Ben M. Bogard

Home / Browse / Bogard, Benjamin Marcus Benjamin Marcus Bogard (1868–1951) Benjamin Marcus Bogard, founder and head of the American Baptist Association, was Arkansas’s leading fundamentalist Christian in the 1920s. In 1928, his efforts resulted in a law banning the teaching of evolution in Arkansas public schools; it remained in place until 1968, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it. Bogard was born on March 9, 1868, in Hardin County, Kentucky. He was the only son of tobacco tenant farmers M. L. and Nancy Bogard; the couple also had five daughters. In 1873, the Bogards moved to Caseyville, Kentucky, where Bogard attended school, Woodland Baptist Church, and evangelical camp meetings. In February 1885, he was baptized in an ice-covered pond during a church service. In 1887 and 1888, he attended Georgetown College in Kentucky. In 1887, he was ordained as a Baptist minister and began a two-year education at Bethel College in Russellville, Kentucky; sources do not indicate whether he graduated. In 1891, he married Lynn Oneida Meacham Owen, a widow with a daughter. They had a son, Douglas. From 1892 to 1898, Bogard served as pastor of several churches in Kentucky and Missouri. In 1901, he received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Southwest Bible College in Bolivar, Missouri. Later, he received an honorary doctor of law degree from Missionary Baptist College in Sheridan (Grant County). In 1895, Bogard met John Newton Hall of Fulton, Kentucky, a leader of the Landmark Baptist movement, which emphasized certain “landmarks” in the Bible, including a literal interpretation. Bogard embraced the Landmark faith, defending it through public debates and writing. In 1901, he became half-owner and editor of the Arkansas Baptist, gaining full editorial control in 1904. He left the Southern Baptist Convention in 1905 and later formed the American Baptist Association, commonly called Missionary Baptists. Bogard came to Arkansas in 1899 as pastor of First Baptist Church in Searcy (White County), serving until November 1903. At various times from December 1903 to 1909, he was pastor of First Baptist Church in Argenta, now North Little Rock (Pulaski County). Then he became an itinerant minister, conducting evangelical revivals in seven states. He moved to Texarkana (Miller County) in 1914 and founded the Baptist Commoner, which merged with the Arkansas Baptist in 1917 to form the Baptist and Commoner. In 1920, he became pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock (Pulaski County), where he remained until he retired in 1947. In the 1920s, Bogard was a member of the nativist and anti-Catholic Ku Klux Klan. He joined other fundamentalist Christians in attacking the theory of evolution as the cause of moral decline in the country. In 1926, he and Doss Nathan (D. N.) Jackson wrote Evolution: Unscientific and Unscriptural, which linked evolution, atheism, and Bolshevism to moral decline. When the state Senate tabled an anti-evolution bill in 1927, Bogard organized a petition drive that resulted in the measure’s being placed on the November 1928 ballot as Initiated Act 1. Over several months, Bogard waged a no-holds-barred war with the act’s opponents. A bizarre campaign included his defense of the right to free speech of Charles Smith, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism and an opponent of the act; Little Rock (Pulaski County) police had arrested Smith as a public nuisance. A former Arkansan headquartered in New York City, Smith had been scheduled to debate national fundamentalist leader William Bell Riley of Minnesota. Bogard welcomed the atheist’s presence because it linked atheism and evolution. He believed in the marketplace of ideas and was confident that the best idea—in his mind, a literal understanding of biblical creation—would triumph. Voters passed the anti-evolution act by a two-to-one margin. Also in 1928, Bogard joined other conservative Protestant ministers to form the Anti-Smith Democrats, opposing Catholic Democratic presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith of New York. Bogard warned that Smith would overturn Prohibition and make the United States subject to the pope, resulting in the bloody suppression of American Protestants. He also said Smith would impose “Negro equality” on the segregated South. Nevertheless, Smith, whose running mate was Senator Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas, received a majority of votes in the state despite losing the election. Bogard resigned as editor of the Baptist and Commoner in 1931 after a dispute with its owner. In 1934, he started the Orthodox Baptist Searchlight newspaper and founded Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock. In 1937, the Missionary Baptist Sunday School Committee reported a deficit. Bogard mounted a decade-long campaign against the committee’s chairman, the father-in-law of former collaborator D. N. Jackson, who in 1950 left the denomination. Bogard died on May 29, 1951, at his home in Little Rock. He is buried at Roselawn Cemetery. A prolific author and a pioneer of radio evangelism, he was honored by Ripley’s Believe it or Not for preaching “every Sunday for 61 years without missing a single Sunday.” For additional information:Barber, Christopher Bart. “The Bogard Schism: An Arkansas Baptist Agrarian Revolt.” PhD dissertation, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2006. Foreman, L. D., and Alta Payne, eds. The Life and Works of Benjamin Marcus Bogard. Little Rock: Foreman and Payne, 1966. Lewis, Todd E. “Ben Bogard and the Crusade against Evolution, Rum and Romanism in Arkansas, 1926–1928.” MA thesis, University of Arkansas, 1989.  Pratt, J. Kristian. The Father of Modern Landmarkism: The Life of Ben M. Bogard. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2013. Todd E. Lewis University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Last Updated 10/22/2014

