Ed Colley

The Presence of Christ

2011-08-16T10:55:00.003-05:00

Man has at his best longed for something more than a mere knowledge of an omnipresent God. Man at his worst has fled from the place where God met personally with him, showing proof of a darkened mind resulting from a tragic fall.

Let us focus for a few moments on the Presence of Christ. We acknowledge with gratitude that the divine attribute of Omnipresence is attributed to Christ. Scripture tells us much of His localized presence. This is by no means an attempt to think less of blessings brought to bear on our souls by the manifested presence of God the Father or God the Holy Spirit. However, given our marvelous union with the Son of God, our interest in the value of His present work and our longing for the Blessed Hope, His personal return to set up His kingdom, we want our minds and hearts to be enlarged as we think and meditate upon the Bible’s story of the theme at hand, The Presence of Christ.

His presence cheers the heart and soothes the soul. Those who have been privileged to encounter Him directly have deemed it a blessing greatly desired to stay with Him. The Gadarene demoniac, harassed by the dark forces of evil, upon deliverance, sat with Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. He was so enamored with what the Lord had done for him that he would go with Him on further journeys. This the Lord denied, but the story is enough to reinforce how precious the presence of Christ is when the dear delivered one demonstrated the longing of his soul.

Mary, a sister of busy Martha and loving Lazarus, chose the better thing. She sat at His feet while He taught and soaked up the time with Him. His presence caused to fade into the background all non-essential earthly responsibilities for this woman.

The disciples eventually began to understand our Lord’s message to them that He would die. His death, they saw, would cause them to be left alone without their leader and love. While fear was present, sadness was there, too. Our Lord knew their concerns and promised that after His death He would not leave them orphans. He fulfilled His promise when He breathed on them saying, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit” and pronouncedly so at Pentecost where they were filled with Christ’s vice-regent for proclaiming the ‘wonderful works of God’.

Even now, saints gather, maybe few in number or maybe many, and have no more important promise to claim than what our Lord said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. His presence for that assembly elevates the mundane to the supernatural and sometimes even the ecstatic. To walk away from such a gathering and be able to say, “Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place”, encourages the saints and can serve as a testimony to those on the outside. It is all about His presence. Without it, a church may meet, but they are a shell. A lamp stand being removed, Christ distancing himself from an assembly, is such an awful thought to the spiritual minded man or woman that they are wise to choose the repent option presented by our Lord where He makes it clear what may cause Him to take such drastic action.

The future, what of it? Will not His presence on the earth bring unparalleled peace, joy and justice to a sin-cursed world? And, is not the grand object of desire for the saved to be among that number who will meet Him in the air upon His return? There is something about His presence! It is alluring. Those that are privileged to be near Him as the first fruits in the future, do so, “and they followed the Lamb, whithersoever He went”. It may be their duty, but because of the One whom they follow, it is their blessed privilege.

As rich as it is to consider His presence with us, it is equally blessed to consider our presence with Him. His High Priestly prayer of John 17 included a request for us to be with Him where He is that we may see His glory. Paul said to “depart and be with Christ is far better”. It seems to me that there is a great matter to consider here. Our immediate enjoyment of the “far better” upon death is one type of being in His presence. Our resurrected state where we will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds and “so shall we ever be with the Lord” is another type of enjoying His presence: a different body, a different abode highlighted by being with Him.

Jubilation for Justice

2011-05-02T11:39:00.001-05:00

On May 1, 2011 the world heard of the demise of a long sought after criminal. He was openly responsible for violent acts against the United States of America. He, while living, strategized for and encouraged others who would kill, maim or otherwise harm any American or ally of America. By definition, he was an enemy of the USA.

In the moments, hours and days following, the news of his death brought reaction. Crowds gathered at high profile places. Outside of the White House, at Ground Zero in New York City, at military academies, and elsewhere people assembled and displayed their feelings for the death of one who saw their beloved country as a foe to be taken from its position of power and made subservient to his ends.

The reaction was jubilation. At long last, almost 10 years from the date this man’s hallmark plot to kill came to fruition, the nation could breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, vengeance had taken place. The one who killed had now been slain. The one whose voice was used to mock and taunt his enemy was now silenced. Retribution, to the highest order, had occurred at the hands of the one whom the destroyer sought to unseat. Crowds sang patriotic songs, chanted, ‘USA, USA’ and in other ways showed that they were so happy for this day in America. Justice had been done!

