BIBLICAL THEOLOGY: SCRIPTURE INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE - What Is Revival?

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY: SCRIPTURE INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE

"Oh Martha, Martha, You Have Sealed My Everlasting Damnation!"

2/14/2024

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:26-27

Thomas Graham, the noted revivalist preacher of the Erie Conference of the Methodist Church, relates the following sad experience:

A man who lived in Westmoreland county, Pa., had strong religious feelings and had commenced a religious life. About this time he married a woman who was decidedly irreligious and who opposed him. She forced him to omit family worship; she forced him from his closet and followed him with her opposition until he finally, discouraged, gave it up. The Spirit of God left him. He told Rev. Mr. Potter, a Presbyterian minister that he was lost forever and that he knew the very time and place the Spirit took its final departure; that he was going to hell but cared nothing about it.

He lived some ten years after this and then died in the most awful agonies. He asked his wife to give him a glass of water for he would obtain none where he was going. He drank it greedily; then, looking his wife in the face, exclaimed, "O Martha, Martha, you have sealed my everlasting damnation!" and died.

"And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her." - Eccl. 7:26

This shocking testimony is an excerpt from a book that was written and compiled by Solomon B. Shaw in 1898, entitled, "Dying Testimonies of the Saved and Unsaved".

“Not only have millions upon millions of God’s children witnessed in life and death of Jesus’ power to save, but most infidels, skeptics, and sinners of every grade are constrained to acknowledge the truth of the Christian religion before they die.” - S.B. Shaw

“Multitudes, while dying, see and hear things that are not seen or heard by others.” - S.B. Shaw

The Awful End of a Backslider

2/13/2024

"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." - 1 Cor. 9:27

The following is a short account of the life and death of William Pope, of Bolton, in Lancashire. He was at one time a member of the Methodist Society, and was a saved and happy man. His wife, a devoted saint, died triumphantly. After her death his zeal for religion declined, and by associating with back-slidden professors he entered the path of ruin. His companions even professed to believe in the redemption of devils. William became an admirer of their scheme, a frequenter with them of the public-house, and in time a common drunkard.

He finally became a disciple of Thomas Paine, and associated himself with a number of deistical persons at Bolton, who assembled together on Sundays to confirm each other in their infidelity. They amused themselves with throwing the Word of God on the floor, kicking it around the room, and treading it under their feet. God laid His hand on this man's body, and he was seized with consumption.

Mr. Rhodes was requested to visit William Pope. He says: "When I first saw him he said to me, 'Last night I believe I was in hell, and felt the horrors and torment of the dammed; but God has brought me back again, and given me a little longer respite. The gloom of guilty terror does not sit so heavy upon me as it did, and I have something like a faint hope that, after all I have done, God may yet save me.'

After exhorting him to repentance and confidence in the Almighty Savior, I prayed with him and left him. In the evening he sent for me again. I found him in the utmost distress, overwhelmed with bitter anguish and despair. I endeavored to encourage him. I spoke of the infinite merit of the great Redeemer, and mentioned several cases in which God had saved the greatest sinners, but he answered, 'No case of any that has been mentioned is comparable to mine. I have no contrition; I cannot repent. God will damn me: I know the day of grace is lost. God has said of such as are in my case, "I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh,"'

I said, 'Have you ever known anything of the mercy and love of God?'

'Oh, yes,' he replied; 'many years ago I truly repented and sought the Lord and found peace and happiness.'

I prayed with him after exhorting him to seek the Lord, and had great hopes of his salvation; he appeared much affected, and begged I would represent his case in our Society and pray for him. I did so that evening, and many hearty petitions were put up for him."

Mr. Barraclough gives the following account of what he witnessed. He says: "I went to see William Pope, and as soon as he saw me he exclaimed, 'You are come to see one who is damned forever!'

I answered, 'I hope not; Christ can save the chief of sinners.'

He replied, 'I have denied Him, I have denied Him; therefore hath He cast me off forever! I know the day of grace is past, gone -- gone, never more to return!'

I entreated him not to be too hasty, and to pray. He answered, 'I cannot pray; my heart is quite hardened, I have no desire to receive any blessing at the hand of God,' and then cried out, 'Oh, the hell, the torment, the fire that I feel within reel Oh, eternity.' eternity! To dwell forever with devils and damned spirits in the burning lake must be my portion, and that justly!'

On Thursday I found him groaning under the weight of the displeasure of God. His eyes roiled to and fro; he lifted up his hands, and with vehemence cried out, 'Oh, the burning flame, the hell, the pain I feel! I have done, done the deed, the horrible, damnable deed!'

I prayed with him, and while I was praying he said with inexpressible rage, 'I will not have salvation at the hand of God! No, no! I will not ask it of Him.'

After a short pause, he cried out, 'Oh, how I long to be in the bottomless pit -- in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone!'

The day following I saw him again. I said, 'William, your pain is inexpressible.'

He groaned, and with a loud voice cried out, 'Eternity will explain my torments. I tell you again, I am damned. I will not have salvation.'

He called me to him as if to speak to me, but as soon as I came within his reach he struck me on the head with all his might, and gnashing his teeth, cried out, 'God will not hear your prayers.'

At another time he said, 'I have crucified the Son of God afresh, and counted the blood of the covenant an unholy thing! Oh, that wicked and horrible deed of blaspheming against the Holy Ghost! which I know I have committed!'

He was often heard to exclaim, 'I want nothing but hell! Come, O devil, and take me!' At another time he said, 'Oh, what a terrible thing it is! Once I might, and would not: now I would and must not.' He declared that he was best satisfied when cursing.

The day he died, when Mr. Rhodes visited him, and asked the privilege to pray once more with him, he cried out with great strength, considering his weakness, 'No!' and passed away in the evening without God."

Backslider, do you know you are in danger of the fires of hell? Do you know you are fast approaching the...

"Line by us unseen
That crosses every path,
That marks the boundary between
God's mercy and His wrath."

You are, and unless you turn quickly, you with William Pope will be writhing in hell through all eternity. God says, "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways." But He says again, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." Oh, come back and be healed before God shall say of you, "He is joined to his idols, let him alone."

This shocking testimony is an excerpt from a book that was written and compiled by Solomon B. Shaw in 1898, entitled, "Dying Testimonies of the Saved and Unsaved".

“Not only have millions upon millions of God’s children witnessed in life and death of Jesus’ power to save, but most infidels, skeptics, and sinners of every grade are constrained to acknowledge the truth of the Christian religion before they die.” - S.B. Shaw

“Multitudes, while dying, see and hear things that are not seen or heard by others.” - S.B. Shaw

Dead Orthodoxy?

2/3/2024

Empty Protestant Evangelicalism?

"...I may know all the Doctrines in the Bible, but unless I know Christ, there is not one of them that can save me!" - C.H. Spurgeon

"...there is a world of difference between knowing the Word of God and knowing the God of the Word." - Leonard Ravenhill

The historical exploits of Christ at the Cross in Death or at the Resurrection in newness of Life cannot be impersonal and impractical to you as an individual. For, the Crucifixion, Death, Burial, & Resurrection of Christ are not promoted in Scripture as mere historical facts to fondly remember, nor should they be memorialized by golden emblems of jewelry or divers sorts of decoration, neither should anyone craft or paint conceptualized images of these events to dote upon (Ex. 20:4-6). All this only invigorates the problem. Given the opportunity, the human heart will be inspired to pretentiously respond to Christ in religious fervor through dead ritualism (Judges 8:27). Even from an intellectual perspective this is a problem (1 Cor. 1:22-23). For, you may not be prone to commit such sins physically and exteriorly, but you can still act in the same hollow and idolatrous way intellectually, meditatively, and sacramentally.

“Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” - John 5:39-40 [Jer. 8:7-9]

All that matters is if you are truly communing with the Spirit of God in your religious devotions (Jn. 6:63, 8:37, 43, 47; 1 Jn. 1:1-4). Perhaps you don't bow before a relic or kneel before an emblem of a Cross like Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Or perhaps you don't find religious serenity in a stately building of aesthetic appeal. Nevertheless, you can ritualistically practice the values and devotions of hollow and empty protestant evangelicalism just like these people do in Catholicism (2 Tim. 3:5). You can be completely void of the Spirit and acquiesce in a greater sense of "holiness" simply because you religiously read the Bible, all the while you don't truly have communion with God through the Bible (1 Jn. 1:1-7). Charles Spurgeon and Leonard Ravenhill spoke on this issue to warn the graceless parishioners of their day, saying, "...I may know all the Doctrines in the Bible, but unless I know Christ, there is not one of them that can save me!" (Spurgeon), and "...there is a world of difference between knowing the Word of God and knowing the God of the Word." (Ravenhill).

Even so, my reader, you can study the teachings of the Puritans with great admiration for their passion and wisdom, even while you stand outside the Temple of God (i.e. the Body of Christ) as one ritualistically looking at things you haven't personally experienced. This is the shocking reality for the vast majority of students who study Church History.

“Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The Temple of the LORD, The Temple of the LORD, The Temple of the LORD, are these.” - Jeremiah 7:4

Meditatively and intellectually you can act in the same hollow and ritualistic way as the Catholics do in their choice of genre in "worship". As Neo-Calvinists, you can submissively admire the Puritans and Reformers just like the Catholics do "the Saints", the Popes, and Church Tradition; and, if this is the case, you will rashly and harshly anathematize anyone who would dare to question the puritanical interpretation of things. This is oppression. Redeemed men are hereby reduced into a state of false humility wherein the ministry of the Holy Spirit is regularly quenched and despised.

Herein, there is a growing sense that we cannot understand the Bible without being immersed in the Doctrines of the Reformation. Albeit, this is a deviation from the fundamental convictions that empowered the Reformers to withstand the ecclesiastical rulers of their day, crying, “Sola Scriptura!”. Even so, my reader, you can submit to the ecclesiastical leaders of the modern Church and zealously promote the ministries of celebrity preachers, even though you aren't truly celebrating Christ or benefiting the Body of Christ.

Sola Scriptura?

Sola Scriptura would fasten the eyes of earnest disciples upon “the Apostles' Doctrine” (Acts. 2:42). For, the apostles didn't speak about the Crucifixion, Death, Burial, & Resurrection of Christ as an impersonal thing of the past. They didn't treat these exploits of Christ as intellectual subjects of history limited to time and strictly personal to Christ. Rather, by faith, and herein through the quickening power of the Holy Spirit, these exploits of Christ are personalized to each and every believer. These exploits were accomplished completely and perfectly in the past, but we experience the transcending power of these acts at present as true believers. Christ accomplished redemption. Period. All of our hope resides in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Period. Notwithstanding, that's exactly why our reception of redemption does mystically and personally enjoin us to Christ's Person and Work.

