Crowns of the Bible
1. Crown of Glory
Proverbs 4:9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
Proverbs 14:24 The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.
Proverbs 16:31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
Isaiah 28:5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,
Isaiah 62:3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
2. Husband's Crown
Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
3. Old Man's Crown
Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
4. Crown of Pride
Isaiah 28:1-4 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
Job 41:1(a), 34 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
5. Crown of Suffering
1 Peter 2:19-24 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1 Peter 4:12-16 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Galatians 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
See also the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the gospels.
6. Incorruptible Crown
1 Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
7. Crown of Anointing Oil
Leviticus 21:12 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
8. Crown of Rejoicing
Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
9. Crown of Righteousness
2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
10. Crown of Life
James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11. Stones of a Crown
Zechariah 9:16 And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
The Crown is Fallen From our Head?
Lamentations 5:16 The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
Revelation 3:8-11 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Psalm 119:1-7
Psalm 119 could certainly be called a devotion - indeed, David's own devotion. One can hardly read a verse of it without being moved. Jeff Adams points out, in his commentary "Psalm 119 A Journey Into The Heart of God", that David is called a man after God's own heart because it was in God's heart to choose David and use him. While this is true, it is certainly also true that David's heart was after the heart of God in that he was ever longing for the heart of his God and truly desired to please him. I began reading Adams' commentary some time ago and read less than 50 of the 400 + pages. It is I that is at fault. It is a moving and enlightening study of the psalm. I highly recommend it. I own somewhere between 1500 to 2000 books. I have read maybe 600 books, if that many. The true count might be closer to 400. I am not sure. I have read some books 2 and 3 times. That doesn't include the twenty something times through the Bible. It is certain that I have spent a lot of time reading. And I am fairly certain that with the exception of the Bible, no book has moved me like the EXPOSITION OF PSALM CXIX by THE REV. C. BRIDGES, M.A., VICAR OF OLD NEWTON, SUFFOLK. This commentary's publication date for the sixteenth edition is 1843. The Subtitle is AS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE CHARACTER AND EXERCISES OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.
Psalm 119:1
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
This most interesting and instructive Psalm, like the Psalter itself, ‘opens with a Beatitude for our comfort and encouragement, directing us immediately to that happiness, which all mankind in different ways are seeking and inquiring after. All would secure themselves from the incursions of misery; but all do not consider that misery is the offspring of sin, from which therefore it is necessary to be delivered and preserved, in order to become happy or “blessed”.’
The undefiled character described in this verse marks, in an evangelical sense, “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” – not one who is without sin, but one who in the sincerity of his heart can say – “that which I do I allow not”. As his way is, so is his “walk” – “in the law of the Lord.” He is “strengthened in the Lord, and he walks up and down in his name” – his “ears hearing a word behind him, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it”, when he is turning to the right hand or to the left”. And if pardon of sin, imputation of righteousness, the communion of saints, and a sense of acceptance with God – if protection in providence and grace, and finally and for ever the beatific vision, are the sealed privileges of his upright people, then there can be no doubt, that “blessed are the undefiled in the way”. And if temporal prosperity, spiritual renovation and fruitfulness, increasing illumination, intercourse with the Saviour, peace within, and throughout eternity a right to the tree of life, are the privileges of incalculable value; then surely “the walk in the law of the Lord” is “the path of pleasantness and peace”. “Truly” – indeed may we say – “God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart”.
But let each of us ask – What is the “way” of my heart with God? Is it always an “undefiled way”? Is “iniquity” never “regarded in the heart”? Is all that God hates habitually lamented, abhorred, forsaken? “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Again – What is my “walk”? Is it from the living principle of union with Christ? This is the direct – the only source of spiritual life. We are first quickened in him. Then we walk in him and after him. Oh! that this my walk may be steady, consistent, advancing! Oh! that I may be ever listening to my Father’s voice – “I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect!
Is there not enough of defilement in the most “undefiled way”, and enough inconsistency in the most consistent “walk” to endear to us the gracious declaration of the gospel – “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous”?
Psalms 119:2
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
The “testimony”, in the singular number, usually denotes the whole canon of the inspired writings – the revelation of the will of God to mankind – the standard of their faith. “Testimonies” appear chiefly, to mark the perceptive part of Scripture – that part, in which this man of God always found his spiritual delight and perfect freedom. Mark his language: “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” Not however that this blessedness belongs to the mere outward act of obedience; but rather to that practical habit of mind, which seeks to know the will of God in order to “keep” it. This habit is under the influence of the promise of God – “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” And in thus “keeping the testimonies of God”, the believer maintains the character of one that “seeks him with the whole heart”.
Oh! how many seek, and seek in vain, for no other reason, than because they do not “seek him with the whole heart”! The worldling’s “heart is divided; now shall he be found faulty”. The professors “with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” The backslider “hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.” The faithful, upright believer alone brings his heart, his whole heart, to the Lord – “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” For he only has found an object that attracts and fills his whole heart – and if he had a thousand hearts, would attract and fill them all. He has found his way to God by faith in Jesus. In that way he continues to seek. His whole heart is engaged to know and love more and more. Here alone the blessing is enjoyed, and the promise made good – “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
But let me not shrink from the question – Do I “keep his testimonies” from constraint or from love? Surely when I consider my own natural aversion and enmity to the law of God, and the danger of self-deception in the external service of the Lord, I have much need to pray – “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies. Give me understanding - save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.” And if they are blessed, who seek the Lord with their whole heart, how am I seeking him? Alas! with how much distraction; with how little heart-work! Oh! let me “seek his strength” in order to “seek his face”.
Lord! search – teach – incline – uphold me. Help me to plead thy gracious promise – “I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”
Psalms 119:3
They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
This was not their character from their birth. Once they were doing nothing but iniquity. It was without mixture, without cessation – from the fountain-head. Now it is written of them – “they do no iniquity”. Once they walked, even as others, in the way of their own hearts – “enemies to God by wicked works”. Now “they walk in his ways”. They are “a new creatures in Christ; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. This is their highly-privileged state – Sin shall not have dominion over them: for they are not under the law, but under grace. They are “born of God, and they cannot commit sin; for his seed remaineth in them: and they cannot sin, because they are born of God”. Their hatred and resistance of sin are therefore now as instinctive, as was their former enmity and opposition to God. Not indeed that the people of God are as “the saints made perfect”, who “do no iniquity”. This is a dream of perfection – unscriptural and self-deluding. The unceasing advocacy of their Heavenly Friend evidently supposes the indwelling power of sin, to the termination of our earthly pilgrimage. The supplication also in the prayer of our Lord teaches them to ask for daily pardon and deliverance from “temptation”, as for “daily bread”. Yes – to our shame be it spoken – we are sinners still; yet – praised be God! – not “walking after the course”, not “fulfilling the desires” of sin. The acting of sin is now like the motion of a stone upward, violent and unnatural. If it is not cast out, it is dethroned. We are not, as before, “its willing people”, but its reluctant, struggling captives. It is not “the day of its power”.
And here lies the holy liberty of the Gospel – not, as some have feigned, - a liberty to “continue in sin, that grace may abound”; but a deliverance from the guilt and condemnation of abhorred, resisted, yet still indwelling sin. When our better will hath cast it off – when we can say in the sight of an heart-searching God, “What we hate, that do we” – the responsibility is not ours – “It is not we that do it, but sin that dwelleth in us”. Still let us inquire, is the promise of deliverance from sin “sweet to us”? And does our successful resistance in the spiritual conflict realize the earnest of its complete fulfillment? Blessed Jesus! what do we owe to thy cross for the present redemption from its guilt and curse, and much more for the blissful prospect of the glorified state, when this hated guest shall be an inmate no more! O let us take the very print of thy death into our souls in the daily crucifixion of sin. Let us know the “power of thy resurrection” in an habitual “walk in newness of life”.
Psalms 119:4
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
We have seen the character of the Man of God. Let us mark the authority of God, commanding him to a diligent obedience. The very sight of the command is enough for him. He obeys for the command’s sake, however contrary it may be to his own will. But has he any reason to complain of the yoke? Even under the dispensation which “gendereth unto bondage” most encouraging were the obligations to obedience – “that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever”. Much more, then, we, under a dispensation of love, can never want a motive for obedience! Let the daily mercies of Providence stir up the question – “What shall I render unto the Lord?” Let the far richer mercies of grace produce “a living sacrifice” to be “presented to the Lord”. Let “the love of Christ constrain us”. Let the recollection of the “price with which we were bought”, remind us of the Lord’s property in us, and of our obligations to “glorify him in our body, and in our spirit, which are his”. Let us only “behold the Lamb of God “; let us hear his wrestling supplications, his deserted cry, his expiring agonies – the price of our redemption; and then let us ask ourselves, Can we want a motive?
But what is the scriptural character of Evangelical obedience? It is the work of the Spirit, enabling us to “obey the truth”. It is the end of the purpose of God, who “hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”. It is the only satisfactory test of our profession.
Then let me begin my morning with the inquiry – “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” “Teach me thy way, O Lord: I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” Let me trade with all my talents for thee; ever watchful, that I may be employed in thy work; setting a guard upon my thoughts, my lips, my tempers, my pursuits, that nothing may hinder, but rather every thing may help me, in keeping thy precepts diligently.
But why do I ever find the precepts to be “grievous” to me? Is it not that some indolence is indulged; or some “iniquity regarded in my heart”; or some principle of unfaithfulness divides my service with two masters, when I should ought to be “following the Lord fully”? Oh! for the spirit of “simplicity and godly sincerity” in the precepts of God. Oh! for that warm and constant love, which is the main-spring of devoted diligence in the service of God. Oh! for a larger supply of that “wisdom which is from above” and which is “without partiality and without hypocrisy!”
Psalms 119:5
O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
The Lord has indeed “commanded us to keep his precepts”. But, alas! where is our power? Satan would make the sense of our weakness an excuse for indolence. The Spirit of God convinces us of it, as an incitement to prayer, and an exercise of faith. If, Reader, your heart is perfect with God, you “consent to the law that it is good”; you “delight in it after the inner man” you would not have one jot or tittle altered, mitigated, or repealed, that it might be more conformed to your own will, or allow you more liberty and self-indulgence in the ways of sin. But do you not sigh to think, that, when you aim at the perfect standard of holiness, you should, at your best moments, and in your highest attainments, fall so far below it; seeing indeed the way before you, but feeling yourself without ability to walk in it? Then let a sense of your helplessness for the work of the Lord lead you to the throne of grace, to pray, and watch, and wait, for the strengthening and refreshing influences of the Spirit of grace. Here let your faith realize at one and the same view your utter insufficiency, and your complete All-sufficiency. Her behold Him, who is ever presenting himself before God as our glorious Head, receiving in himself, according to the good pleasure of the Father, the full supply for this and every successive amount of inexpressible need. Our work is not therefore left upon our own hands, or wrought out at our “own charges”. So long as “He hath the residue of the Spirit”, “grace” will be found “sufficient”, - Divine “strength made perfect in weakness”. Without him we can do nothing, - “Through Him all things”. Even the “worm Jacob shall thresh the mountains” when the Lord says – “Fear not, I will help thee”.
