The proper way for a man to pray, said Deacon Lemuel Keys, 

The only proper attitude is down upon his knees.

No, I should say the way to pray, said Reverend Dr. Wise,

Is standing straight with outstretched arms,

And rapt and upturned eyes.

Oh no, no, no! said Elder Snow, such posture is too proud.  

A man should pray with eyes fast-closed and head contritely bowed.

It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front,

With both thumbs pointing to the ground, said Reverend Dr. Blunt.

Last year I fell in Hodgin’s well head first, said Cyril Brown,

With both my heels a stickin’ up, my head a pointin’ down; 

And I done prayed right then and there, best prayer I ever said,

The prayin’est prayer I ever prayed, a standin’ on my head.

                                                             by Sam Walter Foss (1858 – 1911)

Love is a choice.  God is love.  He is without sin.  God is never wrong.  His choices are always right.  He is always perfect and true.  We are not.

In Scripture, God makes the statement; I have loved Jacob but Esau have I hated.  The simple difference between the two brothers is God’s choice.  God chose Jacob over Esau.

Jacob, as crooked and self-serving as he was, still recognized the spiritual value of the birthright that belonged to Esau as the firstborn.  Esau despised his birthright.  He sold it for a bowl of stew.  God chose Jacob to receive His blessing.  God loved Jacob.

Forgiveness is something that can only be given to the guilty.  If you’ve never done anything wrong, you will not able to experience forgiveness.  When God forgives, He removes our sin as far from us as the east is from the west.  He remembers our iniquity no more.  If we know God, we are to forgive.  He that cannot or will not forgive, will not be forgiven.

At another time and in another place, not long after becoming a Christian, God gave a young man an opportunity to help a friend and neighbor.  This new Christian had just come home from work one evening when he encountered a friend and neighbor coming from his parked vehicle.  The neighbor was crying.

Knowing something was not right and being concerned for him, the young man asked what was wrong.  His neighbor shared with him a gut wrenching story.

The neighbor’s “best friend” had called the neighbor’s wife and told her that she was the one he had always loved.  Foolishly she agreed to meet him at a motel.

Overcome by grief and guilt, she confessed to her husband that evening what she had done.  Enraged, he had ripped off his wedding ring, thrown it at her and left.  It was then that the young Christian met him outside.

The young Christian had no counseling experience.  Having just gotten right with God himself, the only thing he knew to tell his neighbor was that he should forgive his wife.  After what seemed to them like hours of walking up and down the road, the neighbor finally decided that he would forgive her.

In the days and weeks following, there was never a happier couple with their little one.  The neighbor took his wife and child, moved to another part of the country and their family grew.

What made this possible?  Well, they were both Christians.  She made a terrible mistake, but she could not continue in it.  He was devastated, but he was able to forgive as he had been forgiven.

They both chose to do the right thing.  She chose to repent and confess, even though it was a terrible thing to acknowledge.  He chose to forgive and to love her even though he was devastated by her actions.  God can and will bless obedience and faith.

Incidentally, the young Christian’s neighbor later told him that when they met outside the apartment that evening, he had just put a gun in his car, and he was going to visit his “best friend”.

God likely saved a man’s life that night, as well as a father, a marriage, and a family, with her choice to repent, and with his choice to forgive.

Love never fails.

                                            My hope is built on nothing less 

Than Jesus blood and righteousness; 

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood; 

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

O may I then in Him be found.  

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock, I stand

All other ground is sinking sand. 

All other ground is sinking sand.

                                                                     WORDS: Edward Mote, 1797 – 1874

Giving thanks is a characteristic of being filled (controlled) by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:20).

As a characteristic of being filled by the Holy Spirit, giving thanks is not a once a year thing.

Spirit filled thanksgiving is always being thankful for all things. That takes in a lot of territory.  It is also very convicting.

If we believe that God is sovereign, that He is always in control, then we can be thankful for the bad, as well as the good, if we love God and are the called according to His purpose.

Note:  What is the opposite of being thankful? 

Does this mean that griping or complaining is sin?

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

Holy Bible, Book Divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine:
Mine to tell me whence I came;
Mine to teach me what I am.

Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Saviour’s love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard;
Mine to punish or reward.

Mine to comfort in distress,
Suffering in this wilderness;
Mine to show, by living faith,
Man can triumph over death.

Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the rebel sinner’s doom;
O thou holy Book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine!

                                                                                           – John Burton

Note: This is one article in a series which builds on one another.  It would be helpful to the reader’s understanding to scroll back and review the previous articles in this series.

Neo-orthodoxy uses biblical terminology but assigns other meanings to biblical terms.  The only way to detect this error is to ask an individual what he means by what he says.

 One must know which Bible doctrines are load bearing walls for the house of Christianity.  The definition of load bearing doctrine must not be compromised, else the house of “Christianity” become red tagged.  

There are some Bible doctrines that Christians can agree to disagree about.  Changing a fundamental (load bearing) doctrine will cause the house of Christianity to collapse, and change what was a church into a religious cult.

Calling a pastor to your church is not to be taken lightly.  The candidate must be examined and asked to define what he believes. He should have the endorsement and recommendation of Bible believing individuals and/or ministries.  He should be proven in his obedience to the written word.

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ, hath not God.  He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” (II John 6, 7, & 9-11)

• The social gospel (elimination of social injustice) is what is left when one ceases to believe in the Biblical message of redemption through the shed blood of Christ.  We are saved by grace through faith in the literal death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus plus nothing.  
• I have literal sin which produces literal guilt, which results in literal judgment, and produces literal death.  I need a literal God who literally loves me enough to literally save me from my literal sin, by literally sending His literal Son to literally die in my literal place, and to be literally buried and literally rise again from the literal dead, and who will literally dress me in His literal righteousness, thus literally forgiving me my literal sin, and literally granting me eternal life, literally making me a literal son and literally allowing me literal access into His literal presence.
• Do you take the Bible literally?

