The characteristics of the modern Christian pulpit!

J. C. Ryle

"John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath! Produce fruit in keeping with repentance!" Luke 3:7-8

Well would it be for the Church of Christ, if it possessed more plain-speaking ministers like John the Baptist.
  A morbid dislike to strong language;
  an excessive fear of giving offence;
  a constant flinching from directness and plain speaking — 
are, unhappily, too much the characteristics of the modern Christian pulpit!

Uncharitable language is no doubt always to be deprecated. But there is no 'charity' in flattering unconverted people — by abstaining from any mention of their vices, or in applying smooth names to their damnable sins!

There are two texts which are too much forgotten by Christian preachers. In one it is written, "Woe unto you — when all men shall speak well of you!" (Luke 6:26)

In the other it is written, "Obviously, I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people — I would not be Christ's servant." (Galatians 1:10)

Our Attitude Toward God’s Sovereignty – Part5

One of Godly fear.

Why is it that, today, the masses are so utterly unconcerned about spiritual and eternal things, and that they are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God? Why is it that even on the battlefields multitudes were so indifferent to their soul's welfare? Why is it that defiance of heaven is becoming more open, more blatant, more daring? The answer is, Because "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:18). Again, why is it that the authority of the Scriptures has been lowered so sadly of late? Why is it that even among those who profess to be the Lord's people, there is so little real subjection to His Word, and that its precepts are so lightly esteemed and so readily set aside? Ah! what needs to be stressed today, is that God is a God to be feared!

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7). Happy the soul who has been awed by a view of God's majesty, who has had a vision of God's awesome greatness, His ineffable holiness, His perfect righteousness, His irresistible power, His sovereign grace. Does someone say, "But it is only the unsaved, those outside of Christ, who need to fear God"? Then the sufficient answer is that the saved, those who are in Christ, are admonished to work out their own salvation with "fear and trembling." Time was, when it was the general custom to speak of a believer as a "God-fearing man"—that such an appellation has become nearly extinct—only serves to show where we have drifted. Nevertheless, it still stands written, "Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:13)!

When we speak of godly fear, of course, we do not mean a servile fear, such as prevails among the heathen in connection with their gods. No! we mean that spirit which Jehovah is pledged to bless, that spirit to which the prophet referred when he said, "To this man will I (the Lord) look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at My Word" (Isaiah 66:2). It was this the apostle had in view when he wrote, "Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king" (1 Peter 2:17). And nothing will foster this godly fear—like a recognition of the sovereign Majesty of God.

What ought to be our attitude toward the Sovereignty of God? We answer again,

By: Arthur Pink

Our Walk in Spirit and Identity in Him

Neil Anderson’s devotional for December 2 is interesting and took me back to the old days. I can also see how anyone who knows God can take this devotional and develop it into an essay because there are many fascinating points one can make, but, I will keep it short today.

He is right when he said in the second paragraph that we do not have an identity problem, but a walk problem. Although we need to KNOW our identity in Him, to claim it and live it out as we live IN HIM, but, often times our problem is not one of identity in Christ but of a walk problem. When God was teaching me how to walk in the spirit, my leaders kept telling me that all Christians at the moment of Salvation, walk in the Spirit. God taught me that is a lie, one that is poisoning the Church. It is a lack of knowing God personally and a lack of Spiritual insight.  Think about it, if indeed we walk in Spirit automatically at the moment of Salvation, then we are saying, the mess that has become Christianity is the Holy Spirit’s fault. Furthermore, In Galatians 5:16 Paul gave a command to the Galatians to walk in the Spirit. Because I have been taught the steps that I took in between to learn to walk IN HIM as I found my identity in Him, I can see more through Neil Anderson today’s Devotional. Underneath it all, what he is not spelling out for us is that there is a span of time in between the walk in spirit to claiming our identity in Him and take a stand on it and never let go.

 Please understand that I am not criticizing Neil’s devotion. I am just deciphering what I know he is saying in between.

The up and down spiritual existence Neil talks about in the first paragraph are something that I lived the first five to six years of my Christian walk, and I knew through His grace, there was something wrong with it. When I complained, the Spirit of God told me to surrender. Then, a few months after I surrender, I was about seven years in the Christian life, all hell broke loose and my life has never been the same again as God turned it Topsy turvy. My point here is that, an up and down spiritual existence is not what we are called to live as Christian.

