Author: Berean Baptist

            In our message today, I briefly discuss the religious apostasy of the tribulation. Since I don’t have time during the sermon, let me give you a little more of the background of the religion system of the Antichrist that is an integral part of his government. It is a mixture of all the great religions of the world headed up by apostate Christianity.

            In has never been Satan’s primary tactic of deception to convince people to be atheists. He knows that man was created with the innate knowledge of God and rather than fight against human nature he chooses to exploit to his best advantage man’s ignorance of the true God. Since the beginning of the church two thousand years ago, Satan’s greatest weapon has been to pervert the gospel by corrupting the church and creating a confusing counterfeit. Today, Christianity claims two billion adherents most of which have some affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. Through the centuries, Roman Catholicism has proved to be a great compromiser and thus Satan’s most effective counterfeit. During the Reformation, it was common for the reformers to equate Mystery Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5) with the Roman Catholic Church. Having been part of the Catholic system themselves, they were very familiar with its rife corruption.

            It has always been Catholicism method to increase her numbers by compromise. In the fourth century, Constantine saw the advantages of joining Christianity with his secular government but it was difficult to convince pagans to give up their mythological gods. To diffuse the opposition, the gods of the pagans were given new names and incorporated into the worship of his universal church. Although known by different names, their practice of worshipping Mary, the saints, and angels predates Christianity by thousands of years going all the way back to the construction of Babel in Genesis 11. In its missionary efforts through the centuries, when Catholicism wanted to embrace a different culture, it was no problem for them to be flexible and to incorporate the superstitions of their converts into their religious system.

            In the Tribulation, history will repeat itself as Roman Catholicism will be the head of the Antichrist’s apostate religion. Compromises will be necessary to mix all the world’s religions into one satanic concoction that will help the Antichrist rise to power and control the world. The same movement is foreshadowed today in the compromises of Protestants to rejoin their harlot mother. When the ECT accord (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) was signed in 1994, many well-known Protestant and Catholic leaders agreed to cooperate in their efforts to propagate the gospel. This was done notwithstanding Rome’s gross perversion of the doctrine of justification. The chief battle in the 16^th century Reformation was the correction of Rome’s false gospel of meritorious justification. This was laid aside in the ECT as being inconsequential, which makes the ecumenicism of the agreement nothing less than the affirmation of the Antichrist’s agenda.

            In 2022, it is hard to find a religious leader that still identifies the Great Whore of Revelation with the Roman Catholic Church. Satan’s deception goes on as one world church and religion become more of a reality every day. When the leaders of our country, many of whom claim to be Christians, cover up the atrocities of Islam and approve them as seekers finding their own path to God, they are setting up the convergence of all religions. As Congress gives up national sovereignty, they pave the way for the one world government of the Antichrist. Mix these two together, apostate Christianity and one world government, and the result is Mystery Babylon the Great, the wickedest vilest enemy of God that ever inhabited earth.

            Revelation 17 is the worst of the world’s history looking backwards or forwards. Thank God the King is coming! Mystery Babylon will fall, and the King of kings will reign supreme! We pray daily for God’s Kingdom to come to earth. Until it comes, we oppose religious dualism. We cannot and will not join any ecumenical efforts that promote unity by compromise. We are not ashamed to name the names of religious apostates. The day of wrath is coming. We will not be sleeping dogs who are passive and will not bark out the warning.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18) 

In our study of the end times, there is the term “last days” used several times in both Old and New Testaments but is often misunderstood. Sometimes the same concept is expressed in the way the apostle John did in 1 John 2:18 when he said, “it is the last time.” Since the Bible was completed two thousand years ago, we might think the writers were referring to a far-off time, different from theirs and referring to our own time or some other future date. However, it is clear from John’s present tense usage, “it is the last time,” that the time he was living in was also considered the last days. Hebrews 1:1-2 defines the last days as a time inaugurated with the first advent of the Messiah. This means for these past two thousand years we have been living in the last days and will be until Christ returns to close out this period of earth’s history.

The last days are characterized as a time of growth in the kingdom of God. We see this in Matthew 13 and the seven parables Jesus taught concerning the kingdom. This is a time for God’s people to witness the gospel, or as Jesus illustrates in the first parable of Matthew 13, it is a time to sow the seeds of the gospel. This is also a time of great opposition. In the second parable, Jesus described how Satan will sow tares among the wheat. The tares are poisonous plants that represent the children of darkness who infiltrate the kingdom. They hate the wheat, which is God’s people, and they hate the works of Christ. Using the term antichrists, which is peculiar to John’s writings, John describes the character of these tares. They are anti meaning against Christ. They try to destroy the growth of the kingdom by teaching false doctrines.

            Antichrists are extremely dangerous because the most effective work they do is when they are able to infiltrate churches with their false doctrines. These are not people that stand outside throwing stones. Rather, they are deceitful workers that stealthily worm their way into the church and eat away at it from the inside. They represent false Christianity, and their main target is Christ Himself. If they can destroy doctrines such as the deity of Christ, the penal substitutionary nature of the atonement, justification by faith alone, the inerrancy of scripture, and other essential doctrines they are successful at destroying the gospel before it can take root in the heart.

            John and other Bible authors warn us to be on the lookout for any deviation from the truths taught by Jesus and the apostles. The theme of 1 John is the apostle’s systematic criteria for identifying those that are not true believers. If these false teachers are characteristic of the end times, then we are sure that John was not the only one living through the last days. We are in the heat of it at this moment, especially when the people of this country have become dreadfully confused about the definition of true Christianity.  When heterodox Mormons are considered Christian, you know we are in trouble! We must be very diligent to “contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude v. 3). We are surrounded by antichrists—not my term but John’s—and a very appropriate description it is.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

The End Is Near!

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7) 

            I am sure each of you is familiar with the cartoon of a man with long hair and beard standing on a street corner with a sign reading “THE END IS NEAR!” Usually, the sign flanks both the front and rear and some sort of funny caption is placed beneath. The idea is that anyone that thinks the end of the world is approaching is a fool. Every day we wake up to the same sunrise, we head off to work, put in our shift, and then make the drive back home. At night we watch a little TV, crawl into bed and go to sleep. The next morning it starts all over again and we do these 365 times per year and have done it for every year since we were born. Further, everyone we know has done the same routine with only slight variation and everyone we have ever heard of or read about in the history of the world has done the same. It is no wonder that when someone begins to sound an alarm for the approaching apocalypse, he is considered a fool.

            It has now been 2000 years since Peter wrote “the end of all things is at hand” and no doubt there were many that read his words and said he was a fool. Peter’s reference is to the Second Coming of Christ when God will destroy this universe and all that is contained therein. In his second letter, Peter spoke of scoffers that said “Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). Are we to consider Peter a fool because Christ has yet to return? Is the Bible’s warning nonsense?

            It is helpful to understand that although New Testament Christians believed in the imminent return of Christ, they were not date-setters. Peter did not imply he was certain tomorrow, or next week, or next month, the world would end. He followed the consistent pattern of New Testament teaching, especially that of Jesus, which said the Second Coming would be a sudden event that would occur without warning. The “end” refers to the consummation of the ages. “At hand” means the day is approaching. Every day we live we are one day closer to the time Christ will return. We are encouraged therefore to live in anticipation of the event. This does not mean to stand on street corners with signs, although we should witness of the event in a rational manner. It does not mean to neglect our daily routines in order to stare at the sky. It means to guard our personal lives so that we are a living testimony of faith. The closer we are to the Lord in obeying His commands the more it speaks to the degree of our confidence in the truthfulness of the scriptures.

            The prophet Amos said, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Years ago, I remember seeing signs along the roadway that said the same. The time of our life is uncertain and at every turn in life’s roadway there is a possible hazard that could end our lives. It is not as crazy as we might think to say, “the end is near.” One way or another we will meet God. It could be at the suddenness of the Second Coming or at our failure to breathe the next breath. No one knows the time of either. Are you prepared? In either event, you can be by placing your faith in Jesus Christ.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Patriotism – Good or Bad?

            Today marks the 246^th birthday of the United States of America. We rejoice in another year of God’s providence as we are still free to worship our Lord according to our conscience. More importantly, we worship according to truths that are found in God’s Holy Word. The freedom to worship must not be taken lightly as we know Satan constantly attempts to tear down the liberty of conscience. While this statement is true, it is also true that liberty of conscience is neither too bothersome to the master of evil. He knows the human heart is well capable of destroying itself with little to no help from him. The more we depend on free-thinking, the less we are like God. We wander and weave from side to side on the broad road to destruction without guardrails to prevent mass destruction.

            This is not to say we do not cherish the Declaration of Independence in its most concise definitive summary of American government: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Notice the capitalization in the original—Creator, Rights, Life, Liberty, Happiness. It seems from the Creator the others divinely flow. This is truly a grand statement, and yet we recognize these fundamental rights are good only as they are exercised under the most powerful government of all—the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. We seek no independence from Him nor any free-thinking that counters the principles of His Holy Word.

            In the past few years, I have more struggled with the intersection of politics/government with the worship of the church. Politics is polarizing and at times deafeningly maddening. It tends to accomplish Satan’s purpose in the church without us realizing it touches the perversion of the gospel. Anger without a cause is the problem, that is, a cause that does not impugn God’s character. Conflating God and country rarely finds us without an imagined cause. If Satan can divide us on any avenue of thought, he accomplishes his purposes all the same. This is perfectly acceptable to him. He does not always claim credit for what we voluntarily do to ourselves. If he converts the middling church member who barely acknowledges responsibility to the gospel into flaming political activism as his passion, the gospel is abandoned equally as well.

            I posit this question for your consideration. Is America’s rabid patriotism a help or a hindrance to the gospel? I believe it is helpful whenever our desire for the direction of our country coincides with biblical objectives. Moral questions are certainly a part of our righteous agenda but with the understanding the human heart cannot be legislated into morality. We hold back the tide on each issue only temporarily until we are finally overrun by the insatiable moral drunkards on immorality’s broad road. Our patriotism is unhelpful when a political agenda is broadened and more inclusive of issues that do not affect the gospel. We may divide a church on these issues as our old human nature drives us rather than our common faith.

            Today, I choose to acknowledge the blessed beginnings of our country and thank God for the protections the Founding Fathers placed in our Constitution. No doubt God’s hand was upon them and some were indeed Christians. However, the birthday of the USA is only coincidental to Sunday worship observance. It is in the background, not the foreground. Therefore, we worship Christ fervently and only salute with a nod to our patriotism.

                                                                        V. Mark Smith

            On many occasions, I have remarked that the Bible’s first readers would not have seen the chapter and verse divisions that we see in our Bibles today. The first manuscripts were scrolls with continuous lines that make the text, thoughts, and ideas run together. The scribes who copied these scrolls and those who read them had to be experts in the word to locate the areas of the manuscript they wanted to read and expound.

            When Jesus stood in the synagogue to read from the scroll of Isaiah, the prophecy He read was well-known and neither had He trouble finding it nor were those who heard unfamiliar. Today, if you see a scroll of Isaiah such as the one in the Dead Sea Scrolls Museum in Israel, you would be amazed at how capable these people needed to be to find anything.

            I point this out because when we read Isaiah 53 and then go into 54, the chapter break makes us think the thoughts are not continuous. In the end of the 53^rd chapter, the death of Christ is the subject, and then immediately chapter 54 begins with singing. The singing is oddly connected with Christ’s death. Why? Because the death of Christ was not His end. The ministry of Christ did not end for His death would bring forth the salvation of many more than He saw come to Him during His life.

            When Christ was crucified, there were few in Israel that believed. Many miracles were done but when Acts 2 begins after the ascension, there were only 120 disciples gathered on the Day of Pentecost. Proof of the resurrection was attested by more than 500 people, but the 120 gathered might indicate that most who saw Christ after His death were scattered with fear the whole experience would yield very little. How wrong they were! The Holy Spirit descended, and Peter preached. Three thousand souls came to Christ in one day. More were added to the church in the following weeks than were added during the three years of Christ’s ministry. Soon, the Jerusalem church was bursting at the seams as thousands more heard the gospel and believed.

            Do you see the connection to the work of Christ on the cross? He was wounded for our transgressions. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. He was numbered with transgressors and then He died. What did it yield? His death is cause for rejoicing, for out of His death we read in chapter 54, “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine inhabitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes…” The salvation of millions is the result of the death of the cross. Tent stakes must be pulled up. The fabric must be enlarged; the cords of the tie downs must be lengthened to accommodate the burgeoning numbers of the redeemed under the canopy of God’s tent.

            As you read the Bible, keep it together. The divisions may throw you at times and you won’t catch the continuity intended by the old manuscripts read by the ancients. We need the divisions to find what we want because we are not the Bible students they were. From preacher to the pew, we know less than we should.

            Can we do better? Yes. Personal study and presence at the sermons and Bible studies is needed. The word of God comes alive, if only you know how to read it!

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

by J. C. Ryle

• There is an undeniable zeal in some teachers of error–their “earnestness” makes many people think they must be right.

• There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge–many think that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe to listen to.

• There is a general tendency to completely free and independent thinking today–many like to prove their independence of judgment by believing the newest ideas, which are nothing but novelties.

• There is a wide-spread desire to appear kind, loving, and open-minded–many seem half-ashamed to say that anybody can be wrong or is a false teacher.

• There is always a portion of half-truth taught by modern false teachers–they are always using scriptural words and phrases, but with unscriptural meaning.

• There is a public craving for a more sensational and entertaining worship–people are impatient with the more inward and invisible work of God within the hearts of men.

• There is a superficial readiness all around to believe anyone who talks cleverly, lovingly and earnestly, forgetting that Satan often masquerades himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).

• There is a wide-spread ignorance among professing Christians–every heretic who speaks well is surely believed, and anyone who doubts him is called narrow-minded and unloving.

All these are especially symptoms of our times. I challenge any honest and observant person to deny them. These tend to make the assaults of false doctrine today especially dangerous and make it even more important to say loudly, “Do not be carried away with strange doctrine!”

(This was written before the end of the 19^th century. Satan has not changed his tactics—only the names and numbers of false teachers have changed. They are bigger, bolder, and have easier access to the masses of gullible people. Sadly, those willing to confront them are a dying breed. Let’s stand for truth and call them what they are—heretics and enemies of souls. ~ Pastor V. Mark Smith)

            In one of our studies in our Romans class, we talked about witnessing to people who do not believe the Bible is true and do not accept its authority. It seems like an insurmountable problem since our faith is built on the revelation of God in scripture, and without it, we have no reliable basis for our beliefs. It should be that the one who rejects the Bible is an impossible person to reach with the truth.

            A few days after our class, I saw a short missions’ video about a remote tribe in Papua that had no contact with the outside world. About 15 years ago, a pilot was flying over the remote area where this unknown tribe lived and spotted the thatched roofs of houses of this previously undiscovered people. Once the news of the discovery was out, missionaries made this unknown group a target for the gospel of Christ. These indigenous people welcomed the strangers, but the monumental task was before the missionaries of how to communicate and teach these people who had never heard of the Bible or Christ. They had no alphabet and thus no written language.

            Progress was slow at first as the missionaries began with the basic approach of Paul in Romans 1. All people know there is a Supreme Being and none can deny there must be a Creator God. The missionaries began to tell them of the God who made all things by relating the account of creation from Genesis. As they continued their witnessing and education of these backward people, they listened to the sounds and syllables of their language and began to form an alphabet for a written language. When this was accomplished, they taught them to read their own language by translating the Bible into their native tongue. Now these people were enabled to see for themselves what the Bible says about God and His creation.

            The emphasis of the missionaries was the use of the word of God to reach the hearts of the people. First Peter 1:23 says: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” It is always the word of God that is the means by which we are born-again. No one circumvents the necessity of the word in salvation.

            Now these people had the word of God, but this does not mean they would believe the Bible is true. Miraculously through the operation of the Holy Spirit, the Bible does its job of converting the soul and convincing of truth. Once the natives began to read for themselves, the Spirit took over and made the word effectual in their hearts.

