Who Made You to Differ?

Posted on September 16, 2012 by brothershawn

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” {I Corinthians 4:7}

I have been pondering this statement by the Apostle Paul to some of the seemingly proud, puffed up {vs.6} Corinthian believers.

Who had made me to differ?

I asked myself these questions…

Why was I born in a country with a church on every corner, where I can worship God as I please? A country awash in Bibles?

Why was I not born in North Korea or Afghanistan or some impoverished third world country instead of this blessed nation?

Why was I raised in a good stable home with great parents instead of an unstable or broken home?

Why was I given a Christian education?

Why have I never been one day without a job for 32 years?

Why have I enjoyed relatively good health?

Who gave me Christian grandparents?

Who gave me a praying mother?

Who broke my hard heart and opened my blinded eyes to the gospel?

Why do I have a wonderful wife?

Why do I have four terrific children?

Why do I have a comfortable home to live in and good cars to drive?

Who hath made me to differ?

What do I have that I didn’t receive?

What if, like in the case of Job, He took it all away tomorrow?

As the hymn writer said,

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

“Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” {Psalm 100:3-4}

I want to thank Him and praise Him because He deserves it all. – Shawn

“We have no reason to be proud of our attainments, enjoyments, or performances; all that we have, or are, or do, that is good, is owing to the free and rich grace of God. Boasting is for ever excluded. There is nothing we have that we can properly call our own: all is received from God. It is foolish in us therefore, and injurious to him, to boast of it; those who receive all should be proud of nothing” – Matthew Henry

“Who maketh thee to differ?” Let us recollect that if we live very near to Christ, we should have lived quite as near to hell if it had not been for saving grace.” 

“There have been many who would do well if they would learn that they have nothing beyond what God has given them. And the more God has given them, the more they are in debt. Why should a man boast because he is deeper in debt than another?”

 “Oh be not rashly self-confident, Christian man. Be as confident as you can in your God, but be distrustful of yourself. Ye may yet become all that is vile and vicious, unless sovereign grace prevent and keep you to the end. But remember if you have been preserved, the crown of your keeping belongs to the Shepherd of Israel, and ye know who that is.” – C.H. Spurgeon 

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Suppose He is Right.

Posted on September 2, 2012 by brothershawn

“…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”            John 14:6b

Jesus, the Son of God said that He is the only way to God the Father.

Notice He did not say I am “a way”. He said; I am the way.

He did not say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.”

He did not say, “Your good deeds will be weighed against your bad deeds.”

He did not say, “Just try to be good to your neighbor and do good deeds”

He did not say, “Be baptized or join a church that pleases you”

He did not say, “Just be a good person”

Some people “believe” in Jesus just like they believe in George Washington, in a historical sense.

They believe that He lived and died and they even believe He was the Son of God.

But they have never trusted Christ.

They have never really seen themselves as needing a Saviour.

They have never understood that they are under the wrath of God.

They have never seen themselves as the enemy of God.

They have never felt the need to be reconciled to God. {Romans 5:9-11}

And they never will unless the Holy Spirit opens their understanding.

He did say that no man goes to God the Father except through Him.

But…

Suppose He is right and there is a Heaven and a Hell.

Suppose He is right and He is the only one who can forgive sins.

Suppose He is right and He truly is the only way to Heaven.

I believe He is…and I am staking my very soul on it.

Shawn

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“Salvation is more than a passport to Heaven”

Posted on August 12, 2012 by brothershawn

“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:17-18

“Salvation is more than a passport to Heaven; it is deliverance from the dominion of sin in this life.” – Missionary James A. Stewart {1910-1975}

Today in our “Christianity” we have “saved” drunkards, saved porn addicts, saved adulterers, saved fornicators, saved drug addicts etcetera. Everybody’s saved!

Our old hymns speak of repentance and deliverance but much of our modern day religion doesn’t change hardly anybody. What good is a Christianity that leaves men in their sins?  The Christian “religion” once had the reputation of freeing men from the bondage of sin. Our gospel was once a powerful gospel that changed lives. We could boast in the fact that Jesus Christ could make the harlot chaste and the drunkard sober and the drug addict clean. He could make a crooked businessman become honest. He was a life changing Saviour.

