fencepostdigest

“What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written,

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Romans 10:30-33 NASB.

Romans chapters 9-10 contain Paul’s statement concerning a rebellious peoples’ confrontation with a Sovereign God, the Creator. Of course, we, the created, cannot expect to be able to tell the Creator what we expect Him to allow to be and do…as we please. Because He is THE Sovereign over all things, including events, we will be what He wants us to be. The interesting thing about this is that He wants us to live, not according to what we wish, according to His holiness. He has allowed His created to choose between right from wrong and suffer the consequences of bad choices. John chapter 3 demonstrates that fact.

The history of Israel demonstrates that same freedom of choice; Moses chose to receive the praise from the people for causing a rock to issue water, and for that bad choice God prevented him from crossing the Jordan River. How long did Israel wander around in the Wilderness before entering the Land Flowing with Milk and Honey? 40 years, one generation. The children of those who were freed from Egyptian slavery were allowed to enter, but because of on-going rebellion against God their parents were denied entry.

Faith is the Key to Freedom

”But Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works.” v. 32. Recalling the pursuit of his son’s life, Abraham relied upon his faith in Yahweh to secure the salvation of his son Isaac. God granted Abraham’s desire because of faith and achieved righteousness. Faith toward God is demonstrated to be the key to His righteousness.

Hebrews 11 provides a list of biblical characters who demonstrated faith in their relationship with God and His people, but Hebrews 12:1-4 sums up chapter 11 with this statement, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” 

We are encouraged by ‘fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” Our faith must rest on Him and His Word alone. Every Believer will discover this righteousness by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is Lord.

“The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He looked, and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed!  So Moses thought, “I will turn aside to see this amazing sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” God said, “Do not approach any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3:2-5 NET2.

There was no ‘burning bush’ for me, but this was a ‘holy ground’ kind of thing. Patti and I had said, “Here I am.” This holy ground was not really a place, but a moment in time when I realized that God was instructing me to do something I had not thought of nor dreamed about. For me personally, and for Patti, this was an unparalleled life experience from God.

Every missionary has at least many stories to tell concerning their personal experiences ‘out there.’ Some of these include jungles, disease, storms, family, friends, parties, custom differences, language difficulties and the list is quite long. Well, this is my story as I saw it and it may be different if told by another and I am certain this is true…

After being approved as a ‘Candidate for Appointment’ to become a real live missionary and with the document declaring that fact, Patti and I began the telling of the story beginning with family, friends and our church family. We were excited and we received many words of encouragement from most everyone, but a question which came later in the process came to Patti, “What are you going to do with your children?” Well…?

Our next step took us to the offices of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention located in Richmond, Virginia where we visited each day for one week. There was so much to be done and I honestly remember thinking when that week was over, “I know more about me now than I ever knew possible, and I think these people knew it before I did.”  There were interviews of all sorts and with every kind of question I never knew could be asked. Doctors drew blood, poked me in places I had never been poked before and only God knew existed, LOL!! The questions were indefensible and there were no ‘right or wrong’ kinds of answers. The FMB simply wanted to know if this Candidate knew the answers. I think I did!!

At any rate, the end of the week finally came to an end with a meeting with the Board Members who were connected to our part of the world. They were representatives of the Southern Baptists who lived in the Southwest Region (I think). These dear Saints must have liked what all those questions revealed about us because Patti and I were approved to be appointed as Southern Baptist Missionaries which was to take place at the Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly in Ridgecrest, North Carolina and led by Dr. Keith Parks who was the President of the FMB. We were awed, to say the least.

I do not remember when Patti and I were given a stack of papers which included numerous requests for missionaries from countries I had never heard of. The Board wanted us to prayerfully select a place that we felt God was leading us to go. 

As I recall there were at least 50 requests that we were given to select from and we did this separately. Patti went with her stack and came back with 3 choices and I did the same, but without knowing her choices. We came together with our 3 selections and compared. Two of our choices were identical so we repeated the process and we came back the second time with an identical choice which was a place called Chiclayo, Peru. 