Yes, it is true, we become saints at the moment of Salvation, but, as we walk the walk we find that our sainthood is like an embryo germinating in the mother’s womb slowly to become a full formed fetus. I do not want to use a different example, because that is the one God used, to show me, most of the time, how He is working out our Salvation through us.  So, the point here is that if we do not walk in the Spirit to go forward knowing the victorious life where we stop having an up and down spiritual existence, we are like embryo between the first stages of a pregnancy, complete, but not developed.

Here is something to ponder…. What happen when an embryo remains at the same stage of an embryo and never developed throughout the pregnancy terms?

HERE IS NEIL ANDERSON'S DEVOTIONAL FOR DECEMBER 2

December 2

We Are Saints

 

Romans 1:7 

To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

 

Have you ever heard a Christian refer to himself as "just a sinner saved by grace"? Have you referred to yourself that way? What do sinners do? They sin! If you are no different from a non-Christian, or even if you perceive yourself as no different, what will happen? Your Christian life will be mediocre at best, with little to distinguish you from a non-Christian. Satan will seize that opportunity, pour on the guilt, and convince you that you are doomed to an up-and-down spiritual existence. As a defeated Christian you will confess your sin and strive to do better, but inwardly you will admit that you are just a sinner saved by grace, hanging on until the rapture.

 

In Scripture, believers are called "brethren," "sons of God," "sons of light," and "saints." You are not a sinner; you are a saint who sins. "For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). According to that passage, we don't have an identity problem; we have a walk problem.

 

We become saints at the moment of salvation and live as saints in our daily experience as we continue to believe what God has done and as we continue to affirm who we really are in Christ. If you fail to see yourself as a child of God, you will struggle vainly to live like one, and Satan will have little trouble convincing you that you are no different from who you were before Christ and that you have no value to God or anyone else. But appropriating by faith the radical transformation of your core identity from sinner to saint will have a powerful, positive effect on your daily resistance to sin and Satan.

 

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes that I may see myself as You see me. Then enable me to walk as a child of light.

COURTESY OF:  http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/dailyinchrist/

Our Attitude Toward God’s Sovereignty – Part4

Our Attitude is One of Adoring Worship.

It has been well said that "true worship is based upon recognized GREATNESS, and greatness is superlatively seen in Sovereignty, and at no other footstool will men really worship" (J. B. Moody). In the presence of the Divine King upon His throne—even the seraphim 'veil their faces.'

Divine sovereignty is not the sovereignty of a tyrannical Despot—but the exercised pleasure of One who is infinitely wise and good! Because God is infinitely wise—He cannot err; and because He is infinitely righteous—He will not do wrong. Here then is the preciousness of this truth. The mere fact itself that God's will is irresistible and irreversible—fills me with fear; but once I realize that God wills only that which is good—my heart is made to rejoice!

Here then is the final answer to the question of this chapter—What ought to be our attitude toward the sovereignty of God? The befitting attitude for us to take is that of godly fear, implicit obedience, and unreserved resignation and submission. But not only so—the recognition of the sovereignty of God, and the realization that the Sovereign Himself is my Father, ought to overwhelm the heart and cause me to bow before Him in adoring worship! At all times I must say, "Even so, Father, for so it seems good in Your sight." We conclude with an example which well illustrates our meaning.

Some two hundred years ago the saintly Madam Guyon, after ten years spent in a dungeon lying far below the surface of the ground, lit only by a candle at meal-times, wrote these words,

"A little bird I am,
Shut from the fields of air;
Yet in my cage I sit and sing
To Him who placed me there!
Well pleased a prisoner to be,
Because, my God, it pleases Thee.

Nothing have I else to do
I sing the whole day long;
And He whom most I love to please,
Does listen to my song!
He caught and bound my wandering wing
But still He bends to hear me sing.

My cage confines me round;
Abroad I cannot fly;
But though my wing is closely bound,
My heart's at liberty!
My prison walls cannot control
The flight, the freedom of the soul.