Calvinism heresy

1. TOTAL
DEPRAVITY. Ephesians 2:1 ‘dead in trespasses and sins’. (p.611,613).
Q: Does man have free will to receive Christ, and to do good? (p.610,613).
Calvinist inability to receive Christ is based on:
i) John 1:13 ‘nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (Ans: ‘as many as..’ John 1:12). (p.614).
ii) Romans 9:16 ‘not of him that willeth,but of God’(Ans: John 5:40; Romans 6:17; Luke
15:24).
iii) John 8:43,44 ‘ye cannot hear my word.’ (Ans: Luke 15:24; Luke 16:23-28). (p.615).
Refuting Calvinists’ ‘Proof Texts’ for Total Depravity
i) Someone who ‘cannot’ do something:
John 8:43 ‘ye cannot hear my word.’ (John 8:44,45,46,24). (p.615).
John 14:17 ‘the world cannot receive.’ (p.615).
Romans 8:8,7 ‘in the flesh cannot please God.’ (I Corinthians 1:21 preaching to save).
(p.615).
ii) Someone’s ‘inability’ but with a reason given for it:
John 6:44 ‘except the Father draw him.’ (Ans: John 6:45; 12:32; 1:9; 16:7-11).
(p.615,616).
John 6:65 ‘except it were given unto him of the Father.’ (p.615,616).
John 12:39-40 ‘they could not believe, … He hath hardened their heart.’
(John 12:37,39; Matthew 12:15; Acts 28:27). (p.615; 631-632).
iii) Romans 3:11 ‘none that seeketh after God’ (Ans: Acts 10:2; Isaiah 45:19; 55:6;
Psalm 10:4) p.616.
I Corinthians 2:14 ‘natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.’
(Ans: Eph.1:13)
Two Kinds of Scriptures that Overthrow Total Depravity Inability:
i) Scriptures containing a command to believe: Acts 17:30; Isaiah 45:22; Mark 1:15;
Matthew 11:28; I John 3:23; John 7:37; Revelation 22:17; Isaiah 45:19. (p.618).
ii) Scriptures implying the possibility that a man can believe: John 5:40; I Thess. 2:16.
(p.618).
2. UNCONDITIONAL
ELECTION. (P.618-643)
Q1: Are men elected to salvation or not? (Calvinists confuse election and predestination
with salvation).
Q2: What does the Bible say about God’s decrees? (Ans: None involve salvation: Isaiah
10:1).(p.619).
Q3: What is the problem with Calvinists’ view of God’s sovereignty? (Ans: They exalt it
above His other attributes). (p.620).
Q4: Has God from eternity past foreordained all things that happen? (Ans: Herod’s
massacre).(p.620)
Q5: Does God foreordain the time of one’s death? (Ans: Isaiah 38:5; Ecclesiastes 7:17;
Psalm 55:23).
Q6: Does God foreordain sin? (Ans: Jeremiah 19:3-5). (p.621).
Q7: Why does God bring evil on people and places? (Ans: Because of their sins). (p.621).
God Has Not Foreordained Everything In One All-Encompassing Decree Because:
1) God says so: ‘neither came it into my mind’ (Jeremiah 19:5). (p.621).
2) God’s Holy nature would not allow Him to be the author of sin. (p.621).
3) God permits something when He is said to do it, eg: Satan provoking David. (p.622).
4) Man’s responsibility is destroyed if God has predestined all things. (p.622).
5) Man’s free will is destroyed if God has predestined all things. (p.622).
- See 10 examples of man’s free will in Scripture refuting God foreordaining all.
6) Prayer changed things for Moses (Deut. 9:18-29); Hezekiah (II Kings 20:1-6); Righteous
men
7) Calvinists’ Admissions that it seems ‘unscriptural, absurd, impious’. (N L Rice). (p.622).
8) Calvinists’ Rejections. (p.622).
9) Other False Philosophies are same as Calvinism, eg: Islam. (p.623).
10) Semantics, accepted word meanings, eg: ‘Whosoever’ disprove it. (p.623).
11) Contingency verses showing the possibility of an event happening disprove it, eg:
Matthew 11:21; John 5:30; I Thessalonians 2:16. (p.623). (eg: Luke
10:31; Deut. 22:6.
12) Chance disproves it. Some things happen by chance, not by foreordained decrees,
(p.623)
13) Common Sense disproves it. If all was foreordained, nobody could avoid carrying out
God’s decree.
Unconditional Election Blasphemes God’s Character in 4 Ways. (p.624).
Bible teaches Election to 6 Things. (p.625,626).
Three Systems of Calvinism: Supralapsarianism, Infralapsarianism,
Sublapsarianism.(p.628,629).
Refuting Unconditional Election to Reprobation ‘proof’ texts (Jeremiah 6:30). (p.629).
i) Proverbs 16:4 ‘The Lord hath made the wicked for the day of evil’. (Psalm 76:10).
ii) I Thessalonians 5:9 ‘God hath not appointed us to wrath …’ (p.630).
iii) I Peter 2:8 ‘stumble at the word … being disobedient … as they were appointed’.
iv) II Peter 2:12 ‘made to be taken and destroyed …in their own corruption’. (p.631).
v) II Peter 2:17 ‘mist of darkness is reserved forever’. (Jude 13). (p.631).
vi) Jude 4 ‘who were before of old ordained to this condemnation’. (p.631).
vii) Isaiah 6:9,10 ‘blinded their eyes, hardened their hearts’. (p.631).
viii) Romans 9:13 ‘Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated’. (p.632).
ix) Romans 9:18 ‘Pharaoh … whom he will he hardeneth’. (p.633).
x) Romans 9:22 ‘… the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction’. (p.633).
xi) Jeremiah 18:1-10 Potter = God; Clay = Israel; Marring of clay = Israel’s
disobedience; God remaking clay = discipline. (p.633).
Refuting Unconditional Election to Salvation ‘proof’ texts: (p.633).
1. God’s People. i) Acts 18:10 ‘I have much people in this city’. (p.634).
ii) Revelation 13:8; 17:8 Book of Life. (p.634).
iii) John 10:14-16, 26 God’s Sheep. (p.634).
2. Given to Salvation. iv) John 6:37; 6:39; 17:2; 17:6 Given to the Son. (p.634).
3. Ordained to Salvation. v) Acts 13:48 (p.635).
4. Chosen to salvation. i) Matthew 22:14 and 20:16 (p.635).
ii) John 15:16 ‘ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you’.
iii) Acts 9:15; 22:14 ‘He is a chosen vessel …’
iv) Galatians 1:15,16 ‘God separated me from my mother’s womb’
v) I Peter 2:9 ‘Ye are a chosen generation.’ (Exodus 19:6).
vi) Psalm 65:4 ‘Blessed is the man whom thou choosest..’
vii) James 2:5 ‘Hath not God chosen the poor of this world’
viii) 2 Thess 2:13 ‘God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation’
I Peter 1:2 ‘Elect according to the foreknowledge of God’
ix) Eph. 1:4 ‘he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world’
x) 2 Tim 1:9 ‘grace…given us in Christ Jesus before the world began’
xi) Jeremiah 31:3 ‘I have loved thee with an everlasting love’