“Peru? Where was Peru? Chicalyo, Peru? Where in Peru is Chiclayo?” I knew Peru was in South America, but Chiclayo? We found a world map…a paper map, by the way, for we had no computers in 1984. We found Peru easily enough and we saw what looked to be the Capital City of Lima. And, yes, we saw Chiclayo which seemed to be a principal coastal city. THAT is where we felt that God was taking us…

Appointment

Never in my life had I ever experienced such emotions. Patti and I were in the midst of people and missionaries (I do not mean to indicate that there is a difference, but, yes, there are) from all over the world. We were meeting several of those missionaries with whom we would serve in Peru. There was Don and Linda Johnson who were responsible for the request we responded to for they lived and worked in Chiclayo and from whom we received correspondence from before Appointment Day. There were Max and Joan Furr who lived in Trujillo just to the south of Chiclayo and there may have been others from Peru, but these are the 2 families I remember. They helped to begin to make our transition some easier. And, they were successful. We felt we had found a new home.

Appointment Day had finally arrived and before the service was to begin all of us who were to be appointed as FMB Missionaries met in a large room behind the Ridgecrest auditorium where we heard several introductory remarks  and some statements from Dr. Parks. These, I think, were supposed to be not simply words of welcome and encouragement, but were also intended to calm some nervous people…lots of nervous people. I do not remember just how many of us there were, but there were maybe 40 of us.

One of the most incredible moments in my life was about to take place. Bob and Patti Williford were to be appointed as Southern Baptist Missionaries to Chiclayo, Peru. This does not sound like much, but when I stop to think about it; this was a BIG DEAL. The reality is that very few people EVER are APPOINTED to be missionaries…to serve God in another place where another language and customs must be learned and strange places to be visited and people to be loved. Most of all we were being given the task of taking the Gospel Message to another place.

Billy Peacock was on the program and was going to sing!! Billy Peacock was a missionary to South Korea and was the one missionary God used to begin this journey we were on. He spoke at a Missionary event in Sicily Island, Louisiana in 1978. Coincidence? I do not think so. 

We were successfully appointed and our 3 boys were just as excited as we were. Greg, David and Clint were meeting adults who became their new ‘Aunts and Uncles,’ and they loved not just the experience, but the people who were to be their new family in another landscape. We were all excited!! “Peru, here WE come!!”

Preparation

We returned to Lecompte where things began to happen very, very quickly. I resigned as Pastor of FBC and began to pack 3 large crates for our trip to Peru and plans were made to go to the Missionary Learning Center in Rockville, Virginia. The Center name was later changed to the International Learning Center.

Our lives changed dramatically on Appointment Day and in ways that we never dreamed. As I mentioned, no longer was I a Pastor, we were now Missionaries and our children became Missionary Kids or ‘MKs.’ Our identity had changed…forever. Not only our identity of who and what we were, but our relationships with people we had always known also changed in unexpected ways that cannot be explained. These are all experiential at many levels. We were Missionaries in the real sense of the Word. We were different, not to ourselves, really, but to everyone else…

Becoming a Missionary is a process of change…and 

Jesus is Lord.

All Scripture references are taken from the HCSB translation.

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes said it best, “If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.” Ecclesiastes 10:10. And my father once told me, “If you do it right the first time, you do not have to do it again.”

Seems to me that our forefathers did it right the first time when they penned the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. Their axes were sharpened and they were wise. Why then, do so many in our Nation feel that these documents are no longer applicable and that God’s Word is inept for our time? Is it because we have, indeed, become foolish in our advanced old age of 240 years? Our Nation has had many, many successes through the years and we have seen some failures along the way, too.

What Has Changed?

