“The fool despises wisdom amd instruction.”  (Proverbs 1)

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

 

Now we are into part three (3) of our look at the foolish and closed minded believer.  We have in the previous articles wrote upon the men that are repudiated by many because they are not the right flavour of Christ-ian. We have called these closed minded persons fools, rebels, and stupid.  However, after thinking about our harsh words we would like to………….ADD the word, Ignorant!!!  Many close minded, group=thinking, prejudiced, and presupposing fools loose out on so much light because fools beget fools.  Many of our brethren and they are our brethren, are told certain things that keep them form reading persons from other perspectives.

Notice our second passage from above. John and James came and told the Lord Jesus that they came a cross a man casting out demons in his Name, the Name of the Lord Jesus. John and james, probably with their chests pufed up and their King James Bibles under their arms, told the Lord Jesus, “We forbade him, because he folllow us not.”  To which our Lord replied with the passgae up above.  Reader, this tells us that our Lord has other disciple that are not part of our camp, group, circle, denomination, etc.  This also tells us that our Lord spent time with others that were not known to the twelve (12) for this stranger could not have any power over demons lest it be given him by Christ.

Readers, I will make a very bold statement….This will annoy some and possibly even disqualify me from fellowship with others.  If a person believes Christ is the Son of God, IE. God Incarnate, and looks upon Him as the One and Only way to Salvation, I care not whay Bible he uses, I care not what type of baptism he prefers, I care not about his view upon the :Lord’s supper, I will fellowship with him.  I will certainly be openabout our differences but I will love him as a brother in Christ.  Lloyd Jones said he could forgive a man anything, if that man could give him a sence of Christ. I will present you with a paradox.  It is due to my willingness to preach and teach in any church, that most churches will not have me.

Am I an Ecumentalist?  Those who know me would laugh at that.  I am as staunch as one will get on my theological beliefs.  I consider the catholic church as  an enemy as well as the j. Witnesses, and Mormons.  But I would preach in their theatres if given the opportunity…I would remain staunch in my beliefs, I would not give an inch as my Lord would not give an inch.  But this liberty would disqualify me from many a church.  Billy graham once said, in answer to his critics, “I would preach in Hell.” if God would allow him.

Onto our list of men and women that are repudiated.

8. I think we’re up to eight (8)
Arthur W. Pink,  This man is my “patron saint.”  Luther advises Bible students to limit their instructors to a few.  Pink has been a faithful friend and teacher. Next to Scripture, Pink, Lewis, and Bro. Lawrence have been my great advisors and teachers.  Many avoid Pink because, “Pink teaches babies go to Hell” if they die.  This is untrue and it is slander. This was started by the “lying tongue” and “false witness” of one H.I. Ironside.  Pink and Ironside had meetings in the same area and Ironside sent his acolites or group thinkers to Pink’s tent to tell those attending that Pink teaches babies go to Hell if they are not amoung the elect.  I have read Pink for years and this is NOT his position. Pink is an “Unwanted Man” according to biographer, Richard Belcher.  The Calvinists didn’t want him because he taught man’s responsibility to repent and believe. the Arminians didn’t want him because he taught election.  This man died in 1952 and few attended his funeral. After his death, his works became very popular. While alive, he produced, for thirty (30) thirty years, a magazine and he never had more than one thousand (1,000) readers. The man was blessed with an photographic memory.  His writing are unassailable. If you walk away disagreeing with his sound teachings on the fundamentals of the faith, they are intellectualy dishonest.
9. Athanasius, This man…without this man we would be Jehovah’s Witnesses, humanly speaking.  He was one of the only men, in his day, that stood for the deity of Christ.  Athanasius was exiled, four (4) times because of his faithfulness the the Godhead.  Again, this man is “considered” Catholic but he is a church father that should be honoured (Hebrews 13).  His, “The Incarnation” is second to none.  He was born in 296 A.D. and his writing are still in existence.
10. Madame Guyon, She is ignored because she is far in our Christ-ian history, because she is “considered” Catholic, she is a mystic, and she is a woman.  This woman is a forgotten hero of our faith. She was inprisoned by the Catholic church over her faithful to Christ. She speaks to prayer and the life of prayer that transforms lives, but because of her gender, her “Catholocism” and being callled a mystic, she is overlooked.  The person that ignores her writings is truly, a loser of great wisdom and sound counsel.  If you are a women, please look into this great saint. If you are a man, you will benefit greatly, as well.
11. Joyce Meyer,  This woman, while not being sound on some topics, is so helpful to women and men. She is not expositional, but she is very good with counsel, in terms, of the Christ-ian life.  When it come to those that may not be sound on all things, one must exercise their discernment, in other words, take the meat and throw away the bones.  The Christ-ian can trust the Spirit to help you discern that which is good, right, and truthful.
12. Jimmy Swaggert, while I will not necessarily recommend this prteacher, I will say, that much of his teaching is sound.  I will use Swaggert to make a point and to ask a question. Is a man disqualified after a fall like Swaggert?  If you say, “Yes!!!”  Let me posit one point.  David wrote many Psalms after his affair and murder.  Yet we continue to turn to his Psalms that are written after his fall.  Hypocrite, say, “what.”  Again, I do not recommend Swaggert, but I do question the spirit of judgment that clouds the mind of many believers.
13. A Catechism, A Catechism is a book of questions and answers with Biblical references supplied.  This is not a Catholic “[invention] of evil things.”  The reformers used catechisms, the puritans used a catechism. Charles Spurgeon wrote his own catechism.  There is the Westminster Catachism, and the Baptist Catechism!!!  This is a work that teaches sound doctrine so that when/if a child/adult is saved, they already have much knowledge. A catechism is a sign of wisdom and prudence.

We will end here in part three (3).  In the fourth (4th) and last article of this topic (DV), we will look at some secular entities that have been the subject of much prejudice.

Godspeed.