5. Elected to Salvation. (p.638).
i) Jesus is called ‘elect.’ How is Jesus Christ ‘elect’ when He never sinned? (value,
worth).
ii) Angels are called ‘elect’ in I Timothy 5:21 ‘I charge thee before …the elect angels’
(p.638).
iii) Israel is still called ‘elect’ in the New Testament: (p.638).
a) Matthew 24:22,24,31 ‘but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened’.
(p.639).
b) II Timothy 2:10 ‘I endure all things for the elect’s sake … may obtain salvation’.
c) Luke 18:7,8 ‘Shall not God avenge his own elect …’ (p.639).
d) Romans 9:11,12 ‘purpose of God … election …the elder shall serve the younger’.
e) Romans 11:28 ‘As touching the election, they are beloved …’ (p.639).
f) Romans 11:5,7 ‘the election of grace, … the election hath obtained it’. (p.639).
iv) Church is called ‘elect’ nine (9) times in the New Testament: (p.640).
a) I Peter 5:13 ‘The church at Babylon, elected together with you …’ (p.640).
b) I Thessalonians 1:4 ‘knowing brethren, your election of God.’ (Acts 16:9,10).
(p.640).
c) II Peter 1:10 ‘brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.’
(p.640).
v) Christians are called ‘elect’ 6 times in the New Testament: (p.640).
a) Romans 8:33 ‘who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?’ (p.640).
b) Colossians 3:12 ‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved ,,,’
(p.640).
c) Titus 1:1 ‘Paul, a servant of God … according to the faith of God’s elect’. (p.640).
d) I Peter 1:2 ‘Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father …’ (p.640).
e) II John 1 ‘The elder unto the elect lady, and her children’. (p.640).
f) II John 13 ‘The children of thy elect sister greet thee’. (p.640).
Believers are described as elect, holy, justified, beloved and having faith.
Calvinists read unconditional election into every verse discussing election. (p.641).
i) I Peter 1:2
ii) Romans 8:29,30
iii) Ephesians 1:4,5
iv) II Thessalonians 2:13
v) Acts 13:48
vi) Romans 9,10,11
What does the Bible say we are predestined to? (p.642).
i) Ephesians 1:5 ‘Son-placing’ in heaven.
ii) Ephesians 1:11,12 Praise His glory.
iii) Romans 8:29,30 Conformed to the image of Christ in heaven.
Six Bad Conclusions about Unconditional Election. (p.643).
i) Non-elect are predestined to hell.
ii) Fatalism – Nothing we do makes any difference.
iii) Shaky Assurance of Salvation based on decrees, not on Bible promises.
iv) Missions and Evangelism change no-one’s destiny.
v) Confusing, unbiblical terminology.
vi) Makes vain all preaching, holiness, comfort, zeal and Scriptures.
3. LIMITED
ATONEMENT (p.644).
Question: Did God intend to save all men, or not? (p.644). Four Point Calvinism. (p.645).
Calvinists’ 5 arguments for Lim. Atonement. (p.646).
Two Old Testament examples proving the Atonement and its Application are different.
(p.646).
i) Passover lamb’s blood was efficacious only after applied to the doorpost. (p.646).
ii) Snake-bitten Israelites in the wilderness had to look at a brass serpent on a
pole.Numbers 21:5-9
Calvinist argument 3 refuted – Christ died for Old Testament saints. (Hebrews 9:15).
(p.647).
Calvinist argument 4 refuted – Romans 5:17 says Christ’s gift must be received. (p.647).
Calvinists inconsistently define MAN, ALL MEN, ALL in:
i) Romans 5:15 ‘offence of one MANY be dead …gift hath abounded to MANY’. (p.647).
ii) Romans 5:18 ‘judgment came on ALL MEN … free gift came on ALL MEN’. (p.647).
iii) Isaiah 53:6 ‘ALL we like sheep … iniquity of us all’. (p.647).
Calvinist argument 5 refuted – John 3:18 ‘he that believeth not is condemned’. (p.647).
Christ died for ‘the WORLD’, ‘ALL MEN’, and ‘ALL’: (p.647).
I. Christ died for ‘the WORLD’, eg: John 12:19 ‘The world is gone after him.’ (p.648).
i) In John, the word ‘world’ occurs 89 times but never means ‘elect’. (p.648).
ii) John 1:29 ‘Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of world.’ (p.648).
iii) John 6:33 ‘and giveth life unto the world’. (p.648).
iv) John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world..that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish’.
v) John 4:42 ‘This is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world’. (p.648).
vi) John 6:51 ‘my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world’. (p.648).
vii) In Paul’s letters, the word ‘world’ occurs 69 times, but never means ‘elect.’ (p.649).
viii)II Corinthians 5:19 ‘God … reconciling the world unto himself, … committed to us.’
(p.649)
ix) Galatians 1:4 ‘Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present
evil world’.
Key: Paul differentiates between ‘us’ believers and the ‘world’. (p.649).
x) In I John,the word ‘world’ occurs 23 times and never means ‘elect’. (p.649).
xi) I John 2:2 ‘he is the propitiation for our sins;...not for ours only, but also for the sins of
the whole world’
xii) I John 4:14 ‘The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world’. (p.648-650).
xiii) I John 5:19 ‘We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in
wickedness’.(p.650)
Calvinist Objection: John 11:49-52. Are the ‘children of God’ the church or Israel? (p.650).
(Deuteronomy 14:1; Psalm 82:6; Isaiah 43:6; John 7:35).
II. Christ died for ALL MEN, eg: Matthew 10:22 ‘hated of all men’. (p.651).
i) Isaiah 53:6 ‘All’ means the same in both places. (p.651).
ii) II Corinthians 5:14,15 ‘elect’ are ‘us’ and ‘we’, so three ‘alls’ mean ‘all men’. (p.651).
iii) I Timothy 2:1-6 Three ‘alls’ don’t mean ‘elect’, because ‘elect’ is ‘we’. (p.651).
iv) I Timothy 4:10 ‘Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe’. (p.652).
This contrast between ‘all men’ and ‘those that believe’ occurs in four places:
- Galatians 6:10 ‘do good unto all men, especially to them who are of the household of
faith�
- Romans 3:22 ‘the righteousness of God …unto all (100%) and upon all them that
believe’.
- Titus 2:11,12 ‘the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men
(100% of men), teaching us (the ‘elect’) that, denying ungodliness…’
v) Hebrews 2:9 ‘that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man’. (p.652).
III. Christ Died for a Particular Group: His People, Sheep, Church of God, Many. (p.653).
i) Many: Matthew 20:28 ‘Son of man came … to give his life a ransom for many’.
(p.653).
Matthew 26:28 ‘This is my blood … shed for many for the remission of sins’.
Hebrews 9:28 ‘Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many’.
(Ans: Romans 5:15,19. Did Adam’s fall affect all or only some of his descendants?).
ii) His People: Matthew 1:21 ‘He shall save his people from their sins’. (p.653).
(Ans: Matthew 2:6; Luke 1:68 ‘His people’ = Israel)
iii) Sheep: John 10:15 ‘I lay down my life for the sheep’. (p.653).
(Ans: Matthew 10:6; 15:24 ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel’. Sheep = Israel).
Other Groups Christ Died for that Prove Unlimited Atonement
i) Those Christ died for who will ultimately go to hell. (II Peter 2:1). (p.654).
ii) Those Christ died for that describe everybody, all mankind: (p.654).
- Luke 19:10 ‘Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’
Are all lost or only the elect lost?
- Romans 5:6 ‘Christ died for the ungodly’. Are all ungodly, or only elect ungodly?
- Galatians 4:5 ‘To redeem them that were under the law’. Are all under the law?
- I Timothy 1:15 ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. Are all sinners?
- I Peter 3:18 ‘Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust’. Are all
unjust?
iii) Christ died for His friends. ‘that a man lay down his life for his friends’. (John 15:13).
(Ans: Judas was one of Christ’s friends: Matthew 26:50). (p.654).
iv) Christ died for ‘whosoever believeth’ may claim Christ’s atonement. (p.654).
- Acts 10:43 ‘whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins’.
- Romans 10:11 ‘whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed’.
- Romans 10:13 ‘whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’.
- I John 5:1 ‘whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God’.
- Revelation 22:17 ‘whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely’.
4. IRRESISTABLE
GRACE (p.656).
I. Scriptures Refuting: Acts 7:51; Genesis 6:3; John 16:8; 5:40; 3:19; Romans 1:24;
Matt.23:37;13:15
II. Results of IG: Hopelessness; Wrong Conclusions; General & Effectual Call; Makes God a
liar.657.
III.Verses Calvinists use to support IG: John 1:13; Matthew 20:16; 22:14; Acts 13:48. (p.658).
5. PERSEVERANCE
OF THE
SAINTS. Arminianism; Lordship Salvation; 4 Definitions; Romans 9.
(p.660)�

QUESTIONS TO
ASK
CALVINISTS
Q1: How many of the 5 points of Calvinism do you believe?
Q2: Does man have free will to receive or reject Christ as Saviour? (Revelation 22:17).
(p.613).
Q3: If man has no free will, and the non-elect cannot believe, how can non-elect people
be held responsible for what they cannot do? (p.614).
Q4: Why do men not seek God? Is it Total Depravity? No, it is pride. (Psalm 10:4).
(p.617; Q5).
Q5: Is a man responsible for what he is unable to do? Yes and No. It depends on why he
is unable.618,Q8
Q6: Would God offer salvation to men, knowing that they couldn’t receive it? Are God’s
offers genuine? (Isaiah 45:19). (p.618; Q10).
Q7: Are some men elected to salvation or are they not? (p.619; Q1).
(Ans: No. Calvinists confuse election and predestination with salvation).
Q8: Does God foreordain sin, suffering, the Fall, and all things? No. (p.619;Q2).
Q9: Show me where God decrees some people’s election or predestination to salvation
or hell in the Bible? (Ans: There is no such eternal decree of God in Scripture. Isaiah
10:1). (p.619-620;Q3).
Q10: If predestination is a secret decree of God, how come Calvinists know so much
about it? Deut29:29
Q11: What is wrong with Calvinists’ view of God’s sovereignty? (p.620;Q5).
(Ans: It means arbitrariness, and is exalted above His holiness, mercy and other
attributes).(Q10
Q12: Did God eternally decree for Herod to massacre children under 2 years of age?
Sodomy? Rape?
Q13: Why does God bring evil on people or places? (Jeremiah 19:3-5). (p.621;Q14).
(Ans: Because of their sins, not by any arbitrary decree).
Q14: How could God decree and foreordain sin if it never came into His mind? (Jer
19:5).(p.621;Q15)
Q15: Do you know 13 reasons why God has not foreordained all things? (p.621-623).
Q16: Do you know 8 reasons why man has free will? (p.622;Q17).
Q17: Does anything happen by chance? Jesus & Moses say so. (Luke 10:31; Deut
22:6)(p.623;Q19).
(Response to Calvinist accusing you of being Arminian or Pelagian: You: “I believe
some things that Arminius, Pelagius and Calvin believed. I reject some things that
they believed.”)
Q18: What are 4 bad effects of Unconditional Election? (p.624).
Q19: Is God just in electing some and passing by the rest? No. (p.629;Q25).
(Ans: The Calvinist god is like the priest and levite who ‘passed by’ the half-dead
man. (Luke 10:30-32). Did Jesus recommend their behaviour? No. Then neither
does God behave this way. Jesus commands us to ‘Go and do thou likewise’. (Luke
10:37), as the Good Samaritan did. Does Jesus practise what He preaches? Surely.
Q20: Has God made two groups of men as elect and non-elect? (p.633).
(Ans: No, because ‘he fashioneth their hearts alike’. Psalm 33:13-15).
Q21: When are people put ‘in Christ’, from eternity past or when saved? (Romans 16:7).
(p.636).
Q22: Can the ‘elect’ be ‘dead in sin’ and yet be ‘in Christ’ at the same time?
Q23: Have the ‘elect’ ever been in danger of going to hell? (Calv.say No) p637,8.Q38. (I
Peter 2:6. p.638.
Q24: What does it mean to say Jesus Christ was ‘elect’ in Isaiah 42:1? Might this apply to
Christians?
Q25: Is Israel still called ‘elect’ in NT? Yes. (p.638-640).
Q26: Why would Paul endure stonings, beatings, shipwreck for the ‘elect’ if they were sure
to be saved? (II Timothy 2:10). Do you? (p.639).
Q27: In II Peter 1:10 what is the significance of calling coming before election? ‘Make your
calling and election sure’. (It destroys Calvinism, as Calvinists think that election
comes before calling). (p.640)
Q28: In II Peter 1:10, how could man make sure what God has already made sure?
(Ans: Calling and election relate to service). (p.640).
Q29: What is the true meaning of NT election from I Peter 2:9; Exodus 19:6;
Deuteronomy 14:2? (Ans: NT election is of the church as a body. As the nation of
Israel was corporately elected as a body, so also was the church corporately elected
as a body.) (p.641).
Q30: Is your pay packet predestined? (If yes, why go to work?)
Are souls predestined to heaven? (If yes, why don’t you work to win them?)
Q31: Show me one NT verse teaching that some are predestined to heaven? (Ephesians
1:5 adoption of children = son placing in heaven). See Romans 8:23. (p.642).
Q32: Do dead babies go to heaven or hell? (p.643; Q47).
Q33: Do you want all people to be saved? (Yes). Does the devil want all people to be
saved? (No)
Does God want all people to be saved? (Calvinists say No). Are you more merciful
&loving than God?
Q34: What two OT examples refute Limited Atonement by showing that the Atonement
and its Application are to be distinguished? (Passover lamb, and brass serpent on a
pole). (p.646).
Q35: Do the first ‘many’, ‘all men’ and ‘all’ mean the same as the last ‘many’, ‘all men’
and ‘all’ in Romans 5:15; 5:18; Isaiah 53:6? (p.647).
(p.652.
Q36: Which 4 verses contrast ‘all men’ with ‘elect’? (II Tim. 4:10; Gal. 6:10; Romans 3:22;
Titus 2:11,12)
Q37: What 4 groups did Christ die for, that prove unlimited atonement?
(Ans: Those who will go to hell, everybody, Jesus’ friends, and whosoever
believeth).
Q38: How does a Calvinist know if he is saved or not? (By Perseverance or Promises).
(p.655;Q14).�

