Blog Archives - WELCOME TO THE JOY OF TROY

October 31, 2018

10/31/2018

The Holy Spirit                        A WARNING FOR THE ELECT

        For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matt. 24:24.

    Some people rise and fall with appeals to the emotions through the sensational and spectacular. This will always be a clever ploy in the hands of the enemy. I'd like to remind you that miracles and sensational happenings are no proof of the power of God.

    Revelation 13 makes clear that there is an apostate power that does great wonders, even making fire come down from heaven on earth in the sight of men, and deceiving them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles that he has power to do in the sight of the beast. This power says to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast that has the wound by the sword and did live. This power has the ability to work miracles--not just feats that look like miracles, but miracles. And those three unclean, froglike spirits, the spirits of devils, do work miracles and go forth to the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God.

    In Luke 3 we read of a woman who was bound by Satan for many years. Jesus released her on the Sabbath. The people in the crowd griped and complained. Jesus said, "Isn't it sensible to release this woman who had been bound by Satan?" If Satan has the power to bind people, then it would be reasonable to expect that in certain cases he would have the ability to release the bonds.

    We know that Job got boils, and we know from whence his boils came. And if the devil can produce the stimulus that will make boils, he ought to be able to stop the stimulus, and let the natural miracle-working power of the human body bring healing. We know about Pharaoh and the magicians in the courts with Moses and Aaron. We know about their rods turning into snakes. We have some evidence, based on the premise that the devil cannot create, that the magician's rods did not really turn into snakes, but only appeared to. But if he cannot create, he certainly can counterfeit closely! All of which leads us to this conclusion: Our basis for faith must be in Jesus and in the faith relationship with Him, not in the spectacular.

October 30, 2018

10/30/2018

The Holy Spirit                        THE SENSATIONAL IS NOT ENOUGH

        If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded,, though one rose from the dead. Luke 16:31.

    It is the dead that are raised, the blind whose eyes are opened, and the spectacular things that draw our attention. But how long has it been since you came home rejoicing because someone's name had been added to the book of life?

    Heaven looks at things so different from the way we do. The miracles at which we wonder seem simple to God. But when someone comes to Jesus, all heaven rejoices. We put the faith healers on the television screen, and report them in the newspaper. But you don't see special features about someone who has just accepted Jesus and had his name written in heaven.

    In Luke 16 is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. There have been all kinds of attempts to explain that story. We understand that the story was a parable that Jesus used to illustrate a point. One of His lessons was the deceitfulness of riches. He didn't happen to be talking on the state of the death at that time. But the other point was more subtle, one that Jesus used as a method of reaching the Jewish nation, depicting their plight. They were like beggars sitting at the gates of a rich man in the fires of torment. The rich man said, "Please send someone back to tell my five brothers so they won't end up as I have." And the answer comes, "They will not believe, though one rose from the dead."

    We think that someone rising form the dead would convince anyone. But it didn't back then, and it won'ttoday. The Jewish leaders were not convinced, even when One rose from the dead. And Jesus was not the only one who rose from the dead. Lazarus' story must have hit the press of the Jerusalem Times too. But none of it caused them to believe.

    To Elijah in the cave, Jesus made it clear that it wasn't the spectacular that counted. It wasn't the earthquake and the fires and the winds. It was the still small voice. In Acts 8 you have Simon the sorcerer, who was impressed only by the spectacular, and wanted to buy the power to do the same. He was told to repent. We must not depend on the spectacular today, to prove or to convince of truth. We must not join the search for the sensational, for the sensational is never a sufficient basis for our faith.

October 29, 2018

10/29/2018

The Holy Spirit                        SEARCH FOR THE SPECTACULAR

        And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had the power to do. Rev. 13:13, 14.

        The devil is known as a roaring lion. He has been saving some of his most effective tricks for last. He is determined to get not just the drunk in the gutter but the saint on the pew, as well. One method he is going to use is the spectacular.

