July 30, 2012

He Is Hated by All the Denominations

The following is a quote from J.D. Tant (1861-1941):

J. D. Tant“Brother W. M. McIntyre has done more preaching and baptizing than any other preacher in the county, and is hated by all the denominations, and is never called upon to help in their union meetings. This causes me to think he is a man of God, sound in the faith” (Published in Gospel Advocate, April 29, 1897; Quoted from J. D. Tant – Texas Preacher, p. 177-178).

Why would Tant say that one being “hated by all the denominations” was an indication of his being “sound in the faith”? Notice that he mentions Brother McIntyre doing two things: preaching and baptizing.
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July 26, 2012

What to Call the Preacher

We hear people use different terms to identify those who preach – preacher, minister, pastor, etc. In this article we will address two things: what the Bible calls those who preach the gospel and what the religious world calls those who preach.

Why is this important? Names mean something. The terms that are used to identify those who preach are used for a reason. They help describe the work or the perceived work. It is good for us to call Bible things by Bible names and for those who preach to do the work they ought to be doing.

This list is not exhaustive, but it addresses some of the more common names used today.
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July 22, 2012

"You Must Not Prophesy to Us What is Right" (7/22)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 28-30.

God told Isaiah that he must prophesy to the people, even though they would not listen. He also explained why it was important to tell them anyway.

“Now go, write it on a tablet before them and inscribe it on a scroll, that it may serve in the time to come as a witness forever. For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, ‘You must not see visions’; and to the prophets, ‘You must not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel’” (Isaiah 30:8-11).

The people of God were a “rebellious people.” This was why they refused to listen to God’s instructions. They desired “pleasant words,” even if such words were not true. What they thought and felt was more important to them than what God desired to teach them.
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July 18, 2012

“These Who Have Turned the World Upside Down”

Paul preaching in Thessalonica

After just a few weeks of Paul preaching in Thessalonica, the gospel had been received by some of the Jews and “a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women” (Acts 17:1-4). In an effort to try to silence this message, the Jews intended to capture Paul and Silas. When they could not find them, they took Jason and some of the brethren and brought them before the authorities in order to accuse them.

“When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus’” (Acts 17:6-7).

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July 14, 2012

They Prophesy for Money (7/14)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Micah 1-7.

After condemning the rulers for oppressive taxation of the people (Micah 3:1-3), the Lord addressed the prophets who had the same “love of money” (cf. 1 Timothy 6:10) as the rulers. Money, rather than simply proclaiming the word of God, was the primary motivation for these prophets.

“Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, her priests instruct for a price and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord saying, ‘Is not the Lord in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us’” (Micah 3:11).

Since their motivation was money and not truth (their claim that the Lord was with them and would protect them was false), these prophets adjusted their message depending on whether or not their audience would support them.
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July 11, 2012

Appalling and Horrible and the People Love It So!

At the time when Jeremiah prophesied, God was preparing to send Judah into Babylonian captivity in order to punish them for their sins (Jeremiah 1:14-16). But it was not just the common people that had devolved into a state of spiritual corruption. The prophets and priests were involved as well.

“An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so!” (Jeremiah 5:30-31).

The inhabitants of Judah had learned to tolerate and celebrate sin. “Where they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush” (Jeremiah 6:15). The prophets spoke lies and the priests followed their own rule. “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:13-14). Yet even as judgment was planned because of these things, God invited His people to repent and turn back to Him.
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June 29, 2012

There Is One Prophet of the Lord, "But I Hate Him" (6/29)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18.

When Ahab wished to go up and fight against Ramoth-gilead, he asked the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, if he would join him. Before committing to this, Jehoshaphat wanted to first consult one of the Lord’s prophets.

“Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, ‘Please inquire first for the word of the Lord.’ Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, ‘Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?’ And they said, ‘Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.’

“But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him?’ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla’” (2 Chronicles 18:4-7).

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