In connecting this verse with the preceding, how accurately is the middle path preserved, equally distant from the idea of self-sufficiency to “keep the Lord’s statutes”, and self-justification in neglecting them! The first attempt to render spiritual obedience will quickly convince us of our utter helplessness. We might as soon create a world, as create in our hearts one pulse of spiritual life. And yet our inability does not cancel our obligation. Shall God lose his right, because sin has palsied our ability? Is not a drunken servant still under his Master’s law? and is not the sin which prevents him from performing his duty, not his excuse, but his aggravation? Thus our weakness is that of an heart, which “cannot be subject to the law of God”, only because it is “carnal, enmity against God”. The obligation therefore remains in full force. Our inability is our sin, our guilt, and condemnation.
What then remains for us, but to return the mandate to heaven, accompanied with an earnest prayer, that the Lord would write upon our hearts those statutes, to which he requires obedience in his word? – “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.” We acknowledge, Lord, our obligation; but we feel our impotency. Lord, help us: we look unto thee, “O that our ways were directed to keep thy statutes!” “Give what thou commandest; and then command what thou wilt.” Now as if to exhibit the fulness and suitableness of the promises of the gospel, the commands and prayers are returned back again from heaven with promises of quickening and directing grace. Thus does the Lord fully answer his end with us. He did not issue the commands, expecting that we could turn our own hearts to them; but that the conviction of our entire helplessness might be cast upon him, who loves to be sought, and never will be thus sought in vain. And indeed this is a part of “the mystery of godliness”, that in proportion as we depend upon him, who is alike “the Lord our righteousness” and our strength, our desires after holiness will increase, and our prayers become more fervent. He who commands our duty, perfectly knows our weaknesses. And he who feels his own weakness is fully encouraged to depend upon the power of his Saviour. Faith is then the principle of evangelical obedience, and the promises of his grace enable us for duty, at the very time that we are commanded to it. In this view are brought together the supreme authority of the Lawgiver, the total insufficiency of the creature, the full provisions of the Saviour, and the all-sufficiency of “the God of all grace”. We pray for what we want; we are thankful for what we have; we trust for what is promised. Thus “all is of God”. Christ “is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last”. Thus “grace reigns” triumphant. The foundation is laid in grace, and the head-stone will be brought forth with shoutings, crying, “Grace, grace unto it!” – The Saviour’s work is finished, and Jesus is crowned Lord of all for ever.
Psalms 119:6
Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
The Lord expects our obedience to be not only “diligent”, but universal. Willingly to dispense with the least of the commandments proves that we have yet to learn the spirit of acceptable obedience. Grace is given and suited for all, no less than for one of them, “that we might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing”. One t “regarded in he heart” is sufficient to keep possession for the tyrant, however others may be restrained. Even Herod could “do many things”; and yet his adulterous wife cherished in his bosom, too plainly proved the sovereignty of sin to be undisturbed. Saul slew all the Amalekites but one; and that single exception to universal obedience marked his unsoundness, cost him the loss of his throne, and brought him under the awful displeasure of his God. Reserves are the canker upon godly sincerity. A secret indulgence – “the rolling of the sweet morsel under the tongue” – “the part of the price kept back” – stamps our service as a robbery, not as an offering. We may be free, sincere, and earnest in many parts of our prescribed duty; but this “root of bitterness” renders the whole an abomination.
Sincerity therefore must be the stamp of my Christian profession. Though utterly unable to render perfect obedience to the least of the commandments, yet my desire and purpose will have respect unto them all. I shall no more venture to break the least than the greatest of them; much less shall I ever think of attempting to atone for the breach of one by the performance of the rest. They are indeed many commandments; yet – like links in a chain – they form but one law; and I know who has said – “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” However the professor may confine his regard to the second table (as if the first were ceremonial, or obsolete, or the regulation of the outward man was the utmost extent of the requirement), I would fix my eye with equal regard to both; yet specially marking any command in either of them, that may appear most directly opposed to my besetting corruptions. Thus “walking in the fear of the Lord”, I may hope to walk “in the comfort of the Holy Ghost”; and “hereby shall I know that I am of the truth, and shall assure my heart before God”.
But where, in my strictest walk, is my hope of acceptance, but in Him, whose obedience has “fulfilled all righteousness” in my stead, and whose death “has redeemed me from the curse” of my unrighteousness, when repentance, prayers, and years would have been to no avail? Yet it is only in the path of holiness that we can realize our acceptance. The heart occupied with this world’s pleasure knows nothing of this heavenly joy. Its brightness is dimmed – its freshness fades – its life withers – in the very breath of an unholy world. A godly assurance of the present favor of God must be weakened by self-indulgence, unwatchfulness, allowance of secret sins, or neglect of secret duties. “If thou return to the Almighty”, said a wise man, “thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.”
Let us then carefully examine the character of our assurance. Does it rest simply and exclusively upon the testimony of the Gospel? Will it abide the test of the word of God? Is it productive of tenderness of conscience, watchfulness, and circumspection of conduct? Does it exercise our diligence in adding grace to grace, that we may “make our calling and election sure”, and that “an entrance may be ministered to us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”? How boldly can we plead our Christian confidence in the path of godliness. “I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.”
Psalms 119:7
I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
The righteous judgments of God include the whole revelation of his word – so called – as the rule by which he judges our present state, and will pronounce our final sentence. David’s attainments here seem to be as nothing. So much remained unlearned and unknown that he could only anticipate the time when he should have learned them. “Thy commandment” he exclaims “is exceeding broad”. When the Apostle, after twenty years acquaintance with the gospel, expressed it as the one desire of his heart – “That I may know Christ” – evidently he entertained the same humbling views of his high attainments, and the same exalted apprehensions of the value of treasures yet unexplored, and progressively opening before him. Thus the wisest saints are only students in the Divine School. Yet whatever their learning be, it casts them into the mould and spirit of their doctrine. Conceit however of knowledge is the greatest enemy to knowledge, and the strongest proof of ignorance; so that, “if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know”. “He deceiveth himself.”
But what is the motive that enlivens the believer in this holy learning? Is it that he may live upon the airy breath of human applause? No, rather that he may “praise his God with uprightness of heart”. When our mind is dark, our lips are sealed. But when “opens our understandings” to “learn his judgments”, he will next “open our lips, and our mouths will show forth his praise”. And this indeed is the end for which his people are formed; for which they “are called out of darkness into marvelous light”. This is the daily frame in which our God will be glorified. Yet must we live as well as sing his praise. The praise of the upright heart will be shown in the holy walk and conversation.
But let us watch that our praise really flows out of the abundance of what our hearts have learned of his righteous judgments. For do we not sometimes speak of our Saviour with a secret lurking after self-exaltation? May we not really be seeking and serving ourselves in the very act of seeming to serve and honour him? Surely the very thought of the selfishness that defiles our holiest earthly praise may well quicken our longings after that world of praise, where the flame burns active, bright, incessant; where we shall offer our sacrifices without defilement, without intermission, without weariness, without end.
Psalm 119:1
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
This most interesting and instructive Psalm, like the Psalter itself, ‘opens with a Beatitude for our comfort and encouragement, directing us immediately to that happiness, which all mankind in different ways are seeking and inquiring after. All would secure themselves from the incursions of misery; but all do not consider that misery is the offspring of sin, from which therefore it is necessary to be delivered and preserved, in order to become happy or “blessed”.’
The undefiled character described in this verse marks, in an evangelical sense, “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” – not one who is without sin, but one who in the sincerity of his heart can say – “that which I do I allow not”. As his way is, so is his “walk” – “in the law of the Lord.” He is “strengthened in the Lord, and he walks up and down in his name” – his “ears hearing a word behind him, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it”, when he is turning to the right hand or to the left”. And if pardon of sin, imputation of righteousness, the communion of saints, and a sense of acceptance with God – if protection in providence and grace, and finally and for ever the beatific vision, are the sealed privileges of his upright people, then there can be no doubt, that “blessed are the undefiled in the way”. And if temporal prosperity, spiritual renovation and fruitfulness, increasing illumination, intercourse with the Saviour, peace within, and throughout eternity a right to the tree of life, are the privileges of incalculable value; then surely “the walk in the law of the Lord” is “the path of pleasantness and peace”. “Truly” – indeed may we say – “God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart”.
But let each of us ask – What is the “way” of my heart with God? Is it always an “undefiled way”? Is “iniquity” never “regarded in the heart”? Is all that God hates habitually lamented, abhorred, forsaken? “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Again – What is my “walk”? Is it from the living principle of union with Christ? This is the direct – the only source of spiritual life. We are first quickened in him. Then we walk in him and after him. Oh! that this my walk may be steady, consistent, advancing! Oh! that I may be ever listening to my Father’s voice – “I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect!
Is there not enough of defilement in the most “undefiled way”, and enough inconsistency in the most consistent “walk” to endear to us the gracious declaration of the gospel – “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous”?
Psalms 119:2
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
The “testimony”, in the singular number, usually denotes the whole canon of the inspired writings – the revelation of the will of God to mankind – the standard of their faith. “Testimonies” appear chiefly, to mark the perceptive part of Scripture – that part, in which this man of God always found his spiritual delight and perfect freedom. Mark his language: “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” Not however that this blessedness belongs to the mere outward act of obedience; but rather to that practical habit of mind, which seeks to know the will of God in order to “keep” it. This habit is under the influence of the promise of God – “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” And in thus “keeping the testimonies of God”, the believer maintains the character of one that “seeks him with the whole heart”.