Our Nation was in the middle of the Korean War, the beginning of the Cold War, television was in its infancy and there was no question concerning the presence of God and the importance of His Word. The difference between 2020 and 1952 is the absence of a recognition of God by most folks. Professional sports were in their infancy and baseball was the most watched televised sport of all.  Church attendance was important to most everyone as most businesses were closed on Sunday. There was not a question, for the most part, where our neighbors were on Sunday morning.

Wisdom has waned and fewer of us are we owners of sharpened axes. Few there are who honor the traditions of our fathers and the presence of the Almighty.  Foolish minds insist that God no longer exists and that God’s Word is nothing more than a meaningless collection of ancient literature. I find it interesting that Paul wrote in Romans 1:18-19 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.”

So, is this covid 19 thing just a ‘happenstance’ or is God telling us something? Most likely, He is telling us something and that ‘something’ may be simple, “I AM the ‘I AM,'” are we listening? Some are, but most are not. Did you hear the “Pillow Guy” at the White House? He suggested that our Nation return to God. He gets it. I believe President Trump understands, but the vast majority do not.

So, what has changed? The heart of man has not really changed for those without Christ will die and go to Hell for they are filled with evil. The Followers of Christ are the Saints that Paul mentions often and refers to them as Brothers and Sisters in Christ. The change is in the nature of the local church and those who occupy those buildings. Percentage wise there are most likely fewer Believers who enter those buildings which means there are fewer people actively participating in what God has called the Church to do; “Disciple the Nations.” We must hone our skills and sharpen our axes…

Our forefathers did it right the first time….

Jesus is Lord.

Missionary Journey to Peru–Application

Isaiah wrote these words, “I said, “Woe to me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!”  He said, “Go and tell these people:” Isaiah 6:5-9a NET2.

When God called me to go tell His message my thoughts did not go much further than the walls of FBC in Lubbock, Texas. That was in 1967, but 10 years later following marriage and a seminary degree, and in my first pastorate in Sicily Island, Louisiana, God called me again. This was different and His method was different for this time He came to me through one He had already called to Korea and his name was Billy Peacock.

I told Patti what was going on with me and she told me in so many words, “Sit down for I have something to say.” “Bob,” she began to explain, “I have never told you this because I wanted God to work in your life instead of my attempting to influence you one way or another. I was called to be a foreign missionary when I was a teenager…” To say the least, I was shocked that Patti had NEVER hinted about this call in her life some years before. But here we were, moving in a direction that God had planned for us before we were born. I was observing God’s sovereign hand at work and like Isaiah, “My eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

But, not until after our 3rd son, Greg, was born and we began a new ministry in Lecompte, Louisiana in July of 1982, did God really move us toward a place where He wanted us to be. Really the question of when and where never surfaced again until the Fall of 1983, September to be exact. There was a Global Mission event in our area Southern Baptist Churches, and Patti and I called the offices of the Foreign Mission Board of the SBC located in Richmond, Virginia. In October we had our first official visit with a Regional Representative in New Orleans. After the interview we received a phone call from Richmond, and the speaker told us that on a certain date in February (1984) a member of the Foreign Mission Board will call and you will either be declined or accepted to become a candidate for appointment.

I sort of understood just what Isaiah meant when he wrote, “But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs.” verse 6. In my mind I could see this angel flying toward Patti and me with this tong carrying a hot coal, and it would not be until 3 months before we would know what was about to happen.

On that day in February, we hovered around that telephone sitting on our kitchen cabinet, and I honestly do not think that we heard anything in those ensuing minutes and hours until that telephone came to life. I answered and the operator connected us to our designated Foreign Mission Board Representative who said, “Bob, I am happy and proud to say that you have been given an invitation to come to Richmond for further interviews as a Candidate for appointment.” There were more things said, but those were the only words I remember. I now understood what Isaiah meant when he wrote, “He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” verse 7.

It was not that evil or sin was involved, but an enormous burden of anxiety had been removed, Patti and I had just taken a huge and dramatic step toward becoming a ‘real, live missionary.’ We had no idea where we would go, but we were willing to answer His divine call. We were on His path to that somewhere place, we were answering His call, “I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” We answered, “Here I am, send me!” He said, “Go and tell these people:” verses 8-9.

