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IN OUR RECENT BIBLE STUDIES at International Bible Baptist Church of Riverside we have been looking at an overview of End Times Prophecies. And I have made available to you via eNewsletter, blog, and on Facebook the YouTube videos and PowerPoint Presentations used in those Bible studies.
Now I would like to go a step further and share with you a very good video from "Happening Now With Don Stewart." In this video, Pastor Jack Hibbs and Don Stewart examine God’s prophetic Word in light of world events. This session is on eschatology viewed in the light of current world events - and it is very relevant.
"Happening Now” is a ministry of Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. The web site "RealLifeWithJackHibbs (dot) org/bible-prophecy-perspective/" has this intro:
"The
study of Bible prophecy has often been misrepresented leading to
widespread confusion. Join us as we examine God’s prophetic Word in
light of world events. During this live broadcast we will consider
current events through the lens of Scripture that supports a safe and
well-grounded understanding of God’s Word in these seemingly unstable
times. There will also be a time of Questions & Answers."
Jack Hibbs is the Founder and Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills located in Southern California. Jack’s teachings are heard on many international radio stations throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and throughout the Hawaiian Islands. He is best known for his passionate, expositional teachings.
Don Stewart is an internationally recognized Christian apologist and speaker. He graduated cum laude from Talbot Theological Seminary and the International Seminar in Theology and Law in Strasbourg, France, as well as from Biola University. Don is the author/co-author of over seventy books. His various writings have been translated into over thirty different languages and have sold over a million copies. Don has traveled around the world proclaiming and staunchly defending the Christian faith. He currently hosts Pastor’s Perspective on KWVE 107.9 FM Radio.
On a personal note, after being saved in 1987, for many years I have been listening to the Christian Talk Show "Pastor's Perspective" on KWVE Christian Radio. For most of those years Don Stewart has been the host of the show, with Pastor Chuck Smith and various other Calvary Chapel pastors as cohosts.
And I can say that, even though I have not always agreed 100% with the answers given on the show - I have learned a lot from listening to the discussions and that has helped me grow more mature in my knowledge of God's Word. It is kind of like a discussion style Bible study - except that being on the radio I cannot raise my hand and ask a question.
What happened when I did not agree with an answer on the show? Glad you asked. I would do as the apostle Paul teaches us in Acts 17:11 - go to Scripture, testing the teaching and the teacher - against Scripture. That, in my opinion, should be a major goal of all Bible studies, Sunday School classes, and Bible discussions - to encourage, motivate, and at times, push all of us toward digging deeper into God's Word for greater knowledge.
With that said, let me share with you this very thought provoking video:
Happening Now With Don Stewart And Pastor Jack Gibbs Of CCCH Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3ycuOONFMo
Let us all be ready when He comes unexpectedly, imminently, to take all believers home to be with Him (John 14:1-3) where we will be protected as the world experiences seven years of Tribulation, Refiner's Fire, as God closes the final chapter of what He began in Genesis 1.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Over the years, it has been my experience that there are two kinds of Bible studies. The best, in my opinion, is a discussion style Bible study where we sit as a group, take a chosen Scripture passage or chapter, and read through it verse by verse - discussing each verse as we move through that Scripture passage.
Why is this method best? Simple, the whole group can participate. Each of us takes our turn reading the next Scripture verse and sharing our thoughts on what we believe the original writer is telling us. That most often will lead to others in the group offering either a confirmation, or another thought on the meaning. That can lead to good discussions - in which the Bible study leader should participate, allowing the discussion of that verse to continue as long as the discussion stays on or near the subject.
When the discussion starts to wander, sometimes going off on a different tangent - that is when the study leader needs to bring the group back on track. In such a study it is best to not be dogmatic about finishing "x" number of verses, or a whole chapter, in one evening. The study leader's responsibility is to keep the discussion on track and moving forward.
If we discuss a smaller number of verses - but the group has participated in meaningful and productive dialogue where we all have learned - that should be the main goal of our Bible study. At the end of the Bible study we should all walk away with new insight, new learning from the Scripture passage studied and discussed that evening - and not a concern for the number of verses finished.
The other kind of Bible study is the devotional, presentation, or sermon type of Bible study. The downside of these types of studies is that the group typically just sits and listens with no participation. That is much like a Sunday sermon where we only listen to our pastor's teaching. The teaching might be from topical sermons or expositional sermons. Topical sermons can often be easier for the teacher - but there is a downside.
