ONE TIME DEAL

                         ONE TIME DEAL 

It's the Easter season once again, and for the youngsters that means the Easter Bunny, colored eggs, and all kinds of candy. Some families also hide the Easter baskets of goodies, which is lots of fun. There's nothing wrong with this, but the Christian Easter story must also be presented. Every child should have the opportunity to understand what Easter is all about.

How about you? Is Easter a one time deal for you? Did you accept Christ as your Savior? Really? Then I presume you also listened to preachers who told you to live a decent life, beginning with the Ten Commandments. If you were sincere in your commitment, you also should know you must study scripture
apart from church services. If you don't, how will you know Christ's teaching?

Was your commitment a ONE TIME DEAL? How long did it take you to get the promise of eternal life? Think about how long Christ spent in agony on the cross. Lots longer for Him than you spent on the commitment, right? It was so easy for you, so difficult for Him. Do you think He gave us all that teaching and direction to sit there in a book you don't need to study? Tell me one secular subject where you tell a professor you will be part of his/her class and then don't bother to study the subject book.

Do you believe you can do this and graduate with some basic knowledge of the subject? You can buy a diploma--even a piece of paper stating you are a preacher--but you must earn a real diploma through an organized study program. You may find a very gifted preacher you think doesn't need any study, but if he/she
is real, you will find he/she spends many hours studying scripture. No matter how brilliant we think we are, we can never learn all of scripture or even understand
some of it.

There is much important teaching in the New Testament, beginning with the very words of Christ, but continuing through the teaching of the writers of the other New Testament books. If you don't learn from this teaching, your words of commitment ring hollow. In all probability, you have not fulfilled your acceptance
of Christ's gift because you HAVE NOT OPENED the package (gift) He offered you. The words of acceptance have become much like the many oaths people freely state today, ranging from marriage, to support of our Constitution. I was amazed to see newly elected representatives and senators take the oath of office to support our Constitution and then almost immediately vote on an issue that
was against that document. They obviously don't know much about the constitution, and probably even less about scripture. In fact, almost every one of these newly elected people have misinterpreted plain English.

Getting back to scripture, you need to understand Christs teaching and His use of parables. I hear so many supposedly devout Christians use a parable to push an individual point across. They usually are totally off base, but their presentation
is good and supports a popular line of thought, so others are taken in. When I have used the exact words of scripture to point out their misrepresentation, I have been accused of "twisting" the words. Mind you, I used the exact words of scripture, with none of my own and no opinion. 

If you were serious when you accepted His gift, you should by now understand some of His teaching. Let's look at specific parts of His teaching in scripture, and you can score yourself. I'm not the judge of whose salvation commitment actually "took", but if you're honest with yourself, you should 'fess up to the requirements
of graduation.

We'll begin our review of Christ's lessons with a parable I'm certain you must have read and enjoyed many times--assuming you regularly read scripture. Look at Luke 10:25-37. This parable is also found in Matt. 22:34-40, and Mark 12:28-34. Since the
teaching is given us three times, don't you believe Christ stressed the importance of the subject? You had better go back and examine the other parables, too.

We have a man traveling who is robbed and beaten to the point of death. Any person you come upon is your neighbor, not just someone who lives in the same area as you. Look around. Those you see are your neighbors, when in a store or on the street. Now, we get to the meat of this parable. The first person to come
upon the victim is a priest. This "man of God" passes the victim by. He is probably not from the priest's synagogue (church or denomination), the priest decides, and a priests' job is not to be a doctor. Therefore, this situation means nothing to him.
So much for a "person of faith".

Next we have a Levite coming upon the victim. The Levite is to an Israelite as a Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic or any denomination of Christianity is to a Christian. He, as are we, is supposed to follow the dictation of our principles, and not to follow divisions within his "faith". The victim is a stranger, and the Levite isn't about to
waste time or money on someone who may be of another "faith". Worse yet, this stranger no longer has any money. If the Levite had to spend his own money, his fellow Levites might call him a socialist!

Before we go on--if you have the stomach for this--I want to tell a bit about that term "faith". I hear the word tossed around freely by all sorts of people who have very little, if any, knowledge of what the term stands for. They claim it stands for belief in God and a commitment to Christ. I am very disappointed in their free use
of the term. Our outreach ministry is Faith Tracks. To that end, we published a book, especially suited to children, dealing in the way God works for those who don't just "believe", but also have made the connection to Christ. The young and unspoiled are much easier to teach Christ's way than you probably are. So, when I hear about "faith based" believers, especially politicians, I want to know the
evidence of their faith. More about this in another parable.

Now we come to a Samaritan. This is not an Israelite, he is someone with different religious convictions. He is not a priest or church leader, does not know the victim, and does not "owe" the victim any type of help. EXCEPT, he knows what a neighbor is--a fellow human--and his personal instinct is to do good,
especially when it may cost him time and MONEY! You see, his personal instinct of good and bad was superior to the two persons of "faith". To them, time and money (their main concerns) far outweighed being a fellow human (neighbor) They were not going to spend their money--or worse yet--tax payer dollars to help
someone in need. 

Now, it has been really easy to enjoy this parable up to this point. But when you finally see what Christ is trying to teach, the parable becomes uncomfortable. Why should you lose hard earned cash or delay that important appointment? Or have you considered that anything you earn or any business success comes directly
from God? It's really not yours, my friend. And Christ, in this parable, is telling you straight out what your role as a neighbor is. Not only did the good Samaritan give his neighbor immediate care, but provided for his continuing care until his health was restored.

