"Beloved, when I gave
all diligence to write
unto you of the common
salvation, it was
needful for me to
write unto you, and
exhort you that ye
should earnestly
contend for the faith
which was once
delivered unto the
saints." ---Jude 3
**********
Many today embrace a
gospel that is not the
same as our
forefathers knew, or
as Jesus and the
disciples taught.
We sometimes wonder,
what happened to the
old time religion
which our ancestors
believed, taught, and
walked in.
Today, we see a
seeker-friendly type
gospel in which some
ministers do not want
to offend anyone, and
who are afraid to call
sin, as
unrighteousness which
will doom a man's soul
to hell, unless he
repents. The
preachers of
yesterday, such as
Jonathan Edwards,
preached such messages
that made men cry out
in agony, because of
realizing their sins
would destroy their
soul. These men
of God preached that
the foot of the wicked
would slide in due
time, and that God
would judge all sin.
The vengeance of God
was threatened upon
the wicked, because
God's Word declared
it. These taught
that the only reason
men had not already
fallen, who were
living wickedly, was
because it was not yet
God's appointed time.
Today, many ministers
have thousands of
followers whom they do
not want to offend
with even the mention
of sin. Many
preach a gospel of how
to be healthy,
wealthy, and wise, and
omit how to stand
victoriously and
resist the devil.
Some of these have
publicly stated they
will not offend with
preaching about sin,
but instead seem to
focus on self-help and
how to be successful
in life.
The successful
Christian today is
seen by some, as one
who drives the best
car, has the biggest
mansion, and pays the
most tithes into a
church to help support
a social type gospel.
Yet, love for God
first and others,
helping the poor. and
walking in the Spirit
of the Lord, is true
birthmarks of a
believer that is
successful in Christ.
God expects us to give
as we have prospered,
yet it is more than
giving of finances.
One can give all they
have, yet if they have
not love for God and
their fellow man, all
their giving has
accomplished them
nothing. Our
priorities must be
right, and our
motivation for our
deeds must be out of a
heart for Christ.
We are to present
ourselves to the Lord
as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable.
This is our reasonable
service, or the very
least God expects.
There are lifestyles
which are an
abomination to a holy
God that are being
accepted by many
denominations.
Even homosexuals are
being ordained into
the ministry in some
congregations, which
is an abomination to a
holy God. An
"anything goes" type
of ministry to gain a
following is not the
same type message the
Lord told his
disciples to teach, or
one which we should
follow today.
The early church
fathers taught that
drunkenness was a sin.
Today, we see it
called a disease.
Yet, we all know that
diseases are not
bottled and sold.
It is a bondage of
Satan which needs to
be broken by the power
of God. The old
time religion called
breaking the marriage
vows as adultery, not
an affair. The
seriousness of sin has
been watered down by
men who only proclaim
that "God is love" but
do not teach that God
is a God of wrath who
is coming back in
judgment one day soon.
We need balanced
messages today which
teach the truth from
God's Word, for God
will not be mocked.
The wages of sin is
still death and what a
man sows, that will he
also reap.
There are no little
white lies, as all
lying is sin, yet in
today's society there
seems to be less black
on white type teaching
each day.
America needs to
return to the old time
religion that was good
enough for our
forefathers, and which
will take us to
heaven, if we walk in
the ways of God's
Word.
If God went back to
the ways which He
punished in the Old
Testament, we would
see stonings of those
who sinned. Yet,
we have God's grace
and live under the New
Covenant of grace, a
new and better way
because of a living
sacrifice, Christ
Jesus. We should
be thankful for God's
mercy, yet not
sacrifice the truth on
the altar of grace and
love.
Jesus is coming again.
From the signs of the
time, we see His
coming is drawing
near, although we know
not the day nor the
hour. The
message of the old
time religion should
still be the message
for today. In
the Bible, we see in
Revelation, a few
believers in Sardis
who had not defiled
their spiritual
garments. Yet,
those who were defiled
by sin were not worthy
to walk with the Lord
in white or have their
names confessed before
the Father. A
little leaven can
spoil the whole lump.
Sin will take one
further than they want
to go, keep them
longer than they
expected to stay, and
cost them more than
they thought they'd
have to pay. It
is important to hold
to the message that
the thief comes to
kill, steal, and
destroy, and Jesus
comes to give us a
more abundant life.
The believers at
Laodecia, in the book
of Revelation, thought
they were rich and
increased with goods
and had need for
nothing. Yet,
they were poor and
miserable, naked and
blind. This
describes many in the
churches today, who
have left their first
love.
It's not the the
"Purpose Driven Life"
that will save a man's
soul, but a life that
has purpose because
God has put a desire
in it that cannot be
taught, but is sought.
It's not a twelve step
program that will
deliver a man out of
the bondages of sin,
but it is taking a
step in faith toward
the old rugged cross,
and laying all our
sins and burdens upon
the one who bore them
and still saves and
delivers today.
The Bible tells us
that "the Spirit
speaketh expressly,
that in the latter
times some shall
depart from the faith,
giving heed to
seducing spirits, and
doctrines of
devils....1 Tim. 4: 1.
We see this today, and
see many who have
turned from the faith
once delivered to the
saints of old.
Some now believe a
gnostic type doctrine,
or that we are "little
gods" who can command
the Lord God.
This is not the same
type gospel the early
believers were taught.
These were taught to
worship the Lord their
God, and that we were
servants of the Most
High God, who was
worthy of all honor
and praise.
The Bible tells us
that judgment begins
in the house of the
Lord, not in the
Whitehouse, as many
may believe. It
is God's people who
are to humble
themselves, repent,
and turn from their
wicked ways.
Yes, God's Word does
tells us that His
people can have wicked
ways, and they need to
turn from these and
seek His face in
humility and
repentance.
Will things grow worse
in the future as we
see the day of the
Lord approaching?
According to the
Bible, I believe it
will. The Word
tells us "evil men
will wax worse" and we
see this happening.
Regardless of what the
future holds, we know
who holds the future.
We must hold on to the
old time religion.
James 1: 27 tells us
"Pure religion and
undefiled before God
and the Father is
this, To visit the
fatherless and widows
in their affliction,
and to keep himself
unspotted from the
world."
Can we see God's
admonition in the
above Scripture, as to
"keeping oneself
unspotted from the
world?" This is
God's plan for
believers who have
pure and undefiled
religion. We are
called to come out
from the world and be
a separate people.
Although we are in
this world, we are not
of this world, but our
conversation
(lifestyle) is to be
from God.
As we look around us
and see men's heart
failing them for fear,
in these last days and
souls departing from
the faith, we cannot
be moved. We
must remain in Christ,
founded on the "Rock"
of our salvation,
without wavering.
The old time religion
which was good enough
for those in the Bible
and our ancestors is
still good enough for
us. If we abide
in Christ and let His
Word abide in us, we
know He will take us
to heaven. For a
child of God, the best
is yet to come. Hold
on to God's unchanging
hand, for the next
sound we hear could be
the sound of the
trumpet.
Blessings in Christ,
Jo Ann Kelly © 7/7/07
J. P.'s Inspirations
http://www.my.homewithgod.com/jpinspirations/
Font is: Varsity
Script JF