Oh! how many seek, and seek in vain, for no other reason, than because they do not “seek him with the whole heart”! The worldling’s “heart is divided; now shall he be found faulty”. The professors “with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” The backslider “hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.” The faithful, upright believer alone brings his heart, his whole heart, to the Lord – “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” For he only has found an object that attracts and fills his whole heart – and if he had a thousand hearts, would attract and fill them all. He has found his way to God by faith in Jesus. In that way he continues to seek. His whole heart is engaged to know and love more and more. Here alone the blessing is enjoyed, and the promise made good – “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
But let me not shrink from the question – Do I “keep his testimonies” from constraint or from love? Surely when I consider my own natural aversion and enmity to the law of God, and the danger of self-deception in the external service of the Lord, I have much need to pray – “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies. Give me understanding - save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.” And if they are blessed, who seek the Lord with their whole heart, how am I seeking him? Alas! with how much distraction; with how little heart-work! Oh! let me “seek his strength” in order to “seek his face”.
Lord! search – teach – incline – uphold me. Help me to plead thy gracious promise – “I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”
Psalms 119:3
They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
This was not their character from their birth. Once they were doing nothing but iniquity. It was without mixture, without cessation – from the fountain-head. Now it is written of them – “they do no iniquity”. Once they walked, even as others, in the way of their own hearts – “enemies to God by wicked works”. Now “they walk in his ways”. They are “a new creatures in Christ; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. This is their highly-privileged state – Sin shall not have dominion over them: for they are not under the law, but under grace. They are “born of God, and they cannot commit sin; for his seed remaineth in them: and they cannot sin, because they are born of God”. Their hatred and resistance of sin are therefore now as instinctive, as was their former enmity and opposition to God. Not indeed that the people of God are as “the saints made perfect”, who “do no iniquity”. This is a dream of perfection – unscriptural and self-deluding. The unceasing advocacy of their Heavenly Friend evidently supposes the indwelling power of sin, to the termination of our earthly pilgrimage. The supplication also in the prayer of our Lord teaches them to ask for daily pardon and deliverance from “temptation”, as for “daily bread”. Yes – to our shame be it spoken – we are sinners still; yet – praised be God! – not “walking after the course”, not “fulfilling the desires” of sin. The acting of sin is now like the motion of a stone upward, violent and unnatural. If it is not cast out, it is dethroned. We are not, as before, “its willing people”, but its reluctant, struggling captives. It is not “the day of its power”.
And here lies the holy liberty of the Gospel – not, as some have feigned, - a liberty to “continue in sin, that grace may abound”; but a deliverance from the guilt and condemnation of abhorred, resisted, yet still indwelling sin. When our better will hath cast it off – when we can say in the sight of an heart-searching God, “What we hate, that do we” – the responsibility is not ours – “It is not we that do it, but sin that dwelleth in us”. Still let us inquire, is the promise of deliverance from sin “sweet to us”? And does our successful resistance in the spiritual conflict realize the earnest of its complete fulfillment? Blessed Jesus! what do we owe to thy cross for the present redemption from its guilt and curse, and much more for the blissful prospect of the glorified state, when this hated guest shall be an inmate no more! O let us take the very print of thy death into our souls in the daily crucifixion of sin. Let us know the “power of thy resurrection” in an habitual “walk in newness of life”.
Psalms 119:4
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
We have seen the character of the Man of God. Let us mark the authority of God, commanding him to a diligent obedience. The very sight of the command is enough for him. He obeys for the command’s sake, however contrary it may be to his own will. But has he any reason to complain of the yoke? Even under the dispensation which “gendereth unto bondage” most encouraging were the obligations to obedience – “that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever”. Much more, then, we, under a dispensation of love, can never want a motive for obedience! Let the daily mercies of Providence stir up the question – “What shall I render unto the Lord?” Let the far richer mercies of grace produce “a living sacrifice” to be “presented to the Lord”. Let “the love of Christ constrain us”. Let the recollection of the “price with which we were bought”, remind us of the Lord’s property in us, and of our obligations to “glorify him in our body, and in our spirit, which are his”. Let us only “behold the Lamb of God “; let us hear his wrestling supplications, his deserted cry, his expiring agonies – the price of our redemption; and then let us ask ourselves, Can we want a motive?
But what is the scriptural character of Evangelical obedience? It is the work of the Spirit, enabling us to “obey the truth”. It is the end of the purpose of God, who “hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”. It is the only satisfactory test of our profession.
Then let me begin my morning with the inquiry – “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” “Teach me thy way, O Lord: I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” Let me trade with all my talents for thee; ever watchful, that I may be employed in thy work; setting a guard upon my thoughts, my lips, my tempers, my pursuits, that nothing may hinder, but rather every thing may help me, in keeping thy precepts diligently.
But why do I ever find the precepts to be “grievous” to me? Is it not that some indolence is indulged; or some “iniquity regarded in my heart”; or some principle of unfaithfulness divides my service with two masters, when I should ought to be “following the Lord fully”? Oh! for the spirit of “simplicity and godly sincerity” in the precepts of God. Oh! for that warm and constant love, which is the main-spring of devoted diligence in the service of God. Oh! for a larger supply of that “wisdom which is from above” and which is “without partiality and without hypocrisy!”
Psalms 119:5
O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
The Lord has indeed “commanded us to keep his precepts”. But, alas! where is our power? Satan would make the sense of our weakness an excuse for indolence. The Spirit of God convinces us of it, as an incitement to prayer, and an exercise of faith. If, Reader, your heart is perfect with God, you “consent to the law that it is good”; you “delight in it after the inner man” you would not have one jot or tittle altered, mitigated, or repealed, that it might be more conformed to your own will, or allow you more liberty and self-indulgence in the ways of sin. But do you not sigh to think, that, when you aim at the perfect standard of holiness, you should, at your best moments, and in your highest attainments, fall so far below it; seeing indeed the way before you, but feeling yourself without ability to walk in it? Then let a sense of your helplessness for the work of the Lord lead you to the throne of grace, to pray, and watch, and wait, for the strengthening and refreshing influences of the Spirit of grace. Here let your faith realize at one and the same view your utter insufficiency, and your complete All-sufficiency. Her behold Him, who is ever presenting himself before God as our glorious Head, receiving in himself, according to the good pleasure of the Father, the full supply for this and every successive amount of inexpressible need. Our work is not therefore left upon our own hands, or wrought out at our “own charges”. So long as “He hath the residue of the Spirit”, “grace” will be found “sufficient”, - Divine “strength made perfect in weakness”. Without him we can do nothing, - “Through Him all things”. Even the “worm Jacob shall thresh the mountains” when the Lord says – “Fear not, I will help thee”.
In connecting this verse with the preceding, how accurately is the middle path preserved, equally distant from the idea of self-sufficiency to “keep the Lord’s statutes”, and self-justification in neglecting them! The first attempt to render spiritual obedience will quickly convince us of our utter helplessness. We might as soon create a world, as create in our hearts one pulse of spiritual life. And yet our inability does not cancel our obligation. Shall God lose his right, because sin has palsied our ability? Is not a drunken servant still under his Master’s law? and is not the sin which prevents him from performing his duty, not his excuse, but his aggravation? Thus our weakness is that of an heart, which “cannot be subject to the law of God”, only because it is “carnal, enmity against God”. The obligation therefore remains in full force. Our inability is our sin, our guilt, and condemnation.
What then remains for us, but to return the mandate to heaven, accompanied with an earnest prayer, that the Lord would write upon our hearts those statutes, to which he requires obedience in his word? – “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.” We acknowledge, Lord, our obligation; but we feel our impotency. Lord, help us: we look unto thee, “O that our ways were directed to keep thy statutes!” “Give what thou commandest; and then command what thou wilt.” Now as if to exhibit the fulness and suitableness of the promises of the gospel, the commands and prayers are returned back again from heaven with promises of quickening and directing grace. Thus does the Lord fully answer his end with us. He did not issue the commands, expecting that we could turn our own hearts to them; but that the conviction of our entire helplessness might be cast upon him, who loves to be sought, and never will be thus sought in vain. And indeed this is a part of “the mystery of godliness”, that in proportion as we depend upon him, who is alike “the Lord our righteousness” and our strength, our desires after holiness will increase, and our prayers become more fervent. He who commands our duty, perfectly knows our weaknesses. And he who feels his own weakness is fully encouraged to depend upon the power of his Saviour. Faith is then the principle of evangelical obedience, and the promises of his grace enable us for duty, at the very time that we are commanded to it. In this view are brought together the supreme authority of the Lawgiver, the total insufficiency of the creature, the full provisions of the Saviour, and the all-sufficiency of “the God of all grace”. We pray for what we want; we are thankful for what we have; we trust for what is promised. Thus “all is of God”. Christ “is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last”. Thus “grace reigns” triumphant. The foundation is laid in grace, and the head-stone will be brought forth with shoutings, crying, “Grace, grace unto it!” – The Saviour’s work is finished, and Jesus is crowned Lord of all for ever.
Psalms 119:6
Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
The Lord expects our obedience to be not only “diligent”, but universal. Willingly to dispense with the least of the commandments proves that we have yet to learn the spirit of acceptable obedience. Grace is given and suited for all, no less than for one of them, “that we might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing”. One t “regarded in he heart” is sufficient to keep possession for the tyrant, however others may be restrained. Even Herod could “do many things”; and yet his adulterous wife cherished in his bosom, too plainly proved the sovereignty of sin to be undisturbed. Saul slew all the Amalekites but one; and that single exception to universal obedience marked his unsoundness, cost him the loss of his throne, and brought him under the awful displeasure of his God. Reserves are the canker upon godly sincerity. A secret indulgence – “the rolling of the sweet morsel under the tongue” – “the part of the price kept back” – stamps our service as a robbery, not as an offering. We may be free, sincere, and earnest in many parts of our prescribed duty; but this “root of bitterness” renders the whole an abomination.
Sincerity therefore must be the stamp of my Christian profession. Though utterly unable to render perfect obedience to the least of the commandments, yet my desire and purpose will have respect unto them all. I shall no more venture to break the least than the greatest of them; much less shall I ever think of attempting to atone for the breach of one by the performance of the rest. They are indeed many commandments; yet – like links in a chain – they form but one law; and I know who has said – “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” However the professor may confine his regard to the second table (as if the first were ceremonial, or obsolete, or the regulation of the outward man was the utmost extent of the requirement), I would fix my eye with equal regard to both; yet specially marking any command in either of them, that may appear most directly opposed to my besetting corruptions. Thus “walking in the fear of the Lord”, I may hope to walk “in the comfort of the Holy Ghost”; and “hereby shall I know that I am of the truth, and shall assure my heart before God”.
