By Donna Franklin
Texts:
Mark 1:1 - "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
Mark 1:4 – "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
Acts 19:1-6 – "And it came to pass, that…Paul…came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since you believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."
Acts 2:38 – "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Mark tells us that John the Baptist was “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Luke tells us, in the book of Acts, that Peter required every baptism to be in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter had been given the keys to the Kingdom and knew what Jesus had taught. And the other eleven apostles stood up with him in agreement.
Nowhere in the Acts of the Apostles did they baptize any way but in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 4:12 says "there is no other name..." Yet, here we learn that John the Baptist — from the very beginning — did NOT baptize in the titles, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If he had, his disciples would not have told Paul they hadn’t so much as HEARD whether there be any Holy Ghost. He certainly would have explained to them about “the third person in God,” if he believed in such a thing.
What about Matthew 28:19, you say? Tell you what. Find someone who teaches the English language, and ask that person to diagram that sentence. They will show you how that “in the name” is a prepositional phrase and below it there will be three more prepositional phrases that belong to it. Do notice that “name” is SINGULAR. What does that mean? It means that all the titles listed below it are referring to a single name! Go back to the book of Acts, and I’m fairly sure you will be able to figure out what that name is. Yes, it is JESUS!
Edtorial Note: Sis. Donna Franklin is a faithful member of the United Pentecostal Church in Paoli, Oklahoma (Pastor Terry Erwin). She loves to write and is a strong believer in Bible truth.
Showing posts with label Truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Truth. Show all posts
Saturday, March 29, 2014
For What Purpose was I Born?
By Charles C. Kirby
(A radio message dated November 11, 1945)
Inasmuch as all are born without their own consent, can it be that we are the helpless victims of Nature? Is it not more probable that those who are unhappy in this life have failed to fulfill the purpose of their birth?
When Christ was born, the Jews believed that He had come for the purpose of overthrowing Roman power and establishing the throne of David. When He failed to do that for which they thought He had come, they were sorely disappointed and immediately began to prepare to kill Him. Nevertheless, the Voice of God spoke from Heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Evidently, Jesus was fulfilling His Heavenly purpose in life. What then was the purpose for which He was born? When we discover that, we have the key to every problem in our life; for Christ is and was the great example to all mankind. Pilate asked Him, "Art Thou a king then?" Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." (John 18:37) He being an example unto us, therefore, let us also bear witness unto the truth.
Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah revealed the plan and purpose of God coming into the world to be born of a woman. Practically all things in the universe act according to the law of cause and effect. The cause for the coming of Christ is found - a deplorable condition upon earth that required the aid of a Saviour from Heaven. "And judgment is turned away backward and justice standeth afar off, for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And the LORD saw it and it displeased Him that there was no judgment. And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore, His arm brought Salvation unto Him and His righteousness it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of Salvation upon His head; and He put on garments for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak." (Isaiah 59:14-17)
I have little or no confidence in any man's religious profession when it is not put into practice with a good supply of zeal. Christ Jesus came to the world and found the nations bound by their superstitions, ignorance, and fear, even in the children. The rulers of the Temple and synagogues were bound by sinful habits, which, although they condemned them in others, they condoned them in themselves. The lies of the satanic being who had deceived mother Eve into sinning had thoroughly schooled the inhabitants of the earth in his evil teachings and cunning ways: men living in sin without shame. Yes, they worshipped gods that were not real. They defiled themselves and all who came in contact with them. Jesus told the Pharisees that they compassed land and sea to make one convert, and when he was converted to their belief he was without doubt a confirmed child of the devil and headed for hell. In the midst of such gross darkness, sin, and shame, Christ stood forth as the world's only hope. And, please be informed that Christ is still the only hope for the world of today. When men could not penetrate the darkness of sin and unbelief, Christ was the light. When they knew not which course to pursue, Christ was the way. When they were dying physically and mentally, (dying in body and soul,) Christ was the life. And when they could not discern between right and wrong, Christ was the truth. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6)
How weighty the words of Christ, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth."
