Hodge's analysis of the Biblical doctrine of Regeneration, being born again.

The following was written by one of my students at New Geneva Seminary, as a summary of his 

reading in Hodge.  This is well written.   If Wesley had read Calvin on 1John 3:9, he might not have 

preached that awful sermon on perfectionism that has wreaked so much havoc on the church.   

[lightly edited]

Hodge Systematic Theology Vol. III Part III

Regeneration

I. Usage of the Word

The word “regeneration” has many designators in Scripture. “It is called a new birth, a resurrection, a 

new life, a new creature, a renewing of the mind, a dying to sin and living to righteousness, a 

translation from darkness to light, etc.” The term as used by many of the theologians during the 

reformation period, both orthodox and not, had a wide range of use that was more general in its 

definition than precise.

II. Nature of Regeneration

Current use of the word “regeneration” has an almost unanimous meaning of “instantaneous change 

from spiritual death to spiritual life.” The false definitions of “regeneration” that Hodge treats of are 

as follows; (1) Regeneration is not a change in the Substance of the Soul, (2)Regeneration does not 

consist in an Act of the Soul, (3) Regeneration is not the same as conversion or sanctification, (4) 

Regeneration is not brought about by Finney’s definition of freewill (i.e. man is a total free agent able 

to choose God), (5) Regeneration is not the natural desire for happiness terminated by man’s choice 

of God.

Hodge continues to explain that many of the definitions of “regeneration” that place a primary cause 

of the action on man are merely philosophical theories and have no basis in proper theology. God, as 

creator, must be the primary cause of all things to which there are many secondary causes.

Regeneration is concerned with the Scriptural definition of the heart which consists in man’s entire 

faculties. Many errors are propagated with the idea that a change of heart merely relatesto feelings. 

Additionally, regeneration is not merely illumination, but a change of the will.

III. The Evangelical Doctrine

In understanding the evangelical meaning of “regeneration” one must first grasp the meaning of total 

depravity and the state of man, who being completely unable to choose God because of sin is 

effectively moved from having a heart of stone to having a heart of flesh whereby man is then 

converted. This is done of grace and not by the merit of man. The points of definition that Hodge uses 

are as follows:

1. Regeneration is an Act of God - God is not merely the giver but also the author of faith2. 

Regeneration is an Act of God’s Power - Because of God’s omnipotence, nothing can resist an 

efficacious call to regeneration. Regeneration is also said to be immediate because of God’s power 

and not mediate. The example given was of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Christ. 3. 

Regeneration in the subjective sense is not an act.  4. Regeneration is not a change in substance of the 

soul - “it is not good acts which make the man good; the goodness of the man determines the 

character of his acts.”5. Regeneration is a new life - Those who are spiritually dead are not dead in all 

senses of the word (socially, morally) but are dead in their views toward God, Christ, sin, etc… To 

those who have been given new life they are made alive in their views toward all the truths that are 

necessary to salvation whereby they testify to the truth.6. Regeneration is a new birth - As with a 

child, birth is not the act of the child but it is what itis… spiritually we are born anew and it is not a 

cause of our own but of the one whom gives life.7. Regeneration is a new heart - The heart in 

Scripture is the part of us that thinks, feels, wills and acts. When a new heart is given, God is giving a 

hole new character and nature; one that is not mired in sin and opposed to him but one that loves God 

and begins to act accordingly.

Other notes:

* The soul is recognized as a unit in Scripture and should not be separated in the analyzation 

[analysis?] of regeneration.

Prayer and Meditation on Psalm 34:9-14

“9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
11 ¶ Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 What man is he that
desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” (Ps 34:9-15 AV)

Precious Father, we confess that we cannot learn Your fear from the precept of men. That which is born
of the flesh is flesh and we must be taught by Your Spirit if we are to learn spiritual things.

Yet, how rich is the heritage of those who have learned Your fear. Even the wild beasts hunger and
thirst and many of them die for want of meat and drink, yet those who fear You will lack nothing
necessary for this life during the time that You have appointed for us on this earth.

Every good and perfect things comes down from You, O Father, for there is none good but You. You
have told us what Your fear is, that we “desire life, and love many days to enjoy the good that You give
us. To keep our tongues from evil and our lips from hypocrisy is the fear of God, for the Gospel tells us
that love is to be without hypocrisy, abhorring evil and cleaving to that which is good. We are
commanded to seek peace and chase after it.

For You, O precious Father, are not blind and deaf. You see the needs of Your children even before we
know them, and You hear our prayers even before we pray.

Therefore, O Lord Jesus, we will come to You, as You have commanded, as You have called us with
great power and glory. We will listen to Your voice and pursue the fear of the Lord, and You will teach
us Your ways, for you are faithful and true.

With great power You have called, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heaven laden and I will
give you rest.” We fear You, because You have taught us, for Your grace teaches us to live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present world. We are not drunken as those who riot in the night but we
have put on the soberness of Your fear, being taught of You.

Prayer and Meditation on Psalm 119:41-48

41. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.
42. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.
43. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.
44. So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.
45. And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
46. I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.
47. And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
48. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” (Ps 119:41-48)

Your mercies are the foundation of salvation, as your word has spoken. It is not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to Your mercy You saved
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. This mercy
was shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that being justified by
his grace, we should be made heirs according ot the hope of eternal life. Salvation has
always been according to Your mercy, O Precious Father in Heaven.

This is the answer I will give to all those who accuse Your people of being proud and
boasting in Your favor, for your favor is according to Your own pleasure and not
according to the good works that you see in us. We trust in Your precious promises,
not in our righteousness. The ungodly cannot see this, for they have not been humbled
by your mercy, but go about seeking to establish their own righteousness.

By Your grace, Precious Father, we will always have this word in our mouth and will
confess it before men. Our hope is in your word, in your promises, in your judgments
which will vinidicate our witness though it be despised and Your people threatened to
keep them silent. We will not keep silent, for we hope in your judgment which will
silence the mouths of the ungodly.

Because by Your grace You teach Your people to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we will keep your law continually for ever and ever, not just in ceremonies, but from
our whole hearts.

Because this obedience is taught of you and is from the heart, we walk at liberty,
seeking your precepts, because Your law is the truth.

We will not keep silence before kings and magistrates, rulers, and emperors, for why
should we be ashamed of Your testimonies. He that believes on Your shall not be
ashamed for every one of your righteous judgments will be seen in the earth. All knees
shall bow before our Lord Jesus and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord to the
glory of God. Thus you have sworn.

We do not grudge to give ourselves up totally to you, to do all things by faith to the
glory of God, as our Lord commanded. We delight to take up our cross and follow
You, for we do not serve with the mind of slaves, but as sons who have an eternal
inheritance in Christ Jesus. Therefore, we offer up our bodies to You with all that we
have, whether eating or drinking, or whatsoever we do, we will do all to the glory of
God, for this is Your commandment in which we delight. This we confess and vow to
You, O Father.

This vow we make to you in offering up our hands, for we love You. You have
purchased us with the blood of our Savior, and we are not our own, we are bought with
a price, even the precious blood of Christ. We will gladly take up our cross and follow
you, and so put to our seal that God is true and righteous all together. This is the hope
of eternal life and forgiveness of sins through the blood of the Mediator, Jesus of
Nazareth, whom You have appointed. Amen and Amen.

Prayer and Meditation on Psalm 119:33-40 Number Two

33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
39 Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.
40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.” (Ps 119:33-40 AV)

If You teach me, O Lord, I will not forget. Only You can make me receive the engrafted word which

is able to save my soul. I will keep Your law if You give me understanding; otherwise I am foolish, 

with a divided heart, double minded and unable to receive anything from You.

I will delight in Your commandments when You make me go in the path of life: in thy presence is 

fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. But You must cause me to go, 

because my nature is prone to hate God and Your commandments.