But where, in my strictest walk, is my hope of acceptance, but in Him, whose obedience has “fulfilled all righteousness” in my stead, and whose death “has redeemed me from the curse” of my unrighteousness, when repentance, prayers, and years would have been to no avail? Yet it is only in the path of holiness that we can realize our acceptance. The heart occupied with this world’s pleasure knows nothing of this heavenly joy. Its brightness is dimmed – its freshness fades – its life withers – in the very breath of an unholy world. A godly assurance of the present favor of God must be weakened by self-indulgence, unwatchfulness, allowance of secret sins, or neglect of secret duties. “If thou return to the Almighty”, said a wise man, “thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.”
Let us then carefully examine the character of our assurance. Does it rest simply and exclusively upon the testimony of the Gospel? Will it abide the test of the word of God? Is it productive of tenderness of conscience, watchfulness, and circumspection of conduct? Does it exercise our diligence in adding grace to grace, that we may “make our calling and election sure”, and that “an entrance may be ministered to us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”? How boldly can we plead our Christian confidence in the path of godliness. “I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.”
Psalms 119:7
I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
The righteous judgments of God include the whole revelation of his word – so called – as the rule by which he judges our present state, and will pronounce our final sentence. David’s attainments here seem to be as nothing. So much remained unlearned and unknown that he could only anticipate the time when he should have learned them. “Thy commandment” he exclaims “is exceeding broad”. When the Apostle, after twenty years acquaintance with the gospel, expressed it as the one desire of his heart – “That I may know Christ” – evidently he entertained the same humbling views of his high attainments, and the same exalted apprehensions of the value of treasures yet unexplored, and progressively opening before him. Thus the wisest saints are only students in the Divine School. Yet whatever their learning be, it casts them into the mould and spirit of their doctrine. Conceit however of knowledge is the greatest enemy to knowledge, and the strongest proof of ignorance; so that, “if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know”. “He deceiveth himself.”
But what is the motive that enlivens the believer in this holy learning? Is it that he may live upon the airy breath of human applause? No, rather that he may “praise his God with uprightness of heart”. When our mind is dark, our lips are sealed. But when “opens our understandings” to “learn his judgments”, he will next “open our lips, and our mouths will show forth his praise”. And this indeed is the end for which his people are formed; for which they “are called out of darkness into marvelous light”. This is the daily frame in which our God will be glorified. Yet must we live as well as sing his praise. The praise of the upright heart will be shown in the holy walk and conversation.
But let us watch that our praise really flows out of the abundance of what our hearts have learned of his righteous judgments. For do we not sometimes speak of our Saviour with a secret lurking after self-exaltation? May we not really be seeking and serving ourselves in the very act of seeming to serve and honour him? Surely the very thought of the selfishness that defiles our holiest earthly praise may well quicken our longings after that world of praise, where the flame burns active, bright, incessant; where we shall offer our sacrifices without defilement, without intermission, without weariness, without end.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Manner of Paul
BEGINNING TEXT: Acts 17: 1-10
PAUL, A PATTERN FOR CHRISTIANS: 1 Corinthians 4:6; 11:1; 1 Timothy 1:16
PAUL IS AN INTERESTING CHARACTER TO STUDY INDEED.
PAUL'S MANNER IS DESCRIBED AS:
1. REASONING OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES (Acts 17:2)
2. OPENING AND ALLEGING THE SCRIPTURES (Acts 17:3)
3. PREACHING JESUS CHRIST (Acts 17:3)
4. "TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN" (Acts 17:6)
5. "TO DECLARE UNTO YOU ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD" (Acts 20:27)
6. SHARING HIS CONVERSION EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS (Acts 22:26)
7. "LIVED IN ALL GOOD CONSCIENCE BEFORE GOD" (Acts 23:1)
8. "BELIEVING ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN" IN THE WORD OF GOD. (Acts 24:14 says, "in the law and the prophets". Paul believed the scriptures that God provided for him. To follow his example, you believe the scriptures that God provided for you, the Authorized King James Bible.)
9. HE BELIEVED GOD (Acts 27:25)
10. HE WAS EVERYWHERE SPOKEN AGAINST (Acts 28:22)
11. "TEACHING THOSE THINGS WHICH CONCERN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST" (Acts 28:31)
12. WITH ALL CONFIDENCE (Acts 28:31)
13. "A SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST" (Romans 1:1)
14. UNCONCERNED ABOUT MAN'S JUDGMENT (1 Corinthians 4:3-4)
15. FOLLOWER OF CHRIST (1 Corinthians 11:1)
16. CONTEMPTIBLE AND RUDE IN SPEECH, YET NOT IN KNOWLEDGE (2 Corinthians 10:10; 11:6)
17. NOT A MAN PLEASER (Galatians 1:10)
18. "CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST" (Galatians 2:20)
19. BOLDLY TOLD THE TRUTH (Galatians 4:16)
20. "SET FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE GOSPEL" (Philippians 1:17)
21. "PRAYING ALWAYS" (Colossians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 3:10; Philemon 1:4)
22. "I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH." (2 Timothy 4:7)
When a man follows Paul, "as his manner was", there are seven things that happen (see beginning text):
1. SOME WILL BELIEVE AND CONSORT WITH HIM
2. OTHERS WILL NOT BELIEVE
3. THE SECOND GROUP IS FILLED WITH ENVY
4. THEY GATHER A COMPANY OF LEWD FELLOWS
5. THEY SET PEOPLE ON AN UPROAR
6. THEY ACCUSE BIBLE BELIEVERS OF TURNING THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
I was looking for a church one time. I called a Baptist church (in 1989) and asked if they used the King James Bible. He answered, "Yes". I asked if they believe the King James Bible is the word of God. Then, he replied, "No, there aren't any Peter Ruckman churches around here!" That was a church that professed to believe (in their printed statement of faith) that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God. But when you ask which Bible they mean, you find out they don't believe any Bible is infallible. They believe that only the original writings are inspired. (That of course is as non-Biblical as an infallible pope. See the article "The Certainty Of The Words Of Truth".) Some people get offended so easily when you try to find out what they really believe about the Bible. And if you believe the Authorized Version is the infallible word of God, they will call you a 'Ruckmanite', even if you have never heard of Peter Ruckman. This is the seventh thing that happens:
BIBLE BELIEVERS ARE CALLED A SECT OR A CULT (RUCKMANITES) AND ARE EVERYWHERE SPOKEN AGAINST.
Who is Peter S. Ruckman? He is a man who follows Paul. He opens and reasons out of the scriptures, is not a man-pleaser, declares all the counsel of God, boldly tells the truth, is rude in speech (yet not in knowledge), and is set for the defense of the gospel, preaching and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Peter Ruckman is the president and founder of Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, Florida. He has authored The Bible Believers Commentary Series, Theological Studies, and several other helpful books and booklets. In his books, he defends the authorized King James Bible against its critics. Bible critics and even some Bible believers don't like Dr. Ruckman because he obeys Titus 1:13: "Rebuke them sharply". Some people have never read Titus 1:9-13, I guess. Notice that Paul agreed that those deceivers are "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies". Why get mad at a Christian who follows Paul and talks just like Paul and our Lord Jesus would talk if they were here on earth today? Why? Because they are just like the Pharisees in the time of Christ who were angered by his speech against them and set out to kill him.
DEFINITION OF A RUCKMANITE:
A RUCKMANITE IS SOMEONE WHO FOLLOWS RUCKMAN.
RUCKMAN FOLLOWS PAUL. THIS MAKES US PAULITES.
PAUL FOLLOWED CHRIST. THIS MAKES US CHRISTIANS.
A CHRISTIAN IS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.
So, if some crybaby Bible critic calls you a Disciple of Jesus Christ because you believe the King James Bible is the word of God, just say,
"THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENT!"
PAUL, A PATTERN FOR CHRISTIANS: 1 Corinthians 4:6; 11:1; 1 Timothy 1:16
PAUL IS AN INTERESTING CHARACTER TO STUDY INDEED.
PAUL'S MANNER IS DESCRIBED AS:
1. REASONING OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES (Acts 17:2)
2. OPENING AND ALLEGING THE SCRIPTURES (Acts 17:3)
3. PREACHING JESUS CHRIST (Acts 17:3)
4. "TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN" (Acts 17:6)
5. "TO DECLARE UNTO YOU ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD" (Acts 20:27)
6. SHARING HIS CONVERSION EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS (Acts 22:26)
7. "LIVED IN ALL GOOD CONSCIENCE BEFORE GOD" (Acts 23:1)
8. "BELIEVING ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN" IN THE WORD OF GOD. (Acts 24:14 says, "in the law and the prophets". Paul believed the scriptures that God provided for him. To follow his example, you believe the scriptures that God provided for you, the Authorized King James Bible.)
9. HE BELIEVED GOD (Acts 27:25)
10. HE WAS EVERYWHERE SPOKEN AGAINST (Acts 28:22)
11. "TEACHING THOSE THINGS WHICH CONCERN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST" (Acts 28:31)
12. WITH ALL CONFIDENCE (Acts 28:31)
13. "A SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST" (Romans 1:1)
14. UNCONCERNED ABOUT MAN'S JUDGMENT (1 Corinthians 4:3-4)
15. FOLLOWER OF CHRIST (1 Corinthians 11:1)
16. CONTEMPTIBLE AND RUDE IN SPEECH, YET NOT IN KNOWLEDGE (2 Corinthians 10:10; 11:6)
17. NOT A MAN PLEASER (Galatians 1:10)
18. "CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST" (Galatians 2:20)
19. BOLDLY TOLD THE TRUTH (Galatians 4:16)
20. "SET FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE GOSPEL" (Philippians 1:17)
21. "PRAYING ALWAYS" (Colossians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 3:10; Philemon 1:4)
22. "I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH." (2 Timothy 4:7)
When a man follows Paul, "as his manner was", there are seven things that happen (see beginning text):
1. SOME WILL BELIEVE AND CONSORT WITH HIM
2. OTHERS WILL NOT BELIEVE
3. THE SECOND GROUP IS FILLED WITH ENVY
4. THEY GATHER A COMPANY OF LEWD FELLOWS
5. THEY SET PEOPLE ON AN UPROAR
6. THEY ACCUSE BIBLE BELIEVERS OF TURNING THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
I was looking for a church one time. I called a Baptist church (in 1989) and asked if they used the King James Bible. He answered, "Yes". I asked if they believe the King James Bible is the word of God. Then, he replied, "No, there aren't any Peter Ruckman churches around here!" That was a church that professed to believe (in their printed statement of faith) that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God. But when you ask which Bible they mean, you find out they don't believe any Bible is infallible. They believe that only the original writings are inspired. (That of course is as non-Biblical as an infallible pope. See the article "The Certainty Of The Words Of Truth".) Some people get offended so easily when you try to find out what they really believe about the Bible. And if you believe the Authorized Version is the infallible word of God, they will call you a 'Ruckmanite', even if you have never heard of Peter Ruckman. This is the seventh thing that happens:
BIBLE BELIEVERS ARE CALLED A SECT OR A CULT (RUCKMANITES) AND ARE EVERYWHERE SPOKEN AGAINST.
