Ok, for all of you who read this (I think there are three of you!), Provoking to righteousness is moving to http://frozenpreacher.wordpress.com/. I have been appropriating the frozenpreacher moniker, and so this is the logical move.
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SIN
Sin is deceitful. It promises pleasure, it gives pain. It offers life; it gives death. It opens out as bright as the morning; it closes as dark as night.
It is a beast of prey. Under a velvet paw it conceals a claw that wounds and lacerates those that would stroke it.
In every sin there is the seed of another sin. it is self-propagating. It roots itself in the soul of the sinner until it has used up every bit of good soil in the soul.
It corrupts his nature, perverts his tastes, weakens his will, and scars his conscience.
And with each evil deed, inclinations toward evil become stronger and stronger, until the “sinner cannot cease from sin” and he is “consumed of his own lusts.”
Sin is a very promising employer -
- and a terrible paymaster.
-Charles A. Jefferies
No, I am not talking about the high technology Lockheed aircraft production facility. I mean the common, black and white stinking variety. This summer our complex has been infested with skunks.
My former neighbour took a video of them parading through his back yard, a huge mother, with seven little babies in tow, tails held high! Our landlords have repeatedly issued calls for all garbage to be in containers, however, many people ignore the warnings. This picture is from our neighbour’s yard, showing the destruction possible by one large skunk. I had a chance to exterminate the skunk, but my wife reminded me that he, like Sampson, might do more damage in dying than in life!
Galatians 5:19-25 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
I wanted to draw some interesting parallels for you from this episode. First, the works of the flesh are that of the skunk.
1. The skunk is pretty from a distance, and intolerable up close. The skunk next door looked fine at a distance, but he stunk up close! Our old nature can look pretty good from a distance, but once placed under the close scrutiny of the Holy Spirit and examined in the light of Scripture it is revealed for what it really is. Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Never forget that the flesh is corrupt!
2. The skunk makes a mess. I am continually astounded by the destruction possible by the flesh unrestrained. That skunk dug holes in the turf and drug garbage all over the yard. Our old nature also like to make dig up dirt and it does not care what garbage it spreads as long as its needs are satisfied. The old nature will go to great lengths to justify the filth it enjoys. “It doesn’t bother me, the Holy Spirit just hasn’t convicted me of that, and I get a blessing out of it…” are just some of the many excuses some use to justify the mess they are in. Listen, if your life is always a mess, kill the skunk!
3. The skunk causes a big stink if you disturb his comfort! I am certain you have met a few people like this! They feel threatened by the plain teaching of the Bible, so they go on the offensive, spreading discord and lies. All they want is to be left alone… and that’s all the skunk wants too. But I cannot tolerate a skunk in my backyard, and the Holy Spirit of God cannot tolerate the presence of sin in our lives.
The fall is upon us here in Northern Alberta. It is my favorite time of year outside, and the worst time inside. Yellow leaves, crisp air, and the yearly horrors of Halloween. Already the pagan orgy of filth and gore has foisted itself upon our retinas, forcing my children to walk around in Canadian Tire and Walmart with their eyes covered to spare themselves nightmares. My heart breaks for their little minds, forced to endure horrors that previous generations had only known in wartime or slavery. Yet our culture revels in the disgusting ritual, calling it harmless fun for the children.
I will not document the bloody history of the godless rite. Others wiser than I have written much upon the dangers of Halloween. Yet many Christians still participate in this vile tradition. The old saints of Ireland must bewail our spineless co-operation with the world. The cries of murdered children and savaged daughters echo through the corridors of time and condemn our co-operation with this ghastly spectacle from Hell. For the “treasure” of a sack of sugar many Christians allow their minds to be polluted and their children’s innocence to be assaulted. Brethren, it ought not to be so. O, let me encourage you to abandon the sugar and seek spirituality! Leave the gore and look to God!
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Psalms 127:3-5 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
The recent appointment of Dr. Henry Morgentaler to the Order of Canada epitomizes the moral decline of our civilization. Though I have been a proud patriot for some 30 years, I am this day ashamed to call myself a Canadian. The red of our flag pales beside the darker red of millions of innocent lives ripped shamelessly from their mother’s womb as sacrifices to the god of choice. The committee in charge of this appointment have proven themselves shameless worshipers of the same god.