My heart is filled with its own desires, for all men seek their own, and not the things of Christ. You 

must incline my heart unto Your testimonies if I am to escape the corruption of the world through 

lust. Only You can purify my heart so that I can see God. I pray that You would turn my eyes away 

from the emptiness and folly of the world; give me life to go in Your way.

May Your word be sealed and ratified to me, O Lord, for only Your Holy Spirit can authenticate and 

overcome my unbelief and folly. When I heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation: I trusted in 

You, in the gospel of salvation: and was sealed and devoted to Your fear, for the Holy Spirit of 

promise is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the 

praise of Your glory. These I attest to, also, and set to my seal that You are faithful. This is Your 

work, O Lord, and not mine.

The thing I fear, O Lord, is reproach; either to be reproached of You, for Your judgments are right 

and good; or to bring reproach upon Your Name and Your glory. Therefore I long after Your 

precepts; make me to live in Your righteousness, O precious Father. This is also Your work.

Pelosium strikes again!

This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream, or maybe a friend sent it to me:

Subject: Densest Element known in science

Pelosium strikes again!

BREAKING NEWS!!

A major research institution has just announced the discovery of the densest element
yet known to science. The new element has been named Pelosium. The chemical
symbol of Pelosium is Pu. Pelosium has one neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy
neutrons, and 224 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 311. These
particles are held together by dark particles called morons, which are surrounded by
vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Pelosium’s mass actually increases over time, as morons randomly interact with
various elements in the atmosphere and become assistant deputy neutrons within the
Pelosium molecule, leading to the formation of isodopes. This characteristic of moron-
promotion leads some scientist to believe that Pelosium is formed whenever morons
reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as
Critical Morass.

When catalyzed with money, Pelosium activates MSNBCobnoxium and
CNNadnausium, both elements that radiate orders of magnitude more energy, albeit as
incoherent noise, since they have half as many peons but twice as many morons as
Pelosium.

Since it has no electrons, Pelosium is inert. However, it can be detected chemically as
it impedes every reaction it comes in contact with. According to the discoverers, a
minute amount of Pelosium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete
when it would have normally occurred in less than a second. In the presense of anti-
morons, Pelosium can be extremely corrosive. Botox seems to distort and smooth it's
surface, without impeding it's ongoing decay.

Pelosium has a normal half-life of approximately two years, at which time it does not
decay, but instead undergoes a transmutation, appearing in a new location but
displaying the same properties. In this process, assistant neutrons, vice neutrons and
assistant vice neutrons exchange places. Some studies have shown that the atomic
mass actually increases after each transmutation.

Research at other laboratories indicates that Pelosium occurs naturally in the
atmosphere. It tends to concentrate at certain points such as government agencies, large
corporations, universities, and anywhere there is news coverage occurring. It can
usually be found in the newest, best appointed, and best maintained buildings.

Scientists point out that Pelosium is known to be toxic at any level of concentration
and can easily destroy any productive reaction where it is allowed to accumulate.
Attempts are being made to determine how Pelosium can be controlled to prevent
irreversible damage, but results to date are not promising.

-- Note [by cwp]: a very small amount of knowledge of science will be required to
understand the humor of this article. A very small amount of science can be found in
the average high school student.

Seriously, Where Did You Read THAT?

One of the main objections raised against the clear biblical doctrine of predestination
goes something like this, “but the Bible says that God is not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Before you read any farther, you
should read 2Peter 3:1-10. You will not find that quotation in that passage or anywhere
else in the Bible.

I. This is the first thing: there is no place in the Bible that it says that “God is not
willing that any should perish.” The complete passage that this is lifted from says the
exact opposite of what the anti-predestination crowd would say:

2Peter 3: 9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned up.” It says that God will burn up the earth and all its works, and that day will
come as a thief in the night.

The “promise” is the promise of the second coming of the Lord. See 2Pet 3:1 Scoffers
mock at the promise, but the Lord gives the reason why He has not come yet: “He is
longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance.”

He has not come because all of us have not been saved yet. It is not because he is not
willing that any whatsoever perish. If that were true He would have come hundreds of
years ago, for far more have been born and died in unbelief than have turned to Christ.

If Christ is unwilling that people perish, He should come immediately for thousands of
unbelievers are being born every day. In fact, He would not have created the world at
all, for He surely knew of the millions and millions that would descend into hell even
before the Lord Jesus came.

Two things delay the coming of the Lord. First, all His enemies have not yet been put
under His feet [See Acts 2:35; Heb. 10:12,13; Phil, 2:9-11; etc.], which is the purpose
of His ascent into Heaven.  Second, the Lord’s coming is delayed because the full total
of the elect of God has not yet been made up. When that happens, Christ will come as a
thief in the night, and will be very willing to bring vengeance upon His enemies.
Because it is impossible to know the exact number of the elect of God, Jesus could
come at any moment, when the fullness of His church is complete.

II In the second place, This objection is foolish on the face of it, for God is certainly
willing that the ungodly perish. Please note the following:

Ps 11:6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible
tempest: [this shall be] the portion of their cup.

Rev. 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and
brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day
nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of
his name.

2Thess 1: 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on
them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from
the glory of his power;

Re 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

III. Third, the objection is silly on another level. If God is unwilling that any sinners
perish, then why do they perish? What compels Him to judge the wicked? Who has
Him in a hammerlock that compels Him, against His will, to bring the awful wrath that
the Bible described upon the ungodly.

The objection is refuted by the plain statement of the Apostle Paul, writing to Jews
asks “what if God, willing to show his wrath” endured the wickedness of the world for
this purpose.  [Romans 9:22]  No Jew needed to be reminded that God is willing to
show His wrath; the question is rhetorical, for every Jew who believed Moses had
plenty of evidence that God is willing to do so. It isn’t because of squeamishness that
God delays the judgment of the world.

IV. This objection reveals a faintheartedness and timid state of mind. I suspect that
there are those who are afraid people will not believe if they are told the truth about
God, that He will in flaming fire take vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To convince people to believe [under the illusion that faith comes by mental
manipulation] they present a false view of God, ashamed of the God they claim to
serve, and so become false prophets. Instead of proclaimers of the word they become
little more than salesmen, minimizing the defects of their product in order to make the
sale.

Instead, we are called to rest in the knowledge that God is willing to bring the fires of
his wrath upon the ungodly: 

7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels,
8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
and from the glory of his power;
10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.   2Thess. 1

Meditation on Psalm 150 and Instruments.

It is a certain truth, Our Precious Heavenly Father, that nothing that has been created
can contain You. Not even the heavens in all their magnificence and glory are big
enough for You. Much less can any earthly temple contain You; and yet in a great
mystery You have chosen to make Yourself known to Your people and have promised
to dwell with them. Moses built a tent for You as You commanded; Solomon build a
temple, also as You commanded, but we know, as Solomon Himself said, that You do
not dwell in temples made with hands.

So, our Father in Heaven, how shall we keep Your commandment to “praise You in
Your sanctuary?” How shall we climb up to heaven to take the place of the Holy
Angels who sing Your praises at all times? Will heaven not be defiled with the
instruments of men’s hands, the brass, the wind, the percussion, and the strings?

Where is Your sanctuary? Where is Your Temple on earth. Moses’ tabernacle and
Solomon’s temple are gone forever, but You have said that the church is Your temple,
a temple made with living stone in which spiritual sacrifices are to be offered to You.
But You have given us physical bodies and we can only sing our praises in Your
temple in a spiritual way if we offer up our bodies to You.

So spiritual service means the full use of our bodies to praise You; everything that has
breath is to praise You, O heavenly Father, and all of our hearts, souls, mind, strength
are to be given up to You in spiritual worship in our bodies in the gathering of Your
people, which is the present location of Your tabernacle among men. Jesus Christ came
to make His tabernacle among us in His flesh, but He rose from the dead and ascended
into heaven in order to send forth His Holy Spirit to unite Jew and Gentile through the
doctrine of the apostles and prophets in order to grow a temple unto the Lord, a
habitation of God through His Spirit. Eph. 2:18-22.