Who is Peter S. Ruckman? He is a man who follows Paul. He opens and reasons out of the scriptures, is not a man-pleaser, declares all the counsel of God, boldly tells the truth, is rude in speech (yet not in knowledge), and is set for the defense of the gospel, preaching and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Peter Ruckman is the president and founder of Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, Florida. He has authored The Bible Believers Commentary Series, Theological Studies, and several other helpful books and booklets. In his books, he defends the authorized King James Bible against its critics. Bible critics and even some Bible believers don't like Dr. Ruckman because he obeys Titus 1:13: "Rebuke them sharply". Some people have never read Titus 1:9-13, I guess. Notice that Paul agreed that those deceivers are "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies". Why get mad at a Christian who follows Paul and talks just like Paul and our Lord Jesus would talk if they were here on earth today? Why? Because they are just like the Pharisees in the time of Christ who were angered by his speech against them and set out to kill him.
DEFINITION OF A RUCKMANITE:
A RUCKMANITE IS SOMEONE WHO FOLLOWS RUCKMAN.
RUCKMAN FOLLOWS PAUL. THIS MAKES US PAULITES.
PAUL FOLLOWED CHRIST. THIS MAKES US CHRISTIANS.
A CHRISTIAN IS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.
So, if some crybaby Bible critic calls you a Disciple of Jesus Christ because you believe the King James Bible is the word of God, just say,
"THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENT!"
Monday, May 18, 2009
You're No Daisy; You're No Daisy At All
You're No Daisy; You're No Daisy At All
[or The Sad Case of David Bates]
David Bates sent me this message titled “My last contact with a Pharisee!!” :
“You can post all you want on me, making fun of me and whatever else you want. Since you say I never answered you on what you did to prompt me saying compassionate, there were two things. #1 would be the attitude it takes to post all my stuff into a group discussion and make fun of it, you said I needed to grow up, well I have a 7 yr old with more sense than that. If you ever in KY look me up and we will definitely talk. #2 being the posts you put up of the Church of Christ guy as your status, asking if he was saved and telling everybody to go look and what he wrote. Let me ask one question OLD MAN, what good did that do to getting him saved or getting him right with God. I can answer that it did not do a thing to get him there, all you did was make him more mad at you, which of course is what you are called to do being the great Gary!! I advise you to take the posts off your site about me. Oh and one more thing answer a couple of questions for me, which you made fun of in your glorious group. What is your calling?? What did God call you to do?? And do you have compassion?? I will never understand the BRETHREN that are like you!! Good bye and please look me up if ever in KY, oh and good luck at the judgment seat of Christ, where I am sure you will get rewards for hammering people on the internet. All you guys are the same you know your Bible and act like babies!!!”
Now you are probably wondering what brought this on. Well, first, I am going to make a couple of comments about this message that he sent me. Then, I will take you back to the beginning. To begin with, this man is a liar. The two things that he listed for reasons that he said I had no compassion didn’t even occur before he said what he said. So those are NOT the real reasons that he said it.
Next, it looks to me like he is insinuating some sort of threat here. Notice some of the statements like that. “If you ever in KY look me up and we will definitely talk.” “I advise you to take the posts off your site about me.” “Good bye and please look me up if ever in KY.” Now, why would you say those things to somebody who you don’t like, can’t get along with, and don’t approve of if you didn’t mean it in a kind of threatening manner? Now, I do realize that on a discussion board, you can’t hear a person speaking and hear their tone, and can’t always know their exact attitude for sure. But I don’t know how else to take this.
Then, another thing is that I never made fun of him on the Baptist 1611 discussion board. I quoted some of his posts that he had posted himself on a different thread (topic). I gave his posts (without naming him by name, by the way) as examples of poorly written posts. I started a new topic called “Posting In Baptist 1611”. I made the first post explaining that posts should be written as clearly and well written as possible. In the next post, I explained that I do not want anyone posting complaints about somebody else unless they make their complaint detailed and clear. Then in the third post, I gave the examples of poorly written posts. And I am very serious about this. I don’t think this is fun and I am not making fun of David Bates. I really don’t want to do anything to keep him crying. Now, to prove what I have just said, I will copy and paste the first three posts in the “Posting In Baptist 1611” Topic.
First Post :
“So far, I think I have only had a real problem reading the posts of one person. But I just thought I would make some requests about posting whether on the Baptist 1611 Wall or on the Discussion Board.
Please, try to think about what you want to say. Please, check your spelling and grammar. And for God's sake, please, use correct punctuation and don't run sentences together.
I can sympathize with people who can't spell well and those who don't know grammar. But if you have a computer, you probably have or can obtain a Word Processor (Microsoft Word, Open Office) that has a spelling and grammar check.
I want this to be a forum that consists of fruitful discussion and the fellowship of Jesus Christ. Communicating properly leads to good communication. When five sentences are run together, separated by commas (or sometimes not even separated) and when quick (or careless) typing causes extra keys to be hit and the spelling is not checked, these posts are difficult to read.
Please, check and think about what you are posting. Think about whether your post makes sense or not. Even after posting your comments, you should read what you said and decide if you need to redo it.
Remember this is not like a telephone conversation. Speaking audibly to each other, you can easily discern each others' intent, mood, attitude, sarcasm, etc. On a discussion board, it is necessary to write as well as possible because these things are not as easily discerned here.
I want to thank everyone who has participated here so far (well, except one person) and I want to encourage you to continue. I believe if these things are kept in mind, it will benefit the forum and our fellowship.
God bless.
Brother Gary”
Second Post :
“Complaints :
If you have a complaint or accusation against someone, DO NOT post your accusation or complaint UNLESS you quote the person who you are accusing and explain what you think is wrong with what was said. You MUST be clear in your complaint. Your complaint must be exact and detailed. If this rule is not followed, your post will be deleted or edited.
There is one person who made several accusations against me, including "GARY, The way you act on here is what gives Bible believers a bad name". Another thing he said is, "You PBI guys are all the same sometimes. Hearers but not really a lot of doers."
This little kid made a judgment about me on something that he knows nothing at all about. He claimed to have read most of what I have written here on the Baptist 1611 Discussion Board. And he is making judgments about my personality, my experience, my social ability, my compassion, my calling, and my overall Christian life based on some things that I wrote. He has no idea of what he is talking about.
I still don't know exactly what I said (or on what topic) that generated his complaint. Why? Because although I asked him several times to quote me and clearly explain his accusation, he refused.
And what is a PBI guy?
We can disagree on some minor Bible issues and not have a problem. We can argue on the discussion board and not have a problem. But I don't have the time or the patience to play silly asinine games.
God bless.
Doc Holliday
(Brother Gary)”
Third Post :
“Examples of poorly written posts :
1) "Have you ever pastored a church????? GARY The way you and some others act on here is what gives Bible believers a bad name...one word...COMPASSION!!!"
Why put 5 question marks? His 'sentence' doesn't make sense. If he had put a period after "name" and then given a complete sentence, it would have been better. The way he has structured it, it looks like "compassion" is what gives Bible believers a bad name.
2) "I am a Bible Believer with every fiber of me since the day I was saved. And I agree with just about everything that is said on here...doctrinally. I have no problem with telling people like it is.. I was fired from pastoring a church in PA because I taught the rapture as pre trib, dont assume anything...what I mean is this, there is time for rebuke, amen and amen, but there is also a time for compassion a little with people who are confused and not purposefully denying any doctrine of the Bible...what I meant in the post was this and I see it an here as well as other groups, most people and I would dare say that this applies here.
There is a right way to be wrong and the wrong way to be right. Even if you are right, and most of the time on here most people are in this group. Even if you are right and you do it with no grace or compassion you have no good and have hurt the cause of Christ. Oh and the next time you say some one has no wisdom check your self for a little compassion, I am sure Christ had that. That is all I am saying guys, and you can’t disagree with that. Deal with people and you will see. Compassion for people is not compromise. All people, even if wrong sometimes, are confused at one point or another. You can rebuke and love and do it Biblically it aint all about the JACK HAMMER, Ruckman was called to pour out acid not everybody that comes from there."
I don't think I need to explain this one. If you read through this one, you can easily see the problems.
3)"I have done answered that, and it is funny none of my questions get answered, huh why is that?? Maybe I am right?? Listen I have been on that side. Right and just happy being right. But let me ask you a hypothetical question>
who is going to suffer lost at the judgment seat of Christ? A person who is wrong on something but seeking the truth or just wrong maybe because they grew up in it and are very confused, or people like you who treat people like that as lesser people and jack hammer them into submission and they quit trying because of the way you treated them...I have been there, I know the answer to that question...Do you?"
Again, I don't think the problems with this post need explanation. But notice that this is one of the accusations referred to earlier. He claims that I treat people like they are lesser people and he claims that I 'jackhammer' people into submission. But he failed to quote me to give an example of his accusations.
4)"What not all saved people are not part of the bride???"
5) "If saved you are in the body of Christ" <--- No punctuation at all.
6)"Man how much clearer do I have to be, I have read almost everything that you have wrote on here and it is true and while amongst people like us is fine but man you need some grace in dealing with people, that is why I wrote and asked have you ever been a pastor? You are almost like and I am guessing here, that you have really never dealt with people a lot. Just one mans opinion, and Rob said that after my post so who do you think he was thinking of, huh, I have been there I am not stupid, can you understand what I mean when I say you can be right the wrong way. You PBI guys are all the same sometimes. Hearers but not really a lot of doers, not intended toward you of course."
I hope it doesn't seem redundant for me to post these examples, but this also gives you most or all of the case of the clown who was complaining to me without quoting me and clearly stating his case.”
So, as I said in that third post, you can see the accusations of this guy. And I still say that he has not quoted me and explained what I said wrong specifically. He has accused me without clearly stating his case. So after all of this, I ran out of patience in this matter. As far as I am concerned, David Bates is a little child playing stupid games that I don’t care to play. I decided, as the Admin of the Baptist 1611 Group, to delete all of his posts and remove him from membership.