I recall reading Pastor Chuck Smith's article where he told about his early days as a pastor. His sermons were all topical and he worked diligently to prepare a repertoire of good topical sermons. At the first church he pastored, he was able to put together about fifty good topical sermons - enough for one year. His problem? At the end of his first year, he had two choices: (1) start over, repeating the same fifty sermons he had crafted, or (2) move to a new church and there present his fifty sermons to new ears.
That is when Pastor Chuck Smith decided that the most effective sermons were those taught expositionally, i.e., verse by verse through the Bible. That method produces two positive results. First, by teach expositionally, verse by verse, a pastor or church cannot skip verses or passages which disagree with their predetermined theology. Second, the pastor never runs out of new material - for he is teaching directly from God's Word, verse by verse - and he has 66 books to teach through. In his book "Expository Sermons On Revelation" Dr. W. A. Criswell said it took him 17 years to teach from Genesis through Revelation.
But, back to the three types of Bible studies which I call "pulpit led" Bible studies: devotional, presentation, and sermon. Devotional and sermon styles automatically put the group into a "listener only" state of mind. Whereas the presentation style can get the group involved - but not nearly as well as the "verse-by-verse" discussion style Bible studies.
By now you may be asking yourself, "Why is Bill going into such detail about types of Bible studies?" Glad you asked.
At times there are Bible studies which tend to be so deep that a verse-by-verse study could take years. A study of End Times prophecies is such a deep study. Years ago we decided to do an expository study of the book of Revelation in our home Bible study group. We made it through Revelation in about two months. But that was because the leader chose to read and explain each verse himself, without allowing time for a group discussion or comments on the verses or passages.
Yes, we went through the book of Revelation - but did we really get that much from it? If he had allowed discussions - it may have taken us a year or more to finish the book. But we would all have come away from our Bible study with a deeper understanding of End Times prophecies.
A good example: Dr. W. A. Criswell, was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas for fifty years (Billy Graham became a member of his congregation in 1953)and was twice president of the Southern Baptist Convention. In the 1960s, he decided to teach expositionally through the book of Revelation. He spent several years, Sunday after Sunday, teaching through the book of Revelation, with side trips to other books as necessary when teaching about End Times prophecies.
Did that concentration on the book of Revelation and End Times prophecies cause folks to stop attending church or to switch to a more "user friendly" church? It is my understanding that the First Baptist Church of Dallas continued to grow - spiritually and numerically - throughout the tenure of Dr. Criswell.
His Revelation / End Times sermon teachings were transcribed and published in a series of five volumes. I am fortunate to have the complete set in one precious book. By the way, that book is about two inches thick. And that is two inches of inspired knowledge and teaching, a true treasure.
In the foreward of the first volume Dr. Criswell wrote: "These are sermons, not lectures. They were preached extemporaneously, not written out and read. They were delivered without notes, in a way I have sought to preach throughout the years of my ministry." If you ever have a chance to add this book to your personal Christian library, I highly recommend you do.
As a side note, Dr. Criswell wrote the foreward for the 1980 second printing of "Building A Soul Winning Church" by Dr. Bob Davis. Bob has been my life-long friend, high school classmate, and after graduation in 1955 four of us (Bob, Willy Joe, Cortez, and myself) from Sheffield High joined the Air Force together. After his tenure in the Air Force, Bob went to seminary and eventually got his Ph.d.
For a number of years he was pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Virginia - and then about 40 years ago decided to transition into full time evangelism, founding the Bob Davis Evangelistic Association in Lynchburg, Virginia, and traveling extensively speaking at evangelistic and revival meetings.
All of this is a lead-in to my main purpose for this blog. For two weeks at International Bible Baptist Church of Riverside I have led our weekly Bible study using my PowerPoint Presentations titled: "END TIMES Bible Study - Week One" and "END TIMES Bible Study - Week Two." I know, very original, right?
Because of time constraints, these studies could only be done as an overview of End Times prophecies - for, as I mentioned earlier, a verse-by-verse discussion style study could take a year or more. In our Bible studies we must keep moving forward toward greater knowledge of God's Word and, at the same time, working toward greater maturity in our Christian walk for all of us. That is my goal in creating these presentations and my main reason for sharing them with you.
I have also taken my PowerPoint Presentations and converted them into YouTube videos. You may view the PowerPoint Presentations slide by slide - or you may choose to just watch the short videos and stop them when you want to ponder a point.