    Most of us are impressed by the sensational. We don't need to deny that. We can try to be as social as possible, but deep down inside we are impressed by out-of-the-ordinary, unusual things. If someone were to go floating up from their pew to the ceiling during church, we'd be impressed. It would be sensational. We might be impressed for different reasons, but we'd still be impressed!

    We're impressed with fabulous offers, giveaways, and shortcuts. When I was an academy student, I heard, from what I thought were authentic sources, that Henry Ford was going to give away a free Ford for a certain penny. Supposedly there were only a few of them made. Well, my father was holding evangelistic meetings downtown. Guess who was in the back room going through the offering! I found one of those pennies! I replaced it with one of my own, one that wasn't worth a new Ford, and hurriedly sent it in. Finally I got a letter back from Henry Ford's office. That's all I got back from Henry Ford's office! It conveyed his regrets.

    The disciples in the days of Jesus were impressed by the spectacular. You can read about it in Luke 10:17. Seventy disciples came back. They had been empowered for service by the Lord Himself. And as they returned, they expressed the item of highest interest to them: "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." They had seen some sensational things take place. But if you'll pardon my paraphrase, Jesus, in effect, said, "Big deal!" He told them that the devil had fallen like lightening from heaven a long time ago. And He tried to draw their minds back to the real issues of salvation. In the face of the spectacular today, we, too, need to be reminded that the greatest news is still the news of salvation in Jesus.

October 28, 2018

10/28/2018

The Holy Spirit                        BEWARE OF SATAN'S SHORTCUTS

        And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles. Rev. 16:13, 14.

    Would you rather die or be healed by the devil? Most of us think that that would be an easy decision to make. But there are people who have been hit with some long-lasting illness or fatal disease who have had to think twice about that kind of decision. Would you rather die or run even a 10 percent risk of being healed by the devil? Is it possible that it might not be God's will to heal you, but it might be the devil's will?

    Let's look at it in a different way. Would you rather burn at the stake or give up your faith? Isn't that the same issue? Most of us say that if we'd lived back in those days and they had asked us to give up our faith, we would have stepped forward, with the martyr's blood thrilling through our veins, and said, "You can burn me." But it might be a different story when the green wood is kindled for a slow fire.

    Perhaps we could frame it one other way. Would you rather continue to struggle with failure and defeat in your life until God is able to lead your stubborn heart to surrender completely to Him, or would you rather have victory instantaneously given to you by the devil, without the surrender? Does the devil ever give victory? Perhaps you will want to ponder that question.

    There are three major forces in the religious world that students of the book of Revelation will remember. These three forces in the last days just before Jesus comes are identified as Catholicism, Protestantism gone bad, and spiritualism. It's very interesting to note that in recent books world leaders in religious circles have gone on record as saying that they see three distinct forces in the religious world today, Catholicism, Protestantism, and neopentecostalism--the charismatic movement. This third one is growing by leaps and bounds. It is jumping all denominational barriers, including our own. And I believe that it has underground forces at work in almost every part of the country. We may see much more of it before we're finished.

    For this reason it is meaningful to study the Holy Spirit, and the issues in the modern manifestations of the true and the false, as we near the end.

October 27, 2018

10/27/2018

The Holy Spirit                        LIFE'S GREAT CRISIS

        Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Luke 20:18.

    What kind of crisis is the surrender of the will? On the basis of the experience of Bible characters, we are going to take the position that absolute surrender will be a big crisis for those who have failed in the little crises.

    This principle is true of life in general. If a child fails to learn his multiplication tables, there is going to be a big crisis when he reaches college calculus. If a parachutist has never made any practice jumps, there is going to be a big crisis when he is 10,000 feet up in the air and the pilot says, "Jump!" Scuba diving can be a big crisis for someone who is afraid to get into the bathtub.