In a recent message from Revelation 19 that was primarily focused on the marriage of the Lamb and His bride, it was pointed out that the word, ‘Alleluia’ was used only four times in the New Testament and they all appear in that chapter. Further, it was shown that the word was used by the Psalmist on multiple occasions, sometimes at the beginning of a Psalm, sometimes at the end and sometimes at both the beginning and the end.

Of particular interest was the reason for the use of the word which means ‘Praise Ye Jah’. In Revelation 19, understanding the time and setting is important. John has been privileged to observe a scene, even yet future, in heaven. It is ‘after these things’ that this particular scene unfolds. The ‘these things’ include the beginnings of the outpourings of the wrath of God. Bowls of wrath have been emptied on the inhabitants of the earth. A mysterious woman whose influence was widespread and mighty (for it affected the ‘kings of the earth’) had been judged by the One whose judgments are ever ‘true and righteous’. Further, this unleashing of God’s judgment was for the cause of ‘aveng[ing] the blood of His servants’, something for which they had long sought. Men, in short, suffered horribly and many died.

The ones who suffered at the hand of God were not innocents. They carried all the marks of, and were in fact, enemies of His. They openly rebelled against the ‘Lord of heaven and earth’. They hated and killed His servants.

The heavenly host reacted to these acts of God. They were acts of justice! The Lord had at long last taken action against those who hate Him and His people. Their reaction was one of jubilation. They praised Him profusely. Multitudes did not contain their joy and exulted with words of highest admiration. It was as if a portion of the Song of Moses was taken to its highest meaning: ‘The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea’.

Make no mistake, the Bible makes it clear that God has enemies and that He will take vengeance on them. Rebellion began in heaven with Satan. It showed up on earth in the first man. By continually resisting God’s place and authority the rebel proves himself to be an enemy of the one in authority. Furthermore, man in his natural state is no innocent in the matter. All men are ‘enemies in their mind by wicked works’. Apart from God’s electing, quickening, saving grace men will remain in that state and find themselves among the number that the Lord will take vengeance upon. This vengeance will take the form of punishment in Hades upon death and permanence of suffering in the lake of fire upon final judgment at the Great White Throne, the Second Death.

Today is a day of grace. The gospel preacher, knowing the terror of the Lord persuades men. They cry for men to repent and offer pardon to rebels. They do not call fire out of heaven to destroy but rather leave the day of vengeance to the Lord.

But, when the time is ripe for judgment, the mindset of the believer will be in unison with his Lord. They will rejoice that the ‘wicked are consumed from the earth’. What seems so foreign to us now, praising God for judging the wicked, will become a source of jubilation to us then. For then, just as with the enemy of state recently killed, justice will have been served. This time, however, the one who doles out justice will be God himself.

2010 Bible Conference

2010-06-14T07:03:00.001-05:00

You can click here to get directly to sermons preached in the 2010 Bible Conference at Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Dothan, Alabama.

Who Teacheth My Hands to War and My Fingers to Fight

2010-06-08T08:58:00.003-05:00

Below are Spurgeon's thoughts on the above expression in Psalm 144:1. I have emphasized words of particular interest to me with bold. We all have our realm of service and we need strength and training to perform our tasks well:

Which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. The word rock is the Hebrew way of expressing strength: the grand old language is full of such suggestive symbols. The Psalmist in the second part of the verse sets forth the Lord as teacher in the arts of war. If we have strength we are not much the better unless we have skill also. Untrained force is often an injury to the man who possesses it, and it even becomes a danger to those who are round about him; and therefore the Psalmist blesses the Lord as much for teaching as for strength. Let us also bless Jehovah if he has in anything made us efficient. The tuition mentioned was very practical, it was not so much of the brain as of the hands and fingers; for these were the members most needful for conflict. Men with little scholastic education should be grateful for deftness and skill in their handicrafts. To a fighting man the education of the hands is of far more value than mere book learning could ever be; he who has to use a sling or a bow needs suitable training, quite as much as a scientific man or a classical professor. Men are too apt to fancy that an artisan's efficiency is to be ascribed to himself; but this is a popular fallacy. A clergyman may be supposed to be taught of God, but people do not allow this to be true of weavers or workers in brass; yet these callings are specially mentioned in the Bible as having been taught to holy women and earnest men when the tabernacle was set up at the first. All wisdom and skill are from the Lord, and for them he deserves to be gratefully extolled. This teaching extends to the smallest members of our frame; the Lord teaches fingers as well as hands; indeed, it sometimes happens that if the finger is not well trained the whole hand is incapable.
David was called to be a man of war, and he was eminently successful in his battles; he does not trace this to his good generalship or valour, but to his being taught and strengthened for the war and the fight. If the Lord deigns to have a hand in such unspiritual work as fighting, surely he will help us to proclaim the gospel and win souls; and then we will bless his name with even greater intensity of heart. We will be pupils, and he shall be our Master, and if we ever accomplish anything we will give our Instructor hearty blessing.
This verse is full of personality; it is mercy shown to David himself which is the subject of grateful song. It has also a presence about it; for Jehovah is now his strength, and is still teaching him; we ought to make a point of presenting praise while yet the blessing is on the wing. The verse is also preeminently practical, and full of the actual life of every day; for David's days were spent in camps and conflicts. Some of us who are grievously tormented with rheumatism might cry, "Blessed be the Lord, my Comforter, who teacheth my knees to bear in patience, and my feet to endure in resignation"; others who are on the look out to help young converts might say, "Blessed be God who teaches my eyes to see wounded souls, and my lips to cheer them"; but David has his own peculiar help from God, and praises him accordingly. This tends to make the harmony of heaven perfect when all the singers take their parts; if, we all followed the same score, the music would not be so full and rich.

