What happened to the power of the Word?
What happened to the power of the written Word.

Regarding the recent film the Passion of the Christ,
Daniel Southern of the American Tract Society commented, "It may be one of the biggest opportunities in the last 2000 years that we've had so far to really get out our message across in a way that makes sense. "

I only have two things to say about this: The gospel found in the Written Word of God is sufficient in power to reveal the Good News of Christ's death, burial and ressurection. "...
for it (the gospel) is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..." Romans 1:16

Was God waiting around these last 2000 years for an accurate movie in order to save many? Or has not the Holy Spirit "made sense" to the simple heart of believing sinners of what Jesus did on the cross on their behalf? If you have been saved by the grace of God, think about it. You know how He revealed Jesus in your heart and you knew what He did for you. We walk by faith not by by sight as in films,icons and statues. May God be praised, Amen.

Milt Poulos
Dec. 26, 2004

The religion which I want
The religion which I want

(Letters of J. C. Philpot)

I am quite sick of modern religion--it is such
a mixture, such a medley, such a compromise.
I find much, indeed, of this religion in my own
heart, for it suits the flesh well--but I would
not have it so, and grieve it should be so.

The religion which I want is that of the Holy Spirit.

I know nothing but what He teaches me.

I feel nothing but what He works in me.

I believe nothing but what He shows me.

I only mourn when He smites my rocky heart.

I only rejoice when He reveals the Savior.

This religion I am seeking after, though miles and
miles from it--but no other will satisfy or content me.

When the blessed Spirit is not at work in me,
and with me, I fall back into all the . . .
darkness,
unbelief,
earthliness,
idleness,
carelessness,
infidelity, and
helplessness
of my Adam nature.

True religion is a supernatural and mysterious thing.

The more lovely does Jesus appear!
By J. C. Philpot, "Spiritual Mysteries" July 14, 1844

The poor believer feels, "I continually find all kinds
of evil working in my mind; every base corruption
crawling in my heart; everything vile, sensual, and
filthy rising up from its abominable deeps. Can I
think that God can look down in love and mercy
on such a wretch?"

When we see . . .
our vileness,
our baseness,
our carnality,
our sensuality,
how our souls cleave to dust,
how we grovel in evil and hateful things,
how dark our minds,
how earthly our affections,
how depraved our hearts,
how strong our lusts,
how raging our passions;
we feel ourselves, at times, no more
fit for God than Satan himself!

"You see, at just the right time, when we were
utterly helpless, Christ died for the ungodly!"
Romans 5:6

Christ does not justify those who are naturally
righteous, holy, and religious.

But He takes the sinner as he is, in all his filth
and guilt; washes him in the fountain opened
for sin and uncleanness; and clothes the naked
shivering wretch, who has nothing to cover him
but filthy rags, in His own robe of righteousness!

The gospel of the grace of God brings glad tidings . . .
of pardon to the criminal,
of mercy to the guilty, and
of salvation to the lost!

That the holy God should look down in love on
wretches that deserve the damnation of hell; that
the pure and spotless Jehovah should pity, save,
and bless enemies and rebels, and make them
endless partakers of His own glory; this indeed
is a mystery, the depth of which eternity itself
will not fathom!

The deeper we sink in self-abasement under a
sense of our vileness, the higher we rise in a
knowledge of Christ. And the blacker we are
in our own view, the more lovely does Jesus
appear!

visit Grace Gems at http://www.gracegems.org/

Moral Majority and Forgiven Minority
It's been said that there is a moral majority. And by worldly standards there may be. Many are the religious, claiming to believe in God. It can be said that our world is drowning in religion. But this religion does not save the soul. Men can seem righteous, on the surface (by their standards) but God's standards for true righteousness (the one that gains entrance to heaven)are higher and defined as follows:

"..unless your righteousness EXCEEDS the righteousness of the (ed. religious)scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdomm of heaven"-Matthew 5:20

