THE THREE FOLD CORD

Ecc 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Recently I preached a message on the three fold cord of our text. The illustration I used was the braiding of a young girls hair. Before the congregation I had her mother come and demonstrate just how the hair is braided.

First, I asked her to separate her daughter's hair into two sections and then try to braid the hair. The best she could do is twist the sections together, but when she let go the hair fell to its nature state. The tinsel strength of a cord with only two sections was not very strong.

Then, I asked her to separate her daughter's hair into three sections. She began to layer one section over the other until she had the entire length of hair braided. It was much easier for the hair to stay together as a single braid and the tinsel strength of the braid was much stronger.

But upon close examination, something was noticed. Looking directly at the braid one could only see two sections. Where was the third? It was intertwined with the outer two. Not only did it make the braid work, fortify the braid with much greater strength, but made of itself no reputation.

Such is our Lord Jesus Christ. He makes life work. He fortifies us with inner-strength. But He choses to work through us. And that is a cord that is not quickly broken.

Consider it.

CONTENT

1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

I have given so much attention to our podcast from Faith Baptist Church of Indianapolis that I have neglected my personal blog. I do enjoy writing and sharing my heart and thoughts with friends and fellow believers. I will try to be more faithful to do so.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is the least perverted of the Christian holidays, and embodies the total reason why we still observe holidays.

As we gather with family and friends, let us once again turn our hearts to Christ, exalting Him in gratitude and love, remembering the supreme and great sacrifice He made for our sins, redeeming us to Himself that we would not be condemned with the world.

An old chorus goes like this:
Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me...
Thy great salvation, so rich and free.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF YOU.

Mrs. Job

Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Don’t be too critical or harsh on Mrs. Job. Remember she went through this trial as well as he. Her seven babies died when the wind of destruction came. The cattle and possessions she and her husband labored all their lives for, are gone. And now she watched her husband suffer as he scraped his sores with a potsherd. Those who were their friends came to offer critical advise. Her heart aches as she experienced all these events.

Job did not call her foolish, only that her spoken reaction was a foolish one. Other men’s wives would have been foolish in their reaction to such a trial. He reminds her that together they had receive good from God’s hand and it is only right that they receive what all men deserve. Mrs. Job submitted to her husband’s leadership and never spake in opposition from that moment on.

Pr 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

COVETOUSNESS: THE ADDICTION OF DESIRE

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

It does not take very long for a child to show signs of covetousness. If a toddler has a toy, there will be a dozen that will want to take it from them. It is natural within all of us to desire what others have. Somehow we reason that to own what others possess will enhance our life and to have more than others makes it even better.

Teens get bitter toward their parents many times because the parent either is not able to supply the current faddish item or has determined that it would be counter-productive to the teen’s development and character. Therefore, the child feels they are being mistreated and misunderstood by mother and father. To make it plain, they become a brat.

There are spiritual brats as well. Christians who believe they somehow are entitled to what everyone else has and God is obligated to supply such. How arrogant! After miraculously redeeming us from sin and making us His child, we find no better way of expressing our gratitude and appreciation than to complain that our Heavenly Father has not answered our prayers to our liking. The response of the spiritual brat is to blame God, quit church, throw away the testimony for Christ he has spent years acquiring, all for the addiction of desire. No doubt the spiritual brat would quickly express their distain for one who would throw their life away for cocaine or heroin, only to turn around and do the very same thing for the addiction of desire.

The instruction of our above text teaches us to live without covetousness and be content with what our Lord places in our lives. God is sufficient for all His children.

Mary Rudell (Garoutte) Barnes

Pr 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Today, August 9, is my mother-in-law’s birthday. She would not want me to tell but she is 84 years old. She is and has been the forty years I have know her, an extraordinary woman of Christian character and grace. Her testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ still shine in her faith and witness for Him.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Mary Rudell Garoutte married James Franklin Barnes during the WWII years. He served in the U.S.Navy during the war. After he was discharged from the service with honors he started a career with American Airlines. However, James soon received a call to preach and together they went to Bible school. They were blessed with a daughter, my wife, Sandra. Mary assisted James in starting the Capital City Baptist Church of Des Moines, Iowa, where he pastored for ten years. In 1963, God moved them to Indianapolis to start the Faith Missionary Baptist Church (now known as Faith Baptist Church), where he faithfully pastored for twenty-seven years. I have the privilege to pastor that congregation presently, completing my twentieth year this December.

Our church, of which she still is a vital member, knows her as “Mrs. Barnes.” Her daughter calls her “mother.” Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren call her “Nana.” I call her “Blessed.” HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NAN!

TOMORROW OVER YESTERDAY

I am a lover of history. I have not always been. In elementary school I struggled so much with learning the dates and events which seemed meaningless to me. My youthful mind could not possibly see any value at all to memorizing the past. When I entered high school I had a wonderful history teacher by the name of Betty Ware. She was a devote Christian even though she taught in public school. God used her to bring purpose into my learning. Of course, like so many still today, I was not aware that history repeats itself and we must learn from the past so we can avoid tragedy in the future. In fact, a believer will never make full sense out of the New Testament until he has a serious study of the Old Testament. Truly they go hand in hand.

But we find our beloved apostle Paul writing, (Phil 3:13-14) “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” This seems a contradiction to our premise that we should find value in the past. After all, we are admonished in the Old Testament to follow the “old paths.” Why does Paul appear to take a different stance? I believe that it is because Paul observed some who were living in the old life of failure, broken dreams, heartaches and sorrows. Such things inhibit spiritual growth and progress. Old failures are to be repented of, forgiven, the record set straight, so they will not impede us from the blessings of walking with Christ.

