evangelist Philip was asked the following question by the Ethiopian eunuch, after expounding Isaiah 53 to him, and preaching Christ to him: “See here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized ? And Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:36,37). Again we see the object of faith or belief is Jesus Christ.

GENUINE FAITH IS IN CHRIST AND IS THE ONLY TRUE FAITH

The Greek word, pistis, is many times translated faith in all English versions of the Bible, and is used not only as belief, but sometimes to represent the entire system of Gospel truth itself (Strong’s Greek Dictionary). Another example from an article I revised and reprinted , Looking Unto Jesus by Adolphe Monod. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
Then in the epistle of Jude it is written: “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude v. 3).

Establishing from God’s word that faith in Christ is the only true way of salvation, and the collective faith which He established called the church (the true Christian church that Jude, and all the New Testament teaches about), what about these who have these “acts of faith” that do not have Christ as their object? Jude even tells us about them, and where we are today, for he wrote concerning a future apostasy.
“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” Jude v.17-21). This is the kind of faith we must have -- a most holy faith. The faith once delivered unto the saints. Beloved friends, you better make sure you don’t fall for some false teaching -- some false gospel. Your very soul is at stake though you may feel secure. Make your calling and election sure. Make sure your faith is in Jesus Christ, and no other! “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). Paul warns us all “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another: but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).

Strong words. We better be careful what we hear and accept, and preachers, you had better be extremely careful what you preach, for preachers and teachers have the greatest responsibility of all! "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22).

THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING

BY CHARLES WOODRUFF

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe”
(I Corinthians 1:18-21).

God gave us some rain the last couple of days, for which we are thankful. I know of one church in Calhoun, GA that is meeting regularly to pray for rain. There are a number of others, some meeting several hours a day, but this one made the local TV news. More of us should be meeting to pray for rain, for we still need it desperately. Areas around Atlanta are 12 inches blow normal, and some places in Alabama are worse of than that. In my recent article titled Rain, I compared what was happening in the days of Elijah, and asked “How would you like to be without rain for Three years and six months?” Sobering isn’t it?

In California things are so bad that the fires and Santa Ana winds are spawning “fire tornadoes” in some areas. It is awesome. It sorta looks like what I imagine hell to be. Scary! Especially if you consider the origin of the name Santa Ana. Some folks claim that the name comes from the actual Santa Ana Mountains, while others believe that the name derives from the Santa Ana River. What I have long known may be the most plausible origin for these wicked winds. Many Indians and those of Spanish descent claim that the original form of the phrase is Santana winds, coming from the Spanish vientos de Sanatanas, which means “winds of Satan” (Sanatanas being a rarer form of Satanás). Besides their discomforting heat and dryness, the Santa Ana winds are strongly associated with high fire danger, particularly in the chaparral brush growing on the Southern California mountain slopes. For this reason they are often called devil winds or devil's breath. (Since I originally wrote this article, about one year ago, some of these things have changed. Now storms and "regular" tornadoes have hit not only Georgia and California, but Colorado, Wisconsin,Minnesota and other places where they usually do not hit. We have also had floods in various places recently).

During this time of drought here in the Southeast and the fires in Southern California, weather forecasters and reporters always have their little cute comments. I heard one today on ABC say “Things are improving, and we have to credit Mother Nature and the brave firefighters.” Now, the firefighters are brave, perhaps no one will deny that, just as they were brave on September 11, 2001, and as they, and our police officers, generally always are. Yet, this is a great example of a foolish statement by a man of this world, to ascribe to a non-existent, fictional personage Mother Nature that dominion which alone belongs to Jehovah God. He controls the weather. He controls the orbits of the planets, the positions of the stars in our galaxy and countless more galaxies. Actually He is in control of everything that exists.