It is my understanding that your religion believes that the Jesus of Scripture is a prophet.  A prophet is a messenger from God.  Do you know what message Jesus Christ delivered to mankind?  What did He say about mankind?  What did He say about Himself?

If your religion believes that Jesus is a prophet, don’t you think you should know what His message is?   You can find that message by reading the Bible.  Obtain a translation of the Bible to study this. Do not use a paraphrase.

It will be helpful for your study to get a red letter edition of the New Testament.  A red letter edition has all the words that Jesus spoke high-lighted in red letters.  A red letter edition of the New Testament will make it easier for you to find His specific message.

Be sure to examine the context around His specific words, because the context always sheds light on the meaning of the passage.

If you have access to the internet, it will be easy to find a red letter edition translation.  Just search for “KJV – New Testament red letter edition” and you can begin your study today.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God…….And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.  John 1:1,2 & 14.

What is your concept of God?  Webster’s dictionary defines god as: 1) Any of various beings conceived of as supernatural, immortal, and having special powers over people and nature; esp. a male deity,  2) an image that is worshiped; idol,  3) a person or thing deified or excessively honored and admired,  4) in monotheistic religions, the creator and ruler of the universe, eternal, all powerful, and all knowing; Supreme Being; Almighty.  

Obviously, if we call ourselves Christian, definition #4 should be the concept of God that we have.  This concept has been warped so much by our departure from the Bible that even the idea of one God has degenerated into “the gods of Christianity”.

Some serve the “genie” god and believe in the “magic” properties of prayer.  If one repeats a formula often enough, in the right order, and on the proper days, this god will suddenly appear and grant the petitions desired without fail.  Matthew 6:7 says; but when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Some worship the “vending machine” god. This god will dispense anything one requires, including salvation, if one but only puts in the correct change and pushes the desired button.  Ephesians 2:8&9 declares, however; For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Others are not so zealous and they worship the god that they keep in a container in the back corner of the pantry.  This is the “coffee can” god and he is let out of his container only on special occasions.

Finally there is the god that is good for religion only. This is the “simpleton” god that can’t spell or write his own name.

The apostle Paul preached to the men of Athens about the UNKNOWN GOD.  Paul declared him to be; the God that made the world and all things therein (Acts 17:23 & 24).  If you want to know Him……read His Word.  This unknown God is the God of the Bible.

When I was a college student in Atlanta, Georgia many years ago, I would often go to the same laundry to wash clothes.  I always tried to have some gospel tracts in my pocket to hand out as God gave opportunity.

On one particular laundry day I sat down beside a man, who appeared to be Asian, and tried to start a conversation.  It soon became apparent that he did not speak English, so I took a tract that had a cross on the front and I pointed at the cross.  I then pointed to heaven and finally I pointed to my heart.

The gentleman stood up, motioned for me to follow him, and he led me outside to his car.  I was a bit apprehensive, not knowing what to expect, but I followed him outside nonetheless.  

He opened the passenger door, and as he sat down on the passenger seat he opened the glove compartment and pulled out a Bible written in his own language.

There was laughter and a warm hand shake.  There was an understanding much deeper than the simple exchange of words. There was the joy of finding an unknown family member.  There was fellowship without speaking a word that the other could understand. There was a bond of Christian love.

It was a conversation that I shall never forget!  It is a conversation that we shall one day continue in heaven.  It was a conversation without words.

It was a conversation made possible by the grace of God through our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  To the believing stranger, foreigner, or fellow citizen, Jesus Christ is always the same.

Where do we get our information regarding Christianity, it’s doctrine, and it’s practice?  It would be pretty safe to say, from the Bible, of course.  According to the Bible, is sex outside of marriage a sin?  Need we ask?  The Bible is very clear about sexual sin.  The Scriptures declare that fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

In dealing with the woman taken in adultery, Jesus is often quoted for His statement; He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her (John 8:7).  He is rarely quoted on the last thing He said to her; ….go, and sin no more (John 8:11).  

Sexual sin is associated with the former way of life experienced prior to becoming a new creature in Christ; ….and such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus……. (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

Did Jesus associate with fornicators and adulterers?  The Pharisees criticized Him for eating with publicans and sinners, so we would assume that there was a fornicator or an adulterer or two among the sinners at the table.  As believers we should reach out to all unbelievers, regardless of their sin, because except for the grace of God, there go you and I.

What does the Bible say, however, when those who profess to be Christian live in or practice disobedience to the direct commands of Scripture?  Paul writing in I Corinthians 5:9-11 says; I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world,…………; for then must ye needs go out of the world.  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, …; with such an one no not to eat. 

The exhortation, not to eat with such an one, likely refers to their participation in the Lord’s Supper (see vs 7&8).  “Christian” fornicators are to be excluded from Christian recognition and Christian fellowship.  Verse 13b wraps up Paul’s instruction with this command; Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Jesus stated in John 14:24a; He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.  The apostle John, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, continues this instruction in I John 2:4; He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

God said it, not me.

•  The word “fornication” is a general term which covers all sexual sin.  The immediate biblical context may determine if a specific sexual sin is being addressed.
• A distinction should be made between sinning by slipping up versus an unrepentant way of life.  Slipping up or backsliding is a temporary condition accompanied with and/or followed by guilt, conviction of sin, and repentance.  
• The apostle John wrote that a Christian does not commit sin.  Commit is a present tense, continuous action word, better translated “practice”.   A Christian does not practice sin as a way of life.  The indwelling Holy Spirit will not let him.
• A true son living in sin will be chastened by the Father.  If you are without chastisement, then you are not a true son.