Each day as we have our personal time with the Lord in Bible devotions and prayer, we must allow the Word to wash us, live it fresh each moment. Every believer must make a decision to choose the past or the future as their vision for a new day. Take tomorrow over yesterday.

MICHAEL JACKSON'S GREATEST THRILLER

Lk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The news that has trumped even the U. S. President is the death of entertainer Michael Jackson. In my life time I have observed him beginning as a small boy with his brothers and becoming a “superstar” entertainer, composer, producer, singer, and dancer. I am not writing this to glorify a man or his career, but rather as a reminder of the certainty of death and judgment.

I suppose his greatest achievement, the work his is best known for and lauded for, is “Thriller,” which has sold more CD’s and music videos that than any other in the history of the business. I must confess I have not seen much of it, only what has been aired on TV news programs. But what I have seen appears to be a bad dream of a tortured soul. Music and dance are performed by those dressed and made up as zombies with Michael Jackson as the lead. And this is what American children and adults are “thrilled” by?

Well, Michael Jackson has gone out into eternity. His popularity, his financial prosperity, his prominence in the entertainment industry could not prevent the inevitable. Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Though he might have been able to buy his way out of situations he created in his life, he can not buy his way out of the wages of sin. No matter how much he was beloved by his fans, he now stands before a holy, righteous, just God....facing his own greatest THRILLER.

The Hidden Things of Dishonesty

2Co 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Those placed in political office are in a position of trust. Citizens of a city, county, state or country vote for the person they most trust, if they vote responsibly. When the citizens of South Carolina voted for their governor, they did not expect him to be unfaithful to his wife and children, disappear for five days, lie about where he was going and what he was doing, and use public monies to finance an affair. His confession is admirable and seems sincere (far from what we have observed among the those of the opposite party). One wonders, however, is the governor willing to make restitution to the state? Is this going to be another “my bad” situation or will he, indeed, reconcile with his wife and pay back the money he used to go to Argentina?

Pastors, evangelists, and missionaries must be diligent not to follow the pattern of the world. The pulpit must be a place of honesty and integrity. We are to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty.....but manifest the truth. Others are to have confidence in us as we minister the Word of God. It is a sacred trust to which God has called us. The pulpit is holy ground, not a platform for showmanship and deception. And while the admonition in 1 Timothy 5:18 reminds us that the laborer is worthy of his hire, it in no way suggests that the church is to finance immorality.

We live in an age when accusations are taken as proof with no regard for the truth. Anyone can level an accusation toward someone in position of authority and cause a “feeding frenzy” among the public. The same holds true toward churchmen and the local church. But God is the righteous Judge and He knows who is guilty and who is innocent. My suggestion to the governor is to resign and give attention to mending his family. And my admonition to preachers is to be honest or get out of the pulpit commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

The biggest liar is the man who has told the lie so many times he begins to believe it himself.

I HATE TIES

Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

I hate wearing ties. As I was dressing for church this morning I was reminded once again how much that decorative piece of clothe around my neck seems to be a noose to me. Every chance I get I slip out of it to find comfort, still knowing that the day and hour will come again when I must put it on.

So one might ask, “Pastor Groves, if you hate it that much, why do you continue to wear a tie? Many others have forsaken this fashion in favor of a more comfortable attire. What would be wrong in your doing the same?” The response to a question like that is found in our text today. I am to mortify the flesh (v5) and put off fleshly desires (v8) so that the new man in Christ Jesus may be put on (v10).

Now, I am not suggesting that the wearing of a tie makes one holy or righteous. I am quite aware that the business world and political world have a uniform they wear to present themselves in a repertorious fashion. They desire to build trust by outward means. This must never be our motive or means of representing Christ to the world. Others are to see Christ in us which produces a change upon us.

However, I refuse to give the flesh the advantage in any situation that would involve my respect and honor of my Saviour. If the new man is to mature and grow into what God desires it to be, then I must remind myself that Christ is my life. For the short time I remain on this earth, I will gladly suffer the discomfort of “the noose” to show my love and gratitude for my Saviour and the suffering He bore on the cross. The important thing is to mortify the flesh and put off the works of the flesh so that “old man” is brought under subjection and the “new man” is controlled by the Holy Spirit.

By the way, it is a manly color of blue, most of them are.

MANUFACTURING A FALSE ENEMY

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Satan never accepts responsibility for his sin and he teaches man to do the same. It is always someone else who is at fault. The devil told Eve it was God’s fault their eyes were not opened, they were not gods, they did not know good and evil. Satan manufactured a non-existent enemy to get Adam and Eve to follow him instead of God. They forgot about where they were. They forgot about the sweet fellowship they had with their Creator. The Galatian church thought Paul, who had brought the truth to them and lead them into salvation through the blood of Christ, was now their enemy because he told them the truth. They believed they had an enemy, a problem and the solution was to turn away from Paul.

If we are not careful we will believe we have an enemy that does not truly exist, a problem that is not really a problem, and a solution which solves nothing. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but truly the principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, are enemies of all those who trust in Christ.

Beloved, your problem is not the preacher if he is telling you the truth, it is the father of lies who opposes you. Pastor, it is not the people in the pew that are your enemies. It is the principalities of darkness that oppose you.

Our enemy is real, but don’t let him lie to you and through the blame on God or those who serve God.