"Others have Labored and Ye are Entered into Their Labors" by J. C. Bailey

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Bailey/John/Carlos/1903/Articles/othersh.html

"OTHERS HAVE LABORED
AND YE ARE ENTERED INTO THEIR LABORS"

This is the language of Jesus to His disciples following His conversation with the woman of Samaria. The work the apostles did would not have been possible if it had not been for the prophets of the Old Testament. Their work would not have been possible without the work of John the Baptist. Then their work would not have been possible without the labors of Jesus Christ Himself.

Many people wonder how we could have gone to India about 11 years ago and have had such a harvest of souls. Let me say as Jesus said: Others have labored and we have entered into their labors. We shall probably not pay tribute to all the men who have made possible our present ingathering of souls, but I think that those whom we mention will help you to see why we have this harvest.

Those who study Restoration history have read of an Englishman by the name of Sandeman who led a movement in England that was very similar to the movement led by the Campbells in America. This man was a rich man. He spent considerable money sending workers to India. Unfortunately we have never been able to find any trace of his work. However, that does not say that his work did not play a part in making ready for the work that we did.

After World War I had started, but before the United States entered the war, there were three men who went to India from the United States. I do not recall the one name but the other two men were Jelly and McHenry. Jelly spent some time in India. He lost his first wife. He married an Indian and returned to America. He raised a large family and one of his children supports the work we are trying to do in India. McHenry and his companion turned to the Seventh Day Adventists. These three men labored in the Poona area of India. There is now a thriving work again in this area. After more than 50 years some churches have been found that did not apostatize and others that followed McHenry into Adventism have now returned to the New Testament way. McHenry is now an old man living in one of the Southern States. Brother Carl Johnson visited him not long ago. He still holds to the Seventh day Adventist doctrine.

There was a brother who went to India some years later. I do not now recall his name but I found a place where he had labored. This man was sickly when he came to India. He grew worse and return to the U.S.A. and soon died.

In a very providential way we learned about an indigenous work in the State of Assam. There was a brother in Shillong who was told that there were churches of Christ in America. These brethren had broken with the Welsh Presbyterians. Brother Presnshon Khariukhi sent a letter to the church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. This letter was delivered to Glen Wallace. Correspondence took place. These brethren were visited by two brethren. I think each brother stayed for three months. They did much to teach these men the way of the Lord more perfectly. However, the church in the U.S.A. missed a wonderful opportunity to get into India, for at that time the door into India was not closed to American missionaries. Not only was a wonderful opportunity missed at that time, but just at that time American missionaries were being chased out of China. Some Christian Church men left China and came into the Shillong area. The work was badly crippled because of these men.

There was a well-educated Indian from the State of Kerala who came to the U.S.A. to attend a denominational school in America. He learned of the church of Christ and attended the Harding Graduate School at Memphis as well as either Vanderbilt or Peabody in Nashville. He came back to India about three months after I arrived there. He has done a good work in the state of Kerala. While this work by brethren may have had some influence in the work that has been done since I went there, their influence has been limited. True, if it had not been for the work in Assam, I would not likely have gone to India. For about ten years these brethren had begged for someone to come over and help them. Several had tried but they were not able to enter, only as visitors. Members of the Commonwealth had special privileges (that is how I came to go). There are two men who made our work possible much more than what was done by our own brethren. First I want to mention William Carey. He was an English Baptist.

