“[F]ools despise wisdom and instruction.”  (Proverbs 1)

“For he that is not against us is on our part.”  (Mark 9)

 

Continuing with our look at the closed minded Christ-ian, IE. “Fool.”  Don’t get angry with me, Solomon said it and the Spirit inspired it. We didn’t make you a fool, God didn’t make you a fool, but as “Iron sharpeneth iron” and Kind begets kind, Fools beget fools.”  The word fool can be translated as, “rebel.”  Therefore, the fool is not a stupid fool, necessarily, but he is a person who rebels against truth, wisdon, knowledge, and understanding. Well, now that I think about it, it is stupidity that causes a person to despise instruction and wisdom.  In other words, the closed minded, the prejudiced, the presupposers, the Pharisaical are rebelling against betterment through stupidity, and worse, PRIDE. Again, do not be angry with this writer. I’m not Prince Charming putting the shoe on your foot, but if the shoe does fit…..either wear it and remain rebellious and stupid or change the shoe.

Let us continue with our list of persons that some might be closed to.

5. John Wesley, Wesley was an “Arminian”, Arminian being on the side of free will salvation and in some points, but not all, the antithesis to “Calvinism.”  One who spends time with Wesley will spend their time wisely.  Wesley is the father of the Methodist Church. Wesley was focused upon the holiness of the Christ-ian.  Wesley was a prolific writer. Written by Wesley is literature on the Christ-ian home, raising children, Logic, and he is sound on Christ and the foundations of the Christ-ian faith.  Wesley, however, was not a friend to Calvinism.  This does not make him an agent of “Easy-Believism,”  or  “Cheap Grace.”
Wesley was a great friend to Geo. Whitefield, who was a flaming Calvinist and Whitefield was a great firend to Wesley.  They had their differences, of course, but they were friends and brothers united by Blood…Holy and Precious Blood.  There is in existence a letter that Whitefield wrote to Wesly on the soundness of the doctrines of grace.  It’s worth your time to read it.
I believe Whitefield preached Wesley’s funeral. Martyn LLoyd Jones and G. Cambell Morgan ministered together in the Church, Lloyd Jones, a staunch Calvinist and Morgan an Arminian, but it worked and after Morgan was translated to his Christ-made mansion, Lloyd Jones took the reign, under Christ, of the Church”  Calvinism and Arminianism are not deal breakers.  Both think they’re right but both cannot be but they “walk together” on other vital doctrines.  I can remember preaching all five (5) points of Calvinism to Arminians, and they were giving me Amens!!! Why and how could they do that?   I didn’t call it Calvinism.
6. Billy Graham, Another one that many speak against or in Biblical terminology, Backbite. I was a former backbiter or detractor of Graham.  Remember fools beget fools. I was told Graham was a puppet for Rome, that Graham watered down the Gospel, the he was seeker sensitive, etc.  I even “forwarded” that information via messages and teachings.  Well……………..God forgive me.
A man I respect, surprised me one day by speaking highly of Graham. The man had tears in his eyes as he spoke about the abuse Graham has withstood….abuse from the Church. After hearing what he said about Graham I decided to investigate and research Graham and his teaching, and his preaching.
I found soundness in all that I read.  Graham had been a stalwart saint for the Christ and the faith. Graham preached repentance, Christ as Lord without calling it Lordship salvation, he stressed that conversion is an act of God and it cannot be faked and a simple prayer is not the key to salvation.  Graham was sound.  His son, today, having taken up the “mantle,” is the most outspoken, faithful, despised and hated men in the world.  The Graham family is a family to look to as an example of life long Christ-ian leadership and Loyalty to Christ.
7. Bro. Lawrence, Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and for that reason alone many persons miss out on his small but profound and spirit edifying book on prayer, “The Practice of the Presence of God”  Without using hypebole or superfulous language, I can say, this small book changed my prayer life and therefore my entire life.  Lawrence’s book is made up of four (4) converstaions with another man, fifteen (15) short letters, and then, a section on his maxims.”  Since reading this book and God “opening [my] understanding” I have not had to “cold call” upon God in prayer.  This book teaches how to be, “Ceaseless in prayer,”  how to be, ” Instant in prayer,”  how to, “Pray everywhere,”  and how to prayer without other thoughts encroaching upon you.  But readers, the second some persons hear, “Carmelite monk,” there is no way you will convince them to read or at least research this book.  With this book, all devotional books, formal calls to prayer, etc. are not needed.  This man taught me as did King David to be, not a man of prayer, but to be prayer, itself (Psalm 109:4, read this Psalm without the italicized words).
8. C.S. Lewis, Lewis was a writer among scribblers.  This man, a former athiest, taught and trained by an athiest (who was a former sunday school teacher in the Presbyterian church), rejected Christ-ianity in a rather, St. Paul kind of way, without the physical violence. In the stead of physical violence, Lewis would use, verbal jiu jitsu in his atheism. However, God did as God does, and coverted Lewis to Christ-ianity.  Lewis was mocked among the elitist college professors that we dealt with everyday.  Lewis wrote the great series of “Narnia” books and he was mocked for writing children’s books when he knew no children or though the mockers thought, Lewis took into his home children of London during WW11.

Lewis has so many great insights, “Mere Christianity,”  “The ScrewTape Letters,”  “The Four Loves,”  “Letters to Malcolm (on prayer), ” The Weight of Glory,” and other books that are comprised of articles, he wrote in defense of Christ-ianity, logic, and sanity.  The Closed minded, foolish believer misses out on great reading by ignoring Lewis. Lewis, during World War two (2) would read his wriotings over the BBC radio network and they inspired many, many Europeans to remain faithful and strong. I remember years ago coming a cross a website that was dedicated to the destruction of Lewis.  They had articles on why Lewis is in Hell, and they resented him calling his book. “Mere Christianity.”  To demonstrate the foolishness and stupidity of their mission to denounce the book, allow me to tell you where Lewis found his title.  Lewis took the name, “Mere Christianity,” from Richard Hooker’s (Who was one of the detractor’s own, IE. Sharing many of their views!!!) book,  “Mere Orthodoxy.”  Mere does not mean base or unimportant, but basic, the basics of Christ-ianity. Many closed minded, group-thinkers are MERE caricatures of the faithful.  These are the types that are against “worldliness,” yet the world permeates and saturates their hearts.

Reader, Let us end here and continue in a third (3rd) article.

Godspeed.