While I find much of Martin Luther’s writings to be heretical, I doubt he would approve of this. Sweden, once a rock solid bastion of Lutheranism, has gone so far as to take the title of the most progressive nation on earth . . .
Swedish office building tests implanted RFID microchips in workers
Workers at a new high-technology office building in central Stockholm are doing away with their old ID cards on lanyards, and can now open doors with the swipe of a hand — thanks to a microchip implanted in the body.
The radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips are about 12 mm long and injected with a syringe.
“It’s an identification tool that can communicate with objects around you,” said Patrick Mesterton, CEO of the building, Epicenter Office.
“You can open doors using your chip. You can do secure printing from our printers with the chip, but you can also communicate with your mobile phone, by sending your business card to individuals that you meet,” he said.
Mesterton thinks some of the future uses for implanted chips will be any application that currently requires a pin code, a key or a card, such as payments.
“I think also for health-care reasons … you can sort of communicate with your doctor and you get can data on what you eat and what your physical status is,” Mesterton said.
“You have your own identification code and you’re sending that to something else which you have to grant access to. So there’s no one else that can sort of follow you on your ID, so to say. It’s you who decides who gets access to that ID,” he said.
The implant program is voluntary for the workers in the office complex.
“It felt pretty scary, but at the same time it felt very modern, very 2015,” said Lin Kowalska shortly after she had a microchip implanted in her hand.
In this article by Al Mohler [president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary] he covers how the Hegelian Dialectic [though not identifying it as such] has effectively been used to disarm and deflate the Christians and Conservatives in America [and throughout the world] so that a battle was won without a shot ever being fired.
Thursday • June 3, 2004
After the Ball–Why the Homosexual Movement Has Won
The spectacular success of the homosexual movement stands as one of the most fascinating phenomena of our time. In less than two decades, homosexuality has moved from “the love that dares not speak its name,” to the center of America’s public life. The homosexual agenda has advanced even more quickly than its most ardent proponents had expected, and social change of this magnitude demands some explanation.
A partial explanation of the homosexual movement’s success can be traced to the 1989 publication of After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s. Published with little fanfare, this book became the authoritative public relations manual for the homosexual agenda, and its authors presented the book as a distillation of public relations advice for the homosexual community. A look back at its pages is an occasion for understanding just how successful their plan was.
Authors Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen combined psychiatric and public relations expertise in devising their strategy. Kirk, a researcher in neuropsychiatry, and Madsen, a public relations consultant, argued that homosexuals must change their presentation to the heterosexual community if real success was to be made.
Conceiving their book as a “gay manifesto for the 1990s,” the authors called for homosexuals to repackage themselves as mainstream citizens demanding equal treatment, rather than as a promiscuous sexual minority seeking greater opportunity and influence.
Writing just as the AIDS crisis hit its greatest momentum, the authors saw the disease as an opportunity to change the public mind. “As cynical as it may seem, AIDS gives us a chance, however brief, to establish ourselves as a victimized minority legitimately deserving of America’s special protection and care,” they wrote.
Give them credit: they really did understand the operation of the public mind. Kirk and Madsen called for homosexuals to talk incessantly about homosexuality in public. “Open, frank talk makes gayness seem less furtive, alien, and sinful; more above board,” they asserted. “Constant talk builds the impression that public opinion is at least divided on the subject, and that a sizeable bloc–the most modern, up-to-date citizens–accept or even practice homosexuality.”
Nevertheless, not all talk about homosexuality is helpful. “And when we say talk about homosexuality, we mean just that. In the early stages of the campaign, the public should not be shocked and repelled by premature exposure to homosexual behavior itself. Instead, the imagery of sex per se should be downplayed, and the issue of gay rights reduced, as far as possible, to an abstract social question.”
Portraying homosexuals as victims was essential to their strategy. Offering several principles for tactical advance in their cause, the authors called upon homosexuals to “portray gays as victims of circumstance and depression, not as aggressive challengers.” This would be necessary, they argued, because “gays must be portrayed as victims in need of protection so that straights will be inclined by reflex to adopt the role of protector.”
Such a strategy could, they asserted, lead to something like a “conversion” of the public mind on the question of homosexuality. “The purpose of victim imagery is to make straights feel very uncomfortable; that is, to jam with shame the self-righteous pride that would ordinarily accompany and reward their antigay belligerence, and to lay groundwork for the process of conversion by helping straights identify with gays and sympathize with their underdog status.”
Obviously, this would mean marginalizing some members of the homosexual community. Kirk and Madsen were bold to advise a mainstreaming of the homosexual image. “In practical terms, this means that cocky mustachioed leather-men, drag queens, and bull dykes would not appear in gay commercials and other public presentations. Conventional young people, middle-age women, and older folks of all races would be featured, not to mention the parents and straight friends of gays.” Furthermore, “It cannot go without saying, incidentally, that groups on the farthest margins of acceptability, such as NAMBLA [North American Man-Boy Love Association], must play no part at all in such a campaign. Suspected child molesters will never look like victims.”
What about the origin of sexual orientation? The success of the homosexual movement can be largely traced to the very idea of “orientation” itself. More precisely, homosexuals advanced their cause by arguing that they were born that way. Madsen and Kirk offer this as candid public relations advice. “We argue that, for all practical purposes, gays should be considered to have been born gay–even though sexual orientation, for most humans, seems to be the product of a complex interaction between innate predispositions and environmental factors during childhood and early adolescence.” Alas, “To suggest in public that homosexuality might be chosen is to open the can of worms labeled ‘moral choices and sin’ and give the religious intransigents a stick to beat us with. Straights must be taught that it is as natural for some persons to be homosexual as it is for others to be heterosexual: wickedness and seduction have nothing to do with it.”
There can be no doubt that Christianity represents the greatest obstacle to the normalization of homosexual behavior. It cannot be otherwise, because of the clear biblical teachings concerning the inherent sinfulness of homosexuality in all forms, and the normativity of heterosexual marriage. In order to counter this obstacle, Kirk and Madsen advised gays to “use talk to muddy the moral waters, that is, to undercut the rationalizations that ‘justify’ religious bigotry and to jam some of its psychic rewards.” How can this be done? “This entails publicizing support by moderate churches and raising serious theological objections to conservative biblical teachings. It also means exposing the inconsistency and hatred underlying antigay doctrines.”
Conservative churches, defined by the authors as “homohating” are portrayed as “antiquated backwaters, badly out of step with the times and with the latest findings of psychology.”
A quick review of the last 15 years demonstrates the incredible effectiveness of this public relations advice. The agenda set out by Kirk and Madsen led to nothing less than social transformation. By portraying themselves as mainstream Americans seeking nothing but liberty and self-fulfillment, homosexuals redefined the moral equation. Issues of right and wrong were isolated as outdated, repressive, and culturally embarrassing. Instead, the assertion of “rights” became the hallmark of the public relations strategy.
Other principles offered by the authors included making gays look good by identifying strategic historical figures as being hidden homosexuals, and, on the other hand, making “victimizers” look bad in the public eye. Kirk and Madsen suggested isolating conservative Christians by presenting them as “hysterical backwoods preachers, drooling with hate to a degree that looks both comical and deranged.” They offered a concrete example of how this strategy could be used on television and in print. “For example, for several seconds an unctuous beady-eyed Southern preacher is shown pounding the pulpit in rage against ‘those perverted, abominable creatures.’” While his tirade continues over the soundtrack, the picture switches to heart-rending photos of badly beaten persons, or of gays who look decent, harmless, and likeable; and then we cut back to the poisonous face of the preacher. The contrast speaks for itself. The effect is devastating.”