The difficult part was that we were told not to tell anyone about what was going on until we received our first packet from Richmond which would define the steps that we were about to take. For one week or so we had to keep this a secret from everyone until we could give specifics outlined by the FMB. Although we had no idea about what was about to happen, our journey had begun.

Jesus is Lord.

“Why is it, that Jesus, on the one hand, did not permit the Demons to speak, because they knew him (Mark 1:34) and on the other hand he wanted the Pharisees to know that he was from heaven (Matthew 22:41-46)?”

My opinion from a biblical perspective is really simple. These demons were/are of the ‘dark side,’ period, they are evil. The Pharisees, even though they did not believe Him to be the prophesied Messiah, were given ‘food for thought’ and ‘reason to talk publicly’ about Him. The Demons were/are minions of Satan, but the Pharisees would be the very people who would be a part of the fulfillment of the reason why Jesus was present and that was the coming Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of the Messiah.

In Matthew chapter 4 Jesus is tempted by Satan and Jesus said to him, “It is written, Do not tempt the Lord your God.” Jesus would not allow the darkness into the light. Jesus’ dominance over evil is total and eternal.

In the 23rd chapter of Matthew is found the long and sad statement of Jesus toward the Pharisees in which He pronounced those terrible 7 woes. Jesus speaks harshly of the days of apostasy Israel which was the culmination of the Jewish rulers’ rejection of the presence of God. Jesus solemnly sternly said this long rejection of God and His prophets would bring His judgment upon their generation which included their rejection and crucifixion of God’s only Son. In 70 AD the destruction of Jerusalem was undertaken by the Roman leader and later emperor, Titus. Jerusalem in destruction became the reminder of God’s judgment upon their hypocrisy and sin.

The demons were not allowed and the Pharisees needed to hear from the One they were rejecting and Who would become the Savior of the world they wanted to dominate. Jesus overturned the tables in the Temple which, in many ways, symbolized His dominion over them.

Jesus is Lord

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; 9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.” Proverbs 1:7-9.

I completely understand that ‘fear’ here does not mean AT ALL a fear that promotes anxiety, but a fear that promotes respect, awe, and wonder. Therefore to respect, have awe for and wonder of the Almighty is the point at which one begins to learn knowledge of Him and practice the same in life. For without His instruction all that we do in life will not succeed. This does not mean that wealth and riches demonstrate God’s knowledge and wisdom, not at all. There are some very, very poor and very, very illiterate people I have personally known whose lives have demonstrated greater knowledge and wisdom in this life than the wealthiest and most powerful people I know of. Why? Because their lives have been draped in the fear of God and His blessings of knowledge, and their lives demonstrated the same. There IS a difference.

The Beginning of the End

Please note that “Fools despise wisdom and instruction” from God. The verses that follow verses 8-9 give us a different picture of what takes place in the lives of sinners; those who despise God’s wisdom and instruction. That picture is dark and ugly and their end is horrible. Look at what Solomon writes in verses 27-29, “When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind when distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29 because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord.”

God is not and will not be found by those who despise Him. Some will not search for Him in difficult times, but others will. Those who do decide to seek after Him may discover this, “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer…” Some have said that ‘silence is golden,’ but this is not true when Creator God remains silent because some ‘did not choose the fear of the Lord’ but rather chose their own foolishness and find that ‘their calamity comes like a whirlwind.’

God Has a Better Solution

This is not my idea nor my suggestion, this is God’s instruction. “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.” Proverbs 1:8-9.

We live in a very tension-filled time of existence, but this really is not different than any one moment in days gone by. Politics and world events are more present because our world today is media-driven that has resulted in mass fear; nearing panic. But, we now have, as always, our God’s instruction found in the inerrant Word of God. We are told to ‘Hear, my son, your father’s instruction…do not forsake your mother’s teaching’ which, in this case, are from God Himself.