Do You Believe in the Crucifixion, Death, & Burial of Jesus Christ?

A true believer in the Crucifixion & Death of Christ of old is vitally joined to this work personally insomuch that he is "crucified with Christ" at present (Gal. 2:20). The evidence of true faith in the Cross of Christ is a personal crucifixion. When Paul spoke of "the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ", he was boasting in a personal experience of freedom wrought out in his own life, in declaring, “...by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14). Therefore, no one should suppose they are truly glorifying God for the work of Christ at the Cross of Calvary ("But God forbid that I should glory..." - Gal. 6:14) without personally undergoing the Baptism of Death that Jesus experienced in dying for our sins and rising again for our justification. Do you suppose that you glorify God for the Death of Christ? You must be “baptized into His Death” (Rom. 6:3). You must be “planted together in the likeness of His Death” (Rom. 6:5). Do you believe Christ died for Sinners? You must be “dead with Christ” in order to be saved from your sins (Rom. 6:8). Do you suppose you glorify God for the Burial of Christ? You must be “buried with Him by baptism into Death” (Rom. 6:4).

Do You Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Do you suppose you glorify God for the Resurrection of Christ? The same question applies in every phase of the Gospel. For, by virtue of being vitally joined to the Crucifixion, Death, & Burial of Christ, one is also joined to Christ in His Resurrection. This is plain and pure Apostolic Doctrine described in Romans 6:1-14. “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His Death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection” (Rom. 6:5). If you are truly “dead with Christ” then you will also “live with Him” in the power of His Resurrection to personally taste and see the victory of Jesus over death and hell (Jn. 5:21, 11:25, Rom. 6:8, 8:11, Php. 3:10, 1 Cor. 15:54-57, Rev. 1:8). This is what Paul calls, “Newness of Life” (Rom. 6:4). This is the only means that mankind can be “freed from sin” (Rom. 6:7). To be vitally joined to the Life that Jesus “liveth unto God” is the only means of practical, personal, and actual redemption from the penalty and power of sin (Rom. 6:10). In other words, this is a personal resurrection.

Accordingly, this operation of redemption is a spiritual baptism (Rom. 6:3, 1 Cor. 12:13, Gal. 3:27), a successful putting off of the Old Man and a putting on of the New Man that is created in righteousness and true holiness (Gal. 3:27, Col. 3:9-10). A real quickening of the soul takes place by the Resurrection power of Jesus Christ! Therefore, the man who was dead to God and alive in sin is made to die to sin and live unto God. Herein, the eyes of lost sinners are at once allowed to spiritually behold the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ (Isa. 6:10, 29:10-12, Matt. 13:15, 2 Cor. 3:16-18), and suddenly all of what Christ has done becomes personal, powerful, and life changing (Rom. 1:16, 1 Cor. 1:18)! Suddenly, and instantly, the lost man is regenerated.

Looking to Jesus Christ in Real Time

However, in truly seeing - and therein being converted through beholding the glory of the Crucifixion, Death, Burial, & Resurrection of Jesus Christ - newborn disciples must learn the importance of “looking unto Jesus” presently and progressively so as to experience the "grace" of this redemption steadfastly and without intermission (Heb. 12:1-2, 15). If one is positionally sanctified in Christ through conversion, one must “work out” this sanctification by walking in Christ (Php. 2:12-16); and, this walking in Christ is a present-progressive experience of self-mortification through the power of the Cross (Rom. 8:13, Col. 3:5, Gal. 5:19-24); a present-progressive experience of spiritual & positional newness through the power of the Resurrection (Col. 2:20, 3:1-2, Rom. 6:10-12, Php. 3:20, 2 Cor. 4:18, Matt. 6:21); a present-progressive filling of the Spirit that appropriates the power of the Gospel in real time (Lk. 24:49, Rom. 1:16, Eph. 1:23, 3:17, 19, 4:10, 13, 5:18; Col. 1:11, Eph. 1:19, 3:16, 20, 2 Thess. 1:11, Eph. 6:10) to put off the Old Man and put on the New Man (Col. 3:12, 14; Eph. 4:22, 24; Rom. 13:12, 14; Eph. 6:11).

This is the Normal Christian Life according to the Bible (1 Thess. 1:4-10). This experience is the promise and appropriation of what Christ has accomplished in the Gospel. This is what Christ is accomplishing at present in true believers through the freeness of God's grace (Isa. 55:1-3) being showered upon us abundantly (Rom. 5:5) at the cost of the atonement finished at the Cross (John 19:30; Hos. 13:14, Matt. 20:28, 1 Tim. 2:6). In other words, this is a constant experience of personal Revival. However, sadly, many people don't experience this because they have been deceived to think that Revival is an optional and superior form of spirituality that isn't required of all true Christians. Nevertheless, I must tell you: This is Salvation.

Salvation in the Past, Present, & Future

Christians have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved. Herein, salvation is past, present, and future. Christians have been saved through conversion to Christ (Mk. 16:16, Lk. 7:50, 8:12, Jn. 10:9, Acts 2:21, 47, 4:12, 11:14, 15:11, 16:31; Rom. 5:9, 10:9, 13, 1 Cor. 1:18, Eph. 2:5, 8; 2 Tim. 1:9, Titus 3:5), are being saved through sanctification in Christ (Php. 2:12, Rom. 5:10, 1 Cor. 5:5, 15:2, 2 Cor. 1:6, 7:10-11, Eph. 6:17, Php. 1:19, 1 Thess. 5:8, 1 Tim. 2:15, Titus 2:11-14, 1 Pet. 4:17-18, 2 Pet. 3:14-18), and will be saved by persevering in faith until death or the coming of the Kingdom of God in the 2nd Advent of Christ (Matt. 10:22, 24:13, 22; Lk. 18:26-30; Rom. 5:10, 11:26, 13:11; 1 Thess. 5:9, Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 1:5, 9-10, 4:17-18; 2 Pet. 3:14-15; Rev. 7:10, 12:10, 19:1).

In this sense, the Gospel is past, present, and future. For, the work of Christ in the Atonement was finished at Calvary (John 19:30), but our faith in the Atonement making possible conversion, sanctification, and ultimate glorification in the coming of the Kingdom of God is still unfinished (1 Pet. 1:5). Therefore, as believers, our hope is to persevere in salvation until the time when Christ will say, “It is done” (Rev. 21:6), by walking with God right now by faith because, Christ said, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30; Php. 3:12-21, 2 Cor. 5:9-10). The plot of redemption that takes place between these two points in time has everything to do with our personal salvation in Christ according to the Gospel.

The Narrow Way

Personally losing sight of the Gospel in all of its phases of glory has a blinding effect upon the soul (2 Pet. 1:5-15). In hopes that believers of the 1st Century would avoid the peril of this blindness, Peter said, “make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10, Rev. 3:5). For, all such revival-less persons are in serious danger. Through this deviation they have veered off the Narrow Way (Matt. 7:14). Entering the Gate through conversion to Christ isn't enough; one must then keep the faith by walking the Narrow Way (Matt. 7:14). In other words, one must keep faith in Jesus Christ, because He is “the Way” (John 14:6). Literally. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ both now and forever (Heb. 12:1-2)!

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God…Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” - Hebrews 12:2, 15 [Deut. 29:18]

The Narrow Way is the experience of present-progressive salvation as described in the terms formerly outlined according to Apostolic Doctrine in the New Testament. This is not an affront to the power and sufficiency of salvation in Christ; for, only a lack of abiding in or looking to Christ can cause precious souls to swerve off the Narrow Way to their own damnation. Upon conversion to Christ the newborn believer is perfectly saved and blameless before God in the beauties of holiness through the spotless robes of Christ's righteousness. For, in Christ, the newly saved man is perfect (Col. 2:10, Heb. 10:14), blameless (Eph. 1:4, Col. 1:22), sanctified (Eph. 1:4, Col. 1:22, Heb. 10:10, 1 Pet. 1:2, 1 Cor. 6:11), and spotless (Zech. 3:4, Rev. 6:11, 7:9). Jesus Christ is a refuge for us (Ps. 62:7-8)! If redeemed men refuse to abide in Christ, only then could their perfection be compromised. Scripture is rife with terms that identify such men in this condition, calling them blamable, blemished, unholy, and the like (1 Thess. 3:12-13), because of a loss of faith in the Gospel through the presence of evil unbelief in their souls (Heb. 3:7-4:11).

The Judgment Seat of Christ

Such men are not ready to stand before God on Judgment Day (2 Cor. 5:9-11; Luke 21:34-36). In this inglorious condition they are simply wretched and unpresentable to God (Rev. 3:15-18, Col. 1:28-29, Eph. 5:26-27, 2 Cor. 11:2, Jude 1:24-25). They are rendered unworthy for their defiance of the Gospel. Jesus Christ died for “a glorious Church” and this isn't it (Eph. 5:27)! A fallen Church is a filthy Bride! God’s grace is sufficient for holiness, purity, power, and glory (Heb. 12:14, John 17:22, Rom. 15:16), but revival-less persons do squander these riches for worldly lusts! Fearfully, this is what it means to be “fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). In dread terror of this (1 Cor. 9:27), the apostle Paul warned the believers at Corinth, saying, “take heed lest ye fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Legally (Heb. 10:26-27), and in many ways spiritually (Gal. 4:19), this is a condition of spiritual death (Rev. 3:1). This is when a justified, regenerated, and righteous man is turned into an unjustified, wicked, sinner again (not to be confused with reprobation).

To be personally revived from this fallen condition would literally and spiritually mean that the individual is wrought upon by grace “to live again”. That's simply what the word revival means. To deny such things is to embrace an outlook of undue optimism and high-mindedness concerning one's own personal pilgrimage on the Narrow Way (1 Pet. 1:17, 2:11, Rom. 11:20, 1 Pet. 4:17-18, Heb. 4:1). This is a blatant denial of the teachings of Jesus concerning the two mutually exclusive fates of all the Branches that are connected to the Vine of Salvation (Jn. 15:1-7). We are warned not to be so fearless (Heb. 2:1-4, 4:1, 10:26-27) before the superior greatness of Jesus Christ, the one and only Prophet like unto Moses (Deut. 28:58, Acts 3:22-23).

