The Art of Preaching

The Art of Preaching

I listen attentively as the learned pastor explained to me, “The Art of Preaching”.   It seems strange to me that after years of religious associations and study, in and out of the organized church, this was my first encounter with a narrative that openly defined preaching as an art form.    Yet, it was a natural evolution that preachers who desired to be successful would elevate their passion to an art form, the same as any other performing artist on the stage of human acceptance.  After Googling the phrase, I was overwhelmed  with the numerous  references to the “Art of Preaching” that  it seems as if I had been living in a cloud.  In my search for a closer encounter with God, I never considered preaching to be an art form, least of all a performing art.  Reading the exposition of one author, the words,  art, science and preaching were used within the same sentence to define the presentation of the Word of God.

The purpose of performing arts is to entertain and it boundaries are defined by public acceptance and nowhere in the equation is the knowledge of God a defining entity.   The standards of acceptability changes from day to day and with each generation.  That which was once considered taboo soon become acceptable and these changes are reflected in the performing arts.  Consider the movie and music industry, they have adapted and made changes, some of these changes are deplorable to the older generation.  In a society govern by the knowledge of good and evil rather than the knowledge of God, changes are necessary to remain a relevant entity in an apostate society.   The elevation of preaching to one of the performing arts has opened many doors for the messengers of God.  Ministers now can become financially successful as they scramble for attention from the church that Jesus purchased with his blood.  The sacredness of their position has now become fodder for reality television shows.  Maybe the “salt” has lost its saving power. 

It was not possible for me to continue to discuss the Art of Preaching with my learned colleague without taking into consideration, the different delivery system or styles of preaching.  This is becoming an issue to some that are as simple as, “black preachers and white preachers”.   There is definitely a black style of preaching and there is a white style of preaching, in the middle there are the crossovers who are blending the two together.   Somewhere lost in the emotional rush is the question of what is right and what is wrong.   If we follow the logical path of our indoctrination there are  questions that must be asked.  When we all get to Heaven, will there be a section for the emotional Blacks saints and the subdued Whites saints?   Will there be a section for the Baptist and a section for the Pentecostal?  God forbid that the confusion of religion would enter into the Heavenly place.

The Art of Preaching can be defined as being able to manipulate the emotional and/or spiritual intimacy of an individual, forming an interpersonal relationship  with a group that varies in intensity from one relationship to another and varies from one time to another, much like physical intimacy.  Preaching affects, emotions, and feelings, these  phenomena are often described as the spirit of God.  But, does today's concept of preaching and the different styles of delivery affects the spirituality of man or is it a play on the emotions? 

In the Old Testament prophets would spend much of their time traveling from city to city delivering the Words of God.  When not on a mission from God, they usually could be found in some secluded place, mountain top or forest retreat communicating with God.   A common theme among the prophets was, they gave up all claims to earthly wealth and glory to serve their God.    When they delivered a message, it was a message direct from God.   John the Baptist, a New Testament prophet and preacher did not come eating and drinking with the multitudes, meaning John did not allow himself to be lifted up and honored by the multitude, rather he chose to live a life of simplicity.  His diet was a poor man diet, it consisted of locusts and wild honey, and he preached, not in a temple but  in the wilderness of Judaea.  His message was even simpler:  Matthew 3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

What is “The Art of Preaching”? In today's modern, and politically correct society preaching is defined as a Homily, a  religious discourse that is intended primarily for spiritual edification rather than doctrinal instruction; a sermon.  Though the purpose of preaching is to communicate biblical truths, there is a sense in which Homiletics is both an art and a science. The study of principles of Homiletics, as they apply to the techniques of preaching, makes the discipline a science.  It becomes an art when one shifts the focus to the appropriate manner of delivering the message.   The message must be delivered in such a manner that the listeners are awed, excited, but not necessarily transformed.  The manner, the message, and the messenger must resonate with the audience to bring about an emotional response.  In an ethnic divided religious arena, the use of clever words, alliterations, screaming, hollering, jumping around is often used to validate a message from God.  In many settings, the preacher hasn’t preached until he “tune up and roar”.  This is “The Art of Preaching”.

 Luke 10:1-5   After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

It seems fitting that the basis of our discussion should be centered around these verses.  Jesus has chosen a group of seventy and he is sending them out to preach the gospel or deliver a message.  If pressed, to give a strict interpretation. The meaning is, that they were to go as they were, without making any special preparation, and that they were to give their time and attention wholly to their work, and not engage in social enjoyments, and in the interchange of the courtesies of society, in the places they should visit. The object of this mission seems to have been to disseminate generally some authentic knowledge of the Savior's person and character as a messenger from heaven and to call the attention of the community to the coming of the Messiah.  What is the message? Luke 10:9… The kingdom of God comes nigh unto you.  Remember John the Baptist message?  Matthew 3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

In the ancient ethnic defined, organized church, preachers were expected to stand before the congregations without a prepared script and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through them.   The reasoning is based upon Jesus admonition to the other seventy to take no script.   Matthew 10:19-20 is often surgical altered and used out of it context, to condemn those who sought to perfect the art of reading from a manuscript.  … Take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.  As preaching began to evolve and become accepted as an art form, it became necessary to spend hours preparing scripts.  Church goers within my age  bracket can remember when it was taboo for a preacher to read from a manuscript.  The old style preacher used many different techniques to hide the manuscript or notes.  In today's electronic age the taboo of the script has dissipated and evolved, from turning pages in a notebook  to the use of an electronic tablet and often projecting the message and scriptures on  overhead screens. 