The Heart of the Saviour

2010-02-11T16:23:00.003-06:00

The Lord seems to place in my path at work from time to time people that I need in a special way.

A second shift janitor a few years back would brighten my day as she came by and shared with me her joys and burdens ever so briefly and simply.

Now, I have another friend. I hear the door open close to my office at 2:45pm almost every day that he works. His presence cannot be missed because of his loud booming voice which fits quite proportionately to his tall, slender frame. My life is richer for knowing him. I have learned that we have one common interest: the Saviour. He listens to BBN and absorbs much of what he has heard over the years from sound men. We have had several conversations that went well beyond the surface of spiritual things and delved into a depth of Bible knowledge that only comes by study and a heart that is willing to submit to what it is shown. I consider him 'highly favored'.

Today, this dear man, stopped by my office speaking with a voice tinged with sadness. 'What can you do', he says, 'when people that you love are going to hell?'. He does not hesitate to talk with others of Christ. And, he loves those to whom he talks. My response to his question was really only an observation, not an answer. 'You are showing that you have the heart of the Saviour', I said. Our Lord had compassion for the multitude for they were as sheep without a shepherd. He wept silently at Lazarus' grave. He wept openly over (the inhabitants of) Jerusalem. He loved His own to the uttermost and greatly desired to spend time with them at the last passover He observed before His death.

My friend loves people. My Saviour loves people. Oh, forgiveness I need for my cold, cold indifferent heart.

Guyana 2009

2009-12-23T12:22:00.002-06:00

This year another trip to Guyana took place. Traveling together with Dale Wallace, Michael Guy and Vann Sorrells we visited Brother Randy Nagaur. The routine was the about the same and the fellowship was just as sweet as it was in 2007.

Added to our pleasure was meeting and spending time with many of his family. His mother, two sisters, a brother-in-law and two sons were all there in Bloomfield village. At 93 years old it was Brother Randy's mother's first trip to Guyana. She lives in Trinidad as does his two sisters, Pearl and Marilyn.

It was blessing to witness anew the faithfulness to the Lord's work of the few and the interest of the many to attend the annual meetings. Overflow crowds at both Grace and Landmark Baptist churches in Bloomfield and #36 respectively sat and listened to gospel preaching. Seed was sown and we pray that it fell on hearts prepared.

For some our next meeting may be on the other side. This experience gave us something of a taste of what it will be like there, we trust.

Teach Me Lord to Number My Days - J.R. Miller

2009-11-24T09:47:00.002-06:00

Thanks, again to Dale Wallace for passing this along. Gracegems.org is a reference for this material.

Lord, teach me to number my days!

(J. R. Miller, "Life's Byways and Waysides")

"Teach us to number our days aright--that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

We so number our days aright, when we give to each one as it passes, its own measure of faithfulness. Our days come to us 'one by one'. God breaks up His great years, into 'little sections' for us--that we may be able to get along with our work, our burdens, and our struggles. Take the 'single days' as they come to you. He who has learned this secret--has gained a heart of wisdom.

Take the 'one little day', and . . .
do all its duties faithfully;
seize its opportunities;
endure its trials;
meet its temptations victoriously;
bear its burdens;
receive its blessings;
miss not its privileges;
do all the kindness you can;
make it a beautiful day.