May our poor bodies be true instruments for Your praises and glory, dear Lord. Not
just our mouths and lungs, but our whole minds with the instruments that Your gifts
have devised for us, to amplify our praises and make a joyful sound of the Gospel to
the whole world. 

May we not copy the world in its sordid and debased use of these instruments, but may
we use them in Your solemn assembly to render the kind of praise that glorifies You,
not the tinkling and jingling and rattling that speaks of frivolity and foolishness. We
have a profound and manifold theology that speaks the splendor and majesty of God,
and may the music of our bodies and souls reflect that magnificence.

May Your praises be heard on earth even as they are in heaven.
-----------
“1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his
power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent
greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and
harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments
and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding
cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the
LORD.” (Ps 150:1-6 AV)

Prayer and Meditation on Psalm 119:33-40 Number One

O precious Father, only You can teach me what Your commandments are all about. Until You do this

precious work in my heart, my obedience will at the best be only formal and external, for without 

Your teaching no one can serve You to the end, perseverance is a fruit of Your Spirit.

This teaching must be from Your grace alone, the gift of Your Spirit. So foolish am I, O 

Lord, that I deserve only darkness as judgment for my darkness and any light I receive must be by 

Your grace. Only Your gift of understanding can penetrate the heart and cause me to serve You with 

my whole heart.

You must be the cause of my going in the path of Your commandment. I only tread the path that You 

have trodden before me, O Precious Savior. You have suffered for me, leaving me an example of 

patience and endurance. When You are the cause of my obedience, then I will run gladly in the way.

You, alone, O Savior, can bend my heart to stretch out with desire and longing for Your 

commandments. This is not natural for me, O Lord, for we all seek our own ways and desire the 

things of the world and not the things of God. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride 

of life belong to us, O Lord, and we learn not to love these only if You teach us to love the things that 

are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.

Hence, O precious Father, until You quicken me to live in Your way, I will love the world and my 

eyes and all my senses will be captive to sinful lusts, the vain things of the world. All is vanity that 

turns me away from You, O Lord, for an idol is nothing and brings to shame all those that follow it.

I pray O Lord that my heart would be established by Your grace, as You have promised, for Your 

kingdom is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. It is Your 

word that causes me to fear You, O Father, and causes me to be Your very own possession, devoted 

to Your fear, as the Apostle wrote: “Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all 

iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar and special people, zealous of good works.” O that I 

might be made holy, devoted to Your fear.

Protect me, O Heavenly Father, from bringing reproach upon Your Name. Only You can put a guard 

upon my lips and prevent me from bring scandal to Your Name. The devil watches on every side to 

lay snares for my feet, and You alone can protect me from them. It is good for me to thus judge 

myself, for if we would judge ourselves we would not be judged.

I long, O Lord, after Your precepts. I see much darkness yet in me, much that has not been 

quickened. Teach me to put off the old and put on the new, that I might be renewed in the spirit of my 

mind, as You have promised. I have not so learned Christ; for I have heard of him and have been 

taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. I long to put off concerning the former way of the old man, 

which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and I long to be renewed in the spirit of my mind as 

You have commanded and promised, Dear Father.

“33 ¶ HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. 34 Give me 

understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 35 ¶ Make me to 

go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. 36 Incline my heart unto thy 

testimonies, and not to covetousness. 37 ¶ Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken 

thou me in thy way. 38 ¶ Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear. 39 ¶ dTurn 

away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good. 40 ¶ Behold, I have longed after thy 

precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. 41 ¶ VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, 

even thy salvation, according to thy word.” (Ps 119:33-41 AV)

Dr. Powell's remarks at the Donor Banquet, at New Geneva Seminary, November 7, 2014.

http://basketoffigs.org/donor2014.mp3



Click on the above link to hear Dr. Powell's remarks at the 2014 Donor Banquet at New Geneva Seminary, November 7, 2014

The Graveyard Spin

[These were two comments that I made to a comment by a friend who said was must
get rid of obmacare, the income tax and the federal reserve.  I would suggest that Rome
wasn't built in a day and it took centuries before it fell, and here, 1500 years later, the
remnants of the Roman Empire still afflict mankind.  Edited and lengthened]

_____________, I know that, you know that, but how many people know that? Maybe
the last six years have educated some people, but there is still a great deal of work to
be done. The public image of each of these things is so crusted over with lies and false
dreams that it may very well take the vines coming to full fruit before the nature of the
vines can be known. But the battles must be fought in every generation. It took a
thousand years before the full nature of the papacy reached the masses of Western
Europe, and some still don't get it.

Obamacare may be within reach, at least to dismantle a piece at a time, but the others
may have to await another day.  Be prepared for some disappointments, but work
to plant poison pills for the sake of your children and grandchildren.

At the root of these things is a lying idolatry that must be seen and repented. It lies in
the hearts of liberals and conservatives: the idea that man's problems are within history
and can be solved in history. The reality is that man's problem is with God, and man's
salvation must come from without himself and from beyond this world, though
manifested in history. "Set you affections on things above, where Christ sits at the right
hand of God" "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no name under
heaven, given among men, whereby ye must be saved." Listen to Dr. Dieter's excellent
message "Beware the Graveyard Spin." .http://tinyurl.com/nv749rl   Save yourself, by
repenting and fleeing from Babylon.  Babylon is an old whore that is beyond
redemption.

A Well of Life

Pr 10:11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the 

wicked.

How sweet and pure is the mouth that speaks the truth with love and grace. Not so the mouth of the 

liar.

I hate lies. I didn't always do so, and hid myself especially in my youth. But as time went along I saw 

the wreckage and sorrow that a lie can do to a person, a family, a church, a nation.

Truth is the daughter of time, and eventually the rolling river of time reveals the truth, though it be 

hidden long. Ec 8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of 

man is great upon him.

But until the time and judgment ordained of God, the lie sits as a cancer, eating out the heart and 

destroying the judgment. The liar is very clever, and has a sort of wisdom, that is from beneath, the 

wisdom of the flesh, James calls it [James 3:13-15].

Men make bad decisions, often because of lies that they have been told by others. Relationships are 

destroyed; families and fractured. Churches are poisoned. Nations tumble down by faction and strife. 

And the lie just sits there, spewing out its venom, poisoning the soil all around it.

And the lie must grow. To protect itself it must invade other territory, building walls of defense 

against the truth.

Adam was the first, of course. He believed the lie that he could be as God and create his own reality, 

for that is the hope of every liar. He couldn't of course. Pink Floyd used to sing of "The Wall," but 

there is nothing like the Wall that God's reality erects around the liar. Pr 14:14 The backslider in heart 

shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

As the pure river of truth flows out from the Throne of God, it cleanses hearts of those who believe 

and puts truth in the inner man and on the lips.

Eph 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are 

members one of another.

Ps 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to 

know wisdom

Jesus, Our Savior

The three-fold offices of the Lord Jesus everywhere permeate Scripture. Everywhere you open the

book, you will find one or more of three things:

1. God speaking to people, or prophets speaking to the people for God.
2. People praying to God and offering sacrifices for forgiveness of sins, or God answering the prayers 

of His people and putting away their sins.

'3. God giving commandments to His people, warning them of the consequences of breaking His law, 

or promising rewards for faith and obedience.

The offices of prophet, priest, and king, so permeate the very fabric of man's life that even the pagan 

and false religions must offer up pale imitations or horrid corruptions of the blessed work of our 

Mediator, the only Mediator between God and man.

AntiChrist has no power to create; he just dons a painted, lifeless mask of Christ and pretends until 

consumed with the wrath of God.