    For the young person who finds ways to use a pay phone without putting in the money, or who helps himself to a candy bar from the local grocery store, the day may come when he is called into court to face a charge of grand larceny. No innocent baby goes from cradle to becoming a criminal in one big jump. One reason that Abraham finally found himself in the big crisis with Isaac on the mountaintop was because he had failed in a series of smaller ones. The reason why Peter, after denying Jesus, found himself grinding his face in the dirt in Gethsemane, wishing he could die, was because he had failed in smaller tests before that time. We are told inThe Desire of Ages, page 383, that if Peter had learned his lesson in some of the smaller tests, he would not have failed when the big test came upon him.

    "Day by day God instructs His children. By the circumstances of the daily life He is preparing them to act their part upon the wider stage to which His providence has appointed them. It is the issue of the daily test that determines their victory or defeat in life's great crisis."--Ibid.

    There are a series of little events, all based upon one issue: Am I going to trust God or myself? If I continue to fall and to fail the little tests, I can plan on a big wrestling with the angel some night by the brook Jabbok. If you are curious as to how you will fare in the big crisis, check to see how you are doing on the little ones day by day, and you will have your answer.

October 26, 2018

10/26/2018

The Holy Spirit                        THE GREATEST BATTLE

        Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Rom. 6:6.

    The crisis of surrender, of cleansing, of filling by the Holy Spirit, is a subject that is sometimes debated by people because the impression has been given that conversion and surrender usually happen at the same time. But even though this may be God's ideal for us, it is still true that the initial conversion experience and absolute, or constant, surrender, are often far apart. This is not to say that conversion is not a form of surrender. But the human heart, though converted, apparently has a way of not staying in the surrender stance, but rather of swinging back and forth between total dependence upon God and dependence upon self. This painful swing leads to a crisis--the crisis of absolute surrender.

    All conversations are not alike, as we know. One person has a tremendous upheaval; for another person, conversion is almost imperceptible. For those who have grown up in the church, it is comfortable to cling to the idea that conversion can be almost unnoticed, that we might never know the date or time or occasion that it happened. But notice this description of conversion: "Christ is constantly working upon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ. These may be received through meditating upon Him, through reading the Scriptures, or through hearing the word from the living preacher." Sounds pretty good so far, doesn't it? Sounds as though we'd probably not even notice anything happening. But look at the next sentence: "Suddenly, as the Spirit comes with more direct appeal, the soul gladly surrenders itself to Jesus." Did you catch the transition? Suddenly! As the Spirit comes with more direct appeal! "By many this is called sudden conversion; but it is the result of long wooing by the Spirit of God."--The Desire of Ages, p. 172. (Italics supplied.)

    But even if it were possible for conversion to be imperceptible in your experience, absolute surrender will not get by you in the same way. Absolute surrender will be a crisis in your life that you will be aware of.  Steps to Christ, page 43, says that the warfare against self is the greatest battle ever fought. Such a battle will not go by unnoticed.

October 25, 2018

10/26/2018

October 24, 2018

10/24/2018

The Holy Spirit                        SANCTIFIED FOR JESUS' SAKE

        A new heart also will I give you, and new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Eze, 36:26.

    God's people had been unfaithful to Him. They had profaned His name, and because of that the heathen got a wrong image of God. God wanted to set the record straight. He came with a message through Ezekiel: "Say to the house of Israel, I'm going to do something, but it isn't for your sake. It's for My holy name's sake. The heathen are going to know that I am the Lord when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes" (chap. 36:22, 23). This sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in cleansing us from unrighteousness. It is not primarily for our sake, but for God's sake.

    Now look at verse 25 and 26 of the same passage: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you."

    Notice the sequence given here. First, God gives the reason why He is going to cleanse His people. Second, He says He is going to sprinkle them from all of their uncleanness and filthiness. And third, He's going to give them a new heart. Sometimes we say that the new heart is referring to the experience of conversion. This message was given to people who were already God's people. It is possible, therefore, to be among God's people and to have been born again, and in a sense still need a new heart. That heart that is given to us at the new birth is not necessarily a cleansed heart. This is demonstrated in the lives of godly people in Scripture. It is indicated in Steps to Christ, page 18, where it says that we will be given a new heart, leading to a new life. It doesn't all happen overnight.

