If the Foundations be Destroyed
“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalms 11:3, KJV.
The wise words of Jesus are recorded in Matthew chapter 7. He compares those who do not hearken unto his words to a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand (v. 26). When the floods and wind come upon this man’s house, the foundation is destroyed and the fall of the house is great. Do we as Christians fall under the description of the foolish man or the wise man that builds upon the rock (v. 24)? It is imperative that we understand what foundation we are to build upon as Christians.
In Psalms 11:3 the Psalmist David writes, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” This question is of utmost importance in this ‘anything goes’ age that we are currently living in. If our spiritual foundation is manufactured from anything other than Jesus Christ and the word of God then we are setting ourselves up for a fall. In Ephesians 2:20, Paul explains that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus calls himself (not Peter) the rock that under-girds the church. If we are not seeking the will of the Lord and searching his word for the true foundations, then what can we do that will be profitable?
Sometimes we like to build our spiritual foundation upon our feelings. If it feels good then we ought to do it. I am thankful that God gave us emotions, but they should not govern the decisions that we make in life. Many well meaning people have disregarded the clear commands of scripture and substituted what ‘feels’ right for truth. Our worship of God is not to be directed by emotion. In an effort to attract people into their congregations, many churches have orchestrated their services to appeal to our emotions. Jesus says that our primary purpose for gathering together as God’s people is to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), not to be entertained.
Oftentimes in the midst of worship we become emotional as we hear the truth proclaimed (and rightfully so), but our feelings do not govern our worship of God. Our feelings can lead us astray. The Bible speaks of sin being pleasurable (Hebrews 11:25). Should we sin because it feels good? No, we obey the commandments of the Lord because the pleasures of sin are but for a season. This principle applies to all of our emotions
If we try to build our spiritual foundation upon popular opinion we are also setting ourselves up for failure. We observe the effects of this philosophy in the area of creation. Many people have rejected the idea that God created the heavens and the earth in six literal days. They say that we are a result of an evolutionary process and are in existence because of chance. Although the theory of evolution has been discredited numerous times, many people hold to its tenets. Sadly, many Christians have integrated it into their belief system. Thus they have built upon the sands of error.
It does not matter how many esteemed and educated people continue to advertise evolution as the answer to our existence, we are directed by the word of God to stand upon His truth. In Romans 3:4, Paul commands us to let God be true, but every man a liar. There is much more evidence in our world that points to a divine creator than this world coming into existence accidentally.
We see the effects of the rejection of creation in our society. It seems that our nation is increasingly turning away from the moral teachings of the Bible. Millions of unborn babies continue to be slaughtered in the name of choice. Our children are increasingly exposed to sexual perversion and wickedness. I believe that this is directly related to God’s people building their spiritual foundations upon worldly opinions. This results in a downward spiral of families, churches and our nation. We should be emboldened by the promises of Jesus and the word of God. If our foundation is not built upon the ROCK, Jesus Christ we are good for nothing in this world.
Michael Green, Jr. is pastor of Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (www.palmchapel.org) in Crestview, FL. Palm Chapel meets every Sunday at 10:30am and Wednesday at 6:00pm. Pastor Green can be contacted at (850) 689-3383 or by email at pastor@palmchapel.org. Pastor Green warmly invites you to come and worship at Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Article - The Wiles of the Devil
The Wiles of the Devil
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:11, 12, KJV.
Did you know that we are engaged in warfare in this world? All of us are in a daily spiritual battle against the devil and his emissaries. Jesus assures us that if we are his sheep then we do not have to fear our eternal security. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (John 10:28).” We should take strength from this and the many other promises of eternal life contained in the Bible. However, we must never forget that the devil is a wily enemy determined to wage war on the children of God until the end of time. The Apostle Peter likens him to a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 4:8). When the Bible speaks of the ‘wiles’ of the devil it means that he is not simply lying in wait to harm God’s people, but rather he is actively hunting them down! How does Satan attempt to harm God’s children, and what can we do to protect ourselves?
The devil is undeniably searching for our children to devour them. He is waging
a full frontal assault on the hearts and minds of our young people. It begins in the womb where many babies are snatched from what should be the safest place in the world for them - in the name of choice. These little ones never see the light of day. The attack does not end there. From an early age our children are taught that they are accidents; here in this world because of the process of evolution. Then, they are assaulted with a philosophy that right and wrong are relative. It is up to the individual to determine morality and there is no real authority in the society. This coupled with the bombardment of sex, violence and mocking of sin by the media causes many casualties amongst our youth in the spiritual battle.
