Category Archives: Daily Diary of Thoughts
The Recession
From the human viewpoint, things are now in a bad state in the world. But from the spiritual viewpoint things are in a far worse state in the religious realm. Sad as is it to see the anti–Christian cults flourishing on every side; but far more grievous is it, for those who are taught of God, to discover that much of the so–called “Gospel” which is now being preached in many “fundamentalist churches” and “gospel halls” is but a satanic delusion.
The Devil knows that his captives are quite secure while the grace of God and the finished work of Christ are “faithfully” proclaimed to them, so long as the only way in which sinners receive the saving virtues of the Atonement is unfaithfully concealed. While God’s peremptory and unchanging demand for repentance is left out, while Christ’s own terms of discipleship (how to become a Christian: Acts 11:26) in Luke 14:26, 27, 33, are withheld, and while saving faith is frittered down to a mere act of the will, blind laymen will continue to be led by blind preachers, only for both to fall into the ditch.
Things are far, far worse even in the “church” than the majority of God’s own children are aware. Things are rotten even at the very foundation, for with very rare exceptions God’s way of salvation is no longer being taught. Tens of thousands are “ever learning” points in prophecy, the meaning of the types, the significance of the numerals, how to divide the “dispensations,” who are, nevertheless, “never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7) of salvation itself—unable because unwilling to pay the price (Proverbs 23:23), which is a full surrender to God Himself.
What is needed today is to press upon the serious attention of professing Christians such questions as: When is it that God applies to a sinner the virtues of Christ’s finished work? What is it that I am called upon to do in order to appropriate myself to the efficacy of Christ’s atonement? What is it that gives me an actual entrance into the good of His redemption?
Why did we get hurt in church?
When those who are called to fish don’t fish, they fight. When energy intended to be used outside is used inside, the result is explosive. Instead of casting nets, we cast stones. Instead of extending helping hands, we point accusing fingers. Instead of being fishers of the lost, we become critics of the saved. Rather than helping the hurting, we hurt the helpers.
The result? Church Scrooges. “Bah humbug” spirituality. Beady eyes searching for warts on others while ignoring the wart on the nose below. Crooked fingers that bypass strengths and point out weaknesses.
Walled up churches. Poor testimonies. Broken hearts. Legalistic wars. And, sadly, poor go unfed, confused go uncounseled, and lost go unreached. When those who are called to fish don’t fish, they fight.
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Wisdom
Knowledge can be memorized. Wisdom must think things through.
Wisdom is the something that enables us to use knowledge rightly.
Fleecing The Flock I
Some sheep lay downwind. These stayed gassed or they get up to look for grass in more fragrant pastures. Some of these sheep eventually do find pure grass but many of these just end up at Schuller’s drive-in where they buy pop corn from the old man who sells it weekly from his glass concession stand. He also includes a prize in each package for any large wool offering.
Many wolves in sheep’s clothing teach the sheep that they can be born into the flock of God by a ritual performed by old black rams. They say all sheep that are sprinkled or immersed by these rams with water are born into the family of the Good Shepherd and are predestined to be saved from the barbecue even without faith in the Good Shepherd. In many cases that is the last time the sheep will be found in the pasture until they are laid out for their great reward.