In his time India was not ruled by England but by the English East India Company. They did not want any missionaries in India. So William Carey had to land in a small enclave that was under the authority of the King of Denmark. After some time, Carey got permission to enter India. India was not then a field white unto harvest. It took Carey seven years to make a single convert. India at that time still burned widows with their dead husbands. The first-born child was still thrown into the River Ganges if the first-born was a girl. INDIA WAS NOT ASKING FOR THE GOSPEL. This man Carey was not a professional preacher when he went to India. He had been a shoe cobbler. He was a remarkable man. In his lifetime he translated the New Testament into at least 14 of the India languages. This was the main thing in making our work possible. One of the languages that Carey translated the Bible into was Telugu. So before we went to India, the Telugus had been blessed with the Bible for more than 150 years. So these people were ready for the plea: The Bible as it is, is sufficient for man as he is. They had the Bible in their mother tongue and could, and did, check each Scripture that we presented. Unfortunately William Carey did not preach all the truth but that did not keep him from faithfully translating the Bible into the various languages of India. Our work would not have been possible without Wm. Carey. This man, though a young man when he went to India, never returned to England. He had an idea that when a man goes to another country to preach he should live off the country where he lives. I am sure that there is just as much Scripture for this as for the idea that you cannot support native preachers with American money. If men who go to a foreign field had to thus live I am sure we would never hear one word again about not supporting native preachers with American money. If God is no respecter of persons then why should we be supported in another country when the native cannot be supported to preach? Truly, the legs of the lame are not equal. Carey also started a College in India that survives to this day. It has fallen under control of Liberals. Carey was persecuted by the Clergy of his day. They despised the poor shoe cobbler. He lives in the hearts and lives of millions of people. His tormentors have so faded that their names are largely forgotten.

There is another man to whom I would like to pay tribute. His name was Clough. He was an American Baptist. There were not many converts made in India up to his time. The MISSION idea reigned supreme. When a group came to India they obtained a piece of land from the government and started with a school. Then a hostel. If possible a hospital. Any converts were brought to the Mission Compound and often those living on the compound would number into the hundreds. This man Clough came up with the idea of village evangelism. The result was that a few years after this plan was started the Baptists baptized 2,222 at one time. If this work had been pushed, the Baptists might have won several millions of people to the Baptist Church. However, liberal elements prevailed and the social gospel became the order of the day. For many years there has been little growth either in the American Baptist Mission or the Canadian Baptist Mission. The Lutherans kept up their evangelistic thrust better than the Baptists and they are now much larger than the Baptists in India. These men, Carey and Clough did not preach the true gospel. They could not bring the knowledge of the New Testament Church, but God did use them to prepare the way for the work that we have done.

God wants men to be saved. God has given His church the work of preaching the gospel.

Now I would like to tell you about a Canadian Prime Minister who helped pave the way for our going to India. This man was named William Lyon Mackenzie King. He was Prime Minister of Canada longer than any other man. Shortly after India got her independence in 1947 there was war between India and Pakistan. Nehru, Prime Minister of India, thought that England and the United States favored Pakistan in that war. I do not know if that was true or not. I am merely reporting. Nehru came to the Commonwealth's Prime Ministers' Conference not knowing whether he would take India out of the Commonwealth or not. The Prime Minister of Canada persuaded Nehru to stay in the Commonwealth and out of this meeting grew the special concession for missionaries from the Commonwealth. So God uses men of the world that He may save the souls of men. Little did Nehru dream that he was being used for this great harvest of souls. Nehru may have nominally been a Hindu, and seemed to turn more toward religion in his latter days. His funeral was conducted according to the rituals of the Hindu faith but he was more an agnostic than anything else during his lifetime. William Lyon Mackenzie King was a Presbyterian but according to numerous reports was a Spiritualist. So God has His way still in the kingdoms of men.

If the Lord tarries in years to come, can it be said of you that you labored and others have entered into your labor?

We need your fellowship in the work in India.

J. C. Bailey, 1975, North Weyburn, Sask.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

GOD MAKING HIMSELF PRESENT by Jim McGuiggan

https://jimmcguiggan.wordpress.com/2017/11/

GOD MAKING HIMSELF PRESENT

Stan Cunningham’s father Joe died (11-19-2017). Stan and Linda brought him to their home to spend his final days. I watched him slowly dying, getting ready to make his way to the Holy Father as the Lord Jesus Christ did, through suffering. He lay upstairs for more than a month lovingly attended to by these two, with good support at needy times from attentive and kind medical people.