The fight does not end with young people. Satan has set a snare for you, to, and is doing his best to drive you into it. He consumes so much of our time with the pursuit of wealth and material things. Many of us work above and beyond what is needed to provide food and clothing for our families. Many homes have become ‘two income’ families as we pursue bigger homes, nicer cars and more stuff. With mothers away from the home because of careers and father gone most of the time, children have been institutionalized for much of their lives. This leads to the problems mentioned in the previous paragraph and opens the door for the devil to obliterate a family. If our time is not taken up with wealth, then it is easily filled with the distractions of the world. It is amazing to observe how many people are distracted by their Ipods, cell phones, and computers. It is rare to see people engaged in meaningful interactions with others, much less spending quality time with God. I believe that Satan has been successful in casting these and many other stumbling-blocks before God’s people.
What is the solution to this problem? Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6:11 to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to withstand the devil’s wiles. What is this armor? He lists it in the following verses. We are to have our loins covered with the truth (God’s truth) and the breastplate of righteousness (V. 14). Our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (V. 15) and we are to defend ourselves with the shield of faith (V.16). Our head is to be covered with the helmet of salvation and our weapon is the sword of the spirit, the word of God (V.17). God’s armor is different than the solutions of the world. If we are truly to withstand the devil’s attacks we must abandon the false ideologies that abandon our youth and consume our time to the point that we neglect all things spiritual. Jesus said, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever (1 John 2:15-17).”
Michael Green, Jr. is pastor of Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (www.palmchapel.org) in Crestview, FL. Palm Chapel meets every Sunday at 10:30am and Wednesday at 6:00pm. Pastor Green can be contacted at (850) 689-3383 or by email at pastor@palmchapel.org. Pastor Green warmly invites you to come and worship at Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church.
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:11, 12, KJV.
Did you know that we are engaged in warfare in this world? All of us are in a daily spiritual battle against the devil and his emissaries. Jesus assures us that if we are his sheep then we do not have to fear our eternal security. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (John 10:28).” We should take strength from this and the many other promises of eternal life contained in the Bible. However, we must never forget that the devil is a wily enemy determined to wage war on the children of God until the end of time. The Apostle Peter likens him to a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 4:8). When the Bible speaks of the ‘wiles’ of the devil it means that he is not simply lying in wait to harm God’s people, but rather he is actively hunting them down! How does Satan attempt to harm God’s children, and what can we do to protect ourselves?
The devil is undeniably searching for our children to devour them. He is waging
a full frontal assault on the hearts and minds of our young people. It begins in the womb where many babies are snatched from what should be the safest place in the world for them - in the name of choice. These little ones never see the light of day. The attack does not end there. From an early age our children are taught that they are accidents; here in this world because of the process of evolution. Then, they are assaulted with a philosophy that right and wrong are relative. It is up to the individual to determine morality and there is no real authority in the society. This coupled with the bombardment of sex, violence and mocking of sin by the media causes many casualties amongst our youth in the spiritual battle.
The fight does not end with young people. Satan has set a snare for you, to, and is doing his best to drive you into it. He consumes so much of our time with the pursuit of wealth and material things. Many of us work above and beyond what is needed to provide food and clothing for our families. Many homes have become ‘two income’ families as we pursue bigger homes, nicer cars and more stuff. With mothers away from the home because of careers and father gone most of the time, children have been institutionalized for much of their lives. This leads to the problems mentioned in the previous paragraph and opens the door for the devil to obliterate a family. If our time is not taken up with wealth, then it is easily filled with the distractions of the world. It is amazing to observe how many people are distracted by their Ipods, cell phones, and computers. It is rare to see people engaged in meaningful interactions with others, much less spending quality time with God. I believe that Satan has been successful in casting these and many other stumbling-blocks before God’s people.
What is the solution to this problem? Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6:11 to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to withstand the devil’s wiles. What is this armor? He lists it in the following verses. We are to have our loins covered with the truth (God’s truth) and the breastplate of righteousness (V. 14). Our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (V. 15) and we are to defend ourselves with the shield of faith (V.16). Our head is to be covered with the helmet of salvation and our weapon is the sword of the spirit, the word of God (V.17). God’s armor is different than the solutions of the world. If we are truly to withstand the devil’s attacks we must abandon the false ideologies that abandon our youth and consume our time to the point that we neglect all things spiritual. Jesus said, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever (1 John 2:15-17).”
Michael Green, Jr. is pastor of Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (www.palmchapel.org) in Crestview, FL. Palm Chapel meets every Sunday at 10:30am and Wednesday at 6:00pm. Pastor Green can be contacted at (850) 689-3383 or by email at pastor@palmchapel.org. Pastor Green warmly invites you to come and worship at Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Article - The Foundation
The Foundation
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. –Matthew 7:24-27
Does it matter where you build your spiritual house? Modern philosophers espouse the idea of individual morality. This is the idea that right and wrong is determined by each person. What may be right to me might be wrong to another person and vice versa. Jesus likens this belief to the foolish man that builds his house upon the sand. As Christians we should desire to build our houses upon the foundation of the rock, Jesus Christ.