Public relations is now a major part of the American economy, with hundreds of millions of dollars poured into advertising strategies and image enhancement programs. Observers of the public relations world must look back with slack-jawed amazement at the phenomenal success of the approach undertaken by homosexuals over the last two decades. The advice offered by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen is nothing less than a manifesto for moral revolution. A look back at this strategy indicates just how self-consciously the homosexual movement advanced its cause by following this plan.
Those who oppose the normalization of homosexuality have indeed been presented as backwoods, antiquated, and dangerous people, while those advancing the cause are presented as forces for light, progress, and acceptance. Conservative Christians have indeed been presented as proponents of hatred rather than as individuals driven by biblical conviction. The unprecedented success of this public relations strategy helps to explain why America has accepted everything from homosexual characters and plotlines in prime-time entertainment to the lack of outrage in response to same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.
At least we know what we are up against. Biblical Christians must continue to talk about right and wrong even when the larger world dismisses morality as an outdated concept. We must maintain marriage as a non-negotiable norm–a union of a man and a woman–even when the courts redefine marriage by fiat. At the same time, we must take into account the transformation of the American mind that is now so devastatingly evident to all who have eyes to see.
The real tragedy of After the Ball is that the great result of this is not a party, but the complete rejection of the very moral foundations which made this society possible. In order to address the most fundamental problems, we must understand the shape of the American mind. Looking back at After the Ball after fifteen years, it all comes into frightening focus.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary – the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.
If you own and watch television, you have been subjected to the Dialectic. If you read a newspaper, internet, listen to radio, or have attended government grade schools and institutes of higher learning, [sarc] you have been subjected to the Dialectic. In most large corporations, hirelings are indoctrinated with the Dialectic. In “seeker-friendly” churches and “Purpose Driven” churches, the Dialectic takes precedence over the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Hegelian dialectic is the framework for guiding our thoughts and actions into conflicts that lead us to a predetermined solution. If we do not understand how the Hegelian dialectic shapes our perceptions of the world, then we do not know how we are helping to implement the vision. When we remain locked into dialectical thinking, we cannot see out of the box.
Make no mistake about it – the Dialectic is diabolical. And so is its instigator. His methods have NEVER changed, and the progression of sin is always the same.
Belief in a lie
Pride
Rebellion
The evil one still lies today, and people listen to him and turn from the truth.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
We never rebel against God unless we first believe a lie. And it is usually a lie about ourselves. Once we believe a lie about ourselves, pride takes over, and rebellion against God and His authority ensue.
“Everybody’s doing it!”
“It feels good to do it!”
“Life is so unfair!”
“I know more than my {parents, boss, teacher, pastor…}!”
“Those values/music/Bibles are so old fashioned!”
“I am more beautiful/attractive than _____!”
“I am more talented than ______!”
The doctrine of Satan is ridiculed by the world. He is portrayed as wearing a red suit, smelling of brimstone, and even holding a pitchfork! That is not how the Word of God describes him. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, he is called an”angel of light.” And in 4:4, he is called the “god of this world.” Ephesians 2:2 he is the “prince of the power of the air.” Well – this new FOX television series is proof enough of that! And the following linked article should quell any doubts about the true purpose of the FOX networks – including the news branch.
(NaturalNews) The more subtle side of satanism in Hollywood entertainment is now a thing of the past, as primetime television airs blatantly evil shows like the upcoming Fox drama Lucifer, which glorifies the goings about of the “lord of hell” after he fictitiously leaves the lake of fire and retires to Los Angeles.
The premise behind the absurd drama, which is set to release in 2016, centers around so-called “Lucifer Morningstar” and his new life as the owner of Lux, an upscale nightclub located in the City of Angels.
A trailer for the show portrays Lucifer as a handsome, British-accented, well-to-do ladykiller full of charm and wit.
This is the image most people, and especially Roman Catholics, are familiar with. 100% repellent. Sometimes on the cute side, as a “little devil,” other times menacing and hideous.
Through the use of the Dialectic, here is the Satan of today. Attractive, charming, and even – moral. Someone that you might be interested in getting to know. He’s not evil – he’s edgy! What could be more appealing? In the same way Satan has been repackaged for today’s fleshly crowd, so has the Bible, the preachers, and the church of today – Laodicea.
Revelation 3:13-15
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
We truly are living in the last days. Do you see where this all leads? First the idea is introduced into popular culture for conditioning of the masses. Does anyone recall the ridiculous “Uncle Arthur” on the 60’s Tv show – “Bewitched?”
He was the penultimate funny “gay guy.” He wore a neck scarf and had homosexual affectations, yet he was appealing because he was so funny. The TV consumer, lets down their guard and the Dialectic has done its job. Now, we are faced with the worst perversions known to mankind being “normalized” into our society. Decades of “funny gay guys” leads to not so funny sodomites parading their sin down the streets of our cities.
I’m not laughing now – are you? I hope you can see how the Dialectic progresses, and how we got to where we are now.
I am not judging whether anyone in these movements is saved or not – but I am judging whether the movements are Biblical. Recently, John MacArthur held a “Strange Fire” conference, wherein he stated that Pentecostal and Charismatics were offering “strange fire” unto the Lord with their particular kind of worship.
John MacArthur is not my idea of rock solid Bible teacher – as he apparently has taken the plunge into the New Age Bible pushers club. That being said, I do agree with his basic premise about the movements. He is facing a backlash of sorts, being called “unloving,” among other things. The Christian Post has offered up a statement of sorts, with a handy list of things “you may not know about Pentecostals/Charismatics.” I have added commentary in red. Here goes:
1. Islam is not the fastest-growing faith family in the world. Pentecostalism is. While Islam has gone from zero in 610 AD to 1.6 billion today (1,403 years), Pentecostalism went from zero to (about) a billion from 1906 to the present day (107 years). Indeed – this is true, and while many Christians that I know and love, obsess over Muslims taking over the world – the fact is- the merging of faiths, via “Charism,” will be the true One World Religion.
2. Pentecostalism is quintessentially American. It began (although there were pre-shocks for centuries) in the multi-ethnic Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, Calif. It is arguably our most influential export of any kind. Even more influential than Hollywood!
3. The churches planted by American mainline denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, UCC, etc) in the global South are overwhelmingly Pentecostal/Charismatic in their piety. For instance, a Lutheran from Ethiopia (Mekane Yesus) would certainly be considered Pentecostal if visiting here in the U.S. Ecumenism!
4. Pentecostals/Charismatics are diverse. They run the spectrum range from Oxford/Cambridge blue bloods in the Kensington neighborhood of London to snake handlers in Appalachia. The current Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is a product of the largest congregation in the Church of England, Holy Trinity Brompton, which is one of the most influential charismatic congregations in the world. And not just economically diverse. If you find yourself in a multi-cultural congregation in the U.S.A. on a Sunday morning, the overwhelming probability is that you are sitting in a Pentecostal worship service. You do not need to be saved to speak in tongues. Everyone is comfortable.
5. Pentecostals are not anti-intellectual. The unofficial “Pentecostal Pope,” Jack Hayford of Los Angeles, is a Bible-scholar’s Bible scholar. Oral Roberts University, Regent Seminary (Virginia Beach) and Southeastern University (Lakeland, Florida) are some of the key centers of higher learning for the movement. The largest seminary in the Church of England (and perhaps the entire Anglican communion) is St. Mellitus Colleg/St. Paul’s Theological Center in London, spiritually godfathered by (Charismatic) Holy Trinity Brompton Church. They are now opening branches throughout the world. The “spiritual experiences” bind all these various denominations together – giving common ground, where before there was none.
6. Pentecostals were the leaders in the ordination of women. Because they are less bureaucratic and more “gifting driven,” Pentecostals were the first (not liberal Protestants) to ordain women. Aimee Semple Macpherson was one of the first American mega-church senior pastors (Angelus Temple in L.A. seated 5,000 a service in its prime). What can I say? Ordaining women is against Scripture, and on top of that – homosexual activists always piggyback on “women’s progress.”