            I recite this story because the word works the same way with the hearts of skeptics that you often meet. They do not accept the authority of the Bible and they do not believe it is true. However, when they hear and the Holy Spirit works, there is an irresistible draw to the Father. They are changed from unbelief to belief through the regenerating power of God who enlightens the mind and changes the will.

            The testimony of the natives was unanimous. One said, “I was in darkness until the Holy Spirit showed me the truth.” These were people shackled by fear in their animistic beliefs, but their hearts were set free by reading the word of God. Now they are anxious for the word, and they live in the word, and it is their primary source material for learning to read.

            Never underestimate the power of the word. Often, skeptics believe they are intellectually superior, and we are too often tempted to appeal to the learned through their intellect rather than taking them down to the basic truth—all people are sinners in need of the grace of God. Not one person was saved because they were smart or had good sense. The unbelieving college professor is as ignorant of God as the undiscovered tribes of Papua. The word of God is the only way to reach them. Try it and depend on the Holy Spirit to do His work.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

A few weeks before church closures in the pandemic, I read an interesting article. This article was about confession of sin. In 1 John 1:9, John wrote: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” For those of you who still remember our 1 John series a few years ago, we examined this scripture and determined it is a verse for believers not unbelievers.  While the verse is true for unbelievers, John did not intend it for them. The verse is for the church as the epistle of 1 John is for the church. The teaching, then, is that believers need to maintain an attitude of repentance and confession of sin.

            We are to confess, a word that means agreement. We agree with God that His assessment of our sins is correct and immediately upon conviction by the Holy Spirit, we are to agree with God that we have broken His holy law. The question framed in the article was, how do we confess? What actions do we take in confession?

            These are good questions when we consider both private and public sins. The answer is dependent upon which type of sin it is. All sin is first and foremost against God, which means in either case God is our confessor. We go to Him in our prayers and with proper confession we admit our sin and ask for His forgiveness. This confession is not with a prescription or form described in the Bible that tells exactly what to say. I believe the words are directed by the Holy Spirit according to His righteous, holy, gracious influences. Private sins only require private confession. The confession is to God never to a priest or anyone we consider to be a representative of God. Forgiveness is granted by God and no other.

            The public sin, however, is quite different. The modern church has abandoned public confession of public sins. In fact, our churches are far away from discipline for public offenses. Occasionally, it is necessary to dismiss members of our church for non-attendance of our services. This is public sin. It is sin against the congregation. Excisive discipline is a church term and a church action. It is intended for the good of the member and the good of the body. It is never a vindictive action but is intended for the hope of later restoration. It is an action taken to emphasize the seriousness of the sin as it requires severing from the body of Christ.

            How might a person removed for church discipline be restored? Our church requires public confession. The church as well as God is an offended party. Therefore, the church must be included in the confession. Restoration to membership is granted when the person admits the sin to the membership and asks for forgiveness. The church desires this, so forgiveness is forthcoming upon credible repentance.

            I might add if the person wants membership restored but does not want to take this step, he does not understand the serious nature of his sin. If he is truly contrite and loves the Lord’s church, he will understand the church must be satisfied. This is more important than his personal feelings.

            Much more could be said on the subject. I believe John in writing to the church envisioned the scenario of which we speak. It is consistent with church discipline as taught by Jesus in Matthew 18.

            I encourage you to pray for members who have been removed. I am afraid to speculate that some of them may need salvation. John addresses this too: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19) 

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

            Today, our scripture reading from Isaiah 50 is a conversation between God and Israel. To be more specific, it is Christ the Son of God who speaks, and His words reflect His divine ministry when He became incarnate. There are two verses that caught my attention and prompted further meditation.

            The first is verse 4: “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” I think of the compassion of Christ who felt every sorrowful experience we encounter. Whether the sorrow is physical, mental, or spiritual, Jesus knows the exact words to speak that comfort our hearts and lift our spirits. I am reminded how difficult this is for me when I speak to the desperately ill and those who are dying. I am often without perfect words and am left in silence. And yet I know which words are not helpful and are of no comfort. I am aware that some things said are not helpful and may be taken wrongly.

            For example, it is hard to criticize the attitude of those who are sick. When people have extended illnesses, they often become despondent and depressed. Perhaps we believe Christians should never come to this state, but if they didn’t the Lord would never say He knew how to comfort the weary. He realizes this human frailty. I don’t remember reading any passage in scripture in which the Lord rebuked the sick for a less than stellar attitude in their illness. I see the apostle John and the Lord’s brother James calling for love and compassion and prayer, but never chastisement. To hear God’s word and to know people pray for you are the means God uses to lift the spirits of the weary. Be cautious how you deal with the distressed. They do not need to be driven to deeper despair.

            The second verse that caught my attention is verse 7: “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” This is the determination of Christ to do His Father’s will. Despite the criticisms and forces of hell that would deter Him, He soldiered on. He set His face like a flint—that is with steadfast determination not to quit. It is the hardness and resoluteness of hard rock to continue though humanly everything told Him He should not. Imagine Satan offering Him the kingdoms of the world in exchange for the shame of the cross. How does He withstand except the Father gave His Spirit to help Him?

            The cross was not only a cruel way to die, it was utterly shameful. Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. It was an abomination to the Jews and shouted the worst criminality to the Gentiles. Yet, Christ knew He would not be ashamed. He would be vindicated by the Father’s promise. He would be raised from the dead and restored to His throne in heaven.

            Isaiah 50 is a wonderful picture of Christ. “Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” (v. 50). Always trust God. Who has suffered by obedience and has not been rewarded abundantly? Take heart that following the Lord with all its difficulties will end in the ease and peaceful rest of God’s sabbath in His heavenly kingdom.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

            Preaching God’s word to God’s people is often a lonely job. It shouldn’t be, but often it is because it requires telling people what they should do and how they should live when they don’t want to. The apostle Paul made an interesting statement in Galatians 4:16. He wrote, “Am I therefore your enemy because I tell you the truth?” He said this after remembering how the Galatians were blessed and overjoyed when he gave them the gospel. They received his word as if he were an angel of God. He said they treated him as well as if he were Jesus Christ. Then he added they would do anything for him, even if he asked for their eyes, they would pluck them out. What caused their attitude to change and made them think of Paul as their enemy? He called them on their sin and told them they had returned to the weak and beggarly elements of the law. He said they had turned back to the bondage they escaped. He called them on it and then he wasn’t as popular as he was before.

            This happens too many times to the pastor of the church. Most love him and support him and will do anything for him until he takes on his friends and tells them they need to change. He sees them turn to old ways and they aren’t as enthusiastic about the church as they once were. When he tells them the truth, it goads them, and listening isn’t fun anymore.

            The truth is, when the pastor comes down on your sins in his sermons and when he steps on your toes, it is never to harm you. He is a friend that loves you and wants you to be blessed and prosperous because you follow Christ. His years are filled with the experience of Christians that gradually dropped out of service—the same people who thought they never would.

            The enemy of truth is the one who refuses to hear truth. One author wrote the enemies of truth refuse to hear in two forms: not listening to someone tell the truth or refusing to accept it. Accepting truth requires repentance. It means you are wrong, and you need to change your ways. It means you must go against your flesh, to reject the old nature and to live within the new. In Galatians 5:17, the apostle wrote: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary…” Simply stated, to refuse truth and not correct errors is to reject the Holy Spirit. Am I your enemy if I tell you not to reject the Spirit? Your best friend is the one who tells you, “If you live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:13-14).

            Be careful of the way you respond to truth. The way you react may tell you more than you want to know. Either way, when you hear the truth, it is always a friend who tells it. He is not your enemy. He is the guardian of your soul.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

            This morning in our worship service we continue to examine Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica. These past few weeks of study have shown the heart of the apostle from the viewpoint of pastoral leadership. The striking lesson learned is the deep personal affection Paul felt for those he brought to faith in Christ. They were converted and then assembled into new bodies of Christ that were united in fellowship centered in the gospel of Christ.

            When a believer comes to faith in our Lord, he receives a new nature, one that is recreated in the image of God. The original image was marred by sin when Adam fell. Before he sinned, Adam had the perfect image in him which included the ability to love as God loves. Because God is love, the character of man’s godly image was also to love. Adam was able to love his wife with a perfect love.

            This marital love was emblematic of the love Christ has for His church. It is also a reflection of the love each member of Christ should have for each other. The scriptures teach that love should abound in us and this was one of Paul’s petitions of prayer when he prayed in chapter 3:12, “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you…” The last part of the verse emphasizes Paul’s pastoral love. His love was exemplary as it abounded toward them.

            My personal takeaway from Paul’s desire is that pastors enter a unique relationship with the people they are given to shepherd. The greatest joy for a pastor is to experience reciprocal love flowing back and forth from him to the people. Paul’s feeling at times was to experience love as a one-way street. Yet, still he said I love you though the less I be loved. I am thankful today that rarely have I experienced less love than I have given. If anything, I am deeply in debt to the members of Berean because you have given far more love and support than I have returned.

            These past months I’ve often alluded to the love and support given during my wife’s illness. We approach Thanksgiving this year with hearts full of gratitude for kindnesses and considerations in this trying time. This illness has restricted much of my ability to look after the physical and emotional needs of the congregation. But once again, there is considerable help from our deacons and others of our leaders. Some have gone beyond the call to help care for the sick and hurting among us.

            This help is invaluable. I often feel inadequate for this ministry. Thankfully, the Lord has helped me keep up my studies. I am relaxed and strengthened as I study and prepare for sermons, and then have the pleasure of giving you the fruits of this labor.

            Though I have no right to ask, I humbly request for more prayers and indulgences. It does not appear our struggles will end soon. Only by a miracle of God’s grace can we expect an immediate change. God does not promise this, but we do claim His promise to be with us in the trials and to sustain us daily with His mercies.

            God works through His people, which for us means His mercies become real through your love and support. We are thankful for the Lord and for you His faithful servants. We cannot continue without your willingness to stand with us. We look for better days, but we are content to be used in whatever ways God sees fit. What shape this will take we do not know. We trust the Lord to reveal this in His good time.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: ^[13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Today in our study of 1 Thessalonians we consider the opposition of the world that hates Christ. The persecution of Christians is a theme common to the apostles. Suffering is often addressed by the writers of the New Testament because of the terrible persecution inflicted on them by an empire that was hostile to Christianity. One of their greatest challenges was to get new converts to buy into it as the badge their faith was real. In 1 Peter, Peter hits on the theme in every section of his letter. He tells his readers to rejoice in their salvation even though they experience terrible trials.

When Jesus called twelve men to be His disciples, He warned that following Him and witnessing for Him and remaining true to the faith would not be an easy path to follow. Although the gospel of Christ is the only hope for a world awaiting the wrath of God, people reject this message and they often do it with hatred and sometimes with violence.

The tone of 1 Peter makes it clear that suffering for Christ is not to be unexpected. Peter says, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” The explanation for these trials comes in 4:13 and is attributed to the sufferings of Christ. To paraphrase Peter, he tells persecuted Christians, “Don’t be surprised when people hate you and want to kill you. If you desire to follow Christ, you will not receive better treatment than He received.” The reason for this should be easily discerned even if we do not consider the natural negative disposition of men towards the gospel. We can approach the problem from another angle which is simple deductive reasoning in the comparison of our lives to Jesus Christ.

What kind of man was Jesus? He was kind, compassionate, considerate, supremely loving, temperate, patient, self-sacrificing, perfectly righteous, and a dozen other superlatives that could be added. How was Jesus treated? He was abused, accused, told He was from Satan, and run out of town. He was called a glutton and a drunkard; He was accused of sedition and finally cruelly crucified. All of this happened to the perfect God-man, and yet He never struck back at anyone that wanted to harm Him.

Now consider your life. How do you compare to Jesus in any of these areas? I am sure you have some good traits, but each of us even at our best falls far short of Christ’s example. The indignation we feel when treated badly is just one more example of our inability to match His standard. So, how will we be treated being imperfect as opposed to the perfect Son of God? Not for a minute should we expect better treatment.

Reading this you may say, “How depressing! Is it really worth it?” This is when you should remember Peter’s answer to this question. 1 Peter 1:6 says this is a temporary condition. In 4:13, he says Christ will appear in His glory and you will be exalted and honored with Him. The worst trial you face for the cause of Christ will be worth it when you come to the realization of your final salvation. Never fear what anyone can do to you. As Peter says in the last verse of the fourth chapter, you can commit the keeping of your soul to Christ. He is the powerful Creator who speaks the word and vanquishes all enemies!

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  (2 Timothy 2:15)

The letter of 2^nd Timothy is one of three Pastoral Epistles written by Paul to instruct both Timothy and Titus in their duties as pastors of the Lord’s the churches. The term “pastor” means “shepherd.” The chief duty of a pastor is to shepherd the flock of God. When Jesus was speaking to Peter after the resurrection, He asked, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” Peter responded, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee,” to which Jesus rejoined, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15). This statement is equivalent to, “If you love me, shepherd my sheep.”

Our King James Version has rendered the first part of 2 Timothy 2:15 as “Study to show thyself approved.” This translation is good if we understand what “study” meant to the translators. Commonly, we take this to mean, study as in hitting the books to prepare for a final. This kind of study is implied, but the more accurate rendering of the word is diligence—Be diligent to show thyself approved unto God. Paul is instructing Timothy to be diligent about teaching the people of God. He is to use all physical and spiritual means to search the scriptures and impart truth to God’s people. This diligence will cause him to receive God’s approbation.

Superimposing Jesus’ words to Peter upon this text, Paul instructs Timothy to shepherd the sheep with the utmost care and concern for their spiritual welfare. A pastor wears many hats and is charged with many responsibilities, but the most important of these is teaching the Bible. Our spiritual strength comes from God’s word. Even regeneration itself is a product of the Holy Spirit’s work using the scriptures to bring us to repentance and faith. Peter wrote: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever” (1 Peter 1:23). After salvation, the Bible continues to be the Christian’s strength for daily living. Later in 2^nd Timothy, Paul writes that scripture is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The result of knowing scripture is that we become mature in the faith and equipped to perform every good work enjoined upon us by our salvation in Christ (2 Timothy 3:17).

With these facts in mind, the meaning of 2 Timothy 2:15 for the pastor, is unmistakably clarified. The pulpit ministry is the most important work of the church. We can do without programs if we must; we can do without socials if we must; we can do without any of the peripherals of ministry, but we cannot do without the Word. The pastor will stand before God and give an account of how faithfully and diligently he fed the people with the Word.

I am concerned that we are very clear about the doctrines of the Bible. We will not abandon the teaching of justification by faith alone; we will not abandon God’s demand for righteous, holy living. We will not abandon the call of complete repentance from sin, nor the wrath of God because of sin, nor the punishment of eternal hell for unbelievers. Accompanying these doctrines, this church will do its best to teach her people to know Christ better. Faith is increased by knowledge and knowledge comes from being a diligent student of God’s word.

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

No matter his physical age, every Christian begins his new life in Christ as a baby. We are born again through the operation of the Holy Spirit, and at that moment we are new to the faith, new to the kingdom, and new in understanding. Paul said we are a new creation in Christ. Our former lives have passed away, and the born-again baby wakes up to a new world (2 Cor. 5:17). His desires are changed, his friends will change; his view of self and of the world has changed. The new Christian immediately begins to wrestle with all these differences while at the same time he is under attack by Satan to compromise and mitigate the effects of those differences.

            It is at this point the new Christian is most vulnerable. Since his understanding of the new life is minimal, he is easily susceptible to false doctrine. Like a young child, he is impressionable and trusting of anyone that carries a Bible and purports to speak for God. This is the earliest stage of his sanctification. The foundation of faith that he receives at this point may indeed shape him for the rest of his Christian life. If he is bound by false teachings or even lack of teaching in this early stage, his growth will be seriously stunted. This is truly a problem since it is very hard to find churches that care much at all about doctrine. Some preach truth, but the scope of truth is limited.