I’ve watched this happening repeatedly in the last couple of months and it reminded me again of the bankrupt nature of religious lecturing that’s so often offered as a substitute for constant gospeling. “Gospely” words spoken in subdued and pious tones close to the end are themselves a judgment on our month after month and year after year lecturing fashion. That judgment remains sharp even when the “gospely”words are sincere.

No one lists the towns of Paul’s missionary journeys under the above conditions. No one wants to explain “the qualifications of deacons” at such a place. And how pathetic and tragic is it when those who ceaselessly offer some version of the “health & wealth now” story whisper their parting words to the sufferer rather than the public “religion of the healthy mind” they peddle.

The throbbing center of the Christian faith, the heart of the Gospel is God Himself. He makes Himself present via the foundational truth of the Bible’s message and the embodiment of that divine presence in lives lived before us. GOD is the Gospel and it is the Gospel that is “able to build us up and give us an inheritance among all those that are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). It isn’t a Bible God gives us! He gives Himself in giving us the truth He tells about Himself! That’s how He makes himself present in us and to us. It isn’t information He wishes to give us—it’s Himselfvia the transformative information (truth) He gives us. Bible texts are no substitute for an absent God, they are the way GOD makes Himself present.

It’s long past time when we try to “prepare the dear sufferer for his/her death” with some pious words about “the more important matters.” The business of those who are called to minister for GOD is to help prepare us for life and if they purpose to be faithful to that calling and have the wisdom enough to know the difference between “gospel” and the rehearsal of interesting material that we can live and die well without knowing, they will constantly gospel to us from behind pulpits or lecterns.

I don’t say they can do it flawlessly! I don’t expect that they would! But it’s GOD people like me need—not just any old God; the God of the Bible, the God of historical reality, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the God who entered, actually and historically, into the human situation as Jesus of Nazareth. We need teachers to take us seriously and speak constantly to us the world creating word of Truth in and through which GOD makes Himself present.

(Holy One, come to our aid that we might come to the aid of others that life might become life, here and now and that then we will understand that those who believe on your Holy Son do not die. John 6:50; 11:26, your truth-filled claim. This prayer in Jesus our Savior.)

ONE STEP CLOSER TO GOD by Alfred Shannon Jr.

 https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/04/

ONE STEP CLOSER TO GOD

God never commanded man anything unless He instructed him how to do it. God commanded Noah to build, Moses to lead, and Joshua to march, and He told each of them how to accomplish it. God commands us today to obey the gospel of Christ, and has showed us each step we must take. Noah, Moses and Joshua obeyed God explicitly, but the question is, will we? Each commandment we keep, gets us one step closer to God.

1 Cor 15:1-4; Rom 10:17; Rom 10:10; Acts 2:38; Rev 2:10; 1 Pet 2:21; Jn 14:15; 1 Jn 5:3; 2 Jn 6,9

Jesus Said, “Dont Worry” by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=592

Jesus Said, “Dont Worry”

Jesus Discusses Worry

Read Matthew 6:25-34

I read something about worry this week that I thought was interesting. It made a lot of sense. Someone wrote this. “Worry is a thin stream of fear that trickles through the mind. If encouraged it cuts a wide channel that drains away all other thoughts.”

Isn’t that so true? If you allow that worry to linger and if you encourage that worry in your heart, then all other constructive thoughts are taken out of your mind. So, the Lord tells us not to worry. Even though the Lord says we are not to worry the fact of the matter is we do a whole lot of worrying, don’t we?

But then there is another side: I heard this story: A young boy was driving a hayrack down the road when the wagon fell over in front of a farmer’s house. The farmer came out, saw the young boy crying and said, “Son, don’t worry about this, we can fix it. Right now dinner’s ready. Why don’t you come in and eat with us and then I’ll help you put the hay back on the rack.”
The boy said, “No, I can’t. My father is going to be very angry with me.” The farmer said, “Now don’t worry, just come in and have some lunch and you’ll feel better.” The boy said, “I’m just afraid my father is going to be very angry with me.”
The farmer and the young boy went inside and had dinner. Afterwards, as they walked outside to the hayrack, the farmer said, “Now, son, don’t you feel better after that great meal?”
The boy said, “Yes but I just know that my father will be very angry with me.” The farmer said, “Nonsense. Where is your father anyway?” The boy said, “He’s under that wagon.”