What is the definition of preaching?  Does the modern day definition of preaching concur with the teaching of Jesus or Paul?  Are we guilty of adding or taking away from the message of the Holy Scripture?   Has the message of God evolved into nothing more than a motivational speech designed to prod us along our daily journey?  Let’s take a look at the modern day definition of preaching, then in Part #2 of this blog, we will discuss each aspect of this definition to see if it coincide with the teaching of the Christ.  

  

A. Inspirational - It must impart God to the people and bring the uplift of the Holy Spirit to them.

B. Motivational - It must produce a change in their lives. They must be motivated to repent and live according to God's word and plan for their lives. It is the preacher's task to motivate the Church to its ministry. Phillip Brooks said, "You must count your work unsatisfactory unless  you burn men's brains and awaken their consciences".

C. Relational - Preaching should establish the relative positions of God and man, & then man to man. Matthew 21:37-40.

D. Revelational - It should bring forth the whole counsel of God for that congregation. There should be an element of fresh truth being constantly revealed. Matthew 13:52. It is not enough to impart information. It is essential that his messages should have a revelation from God.  Facts of the Word which God has taught him personally.

E. Confrontational - Not in a negative, destructive sense, but with respect to being able to accept the responsibility to challenge and change a city. The preaching which has no goal to change its community has lost its reason for being.

F. Proportional - Preaching must be:

a) Balanced - It is possible to be so caught up with ultimates that the practicalities are ignored. There should be a proper balance between what is revealed and what is relevant.

b) Consistent - The preacher ought not to go after fads or new emphases unless he can see that he can make it part of his ministry for all time. Zigzagging in ministry will produce confusion, inaction, and frustration in the congregation. Paul advised Timothy to be consistent. 2^nd Timothy 4:2 - "be instant in season and out of season".

Scriptures are used to validate this definition,  but is this an accurate biblical definition of preaching?

  Next

“What is Preaching”   

Mark 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.    

The Road Leading To Destruction, Part "5"

Chapter 1, Part "5"
"Book Review"

Understanding The Word Of God

The divine commandment given by Jesus to his eleven disciples in a closed room was not a commandment to the gentiles, nor was it given to the non existence church.  The application of the rule, who is speaking, who is being spoken to and what is the subject matter is always an important key to understanding the word of God.   (Mark 16:14-18)  Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (This next verse must remain within the same context, he is speaking to his  “unbelieving disciples”.)  And these signs shall follow them that believe;  In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

If this divine command were to apply to all believers down through the ages, then the question would be where the believers are.  “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”, as presented by those who are seeking to make a name for themselves have left many standing in a state of confusion.  Yet, this is something that cannot be openly addressed, because we are told that if the Bible said it, then it must be so.  In another command given to the disciples, Jesus said, “(Luke 24:49) And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” A loose interpretation of this scripture would require all believers to make a trip to Jerusalem.

These divine commands are blessing bestowed upon the disciples.  The blessing offers no material gain, He is empowering the disciples to go out and act in his name.  Blessing as well as miracles has been redefined to make them more applicable in today’s setting.  A blessing of this nature would not be attractive enough to draw people into a church setting.  A blessing must offer something tangible, something useful that will enhance the day to day life experience of the receiver.  The key to obtaining these blessings would be through an unholy interpretation of the scripture call “the planting of a seed”.  Once the seed is planted, the faith of the person planting the seed would be the determining factor whether the blessing was received or not.  To insure blessings were falling all around, the definition of a blessing must be constantly updated.  Simple things such as waking up in the morning became a blessing.  Your tax return came and you can’t wait to tell of the blessing of God.   Jesus attempted to correct the imprecision of this thinking when he stated, “(Matthew 5:45)   For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Prayer or thanking God is not a prerequisite of waking up.  There are things that God has preordained and is allowed to take place in this world without regard to one’s status as a believer or not.  

The next item on the agenda was Heaven itself.  Traditionally, Christianity has taught Heaven is the location of the throne of God as well as the holy angels.  In most Christian denominations, Heaven is also understood as the abode of the righteous dead in the afterlife, usually a temporary place of the soul before the resurrection of the dead and the saints' return to the New Earth and rule with Christ.  Who they will rule over is a question that we shall attempt to answer later.   