Anyone can live 'one single day' sweetly and victoriously. Make today beautiful. Then do the same with tomorrow, and with the next day--and so on, to the end of your life! Thus you will 'number your days' in a way that will make each one profitable. Thus you will write on each day's page--a record of which you will not be ashamed, when it is spread before you on the judgment day.

Our morning prayer each day should be, "Lord, teach me to number my days!" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Letter Out of Grief

2009-11-13T15:23:00.004-06:00

This is a most humbling account of how a grieving pastor faced the loss of his three dear children. The thought that comes to mind is 'As thy days shall demand, shall thy strength ever be'.

The Hallowing of Our Burden by J.R. Miller

2009-10-23T10:50:00.002-05:00

This is a particularly good article in my opinion on how we should view our burdens.

Thanks to Brother Dale Wallace for sharing this today.

2009 Bible Conference Sermons Now Online

2009-06-16T08:10:00.001-05:00

Our 2009 Bible Conference is now history. Sermons are posted on-line for your listening and downloading.

We had a good conference with great preaching and good fellowship. Our Saviour was the central theme.

Bible Conference 2009

2009-05-05T12:21:00.002-05:00

Our annual Bible conference is to be held June 12-14 at GMBC Dothan. The theme this year is The Enigmatic Christ. You can see a list of scheduled speakers and their assigned topics and view the conference program by following this link.

Election: A Mystery Revealed

2009-01-24T14:57:00.005-06:00

"If you take the Bible as God's Word, you must expect that Bible to have in it some things that are dark to you. Mystery is dark and God is mysterious. 'Lo, these are parts of His ways, but how little a portion is heard of Him.' (Job 26:14) 'How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!' (Romans 11:33) 'Great is the mystery of godliness.' (I Timothy 3:16)

If the Bible is the Word of God it will tell us things that are strange to us, things that reason did not know and could not guess. What were the use of God's giving down from Heaven a revelation of things which we already know?

If the Bible is the Word of God, not only will it contain things strange, but contradictory to nature. 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.' (Isaiah 55:7,8,9.) 'The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them, but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.' (I Corinthians 2: 10-14)"

George S. Bishop "The Doctrines of Grace"

The Lord Direct Your Hearts Into the Love of God (II Thessalonians 3:5a)

2009-01-21T21:20:00.004-06:00

"All religion is in effect love. Faith is thankful acceptance, and thankfulness is an expression of love. Repentance is love mourning. Yearning for holiness is love seeking. Obedience is love pleasing. Self denial is the mortification of self love. Sobriety is the curtailing of carnal love."

A.W. Pink "Gleanings in Paul"

A Long Time Braves Fan and the Passing of a Legend

2008-08-18T21:06:00.002-05:00

Bear with me as I depart from the deeply spiritual to the deeply human...

Those who know me well know that I have been a Braves fan most of my life. Growing up within a couple of hours of Atlanta I have followed them very closely since 1966 when they first came to Atlanta from Milwaukee. As a child I listened to many a game at night in my bed with an earpiece to a transistor radio. The game would fade in and out (out at the most inopportune times). What happened after I fell asleep I would read about in the next day's paper (the daily Valley Times-News).

The voices of the Braves were very familiar to me. Ernie Johnson and Milo Hamilton are the two announcers I remember from the early years. After Milo left a newcomer, Skip Caray, came aboard and along with some other newcomers like Pete Van Wieren they made the game much more entertaining. TV took the place of radio but the voices were still important especially during those dry years when the Braves were perennial losers.

Happy days came and were with us for 15 titles. And, those voices, they just added to the delight! One of those voices will no longer be heard live. Skip Caray passed away recently. His eternal destiny I think about as a pastor. I cannot make the call as I am not privy to what transpired between he and his Maker before his last breath. I do know that Skip like all of us mortals have only one hope for right standing with God. The Lord has made it very plain that His Son paid the debt in full for His own through the shedding of His blood on the hill called Mount Calvary. He also makes it clear that one who believes on Him can not only have their sin debt paid in full but have the Son's righteousness placed to their account!

If you are a fan of the voices like Skip Caray's you will enjoy this tribute to him!

President George Washington's Prayer

2008-02-18T10:19:00.002-06:00

At Slice of Laodicea there is a post of a handwritten prayer of George Washington. President Washington seemed to have a good grasp of his mortality, his depravity, the need for a Saviour and Christ Jesus being the only One.

Happiness In Doing

2008-02-17T13:58:00.002-06:00

I think I am witnessing first hand today and in recent days the experience of a child of God who obeys. They have joy and peace.

Please see this blog entry in Symphony In Scripture about the joys of doing rather than just hearing.

