FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 31, 2002

WHO TO VOTE FOR?

Who is responsible for anti-family and anti-church legislation? Who is responsible for creating laws to make abortion legal but praying to Jesus in the public school illegal? Of course it is the ones who make the laws, but who makes the laws? It is the people who are elected to the legislature!

But, how do they get in office? You and I as citizens vote them in which means when a person votes for an immoral person who legislates immoral laws as we have today, the voter is as guilty as the person who makes the law. A president who appoints ungodly judges is guilty before God, but also guilty is the person who put him in office! This is why it is so important for decent, moral, and religious people to know who is running for office and what they believe on moral issues.

Noah Webster said, “In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate--look to his character...It is alleged by men of loose principles, ...that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness... When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility: he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor: he betrays the interest of his country.”

God ordained the home, the Church, and the government to be run according to His word, but our country has turned from God because God’s people have ceased to be “the salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” as Christ commanded. Atheism is penetrating our national life and abortion has become a means of birth control with over four millions babies murdered each year in their mothers womb and homosexuality has become an accepted life style.
We know that, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Charles Finney wrote in 1835, “The time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics, or the Lord will curse them...God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the Church will take the right ground. Politics are a part of our country and Christians must do their duty to the country as a part of their duty to God...God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”

His words were true then and are true now! Our nation’s course is up to us.

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Over half of U.S. citizens claim to know Jesus Christ, but because we have become poor Christians and poor citizens, we have let our country slip into the immoral state it is today. A Christian’s standard is the Word of God. We must find what God has said and obey it. Failure to do so is to become a victim of James 1:22 which says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

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When people start looking to the government as the source of help, protection, and provision instead of the God who gave us our government, we become deceived. Our duty is plain. God is to be first in our life and in our country. We are to pray for our leaders and be submitted to them. Obedience to the Word of God will produce both a good Christian and a good citizen.
God’s condition for protection and provision is plain, “A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known” (Deut. 11:27-28).

It use to be that a person would have to be a high official in the church or have impeccable character to even try to run for public office. Today, because of disobedience, laziness, and inactivity on the part of God’s people, the Christian vote is not pursued as it use to be. Our country has gotten to the place where people can be elected to public office who deny the Bible is the Word of God, who deny Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and deny homosexuality and abortion are abominations to God.

Only God can restore our country to where it should be, but He will not as long as His people are not concerned nor obedient to His Word. God tells us in 2nd Chronicles 7:14 what must be done for revival and His protection and healing in our land, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Some things we must do immediately are:

1. Pray faithfully for a spiritual revival to sweep America.

2. Register to vote and encourage others to do the same.

3. Make a serious effort to become informed about the candidates and the issues.

4. Be active in helping to select and elect godly candidates to office.

5. Vote in every election for the best candidate regardless of party.

6. Practice good citizenship for the honor and glory of God.

Ezra was told what kind of judges to set over the nation in chapter 7:25, “And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.” The same is to be true today. We have ungodly judges and ungodly legislators who make and interpret law against Bible principles. The voters are responsible for that! Second Samuel 23:3 says, “...He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” Check out the candidates and vote for the most moral!

Voting for and supporting moral candidates who support moral public policies is the minimum required of citizens who want the blessing, protection, and provision of our Almighty God!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: PASTOR: Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 3, 2002

HAZARDOUS THOUGHTS!

A serious warning comes to us in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” This verse can be translated, “Put a diligent guard on your mind because out of it are the sources of life.” Our Lord warns us over and over to be careful what we allow to go into our minds.

Whatever we see, read, or listen to determines what we think about. Once a thought has gotten into the mind, the imagination begins to work on that thought and will take it to a higher level of good or evil.

God destroyed the civilization of Noah’s time because of what the people thought about. Genesis 6:5 says, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Since only evil thoughts were going in their minds, that was all the imagination had to work with. The imagination took the evil thoughts to a higher level of evil until that was all these people thought about. The evil thoughts led to evil deeds and God destroyed them.

Our thought life determines what we are. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” If the things of the world are continually going into your mind, you are worldly or carnal. If the things of God are continually going into your mind, you will be godly or spiritual. What you listen to, read, or hear determines what you think about. What you think about determines your attitudes.

Attitudes not only determine what you, but the manner in which you do it. Your attitude reveals if you are godly or carnal. Before anyone ever gets a “bad attitude,” they will get some bad things going into their mind. Their imagination goes to work on the bad thought. The next thing you know, a bad attitude has developed which will give rise to some bad behavior.

For example, Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” If these words went into your mind, the imagination would begin to work on them. As you meditated on them, you might think, “This may be the reason I have so many quarrels with my wife. I’ll put this into practice and just see if it works.” Thoughts activate the imagination which produces attitudes which produce behavior. Good thoughts result in good works. Bad thoughts result in bad works.