            Some years ago, I had two men from a local Baptist church come to my door to invite me to church. One of the men was a deacon and I was thrilled these two had come to see me. They were vocal and unintimidated in their faith, which I found to be very refreshing. I looked forward to sitting with them for a few minutes to discuss the Bible. While I commended these men for their zeal, I soon learned discussing the Bible with them was not much of an option. They knew very little about scripture. This was understandable if they were novices and new to the faith. However, as I stated, one of these men was a deacon and had been approved by the church for his position.

            It is easy to think we are mature if the standard we measure by is less than what it should be. According to Paul, the first step of maturity in the faith is a doctrinal one (Eph. 4:14-15). We must be grounded and settled in the Word of God to grow. We begin with the simpler doctrines of the Word; we feed on these, and when they are mastered we add more substantial doctrine course by course. In this way, we move on from infancy to adulthood.           

            The responsibility of feeding the children of God rests with ministers (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11-12). The responsibility of eating is yours. The pastor prepares the spiritual food for you each week, but you must be present to partake. If you are absent from the teaching of the Word, the sanctifying process is slowed to a crawl. For this reason, many Christians that should have grown up long ago are still spiritual babies.

            Our subject today is the conclusion of our miniseries on Proofs of the Preacher. I have the responsibility to feed you the word as Paul says a nursing mother will draw her child close for nourishment and care. I am to give you the whole counsel of the word (Acts 20:27). However, I cannot feed you and you will not grow unless you come to the table to eat. You will prove the preacher as you test and obey the word. Let’s be sure we’re working together for the good of the body, the church of Jesus Christ.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

In 1 Thessalonians 5, we have studied Paul’s view of the Christian’s sanctification as we wait on the Lord to return. Paul also discusses how God made His choice to separate us from the world of unbelievers. In the message today, we take care to emphasize God’s divine selection and the infallible purpose of Christ’s death on the cross. We are not strangers to Paul’s explanation of these doctrines having spent many weeks on the subject in our Romans class discussions of chapters 7 and 8.

The question I pose in this article is this: Did another apostle confirm Paul’s teaching or is he out on a limb by himself? You and I know this could never be since all the scriptures are Holy Spirit inspired. Let us consider the apostle Peter and his affirmation of Paul on these subjects.

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2) 

Most of you that know me well know that I am drawn to this verse in which Peter mentions one of my favorite subjects of scripture, the doctrine of election. Proper understanding of this doctrine is what I would call a sea change. It radically alters our view of self. The heart of man is naturally against it. We will not come to it easily and yet when God gives understanding it begins to sink into the soul and overwhelms us with His graciousness. It is not popular doctrine because it is designed to take away our bragging rights. It removes any thoughts that in any way we have part in our salvation.

The second verse also contains the doctrine of sanctification. Not only is the sovereign God singularly responsible for His choice of lost sinners, but it is also His work alone to make them fit to enter fellowship with Him. The scriptures teach that we are vile and wicked while God is perfectly righteous and holy. If I could put it this way, we cannot sit in the same room with God. His holiness cannot allow any sinner to approach Him. For this, we must be changed. We must be made holy in order to come into His presence. This is what the Holy Spirit does in our sanctification.

 A third doctrine taught in this verse is the end to which we have been chosen. We are chosen to obedience. We are chosen to follow Christ and produce good works for His kingdom. We are chosen to obey the commandments of Christ which is the evidence of our salvation. The absence of these good works reveals that sanctification has not taken place—that we have not been purged from our sins. All those that are chosen, called, justified, and sanctified will be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29-30).

 A fourth doctrine found in this verse is the means by which all of this is accomplished. It is by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. It is by His sacrifice on the cross that our sin debt to God is satisfied. We are released from the guilt of our sins and justified in God’s sight by this once for all offering that Christ made on the cross. All the doctrines of God’s word are centered on this all-important fact. If not for Christ’s blood, our election could not result in salvation. If not for the cleansing of His blood, we could not be sanctified in order to fellowship with God. If not for the power of His blood to change our wicked hearts, we would never have the desire to obey God.

Though Paul and Peter have different purposes in their letters, we find the support for their teachings are the same underlying doctrines of the faith. They preach the same Christ; therefore, they are in perfect harmony concerning the Father’s selection of His people, the Son’s vicarious suffering for them, and the Holy Spirit regenerating work to bring them to repentance and faith. Since the apostles agree, why shouldn’t we?

Pastor V. Mark Smith

From time to time, I feel the importance of emphasizing the value of our members attending all the services of Berean Baptist Church. We are studying the last part of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians which speaks of sanctification and the evidentiary change in a believer’s life. Someone said, “Two things are at stake here. One, your own soul is at stake, so you need to understand whether you’re a real Christian or not. Secondly, the church needs to be observant about this so that we deal with the people for their own sake and for the protection of the church.”

            What issue is so important that your soul is at stake because of it? What is so important that the church must be protected from it? The issue is sin and the belief that a person may profess to know Christ and yet continue to live in sin. Your soul is a stake because there are many in fundamental churches today that teach it is not necessary for a believer to submit to the Lordship of Christ, but may assent to the bare facts of the gospel, believe in Christ, and yet continue to live the same lifestyle of sin that was lived before. The problem with this preaching is that it gives false hope to those who believe their souls are safe from hell, when in fact, the lack of a radical, demonstrated change in a person’s life reveals the person has not actually been saved by the grace of God.

            The apostle John makes this very clear with his arguments in 1 John concerning the nature of sin, the work of Christ, and the contrast between believers and unbelievers. Sin is the character of the devil, and habitual sin could not be the character of a person who has become a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Those who are born again have received the indwelling Spirit of Christ. They have a new nature with new desires. John also argues from the standpoint of Christ’s work. He tells us in the third chapter that Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Christ’s power over Satan is demonstrated immediately upon a believer in the work of salvation. The power of Satan to blind the sinner’s heart against the gospel must be broken. This is accomplished in regeneration when the sinner is brought to spiritual life in order to repent of sin and believe the gospel. Christ’s power does not stop upon initial belief. When the individual becomes a child of God, the sustaining power of God’s grace enables him to persevere in the faith. We are in the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. If a Christian could continue living the same life as before, at least three biblical doctrines must be denied—the new birth as a new creation in Christ, perseverance of the saints, and progressive sanctification. In effect, Christ’s present work in the believer is completely nullified.

            Also, in 1 John 3, the apostle makes this statement in verse 10: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God…” This is the King James translation which we advocate at Berean. But in addition to the KJV, the ESV, NIV, NEB, RSV, CEV, NASB, and the Amplified Bible among others, all translate this to the same effect. All of these are very clear that a life of righteousness is evidence of the new birth. The preceding verses are emphatic in making the point that a true believer will demonstrate his salvation by a life of holiness.

            Your soul is at stake over this issue. Receiving the Lordship of Christ is evidence that you have been genuinely converted. The health of the church is at stake because an increasingly unregenerate membership will be death to the preaching of the gospel. I am afraid many that miss church could be greatly benefited by such teaching. Often, they are the ones who need it most. Examine your life. Are you one of them?

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

            How are Christians to live as we expectantly await the coming of our Lord? Since the time Christ founded the church and ascended to the Father, the church has eagerly anticipated the time of His return. The disciples thought it would be nearly immediate, believing as they watched Him ascend that His absence would be momentary as He made all things ready for the establishment of His kingdom.

            Our studies in 1 Thessalonians showed that the late timing of His return was confusing causing the Thessalonian church to believe they had missed it. The common opinion was that since Christ had not quickly returned something was radically wrong. The critics of Christianity scoffed at the believers’ hope asking, “Where is the promise of His coming? All things are just as they were and will continue as they are.” The delay and the scoffers fueled the doubts of God’s people and led them to despair.

            In this letter to the Thessalonians, Paul corrected the high points of their confusion and redirected their thinking. Once he had them on the right track, he settled into the mode of putting into practice their enlightenment of the truth. The terrible calamities of the last days would not be theirs. They were not living in the darkness of despair with judgment hanging over their heads as were the enemies of Christ. They were new creatures in Christ. They came out of the blindness of hopelessness with the promise they would obtain their final salvation. No matter how long it takes for the Lord to return, we will never be overtaken by any of Satan’s tricks.

            The Lord does not want us to live in despair, and yet many times I heard the comments of members after the end times sermons that Christ must soon return, or they won’t be able to bear the terrible direction our country is headed. I often caution believers to be patient. Perhaps patience is the greatest virtue because it lets God be God. He works in His time not ours. We have no promise that it won’t be another two thousand years before Christ returns. Time means nothing to God because He is timeless.

            This part might seem like an odd ray of hope, but there is no believer who will fail to see Christ and be rid of this world in any longer time than the span of one lifetime. Do you understand? You will see Christ soon whether He returns to earth in one year or one thousand.

            I believe Paul made this clear to the Thessalonians. The business at hand is preparing to see Him whether in death or in the rapture. His delay does not stop our preparedness and obligation to sanctification. One way or another, our redemption is near. Our focus cannot be what enemies, the government, the squad, or anyone else does. Our focus is the worship of Jesus Christ. Paul concludes the Thessalonian letter on this very topic—the worship of Christ in the church.

            It is perfectly fine to wish for, hope for, and pray for Christ to return. In fact, Jesus said we are to pray the Kingdom will come. It won’t until Christ’s returns, so obviously praying for it is appropriate. Invest in that hope, but if it is not realized in your lifetime, seeing Christ will be. See 1 Thessalonians 4 to learn that the end of life for a believer is to fall asleep and in a split second awaken to be with Christ forever. It is not too long to wait for patiently because it happens in God’s time.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Can Hell be Hotter?

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; ^[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:2-3)

            One of the most serious errors of today’s evangelical movement is the construction of a god and of a savior that is very much different than the one presented in scripture. The modern fallacy is to believe the God of the Old Testament was very harsh, unforgiving, and much too demanding. We read the Old Testament laws given to Moses at Mount Sinai and we shudder at the consequences ordered by God to make restitution for breaking those laws. There are many examples that could be given, but one that comes to mind is the sin of adultery. God said, “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10). These laws are difficult for the modern hearer because the god that has been constructed today is one that would never think of punishing evil doers so harshly; and certainly He would never punish anyone in an eternal Hell. And yet in the book of Hebrews, we learn these laws were given to man through the administration of the holy angels of God. God’s holiness demanded such punishment so that scripture says the penalty paid is a “just recompense of reward.”

            Churches today offer salvation from a god that is much less demanding. This god loves you and is unconcerned with your petty indiscretions (re: actual crimes against His holiness!). You owe nothing to God, but He owes everything to you. There are no requirements, no real standards—all you need do is acknowledge He has something to offer.

            These verses in Hebrews are some of the strongest refutations in scripture about this idea of God and His Christ. Hebrews affirms that God is just in giving a penalty for the transgression of His law. What is more amazing from these scriptures is that the demands of God are not decreased because we have entered the New Testament era, but are rather intensified. In the Old Testament, angels were attendant at the giving of the law (Ps. 68:17), and prophets such as Moses taught it to the people. Obedience was expected even though the law itself could never bring anyone into a personal relationship with God. “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Hebrews 7:19).

            The better hope is the Lord Jesus Christ and knowledge of Him is through the gospel. The writer makes a simple but profound argument. Christ is God’s own Son, the express image of His person (1:3). He has spoken, not angels and not men, and His gospel is the only way to come into a saving relationship with Him. If the hearers of the Old Testament Law could not escape God’s punishment for disobeying an inferior law given through angels and men, how much less can we expect to escape punishment for disobeying the superior law which actually brings salvation (Rom. 8:2) and was given by the One who sits in majesty on high (1:3)?

            Rather than God demanding less today than He did in the Old Testament, He demands incredibly more. Punishment for rejection of God’s message today is far greater than it was then. To put it simply, Hell has become hotter! We will not escape it if we neglect salvation in Christ.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works… [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12, 15) 

            The last themes of Revelation are the final states of the righteous and the wicked. After thousands of years of man’s existence, a time will come when his eternal future will be unalterably fixed. Revelation chapter 20 concerns the judgment of the wicked. This is known as the Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment is for people that have never trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour and received His perfect righteousness for their justification with God.

            This judgment takes place in God’s courtroom, but the operations of God’s court are somewhat different from ours. In our courts, the outcome is at first undetermined because the accused is presumed innocent until he can be proven guilty. At this judgment bar, every person is guilty. There is no presumption of innocence; there is no evidence presented for acquittal because none exists. God’s judgment is based on perfect righteousness. However, when the books are opened there are no records of righteousness. This is beyond argument because God’s word already declared, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:2-3).

            Wouldn’t it be to your great advantage if you could see the books ahead of time and learn what they contain? The entries are your sins, which are transgressions of God’s law. There are many things in the books that you might not be aware of, but there are plenty that you do know if you will just think about them and be honest with yourself. Truly, honesty is one of your greatest problems. The Bible says that all people are liars. Surely you know there are multiple instances of lies on your account.

Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word or were you in any way irreverent with the use of His name? No doubt that list is quite long as well. Did you ever miss a day at church because your priorities were higher than God’s? There are many Sundays in your life. How many of those did you use for self instead of Him? The list of occasions of idolatry are too numerous to count.

What about lust? Jesus said if a man looks at a woman to lust after her, he has already committed adultery in his heart (the reverse is also true for women). God has a record of all those times. Do we need to go on and cover all the commandments to show you are guilty of breaking them all and breaking them multiple times? Now you know what God will check when He pulls up your account.

            Since I don’t have much space and this is a huge topic, let me just mention the gravest sin of all. Did you notice in both Revelation 20:12 and 20:15 the mention of the book of life? Every person judged at the Great White Throne is missing from the book of life. The book of life is a book of righteousness. It is a book that contains the names of all that have been given the righteousness God requires. This is the righteousness of faith which is transferred directly to you from the merits of the perfect life of Christ. This is given to those that repent of their sins and trust Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Those that do not are guilty of the gravest sin of all—the rejection of the perfect sacrifice for sin. The gravest sin of all is to trample the precious blood of Christ under your feet and despise the grace of God.

            Are you in the book of life? I have some good news for you—you can know this ahead of time. Have you repented of your sins and do you trust Jesus Christ and only Him as your perfect righteousness? If so, your name is there. You do not need to fear the Great White Throne Judgment because you will not be there. All others—beware!

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Today, my thoughts bring me to the many troubles Christians experience living in postmodern America. It is not my purpose to argue forms of government but to address a concern that threatens our individual freedoms. Particularly, I speak of the freedom of religion. Our government is pursuing a course of persecution against the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. While we are concerned about what government does, we must also be aware the government will never stop the gospel nor the perpetuity of the church.         

More concerning is the way Christians treat the church. Recently, I read an excellent article by Stephen Kneale that speaks volumes to Christians who protest what the government does to the church when they themselves are guilty of not doing much better. Read carefully and consider…

”Jesus words to Saul/Paul in Acts 9, and repeated in Acts 22 and Acts 26, are evidently important because Luke records them three times. Paul is blinded by a bright light and he hears a voice. Jesus identifies himself and asks, ‘why are you persecuting me?’

Whatever else we may want to say about this, it carries at least one major implication. Saul was not arresting the person of Jesus; he was busy rounding up Jesus’ followers and bringing them back to Jerusalem for punishment. As far as Saul was concerned, Jesus was out of the picture altogether. As far as Jesus was concerned, Saul’s persecution of Jesus’ followers was Saul persecuting Jesus himself. By his union with his people, attacking Jesus’ people is attacking Jesus.

This link is well attested. Most want to apply it to those who from outside wish to persecute the church. That is certainly a legitimate application, but it is not, I want to suggest, the primary implication for the church. It is true that those who attack the church are attacking Christ and the church may take comfort in that. But the broader implication is that whatever anyone does to the church is done to Christ. If Christ is unified to his people, then what one does to his people is what one is doing to Christ. How one treats his people is how one is treating Christ. This is the clear implication of Jesus’ own words in Matthew 25:40.

Jesus’ words to Paul have far wider-reaching ramifications than how Jesus views the persecution of his people. It has clear implications for how the Lord’s people treat one another. It similarly has implications for how the Lord’s people treat the Lord’s stuff.