After I did this, I received the following message from Bates:
“Listen man, you proved my point by deleting me, and my posts. So if someone disagrees with you, get rid of them . I can understqand if it was a Bible doctrine but what we were talking about was NOT doctrine, so get use to fact that people will disagree with you. Oh and you are not always right, and on the body and bride of HCrist you are definitely wrong”
My reply message to him :
“Look, Sonny, I didn't delete you because you disagree with me. I deleted you because I don't have the patience to play your silly little asinine games. I asked you several times to quote me and explain what you think was wrong with anything that I said. You never quoted me or even referred to any certain writing of mine.
In addition to that, who do you think you are, anyway? You don't run the Baptist 1611 Group! I do. You are the one who needs to learn how to deal with people. I am not going to come into your church and try to tell you what to do. What makes you think you have the right to come into my group forum and treat me with the kind of disrespect that you have displayed?
You made a judgment about me on something that you know nothing at all about. You claimed to have read most of what I have written on the Baptist 1611 Discussion Board. And you are making judgments about my personality, my experience, my social ability, my compassion, my calling, and my overall Christian life based on some things that I wrote. You have no idea of what you are talking about.
We can disagree on some minor Bible issues and not have a problem. We can argue on the discussion board and not have a problem. But I don't have the time or the patience to play silly asinine games.
You need to try growing up, boy. And unless you can control yourself and behave, leave me alone.”
Then, I received this message from him, the one that I started with :
“You can post all you want on me, making fun of me and whatever else you want. Since you say I never answered you on what you did to prompt me saying compassionate, there were two things. #1 would be the attitude it takes to post all my stuff into a group discussion and make fun of it, you said I needed to grow up, well I have a 7 yr old with more sense than that. If you ever in KY look me up and we will definitely talk. #2 being the posts you put up of the Church of guy as your status, asking if he was saved and telling everybody to go look and what he wrote. Let me ask one question OLD MAN, what good did that do to getting him saved or getting him right with God. I can answer that it did not do a thing to get him there, all you did was make him more mad at you, which of course is what you are called to do being the great Gary!! I advise you to take the posts off your site about me. Oh and one more thing answer a couple of questions for me, which you made fun of in your glorious group. What is your calling?? What did God call you to do?? And do you have compassion?? I will never understand the BRETHREN that are like you!! Good bye and please look me up if ever in KY, oh and good luck at the judgment seat of Christ, where I am sure you will get rewards for hammering people on the internet. All you guys are the same you know your Bible and act like babies!!!”
After receiving this message, I decided that after I got all of this information into a document to post in my Doc Holliday blog, then I would go ahead and remove all of the posts about David Bates from the Baptist 1611 Group Discussion Board. Then I changed the settings for the Group to make it a private group instead of open to everybody.
Now, this crybaby has gone to another group discussion board to cry some more. He has started a new topic in the group “Dispensationalist” called “The Brethren”. Here is his post there :
“Well guess what, once again the brethren of this world have showed themselves again!! I have been attacked for simple suggesting that a guy get some compassion in dealing with a lost guy, and he was also wrong on atleast one doctrine in the Bible, the bride of Christ. And I pointed it out to him. So since he was mad at me for saying that he takes my posts and makes a group discussion out of them, where he proceeds to make fun of my lack of punctuation, like I care. On this discussion board I would like you saved people to write and let us know of some run ins you have had or have heard of with the Bible believing brethren that have absolutely no grace or compassion. We will refer to them as the BROW BEATERS, I close with this statement, compassion is not compromise!!”
Now here is another lie from this nut. I DID NOT attack Bates for simply suggesting compassion. He never explained exactly why he thought I had no compassion. He never quoted me. He is the one who attacked me. Next lie : “So since he was mad at me for saying that”. I am not mad at this guy. I really feel sorry for him. And I honestly feel sorry for his congregation. I think he said he is a pastor. I am not mad at him. He is actually starting to be amusing. Before now, I considered him to be quite irritating. But now, he is starting to get funny.
My responding post to him in the “The Brethren” topic in the “Dispensationalist” Group discussion board :
“You might think that I'm just a drunk piano player and seeing double. But "I have two guns; one for each of you".
Doc Holliday”
One final response to Bates in the “The Brethren” topic in the “Dispensationalist” Group discussion board :
“If anyone here wants the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in this matter concerning David Bates' accusation that I attacked him for a simple suggestion, go to this link and read the whole story for yourself. [http://gary-alford.blogspot.com/ ] See the post titled "You're No Daisy; You're No Daisy At All". And now, David, since you lied about your message being your last contact with me, and then you contacted me through this group message, I will remove myself from this group. Are you going to go post messages to all the members in all of the groups that I am a member of so that you can keep pestering me? Please, don't continue to harass me.”
And finally, David Bates, if you find your way to this post and read it, I have one final thing to say. You’re no daisy; you’re no daisy at all.
[or The Sad Case of David Bates]
David Bates sent me this message titled “My last contact with a Pharisee!!” :
“You can post all you want on me, making fun of me and whatever else you want. Since you say I never answered you on what you did to prompt me saying compassionate, there were two things. #1 would be the attitude it takes to post all my stuff into a group discussion and make fun of it, you said I needed to grow up, well I have a 7 yr old with more sense than that. If you ever in KY look me up and we will definitely talk. #2 being the posts you put up of the Church of Christ guy as your status, asking if he was saved and telling everybody to go look and what he wrote. Let me ask one question OLD MAN, what good did that do to getting him saved or getting him right with God. I can answer that it did not do a thing to get him there, all you did was make him more mad at you, which of course is what you are called to do being the great Gary!! I advise you to take the posts off your site about me. Oh and one more thing answer a couple of questions for me, which you made fun of in your glorious group. What is your calling?? What did God call you to do?? And do you have compassion?? I will never understand the BRETHREN that are like you!! Good bye and please look me up if ever in KY, oh and good luck at the judgment seat of Christ, where I am sure you will get rewards for hammering people on the internet. All you guys are the same you know your Bible and act like babies!!!”
Now you are probably wondering what brought this on. Well, first, I am going to make a couple of comments about this message that he sent me. Then, I will take you back to the beginning. To begin with, this man is a liar. The two things that he listed for reasons that he said I had no compassion didn’t even occur before he said what he said. So those are NOT the real reasons that he said it.
Next, it looks to me like he is insinuating some sort of threat here. Notice some of the statements like that. “If you ever in KY look me up and we will definitely talk.” “I advise you to take the posts off your site about me.” “Good bye and please look me up if ever in KY.” Now, why would you say those things to somebody who you don’t like, can’t get along with, and don’t approve of if you didn’t mean it in a kind of threatening manner? Now, I do realize that on a discussion board, you can’t hear a person speaking and hear their tone, and can’t always know their exact attitude for sure. But I don’t know how else to take this.
Then, another thing is that I never made fun of him on the Baptist 1611 discussion board. I quoted some of his posts that he had posted himself on a different thread (topic). I gave his posts (without naming him by name, by the way) as examples of poorly written posts. I started a new topic called “Posting In Baptist 1611”. I made the first post explaining that posts should be written as clearly and well written as possible. In the next post, I explained that I do not want anyone posting complaints about somebody else unless they make their complaint detailed and clear. Then in the third post, I gave the examples of poorly written posts. And I am very serious about this. I don’t think this is fun and I am not making fun of David Bates. I really don’t want to do anything to keep him crying. Now, to prove what I have just said, I will copy and paste the first three posts in the “Posting In Baptist 1611” Topic.
First Post :
“So far, I think I have only had a real problem reading the posts of one person. But I just thought I would make some requests about posting whether on the Baptist 1611 Wall or on the Discussion Board.
Please, try to think about what you want to say. Please, check your spelling and grammar. And for God's sake, please, use correct punctuation and don't run sentences together.
I can sympathize with people who can't spell well and those who don't know grammar. But if you have a computer, you probably have or can obtain a Word Processor (Microsoft Word, Open Office) that has a spelling and grammar check.
I want this to be a forum that consists of fruitful discussion and the fellowship of Jesus Christ. Communicating properly leads to good communication. When five sentences are run together, separated by commas (or sometimes not even separated) and when quick (or careless) typing causes extra keys to be hit and the spelling is not checked, these posts are difficult to read.
Please, check and think about what you are posting. Think about whether your post makes sense or not. Even after posting your comments, you should read what you said and decide if you need to redo it.
Remember this is not like a telephone conversation. Speaking audibly to each other, you can easily discern each others' intent, mood, attitude, sarcasm, etc. On a discussion board, it is necessary to write as well as possible because these things are not as easily discerned here.
I want to thank everyone who has participated here so far (well, except one person) and I want to encourage you to continue. I believe if these things are kept in mind, it will benefit the forum and our fellowship.
God bless.
Brother Gary”
Second Post :
“Complaints :
If you have a complaint or accusation against someone, DO NOT post your accusation or complaint UNLESS you quote the person who you are accusing and explain what you think is wrong with what was said. You MUST be clear in your complaint. Your complaint must be exact and detailed. If this rule is not followed, your post will be deleted or edited.
There is one person who made several accusations against me, including "GARY, The way you act on here is what gives Bible believers a bad name". Another thing he said is, "You PBI guys are all the same sometimes. Hearers but not really a lot of doers."
This little kid made a judgment about me on something that he knows nothing at all about. He claimed to have read most of what I have written here on the Baptist 1611 Discussion Board. And he is making judgments about my personality, my experience, my social ability, my compassion, my calling, and my overall Christian life based on some things that I wrote. He has no idea of what he is talking about.
I still don't know exactly what I said (or on what topic) that generated his complaint. Why? Because although I asked him several times to quote me and clearly explain his accusation, he refused.
And what is a PBI guy?
We can disagree on some minor Bible issues and not have a problem. We can argue on the discussion board and not have a problem. But I don't have the time or the patience to play silly asinine games.
God bless.
Doc Holliday
(Brother Gary)”
Third Post :
“Examples of poorly written posts :
1) "Have you ever pastored a church????? GARY The way you and some others act on here is what gives Bible believers a bad name...one word...COMPASSION!!!"
Why put 5 question marks? His 'sentence' doesn't make sense. If he had put a period after "name" and then given a complete sentence, it would have been better. The way he has structured it, it looks like "compassion" is what gives Bible believers a bad name.
2) "I am a Bible Believer with every fiber of me since the day I was saved. And I agree with just about everything that is said on here...doctrinally. I have no problem with telling people like it is.. I was fired from pastoring a church in PA because I taught the rapture as pre trib, dont assume anything...what I mean is this, there is time for rebuke, amen and amen, but there is also a time for compassion a little with people who are confused and not purposefully denying any doctrine of the Bible...what I meant in the post was this and I see it an here as well as other groups, most people and I would dare say that this applies here.