Heaven once was looked upon as an exclusive abode, there were restrictions on who could or could not enter.   Under the new and reconstructed plan, the doors of Heaven were thrown wide open and it has become a place for everybody.  Rock stars usually arrive in Heaven long before their funeral is held and is usually assigned a position in the Heavenly choir.  A God of love would not send his wayward children to a place like Hell.  Heaven is now that place where we all go when we depart this life.  Our loved ones sprout wings and fly around in Heaven all day looking down on us, regardless of the life they live here on earth.  They are looking down and protecting us while shouting Holy, Holy, Holy all day long.  An earlier concept of Heaven that I was taught that was it was a place the righteous would go and, “have nothing to do but March around Heaven all day.”   All of these concepts of Heaven can be rather boring when considering the prospect of eternity, nor do they address the plan of God.

Heaven can be one of the most confusing aspect of Christianity, yet there is so much knowledge of Heaven recorded within the Holy Scripture.   Jesus often told his listeners, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like”, even John gave his dissertation on a view from heaven.   Much of the confusion exists because of what we once were taught or not taught because of a lack of knowledge of the Holy Scripture. 

John’s rendition of the afterlife does not set well with many, because it forces a belief that many are not prepared to accept.  Many of our religious leaders have abandoned the concept of Heaven and Hell as an intricate part of their message.  The elements of its application are considered too harsh for developing minds and many religious leaders have concluded that exposing our children to this ancient concept would result in traumatic experiences.  What once was at the forefront of the teaching of Christianity has now been cast aside in favor of a message of love. 

In 2003 a news organization did a survey that showed nine out of ten people in the United States believed in Heaven.  Today that number is more like six out of ten and dwindling.  The religious attitude of the United States is changing.  In the midst of all of our praying, preaching and teaching our younger generation does not believe as we do.  Is it safe to say their belief structure is not the same as that of their parents?  Christianity, religion, Heaven and Hell are becoming abstract terms and their use is superficial at best.    Every culture has wrestled with the question of an afterlife, and most have come to a similar conclusion: The bad end up in a place of punishment called Hell or by some other name, the good go to Heaven.  The promise of Heaven or a similar place plays a central role in the belief structure of most religions. For most people who believe in Heaven, proof of Heaven is not necessary.  Faith is all they need.  To some this faith comes easily, but to others it is elusive.  When the question is asked, what is Heaven like, this is where the lack of knowledge is amplifies.   

 In the eighteenth century, few, if any understood the concept of nuclear energy, yet the knowledge was there waiting to be discovered.  The young child’s mind that is filled with pictures of dinosaurs is often tempted to ask, did dinosaurs exist in the bible?  A deeper understanding of God’s word would allow a Bible teacher to answer with confidence, “Yes, and God talked to Job about them.”  The answer to, “What is Heaven like,”  and  “Where is Heaven “  is in the Bible, but many times it is overlooked for a more excitable message.   A message of overcoming the hardships of this life is more exciting than the message of Jesus telling you of your reward if you can endure the hardships of this life. 

Jesus gave a starling dissertation of a righteous beggar and a rich man living and dying.  (Luke 16:23)   And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  In that elucidation we are privy to a conversation between two dead men.   There is no indication that Lazarus saw the rich man in Hell, This would have been too traumatic, but the rich man saw Lazarus, which added to his torment.  .” (Luke 16:24-25)  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. If one came back from the dead would it make any difference to what we already know?  There is much to be learned here. 

Ask a minister or teacher about Heaven and you might get abstract responses such as, “Heaven is a beautiful place”, “Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people” or “Heaven is where Jesus is.”  Heaven by some is described as a place where the saints just march around heaven all day.

In a children's book by Maria Shriver called “What's Heaven”, she describes it as "a beautiful place where you can sit on soft clouds and talk.   If you're good throughout your life, then you get to go there... When your life is finished here on earth, God sends angels down to take you heaven to be with him."   This is a distorted view of Heaven, according to a noted Bishop in the Church of England.  This distorted view is allowed to exist even in modern society because the focus of Christianity has shifted from the hereafter to the now. 

 The selling of the Christ has distorted the view of God, Heaven, Hell and even the Word of God.  The focus is about making money and amass blessing.  The sacredness of the supernatural realm has eroded and the name of God has become common fodder for the unscrupulous.  

 As a child growing up in a church going family the name of God was spoken with reverence and respect.   We were taught to never use the name of God in vain.  There was the proper place and time to honor and praise God.   Our praise and prayer was a private affair being careful to adhere to the teaching of the Bible.  (Exodus 20:7) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

This new or reconstructed God can now be found in many places where he once was not found.  Many of the older Christians are doubtful as to whether God wants to be acknowledged in some of the venues that make the claim of honoring God.   The rap star, whose music caused many to blush, often gives thanks God for his blessings when the awards are handed out.  God has exploded all over the social media and many have concluded that God is doing great things.  If you type “Amen” under a picture of a stack of money God will give it to you.  Prophets are revealing that God has given them a message and they will reveal the message for a small fee.   How profane.  