Dr. Morgentaler’s would have you believe that abortion improves humanity, reduces crime, and alleviates suffering (google his website, I will not provide a link to so vile a man). He points to his legal triumphs and asks for abortion stories, as though he had paved the way for some great and noble thing. Instead, the legacy of Dr. Morgentaler is one of blood, cries in the night, and crushing burdens of guilt. No rational person celebrates so monstrous a legacy.
Three days ago, our nation celebrated its birthday, and I delighted in the sea of red as hundreds celebrated. Today, I am sickened, for every sight of red reminds me of the blood on our nations hands. It is a pity that the medal given to this butcher of babies is snow white. It ought to be blood red. May God have mercy on our land.
Jeremiah 2:34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
Isaiah 59:7-9 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
During one of my recent perusals of all the silliness surrounding the modern “church,” I stumbled upon this page. It is full of satirical motivational pictures for the “Emerging Church,” and is really really worth the click! If only the posters could reach past the shell of worldliness that is so pervasive in most churches. May this always be the realm of fiction for me and you.
In a recent allegory posted on Sharper Iron, Dr. Kevin T. Bauder draws a simple and deceptively logical argument for the inspiration of the many different Bible translations. It is logical on the surface, but it is deceptive. You can read the story here. The problem with the whole idea is the assumption that any well which gets water is good! I grew up in the country, have friends that live in the country, and have tasted well water many a time. The simple fact is that different wells bring different tastes. Some are steeped in alkali, and make it salty. Others contain iron, and taste like blood to the untutored. Still others may contain traces of any number of minerals, all affecting their taste and usability.
Each well does not contain water only. Many wells are contaminated by various pollutants, and some are heavily influenced by the land above. Some wells contain oil, which is helpfull to the wallet, but useless for the body. I have showered in well-water that left you dirtier than you came. I have drunk well-water that left you thirstier than before. I have used well-water that left one feeling slimy, putrid, and sick afterward. And thankfully, I have tasted well water that was more pure and clean than any I have ever had in the city. Nothing beats good water from an old well, especially on a hot day.
Dr. Bauder would do “well” (pun intended!) to survey the ground before he wrote. I would agree with him that many of the wells “contain” water. I would even go so far as to state that most of the wells are even profitable for us. However, I am thankful for the old Authorised well, and it’s fierce guardians. I know there is no tampering, no pollutants, and limited supply. There is no toll charged for its water, and the only requirement is that we do not undermine that Ancient spring.
May God give us discernment in these deceptively easy times. Stay with the Authorized Well
It is no surprise to many of us the current climate & direction at Bob Jones University. Discerning men have been warning about their direction for years. Further proof of their slide into ecumenism is offered by this article (here), an excerpt from here. The part that caught my attention was the fact that a lot of Bob Jones graduates are going to divinity school at Trinity International University, a school that hold to the doctrines of the Evangelical Free church of America. The transcript also mentions that they are mostly baptistic, but not all. Of course in a school the size of BJU, you can expect a few to slip through. However, the simple reality is that you cannot be broad minded in your approach to scripture and expect to be narrow minded in your approach to separation and the fundamentals of the faith.
One interesting observation is the “civilizing” of the fundamental camp. It has been my personal experience that the “fighting fundamentalists” often behave more like street thugs than trained soldiers. I have seen a great many web-sites that look like a baptist version of the National Enquirer. This is a shame and a reproach to God’s people, and one that is long overdue for changing! In the transcript above, Dr. Carson mentions how the current generation of fundamentalists are more civil in their approach to doctrine. This is commendable and Biblical, yet contains a warning for us. The “civilizing” of fundamentalism must NOT result in “pacification.” Having intellect and being gentle unto all men does not require an acceptance of apostasy and ecumenism, nor does it require us to be open to “dialog.” Be smart, be civil, but remove not an inch from the old paths and the old Book.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
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