Man looks at the outside but God looks upon the heart. The way to EXCEED the morality of religious people is to be accounted righteous and forgiven by a holy God, through faith in the blood of Jesus alone. Romans 3:24,25

Also, Jesus tells us that FEW will find this way of true righteousness, in Matthew 7:13,14. Because this path is the narrow way of humiliation and true faith and not that of religious pride, and few are willing to "stoop" this low. But this is necessary for salvation. Just because by their mouth the moral majority invokes God's Name, it is no guarantee that they will enter His kingdom. Matt 7:21

So then it can be said, that since true believers are few, as compared to the vast number of religious:
It is not the MORAL MAJORITY but rather the the FORGIVEN MINORITY that will enter God's kingdom.

Let God be found true and every man a liar

-Milt Poulos

His Presence
Men never paint a picture of Jesus until they lose His Presence in their hearts.
--Anonymous

"Covenant of Grace"
But the New Covenant makes it clear that the "house of Moses" is finished, and now we are in a house whose Head is Christ (Heb.3:5-6). The Kingdom with Christ as its Mediator is "not of this world"(John 17:14; 18:36). It can never be identified with any secular political order. The church in this "evil age" is always a separate entity in society, and never equated with the geographical boundaries of a society. The Mosaic era was inferior and preparatory, and it was never intended to be an "eternal" political model. The course of redemptive history was ordered so that the national theocracy and its shadows gave way to a Kingdom whose subjects would experience the realities promised, and offer "spiritual sacrifices" (1 Pet.2:5; Heb.13:15-16).

Excerpt from Is There A "Covenant Of Grace?"
By Jon Zens

The conversion of Jane. by Cal Thomas
WHEN I FIRST HEARD reports of Jane Fonda's conversion to Christ, I dismissed them as one more in a long line of erroneous rumors that begin in gossip and take on certain credence from repetition. Then I started hearing reports from people not usually given to hearsay and called people in a position to know. Yes, it appears to be true, they said. Oh me of little faith. Oh doubting Thomas. The news will come as a bigger shock to those who have turned their denunciation of Jane Fonda into an industry than it will to many of her longtime friends, who are also on a journey of self-examination. Many of her peers are finding their lifelong beliefs have not brought the peace and fulfillment for which they are searching. If press reports are true, Fonda's chauffeur and a woman married to a Turner Broadcasting System executive were instrumental in bringing her to faith. No prominent clergyman was involved. Just a chauffeur and a faithful friend. How like God. Fonda has declined to speak with reporters. That's good. She should also decline for a while to speak publicly and to the religious establishment. One recalls Eldridge Cleaver, the late former Black Panther, who shortly after testifying to his own conversion was possessed by many whites and turned into a black trophy for their churches. Cleaver went public before his faith was properly grounded. He soon abandoned it and pursued other religions and New Age philosophies. Before G-d could use Moses, He sent him to wander in the desert for 40 years to cleanse him of self-reliance. After the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (and his name change to Paul), the apostle was privately instructed by his new friends, those he once persecuted, before he spoke publicly. Religious hucksters would love to have Jane Fonda in their pulpits and on their television shows. How many would say with a straight face, ''I prayed for you all the time,'' and it would be true? Not many, I'll wager. There is a lesson here for those who would learn it. Right after the verse many Christians love to quote (John 3:16) is verse 17, which says: ''God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.'' Most conservative Christians cannot honestly say we are sinless when it comes to Jane Fonda. How many of our hands and hearts are clean of the stain of denunciation and criticism of her? As of now, we know two: her chauffeur and a faithful friend. Rev. Gerald Durley, pastor of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the chauffeur attends, said he has seen Fonda at his services and ''I am extremely impressed with Fonda (L) and her former friends the genuineness and sincerity of (her) search for spirituality and wholeness ... I think she has found a certain sense of peace among those who've found peace with Christianity.'' Every conversion is a miracle, whether the converted is a homeless person or a well-known figure like Jane Fonda. Some like to see a celebrity transformed because it allows them to walk by sight and not by faith. And it validates a need to see their faith paraded publicly on the back of a celebrity, rather than emulate the One whose chosen mode of transportation were his feet and a humble donkey. No power on Earth, and certainly no power of denunciation, could have changed the life of Jane Fonda. More than seeing how her life has changed, it will be interesting to see how she changes the lives of those who have hated her and have put ''Hanoi Jane'' bumper stickers on their cars, referring to an ill-considered visit to North Vietnam during that divisive war. The power of love to change a life is far greater than the power of criticism and harsh judgment. Without speaking a public word, Jane Fonda may have already exuded a force more powerful than any other political idea or philosophy she may have promoted in the past.