Ah! it is good to soar
These bolts and bars above,
To Him whose purpose I adore,
Whose Providence I love!
And in Your mighty will to find
The joy, the freedom of the mind."

How People See You is Totally Irrelevant to God and His Divine Purpose for You

I am reading Isaiah book and I started thinking of how God chose Isaiah in Chapter 6. There was a time where I got involved in everything that I could in the Church because I wanted to serve, but I also knew that my Church would never choose me to serve in many areas, for two reasons.  1) Was my divorce even though they never knew me when I was married. The second reason was that I did not wear masks like almost everyone.

But, when God started dealing with me, I went through a period of time where He kept talking and teaching me in my dreams, all about service. To make a long story short (can you believe I can keep it short? LOL) One day I was praying vehemently and for some reasons I kind of felt asleep because my eyes were so suddenly heavy. I have no idea to this day if that was a dream or not, but I was aware that the Spirit took oil and put it on my lips.  I have to say that I was always shy when it comes to talking about God and what I knew. I did not mind evangelizing and had no problem with unbelievers, but I never felt adequate to talk to Christians.  Anyway, when I went to one of the Pastors and explained what has happened to me about the oil on my lips, I was dismissed and the pastor said something like “only an elder could do that” and he quoted James 5:14 which apparently is not for just sickness, but also the significance is that anything that concerns oil, has to go through an elder and that the right channel is important to God because God is a God of order.  I was disappointed but, I moved on with God because I knew what really happened to me was from God and man's understanding or lack of it, could not derail me. This Pastor’s answer to me, right there, is a good example as to why we as Christians need to have an attitude adjustment toward God so we can become more spiritual.

My point is, no man has ever commissioned me yet, I know that God is using me the right way, instead of me running around like a chicken without head, getting involved in everything in the Church. So, the lesson here, make sure you pursue God instead of man. Once you reach the place where the Cross of Christ has significance to your heart, you know that you were truly lost and found by Him, seek for Him with all your heart and with all your might and He promised that you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13-14) It does not matter where you are from, your skin color, your status in society and how much you have failed Him in this life. Don’t be absorbed by what is out there and how good you look and sound. Don’t allow yourself to be addicted by man’s approval. Don’t seek for love in the wrong place.  All these things are a temporary fix. Resolved to know nothing about anyone, but Christ crucified.

It is in looking for Him with all that you are and focussing on Him alone to mold you and make you, that you get to the point where you can live this life in this world, He can use you to touch all those around you, yet, you know like Christ, you are not of this world.

Don't fear rejection when you have a mighty God willing to accept you just the way you are. Beloved, allow Him to customize your life, His way.  

I will go back to my Bible now.....

Our Attitude Toward God’s Sovereignty – Part3

One if deep thankfulness and joy.

The heart's apprehension of this most blessed truth of the sovereignty of God, produces something far different than a sullen bowing to the inevitable. The philosophy of this perishing world knows nothing better than to "make the best of bad circumstances". But with the Christian it should be far other wise. Not only should the recognition of God's supremacy beget within us godly fear, implicit obedience, and entire resignation—but it should cause us to say with the Psalmist, "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name!" Does not the apostle say, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20)? Ah, it is at this point the state of our souls is so often put to the test. Alas, there is so much self-will in each of us. When things go as we wish them, we appear to be very grateful to God; but what of those occasions when things go contrary to our plans and desires?

We take it for granted when the real Christian takes a train-journey that, upon reaching his destination, he devoutly returns thanks unto God—which, of course, argues that God controls everything; otherwise, we ought to thank the engine-driver, the stoker, the signalmen etc. Or, if in business, at the close of a good week, gratitude is expressed unto the Giver of every good (temporal) and of every perfect (spiritual) gift—which again, argues that He directs all customers to your shop. So far, so good. Such examples occasion no difficulty. But imagine the opposites. Suppose my train was delayed for hours—did I fret and fume? Or suppose another train ran into it, and I am injured! Or, suppose I have had a poor week in business, or that lightning struck my shop and set it on fire, or that burglars broke in and rifled it—then what? Do I see the hand of God in these things?

