Saturday, December 16, 2017

06/23/14 THIS MIGHT BORE YOU

06/23/14 THIS MIGHT BORE YOU

It will take less than three minutes to read and there is a point to the entire post, just in case you are interested.
(This has been percolating for awhile.)

When I was no more than three years old I got saved, by the most natural of all methods; I believed God when He spoke to me. My parents were not Christians and I did not have other friends or family that led me to Christ. My only exposure to the gospel was my unsaved Methodist dad telling me the little (very little) he knew about Jesus and the Bible. But I responded in faith to the Light that lighteth every man that comes into the world (Jn. 1:9).

When I was two years old, my mom took me to Scotland to visit her family and I had my third birthday while I was there. They were all Roman Catholic and therefore had no concept of Biblical salvation. At some point, while I was three years old, God called me to be a preacher. As I think about it, I would not be surprised that God used the lack of Jesus in my Roman Catholic family to awaken my own heart to the need to lead people to Jesus. I did not have any Bible preacher or friends or family who talked about being a preacher. Just as my salvation came from God, so my call to ministry came from God.

From the time I was really really young, my dad would drop me off at Sunday School (at Baptist or Methodist or Presbyterian churches) and then pick me up after church. It was my activity in the church that finally got mom and dad to come to some services.

However, I was never really taught, built up or encouraged by the various churches I attended. When we moved from California back to North Carolina I still did not get Bible preaching or teaching. Even when we had a saved preacher, he did not really lead me (or anyone) into the experience and life of holiness (entire sanctification). This is why my high school years were a roller coaster ride instead of a victorious walk with Jesus.

It was not until I went to John Wesley Bible College that I heard the truth of heart purity and victory over sin. It was the heart cleansing that made it possible to love Christ with my whole heart.

This is why I preach the whole truth, the full gospel, the whole counsel of God (Ac, 20:27-33).
It is robbery to not preach the soul saving, life changing, Blood atoning, Spirit cleansing/filling/empowering message of God (Co.1:28-29). This is why I present the word of God to children in a way they can understand (Ec. 12:1, 9-10). The salvation of God saves from sin (Mt. 1:21) and saves from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7). If you don't get it as a child, you are not likely to get it.

I cannot imagine being satisfied with anything less. I cannot imagine preaching anything less.

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