To be continued

The Road Leading To Destruction, Part "D"

Chapter 1, Part "D"
"Book Review"

Understanding The Word Of God

What is Grace?  In Christian theology, grace has been defined not as a created substance, but as the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it.  Grace is given, not because of anything we have done to earn it; it is the condescension or benevolence shown by God toward the human race. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man, generous, free and totally unexpected.  It is undeserved; it takes the form of a divine favor, love, clemency, and a share in the divine life of God.  It is an attribute of God that is most manifest in the salvation of sinners.   Grace is given freely without charge.  The sowing of a financial seed is not a prerequisite of grace.

In the presence of the Law the punishment for our transgression is made clear.  It is only through the mercies of God, that Grace is allowed to manifest itself.  In the presence of Judgment, when the demands of the Law are made known, Grace proclaims that the blood of the Christ has already paid the price.  We therefore are debtor to the work of the cross and not to the works of the law. The grace of God brought through the works of the cross did not turn God into a fun loving God, but a God who is storing up his wrath until the works of Grace is complete.  (Revelation 15:7) And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.

For God so loved the world that he gave or sent his only begotten son, what transpired after that was a plea for mercy from the son of God.  His cry was, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.  Within the boundaries of Heaven that cry still resonates, as mankind drifts farther and farther from God.  The concept of a God extending his everlasting love is not scriptural.  God, on many occasions have been known to vent his angry.   Revelation depicts an angry God who anger is restrained only by the intercession of his son and the works of the Holy Spirit.

The Old Testament depicted a God that was prone to bouts of angry and long periods of silence.  The Old Testament introduced us to a God that actively participated in killing sprees.  The New Testament introduced us to the Son of God who extolled the virtues of love.  Let me inject this, the only thing standing between humanity and a killing spree by an angry God, is the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross.   This is parallel to the event that took place at the base of the Holy Mountain.  The only thing that stood between the children of Israel and a killing spree by an angry God was the intercessions made by Moses.

To overcome the obstacles presented in the Old Testament and to make God more user friendly, it became necessary to deconstruct and reconstruct God in a fashion that is compatible with today’s standards.   Even a new concept of Heaven was constructed to accommodate this new form of godliness and the prospect of Hell diminished or was eliminated.

Nations that were once considered ‘God fearing nation’ are backing away from the concept of “one nation under God”.  World leaders are seeking to shed the image of a Christian nation, and many Christian leaders have publicly stated, “The way of the cross is just one of many ways to this new concept of heaven”.  

 The organized church had no qualms about making God more users friendly, because it opens up a new level of power, money and control.  Under the direction of the organized church, this deconstruction and reconstruction process produced a type of religion, (charismatic, prosperity, love and kindness) that embodies many of the excesses that the God of old frown upon.   A message that portrays the workings of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit as an adventure in the application of love and kindness fails miserably to project the true image of God.  The message of the Kingdom and our reason for being here is overshadowed by our desire for worldly pleasures.

To deconstruct means to systematically remove layer after layer of the supporting structure. Whether it is an idea, concept or even a religious deity, this is done for the purpose of doing an analytical examination of something (as a theory) often in order to reveal its inadequacy  or relevance and to bring about changes.  Deconstruction is an environmentally friendly process; it is the alternate to demolition or destruction.    Rather than destroying or cast aside an item, idea, or even God, it is more fitting that a process of deconstructing and reconstructing be initiated.   The children of Israel attempted to do the same thing at the base of the Holy Mountain.  They wanted a God that they could see and touch. 

 In our modern and ever changing world, it is necessary that certain items, things or even our belief structure be updated to maintain their relevancy in a modern and high-tech society.  For the sakes of an analogy, let's look at the cook stove of the early 1800’s, a wood burning configuration that belched smoke would certainly be out of place in the modern homes.  Yet, today no home would be complete without the presence of a stove.   To fulfill the need of the home did not require creating a new method of processing food, heat would still be needed to heat the food to a temperature necessary to cook the food.  Therefore a process of deconstructing and reconstructing the wood stove allowed for the emergence of the gas, electric and microwave ovens, eliminating the smoke and grit.  Yet, they all have that one thing in common that makes them an oven. They use heat to cook the food. 

Blessings and miracles were two of the attributes of God subjected to an analytical examination.  When the old patriots blessed a child, the power to act in their father’s name was the objective.  Today, a blessing needs to be more than the authority to act in God’s name; it needs to represent a financial gain.  Blessings and miracles have become the sellable products of this new or updated god.  

Within the Holy Scripture blessing and miracles are an integral part of the work of God.  Jesus performed many miracles; this power was also given to the apostles.   Blessings and miracles was the confirmation that they were sent by God.   This was necessary to establish the new covenant.   When Jesus stood at the entrance to Lazarus tomb, he prayed a prayer that explains the purpose of the miracle he was about to perform.  (John 11:41-43)... And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

Prior to the emerging of the Pentecostal Movement that began in various regions around the globe, such as America, Germany, and Australia, in the early twentieth century the working of miracles were in abeyance.  Prior to the Charismatic Renewal which began in the last third of the same century, the consensus of mainstream Christianity was that miracles were part of the apostolic era.   The healing movement in the 1940s and 1950s signaled the rebirth of miracle working. 