They overcame him
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Revelation 12:10,11
The King James Version


"Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees."

Kingdom Solutions
I am amused as I sit back and watch the so-called cultural-political wars rage on the media. I stand corrected to what God would say to all those who are trying to bring "justice" to the world system through the vehicles of political change alone. God's methods are called "Kingdom Solutions" and His vehicle of change is based on this: Changed hearts will change things".

Zechariah 4:6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

Any comments, please........

One Nation Under God
From the Grand Rapids Press, August 17, 2002,
Op-ed page

`One Nation Under God must be proclaimed---freely
by Stephen Michmerhuizen

Declaring "under God"
In the Pledge of Allegiance Unconstitutional protects the rights of all Americans, including Christians.

You could classify me as a conservative Christian. I believe the Bible is God's literal word to humans, and Jesus is the only way to heaven.

I also believe the United States is one nation under God. And like many conservative Christians, I followed the decision by judges in California that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are unconstitutional.

However, contrary to most conservative Christians, I thought the judges' decision was good for our country and for Christianity. I fully realize that I am in the minority. There has been an amazing outcry from the public against this decision. And on many fronts, it is Christians who are leading the charge to get the judges' ruling overturned.

Yet, I perceive the motives behind some of these efforts to be reactionary, instead of reflective, as is so often the case when we think our basic convictions are being threatened. It seems as if many people understand the ruling as an attempt to stifle belief in God. While I applaud the religious devotion of these people, I understand the ruling differently. I see it as a move that protects the rights of all Americans, including Christians.

Americans are guaranteed freedom of religion, and the Constitution states that no laws that respect an establishment of religion may be passed. However, in 1954, a law was passed that added the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. This law recognizes that a single divine being sustains our land. It is a law that respects a specific religious belief and does not deliver the best of liberty to our citizens who believe differently.

When the California judges declared the law unconstitutional, they showed a commitment to religious freedom. This should make religious people feel safe, not threatened. I support the judges' decision, not only as an American, but also as a Christian. As strange as this may sound, Christianity itself does not benefit from simply having the words "under God" in an official pledge.

As a Christian, I am passionate about evangelism. It is my prayer that people in our country will repent and turn to the Lord. But people will not come to a sincere faith in God simply because our government endorses Him.

A brief study of European history will illustrate this point. For hundreds of years, the governments of such countries as France, Spain and England officially sponsored Christianity. Today, church attendance in those countries has nearly died out, and there is much hostility toward formal religion.

God will be glorified, and our nation will be blessed, when people freely and sincerely confess that our nation's destiny is in his hands. It is the job of the Christian church to encourage this confession; it is not the government's task to mandate it.

Many Christians have relied on the U.S. government to do a task that was their responsibility--to proclaim that our country depends on almighty God. If our government ceases to formally align itself with a theistic viewpoint, religion in America is not doomed. On the contrary, the Christian Church will be roused into action. Christians clearly will realize that it is our task--and ours alone--to proclaim to our society that we are one nation under God. With God's help, we will proclaim this in a more powerful way than our government ever could.

Both freedom and Christianity will thrive in a land where the government does not sponsor a particular religious viewpoint. Although I desire the citizens of this country to recognize God's sovereignty, this must happen through the witness of Christians, not the words of law.

May God bless America!