One night a knock was heard at our back door. When I opened it, there stood a short, past middle-age woman dressed in a grimy bikini. She was so drunk I was afraid she would fall any moment, and lapse into unconsciousness. She clutched a six-pack of beer in one hand, and with the other produced a wad of money from her undergarment, and began to affirm with great vehemence how much she loved the Lord. In fact, she said she wanted to come to church, and publicly testify that God loves everybody! A lying spirit in the mouth of her preacher had sold her this "indulgence" and now she could sin with impunity.

How many couples has this preacher visited who swear they possess wonderful love and respect for God who are to this day "shacking up!" They are past feeling shame for their sin. They can no longer blush. (Jeremiah 6:15)

The reason for such perverted knowledge of God is that for the last few generations the Gospel has been sodomized! Long ago, the Spirit of God moved the Apostle Paul to write, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law." (Romans 5:18) Yet the same Holy Spirit moved the Apostle James to write, "Ye see then, how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24) The Gospel hangs upon a proper understanding of the part played by faith and works in salvation. No one is assured a place in Heaven because he possesses both elements, for salvation is a gift or grace conferred by God, yet without either of these elements a person is guaranteed a place in Hell.

Everyone who believes he will go to Heaven if his good deeds outweigh his bad deeds believes a lie that will damn him; and every preacher who preaches such a lie preaches a perverted gospel. "But, how can Paul and James be reconciled?" one might ask. Friends do not need to be reconciled.

Paul addressed them who trusted in their good works to earn for them a place in Heaven. "A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law," but it is an enormous lie and one with everlasting consequences that propounds it would be unjust for God to deny them a pardon for their sin who "do the best they can." Nevertheless this is the great falsehood unbelievers believe. A man requires an act by God Himself to be made just. It is an act of God that clears away the guilt of sin, and it is the grace God conveys upon a person who repents and believes the Gospel of God.

It is not enough, however, to believe in God. "The devils also believe and tremble." (James 2:19) James addressed them who rested upon their bare profession of faith as it that was all God required. Faith --no matter how orthodox the creed --is but a philosophical speculation unless it affects the way one lives. "I believe in God" Is the creed espoused by everyone in Hell, who while they sit entertaining good notions of themselves, the devils mock for such stupidity.

Paul ministered to people who trusted their good deeds: James ministered to people who trusted their good creed, who while they professed to be married to Christ by faith they nevertheless had given their affections to the world. They are children of the world who look for their happiness there. They are not orthodox in creed who must have the friendship of the world, and who conform to the age. God gives His people more grace than to behave as do the children of disobedience.

The Bible teaches no other Gospel than that which bears the fruit of obedience. Obedience is recognition and true profession that Jesus Christ is Lord --that He alone has the right to command. It is therefore a lie for one to profess he loves God who has no desire to do the things that are pleasing to God.

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28, 1638 --Scotland. The National Covenant is renewed in Edinburgh against "Arminianism, Popery and despotism."

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29, 1640 --England. Benjamin Keach is born. As a Baptist minister, his church will initiate congregational singing.

There are some people who can see a Christian brother or sister in need, and can straightly shut up their bowels of compassion and resolutely refuse to give when they have it by them, but their are others who are sentimentally moved to give relief to the hungry in pagan lands whom they have never met, who are yet blind to the Christian brother or sister in need within their own community. To know what to give, where to give, and to have the desire to give is itself a gift. (Romans 12:6, 8b)

WHAT TO GIVE: Many churches support a score of ministries who send no more than five dollars a month to each. It is a source of pride to them to be so "missions-minded," but the fact is that instead of truly helping one or two ministries, their help is not sufficient to do any one of them any good.

Some people give only food --the barest of necessities, yet the Apostle Paul praises the Corinthians because their service not only supplied the wants of the saints, but was "abundant also." (II Corinthians 9:12) He likewise commended the church at Philippi because they sent "once and again." (4:16)

WHERE TO GIVE: Paul exhorts, "Let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:10) The rich man in Luke 16 like all in Israel was responsible for the nation’s poor, but when the beggar was "laid at his gate full of sores," he became personally obligated to help him. Not until then did he become his "neighbor" (from "neigh" or "near", and "buret" meaning "to dwell"). While we are responsible for the poor in our nation, we become personally responsible only for them about whom we know. This is the meaning of Matthew 25:31-46 –that "inasmuch as ye have done (or not done) it unto one of the least of these --MY BRETHREN --ye have (or have not) done it unto Me." A Christian’s first responsibility is to the "household of faith."