We live in a Pentecostal age and around the world, wherever churches are growing, reports of miracles are rampant. Many Christians regard miracles as an extremely important element of their worship service.  The definition of a miracle can range from one extreme to the other.  To some their belief in miracles is so strong that it is a sin to go to the doctor.  Then there are those who have redefined the process of surviving a surgical procedure a miracle. 

This is not a dissertation as to whether miracles exist today, miracles are an expression of the power of God and there is no limit to God’s power.  It is how we attempt to harness and display the power of God that is at issue.   How often have we stood at the altar and begged God for a miracle.   Have we ever stood by and watched as the pastor, or the proclaimed healer laid hands on our loved ones and prayed for deliverance, only to no avail?  If he did it once, he will do it again if often used as a guide to determining what God will or will not do.   When we see the fault of our work or our promises, we should allow for our misunderstanding of God’s word.  Our prayer then should be to the Father to open up our understanding.

The Bible is the source of many different types of messages.  There are deliverances messages, motivational messages and even prosperity messages, all presented as the Word of God.  There is a question as to whether this is a true representation of the Holy Scripture.  True, there were many benefits of following Jesus, but the message was not about the benefits.  Many works were performed by the Apostles, but their messages were not about their works.   The message of the new dispensation, the message of Grace, the message of the New Testament seems to have been about the coming of the Kingdom of God.  

The Road Leading To Destruction, Part C

Chapter 1, Part C

Understanding The Word Of God

The justification of sin under the guidelines of the government has already taken place, and one by one the organized church is being drawn in.  In a society based upon subjective morality, the people represented by the government reserve the right to define such things as, when does life began, the definition of marriage and even how one is separated from sin.  In exchange for funds churches are organized and are required to issue human rights statements that adhere to the standards set forth by the government. While the church and many minority groups danced in the street and proclaim it to be the works of God, The Human rights act of 1964 sets the stage for a direct attack on God's authority and again the church said, “amen.”

A church that once was noted for its message of, "It's Holiness or Hell” dumbed down its rhetoric in the face of adversaries and now proclaim, "God loves all of us."  A deviant interpretation of John 3:16.  This occurs when we surgically remove one verse from the supporting conversation or scripture and present it as a complete thought. From that same verse many teach that we are not to condemn those who walk in darkness.   “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:18-19)  If your life is a condemnation and the Bible says it, can I tell you?  If you are walking in darkness can I implore you to change directions?   In a political correct society the answer is no, we must refrain from moralizing the views and actions of others.

The earth is groaning under the pains of global warming, discord among the races, wars, and the erosion of godly values.   “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” (Romans 8:22) The president of the United States of America chose to publicly state, “America is no longer a Christian nation” as he advances his alternate lifestyle agenda.  In 1964 it seems as if the gates of Hell were flung open and the demonic forces of Hell were unleashed upon the world.  How long before it will be stated that America is no longer a democracy?   How long will it be before this country follows the path of other great empires? 

Our schools now can teach that man evolved from apes, but they cannot teach that man was created by God.  The Lord Prayer has been removed from the curriculum of our schools and morning devotional is soon to be an unheard of thing of the past.  The Ten Commandments that once held a sacred place in our courtrooms and served as the base of our moral and legal system has long since been removed.  Through all of the changes taking place, the world of Christendom dumbed down and accepted a position of adaptability and servitude as it sought to create a non-confrontational image and a non-confrontational God.  The new organized church is now enjoying a new status, not as a spiritual, but as a polluted and politically correct entity basting in subsides from the government.

At an early age, my first impression of God was that of an angry God who underwent periods of silence when dealing with his wayward creation.  God often vented his anger and frustration upon his creation, a fact that has been removed from our modern day interpretation of the scripture.  David understood and expressed the sentiment of God heart when he said, “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psalms 7:11)  God’s wrath was poured out upon Adam and Eve and the generations that followed because of their sins.  Cain suffered the wrath of God because he chose to murder his brother.  God poured out his wrath in the form of a flood in Noah’s day and he continued to vent his angry when dealing with wicked nations who stood against his chosen people.  During the dispensation of the Law God’s judgment was often pronounced and swift.

When God’s anger peaked, he gave Israel, his bride, his chosen people a bill of divorcement.  “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah (western civilization)  feared not, but went and played the harlot also.” (Jeremiah 3:8)  God then began to speak through his prophets concerning the final consummation of things.  After His prophecies were established God was silent until a time of fulfillment, then his Son came forth, not to broker a peace treaty, not to pave a road to prosperity, but to bring forth a plan of salvation whereby all mankind could be saved.  