Take the case of Job once more. When loss after loss came his way, what did he do? Bemoan his "bad luck"? Curse the robbers? Murmur against God? No! he bowed before Him in worship. Ah, dear reader, there is no real rest for your poor heart until you learn to see the hand of God in everything. But for that, faith must be in constant exercise. And what is faith? A blind credulity? A fatalistic acquiescence? No, far from it. Faith is a resting on the sure Word of the living God, and therefore says, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). And therefore faith will give thanks "always for all things". Operative faith will "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil. 4:4).

We turn now to mark how this recognition of God's sovereignty which is expressed in godly fear, implicit obedience, entire resignation, and deep thankfulness and joy—was supremely and perfectly exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ.

In all things the Lord Jesus has left us an example that we should follow His steps. But is this true in connection with the first point made above? Are the words "godly fear" ever linked with His peerless name? Remembering that 'godly fear' signifies not a servile terror—but rather a filial subjection and reverence, and remembering too that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," would it not rather be strange if no mention at all were made of godly fear in connection with the One who was wisdom incarnate! What a wonderful and precious word is that of Hebrews 5:7, "Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear." What was it but 'godly fear' which caused the Lord Jesus to be "subject" unto Mary and Joseph in the days of His childhood? Was it not 'godly fear'—a filial subjection to and reverence for God—that we see displayed, when we read, "And He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up—and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day" (Luke 4:16)? Was it not 'godly fear' which caused the incarnate Son to say, when tempted by Satan to fall down and worship him, "It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve"? Was it not 'godly fear' which moved Him to say to the cleansed leper, "Go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded" (Matthew 8:4)? But why multiply illustrations?

How perfect was the obedience that the Lord Jesus offered to God the Father! And in reflecting upon this—let us not lose sight of that wondrous grace which caused Him, who was in the very form of God, to stoop so low as to take upon Him the form of a Servant, and thus be brought into the place where obedience was befitting. As the perfect Servant He yielded complete obedience to His Father. How absolute and entire that obedience was we may learn from the words, He "became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross" (Phil. 2:8). That this was a conscious and intelligent obedience, is clear from His own language, "This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father" (John 10:17, 18).

And what shall we say of the absolute resignation of the Son to the Father's will—what, but between them there was entire oneness of accord. Said He, "For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will—but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). And how fully He substantiated that claim, all know who have attentively followed His path as marked out in the Scriptures. Behold Him in Gethsemane! The bitter 'cup,' held in the Father's hand, is presented to His view. Mark well His attitude. Learn of Him who was meek and lowly in heart. Remember that there in the Garden we see the Word become flesh—a perfect Man. His body is quivering at every nerve, in contemplation of the physical sufferings which await Him; His holy and sensitive nature is shrinking from the horrible indignities which shall be heaped upon Him; His heart is breaking at the awful "reproach" which is before Him; His spirit is greatly troubled as He foresees the terrible conflict with the Power of Darkness; and above all, and supremely, His soul is filled with horror at the thought of being separated from God Himself. There He pours out His soul to the Father, and with strong crying and tears He sheds, as it were, great drops of blood. And now observe and listen. Still the beating of your heart, and hearken to the words which fall from His blessed lips, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will—but may Your be done" (Luke 22:42). Here is submission personified. Here is resignation to the pleasure of a sovereign God superlatively exemplified. And He has left us an example that we should follow His steps. He who was God became man, and was tempted in all points like as we are—sin apart—to show us how to wear our creature nature!

Above we asked, What shall we say of Christ's absolute resignation to the Father's will? We answer—that here, as everywhere, He was unique and peerless. In all things He has the pre-eminence. In the Lord Jesus there was no rebellious will to be broken. In His heart there was nothing to be subdued. Was not this one reason why, in the language of prophecy, He said, "I am a worm, and no man" (Psalm 22:6). A worm has no power of resistance! It was because in Him there was no resistance that He could say, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me" (John 4:34). Yes, it was because He was in perfect accord with the Father in all things that He said, "I delight to do Your will, O God! Yes, Your law is within My heart" (Psalm 40:8). Note the last clause here and behold His matchless excellency. God has to put His laws into our minds, and write them in our hearts (see Hebrews 8:10)—but His law was already in Christ's heart!