The miraculous success of the apostles of the early church was built upon this foundation. They were filled with the Spirit of Truth, which is the Holy Ghost. The souls of the apostles were as burning torches touched by the fire of the Spirit of Christ, the light of life, and the more abundant life. Just before Jesus went away, He said unto His disciples, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and He said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:44-48)
Why was I born? Well might the apostles have asked this question of themselves until the day when Christ filled them with His Spirit and sent them forth to bear witness to the truth. Here was the answer to the eternal question, "Why was I born?" Here was the fulfillment of life and living. Here was a purpose, here was a mission and a goal - to bear witness to the truth. The lives of the apostles, like all true Christians of this generation, were filled with the life of Christ. His purpose was their purpose. His mission was their mission. His truth became their truth. "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, to bear witness unto the truth." The God who made the universe, He who made man in the beginning and breathed into him the breath of life - yes, God,our Great Creator, came down through more than forty generations of His children and was born of a woman to bear witness to the truth. Before the light of His Spirit, before the piercing light that burned in His eyes; the hearts of men melted to the point of public confessions. The healing eyes of the Spirit of Truth, like the balm in Gilead, healed again the hearts that were torn and bleeding.
At Jacob's well this man of truth drew from the depths of a Samaritan woman's heart the confession of a life wasted in sin. And there, this great Son of Jacob offered her the water of life that could wash away each guilty stain. This was the ministry of all Spirit-filled preachers in the apostolic era. That is exactly what Jesus did when He sent forth His ministers to make disciples of all nations. The powers of darkness were greater than the men who were to be sent against it. Therefore, Jesus said unto them, "Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)
Now turn to the second chapter of the book of Acts. There you may read the account of the coming of the Holy Ghost Fire. This, of course, was the Pentecostal Fire. When the multitude that gathered heard the apostle Peter preach unto them that in Jesus Christ was the redemption for all mankind, they became convicted of their sins and asked, saying, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent!" Then and only then will God answer for you that eternal question, "Why was I born?"
By your first birth you were born in sin, therefore Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3-5) By virtue of the second birth, a birth of the water and Spirit, which is baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, you become a child of the Kingdom, a witness of the Truth, and you will also know the purpose for which you were born.
(A radio message dated November 11, 1945)
Inasmuch as all are born without their own consent, can it be that we are the helpless victims of Nature? Is it not more probable that those who are unhappy in this life have failed to fulfill the purpose of their birth?
When Christ was born, the Jews believed that He had come for the purpose of overthrowing Roman power and establishing the throne of David. When He failed to do that for which they thought He had come, they were sorely disappointed and immediately began to prepare to kill Him. Nevertheless, the Voice of God spoke from Heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Evidently, Jesus was fulfilling His Heavenly purpose in life. What then was the purpose for which He was born? When we discover that, we have the key to every problem in our life; for Christ is and was the great example to all mankind. Pilate asked Him, "Art Thou a king then?" Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." (John 18:37) He being an example unto us, therefore, let us also bear witness unto the truth.
Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah revealed the plan and purpose of God coming into the world to be born of a woman. Practically all things in the universe act according to the law of cause and effect. The cause for the coming of Christ is found - a deplorable condition upon earth that required the aid of a Saviour from Heaven. "And judgment is turned away backward and justice standeth afar off, for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And the LORD saw it and it displeased Him that there was no judgment. And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore, His arm brought Salvation unto Him and His righteousness it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of Salvation upon His head; and He put on garments for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak." (Isaiah 59:14-17)
I have little or no confidence in any man's religious profession when it is not put into practice with a good supply of zeal. Christ Jesus came to the world and found the nations bound by their superstitions, ignorance, and fear, even in the children. The rulers of the Temple and synagogues were bound by sinful habits, which, although they condemned them in others, they condoned them in themselves. The lies of the satanic being who had deceived mother Eve into sinning had thoroughly schooled the inhabitants of the earth in his evil teachings and cunning ways: men living in sin without shame. Yes, they worshipped gods that were not real. They defiled themselves and all who came in contact with them. Jesus told the Pharisees that they compassed land and sea to make one convert, and when he was converted to their belief he was without doubt a confirmed child of the devil and headed for hell. In the midst of such gross darkness, sin, and shame, Christ stood forth as the world's only hope. And, please be informed that Christ is still the only hope for the world of today. When men could not penetrate the darkness of sin and unbelief, Christ was the light. When they knew not which course to pursue, Christ was the way. When they were dying physically and mentally, (dying in body and soul,) Christ was the life. And when they could not discern between right and wrong, Christ was the truth. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6)
How weighty the words of Christ, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth."