Ever Wondered What Goes On At The National Cathedral in Washington DC?

2008-01-29T09:37:00.001-06:00

My most recent memory of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC is when Billy Graham and others spoke soon after 9/11/2001 at a time of great mourning and concern within our country.

Have you ever wondered what else takes place in that cathedral?

Take a look at this article at Slice of Laodicea and weep.

Wait and Watch

2008-01-27T14:48:00.000-06:00

And, what I say, I say unto you all, Watch. (Mark 13:37)

Here is an illustration by Donald Grey Barnhouse that aptly describes the difference between waiting (which we must and have to do) and watching for our Lord's return. Are we only waiting or are we waiting and watching?

In a city near Edinburgh, a large fishing fleet goes forth each year on a long expedition to the Newfoundland banks. When the fleet returns, the whole town is notified, and as the boats come over the horizon, everyone is at the dock waiting for loved ones who have been away for two, or three long months. On one such return, as the fleet approached the shore, the captain stood on the deck of one of the ships with his field glasses, reporting to the sailors. Naturally, they were all wondering about their loved ones. The captain said, "Jock, I see your Mamie and the two bairns there; Bill, there is your Freda; John, I see...". As he told each man of his family and wife, each was relieved to know that all was well - there had been no sickness no death. One man came to the captain and asked, "Do you see my wife there?" The captain turned and said, "I'm sorry Angus, I don't see her; she's not there." Angus began to worry because his wife was not in the crowd on the wharf. When the ship docked, the men greeted their loved ones, but Angus moved through the crowd looking everywhere for his wife; he could not find her. He passed quickly through the village to his house on a hill. With hurried step he opened the door - there was his wife. She said, "Oh, Angus, I've been waiting for you." He replied, "The wives of the other men were watching for them."

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should not be only waiting but also watching for the Lord to come.

Jim Elliot Journal Entry

2008-01-27T14:23:00.000-06:00

Jim Elliot was a missionary for a short time in Ecuador as his life was taken in 1955 by some of the very people to whom he was there to minister.

The following is a journal entry from the book "The Journals of Jim Elliott" edited by his wife Elisabeth Elliot. The entry is dated January 31, 1948 and is based on his thoughts from reading Genesis 37 that day. Jim was 20 years old when he wrote this. Consider the depth of understanding and the practical application evidenced in the writing of this very young man. Surely the Lord's hand was upon him for good.

Joseph was hated for three causes. First because it was evident that his father loved him (v.4). Then, because of his dreams and his word (v.8). So with the Savior. Because the power of God clothed Him with grace ("glory as of an only begotten son"[John 1:14]), they were moved to envy. His aspirations of a Kingdom built in the Spirit, wherein all things in heaven (stars) and earth (sheaves) would be subject to Him, called forth hatred. His reasoning and words maddened them, so that when He came seeking them, they plotted to destroy Him. "They could not speak peaceably to Him" (v.4). Jesus, like Joseph, was the Son of his Father's old age. In the realm of the supra temporal life before time began to flow, before matter could be known as either old or young, The Son Eternal was the object of His Father's affection, and He alone is cognizant of the experiences of His Father's "old age". At His revelation the Father clothed Him with the varitinted character of the God-man, so that we see in Christ's life such amazing paradoxes - the uniting of power and perfect love; the fusion of compassionate mercy and consuming truth; meekness and might; zeal and reticence so that He was taken for both fire-demanding Elijah and weeping Jeremiah - the pattern being so much more vivid for the contrasts. It was this many-colored coat that betrayed Him from afar so that His brethren could say, "Behold, the heir, let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours" (Matt. 21:38; Mark 12:7; Luke 20:14).

Guyana 2007

2007-12-25T06:41:00.000-06:00

December 13 through 20 of this year I traveled to Guyana under the auspices of Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Dothan, Alabama. A member of our church, Ted Sheldon, and a fellow laborer, Dale Wallace of Damascus Baptist and Bible Baptist in North Carolina made the trip as well. We went to visit with Brother Randolph Nagaur and participate in their Annual Fellowship at two of the three churches he oversees.

No building projects or medical work was carried out. That was not why we were invited to come. Our brother saw the need to have his people encouraged by brethren of like faith coming and preaching the gospel. If they were encouraged thank the Lord. I certainly was helped.

This work shows strong evidence in my opinion of the good hand of the Lord being upon it for over 40 years. Generations have now sat under the ministry of this faithful servant and the effects are being demonstrated across Guyana and to many other places in the world. In a time when most of Christendom are sure that it is impossible to minister without adopting the world's methods this work is a bright and shining example of how the Lord honors the steadfast, faithful preaching and teaching of His Word.