7. Most all U.S. mainline denominations and also Roman Catholics have large Charismatic minorities. In fact, there are more Charismatic Roman Catholics than there are total members in most all other denominations. Lutherans and Episcopalians were pioneers in the Charismatic movement (Larry Christenson and Dennis Bennet). Interesting, that being saved by being Born again under the Blood of Christ is not what is being “pioneered.”
8. The Jesus Movement (“Jesus Freaks”) led by Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, Calif., more or less invented CCM (Christian Contemporary Music). As Calvary Chapel was (and is) a “small c” charismatic congregation, Pentecostal piety has been carried into virtually every congregation in the country that has ever sung a praise song or had someone raise a hand in worship. As a professional musician, I could write pages and pages on the dangers of back-beats in Christian music. Contemporary Christian Music is the first foot of the devil into your church. Soon after that – the Bible used will be “updated” as well.
9. Latinos are not overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. A very large minority is Pentecostal. When Latinos leave the Roman Catholic church, which they do in large numbers, the two directions are secular or Pentecostal. There are almost certainly Pentecostal Latinos in your zip code. Yes, and what will happen to the culture in America with the unlimited immigration unfolding as I write this.
10. A word about the “Word of Faith” (also Word Faith, or just Faith) movement. This is the segment of Pentecostalism which is most prone to excesses (name it/claim it). However, this movement is also quite diverse and driven by the central concept of “faith makes a difference.” Thus, they tend to take biblical promises about prayers of faith literally. This drives a rather sophisticated systematic theology first exposited in depth by Kenneth Hagin (the elder one) and continuing to be unfolded by Joseph Prince (Singapore) and others. “Sophisticated systemic theology,” is code for obfuscation. The Word of God is simple and pure enough for a child to understand.
A form of demonic speaking-in-tongues is experienced by witch doctors, pagan religions and occultists…
“So writes Missionary Alex R. Hay in his excellent book, What Is Wrong in the Church? This discerning writer continues:
‘There is a Mohammedan sect that speaks in tongues. It is simply the result of an emotional state that is not normal and not difficult to induce. The fact is that “The gift of tongues,” as it is known today, is still a common characteristic of primitive religions. (We refer to speaking in an unknown or “heavenly” language unintelligible to the hearers, not the speaking of living languages that appeared at Pentecost.)
As a child of missionary parents in an Indian tribe in Paraguay, we were accustomed to hear the witch doctors chanting in an unknown spirit language at their religious ceremonies or when treating someone was ill.”
SOURCE: The TRUTH about TONGUES and the CHARISMATIC movement, by Hugh F. Pyle, Sword of the Lord Publishers, Murfreesboro, TN 37133; 1989; ISBN: 0-87398–846-9; pg. 59
A wicked and adulterous generation seekethafterasign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And He left them, and departed.
19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
The evidence (proof) of repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ can be positively seen in truly converted individuals – and it is demonstrated vividly for us in Scripture.
REPENTANCE IS A CHANGE OF MIND, HEART, AND WILL
1. Doubting Thomas repents – Thomas refused to believe that Christ had been raised from the dead until he could see with his own eyes, and touch with his own hands, the risen Savior.
John 20:24-29 – 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Thomas repented, believed, and made his great profession of faith with – “My Lord and my God.”
2. Three thousand (!) changed their minds, hearts and wills on the day of Pentecost, and immediately gave evidence of their repentance.
Acts 2:41-47 – 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Please take note that these believers did not go back to living the way they did before their conversion.
3. Saul of Tarsus experienced repentance when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He then gave evidence of repentance –
Acts 9:1-18 – And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
4. Cornelius, his entire family and friends repented when they heard the gospel as preached by Simon Peter, and then evidence of repentance followed their conversions. Acts 10:24-48
5. The Philippian jailer and his house repented after being witnessed to by Paul and Silas – the evidence of repentance followed. Acts 16:26-34 – 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Don’t be fooled by the “God loves me no matter what I do,” preaching out there. While it is true that He loves without measure – He also demands proof of conversion. Not for Himself – He knows who is truly saved or not. The evidence of repentance is to give Him glory and honor, to exalt His Word and His name above our own, and that our lives may testify of His Grace and Mercy. Some people claiming the name of Christ, live like the very devil. Sinners should never be able to say that believers are hypocrites, and no different than the world. We should demonstrate our repentance in such a fashion that we lead some to their own repentance.
Repentance is a change of the mind, the heart, and the will.
The proof of repentance is. . .
1.turning from sin
Ezekiel 18:30
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
2. turning to God
Acts 26:20
. . . that they should repent and turn to God,
3. followed by good deeds
Acts 26:20
. . .and do works meet for repentance.
This concludes our seven part study on repentance.
The next series will be an in depth study of The New Birth.
I could hardly wait to cover this aspect of repentance, as it also covers one of the so-called “contradictions,” in the Bible. If, after this study, any readers still insist this is a contradiction, we will assume that person is not saved, and does not want to know or understand the Word.
OK – DEEP BREATH – HERE WE GO!
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man,that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?
Genesis 6:5-7
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them.
OK – Bible critics – Ahah! There it is, right there. A HUGE contradiction. Only – sorry – it’s not a contradiction. It is a PARADOX!
THAT’S RIGHT – IT IS NOT CONTRADICTORY – IT IS PARADOXICAL!!!!
God makes TWO covenants with mankind.
1. The first is UNCONDITIONAL.
When He makes an UNCONDITIONAL covenant – HE NEVER REPENTS! Israel haters take note – He made such a covenant with Abraham.
Gen. 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. It will stand FOREVER because – “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent.” Ps. 110:4. He made an UNCONDITIONAL covenant with Israel.
Romans 11:23-35
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
2. The second is CONDITIONAL.
“The Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. “
Gen. 6:3 In the days of Noah, God gave the human race 120 years to repent. Only Noah and his family repented and “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
Gen. 6:8 Noah and his family met God on His terms and conditions – and so – were not judged with the unrepentant. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us,“
NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.” 2 PETER 3:9
It is abundantly clear, my Calvinist friends, that God wills to save all lost souls! He is “not willing that any should perish.” To be saved, one must meet His terms and conditions, which are – “repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21 IF a sinner does NOT repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, THEN God will repent, CHANGE, and judge the sinner.
In His love, He bestows Grace – BUT – if salvation by Grace is rejected – In His justice – He terminates Grace.
THIS IS THE WAY THAT GOD REPENTS
Next up – Impossible to renew unto repentance! If you find Bible doctrine fascinating and irresistible – then you are in good company.
1 Peter 1:12-13
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. . .
The writer of Hebrews, whom I believe to be Paul, gives us something to think about in that phrase – “repentance from dead works.” What does that mean? Well, sometimes, as in the Book of Proverbs, a concept is better understood by contrasting it – by exploring what it isn’t – before we study what it is.
There are three categories of works in the Bible. Good works, wicked works, and dead works. We will address them in that order.
1. Good works.
Mat. 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ONLY truly born-again, or saved souls can ever do good works and please God. The lost, or unsaved, no matter how many works they do, can not do good works.
Psalm 14: 1-3 – The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,there is none that doeth good. 2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy:there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Believers are not to hide their good works, but let them be seen in a manner which glorifies our heavenly Father. Mary of Bethany anointed the head and feet of Jesus while he sat at the table of Simon the leper. Some disciples took exception to this, claiming it was an extravagant waste.
And Jesus said,
Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on Me. Mark 14:6.
as believers, we need to do all we can to the glory of god, not in order to be saved, but because we are saved.
2. Wicked works.
Col. 1:20-21 – 20 And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled. Unregenerated, natural man, can only do wicked works.