- "O Truth,Thou art the guide to all that stumble in darkness; Thou art the hope of all who perish today in the pangs of death and sin; Thy lamp of light is the beacon that guides life's lost sailors into the Haven of rest. Thy Word is the bread that makes the weak strong. Thy Spirit is the garment of righteousness that is given to clothe the naked. And, Truth, Thou art more precious than the gold of Ophir. Thy Words are like apples of gold in pitchers of silver. Thou hast escaped the search of the wise and prudent." [Source unknown]
The miraculous success of the apostles of the early church was built upon this foundation. They were filled with the Spirit of Truth, which is the Holy Ghost. The souls of the apostles were as burning torches touched by the fire of the Spirit of Christ, the light of life, and the more abundant life. Just before Jesus went away, He said unto His disciples, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and He said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:44-48)
Why was I born? Well might the apostles have asked this question of themselves until the day when Christ filled them with His Spirit and sent them forth to bear witness to the truth. Here was the answer to the eternal question, "Why was I born?" Here was the fulfillment of life and living. Here was a purpose, here was a mission and a goal - to bear witness to the truth. The lives of the apostles, like all true Christians of this generation, were filled with the life of Christ. His purpose was their purpose. His mission was their mission. His truth became their truth. "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, to bear witness unto the truth." The God who made the universe, He who made man in the beginning and breathed into him the breath of life - yes, God,our Great Creator, came down through more than forty generations of His children and was born of a woman to bear witness to the truth. Before the light of His Spirit, before the piercing light that burned in His eyes; the hearts of men melted to the point of public confessions. The healing eyes of the Spirit of Truth, like the balm in Gilead, healed again the hearts that were torn and bleeding.
At Jacob's well this man of truth drew from the depths of a Samaritan woman's heart the confession of a life wasted in sin. And there, this great Son of Jacob offered her the water of life that could wash away each guilty stain. This was the ministry of all Spirit-filled preachers in the apostolic era. That is exactly what Jesus did when He sent forth His ministers to make disciples of all nations. The powers of darkness were greater than the men who were to be sent against it. Therefore, Jesus said unto them, "Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)
Now turn to the second chapter of the book of Acts. There you may read the account of the coming of the Holy Ghost Fire. This, of course, was the Pentecostal Fire. When the multitude that gathered heard the apostle Peter preach unto them that in Jesus Christ was the redemption for all mankind, they became convicted of their sins and asked, saying, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent!" Then and only then will God answer for you that eternal question, "Why was I born?"
By your first birth you were born in sin, therefore Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3-5) By virtue of the second birth, a birth of the water and Spirit, which is baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, you become a child of the Kingdom, a witness of the Truth, and you will also know the purpose for which you were born.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
God's Name Manifested
By Charles C. Kirby
Text: John 17:1-7
Key Verse: “I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest Me them, and they have kept Thy Word.” (John 17:7)
If man is to know the one and only true God in a real, practical, and experiential sense, and then be able to utilize that knowledge for his own benefit, it is absolutely necessary that he have a revelation of His Name. This is so because it is through His Name that God has elected to make Himself known to mankind. The history of the worship of the one true God discloses the fact that this worship was ever essential and inseparable from His Name. Hence God said to Moses when He revealed His Name, “By this Name was I not known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Exodus 6:3) Again, when God declared to Moses that the purpose of taking the Israelites out of Egypt was that they might worship Him on the mount, Moses asked, “When they shall say to me, What is His Name? What shall I say unto them?” (Exodus 3:13)
Indeed, the early Christian worshipers of the one God were scions of the first worshipers we know anything about. It is written in the book of Genesis, “...then began men to call on the Name of the Lord.” (Genesis 4:26) After Pentecost, the disciples invariably worshiped in the Name of the Lord. They met together to call on the Name of the Lord “with all that call on Thy Name.” ...“to bind all that call on Thy Name.” (Genesis 26:26; Acts 9:14) Jesus taught the disciples to pray in and through the Name of the Lord. “Hitherto ye have asked nothing in My Name. Ask and ye shall receive that your joy might be full.” (John 16:24) The first words of the model prayer show what a place the Name occupied in true worship, “...Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.” (Luke 11:2) This Name was retained in the Name of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and constituted the one Name of God throughout time and eternity (so far as man can know from a study of the Scriptures because God put His finger on the “I Am” declaration and said, “...this is My Name and this is My memorial unto all generations.” (Exodus 3:15)) This is the only Name used in Baptism and the work of the ministry by the Apostles. It is the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, (the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Jesus,) and it is written, “...that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10) He is “...Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14) Thus we are inspired by the Apostolic example.
