Sheridan Voice

I have been working on a series on the life and letters of Paul. In the last audio I discussed how Saul’s parents named their boy after the first king of Israel. Most look at King Saul as an infamous king. Yes, he did some really stupid things – he didn’t keep his word, he pursued David, and worst of all he consulted a Medium! All bad. Yet, his life wasn’t all bad. Listen to what King David said about him:

“Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided…” 1 Sam. 2:23.

David praised the very man who persecuted him. He called him “lovely.” Sure, Saul had some terrible moments, evil moments, but David never mentions any of those!

Oh beloved, may we be as gracious as David. After all, David had his evil moments too! So do we! Let’s deal graciously with each other!

The Apostle Paul says “the just shall live by faith.” Notice that it doesn’t say that the just are “saved” by faith. A person who is righteous LIVES by faith. To live by faith is to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God – rightly divided of course. Every word – not some words, or just the letters of Paul.

In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul says, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God.” Notice how the sentence is incomplete. Well, it’s not really incomplete, an ellipsis should be supplied. Paul is appealing to our sanctified common sense to fill in the blank. Let’s see if you can supply the ellipsis: Ceremony means nothing in the context of 1 Co. 7. So, if circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, keeping the commandments of God is__________________

Fill in the blank.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” In that spirit I write the following.

This generation is a generation of Christian cowards. These cowards chicken out in the face of the sneers and mockery of those who hate the Bible. I have seen so many “Christians” take the side of the enemies of the Word of God in order to look “nicer” than God! These effeminate Christians mock the Old Testament because they think the opinions of unbelievers are wiser than God’s written revelation. The truth is that these cowards mock the Bible because they don’t understand it. They cover up their stupidity by mocking truth. They don’t believe that Jesus Christ is THE way and THE truth and THE life. These effeminates believe that Jesus is merely a good start — even if they do claim to be “universalists.” To deny the Word of God is to deny the Savior. You can’t have it both ways. The living and written word stand or fall together. If the Bible isn’t the Word of God then Christ isn’t the Savior of the World. He’s just another pagan god!

May God raise up Men of God who hold the truth in love. Notice: you can’t have real love unless it’s in truth!

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD….And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”

Neutral Soldiers in a time of war are the enemy’s greatest weapons!

New Audio Coming Up: “I, Paul: A Biography of Grace” Part 3

Here’s a taste: Did you know Paul would have despised socialism? Paul knew all about commerce and economics.

Saul grew up in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a commercial city. Commercial illusions may be found in his letters. For instance, he speaks about those who peddle the word of God in 2 Corinthians 2:17. The Greek word for peddle means to sell at retail with the insinuation of improper profit, either by overcharging or adulterating. The “earnest” in Ephesians 1:13 may be an illusion to the earnest money paid by buyers of goods. Even his usage of the word “eccesia” for the Church may have been influenced from his experience in the assembly of a free city.

Tent making was a blue collar job. Paul told the Thessalonians:

“For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.”

Paul labored and encouraged others to do so. He would have scolded Christians if they were living off other people’s money/labor when they were perfectly able to provide for themselves:

“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.”