A Sick Church in a Dying World

The Church is the Kingdom of God in all ages and Covenants. The Church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, there are implications to its poor and miserable estate (Rev. 3:17-18). Lamenting of this, Ravenhill said, "There is no greater tragedy than a sick Church in a dying world!". Would you agree? We can be sure that the Lord isn't coming back for a poor, ragged, and unbeautified Bride (Eph. 5:25-27). Nevertheless, the End of the World is coming quickly. As a witness against the Church, the spiritual climate of darkness is prevailing upon this generation. The Church is at a loss and without prevailing prayer. She is adulterously entertained by the world and thereby robbed of true joy. The virgins of God are sleeping (Matt. 25:1-13, Eph. 5:14)! Therefore, following the pattern exemplified in Paul among the Churches of the 1st Century (2 Tim. 1:15), those who are truly burdened for the Church are bound to be persecuted by it in times of backsliding. This kind of persecution is inevitable today when the very meaning of Revival has been altered to allow for fearless backsliders to continue on the path of destruction.

False doctrines as these allow for a culture of contagious hypocrisy to flourish in the Church (Matt. 24:12, 1 Cor. 5:6, Gal. 5:9; Lk. 12:1). Ere long true sincerity becomes an illusive figment of imaginary ideals while sarcastic voices stand by and scorn the existence of biblical testimony (Matt. 23:29-30; Gen. 19:14). The most learned among men dim lights to set the mood in the Church, until earnest inquirers of biblical testimony become cynical instead of sincere with conviction. What more can be said but... “Ichabod”(1 Sam. 4:21). The Glory of God has departed from the Church. This is the ultimate goal of the Father of Lies as he works to steal the hearts of true Christians (Jn. 8:44, 1 Kings 11:3-4, 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). For, a loss of the heart in this way among true Christians isn't just the compromise of mere individuals (James 4:4-10); worst case scenario, the spiritual essence of true Christianity is lost corporately among believers. The heavenly Candlestick that legitimizes a local Church is removed from the earth (Rev. 2:4-5), and all that's left is darkness.

Earnestly Contend for the Faith

Ultimately, this is a failure to emphasize “the Christ” of Christianity in how the spirituality of true communion with God is mutually experienced by all believers. In other words, this is a promotion of “Christ-less Christianity” - a shocking offence that profanes the purity and power of true religion. Likewise, this is a failure to emphasize “the Cross” of Christianity. The cross-less “Christians” of today are having their ears tickled with the idea that Revival is uncommon and extraordinary when in reality Revival is obedience (2 Tim. 4:1-5). This is the promotion of “Cross-less Christianity” - a shocking offence that allows the Church to flirtatiously enjoy the world while the backsliders feel justified in a lifestyle void of Revival (1 Jn. 2:15-17). This is a painless, powerless, and prayerless “Christianity” that is popular with the world (Lk. 16:15). Like a wolf in sheep's clothing this “Christianity” is damning souls and populating hell. Fearfully, "The fastest way to hell is down the center isle of the average Church." (Leonard Ravenhill). Therefore, we should labor to resurrect the biblical standard of true Christianity instead of aimlessly waiting for a brief season of "Revival" that comes and goes, and doesn't come back for another 50 years.

True worshipers must stand up and stand out, even if they are cast out (Eph. 5:3-17, Prov. 1:20, Rev. 3:20). Love will always clash with hate (John 7:7). The glorious reality of heavenly vision must return to the Church (Acts 26:19). Only a militantly focused missionary Church is a Bride prepared for Marriage (Rev. 19:7-8). The silent toleration of a modern day spiritual holocaust simply cannot continue (Prov. 29:9). Those who are right with God must not be marginalized and silenced (Prov. 28:12). Lukewarmness must not be allowed to preach any longer (Rev. 3:17)! The cold and murderous indifference of lukewarmness must be seen for what it is in truth. For, humble watchfulness unto God has been replaced by high-minded preachers who are uncharitable, tribalistic, and pharisaical in the name of theological (Isa. 29:9-13). They rule by their means and the people love to have it so (Jer. 5:31, Isa. 29:9-13).

A contagious lack of zeal for God's sake spreads among the common people as those in honor prefer each one's personal reputation in their pursuit of progress. The fear of man prevails inwardly while the spiritual abuses of power abound through an oppressive force of ministerial favors taking preeminence above justice, impartiality, biblical due process, and the fear of God (1 Tim. 5:20, Gal. 2:11). At such a time, the remnant of right-standing believers must learn to be patient in tribulation and courageous in the conflict of faith. As persecution mounts and slander increases, we must remain pure, sincere, and boldly defiant of hypocrisy and lies. Like our apostolic forefathers, whose ways were in Christ, we must embrace tribulation with the sentence of death within ourselves (2 Cor. 4:7-18).

The Last Days

Many true believers seek to hold out and stand strong against the growing influx of apostasy in the Church and over time they become discouraged. Loneliness and sorrow increase as the violators of biblical truth are promoted among the ranks of Christendom. The temptation can be to calm the fire and sheath the sword of salvific truth. Sorry attempts will be made to get along with backsliders who feel at home in this world. A pervading sense of disbelief and failure can break the heart and nearly extinguish the lamp of one's first love (Rev. 2:4-5). To all such hurting persons, I plead: consider Job (James 5:11). Cast yourself wholly upon the written word of God even while the multitudes of every divergent sector of Christianity does turn aside.

My plea is for the contrite ones who have been compromised and overcome by the likes of those who are settled in and happy in this world (1 Pet. 2:11), remember that Jesus Christ is your exalted Savior. God will yet again give you the eye-opening experience that you need to keep the faith in the beauties of holiness until the very end. There remains good hope through grace for the remnant of the Last Days.

The LORD will renew and empower all those who sigh and cry for all the abominations of the Church (Ezek. 9:4). Recommit yourself to the LORD without hesitation or reserve as you once did (Rev. 2:4-5) and the LORD will renew your consecration to God. Call upon God as you remarry yourself to the glory of God (Jer. 33:3), and then waste your life for eternity until death. Renew your friendship with God and climb out of the slew of your despondency. The plans of sovereign mercy are yet to unfold before the eyes of this generation to the shock and astonishment of all mankind.

Speaking in Tongues: Is it Gibberish?

9/14/2022

Speaking in Tongues

Teaching #1: Is it Gibberish?

“And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” - Acts 2:7-8

Do you speak in Tongues? The word tongue literally means language. If you are not speaking in an intelligible and coherent language, then you are not speaking in tongues.

Διάλεκτος (dialektos) = dialect or language

Most charismatic Christians are just speaking gibberish. They are deceived to think that they are speaking in tongues because they were coerced by their Pastor to just let their tongue wiggle loosely and run wild. The result of this is babble! It’s nothing at all really. It’s just noisy nonsense! If these people were speaking an actual language, then their speech would consist of syllables, vowels, and consonants in the sounding-out of real words in the utterance of complex sentences for the expression of deep and sincere thoughts. God created mankind with the unique ability of language because He desires a vibrant relationship with redeemed men and women by this means.

“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.” – 1 Cor. 14:8-11

Have you heard all these so-called Christians loudly babbling at the Church down the street? They are shouting in gibberish, and therefore no one understands anything that they are saying! In fact, they aren’t saying anything at all. Random sounds and incoherent slurs offered to God in prayer is nothing short of blasphemy. This is obviously contrary to the divine purpose of tongues according to Acts 2:7-8. On the Day of Pentecost, when the Apostles stood up and spoke in tongues, the bystanders heard and understood what was being said because they were hearing about the wonderful works of God in their own native languages, all of which were foreign to the Galilaeans.

“…we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” - Acts 2:11

This was an observable miracle that glorified God! While no miracle is required for men and women to speak babble! This is a modern invention of devils to trick mankind to behave like animals. Even animals can speak gibberish! Why would God want mankind to behave like animals? This debases mankind and distorts the image of God in which we were created (Gen. 1:26-27). It is offensive to God, humorous to devils, and alienating to people of other religions.

“…will they not say that ye are mad?” – 1 Corinthians 14:23

If perhaps anyone does truly speak in tongues as a miraculous utterance from the Spirit of God, then unbelievers would hear and understand the Word of God in their own languages, or an interpretation would be given and the Word of God would be heard and understood, and God would be glorified (1 Cor. 14:19, 27-28). Those who are unbelievers wouldn’t be driven away from Christianity as a result; they would be drawn to Christianity (1 Cor. 14:22). The Muslims must think that all these tongue-speakers in Churches these days have gone crazy! This is a great reproach to the name of Christ.

Are You Depressed?

9/6/2022

Revival For the Depressed

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." - Isaiah 61:3

The Church on your street corner will tell you that the Book of Job is a philosophical masterpiece on why or how a good God allows so much human suffering to take place in the world. Sitting in the galleries, the Christian Academics of today would have you bow in reverence to such a thesis as this for the Book of Job. Nevertheless, something about it just doesn’t heal the hurt of sad and gloomy Christians (Jer. 6:14, 8:11). What amuses insensitive Scholars in seminaries then abuses suffering sinners who resort to Job for hope and comfort.

"They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." - Jer. 6:14

"For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." - Jer. 8:11

Job is popular today, and referenced often by peace preachers, because it seems that people have never been more depressed than in modern times. Of course, they misinterpret Job! So, his story becomes nothing more than a dimly lit candle in the dungeon of despair to help the mourners cope with their misery. No cure is offered through an incorrect interpretation (2 Cor. 1:24). No freedom is granted through false peace. Job needed to repent! “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16). Why else do you think Elihu and Jehovah so sorely rebuked Job in the end of the Book in Job 32-42. Likewise, may a correct interpretation of Job’s misery serve as a wakeup call to the tens of thousands of depressed and impenitent Christians of the modern era, even as they delight to trace their misery in Job’s experience to tell themselves that everything is going to be okay.

Depressed souls like these become sadder at the sound of preaching on repentance. They cannot suffer anyone to tell them about the faithfulness of God – how the LORD would certainly lift their spirits if only they would denounce and totally divorce their secret affection for iniquity. They don’t want anyone to tell them that their sadness is sin! For the record, the bible calls it worldly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:10-11).

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." - 2 Cor. 7:10

Coincidentally, modern readers also believe Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar to be the antagonists of the situation simply because they had a heavy burden for Job and were persuaded that he was in sin. They totally disregard the fact that Job was in total agreement with the doctrine and practice of his friends, even echoing them, and at times excelling them, which shows that these were universally recognized truths among all the saints of the Early Church, namely because they were all learning from the same sources of aged counselors and teachers.