I guess some things are worth worrying about. Surveys have been taken and they reveals that only 8 out of a hundred thing that we worry about are really worth our concern.

But people in our society today are worried about everything. Fear has gripped people’s hearts and paralyzed them.  People are anxious about:
– How they look – What they are wearing – How much money they have in the bank – Rising gas prices – Falling stock prices – falling home values – Foreclosures –Job security – Even, Are their children going to turn out right

They worry about:
– The government -Their Health – Who they will marry – If they are married, how long it will last – even the end of the world.

This has led to all sorts of health issues:
Sleeplessness – Tension headaches – Frustration – Irritability – High blood pressure – Ulcers – Heart disease – Inability to relax.

How unfortunate that Christians have joined the ranks of those who worry and fret about everything.

We have taken our cue from the world around us.
We have allowed Satan to defeat us and cause us to stumble.
Instead of trusting in the power, provision and protection of our sovereign God we have grown use to living anxiety plagued lives.

In our text, Jesus’ command is meant to keep his followers from getting hurt. Worry hurts. It affects people and their relationship. It strangles us. It chokes us.  It destroys faith. It leads to a lot of trouble.

In Matthew 6:25 Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”

The Lord Jesus is emphatic in trying to get this point across to His children. Throughout this section of Scripture He commands that we are not to be anxious. Over and over He says, DO NOT WORRY {OR BE ANXIOUS}

Medical doctors will tell you that worry inflicts both physical and psychological damage. What’s far worse than both of those outcomes is the fact that worry is sin. When we worry we are displaying unbelief in our Heavenly Father’s ability to care for us.

Jesus is saying, “Stop Worrying!”  Literally: “Do not even start!”

In our text, what does Jesus tell us not to worry about?  Food, or what we will drink, What we will wear, how long we are going to live, our future.

In out text Jesus provides three suggestions for a worry-free life. Notice that these suggestions require attitude, life, and value adjustments. It requires repentance, seeking divine help, and an honest to goodness evaluation of our lives.

1. So first of all one needs to MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. WHO YOU ARE GOING TO SERVE

The “therefore” in verse 25 refers back to what Jesus said in the previous text. In verse 24 He said, “24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

So first of all we need to make a decision who we are going to serve. Ultimately, who we serve will determine whether we turn out to be worriers or worshippers.  A worry-free life is first of all the result of making the right decision as to who and what is going to be the most important and primary focus in my life.

If you trust in your material possessions and money you are going to have a life full of worry and concern because there is no stability when you build your life on things that are here today and can be gone tomorrow.

2. WE NEED TO TRUST IN THE FATHER (6:26, 32)  Someone once wrote, wrote, “Worry is the warning light that God is really not first in my life.”

Twice in the text, Jesus points to the heavenly Father as reason for not worrying. God and His love and ability far exceed our ability and understanding and offers security.  Prov. 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

If you think about it having Father in Heaven who is God of the universe, and always being worried sick about everything is silly. Why should we worry when our heavenly Father owns all and controls all? Jesus points out the obvious, “worry is useless.” It is a futile exercise, a total waste of time, of effort, of energy. What does he say in verse 27? He said you can’t add a single hour to your life by worrying.

We need to believe God’s Word and trust His promises He has given us:
In Phil. 4:19 Paul writes, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Do you believe that?  I think that there are many followers of Christ who need to re-discover Father God. He is not like some of our earthly fathers who were flawed, uncaring, unable, maybe even undependable. Our Father in Heaven is not like that. He know you and loves you and promises to work all things out for the benefit of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)

In this text Jesus lets us know that He knows exactly what we need. He said ‘Don’t you think that if the Father cares for the birds of the air and the plants of the field that He not going to take care you and me; His sons, and daughters who are created in His very image?’  We need to wake up to the reality that we really have a God and Father in Heaven who cares for us and our needs.