There can be many flaws in the interpretation and application of the Holy Scriptures when we do not follow certain guidelines. The Holy Scriptures should not be treated as a systematic treatise on Theology, History, Science or any other topic.  The scriptures are a revelation from God, that set forth His Plan and Purpose down through the Ages, separated by dispensations, as pertaining to the earth and the human race. These revelations were given to us piecemeal "at sundry times and in divers manners.” (Hebrew 1:1)   Holy men of God spake, and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit during a period of 1604 years, extending from B. C. 1492 to A. D. 100. 

There are two ages spoken of in the Holy Scripture, before “Time” the "Alpha" or "Creative Ages," and after "Time" the "Omega," or "Ages of the ages." In "Time" there are three "Ages" and eight "Dispensations."   This is important if we are to “rightly divide the Word of truth.”

The "Ages" are 

1.      The Antediluvian Age.

2.      The Present Age. 

3.      The Age Of Ages. The "Third Age" is a "Dual Age," composed of the "Millennial Age" and the "Perfect Age."

The eight "Dispensations" are

1.      The Edenic,

2.      The Antediluvian,

3.      The Postdiluvian,

4.      The Patriarchal,

5.      The Legal,

6.      The Ecclesiastical,

7.      The Messianic,

8.      The Dispensation of the "Fullness of Time".

The difference between an "Age" and a "Dispensation" is that an "Age" stands for a period between two great physical changes in the earth's surface, while a "Dispensation" stands for a "moral" or "probationary" period in the world's history. For illustration, the "Present Age" began with "The Flood," and ends with the return of Christ to the Mount of Olives. "The Flood" caused such physical and climatic changes that the length of human life was reduced from 900 to 100 years;  all this will be reversed when Christ comes back, when the whole contour of the Land of Palestine will be changed (Zechariah 14:4-10; Ezekiel 47:1-12), and men shall live again for upwards of 1000 years (Isaiah 65:20). 

The problem with the interpretation of the scripture began when we attempt to combine the Dispensation of the Law and the Dispensation of Grace.  To do so is to deny the purpose of Christ's suffering and dying.  An analogy could be a farmer buying a truck and using a team of horses to pull it down the road.  When we take the Old Testament and the New Testament and combine them together without regard to Age and Dispensation we end up with a polluted form of the gospel that can neither be sustained through the Word of God or common sense.  When we search the scripture searching for a word or phrase to validate a vanity point, we are guilty of shaping the word of God.  

As the dispensation of the Law was giving way to the dispensation of Grace, God became silent and only spoke through his Son.  Unlike the days of Adam, Abraham, Moses and others when God engaged men in long drawn out conversations, the silence of God should be an indicator that his wrath is building up and being stored.  (Revelation 15:1)  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.  Jesus often referenced the Word of God in his messages, but contrary to popular belief, there is only two instances that I can find, (you might be able to find more) where the Father actually spoke in the New Testament scripture.   Both instances were a confirmation of his Son, in whom he was well pleased.  (Matthew 3:17) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.   (Luke 9:35)  And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.  The words, “hear him” were addressed to Peter.  It seems as if the Father was overcome with anger when Peter had a desire to speak with, and learn from Moses and Elias.  This verse should speak volumes when seeking to understand God and the Word of God.

The Dispensation of the Law came to an end on the cross with the utterance of the words, “it finished.” The Dispensation of Grace began with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.  (John 14:26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” 

The Road Leading To Destruction., Part B

Chapter 1, Part B

Understanding The Word Of God

When many of us consider the sin question we think of violations of the Ten Commandments.  Even then, we tend to think of murder and adultery as "major" sins compared with lying, cursing, or idolatry.   Under the dispensation of the law, certain sins carried an instant death penalty; therefore they were considered major sins.  Under the dispensation of grace, the attempt to separate sin as to major and minor often is just an attempt to justify sin.  Such as the homosexual who often state that its sin is no greater than those who commit adultery.  “All unrighteousness is sin...“ (1 John 5:17)   Paul, however, puts this in perspective when he said, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” (Romans 3:20).   To be conscious of sin, we must become aware of the feeling derived from sinning; therefore our reaction to sin is also based upon how it makes us feel.   If the Holy Spirit, an attribute of grace and not of the law, abides within our heart, the feeling that we derive from being in the proximity of sin should be disgusting.

The second point of 1^st John 5:17 dissertation states that there is a sin that is not unto death.  This is based upon the contention of the Law that required an instant death penalty for certain sin, the chief commandment is faith and love. Therefore, the chief sin is that by which faith and love are destroyed.  “Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith whosoever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” (Mark 3:28-29)  

What is blasphemy?  Blasphemy against God is equated with treason against the State.  Blasphemy is derisive language or any other insult against God, His character, and His system of proper worship.  It is addressed in Old Testament law through the third commandment (do not take the Lord's name in vain).  This should set the stage for a deeper understanding of sin. 