From the Heidelberg Catechism:

Q31: Why is He called "Christ," that is, Anointed?
A31: Because He is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Ghost [1] to be our chief 

Prophet and Teacher,[2] who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning 

our redemption;[3] and our only High Priest,[4] who by the one sacrifice of His body has redeemed 

us, and ever lives to make intercession for us with the Father;[5] and our eternal King, who governs 

us by His Word and Spirit, and defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us.[6]

1. Heb. 1:9
2. Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22
3. John 1:18; 15:15
4. Psa. 110:4; Heb. 7:21
5. Rom. 5:9-10
6. Psa. 2:6; Luke 1:33; Matt. 28:18; Isa. 61:1-2; I Peter 2:24; Rev. 19:16

Meditation and Prayer on Psalm 104:31-35

O Precious Father, what can be more healthy for the soul of man than to praise the Lord? Indeed, what

can be better for the health of man’s body than to live in temperance and quietness of soul as You 

commanded.

You have shown us the way: Proverbs 3:5-10 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto 

thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not 

wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and 

marrow to thy bones. 9 Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine 

increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Your glory will endure forever and You shall rejoice in His works forever. You cannot be moved by 

the events on the earth—yea, You look and the earth quakes and cities fall and great waves cover the 

earth. The volcanos erupt and cool the earth at Your touch and the ash is spread wide and far to enrich 

to soil. Man cannot even begin to scratch the surface of the wonderful things that You do in secret for 

Your own pleasure and glory.

What we can do is sing unto You, O Precious Father, for what better use is there of the breath and arts 

of man than to compose songs and sing the play them for the glory of God? What better use of our very 

existence than to sing praise to our God.

Those that meditate on the glory of God find it sweet indeed. It is far better to think on the Lord and 

praise His works than to examine our own sinfulness and fret and lament our weakness. What we lack 

in virtue, strength, power, and wisdom is amply made up by the glories and the wonders of our God. 

We can be glad in You and our thoughts of You can be sweet indeed.

Sweet it is to meditate on the praise and honor and glory that will be revealed at the appearing of
Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, we love; in whom, though now we see him not, yet believing,
we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory....  1 Peter 1:7,8

You will utterly finish and consume the sinners and purge them from the earth. All the wicked shall be 

no more, for they shall gathered from the earth and cast into a furnace of fire, and the smoke of their 

torment will ascend up forever and ever. Glorious is Your Name, O Lord, and You work 

lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things You delight. You have 

commanded us to so glory in Your perfections.

“31 The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works. 32 He looketh 

on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke. 33 I will sing unto the LORD as 

long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34 My meditation of him shall be 

sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked 

be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.” (Ps 104:31-35)

Meditation and Prayer on Psalm 146.

Meditation and Prayer on Psalm 146. 
For a Saturday Morning, or any other day.

September 6, 2014

Precious Heavenly Father, I confess that You have prepared our souls to praise You.
It is good to praise You in our souls, for You are a Spirit and are glorified with
spiritual worship. Unless worship proceeds from the soul of man, in spirit and in truth,
it is simply and idolatry engaged in by the body.

I was created and given life in order to glorify You with praises, for You alone are
worthy of such praises. You created me and gave me existence that does not come
from princes or the rich, for in You we all live and move and have our being. How
foolish to trust in such, for they are as empty as the chaff that is blown by the wind!

There is no help in the man. Man comes into the world; there is no light in him. He
brings nothing into the world, and only learns what he sees and hears as a natural
man. 

If he is worldly wise, he can learn much about the world for it is Your handiwork and
You have given him capacity to understand Your eternal power and godhead, but if he
does not seek You, his thought are vanity and idolatry, being only of the world, and
when breath goes from him, he returns to the dust and is forgotten. So are his hopes
and dreams and happiness, for his soul perishes in Your wrath and eternal punishment.

The man is happy that trusts in the Lord because You have made covenant with Your
people. Your promise cannot fail.

Your people have hope because of Your promise, and because it is Your promise, it
cannot fail. So their hope cannot fail. Not only is it Your promise, but it is sealed with
Your immutable oath, that the Lord Jesus is our priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob--the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—is our God
and Your covenant with Your Son is our covenant, for we are children of the Promise
just as Isaac was.

O precious Father, You have power to keep Your Promise, because You are the True
and living God that made the earth and the heavens. You guard and treasure up the
truth and keeps it forever and ever.

You remembers all the promises that You made to Your people. None of them shall
fail. It is not vain to trust in the Lord.

You are the true keeper of the oppressed, the hungry. You save the slave, the needy the
blind. You raise them up and preserve those that trust in You, for it is only those who
believe who have access to Your Promises.  

You save strangers and widows.

Jehovah is the true and living God, the Father of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the Word
who was made flesh. He hears the blasphemy of the ungodly and faithless. He turns
their way upside down.

God reigns forever and ever. He is the God of those who trust in Christ the Lord. Jesus
Christ sits upon the throne of David in Zion forever. His promises are to a thousand
generations, even forever.

Hallelujah!

Meditation and Prayer for a Tuesday Morning. Psalm 147:7-15

Psalm 147:7-15

Our Heavenly Father, our hearts sing of Your mercy and truth. You have tuned them to
thanksgiving and we praise You with our whole being, for our souls are Your musical
instruments for Your glory.

You have sent the clouds and the rain to water the earth, to make the grass grow and to
provide food for all the birds and the animals that You have created and care for.

You take no delight in our natural strength or all the power of the universe, for all
power comes from You. You have pleasure in those who fear You, who hope in Jesus
Christ for mercy and strength. 

It is the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation to all those who believe and
we hope only in Christ, whom You have appointed to be the Savior of men through
faith in His blood.

We praise You in Your church, dear Heavenly Father, for that is Your will and
appointment. We gather in obedience and submit one to another, to care for one
another and to seek Your glory in the church. 

Thy church is the pillar and ground of the truth and You have made her strong behind
her gates and bars. You protect her from the wickedness of the world through her
appointed officers and ministers and we thank You for them. 

Your children are blessed within thy church for You have promised to dwell with us
and be our God and we are Your people.

You have given us the finest of care and have nourished us in the word of God, better
than our daily food. 

You have given us peace so we can grow and flourish in Your courts--in your church.
Your word runs swiftly to accomplish all Your holy will. Blessed be Your name
forever and ever.

The Exercises of Fools

I do not make speeches to try to prove the sun shines. Neither do I make orations
about the existence of your brain. I will not try to persuade you that you hear me
talking or that the horse that you see running across the field is the same horse that you
see when he runs toward you. Such are the exercises of philosophers and madman,
who are closely related to each other.

Instead I will be very patient trying to teach you the words of Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John, those giants of men who stood in the presence of the Light of the World.
They looked upon Him, their hands touched Him, the Word of Life. [1John 1:1]

I will point you to the record that God has given of His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. If you
do not believe, your blood is on your own head, because those who do not believe God
make Him a liar; for they do not believe the record that God gave of His Son.
[1John 5:10, 11]

For the words of God are pure words. The words that He put into the mouths of the
apostles and prophets carry their own authenticity and the poor wisdom of Bud Powell
can no more authenticate them than a flea can carry an elephant on his back. The
elephant carries himself, thank you.

When a man denies the call of the Gospel and that God is, he takes upon himself the
enormous task of proving that he, himself, is not a fool. No one can bear that burden.

Wisdom cried from the highest places of the city, "Forsake the foolish, and live; and
go in the way of understanding." Proverbs 9

Will You Hide Forever?

David the King knew about depression.  Some of His Psalms were very dark indeed.
Psalms 13, 39. 70 were written by David and are all dark.  Psalms that were perhaps
not written by David are the dark Psalms 120, 129.  Psalm 88 is attributed to a  son
of Asaph and is especially dark.

Psalm 13 was written by David during a very dark period in his life.

----------
 
“1  How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy
face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart
daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O
LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest mine enemy
say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6 I will sing
unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” (Ps 13:1-6)

----------

"How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord?  forever?"   What a horrible feeling rooted in
the very depths of the heart, that God has abandoned me.  Forever?  "How long wilt
thou hide thy face from me?"  This is much more common than realized and is felt by
Christians who live in the real world.