Jesus said, “31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32. We MUST continue in His teaching, in His word of truth that will not fail to satisfy our present needs.

Yes, this virus upon us is causing much consternation and confusion because we do not, as a public, fully comprehend what is taking place. Our government leaders are doing all they know to do to help, but voices of confusion are prevalent as well. But just as the Psalmist has written in the 23rd Psalm, our Comforter is present in every step of the way BECAUSE He lives in the life of every Believer.

Jesus is Lord.

For many, “Being healed in Jesus’ Name” is more important than actually being healed by Him. Some live by allowing the inerrant Word of God to impact their experience and others allow their personal experience to interpret the Word of God. One life-experience is a lie and the other is foundational upon Truth. But what we should be concerned with is that we are being healed by the Master every day that we live IF we, indeed, know Him as Savior and Lord. What do I mean by this?

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Romans 8:1-10 HCSB.

Do you recall what Jesus said to Nicodemus in response to his question, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, 4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:3-8 HCSB.

The point is, in order to know and understand or to begin to understand the teachings of God’s Word a person MUST BE born again by His Holy Spirit. Not one thing a person does or says apart from being ‘in the Spirit’ or ‘in Christ’ will affect anything in a way of God. UnGodly people have no effect upon ungodly things in a positive manner. One MUST BE born-again by Him, plain and simple.

Those who are born-again will walk and talk in ways that are different and will have positive effects upon others around us. In fact, Luke records this statement concerning how people felt about Peter in Acts 5:14-15, “More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, crowds of both men and women. 15 Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them.” NASB.

It is important to note here that Luke does NOT say that Peter’s shadow had power to heal NOR does this IMPLY (as some do suggest) that Peter’s shadow had power to heal. And NEITHER does this imply that these folks had such a respect for Peter that they felt that to get near Peter was to receive healing. 

My opinion is that these people were desperately wanting to be healed and felt that by being close to Peter there was a possibility of being healed for. The text says that these people wanted to be close enough “so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them.” NASB. The KJV reads like this, “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid [them] on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” Neither translations indicates that healing would take place because of Peter’s shadow. To suggest that the Bible implies things that are not explicitly stated reflects poor exposition and should not be done…

Peter’s influence upon these people causes us to think of Jesus’ influence during His Galilean ministry when all Capernaum gathered at His door in Mark 1:32-34, “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid [them] on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” NASB.  Elsewhere Luke records the power of God’s presence overshadowing someone, but this is NOT an implication, these are  stated facts found in Luke 1:35 and in 9:34. The inspired text does NOT tell us that Peter’s shadow healed anyone. Luke recorded that people wanted to get close to Peter because they felt his presence to be that powerful. Even today there are some who superstitiously believe that a person’s influence contains some sort of powerful influence. You and I are able to give names to those influences from television.  Some even move away from those considered to be wicked people for the same reason or move into the presence of an honored individual. The action of these folks clearly demonstrated their respect for Peter who had the power of God to heal. These signs and wonders gave proof of the apostles being God’s representatives as seen in Luke 19:11-12 and Matthew 10:8 and.as ambassadors as Paul describes us in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Net2.

We do things in Jesus’ Name because we are His Ambassadors as Believers and in purpose. Are we able to ‘heal?’ No, not because we are Ambassadors, but because He chooses to use us as He desires and not when we think it to be appropriate. He will choose to use us to accomplish certain spiritual things in order to bring honor to His Name.

Jesus is Lord.

No doubt, the most profound difficulty for every Believer is searching for the nuggets of truth found in the inerrant Word of God. The problem therein is to determine which nuggets are Truth and which nuggets are ‘fools gold.’ And there is a difference. ‘Fools Gold’ is really not false for it is mined from the same inerrant Word, but the issue is making certain that which is found is interpreted correctly in order to honor the One who wrote the Book.