Go ahead, and brush me off. Just remember this Easter season that Christ gave everything He had for you. Most importantly, He left you with a priceless gift-- the free gift (for you) of eternal life. That's care from the beginning to eternity. He expects you to do for others, including some bums and lazy people, because you aren't the judge of these people. If God has blessed you, he expects you to bless others. We can express our gratitude on Easter for Christ's sacrifice, but it rings hollow when we use the word "faith" and offer excuses for not being like the good Samaritan. The term Christ used was "mercy". Look it up.

Rev. Walbear

TIME TO CHECK THE FACTS

TIME TO CHECK THE FACTS

I've heard so much incorrect use of scripture and accompanying misinformation
that it's time to examine these claims and provide some truth. To find the truth,
you must study--not just read--scripture. Pity poor pastors who are given 15-20
minutes to try and teach you scripture. This message is to all who will read it, but
especially to conservative Christians. No opinions here, just scripture, the very 
Word of God. You are very encouraged to check the scripture I quote in either the
Protestant or Catholic bibles.

Are you saved? Only God knows. Do you believe in both the Old and New
Testaments? If you are a New Testament Church member, you better go back
and look at the Old Testament. That's where sin began, and Christ often referred
to in his teaching. I'm an ordained Baptist minister, not a card-carrying preacher
with a dime store card. That's why I want to set some things straight based on the
foundation of scripture.

There are so many subjects I need to discuss, but I will concentrate on sin
because so many high profile people are making continuous claims based on
the bible, and usually these people are dead wrong. The fact that what they say
supports an issue you have already formed an opinion on, concludes the issue
in your mind. You don't check for all the facts. And, that is the major problem
with conservatives.

Do you know where sin started and how encompassing it is? You say, with
Adam and Eve. Old Testament and correct. But did you notice how every person
in the world is a victim of sin? Remember John 3:16, where it states that God
so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son to provide salvation? To
understand the presence of sin in people, we have to start with children. 

Go to Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
To make this point more clear, go to Romans 5:18. "Therefore, as by the offense
of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the 
righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."
Now study those scriptures again if you don't understand what they say, I'll
make it easy for you. Every person--no matter any religious affiliation--is a
sinner the moment they are conceived. They are born with a sin nature, and
thus are guilty and will require salvation. Hard to swallow that little babies are
sinners? Read those verses of Romans again, and then go back to Genesis to
see this information confirmed where you surely must have read it previously.

Now, let's go to Mark 10:13-15. "Then they brought little children to Him, that
He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when
Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, 'Let the little children
come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly,
I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by
no means enter it.'" Here you probably think you have disproved what I've written
so far. I am pleased to tell you, you have only displayed a lack of knowledge in
two things.

First, how do you receive salvation? You commit yourself to Jesus and you are
BORN AGAIN. The kingdom of God is Christ's kingdom. When you are born again,
you are as a little child, not spiritually mature and, indeed, an adult version of the
little child. If you thought otherwise, back up to where He says "whoever does not 
receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Your lack of
reading comprehension would then conclude you must receive salvation while a
child or you could not receive it. I pray by now the light is going on for you. Christ
did not say children were free of the sin nature beginning with Adam and
throughout the history of mankind. An abortion to protect the mother's health is
not murder. Remember the word murder, which will be the subject a bit later in
this sermon.

Now, if you've recovered from your misunderstanding of when sin begins, lets
look at more ignorance. You may recall that the Son of God was also a Jew. In
his life on earth, he practiced His culture, the Jewish culture. He observed the
Jewish "special days". In speaking in scripture as quoted above in Romans and
Mark, He was speaking to Jews. They all knew that Jewish culture clearly
taught that boys and girls were children and NOT ACCOUNTABLE for their
childish sins until they completed religious instruction and were considered 
adults. The age for girls was 12 years and one month. For boys it was 13 years
and one month. So you think this is a bunch of Jewry hooey? God gave His
people those instructions just as He gave them the Ten Commandments. Now
you are picking and choosing as mankind usually does to suit his agenda. God
gave His Chosen many "laws" or directives in the Torah, which governed their
culture until Christ came and fulfilled the law.

By now, all you biblical "experts" should understand (1) babies inherit the sin
nature at conception; (2) they are not innocent in the eye of God; (3) they are
not accountable for childish "sins" until they reach the age of accountability or
commit their life to Christ. Abortion, when the health of the mother is threatened
does not commit a murder. REMEMBER, we will touch that subject next. By the
same token, abortion should not be a method of contraception. That is an entirely
different subject. When we save a baby, knowing the health of the mother could
result in death, is that not PREMEDITATED murder? I question the blind mind-set 
of conservative men who would choose to let their wife and children's mother die
to save an unborn child. 

Conservatives need to learn all the biblical facts about sin and Christianity
before they use their misinformation in news releases and speeches. Preachers
(called to service) must study endlessly to be able to teach scripture. The
airwaves are full of illiterate people who can't teach scripture because they know
little of it or about it. These people are very much like the "expert" who knows all
about surgery or crime detection. There is no short course for teaching scripture.
Do you pretenders not know God frowns upon apostate preaching? You may be
a winner with the public, and even many "Christians, but you're a loser with God.

Rev. Walbear