Sadly, the most noble morals of ancient generations are totally disregarded by future generations. The most noble doctrines of former times are totally denounced in latter times. Even so, today, Christians are prone to grossly oversimplify the discourse between Job and his friends because they are totally ignorant of the Early Church in Genesis 1-11.

A Commentary on the Book of Job

A book written about a controversy is bound to be controversial. A situation that confounded the most godly men of the Early Church will no doubt confuse readers today. Doubtful readers of the Book of Job would do well to put aside all preconceived notions, and let the Scripture interpret Scripture without any personal interference.

🎶 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝑶𝑹𝑫 🎶 - 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑛 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑟

𝘍𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴
𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴.

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸
𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘸
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰.

𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴
𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘥

𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥
𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘥.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸!

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭’𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦
𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙪𝙨
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦
𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦
𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 “𝘠𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥!” 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦.

"Rules to Discern a True Work of God" - Jonathan Edwards

8/19/2020

Jonathan Edwards is very celebrated today. However, this wasn't always the case for the renowned American Theologian. When a sovereign move of God broke out among his people, and Edwards saw firsthand the working of the Holy Spirit through preaching to powerfully and suddenly get men lost and saved, something quite "unexpected" happened: PERSECUTION.

It turns out that not all who prayed for a "Revival" leading up the the First Great Awakening were willing to welcome it once it came (Matt. 23:29-30, 1 Jn. 3:13). Many false accusers and slanderers outright denied the work of God that was underway and claimed it was of demonic origin. Therefore, Edwards, in the throes of a work of God in his city, was forced to make a formal defense of what was happening. In writing, he endeavored to establish before all certain biblical rules on how to discern if a work of revival in any location is of the Devil or from the Holy Spirit of God (Jn. 16:8-11). This is the point of emphasis in the following, as a counterargument, when Edwards wrote about "the Spirit that is at work" - in an excerpt taken from Section III from Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God. Furthermore, for simplicity, I have taken liberty to numerically format the argument of Edwards to emphasize 5 primary observations or characteristics that prove a work of religion to be of God by the Holy Spirit.

“As to this work, there are many things concerning it that are notorious (commonly reported and known), and which, unless the apostle John was out (in an error) in his rules, are sufficient to determine it to be in general the work of God.

[1] The Spirit that is at work, takes off persons’ minds from the vanities of the world, and engages them in a deep concern about eternal happiness, and puts them upon earnestly seeking their salvation, and convinces them of the dreadfulness of sin, and of their own guilty and miserable state as they are by nature.

[2] It awakens men’s consciences, and makes them sensible of the dreadfulness of God’s anger, and causes in them a great desire and earnest care and endeavour to obtain his favour.

[3] It puts them upon a more diligent improvement of the means of grace which God has appointed; accompanied with a greater regard to the Word of God, a desire of hearing and reading it, and of being more conversant with it than they used to be.

[4] And it is notoriously manifest, that the Spirit that is at work, in general, operates as a Spirit of truth, making persons more sensible of what is really true in those things that concern their eternal salvation: as, that they must die, and that life is very short and uncertain; that there is a great sin-hating god, to whom they are accountable, and who will fix them in an eternal state in another world; and that they stand in great need of a Savior.

[5] It makes persons more sensible of the value of Jesus who was crucified, and their need of him; and that it puts them upon earnestly seeking an interest in him.” - Jonathan Edwards

This type of discernment is perfectly biblical (Matt. 7:16, 20; Jn. 7:24; 1 Cor. 5:13-14). We, as professors of Christianity, must examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. This is directly mandated by Paul under inspiration in 2 Corinthians 13:5, speaking to the backslidden Church of Corinth, saying, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?". Statedly, if the work of God in salvation must be verified through an examination, then there must be a certain way that fallible redeemed men can test and discern the authenticity of a certain work on the basis of concrete grounds. This vindicates what Jonathan Edwards set-out to prove in the First Great Awakening. In slightly different terms, Edwards affirmed the existence of "rules" that "are sufficient to determine" if something is "in general the work of God".

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1

Prove Ye Every Spirit

1. Prove ye, prove ye ev’ry spirit,
    As the Master did command it;
    Know their works, not words alone,
    Men, as trees, by fruits are known.
    Are their fruits, their works and teaching
    Based on doctrines Christ was preaching?
    Do they love and teach the truth?
    Will their wisdom God approve?

2. Thus their righteousness beholding,
    All in outward form unfolding,
    Inwardly they will appear
    Hostile to Thy children here.
    He who lives in true obedience
    Can discern the voice and presence
    Of such strangers which draw near;
    May we flee when they appear.

3. Though the wolves be ever raging,
    Thou Thy fold art still defending.
    When such spirits do assail,
    We, who know Thee, will prevail.
    Lord, do Thou dispel confusion,
    Erring ones free from delusion.
   Saviour, may Thy fold increase,
    Grant us comfort, joy and peace!

"A Personal Calvary" - Keith Daniel

1/8/2020

Keith Daniel has earned the admiration of Christians worldwide. With an unrivaled capacity to memorize and quote Scripture while preaching, his sermons have mightily impacted devout parishioners from all theological camps and denominations.

Nevertheless, such fame comes with a cost in wicked and adulterous generations (Mk. 8:38). The temptation is strong for preachers to diminish the intensity of what is written, or even apologize for what is demanded, because the masses of Christendom are increasingly intolerant of Biblical Christianity. Tragically, this is exactly what Keith Daniel does in the famous sermon, "Have You Had a Personal Calvary".

Setting the tone of the sermon, before opening in prayer, Keith humorously derides the vanity and foolishness of professional sports, as the people laugh. While acknowledging the fact that sports have "become a god for so many millions of people", and while refusing to be entertained by it himself, Keith says to the people: "I don't blame you if you are fanatical about a game." Keith is careful to tell the people, "Listen, I'm not judging you...". Then he challenges them, saying, "Let me ask you something now? ...when were you so excited about anything of God, how long ago?".

The challenge that Keith delivers to the people is commendable. He is certainly trying to sober the people and direct their hearts into the will of God. However, Keith has no authority to dismiss the people from blame if they are fanatical and idolatrous about sports (2 Pet. 3:14), as the judgment of God is very clear about idolatry (1 Cor. 5:10, 6:9, 10:7, 14; Col. 3:5, Gal. 5:20). As a Preacher (Jas. 3:1), Keith shouldn't be excusing the "lightness" of whoredom rampant among sports fanatics in our generation (Jer. 3:9). Rather, he should be charging the people to subject themselves to the Word of God in however it judges them (Heb. 4:12-13; 1 Cor. 5:12-13; 1 Pet. 4:17-18), whether it accuses or excuses them (1 Cor. 11:31, Rom. 2:13-15).

Sadly, the tone doesn't change for the rest of the evening. To begin the sermon, Keith immediately quotes and expounds John 12:23-26, and then segues into a question that becomes the theme of the sermon: "What could make a man desperately seek God for vital reality in Christianity before he dies?". Of course, Keith will go on to emphasize the need for Christians to "die", as stated in John 12:24, but in order to motivate Christians to "die" Keith preaches a sermon on the pros and cons of having or not having "vital reality in Christianity", in violation of John 12:25. In other words, Keith preaches a sermon on what is to be gained or lost through having or not having "a Personal Calvary", while certainly denouncing the possibility that anyone would suffer the loss of "Life Eternal" (Jn. 12:25).

Keith is very bold to declare to his audience that they are undoubtedly "saved", assuring them that they "will be in heaven" when they physically die, even though it is apparent that they aren't "right with God" for want of having "a Personal Calvary". According to Keith, these people are characterized as follows:

They aren't "desperately" seeking God.
There is no "hope" that God would answer their prayers immediately.
They are a "grief" to God and man.
There are "inconsistencies" and "shallowness" in their Christian lives.
They have not "laid" their "all" on the altar of God.
They have not "fully surrendered" their lives to God.
They do not live "a life of fruitfulness" - such that "is born through a moment of death".
They have refused to "lay down [their] lives no matter what the cost".
They refuse to "seek God with all [their] heart".
They have refused to "put God first before anything".
They are not "desperate" to find a "true walk with God".
They have not "absolutely surrendered" their lives to God.
They are content with "second best" - "Seeing as [they] don't want this cost: a Crucified Life, a Personal Calvary."

Keith isn't even talking about the extraordinary requirements of the call to Preach or the unique sacrifices necessary for becoming a Missionary. The audience understands him to be speaking of "a Mediocre Christian Life" in contrast to a non-Mediocre Christian Life, as the Pastor openly admits in the closing prayer. Statedly, Keith says, "There are only two types of Christians, beloved, those who have had a Personal Calvary and those who have not." Then to drive the point home, Keith questions the people, asking them: "When did you have a Personal Calvary, child of God? When will you have a Personal Calvary?". Howbeit, even if they continue being Cross-less Christians who fight against a Personal Calvary, Keith is careful to assure them with a false peace (Jer. 23:17, Ezek. 13:10, 16, 22-23). Using Jacob as an example, Keith says,

"[Jacob] was saved and would have been in heaven; don't doubt that - you are, you will be in heaven...but what would God have done, if you would stop the fight and had a Personal Calvary?"

In a shocking departure from the fundamentals of the Gospel, Keith preaches a substandard version of Christianity that isn't Biblical. For, according to the Bible, all genuine Christians were truly converted at the instant they were "crucified with Christ" in a Personal Calvary (Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6:1-7, Col. 3:3, Gal. 5:24). This is consistent with what is commonly called, Lordship Salvation, as revealed in Scripture. The Cross is the instrument of execution that liberates the soul in absolute surrender to Jesus Christ as the Lord (Rom. 10:9, 1 Cor. 12:3). Absolute surrender in and through the Gospel is to seek God with all the heart so as to find Him (Jer. 29:13, Deut. 30:6, Col. 2:10-13, Php. 3:3) - all of which is the beginning of a true walk with God made possible by saving faith (Gen. 5:24, Heb. 11:5). This is the clear testimony of Scripture.