    Suggested here is an ongoing process that is the work of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not something we do for ourselves. The only part we can really play in the process is to be open to God's leading, and allow His Spirit to do His work. The way we can be open is to choose to respond to the Holy Spirit's promptings, and deliberately come into His presence day by day for relationship and fellowship with Him. It is this response on our part that enables Him to work in our lives.

October 23, 2018

10/23/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        JESUS REVEALED BY DOCTRINES

        My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine. John 7:16, 17.

    Jesus is the Man of the bible. He is the theme of the entire book, the central character of each story. He was the word who spoke all things into existence. He was revealed through symbols and types. And He is revealed by the doctrines of the Bible as well. Sometimes we have separated the doctrines from the theme of salvation by faith in Christ. Some have had trouble discovering the importance of the doctrines in light of the truth that our acceptance with God is based only on coming to Jesus for the salvation that He has freely provided. Be we have only scratched the surface of the exciting and rewarding study of how the doctrines of the church reveal Jesus in a special light.

    Jesus came to live and die for us, that He might offer us salvation. He promised to come again for us, taking us to the heavenly country He has prepared for those who love Him. His love for us is revealed in the complete provision He has made to save us from the world of sin.

    He has made every effort to make sure that we understand the issues in sin, so that we can choose life instead of death. Even His dealings with Satan and the angels who fell show us how fair and how patient He is and how determined He is that no one will fail of understanding the truth.

    He has shown Himself to be interested in our physical lives. He is revealed as a practical God, who knows from personal experience the needs of humanity. He has instructed us in the best way to live while here on earth, and has made provision to wake us up if we fall asleep before His return.

    He has revealed His power for cleansing our hearts, and given us the Sabbath to be a special sign of His power to make us holy. He is revealed in the sanctuary as the Lamb of God. He gave us a sandbox illustration of the methods of communication with Him, and opened the way to the Holy of Holies to give us the assurance that the law can still be kept through His power.

    It is as we study the doctrines in the light of Jesus, and what they teach us about Him, and our relationship with Him, that we find meaning in the distinctive teachings of our church, and become prepared to share these truths with the waiting world around us.

October 22, 2018

10/22/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        EIGHT STEPS FOR GUIDANCE

        I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Ps. 32:8.

    If we would know God's will for us in any particular question, we must, first of all, by God's grace, come to the place of having no will of our own in the matter. This can be accomplished only through God's power, and through the personal relationship with Him. Second, don't go by feelings. You may have feelings on the subject, and, in fact, the Holy Spirit often will give impressions and convictions that will be very close to the area of feelings. But the important thing is not to make your decision based on feelings alone: (Don't make your decision based on any single aspect, but put all of the information you have together, and make the decision based on all areas.)

    Third, seek God's will as revealed in His Word. There will be times when His Word does not reveal, for instance, whether you should move to Florida or Michigan. But there are principles that apply to many situations. And this brings us again to the fact that the primary purpose of God's Word is for communication as well as for information.

    Fourth, take into account providential circumstances. Be sensitive to the open and closed doors. Note the direction He has been leading you in the past, and try to see whether the present decision somehow fits into the picture.

    Fifth, take the decision to the Lord in prayer. Seek His guidance on your knees, through communication with Him. Take time to listen to the still small voice. Spread out your case before the Lord, and give Him your consent for Him to work out His plans for you.

    Sixth, counsel with Christian friends. Godly parents, teachers, ministers, can often give important insights because of their experience and their life with the Lord. Here again, don't depend upon others to make your decisions for you, but listen to what they have to say, and add it to the total picture before deciding.

    Seventh, make a decision! Don't sit on the fence forever. Decide. And then tell God in prayer what your decision is and move ahead on that decision. And eighth, invite Him to stop you if you have somehow gotten your signals mixed up. As we allow the Lord to guide us, we will be led by Him. He has promised to fulfill the purposes He has for our lives.