Jesus approach to sin under the presumption of Grace was different from that which was set forth by God under the law.   This should be an interesting line of study for those who insist on invoking the Law of Moses.  The Law says, “If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. But if a man finds a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die.” (Deuteronomy 22:22-25)  The High Priest was to insure that this punishment was carried out.

The Scribes and Pharisees approached Jesus in an attempt to bring an accusation against him.  The foundation of their test was to determine if Jesus was following the Law of Moses.  The Law verses the presumption of Grace was a point of contention throughout Jesus’s ministry, and Paul sought to deal with it during the formation of the church.  “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” (John 8:3-5) 

“So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those, thine accusers?  Hath no man condemned thee?  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:7-11)

“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.  If we do not believe in the Word of God and speak words of blasphemy against God, we shall die in our sins.” (John 8:24)

The road to the justification of sin began with allowing our emotions to play a role in determining what a sin is and what is not.  If we believe in God, then the Word of God should be the determining factor. Paul explained what happens when we remove the knowledge of God from our thought process and replace it with the knowledge of good and evil.  The knowledge of good and evil will blur the line that separate good from evil.

 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” (Romans 1:28)  Feeling good is subjective morality; it allows us to justify sin through a non Christian agenda.  The path of sin is marked with a simple truism, “God loves his children and he wants them to be happy.”

God wants us to recognize our sins. Even those who have not murdered or committed adultery will find themselves convicted of lying, or of worshipping false idols like wealth or power instead of God.  We have created new idols.  The worship of the ancient golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless disguise. It exists in the form of the idolatry of money, in the dictatorship of an impersonal economy within the church.  Worship services are designed to stimulate or excite the masses and are lacking a true spiritual purpose. 

So what is sin?  If you believe in God, this should be a no-brainer. Some things are wrong, some things are right, simply because God says so and He knows. But if you do not believe in God to become involved in a legalistic argument over what is right and what is wrong is pointless.  This argument will never be resolved.

 David speaking to a group of none believers was direct and on point.  "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God,   corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.” (Psalms 53:1)   David used the word "fool”,  this word is edited out of the modern text.  The attitude of a fool can be ascertained through words or deeds.  

Often the Bible is used by the fool to justify sin.  A small snippet of a verse will be surgically removed and quoted out of its context, “The bible says, there is none that does good”, the church agreed and said amen because it allowed for the justification of sin.

The organized church allowed itself to be drawn into an arena filled with contradictions and lies.  Vain an blasphemous promise is made in the name of God and God is not responding to these requests or promises.  The respect that should be given to God, the church and Christianity is fading because of this fallacy.  Many organized churches are becoming nothing more than a place of entertainment as a new and suggestive beat invades what once was a sacred worship service. A play on the emotions is taking center stage and the spirit of God is presented as nothing but an emotional expression. 

Men and women of dubious stature are demanding that they become respected as messengers of God when their message is tainted with subjective moralities. Leaders who practice to deceive are amassing fortunes selling a shaped message and goods designed to make the listener feel good, while they skillfully massage and manipulate the sinful nature of humanity.  Motivational speeches are not preaching the Word of God.  Practical living exposés is not expository preaching.  Pep talks and clever clichés have no power to save.  Wealth building is not a part of salvation. 

 “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)   This question put forth by Jesus deserves an answer.  Take a look around.  What do you see?  Do you really see the faith Jesus spoke of?  It is easy to go through life pretending.  Often we pretend to know the answer when we do not fully understand the question.    It is easy to pretend that we are something that we are not and often it is the pretenders that receive the greatest accolades.  Has our faith become like polluted water and we are guilty of pretending? 

To be Continued

The Road Leading To Destruction, Part A

Chapter 1 Part A

Understanding The Word Of God

For I am the LORD, I change not. (Malachi 3:6)

There are many of us who hold the opinion that the future of humanity as we know it, is at risk because our system of values have become corrupt and the world as we know it is moraly bankrupt.  Even America, that glorious nation that was founded upon the concept of, “One nation under God”, seems to have lost its way and become engaged in the wiles of the Devil.  It’s people are becoming adrift in a sea of deliberate confusion,  as they seek to redefine the basic elements of their spirituality.  America, that once proud nation whose founders chooses to challenge the status quo and had the audacity to proclaim its existence was provided for by the grace of God, is now turning its back on God. 

This nation’s leaders has ripped apart the moral fibers of its collective consciousness and now proclaims itself a nation of many gods, cultures and beliefs.   The only consensus is the indoctrination of "In God we trust" has failed and like many nations of the past, the road being traveled bears the marks of a road leading to destruction. 

Nations once derived their value system from their culture and their culture derives their values from religion or the lack of religion.  The God of Abraham declared himself to be the God of the universe and proclaimed that, “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2-3)   The so-called Christian nations today embraces a new and permissive ideology.

In the ancient days God was known to judge nations harshly if they failed to honor him.  The ancient values of a God fearing society are now being cast aside and our culture is becoming a self defining entity that is now entertaining the ideology that there is no God.  If there is no God, then the definition of sin can no longer be  definitive.  