"Somebody said, 'It is so easy to get saved.' Yes, all it will cost you is a full surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. All you've got to do to be saved is to die: that's all it costs to get to Christ." - Rolfe Barnard

"There's only two kinds of people in the world, those who are dead in sin and those who are dead to sin." - Leonard Ravenhill

Marvelously, the best warning that Keith can muster up to tell the people comes in the question, "When will you seek God in a way that you will find vital reality before you die in Christianity?". Keith didn't warn the people of dying outside of Christ. No! Rather, he warned them about the possibility of dying "in Christianity". In respect to the Cross, and the doctrines of Personal Mortification and/or the denial of self, Jesus and the Apostles never warned anyone about dying "in Christianity" (Jesus: Matt. 8:18-22, 10:32-39, Mk. 8:34-38, Lk. 9:22-26, 57-62, 12:49-53; Apostles: Rom. 8:1, 13, Col. 3:5-6, Eph. 5:3-7, Gal. 5:17-25). The New Testament "altar" is the Cross, and it requires "all" or nothing (Php. 3:8), which is why Jesus gravely admonished his followers to count "the cost" by reckoning with the danger of eternal judgment impending overhead (Lk. 14:16-35; Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Thess. 1:4-12).

"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." - 2 Corinthians 4:1-2

Sadly, irreverent violations of vast portions of biblical doctrine are commonplace today among Preachers. When quoting a term or phrase from Holy Scripture, we must not remove it from its original context - the framework in which it was definitively revealed - or else in giving it another definition, as seems good, we are disguising damnable heresies through promoting biblical terms. Neither should we romanticize the horrifying atrocity of committing sin against God by using modern terms - chalking it all up to be some kind of "second best" offering or experience that's commonplace in Mediocre Christianity. In reality, if God isn't "first", and Christians are satisfied with giving God "second best", they need to own the guilt of the crime being committed: Idolatry. As violators of the 1st Commandment (Ex. 20:3), they don't need a flattering description of outrageously unacceptable sin, such that men think it's just "second best" Christianity.

Inconsistent and shallow Christians, who lack desperation to change, and stubbornly continue without vital reality with God, are those to whom Jesus said, "thou art Lukewarm", but Keith doesn't call it what it is (Rev. 3:14-22). He radically deviates from the biblical motivators presented to backsliders in divine argumentation, eloquently giving the people incentives to get "right with God" contrary to the emphasis of Scripture. Then Keith goes on to characterize what he called "the Crucified Preacher", only making things worse.

"The Crucified Preacher is nailed to the Cross because of love for the lost."
"He loses his life to win the lost for Christ. He denies himself what others call their legal rights."
"He dies daily to things others regard as normal, legitimate, and even essential."
"This world is not his home."
"He lives to lay up himself treasures in heaven."
"He sets his affection on things above, not on things of the earth"
"For him to live is Christ and to die is gain."

All true Christians are "nailed to the Cross". All genuine Christians have lost their lives and denied themselves. Dying daily isn't an optional path, such that only Preachers must do it! According to Jesus, professing Christians who are otherwise minded are forfeiting their souls for what they hope to gain in this life (Lk. 9:23-26, Php. 3:7-21; Rom. 8:13; 1 Cor. 15:30-34). Such men are called "the enemies of the Cross of Christ" in Philippians 3:18. Why? Because feeling comfortable and at home in this world is the essence of apostasy (Heb. 11:8-16, 35-39; 1 Pet. 2:11, Heb. 12:14-15, 2 Thess. 1:4-5)! And apostasy is essentially hatred for God being expressed through loving the world (1 John 2:15-19, Php. 3:19, Col. 3:2, Titus 1:16; Rev. 12:11). Without controversy, those things that are anti-Cross are Antichrist! A love affair with life is adultery against God and war against Heaven (James 4:4-10, Rom. 8:5-8, Lk. 14:26, Rev. 12:11). Laying up for yourself treasures on earth forfeits heaven because it is hatred for God and slavery to mammon (Matt. 6:19-24).

What business does Keith have confounding this matter? God knows. As for me, it is neither right nor safe to keep silent on this matter (Job 32:21-22, Prov. 24:11-12). A lack of clarity here, in what the Bible exhaustively clarifies, is an unforgivable sin in the Pulpit that necessitates an open rebuke. No amount of love and gratitude for Keith, as a brother in Christ, should inspire me to disobey direct orders from God in such circumstances as these. Not even Peter was allowed to confound the Gospel without being openly rebuked before all (Gal. 2:11-14). No doubt the people would begin to desperately seek God if they knew their eternal destiny was on the line.

They do not live "a life of fruitfulness" - such that "is born through a moment of death".

Keith Daniel is preaching about a life of fruitfulness - such that is born through a moment of death - but the conceptual essence of what it means to be fruitful according to the Scriptures is violated by Keith's preaching. Keith fails to deliver to the people the biblical warnings pronounced by God upon those who do not bear fruit. On the contrary, when the word fruit is used in the New Testament, or a derivative thereof, it is employed by God to teach us how to identify or discern TRUE CHRISTIANS from FALSE CHRISTIANS, while focusing on the miraculous and transformational power of true conversion to Christ, and fiercely pronouncing damnation upon those who are fruitless for want of true conversion or because they are backslidden from Christ.

Without controversy, this is the case and point in 15 out of 16 times where the word fruit is used in Matthew (Matt. 3:8, 10, 7:16, 17-20, 12:33, 13:8, 23, 26, 21:19, 34, 41, 43, 26:29), 7 out of 8 times where the word fruit is used in Mark (Mk. 4:7-8, 20, 28-29, 11:14, 12:2, 14:25), 11 out of 15 times where the word fruit is used in Luke (Lk. 1:42, 3:8-9, 6:43-44, 8:8, 14-15, 12:17-18, 13:6-7, 9, 20:10, 22:18), 6 out of 7 times where the word fruit is used in John (Jn. 4:36, 12:24, 15:2, 4, 5, 8, 16), and 17 out of 23 times where the word fruit is used in the Epistles (Rom. 1:13, 6:21-22, 7:4-5, 15:28; 1 Cor. 9:7, 2 Cor. 9:10, Gal. 5:22, Eph. 5:9, Php. 1:11, 22, 4:17, Col. 1:6, 10, 2 Tim. 2:6, Heb. 12:11, 13:15, Jas. 3:17-18, 5:7, 18, Jude 1:12). That amounts to over 50 violations of Scripture in a topic that pervades the New Testament.

"Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear." - 1 Timothy 5:20

Too many voices of extra-biblical Church History have preached a substandard version of Christianity. Insincere parishioners are a plague to the Church (Ezek. 33:30-32). To keep them coming, famous expository Preachers tip-toe around the divine threats of Scripture. If only Keith would have been yoked together in the School of God with other equally gifted men with contrasting strengths and weaknesses, like the Apostles were raised up together, then this could have been prevented. No one is above it. I have long believed that if Leonard Ravenhill, Paul Washer, and Keith Daniel would have united together, and matured in unity, this generation would have seen the greatest revival to date since the 1st Century.

"Some Have Fallen into Spiritual Darkness..." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne

12/23/2019

The decline of spiritual light within true Churches is so glaringly obvious… shouldn't we come to understand its significance? To the dismay of many Neo-Calvinists, Robert Murray M'Cheyne admitted that such was “the case of every Christian Church” in his time. When writing in defense of a move of God that happened in his parish, M'Cheyne was forced to affirm the frequency of backsliders as commonplace among all true Churches of authentic converts. In so doing, M'Cheyne said,

“Some of those converted have now walked consistently for four years; the greater part from one to two years. Some have had their falls into sin, and have thus opened the mouths of their adversaries; but the very noise that this has made, shows that such instances are very rare. Some have fallen into spiritual darkness; many, I fear, have left their first love; but yet I see nothing in all this but what is incident in the case of every Christian Church. Many there are among us, who are filled with light and peace, and are examples to the believers in all things.” - M'Cheyne

Any serious minded believer would agree with M'Cheyne's assessment. They would empathize as those beholden to the same situation in our time. However, in the process, many good men have succumbed to the pressure of a growing tumult of Neo-Calvinists who outright deny that it is even possible for a truly converted individual to fall into spiritual darkness or lose one's first love (Rev. 2:4-5). This is the sad reality. Therefore, I plead for caution to those standing in the crossfire of theological rivalry. I plead for a slow and studious consideration of the subject, rather than a hasty agreement with the norm. I plead for loyalty to the Scripture no matter the outcome! For, as you will soon see (God willing), this subject occupies a large portion of the Bible: Firstly, in describing the transformational experience of salvation in the change from spiritual darkness to spiritual light. Secondarily, in pastoral warnings to true believers that they would walk in the glory of salvific light lest the soul is once again overtaken in spiritual darkness through backsliding into sin.

The Transformational Experience of Salvation in Christ

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” - Acts 26:18 [2 Cor. 4:3-6]

As depicted in Acts 26:18, those who have been born again have been made “meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" by virtue of God delivering us “from the power of darkness" and translating us "into the Kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:12-13, Jn. 3:3). This translation is a conversion experience that happens by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit resulting in a "regeneration" (Rom. 8:1-11, Titus 3:5). Literally, this results in a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) - a reconciliation of a lost and darkened soul to the Living God (2 Cor. 5:18-19, Heb. 9:14). Therefore, because “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), a personal reconciliation to God means an illumination of one's darkness and lostness (2 Cor. 4:3-6). In this way we have become, by Spirit, nature, and law: “the Children of Light” (John 12:36, 1 Thess. 5:5, 2 Pet. 1:4); and because we are “the Children of the Day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thess. 5:5).

The moral and spiritual essence of God is light (1 Jn. 1:5); therefore, John said, “in Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4, Rom. 8:10). This being the case, it is to be expected that “there shall be no night” in the Kingdom of God (Rev. 21:23-25). Why? Because "the glory of God [will] lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Rev. 21:23-25); therefore, all those who “are saved shall walk in the light of it” (Rev. 21:23-25). Anything else is simply inexcusable in the past, the present, or the future. Everything else is unacceptable whether in the Old Testament, the New Testament, or in the Consummated form of the Kingdom of God in the End of the World. For, the spiritual essence of the Kingdom of God is opposed to sin as light to darkness. Therefore, in all ages, the divine mandate forbids darkness from the Church. However, sadly, the backsliders of the Church don't comply with these spiritual laws (Rom. 8:2, Jas. 1:25).