What a beautiful and striking illustration of Christ's thankfulness and joy is found in Matthew 11. There we behold, first, the failure in the faith of His forerunner (vv. 22, 23). Next, we learn of the discontent of the people: satisfied neither with Christ's joyous message, nor with John's solemn one (vv. 16-20). Third, we have the non-repentance of those favored cities in which our Lord's mightiest works were done (vv. 21-24). And then we read, "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes" (v. 25)! Note the parallel passage in Luke 10:21 opens by saying, "In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank You" etc. Ah, here was submission in its purest form. Here was One by which the worlds were made—yet, in the days of His humiliation, and in the face of His rejection, thankfully and joyously bowing to the will of the "Lord of heaven and earth".

What ought to be our attitude towards God's sovereignty?
Arthur Pink

The Christian Community Is In Need of An Attitude Adjustment

Some Christians' discussions on the internet are killing me inside because some of these people are so well educated that I’m in awe when they speak or when I read some of their posts, some with great social status. Yet all their analysis, while well intentioned, are being made in the flesh. Some are blatantly discussing things that only those who understand the spiritual things can understand, yet they carry on, not aware of their limitations, and that they could become stumbling blocks to those who are not in the Spirit.

When we read something whether it is from Johnathan Edwards, Spurgeon, Finley, Chambers, Pink, Pastor Charles Stanley, John Piper and so many more. Whether we talk about the Reformers, the Puritans the Calvinism and on, we should read them with, and through the Spirit. Never approach our teachers as if they have the absolute truth. We should also never approach their teachings with a kind of disdain because your opinion is already formed about them and you do not like their teachings….Unless the Spirit confirms it to you.

A genuine Christian who knows what it means to live in the Spirit will be open to learn from anyone. A genuine Christian will learn to read books from certain periods and writers and take what is good that, the Spirit confirms in the heart and leave the rest to God. The truth is, as we learn to walk in the Spirit, we find that no one on earth, except the apostles whom God used specifically for His purpose to bring His word to us, has all God’s doctrines perfectly “down.” I find that when my mind is purposely made up, about someone and the way they approach God’s doctrines, then I stop the Spirit of God from teaching me anything.

I love Oswald Chambers, Tozer, Spurgeon, Pink and many more of the past centuries. Notice that I said the past centuries because I really don’t care whether they were called Wesleyan, Calvinist, reformers or what have you. Would you believe that there are certain things that I do not agree with Spurgeon, or Pink or Wesley, or Chambers? When I read someone’s book or listen to their sermons, the first thing that I am concerned with, is for the Spirit to reveal to my heart if this person is or was someone after God’s heart? Would you believe that the Holy Spirit is willing to do that for you right away if indeed your only motive is to grow and learn? There are times where the Spirit warns me not to even bother about someone. Would you believe some of them are very popular pastors that are extremely well known and wealthy through their television programs, with a sea of Christian followers?

Once we decide to leave the shallow life behind and we stop fighting those that are forcing us out of our comfort zone, only then can we find freedom in reading books, sermons and posts where we can learn and grow spiritually. When I do not agree with one of those pastors I mentioned above, chances are it is not worth making a big fuss. Someone who is or was after God’s heart will not make a mistake that will derail you in your journey. But, if you were not in the mood to go forward to begin with, then, you can choose to spend time fighting and debating frivolous things in your own understanding. I learn to put what I do not understand, in His care and move on.  Most of the time, He would come back to me and teach me about why the discrepancies. If He chooses not to teach me about them, then so be it. Nonetheless, I keep going with Him, because none of us are perfect.

Often times, when I do not agree about a particular teaching, because God has not only taught me, but He made me experience the subject in question. So sometimes, I find that those giants of the faith might have been off a tad bit. Even when I can see that I understand a subject better than them, I am not puffed up because it would be like criticizing a tiny dust in their eyes while I have a whole tree right there in my own eyes. So, when God allows me to see something that I have experienced with Him,

 where they did not, I humble myself, and thank God for His blessings because I am not deserving. I also usually see myself being on the right path when something like that happens and pray that God would help me to remain steadfast in the faith and keep me living for His Glory.