Jesus felt abandoned on the cross.  Luther felt the same for years, "My God, My God,
why has thou forsaken me."  Job felt abandoned of God:  "Let the day perish wherein I
was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.  Let that
day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. 
Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upn it; let the blackness
of the day terrify it....  Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid
sorrow from mine eyes. Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the
ghost when I came out of the belly?"  from Job 3:2-11

But Job knew where to look for help.  "Naked come I out of my mother's womb, and
naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be
the name of the Lord."  Job. 1:21

Some of God's choicest saints have battled depression for years, some for their entire
lives.

"How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long
shall mine enemy be exalted over me?"   "How long shall I take counsel in my soul."
This is the road to insanity.  Pr 12:15  "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but
he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."  He takes counsel in his soul.  He has "tried to
do right," that is, right in his own eyes.   He has tried many cures.  But this only
intensified his feelings.  Pr 19:21 "There are many devices in a man’s heart;
nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand."

God cannot deny Himself.  Man was not created to live under his own wisdom and
under his own opinions. These are the way of death.  The Apostle Paul knew this, and
told the elders of Ephesus,  Ac 20:27 "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all
the counsel of God."

Paul also prayed for the church, that the Father in heaven, "would grant you, according
to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love, May be able to comprehend will all saints what is the breadth, and length, and
depth, and height: and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye
might be filled with the fulness of God...."  Eph.4:16-19

Jesus put it this way, Joh 12:25 "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth
his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."  God will not become an
instrument and an enabler of my self worship.  I am to put off the old man with his
deeds.

The enemies of my soul are strengthened when I war against Christ and His servants.
 David begins to see light and life when he prays, "Consider and hear me, O God my
God: lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death."

It is the hope of faith that awakens the soul from death and breathes the breath of life:
"I have trusted in thy mercy: my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation."  Forgiveness of
sins, newness of life, love and hope spring up from faith in the promises of God, who
deals bountifully with His people.

But faith comes only from God.  It is not the bell you ring on your tricycle.  It is very
often faith itself that is tested and tried by the dark valleys. "Knowing this, that the
trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

Trials are messengers from the Lord to call upon Him for wisdom and grace [James
1:3,4], but God will not be your handmaiden to serve your lusts and desires.  I must
receive the engrafted word, which is able to save my soul, for I am the problem, not the
circumstances surrounding me.

Faith teaches me that I am not my own, that I belong to Jesus Christ.  That makes all
the difference in the world:  HC 1:  Question 1:  What is your only comfort in life and
in death?

 Answer 1:  That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but
belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully
satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so
preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my
head; indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His
Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and
ready from now on to live unto Him.

But you say, "I don't believe that. Isn't there another way?"
No.

The Rainbow Covenant

There is no nation on earth that is not either a covenant keeping nation, or a covenant-
breaking nation. After the flood, God made the rainbow covenant with the whole
world, promising without condition that He would never destroy the world again with a
flood, and putting His war bow in the sky in the "at peace" position as a sacramental
sign of His promise.

The foundation of this promise was God's eternal promise that in the fullness of time
His Son would  be sent forth as a redeemer for men.  God received the sweetness of the
bloody offerings that Noah made to Him immediately after coming forth from the ark
and remembered the covenant that He had made with Adam, when such offerings were
instituted.  If Christ was to come to redeem people, then there must be people to
redeem.

God's promises that He would not destroy everything as He had done, and that
seedtime and harvests, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night would
continue until the end of the world [Gen.8:22] were unconditional and rooted in His
grace.

But God did lay some privileges and duties upon man in terms of this
rainbow covenant.  The fear of man would come upon all the beast and birds and fish
and they would  be food for man, just as all the plants had been before the flood.  But
they were not to be cruel to the animals but value their lives, slaying with compassion
and not partaking of the blood, for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and life was to
be considered very sacred.

This blood would be required of every man and every animal.  The slaying of an
animal for food would be a religious exercise involving the pouring out of the blood
and thanksgiving for the food that God had provided.  Further "Whoso sheddeth man's
blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."  [Gen
9:6]

Man's blood was especially precious, and the sinful shedding of man's blood was to be
revenged by the shedding by man of the blood of the murderer.  This is the foundation
for capital punishment and just wars against bloody and vicious nations.  This is man's
responsibility in terms of the rainbow covenant.

This provision was later written into the law of Moses:  Numbers 35:33 and context. 
"So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the
land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that
shed it."   This is included under the New Testament:  Romans 13:4 and context.  The
state is the chosen instrument of God to carry out this provision of the Rainbow
Covenant.  After the flood, in order to restrain sin from becoming more than could be
borne, God established nations and sent them to war to restrain the sins of men.

But who, in the modern world is that just nation that is not polluted with innocent
blood?  Abortions by the thousands upon thousands bloody the land of almost every
nation upon the earth.  Persecution sheds the blood of Christians in every Muslim land
and even children and women to do escape the cruelty.  Who is fit to require the
provisions of the Rainbow Covenant?  It appears that only God is, and His judgments
must seek out the blood in every nation of the world, for men have forsake the God of
Covenant and seek to establish their own covenants of emotionalism and humanism.

But the peace of God symbolized by every rainbow in the sky, testifies against men
everywhere under the sun, the blood will be required, and none of the guilty will
escape.

De 19:13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent
blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.    See context

2Ki 21:16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled
Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in
doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.  See context

Ps 94:21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and
condemn the innocent blood.  See context

Ps 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their
daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted
with blood.  See context

Mt 27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they
said, What is that to us? see thou to that. See context

Mt 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was
made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent
of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. See context

Mt 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from
the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye
slew between the temple and the altar.  See context

Re 16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them
blood to drink; for they are worthy. See context

Re 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore,
which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his
servants at her hand. See context

Dear man, dear woman, whoever you are.  Fly to the blood of Christ, for it alone can take away the sins of the world!! 

Prayer for a Sunday Evening, or any other time. Meditation on Isaiah 59:19-21

Prayer for 8/03/2014 Isaiah 59:19-21

Our Precious Heavenly Father, It must always be that you have a people to praise you
on the earth, and faithful ministers to preach and teach Your word.  

Even when it seemed so dark for Judah and that there were few who feared and loved
you, yet there were those like Isaiah whom You preserved from the wickedness and
who walked uprightly before you.  

The enemies of the Lord, though they come in like a flood, yet they are no match for
the Spirit of God. Ps 76:6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse
are cast into a dead sleep. Ps 104:7 At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your
thunder they hasted away.

Who shall not fear you, O Lord? At the time appointed, the Lord Jesus Christ, our
Redeemer and King came to Zion and called His people and loved them and nurtured
them and redeemed them from all their sins.

For You will always have Your people who will praise You and call upon Your Name.

Thy covenant is from everlasting to everlasting, O most High God. According to the
faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; we
have the certain hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the
world began; But has in due times manifested His word through preaching”

This we know, O precious Father, and we have heard that call of the gospel and have
believed that Christ died for our sins according to the eternal covenant, revealed by
your prophets and apostles and preached in the world.

And so it has happened according to Your Promise, O Father. Your people have come
from the east and the west. They have heard your Good News and have believed and
have feared Your name. And we among them, O Lord, for we have believed the
message that Your apostles carried to the ends of the earth.

You have been faithful and have given us Your Spirit. We have believed your words
that have been in the mouths of Your servants. They shall never depart from our
mouths or from the mouths of our seed nor out of the mouth of our seed’s seed, even
forever, because You have given us Your promise, and You cannot lie.

So we bring our petitions before You, O Precious Father. You have promised to hear
our prayers and to give us your Holy Spirit as we ask. We need His presence with us
day by day and His light, the light of Your word, to direct us in the way we should go.

Strengthen us with might in the inner man, that we might understand the length, and
the height, and the depth, and the height of the measure of Christ and be filled with the
love of Christ which passes knowledge, and filled with the love of God.