When a person makes a bad mistake, it did not happen overnight, but it did start with a thought that was developed by the mind and eventually the bad deed occurred. When a person gets some addiction, it did not happen immediately. It started when a “friend” put a thought into his mind. He began to think about it and engaged in some small offense. When you do wrong, it is easier to do wrong again. When the evil begins to show on the outside, it simply reveals there was evil a long time ago that was not deal with in the mind.

God uses this process in salvation. The first step in getting a person saved is to get the truth into his mind about his condition, the consequences of it, and God’s cure. The imagination will begin to work on those thoughts with the aid of the Holy Spirit and conviction of sin is produced. This leads to attitudes which produce the right kind of behavior. It leads to a change in the person’s thinking about God, sin, Jesus, death, heaven, and hell.

After salvation, God wants to conform us to the image of Jesus. He does this by getting the right thoughts going into our minds. Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” When we avoid the influences of the world by avoiding worldly thoughts and sights from going into our mind, we will not be conformed or shaped by worldly things. As we fill our minds with God’s word, the right attitudes are formed which will produce godly behavior.

Because of this truth, there is a fierce battle being fought for the control of each person’s mind. Our Lord wants to control our mind so that we can have the mind of Christ and be used in investing our lives for time and eternity. Satan wants to control our minds so he can prevent God’s will from being done by us. It is you and I who must decide who will control our thoughts and thereby control our lives. We cannot decide if our lives will be controlled. Our decision is who will control it? Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Anyone who refuses the yoke of the Lord will take the yoke of Satan.

Ted Bundy is an illustration of this principle. He began to look at pornography. As he looked, pictures and words went into his mind that the imagination began to work on and develop. It became like a powerful drug that got its claws into his mind. It became an addiction to him. He did not know that what thrills you today will bore you tomorrow. There has to be something more dirty and more deviant. Yesterday’s thrills are today’s sedatives. The things that use to be shocking and repulsive no longer are. The next step is to put into practice the things that at one time you only thought about. Because Ted Bundy allowed the wrong things to go into his mind, he became a serial killer!

A woman on CNN News was promoting a nudist colony. She was asked if she had always believed like that. She said, “Oh no! At one time I thought it was the most horrible thing in the world. I could not imagine someone doing that, but a friend talked me into going to visit one and now, look where I am!” She allowed a thought to into her mind. She thought about it. Her imagination worked on it. She then visited a nudist colony. Then she became a promoter of something that at one time was repulsive. Why? It all began with a thought. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Arnold Martin, Pastor)

FROM A PASTOR'S HEART
October 10, 2002

THE MISSING LINK!

We hear about the "missing link" in the theory of evolution. The fact is that there is not a missing link, the whole chain is missing, but there is a missing link in the lives of most Christians which causes them to be discontent and have unproductive lives. It is the missing link of biblical prayer. Without prayer, we are doomed to lives of defeat and misery. With it, we can become and do all that God desires of us. Prayer includes not only asking God for things, but it is also thanksgiving, praise, and communion. We are told to, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Philippians 14:6 commands us to, "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Prayer must be taught. The disciples ask our Lord in Luke 11:1, "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." They did not ask our Lord to teach them to preach, heal, or perform miracles. They asked Him to teach them to pray. Why? Biblical prayer is the most powerful weapon God has given His people.

Jesus gives an illustration of a model prayer in Matthew 6:9-15. This has been called the "Lord's Prayer," but it is really a model prayer for God's people. It is not a prayer that is meant to be recited even thought it needs to be memorized. It contains the principles of powerful, God honoring, and effective prayer. Verse 9 begins, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." This prayer is only for those who can call God, "Our Father." It reveals a Father-child relationship. God is the creator of all, but He is only the Father of those who have been born again into His family.

We are to approach God as a loving, compassionate, and wise Father. Picture in your mind a little child jumping up in their father's lap and giving him a big hug. There is love, reverence, affection, and the desire to be with the one who loves him so much. That child has gotten to know the father and wants to be with him. A child ought to think their father is the greatest person on earth. The same is true with a child of God. The more we get to know our heavenly Father, the more we realize how great it is to be His child.

To pray properly, there is a reverence that must be maintained. If you hear someone talk about the "Old man above," they know very little about God. We are to hallow his name. God is holy. He is without sin. The attribute that encompasses all the other attributes of God is His holiness. Since God is holy, how can we come to Him with unconfessed and unrepented of sin in our life? Make sure when you walk into the throne room of God, you recognize this is a place where there is absolute holiness.

Verse 10 gives us some things we are to talk to God about, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Our heavenly Father is a king, but there are many rebels to His rule. There should be the desire on our part that the rebels be converted to loyal subjects to our Father who is the King. One day He will rule physically on this earth for 1,000 years. When a person gets saved, he has ceased to be a rebel and has become a submitted subject to our King.