#3. And then WE NEED TO GET OUR OWN PRIOERITIES RIGHT (6:33)
In vs. 6:33 Jesus tells us that instead of worrying about food, water, clothes and the like, we should seek out God’s kingdom and righteousness.

This is not a new theme that Jesus introduces here, rather we find this throughout the Sermon on the Mount. To care for God’s business and understand His ways will assure us that God will take care for you.

So again, Jesus raises the bar. He said,  ‘People who do not know God run after and worry about these other things, but you are different. Pursue God’s kingdom, make it a priority, make it your ambition, make it your goal..’

So what does it mean to seek His kingdom above all?I think first of all we need to wake up to the reality of God’s kingdom. That there is more to life than what we can hears, see, touch, taste, and smell. There is a whole spiritual realm that is infinitely more broad and complex than our little world. And our God and Father is lord over it all and wants us to enjoy it’s blessings; if we will only open our eyes and seek Him. And He made it all available to us thru Jesus and what He did on the cross. We can become a active part of that Kingdom if we accept Jesus sacrifice for us, allow Him to remove our sin in the waters of baptism, and continue to trust Him as Lord.

To seek God’s righteousness involves wanting God’s righteousness. It is a gift He offers us. As a Christian we should want it. We should want it to please God and help ourselves become what we were meant to be. We should want to see God’s righteousness demonstrated in our own life as we ministering to the poor, the weak, those sick.  I should desire that every department of my life be placed under His care, direction, and plan; my home, my marriage, my family, in my work, my relationships, my finances, future, and so on.

Conclusion: Worry is attitude unbecoming of the child of God. Worship is better. To fret is a useless endeavor. To believe is better. If you have lived in worry, it is time to make some important changes. Make the right decision. “When you take care of God’s business you can rest assured God will take care of your personal business.”

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

The Internal Claims of the Bible by Trevor Bowen

http://insearchoftruth.org/articles/bible2.html

The Internal Claims of the Bible

Bible Authority

• Bible Evidences
• Internal Bible Claims
• Understanding the Bible
• "Do All Things According to the Pattern"
• The Old and New Testaments
• "Do All Things in the Name of the Lord"
• The Sin and Danger of Presumption
• An Introduction to Bible Silence
• Do The Silence of Scriptures Prohibit or Permit?
• Generic versus Specific Authority
• Did Jesus Disregard God's Silence?
• Did Hezekiah Disregard God's Silence?
• Binding New Testament Examples

INTRODUCTION

Once we have established the soundness of the actual words of the Bible, we must now turn our attention to the value and worth of these words.  Is the Bible unique from all other so-called "revelations from God"?  What distinguishes it from books used by other religions and other cultures?  Is the Bible just another book, from another religious culture?

We will begin this investigation by focusing on the uniqueness of the signs and miracles associated with the Bible.  It is only fair to expect that true messengers from the true God would have some sign or means of showing that they were sent by God.  Throughout both the New and Old Testament, prophets from God worked miracles to establish any new or additional message from God.  These miracles were undeniable and immediate, unlike many unverifiable "miracles" that are worked today.  Second, the prophets foretold events hundreds of years into the future, which have been fulfilled without fail.  While the miracles were more compelling to people during the prophets' lifetimes, the fulfilled prophecies are more compelling for us today.  We can easily date the writing of the prophecies, and their fulfillment is easily confirmed.  Only God and messengers sent by Him would have the power to foresee specific events hundreds of years into the future.

The Bible teaches that faith should be based upon the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  We are never expected to have blind faith, emotions, feelings, or intuitions as the basis of our faith.  If we resort to such a criterion, then we must recognize that one person's feelings are just as good as anthers.  This is true because we have no means to confirm that our feelings are from God.  This was the point of miracles, and no one is able to work miracles today, especially of the magnitude of those performed by Christ and His apostles and prophets. 

