“Everybody Knows"

   When communicating with or praying for those who profess atheism or agnosticism, we do well to remember that the issue primarily involves the heart rather than the mind.

    "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

    "The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even His eternal power and godhead" (Romans 1:20).

   This does not imply that we fail to intellectually "be ready always to give an answer to every man for the reason of hope that is in you" (I Peter 3:15).  God's truth passes and surpasses every test by which fallen humanity (as motivated and energized by fallen devils) challenges His living and written Word.  However, those who disbelieve or profess ignorance of God do so not as affirmation of "I cannot intellectually believe," but rather of, "I will not spiritually and morally believe."  Indeed, everybody knows.  Deeply within the heart of all human beings, the Spirit of God bears witness through creation, the Scriptures, and the church that God exists, and that response to Him comprises the most important privilege and obligation of our existence.  As the Apostle Paul plainly stated, the things of God are "clearly seen."   Faith in the Lord Jesus thus involves the choice to devotionally believe that which is conceptually known at the deepest level of every person's being.

    I thought of this while praying this morning for a gentleman who claims atheism.  The thought occurred to me of the advantage Christians hold in the matter of evangelism to such people.  The Lord precedes our intercessions and witness with the Light that shines in darkness from the moment of conception and throughout the span of human lifetimes.  I thus prayed from a position of strength.  "Father, Joe knows.  Deeply within, he knows that You are, and that as Your creation, You privilege and charge him to respond to You in faith and submission of his being and life."  My prayer thus involved the spiritual and moral issues embraced by Joe as his means of hiding in the trees with his original forebear of antiquity: "Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden" (Genesis 3:8).  Most importantly, our Father calls to Joe, just as He beckoned Adam, "The Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him, Where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9).

    Mark Twain, not a believer, nevertheless wisely stated, "It is not the things in the Bible I do not understand that most disturb me, but rather the things I do understand."  Like many others, Twain ran from the truths the caused him consternation.  He hid in the trees.  But he knew.  At the deepest level of conscious awareness, he knew.  Like all others…

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."

(Psalm 19:1-4)

Weekly Memory Verse

    I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

(Psalm 116:9)

   

“Matters of Mercy"

   Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ seek to relate to others not in accordance with how they act toward us, but rather by how God acts in us.  "The love of God is shed abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).  Thus, we determine to bless those who bless us, and also those who curse us (Matthew 5:44).

   Our initial, natural inclinations often flow against the indwelling Spirit of Christ.  We still sometimes feel like smiting the cheek of our offender rather than turning our own.  In such times of temptation, we can be sure that our Lord moves within us to overcome bitterness with mercy.  Moreover, we must realize and affirm His loving way as the best way - the perfect way - for us to journey.  "As for God, His way is perfect" (II Samuel 22:31).   Our conflicting human sensibilities, as enticed by our spiritual enemies, provide opportunity to make the choice that life by faith so often presents.  Will we believe the Word of God, or the inclinations and emotions that contradict?  Is our Lord present and active in us to enable mercy rather than vengeance and bitterness?  And is His way the best way, the perfect way?

    Anyone who claims the life of faith to be easy has never tried it (particularly in matters of mercy regarding people).  It is more than atttainable, however, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  He ever works to convince us of His enabling presence and of the rightness of God's will.  Our calling is to consistently expose ourselves to the Word of God, whereby "faith cometh" (Romans 10:17).  Thus are we prepared for the inevitable confrontations with the world, the devil, and the flesh (both our own flesh and that of others).  No opportunity to know and reveal the Lord Jesus presents a more brilliantly illuminated path of glory than the matters of mercy we presently consider.  Again, we must purpose to devote ourselves to how God acts in us rather than how others act toward us.  This is the way of Christ's peace, as known in our hearts and in our relationships with others.

"See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and unto all men."

(I Thessalonians 5:15)

"This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.  And His commandments are not grievous, for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.  And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

(I John 5:3-4)

Weekly Memory Verse

    I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

(Psalm 116:9)

   

"Dark Pulpits"

"Dark Pulpits"

   If Satan is a deceiver, and if he seeks to ply his nefarious trade of delusion and darkness, where might we expect to encounter his most effective influences of deception?  The answer is obvious, but sometimes overlooked.

  "Many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1).

   Recently, I told a congregation that when I meet someone who identifies himself as a Christian preacher, I find myself immediately putting up my guard rather than lending instant credibility.  Now, since we have a lot of preachers on our mailing list, allow me, gentleman, to affirm my utmost confidence in those of you kind enough to read these messages.  I know you as faithful communicators of God and His Word, and seek to follow your example since I share the calling.  Moreover, I know there are multitudes of good and godly preachers and teachers of the Gospel.  However, I am not naive enough to believe that our adversary would fail to fill as many pulpits as possible with darkness rather than light.  Thus, I do not lend a man instant credibility because he identifies himself as a preacher.  Nor do I want or expect people to immediately trust me.  Again, a devil exists in the world, devouring those who fail to realize that some shepherds feed on the flock rather than emulating the One who declared and then lived out His loving devotion to God and man: "I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

    Some false prophets obviously originate in an influence other than Christ and His truth.  Others are harder to identify.  I offer no parameters for testing in this message.  I rather simply affirm and remind of the challenging truth that many false preachers and teachers exist in every denomination and movement of professing Christendom.  If we fail to recognize this reality of which the Scriptures plainly warn, we do not have to be concerned about being deceived.  We already are, at least in the sense of embracing a gullibility against which the Biblical prophets and apostles continually sounded their clarion voices of alarm.  Indeed, the pulpits of light can just as easily purvey darkness to those unsuspecting sheep who unwittingly grant credibility to those who affirm the calling of Christ while actually being the voices of deception.

"There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers."

(Titus 1:10)

"For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, of if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."

(II Corinthians 11:4)

Weekly Memory Verse

    I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

(Psalm 116:9)