May we be reminded to be diligent in preparation to teach this Holy Book appropriately just as Paul did in his letter to Timothy, “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene.” 2 Timothy 2:14-16 NASB.

My concern for many years is seen almost daily as I read and listen to expositors who are very well-known seemingly, in my opinion, make incorrect statements while instructing from the Word of God. And I am quite certain that there are those who think the same thing when reading things I write.

Not Everyone is Correct

Certainly, I want to be correct in everything I write, but I may not be at every point and I diligently ask God for directions as do these men of God I mention. It must not go without saying that not everyone is correct and not everyone is wrong. However, when there is a particular subject under study and there are several differing opinions stated it is obviously and painfully true.

For this reason, errors have resulted in many denominations that have strong and diverse opinions about several scripture verses found in God’s Word. The point is that only ONE of these can be and are correct. People with various opinions about the same statement of the same Truth cannot all be correct: there is but one who IS correct…ONLY ONE!! And when we all get Heaven’s door the Judge well let us know WHO it is.

The tragedy of error can only be demonstrated by our personal experiences and I will share my own here. Some years ago I was in conversation with a very well-known man who I respect and disagree with about a major point within Southern Baptist rank and file. The issue is Calvinism and there are many Calvinists to be found amongst us. We were talking about the question, “Who is right?” My friend stated correctly, “One of us has to be wrong, correct?” My answer was, and continues to be, “Yes.” And he agreed. However, the next point was then and continues to be our contention, “How can two people who are so directly opposed to one another be at peace within the same Body that teaches one thing, but these two teach it so very differently?” This contention will always be there and an explosion will one day occur and one of these two will be forced to leave an enormous debris-filled hole. No one will be left without injury and scars which will always be present. Unfortunately, the SBC is very large and owns many assets, AND this is the point of contention within the bigger question of separation surrounding the Word of God.

Boiling Caldron

From the moment I set foot on the college campus beginning my preparation for vocational ministry in 1969 until this very day, there have been enormous disagreements within the SBC. In 1991 the CBF split away from the SBC and the effects of that continue to be felt today as the remnants of that explosion fall away. Those who led at that moment are older now and their presence is dimming. Some are delighted and others not so much, but peace seems to have been made within the SBC. That was a 30-year struggle over the inerrancy of Scripture and Conservatism within the Convention. Here we are 50 years later and the smoke is still clearing and the debris continues to fall around us.

Today, the disagreements are different, but the struggles are just as significant, if not more so. Two very significant groups have defined themselves and peace within the ranks remains to be a problem. An accord of peace was signed and placed into practice and some have said that agreement is venomous because one of the two participants vying over the same territory will die from that venom. The venom, once again, is an error of enormous proportion. The contention concerns the Doctrine of Election among others. No details will be discussed here.

The division is biblical in nature and in the foundation. Who is correctly handling or correctly dividing the Word of Truth? I believe I know, but this is not the place to ‘hash it out’ so to speak. The battles have been fought and will continue to be fought, and one day there will be an explosion that will occur. Some are saying the SBC is decaying, but I disagree. There is no decay, not really, but there is a war with many battles.  Midway and D-Day have not yet been seen, but they are coming.

There is But One Truth

Do you know why Jesus died? Obviously, He died for truth, for the salvation of mankind. The Jewish people disagreed, but the Bible says this, “The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.” John 10:31-39 NASB.

This is Truth, but many continue to disagree over this, too. There is disagreement over Freedom of the Will found in John 3:16 and other places just as there is disagreement over the Sovereignty of God and how He makes the application of it in His Truth. Venom is found in the error and some have been poisoned by the error while others have been poisoned attempting to ‘keep the peace.’

Jesus, however, is Lord.

All verses quoted herein are taken from the NASB.

Questions:

1. Paul preached the gospel of the Grace of God to the gentiles. When Paul was killed, who took over preaching the good news of the Grace of God?