How the First Church Conducted Business

2007-12-09T15:50:00.000-06:00

This article by G.H. Lang presents a thought provoking analysis of how the first church at Jerusalem addressed a matter upon which the local body was initially divided. Lang's proposal is, I think, Biblical that churches should achieve unanimity before action rather than acting and hope for it.

Enjoy the article!

Online Sermons Now on Web Site

2007-12-08T06:48:00.000-06:00

Sermons preached at GMBC Dothan are now available on-line at the church's web site.

Let us know what you think.

The Preacher of Ecclesiastes

2007-10-07T06:16:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes is an inspired confession of failure and pessimism, when God is excluded, when man lives under the sun, and forgets the larger part, which is always over the sun, the eternal and abiding things. If you want to know what a man of great privilege, and of great learning and great wisdom can come to, read this record of a man who has put God out of count in his actual life. - G. Campbell Morgan

B.H. Carroll: A Great Baptist

2007-08-17T15:40:00.000-05:00

I am a Baptist. I do not esteem being a Baptist above being saved by God's grace. But, I do not shy away from being known as a Baptist. I am a Baptist not because I grew up in a Baptist home nor because I was saved under a Baptist pastor. I am a Baptist because what the Baptists believe that I identify with is as close to what the Scripture teaches as any other group I know.

A giant of a Baptist was a man named B.H. Carroll. I don't know that I have ever read an account of a man's conversion that had more of an effect upon me than B.H. Carroll's. I encourage you to go to this link. There you can read of his life and the effect it and his death had upon great Baptists of his day.

Is It Right?

2007-08-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

When we are faced with decisions and we see no clear cut Bible verse to tell us what is right or wrong then here are a few observations and questions that may help us do what is pleasing in the Lord's sight:

We should trust him to lead us (Proverbs 3:5-6)
He will guide the meek in judgment (Psalm 25:9) Note: AT Pierson defined 'meekness' as 'a real preference for God's will'.
Are we willing to do what is right once we know God's will? (John 7:17)
Does it agree with all the Scripture has to say on the subject? (2 Peter 1:20)
Have we prayed about it? (Philippians 4:6)
Do we have the leading of the Holy Spirit? (Romans 8:14)
Does it please God? (1 John 3:22)
Can we do it in the name of the Lord Jesus? (Colossians 3:17)
Can we give God thanks for it? (Colossians 3:17)
Does it bring glory to God? (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Does it offend other Christians? (1 Corinthians 8:13)
Am I fully persuaded that it is right? (Romans 14:5)
Have I sought the counsel of fellow believers? (Proverbs 24:6)

The Peril of Serving Other Gods

2007-08-04T06:30:00.000-05:00

After the fire fell on Mount Carmel and the people of Israel confessed their allegiance to the Lord God there were consequences for the prophets of Baal. In complete agreement with Scripture (Deuteronomy 13: 6-9) Elijah and the people lay hands on them and Elijah slays them (I Kings 18:40) .

Christ has introduced another dispensation under the New Testament; and the summary punishments of the Old Testament have been exchanged for long-suffering. Hence the righteous and the wicked grow on together until the harvest; but were the same mode of procedure adopted now as in the days of Moses and Elijah, there would be no end of the slaughter...But the woe pronounced against them "will surely come, it will not tarry" beyond the "appointed time".

Go on, ye hirelings and grievous wolves, in your thousand places of concourse, and persuade your poor flocks to sacrifice unto other gods than Him whom Abraham called his Lord, and whose goings were heard on the mountains of Israel. Go on, ye corrupters of youth, ye blind leaders of the blind, and, amidst the plaudits of the ignorant and ungodly, despise the sovereignty of the Ancient of days, that ye imagine on his throne a being of your own defining, that ye may dream the Almighty to be such a one as yourselves. Go on, ye people of rank and fashion, and proudly sneer at the true incarnate Jehovah of the Bible, and pay worship to the wisdom of the day! Alas! the angel is already flying in the dist of heaven and crying, "Wo! wo! wo! to the inhabitants of the earth!". The sword is already drawn to slay you, the pile of Tophet ordained of old is already erected, on which, forsaken by your imaginary gods, you will become flaming monuments for ever of the Divine justice, and of all holy vengeance."