This means that we are to not only pray for His rule on the earth, but we are to pray for the conversion of those who are lost and living in rebellion to our King. It means also that as we, His subjects, submit more and more of our lives to His authority and will, His kingdom is expressed more right now; therefore, we are to pray for the salvation of people, pray for the coming kingdom, and pray for greater submission of his subjects right now. This is how we pray for “Thy kingdom come!” We know God's will is not being done on this earth now. God has given us the vehicle of prayer to help His will to be done more. We know it will never be done completely until He comes back, but it will be done more if His people are praying, "Thy will be done."

Verse 11 says, "Give us this day our daily bread." Why pray for food already in the cabinet? Well, daily bread doesn't mean food only. It has to do with all our needs. It is our Father who supplies all we have and need. Asking for and thanking Him for what He does is to be part of our communion with Him. This acknowledges Him as the source of every good and perfect gift.
Verse 12 says, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." This is asking God to do what He has promised to do. He forgives His children in the same way His children forgives others. This has a two fold meaning. One is that a child of God has been forgiven all his sins against a holy God. It is inconceivable that a person who has been forgiven of a multitude of his sins against God would not forgive someone of a few sins against himself.

Unsaved people nor rebellious Christians forgive others as God demands. If we are unforgiving of others, we are in a condition which cuts off God's forgiveness and cleansing of our own lives. This will forfeit blessings and communion with our heavenly Father. One of the most costly things a Christian can do is to fail to forgive immediately and completely anyone who has sinned against him.

Verse 13 says, "And lead us not into temptation." This means we are to pray that God will not allow us to be tempted to a degree that we sin. All will be tested and tried, but when we know that and maintain communion with God, we will come through in flying colors. Prayer is not simply trying to get God to do our will. As we listen to what God says in His word and commune with Him in prayer, we find our wills being submitted to the will of God! That is powerful living!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor: Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 17, 2002

GOD WILL GET YOU FOR THAT!

There is a sin God hates, but is socially acceptable. Practically everyone does it. It is even politically correct. Some people make a living by practicing it, but God killed 14,000 at one time for committing it. It is the sin of murmuring. Our Lord gives a graphic illustration of this in the Book of Exodus. As God dealt with the Israelites, so does He with His people today. This is a lesson that can change your life and prevent you a lot of unnecessary hardships if read, believed, and obeyed.

God delivered Israel from slavery by bringing ten plagues on the Egyptians. He then put in their hearts to give the Israelites gold, silver, and provisions so that the nation of Israel left Egypt with a “high hand.” When they came to the Red Sea, they encountered a problem. Pharaoh changed his mind and came after Israel. The Red Sea was in front of them and the mountains were on either side. What would they do? Would they remember God who had performed the miracles and provided for them or murmur? They chose the latter. God did not rebuke them, but told them to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. The Red Sea opened and Israel marched through on dry ground.

After they reached the other side, God closed the sea on the Egyptians who had followed them and destroyed the enemies of Israel. In Exodus 15, they sang and praised God for the mighty miracle and destruction of their enemies. Three days later, they came to Marah where they expected water, but the water was bitter. What would they do? Remember what God had done in the past and pray for mercy and provision as He had done so many times or murmur? They chose the latter! They murmured against Moses for being lead to a place where they would die of thirst.

The fact was that God was leading them by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. It was not Moses leading them. God was leading and Moses was following just as the other Israelites were. They murmured, but God did not rebuke them. He told Moses to throw a tree into the water which made it sweet and pure. Three days later, they came to Elim, a place of 12 wells and 70 palm trees for a time of rest and refreshment.

Exodus 16:1 tells us they left Elim and went to the Wilderness of Sin. This was one month since they left Egypt and their food was low. Verse 2 says, “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.” This is the second time they murmured. What will God do? Bring wrath on them because of their ungratefulness? No, verse 12 says, “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.”

Instead of bringing chastisement, God treats their murmurings as if they were prayers. He gives them exactly what they ask for. Notice that God heard their murmurings. He knows the words we say and the thoughts we think. God also knew that these murmurings were not against Moses, but against Him. It was God calling the shots. It was God who was doing the leading.

Exodus 16:3-4 reveals the wicked nature of murmuring, “And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.”

This was a big problem these people were facing just like you and I will have big problems to face. We can face problems as Israel did by murmuring, but when we do, we act as Israel did. It reveals a lack of faith in God who is leading us. We are saying by our murmuring that God is not fair to us and has done us wrong by leading us into a place that is not good. It is an accusation of wrong doing on the part of God.

It also shows an unthankful spirit. It reveals that we have forgotten all God has done for us in the past. Israel had seen themselves delivered from slavery, the Red Sea parted, and polluted water made pure. When another problem comes, they do the same thing against God, murmur. It reveals a wicked heart that will not remember the good that God or others do for you. It calls God a liar. God had said He would give them a land and protect and provide for them, but they say that He has brought them into the desert to kill them with starvation.