All the academic discussions about and highbrow analysis of the Name of God will not and cannot avail the church for the present and awful crisis. Jude tells us to “...earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Faith based on a true system of doctrine can only be manifested in power, on the basis of an individual faith. The Apostles demonstrated as well as proclaimed that faith. In fact, many of them had to demonstrate the power of Jesus' Name in order to get an audience to listen to the message of the Gospel. Peter got the ear of the religious leaders who perhaps were not present on the Day of Pentecost, by performing an astounding miracle in the Name of Jesus.
A church policy based as it is today on a system of theology afflicted with the customs and methods of worldly societies, judges, and clubs would not tolerate the customs and methods of the first Christian church. The early church got the ear of the common people by the demonstration of the power in Jesus' Name. The modern church collects an audience by adopting, in an alarming degree, the customs and practices of the world, and in their theological discourses. It is fundamentalism versus Modernism. The “fundamental” of the first Christian church, as every honest Bible student knows, was the Name of Jesus. They emphasized that Name. They had no ornamental to emphasize. The modern church is all ornamental; in fact, it is hard to discover from their principles and practices what they consider as fundamental. Architectural display, ornamented windows, ornamented women, and ornamented congregations with “the bed too short and the blanket too narrow,” (Isaiah 28:20) Massive and complicated instruments, highly paid choirs and orchestras with a so-called Doctor of Divinity displaying oratorical fire instead of old fashioned, Apostolic Pentecostal Holy Ghost Fire that will, and does melt hearts of stone bringing sinners to repentance and filling their hearts with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, with a new hope in life. Yes, with the revelation of the Name of the Great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The fundamental of true religion is the power to demonstrate it's message to the world by miracles of mercy to mankind. Let that fundamental be non-existent or cease to operate, and you only have a dead system covered under the ornamental. The fundamental of an automobile is its motor. Let the motor cease to operate out on the highway, though it be covered by the most expensive and attractive body that could be built, what have you then? Only a palace by the roadside: for it is there you stop and the scenery gets monotonous because it never changes. Even so, let the vision and the Holy Ghost power of the early church possess the mind and heart of modern church ministry everywhere and there would be a cracking of the old, musty methods and the breaking of dead, theological forms. The Living Waters would begin to flow. Yes sir, and the desert will begin to take on life, the wilderness will blossom as the rose.
In spite of our blind systems which have stifled the power, love, and grace of God; thank God Jesus Christ lives today and His Name is as powerful as ever it was. Our God is and His Name is dynamic. Our old creed method is to try an absorb the seed. You might as well talk of the moist earth in the springtime absorbing the seed. The seed absorbs the earth, in it (the seed) is the life. Jesus is our life, and I have Him in my soul to believe that through His Name He will ultimately absorb all our lifeless methods of worship and service for we who trust, love, and serve Him. He will subdue all our enemies and swallow up death in victory. He is looking for a people who have an ear so trained that above the babble rising from the crossroads of our religious life, they will hear a voice announcing that a new day has dawned and the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Even as Phillip, the Evangelist, went down to the city of Samaria, (Acts 8,) and preached Christ unto them, and when they believed Phillip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.“Now when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet He was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 8:14-16) Friends, if God's ambassadors required of their converts in their day to know and acknowledge God's Name before a wicked and perverse generation by taking on that Name in baptism in water, then to be filled with His Holy Spirit, why should it be thought a thing incredible with you today for those who love Him to do likewise? Hence, you too must repent and be baptized in His Name for the remission of your sins and receive the Holy Ghost with the Bible evidence of “speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.” (Acts 2:4) This is the “Pentecostal Fire” we sing about.
Editorial Note: Rev. C.C. Kirby was pastor of Christ Church Apostolic in Royal Oak, Michigan. (My parents, J. Raymond and Marjorie (Smith) Broyles, raised their family there. For many years, the church presented a weekly radio program each Sunday, from 3:30 to 4:00 on radio station WEXL. These programs featured the church choir and a short radio sermon. The theme song, sung at the beginning and end of each broadcast, was "Pentecostal Fire." This message was aired Sunday, September 2, 1945.