You might reply “You can’t prove or see this God you speak of any more than we can prove Mother Nature” Wrong! Jehovah-Jesus is nature’s God, and He set up the laws of nature as the Declaration of Independence nicely states. He set nature into action and He controls it. There would be no nature if there were no God. Jehovah God has a revealed ancient history, and has often overruled the laws of nature which He set up originally. After all He is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9). He exists, as much of history proves. I am using His Hebrew name Jehovah by which He revealed Himself to Moses and the children of Israel so as to fully distinguish Him from the false gods of this world such as Buddha, Krishna, the Allah of Mohammedism, the Shinto gods, etc… He alone is the unique God, the Almighty God (El Shaddai), the Elohim, Adonai and Jehovah. Some scholars prefer Yahweh, and that is acceptable, for no one really knew how to pronounce Hebrew letters of the Tetragrammaton (which means the four Hebrew letters usually transliterated YHWH or JHVH that form a biblical proper name of God). Perhaps we don’t really know the pronunciation today! The King James Version translates as JEHOVAH five times including the one time it is shortened to JAH (Psalm 68:4).

Not only has both secular and Biblical history given proof to Him, but He has spoken in these last days through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1,2). Some believe because He walked this earth 2000 years ago that it is too far in the past, or simply mythology. My friend, 2000 years is nothing to Jehovah God “The high and lofty one which inhabiteth eternity whose name is Holy” (Isaiah 57:15). “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (II Peter 3:8). Competent historians do not deny Christ’s existence, they do not dare! Too many ancient sources prove He was here, and that He was crucified. Of course, they will deny His resurrection, but there are many infallible proofs of that. Yet here in I Corinthians, the Bible declares that preaching the cross would be foolish to men. It is like the days of Noah when all scoffed at this crazy man building an ark. It is as Peter said it would be so in the last days “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation (II Peter 3:3,4).

Just as in the days of Noah evil is more prevalent as men and women walk after their own lusts, and denying that God will ever judge the land, or themselves as individuals. For those with an eye on the spiritual, who can deny that America and much of the western world is under judgment right now. It’s not coming -- it’s already here!

In Jeremiah’s day Judah and Israel were under judgment. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, cried aloud to the people, but few heard him and he was persecuted. One of the prevalent signs that the land was under judgment was drought. Read and heed!
“The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: ‘Judah mourns, and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up. Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads. Because of the ground that is dismayed {parched}, since there is no rain on the land, the farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn because there is no grass”’
(Jeremiah 14:1-6, ESV).

Do you see the preaching of the old rugged cross as foolish, my friend? Our original text says it would be foolish “to them that perish”. All of us have to die someday, except for those who are alive at Christ’s return. All of us do not have to perish. You would think that anyone seeing the fire tornadoes would be reminded of hell, where the unregenerate will go. But how can they be reminded when most preachers and Bible teachers do not preach on hell. Most modern Christian books rarely, if ever, mention it. In most theological circles hell is passé. But hell is real -- Jesus said so. He preached far more about hell than He did heaven. Check it out for yourself.

I preach to you the cross as the only answer. I preach to you Christ crucified as the only answer. When He died on that cross He bore the sins of everyone who would come to Him in faith. “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Do you regard the message of a dying Savior as foolish? Then you are too wise for your own good. God said He will destroy the wisdom of the wise. He is not going to save everyone, yet many will hear His voice. “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts” Hebrews 4:7b). “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish-” ( John 10: 27,28).The Spirit of God must draw you (see John 6:44)). The goodness of God must lead you to repentance (see Romans 2:4). Don’t be wise in your own conceit. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Hear carefully, my friend. You cannot find God by your own wisdom. You cannot be righteous enough, good enough, do penance enough, be kind enough, be well liked enough, be old enough, be young enough, be pretty enough, be handsome enough, be intellectual enough, be ignorant enough, be rich enough, be poor enough; you can’t even be desperate enough -- without the conviction of the Holy Ghost. I don’t care how elect you think yourself to be, how much assurance you think you have, if you have seen a ball of fire, spoke in unknown tongues, were slain in the spirit, think you found Jesus in the mass, or through a religious movie, or at Christmas time because your heart was moved, or you prayed through, or whatever you have done to think you can merit heaven -- unless you bow at the foot of the Cross of Christ in repentance and receive what He has done in His finished work by His blood, you will not be saved! Isn’t this a foolish message? Be careful! Foolish to whom? To them that perish.