Morning or Anytime meditation: Psalm 119:25-32

Meditation and Prayer on Psalm 119:25-32

O Precious Father, it is not enough for me to crawl and creep in the way of Your commandments. I would 

run in the way, but my heart is so dull and heavy. My soul clings to the dust, and I must be enlivened by thy 

Word. I have cried to You, and You have heard me. O Precious Father, teach me Your statutes.

I confess my sins; I confess that my ways are sinful and come short of thy glory. But I would rather speak of 

Your wondrous works; how different they are from mine. I know that I am created in Your image, but my 

works fall so far short of Your glory.

When I think of such things, my heart melts within me and I have no strength. O Father, strengthen me with 

might in the inner man. Fortify my heart to be valiant and faithful.

Lies are the work of the devil, and there is nothing more deadly for my soul than false doctrine and lying 

tongues. Your Law is the truth and it is taught to me by Your only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the 

light of the world. I choose the way of obedience, dear Lord, because Your Spirit has taught me to lay Your 

truth always before me.

I cling to Your testimonies and they are my necessary food and drink. Do not put me to shame for loving 

Your and holding to Your commandments in a harsh and unbelieving world.

Enlarge my heart, O Precious Father, that I might run in the way of Your commandments.

---------------------

“25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. 

26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. 

27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. 

29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. 

30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. 

31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. 

32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.” 

(Psalms 119:25-32 AV)

Prayer and Meditation on Psalm 37:4-7

Precious Father in Heaven, I confess that it is beyond the power of the flesh to delight in You, for the natural 

man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, but delights in the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Because of this, it is necessary that we mortify the old man with His deeds in order that we may walk in the 

Spirit and not fulfil the desires of the flesh.

The desires of the flesh are not our true desires, O Father, but they belong to Adam, our father after the 

flesh, and they are desires that bring death and ruin.

You, O precious Father, know what our true desires are and how precious it is when You quicken us by 

Your Spirit and we come to know them.

You will bring to pass all these precious desires, for You have said, “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst 

after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

We do commit ourselves to You, O Father, and commit our way unto You, for You know what is best for 

us and will certainly bring it to pass.

We rest in You, O Father, and wait patiently for the time appointed for us to know the full salvation that You 

have given us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. In Him we have true righteousness and judgment, and we will shine 

as lights at noonday in the kingdom of our Father, for thus You have promised.

We will not fret over those who deny You and prosper in their evil ways. They war against themselves when 

they war against You, and cannot succeed in their wicked devices.

We are content to wait, O Father, for evil cannot go beyond the bounds You have appointed for it, for the 

wicked are like the chaff which the wind takes away. They shall vanish like the smoke and melt like wax in 

the fire.

Blessed be Your Name forever and ever, O Lord. And blessed be Your dear Son who has redeemed us 

from all iniquity. Amen and Amen.

----------

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, 

because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Blocking the Streets

Blocking the Streets

First published 2002 in Basket of Figs.

“In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and 

revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, 

and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” --Isaiah 59:14,15.

The courts did not seem to be in touch. Innocent people were victims of violent crime. Often the courts were 

corrupt and allowed the guilty to go free. Government officials were corrupt and lining their own pockets. 

The courts were filled with empty arguments and lying tongues. Lawlessness was everywhere.

This was Israel in the days of Isaiah, who diagnosed the problem: the carcass of truth blocked the street, so 

equity could not pass.

I. The root meaning of “Equity” is “straightforwardness,” or “integrity.” Another form of the word describes 

the walk of a righteous man (Isaiah 57:2). In Proverbs 8:9 the words of wisdom are “plain” to those with 

understanding. When Israel no longer wanted to hear the truth, they wished the prophets to prophesy smooth 

things of deceit, not “right,” straightforward things (Isaiah 30:10).

The Bible teaches that there is a “plain” way: a simple, right, and honest way for a man to treat his God and 

his neighbor. This simple, right way is written in the hearts of every man, in his very nature, so that he is 

without excuse. The Apostle Paul said that this law is even written on the hearts of those who have never 

heard of the Bible (Romans 2:13-16). In their wickedness, men are able to corrupt this law, and some may 

even succeed in “searing their conscience as with a hot iron” (I Timothy 4:2), but they can never entirely 

erase it, and it will rise up to judge them in the last day. The pure form of this “law of nature” was given in the 

Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), and its summary is true love for God and our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-

40). This law shows that man is a moral being and is accountable to God and to his neighbor for his actions. 

The humanist must deny this law of God.

II. In Christian nations, the legal system reflected this law of equity. In England, equity courts originated in the 

legal system established after 1066 by William of Normandy. They were “courts of conscience,” 

administered by the king’s chancellor, a clergyman. (Smith, Chester H., Smith’s Review of Equity,” West 

Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minn., 1958. p. 9) Until this century, courts of equity were part of the American 

judicial system. Webster defines equity:

“Justice according to nature law of right,” or “a system of law originating in the English chancery and 

comprising a settle and formal body of legal of procedural rules and doctrines that supplement, aid, or 

override common and statue law and are designed to protect rights and enforce duties fixed by substantive 

law.”

A “substantive” right or duty is one that exists for its own sake and rests in natural law. For instance, a man 

has no right to endanger life by shooting a gun at a passing train, even if there is no specific statute forbidding 

it, or a decision in common law to cover that case. He is expected to know that such actions are wrong. 

Such an expectation is becoming rarer and rarer in schools, in public, and in government. Naughty impudent 

children become naughty impudent and brazen men and women.

Reasonable men want their courts to be upright, to dispense honest and fair decisions. Equity courts held a 

man responsible to behave in a right way toward his neighbor’s life, property, and reputation and were an 

attempt toward responsible, fair judicatories. The very existence of these courts testified to rights and law 

that were above the statute and common law, and tended to affect decisions in the other courts. Jefferson’s 

allusion to the “laws of nature,” and of “nature’s God” in the Declaration of Independence is within the scope 

of this Christian heritage.

A number of years ago courts of equity were abolished in America, and combined with the regular system of 

courts. The result is that equity is usually ignored in modern courts. One lawyer told me that judges do not 

want to stick their necks out; they want to base their decisions on statute law or common-law decisions. This 

is understandable in present law theory where there is no recognition of natural law proceeding from the God 

who created us all. Understandable, but irresponsible, and something very precious was lost in our courts 

when courts of equity were abolished. An exception to this was Brown, which ended segregation in public 

schools, the most famous equity decision in the history of America. No remedy could be found in common or 

statute law, so recourse was made to the idea that it was essentially unfair to deny basic rights to any of our 

citizens on the basis of race. One problem in this decision, however, was that it was based on the 

subjectivism of the judges, not on natural law. It was widely supported, and rightly so, because the decision 

met the approval of the consciences of the majority of the American people.

III. Natural law presupposes a Creator, and that’s the rub, in Hamlet’s phrase. Modern man hates God and 

His law. He wants to live in a relativistic world, so that he can justify abortion, sodomy, confiscatory taxation, 

fornication, pornography, and reap the income that comes from them. He sees himself as a victim in an 

impersonal world; not as a responsible man under God.

In spite of this God is the Creator and Judge of the earth. This is the truth that lies in the street and blocks 

equity’s way. The Christians who compromised with atheistic evolution in the public schools did not realize 

that this undermined a court system based on equity and natural law, turning loose a flood of lawlessness, 

criminal government and viciousness. But they did know what the Bible said, so they were without excuse, 

just as we are if we do not work to have the general law of equity, created by God, recognized as the basis 

for our law. This general law recognizes that all men are to live at peace with one another and seek the good 

of all men. This is not an emotion, but objectified in the Ten Commandments.

