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