GO FORWARD - 40 YEARS OF "ALL THE BIBLE"

With the January issue of FAITH IN THE FUTURE we mark the beginning of our 40th ANNIVERSARY as CRUSADERS CHURCH of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA.

CRUSADERS CHURCH was thrust into being when, despite the impassioned efforts of our Founder to warn the 1972 General Assembly of our mother Church against changing their doctrine on the permanence marriage, an irregular parliamentary ruling on the convention floor cut short discussion and within less than twenty minutes the delegates voted to alter the historic teaching of the church.

Writing for the Historical Statement of Crusaders Church, our Founder, Pastor Eugene Owen (Jack) Jones clarified why this change proved to be so pivotal:  “When doctrinal changes forbade preaching the pure Word of God, particularly the teaching of Jesus concerning the permanence of marriage, conscience required another pulpit.”

The Pastor was explicitly warned that he could not preach to his congregation nor teach the young ministers in training that marriage was a life-long commitment, ratified by God, and indissolvable by the courts of man.

Pastor Jones explained in our Church’s historical Statement: “The issue was crucial, for it was a departure from Biblical theology and acceptance of philosophical theology.  A difference was made between God’s ideal and man’s real with a resultant moral relativism that implied that God’s grace could not accomplish His perfect will in man.  Men’s opinions thus took precedence over the Word of God and error was added to error.”

On Sunday morning, July 23, 1972, the heavy-hearted Pastor freely surrendered his credentials to officials of his denomination.  Standing in his small church office at 2011 Brownfield Road, Urbana, Illinois, he was advised that if he ever desired to restore his credentials in the denomination of his birth he would be welcome. (He was literally born in the Chariton, Iowa parsonage.)

That Sunday, by prior agreement, Pastor Jones would preach his last two sermons in the church he had pastored for 10 years. The congregation had grown from 25 to well over 100 in attendance.  The Spirit of the Lord was powerfully present in those final services.  I remember the saints singing and shouting, the pastor preaching under the anointing of the Spirit, and an altar service crowned with God’s presence.

Tragically a few years ago that same church building was sold to Islamic fundamentalists to be used as a mosque and teaching center where Sharia law is promoted, and Christ is dishonored.

To the contemporary “emergent” Christians, all of this must seem strange, bordering on insane.  They wonder:
Are we absolutely positive that the Scriptures accurately report what Christ said?

Can we trust His Word? 
If the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are unreliable--incomplete, errant, or selectively truthful--we are left to our own best lights to determine God’s will.  From Eden onward, the enemy of man’s soul has first lured his victims with, “Hath God said?” (Genesis 3:1)

Can anyone be sure that the Lord Jesus meant what He said?  
Can we spin this teaching? The lawyers of our day are no different from the lawyers in Jesus’ day. Word games, obscuration, and rhetorical ambiguities may entertain those who seek to justify themselves, but finally God’s Truth will prevail.

Jesus said to the lawyers of His day, “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God... Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.” (Luke 16:15,18)

Wasn’t this more of a divine ideal rather than a real necessity? 

Isn’t intellectual agreement more important than practical follow-through? Both are necessary.

New Testament Christianity is holistic.  The mind is renewed, the life is tranformed, and the heart is purified.

James tells us that “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17) The Apostle Paul warned against those who, “profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Titus 1:16)


Doesn’t redeeming grace justify our sins?

Don’t we all live in sin? The German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer was right, “Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. ...Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs.”

“How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:2) the inspired Apostle asks.  The answer is clear: we don’t!

Why can’t we all just get along?

Why would anyone part with a friend, suffer, or even die for an idea? We love everyone, but our first love is the ONE who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6).

Forty years ago our Founder answered the objections of today’s emergents (a.k.a. compromisers):
Yes, God’s Word is accurate.
Yes, we are sure that Christ meant what He said.
Yes, God’s ideal should be and can be man’s real.
Yes, redeeming grace not only justifies sin, but it justifies (makes right) the sinner. And,
Yes, those who are committed to the One, are indeed one.  And we will never surrender our allegiance to Him.

May God bless CRUSADERS and all God’s people, as we GO FORWARD!

TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY

“Merrrry Christmas!”   The Town Crier lifted his voice above the chatter of villagers excitedly walking down the cobblestone streets of the 16^th century English village.  It might have been Stratford.  Or maybe it was Oxford.  Perhaps it was Epworth.  Actually it was probably all three, and in hundreds of other villages and towns scattered throughout Britain. Then the Crier began to sing:

“GOD rest ye merry Gentlemen,

LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY!

Remember CHRIST our SAVIOR, was born on Christmas day!

To SAVE US ALL from SATAN’S POWER,

When we were gone astray,

OH, TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY!

COMFORT AND JOY!

OH, TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY!”

As I was asking the LORD for direction at this Christmas Season, I was captured by two words of the carol—COMFORT and JOY!  I thought how illusory and temporary is the comfort of this world.

Jesus himself emphasized the difference between that which the world offers, and what He would bring.  In speaking of PEACE, Jesus said, “my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27).

The only PEACE that the world knows is the peace that is imposed by the threat or the actual use of external force.  But THE PEACE THAT IS FROM ABOVE is imparted by GOD to HIS People.  The prophet declares, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.”  (Isaiah 26:30)

The only COMFORT that the world knows is the comfort that comes from those around us.  I have often been amazed at the silly words people offer to those who are grieving. I’ve stood at the side of the departed and listened as friends have consoled themselves saying, “she has her angel wings now.”  I have no idea where this idea came from, but it certainly wasn’t God’s Word. 

The COMFORT that comes from GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT is based on the infallible, immutable, Promises of GOD’S WORD.  Our source is the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present GOD who is the CREATOR of the universe.  Our security is in the CHRIST who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity.  Our assurance comes from the HOLY GHOST who “bears witness with our spirits,” “intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered,” and sanctifies the hearts of the redeemed.

The only LOVE that the world knows is sensual (physical) and temporal.  Too often what the world calls love is actually only infatuation.  The LOVE that comes from Heaven is LOYAL, SPIRITUAL, and ETERNAL!  The Scriptures tell us that this love is longsuffering, always kind, never envious, and does not push itself forward in pride.  The LOVE that GOD imparts,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,

is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth:   (1 Corinthians 13)

The PEACE, the COMFORT, the LOVE of GOD are all so different from that of this world. 

Even the GODLY SORROW is different from the SORROW of this world.  When the world is sorrowful over their misdeeds, they are just sorry they were caught.   But GODLY SORROW, the Bible tells us, WORKS REPENTANCE!  That means that GODLY SORROW brings us to the point of sincere repentance.  We are not only sorrow for our sins, we are sorry enough that we will, with God’s help, turn from them!  All of them!

And there is this truth.  THE JOY OF THE LORD is totally different from the HAPPINESS of this world.  The world’s happiness depends on happenings or circumstances.  They are happy when they get a new car.  They are happy when people applaud them.  They are happy when they sit down to a delicious meal.  But when the car is wrecked, when the crowds are gone, and when the meal is finished, then what?

GODLY JOY is centered in CHRIST.  Jesus encouraged His disciples, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”  (John 15:11-14)

That’s why CHRISTIANS can take joy even amidst trials and tribulations—they know that their joy is not based on the things of this earth. 

My daughter recently checked out an Apple I-pad from her school library.  As we launched “Google Earth” a program that will literally take you around the world, we looked for the Colosseum in Rome.  It was so amazing to see that screen travel around the world to Italy, then close in on Rome, and finally take us to the Colosseum.  As we looked, I told Tressa about the Christians who died there as thousands of Romans jeered in the stands.  I told her how that parents were forced to watch their children thrown to the lions, how husbands would watch their wives eaten by the ravenous beasts, and how that finally the men would be tortured and killed. 

As we talked about those ominous days, days when thousands were martyred for their faith in Christ, I was reminded again of our Savior who “for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Father.” (Hebrews 12:2).  

Ah this is a joy that is, as the Apostle Peter tells us, “joy unspeakable, and full of glory!” (1 Peter 1:8).

Dear readers, at this season, do not forget:

OUR COMFORT,

OUR PEACE,

OUR LOVE, and

OUR JOY

are found in the SAVIOR who was born of the virgin in the City of David!  Now that is what I call, “Tidings of comfort and joy!”