I believe that He still is a life changing Saviour and to preach anything less is to make a sham and mockery of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

I think C. H. Spurgeon was correct when he said, “If the man does not live differently from what he did before, both at home and abroad, his repentance needs to be repented of; and his conversion is a fiction.”

I agree with J. C. Ryle when he said, “A man born again, or regenerate, does not commit sin as a habit. He no longer sins with his heart and will and whole inclination, as an unregenerate man does. There was probably a time when he did not think whether his actions were sinful or not, and never felt grieved after doing evil. There was no quarrel between him and sin; they were friends. Now he hates sin, flees from it, fights against it, counts it his greatest plague, groans under the burden of its presence, mourns when he falls under its influence, and longs to be delivered from it altogether.”

“Salvation from the pleasure or love of sin takes place at our regeneration; salvation from the penalty or punishment of sin occurs at our justification; salvation from the power or dominion of sin is accomplished during our practical sanctification; salvation from the presence or inbeing of sin is consummated at our glorification” – A.W. Pink

I like the old time ways…Life changing Christianity.

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Oh the Love That Drew Salvations Plan!

Posted on August 3, 2012 by brothershawn

“…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8

God knows no surprises. He has had no makeshift or stopgap plan. He knows everything from beginning to end and He is in control of everything from beginning to end. “…our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” {Psalm 115:3} His salvation plan is no exception. It was drawn up before the foundation of the world. The Son of God was delivered up to be slain by the “determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God”. {Acts 2:22-24}

God is not in the Heavens wringing His hands and drinking Maalox. Everything is going according to His plan! He “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” {Ephesians 1:11}

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” {Isaiah 46:9,10}

The Word of God tells us that “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” {Romans 8:28} Not some things but all things. Not just the pleasant things but all things. I am glad He is in control. I am glad He is bringing everything together for good in my life. I am glad for His “salvation plan” before the foundation of the world

As one writer said “…the real test of our faith in a sovereign God is how we act when we are “upset” and do not get our own way.” {The Sovereignty of God in Providence by John Reisinger}

Is your God in control of all things?

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary! – {At Calvary,William Newell}

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Good People Do Not Go To Heaven

Posted on July 16, 2012 by brothershawn

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. {Jesus} Mark 9: 43- 44

After reading Jesus’ words in the above passage you may say, “I don’t believe in Hell”. That doesn’t change the fact that there is a Hell. Maybe you believe there is a Hell but that God only sends “bad” people there. The two men that were crucified with Jesus were both bad men but one of them went to Heaven. As a matter of fact the Bible says we are all bad people. “…there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” {Romans 3:12} None of us deserve to go to Heaven. None of us could ever be good enough to go to Heaven. Your good works could never save you from Hell. The Bible tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” {Ephesians 2:8-9}

You may think yourself a good person but God sees everything. God sees the heart. He knows every thought and every imagination. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” {Genesis 6:5} What you and I need to understand is that good people do not go to Heaven. Those who somehow trust that their good deeds or moral life will save them are doomed to hell. Salvation is “not of works”.

Jesus said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” {Matthew 9:13b}. You cannot work your way to Heaven. The only way to make it to Heaven is trust His finished work on the cross alone. “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling”

Have you trusted Jesus Christ alone? He is your only hope of Heaven? Have you cast your poor soul at His nail pierced feet?

Are you afraid to die? I was at a little country church some years ago and after the sermon there was a moment of silence. Suddenly an old blind man in the back of the church began to sing, unprompted, the song Are You Afraid to Die? Chills ran down my back when I thought of those who I knew were lost in that room but yet had no inclination of bowing the knee to Jesus Christ. Afraid to die, yes but still a rebel against God and His Son.

How about you? What is your hope of Heaven? How do you plan to escape what Jesus described as unquenchable fire? Surely you don’t think you can work your way to Heaven. The hymn writer stated it clearly when he said, “Doing” is a deadly thing…Doing” ends in death.

Weary, working, burdened one,
Wherefore toil you so?
Cease your doing; all was done
Long, long ago.

Till to Jesus’ work you cling
By a simple faith,
“Doing” is a deadly thing—
“Doing” ends in death.

Cast your deadly “doing” down—
Down at Jesus’ feet;
Stand in Him, in Him alone,
Gloriously complete.