It was so bad in Israel that God “wondered” that there was no man, no intercessor, to plead Israel’s case 

(Isaiah 59:15-17). It displeased Him that there was no justice. So He took charge Himself. He “put on 

righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head…” vengeance for clothing, …and 

zeal as a cloke” (Isaiah 59:17. When Jesus Christ, the Son of God appeared, He put things to right, and the 

wicked will not escape His righteous and holy government. The wicked do not like nor approve of God’s 

intervention, but they are scattered like the chaff before the wind.

He Gave Us God's Words, Through the Apostles

The words of the apostles that give meaning to the life and work of the Lord Jesus. He meant it to be that
way, and went back to Heaven after His work was done. He gave the words of His Father to his disciples
[John 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.]

He promised when He was gone to Heaven He would send the Holy Spirit to enable them to remember all

that He had done [John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my 

name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto 

you.]

Before He left, He told them to wait until the Holy Spirit had come, and then go a make disciples of the 

whole world, teaching them all the things that He had taught them. [Matt. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach 

all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching 

them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 

end of the world. Amen.]

They were also to write all the things down, so that future generations would know the eternal life that was in 

His doctrine. [1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with 

our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was 

manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the 

Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye 

also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ 4 

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.]

This is the Gospel that has been preached in the whole world, not given by man, but preserved in all ages for 

the salvation of those who believe. In order to be saved God must send someone to you to tell you this good 

news, and He will do so according to His good pleasure in Jesus Christ: [Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall 

call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not 

believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a 

preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of 

them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

There are many false prophets who teach the visions or the feelings of their own hearts and they are very 

charming and personable. But they must be rejected, for the church is built upon the apostles doctrine which 

was delivered to them by Jesus Christ and preserved in His people in all ages. [1Cor. 15:1 Moreover, 

brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein 

ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have 

believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our 

sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to 

the scriptures...."

The Death of a False God Who Needs to Die

The Dark Angels of God

This article was first published in Basket of Figs

[This article is adapted from Pastor Powell’s blog at basketoffigs.blogspot.com. It was written in reply to an
article by ____________ in which he stated that the Indian Ocean tsunami “brought another geological
challenge to the biblical notion of an intervening, caring God." Pastor Powell does not apologize for the tone
of his response.]

I'm sorry, Mr. _______, but you know nothing of what you speak. December 26 did nothing of the sort.
What is challenged is the humanist notion [not Biblical] that God must act according to our sentimental
affectations. The modern sentimental idea of God, the result of two or three centuries of unbelief and
humanistic attacks on the Bible, has nothing to do with the Bible.

Isaiah gives another perspective of God: And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness
of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly
abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD,
and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his
idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the
bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for
the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in
his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?"   [Is. 2:17-22]

The fact that men do not know the God of the Bible, does not mean that the God of the Bible does not know
them. What December 26 did was show the world that our sentimental and shallow view that God is in
error. He is not a benevolent grandpa who will rush to serve up whatever we want, in spite of our denial of
His Word and appointed Savior. Such a view is sadly out of tune with reality. It never was true and it isn't
true now. It is humanism and humanistic sentimentality that is exposed.

How dare you, Mr.______, attribute man's fancies to the Bible and then condemn them as though they were
God's word! Do you think that the heavens are blind and deaf?

Isa 24:18 "And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he
that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open,
and the foundations of the earth do shake."

This is the God of the Bible, the God Who cannot deny Himself. He is the Creator of all things and the
source of all things. Do you think you can tweak His beard and He will not pay attention? Do you think that
you can turn your back on His love that gave us His Son and not experience His wrath? His wrath does not
vanish like Alice’s cat when confronted with our unbelief.

What 9/11 and 12/26 really shows us is that God has His dark angels that know nothing of grace and mercy
[Ex. 12:23 and 1 Cor. 10:10]. God's love is wrapped up in Jesus Christ [Roman 5:8], and those who reject
God's Beloved Son, will someday meet these other angels. Unbelievers will not like these holy angels.

Amos 9:1-4: I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts
may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth
of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. Though they dig into hell,
thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: And though
they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid
from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them: And though
they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will
set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.

Hebrews 10:28-31: He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how
much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of
God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath
done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will
recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God.

The souls of the beloved of God, who believe in Christ and trust Him, did not perish in the waves, but were
transported by angels into the bosom of Christ. What was a terrible calamity to others was a home going to
the people of God.

But if you do not repent, you will likewise perish.

Let Him Glory in the Lord!

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption:  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."  1
Corinthians 1:30,31

We confess, O Lord that not many of the wise, the strong, and the noble are called to eternal life.  The
outward call of the gospel is to all, but your secret call in the hearts of Your elect is according to your counsel
from the foundation of the earth.

You have chosen the foolish to confound the wise; the weak to confound the mighty, and the things that are
weak and vile and despised to bring to nothing the things that are noble in the sight of men.  Hence, no flesh
can glory in Your presence, because we are favored by Your choice and not by ours.

All of our blessings come from You, O God. They are of You, or from You, or because of Your doing.  Chief 

among these blessings from You is our union with Christ.  You appointed Him the Mediator, O Precious 

Father, and deposited all Your gifts in Him so that He could give them to those whom You had given to Him, 

as He Himself prayed [John 17:2].

We have no wisdom, but You have enriched us with that wisdom stored up in Jesus Christ and we are
therefore, though fools, made wiser than our teachers.

We have no righteousness, but You have clothed us with the righteousness of Christ and we are, therefore,
though our own rags are filthy, possessed of a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes the Pharisees.

We have no holiness, but those You love You chasten that we may be like Christ and partake of His holiness.
You have called us from the filthiness of the world and purified our hearts by faith.  You disciple us to put off
the old man and his filthy deeds and put on the new man of true holiness.  Therefore, though of the world and
its corruption, we are predestined by You, O Father, to be conformed to the image of Christ.  By Your
grace alone, we have purified our hearts by faith, being born of an incorruptible seed.

We are poor indeed, O Precious Father, and have not the price of our redemption.  But the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. [Mr 10:45].
Therefore, though we are helpless in the face of our abject poverty, we have Your promise that "the
ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they
shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Hence, O precious Heavenly Father, we have nothing to glory in or boast.

And That's the Truth!

And That’s the Truth

“The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:14 “I am the truth….” John 14:6

Two questions have perplexed the philosophers. The first concerns the reality of the objective world. How

do I know that everything is not just a dream? Hinduism thinks that everything ismaya, or illusion. This 

thinking influenced Mary Baker Eddy, and was expressed in Christian Science. There is no objective world, 

all is Mind, and evil is illusion. Divine healing is very important to Christian Science for it illustrates the power 

of Mind over Matter, that matter can be changed through a change of mind. But in spite of philosophical 

idealism (Mind is everything; matter is nothing), these people still get sick, break bones, and die. Funerals are 

held for Christian Scientists and for Hindus.

The other question concerns the reality of spirit or mind. How do I know that my mind is not just a very 

complicated and wonderful computer, fully understandable by natural, material processes? Materialism sees 

all things in terms of molecules, electrons, sub-atomic particles, and physical processes. “The Cosmos is all 

that is or ever was or ever will be,” is the way Carl Sagan began his book Cosmos. If materiality is all there 

is then mental, moral, and spiritual processes can be explained and controlled by material substances. Drugs 

will change the way people behave; physical processes can remake human nature. There can be no spirits 

like angels, demons, God, or the Devil. Physical processes are all there is.

How wonderful are the words of John: “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Wisdom of 

God became flesh!

There is no necessary connection between mind and body. The connection is God the Creator, who in grace 

created us with the capacity to know both God and His creation. We know that something mysterious 

happens when a baby is born, or when a person dies, but we cannot explain it. There is a strange and 

wonderful union of flesh and spirit in every human being that takes place when we are born, and is somehow 

severed when we die. Philosophy has puzzled and speculated, from Anaximander’s materialism to Hegel’s 

idealism, but cannot explain the connection between soul and body, and must either deny the one or the 

other. What is the truth?