From Elijah the Tishbite by F.W. Krummacher

Statesville Bible Camp 2007

2007-07-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

Edwin Dale, Jackson and I participated in the second week of the annual Statesville Bible Camp in Boone, North Carolina. We arrived on Wednesday mid-morning and left Friday after lunch. This camp is what its name claims: a Bible camp. The Word of God is taught to children and young people morning and evening. There are many evidences of the Lord God of heaven blessing this effort over its many years of existence. This week was no exception. The Unseen Hand moved powerfully but quietly to keep those in attendance safe from harm and its attendees free from strife that could have disrupted the proceedings.

Truth was proclaimed. Young and older alike heard eternal verities expounded with freshly provided vigor from God's servants. At the close of one of the sessions, Brother Dale Wallace, brought to the attention of the young listeners that the close-by Appalachian State University could provide their very best faculty to deliver what they would think to be the most important things for these young people to hear and none would be able to provide anything anywhere close to what they had heard in the past forty minutes. In that preceding forty minutes a week full of lessons on the transforming work of God in the lives of people was culminated in a study of this work in the life of Saul of Tarsus. Truths that transcend all realms of human thinking were presented in clarity rarely heard in our day.

The power of the Lord was present there. In the times of the preaching of the Word there were no outward signs nor wonders, there were no unintelligible tongues and there was no chaos. There was a stillness and quietness and God's voice was heard. One young boy after the preaching one night took his pastor aside and said, crying, something to the effect: "That man, I don't know what his name is, he was talking to me". He heard that night with ears spiritual of his lost condition and his need of a Saviour. The messenger was irrelevant, the message was vital. The Lord had been at work and the evidence was a quickened sinner.

Oh! for more of these seasons where there is no question that the Lord has visited and done His great work among people. I desire it in the little sphere where the Lord has placed me.

One Pearl of Great Price

2007-06-29T11:50:00.001-05:00

Recently we performed a study on a parable of our Lord concerning the kingdom of heaven which is found in Matthew 13: 45-46:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

The interpretation I presented was that the Righteousness of Christ is the One Pearl of Great Price, the believing Jew is the merchant man and that perceived deeds of righteousness are the goodly pearls.

A perplexing component of the parable's interpretation is the last phrase 'and bought it'. There is no Scripture to justify a belief that sinners can bring anything to the Lord in exchange for their salvation. In the words of the old and dear hymn, 'Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy Cross I cling'. Any attempted explanation of that phrase must keep that in mind.

The perplexity was shared by others and I tried to clarify the meaning of the phrase in a recent e-mail some of the contents which I share below:

The parable is clearly in commercial terms. However, I am not sure that we can relate (I certainly can't) all the details of a commercial transaction to the truth our Lord is teaching when he is using a parabolic form of teaching. I think, for example, this is true in at least one other great Bible truth that is commercial in nature, the kinsman redeemer. I can clearly see that Christ is our great Kinsman Redeemer from the civil law in the OT but I can't relate all the particulars of that law to the work of Christ for sinners. For example, whom does our Lord pay with his purchase price of His shed blood? Who fits the role of our next of kin?

Now to the parable...The righteousness of God is such that one cannot retain their own and have His. So, if one has perceived deeds of righteousness he must be willing to part with them in order to have God's righteousness. In commercial terms the perceived deeds of righteousness must be 'sold' in order to have the means to 'purchase' God's righteousness. In that sense an exchange is made by the sinner. This the unrighteous Jew would not do. They wanted to retain their own deeds of righteousness (see Romans 9:31-32) thus they could never have the Righteousness of God.

The merchantman buys in faith. They believe there is such worth in the article that they purchase that one day it would enrich them greatly. So, the Righteousness of that One Pearl of Great Price is obtained by faith. There is certainly faith in the finished work of Christ that is exercised at conversion. There is also faith the saint exercises in the promises of God concerning blessings of an unexperienced future that will greatly enrich them then. That is why we read of the 'hope of righteousness by faith' in Galatians 5:5.

Once the merchantman buys the one pearl of great price he ceases from seeking out other pearls. He is satisfied and looks no more. So, the believer (and certainly the believing Jew) ceases from their own works (Hebrews 4:10), boasts of the Lord's Righteousness (Romans 3:27) and no longer looks to the law for righteousness (Romans 10:4).

While the interpretation and the explanation of the phrase you may not see the same as me isn't it wonderful to know the Righteousness of God (Christ Himself) by faith and to have His Righteousness put to my account! This grand truth puts the saved sinner in good standing when they meet (as they must) Him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead at His appearing.

Solitude or Society?