The remedy for salvation from sin is always the ransom paid at the cross. The remedy for the judgment of God is always repentance and faith. In Jeremiah’s day this was the cry:
“We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us. Are there any among the vanities {false gods} of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things”(Jeremiah 14:20-22).

Did you catch that? Only Jehovah can send rain, not false gods (idols). For the spiritual rain (revival), we need in the churches of our land we must cry unto Him from our hearts, and He will graciously visit, or else it may be all over for the USA. Repent and pray!

EXCELLENT SPEECH- W. F. BELL

"Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince" (Proverbs 17:7). "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient [becoming], but rather giving of thanks" (Ephesians 5:4).

How our everyday language has degenerated in our culture! Where there once was some degree of "reverence" for holy, sacred things, that seems to be relegated to the past. Besides common lying, listen to all our modern expletives, heard in all kinds of public venues, all the way to our private homes, where families engage in coarse, vulgar talk through the influence of television, movies, music, and radio. If you think you are exempt from this onslaught of evil speech, you better think again. A big dosage of foul language, sensuality, and semi-nudity is thrown at all of us on a daily basis. And the "Christian world" is so fast asleep and at ease, if anyone says anything about it, the cry is immediately made, "You're just being legalistic." "Being legalistic" often is a nice, cute little catch-phrase for hiding behind, "Leave us alone; what we say and think is nobody's business." Not even God's?

But what about "excellent speech" (Proverbs 17:7) and "pleasant words" (Proverbs 15:26; 16:24), which can only be spoken by "the pure," not the foolish? I realize this is not "speaking" politically correct to even think someone else might be "a fool" or have "foolish" ways, but if we believe Scripture is authoritative, forget about political correctness. "Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you perceive not in him the lips of knowledge," and "Fools make a mock at sin" (Proverbs 14:7,9). "Go from the presence of a foolish man"? Surely not, we say, that would be extreme. Read it again. The mockery and blasphemy being poured forth in our God-hating country today is unbelievable. From the new curse phrase, "O my God," to all the four-letter words that once were only used in back alleys and gutters, we hear our God and Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and all things sacred, ridiculed and denigrated daily (some even from religious people and preachers).

What about your speech, beloved? Now, let's just be honest here. Hasn't even the speech of Christians changed? We hear many Christian people using phrases like, "O my God," "I was lucky," "Gosh," "O Lordy," "Jesus," and other bad things that we will not repeat here. Is this speech becoming a follower of the lovely Saviour, who spoke "gracious words" (Luke 4:22)? It was said of our holy Lord, "Never man spake like this man" (John 7:46). Should not His followers' speech be different also? Yes, for according to Paul, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6). Sadly, our "answers" to others are not always with "excellent speech."

When I was a boy and used any foul language, my precious mother would say to me, "You need your mouth washed out with soap." And often I got more than that -- whipping with a hickory stick! How times have changed. Today, the whole family often talks bad, parents and children alike, and the foul-mouthed women of our day have learned much from foul-mouthed men. We let movie stars teach us how to talk, and we seem to be eager to learn the newest fad in cursing. This may not be something you like to read, but it is something you NEED to read. We need wholesale "mouth washing" in our country, but it is really "heart cleansing" that is needed, for Christ had it right: "All these evil things come from WITHIN, and defile the man" (Mark 7:23). Repentance is sorely needed in the modern church regarding our speech, and only a sovereign-sent REVIVAL from heaven is going to get the job done. It will take more than my little feeble rantings and warnings. "Rend your HEART, and not your garments, and TURN UNTO the Lord your God" (Joel 2:13). The trumpet has been blown; who is going to the battle?

We are all fellow-strugglers in this battle, no Straight-A Christians here, none better than the other. We can only have pure speech by the grace and mercy of God in Christ Jesus. May our speech not betray us, as it did Simon Peter (Matthew 26:73).