1988 Issue 8
In the Philippines the gospel is changing the lives of huge numbers of people who in turn are changing the course of their country's history.
This April I had an opportunity to visit the Philippines. Officially, I was there on business to report on the condition of the armed civilian self-defense organizations that have sprung up throughout the islands in the last year or two.
Unofficially, I was there to make contact with Christian leaders and observe the impact of believers in that war-torn country. What I saw gives glory to God.
A few weeks ago Bob Miller, of our church, called me to tell me a meeting was being advertised for that next Friday in a United Church of Christ just a few miles from my house, at which the featured speaker was to be John Buchanan, President of People for the American Way (PAW). Knowing that PAW, the organization started by television producer, Norman Lear, would be dispensing the anti-God,' anti-religious swill for which they are best known, and since the meeting was open to the public, and a question and answer period was promised, we figured it would be good to have some of our people there to represent a godly, biblical point-of-view.
'Thou shalt have no other gods before me." - The First Commandment, Exodus 20:3 (A.V.).
Although he is the last human being on earth entitled to ask this question, the question is, nonetheless, valid and a piercing one that cuts to the heart of what we have become as a people. And the fact that it has not yet been answered is very revealing.
In a meeting while he was here, when questioned about human rights, Siegheil Gorbachev snapped:
"What moral right does America have to assume the pose of a teacher? Who has given it the right to teach us moral lessons?"
Excellent questions.
We have been brainwashed. You, me, and nearly everyone in this land who has attended school in this century. Modern, unbelieving historians have hidden the truth of our nation's history from us (sometimes innocently in ignorance, but often maliciously in a boldfaced attempt to deceive). Now, they are seeking to do the same thing to our children. As a result, American Christians have been (and are being!) robbed of a glorious heritage. This must not go on unhindered. The future of our nation depends in large measure, upon a right understanding of our past. AMERICA: The First 350 Years is not merely a survey of American history -- it gives you an interpretation of our history from an unabashedly Biblical perspective. You are not only told what happened, but why -- and, what it means for us today.
Judgment is certain now, because of Judah's impenitency. All that is left for Jeremiah is to tell the people to run for their lives from the judicial destruction and occupation of Judah by evil Babylon from the north.
Judah, weakened and frail because of her adultery, will be easy prey. Spiritual emaciation precedes economic and military emaciation. And military strength without spiritual and moral strength is not enough to guarantee the security of a nation.
Popular campus speaker Josh McDowell announced in February to the National Religious Broadcasters the results of a survey concerning sex among evangelical young people. As one who has spent extensive time counseling teens and their parents, as well as doing pre-marital counseling, I do not find the statistics to be shocking, but I am alarmed. However, the fact that teens in conservative congregations are only 10-15% behind the general population in respect to sexual activity may be surprising to some pastors, youth workers, and parents. By age 19, the poll revealed that 43% of those surveyed had experienced intercourse, with another 12% reporting sexual activity short of that.
What is Calvinism? Or the Confession of Faith in Harmony with the Bible and Common Sense. In a series of dialogues between a Presbyterian minister and a young convert. Dialogue XVIII, Church Government.
The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is a precious truth in God's Word. This doctrine states that every genuine Christian is eternally secure in Christ. There is absolutely nothing that can prevent God's work of grace in a person's heart from failing to achieve its ultimate goal - glorification in heaven. Ephesians 1:4 says that God the Father chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. Our salvation has its roots even before creation! We see God's electing grace manifested in His special work in our lives. He irresistibly calls us to himself by the sovereign work of His Holy Spirit. We are then born again by the very power of God, who changes our hearts by regenerating our lost souls. The Holy Spirit applies Christ's work of redemption to us, and He gives us the ability to bear godly fruit. The sanctification process continues throughout our entire lives until we are completely sanctified or made perfect when Jesus Christ returns. To believe that man can do something to interrupt this process is to diminish and assault the glory of God.