In the Book of Judges we observe the results of individuals doing that which was right in their own eyes (ex: 17:6, 21:25). During this time in Jewish history we witness many of God’s chosen nation turning to the worship of idols and intermingling with peoples that did not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When the people would foolishly turn from God, judgment would inevitably follow. It was during these times that they were building their spiritual houses upon sand. It is equally important how we build our spiritual houses as individuals, families and churches today.
Who determines right and wrong today? This is an oft debated question in modern society. Ministers and religious institutions are often confronted with the question of what gives them the right to determine the truth. These questions are easily answered when God’s word is sought. Individuals do not determine the truth, but God himself. He has given us the gift of his inspired word and has preserved it for many generations. The Bible is the authoritative point of reference for all of us. It contains absolute truth regarding morality and gives us the foundation that we need to construct our spiritual houses upon. When followed, we are able to withstand the rains, floods, and winds that oftentimes beat upon our spiritual house.
When men follow their own notions, trouble inevitably follows. Notice some of the following scriptures dealing with the wisdom of men. Proverbs 14:12 records that, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Everyone has an opinion about what seems right and wrong but the Bible says that the end is the ways of death. How do we overcome this obstacle? We triumph by adhering to God’s way and not our ways. When our philosophies and opinions differ from God’s truth we need to abandon ours. Jeremiah reveals the true nature of our heart in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The old adage of letting your heart and conscience be your guide should be avoided. The Bible states that the heart is deceitful and wicked. We need to measure every decision we make with the standard of God’s word.
What are you to do if you don’t know God’s pattern? The Apostle Paul instructs us to study! He writes us in 2 Timothy 2:15 to, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The Bible is a thorough furnisher of good works and gives us the plan to build our house upon a strong foundation. I encourage you to diligently study the Bible. When you are confronted with a difficult passage, seek wisdom from Godly people. You will be blessed in this endeavor.
Michael Green, Jr. is pastor of Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (www.palmchapel.org) in Crestview, FL. Palm Chapel meets every Sunday at 10:30am and Wednesday at 6:00pm. Pastor Green can be contacted at (850) 689-3383 or by email at pastor@palmchapel.org. Pastor Green warmly invites you to come and worship at Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. –Matthew 7:24-27
Does it matter where you build your spiritual house? Modern philosophers espouse the idea of individual morality. This is the idea that right and wrong is determined by each person. What may be right to me might be wrong to another person and vice versa. Jesus likens this belief to the foolish man that builds his house upon the sand. As Christians we should desire to build our houses upon the foundation of the rock, Jesus Christ.
In the Book of Judges we observe the results of individuals doing that which was right in their own eyes (ex: 17:6, 21:25). During this time in Jewish history we witness many of God’s chosen nation turning to the worship of idols and intermingling with peoples that did not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When the people would foolishly turn from God, judgment would inevitably follow. It was during these times that they were building their spiritual houses upon sand. It is equally important how we build our spiritual houses as individuals, families and churches today.
Who determines right and wrong today? This is an oft debated question in modern society. Ministers and religious institutions are often confronted with the question of what gives them the right to determine the truth. These questions are easily answered when God’s word is sought. Individuals do not determine the truth, but God himself. He has given us the gift of his inspired word and has preserved it for many generations. The Bible is the authoritative point of reference for all of us. It contains absolute truth regarding morality and gives us the foundation that we need to construct our spiritual houses upon. When followed, we are able to withstand the rains, floods, and winds that oftentimes beat upon our spiritual house.
When men follow their own notions, trouble inevitably follows. Notice some of the following scriptures dealing with the wisdom of men. Proverbs 14:12 records that, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Everyone has an opinion about what seems right and wrong but the Bible says that the end is the ways of death. How do we overcome this obstacle? We triumph by adhering to God’s way and not our ways. When our philosophies and opinions differ from God’s truth we need to abandon ours. Jeremiah reveals the true nature of our heart in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The old adage of letting your heart and conscience be your guide should be avoided. The Bible states that the heart is deceitful and wicked. We need to measure every decision we make with the standard of God’s word.
What are you to do if you don’t know God’s pattern? The Apostle Paul instructs us to study! He writes us in 2 Timothy 2:15 to, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The Bible is a thorough furnisher of good works and gives us the plan to build our house upon a strong foundation. I encourage you to diligently study the Bible. When you are confronted with a difficult passage, seek wisdom from Godly people. You will be blessed in this endeavor.
Michael Green, Jr. is pastor of Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (www.palmchapel.org) in Crestview, FL. Palm Chapel meets every Sunday at 10:30am and Wednesday at 6:00pm. Pastor Green can be contacted at (850) 689-3383 or by email at pastor@palmchapel.org. Pastor Green warmly invites you to come and worship at Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church.
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