Charismatic Movement Errors Examined

Introduction: Some practices of the Charismatic Movement are not according to Scripture.

These are:
1. Speaking in Tongues
2. New Revelations
3. Ecumenical Movement towards Rome
4. Slaying in the Spirit
5. Healing

Question: Why do people become interested in the Charismatic movement or
Pentecostalism?
Answer: Because of worldliness, lack of vital, inspired ministry and spiritual deadness.
Don't become backslidden, cold or lazy for God, but be on-fire for God, souls and the Bible.
The main Charismatic/Pentecostal doctrine is that: "speaking in tongues is the initial
evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit." They claim that one who has not spoken in tongues does not have the same power for service as one who has.
If we show that tongues are not for today, we have disproved the Charismatic Movement.

A fundamental law of life is that the Word of God must always govern our experiences.
Tongues has divided the Christian world this century. The question is not "are tongues
genuine?", but it is "are tongues Biblical?" When experience contradicts the Bible, then the Bible always takes precedence. Why? Because we can misinterpret our experience or have false experiences.

Let us examine tongues as follows:
1. Reasons why Biblical tongues are real languages and not Charismatic gibberish.
a) Tongues could be interpreted, gibberish cannot.
b) The Greek word "glossa" in the New Testament used for tongues means real
languages.
c) In Acts 2:6,8 those Jews at Pentecost heard God's message spoken in their own
language or dialect. “Every man heard them speak in his own language.” v.6,8,11.
d) The same word "glossa" is used for tongues in Acts as in I Corinthians 12-14.
e) "Glossa" is plural meaning many languages. Gibberish is singular as it is non￾classifiable into more than one type of gibberish.
f) 1 Cor.14:21 states that tongues were a foreign language given as a sign to
unbelieving Israel.
2. Reasons for spiritual gifts.

Why are spiritual gifts given?
a) To glorify Christ, not to glorify the Holy Spirit. "He shall glorify me." John 16:14.
b) To edify others, not to edify self. "Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the
church." 1Cor.14:12. Paul rebukes them for their wrong use of tongues in 1
Corinthians 14:4 "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself."
c) To equip the church (Ephesians 4:12) for the work of the ministry.


Tongues were given to:
 a) Warn unbelieving Jews. (I Corinthians 14:21).
 b) Confirm the word with signs. Mark 16:17-20.
 c) Confirm the Apostles as God's true messengers.

The Spiritual Warfare

THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE
By Pastor Alan Mayton

 

The primary purpose in praying for the lost is NOT to convince God to save them for He is "not willing that any should perish" (II Peter 3:9), having sent Christ to die for the sins of the whole word (I John 2:2).  But rather, it has to do with spiritual warfare -- freeing them of demonic influence so they can be saved.

 

A brief review of the Biblical description of their desperate situation will help us understand this critical truth.  The lost are prisoners which Satan refuses to release (Isaiah 14:17), slaves under Satan's authority and jurisdiction (Acts 26:18), children of the devil (John 8:44), blinded to the gospel (II Corinthians 4:3-4), "energized" by Satan (Ephesians 2:2), helplessly held in Satan's grasp (I John 5:19), and a strong man's house (Mark 3:27).

 

Just a little elaboration on some of these scriptures will give us a clearer picture.  For example, Ephesians 2:2 says, "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."  The Greek word for worketh is energeo -- "to energize."  This means that the lost are literally "energized" by the spirit of the devil.  Of course, a lost person doesn't know that, and certainly would not admit it if he did.  He thinks he is free (that's part of his lostness), but in truth his course of action is dictated by the prince of the power of the air.

 

Let's look at I John 5:19, "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."  This means the whole world (including its inhabitants) lies utterly prostrate under the influence of the wicked one.  Webster's dictionary defines prostrate "to lie with the face downward in abject submission; to be completely subjugated."  Concerning this verse, the word, is in the evil one, in his grip and under his dominion.  Moreover, it lies there.  It is not represented as struggling actively to be free but as quietly lying, perhaps even unconsciously asleep, in the arms of Satan.  The evil one does not "touch" the Christian, but the world is helplessly in his grasp.

 

And then, Mark 3:27 is what I consider to be the most important verse in the Bible concerning winning the lost to Christ.  In this verse Jesus Himself says, "No man can enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house"  if this verse means anything, it means that no lost person will ever be saved unless someone frees him from the demonic influences that control him.  This is absolutely the first thing that must be done.  And this freeing process is accomplished through prayer!

 

In order to win the war for souls, there are some basic things we need to do.  The first of these is to use our God-appointed weapons.  When a person goes into the military they are given training with the weapons they are expected to use in war. 

 

God has provided powerful weapons for us to use in this spiritual war.  "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" (II Corinthians 10:4).  Our problem is that we are neither familiar with our weapons nor indeed the war itself.

 

But before I acquaint you with your weapons and how to use them, let me remind you that the actual combat is prayer - we fight by praying.  So when we aren't praying, Satan is winning by default, but when we are praying, he is losing because he has absolutely no defense for prayer.  Could this be why God wants us to "Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17) and why the apostles gave themselves "continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4)?

 

Just as all physical weapons of war, whether bombers, tanks, missiles, grenades, rifles, etc., are used for one purpose -- to defeat the enemy -- so all spiritual weapons are used to do the same!  So, let's get familiar with our mighty weapons and use them when we pray.

 

The blood of Christ is one of our most powerful weapons.  Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb..." Hebrews 2:14 tells us why pleading the blood of Christ in prayer is so powerful: "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."  Strong's dictionary defines destroy "to render entirely useless; to make void."

 

When Satan thought he slew the innocent Son of God, he destroyed himself...not annihilated, but destroyed.  All of the legal claims which he secured upon the earth and man through Adam's fall are now completely cancelled; since the cross, he has absolutely no right at all upon any one or any thing.  It means that all the power which he now exercises he exercises solely by deception and bluff.

 

When we plead the blood of Christ, we are reminding Satan and all his demons that they are already defeated.  This especially significant in the battle for souls, since the shedding of Christ's blood on Calvary paid the sin-debt for all mankind (I John 2:2) and now Satan holds souls captive only by default -- because we have not insisted that he turn them loose!!

 

Another very powerful weapon is the name of Jesus!  The Lord's disciples, returning from their witnessing mission, joyfully exclaimed, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through your name" (Luke 10:17).  And they are subject to us also!

 

There are three Biblical reasons why the name of our Lord Jesus is so powerful in the spiritual realm.  Firstly, because He is Lord over all by creation: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him" (Colossians 1:16).