There is a right way to be wrong and the wrong way to be right. Even if you are right, and most of the time on here most people are in this group. Even if you are right and you do it with no grace or compassion you have no good and have hurt the cause of Christ. Oh and the next time you say some one has no wisdom check your self for a little compassion, I am sure Christ had that. That is all I am saying guys, and you can’t disagree with that. Deal with people and you will see. Compassion for people is not compromise. All people, even if wrong sometimes, are confused at one point or another. You can rebuke and love and do it Biblically it aint all about the JACK HAMMER, Ruckman was called to pour out acid not everybody that comes from there."
I don't think I need to explain this one. If you read through this one, you can easily see the problems.
3)"I have done answered that, and it is funny none of my questions get answered, huh why is that?? Maybe I am right?? Listen I have been on that side. Right and just happy being right. But let me ask you a hypothetical question>
who is going to suffer lost at the judgment seat of Christ? A person who is wrong on something but seeking the truth or just wrong maybe because they grew up in it and are very confused, or people like you who treat people like that as lesser people and jack hammer them into submission and they quit trying because of the way you treated them...I have been there, I know the answer to that question...Do you?"
Again, I don't think the problems with this post need explanation. But notice that this is one of the accusations referred to earlier. He claims that I treat people like they are lesser people and he claims that I 'jackhammer' people into submission. But he failed to quote me to give an example of his accusations.
4)"What not all saved people are not part of the bride???"
5) "If saved you are in the body of Christ" <--- No punctuation at all.
6)"Man how much clearer do I have to be, I have read almost everything that you have wrote on here and it is true and while amongst people like us is fine but man you need some grace in dealing with people, that is why I wrote and asked have you ever been a pastor? You are almost like and I am guessing here, that you have really never dealt with people a lot. Just one mans opinion, and Rob said that after my post so who do you think he was thinking of, huh, I have been there I am not stupid, can you understand what I mean when I say you can be right the wrong way. You PBI guys are all the same sometimes. Hearers but not really a lot of doers, not intended toward you of course."
I hope it doesn't seem redundant for me to post these examples, but this also gives you most or all of the case of the clown who was complaining to me without quoting me and clearly stating his case.”
So, as I said in that third post, you can see the accusations of this guy. And I still say that he has not quoted me and explained what I said wrong specifically. He has accused me without clearly stating his case. So after all of this, I ran out of patience in this matter. As far as I am concerned, David Bates is a little child playing stupid games that I don’t care to play. I decided, as the Admin of the Baptist 1611 Group, to delete all of his posts and remove him from membership.
After I did this, I received the following message from Bates:
“Listen man, you proved my point by deleting me, and my posts. So if someone disagrees with you, get rid of them . I can understqand if it was a Bible doctrine but what we were talking about was NOT doctrine, so get use to fact that people will disagree with you. Oh and you are not always right, and on the body and bride of HCrist you are definitely wrong”
My reply message to him :
“Look, Sonny, I didn't delete you because you disagree with me. I deleted you because I don't have the patience to play your silly little asinine games. I asked you several times to quote me and explain what you think was wrong with anything that I said. You never quoted me or even referred to any certain writing of mine.
In addition to that, who do you think you are, anyway? You don't run the Baptist 1611 Group! I do. You are the one who needs to learn how to deal with people. I am not going to come into your church and try to tell you what to do. What makes you think you have the right to come into my group forum and treat me with the kind of disrespect that you have displayed?
You made a judgment about me on something that you know nothing at all about. You claimed to have read most of what I have written on the Baptist 1611 Discussion Board. And you are making judgments about my personality, my experience, my social ability, my compassion, my calling, and my overall Christian life based on some things that I wrote. You have no idea of what you are talking about.
We can disagree on some minor Bible issues and not have a problem. We can argue on the discussion board and not have a problem. But I don't have the time or the patience to play silly asinine games.
You need to try growing up, boy. And unless you can control yourself and behave, leave me alone.”
Then, I received this message from him, the one that I started with :
“You can post all you want on me, making fun of me and whatever else you want. Since you say I never answered you on what you did to prompt me saying compassionate, there were two things. #1 would be the attitude it takes to post all my stuff into a group discussion and make fun of it, you said I needed to grow up, well I have a 7 yr old with more sense than that. If you ever in KY look me up and we will definitely talk. #2 being the posts you put up of the Church of guy as your status, asking if he was saved and telling everybody to go look and what he wrote. Let me ask one question OLD MAN, what good did that do to getting him saved or getting him right with God. I can answer that it did not do a thing to get him there, all you did was make him more mad at you, which of course is what you are called to do being the great Gary!! I advise you to take the posts off your site about me. Oh and one more thing answer a couple of questions for me, which you made fun of in your glorious group. What is your calling?? What did God call you to do?? And do you have compassion?? I will never understand the BRETHREN that are like you!! Good bye and please look me up if ever in KY, oh and good luck at the judgment seat of Christ, where I am sure you will get rewards for hammering people on the internet. All you guys are the same you know your Bible and act like babies!!!”
After receiving this message, I decided that after I got all of this information into a document to post in my Doc Holliday blog, then I would go ahead and remove all of the posts about David Bates from the Baptist 1611 Group Discussion Board. Then I changed the settings for the Group to make it a private group instead of open to everybody.
Now, this crybaby has gone to another group discussion board to cry some more. He has started a new topic in the group “Dispensationalist” called “The Brethren”. Here is his post there :
“Well guess what, once again the brethren of this world have showed themselves again!! I have been attacked for simple suggesting that a guy get some compassion in dealing with a lost guy, and he was also wrong on atleast one doctrine in the Bible, the bride of Christ. And I pointed it out to him. So since he was mad at me for saying that he takes my posts and makes a group discussion out of them, where he proceeds to make fun of my lack of punctuation, like I care. On this discussion board I would like you saved people to write and let us know of some run ins you have had or have heard of with the Bible believing brethren that have absolutely no grace or compassion. We will refer to them as the BROW BEATERS, I close with this statement, compassion is not compromise!!”
Now here is another lie from this nut. I DID NOT attack Bates for simply suggesting compassion. He never explained exactly why he thought I had no compassion. He never quoted me. He is the one who attacked me. Next lie : “So since he was mad at me for saying that”. I am not mad at this guy. I really feel sorry for him. And I honestly feel sorry for his congregation. I think he said he is a pastor. I am not mad at him. He is actually starting to be amusing. Before now, I considered him to be quite irritating. But now, he is starting to get funny.
My responding post to him in the “The Brethren” topic in the “Dispensationalist” Group discussion board :
“You might think that I'm just a drunk piano player and seeing double. But "I have two guns; one for each of you".
Doc Holliday”
One final response to Bates in the “The Brethren” topic in the “Dispensationalist” Group discussion board :
“If anyone here wants the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in this matter concerning David Bates' accusation that I attacked him for a simple suggestion, go to this link and read the whole story for yourself. [http://gary-alford.blogspot.com/ ] See the post titled "You're No Daisy; You're No Daisy At All". And now, David, since you lied about your message being your last contact with me, and then you contacted me through this group message, I will remove myself from this group. Are you going to go post messages to all the members in all of the groups that I am a member of so that you can keep pestering me? Please, don't continue to harass me.”
And finally, David Bates, if you find your way to this post and read it, I have one final thing to say. You’re no daisy; you’re no daisy at all.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Why I Am Baptist
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27 He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:17
The first thing that makes us Baptists is the spiritual birth. I realize that many (perhaps most) Christians know very little about the new birth. This is mainly because of the improper application of a 'spiritual' or figurative interpretation of Bible verses dealing with it. The fact is, however, that every born again son of God has been "baptized into Jesus Christ" (Romans 6:3). This baptism is the Holy Spirit immersing the believer's spirit into the body of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; and 1 Corinthians 6:17. So, the child of God's spirit is presently sitting "in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).
Since the baptism of the believer's spirit is a part of the new birth, every saved person has been spiritually baptized into Jesus Christ. So every saved person automatically becomes a Baptist by virtue of the spiritual birth.
The second thing that makes us Baptists is that we believe the scriptural truth about water baptism. That truth is water baptism doesn't save anybody, and has no part in anyone's salvation at all. Water baptism is merely a figure (1 Peter 3:20-21). When a person gets saved, we baptize him no matter how many times he was baptized before he got saved. We baptize a Christian to symbolize what God has done to that Christian spiritually. Since he has been immersed into the body of Jesus Christ, we immerse him into a pool of water. We 'rebaptize' if necessary which is what our forerunners, the Anabaptists, did and what their forerunners, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Paulicians did.
Along with believing the truth about water baptism, these Bible believing Christians throughout church history and the Dark Ages believed in salvation by faith only; that is, faith "on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 16:31) without water baptism, sacraments, or works of any other kind. And being sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), all true believers are eternally secure.
Another thing that is an historical Baptist doctrine is the priesthood of all believers with no distinction between clergy and laity. An assembly of Christians should be run by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) through a praying group of elders instead of one or two pastors. And there should be participation in the fellowship that includes many of the members instead of having all of the responsibility, burden, and work being put on just a few leaders. There should be several preachers and teachers of the word of God in a fellowship of believers instead of only two or three while the rest of the members are lazy and inactive.
In the New Testament, a local church is "a local congregation of believers who have been called out of the world system for purposes of assembly (Acts 2), worship (Acts 4), prayer (Acts 4), mutual aid and assistance (Acts 11), teaching and preaching the Bible (Acts 13), missionary endeavors (Acts 16), and as a testimony for Jesus Christ to the pagan population among whom they dwell" [Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, New Testament Church History, Volume One, Chapter Two, page 19].
Our Bible believing forerunners, previously named as the Paulicians, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Anabaptists, were also autonomous local churches. They were against the Roman Catholic Church and any other system which tried to run the lives and faith of other people. They were completely anti-Catholic. They protested the Catholic Church and the pope long before any recognized 'Protestants' thought about a reformation. Actually, these historic groups of Bible believers cared nothing about reforming the Catholic Church. They were only interested in stealing their members by preaching the true gospel resulting in the salvation of Catholics.