1 Cor. 2:14 – But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. The unsaved, natural man, walks according to the world system, motivated by the “prince of the power of the air.” (Satan) His thoughts, speech, and behavior are filled with the lusts of the flesh. He is a child of wrath, and ALL his works are wicked because he is dead in sin.
Eph. 2:1-3 – 1 And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
we will now address dead works – from Hebrews 6:1
3. Dead works.
We should all be able to recognize them, because they get a great deal of media attention. Religious works fall well into this category. These are works performed by the religious, for the purposes of earning eternal life. Legalistic, it requires the keeping of moral and ceremonial laws of God, in an attempt to win God’s favor and be saved by the works.
Eph. 2:8-9 – 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Paul wrote – Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3:20.
Dead works are performed by the religious, who are – . . .ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Rom. 10:3-4
Our beloved Apostle Paul is an excellent example of repentance from dead works. He clearly states that he has “no confidence in the flesh,” then goes on to list his dead works of which he had to repent.
Philippians 3:1-9
3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
When he compared his own self righteousness which was by dead works of the law, with the Righteousness of Christ which is by faith, he counted the former Paul and his works as nothing but rubbish.
Paul knew the meaning of “repentance from dead works!!!”
“I know [Sarah] that thou art a fair woman to look upon” – Gen. 12:11.
She was a beautiful woman, whose beauty was more than fair looks. She was adorned with the…
“ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” – 1 Pet. 3:4
Sarah was God’s example of a submissive wife.
“Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.”
Genesis 23 (Approximately 1860 B.C.)
23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
Though Abraham was wealthy, and owned rich herds of flocks, and servants, he owned no property in Canaan. When Sarah died at age 127, Abraham sought to buy the cave of Machpelah for 400 shekels of silver – rather that receive it as a gift from heathen neighbors.
3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8 And he communed with them, saying,
If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying,
But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure
18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.
This was the only property Abraham owned in Canaan. The cave in the field of Machpelah in Hebron, later became the family burial place of the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Last week we discussed the ever popular subject of chastening. We now move on to a continuation of the wisdom theme, again personified as a woman. In this passage as in other Proverbs – the woman (wisdom) is an extraordinarily virtuous, extremely desirable female, who is pursued by everyone. Not easily seen, she keeps herself above the fray and is hidden from view. She is what every man wants, but very few find.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies:
and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Many men pursue after wealth – yet this verse says that even fabulous wealth beyond imagination is nothing compared to wisdom.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Verse 16 tells us that there is balance received from wisdom, long life in the strong right hand, and in the weaker left hand – riches and honor. The riches are not to be thought of as temporal ones.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
All her paths are peace.
Sigh. Think about that. That means – if we walk with wisdom – all our paths will be peace, not just peaceful – but peace itself.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her
It says “a tree of life,” not the Tree of Life. But what this is telling us, is that wisdom from God will sustain us, just as a food bearing tree would.
We are also told that holding steadfastly onto wisdom will give us happiness. Can we lose wisdom? Yes – if worry, fear, or besetting sin is allowed to displace it.
Proverbs 3: 13-18
Here is wisdom –
28 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Last week we talked about honoring the Lord with our substance, which is something entirely different from tithing. Today we will focus on the Lord’s method of correcting us.
The atheists and secular humanists of the world rail at God – angry that the Sovereign would punish His creatures. Seeing themselves as virtuous, they become filled with anger at what they perceive to be a God Who is unjust, mercurial, and even cruel. Randomly selecting a verse from the Bible, they smirk and taunt Christians with this “contradiction,” or that “savage act.”
It’s just not so, says the Bible. In fact, He chastens because He loves us.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction:
Isn’t that just what the atheist does? Hate the chastening of the Lord first, and then progress to actually hating Him? How about Christians? Do we say – “Why me?” or “When am I going to get a break?” How about “But I haven’t done anything wrong!” or “Why would Jesus do this to me?” “I don’t think I deserve this.”
12 For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Proverbs 3: 11-12
The writer of Hebrews (Paul) expands further on this –
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Hebrews 12: 5-8
I must stress that this only applies to those of the household of faith.
If nations have fallen into national idolatry, they have no protection. They are all born of Adam, with a sin nature, and must come to repentance to receive forgiveness.
God will use every means to bring the heathen to repentance. Please see here for a study on the heathen’s responsibility to God, whether they believe in Him or not.
Chastening is one of the means by which God perfects His saints.
This book by Harold S. Kushner feeds into the idea that people are inherently good. That is the mantra of Oprah Winfrey, Ekhart Tolle, Phil Donahue, James Cameron, and a host of other pagan talking heads. The reality is quite the opposite. People are anything but good. Only God is good.
How do we handle this chastening when it comes along? Get mad at God? Sink into self pity? Allow bitterness to consume us?
Ask yourself these questions:
Is there unconfessed sin lurking somewhere deep inside? Even from years and years ago. . .? Bring it all out, and confess it to Him.
Is there an area of life where the sinful, fallen world has taken hold, in the form of an addiction, pride, coveting, lust, laziness, greed, gossiping, or idolatry. . . Repent, repent, repent!!
If none of the above seem to be the problem – then you must consider that the Lord is afflicting you for another purpose, one that may not be clear to you for a long time.
Realize that the chastening is meant for your good, and that it is “but for a while.”
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
In our Proverb last Friday, wisdom was personified as a woman crying out in the streets to anyone who would listen. This week, the reward for heeding wisdom is laid out in great detail; and that if it is pursued with the same zeal as would be employed in the quest for silver, and buried treasure – the Lord will then reveal Himself to the earnestly intense seeker. But it is conditional – always prefaced with an “if,” followed by a “then.”
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
The plea here is to make the commandments a part of yourself, to hide them so deeply within you that they become an integral part of your being.
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
Important to note that sound wisdom is “layed up.” That means there is always more for the seeker to search out. The Lord also stresses that He is only a buckler (shield) to the righteous. Those outside the Body of Christ, or, those believers in an unrepentant, carnal and back-slidden position, are not shielded.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints.
The post modern church of today has cozied right up to the world, and has embraced it with lame excuses such as “we need to bring the young people in.” How pathetic that must seem to our Lord. See what liberality has done to the church? This revolting image is of “Christian” rock group – Stryper.
Do these abominable cross-dressers look like Christian men to you?
We are living in perilous times of woeful apostasy. Never before have we witnessed so many so-called “Christians” who live like the sinful world, look like the sinful world, talk like the sinful world, and fraternize with the sinful world. DISCIPLE is no exception. DISCIPLE is one of the most popular and successful bands in the world today; yet, they are phonies and should be avoided by all Christ-honoring Christians. {jesusissavior.com}
If the Lord and His Word and Wisdom are always foremost in our minds, our Christian walk through this sinful world will be made smoother. If He is our goal and quest in life, and the world and its trappings are pushed to the background, then we will receive the blessings of His wisdom and understanding. We will see things through His eyes, as they really are – not as the fallen world presents them. He must be the focus, then and only then, will the understanding come. Otherwise – the road is darkness and pathos.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
Mankind, full of egoism and idolatry, refuses to hear wisdom, as she is crying out for all to hear and see. What follows is the result of rejecting the wisdom that is offered.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Since true wisdom comes only from God, the Bible says that following the wisdom of the world is to invite calamity. Our nation has invited destruction. Just look at this quote from famous evangelist, Billy Sunday(1862-1935):
“Rivers of America will run with blood filled to their banks before we will submit to them taking the Bible out of our schools.”
How quickly America submitted. In 1962 and 1963, respectively, prayer and the Word of God were removed from our public schools. Read more here.
As the Proverb comes to an end, Wisdom states that she will not answer when called upon after being ignored and cast aside.
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
30 They would none of My counsel: they despised all My reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Following the prosperity of fools??? Ridiculous fashion trends, extravagant lifestyles, personality cults, excessive consumerism, idolization of sports figures and celebrities. . .