If we cannot be bothered to get out of bed to get to church on Sunday morning, we are not just failing to bother spending time with God’s people, but we are spurning Christ himself. When we have no interest in serving and caring for the Lord’s people, we are failing to care for the Lord. When we drop the ball on stuff in church and put-upon others, we are spurning the Lord and saying there are other things that take precedence over him.

If Jesus’ words to Saul tell us that those who persecute the church are persecuting Christ, it also tells us that how we treat the church is how we treat Christ. If we never go to church, if we constantly go away for the weekend, if we never serve, if we find anything else to do, these are not just holding the church in low esteem, it is treating Christ lightly and a direct reflection on our views of him.

By contrast, a high view of the church is a high view of Christ. If the church becomes a high priority, Christ is a high priority. Serving the people of the church is a measure of our love for Christ. Serving in the ministries of the church is a measure of our love for Christ. Turning up at weekly worship and engaging with the Lord’s people is a measure of our love for Christ.

Your love for Jesus is seen in your love for the church. It is on this ground that meaningful church discipline is rightly enacted. If treatment of the church is a measure of our love for Christ, treating the church with contempt suggests a level of contempt for Christ. If you hold Christ in contempt, it is hard to credibly keep you in membership of the church. What does your love for the church say about your love for Christ?”

The last question is a great one. Here’s another one—will your love for Christ and his church stand His scrutiny in the last day?

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

            Today, we return to our study of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord as we discuss worship and society in the millennial kingdom. We also reach the finale of the kingdom as its form on earth ends with permanent disposal of Satan and all unbelievers who join his last rebellion. Millions, perhaps billions will die, but the end is also the eternal future of a vast number from every nation who through thousands of years have waited for the new heavens and new earth.

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for his dedication. When they entered the temple area, a man named Simeon, who was a true believer in Jehovah God, approached them and took Jesus up into his arms. With a powerful message from the Holy Spirit, he proclaimed, “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” This was confirmation of Jesus’ name which means “Jehovah saves.” Jesus is Jehovah, the One who saves.

            How appropriate in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus included a petition that speaks of salvation. In the words, “Thy kingdom come,” we find a wonderful evangelistic message. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He proclaimed, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). When He instructed the disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come,” He was teaching that prayer should include the request that the gospel would reach those who are lost in sin.

            Every person in the world needs this message because all of us have been born into a kingdom of darkness. Satan who is the god of this world has blinded the hearts of men so that they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:3-4). In order for people to be saved, they must be told the gospel of Christ and the Holy Spirit must open their hearts to understand the good news of salvation. When the Holy Spirit opens the heart through regeneration, at that point a person is capable of expressing faith. This is equivalent to Jesus’ words about seeing the kingdom of God. Thus we see that when Jesus instructed with the words “Thy kingdom come,” He was expressing most vividly the work that He came into the world to do. “Jehovah saves” is His mission. Man is truly blessed when His heart is conquered by the King of all kings and then by faith he is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the glorious light of the kingdom of God.

            This aspect of the kingdom must be proclaimed by those of us who are now in the kingdom of God. In other words, Jesus instructs you to pray for the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. He intends that you should have a part in helping the kingdom come. Your prayers and your efforts in witnessing are the methods by which the kingdom is increased. If you are not a part of the program to bring in the kingdom of God in this way, then you certainly cannot pray the next petition, “Thy will be done.”

            Your part in the kingdom is not just a future experience. This is surely a part because God promised it would come and be ruled by believers in all ages. Your part of the spiritual kingdom today is to help populate the physical kingdom of tomorrow. The gospel much reach God’s chosen one for no one is saved and enters the kingdom without it. May we all do our part to see the kingdom come!

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: (James 2:8) 

            One of most notable features of the epistle of James is the directness of the author’s approach to practical Christian living. In the first chapter, James said, “If you lack wisdom, ask God and He will give it to you.” He said “When you are tempted, don’t blame God because God never tempts anyone.” He said, “Don’t just listen to the word, go and do what the word says.” Those are very straightforward statements without a great deal of exposition to go along with them.

            The same is true in the second chapter as James gives practical advice about how Christians should be impartial to others. This chapter begins with an example of how we are often prone to judge the worthiness of people by their prosperity. We show this in the difference we make in the way we treat those that are wealthy as opposed to the poor. These kinds of judgments are purely acts of the flesh and do not reflect the way God treats us. Imagine if our salvation was dependent upon how much money we have in the bank!

            It is the duty of God’s people to imitate the attitudes that Jesus showed in His life. Jesus never dismissed the rich as unworthy candidates for His love but neither did He court them to receive their approval. He spent most of His ministry among poor people and those that were social outcasts. If the rich thought they would receive His attention because they deserved it, He was quick to point out that all are spiritually bankrupt, all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross, and all must come to Him in the same brokenness to receive life from Him.

            This is the attitude that is to be reflected in the church. Some believe they should receive more attention because they are able to drop large amounts into the offering plate, and there are many churches that accommodate such people because they trust men to supply the church’s needs rather than God. However, if we are going to imitate Christ, we will accommodate the poor in an equal manner with the rich. This treatment is summed up in James’ characteristically succinct way. The principle is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It seems kind of odd to say it this way, but do you treat yourself better depending on the worth of your investments? We love and take care of ourselves no matter where we stand economically, so to fulfill the command of scripture towards others, neither will we treat them differently depending upon their material worth.

            James goes on to show that mistreatment of our fellows because of economic status is a transgression of God’s law (vv.10-11). This is as much sin as if we were to kill someone or to commit adultery. Sadly, we rarely see it this way. If we recognize it as sin at all, we do not give weight to it in the same way as we do other sins. James’ point is that all sin transgresses the law and all sin must be dealt with accordingly if we are to be Christ like. We can never pat ourselves on the back and say what fine Christians we are especially if we have disobeyed such a crucial law as found in James 2:8. James calls this a “royal law.” Jesus described it as one of the two foundations of God’s entire law (Matt. 22:37-40).

            The next time you see a homeless person enter the church; the next time you see someone dressed a little differently and their Sunday best is not equal to yours, check your attitude towards that person. Are you judging their worth by what they wear? Your greeting of them, your fellowship with them, your care for them, your love for them—all of this speaks to whether you are really doing well. “If you fulfill the royal law…ye do well.”

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? [18] Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.  (James 2:14, 18) 

            As good students of the word of God, we are amazed at the perfect congruity of biblical doctrine. We understand there is nothing written in God’s word that is inconsistent with any other part, and this is true because the Holy Spirit is the author of divine scripture. Though men were used as God’s instruments of recording the Word, yet their words were inspired by God. Therefore, when we arrive at a scripture in which one author seems to be in conflict with another, we must recognize the conflict exists because of our lack of understanding.

            It is because of misunderstanding that some imagine Paul and James were running on opposite tracks when they expounded the doctrine of justification. Paul says that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:28) while James asks the question, “Can faith without works save us?” Which of these writers is correct? Are works necessary for salvation or are they not? If this is indeed a conflict between Paul and James, the problem is actually much greater because it also becomes a conflict between Paul and John and Paul and Jesus. Both John and Jesus demand faith that includes righteous works.

            The truth of the matter is no conflict exists. John and James wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as well as Paul, and it goes without saying that Jesus could not be incorrect because He is God. Paul views the matter of justification in the sense of the initial act. Is there any specific work or a number of works we can do that will add up to make us righteous in God’s eyes? The answer is “no” because all of our good works fall short of God’s standard. They are all imperfect and all done with selfish motives. James is not speaking of this initial act; he is speaking of the evidentiary proof of justification. Faith alone saves, but as both Calvin and Luther said, a faith that is alone does not save. Faith always produces good works in the Christian.

We can rephrase James’ question in James 2:14 this way: “What is the profit if a man says he has faith and not works? Can that kind of faith save him?” A faith that does not produce works is not the kind of faith that God gives. And this point is critical to our understanding—faith is a gift from God and the faith that God gives could never be a deficient faith that fails to produce what God intends for it to produce. Here we can interject Paul’s teaching on the grace of God in salvation by quoting Ephesians 2:10. Immediately after saying that we are saved by God’s grace through faith and not by works, he says: ”For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” James stated this exact point only with different wording. True saving faith is one that produces works of righteousness. These works are ordained by God and will not fail to be present. If anyone says he has true saving faith but his faith is not a productive faith, his faith is self-generated not God given.

In their epistles, both James and John include helpful information to differentiate false faith from true faith. The type of faith a person has will determine whether he is truly a child of God. Paul does no less in his epistles as he consistently outlines the kind of conduct that is evident in the lives of true believers. The agreement of these writers is apparent because each conveys the perfect mind of God.

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

Psalm 57:11

            Many of David’s psalms were born out of his pleadings to God for relief from oppression. I can imagine when David was first anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel there must have been at least a small swelling of pride that he was God’s choice. This meant in due time he would enjoy the privileges of royalty. However, it wasn’t long before he discovered God’s favor would cause him to be the scorn of his enemies. Certainly, Saul was none too pleased to learn his family would never become a dynasty, which made David the target of Saul’s wrath. Thus we have this psalm as David plead with God to deliver him from Saul’s intense anger.

            David, God’s choice for king, did not write these words from a gilded room in a palace. Rather, he was in a dark, dirty cave where he was hiding while fleeing for his life. David climbed the rocky cliffs of En Gedi many times in fear for his safety, but though the situation seemed bleak, he knew God had chosen him and he knew his heart was right. Because of this, he fully expected protection from his Lord until he would be brought to his time to occupy the throne.

            In Psalm 57, I am reminded of two very special objects of God’s divine choice and protection. The first is the Lord Jesus Christ who was ordained by the Father to bear the reproach of the cross in order to make atonement for our sins. He too was specifically chosen, and yet His path to glory took the same turn as David’s. The exaltation of the throne was to come later until He was made perfect through suffering (Heb. 2:10). In the meantime, the enemy was everywhere trying to take His life before the time. The difficulty of the cross was never a deterrent to Him. He knew what the Father promised. As He prayed in John 17, He knew the Father would restore Him to the glory He had before stepping down to come in human flesh (John 17:5). For this reason, Hebrews says He went to the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2). With His death, He would bring millions to worship the Father before the throne.

            The second object of God’s divine choice is me. If you are a believer, you can substitute your name for what I am about to say next. Before I was born, God chose me to a crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4), and to sit in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3-4; 2:6). However, there is a meantime just as there was with David and Christ. The meantime is this life in which God’s people often find themselves at odds with a God rejecting world. Because the world hated Christ, it also hates us which often leaves us the objects of ridicule (John 15:18).

            As neither David nor Jesus were greatly discouraged, so we should not be discouraged. We have the same promise given to them. We shall not be left to the destruction of Satan, but as David wrote in verse 3, “He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.”

            God’s choice is the same as God’s salvation. The first infallibly leads to the second. Those whom God chooses He does not fail to bring to glory (Rom. 8:29-30). So, take heart in times of trouble. You were always in the eternal purpose of God. He is able to see you through. “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.”

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Psalm 72

            Psalm 2 is a descriptive passage supplementing the return of Christ in Revelation 19. In reading the psalms, it is remarkable how the hope of the Kingdom continues to be a major topic of the psalmists. We can scarcely believe the Kingdom is a myth or that it is purely mystical or that the references to it are simply metaphors for spiritual blessings.

            It is readily apparent that the psalmists, the prophets of the Old Testament, and authors of the New Testament fully expected God would do precisely as He said and establish a kingdom on earth in which the Christ would be its glorious monarch. A most enlightening proof of the literal reality of this kingdom is found in verses 5 and 17 of Psalm 72: “They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations…His name shall endure forever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.” The first phrase of verse 17 says, “His name shall endure forever,” while the second says, “His name shall be continued as long as the sun.” These two phrases cannot speak of the same manifestation of God’s kingdom since one is eternal and the other temporal.

            The first phase of God’s kingdom is earthly. It is a time sensitive rule which lasts only as long as the current universe exists. We know the cursed creation has a short shelf life as God intends to destroy it and begin anew. Second Peter tells us, “The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). This will, of course, end the existence of the sun and all other heavenly bodies.

            We can see how this corresponds to the end of the Millennial Kingdom. It will last until this great cataclysmic event occurs, and at this point Christ’s kingdom on earth will end. However, this is not the end of the kingdom altogether. It is only the end of the temporal form as the kingdom will be transitioned into its eternal form. Thus, the first and second phrases of verse 17 are both wondrously true.

            In addition to this noteworthy proof, there are references in the psalm to the dominion of Christ, the servitude of all nations, the righteous character of the government, the economic prosperity, and the abundant provision of food. Each of these are repeated promises in multiple passages of scripture. In none of these is any indication they are purely symbolic.

             The last verse of the psalm says, “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” This psalm must have been written near the end of David’s life, as the beginning of the psalm says it was written for Solomon. David was relying on the promise God gave him years before that his throne would be established as an everlasting throne. David knew Solomon’s rule would not be everlasting, so we see how the psalm quickly moves from Solomon to another King who has the power of endless life. The final King is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

            The kingdom of Christ on earth is a real unmistakable event. Its focus is Israel as the fulfillment of the promise made to them. However, it is also a promise for Christians today. We will rule with Christ in this kingdom. The church is not a replacement for Israel—we do not take over their promises. Instead, we will stand side by side with her and praise the glorious King forever and ever!

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

For the past few Wednesday evenings in our Romans class, we’ve discussed the change that will take place in the entire creation when our Lord returns to establish His kingdom. In the 8^th chapter, Paul wrote, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” The subject of suffering occupied us for a while as we considered this question—is the suffering of the present worth the anguish we go through as God’s people? Paul was convinced there is no contest. Of course, it is worth it because future glory so far supersedes present pain.

 Another question we considered is the false teaching that suffering Christians are out of God’s will and their struggles are caused by lack of faith. According to these false teachers, suffering is abnormal for those who trust God completely. They say God does not want His people to suffer. We find this is distinctly the opposite of the apostles’ and our Lord’s teachings. Notice how Peter supports Paul’s position in Romans about the glory that will be revealed in us. He wrote in 1 Peter 4:12-13: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
           

The tone of 1 Peter makes it clear that suffering for Christ is not to be unexpected. Peter says, fiery trials are not extraordinary for God’s people. It would be strange not to have them. The explanation for these trials comes in verse 13 and is attributed to the sufferings of Christ. To paraphrase Peter, he tells these persecuted Christians, “Don’t be surprised when people hate you and want to kill you. If you desire to follow Christ, you will not receive better treatment than He received.” The reason for this should be easily discernable even if we don’t consider the natural negative disposition of men towards the gospel. We can approach the problem from another angle which is simple deductive reasoning in the comparison of our lives to Jesus Christ.

What kind of man was Jesus? He was kind, compassionate, considerate, supremely loving, temperate, patient, self-sacrificing, perfectly righteous, and a dozen other superlatives that could be added. How was He treated? He was abused, accused, told He was from Satan, and run out of town. He was called a glutton and a drunkard; He was accused of sedition and finally cruelly crucified. All of this happened to the perfect God-man.

Now consider your life. How do you compare to Jesus in any of these areas? I am sure you have some good traits, but each of us even at our best falls far short of Christ’s example. So, how will we be treated being imperfect as opposed to the perfect Son of God? Not for a minute should we expect better treatment.

You may say, “How depressing! Is it really worth it?” This is when you should remember both Peter and Paul’s answer to this question. 1 Peter 1:6 says present suffering is a temporary condition. In 4:13, he says Christ will appear in His glory and you will be exalted and honored with Him. The worst trial you face for the cause of Christ will be worth it when you realize your final salvation. Never fear what anyone can do to you. As Peter says in the last verse of the fourth chapter, you can commit the keeping of your soul to Christ. He is the powerful Creator who speaks the word and vanquishes all enemies. The trials are there to prove your faith not to prove you don’t have faith.