Bible believing Christians throughout church history have been Christians who cherished and believed the scriptures. They believed the scriptures that they had in their possession was the word of God. They believed in the final authority of the scriptures. The Syriac and the original Latin Vulgate (not Jerome's) were believed to be the very words of God that God had preserved infallibly through copying and translating for the Christians who possessed them. And on through the centuries Christians who were fortunate enough to have any part of the scriptures cherished and believed them to be God's words. Paul said, "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:..." Acts 24:14. Paul believed all things written in the scriptures that God had provided for him and was called a heretic for his faith in the word of God. Bible believing Christians today believe all things written in the scriptures provided for them and we are called heretics for believing that our English Bible that God preserved for us is infallibly given by inspiration of God.
Bible believing Christians also recognized the writings of Paul to the church as the doctrines and ordinances for the local church, not, however, to the complete exclusion of the Old Testament and other New Testament books.
Summary:
A true Baptist in the historical sense, according to what the Anabaptists, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Paulicians believed, believes the following doctrines:
1. Salvation by faith only without works.
2. Eternal security of the believer.
3. Water baptism for believers only after salvation. Rebaptism for believers who were not saved when baptised.
4. Priesthood of all believers with no distinction between clergy and laity.
5. Jesus Christ as the head of the local church.
6. The Bible as the authority for all matters of faith and practice, believing it to be preserved, infallible, and given by inspiration.
7. A militant stand against the Roman Catholic Church and its doctrines.
8. Public preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of Pagans, Infidels, and Heretics.
9. Worshipping and praying to God and only God, purposely ignoring Mary, all the saints, and other idols.
10. Teaching and preaching of Paul's writings as church age doctrines and ordinances.
Defining Independent Baptist - Jeff Williams
Why do you call yourself independent?
By the term "independent" we simply mean that we are not part of any convention, association or union. All of the churches in the New Testament were self-governing, independent churches without any form of outside control. We do fellowship with other churches of like faith and practice, but our guidance comes from the Holy Spirit and the written word of God - not from an ecclesiastical body.
Are you part of the Baptist denomination?
Technically speaking, there is no such thing as a "Baptist denomination" - the "Baptists" do not have a human founder as such. The term "baptist" was first applied to local groups of believers in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries who believe much like we do today. In fact, because we hold to a literal interpretation of God's Word, churches like ours can be found throughout church history, although by various names, all of the way back to the early New Testament churches, as well as around the world today.
So where did the "independents" come from?
At one time, ALL Baptist churches were independent assemblies. Though many formed unions and conventions for various reasons, many others have chosen to remain independent bodies throughout the centuries. Independent Baptist churches are not something new, but something very old and well established in church history.
[Copied from Jeff Williams, Pastor, Marlborough Bible Baptist Church, Blenhiem, New Zealand, http://www.mbbc.org.nz/faq.htm .]
The first thing that makes us Baptists is the spiritual birth. I realize that many (perhaps most) Christians know very little about the new birth. This is mainly because of the improper application of a 'spiritual' or figurative interpretation of Bible verses dealing with it. The fact is, however, that every born again son of God has been "baptized into Jesus Christ" (Romans 6:3). This baptism is the Holy Spirit immersing the believer's spirit into the body of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; and 1 Corinthians 6:17. So, the child of God's spirit is presently sitting "in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).
Since the baptism of the believer's spirit is a part of the new birth, every saved person has been spiritually baptized into Jesus Christ. So every saved person automatically becomes a Baptist by virtue of the spiritual birth.
The second thing that makes us Baptists is that we believe the scriptural truth about water baptism. That truth is water baptism doesn't save anybody, and has no part in anyone's salvation at all. Water baptism is merely a figure (1 Peter 3:20-21). When a person gets saved, we baptize him no matter how many times he was baptized before he got saved. We baptize a Christian to symbolize what God has done to that Christian spiritually. Since he has been immersed into the body of Jesus Christ, we immerse him into a pool of water. We 'rebaptize' if necessary which is what our forerunners, the Anabaptists, did and what their forerunners, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Paulicians did.
Along with believing the truth about water baptism, these Bible believing Christians throughout church history and the Dark Ages believed in salvation by faith only; that is, faith "on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 16:31) without water baptism, sacraments, or works of any other kind. And being sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), all true believers are eternally secure.
Another thing that is an historical Baptist doctrine is the priesthood of all believers with no distinction between clergy and laity. An assembly of Christians should be run by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) through a praying group of elders instead of one or two pastors. And there should be participation in the fellowship that includes many of the members instead of having all of the responsibility, burden, and work being put on just a few leaders. There should be several preachers and teachers of the word of God in a fellowship of believers instead of only two or three while the rest of the members are lazy and inactive.
In the New Testament, a local church is "a local congregation of believers who have been called out of the world system for purposes of assembly (Acts 2), worship (Acts 4), prayer (Acts 4), mutual aid and assistance (Acts 11), teaching and preaching the Bible (Acts 13), missionary endeavors (Acts 16), and as a testimony for Jesus Christ to the pagan population among whom they dwell" [Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, New Testament Church History, Volume One, Chapter Two, page 19].
Our Bible believing forerunners, previously named as the Paulicians, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Anabaptists, were also autonomous local churches. They were against the Roman Catholic Church and any other system which tried to run the lives and faith of other people. They were completely anti-Catholic. They protested the Catholic Church and the pope long before any recognized 'Protestants' thought about a reformation. Actually, these historic groups of Bible believers cared nothing about reforming the Catholic Church. They were only interested in stealing their members by preaching the true gospel resulting in the salvation of Catholics.
Bible believing Christians throughout church history have been Christians who cherished and believed the scriptures. They believed the scriptures that they had in their possession was the word of God. They believed in the final authority of the scriptures. The Syriac and the original Latin Vulgate (not Jerome's) were believed to be the very words of God that God had preserved infallibly through copying and translating for the Christians who possessed them. And on through the centuries Christians who were fortunate enough to have any part of the scriptures cherished and believed them to be God's words. Paul said, "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:..." Acts 24:14. Paul believed all things written in the scriptures that God had provided for him and was called a heretic for his faith in the word of God. Bible believing Christians today believe all things written in the scriptures provided for them and we are called heretics for believing that our English Bible that God preserved for us is infallibly given by inspiration of God.
Bible believing Christians also recognized the writings of Paul to the church as the doctrines and ordinances for the local church, not, however, to the complete exclusion of the Old Testament and other New Testament books.
Summary:
A true Baptist in the historical sense, according to what the Anabaptists, the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Montanists, the Donatists, and the Paulicians believed, believes the following doctrines:
1. Salvation by faith only without works.
2. Eternal security of the believer.
3. Water baptism for believers only after salvation. Rebaptism for believers who were not saved when baptised.
4. Priesthood of all believers with no distinction between clergy and laity.
5. Jesus Christ as the head of the local church.
6. The Bible as the authority for all matters of faith and practice, believing it to be preserved, infallible, and given by inspiration.
7. A militant stand against the Roman Catholic Church and its doctrines.
8. Public preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of Pagans, Infidels, and Heretics.
9. Worshipping and praying to God and only God, purposely ignoring Mary, all the saints, and other idols.
10. Teaching and preaching of Paul's writings as church age doctrines and ordinances.
Defining Independent Baptist - Jeff Williams
Why do you call yourself independent?
By the term "independent" we simply mean that we are not part of any convention, association or union. All of the churches in the New Testament were self-governing, independent churches without any form of outside control. We do fellowship with other churches of like faith and practice, but our guidance comes from the Holy Spirit and the written word of God - not from an ecclesiastical body.
Are you part of the Baptist denomination?
Technically speaking, there is no such thing as a "Baptist denomination" - the "Baptists" do not have a human founder as such. The term "baptist" was first applied to local groups of believers in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries who believe much like we do today. In fact, because we hold to a literal interpretation of God's Word, churches like ours can be found throughout church history, although by various names, all of the way back to the early New Testament churches, as well as around the world today.
So where did the "independents" come from?
At one time, ALL Baptist churches were independent assemblies. Though many formed unions and conventions for various reasons, many others have chosen to remain independent bodies throughout the centuries. Independent Baptist churches are not something new, but something very old and well established in church history.
[Copied from Jeff Williams, Pastor, Marlborough Bible Baptist Church, Blenhiem, New Zealand, http://www.mbbc.org.nz/faq
New Line of Thought
Well, I requested 20 of my Facebook friends to follow this blog. So I do want to give a sort of introduction to anyone who comes to see what this is. To begin, I started this blog quite some time ago and it has been about a year since I posted on it. I started it for the purpose that Facebook actually fulfills. And I actually like Facebook much better. However, I can still use this blog for a different purpose. This one will be for Bible Studies and maybe also some events and commentaries that may or may not be on my Facebook and on the Baptist 1611 Group Discussion Board. In other words, this blog will be more complete for current studies although some may be included in Baptist 1611. This blog may also include some events or conflicts that I will intentionally exclude from Baptist 1611.
Anyway, I found out about NetworkedBlogs by Dave Noffsinger inviting me to follow his blog. As it turns out, he also uses a Google Blog like this one. At the top of his NetworkedBlog page, it says, "My desire is to be a help and blessing". I know what a blessing it is for me when someone lets me know that they have been blessed by reading something that I wrote. And besides that, it is my duty to pass on to the body of Christ for their edification whatever the Lord teaches me.
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
I may at some point change the name of this blog to something more appropriate than "The Life and Times of" etc. God bless.
Anyway, I found out about NetworkedBlogs by Dave Noffsinger inviting me to follow his blog. As it turns out, he also uses a Google Blog like this one. At the top of his NetworkedBlog page, it says, "My desire is to be a help and blessing". I know what a blessing it is for me when someone lets me know that they have been blessed by reading something that I wrote. And besides that, it is my duty to pass on to the body of Christ for their edification whatever the Lord teaches me.
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
I may at some point change the name of this blog to something more appropriate than "The Life and Times of" etc. God bless.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Networked Blogs
I am trying to figure out this Network Blog thing and how to connect it to Facebook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Facebook Badge
About Me
- Gary N Alford
- Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
- I was "born of the flesh" on November 24, 1960 and I was "born of the Spirit" (John 3:5-6) in May, 1981. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) I am a 55 year old student and teacher of the word of God, the Holy Bible. I am a student of the English Language and its history including Anglo-Saxon and Middle English. I am also currently studying American History. I am an avid reader with a personal library of around 2000 volumes. I am a literary critic including Biblical works and Biblical doctrine. I am a master of Biblical studies, having read completely through the King James Bible approximately 30 times, and studied the Bible for most of 27 years. I have written and personally published and printed (by Word of Truth Publications) about 20 Biblical tracts. I continue my studies for continued personal growth and for preparation for further publication of new materials. [And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 ]