But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
I would venture to guess, that most of you have never heard this lovely hymn as it was intended by Civilla Martin in 1905. Today, it is often presented as a soft-rock ballad. I hope this authentic rendering by a Mennonite choir will minister to your spirit.
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise, When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
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Civilla Martin, who wrote the lyrics, said this about her inspiration to write the song based in the scriptures outlined above,
Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience. [wikipidea.org]
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4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who called me here below, Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.
John Newton’s Christian mother had died, leaving him to the care of his sailor father. He followed his father into the British Navy, and eventually became involved in the slave trade. Newton was a very unsavory character – leading others to follow him into debauchery. Some years later , as captain of a ship, they were struck by a storm of such severity – that it was doubtful any would survive. Newton – as many do when faced with death – cried out to God – “Lord have mercy on us.”
That was May 10, 1748, the date of Newton’s conversion. Newton continued in the slave trade for a while, though now treating the slaves with some humanity. But, in the natural course of maturing as a Christian – he gave up seafaring entirely in 1755. He eventually became a minister, teaching himself Greek and Hebrew. He died December 21, 1807, secure in his faith. He wrote the words to his own epitaph –
“John Newton, Clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”
John Newton (1725 – 1807 ) left us a great legacy, perhaps the most beloved hymn of all time.
At 82, Newton said,
“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.”
4 But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us,5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2: 4-9
As I sit hear alone, I am overwlemed with this song. Truly, I need Him every hour. A short story about the author as you listen but please don’t miss the words.
Annie Hawks wrote: “One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me.”
After writing the lyrics, Hawks gave them to her pastor, Robert Lowry, who added the tune and refrain. The hymn was first published at the National Baptist Sunday School Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, in November 1872. Some years later, after the death of her husband, Hawks wrote:
“I did not understand at first why this hymn had touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long after, when the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, that I understood something of the comforting power in the words which I had been permitted to give out to others in my hour of sweet serenity and peace.”
I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord No tender voice like Thine can peace afford
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby Temptations lose their power When Thou art nigh
I need thee, oh, I need thee, every hour I need Thee I need thee, I need thee, I need Thee every hour
I need Thee every hour in joy or pain Come quickly and abide or life is in vain I need Thee, oh, I need Thee, every hour I need Thee I need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour
Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will And Thy rich promises in me fulfill
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee Oh I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour
To God be the glory, great things He hath done, So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.
Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, To every believer the promise of God; The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; But purer, and higher, and greater will be Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see
Fanny Crosby
1820-1915
Frances Jane “Fanny” Crosby (1820-1915), American hymn writer and poetess who wrote over 8,000 hymns. Once a preacher sympathetically remarked, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you.” She replied quickly, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?” “Why?” asked the surprised minister. “Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!”
4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then. shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. Isaiah 35: 4-6
Think of a new-born baby, umbilical cord still attached – abandoned in the center of a forest full of wild animals. Exposed to the elements, and unable to fend for or care for itself. Well – that’s exactly what happens when you lead someone to Christ, and then drop them! As the baby Christian’s spiritual “foster parent,” you have great responsibility to nurture the new born Christian to ensure he/she is established and on the best food and water, has shelter, and is protected from the elements.
Acts 2:41-42
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Hmmm. Did you get that part? Any question about what happened to the three thousand after they were saved? Nothing vague about that. When you, personally lead a person to Christ, then you, personally, are responsible. Yes, you will receive the soul winners crown at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but the responsibility does not end with your joy at the birth! Abandonment of spiritual babies, is one of the reasons for stunted growth, and future backsliding. It also stunts the growth of the church, because spiritual babies, are not ever matured enough to reproduce themselves.
THERE ARE SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE BABY CHRISTIAN TO GROW SPIRITUALLY. THIS ALSO APPLIES IF YOU, GRACIOUS ONE, HAVE ADOPTED THE BABY OF ANOTHER BELIEVER.
1. Put a King James Bible directly into their hands. Remember – new born babies cannot even bring food to their own mouths. Write something personal on the dedication page, open the Bible and demonstrate its features.
2. Make sure the Bible has a good concordance and index, and it might also be a good idea to show the baby how to use the computer to search Bible verses. This is subjective, because the internet is overflowing with corruption and can potentially confuse, or even seduce the baby Christian.
4. Start him out right – not on junk food. Not force feeding, but make sure it is plentiful enough to sustain the baby until the next “feeding.” It’s important to make clear, that we are to be obedient to the Lord in all things.
5. Lead him to a New Testament church. Invite him to be your guest at your church! Take him with you, and sit with him. When the invitation is given, encourage him to go forward with you, and make public profession of his faith in Jesus Christ. Remember – babies can’t walk without help!
6. Encourage him to tell others about his new birth. Psalm 107:2 – “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”
7. Either teach him the basics of Bible doctrine, or get him enrolled in a “new believers class.” He will not be able to reproduce (witness) effectively, until he has a solid foundation. Some of the essentials include the Trinity of the Godhead, the deity of Christ, and the inerrancy and divine inspiration of the Bible. If you do not have a class for new believers near you, the studies on our Apologetics and Doctrines page are thorough, doctrinally sound, and may be used to give the new believer a solid foundation. You are free to print off and use any of those articles.
ONCE THE NEW CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN FIRMLY ESTABLISHED IN THE SOLID BIBLE DOCTRINES – THEY WILL BE READY TO:
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
SUGGESTIONS FOR GIVING THE INVITATION:
After sharing God’s Plan of Salvation, invite the person to whom you are witnessing, to accept, by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior. You can ask them to kneel with you, but no pressure! If you just get down on your knees, it is likely that they will follow – but it is not necessary. If you are on an airplane, or in a foxhole, kneeling is not going to happen. You lead the way!
While you are kneeling, or other posture of reverence, out loud, pray that the Lord will convict him of his sinfulness, and bring him to a state of repentance. If he does not follow you, then arise and make another appointment to meet with him again. If he does follow you to his knees, ask the Lord to save him now. You will need to lead him – like a baby. Yes – even coach- if need be. Just be sure, that however you do it, that he/she acknowledges the complete Gospel. Be sure he:
Admits God loves him
Admits Christ died bearing his sins
Thanks the Lord for convicting him
Admits that he is a sinner
Admits that he is dead in sins
Admits that he cannot save himself
Cries out to the Lord to save him
Please don’t be preoccupied with the “sinner’s prayer.” Let the Holy Spirit lead you, as you lead the lost one to his Savior. The prayer should flow from the heart – not a prescribed formula from an “expert.”
When you finish leading him through prayer, stand up, and ask him – “Did you by faith accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?” If he says yes, confirm it – “Upon the authority of God’s Word you are now a child of God.” Give thanks and praise to God!
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
WHEN YOU ARE WITNESSING TO SOMEONE, THERE ARE SEVEN PROVEN STEPS TO TAKE WHEN SHARING GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION.
1. The best place to start – is with your own, personal testimony. Not your life story! It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to tell how the LORD saved you. As you come to the close of giving your testimony – that would be a good time to bring out your Bible – or a tract or booklet containing God’s Plan of Salvation. Try saying – “May I share with you God’s Plan of Salvation that changed my life?”
2. The first thing to cover, would be fact #1 – GOD LOVES YOU. Read John 3:16, and talk more about how much someone must love to sacrifice themselves for another. Be frank, and ask the person if they will admit that God loves them. Lead them to admit it if you need to. This admission enacts their participation in God’s Plan of Salvation.
3. The next step, will be to cover Fact#2 – IT IS A FACT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER. Read directly from Romans 3:23, and make sure that the person understands that you, along with everyone else, has fallen short of the glory of God. It is not a matter of comparing ourselves with the sinfulness of others – it is how we compare to God’s standards. After the person has taken this in, ask them if they will now admit they are a sinner. It may require some prompting from you – which is normal. But the person needs to know, that God’s loves them, even though they are sinful.
