Monday, October 11, 2010

We Need Spiritual Awakening!!!

The famous British Historian Arnold J. Toynbee (1889-1975) said that 19 to 21 major civilizations that had come and gone since man began to form governments. He said, the American civilization is one of five that remain. He point out that almost all had not been overthrown by some outside aggressors, but by moral and spiritual collapse from the inside.

That brings me to General Douglas MacArthur. As a quick aside, in 1907, while on an engineering assignment in Milwaukee, MacArthur used to live in a Hotel where the Grand Avenue Mall stands today. MacArthur insisted, "History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."

I recently came across this quote when reading a sermon by F. B. Meyer. He wrote about sensuality and sexual immorality and how it destroys a nation. He wrote, "There is no sin which will sooner bring about a nations fall. If history teaches anything, it teaches that sensual indulgence is the surest way to national ruin. Society, in not condemning this sin condemns itself."

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?

The famous Baptist preacher of London, Charles H. Spurgeon wrote an article in the late 1800’s titled, Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats? In this article he said…

"The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the Church that part of her mission is to provide entertainment of the people, with the view of winning them. From speaking out as the Puritans did, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her boarders, now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses…. Providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function for the Church. If it was a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? ‘Go ye’…into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. This is a clear enough. So it would have been if He had added, ‘and provide amusement for those who do not relish the Gospel.’ No such words are to be found…. Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them."

What Spurgeon saw blossoming in his day is in full bloom today. Passionate preaching has been replaced with choreographed dramatic productions and worldly music. And when there is preaching, too often it is non-judgmental and non-directive. Nothing controversial is addressed that might bring conviction and repentance. How contrary to the instructions that Paul gave to the young preacher Timothy - Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn their ears from the truth and shall be turned to fables." 2 Timothy 4:2-4 

If you are one of the Lord's sheep, get into a church that focuses on preaching and teaching the Word of God!


Parson Brown

Monday, October 4, 2010

Is Your Pastor A Blessing or A Curse?

"As God can send a nation or people no greater blessing than to give them faithful, sincere, and upright ministers, so the greatest curse that God can possibly send upon a people in this world is to give them over to blind, unregenerate, carnal, luke-warm, and unskillful guides." (George Whitefield – 1714 to 1770)