If you don’t have trials, I would be very concerned whether you are born-again and living your faith. Why? Because the devil does not persecute his own. Much more can be said on the subject. To hear more, come to the Romans class. It’s hard on the flesh to get out on Wednesday night. If you can’t take that much conflict with your flesh, you surely don’t understand anything you’ve just read.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

The Fountain of Life

For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (Psalms 36:9)

Recently, I was asked why I end my tabernacle sermons with the phrase, Blessed be God for Jesus Christ. Each of the sermons on the tabernacle is to explain the beautiful pictures of Christ that are displayed in the types and figures of tabernacle worship. I am reminded of verse 9 in Psalm 36 in which David writes: “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.” The purpose of these studies is to open this fountain of life to perfect our knowledge of Christ. We are not in the midst amid an academic pursuit to merely fill our heads with useless knowledge, but it is our desire to be filled with the fullness of the knowledge of Christ. To know Christ is to love Him, so as we increase our knowledge of Him so shall we increase in our love for Him.

The doctrines of God’s word elucidate the work of Christ that we might know Him better. In 1671, the great Puritan, John Flavel, presented a series of messages entitled The Fountain of Life Opened Up. In these sermons, he sought to draw the truths of Christ together to present them in an orderly fashion so that his readers could see the interdependency of each doctrine to the meaning of the whole gospel. In the introduction to his work, Flavel wrote:

“A young ungrounded Christian, when he sees all the fundamental truths, and sees good evidence and reasons of them, perhaps may be yet ignorant of the right order and place of every truth. It is a rare thing to have young professors to understand the necessary truths methodically: and this is a very great defect: for a great part of the usefulness and excellency of particular truths consists in the respect they have to one another. This therefore will be a very considerable part of your confirmation, and growth in your understandings, to see the body of the Christian doctrine, as it were, at one view, as the several parts of it are united in one perfect frame; and to know what aspect one point has upon another, and which are their due places. There is a great difference between the sight of the several parts of a clock or watch, as they are disjointed and scattered abroad, and the seeing of them joined, and in use and motion. To see here a pin and there a wheel, and not know how to set them all together, nor ever see them in their due places, will give but little satisfaction. It is the frame and design of holy doctrine that must be known, and every part should be discerned as it has its particular use to that design, and as it is connected with the other parts.

“By this means only can the true nature of Theology, together with the harmony and perfection of truth, be clearly understood. And every single truth also will be much better perceived by him that sees its place and order, than by any other: for one truth exceedingly illustrates and leads another into the understanding. Study therefore to grow in the more methodical knowledge of the same truths which you have received; and though you are not yet ripe enough to discern the whole body of theology in due method, yet see so much as you have attained to know, in the right order and placing of every part. As in anatomy, it is hard for the wisest physician to discern the course of every branch of the veins and arteries; but yet they may easily discern the place and order of the principal parts, and greater vessels, (and surely in the body of religion there are no branches of greater or more necessary truth than these) so it is in divinity, where no man has a perfect view of the whole, until he comes to the state of perfection with God; but every true Christian has the knowledge of all the essentials, and may know the orders and places of them all.”

This is the reason we study the tabernacle. We must see Christ better through the systematic understanding of truth. In the tabernacle, we touch on every aspect of Christ’s work. And as if to stand back in amazement at each discovery in the unveiling of Christ, Flavel ended each marvelous exposition of the Saviour with these words: Blessed be God for Jesus Christ.

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (James 5:8) 

For many weeks, we’ve studied the Day of the Lord and how God intends to end this world. Those without Christ should be frightened to face the Lord and indeed Paul said in 1 Thessalonians they will not escape the wrath to come. While we as Christians will not face God’s wrath, we do face hardships in life that sometimes make us think we are not in God’s favor but in His wrath. One of these problems is financial trouble.

You will notice in James chapter 5, James gives one of the most scathing rebukes of the sins of the rich that can be found in scripture. While the Bible never says it is a sin to be rich, it does give strict warnings about the deceitfulness of riches and what God expects as stewardship of the resources He gives. Most in our congregation do not concern themselves with the temptation to horde riches. It is a challenge for many of you to meet your normal everyday household needs. We find ourselves on the other end of the spectrum fretting about making the house payment or the rent for next month.

For many Christians, this seems upside down. Why must God’s people suffer trying to make ends meet when there are unbelievers that are so rich, they can’t figure out how to spend their money? Some churches developed an entire theology to answer this question. Their conclusion is that Christians that suffer with financial problems and with health problems are living short of God’s intention for them. They suffer because they lack the faith to claim all of God’s promises.

This is where our featured verse brings such comfort. Those that are not wealthy ought not to think that God will right this perceived wrong in this life. James reminds his readers of the holy prophets that suffered affliction (v.10) and patiently endured it. Could we say the prophets suffered because their faith was lacking? He also reminds them of Job (v. 11) who is the Bible’s classic example of patient endurance. Job certainly did not suffer because of lack of faith. It was his great faith that caused God to allow Satan to test him to prove that he would never turn his back on God despite the harshest of troubles. In the end, Job received the reward of endurance which was more than what he gave up at the beginning.

The point made by James in this example is not that Job received his riches in this life, which he did, but there is always the faithfulness of God in respect to the reward. Many of the Christians James addressed would never see riches in their lifetimes because they were slaves. Were they to conclude, as modern preaching says, that their lack of faith was the cause? This is wild and crazy theology—even demonic theology that arrives at such erroneous conclusions.

So, when is the Christian living in hardships to expect relief? It comes when we meet Christ. Those that live considering the return of Christ or in the hope of their immediate presence with Christ at death realize they have eternal life in the present. They are going through such a minute period in this life that it does not register on the scale of eternity. The hurts of this life are no more than a scab that will be healed and quickly cast aside. If we genuinely believe in the reward that is coming, we will endure until we reach it.

Another example James gives of patient endurance is in verse 7. The farmer toils in the field plowing and planting. It is a necessary part of receiving the harvest. The harvest will come but he cannot rush it. At the same time, he is confident the arduous work will have a happy result. I don’t think we have any farmers in the church, so think of it another way. How much demanding work and schooling does a professional endure before he becomes established and successful? The hardships are first and then the reward. James is simply saying this life is the hardship; it is the proving ground, and then the payoff of faith in Christ will be ours in the eternal home of heaven.

So, be patient. Hold on a little longer and establish your heart in the faith because Jesus is coming!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Last week I discussed the danger of false prophets whom the apostle John referred to as “antichrists.” In my article today, I want to give you a little of the background of the religion system of the coming Antichrist of the end times. This religious system is an integral part of his government. It is a mixture of all the great religions of the world headed up by apostate Christianity.

            In has never been Satan’s primary deceptive tactic to convince people to be atheists. He knows that man was created with the innate knowledge of God and rather than fight against human nature he chooses to exploit to his best advantage man’s ignorance of the true God. Since the beginning of the church two thousand years ago, Satan’s greatest weapon has been to pervert the gospel by corrupting the church and creating a confusing counterfeit. Today, Christianity claims two billion adherents most of which have some affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. Through the centuries, Roman Catholicism has proved to be a great compromiser and thus Satan’s most effective counterfeit. During the Reformation, it was common for the reformers to equate Mystery Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5) with the Roman Catholic Church. Having been part of the Catholic system themselves, they were familiar with its rife corruption.

            It has always been Catholicism method to increase her numbers by compromise. In the fourth century, Constantine saw the advantages of joining Christianity with his secular government, but it was difficult to convince pagans to give up their mythological gods. To diffuse the opposition, the gods of the pagans were given new names and incorporated into the worship of his universal church. Although known by different names, their practice of worshipping Mary, the saints, and angels predates Christianity by thousands of years going all the way back to the construction of Babel in Genesis 11. In its missionary efforts through the centuries, when Catholicism wanted to embrace a different culture, it was no problem for them to be flexible and to incorporate the superstitions of their converts into their religious system.

            In the Tribulation, history will repeat itself as Roman Catholicism will be the head of the Antichrist’s apostate religion. Compromises will be necessary to mix all the world’s religions into one satanic concoction that will help the Antichrist rise to power and control the world. The same movement is foreshadowed today in the compromises of Protestants to rejoin their harlot mother. When the ECT accord (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) was signed in 1994, many well-known Protestant and Catholic leaders agreed to cooperate in their efforts to propagate the gospel. This was done notwithstanding Rome’s gross perversion of the doctrine of justification. The chief battle in the 16^th century Reformation was the correction of Rome’s false gospel of meritorious justification. This was laid aside in the ECT as being inconsequential, which makes the ecumenicism of the agreement nothing less than the affirmation of the Antichrist’s agenda.

            In 2021, it is difficult to find a religious leader that still identifies the Great Whore of Revelation with the Roman Catholic Church. Satan’s deception goes on as one world church and religion become more of a reality every day. When the leaders of our country, many of whom claim to be Christians, cover up the atrocities of Islam and approve them as seekers finding their own path to God, they are setting up the convergence of all religions. As Congress gives up national sovereignty, they pave the way for the one world government of the Antichrist. Mix these two together, apostate Christianity and one world government, and the result is Mystery Babylon the Great, the extremely vilest enemy of God that has inhabited earth.

            Revelation 17 is the worst of the world’s history looking backwards or forwards. Thank God the King is coming! Mystery Babylon will fall, and the King of kings will reign supreme! We pray daily for God’s Kingdom to come to earth. Until it comes, we oppose religious dualism. We cannot and will not join any ecumenical efforts that promote unity by compromise. We are not ashamed to name the names of religious apostates. The day of wrath is coming. We will not be sleeping dogs who are passive and will not bark out the warning.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18) 

In our study of the end times, there is the term “last days” used several times in both Old and New Testaments but is often misunderstood. Sometimes the same concept is expressed in the way the apostle John did in 1 John 2:18 when he said, “it is the last time.” Since the Bible was completed two thousand years ago, we might think the writers were referring to a far-off time, different from theirs and referring to our own time or some other future date. However, it is clear from John’s present tense usage, “it is the last time,” that the time he was living in was also considered the last days. Hebrews 1:1-2 defines the last days as a time inaugurated with the first advent of the Messiah. This means for these past two thousand years we have been living in the last days and will be until Christ returns to close out this period of earth’s history.

The last days are characterized as a time of growth in the kingdom of God. We see this in Matthew 13 and the seven parables Jesus taught concerning the kingdom. This is a time for God’s people to witness the gospel, or as Jesus illustrates in the first parable of Matthew 13, it is a time to sow the seeds of the gospel. This is also a time of great opposition. In the second parable, Jesus described how Satan will sow tares among the wheat. The tares are poisonous plants that represent the children of darkness who infiltrate the kingdom. They hate the wheat, which is God’s people, and they hate the works of Christ. Using the term antichrists, which is peculiar to John’s writings, John describes the character of these tares. They are anti meaning against Christ. They try to destroy the growth of the kingdom by teaching false doctrines.

Antichrists are extremely dangerous because the most effective work they do is when they are able to infiltrate churches with their false doctrines. These are not people that stand outside throwing stones. Rather, they are deceitful workers that stealthily worm their way into the church and eat away at it from the inside. They represent false Christianity, and their main target is Christ Himself. If they can destroy doctrines such as the deity of Christ, the penal substitutionary nature of the atonement, justification by faith alone, the inerrancy of scripture, and other essential doctrines they are successful at destroying the gospel before it can ever take root in the heart.

John and other Bible authors warn us to be on the lookout for any deviation from the truths taught by Jesus and the apostles. The theme of 1 John is the apostle’s systematic criteria for identifying those that are not true believers. If these false teachers are characteristic of the end times, then we are sure that John was not the only one living through the last days. We are in the heat of it at this moment, especially when the people of this country have become dreadfully confused about the definition of true Christianity.  When heterodox Mormons are considered Christian, you know we are in trouble! We must be very diligent to “contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude v. 3). We are surrounded by antichrists—not my term but John’s—and a very appropriate description it is.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

            The central issue of eschatology (the study of end-times) is the millennial kingdom of Christ. There are three primary positions that are denominated amillennialism, premillennialism, and postmillennialism. As you can see, the millennium is the operative term in each. Amillennialism says there is no literal kingdom that will come to earth. Rather, the kingdom is spiritual and was inaugurated when Christ arose from the dead. In other words, we are living in the millennium now which is indefinite in length. At the end of this age, Christ will return to judge the world and we pass into eternity.

            Postmillennialism is the view that the reign of Christ is not literal but refers to the gradual increase of the gospel until the world turns to Christ producing a golden age upon the earth. This view was popular at the end of the 19^th century during the industrial age when it appeared the world was becoming better and more affluent. However, it lost most of its proponents in the 20^th century due to two world wars that convinced them the world was not getting better. Most theologians no longer agree with this view having reverted to amillennialism.

            The third millennial position is premillennialism. It is divided into two camps—dispensational premillennialism and historic premillennialism. Both views hold that a time of tribulation will occur before the before the millennium and then there will be a literal one-thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth. The two views differ in some aspects of biblical interpretation with historic premillennialists regarding much of Revelation as already fulfilled throughout history. Thus, there is much more symbolism involved in the historical interpretation than the dispensational.

            Our understanding of the millennium is dispensational. Although I am not an advocate of what I would call “militant dispensationalism,” I do believe the dispensational interpretation is mostly correct. Our understanding is that Christ will return to rapture believers before seven years of tribulation (pretribulational rapture). This is the time for Israel to be prepared to inherit the kingdom promised by the Old Testament prophets. During this time, thousands, even millions of Jews will be saved. At the end of the tribulation, Christ will return in the second phase of His coming to reestablish the throne of David in Jerusalem where He will reign from a newly constructed millennial temple. At the end of one thousand years, He will destroy Satan and this world and will bring the lost to their final judgment and condemnation in the lake of fire.

            We appreciate the dispensational viewpoint because of its largely literal approach to the Bible’s interpretation. The symbols of other views are widely interpreted which leaves little certainty that students of scripture can come to a consensus of meaning. With a literal interpretation there is much more cohesion and better understanding of what God intended us to know. In dispensational eschatology, Israel is Israel and is always Israel. The church is the church and is always the church. We do not conflate the church with Israel. Further, our view of local church does not conflate the church and the kingdom.

            This is a very brief primer on these positions. I must remind you that millennial viewpoints are important, but this is not a salvation issue. Good Bible expositors may disagree on the particulars, and yet remain in agreement on 90% of the rest of the Bible. I do not believe a test of fellowship should be made on these points alone. Thus, we are charitable regarding our differences.

                                                                                                   Pastor V. Mark Smith

Today’s article reflects my experiences attending the Shepherd’s Conference in Sun Valley, California.  I have very much enjoyed the opportunity to hear some good solid preaching from God’s word and am blessed to know there are still men in this country that believe God is sovereign in all His works and all glory should go to Him for the salvation of souls. In today’s congregational reading, you will see this verse: “His watchmen are blind: they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. (Isaiah 56:10). Thankfully, there are some good preachers left who sound the alarm for the glory of God.

I am also pleased to report that in this conference God is continually exalted so that we come away with a great reverential fear of Him and truly respect how we must bow to His majesty. Unlike many conferences I have attended, this is not about personalities. There are no platform squatters here!

Throughout my Christian life, the glory of God has been pressed down deeply into my soul. I never want to fail in my preaching to stand in obscurity behind the cross and let all the glory shine on the Saviour. I am not interested in techniques and marketing ploys to fill the church. I am not interested in entertainment which is falsely substituted for and called worship. I am not interested in theology that says the sinner must meet God half way and through man’s cooperation God is given permission to save him. I am only interested in the Holy Spirit that conquers man’s resistance to the gospel; a Spirit that regenerates and quickens to life enabling the sinner to trust Christ. I want to preach a Saviour that never failed to accomplish everything He intended; a Redeemer who really does redeem; a Substitute who really does infallibly secure salvation for those He intended to sacrifice Himself for. I want to preach the Christ that demands repentance from sin and submission to His Lordship.

This view of God is biblical and should be so fundamental to our teachings that we wouldn’t believe anyone could possibly teach otherwise. These are foundational teachings that stretch back to Jesus and the apostles and were boldly proclaimed by our Baptist forefathers. And yet Baptists today that still preach these doctrines are so few and far between that a diligent search must be launched to discover where they are. Thus, you have the reason I am found at the Shepherd’s Conference instead of in conferences held by most fundamental Baptists.