Pastoral Warnings to Walk in the Light

Even the laws of natural creation depict the spiritual rules of the Kingdom. For, at the Genesis of time, it was written, "God divided the light from the darkness" (Gen. 1:4). Even so, now, things are no different (2 Cor. 4:3-6). The voice of our Creator (Ps. 33:6-9, 148:5) is calling souls out of darkness into the light for the goodliness and loveliness of divine affection ("And God saw the light, that it was good..." - Gen. 1:4). Anything else but this is utterly unreasonable and indefensible. Therefore, because these divine ethics of goodness govern the Kingdom of God in Christ, when Paul encountered various transgressors of what is good in the Church, he objected with the question: "...what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). Contrastingly, Peter affirmed, we “should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9), which would mean that we are having "no fellowship" with what God forbids (Eph. 5:11). In doing so, we are simply walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as Children of Light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” - Eph. 5:8-11

If we are alive in the Spirit through being born of God, we should walk in the Spirit. Or, as Paul explained, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25). Harmoniously, according to Ephesians 5:8-11, this is the same thing as walking in the Light. Anything else would mean that we are walking in the flesh and for that we will have to suffer the consequences (Gal. 5:19-21, Rom. 8:13). On the contrary, we are exhorted to “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel” (Col. 1:23). This is our only hope. We must live, move and have our being in Jesus Christ (John 15:1-7, Rom. 6:1-23). Of course, this is because the Gospel liberates us from the flesh (Rom. 8:1-11) - the life of a normal human being! - making us radically abnormal and saintly in a fallen world of sinners (Heb. 12:14, Lk. 6:20-26).

Therefore, in describing the fallen estate of mankind, Paul warned that we should "henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened", for all such things are a product of being "alienated from the life of God" for want of true salvation in Christ (Eph. 4:17-18). Hence, true Christians are obliged to live on the contrary by virtue of being in Christ (Jn. 16:33, Rev. 2:26-27). This is exactly why Paul exhorted the Christians of Colossae, “as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Col. 2:6). He wanted them to walk in the Spirit by faith in the Gospel instead of the alternative; for, to "walk as men" (1 Cor. 3:3), or, if any true Christian is found out to be a backslider who "walketh in darkness" (1 Jn. 2:11, Num. 32:23), he or she is doomed to suffer the divine verdict: "...if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die" (Rom. 8:13). In other words, according to 1 John 3:14, this is as good as abiding in death (Rom. 8:6). This is why the pastoral epistles make urgent appeals to all such backslidders, saying, "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light" (Eph. 5:14).

The Spirit of God rouses men from the spiritual slumber of human depravity! Howbeit, the spirits of demons will cast men into the deep sleep of fearless disobedience against God. This is exactly what it means to be overcome by "the rulers of the darkness of this world" (Eph. 6:12), or, to be "taken captive by [the Devil] at his will" (2 Tim. 2:25-26, Eph. 2:1-3, 6:12). This miserable condition of spiritual darkness and sleep has been spoken about for ages (Isa. 29:9-10, Rom. 11:7-10). Furthermore, with Babylon approaching and therewith the End of the World, things will only get darker from hereon out (Matt. 25:1-13). Illustriously, and urgently, Paul speaks of this hazardous situation of unprecedented darkness in Romans 13:11-14. We would do well to take heed.

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the Day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." - Rom. 13:11-14

Urgently, Paul was speaking as one who was aware that time was running out for those who were walking in darkness. Therefore, with reference to the spiritual warfare at hand, he appealed to all sleepers to wake up and put on the whole armor of God so as to overcome the opposing adversaries of darkness (Eph. 5:8-17, 6:10-18). However, fittingly, in speaking of this in Romans 13:11-14, Paul called the divine vestments of war "the amour of light" (Rom. 13:12). He speaks in the same manner in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8. For, to put the armor on, and thereby win the war, one is essentially putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14; "The LORD is a Man of War: the LORD is His Name." - Ex. 15:3). In other words, as formerly stated, this is to "walk as Children of Light" (Eph. 5:8). This isn't a secondary issue (1 John 1:5-7).

A day of reckoning is coming for the "Sons of God" sooner rather than later (Php. 2:15-16); and, therein, God will judge the truthfulness of our profession by discerning the blamelessness of our walk before God - whether or not we are truly shining as "lights in the world" (Php. 2:12-16), or whether or not "the salt of the earth" has already lost is savor (Matt. 5:13-16, Rev. 2:1-7). At such a prospect, I bid the reader to soberly reflect upon the following pastoral warnings with a renewed understanding. For, if things are really as bad as Robert Murray M'Cheyne openly confessed, when he said, "Some have fallen into spiritual darkness...", we would do well to look to ourselves and discover if we, like others, have fallen into spiritual darkness.

“But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” - 2 Peter 3:10-14

“Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the Children of Light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.” - John 12:35-36

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that Day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the Children of Light, and the Children of the Day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation,” - 1 Thess. 5:4-8

“For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” -Mark 13:34-37

“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when He will return from the wedding; that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” -Luke 12:35-40

"The Unquestionable Progress of Grace to Sin" - John Wesley

12/21/2019

John Wesley actually believed that he could fall from grace (Gal. 5:4). He actually believed that he could become a castaway, and therefore he did what Paul said a man ought to do - “TAKE HEED” (1 Cor. 9:27-10:12). In so doing, Wesley learned to identify and articulate the intricacies whereby a regenerated man goes from “Grace to Sin”. John Wesley called it, “The unquestionable progress of Grace to Sin”. He believed it was a progressive thing not a sudden thing, by which a man falls from grace into a damnable condition – and he was right. Brethren, will you give John Wesley an ear for a moment?

The Calvinistic Community has, under the leadership and admirable efforts of Paul Washer, come to understand the intricacies in which a man goes from “Sin to Grace” at conversion. I applaud this work and give glory to God! But the Calvinistic Community has failed to study the means by which a man goes from “Grace to Sin”. My friends, will you hear it? First, hear Wesley describe going from “Sin to Grace” at the experience of the new birth in Christ. Then, my reader, hear him explain the progress of going from “Grace to Sin”.

From Sin to Grace - The Experience of the New Birth (John Wesley)

“I. 1. First, we are to consider, what is the proper meaning of that expression, "Whosoever is born of God." And, in general, from all the passages of holy writ wherein this expression, "the being born of God," occurs, we may learn that it implies not barely the being baptized, or any outward change whatever; but a vast inward change, a change wrought in the soul, by the operation of the Holy Ghost; a change in the whole manner of our existence; for, from the moment we are born of God, we live in quite another manner than we did before; we are, as it were, in another world.

2. The ground and reason of the expression is easy to be understood. When we undergo this great change, we may, with much propriety, be said to be born again, because there is so near a resemblance between the circumstances of the natural and of the spiritual birth; so that to consider the circumstances of the natural birth, is the most easy way to understand the spiritual.
3. The child which is not yet born subsists indeed by the air, as does everything which has life; but feels it not, nor any thing else, unless in a very dull and imperfect manner. It hears little, if at all; the organs of hearing being as yet closed up. It sees nothing; having its eyes fast shut, and being surrounded with utter darkness. There are, it may be, some faint beginnings of life, when the time of its birth draws nigh, and some motion consequent thereon, whereby it is distinguished from a mere mass of matter; but it has no senses; all these avenues of the soul are hitherto quite shut up. Of consequence, it has scarce any intercourse with this visible world; nor any knowledge, conception, or idea, of the things that occur therein.

4. The reason why he that is not yet born is wholly a stranger to the visible world, is, not because it is afar off; (it is very nigh; it surrounds him on every side;) but, partly, because he has not those senses, they are not yet opened in his soul, whereby alone it is possible to hold commerce with the material world; and partly, because so thick a veil is cast between, through which he can discern nothing.

5. But no sooner is the child born into the world, than he exists in a quite different manner. He now feels the air with which he is surrounded, and which pours into him from every side, as fast as he alternately breathes it back, to sustain the flame of life: And hence springs a continual increase of strength, of motion, and of sensation; all the bodily senses being now awakened, and furnished with their proper objects.

His eyes are now opened to perceive the light, which, silently flowing in upon them, discovers not only itself, but an infinite variety of things, with which before he was wholly unacquainted. His ears are unclosed, and sounds rush in with endless diversity. Every sense is employed upon such objects as are peculiarly suitable to it; and by these inlets the soul, having an open intercourse with the visible world, acquires more and more knowledge of sensible things, of all the things which are under the sun.

6. So it is with him that is born of God. Before that great change is wrought, although he subsists by Him, in whom all that have life "live, and move, and have their being," yet he is not sensible of God; he does not feel, he has no inward consciousness of His presence. He does not perceive that divine breath of life, without which he cannot subsist a moment: Nor is he sensible of any of the things of God; they make no impression upon his soul. God is continually calling to him from on high, but he heareth not; his ears are shut, so that the "voice of the charmer" is lost to him, "charm he never so wisely," He seeth not the things of the Spirit of God; the eyes of his understanding being closed, and utter darkness covering his whole soul, surrounding him on every side. It is true he may have some faint dawnings of life, some small beginnings of spiritual motion; but as yet he has no spiritual senses capable of discerning spiritual objects; consequently, he "discerneth not the things of the Spirit of God; he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

7. Hence he has scarce any knowledge of the invisible world, as he has scarce any intercourse with it. Not that it is afar off: No: He is in the midst of it; it encompasses him round about. The other world, as we usually term it, is not far from every one of us: It is above, and beneath, and on every side. Only the natural man discerneth it not; partly, because he has no spiritual senses, whereby alone we can discern the things of God; partly, because so thick a veil is interposed as he knows not how to penetrate.

8. But when he is born of God, born of the Spirit, how is the manner of his existence changed! His whole soul is now sensible of God, and he can say, by sure experience, "Thou art about my bed, and about my path;" I feel thee in all my ways: "Thou besettest me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me." The Spirit or breath of God is immediately inspired, breathed into the new-born soul; and the same breath which comes from, returns to, God: As it is continually received by faith, so it is continually rendered back by love, by prayer, and praise, and thanksgiving; love and praise, and prayer being the breath of every soul which is truly born of God. And by this new kind of spiritual respiration, spiritual life is not only sustained, but increased day by day, together with spiritual strength, and motion, and sensation; all the senses of the soul being now awake, and capable of discerning spiritual good and evil.

9. "The eyes of his understanding" are now "open," and he "seeth Him that is invisible." He sees what is "the exceeding greatness of his power" and of his love toward them that believe. He sees that God is merciful to him a sinner, that he is reconciled through the Son of his love. He clearly perceives both the pardoning love of God, and all his "exceeding great and precious promises." "God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined," and doth shine, "in his heart," to enlighten him with "the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." All the darkness is now passed away, and he abides in the light of God's countenance.