 

And secondly, He is Lord through crucifixion:  "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14-15).

 

And thirdly, He is Lord through coronation:  "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him" (I Peter 3:22).

 

Since we are acting in direct obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus in interceding for the lost and demanding that they be set free, their controlling demons must obey because they are subject to His name.

 

The word of God is another mighty weapon we can use in prayer.  As we have already seen, pleading scriptures is really effective.  The word of God is even called "the sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17).

 

Since Satan was totally stripped of his power and authority at Calvary (Colossians 2:15) (Hebrews 2:14), all he has to work with is a lie.  However, he is pretty good with it seeing as how he is able to "deceive the whole world" (Revelation 12:9).  But, the word of God is "truth" and truth beats a lie EVERYTIME.  Therefore, if we continually use the word of God in warfare prayer, we will win every time and souls will be set free!!!

 

Praise is another powerful weapon we can use, for when we begin to praise God, He comes into the situation (Psalm 22:3) and how wonderful it is to have the "commander-in-chief" on the scene of battle!!  A wonderful testimony to the power of praise is the story found in II Chronicles 20.  Judah was being attacked by a combined army from several enemy nations.  The situation was so desperate that King Jehoshaphat called for all Judah to "fast and pray."  But, it was "WHEN they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten" (verse 22).

 

Most of us have no concept of how powerful praise is in the battle for souls -- could it be that we haven't used it enough to understand its mighty power? 

 

Fasting is another powerful but little-used weapon in our arsenal.  It has been called the "most potent power" we have at our disposal.  My personal opinion is that fasting enhances the power of prayer by at least tenfold!

 

The purpose of our warfare is to defeat the enemy and fasting is designed to do that effectively.  Listen to Isaiah 58:6, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen?  To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"  On one occasion when the disciples were unable to cast a demon out of a little boy, Jesus told them that "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:29).

 

One other weapon that exerts much force in the spiritual realm is love.  The one who loves the Lord with all of his being and loves lost souls as himself cannot be stopped!!  Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

 

When you love someone enough, you will do whatever it takes to keep them out of hell.  As a matter of fact, love cannot fail.  Love "Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things...NEVER faileth" (I Corinthians 13:7-8).

 

So what happens when we pray, using the weapons God has given us?  II Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

 

The weapons wielded in prayer are designed to pull down strongholds, cast down imaginations and capture thoughts.  Strongholds are mind-sets that are against the word and will of God.  So we can quickly see that the battle-field is a person's mind, because we are dealing with mind-sets, imaginations, and thoughts.

 

It is crucial that we understand this because whoever controls the mind controls the person.  If Satan can continue to control the mind of an unsaved individual, he will be able to keep him from being saved.  The only way for him to do this is to keep the person blinded to the gospel, for anyone in his "right" mind will choose Jesus over Satan and heaven over hell EVERY single time!  When the legion of demons was cast out of the Gadarene, and he could think and choose for himself - he not only chose Jesus but also became a flaming evangelist for Him (Mark 5:15-20).

 

Man is a free agent, to use the old phrase, so far as God is concerned; utterly, wholly free.  And he is the most enslaved agent on the earth, so far as sin and selfishness and prejudice are concerned.  The purpose of our praying is not to force or coerce his will; never that.  It is to free his will of the warping influences that now twist it awry.  it is to get the dust out of his eyes so his sight shall be clear.  And once he is free, able to see aright, to balance things without prejudice, the whole probability is in favor of his using his will to choose the only right...Our prayer is "rescue him from the evil one," and because Jesus is Victor over the captor, the rescue will take place.  Without any doubt we may assure the conversion of these laid upon our hearts by such praying.  The prayer in Jesus' name drives the enemy off the battle-field of the man's will, and leaves him free too choose aright.

 

Now that we understand that God uses our prayers to pull down Satan's strongholds, let's see how Satan uses strongholds in the lives of people to keep them from being saved.  The strongest of all strongholds is UNBELIEF.  It is the major stronghold in every person - saved or lost!!  In a Christian it is designed to keep him from really believing certain truths in God's word that will make him powerful and effective in God's kingdom.  But in the unsaved it is designed to keep him from believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

 

Since unbelief is the only sin that condemns one to hell, Satan regards it as priceless, guarding it with other strongholds.  Any mind-set that is against God's will and word will do.  When the rich young ruler came to Jesus asking how he could inherit eternal life, Jesus NEVER told him how to be saved.  Rather, he told him to distribute the proceeds of his wealth to the poor.  But the young man was unwilling to do this and went away just as he came- lost.  Jesus knew that greed controlled his mind and heart, preventing him from being saved, and until that was broken, the gospel would be ineffective (Mark 10).

 

The stronghold of the Samaritan woman of Sychar was lust.  She conversed with the Lord on social and historical subjects, avoiding the main issue of her life.  But when Jesus plainly told her that she had been married five times and was presently living with a man - He had her attention.  In this case the stronghold was shattered and she was gloriously saved (John 4).

 

Satan often uses bitterness to block out the truth of God's love and prevent it from being received.  For example, a little girl is sexually molested and now, years later someone shares the gospel with her - it will never get past the bitterness in her heart.  That stronghold must be torn down by prayer before she will be able to receive the good news of God's love.

 

It's difficult to win homosexuals to Christ - not because God doesn't love them or because the gospel is not powerful enough or because you don't care enough.  But this is such a powerful stronghold that much prayer, fasting, persistence, faith, etc. is needed to break it.  And we usually get discouraged and quit before the victory is won.

 

One day as I was praying for one particular person, I asked the Lord to reveal to me why he continued to reject the gospel.  He impressed the word "control" upon my mind.  I really didn't understand what that meant.  But as I got to know him better, I discovered that he controls everything within the sphere of his influence with an iron hand.  Now I understand why control is the stronghold that keeps him from Christ -- for in order to be saved, one must submit to Him!

 

I want to speak briefly to those who may be praying for someone with a major addiction problem such as drugs or alcohol.  These addictions only mask the real issue.  The real problem is usually a damaged ego where the self-esteem and self-image has been shattered in some way -- either through rejection, abuse, or some major disappointment in life.  The addiction itself only covers and compounds the problem in order that you can get the victory.

 

I suppose there are hundreds of strongholds Satan uses to guard unbelief, but the fundamental truth we must understand is that there is always one key stronghold in the life of each unsaved individual that hinders that person from receiving the gospel.  The battle is NEVER fought over a multitude of sins (though the individual may have many) but rather over only one!!  That particular stronghold is the armor on which the strong man depends, but when his armor (stronghold) is destroyed, he is defeated and the person is ready for salvation (Luke 11:21-22).

 

Another absolutely essential element in the spiritual warfare aspect of winning souls is that of exercising our authority in Christ.  He has given unto us His incredible authority (Matthew 16:19) but we must use it.  Just as the policeman on the street corner can direct the flow of traffic because of his authority, so can a believer pray for the souls of men bound and blinded by Satan and cause them to be delivered.  The powers of darkness find their strength is broken through the blood of Jesus Christ; and when we exercise our authority in Him, they can no longer withstand us.  God has called us to be instruments through which He can exercise His authority.  Let us by faith accept this position and stand firm regardless of the opposition.  He will then be able to do things through us that we never dreamed of.

 

Legally, all souls belong to Christ because He paid for their sins on Calvary (I John 2:2).  But Satan, illegally and forcefully, continues to hold them captive, resolutely refusing to let them go.  And he will continue to hold them bound in spiritual darkness until we take our rightful place and exercise our throne-rights by demanding their immediate release on the basis of Christ's shed blood and our delegated authority from Him.

 

There is absolutely no reason for even one single soul to die and go to hell because Christ has already paid their redemption price.  And the only reason why anyone will go to hell is that we have not taken our place of authority and bound the strong  man, insisting on their salvation.  The devil will not release them until we make him.

 

The last but incredibly important element in praying for souls is to continually RESIST the devil.  We are instructed to put on God's armor (Ephesians 6:10-18), so that we can "Stand against the wiles (methods) of the devil...able to withstand (resist) in the evil day."  When we really get serious about the salvation of souls, Satan uses difficult circumstances either in our lives or in those for whom we are praying in an effort to make us back off and quit.  This is why a husband or teenager for whom a wife or mother is praying will often tend to get worse instead of better -- Satan wants them to quit praying, for he is losing his grip on those souls!!

 

So, to resist the devil means that you do not let the negative reactions, circumstances, etc. stop your continued fervent effort of prayer.  When something, such as asbestos, is fire resistant that means it is unaffected by fire.  Something that is water resistant, means that it is unaffected by water.  To be Satan resistant means that, no matter what he does, it does not affect you, you just keep on praying for your lost loved one's salvation.

 

There are only two reasons why any prayer for the salvation of souls will remain unanswered: either there is sin or unbelief in the one doing the praying, or else Satan is hindering the answer.  So, if you get your life right (John 15:7) and keep praying, the answer will come, for Satan cannot continue to hold out against bold, fervent warfare praying!!

 

Now in a war, plans must be made.  The soldiers don't just go around everywhere shooting at anything.  The same is true in prayer warfare for souls - we need a strategy.  Let me give you several that are extremely effective.

 

The ultimate strategy is for the entire church to give itself continually to prayer.  The early church did this: "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication" (Acts 1:14) with amazing results - "and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Acts 2:41) and "many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the  men was about five thousand" (Acts 4:4).

 

In another prayer meeting "the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31) with a continual harvest of many souls;" multitudes both of men and women" (Acts 5:14), "the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly (Acts 6:7), and "all that dwelt at Lydda and Sharon... turned to the Lord" (Acts 9:35).  And there are many other passages in the book of Acts describing similar accounts.  If the church of today would follow the prayer example of the early church, it would experience the same kind of evangelistic results.

 

Another very productive strategy is to form prayer groups.  The ideal set-up in most churches would be Sunday school classes or home cell groups since they already meet on a regular basis.  They could consistently and persistently pray for their combined list of lost persons until they saw them come to Christ.

 

Prayer partners is another productive strategy in praying for souls to be saved.  It is much easier to get two together than it is a larger group.  A husband/wife team is great because they are usually together every day, plus their burdens for relatives, friends, neighbor's, etc. will be similar.  But any pairing of prayer partners will work.  Jesus even guarantees that their prayers will be answered (Matthew 18:19). 

 

I mention one last strategy that works well for the individual praying alone - a prayer list!!  I have used a prayer list for a few years now and have seen souls come to Christ through this method. 

 

It is my hope and prayer that these recent e-mails have been uplifting and beneficial.  Please feel free to make any comments or thoughts.  May God continue to richly bless each of you.

 

Brother Alan

 

 

 

Praying for the Lost

PRAYING FOR THE LOST
By Pastor Alan Mayton

UNDERSTANDING THE NECESSITY

The lost will not and indeed cannot be saved unless someone prays for them.  This is a shocking statement that sounds unbelievable until we view the Biblical portrayal of the lost as being: children of the devil (John 8:44), under the authority of Satan (Acts 26:18), a strong man's house (Mark 3:27), prisoners of war (Isaiah 14:17) and blinded to the gospel (II Corinthians 4:3-4).

All of these are daunting reasons why we must pray for the lost if they are to have any hope of salvation.  But let's focus just on the spiritual blindness for a moment.  II Corinthians 4:3-4 says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."  This passage clearly teaches that Satan has blinded the minds of the lost specifically to keep them from understanding the gospel.

The blinding or veiling of the mind mentioned in II Corinthians 4:3-4, causes a universal incapacity to comprehend the way of salvation, and is imposed upon unregenerate man by the arch enemy of God in his attempts to hinder the purpose of God in redemption.  It is a condition of mind against which man can have no power.

Sharing the gospel with those for whom no one has prayed is like encouraging a blind man to view a beautiful sunset with you.  It is a hopeless case, for he is blind.  He cannot see!

And unless the Holy Spirit removes the demonic blinders and opens his mind and heart to the gospel, he cannot be saved because the things of God are "foolishness to him" (I Corinthians 2:14).  The Greek word for foolishness is "moria" from which moron is derived.  Webster's defines moron as "the highest classification of mental deficiency, above imbecile and idiot."  So, a lost person sees the gospel as moronic and stupid, but it is the "strong man" in his life that causes this negative attitude toward the gospel.

To try to share the gospel with someone in this condition (which includes every lost person for whom no one is praying) may even do more harm than good.  Until we recognize the strong man "fully armed" at the back of all darkness of though and blindness to the Gospel, we shall not do much toward bringing men out of the power of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son.  And until we know how to take heed to the Lord's warning and first bind the strong man, the attempts we make to "spoil his goods" will only enrage him, and enable him to strengthen his armour, and guard his palace in peace.

Once we understand the importance of praying for souls to be saved, we must learn how to do it.  Praying for the lost is an area about which much is said but little is known or understood.  It is like trying to open a locked safe without knowing the combination; no matter how valuable are the contents, we eventually get frustrated and quit.

But eternal souls for which Christ died are much too valuable for us to quit.  Therefore, we must learn how to pray effectively for them.  As a matter of fact, it may be your prayer that keeps someone out of hell.  In the case of an impenitent friend, the very condition on which he is to be saved from hell may be the fervency and importunity of your prayer for that individual.

Jesus did only what He saw the Father do (John 5:19).  Likewise, we should do only what we see our Lord doing, and what is He doing--"He ever liveth to make intercession" (Hebrews 7:25).  We make a grave mistake by labeling some Christians as intercessors.  This tends to imply that the rest of us are relieved of the responsibility - NOT SO!!!  All of us are to do what we see our Lord doing - praying for others.

So, let's learn how to pray effective for the lost and join our Lord in doing the main thing.

THE BIBLICAL BASIS

One of the most powerful means of praying effectively involves presenting strong reasons to God why our prayers must be answered.  He even commands us to do this in Isaiah 41:21, "Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons..."

The strongest reasons concerning prayer for the lost.  If we find a way to harness our puny plea for help to the great purposes of God in the proclamation of the gospel and the furtherance of Christ's Kingdom, then we begin to pray with the spirit and vigor of a Paul, and we must be heard and great things will be wrought.

One of the foremost reasons for praying for the lost is our love for them.  Prayer has been described as "love on its knees."  Certainly, it was God's love for mankind that brought Jesus to the cross; it was love for his five brothers that compelled the rich man in hell to pray for them "lest they also come to this place of torment" (Luke 16:27-28); and love will lead us to the place of intercession.

The historic Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago has been mightily used of God to rescue hundreds of souls tottering on the precipice of hell.  And it is no surprise to me that the eighteen foot neon sing "PACIFIC GARDEN MISSION" included the reminder "MOTHER'S PRAYERS HAVE FOLLOWED YOU."  Only eternity will reveal the number of souls that have been saved through the tears and prayers of a mother's love!  Indeed, love is our greatest asset in the saving of souls.

Faith is another Biblical basis for praying for the lost.  Jesus said, "All things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23).  All things certainly include salvation of souls.  If you can believe God for someone's salvation, you shall have it.

Four men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus and, seeing their faith, he said, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5).  Though they brought him to be healed, he also received forgiveness of his sins.  This is a wonderful display of the power of faith.  Indeed, faith is the coin of the kingdom.

One of my favorite reasons for praying for the lost is the mighty power of the Bible ascribes to prayer.  "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,"  according to James 5:16.  We can't even begin to understand how incredibly powerful prayer really is, for it exerts the most potent influence of any kind in all the universe.

Prayer is work of such a sublime order that it lies beyond the imagination of men.  For when the Christian prays, his capacity to achieve and his power to do good are multiplied a thousand, yea, a hundred thousand fold.  This is no exaggeration, the reason being that when man prays, God works.

When the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan during World War II, some 92,000 people were killed.  But when Assyria besieged Jerusalem causing King Hezekiah to cry out to God on behalf of his people, He sent an angel that slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night.  Hezekiah's prayer was twice as explosive as the atomic bomb!!  If prayer is strong enough to destroy armies, how much more certain is its power to save souls!

If we had no Biblical basis for praying for the lost other than the fact that God expects us to, this would be enough.  god was "stunned" when he could not find a single intercessor for Israel (Isaiah 59:16).  This tells me that He was expecting to find some.

He often had to wonder and complain that there was no intercessor, no one to stir himself up to take hold of His strength.  And He still waits and wonders in our day, that there are not more intercessors, that all His children do not give themselves to this highest and holiest work, that many of them who do so, do not engage in it more intensely and perseveringly.

THE PERSONAL FACTORS

There are two factors or conditions involved in every answered prayer -- righteousness and faith.  The imputed righteousness of Christ, which comes through His shed blood, is what gives us boldness to approach His throne of grace.  It is absolutely indispensable for effective prayer.  But personal righteousness is also crucial, for Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."  Perhaps Jesus summed it up best when He said, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).  In other words, obedient Christians get their prayers answered!!

The other necessary factor in all answered prayer is faith.  This is an unbreakable law in the spiritual realm.  It is always "according to your faith be it unto you" (Matthew 9:29).  Unbelief is continually our besetting sin and it is more often than not the cause of unanswered prayer.

So when we pray for the lost, we need righteousness (imputed and personal) and faith.  But there are eight other factors that are particularly important for this task.  The first of these is brokenness.  "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy" is the law of spiritual harvest.  However, we want the harvest without the heartbreak.  God does not answer many prayers - they are too locked-up in self pity or aimed at personal benefit.  He does answer desperate prayer.  And until we get desperate for souls, our prayers for them may remain unanswered.  For just as Jesus wept over Jerusalem, so must we weep over our lost loved ones if we really want to see them saved.

On one occasion some Salvation Army workers wrote to General Booth decrying their ineffectiveness in winning souls and asking what they should do.  He sent back a two-word message, "Try tears."  Tears are so potent that when coupled with sharing the gospel, God guarantees a fruitful harvest (Psalm 126:5-6).

Another important factor is travail.  This pictures the excruciating agony and pain of childbirth as seen Isaiah 66:8, "...as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children."  Strong's dictionary defines travail "to writhe in pain; to fall grievously with pain."  Luke 22 speaks of Jesus being in an agony and His sweat as great drops of blood.  Most of us have never been here in our prayer life, which is why we don't see phenomenal results in winning the lost to Christ.

Jesus described the experience of salvation as being, "born again."  Just as a mother experiences labor pains in giving her baby physical birth, the same is true in the spiritual realm.  Paul speaks of "travailing in birth again" for the spiritually immature Galatians he had won to Christ.  But even as a man cannot fully appreciate the severity of the labor pains his wife experiences because he does not give birth, neither do most Christians understand the necessity of travailing for souls since some ninety-five percent of professing Christians never win a single soul to Christ!!

There is a price to pay if we would join our precious Lord in agonizing for the deliverance of souls  from the kingdom of darkness, but it will be worth it all!!  Therefore, let us join that noble band that "loves not their lives unto the death" (Revelation 12:11) and victory will be ours.

Through the many vivid word pictures in the Bible concerning the plight of the lost, we can easily see why persistence in prayer becomes a necessary factor.  Isaiah 14:17 describes the lost as being prisoners whom Satan refuses to release.  Acts 26:18 tells us that they are under the authority or jurisdiction of Satan.  Perhaps the most frightening description of all is that given by Jesus in Mark 3:27 as a strong man's house.  He even tells us that "no man" can help those individuals until the strong man is bound.

THE SPECIFIC REQUESTS

Most of us encounter difficulty in praying for someone to be saved because all we know to do is say, "God, please save so-and-so."  We feel foolish in praying that one statement over and over again, so we usually give up and quit.  However, this kind of praying involves four areas: the individual, the soul-winner, the word of God, and revival.  When we learn to pray for specifics in these areas, our intercession becomes challenging and effective.

To begin with, we pray of the individual by name, asking the Lord to do five things in his life.  First of all, we ask the Lord to sanctify him.  This may sound strange but this is how God begins His work of redemption in every individual's life.  He always sanctifies or "sets apart" a person for salvation before He saves him.

The Bible clearly teaches this truth in I Peter 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ..."  We see the same emphasis in II Thessalonians 2:13-14, "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth..."

It is like God draws an invisible circle around the person and then begins to bring His influences to bear there.  It is easy to see that whatever comes "inside" that circle directly and mostly affects the one already in it.  When God Himself gets in that circle, incredible things begin to happen.

This wonderful truth is a great encouragement to those of us praying for others because we can rest assured that the Holy Spirit who is the Lord of the harvest always gets his man, once He sanctifies him! 

Now we ask the Lord to bless him.  When Jesus sent His disciples into "His harvest," He gave them specific instructions to "first say Peace be to this house" (Luke 10:1-5).  Since it is always the goodness of God that leads individuals to repentance (Romans 2:4), it is imperative that we implore God to liberally bless them.

But sometimes when our prayers for the salvation of others do not bring speedy results, we tend to get frustrated and impatient, secretly desiring for god to "teach them a lesson with the rod of trouble."  When a certain village of Samaritans rejected the Lord,  His disciples wanted God to burn them to a crisp on the spot.  He rebuked them saying, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them" (Luke 9:52-56).  If we are to emulate our dear Savior, we must continually desire God's best for all people.  We should especially ask His very best blessings upon those for whom we pray.

Thirdly, we ask the Lord to convict the individual, since conviction is absolutely necessary for salvation.  Only the Holy Spirit can bring someone under conviction, so we would do well to plead John 16:8-11 in our prayers.  Conviction basically means to convince of a fault.  The fault or problem of the lost is in "not believing on Jesus" and this is THE SIN of which the Holy Spirit convicts (John 16:9).

People already know what their "sins" are, except for the sin of unbelief in Christ.  Since this is the only sin that condemns one to hell, Satan keeps them blinded to it.  Therefore, the Holy Spirit convicts or convinces the lost at this one and only point, revealing to them the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory, so they can be saved.  However, we must know that conviction does not automatically guarantee salvation.  As Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, Felix trembled..." (Acts 24:25).  But there is no Biblical indication that he ever got saved.

HAPPY SPOUSE ACTIVITIES-FOR MARRIED ONLY

MORT'S 50 WAYS TO TALK AND TOUCH LIST REKINDLE THE LOVE
1. Express confidence in one of your spouse's decisions
2. Share dessert with one fork
3. What was "your song" when you were dating? Call your spouse and sing it to them.
4. Surprise visit your spouse at their office or home and give them a kiss... and then leave.
5. Play footsie next time you sit together
6. Learn a new joke today and share it with your spouse
7. Ask how your spouse's day went... and really listen
8. Kiss your spouse upon waking
9. Kiss your spouse before sleeping
10. Caress your spouse's hand
11. Touch your spouse's cheek or hand while driving
12. Rub shoulders next time you sit next to each other
13. Sit on your spouse's lap or sit them on yours
14. Compliment something your spouse is wearing
15. Call your spouse out of the blue to let them know you are thinking of them
16. Give your spouse a neck or shoulder massage
17. Share a story from the news or your day that you thought was interesting
18. What about dancing before dinner? No one's looking.
19. Tell your spouse that if you had to do it all over again, you'd choose them
20. Share a problem - thank your spouse for their concern
21. Play with your spouse's hair while talking in bed
22. Fall asleep holding hands
23. Remind your spouse to drive safely next time they leave the house
24. Call your spouse at work with the latest news.
25. Have a tickle "fight"
26. Say "I'm sorry" about a mistake you recently made
27. Think of 3 ways your spouse has made you a better person ... tell them now
28. Compliment your spouse on your favorite physical trait
29. Play Twister and let yourself laugh out loud
30. Look at your spouse when they are unaware of your gaze ... share your feelings
31. Share what you most admire about your spouse
32. Have a "remember when?" moment.
33. Thank your spouse for helping you through a challenging time in your life
34. Find a reason to touch your spouse when you are in the same room
35. Dig out the wedding album and reminisce
36. Hold hands under the table
37. Brush your mate's hair out of his/her eyes
38. Straighten his tie, being sure to touch him with love
39. Button or zip her dress, being sure to touch her with love
40. Knead the same dough together
41. Kiss in the elevator when no one is looking
42. Express confidence in your spouse's ability to overcome a problem
43. Listen to your spouse's worries - ask how you can help
44. Make your spouse's lunch for the day ... deliver it with a kiss
45. Send your spouse a fax with your special "code words" for I Love You!
46. Turn off your spouse's alarm clock...wake them with a massage
47. Kiss the back of your spouse's neck while he/she is reading
48. Before parting, tell your spouse you can't wait to see him/her again
49. An extra hug for no reason at all never hurt anyone
50. "Spoon" your mate while sleeping

THE TRUTH ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY- REPOST

TEXT: Colossians 2:8

SUBJECT: When did Jesus die?

INTRODUCTION:

Man as established traditions that have lasted 100’s – if not, 1000’s of years

Just because something as been done in the same way for a long period of time doesn’t mean that it’s right

For example we all assume that December 25th is the day Jesus was born

But that’s not correct

And we can prove that according to the Scriptures

The same is true in the case of so-called “Good Friday”

John 5:39 – “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me”

Acts 17:11 – “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so”

Is it “Palm Sunday’ – “Good Friday” - “Easter Sunday”?


Or “Palm Friday” – “Good Wednesday” - “Easter Saturday”?

~~~PRAYER~~~

To establish this Biblical Truth we must work backwards:

I. CHRIST ROSE FROM THE GRAVE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

To establish this Truth let’s look at the Scriptures -

Matthew 28:1 - “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre”

Mark 16:2 - “And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun”

Luke 24:1 - “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them”

John 20:1 - “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre”

Notice in all 4 Gospel records that Christ was already risen from the dead when the women got there

When did they get there?



“...as it began to dawn,” “very early in the morning,” “when it was yet dark,” “at the rising of the sun”

The ladies got to the grave when it was dark and the day was just starting to break

That is early - Probably about 6:00 AM

What did they find?

All four accounts tell us they found an empty tomb

Jesus was gone - even before the stone was rolled away

Matthew 28:1-6

When did Jesus rise from the dead?

Aren’t you glad the Bible tells us (so as to leave no doubt)

Let’s repeat Mark 16:9 - “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils”

The answer is - “Early the first day of the week”

The Jewish day began at 6 PM in the evening

Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31

“And the evening and the morning were the …day”

A full 6 hours ahead of the start of our modern day

Jesus came out of the Tomb 1 second after 6 PM Saturday


From 6 PM Saturday to 6 PM Sunday is considered by the Jews as the first day of the week (Sun down to sun down)

Therefore Jesus was resurrected for 12 hours before Mary saw Him

He had been resurrected for almost 24 hours before the disciples saw Him

Jesus came out of the Tomb 1 second after 6 PM Saturday

John 20:19 - “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you” (v.1)

Thus - Christ resurrected sometime after 6 PM on Saturday evening (Ps. 55:17)  

The beginning of the Jew’s “first day of the week”

Mary Magdalene and the disciples saw Him during the hours Americans call Sunday

CHRIST ROSE FROM THE GRAVE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

II. THUS – CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

The following are 20 verses of Scripture which state that Christ would be dead for three days

And the first one states that it would be three nights also


Thus 3 / 24 hour periods -

Matthew 12:40 - “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”

Jonah 1:17 – “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights”

Matthew 16:21 - “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day”

Matthew 17:23 - “And they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry”

Matthew 20:19 - “And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again”

Matthew 26:61 - “And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days”

Matthew 27:40 - “And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross”

Matthew 27:63 - “Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again”



Matthew 27:64 - “Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal Him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first”

Mark 8:31 - “And He began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again”

Mark 9:31 - “For He taught His disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him; and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day”

Mark 10:34 - “And they shall mock Him, and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him, and shall kill Him: and the third day He shall rise again”

Mark 14:58 - “We heard Him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands”

Mark 15:29 - “And they that passed by railed on Him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,”

Luke 9:22 - “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day”

Luke 18:33 - “And they shall scourge Him, and put Him to death: and the third day He shall rise again”



Luke 24:7 - “Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again”

Luke 24:21 - “But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done”

Luke 24:46 - “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day”

John 2:19, 21 - “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. But He spake of the temple of His body”

Acts 10:40 - “Him God raised up the third day, and shewed Him openly;”

I remind you that the Scriptures tell us that God cannot lie

Titus 1:2 – “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

And that it is impossible that God should lie

Hebrews 6:18 – “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

The case then should be settled

If Christ died at 3 PM on a Friday and was placed in the tomb by 6 PM on Friday (Matt.27:45, 46, 50)


Then three days and three nights later would place the Resurrection of Christ after 6 PM on Monday

But - as we have seen - the scriptures clearly teach that He rose early the first day of the week (Saturday-Sunday)

Which will you believe?

The Scriptures or traditions of religions?

Colossians 2:8 warns - “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition
of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ”

Why do some say “Good Friday” then?

What is their argument?

Their argument is that the next day was the Sabbath

And the truth is - that it was ‘A’ Sabbath

The Weekly Sabbath starts on Friday at 6 PM and ends at 6 PM on Saturday

It was a Sabbath day of rest for all Jews

The proponents of “Good Friday” use this argument based on the following scriptures to say Friday rather than Wednesday -

Mark 15:42-46 (

Luke 23:50-56 (


It is important to note here that although every Saturday was a Sabbath - there were other Sabbaths or Jewish Holy Days during the year that fell on different days of the week

But the same Jewish law applied to those Sabbaths also

(no traveling, no fires, no working)

If those Sabbaths fell on a Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday - etc. the same rules applied

Let’s illustrate:

In America we used to call every Sunday - “The Lord’s Day”

It was a holiday

We used to have blue laws so it would remain a holiday

But there were other days that were holidays such as Christmas

Christmas is always on December 25 no matter what day it falls on – Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday - etc.

Several Mondays are designated as holidays each year

The Sabbath was the same every Saturday - but also there were other Sabbaths in the Jewish calendar

No matter what day they fell on - such as the “Feast of the Passover”

These Sabbaths were called “High Days”

With that thought in mind - please consider John 19:31 –

“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, for that sabbath day was an high day, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away”

By “High day” it means that it was not a regular Sabbath day - but one higher than the rest

The Greek word for “High” means “greater, exceeding, mighty”

Now we are told that this High Day Sabbath had to do with the feast of the Passover

With that in mind - consider these scriptures:

Matthew 26:2 - “Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified”

Mark 14:2 - “But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people”

Mark 14:12 - “And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the Passover?”

Luke 22:1, 2 - “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover” “And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill Him; for they feared the people”


Luke 22:7 - “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed”

Luke 22:15 - “And He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”

John 13:1 - “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end”

John 18:39 - “But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?”

John 19:14 - “And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!”

I Corinthians 5:7 - “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:”

The Passover lamb was always sacrificed on the 14th day of Nisan

Nisan is the first month of the Hebrew calendar

There is a difference between the Weekly Sabbath (Saturday) and the Passover Sabbath

The Passover Sabbath always followed the killing of the Passover lamb - no matter what day of the week the killing of the Passover Lamb occurred on


Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:7; Numbers 28:16-18

The Passover Sabbath was always the 15th day of Nisan

The Bible states that Christ died exactly three days and three nights before the first day of the week

Figuring in the Passover Sabbath - He must have died on a Wednesday at about 3 PM and been put in the grave of Joseph of Arimethaea before 6 PM

Common sense and scripture can only come to this conclusion

Both Thursday and Saturday of that particular week - that particular year - were Sabbaths

CHRIST ROSE FROM THE GRAVE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

THUS – CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

III. PALM SUNDAY MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN PALM FRIDAY

The Bible tells us that Jesus arrived at Bethany six days before the Passover

That would be then the Thursday before His crucifixion

John 12:1 states it this way - “Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead”



Then on “the next day” we read the history of the Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem –

John 12:12, 13 –

“On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,”
“Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the Name of the Lord”

Thus Palm Sunday should really be Palm Friday

CONCLUSION:

The believer cannot believe in “Good Friday” for two outstanding reasons:

1. God would have been in error 20 times when He recorded in His Word that His Son would be in the grave for three days!

How could we then trust in the rest of His Word

2. Six days before “Good Friday” would have been Saturday

That’s when Christ would have been traveling to Bethany (John 12:1)

It would have been a violation of the law for a Jew to travel on Saturday

Thus Jesus and many other Jews (John 12:9) would have violated the law

Violation of the law is transgression - and transgression is sin - (I John 3:4)

Thus we cannot believe in Good Friday for Jesus never sinned

II Corinthians 5:21 – “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him”

Jesus traveled to Bethany on Thursday of that week - and rode into Jerusalem on Friday

He was crucified the next Wednesday and rose again on Sunday (late Saturday night)

And That’s The Truth About Good Friday

Joshua 24:14, 15 – “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord” “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”