4. After the two admissions, the next step will be to share Fact #3 – YOU ARE NOW DEAD IN SINS. Read directly from Romans 6:23, making sure he/she fully understands what death is according to Scripture. When you are sure they understand what death is, ask them to admit that they are dead in sins. Stress, that even though they are dead in sins, that God still loves them.
5. At this point, share Fact #4 – CHRIST DIED FOR YOU. Read Romans 5:6, emphasizing that Jesus Christ, judged completely innocent, took upon Himself the sins of the world. Ask him/her to admit that Christ died for them, personally. The person needs to know, that Christ loves them so much, that He died on Calvary bearing their sins. He did not die for the righteous – He died for sinners.
6. Now share with them Fact #5 – YOU CAN BE SAVED BY FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Read Acts 16:30, stressing that they must believe in their heart, their innermost being, that –
Christ died for our sins
He was buried
He rose again the third day
Ask the person to acknowledge the Gospel, and be ready to ask him/her to accept Christ as their personal Savior.
7. If they have actually done all of the above, now would be the time to lead them to call upon the name of the Lord in prayer. There is no formulaic prayer!
Please make full use of God’s Plan of Salvation, which may be printed off from this site – free of charge. It will greatly fortify your soul winning endeavors. The next segment covers How to Give the Invitation!.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
How simple this parable appears on the surface – yet we could plumb the depths of it for the rest of our lives. The Parable of the Sower aptly demonstrates for us, among other things, the importance of “follow through.” Only one fourth of the seed that was sown, brought forth fruit. The Lord explained the Parable in the verses 18-23:
The sower is the witness
The seed is the Word of God
The soil is the heart of the sinner
We also learn that there are four different kinds of hearts:
The hard heart; this is the wayside heart; fertile but hard
The shallow heart; this is the stony soil, fertile but depthless
The worldly heart; this is the thorny soil; fertile but possessed
The understanding heart; this is the good soil; fertile and prepared
Simple and straightforward – if we expect the seed (the Word of God) to take root and bear fruit, the sinner’s heart must be made ready.
The hard heart must be broken
The shallow heart must be given depth
The worldly heart must learn that the things of this world are temporal
CULTIVATING THE SOIL (SINNER’S HEARTS) REQUIRES TIME, WORK, AND PATIENCE. VERY FEW SOULS ARE WON ON THE FIRST ENCOUNTER. GO THROUGH ALL THE DOCTRINES – STARTING WITH THE FACT THAT THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD, PROGRESSING TO THE DEITY OF CHRIST, ALL THE WAY TO GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION.
If you are unsure of any of the fundamental doctrines – please make use of the Apologetics and Doctrines page. You are free to print off and use all of it.
Never fear beloveds! This is easier than you think. Often we are afraid of giving witness, because we just don’t know how to approach the “target.” Sometimes, it seems, the Lord places someone right in our paths. Other times, it may seem as though it’s been a long time between witnessing opportunities.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO APPROACH THE PERSON YOU ARE WITNESSING TO:
1. The direct approach. This approach can be used when witnessing to:
A relative. Andrew used the direct approach with his brother Simon Peter, bringing him to Christ. John 1:40-42
A friend. Philip the apostle used the direct approach to bring Nathaniel to Christ. John 1: 45-46
The concerned. Jesus Christ used the direct approach to win the heart of Nicodemus. John 3: 1-21
The seeker. Paul and Silas used the direct approach to lead the Philippian jailer to Christ. Acts 16: 19-34
2. The second, is the indirect approach. This approach can be used when witnessing to:
A stranger. Jesus used the indirect approach to win the heart of the Samaritan women. John 4: 7-26
The religious. Philip the evangelist used the indirect approach to lead the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ. Acts 8: 26-39
Never be afraid to share your faith! The method used, will vary according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Either way – direct or indirect – be sure to follow through (the subject of the next article on How to Witness) until you have presented God’s Plan of Salvation and invited them to accept Christ as their personal Savior. Remember that you have the witness of your faith to add strength to your work – and that witnessing for Him – is the true work of every child of God.
Isaiah 43:10-12
10 Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:
7 Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
A QUALIFIED WITNESS IS ONE WHO IS:
1. Established in the faith.
This does not exclude young believers! Even the young can be mature – spiritually. To be established in the faith is to be rooted and grounded in God’s Word. Peter said, “Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” 1 Peter 3:15 The doctrinal studies on this blog, in your Sunday school class, and other sources are there to help you get firmly anchored in His Holy Word. Study them, and carry your Bible with you to ponder any portion of one of the great doctrines. They will give you a rock solid foundation to build your faith on. And in this day and age – it is easier than ever to carry the Word with you via technology.
2. Saved and know it!
I know that I am saved, because God tells me so in His Word and God cannot lie! You and I have the same witness! We have the:
Witness of the Spirit. Rom. 8:16 – The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Witness of the Word. 1 John 5:13 – These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Witness of saving faith. 1 John 5: 9,10 – 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of His Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.
There is nothing more important than reaching the lost for Christ. Nothing. If it is important to you ( and as a child of God it should be ) make an effort to be rooted firmly in the Bible, and then you will be able to speak volumes with very few words! In a courtroom setting, the witnesses are chosen based on their credibility. Our firm conviction that we are saved, and our absolute faith and dependance in the Word of God is our credibility to witness for Him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
It is of vital importance NOT to lift the above verse out of context. Many, many false shepherds stop with verse thirteen – leading to many, many false conversions. Progressing to the next verse – the Lord gives us three essential questions, that must be considered along with verse thirteen.
Romans 10:14
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
1. The first question, “How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed?”
The answer? The lost CANNOT call on the Lord to be saved until they believe –
That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
That Christ was buried.
That Christ rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor. 15:1-4)
2. The second question – “How shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard?”
The answer? The lost CANNOT believe in Him until they hear the good news of salvation.
3. The third question, “How shall they hear without a preacher (witness)?”
The answer? They CANNOT hear the good news of salvation without a witness.
Three thousand were saved at Pentecost because of the witnessing of the 120.
The eunuch was saved because Philip witnessed.
Paul was saved because Stephen witnessed. (Acts 7: 54-60), and Jesus the God-man witnessed, and Annanias witnessed. (Acts 9:1-18)
Cornelius and his house were saved because Peter witnessed.
The Philippian jailer and his house were saved because Paul and Silas witnessed.
You were saved because someone witnessed to you.
According to the inspired Word of God, the lost CANNOT be saved without a witness. They must have a witness to hear, they must hear to believe, they must believe to call on Him, and they must call on Him in order to be saved. But – they CANNOT call until they believe, and they CANNOT believe until they hear, and the CANNOT hear without a witness!
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
we are not born with saving faith. it only comes when we hear the gospel. it is of utmost importance that every single born again child of god is obedient to the word of god.
One day, as Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw two fishermen, Simon (later named Peter) and his brother Andrew. He said unto them . . .
Matt. 4:19
Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.
SOUL WINNERS ARE MADE – NOT BORN! FOR YOU TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS – YOU MUST BE TRAINED, EQUIPPED, AND MOTIVATED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Our Lord spent three years teaching and training His disciples in the art of soul winning. After His resurrection, He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the “promise of the Father.” [Acts 4:1-8] When the disciples asked if He would restore the kingdom right then, He told them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” It is not the job of the church to predict or focus on the Tribulation, or be continuously searching for hidden meanings in natural events. Our job is to witness! “and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
ANY BELIEVER WHO ACQUIRES THE KNOW- HOW, CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE SOUL WINNER!
You can know – that you and the Holy Spirit are a witnessing team.
Acts 5:32
And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.