For your convenience my END TIMES Bible Study Week One and Two PowerPoint presentations are included in this eNewsletter as attached PowerPoint PPT files. But for Friends who do not have PowerPoint I have also saved the presentations as Adobe Reader PDF files with URL links.
First, let me give you the URL links to my PowerPoint Presentations converted to PDF format. When you click on the link that will open the presentation as an Adobe PDF document which you can scroll through, slide by slide. Or you can click the Download button and download the document into your Adobe Reader to be viewed and/or archived.
END TIMES Bible Study Week One - 7-21-18
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WLYFAUUpPOcFnUhUkuvq01zOOTVsUI_9
END TIMES Bible Study - Week Two - 7-19-18
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TV4UWdoE2m7wmKC_hjy9HdGIbHLYLF4H
INAUGURAL CLASS - WE BELIEVE - 7-21-18
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q68oDE4p-JgMQCh_eeCi5QpUSGjTZHOz
IT ALL BEGAN WITH CREATION_7-21-18
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CznlWkc1HyeFVArHPAsbV2nyYyYPDjqF
Or, you may view the same presentations as YouTube videos with soothing background music:
BIBLE
STUDY 2018 - BILL GRAY (YouTube Playlist)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUwF_igeTQk&list=PL_YT3RttutrhPFj_GxNr9bXqlaei7eJaQ
All comments, suggestions, and suggested corrections will be appreciated. I pray this will be useful to you in your own personal Bible study and in your corporate studies.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Yesterday I posted a new blog via my Friends Ministry eNewsletter, on the Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries, and on Facebook asking: "Statement Of Faith ~ How Is Yours?" And my long time Friend and Christian brother in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Brent Riggs, responded with the message below sharing his personal and ministry Statement of Faith. For years I have been receiving Brent's "Serious Faith" blogs (http://www.seriousfaith.com/) and he has been receiving my blogs and eNewsletters.
Just a bit of info about Brent:
Personal:
Happily married ~ Eight children - two from Guatemala, one from
Ethiopia, one from Marshall Islands, four bio ~ A Christian for 35+
years ~ Pastor of Straightway Bible Church ~ Have several blogs with
tens of thousands of readers ~ Author of many books and publisher of
various magazines ~ Have taught, spoke, preached and trained for over
20 years ~ Counseled, mentored & advised about business and
relationships for many years ~ Enjoy tennis, art, music, camping and
family activities.
To learn more about Brent, visit the About (http://www.brentriggs.com/brent.aspx) link on this web site. I have known him, via internet, for many years and I still am amazed at all that he has accomplished in one lifetime.
Below is his response to my Statement of Faith challenge:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Good stuff Bill… continue the great work. If interested, here is mine, Brent
What I Believe: (https://www.seriousfaith.com/what-i-believe/)
How You Can Be Saved – The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Every person needs to have a right relationship with the God who created us. (Do not believe the lie that you came from a monkey or goo. God made you, loves you, and is now trying to get your attention.)
Perhaps in your own heart you have tried to explain away spiritual things, convincing yourself it is all superstition or fairy tales, but the questions just will not go away. Do you know why they will not go away? Because God created in every person the need and desire to know the answers… this need is evidence that God exists, and is reaching out to you.
You need to be “saved.” Perhaps you do not understand that religious phrase. Let’s take a look. To be saved means to be rescued from some impending harm. You cannot really desire to be saved unless you are convinced there is something that you need to be saved from. What do we need to be saved from?
The nutshell is this: You are a sinner. The God who created you does not tolerate sin. Like a righteous human judge doing his duty, pronouncing punishment and penalty on wrongdoing, the Judge of the Universe – God – must pronounce eternal judgment on all those who have violated His perfect Law. That is the bad news. The good news is that God also has provided a way for us to be forgiven for those violations (sin).
But I’m a good person, you might say.
Are you really? Is it fair to call you a “sinner”? Most people would answer: “No, I’m a good person.” Hmmm… let’s put that to the test.
Have you ever lied? Ever, even once? How many lies does it take to be a liar? One. You are a liar. So am I.
Have you ever stolen, cheated on your taxes, been lazy at work? You are a thief.