10. His ears are now opened, and the voice of God no longer calls in vain. He hears and obeys the heavenly calling: He knows the voice of his Shepherd. All his spiritual senses being now awakened, he has a clear intercourse with the invisible world; and hence he knows more and more of the things which before it could not "enter into his heart to conceive." He now knows what the peace of God is; what is joy in the Holy Ghost; what the love of God which is shed abroad in the heart of them that believe in him through Christ Jesus. Thus the veil being removed which before interrupted the light and voice, the knowledge and love of God, he who is born of the Spirit, dwelling in love, "dwelleth in God, and God in him."

From Grace to Sin - The Process and Progress of Falling From Grace (John Wesley)

“8. To explain this by a particular instance: David was born of God, and saw God by faith. He loved God in sincerity. He could truly say, "Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth," neither person nor thing, "that I desire in comparison of thee." But still there remained in his heart that corruption of nature, which is the seed of all evil.

"He was walking upon the roof of his house," (2 Sam. 11:2,) probably praising the God whom his soul loved, when he looked down, and saw Bathsheba. He felt a temptation; a thought which tended to evil. The Spirit of God did not fail to convince him of this. He doubtless heard and knew the warning voice; but he yielded in some measure to the thought, and the temptation began to prevail over him. Hereby his spirit was sullied; he saw God still; but it was more dimly than before. He loved God still; but not in the same degree; not with the same strength and ardour of affection. Yet God checked him again, though his spirit was grieved; and his voice, though fainter and fainter, still whispered, "Sin lieth at the door; look unto me, and be thou saved." But he would not hear: He looked again, not unto God, but unto the forbidden object, till nature was superior to grace, and kindled lust in his soul.

The eye of his mind was now closed again, and God vanished out of his sight. Faith, the divine, supernatural intercourse with God, and the love of God, ceased together: He then rushed on as a horse into the battle, and knowingly committed the outward sin.

9. You see the unquestionable progress from grace to sin: Thus it goes on, from step to step. (1.) The divine seed of loving, conquering faith, remains in him that is born of God. "He keepeth himself," by the grace of God, and "cannot commit sin." (2.) A temptation arises; whether from the world, the flesh, or the devil, it matters not. (3.) The Spirit of God gives him warning that sin is near, and bids him more abundantly watch unto prayer. (4.) He gives way, in some degree, to the temptation, which now begins to grow pleasing to him. (5.) The Holy Spirit is grieved; his faith is weakened; and his love of God grows cold. (6.) The Spirit reproves him more sharply, and saith, "This is the way; walk thou in it." (7.) He turns away from the painful voice of God, and listens to the pleasing voice of the tempter. (8.) Evil desire begins and spreads in his soul, till faith and love vanish away: He is then capable of committing outward sin, the power of the Lord being departed from him.

10. To explain this by another instance: The Apostle Peter was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost; and hereby keeping himself, he had a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man.Walking thus in simplicity and godly sincerity, "before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles," knowing that what God had cleansed was not common or unclean. But "when they were come," a temptation arose in his heart, "to fear those of the circumcision," (the Jewish converts, who were zealous for circumcision and the other rites of the Mosaic law,) and regard the favour and praise of these men, more than the praise of God. He was warned by the Spirit that sin was near: Nevertheless, he yielded to it in some degree, even to sinful fear of man, and his faith and love were proportionably weakened. God reproved him again for giving place to the devil. Yet he would not hearken to the voice of his Shepherd; but gave himself up to that slavish fear, and thereby quenched the Spirit. Then God disappeared, and, faith and love being extinct, he committed the outward sin. Walking not uprightly, not "according to the truth of the gospel," he "separated himself" from his Christian brethren, and by his evil example, if not advice also, "compelled even the Gentiles to live after the manner of the Jews;" to entangle themselves again with that "yoke of bondage," from which "Christ had set them free."”

In Conclusion

It is obvious that John Wesley didn't believe in “works salvation”. It is obvious that he had a deep understanding of salvation by “faith alone through grace alone, apart from works”. It is also obvious that Wesley believed in a present-continuous salvation experience - that the respiration and life of a saved man exists by and is expressed in what is commonly called, “the means of grace”. The closing paragraph of this excerpt thrusts at the reader this concluding burden.

It is as if you can hear John Wesley cry to the saints of his day, “USE THE MEANS OF GRACE!” Do you agree? Speaking of such, Wesley wrote, “Let us learn, Lastly, to follow that direction of the great Apostle, "Be not high-minded, but fear." Let us fear sin, more than death or hell. Let us have a jealous (though not painful) fear, lest we should lean to our own deceitful hearts. "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall." Even he who now standeth fast in the grace of God, in the faith that overcometh the world, may nevertheless fall into inward sin, and thereby "make shipwreck of his faith." And how easily then will outward sin regain its dominion over him! Thou, therefore, O man of God! watch always; that thou mayest always hear the voice of God! Watch, that thou mayest pray without ceasing, at all times, and in all places, pouring out thy heart before him! So shalt thou always believe, and always love, and never commit sin.”

I know that many are confused over what exactly John Wesley believed about sinless perfection. Therefore, I think it is necessary to make a personal statement on this in relationship to the sermon that I have cited, lest my reader misunderstand what exactly I believe. John Wesley preached these excerpts which I have quoted above in the sermon called, “The Great Privilege of Those That Are Born of God”, and it is of noteworthy importance concerning the subjects I have endeavored to defend. However, this sermon has several differences from the former work that Wesley wrote called, “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection”. I am not altogether sure if Wesley’s convictions had “matured” away from his former heresies, but this sermon is not the same burden that he wrote about in “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection”. In this sermon Wesley is exactly aligned with the true teaching of scripture, unlike the deplorable address he formerly wrote, on what he called, “Christian Perfection”. This sermon is blessed, edifying, and accurate, but the former book is grievously erroneous and heretical, though not in a damnable sense.

To be more specific, this sermon is an off-shooting contradiction to John Wesley’s former conviction on “sinless perfection” because here, in this sermon, Wesley is careful to define “doth not commit sin” as a “voluntary” and “outward transgression” of the written word of God, which means that, mind you, he is not maintaining that this scripture, “doth not commit sin”, ascribes to the possibility and actual experience of being free from all inward sin, but in “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection” Wesley is careful to state the contrary, that, according to him, “Christian Perfection” is freedom from all inward and outward sin. This sermon, therefore, is a closer representation of what all saints should ascribe to regarding the actual experience of saving grace and falling from it, relating to the process and progress of falling from it as a regenerated man.

This sermon is of great value and edification because John’s explanation of the “new birth” experience is a well-written and worthy account, and later in the sermon, in the address in which he focuses on falling from grace, the clarity with which he describes the progress in which “the fall” happens does attest to the sudden instance in which, by following the progress, one falls from the security of, and actual experience in, present-continuous saving grace. John explains, in other words, the experience of going from sin to grace at conversion, and, on the contrary, the process and progress by which a saved man can go from grace to sin. This is in accordance to what was written, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (Prov. 24:16).

This means – it happens! – a righteous man does fall into and is temporarily detained by a damnable-force of sin, but “if God permit” (Heb. 6:3) or “peradventure” (2 Tim. 2:25), the man will rise up again! However, remember, if the man falls without recovery therefrom, legally speaking, this is “the mischief” which was “of old ordained” to “the wicked” (Jude 1:4, 1 Pet. 2:8), and thus shall he everlastingly remain (Ezek. 3:20, 18:22, 24, Jer. 23:39, Rev. 3:5). Furthermore, at what point salvation is irreversibly lost (The Doctrine of Reprobation), or at what instant the man becomes a “castaway” (1 Cor. 9:27), is not for us to debate about. This judgment belongs to God ("Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right?" - Gen. 18:25). The instant this irreversible threshold is crossed to wit the fallen man becomes a castaway is a point that is non-formulaic and incalculable to us. God decides based upon circumstances we cannot understand. Moreover, anything we do understand about such events is by way of past examples recorded in inspired Scripture (“those men which have…tempted Me now these ten times” - Num. 14:22; Heb. 4:1).

Oh, my brethren, let us understand the depths of our depravity, yes, but also the inner-workings of grace in relationship to our experiential salvation from our depravity! Vital reality with the Living God causes the saints to shout – “I am eternally secure!” – there is no doubt about this fact and no argument to refute it! But without vital reality with God all security is lost! Therefore, I plead, let us learn this one thing: our salvation is not in a transaction but a Person to whom we are reconciled by a transaction, therefore let us look away from the isolated transaction as a thing in and of itself, for it cannot exist in and of itself, but let us look to the Person of Christ, and as Paul Washer said, let us be terrified to take our eyes off of Him!

“When what I love to hear is, ‘I’m looking unto Him! I’m looking unto Him, and would be
terrified to take my eyes off of Him! I’m looking unto Jesus!” – Paul Washer

A Voice Clarified - Leonard Ravenhill

12/12/2019

Leonard Ravenhill

Multitudes of people have acknowledged Leonard Ravenhill as a prophet sent by God,
but have we really heard what he said?

Dear reader, it was for good reason that Leonard Ravenhill said, "The last words of Jesus to the church (in Revelation) were 'Repent!'" It is startling to consider the last words of Jesus Christ, as seen in Revelation 2-3. These letters were written to true and authentic converts of biblical Churches, and yet Christ's predominant burden was, "Repent!" Approximately 2,000 years have past since then, but I assure you, this very same word is burning upon the heart of the living and ascended Christ! I entreat you that you would listen to the following videos with an ear to understand why...