Text: John 17:1-7
Key Verse: “I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest Me them, and they have kept Thy Word.” (John 17:7)
If man is to know the one and only true God in a real, practical, and experiential sense, and then be able to utilize that knowledge for his own benefit, it is absolutely necessary that he have a revelation of His Name. This is so because it is through His Name that God has elected to make Himself known to mankind. The history of the worship of the one true God discloses the fact that this worship was ever essential and inseparable from His Name. Hence God said to Moses when He revealed His Name, “By this Name was I not known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Exodus 6:3) Again, when God declared to Moses that the purpose of taking the Israelites out of Egypt was that they might worship Him on the mount, Moses asked, “When they shall say to me, What is His Name? What shall I say unto them?” (Exodus 3:13)
Indeed, the early Christian worshipers of the one God were scions of the first worshipers we know anything about. It is written in the book of Genesis, “...then began men to call on the Name of the Lord.” (Genesis 4:26) After Pentecost, the disciples invariably worshiped in the Name of the Lord. They met together to call on the Name of the Lord “with all that call on Thy Name.” ...“to bind all that call on Thy Name.” (Genesis 26:26; Acts 9:14) Jesus taught the disciples to pray in and through the Name of the Lord. “Hitherto ye have asked nothing in My Name. Ask and ye shall receive that your joy might be full.” (John 16:24) The first words of the model prayer show what a place the Name occupied in true worship, “...Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.” (Luke 11:2) This Name was retained in the Name of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and constituted the one Name of God throughout time and eternity (so far as man can know from a study of the Scriptures because God put His finger on the “I Am” declaration and said, “...this is My Name and this is My memorial unto all generations.” (Exodus 3:15)) This is the only Name used in Baptism and the work of the ministry by the Apostles. It is the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, (the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Jesus,) and it is written, “...that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10) He is “...Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14) Thus we are inspired by the Apostolic example.
All the academic discussions about and highbrow analysis of the Name of God will not and cannot avail the church for the present and awful crisis. Jude tells us to “...earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Faith based on a true system of doctrine can only be manifested in power, on the basis of an individual faith. The Apostles demonstrated as well as proclaimed that faith. In fact, many of them had to demonstrate the power of Jesus' Name in order to get an audience to listen to the message of the Gospel. Peter got the ear of the religious leaders who perhaps were not present on the Day of Pentecost, by performing an astounding miracle in the Name of Jesus.
A church policy based as it is today on a system of theology afflicted with the customs and methods of worldly societies, judges, and clubs would not tolerate the customs and methods of the first Christian church. The early church got the ear of the common people by the demonstration of the power in Jesus' Name. The modern church collects an audience by adopting, in an alarming degree, the customs and practices of the world, and in their theological discourses. It is fundamentalism versus Modernism. The “fundamental” of the first Christian church, as every honest Bible student knows, was the Name of Jesus. They emphasized that Name. They had no ornamental to emphasize. The modern church is all ornamental; in fact, it is hard to discover from their principles and practices what they consider as fundamental. Architectural display, ornamented windows, ornamented women, and ornamented congregations with “the bed too short and the blanket too narrow,” (Isaiah 28:20) Massive and complicated instruments, highly paid choirs and orchestras with a so-called Doctor of Divinity displaying oratorical fire instead of old fashioned, Apostolic Pentecostal Holy Ghost Fire that will, and does melt hearts of stone bringing sinners to repentance and filling their hearts with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, with a new hope in life. Yes, with the revelation of the Name of the Great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The fundamental of true religion is the power to demonstrate it's message to the world by miracles of mercy to mankind. Let that fundamental be non-existent or cease to operate, and you only have a dead system covered under the ornamental. The fundamental of an automobile is its motor. Let the motor cease to operate out on the highway, though it be covered by the most expensive and attractive body that could be built, what have you then? Only a palace by the roadside: for it is there you stop and the scenery gets monotonous because it never changes. Even so, let the vision and the Holy Ghost power of the early church possess the mind and heart of modern church ministry everywhere and there would be a cracking of the old, musty methods and the breaking of dead, theological forms. The Living Waters would begin to flow. Yes sir, and the desert will begin to take on life, the wilderness will blossom as the rose.