Now, let's turn to the Bible to see if it is different from other �messages from God�.  If it is truly God's Word, then we must determine if it allows for future revelations, conflicting gospels, or corruption of its message. We begin with the fundamental, common sense tests of fulfilled prophecies and miracles to determine if the prophets of the Bible were truly sent and inspired by God.  Once the Bible's claims are presented, further scriptures are used to answer questions concerning latter revelations. 

OUTLINE

1. The test of a Prophet

1. Fulfilled prophecy shows prophet is from God (Deuteronomy 18:20-22; Isaiah 41:23)
2. Miracles and signs show prophet is from God (Exodus 4:1-9)

2. Security of O.T. - Its prophets were proven and their message was preserved

1. Fulfilled prophecy (II Peter 1:19-21)
1. Named Persian nation and ruler, Cyrus, that overtook Babylon before Babylon was even a world power (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-3)
2. Destruction of Babylon (Isaiah 13:1-14,23; 21:9; 47:1-5)
3. Jesus (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 9:1; 50:6; Psalm 22:18; Isaiah 53:9,12)
2. Miracles performed
1. Moses (Exodus 4:28-31; 7:1-5; 10:1-2)
2. The young prophet of God (I Kings 13:1-6)
3. It was preserved
1. The Jews religion depended and focused on preserving O.T. (Romans 3:2)
2. Textual Criticism - hundreds of collaborating, pre-Christ copies of O.T.

3. Security of N.T. - Its prophets were proven and their message was preserved

1. Jesus proved He was the foretold Messiah (Matthew 3:1-6,13-17; 17:1-13; John 5:31-47; 10:37-38; 20:30-31; Acts 2:22)
1. He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies about the Messiah (II Peter 1:16-21)
1. Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1)
2. His hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16; John 20:24-29)
3. No bones would be broken (Psalm 34:20; John 19:31-36)
2. He foretold future events showing His divine Authority
1. His crucifixion and resurrection (John 2:18-22; Matthew 17:22-23)
2. Judas would betray Him (John 13:21-30; Matthew 26:45-56)
3. Fall of Jerusalem (Luke 21:20-24)
3. He performed indisputable miracles proving He was from God (Acts 1:3)
1. Healed many people (Matthew 15:30-31)
2. Raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:32-45)
3. Cast out demons (Matthew 8:28-34)
2. Apostles are Christ's authorized ambassadors (II Corinthians 5:18-20; Matthew 10:40)
1. Jesus promised He would guide the apostles into all truth (John 14:16-17,26; 16:7-15)
2. After Christ's ascension, they claimed to have all truth - even the very mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:6-16; II Peter 1:3)
3. They proved they were from God and were teaching God's message through miracles (I Corinthians 2:4-5; Romans 15:18-19; Acts 5:12-16; II Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:1-4)
4. Through inspiration, they preached their knowledge of God's mystery (I Corinthians 2:13; Matthew 10:20; I Thessalonians 2:13)
5. Their writings also contained this same knowledge (II Peter 1:16-21; Ephesians 3:2-5; II Timothy 3:16-17)
3. Their inspired writings were preserved
1. N.T. Christians made a practice of copying and circulating inspired texts (Galatians 1:2; II Corinthians 1:1; I Peter 1:1; I Corinthians 1:2; Colossians 4:16)
2. Textual Criticism - thousands of ancient, proven manuscripts

4. Security of the whole Bible - It is all we will ever need

1. Unity of the Bible - There are no contradictions in the Bible
1. It was written by about 40 different writers over a period of about 1500 years.
2. God cannot lie or contradict Himself (Hebrews 6:16-18; I Corinthians 14:33)
2. When we read the writings of the apostles and prophets, we can have the same understanding that they had (Ephesians 3:2-5; II Peter 3:1-2)
3. It is complete, lacking nothing (II Timothy 3:15-17)
4. It was given only once, and for all time (Jude 3; Hebrews 10:17)
5. It will abide forever; it is incorruptible; it cannot be undone; and it cannot pass away (I Peter 1:22-25; John 10:35; Matthew 24:35; Matthew 5:18)
6. It is trustworthy to the very word
1. Jesus' argument depended on the tense of a single word (Matthew 22:29-32)
2. Paul's argument rested on singularity of a single word (Galatians 3:16)
7. No other message can rightfully be taught (Galatians 1:6-9)
8. God's Word is the source of truth and the message of salvation (John 17:17)