Shawn

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End Time Theories

Posted on July 15, 2012 by brothershawn

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”               Mark 13:24-27

Bible prophecy is tricky business. I have heard of all kinds. Pre-trib, Mid-trib, Post-trib, No-trib, and those who do not believe in a “rapture” at all. I have even heard of some Baptist folk who believe in several raptures. From my teen years I was taught {rammed down my throat might be a better description} the pre-trib rapture theory. Many years ago I reached the conclusion that the pre-trib theory is unbiblical. I am not prepared to publish my end time “theory” at this time. I have to agree with C. H. Spurgeon concerning future events. He said, “The more I read the Scriptures as to the future, the less I am able to dogmatise.” I feel I have been mistaken in the past and do not want to be dogmatically wrong again.

In the Olivet discourse Jesus says that He will “gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” He says this will happen after “that tribulation”. Jesus said that He will come to gather His elect after “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.” This, in my opinion, is a pretty good depiction of the opening of the sixth seal in Revelation chapter six.

Concerning the “secret rapture”, the Bible says, “then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” That doesn’t sound too “secret” to me.

There are some things I can say with clear scriptural authority.

1. He is coming back to gather His elect from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

2. This has not happened yet.

3. His return will be visible.

4. Before His return “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.”

If you hold to another theory would you let me be like  H.A. Ironside concerning non-essentials.

When someone tried to nit-pick with Dr. Ironside on some non-essential matter, he would say, “Well, brother, when we get to heaven, one of us is going to be wrong — and perhaps it will be me.”

I’ll let others map out their “theories” to the very jot and tittles. I think I’ll just say with the old hymn writer;

“When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh may I then in Him be found. Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.”                                                Are you ready for His return?

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What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?

Posted on July 8, 2012 by brothershawn

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, … Continue reading →

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Things to Put On

Posted on June 10, 2012 by brothershawn

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Colossians 3:12-14

Have you ever been beat up by another Christian? Not necessarily physically but emotionally or spiritually.

Dr R. L. Hymers tells of a story that he observed as a young man. It would almost be humorous if it wasn’t so sad.

“Once I saw the pastor of a large church in the Southern Baptist Convention sitting with tears running down his face, his head in his hands, rocking back and forth and sobbing, while seated in the pastor’s chair behind the pulpit. Before him, hundreds of people cursed one another with foul language, and some even threw hymnbooks across the aisles at each other. People cursed one another. Three men grabbed a church leader and threw him on the sidewalk in front of the church, taking him by the throat, and beating his head against the pavement. When he was unconscious, they rifled his pockets and took away his key to the church building. This was done at 11:00 AM on a Sunday morning, during the morning worship service. I saw it with my own eyes as a seventeen-year-old boy. All of these people had made “decisions.” All of them had said a sinner’s prayer, gone forward, or lifted their hand. But how many of them could have been converted?  Even then it seemed impossible to me that real Christians could behave in such an utterly indecent fashion in the house of God, if they had anything in the way of the new birth.”

John Newton, Anglican Pastor and author of the hymn Amazing Grace gave the following counsel concerning controversies’.

“In a little while you will meet in heaven; he will then be dearer to you than the nearest friend you have upon earth is to you now. Anticipate that period in your thoughts; and though you may find it necessary to oppose his errors, view him personally as a kindred soul, with whom you are to be happy in Christ forever…But if you look upon him as an unconverted person, in a state of enmity against God and his grace (a supposition which, without good evidence, you should be very unwilling to admit), he is a more proper object of your compassion than of your anger.”

“But you know who has made you to differ. If God, in his sovereign pleasure, had so appointed, you might have been as he is now; and he, instead of you, might have been set for the defense of the gospel. You were both equally blind by nature. If you attend to this, you will not reproach or hate him, because the Lord has been pleased to open your eyes, and not his.”

“Whatever it be that makes us trust in ourselves that we are comparatively wise or good, so as to treat those with contempt who do not subscribe to our doctrines, or follow our party, is a proof and fruit of a self-righteous spirit. Self-righteousness can feed upon doctrines as well as upon works…”

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C. H. Spurgeon on the Power of the Spirit.

Posted on June 10, 2012 by brothershawn

“And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:11-12.