Therefore, when you are witnessing, remember that you are not alone!
1 Corinthians 6:19
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
WHEN YOU WITNESS, YOU CAN TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THREE THINGS –
Illuminate the mind of the unbeliever. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. All lost souls are in spiritual darkness. 2 Cor. 4:3 – But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Stir the heart of the unbeliever. As Peter preached Christ to the listeners . . . Acts 2:37 – Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Move the will of the unbeliever. When the prodigal son “came to himself,” and returned home he said. . . Luke 15:18 – I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. . . The prodigal had a change of will.
Many graduates of Bible schools have learned all of the up-to-date techniques for “modern” soul winning. They may even be able to quote the necessary Scriptures without flaw, and stir an emotional response from their audience. But, if witnessing is not done in the power of the Holy Spirit, all their witnessing efforts will be ineffective. As we progress though this series on effective witnessing, please keep your heart and mind open to the Holy Spirit, and be willing to become Fishers of Men.
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”
The best fishermen not only know where the fish are biting, but exactly what type of bait or lure is needed to catch the big ones. That’s why I say that the best fisherman of all is not a man but a bird.
The black heron knows exactly where and when the fish are biting. He goes fishing for his food by wading into shallow lakes and ponds. But there’s a problem. Fish avoid the water’s surface to avoid the bright rays of the sun. Even if a fish does come close to the surface, the black heron is unable to see it because he is blinded by the sun’s reflection.
But like I said, this bird is a master fisherman. What he does is shape his wings into a large black umbrella. He then crouches down until his wings are almost touching the water, effectively turning daylight into darkness, and attracting fish to the shade. Under cover of his umbrella, the black heron pokes his head into the water and comes out with a squirming fish in his beak.
This kind of fishing is known as canopy feeding. How did the black heron learn to fish like this? Creationists know, but evolutionists have no reasonable answer. They only have a term. Yes, evolutionists are good at coming up with terms like “canopy feeding”, but when it comes to explaining how such a thing originated in the first place, they are still very much in the dark.
This article intrigued me so much, that I decided to investigate further. My father was an avid fisherman, and always took the boat to shady areas of the lake for the best fishing. Even my mother would have admitted that my dad’s brain was larger than the umbrella bird’s brain is. This is another fascinating example of God’s provision and care. My father learned through experience to fish in shady areas. The Black Heron does this without being taught.
From wiki: The black heron (Egretta ardesiaca) also known as the black egret, is an Africanheron. It is a medium-sized (42.5–66 cm in height), black-plumaged heron with black legs and yellow feet. It is found south of the Sahara Desert, including Madagascar, and prefers shallow open waters, such as the edges of freshwater lakes and ponds. It may also be found in marshes, river edges, rice fields, and seasonally flooded grasslands. In coastal areas, it may be found feeding along tidal rivers and creeks, in alkaline lakes, and tidal flats. Its breeding range is between Senegal and Sudan and to the south. It is found mainly on the eastern half of the continent. It has also been observed in Greece.[2]
This map displays the Black Heron’s (umbrella birds) distribution:
Notice the narrator in the next video repeatedly mentions how amazing it is that this bird “adapted” itself to fish in this ingenious manner. Very clever bird-brain!
As you can see, black heron are colony nest builders. Many heron families live together in the same large tree. It is quite noisy at feeding time!
IN THE BIBLE, ALL HERON SPECIES ARE IN THE LIST OF UNCLEAN FLYING CREATURES.
Leviticus 11:18-20
18 And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,
19 And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
20 All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.
Deuteronomy 14:17-19
17 And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,
18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
19 And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.
It is to be noted that birds of prey, and carnivorous animals were named as being abominations for food. While we are not under such dietary laws now – it is interesting to think about God’s care for His people. Animals and birds that eat other creatures are prone to more parasites and diseases than herbivores are. Scientifically – they are not safe to eat!http://www.eufic.org/article/en/food-safety-quality/animal-health/expid/review-animal-diseases/
Egyptian and other cultures surrounding Israel, had diets that included many of these “unclean” animals.
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
Even children learn that plants and animals depend on one another. Plants release oxygen for animals to breathe, and plants make food—mostly sugar—for animals to eat. In turn, animals produce carbon dioxide so plants can grow using sunlight. This ecological interdependence shows enough divine design to inspire any honest thinker to consider a Creator, but a recently discovered interaction between pitcher plants and bats shows even more.1
Pitcher plants in tropical Borneo, the largest island in Asia, attract a particular species of bat to roost right inside their pitchers. The plants absorb nitrogen from the bat waste that drops to the bottom of the pitchers, and the bats enjoy comfy digs. Researchers already knew that pitcher plants in South American jungles grow flowers that attract bats for pollination, but the Asian version is unique. They give bats a safe place to roost during daylight hours. How do bats discern these preferred pitcher plants from the surrounding dense jungle foliage, and does the answer to that question help explain how this all might have evolved?
German specialists worked with biologists from Brunei, Borneo to track down the specifics on how pitcher plants attract bats. They published their results in Current Biology.2 The pitcher plants present concave reflectors that attract their bat buddies. Bats’ high-pitched sound waves bounce off the reflector, so it stands out against the drab-sounding jungle background. The pitcher’s sonic reflector has three other precise design features.
1. The plant’s reflector is situated just above the pitcher’s opening. To the bat, the reflector sounds very loud, but the opening below absorbs sound. The bats easily pick out this distinct contrast.
2. The area containing the reflector is larger than related pitcher plants that attract insects, increasing its sonic signal.
3. It reflects distinct sonic patterns on either side so that the bats can detect it from many angles.
The plant reflector’s size and side-reflecting patterns only work when a certain range of sound frequencies strike it. Of course, these exactly match the vocal range of these local bats, which happen to hold the record for highest frequencies of all bats so far measured. For more about animal sonar, watch our short video here.
How did all this interdependent fine-tuning happen? For a pitcher plant to construct the right size and shape reflector in the right place, it needs just the right building instructions in its DNA. And no number of high-pitched bat calls can somehow reach into plant-seed DNA and write new reflector construction code.
The Current Biology study authors wrote, “In the Neotropics, a few bat-pollinated plants found an efficient solution to attract bats by developing floral ultrasound reflectors, which enabled them to exploit the bats’ echolocation system.”2 But when is the last time a plant, animal, or any non-person willfully changed its DNA to solve an environmental challenge? Plus, how would these plants ever “know” about the benefits of bat guano’s nitrogen until after they already had fully formed bat homes to attract it?
The plants found no solution, developed no reflectors, and exploited no echolocation. People alone can perform these kinds of creative tasks, and the best example is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible.”3
Pitcher plant reflectors reflect creation—His creation—and this interdependent pitcher plant-bat system showcases the ingenious design within that creation.
References
Also, all animals either directly or indirectly get their necessary sugar energy from plants. See Demick, D. 2000. The Unselfish Green Gene. Acts & Facts. 29 (7): i-iv.
Schoner, M. G. et al. 2015. Bats Are Acoustically Attracted to Mutualistic Carnivorous Plants. Current Biology. 25 (14): 1911-1916.
Colossians 1:16a.
*Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
In the Bible, bats are considered “night birds.” They are mentioned as being unclean to eat, and are also mentioned as part of the end-times judgment. Bats are fascinating creatures in God’s creation. They testify of His wonders, and may we never tire of learning about Him.
Leviticus 11: 13And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, 14And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; 15Every raven after his kind; 16And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, 17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, 19And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
Isaiah 2: 17And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 18And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 19And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 20In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; 21To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
The Scriptural use of bats relates to the spiritual darkness of man in the world. They fly only at night, which is the same domain of the spiritually lost. The light of the world is Jesus Christ, the god of this world is Satan, and there is no light in him. Lucifer is the false light. The light that the evil one emits, can be likened to the light given off by electric bug zappers. The insects fly towards the light, which deceives them into thinking it is the moon. But, the false light of the bug zapper, only leads to their destruction, just as the false light of Lucifer leads to man’s destruction.