Our Baptist brethren seriously need to be recalled to these essential doctrines of the faith. There needs to be recovery of a soteriology that is God centered instead of man centered. It is horribly shameful that the landscape must be scoured to find someone who still preaches the old gospel truth, and when it is discovered the label too often is something other than Baptist. If we can get our eschatology right and our ecclesiology right, why must we fail in our soteriology? It is way past time to get the central focus of our purpose back on track. We must preach salvation to the glory of God!

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7) 

            I am sure each of you are familiar with the cartoon of a man with long hair and beard standing on a street corner with a sign reading “THE END IS NEAR!” Usually, the sign flanks both the front and rear and some sort of funny caption is placed beneath. The idea is that anyone that thinks the end of the world is approaching is a fool. Every day we wake up to the same sunrise, we head off to work, put in our shift, and then make the drive back home. At night we watch a little TV, crawl into bed and go to sleep. The next morning it starts all over again and we do these 365 times per year and have done it for every year since we were born. Further, everyone we know has done the same routine with only slight variation and everyone we have ever heard of or read about in the history of the world has done the same. It is no wonder that when someone begins to sound an alarm for the approaching apocalypse, he is considered a fool.

            It has now been 2000 years since Peter wrote “the end of all things is at hand” and no doubt there were many that read his words and said he was a fool. Peter’s reference is to the Second Coming of Christ when God will destroy this universe and all that is contained therein. In his second letter, Peter spoke of scoffers that said “Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). Are we to consider Peter a fool because Christ has yet to return? Is the Bible’s warning nonsense?

            It is helpful to understand that although New Testament Christians believed in the imminent return of Christ, they were not date-setters. Peter did not imply he was certain tomorrow, or next week, or next month, the world would end. He followed the consistent pattern of New Testament teaching, especially that of Jesus, which said the Second Coming would be a sudden event that would occur without warning. The “end” refers to the consummation of the ages. “At hand” means the day is approaching. Every day we live we are one day closer to the time Christ will return. We are encouraged therefore to live in anticipation of the event. This does not mean to stand on street corners with signs, although we should witness of the event in a rational manner. It does not mean to neglect our daily routines in order to stare at the sky. It means to guard our personal lives so that we are a living testimony of faith. The closer we are to the Lord in obeying His commands the more it speaks to the degree of our confidence in the truthfulness of the scriptures.

            The prophet Amos said, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Years ago, I remember seeing signs along the roadway that said the same. The time of our life is uncertain and at every turn in life’s roadway there is a possible hazard that could end our lives. It is not as crazy as we might think to say, “the end is near.” One way or another we will meet God. It could be at the suddenness of the Second Coming or at our failure to breathe the next breath. No one knows the time of either. Are you prepared? In either event, you can be by placing your faith in Jesus Christ.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

by J. C. Ryle

• There is an undeniable zeal in some teachers of error–their “earnestness” makes many people think they must be right.

• There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge–many think that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe to listen to.

• There is a general tendency to completely free and independent thinking today–many like to prove their independence of judgment by believing the newest ideas, which are nothing but novelties.

• There is a wide-spread desire to appear kind, loving, and open-minded–many seem half-ashamed to say that anybody can be wrong or is a false teacher.

• There is always a portion of half-truth taught by modern false teachers–they are always using scriptural words and phrases, but with unscriptural meaning.

• There is a public craving for a more sensational and entertaining worship–people are impatient with the more inward and invisible work of God within the hearts of men.

• There is a superficial readiness all around to believe anyone who talks cleverly, lovingly and earnestly, forgetting that Satan often masquerades himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).

• There is a wide-spread ignorance among professing Christians–every heretic who speaks well is surely believed, and anyone who doubts him is called narrow-minded and unloving.

All these are especially symptoms of our times. I challenge any honest and observant person to deny them. These tend to make the assaults of false doctrine today especially dangerous and make it even more important to say loudly, “Do not be carried away with strange doctrine!”

(This was written before the end of the 19^th century. Satan has not changed his tactics—only the names and numbers of false teachers have changed. They are bigger, bolder, and have easier access to the masses of gullible people. Sadly, those willing to confront them are a dying breed. Let’s stand for truth and call them what they are—heretics and enemies of souls. ~ Pastor V. Mark Smith)

            In one of our Romans classes, we had a discussion about witnessing to people who do not believe the Bible is true and do not accept its authority. It seems like an insurmountable problem since our faith is built on the revelation of God in scripture, and without it, we have no reliable basis for our beliefs. It should be that the one who rejects the Bible is an impossible person to reach with the truth.

            A few days after our class, I saw a short missions’ video about a remote tribe in Papua that had no contact with the outside world. About 15 years ago, a pilot was flying over the remote area where this unknown tribe lived and spotted the thatched roofs of houses of this previously undiscovered people. Once the news of the discovery was out, missionaries made this unknown group a target for the gospel of Christ. These indigenous people welcomed the strangers, but the monumental task was before the missionaries of how to communicate and teach these people who had never heard of the Bible or Christ. They had no alphabet and thus no written language.

            Progress was slow at first as the missionaries began with the basic approach of Paul in Romans 1. All people know there is a Supreme Being and none can deny there must be a Creator God. The missionaries began to tell them of the God who made all things by relating the account of creation from Genesis. As they continued their witnessing and education of these backward people, they listened to the sounds and syllables of their language and began to form an alphabet for a written language. When this was accomplished, they taught them to read their own language by translating the Bible into their native tongue. Now these people were enabled to see for themselves what the Bible says about God and His creation.

            The emphasis of the missionaries was the use of the word of God to reach the hearts of the people. First Peter 1:23 says: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” It is always the word of God that is the means by which we are born-again. No one circumvents the necessity of the word in salvation.

            Now these people had the word of God, but this does not mean they would believe the Bible is true. Miraculously through the operation of the Holy Spirit, the Bible does its job of converting the soul and convincing of truth. Once the natives began to read for themselves, the Spirit took over and made the word effectual in their hearts.

            I recite this story because the word works the same way with the hearts of skeptics that you often meet. They do not accept the authority of the Bible and they do not believe it is true. However, when they hear and the Holy Spirit works, there is an irresistible draw to the Father. They are changed from unbelief to belief through the regenerating power of God who enlightens the mind and changes the will.

            The testimony of the natives was unanimous. One said, “I was in darkness until the Holy Spirit showed me the truth.” These were people shackled by fear in their animistic beliefs, but their hearts were set free by reading the word of God. Now they are anxious for the word, and they live in the word, and it is their primary source material for learning to read.

            Never underestimate the power of the word. Often, skeptics believe they are intellectually superior, and we are too often tempted to appeal to the learned through their intellect rather than taking them down to the basic truth—all people are sinners in need of the grace of God. Not one person was saved because they were smart or had good sense. The unbelieving college professor is as ignorant of God as the undiscovered tribes of Papua. The word of God is the only way to reach them. Try it and depend on the Holy Spirit to do His work.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article I think is helpful considering the subject of the confession of sin. In 1 John 1:9, John wrote: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” For those of you who still remember our 1 John series a few years ago, we examined this scripture and determined it is a verse for believers not unbelievers.  While the verse is true for unbelievers, John did not intend it for them. The verse is for the church as the epistle of 1 John is for the church. The teaching, then, is that believers need to maintain an attitude of repentance and confession of sin.

            We are to confess, a word that means agreement. We agree with God that His assessment of our sins is correct and immediately upon conviction by the Holy Spirit, we are to agree with God that we have broken His holy law. The question framed in the article was, how do we confess? What actions do we take in confession?

            These are good questions when we consider both private and public sins. The answer is dependent upon which type of sin it is. All sin is primarily against God, which means in either case God is our confessor. We go to Him in our prayers and with proper confession we admit our sin and ask for His forgiveness. This confession is not with a prescription described in the Bible that tells exactly what to say. It is directed by the Holy Spirit according to His righteous, holy, gracious influences. Private sins only require private confession. The confession is to God never to a priest or anyone we consider to be a representative of God. Only God grants forgiveness.

            The public sin, however, is quite different. The modern church has abandoned public confession of public sins. In fact, our churches are far away from discipline for public offenses. Tonight, it will be necessary to dismiss some members of our church for non-attendance of our services. This is public sin. It is sin against the congregation. Excisive discipline is a church term and a church action. It is intended for the good of the member and the good of the body. It is never a vindictive action but is intended for the hope of later restoration. It is an action taken to emphasize the seriousness of the sin as it requires severing from the body of Christ.

            How might a person removed for church discipline be restored? Our church requires public confession. The church as well as God is an offended party. Therefore, the church must be included in the confession. Restoration to membership is granted when the person admits the sin to the membership and asks for forgiveness. The church desires this, so forgiveness is forthcoming upon credible repentance.

            I might add if the person wants membership restored but does not want to take this step, he does not understand the serious nature of his sin. If he is truly contrite and loves the Lord’s church, he will understand the church must be satisfied. This is more important than his personal feelings.

            Much more could be said on the subject. I believe John in writing to the church envisioned the scenario of which we speak. It is consistent with church discipline as taught by Jesus in Matthew 18.

            I encourage you to pray for those members who must be removed. I am afraid to speculate that some of them may need salvation. John addresses this too: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19) 

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

            Today, our scripture reading from Isaiah 50 is a conversation between God and Israel. To be more specific, it is Christ the Son of God who speaks, and His words reflect His divine ministry when He became incarnate. There are two verses that caught my attention and prompted further meditation.

            The first is verse 4: “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” I think of the compassion of Christ who felt every sorrowful experience we encounter. Whether the sorrow is physical, mental, or spiritual, Jesus knows the exact words to speak that comfort our hearts and lifts our spirits. I am reminded how difficult this is for me when I speak to the desperately ill and those who are dying. I am often without perfect words and am left in silence. And yet I know which words are not helpful and are of no comfort. I am aware that some things said are not helpful and may be taken wrongly.

            For example, it is hard to criticize the attitude of those who are sick. When people have extended illnesses, they often become despondent and depressed. Perhaps we believe Christians should never come to this state, but if they didn’t the Lord would never say He knew how to comfort the weary. He realizes this human frailty. I don’t remember reading any passage in scripture in which the Lord rebuked the sick for a less than stellar attitude in their illness. I see the apostle John and the Lord’s brother James calling for love and compassion and prayer, but never chastisement. To hear God’s word and to know people pray for you are the means God uses to lift the spirits of the weary. Be cautious how you deal with the distressed. They do not need to be driven to deeper despair.

            The second verse that caught my attention is verse 7: “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” This is the determination of Christ to do His Father’s will. Despite the criticisms and forces of hell that would deter Him, He soldiered on. He set His face like a flint—that is with steadfast determination not to quit. It is the hardness and resoluteness of steel to continue though humanly everything told Him He should not. Imagine Satan offering Him the kingdoms of the world in exchange for the shame of the cross. How does He withstand except the Father gave His Spirit to help Him?

            The cross was not only a cruel way to die, it was utterly shameful. Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. It was an abomination to the Jews and shouted the worst criminality to the Gentiles. Yet, Christ knew He would not be ashamed. He would be vindicated by the Father’s promise. He would be raised from the dead and restored to His throne in heaven.

            Isaiah 50 is a wonderful picture of Christ. “Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” (v. 50). Always trust God. Who has suffered by obedience and has not been rewarded abundantly? Take heart that following the Lord with all its difficulties will end in the ease and peaceful rest of God’s sabbath in His heavenly kingdom.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

            Preaching God’s word to God’s people is often a lonely job. It shouldn’t be, but often it is because it requires telling people what they should do and how they should live when they don’t want to. The apostle Paul made an interesting statement in Galatians 4:16. He wrote, “Am I therefore your enemy because I tell you the truth?”He said this after remembering how the Galatians were blessed and overjoyed when he gave them the gospel. They received his word as if he were an angel of God. He said they treated him as well as if he were Jesus Christ. Then he added they would do anything for him, even if he asked for their eyes, they would pluck them out. What caused their attitude to change and made them think of Paul as their enemy? He called them on their sin and told them they had returned to the weak and beggarly elements of the law. He said they had turned back to the bondage they escaped. He called them on it and then he wasn’t as popular as he was.

            This happens too many times to the pastor of the church. Most love him and support him and will do anything for him until he takes on his friends and tells them they need to change. He sees them turn to old ways and they aren’t as enthusiastic about the church as they once were. When he tells them the truth, it goads them, and listening isn’t fun anymore.

            The truth is, when the pastor comes down on your sins in his sermons and when he steps on your toes, it is never to harm you. He is a friend that loves you and wants you to be blessed and prosperous because you follow Christ. His years are filled with the experience of Christians that gradually dropped out of service—the same people who thought they never would.

            The enemy of truth is the one who refuses to hear truth. One author wrote the enemies of truth refuse to hear in two forms: not listening to someone tell the truth or refusing to accept it. Accepting truth requires repentance. It means you are wrong, and you need to change your ways. It means you must go against your flesh, to reject the old nature and to live within the new. In Galatians 5:17, the apostle wrote: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary…” Simply stated, to refuse truth and not correct errors is to reject the Holy Spirit. Am I your enemy if I tell you not to reject the Spirit? Your best friend is the one who tells you, “If you live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:13-14).

            Be careful of the way you respond to truth. The way you react may tell you more than you want to know. Either way, when you hear the truth, it is always a friend who tells it. He is not your enemy. He is the guardian of your soul.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: ^[13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

The persecution of Christians is a theme common to the apostles. Suffering is often addressed by the writers of the New Testament because of the terrible persecution inflicted on them by an empire that was hostile to Christianity. One of their greatest challenges was to get new converts to buy into it as the badge their faith was real. In 1 Peter, Peter hits on the theme in every section of his letter. He tells his readers to rejoice in their salvation even though they experience terrible trials.

When Jesus called twelve men to be His disciples, He warned that following Him and witnessing for Him and remaining true to the faith would not be an easy path to follow. Although the gospel of Christ is the only hope for a world awaiting the wrath of God, people reject this message and they often do it with hatred and sometimes with violence.

The tone of 1 Peter makes it clear that suffering for Christ is not to be unexpected. Peter says, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” The explanation for these trials comes in 4:13 and is attributed to the sufferings of Christ. To paraphrase Peter, he tells persecuted Christians, “Don’t be surprised when people hate you and want to kill you. If you desire to follow Christ, you will not receive better treatment than He received.” The reason for this should be easy to discern even if we do not consider the natural negative disposition of men towards the gospel. We can approach the problem from another angle which is simple deductive reasoning in the comparison of our lives to Jesus Christ.

What kind of man was Jesus? He was kind, compassionate, considerate, supremely loving, temperate, patient, self-sacrificing, perfectly righteous, and a dozen other superlatives that could be added. How was Jesus treated? He was abused, accused, told He was from Satan, and run out of town. He was called a glutton and a drunkard; He was accused of sedition and finally cruelly crucified. All of this happened to the perfect God-man, and yet He never struck back at anyone that wanted to harm Him.

Now consider your life. How do you compare to Jesus in any of these areas? I am sure you have some good traits, but each of us even at our best falls far short of Christ’s example. The indignation we feel when treated badly is just one more example of our inability to match His standard. So, how will we be treated as being imperfect as opposed to the perfect Son of God? Not for a minute should we expect better treatment.

Reading this you may say, “How depressing! Is it really worth it?” This is when you should remember Peter’s answer to this question. 1 Peter 1:6 says this is a temporary condition. In 4:13, he says Christ will appear in His glory and you will be exalted and honored with Him. The worst trial you face for the cause of Christ will be worth it when you come to the realization of your final salvation. Never fear what anyone can do to you. As Peter says in the last verse of the fourth chapter, you can commit the keeping of your soul to Christ. He is the powerful Creator who speaks the word and vanquishes all enemies!