In spite of our blind systems which have stifled the power, love, and grace of God; thank God Jesus Christ lives today and His Name is as powerful as ever it was. Our God is and His Name is dynamic. Our old creed method is to try an absorb the seed. You might as well talk of the moist earth in the springtime absorbing the seed. The seed absorbs the earth, in it (the seed) is the life. Jesus is our life, and I have Him in my soul to believe that through His Name He will ultimately absorb all our lifeless methods of worship and service for we who trust, love, and serve Him. He will subdue all our enemies and swallow up death in victory. He is looking for a people who have an ear so trained that above the babble rising from the crossroads of our religious life, they will hear a voice announcing that a new day has dawned and the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Even as Phillip, the Evangelist, went down to the city of Samaria, (Acts 8,) and preached Christ unto them, and when they believed Phillip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.“Now when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet He was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 8:14-16) Friends, if God's ambassadors required of their converts in their day to know and acknowledge God's Name before a wicked and perverse generation by taking on that Name in baptism in water, then to be filled with His Holy Spirit, why should it be thought a thing incredible with you today for those who love Him to do likewise? Hence, you too must repent and be baptized in His Name for the remission of your sins and receive the Holy Ghost with the Bible evidence of “speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.” (Acts 2:4) This is the “Pentecostal Fire” we sing about.
Editorial Note: Rev. C.C. Kirby was pastor of Christ Church Apostolic in Royal Oak, Michigan. (My parents, J. Raymond and Marjorie (Smith) Broyles, raised their family there. For many years, the church presented a weekly radio program each Sunday, from 3:30 to 4:00 on radio station WEXL. These programs featured the church choir and a short radio sermon. The theme song, sung at the beginning and end of each broadcast, was "Pentecostal Fire." This message was aired Sunday, September 2, 1945.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
The Word
By Carol Warfield
So many people ask me, "Why do you read the Bible so much? Most of the time they're people who really don't know God in His truth. As I consider this question, I've asked myself, "Why do you?" For one thing, God wants us to be saved, healthy, and wise. These only come when we live by His Word, which has the answer to our every need.
God gave us His Word to read. It will make one wise. It will direct us into the right path. He also tells us to speak the Word in truth without deception. (Zechariah 8:16) This starts with believing that He is. (Hebrews 11:6) When we believe, then we can act upon HisWord.
Through reading the Word, we learn to trust the Lord. (Deuteronomy 31:13) We learn His statutes and to do well. His Word teaches us to learn of Him, (Matthew 11:29) also to maintain good works. (Titus 3:14)
Satan wants to take us into the wilderness so he can deceive us, but God used the Word to whip the devil.
As we try to sow the seed, which is the Word of God, we must keep in mind that no matter what the seed is, it's very important where we plant the seed. The devil is subtle, more than any beast of the field. (Genesis 3:1) He has a plan, but so does God! We need to have a plan also. Stand on the Word of God, for He honors His Word. My mother taught me early in life that the Word will stand when the world is on fire. I thought of this when our mobile home burnt in the mid-70's. The Bible, which was on my living room coffee table, did not burn, but was black with smoke.
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35) He also said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life." (John 6:48) The Lord's Prayer says, "Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11) Just as our human body needs food every day, it is also needful to feed our spiritual body with the Bread of Life.
There's much to be said concerning the Word of God and time will not allow me to tell it all. But it's in there, right in the Word of God for everyone to read.
Be sure of this: there is no problem that cannot be answered if you get into His Word. When we seek God, believe, trust, and wait on His timing, the answer will come. I'm learning more each time I read the Bible through and I'm very thankful that God placed a "Helper" in my heart - His Holy Spirit, which will lead and guide us into all truth. I want to know Him better so I can please Him more.
We must... 1.) Read the Word, 2.) Believe the Word, 3.) Quote the Word, 4.) Speak the Word, 5.) Ac t upon the Word, 6.) Trust the Word, 7.) Obey the Word, and, 8.) Apply the Word to our lives each day.
Be sure, God's Word never fails and God will have the last say. You can stand on it!