The first question is one that I have seen before, but the answer is not as simple as might be suggested. One of the early Church leaders is mentioned by Paul in Philippians 4:3 and his name is Clement. He was said to have been born about the time Jesus was crucified. To say that he took up where Paul left off would be a stretch, but I will suggest you read from the following which is a good online reference for a history of the Church. I like this site because they subscribe to the inerrancy of Scripture:

https://www.learnreligions.com/the-early-church-at-rome-363409

2. At what point were the Jews not able to be saved by the good news of the Kingdom of God, but could only be saved by the good news of the Grace of God?

The second question leads us directly to the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ which truly marks the beginning of the New Testament, and the Day of Pentecost marks the beginning of the New Testament Church as the Holy Spirit introduces Himself to the Church as recorded by Luke in the Book of Acts.

Jesus taught and preached to the Jews in and around Jerusalem for approximately 3½ years before His death, and His message concerned the Kingdom which was coming. Of course, in Matthew 24 He speaks clearly of the end-times in eschatological terms. The reason the Jews hated Jesus is that He introduced a new way of knowing God, at least to them. However, He spoke of Abraham who had an intimate relationship with the Father by faith. This was not new to them, but the one thing that challenged the Jewish leaders was Jesus claiming to be not only the Son of God but claiming, “I and the Father are One.” The context of this statement reads, “The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:24-30 NASB. No doubt, they had been terribly upset with the conversation that Nicodemus had reported that he had with Jesus as recorded in John chapter 3 when Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18.

You see, Jesus introduced a new way to become acquainted with the Father for all of eternity which was not in keeping with the Torah directly. The Law, as we know and stated by Paul introduced people to sin and not to the love of God. Jesus, on the other hand, introduced people to the fullness of God as stated by Him, “So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:7-10. Jesus called it ‘the abundant life.’

The grace of God as the New Testament says it begins with the history of the early Church in Acts but is ‘fleshed out’ so to speak in the books that follow. However, in a nutshell, Paul gives us some clarification in Ephesian 2:4-10, “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Your second question requires much more detail than space allows here. May God bless you as you continue to seek the Truth found in the inerrant Word of God.

Jesus is Lord.

This is what I think and most probably do not really care what I think, but here goes…This virus thing is not of God, or is it? The Bible is very clear concerning the approaching time of His return…chaos will reign. Also, those who know the Lord on an intimate basis are spiritually discerning and understanding. Look at what Solomon writes in Proverbs 28:4-5 NET2, “Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law contend with them. Evil people do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it all.” Crazy people are all around us and they are probably without knowledge of the Savior.

God Is Active IN the Events of Men

Way back in Exodus 28:23, The Lord passed throughout Egypt and sent an Angel of Death or ‘destroyer’, but those of faith and who followed God’s instructions were not harmed. However, it is important to note the statement, “When the Lord passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, He will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.” HCSB. We may not like it, (this is not necessary) but God is active in our affairs, even in pandemics and death is all around us.

World-wide people have disobeyed God and often He allows bad things to happen to both good and bad people. Remember, however, good people do not necessarily know Him, but what we term as ‘good’ is most often ‘evil-doers’ or ‘unrighteous people.’ God demonstrates in biblical history that when His patience runs thin, His responses are not in agreement with what we think. Note this, “Certainly you are not a God who approves of evil; evil people cannot dwell with you. Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who behave wickedly. You destroy liars; the Lord despises violent and deceitful people.” Psalm 5:4-6 NET2 or from the KJV, “For thou [art] not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. {in…: Heb. before thine eyes} Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. {bloody…: Heb. man of bloods and deceit}”

What did David write? Look again at Psalm 5:5, “thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” God responds in ways that many cannot understand and refuse to believe. His judgment upon the wicked is oftentimes deadly now and for all eternity. He will punish now with physical death and spiritual eternal death in Hell. He does not punish sin, God punishes the evil-doer, the unrighteous, why? Because He hates them. God said this.

There is Hope for All Who Believe Him

This is a statement that really needs no comment, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. That whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18 KJV.

Jesus remains Lord.