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

I few years ago, I spoke from the epistle of Jude on the subject Contend Against Creeps. The title is taken from verse 4 which begins, For there are certain men crept in unawares.Jude speaks of false teachers that arise in the church whose purpose is to distort the true gospel of God and lead unsuspecting people astray. We discussed many examples of this when studying 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and the subject Proofs of Your Preacher.

False teachers are given much space in both Old and New Testaments because they are one of Satan’s primary attacks against the true church of Jesus Christ. The false prophet is easily discernable if you pay attention to the scriptures as your guide to distinguish them. A common thread of heresy that runs through them is greed and sexual perversion. Let me comment on greed as my topic today since the greediness of health, wealth, and prosperity doctrine is sweeping the world.

Paul wrote: For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. (Philippians 3:18-19) There is a lot of junk on television and radio that purports to speak in the name of Christ but is really nothing more than preaching from those whose God is their belly (Phil. 3:19). As Paul states in this verse, there are many who are far more concerned about earthly things than heavenly. Often in my preaching I give warnings about the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel which is not really the gospel at all. However, I don’t want you to think that God has no concern for the material. If we think so, we miss the truth of the word nearly as much as the “go for the gold” prosperity preachers.

The truth is that God is concerned about the material. In the Lord’s Prayer, the first “our” petition is not about the spiritual but about the material. Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The wisdom of Christ is always perfect because God knows you can never be useful to Him if you cannot survive. What use has God for great spiritual people if they are dead? Jesus said before the instructions in the prayer, “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” God committed Himself to care for us so that we need not be anxious about our next meal (Matt. 6:26).

Caring for the material in this way is vastly different from what is taught by the prosperity gospel. In the prosperity gospel, the focus is moved away from the spiritual benefits of the material to the fleshly appetites of the material. God provides for us for one purpose—that we might glorify Him. Must you be rich to glorify God? If so, you deny scripture’s teaching that we should give God glory in all things and thank Him for all things (1 Thess. 5:18). Jesus said, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This teaches us to depend on God to supply on a daily basis rather than hording up so that we forget we are dependent on God.

The health, wealth, and prosperity gospel does produce rich people. The riches are raked in by greedy preachers who have duped greedy followers into “sowing their seeds of faith.” Interestingly, when Jesus gave the great parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-23), there is not one mention of money. Jesus sowed the gospel of salvation that changes dead sinners into living saints. The prosperity of heaven gained is the only prosperity found in the gospel.

Jesus is concerned about the material insofar as it sustains your ability to sow the real seeds that He wants sown. Consider that you are kept alive for God’s purpose, to honor and glorify Him by being a witness of the life-changing gospel of salvation.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

No matter his physical age, every Christian begins his new life in Christ as a baby. We are born again through the operation of the Holy Spirit, and at that moment we are new to the faith, new to the kingdom, and new in understanding. Paul said we are a new creation in Christ. Our former lives have passed away, and the born-again baby wakes up to a new world (2 Cor. 5:17). His desires are changed, his friends will change; his view of self and of the world has changed. The new Christian immediately begins to wrestle with all these differences while at the same time he is under attack by Satan to compromise and mitigate the effects of those differences.

            It is at this point the new Christian is most vulnerable. Since his understanding of the new life is minimal, he is easily susceptible to false doctrine. Like a young child, he is impressionable and trusting of anyone that carries a Bible and purports to speak for God. This is the earliest stage of his sanctification. The foundation of faith that he receives at this point may indeed shape him for the rest of his Christian life. If he is bound by false teachings or even lack of teaching in this early stage, his growth will be seriously stunted. This is truly a problem since it is very hard to find churches that care much at all about doctrine. Some preach truth, but the scope of truth is limited.

            Some years ago, I had two men from a local Baptist church come to my door to invite me to church. One of the men was a deacon and I was thrilled these two had come to see me. They were vocal and unintimidated in their faith, which I found to be very refreshing. I looked forward to sitting with them for a few minutes to discuss the Bible. While I commended these men for their zeal, I soon learned discussing the Bible with them was not much of an option. They knew very little about scripture. This was understandable if they were novices and new to the faith. However, as I stated, one of these men was a deacon and had been approved by the church for his position.

            It is easy to think we are mature if the standard we measure by is less than what it should be. According to Paul, the first step of maturity in the faith is a doctrinal one (Eph. 4:14-15). We must be grounded and settled in the Word of God to grow. We begin with the simpler doctrines of the Word; we feed on these, and when they are mastered we add more substantial doctrine course by course. In this way, we move on from infancy to adulthood.           

            The responsibility of feeding the children of God rests with ministers (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11-12). The responsibility of eating is yours. The pastor prepares the spiritual food for you each week, but you must be present to partake. If you are absent from the teaching of the Word, the sanctifying process is slowed to a crawl. For this reason, many Christians that should have grown up long ago are still spiritual babies.

            Our subject today is the conclusion of our miniseries on Proofs of the Preacher. I have the responsibility to feed you the word as Paul says a nursing mother will draw her child close for nourishment and care. I am to give you the whole counsel of the word (Acts 20:27). However, I cannot feed you and you will not grow unless you come to the table to eat. You will prove the preacher as you test and obey the word. Let’s be sure we’re working together for the good of the body, the church of Jesus Christ.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

In last week’s article, the discussion concerned the importance of the Trinity as a vital part of the Christian faith. One of the most beloved of Bible verses is John 3:16 which tells us that God is both a father and a son. It is because God is a trinity He can be expressed as both, and He stands as both because He is a Father only in His relationship to Jesus Christ, and Christ is only a son because of His relationship with the Father. Why is the trinity important and why does it matter? It is because only as a trinity can God be both Father and Son, one in essence but distinct in personality.

            Today, I would like to follow up with the second part of the article. The premise is the Trinity matters because God matters. Many thanks to the author from whom these thoughts are gleaned. Read carefully to see knowing God as a Trinity is the only way to know Him truly.

“The Trinity matters because this is who God is. It’s who he always was and would’ve been even if there had been no you, no me, and no heavens and earth. The question isn’t first and foremost, ‘Is this practical?’ or ‘Will this be on the test?’ The question is ‘Do I want to know God?’ As Fred Sanders observes,

It makes no sense to ask what the point of the Trinity is or what purpose the Trinity serves. The Trinity isn’t for anything beyond itself, because the Trinity is God. God is God in this way: God’s way of being God is to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit simultaneously from all eternity, perfectly complete in a triune fellowship of love. If we don’t take this as our starting point, everything we say about the practical relevance of the Trinity could lead to one colossal misunderstanding: thinking of God the Trinity as a means to some other end, as if God were the Trinity in order to make himself useful.

One reason we Americans neglect the Trinity is because we’re so pragmatic. Instead of asking ‘Is it true?’ we’re more likely to ask, ‘Is it useful? ‘Will it help me get ahead?’ ‘Will it make me a better spouse or parent?’ Those are good questions, but if that’s all that matters to us, then how are we any different from the pagans? Even the pagans care about those things.

To know God savingly is to know him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Anything less is sub-Christian. The number one question is, ‘Do you want to know God?’ Because as Jesus said, ‘This is eternal life: that they know you the only God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent’ (John 17:3).

To know God savingly is to know him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Anything less is sub-Christian. The Trinity matters because God matters, even if it doesn’t strike us as practical.

And yet it is practical. Because—to bring our two points together—the kind of God we have determines the kind of relationship we will have with him. For example: Is your God an all-sufficient fountain of joy and love with an inexhaustible supply available for you anytime? Or did your God create you and save you because he was lonely and needed you?

Is your God the unitarian God of Arianism (think Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses), modalism, or Islam? Or is he the biblical three-in-one? The God of John’s Gospel was never lonely, because even in the beginning, before anything made was made, he already had someone with him. ‘The Word was with God’ (John 1:1).

Is the Trinity practical? Let me ask you—what kind of salvation does your gospel give you? A judge who forgives your sins? Not bad. But not good enough. The triune gospel is better by far. This is good news, because it tells us God didn’t create us because he needed somebody to love. He wasn’t without family. He was already a Father. And he already had an eternally begotten Son, the radiance of his glory and the exact imprint of his nature (Heb. 1:3), lying in his bosom (John 1:18) and basking in his love (John 17:24). You and I aren’t the result of some man-shaped hole in the Father’s heart; rather, you and I represent the overflow of the Father’s eternal love for his Son—as though the Father had said, ‘Son, this love of ours is just too good to keep to ourselves. So together with our eternal Spirit, let us make man in our own image, so that others might see and experience our love, and so that you might be the firstborn among many brothers’ (cf. Gen. 1:26; Rom. 8:29).

Is the Trinity practical? Let me ask you—what kind of salvation does your gospel give you? A judge who forgives your sins? Not bad. But not good enough. The triune gospel is better by far. It’s God giving himself to you in creation and redemption. The same Son who was begotten by the Father before all worlds was sent by the Father into this world, to live and die for us and our salvation. And the same Spirit who proceeded from the Father and the Son from all eternity was sent by the Father and the Son into this world, to live inside us and bring us to Christ—and through Christ to the Father—so that we might be taken into his family, surrounded by his life and love, to glorify and enjoy him forever.

It’s more than forgiveness. It’s joining an eternal family. It’s being conformed to the image of the Son by the Spirit (Rom. 8:29) and becoming a partaker of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). In short, it’s the kind of salvation that only the trinitarian God can offer.

This is the Holy Trinity. This isn’t just a doctrine; this is our life. It’s more than just a mystery or a mind-bending math problem; this is our God, who loves and gave his Son for us (John 3:16), who loves us and gave himself for us (Gal. 2:20), who loves us and lives inside of us (Rom. 5:5).

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

Recently, I’ve had some discussions with one of the young people about the Trinity. In preaching the subject of assurance of salvation, this young person became concerned about his confusion on the Trinity. It is not that he didn’t believe it, but that he didn’t understand it. This is not uncommon, although I will say there used to be much more preaching of the Trinity than we hear in the modern pulpit. The failure of the younger generation to understand may have much to do with our failure to preach it often enough as essential to the Christian faith.

            In my daily reading, I crossed paths with a very good article on the subject, commenting on the apathy of Christians towards the doctrine as if it doesn’t matter as much to the person in the pew as it does to academics who argue its intricacies. Indeed, lately there has been a raging argument in Reformed circles about its inner workings with charges of heresy crisscrossing from both directions.

            However, this article was much more practical, showing how important the doctrine is for every Christian regardless of their theological acumen. I would like to copy a small portion of the article which takes one of the most beloved Bible verses and shows how important the Trinity is even to the neophyte with limited theological understanding. Read carefully and consider the following:

            “Did you ever notice that even in John 3:16 you’re already wading into trinitarian waters? Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying that the whole doctrine is here full-blown (you’ll need the rest of John’s Gospel to get the Holy Spirit, including a few verses earlier in 3:5). But just think about all the Trinity-related truths stated or implied in this one simple verse. I can think of at least six:

1. Two of the three persons are explicitly mentioned: God and his only begotten Son.
2. The fact that God has a Son tells us that he’s a Father. It also suggests that when Scripture speaks simply of “God,” it’s often referring specifically to the Father.
3. The fact that the Father gave his Son tells us they’re distinct persons. The Father can’t be the Son if he gave the Son.
4. It says something about how the Father loves his Son that giving him would be the ultimate demonstration of his fatherly love.
5. The fact that Jesus is referred to as God’s only Son suggests there’s something unique about Jesus’s sonship. After all, Scripture teaches that God has other sons (Job 2:1; Heb. 2:10). In fact, John has already told us in 1:13 that when we believe in Jesus, we become God’s children. So how can he say that Jesus is God’s only Son? Answer: because while we are sons by grace, he is Son by nature. We become God’s sons by adoption and regeneration, but he doesn’t become God’s Son—he simply is God’s Son, begotten from the Father before all worlds, God from God, light from light, begotten and not made.
6. John 3:16 tells us that this is how we receive eternal life—by the Father giving his Son. Salvation is trinitarian. The Father has an only, eternally begotten Son, and in his love for sinners he sends that Son for us. The Son of God becomes a Son of Man, so that the sons of men might become sons of God. And then, the Father and Son send their Spirit to dwell in us so we can experience this new life as sons (John 3:5, 7:37–39, 15:26, 16:12–15).

As Paul puts it in Galatians 4, But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Gal. 4:4–6)

As one writer has said, “The Trinity and the gospel have the same shape.” Are you beginning to see why? This is how God saves us—by sending his Son and Spirit. Our salvation hangs on these two sendings. Without them, God would still be a Father, but he wouldn’t be our Father. He would still have a Son, but he wouldn’t have many sons. The Trinity matters because the gospel matters.”

Next week, I want to follow up with another part of the article that makes the point: The Trinity matters because God matters. Think on this first part and look forward to more understanding in the second.

                                                                                      Pastor V. Mark Smith

            In 2018, I preached a series of messages entitled Proofs of Your Profession which told us who are authentic Christians. I then shifted the focus to discuss another timely topic—who are authentic preachers?

            In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul outlined his credentials as a true minister of Christ by inviting the church to examine his life. If the people are judged by their character and the way they live, shouldn’t the preacher be judged by the same? As he reveals the character of the true minister of Christ, he uncovers the false, the pretender who leads the unsuspecting astray by obscuring the gospel of Christ.

            Never in the history of twenty plus centuries of Christianity has there been such proliferation of false teachers. The communication age of satellite television, of radio, and the planet interconnected by the world wide web has given rise to the phenomenal growth of false Christianity. While we can reach millions with the truth of the gospel, Satan uses the same media to infiltrate the world with the lies of the false gospel.

            One of the worst perpetrators of Satan’s deception is the Trinity Broadcasting Network. This satellite television network has hardly seen a heresy it does not embrace. TBN made popular the teaching of the prosperity gospel that is one of the subtlest perversions of truth the world has seen. TBN made popular the teachings of Paul and Jan Crouch whom Paul would call accursed, anathema, separated from God because of their corruption of the gospel. Though both are now deceased, their legacy lives on in their programming that reaches around the world to blind others to the glorious gospel of Christ.

            Is this unusual in the history of Christianity? Only in the scope, for it is not unusual for Satan to transform his ministers into angels of light (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Our missionaries now contend with this perversion of Christianity in some places more frequently than non-Christian perversions. Sadly, to increase their revenues and popularity, some Baptists have gone over to it and helped promote what they once fought as heretical.

            I recently read this assessment of the problem: “History proves that false teachers are often some of the most charismatic individuals you will meet. They have a ‘way with words,’ able to sound mostly orthodox while denying, perhaps subtly, particular points that are necessary for faithfulness to our Lord.” Thus, we see preachers that read a verse of scripture to lend orthodoxy, but then quickly abandon the text or pervert the text to their own ends.

            In Romans 16, Paul said the false teacher serves his belly. By good and fair speeches, he deceives the simple. This is the heart and soul of TBN. It is a network that serves up daily delectable dishes of lies from preachers whose appetite is to line their pockets by preying on the poor and most vulnerable. Interestingly, what they claim is truth is opposite the apostle’s approach in verifying himself as an authentic gospel preacher. He did not use flattering words to cloak covetousness (1 Thessalonians 2:5).

            There is much to be said on the subject. I have four sermons to help you spot the fake and verify the true. Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, and the rest of Sonoma County is infected with these spiritual vermin as is the entire world connected to the web with its deceitful lies. Be sure you evaluate every word you hear by comparing it to scripture. Examine, investigate, remember what you hear, and concentrate on the sincerity of the motive. Does it represent the lives of Christ and the apostles?

            A false teacher is lurking near you ready to beguile unstable souls. Protect yourself with all the diligence required. We will help you squash the bugs and their deceitful lies.

Pastor V. Mark Smith  

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Matthew 7:22) 

            Today’s article may be considered a final word on our study of 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10. We finish the chapter with a discussion of hell and God’s wrath. However, I would like to return to Matthew 7, the passage we used for warnings about false assurance of salvation. Those who are falsely assured are not delivered from God’s wrath.