So many people ask me, "Why do you read the Bible so much? Most of the time they're people who really don't know God in His truth. As I consider this question, I've asked myself, "Why do you?" For one thing, God wants us to be saved, healthy, and wise. These only come when we live by His Word, which has the answer to our every need.
God gave us His Word to read. It will make one wise. It will direct us into the right path. He also tells us to speak the Word in truth without deception. (Zechariah 8:16) This starts with believing that He is. (Hebrews 11:6) When we believe, then we can act upon HisWord.
Through reading the Word, we learn to trust the Lord. (Deuteronomy 31:13) We learn His statutes and to do well. His Word teaches us to learn of Him, (Matthew 11:29) also to maintain good works. (Titus 3:14)
Satan wants to take us into the wilderness so he can deceive us, but God used the Word to whip the devil.
As we try to sow the seed, which is the Word of God, we must keep in mind that no matter what the seed is, it's very important where we plant the seed. The devil is subtle, more than any beast of the field. (Genesis 3:1) He has a plan, but so does God! We need to have a plan also. Stand on the Word of God, for He honors His Word. My mother taught me early in life that the Word will stand when the world is on fire. I thought of this when our mobile home burnt in the mid-70's. The Bible, which was on my living room coffee table, did not burn, but was black with smoke.
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35) He also said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life." (John 6:48) The Lord's Prayer says, "Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11) Just as our human body needs food every day, it is also needful to feed our spiritual body with the Bread of Life.
There's much to be said concerning the Word of God and time will not allow me to tell it all. But it's in there, right in the Word of God for everyone to read.
Be sure of this: there is no problem that cannot be answered if you get into His Word. When we seek God, believe, trust, and wait on His timing, the answer will come. I'm learning more each time I read the Bible through and I'm very thankful that God placed a "Helper" in my heart - His Holy Spirit, which will lead and guide us into all truth. I want to know Him better so I can please Him more.
We must... 1.) Read the Word, 2.) Believe the Word, 3.) Quote the Word, 4.) Speak the Word, 5.) Ac t upon the Word, 6.) Trust the Word, 7.) Obey the Word, and, 8.) Apply the Word to our lives each day.
Be sure, God's Word never fails and God will have the last say. You can stand on it!
Saturday, September 28, 2013
The Thing that Motivates Me...
By Albert Friend
His blood is my conscience. When I failed Him I asked His forgiveness. He is faithful and just to forgive me immediately. That becomes my conscience immediately. I am forgiven immediately. I am free immediately. My conscience is free and clean immediately. This freedom that God gives me immediately is my source of new strength. I was wrong but I didn't have to linger in guilt. My conscience was clean immediately and I could go on to the next thing. I am so glad I know Jesus. I love Him.
God is justified in doing this for me. He is not overlooking my sin and showing me a special favor. He died for my sins as well as the sins of the whole world. He became the guilty one in my place. He took the punishment that should have been mine. God Himself paid the price for my sin. God fulfilled His own requirement of punishment for sin, which is: the innocent must die for the guilty, the just must die for the unjust. Therefore He is justified in forgiving me. No one can point his finger at God and say He is not doing right. He is justified in forgiving me because He died in my place. Now I am His to do with as He chooses. He loves me and forgives me. He bought me with a price, not of silver or gold, but with something more precious than gold, the blood of the innocent man who He became for me.
For this cause He asks us to die out to the old man and become a new man, a resurrected man, in Christ Jesus. Old things pass away and all things become new. We become citizens of a new nation in the world. We become a new species of people. We are born again from above. This is a second birth for us, a new birth. We become new creatures in Christ Jesus. We then follow and obey the constitution Jesus proclaimed for this new nation. This constitution cannot be amended.
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
(II Timothy 3:16-17)
The Books of Luke and Acts fit Paul's position on "profitable for doctrine." If you fight a Scripture you will never see the Scripture that confirms it. When you read a Bible verse you should say two things. The first thing to say is: Do I believe this? The second thing you should say is: Yes.
_____________________
Editor's Note: Bro. Friend is a retired Apostolic minister/pastor. He and his wife live in Hmailton, Ohio. From his home he has published a number of books and a blogsite - "The Apostolic Cutting Edge."
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Heavenly Kisses
By Marjorie Kinnee
Editorial
Text: Psalm 85:10-11 - "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven."