“Oh! I love God’s “shalls” and “wills.” There is nothing comparable to them. Let a man say “shall,” what is it good for? “I will,” says man, and he never performs; “I shall,” says he, and he breaks his promise. But it is never so with God’s “shalls.” If he says “shall,” it shall be; when he says “will,” it will be.” 

“If Jesus Christ were to stand on the platform to-night, what would many people do with him? “O!” say some, “we would make him a King.” I do not believe it. They would crucify him again, if they had the opportunity. If he were to come and say, “Here I am, I love you, will you be saved by me?” not one of you would consent if you were left to your will. If he should look upon you with those eyes, before whose power the lion would have crouched; if he spoke with that voice which poured forth a cataract of eloquence like a stream of nectar rolling down from the cliffs above, not a single person would come to be his disciple. No; it wants the power of the Spirit to make men come to Jesus Christ. He himself said, “No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him.” Ah! we want that; and here we have it. They shall come! They shall come! Ye may laugh, ye may despise us; but Jesus Christ shall not die for nothing. If some of you reject him, there are some that will not. It there are some that are not saved, others shall be. Christ shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. Some think that Christ died, and yet, that some for whom he died will be lost. I never could understand that doctrine. If Jesus, my surety, bore my griefs and carried my sorrows, I believe myself to be as secure as the angels in heaven. God cannot ask payment twice. If Christ paid my debt, shall I have to pay it again? No.

“Free from sin I walk at large
The Saviour’s blood’s my full discharge;
At his dear feet content I lay,
A sinner saved, and homage pay.”

They shall come! They shall come! And naught in heaven, nor on earth, nor in hell, can stop them from coming.”

 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37

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The True Emphasis of the Gospel Ministry Part Two

Posted on June 9, 2012 by brothershawn

I feel as though I should add some provisos concerning my last article in fear that I might be misunderstood. I mentioned five things mistakenly emphasized in Christianity were; Education, Ritualism, Wealth, Crowds and Emotion. I am not against these things per se; I am against an undue emphasis being placed on them.

Education is necessary and good. Get all you can just don’t let it go to your head. {“…Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth”}The Christian life and particularly the Christian ministry is a lifetime of learning.

Some traditions {some might call them rituals} if biblical are warranted.

Wealth is always nice to have. I heard an old preacher say one time “Money can’t buy happiness but it can sure drive misery away”.

Everyone would like to have a bigger crowd, you’d be stupid not to.

We are emotional creatures by design. There is certainly nothing wrong with being emotional.

I am speaking on the subject of the true emphasis of the gospel ministry. People can and usually do go to seed on just about anything.

II. Things the Apostle Paul De-emphasized

A. The wisdom of men. Paul was very intelligent and well educated but he de-emphasized those things. “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” One wise old preacher when asked if he was a doctor replied, why goodness no, I haven’t even been a nurse yet.” Knowing Jesus Christ that is what Paul was interested in.

B.  Great speaking ability or enticing words “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”

Some at Corinth said, “his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

In other words “he wasn’t very entertaining…he didn’t crank me up”

The apostle Paul wasn’t interested in cranking people up. Preachers are not entertainers. Churches are not entertainment centers. Preachers are not supposed to be stand-up comedians. They stand between the souls of men and an eternal Hell.

…then what was the Apostle Paul interested in?

III. Things the Apostle Paul Emphasized.

A. He emphasized the preaching of the gospel. This is what we are to emphasize.

B. He emphasized the Preaching of the cross. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

C. He emphasized his dependence on the Spirit of God.

I Thessalonians 1:5 “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.”

If anything is accomplished it will be because of God not because of man

The Holy Spirit regenerates men.

He opens their hearts.

He opens their eyes.

He guides them into all truth.

The reason men emphasize these other things is because they believe that they must do what only the Holy Ghost can do. I am afraid it is man made, man powered religion and nothing lasting will come of it.

C. H. Spurgeon said, “When I was about fifteen or sixteen years of age, I wanted a Savior, and I heard the gospel preached by a poor man, who said in the name of Jesus—”Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” It was very plain English, and I understood it, and obeyed it and found rest… if I was saved by a simple gospel, then I am bound to preach that same simple gospel till I die, so that others too may be saved by it.
When I cease to preach salvation by faith in Jesus put me into a lunatic asylum, for you may be sure that my mind is gone.”

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