Murmuring makes liars of people. They lied about their old life. They said, “When we were slaves, we had plenty of food.” That was a lie. They forgot about the slavery they were in, the beatings, the impossible jobs they were given, the poverty, and the cruelty. They forgot about the miracles God had performed and the deliverance and the riches they received from the Egyptians. Murmuring causes a person to lie about the present, past and the future and accuses God of wrong doing. Murmuring always has exaggeration in it.

God did not punish them for their murmuring at this time. He is training them to trust in Him. Later on, God did kill 14,000 for murmuring. He is saying, “I will give you time to learn to know and trust Me, then if you murmur, punishment will come.” This is how a new born baby is treated. When a baby cries, you get it what it wants. After the child had grown and matured some, it should never get what it cries for. It must be taught to love and trust the parent. Giving in to crying and murmuring trains the child to use manipulation to get what it wants. This is how God deals with us. At salvation, He will teach and train us and give us time to learn about Him. Then if we murmur, the chastening hand of God will fall!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR'S HEART
October 24, 2002

GOD’S WILL REVEALED!

The same God who gives us life has a will and plan for us. Some things in God’s will are the same for everyone. First Timothy 2:3-4 gives us the first step in God’s will, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." Man is born a sinner under the condemnation of God and needs to be saved from the penalty of his sin. Every unsaved person is walking in rebellion to the will of God for his life. The amazing plan of God for a person’s life will never be known as long as he refuses God’s gift of salvation. The Father does not reveal His will to a rebel. A Christian is a person who says, “I will receive Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord. I will stop being a rebel to God!”

The next step is to be filled with the knowledge of our Lord which comes as the Christian studies, believes, and obeys the word of God. To neglect God’s word is to be ignorant of God’s wonderful plan for your life. John 10:26-28 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." An obedient child of God will listen to God’s word.
Hebrews 10:24-25 describes another part of God's will, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." After getting saved, we become the vehicles God uses to get the message of salvation to the lost. As we attend church, we place ourselves in a position to further learn God’s word and help others to be involved in good works. Failure to go to church and be active in it is a sin against the plain revealed will of God for any Christian!

God commands us in Ephesians 5:17 to know His will, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." A wise person is one who knows and does God’s will. A foolish and ignorant person does not do His will. Our Lord gives us His resource to know His will in the next verse, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."

If you want to know God's will for your life, you must receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Then go to a church where you can grow as a Christian, and become wise and be involved in good works. The resource for this is to be filled with God's Spirit. After salvation, God makes us some promises. He says "... grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). God’s Spirit not only seals us, but He dwells in every believer and promises to never leave nor forsake us.

Some one may say, "I'm saved, but I do not have the Holy Spirit." That is an impossible situation. Romans 8:9 says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Sometimes we pray for things that God cannot give. We pray, "God, give me more of your Spirit." but the Holy Spirit is a person. How can you get more of a person? The Bible teaches that God does not
give His Spirit by measure. At salvation the Spirit of God enters us. The problem is not that we do not have the Spirit. The problem is that we do not yield ourselves to Him as we ought.

Sometimes we pray, "God, give me more love," but Romans 5:5 says, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." The love is there; we just need to exercise it. Sometimes we pray, "God, give me more strength," but God has already told us, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). God's people need to learn the meaning of 2nd Peter 1:3 "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue."

When a child is born, he has all it takes to be a mature adult, but he has to grow. No one would give car keys to an eight year old child. He has to grow and be trained how to safely use a car. We have been given the Holy Spirit of God. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, but we must grow and spiritually mature in order to rightfully use all God has given us.

When Peter was with Christ, he was an amazing man. Peter was asked who Jesus was. He said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus told Peter, "Flesh and blood did not reveal that to you Peter, but my Father which is in heaven." When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he requested that he might walk on the water also, and he did! When Peter was with Jesus in the Garden, he grabbed a sword, cut off a man's ear, and was willing to take on the whole Roman army. What courage Peter had when he was with the Lord!

When Peter was with Jesus, he was brave and courageous. When Peter was apart from Jesus, he denied the Lord three times like a coward would do. Later, Peter is the mighty preacher of Pentecost who gave a scalding sermon and 3,000 people were saved. In Acts 3, Peter sees a lame man and healed him. Peter was doing the same things he did when Jesus was with him. When Peter was with Jesus, He was brave and courageous. When he was separated from Jesus, he became a coward. In Acts, Peter is separated from Jesus, but he is again brave and courageous. The reason was that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was being led, guided, and directed by the Holy Spirit as he had been led and directed by Jesus. When we are Spirit filled, it is the same thing as having Jesus by our side.

If we are to know and do God's will for our lives, we must be saved, fill our minds with God's word, and yield ourselves to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH; PASTOR: Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
September 5, 2002

WHEN AND HOW TO FORGIVE!

What should you do when someone offends you? We want to box their jaws, but Scripture tells us “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). This is what God says, but we do just about everything else. We get upset and kick the dog or hold a pity party. When we have our pity parties, we have to invite others over so we can tell them all the things done to us. When we do that, we offend God! God says if someone offends you, go to him and rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. When we tell others about the situation instead of confronting the person responsible, we are trespassing God as that person trespassed us.

Some will say, “He did me wrong. Shouldn’t he have to come to me?” In Matthew 5:23 we are told that if we bring our gift to the altar and remember that someone has something against us, we are to go to them and do our best to make it right. Some will ask, “If I was offended, why should I have to go to them? It seems like they should have to come to me!” One reason the offended person is to go is because that is what the Lord says to do. Another reason is that the person who offended you may not even know he did. When you go to explain the situation to him, misunderstandings can be cleared up. Both sides of the story can be told and forgiveness can be asked for and granted.

When offended, you are forced to make decisions concerning the offending person. If you fail to go to him and confront him for what he has done, you will act as judge, jury, and prosecuting attorney. You only get one side of the story and make up your mind without the benefit of what the other person has to say. This is ungodly behavior. Go to the person. Tell them what you think happened. If you are right, they need to repent. If there is a misunderstanding, it can be cleared up.

A man and his wife had not spoken to each other for 23 years. They passed notes to each other through their kids. Finally, they went to counseling. The man said, “There is something that has bothered me for 23 years.” He told what it was. His wife was astonished when she heard his story. She said, “No, that is not the way it was.” She told how the situation really took place. For 23 years, this man had done great damage to his wife, children, friends, and himself because he failed to obey Bible procedures. He acted as judge, jury, and prosecuting attorney. In 99.9 % of the cases, we will draw the wrong conclusions if we fail to obey God’s procedure when we are offended.

This doesn’t mean that we rebuke every person who says something we do not like. First Peter 4:8 says, “...And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” How many times in a family do we get offended by what another member says or does, but we simply forget about it and never mention it again. When we do that, our love has covered the sin of the other person. Our love can cover the sins of others!
Forgiveness is very expensive. If you bump my car and do a hundred dollars worth of damage and ask me to forgive you, I can very easily say, “I forgive you.” Saying the words are not hard, but it will cost me one hundred dollars to forgive you because I agree to bare the cost of repairing the car. It cost Jesus dying on the cross to pay for our sins so that He could say, “ Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If Jesus is willing to forgive us of all the sins we have committed against Him by paying for those sins, surely we ought to be willing to forgive others for their sins committed against us!

Ephesians 4:32 tells us how we are to forgive, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” We are to forgive others in the same way Jesus forgave us. Jesus could forgive us of all our sins because he was willing to take the pain and suffering those sins deserved. That is love in action! It is expensive to forgive! When we forgive others as Jesus forgave us, we take the pain, expense, and the hurt of whatever it is that we forgive. Many say they forgave someone of a particular sin, but in a moment of anger, they get historical and repeat every small detail. That is not Bible forgiveness. That kind of behavior leads to bitterness instead of healing.

If there is true forgiveness to someone, there will be certain characteristics of that forgiveness. First, you “say” you will forgive the person for the offense committed against you. Secondly, once the forgiveness is granted, it is to NEVER be brought up again. It is not to be brought up to the person you have forgiven nor is it to be brought up to anyone else. Neither is is to be brought up again in your mind, nor is it to be brought up again to God. When the person is forgiven, his slate is wiped clean and is to be treated as if the offense never occurred.

Some people say, “I will forgive when I see some evidence of repentance.” That is not a biblical response. Luke 17:4 says, “And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” It does not say, “When you see the evidence of repentance, forgive him.” It does say if he comes to you and says, “I repent,” you are to forgive him.

If God says to forgive, but we refuse, we reveal a rebellious spirit to our Lord. Forgiveness is not a matter of ability. It is a matter of obedience. It is an act of our will to do what God says regardless of our feelings. Failure to be obedient is to allow a cancer of the soul to eat away at our love, peace, and joy. We will pay a high price for rebelling against any plain command of our Lord. Remember Matthew 6:15, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Many Christians live in a continual state of broken fellowship with their Lord because of an unforgiving attitude!

(Immanuel Baptist Church: Arnold Martin, pastor)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
September 12, 2002

THE BRINK OF BLESSING

Israel had been in Egypt for 430 years before God used Moses to lead them to the promised land. After the 10 plagues brought on Egypt, Pharaoh let them go. God split the Red Sea and they marched across on dry ground. When they came to the brink of entering the land God promised, God told Moses in Numbers 13:2, “Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.”

Moses chose 12 men to spy out the land. After 40 days, they returned with their report. They said the land was more than they could have imagined. After being in slavery, it was like walking into the land of paradise, but there was a problem. There were giants in the land living in walled cities. Their report said, “We cannot take the land.” This negative report from 10 of the spies sent a wave of fear through the whole nation. They were on the brink of blessing and opportunity, but turned and walked away from it.

Every individual has done the same thing in their life that the nation of Israel did. They were on the brink of blessing and opportunity, but for some reason, turned and walked away. There are some principles from this story which can help us to take advantage of the blessings and opportunities that God wants to give to us.

The main criteria to receive the blessings God wants us to have is to believe Him. When we know what God has said, believe it, and live by it, we are walking in faith. Faith is obedient believing. We need to learn some things which will help us exercise our faith more. You can be sure that when God says something to you, Satan will be there with an alternative to the will of God.

We are a product of the decisions we make; therefore, if we learn something that will help us to make better decisions, we will have better lives. The first principle in making a decision is to weigh the consequences of that decision. These 10 spies made a decision that caused a plague to come on them which cost them their lives that night. It cost the nation of Israel 40 years in the desert instead of entering the promised land. It caused the lives of every person 20 years old and over to be lost in the wilderness. There are consequences of every decision. We must stop and think before deciding.

Every decision must be made after thinking what it will do to my relationship with God. Will this thing I decide bring me closer or will it take me farther away from God? The decision of the 10 spies cost them their lives because they rebelled against God’s plain words. God’s instructions were to check out the land, but not to decide if they could take it or not. They were only to decide the method of taking the land. God had already said, “I give you the land.” Their decision was proof that they did not believe or trust God.

The steps which will help us to move forward when we are on the brink of blessing is to know the word of God and have His promise on something. God had already said in verse 2, “Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel.” They had God’s promise. This should have caused them to be committed to what God said, which should have led to conviction that it was right. When a person believes God’s word, makes a commitment to it, there will be a conviction produced in him which leads to a determination to do what God said and take advantage of His blessings.

We must remember that God leads one step at a time. He will show you one thing to do. When you are obedient in that one thing, He will show you another. Many people in the churches sit, soak, and sour because they will not do anything until they have the whole picture. If you wait to see where God is leading, you will never take the trip. You must obey one step at a time.

When on the brink of blessing, Satan will always have someone to come along with some negative things as in the case of Israel that tragic day. Someone will say, “It can’t be done,” or “It cost too much,” or “It will take too long.” Satan’s detours will usually be easier and not require as much faith, but they will steer you away from God’s best for your life.

Many times the problems we face are God’s door to opportunity. Yes, it would be a problem to face the giants in the walled cities, but on the other hand, look who is doing the fighting for us! It is God! God gave us the land. God told us to take it! We can’t do it in our strength, but we can do it in His strength.

The more we look at our problems and think about them, the bigger they will become. You look at the little ant hill problem long enough and it will become like a mountain before long, but if you take that problem, which may be a mountain in your life, and take it to the Lord, the mountain can be reduced to an ant hill. We must learn to take our eyes off the problem and put them on the Lord. Ask this question the next time some big problem comes in your life, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” The answer is absolutely no!

The next question we can ask is, “Am I His child? Am I saved?” if you are a child of God, that means God is your Father. Do you think He is not going to take care of His own children that Jesus came to die for? Psalm 84:11 says, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Too many times we stop short of a great opportunity or blessing that God wants to give us as Israel did. Instead of persevering, we turn back because of some negative statements someone put in our minds. Keep your eyes open for the opportunities God wants to bring and avoid the negative input. May all of us do a great work for God in these last days!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH; Arnold Martin, Pastor)

FROM A PASTOR'S HEART
August 8, 2002

"THE FOUR HORSEMEN"

A special blessing is promised to anyone who will read, hear, and obey God’s Word according to Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." Chapter two and three contains messages from our Lord to seven churches. Chapter four is a scene in heaven where God is described as holding a seven sealed book. This book contains the things which will be done before our Lord comes back to this earth to rule.

Chapter five reveals that only Jesus has the authority and power to take the book and begin to open the seals of it. Chapter six describes the wrath of God in the first six seals. The first four seals are called the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

The first horseman is described in Revelation 6:2, "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." We are having serious problems in our world now, but one is coming who will appear to have all the answers. He is described as the "antichrist." He will be given a crown. He will be the architect of a world wide peace. This Satan controlled man will bring peace, but it will be short lived.

It will be a deceptive peace. God has already told us in Isaiah 48:22, "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked." This man will be honored by the nations for his peace achievements. He will come to power without blood shed. This was revealed by the fact that he had a bow, but no arrows. It will seem like the problems of the world will be cured by this man all the world will follow after him.

After the antichrist is in power, peace will be world wide. People will settle down thinking that all is well on planet earth. Then, our Lord will open the second seal described in Revelation 6:4, "And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."

The rider on the white horse brings world wide peace. The rider on the second horse takes peace by bringing world wide war. It is during this time that "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:3). There will be some who are not pleased with the government of the antichrist. There will be rebellions and the false peace will be shattered .

Verses 5-6 describe the rider on the third horse, "And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." On the heels of world wide war will be world wide famine. A penny was the average daily wage for a working man. During this time, it will take all a person can make to provide enough food for himself. There will be starvation! The fourth horseman is described in verses 7-8, "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."
This is the proof of the truth about man given in Romans 1:22, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." Our politically correct lawmakers put God, prayer, and the Bible out of the schools and public places. They were so concerned about not offending anyone, but turned around and offended God. These verses show us the end result of the foolishness of man.

When a man or nation turns from God, he turns from the true Messiah to the false one. He will crown the man Satan sends to be his ruler instead of the one God sent. The result will be a false peace. This will be followed by a world wide war which is followed by world wide famine. The effects of the war, famine, and pestilence God will send will cause one fourth of the world's population to be killed. The deaths will come by war, starvation, and the diseases which both produce.

There are about six billion people on the earth. That means one and one half billion people will be killed by the war, famine, and pestilences. This is the beginning of the wrath of God on an ungodly people. The question should come to our mind, "Is there any hope for this world?" The answer is, "NO!" This is going to happen. It cannot be prevented. The next question should be, "Is there any hope for me?" The answer to that question is, "Absolutely yes!" Jesus Christ is the answer. Jesus can not only deliver from drugs, rebellion, and every other sin, but He can deliver you from all that is going to happen when the four horsemen begin to ride.

The question now should be, "What must I do to be saved?" The answer is so simple. John 1:12 says, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."  If you want to escape the wrath to come, believe God's word and receive God's son! This will result in God giving you a new nature with new desires and new abilities you never had before.

Remember Romans 6:23, " For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Salvation is a gift that must be received. If you do not receive the gift Jesus died to provide for you, all Jesus did on the cross will do you no good! The four horsemen are getting ready to ride.

(Immanuel Baptist Church: Arnold Martin, pastor)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
August 15, 2002

THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT!

All advertising is designed to make you discontent with what you have so that you will want to buy the updated product. The temptations in life are designed to do the same thing. They can make you discontent with whatever you have because something else looks better. This causes us to pursue things we do not have because we are discontent with things we do have. This is the spirit of discontentment. This can be sinful and bring devastating consequences.

We must learn to be content. The Apostle Paul was and gives us principles how we to can be content. He said “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). Paul could say, “I have enough.” It is a great thing for people to be able to say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. I am satisfied with what my Lord provides for me.” A satisfied heart should be the experience of every Christian. Contentment is a spiritual virtue. Discontentment is a sin!

Our Lord says, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31-33).
Every person who is not saved but says they are content has an unrighteousness contentment. They are one step from hell for all eternity and they feel satisfied? Satan has the wool pulled over their eyes. They are like a person who has a deadly bacteria in their body and do nothing about it because they do not feel the symptoms. We must live by facts, not feelings. The fact is that everyone is a sinner with hell for his home for all eternity unless he is saved. When unsaved people live by that fact, they will come to the Savior!

It is sad, but there are those in the church who are dissatisfied. They want more things, a different set of circumstances, or a different environment. They say by their lives that there is little difference between Christianity and a worldly materialistic society. God’s people must learn, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). We can be content even in the hard times if we learn some basic Bible principles given in Philippians 4:1-4.

One principle for contentment is learning to appreciate the fellowship. Many people think contentment comes from things we possess, but it has nothing to do with whether you possess a little or a lot. It has nothing to do with whether you are sick or well. Contentment is a heart attitude that accepts what God has given in His grace and wisdom. God gave the church and wants us to appreciate it!

Since we are citizens of heaven and waiting until we are transformed into the likeness of our Lord, we must think about the fact that we are not earth bound. We are to be living this life for the next life. Paul was content. He lived this life in expectation for the next one. Paul tells the church in verses 1-4 to stand fast in the Lord. He tells them that they would be spending eternity together and they were dear to him. Paul gushes with affection for these people. Paul’s contentment was wrapped up in loving these people and receiving love from them.

When you love the fellowship, you will sacrifice for it as Paul did. Paul knew that contentment comes from relationships with people, not things. The richness from life comes as we give and receive love. It does not come from things, pride, grasping, and selfishness. The kind of love that leads to contentment is only available to a child of God who is learning, believing, and obeying the word of God. This is the person the Holy Spirit of God will restrain the flesh nature that is in him. One problem in the church is that selfish Christians share only their needs and become like leeches in the church. Their main concern is “What can they do for me? What can I get out of the fellowship?”

When a person is walking in the Spirit, they will share their needs and be helped by the church, but they will also sacrifice for the fellowship and share their strengths which will help the whole body. This is giving and sharing love.

You can learn to be content as you learn to cultivate a spirit of rejoicing.  Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” The command to rejoice is given about 70 times in the Bible. We must rejoice and rejoice all the time in all things. God does not tell us to rejoice in our circumstances. Circumstances can change daily, but we are to rejoice in the Lord. The circumstances we are in may be bad, but we have a Lord that is over the circumstances and He can change them whenever He wants to.