Mercy is God's business. At man's best, his kind of mercy is flawed, dependent upon God's example to be of any effect. Proverbs 16:6 says, "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD, men depart from evil." As God's mercy comes down to us, we begin to see the truth of our lack and our need. A repentant heart is the seed bed of truth.
David's condition was grave, his sin was egregious. In his prayer, (Psalm 51,) we can identify twenty-one key words or phrases. They are the facets of true repentance...
David's spiritual condition was desperate. Without God he was in total darkness, as if he were dead. Hedged in by his sin, he had nowhere to go. His prayers went no higher than the ceiling; God wasn't listening. Condemnation lie in wait like a predator. His strength and hope had perished. He saw and heard the snide remarks and derision of all those around him. Sitting in misery and affliction, David felt cut off, estranged from every good thing he'd ever known.
But God! (See II Peter 3:9.) As the mercy of God flowed down toward David's need, truth rose up to meet it. "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Right there, at the conjunction of mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, David found himself squarely in the center of a heavenly kiss! Though his sin had separated him from God, mercy like the morning dew embraced the truth of what true repentance is. It is the great reconciler! You too can find the joy that comes from placing yourself in the center of a heavenly kiss!
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (II Corinthians 5:20)
Editorial
Text: Psalm 85:10-11 - "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven."
Mercy is God's business. At man's best, his kind of mercy is flawed, dependent upon God's example to be of any effect. Proverbs 16:6 says, "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD, men depart from evil." As God's mercy comes down to us, we begin to see the truth of our lack and our need. A repentant heart is the seed bed of truth.
David's condition was grave, his sin was egregious. In his prayer, (Psalm 51,) we can identify twenty-one key words or phrases. They are the facets of true repentance...
- Have mercy,
- Blot out my transgressions,
- Wash me thoroughly,
- Cleanse me,
- I acknowledge my transgressions,
- Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned,
- I was shapen in iniquity,
- Thou desirest truth in the inward parts,
- Purge me, and I shall be clean,
- Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow,
- Make me to hear joy, and gladness,
- Hide Thy face from my sins,
- Blot out all mine iniquities,
- Create in me a clean heart,
- Renew a right Spirit within me,
- Cast me not away,
- Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me,
- Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,
- Uphold me with Thy free Spirit,
- Deliver me from blood-guiltiness,
- Open Thou my lips.
David's spiritual condition was desperate. Without God he was in total darkness, as if he were dead. Hedged in by his sin, he had nowhere to go. His prayers went no higher than the ceiling; God wasn't listening. Condemnation lie in wait like a predator. His strength and hope had perished. He saw and heard the snide remarks and derision of all those around him. Sitting in misery and affliction, David felt cut off, estranged from every good thing he'd ever known.
But God! (See II Peter 3:9.) As the mercy of God flowed down toward David's need, truth rose up to meet it. "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Right there, at the conjunction of mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, David found himself squarely in the center of a heavenly kiss! Though his sin had separated him from God, mercy like the morning dew embraced the truth of what true repentance is. It is the great reconciler! You too can find the joy that comes from placing yourself in the center of a heavenly kiss!
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (II Corinthians 5:20)
Saturday, September 29, 2012
How to Obtain Life and Peace
By Pastor Ken Foreman
Text: Romans 8:1-6
In this chapter, Paul references the Holy Spirit nineteen times! This truth is a strong foundation you can build upon. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
Text: Romans 8:1-6
In this chapter, Paul references the Holy Spirit nineteen times! This truth is a strong foundation you can build upon. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
- Know the truth - Know what's right
- No condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus
- It's sin that leads to condemnation and death
- Through Jesus you don't have to be condemned
- the Pharisee was "I'm all good!" [He despised the publican.]
- the publican was "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." [went home justified]
- Moses' response was, "Heal her now, O Lord, I pray!"
- Walk After the Spirit - Do what's right!
- Make the right decisions and act upon them.
- Keep Your Thoughts in Check - Think what's right! (I Corinthians 10:5)
- The law was a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, but it was not possible to obey the law in the flesh.
- Jesus died to set us free from the curse of the law (revealed sin).
- Make up your mind - I want more of Jesus!
- Make no provision for the flesh.
- Be Spiritually minded - "the Spirit is life" (verse 10)
- Justification - the accused is acquitted, declared righteous, free from the penalty
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