5. WARNING: We may be condemned already by our attitude

1. We must never let this be said of us:
1. Without love of truth (II Thessalonians 2:8-12)
2. Forming conviction without investigation (Proverbs 18:13)
3. Hardened heart, unable to recognize truth (Matthew 13:14-15)
2. The Remedy - Sincere love of truth
1. Study God's Word (II Timothy 2:15)
2. Pray (James 1:5,25)

CONCLUSION

Although this outline does not consider in detail the historical evidence or evidence external to the Bible, it is essential for us to understand the internal claims that Bible makes for itself.  If we do believe that the Bible is God's Word, then we must also believe that it is complete, uncorrupted, and relevant today.  This eliminates room for additional revelations or conveniently believing only the parts of the Bible.  Therefore, with a strengthened faith let us redouble our efforts to study and obey the Bible "as it is in truth, the Word of God" (I Thessalonians. 2:13).  Having established the Bible as the sole revelation from God for us today, we must now turn our attention to the question of establishing Bible authority - how do we establish what the Bible teaches as right and wrong.  This is the next step in our search for truth.

Next:  Biblical Authority

Author: Trevor Bowen

Cultural Effects on Religion in America by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2916

Cultural Effects on Religion in America

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Q.

What effect is culture having on religion in America?

A.

In the midst of heated discussion and hot debate, the Episcopalian Church met in Columbus, Ohio to consider, among other things, whether the organization should ban gays and lesbians from being bishops. In the media attention surrounding the Episcopal General Convention, Katharine Schori, the first female presiding Bishop in the denomination’s history, had much to say about her beliefs regarding homosexuality. She stated: “I am fully committed to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians in this church” (Clark, 2006). Ironically, Asian and African Anglican bishops are so appalled at the stance of their American counterparts that they have cried out: “Don’t you believe the Bible you gave us?”

With such sentiments expressed by the prominent leader of the group, it is no surprise that the denomination did not pass the measure to ban homosexuals from being bishops. They did, however, institute a quasi-reversal of the non-ban and suggested that churches should “‘exercise restraint’ in selecting openly gay bishops” (Clark, 2006). Such a policy would make it more difficult for homosexuals to be bishops, but not impossible.

The troubling thing about such news is the way in which decisions are being made by those who profess to be Christians. The Bible explains that Christ is the head of the church, His body (Ephesians 1:22-23). Scriptures further explain that anything done by His Church should be done in accordance with His revealed will, by His authority (Colossians 3:17,23-24). It has never been the prerogative of any group that supposedly follows Christ to vote on whether an action is a sin or not. Furthermore, if someone is openly committing sin, it certainly is not the prerogative of “the body” to overrule “the head” and appoint such sinful individuals to leadership positions.

Inspired Scripture explains that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. In the litany of activities that would be considered unrighteous, homosexuality is conspicuously and repeatedly included (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Romans 1:26-28). Not only should openly homosexual individuals be banned from becoming bishops, they should be publicly marked and withdrawn from (along with adulterers, fornicators, thieves, etc.) until they repent of their sins and stop committing homosexual acts (1 Corinthians 5). Any group that presumes to vote on such issues and thinks that such a vote alters the way Heaven views sin is sadly mistaken. The church that Jesus died to save has no earthly headquarters, finds unity only through obedience to the New Testament, and is to function as an obedient body of Christ. All religious organizations that refuse to recognize the authority of Christ as revealed in the New Testament (Matthew 28:18) will hear these sad words spoken by Christ on the Day of Judgment: “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

REFERENCE

Clark, Stephen (2006), “Episcopalians Curb Policy on Gays,” LA Times, [On-line], URL: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-episcopal22jun22, 1,1257035.story?coll=la-headlines-nation.