VIDEO #1: "To the Preacher" - The Idolatry of Intelligence, by Leonard Ravenhill
VIDEO #2: "To the Preacher" - Anointed by God, by Leonard Ravenhill
VIDEO #3: "The Church" - The Arena of God's Immediate Sovereignty, by Leonard Ravenhill
VIDEO #4: "Suffering" - The Marks of God's Approval, by Leonard Ravenhill
VIDEO #5: "To the Calvinist" by Leonard Ravenhill
VIDEO #6: "The Coming Revival" by Leonard Ravenhill

"To the Preacher" - The Idolatry of Intelligence

by Leonard Ravenhill

#1) We call it intelligence, God calls it pride.
#2) My heart is full of Christ, not my head is full of theology! My heart is full of Christ and longs this glorious message to declare!
#3) You don't need know your Bible... You don't need to know the word of God, you need to know the God of the word!
#4) Where is the confrontation of the MEN OF GOD?
#5) Prayer grasps eternity. It doesn't demand a colossal intellect. It doesn't demand a vast vocabulary.
#6) Do you think you can find a Church on earth that fits into that pattern?
#7) We are boasting about something we don't have! ...It's Theology. It's a Phrase. It's a Technique.
#8) Do you know, in those revivals, never once was there an altar call? Do you know, when there's a revival you don't make an altar call?
#9) Listen, there isn't a Pentecostal Church in America today!
#10) There isn't a revivalist in America today... not one!
#11) No mention of the pew, it's all on the pulpit. Let the priests weep... Let them rend their hearts. Let them howl.
But where in God's Name do you get taught to howl in prayer?
#12) If you want to know how popular a Church is, go Sunday morning. If you want to know how popular the preacher is, go Sunday night. If you want to know how popular God is, go to the prayer meeting.
#13) Listen. Forget our seminaries! There's no anointing in them!
#14) Do you know what you do when you go to seminary? You get a swollen head and a shrunken heart.
#15) I say, if your preacher doesn't weep, you weep over the preacher!
#16) Tell me this, do you have a course on weeping for them? And if they graduate, do you have a course on howling?
#17) It originates in God. (Speaking of the Anointing, Gift, and Call to Preach)
#18) Would like to pass your mantle on to me? No, but I'll share you some of my sackcloth... and I never hear from them again.
#19) They were unlearned and ignorant men... the Holy Ghost came upon them. Not intellectuals, bishops, & presidents of colleges.
#20) God's going to bypass organized religion and systems before very long... I believe that many denominations are breathing their last right now.
#21) The Church has become so carnal... the glory of the Lord doesn't fill the Temple!

"To the Preacher" - Anointed by God

by Leonard Ravenhill

#1) WE NEED PROPHETS!
#2) It was in the darkest and most desolate hour that God raised up His prophets!
#3) They see like God, they love like God, they hate like God... they have a holy anger.
#4) I know when He speaks... I know when He breaks my heart... I know when He gives me anger... which I need.
#5) Not a profession... a passion.
#6) What's the condition in America like spiritually tonight? ZERO. Why?
#7) Because we've got blind men coming out of seminaries... as blind men, they lead the blind.
#8) The enemies of the cross of Christ are not in the tavern now... they're in God's House.
#9) I believe God will look down on nearly every Church in America or England this Sunday and say, "Your House is empty."

"The Church" - The Arena of God's Immediate Sovereignty

by Leonard Ravenhill

God's immediate sovereignty, what is it?
"People do not leave the sanctuary for hours."
"You can't explain it, you can't predict it, you can't direct it... God becomes sovereign!"

God's immediate sovereignty is not "Christian Humanism":
"We'll do it, You bless it Lord."
"We put personalities up, just like the world does."
"He said, 'I want to tell you that if God withdrew the Holy Spirit from my church today, it would function tomorrow the same way we wouldn't even know He'd gone...'"
"Come our way..."

God's immediate sovereignty is when, suddenly... God comes:
"When he prayed God just came down as though He jumped into the audience."
"He prayed the whole night for the anointing for the next day."

God's immediate sovereignty is when God is in control and His burden manifest:
"And I just walked forward and sat on the floor - didn't go to the pulpit: ...and I began to weep."
"My spirit just groaned, and he stayed there 50 minutes weeping."

Instead of God's immediate sovereignty we've become carnal and mechanical:
"The Church has become so carnal...
the glory of the Lord doesn't fill the Temple!"
"When did you last tip-toe out of the sanctuary and say, 'Surely God is in this place, and that to bless us!'"
"They don't expect Deity to invade the place. They don't expect to tip-toe out of the holy place..."
"God only had one problem in the Old Testament, and that was Israel. And I believe Almighty God only has one problem in the world tonight, and it's not communism or romanism, it's the Church of the Living God!"
"The Glory has departed!"

What must we do?
"I'd like to see 300 pastors come together, for a whole week and stay prostrate before God."
"TOTAL control by YOU."
"If we stay here it doesn't matter whether we die here."
"Our people don't feed on God, they feed on meetings."
"So I am praying this morning that suddenly God will come."

We must rediscover worship:
"I haven't been in a Church in England where they know how to worship God."
"Sometimes the glory comes down..."
"Maybe before you die, you'll see people coming from foreign countries to show us what New Testament Christianity is all about."
"There's not a flood of revival in America today."
"God is bypassing us, provoking us..."

"Suffering" - The Marks of God's Approval

by Leonard Ravenhill

Are we willing to suffer?
"..we raise our hats to the martyrs, and we thank God for the last drop of their blood but we won't give Him the first drop of ours."

In what circumstance will we suffer?
"What about when God does it with you? In your Church, people begin to ridicule you... but that's the way you make character."

To what end will we suffer?
"If you're going to be a prophet you'll have to preach repentance, and before you start - dedicate your head to heaven."
"You get filled with the Holy Ghost, and watch it, where will you go? You'll go where those other men have gone... they've put them in prison."
"He went to cities and he had one of two things: Revival or Riot"

Who is suffering?
"There isn't a prophet in America today that I know of."
"Immediately he takes up that mantle of prophesy - he gets the full load of the love of God and the full anger of the people."

Will a prophet suffer persecution from the Church, the saints, and godly people?
"Don't care about public opinion. Don't care what godly people say or what the ungodly say: ...till they get a hold of the will of God and they run with it."
"If you stir hell up, the devil will stir everything he can against you: you'll get misunderstood, misrepresented... if you're not mature enough, it will get you down. It's not the contradiction of sinners... It's the criticism of saints that gets you down."

What success can come from suffering?
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed bed of the Church."

Should we expect suffering?
"We are fools for Christ's sake" - 1 Cor. 4:10
"Why do you expect to be accepted?"

Can this suffering be described and specified?
"They were most despised, discredited, disappointed, disillusioned men in the world."
"Pentecost in the New Testament meant to be married to: Poverty, Persecution, Privation, Prisons, Pain."

"People say, 'We want another Pentecost.' I don't believe them for a minute. Pentecost in the New Testament is tied in with persecution, poverty (and) prison!"

"The early church was married to poverty, prisons and persecutions. Today, the church is married to prosperity, personality, and popularity."

"To the Calvinist"

by Leonard Ravenhill

The Major Burdens

The Idolatry of Church History:
"We've too many preachers studying Church History, and too few preachers making history. Studying Church History is an indoctrination which, very often becomes I think... 'brain washing'." (beware of "blind indoctrination")

Is modern Christianity the blood-bought Church?
"He didn't die for this freak of a thing! This powerless thing!This pale, pathetic, powerless, putrid Protestantism that dares to label itself with His Name!"

Is the Holy Ghost always with a man?
"The Holy Ghost may not come back to you...
Some of you preachers are preaching a theology and you're sheltering behind a denomination, and you're scared stiff to preach the revelations God has given you..."
"God's going to do a new thing in this generation."

How does a Saint Backslide?
"Resist. Strive. Grieve. ...when you finish that, He leaves you. You can't get back to God when you want."

Blood Atonement:
"I have to put off the old man.
I have to put on the new man.
I have to renounce this world..."
"We're living in bankruptcy as the Church of Jesus Christ, compared with where we ought to live."
"Paul says, you're to put on the whole armor of God - it's not something automatic you've got to put it on."
(shun over-simplistic definitions of The Atonement)

To the Backslider:
"Tonight, in one act of mercy, He can take your record and cast it behind His back forever..."
"He'll be weeping until you come back. You said no to His blood."
(a backslider is a regenerated man under the guilt of unforgiven sin)

Cleansing From Sin:
"Lord, I'm glad that Fountain is still open tonight..."
(cleansing from sin is a present continuous experience)

We're Going to be Found Out:
"But if I am living now with eternal life, why should I need to change before I get into heaven?"
"'Don't you worry, God will never forsake you... it doesn't matter, you may leave Him but He will never leave you.' That is entirely against the scripture."
"If the Spirit troubles you this morning, thank God He is troubling you... before you go to hell."

What Pastoral Burden?
"You think they'd go in to that sin if they had an eye on the Judgment Seat?"
(that the fallen would be restored by rediscovering the Judgment Seat)

The State of the Church:
"The Church is asleep today."
"God only had one problem in the Old Testament, and that was Israel. And I believe Almighty God only has one problem in the world tonight, and it's not communism or romanism, it's the Church of the Living God!" "The Glory has departed!"
(the Church has fallen asleep... are you awake?)

The Church needs God:
"You're too late, I'm getting rid of you. Your House is left desolate.
You say America needs God, no she doesn't... the Church needs God! If the Church gets God, America would soon feel it - she'd be staggering."
"There's one promise God hasn't kept... I think He's about to do it: He said He'd spew us out of His mouth."

Who's the Bride of Christ?
#1) Him that overcometh.
#2) Those of us who are living in victory
#3) Walking in the Light.
#4) Walking in the Spirit.
#5) No bitterness.
#6) No defeat.
#7) Your living in union with the will of God.
#8) People hate you and despise you.
"You don't want Jesus to come as you are now..."

The State of the Church:
"Your Church has no vision, because you have no vision. The Church has no passion, because you have no passion."
"He's not coming for a limping, lame, ragged woman..."
"The hindrance to His coming tonight is that the Church is impure." "Do you think Jesus died for this dirty, rotten system we call 'Christianity'?" (preacher, have you prepared the Bride?)

A Midnight Cry:
"There is only one reason that the world is going to hell tonight, and that is because of the unbelief of the Church."
"I believe almost (not all), almost every pulpit in the land is an insult to the Lord Jesus today." (will you respond to the cry?)

"The Coming Revival"

by Leonard Ravenhill

#1) He's going to anoint your sons and your daughters, not your bishops sir... No, I'm sorry bishops.
#2) He's going to show us the Church anointed again in the Spirit of the Living God!
#3) When the Church is healthy... hell trembles.
#4) They must be young people.... working class people. Not the elite.
#5) (They will be people like): Fishermen of Galilee, A Tax Collector
#6) We're going to see men in our generation that have never been on the earth.
#7) God's going to raise some super holy men... people aren't ready.
#8) Folk don't want my message anyhow.
#9) There's going to come another "Upper Room". You young men are my hope.
#10) God wants some people crazier than I am.
#11) There's not a flood of revival in America today. God is bypassing us, provoking us...
#12) The Church has become so carnal... the glory of the Lord doesn't fill the Temple!
#13) God's going to bypass organized religion and systems before very long... I believe that many denominations are breathing their last right now.
#14) I am convinced that God's going to do a new work...

The Holy Ghost may not come back to you... [Matt. 13:12]. Some of you preachers are preaching a theology and your shouting behind a denomination, and you're scared stiff to preach the revelations God has given you...