The truth lies in the words of Christ: “I am the truth.” It is grace that forms the connection between soul and 

body. It was in gracious love that God stooped down and formed man of the dust of the ground, as a potter 

would form an exquisite work of art. It was gracious love that breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, 

so that he became the image of God. God gave the ability to see, to hear, to rejoice in the world around him.  

It was gracious love that put man into loving, covenantal connection with the world of materiality, but also put 

heaven in his heart that he might thirst after the God who created him.

The Bible reveals Jesus of Nazareth as a most unique person, one who was both God and Man. He was the 

eternal God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, who “proceeded and came forth from God.” (John 8:2 

and Proverbs 8:25). In like manner, though not of the essence of God, all souls come from God, for He is 

the Father of Spirits. Just as we reverence our earthly fathers, we are called to be in subjection to the “Father 

of Spirits,” in order to live (Heb. 12:9). Though there is some analogy to Jesus Christ, yet there is major 

difference, for He is the Only Begotten Son, of the very essence of God, who was united to our human 

nature—both of body and human soul, that He might be an offering for sin. We are created souls, without 

proper immortality, but upheld by the power and word of God.

“The Word became Flesh.” The early church rightly opposed and condemned the Gnostics, who denied the 

true Incarnation of Christ. The Fathers of the church clearly saw that Gnosticism would destroy the link of 

grace between soul and body, leaving only the alternatives of a vicious materialism or an equally vicious 

idealism. The Incarnation was real and demonstrated to the world that God in His grace had made man both 

soul and body, to praise and glorify God forever. The body is not illusion, and the soul is immaterial. The 

connection between them is of grace.

“I am the truth.” Without God’s word the world is a confusing place. Without God’s word, how do I know 

that what I see or hear is real? Maybe the world is illusion. Maybe history is conspiracy, stage-managed by 

very clever people with smoke and mirrors. Maybe there is no soul and when I die I am dead. “What 

happens when people die,” someone asked Dr. Kevorkian. “They rot,” was his reply. Without grace man 

rots, both in body and soul.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you,” are the words of Jesus 

(John 14:3) “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave 

it,” said the Preacher (Ecc. 12:7). “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but 

rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell,” are again the words of Jesus (Matt. 

10:28). And that is the truth.

Yes, You Can Know Reality!

The Age of Irrationalism

There is a light that lights every man that comes into the world, according to the Apostle John, who was not a

fool [John 1:9]. In fact, John wrote in his first epistle that he and the other apostles had intimate knowledge of

that Light:

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his
Son Jesus Christ. –1John 1:2,3

John and the apostles were not ontological agnostics, which is the reigning religion of the modern world. The
ontological agnostic [the OA] cannot not say anything about reality, but only can give you his view of it. 
“That’s my opinion and you have yours,” is the way he puts it, humbly, of course, for he really knows that he
is humble, and those who are certain of things are proud and pushy. He wouldn’t dare be pushy and proud
because his opinion is that pushy and proud are bad.

It seems very humble to him—did I already say that?—to think that the real truth about God cannot be
known. There is so much strife and trouble when people get certain about God, and the OA hates religious
strife. He doesn’t like people who are not OA’s and tends to shun their company. The better educated the
OA is the more settled he becomes in his opinion that there is nothing true that can be said about God except
that nobody should say anything about God, for he has heard many learned and profound lectures to packed
classrooms about God and His infinite unknowability. The subject is very deep and only a very learned
person could say so much about that of which nothing can or should be said.

“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his
might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and
knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth:
for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” (Jer 9:23-24)

It is a good thing to glory in the knowledge of God and foolish to deny its truth, especially that God is active
in the world in kindness, judgment, and righteousness. There are those who know these things for they seek
for wisdom as for hidden treasures. [Proverbs 2] Others are willingly ignorant. [2Peter 3:5]

Very Religious.
The OA is religious, of course, and feels awe at the great abyss in his mind that he calls God. He might get tears
in his eyes at the wonder of the utter void and bottomless grandeur of what he doesn’t know about God—
the glory of undifferentiated meaning. As I said, he is very religious, muttering about mystery, myth, and
humility.

Called to Non-Thinking?
The call of the Gospel is for men to forsake their thoughts and their unrighteous deeds, but the Gospel is not
a call to non-thinking or non-doing. Because God is often silent doesn’t mean that He has no Word. [Psalm
50:21]

Jesus assumed that a rational man would know that his soul was worth more than the whole world. Just as
Nebuchadnezzar knew that his dream of the great tree in Daniel 4 was expected to make sense to him, so
there are things revealed in the very being of man which man must understand. Jesus’ words and
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream were expected to connect to things in a man that only a fool would deny. It is the
fool who says there is no god, precisely because he is a fool and out of touch.

It just doesn’t make sense to gain the world and lose the soul. As Hamlet’s friend told him, “It takes no ghost
from the grave to tell us this, m’Lord.” The Apostle Paul put it this way, “For the invisible things of him from
the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Ro 1:20 av)

What Are You Worth?
Why wouldn’t anyone know that a man is worth more than a sparrow? Of course, a mind so steeped in
idolatry that it can’t tell a hawk from a handsaw, might argue for equal rights for the sparrow, but the Lord
doesn’t try to prove the obvious. He assumed that nobody but a fool would deny that a man is worth many
sparrows. From this sensible concept He argued that the God that takes care of the sparrows will certainly
take care of men who are worth more than sparrows. Only an OA would doubt the force of the argument.

In the same way, when our Lord was accused of practicing medicine arts on the Sabbath by healing a poor
sick woman, He argued that this daughter of Abraham was worth far more than an ox. “Which of you,” He
said, “would not get your ox out of the stall on the Sabbath and lead him away to watering?” He called them
hypocrites, and they were, for they knew that the stupid stuff they were advancing as godliness was stupid
stuff. Jesus’ words didn’t make the stuff stupid; He is the Light that exposes stupid stuff.

As if this were not enough, Jesus went after those who worried more about clothes than the body. How
stupid is that? “Is not the body more than raiment?” He asked. Is not the body the instrument by which we
connect to other minds? Shouldn’t we, therefore, take more care of the body than we do of our clothes? But
you have to know what the body is, before you can figure that out. But with all their folly, didn’t even the
ancient pagans know that the mind was more than the body?

And what of life itself? Are w given the great gift of life to stuff our bodies with food? Isn’t life more than
food? Only by non-thinking can the Christian be stupid enough to say, “You cannot trust your thoughts,” and
go through the motions of life without study of his Bible. Real study makes you think and meditate, but some
really are convinced that those who think do not truly believe. Only the blind leading the blind would advise
not thinking in the reading of the Bible.

Isn’t It Insane? Jesus said that a sensible man should know the difference between a gnat and a camel: that
law, mercy, and judgment are more important than the tithe of mint, anise, and cumin. Jesus reveals sin as a
kind of insanity, a suspension of reason, a mental sickness. It is precisely this suspension of thought that the
Light came to change: to deliver man from the darkness corrupting his mind—this disconnection from reality.

Forsake Wicked Thoughts; Not Thinking.
The unrighteous man is called to forsake his thoughts, but not to forsake thinking. The Lord told the man who
buried his talent that he should have put the money out to usury. But wait! Didn’t the law forbid usury? He is
faulted precisely for his rebellious ignorance. Blind obedience is not obedience, not for a man created in the
image of God. It is a great fool who would strain out the gnats and swallow camels. Only those bereft of
reason would do so. We are warned of being like horses and mules, whose mouths must be held in with bit
and bridle. They need bits and bridles precisely because they have no understanding. [Psalm 32:9]

It is not true that man cannot know the nature of things. He can know what a pig is, what a cow is, and
which one not to milk. It is childish not to know: “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,even
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb 5:14)

Soundness of mind is the gift of the Spirit. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of
love, and of a sound mind.” (2Ti 1:7). The Holy Spirit does not trade in madness. “Hear now this, O foolish
people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:” (Jer 5:21
AV)