Jesus is the Light of the World. As believers, we reflect His glorious light to a lost and dying world.
2 Corinthians 4:3-5
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth.
A rainbow is a multi-colored arc that forms in the sky.
Rainbows are created by both reflection and refraction (bending) of light in water(Jesus is the Water of Life) droplets in the atmosphere, which results in a spectrum of light appearing.
A rainbow is in fact a full circle of light.(Jesus is the Light of the World)However, due to most people viewing a rainbow on the ground we only see a semi-circle or arc of the rainbow.
A rainbow is not situated at a specified distance, instead it will always be visible to a person at the precise angle freshwater droplets reflect the light which is 42 (6×7) degrees in the opposite direction of the sun.
A rainbow is not an object, it cannot be approached or physically touched.
No two people see the same rainbow, in fact even our individual eyes see slightly different rainbows. If someone appears to be standing under a rainbow you can see, they will see a different rainbow at the same angle but further away.
Rainbows can be seen not just in rain but also mist, spray, fog, and dew, whenever there are water drops in the air and light shining from behind at the right angle.
Sir Isaac Newton identified the 7 colors of the visible spectrum that together make up white light. All of which are present in a rainbow in the order red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (the acronym or name ROY G BIV is a good way to remember these colors and their order).
Most rainbows we see will be a “primary rainbow” whereby the color red can be seen on the outer edge through to violet on the inner edge.
The sky within a primary rainbow is brighter than the sky outside of the arc. This is due to the fact that the millions of droplets needed to make a rainbow are spherical and overlap to create white light. At the edge however, these colored discs don’t overlap so display their individual colors producing the rainbow arc.
A “double rainbow” is where a second, much fainter arc can be seen outside of the primary arc. This is caused by the light reflecting twice inside the water droplets. As a result of this double reflection the colors of the second arc are inverted with violet on the outer edge and red on the inner edge.
The dark, unlit sky between the primary arc and secondary arc is called Alexander’s band, after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it in 200 AD.
Very rarely, light can be reflected 3 or 4 times within a water droplet which produces even fainter tertiary (third) and quaternary (fourth) rainbows in the direction of the sun.
A “moonbow” is a rare lunar rainbow or night time rainbow produced by light from the moon. Our eyes see it as white even though all colors are faintly present.
A “fogbow” is formed by cloud and fog droplets, they are almost white with very faint colors visible. Fogbows are quite large and much broader than a rainbow.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
The light of the sun is made up of seven distinct colors as shown in the rainbow. In music, there are seven distinct notes. Seven is often referred to as God’s seal. It is the perfect number. The number of completion. The number seven speaks of Perfection, Completion, and Eternal.
There are “literally” thousands of “patterns of sevens” in the 66 Books of the Bible.
When we see or think of rainbows, let us be awestruck at His Holiness and Majesty. How insignificant we are in face of all creation. Truly, His ways are so far above ours, that it should bring us to a point of rapture just thinking about it all. How He reveals Himself to us through His creation, is thrilling beyond anything.
Psalm 8:2-4
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?
Psalm 139:5-7
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
Recent discoveries of symbiotic relationships in nature, have been blanketed with the ubiquitous label “co-evolution.” Never mind that it is mathematically and statistically impossible, the creation deniers soothe themselves with this bizarre idea. One single organism evolving is far fetched enough. But two organisms evolving to be interdependent? No algorithm can be developed to cover any such mechanisms.
‘All of the problems with evolutionary theory, as outlined in Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome, have now been rigorously proven using numerical simulation. We did this using “Mendel’s Accountant”, a state-of-the-art computer analytical tool for genetic systems. Five scientists—John Baumgardner, Wes Brewer, Paul Gibson, Walter ReMine, and I—developed this tool. We reported these new findings in two secular publications, and they will soon be discussed in a second book, Genetic Entropy and Mendel’s Accountant.’
People often take for granted the natural world around them. When baking, do you stop to wonder in amazement at your bottle of vanilla extract? I hope so. It is truly a miracle, just as everything in God’s Creation is.
Vanilla Stumps Evolutionists
Genesis 1:11
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”
The next time you enjoy a vanilla ice cream cone, keep in mind that vanilla wouldn’t even exist if evolution were true. Evolutionists don’t have a blooming idea about the origin of a special symbiotic relationship between a particular flower and a very special bee.
You see, vanilla comes from the vanilla planifolia plant which develops into the Mexican vanilla orchid. Unlike most orchids, this one blooms only one morning each year. The orchid also has a hood-like membrane that covers the part that produces pollen. These two facts make pollination almost impossible.
But the God who created this plant also created the Mexican Melipona Bee – the only insect that knows how to pollinate the orchid. After landing on the flower, the bee lifts up the hood, collects the pollen and then flies off to another flower. Once pollinated, the orchid produces a vanilla bean. If not pollinated within eight to twelve hours, the flower wilts and drops from the mother vine.
Without the Mexican Melipona Bee, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy any of the delicious foods made with vanilla extract. So we would ask evolutionists – which came first: the orchid or the bee? And how did the bee learn to pollinate the vanilla orchid?
At best, evolutionists can only offer guesses. But creationists know that the bee and the flower are a match made in heaven. They enjoy a symbiotic relationship so that each can survive … and so we can enjoy the fruit of their labor!
This video demonstrates human beings hand pollinating vanilla orchids in Uganda. It is not easy to do! The stingless Melipona bee does not need to be taught how to pollinate the Vanilla orchid. It is what they do.
As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
We serve a Holy and Wonderful God. As “earth day” (April 22) is celebrated by pagans around the world, let us pause to worship the creator of this earth, and the fascinating variety of life and beauty that comes from His handiwork.
Truly – I thought I knew about every kind of hummingbird there was. One word will describe this jewel of God’s creation – breathtaking.
Isaiah 28:5
“In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people.”
In 1835, when scientists first saw Peru’s most unusual hummingbird, they were so overcome with its beauty that they gave it the name “Marvellous”.
This little bird treats the eye to iridescent green, yellow, orange, and purple feathers. But its most unusual feature is its tail. While most birds have eight to twelve tail feathers, the Marvelous hummingbird has only four. Two of these are long, pointed, thorn-like feathers that don’t seem to help much in flying or landing. The other two feathers are truly marvelous. They are six inches long, three times the length of the bird’s two-inch body. On the end of these two long narrow feathers are large feather fans that nearly equal the surface area of its wings.
Astonishingly, the Marvellous hummingbird has complete control of these feathers. At rest, the bird perches with these two feathers hanging down an inch or so from its body, and then crossing them until they are horizontal. In flight and landing, they provide remarkable maneuverability. During mating, the hummingbird moves them as semaphores. Interestingly enough, evolutionists admit that they are stumped as to why these unusual feathers should have evolved.
Watching the video makes me wonder what the Garden of Eden was really like, and wonder further what it will be like when He returns and restores everything. Sigh . . .
Psalm 86:10
For Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary – the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.
Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience. [wikipidea.org]
Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience. [wikipidea.org]
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7
The black heron knows exactly where and when the fish are biting. He goes fishing for his food by wading into shallow lakes and ponds. But there’s a problem. Fish avoid the water’s surface to avoid the bright rays of the sun. Even if a fish does come close to the surface, the black heron is unable to see it because he is blinded by the sun’s reflection.
You see, vanilla comes from the vanilla planifolia plant which develops into the Mexican vanilla orchid. Unlike most orchids, this one blooms only one morning each year. The orchid also has a hood-like membrane that covers the part that produces pollen. These two facts make pollination almost impossible.
The Vine Vigil 