The concept of sin has become entangled in a legalistic argument of what is right and what is wrong.  The rules of marriage or even  abortion can no longer be argued within the context of the Word of God.  In the eyes of the courts, the true concept of God can no longer be injected into an argument because the burden of proof cannot be met from a legalistic point of view.  Christianity is struggling in the hands of the deceitful,  in a fatal attempt to prove its relevancy in any decision involving the sin question.    Christianity is engaged in a life and death struggling, it must come to an agreement on what is right and what is wrong  and it must be based upon subjective (man) morality rather than objective (God) morality.  In a political correct society it has become necessary to remove God from the equation and redefine sin as right or wrong as it applies to all mankind, regardless of their religious belief. 

  

A modern day philosopher of some sort has stated, "Right is that which is formed within a person's mind, which brings peace to his inner longing."  What's right for one may be wrong for another, this is an accepted norm.  Thus the rule of, "If it feels good, do it", has become one of the standards of determining right and wrong. A rather precarious way to begin a search for, or establish what is right and what is wrong.

The Bible tells us that, “every way of a man is right in his own eyes”. (Proverbs 21:2)  This is human nature, but God also tells us that He decides what right and what is wrong.  In today’s politically correct society are we really concerned about what God has to say?  Humanity has always been determined to live its life, its own way, the way that feels good, and as humanity follows its own path, it considers itself to be right in its decisions.  But this is a lie, because the very core and inner working of human nature is based on pride and selfishness, the self being first.  Whether we admit it or not, this basic nature is the cause of conflicts, arguments, dissension, envy, competition, hatred, wars, stress, and all of the things that makes for an unhappy lifestyle.

There are two basic ways to live life, one is to give, and one is to get.  Humanity, by nature lives by the way of getting, for this reason the Bible speaks of the need for a new nature imparted by God.  Only when we seek God’s help and allow him to change our nature, can we begin to find the true ways to peace through living a life of giving.  The world does not know the way of peace. This is evidenced in a bloodstained earth through 6,000 years of human history. A painful reality of life is to learn that the way of man is steeped in deception, lies and a knowledge that is not based upon the knowledge of God.

The Bible speaks of two sources of knowledge, the knowledge of God and the knowledge of good and evil.  In a culture that is infused with the knowledge of good and evil rather than the knowledge of God, there are two moralities at play, objective and subjective.  Objective morality recognizes God as the decider of right and wrong and its conclusions are guided by the knowledge of God.  Subjective morality gives man the final authority as to what is right or wrong and it conclusions are guided by the knowledge of good and evil.  Thus, with feigned and ambiguous words the learned philosophers have set the rules of debate, man decides what is right  for mankind.

The objective morality verses the subjective morality debate is really a Christianity verses atheist debate in disguise.  To engage in a meaningful debate, both sides must respect each other position, but Christianity has never been a religion that respected the position of the ungodly and the Atheist will never respect the values of Christianity. 

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)  The objective morals that once were promoted by the Western societies are being replaced by a subjective morality.  Christian values have become toxic and are being replaced with politically correct values.  Christianity is adopting a message of peaceful coexistence rather than confrontation.  It is conceivable that if Jesus or Paul were to preach a message in today's modern church they would be harshly chastised.  Imagine John the Baptist standing in the pulpit of a marvelous and richly endowed church screaming, "Oh ye generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath of God." 

There is a sin question that is dominating the human agenda.  To proceed forward in the path that it has taken, humanity as a whole must come to a consensus as to what is a sin and what is not.   Once that door is open, it must also be decided whether sin is a relevant entity in a modernist society.  The sin question cannot be resolved if sin is nothing but a label applied to things that certain groups do not like. 

The real problem with deciding the sin question is that the moral principles that Christians often claim to be "objective" or of God usually coincide with what they "feel" subjectively to be true.      This feeling is often explained as the, "Holy Spirit within us”, but indoctrination also plays an important role here.  When pressed to provide justification, the person being questioned can be led to believe through skillful manipulation that its concept of sin, morality or even of God might not be objective, and the question of sin becomes a question of what one believe.  Without a proper knowledge of God our belief structure is contaminated,  many are easily manipulated and led astray.

The debate as to what is right and what is wrong can continue to the "N" degree, but the true question is, "Do the parties in the debate believe in the same God?"  If the answer is an unequivocal yes, and without doubt, then the question of sin is settled.  There is no reason for a debate.   If one or more parties do not believe in God or the Bible, or even have a different interpretation of God, then there can be no consensus on the question of sin, any discussion of sin is pointless.

Therefore, if we refuse to accept God as the Supreme Being, the Bible as the history of God interaction with his creation that tells how all of this began and how it will end, then we have nothing to add to solving the sin question.  Our acceptance or definition of sin becomes merely a perverse form self-gratification known as the justification of sin.

To be continued 

Part B