To me, Matthew 7:22 is one of the most remarkable verses in scripture. We have learned in our study there is a solemn warning concerning self examination so that we are not self-deceived thinking we know Christ when we truly do not. In preaching on this subject, I have made a general application of this passage to all Christians, which is certainly proper since the Bible clearly states that each believer should apply tests to his profession of faith to see if it is real. The apostle John teaches this in 1 John as he gives three tests that can be applied. There is a doctrinal test—what do you believe concerning the doctrines of the Bible; there is a moral test—do you respond in obedience to the commands of Christ; and finally, a social test—what is your relationship to others as commanded by Christ; in other words, do you love your neighbor as yourself?

            Although it is proper to apply Matthew 7:21-23 to every Christian, we must not forget these verses link directly to the preceding ones concerning false prophets. What makes verse 22 so remarkable is the lack of denial by Christ that these false prophets cast out devils and did many amazing works. Satan can transform himself into an angel of light and his ministers often appear to be preachers of truth (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Many people are deceived by false preachers because they falsely assume all spiritual activity within churches is Holy Spirit activity. This is terribly untrue. Much of what goes on in charismatic churches and others is not the work of the Holy Spirit. If you attend a church where the Bible gets little play, you can be sure the Holy Spirit is not there. God works through the Word, and where there is spiritual activity without it, the devil is at play not God.

            It is further remarkable that God sometimes uses false prophets for His purposes. This seems like an incredible statement, but nonetheless it is true. It certainly does not make the false prophet personally acceptable to God, but we must never forget nothing takes place in God’s universe that He does not control. In the Old Testament, the prophet Balaam spoke truth, but according to the New Testament he loved “the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Pet. 2:15, Jude 11, Rev. 2:14). Caiaphas the wicked high priest charged Jesus with blasphemy (Matt. 26:65), but also spoke truly, albeit in ignorance of the import of his words, when he said that Jesus would die for the nation of Israel as well as Gentiles throughout the world. This prophecy was not his own but was given by God (John 11:49-52).

            Surely, no greater evidence can be given that prophecies and miraculous works are not the final indicators of true belief. Signs and wonders and gifts and healings are not the ways we find assurance of salvation. The devil can do spectacular things. We must warn people there is great apostasy within churches that call themselves Christian. Believing a false gospel will never deliver from the wrath to come.

            The next part of the studies in 1 Thessalonians will concern the proofs of the preacher. You best know whether your preacher is telling you the truth else the gospel you believe falls short of delivering you from the wrath of God in hell.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Often, I speak of the blessings I receive from reading the daily devotionals in TableTalk magazine. The magazine is available by subscription, but if you didn’t know, you may also read the articles and devotionals free of charge at tabletalkmagazine.com. They are nicely formatted for mobile devices or for reading on your computer. Although I receive a printed magazine, I generally read them from my iPad.

            I mention this again today because of a thought provoking article at the end of July. The title was “God Doesn’t Tell Us Everything.” The Bible does not tell us everything, but it does tell us what God wants us to know. The article spoke of Abraham’s life and how God made him a promise of a family that was not fulfilled for many years. In those years, God did not speak to Abraham often—at least the Bible does not tell us He did. Through long stretches of Abraham’s life, God said nothing to him, leaving Abraham to hold on to the promise not knowing how God would fulfill it.

            The same is true in Jacob’s life. He was told that Joseph his favorite son was dead. It wasn’t until more than two decades later that Jacob learned Joseph was alive. We wonder why God did not tell Jacob sooner but let him live in sorrow. We only know God doesn’t tell us everything. God is not concerned with how quickly or slowly He reveals Himself. His timetable is not ours. He will tell us in His good timing and at the right time.

            None of the things that will happen to you are revealed in advance. Even a mother’s pregnancy, though it is according to the time of life, does not tell us whether the child will bring joy or sorrow. The nine months of pregnancy might show us in some ways how God deals with us. Our experiences during the gestation period are there for our learning and for God to prepare us for what comes later. Whatever good or bad, we would not endure them or enjoy them if not made ready during the waiting period.

            If God should tell you He will make you rich, would you be as frugal or diligent as you are now? If He should tell you your life will become nearly unbearable, would you still live in the hope you have now? The timing from God’s standpoint is critical because He knows every step you take and how to best get you from one place in life to the next.

            While I have added and interpreted the article in my own way in these last paragraphs, the article ended with this statement: “We don’t know all that God is doing. Perhaps He will work a miracle, as He did in opening Sarah’s womb. Perhaps He will simply send us news, as He did with Jacob. Perhaps He is doing something we never could have expected—something that’s according to His own counsel, something that would surprise and delight us entirely. We have reason to believe that the Lord might enjoy working in that way. After all, He sent us His Son. He gave us His Spirit. Who could have expected such extravagant love? God doesn’t tell us everything, but He tells us enough, and He surprises us with His mercies.”

            I know this to be true. My association with Berean fits the point of the article perfectly. My preparations were in process long before I became pastor. Events in the lives of others were essential to make circumstances favorable that I should become your pastor. God knows all these contingencies and works them ultimately for His purposes. Perhaps you can survey your life to see how painful experiences or joyful ones have worked differently than you might suppose. You didn’t know how God was shaping you for where you are now. God must not tell you until He is ready—and you are ready through His divine providence.

            At this moment we are going through processes that are preparing for another day, another event that you might not be ready for should God reveal it too early. Trust God that He will do what He promises. He works all things for your good.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

            “The future is quite fixed, but the past changes day by day.” Does this statement seem odd to you? I read this in an article which prompted a good measure of thought. How can this be true when we believe the past is static—what’s done is done—while the future changes depending on the actions we take today?

            The author of the article was quoting an old Soviet Union saying while making an application to America’s changing opinions of the past. For example, fifty years ago when I was in high school, I learned American history. We studied the Civil War in which the war was interpreted as two honorable factions in sincere disagreement over state’s rights. The leaders of the Confederacy, although wrong on slavery, were considered respectable men who were much nobler than our modern politicians.

            Today, the view of the same men has vastly changed. Now they are considered bigots, hate mongers, racists, and villains. The past has not changed but the viewpoint of it certainly has. Confederate monuments are torn down and anyone sporting a Confederate flag should have his fingernails extracted. Time will only tell if George Washington, the slave owner, or Thomas Jefferson who did likewise, will be stricken from public consciousness. Our founding fathers will not be revered as defenders of freedom, but agents of oppression. The perspective depends not on history, but on the one who teaches it.

            Another example is abortion. Seventy-five years ago, abortion was a secret no one would tell. Is it murder? Is it obscene? Only the worst reprobate would defend it. Abortion was moral outrage. Has the past changed? No, the perception has. The morality is outdated, as recently a Netflix TV host held a festive Fourth of July type celebration with a marching band and balloons, celebrating how good it is to kill a baby. The host said an abortion should be as easy to obtain as ordering from MacDonald’s dollar menu. I wonder how soon the Netflix sign at corporate in Los Gatos will be pulled down by angry mobs?

            The frightening reality is this observation by the article: “On a sobering note, do recall that the new undergraduates entering colleges this coming Fall were born in 2000, and they don’t recall a world without smartphones and social media. For them, the US has always been at perpetual war in at least one Muslim nation. For them, same sex marriage has always been the law of the land; Confederate flags have always been the symbol of hard core racist lunatics; and transgender issues have always been at the forefront of civil rights. Churches that fail at least to acknowledge and debate these fundamental realities – if not to agree with them on every point – just do not speak their language.”

            This fairly underscores the difficulty of reaching people who have a fundamentally different value system. However, for Christians, the past does not change and neither does the future. Sins of the past were against God and the same committed today and tomorrow are sins against God. The consequences for them past, present, and future do not change. The coming future judgment of God will not change. What God spoke in His word regarding the future Great White Throne Judgment will not change and the criteria for the judgment set when God created the world in the distant past will not change. There has always been an unchanging moral law written on the heart if not written on stone or with pen and ink.

            We are to look to the one static proclamation of truth—the Holy Scriptures. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We must know this or suffer in the future for the offenses of the past. Be aware, the only change is this statement: “In the beginning God.”It shall become, “In the end God.”

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

In our study of assurance in 1 Thessalonians, I have spoken mostly of our imitation of Christ in terms of our obedience to His commandments. Our election by God is proved by the holiness of our lives which is measured by our morality. Usually, morality is thought of as acting righteously and not doing evil. We are careful to see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil. We do well to stay away from evil, but if we aren’t careful our Christianity may be characterized as negative Christianity. We are identified for the things we don’t do.

            In the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, Christianity is more about the positive than the negative. Christians are to be characterized by our good works. We are identified as people who positively impact others that reach beyond our lives to help others in theirs. We glorify God through good works because these works reveal the nature of our God.

            For this reason, the scriptures teach us to be forgiving and forbearing of both friend and foe. None of us were God’s friends, yet with mercy and compassion He made us His friends. Compassion is the willingness to show mercy from the deepest kindest affections. When we examine ourselves for the truth of our confession, we ought to ask ourselves about acts of kindness. Are there positive proofs we have the character of Christ?

            I am thankful to be in a church with many compassionate people. My wife and I have been through some painful times and we face many more. Through these times, we have felt the compassion of Christ in many ways. I am pleased to hear others say they have felt the love and harmony of this body of Christ. It is not just the pastor who gets attention. Our people look after others who aren’t always the most vocal and noticeable.

At times, it is easy to ignore the needs of others when we face so many problems ourselves. Sometimes other members are just acquaintances and we don’t feel as close to them as we should. In scripture, the church is said to be a body. We are interconnected receiving our source of life from the same beating heart, of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Part of being in the church is to have camaraderie with each member having the same care of one another. We are people destined to live with each other in eternity. Isn’t it good for us to be people learning to live together here? This is also proof of our profession—we live for Christ and for each other.

When you see the terms, compassion, forgiveness, and love in the scriptures, you must remember God’s characteristics. He modeled these towards us in the demonstration of His gift of His Son. The Christian life is the imitation of Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us. We love because Christ loved, and we care because Christ cared. Didn’t He say when we visit the sick it is as if we have done it to Him?

Whenever you hear another member is hurting and needs help, be ready to give aid with a compassionate heart. We must step out first not thinking if that person would do the same for us. Christ knew we would not love Him first, so He acted compassionately until He made us His friends.

Remember, the proof of your profession is more about what you do than what you don’t do. Be a positive Christian and let your life be filled with good works.

                                                Pastor V. Mark Smith

            Recently, I read an interesting article published in Christianity Today with this headline: New Research: Churchgoers Stick Around for Theology not Music or Preachers. This new research was conducted by Lifeway Research, a part of the publishing ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention. The article’s claim is that churchgoers will put up with a change in music styles or with different preachers, but you had better not mess with the theology of the church.

            I found this quite surprising since in my experience visitors to the church rarely ask about theology. It seems that very little of what I would call “theology” is taught in most churches. Music is their only theology and if there is not trend-setting music that is mostly a knock-off of worldly music styles, there is not much interest in the church. It is always refreshing to speak to someone who wants to know first and foremost what the church teaches, and not necessarily our philosophy of music.

            Sometimes music philosophy will tell you what is being taught in the church. The songs are mindless and so is the preaching. But it is refreshing when someone wants to know what the church teaches on repentance and faith, and what is taught about justification, and about Christian living, and our stand on the important cultural changes happening in our country. As I said, these questions, in my experience, are rarely asked. They are welcome questions and are an indication the person has depth of understanding deeper than most Christians who know more about the worship leader’s skills at guitar riffs than of the need of personal righteousness.

            Twenty years ago, when I came to Berean, these doctrinal questions were on my mind and needed to be answered before I would consider becoming a member. Quite frankly, I did not find all answers satisfying because they were much more detailed and in depth than the questions mentioned. But, I did find enough gospel harmony that persuaded me to believe Berean was an appropriate choice for me and my family. The years and the providence of God have proved this to be true and the questions worthy to be asked. If you have been in the church for all those years, you have discovered my disagreements and have seen the changes since I became pastor.

            Without being specific, there were doctrinal changes made. Should church members leave when there is a change in doctrine? Well, it depends on whether the change is from bad doctrine to good doctrine. I remember years ago our church in Kentucky hired a young man as youth leader. He was approached by one of our old deacons who wanted to help him correct some errors in this thinking. He handed him a book entitled, Rethinking Baptist Doctrine. The young man refused to read it. He said, “I do not need to rethink doctrine. I believe what I believe.” You see, he believed he already knew what Baptists believe and teach. The problem was he had been taught a perversion, and the book he was handed showed the historical, biblical position of Baptists through the centuries. Should he have changed his position? If those doctrines can be proved from scriptures, yes, he should have. There is no virtue in being uncompromising and strongly committed to wrong interpretations of scripture.

            I believe the church should know what it believes and be able to defend it with the Bible. If a change is necessary, change it. Don’t leave the church unless the church walks away from the truth. A good question to ask yourself is this: “Am I sufficiently grounded in doctrine to know my positions are correct?” How will you know if church doctrine is correct if you are unable to evaluate it by scripture? Verify you are right or be ready to leave the error not the church.

                                                                                                Pastor V. Mark Smith

            The recent debate over illegal immigration recalled an interview I had with a prospective member almost six years ago. I was asked if I would report illegal aliens who might be evangelized and seek membership in our church. If they were to receive Christ and come to church, would I report them to the authorities?

            I was never asked this question before, but I did not struggle with the answer. I said, no, I would not report them, but I would immediately begin to teach them that entering the country illegally is a crime against the state and therefore a sin against God. An illegal alien who receives Christ should seek to become legal here, in another country, or to return to his country of origin.

            The argument against this is that our country has a moral obligation to help those who flee oppression and seek better opportunities for their lives including that of economic prosperity. I understand the issue and I am not unsympathetic to it. Yet, I know there are people in all parts of the world that seek a better life. Since 2010, more than 8.5 million immigrants have entered the United States including those entering unlawfully. Our country is gracious to provide a legal path to immigration for millions of people. Most wait their turn and there are millions of Green Cards still waiting to be issued. Obviously, this country cannot sustain much more large-scale immigration. There need to be laws to control it for the good of all, and yes for the economic welfare of those living here legally.

            The question in my mind is do we sanction those who cross the border illegally to cut in line in front of those who choose to obey the law and take the legal path? Do we sanction those who are selfish enough to break the laws passed by the American people who fought and died to give us the laws by which we live? You might ask this question to those who labored to become naturalized and have taken up their places as law-abiding citizens.

            While I do not say the motives of our politicians are always pure, and they always approach truth and justice for all, or are founded upon the love of Christianity, I do say the Christian principle is to love our neighbors as ourselves. The person who breaks the law to gain an advantage over another has shown neither passion for God’s way nor the American way.

            I never thought I would be asked a question like this and perhaps should avoid it. However, the Bible does not avoid it. I find my response in Romans 13 that we are to obey the government that God ordains for our good. Our only exception is when government opposes God. I find the government does not oppose God with our immigration policy. We provide a means for legal immigration that is sustainable for the good of all and helps as best we can those living in oppression. While we deplore the awful choice of separating families at the border, our policy did not create the problem—breaking immigration law is the problem. We encourage repetition of the problem by providing sanctuary for those who are here illegally.

            I also take an example from the Bible. Do you remember in Philemon the case of the runaway servant, Onesimus? Paul met him while in Rome and he was converted to Christ. Apparently, Onesimus had wronged his master by theft or some other harm and had run away. Onesimus’ crime was against his master and Roman society. Paul did not turn him in to authorities but encouraged him as a new brother in Christ to return to his master and right the wrong. We might argue social justice all day and the right to hold a forced servant, but still Paul told him to go back to his master for judgment. He interceded on his behalf, but he left the final decision to Philemon.

            The point is that Christians obey the law and thereby obey Christ. Looking at illegal immigration from a Christian viewpoint, we don’t do right by doing wrong. It is paramount that Christians, and especially Christian pastors, obey the law or else be considered subversives which damages the gospel of Christ. Obviously, this article cannot provide answers for all arguments pro and con. We trust that obedience to God’s word is best and the consequences for doing it fall on Him who is the judge and justifier of all.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith