Daily Visit with God

The Twisted Christ of Judas Iscariot

2012-01-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

Matthew 26:48 KJV
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.

Judas had brought the multitude with swords and staves to a place he knew Jesus resorted to but the multitudes did not, and had given them a sign that the one he kissed was Jesus.

Obviously, the habits of Christ were not well known by everyone in Israel. Even those sent to take Him that night were so unfamiliar with Him that they could not recognize Him by face. I have sometimes had the impression that everyone in Israel knew who Christ was and what He looked like. That is just not the case.
• Though He had fed thousands, there were thousands more who had never left their homes to see and hear Him
• Though the Jews had sent some to catch Him in His words, some many more had never left their posts for Christ

And so it is today; though there are a variety of denominations and scattered around the world hundreds or more so called mega churches, the fact is most people have little to no interest in Christ. What they do know, if they know anything at all, is skewed and twisted. They, like the multitudes following Judas, only know what an enemy of Christ gives them. And that enemy so often cloaks himself as the friend of Christ. Most decisions made about Jesus are made from a position of ignorance or even misrepresentation.

It is our place to correct that misinformation as God gives us grace.

Uttermost People

2012-01-14T11:30:00.001-08:00

Numbers 11:1 KJV
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

When the people displeased the Lord so the fire came to consume them, those killed were those on the fringes of the camp. Those dwelling deeply inside the camp were safe. That goes to First Corinthians five where Paul teaches that there is a type of safety that belongs to those in the church and those cast out are delivered to the devil for the destruction of the flesh.

Practically speaking there would always have to be an uttermost part of the camp. It would not be physically possible for everyone to dwell in the middle of the camp. Even among the Lord's twelve there was an inner circle of three. But spiritually I think it is possible for every believer to live in the center of God's will and in the middle of His ministry in the church.

There are those in every church I have seen who are "uttermost parts" people. They are a part, but it is a barely attached part. And those are the people who tend to be devoured first in those times of trial in the church.
• They are the ones who are lost in a spiritual hardship.
• They are the ones whose faith gets shaken at the falling away or sin of a supposed spiritual leader.
Those in the middle of the camp; those who are entrenched in the church; those who have made the house of God their own place of residence are most often safe.

Concerning Christ's Return

2012-01-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

Matthew 24:48 KJV
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

An evil servant thinks the Lord delays coming

There are a myriad of attitudes a person might have regarding the Lord and His coming
• One might view His coming as myth
• One might spiritualize His coming as being real but not physical
• One might capitalize on His coming as a means to earn royalties and sales
The passage says this is a servant, though an evil one, so it is speaking about one who claims to be saved and claims to believe in His coming which suggests a final attitude which would be
• One who claims to believe in His coming but lives as if He won't come at all

Even if Christ doesn't come in my lifetime it makes little sense to live like He isn't going to come again because regardless of when His return is, we will all give account to Him.

I want my account to balance.

Seen of Men

2012-01-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Matthew 23:5 KJV
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

To be seen of men

A huge danger of the ministry is its public nature. So much of what a preacher does, he does in the sight of men.
• His preaching ministry
• His teaching ministry
• His counseling ministry
• His visitation ministry
• His comforting ministry
• His leadership ministry
Is all done before one or more.

He is likely to be praised or thanked or in some other way complimented for these ministries before the people. And when he is, is he is not mindful of it, he may be lifted up in self because of it. The constant barrage of acknowledgements that come as part and parcel with the public portion of ministry can have devastating effects as the preacher becomes more and more accustomed to accepting those acknowledgements.

The cure, in light of our Saviour's warning is simple; there must be much more that the preacher does in private than what is ever done in public. The preacher's private time with the Lord in study and in prayer, in introspection and personal examination, in humility and in meekness before the Lord must outweigh those moments in the spotlight of public ministry exponentially. We can't afford the delusion that we are somehow worthy of public acknowledgement and accolade. We cannot allow ourselves to be seduced into thinking we can handle such praise and remain in right relationship with God.

Only large amounts of time in privacy and loneliness before the Lord can inoculate the public man from the disease of the praise of men.

Put My Name

2012-01-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Numbers 6:27 KJV
And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. While I know we are to avoid vain repetition, I so long that this blessing rest upon the people over the which God has allowed me to pastor. I long for this blessing to be the wonderful experience of my children and grandchildren.

Now here is the culmination of it. Its result, we might say, is that in the blessing the minister has put the name of the Lord upon them.

And in this there comes real meaning to the blessing as that precious name is Jesus Christ. Whenever we are able to give a soul Christ we have surely given to them God's richest blessing.

Many Are Called

2012-01-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Matthew 22:14 KJV
For many are called, but few are chosen.

In the parable, everyone was called: farmers, merchantmen, citizens, those in the highways and hedges. No one was excluded from a call. But some were not at the wedding and in every case, it was there own choice.
• The farmer put the interests of his land above the wedding and so was not chosen.
• The merchantmen put the interest of business above the wedding and so was not chosen
• The remnant put their interest in riotous living and so we're not chosen and
• The one had no interest in the wedding (and would not change his garments for it) and so was not chosen.

All are called to salvation but only those who give up themselves for the Saviour find salvation. It is freely offered and no one is excluded from the call, but that should not be interpreted as meaning it is of little worth and lacking standard. God invites all to come to salvation. But those who come must see that God's expectations are high.

He Spake of Them

2012-01-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

Matthew 21:45 KJV
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

Jesus preached in such a way that the. Pharisees knew He was speaking of them. He did not withhold this particular message until the Pharisees were not there to hear (though He might have done that because those that the message instructed were disciples. He could have waited until the disciples were alone.) Neither did he preach the message in either such a way that it was less offensive or that the Pharisees would not perceive He spake of them.

Jesus preached what was the word of God.

He preached so all could hear and He used illustrations that any who would could understand. He did not shirk because He was afraid of the consequences. He did not see it as His job to make everyone feel good about the message. Those who would receive it, we're blessed. Those who refused to receive Him as Saviour understood perfectly the consequences of their choice.

Accusations

2012-01-08T09:39:00.001-08:00

Matthew 20:15 KJV
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

It is the sinful nature of man to believe we have the power to know what is good and what is evil. And many often call good evil and evil good. So we come to the basic principle that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours. I have met many who presume to judge God because He has done good to someone they don't believe deserves it. He is a just God. But He is also a good God. He has reconciled the two through the death of His own Son. In a transaction we can never completely comprehend, but only come to accept through the history of sacrifices by the Jews, God laid on Christ all of the sins of man and His (lest I say our) justice was satisfied. Having satisfied the debt of sin through Christ God is free to do good and forgive any who will seek it.

The one who chooses will never see the fairness of that transaction but will only argue in the flesh that it is unfair, or it is gruesome or whatever other objection they might have.

The fact is, God's goodness extends to any who will receive it. Those who can't accept that are - well - free to refuse it.

Amazed

2012-01-07T14:58:00.001-08:00

Matthew 19:10 KJV
His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

Gill and Barnes both make the note that the disciples said this out of a fleshly heart. The Jewish man considered it a great privilege that he could put away a wife for any disagreeable flaw and, if a man had to be trapped in marriage to a wife who was of a disagreeable nature, it would surely be better never to marry; fleshly

Then immediately after this these same disciples rebuked people for bringing children to the Lord and they had to again be corrected for their error. They thought of children as having too little value to be a bother to the Lord. The Lord on the other hand was more than happy to give attention to the spiritual needs of the children.

The disciples were filled with fleshly traditions, attitudes and bad habits. Even at the time of Christ's crucifixion they were easily turned to go back fishing. After His death they were filled with doubt concerning his resurrection. And even just before His ascension Jesus corrected them when they asked about the kingdom.

It is so impressive that the Lord left such important work as is the saving of souls and raising up of churches into such flawed hands. The disciples did grow and mature but they were never perfect. (Though the Scriptures they penned are perfect, being inspired of God.)

And the Lord continues to use imperfect people yet today. We might wonder why and if the Lord is using such weak vessels as we know ourselves to be. But He is glorified in our weaknesses. Not that we should ignore our flaws or refuse to grow out of them, but we should certainly not allow them to prevent us from stepping out in obedience to Christ.

And the Lord spake

2012-01-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 25:1 KJV
And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

Fifteen chapters in a row Leviticus begins with words to the effect of, "And the Lord spake.."

It began to impress me in this reading that these are truly the Words of God. How important it is that we see the Bible as more than the words of man about God but the words of God to man.
• These are not the writings of religious speculators
• These are the inventions of would be spiritual leaders

When we read the Word of God we are reading the very words of God.

And that gives a wholly different weight to them.
• This is the communication of God
• This is God's position concerning the condition of man
• This is God's perception of the nature of sin
• This is God's revelation of the eternal future and
• This is God's offer of everlasting salvation

What a privilege to possess the Word of God! And what a blessing it is to read and study it.

Jesus Didn't Have To, But He Did

2012-01-05T14:50:00.001-08:00

Matthew 17:27 KJV
Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

After Peter had told them that Jesus paid the tribute Jesus confronted him and gave reason why he (and I think the implication is Peter) were free from paying this tribute. They were not spiritually obligated to pay it.

But they did pay it.

Jesus said that to avoid offending them they would pay the tribute.

Too many in modern Christianity are focused on what they can do and what they don't have to do. They accuse those who teach standards of right and wrong of being legalistic. But their selfish desire to get their own way has blinded them to the fact that we aren't saying a person has to do these things. We are fully aware that doing faithful Christianity is not a requirement of salvation and that certain actions we encourage Christians to avoid are not "cardinal sins".
• What we are practicing is the example of our Lord, who was free from the tribute but gave it anyway for the sake of another.
• We are practicing the example of the Apostle Paul who said that to eat certain meat was completely lawful, but he would not eat it anyway so as not to be a stumbling stone to another.
Christian liberty has come to mean Christian self centeredness in our day.

And it is time we look to others and place some standards in our lives for their sakes.

He Left Them and Departed

2012-01-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

Matthew 16:4 KJV
A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

What an ominous phrase; "... He left them and departed."

The Pharisees had asked Christ for a sign. He responded that they had observed natural signs of the weather. He also told them that there would be no sign but the resurrection and that to seek any sign other than that would be wicked.

And then He left them and departed.

In His physical sense His leaving may not seem that significant. Jesus did not stay in one place His whole life and going to minister to another community did not mean He was finished with the one He left. Jesus did not stay all the time, for instance, with Mary and Martha and Lazarus, but when He left them and departed to another place, it was not in any way a sign of judgment against them.

But we have the full body of Scripture and
• We know that He did depart from Israel to call out his church, a unique body of believers composed of both Jews and Gentiles
• We know Jesus did leave the Pharisees and their religion
• We know that He nailed the ordinances of their system to the cross and took them out of the way

And
• We know that in some cases the Holy Spirit leaves a person and departs, never to convict them of sin righteousness and judgment again

And
• We know that that is a judgment no man should want to experience

Jewish Traditions

2012-01-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

Matthew 15:2 KJV
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

I recently heard about a group of Christians who take supporting Israel to such an extreme that they view those things that an orthodox Jew or a Messianic Jew as near to Scripture. They take the position that to disagree with a Jew is the same as to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

Here is Scriptural evidence that they are wrong and that even our Lord disagreed with what was their (Orthodox Jews) tradition.

The Messianic Jews today are wrong.
• They are wrong on their doctrine of the church
• They are wrong to continue in the practice of Jewish custom and traditions

It would be biblical for them to attend a synagogue on the Sabbath for the purpose of telling those attending about Jesus Christ. But to neglect the assembly of a called out assembly of born again and scripturally baptized believers in an organized Baptist Church is to disobey the New Testament.

Their keeping of Jewish tradition places them in the same school as these Pharisees who were chided of the Lord.

He Gives that We May Give

2012-01-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

Matthew 14:19 KJV
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

This passage models the Lord's means of providing for the needs of souls.

Christ had compassion
Though He had reason to want nothing to do with people, He had compassion upon them

Christ asked for their little
We have so little to offer either the world or the Saviour but He began his supply by taking up their little

Christ blessed the little and gave it to his disciples
The little was not their own. It was given of the ladies, but the Lord blessed it and gave to the disciples

The disciples gave it to the people
It wasn't for the disciples to keep but to give away. As they did so, the needs of the people were met and more

I Am The Lord

2012-01-01T08:54:00.001-08:00

Leviticus 19:2 KJV
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

The whole of this chapter deals with things that are simple living:
• Care for the deaf
• Saving part of your harvest for the poor
• Honoring your parents
• Loving your neighbor
• Attending your worship and
• Doing your business

And in all of it;
• The religious
• The moral, and
• The civil
the underlying principle is that God is our Lord. We are to behave in every sphere of life remembering that we belong to God.

Treasures of the Heart

2011-12-31T12:11:00.000-08:00

Matthew 12:35 KJV
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

A couple of weeks ago my son, Caleb, brought a message out of the book of James on the tongue. He reminded us that James says the tongue can no man tame. Then he said that is because the tongue is merely a symptom of something deeper; the way to tame the tongue is to change the heart.

Our heart, what we love, is key to Christlikeness and spiritual growth. If a man never changes those things he loves he will never change at all. Our heart not only transforms our tongue but our very being. No wonder God deals so much with our heart.

And no wonder God urges us to guard our heart, watch over our heart and keep our heart. Those things we put into our heart will determine the affections of our heart so we must be ever vigilant to see that good things go in and not evil.

Commands

2011-12-30T12:09:00.000-08:00

Matthew 11:1 KJV
And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

Jesus commanded his twelve

We are such a fragile society today that the whole concept of being commanded can offensive to us we don't like being told what to do.
• We don't mind (sometimes) instructions
• We will sometimes accept suggestions and advice
• We would maybe be all right with a commission
But the very word, command, sounds like we have no options we either do or disobey.

And who would we believe has the right to call us disobedient?

But Jesus commanded His twelve. He placed upon them duties He expected them to perform.

And as shocking as it is to people in our society, that is exactly how we ought to view the instruction of God's Word. No, we do not have to obey to be saved. But we who are saved have to obey to be obedient.

Why Dress Standards

2011-12-29T12:08:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 16:4 KJV
He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

God gave Aaron specific instructions concerning the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement; all the way down to the clothing he was to wear. It is significant that the Lord chose to set these instructions in the context of the death of Aaron's two sons who had offered strange incense in the tabernacle. God's instructions are to be meticulously carried out. We are not to be as casual with His Word as Christians have come to be in this day.

I want to take this opportunity to outline what I see to be the biblical precedence for Christians and clothing.

First, I see all Christians as priests today.
The pastor is not the only priest in the church, as some people seem to think. Every Christian should view themselves as a priest unto the Lord.

Second, the Old Testament priests were assigned not only duties but specific clothing they were to wear when going about those duties.
A Christian should view himself as a priest, responsible for some duty or ministry in the house of God and see that he dresses appropriately for that duty.

Third, culture may allow for some variations
But the idea of dressing casually in the presence and service of the Lord to make people more comfortable is definitely unbiblical. A person's attire as a priest ought to be fitting for his role. And a priest's attire while in service ought to be formally more so.

If the Leprosy Be Healed

2011-12-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 14:3 KJV
And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;

If the plague of leprosy be healed

I cannot imagine the relief a person must have experienced if their leprosy healed. It was such a devastating illness, requiring complete separation from the camp.
• Your family
• Your friends
• Your livelihood Your companionship
All of it was gone.

The priest, who had no cure, could only diagnose the disease and condemn the victims of its grip to isolation for the remainder of their lives. He could afford them no mercy. Leprosy was too dangerous. He had to do the hard thing and make the diagnosis and demand the infected be removed outside of the camp and to constantly pronounce to those who might come near that he was unclean. And then, to discover one day that the leprosy is gone! It must have seemed to the victim to be the greatest of all miracles; God given indeed.

Leprosy is not handled in the same way today and is, as I understand it, a very manageable disease. But I can see why God's Word uses it as a type of sin and why God includes chapters thirteen and fourteen in the preserved Word of God; because this is the same type of relief and miracle those whose sins are forgiven in Christ should experience.

The worst of all afflictions is sin. The disease is spread so thoroughly that there is none righteous, no not one. It infects our loved ones, our friends and every person we meet. There is no cure on this earth, the best that anyone can do is pronounce the disease and condemn the afflicted. And we must not be gentle with sinners because sin, when it is finished, it bringeth forth death.

But many have been set free of their affliction.

Not because of any righteousness they have done, but by the goodness of God, Christ came into this world
• He paid the penalty of sin
• He met the righteous demands of God
• He offers healing to all who trust in Him

That is a miracle of God indeed.

The Proper Christian Practice

2011-12-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 12:8 KJV
And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

The Lord gave the command of the sacrifice for the birthday of a child. But then the Lord made a provision for those who could not afford that sacrifice. Even in the Old Testament God made a way for grace.

I can see someone figuring out the loophole and, though they could afford the full sacrifice, they gave the lesser so they could keep the greater for themselves. But God could see that far better than I can and He still chose a way of grace. There are always those who abuse grace but grace is still the rule of God. Old Testament or New, age of the law or this church age, the rule of God is grace.
• Of course there will be those who abuse it and
• Of course they that do so are outside of the blessing of God
But to practice precise faith for any motive other than love for God is contrary to the whole purpose of His plan for the ages.

Those churches who impose strict standards on their congratulations think they are doing God service but in reality they are breaking the very heart behind God's plan. If He had wanted people to obey Him and follow and worship Him out of coercion,
• He could have kept the serpent from the Garden
• He could have killed Adam and Eve and started over
• He could have stayed the Jews in the wilderness and begun again with Moses
God could have forced all men to bow and worship Him. He has elected instead to offer grace.

I am sure that the multitudes who take advantage of God's grace will come to a time when they regret it. Either they will find that they were never saved in the first place and the fact that they did not have the heart to obey the Lord out of sheer love for Him betrayed that truth. Or else they will stand before God saved, yet so as by fire and will suffer both loss and shame.

The proper Christian practice is grace. The right Christian attitude is always grace. There will be huge disappointments when exercising grace because people will fail. But giving them the choice between right and wrong is the only real way for them to know where their true spiritual heart lies. A church might be able to force or coerce them to behave as a Christian, but that in no way proves they are Christians.

Put Difference

2011-12-26T12:05:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 10:10 KJV
And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

Nadab and Abihu offered the strange incense and died. But Aaron and his other sons were busy in the ministry of the Lord. So Moses urged them to let others deal with the bodies and let the people mourn their deaths; but they were to remain faithful to the Lord. And they were to do so to teach the people the difference between holy and unholy, clean and unclean.

Whether I was taught it, or came to believe it instinctively, I am persuaded that the same thing is true in ministry today. While there are some exceptions, demonstrated near the end of this chapter, a preacher can't allow personal drama to draw him away from God's calling and duties. I can't let family or personal crises pull me away or prevent me from the ministry God has placed me in. Someone has to demonstrate to the world a sort of commitment to the things of the Lord that is unwavering and that sees the Lord and His work as above all else in the world.

Let that be me.

And let my children follow me.

Judgmentalism

2011-12-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

Matthew 6:8 KJV
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

One of the quickest criticisms people will have against Christians is that we judge those who are not like us. Sometimes they will point out that Jesus was not so judgmental but ate with sinners. The fact that He ate with them in no way implies that Christ was supportive of evil or sinful habits. Jesus taught the believers not to be like the Jews and their proud religion or the heathen and their vain religion. In either case Jesus had judged and in each case Jesus called for a separation.

It is impossible for a believer to see the world through the eyes of the Bible without making some judgment. We would never be able to follow Christ without seeing that which is opposed to Christ. But how do we reach those people for Christ who recognize we have judged their life and habits as sinful?

First, by clearly differentiating between there life and habits and their being.
We must truly love people.

Second by being honest.
We do judge particular habits and activities as well as certain opinions and worldviews.

Third by being certain that the basis of our judgment is the Word of God and not a mere opinion.
Our opinion, even if held by the majority of our same faith, is merely opinion unless it is the teaching of the Bible.

Fourth, by pointing out that God's ways are always higher and better than our own.
We must constantly point people to a way and a thought that is much higher than their ways and thoughts and even our ways and thoughts. If we are following God's ways and thinking God's thoughts, then it is not our opinion and we must help them see that.

Rejoice

2011-12-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:12 KJV
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad….

• No matter what the circumstances
• No matter the suffering
• No matter the world issues

The Christian attitude is a rejoicing spirit.

The Only Thing Satan Cares For

2011-12-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

Matthew 4:9 KJV
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Satan had but one concern with Christ; he wanted His worship.

He would have given Him all he had in this world
He would have abandoned His claim to
• Kingdoms
• Riches
• Authority
• Power
• Honor
• Masses of people

Satan's only concern was that he be worshiped.

He sought Christ's worship and having failed to receive it, we can be assured he seeks that worship of us. We can also be assured he will spare no expense and give us anything and everything we desire in order to receive it.

My suggestion is that it is the first thing we must deny him.

Old Fashioned Pastoring

2011-12-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

Matthew 3:3 KJV
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

I read the other day another writer calling for some "old fashioned" pastors. The author did not give much of a definition of what that would be except to say we needed them and it might mean something different to different people. Being "old fashioned" is not necessarily positive.
• Some "old fashioned" pastors were holy rollers
• Some were little better than purveyors of snake oil
• Some "old fashioned" pastors led their people to persecute those who disagreed with them
Old fashioned is not a virtue. Back to the Bible is.

And we can't get back to being an old fashioned Bible preacher any more than being a John the Baptist preacher. Some, even in the Baptist schools, have swallowed the Protestant view that John the Baptist is in spiritual limbo; neither a full fledged Old Testament prophet nor a legitimate New Testament preacher. I disagree. Mark chapter one says, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.... John did baptize… and preach." The New Testament gospel begins with the preacher John. Therefore John becomes the example of old fashioned preaching.

And all four gospels quote this Old Testament prophecy as applicable to the preaching of John the Baptist. The "old fashioned" preacher I am looking for calls for people to prepare and make straight the way of the Lord. The work the Lord does in a life is His own. No man can make himself fit for Christ. But a man can prepare himself for the work Christ does.
• Through the cultivation of the Holy Spirit
• Through the preaching of the Word of God
• Through the humility of the heart
a man may prepare for the Lord's work in his soul.

There is too much haughtiness among men. There are too few preachers who will confront the worldliness and self love of people today. There are too few preachers who will make hell hot and right at our toes. Too much preaching caters to the self love among people. It appeals to and feeds the human nature. Granted, it might gather a group, but they become no true congregation; they are all about self.

I am all for some old fashioned preaching and pastoring but I believe we need to define that and I believe it is best defined by the example of John the Baptist.