We must teach and train our hearts to rejoice continually just as we are to teach our hearts to give thanks continually. We are told, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

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We are not told to give thanks for bad things, but to give thanks IN everything. While in the bad circumstance, we can rejoice because the Lord is over the circumstance. We can give thanks because our Lord will use that bad situation for our good and His glory.

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Everyone rejoices and everyone gives thanks, but for there to be continual contentment, we must train ourselves to rejoice in the Lord at all times and give thanks to the Lord in all things. Sometimes we don’t rejoice nor give thanks because our joy is gone. When sin comes in, the joy goes out. David said, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12). If there is sin in your life, you will not rejoice, give thanks, nor will you have contentment.

Contentment comes when you learn to accept less than what you think you are due. Verse 5 says, “Let your moderation be known unto all men.” This is when you are willing to settle for very little. If you expect so much out of others that they can’t meet those demands, they will pull away and leave you alone! Don’t expect from others what only God can give! Only God can give love, peace, joy, and contentment.

(Immanuel Baptist Church: Arnold Martin, Pastor)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
August 29, 2002

WHY SHOULD GOD ANSWER YOUR PRAYER?

If you received news that you were going to die, the first thing you would do is to pray for God to give you more time. What would be your answer if God ask you, “Why should I give you more life?” This is exactly what happened to King Hezekiah. God told Isaiah to say to King Hezekiah, “Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live” (2 Kings 20:1). Hezekiah immediately turned to God in prayer. He said in verse 3, “I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.”

God told Isaiah in verses 5-6, “Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.”

God answered his prayer, but why? Were there some things in the life of this man that should be in our life if we expect God to answer our prayers? The answer is, yes! The same message to Hezekiah will come to us, “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die and not live.” We don’t like to be reminded of death, but it is something all of us must face. If we are to have a faith to die by, we must have a faith to live by. Hezekiah is an example of a man with a faith to live by.
All of us will be asking God to do for us things that only God can do. Why should He answer our prayers? Can we have things in our lives that will give us an advantage in our praying? Absolutely! We can expect God to answer our prayers if the same things are true in our lives as was true in the life of Hezekiah.

Scripture tells us that Hezekiah was a good man, “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses” (2 Kings 18:5-6). There were four things in Hezekiah’s life that must be in our lives if we expect God to answer our prayers.

The first ingredient was, “he trusted in the LORD God of Israel.” He trusted, he relied upon, he was confident in the God of Israel. Before anyone can trust and rely upon God, he has to know God. He would have to know God’s characteristics of faithfulness, omniscience, immutability, omnipotence, justice, love, mercy, and justice. Hezekiah knew God and he trusted in Him. Verse 3 says, “And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.” If we expect God to answer our prayers, we to must do those things which are right in His sight!

Hezekiah got his prayer answered because he “clave to the Lord.” To cleave means to stick to like a man cleaving to his wife and becoming one flesh. It means to stick to someone as Ruth clave to Naomi. Ruth left her family, country, religion, and friends to cleave unto her mother-in-law. When a person “cleaves” to the Lord, they will forsake all to follow and obey Him.

We see many today who start out serving and clinging to God, but for some reason they depart. It was said of Hezekiah that he “departed not from following the Lord.” He walked with the Lord and did not turn back. He was faithful and dependable. He did not backslide. He kept doing what was right.

The fourth thing in Hezekiah’s life that must be in ours if we expect God to answer our prayers is that he, “Kept His commandments which the Lord commanded Moses.” He was a man of the Scripture. You have to know God’s word before you can keep it. The word of God was important to Hezekiah. He learned it and he obeyed what he learned. He was a “doer of the word and not a hearer only.” If we expect God to answer our prayers and do for us what only God can do, we to must be like Hezekiah in trusting the Lord, cleaving unto Him, and continually learning and obeying His word.

Some people think that God’s word is hard to obey, but 1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” They are not burdensome to obey. Obedience to our heavenly Father should be a joy and a delight.

Hezekiah was a prosperous man. Verse 7 tells us why, “The Lord was with him, and He prospered whithersoever he went forth.” He was successful and prosperous because God was with Him. God was with him because he was obedient and submissive. Hezekiah was prosperous materially, but his main prosperity was that he knew and loved God. That was his true riches.

The same kind of news that came to Hezekiah will come to us. It may not be that of our coming death, but it may be the condition of our family, finances, friends, or health. There will be many times in our lives that we will desperately want God to do something for us that only He can do. When, not if but when, those times comes, will we be able to pray the same way Hezekiah did? Will we be able to say, “I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight?”

Right now would you analyze your relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you confessing and forsaking your sins? Are you being thankful in all things and praying about every thing? How is your Bible reading, your church attendance, your giving to the work of God, your obedience to the word, and your love for the things of God. If they are not what they should be, now is the time to change! Remember, “Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” This is true for all of us. Let’s be like Hezekiah and be ready. May all of us have a faith to live by. If we do, we will have a faith to die by!

(Immanuel Baptist Church: Arnold Martin, pastor)