2007-06-15T20:15:00.000-05:00

Recently a friend was conflicted over the apparent need for the saints to spend time alone with the Lord and the clear instructions for the Lord's people to care and minister to one another. I responded to my friend as follows and I wanted to share it with whomever might read this entry:

[Friend], our Lord is our example (not to try to follow in order to be saved but to follow in His steps after we are saved). First, He knew the value and set the pattern for being alone with His Father. We see Him rising a great while before day to pray. We see Him with His disciples yet He goes apart from them to pray at times. He knew the value of spending time alone with His Heavenly Father. Second, He is said to be 'holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners' in Hebrews 7:26. Yet, we see him often moving among needy sinners and meeting their physical and spiritual needs. What we don't see him doing is embracing the world and becoming one of them. He did not know the life of a hermit. He constantly went about doing good.

Our call is to be separate from the world. Separation begins in the heart. Being set apart for Him and His use will manifest itself in outward separation from some things, systems and people. Separation takes different forms. For example, there are certain places that we don't visit because it would bring reproach to our Lord. Another example, is there are certain religious systems that we can't be a part of because of their denial of fundamental truths of the Scripture. Does that mean we will not befriend any who are participants in these things? No. But, it does mean we won't condone the practices and where opportunity presents itself we can let them know why. I think our separation is what is meant in Hebrews where we are told 'Let us therefore go unto Him outside the camp'.

I hope this helps.

As to visits to the elderly and those in distress I think private judgment is the rule. We can certainly be an encouragement to one another and a wisely timed and Spirit led visit can be of great help to a suffering saint. Pray about each matter and leave it to the Lord to direct our steps.

2007 Bible Conference Thoughts

2007-06-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

This year the theme of the Grace Missionary Baptist Church Bible Conference was 'The Gospel of the Son of God'. The conference was another blessing. Attendance was off a little with some of our regulars unable to attend. However, the harmony among the saints that came contributed to its good results we hope. Certainly the theme was glorious. Our times are rife with gospel diluters and deniers. It was most helpful to hear the old, old story told in its clarity and purity. The preachers all did great work.

Absent from the Body A Present from the Lord

2007-06-08T06:42:00.000-05:00

Raising our boys has been a wonderful experience for us. Occasionally their misunderstanding or lack of comprehension of truths we have presented them have resulted in their expressing them or reacting to them in ways that really have embellished the truth rather than diminished it.

We are members (and I am pastor) of a small church and among our small number we face the hard reality of death from time to time. The boys are brought close to this and hear their momma and daddy talk about death in Bible terms for those who know the Lord. They attend funerals and hear comforting verses presented from the pulpit. One of those is II Corinthians 5:8 which reads in part:

'...absent from the body...present with the Lord'.

Our oldest son Edwin Dale heard this truth and knew that it was good thing. He also knew that receiving a gift was good thing. His little mind put things together in a way that resulted in this 'translation' of the original:

'...absent from the body...a present from the Lord'.

What a gift it is and will be when death comes the believer's way. 'Present with the Lord' is exactly what He bequeaths to His own. He greatly desires that and said so in His High Priestly prayer of John 17. Let us rejoice in His unspeakable gift (Christ Jesus himself) and His outpouring of gifts to His own even in death.

A Sunday Evening

2007-05-27T22:22:00.000-05:00

Tonight we come to an end of a good Lord's day. We gathered in obedience to our Lord's command today and enjoyed being where He has chosen to place His Name. We swam in the ocean of Divine truth. His dealings with His servant Elijah occupied our thoughts. What a wonderful God who can and does control all things by the word of His power. He created and holds together the vast universe(s) whose boundaries we have not been able to determine and yet controls the very timing of the steps of His prophet and a poor needy widow woman so that they meet at precisely the right moment. He will meet the woman's deepest needs and use her to sustain the man He has chosen for the needs of the hour for His wayward people. And to know that He is as interested in the needs and development of His children today as He ever has been.

We will end the day listening to a message centered on His meeting the deep needs of another woman: the woman at the well. Our Saviour must go through Samaria. He will save this woman from her sins! I am so thankful that every conversion is a Divine appointment and that each one who is saved is shown their need of a Saviour and is shown the Lord Jesus as the only sufficient one to save His people from their sins.

May His blessings pour upon us daily until we see Him face to face! I need thee every hour!

First Entry

2007-05-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

I am spending a few minutes of my afternoon sitting beside Jackson watching cartoons. It has been a long night working to support the Lahore operation that we just installed in Lahore over the past three weeks. I am so glad to be home!