"A new commandment I give unto you", Jesus said, ‘That ye love one another as I have loved you’" (Note: we should learn to love even as we are loved; i.e. in the same degree and in the same manner) "that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples IF ye have love one to another." (John 13:34,35)

While tithing (10%) was a law in Israel, offerings were over and above what the law demanded and were such as any desired to give. In the New Testament, the law is "Everyman, as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, nor of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver." (II Corinthians 9:7) However, to do less in the day of Grace than was required in the day of Law is a Disgrace. Nevertheless, as the "sacrifice of the wicked is abomination" to God, so is the gift that is grudgingly given. The gift that is given because it is expected, or given because the giver feels obligated to give is best not given. Such people do not want to give, and therefore they cannot give cheerfully. Their heart has not been made willing, and only they who are of a willing, an eager, and a hearty heart are invited to give.

To know how to give, where to give, and above all else --to have the desire to give is itself a gift. Such people are ever looking for an occasion to give. They are ever praying to be able to give more. Such people only know what it means to abound in the work of the Lord. They believe their labor in the Lord is not in vain. To have to give is great; to know where to give is greater; but to have the desire to give is greatest!

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24, 1864 --England. On March 24, 1860, a book appeared entitled "Essays and Reviews" which espoused liberal views denying Inspiration of Scripture, eternal suffering of the damned, as well as heretical views of the doctrines of Propitiation and Justification.

Samuel Wilberforce, bishop of Oxford has accused the seven essayists of "neology, rationalism and skepticism" and has denounced them for their dishonesty in holding such views and remaining in the church.

Today, at the instigation of E. B. Pusey, the "Oxford Declaration" on Inspiration and eternal punishment is sent to every minister in the Church of England in Wales, Ireland, and England urging them to sign. Eleven thousand clergymen will sign it in the next few weeks.

Mr. A. P. Stanley has opposed the action.

Text: "Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. My people ask counsel at their stocks and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit whoredoms hath caused them to err..." - (Hoseah 4:11

"...They shall walk like blind men because they have sinned against the Lord." -- (Zephaniah 1:17)

Sin makes people stupid. It will steal a person’s understanding, and it will cause him to err, for it is by the ordination of God that people who practice sin should lose a portion of their ability to reason. This judicial blindness is often referred to in Scripture.

While sin weakens a person’s courage, seeing it is the righteous who are bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1), it also enfeebles the understanding, pollutes the will and debases the passions until he prefers lust to love and ecstasy to fear. It is sin that causes any person to cast aside modesty. It is sin that steals into his affections and turns him aside from following the Lord. It will lead him into the idolatry of coveting possessions, and of worshipping man as the measure of all things. Through the commission of sin a man may be led to imbibe the occult whether in the form of the horoscope, or the aberrations of the mind through the practice of Yoga.

Sin robs a person of the right use of his mind by clouding his judgment until he becomes like a blind man. It may leave him destitute of counsel to guide him, may leave him so void of understanding he will no know how to follow that which is right. Still he may speak well of sin and yet be well-disposed toward it, because sin by its very nature takes possession of the heart.

He becomes a fool who forgets the kindnesses of the Lord, who senselessly indulges his baser passions, then turns away from the warnings of God to turn to himself for wisdom. Sin makes the drunkard and the whoremonger to become infatuated with himself. He has "sinned against the Lord;" and the "spirit of whoredoms has caused him to err."

Having cast away every voice of instruction, the person’s conscience is at last seared, and he can no longer feel shame. He is past feeling and is unable to blush. He runs headlong into yet more sin, and, finally, into everlasting damnation. He is like the sailors in Greek lore who fell upon rocks and perished because they were seduced by the singing of the Sirens. He played the fool when he first gave consideration to such a hypnotizing poison as Sin.

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On The Theatre

Some time ago, a local theatre featured a movie entitled, "Jesus" purportedly "about the man you never knew." At the same time, the management was featuring "Campus Teasers" and "Smarty Pants" at a branch theater. These latter two were rated "R" and of the former, the caption read, "They call them freshmen, but they’re 100% women." It is obvious to anyone possessing even sub-normal intelligence the theater management was featuring the movie "Jesus" solely for pecuniary gain, and not on account of any religious convictions.

The Christian community praised the movie! Christian schools carried their students by busloads to view it. As I daily drove through the shopping plaza, I was first amazed, then appalled, then sickened and saddened to see the professed Christian community supporting the theater. Everyone who attended contributed their money and cast their approval on keeping these people in business. Each ticket purchased allowed these folks to continue showing "Campus Teasers" and "Smarty Pants."

Our Lord said, "The children of this world are wiser than the children of light." They are, in fact, wise enough that for pecuniary gain they will make merchandise of the godly as well as of the ungodly.

Isn’t it wonderful the theater can entertain both the holy and the profane!