Ever
lusted? Ever take God’s name in vain or used His name casually (“Oh my
God” or OMG)? Ever hated someone? Even once? That makes you an
adulterer (Jesus said lust is equal to adultery in your heart) - a
blasphemer (using God’s holy name without proper reverence) - and murderer (Jesus said to hate your brother is the same as wanting to kill him).
See what I mean. You are not “good.” You are a lying, stealing, blaspheming, murdering, adulterer. And that is just a start. We are not even halfway through the 10 Commandments. You are a sinner. I am a sinner. We ALL are sinners. We all have a very real need for forgiveness by God. That’s what “being saved” means. We need to be saved from God’s righteous pronouncement of “GUILTY!” and His just sentence of “DEATH” for our sin.
Just like a good human judge will pronounce “guilty!” and a penalty on someone who has broken the law, God (The Perfect Judge) will do the same. Makes sense, right?
God mercifully provided a way for us to be saved. You cannot earn it, you cannot be good enough to merit it. You cannot demand it or obligate God to give it. It is a free gift manifested in God’s love and sovereignty. Our salvation is unattainable except that God chose in eternity past to provide it.
Here are seven truths to help you find true Christian faith for yourself, based upon what God says in His Word – the Bible:
God Loves You: "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
You Are in Trouble: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) — “You [God] are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with You the wicked cannot dwell." (Psalm 5:4)
Sin Brings Disaster: "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
God Has Provided the Answer – a Savior: "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Repent* of Your Sin and Turn To the Savior, Jesus Christ: "Turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus" (Acts 26:20) — "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)
*To repent means to “turn away from.” It means to be sorry for your sin and truly not want to do it anymore.
Believing in Jesus and Receiving the Savior by Faith*: This is what the Bible says – God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son, Jesus. "He who has the Son has eternal life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life" (1 John 5:12) — "If
you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
Now Is the Time to Receive Him and Respond in Obedience: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." (Hebrews 3:15) — "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." (Acts 2:38)
Obedience is the evidence of true repentance, faith, and belief. We must respond to God’s gift of salvation ON HIS TERMS by obeying what He commands. Confess that you are a sinner publicly. Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the ONLY way to salvation. Be baptized – which symbolizes your old life of sin and defiance being put to death in a grave of water, and a new Godly person being born to a new life of righteousness and good.
Find a group of Believers with whom you can serve, pray, and worship the God of the Universe. Read your Bible. Love others. Obey God. Obedience is the EVIDENCE of GENUINE salvation.
What is Faith?
You hear the word “faith” a lot in Christian conversation. Often it is used to simply mean “trust” - such as “trust God” - i.e., have faith that God will care for you. But what is “faith” when speaking of the clear truth in Scripture that “salvation is by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 2:8)?
Other considerations:
Do you know what “praying”
is? It just means to talk to God. If you have finally realized you
are a sinner and need to be saved, talk to God and ask Him to forgive
you. Tell Him you believe Jesus died to pay for your sins, and you want
to stop sinning. Thank God for this.
Now go and
find some other Christians who are serious about their faith in God and
who believe the Bible. Ask them to show you what God would have you do
next. The Bible says we authenticate our salvation by our obedience –
doing what God says. Other mature Christians can show you what God
would have you do now, such as being baptized and meeting with other
Christians regularly.
Your
decision of what relationship you want with God is the most important
decision you will ever make in your life. If you have questions, or
need help finding Christians in your area who can talk to you further,
do not hesitate to e-mail me: brent@brentriggs.com.
Look up
these Bible verses where God says many of the things I’ve written above:
John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Psalm 5:4, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, Acts 20:21,
John 1:12, I John 5:11-12, Hebrews 3:7-8, Romans 10:9; Acts 2.38.
I have adopted my salvation explanation from things I’ve read over
time. Any similarity is not meant as plagiarism, but rather just a
choice to communicate this important truth in the best way possible. I
have lost track of what part of this came from where, or what is my own.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I BELIEVE:
I believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant Word of God and is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. (II Tim 3:16-17)
I believe
that there is one true God (Dt 6:4), eternally existing in three
persons…The Father (Jn 4:24), Son (Jn 1:1,14), and Holy Spirit. (Acts
5:3,4)
I believe
that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin (Isa 7:14), that He is God
incarnate, (Jn 1:1,14), and that He came to earth for the express
purpose of paying the penalty for our sins (Jn 1:29), making for Himself
His very own people. (Titus 2:14)
I believe
that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and raised from the grave (I
Cor 15:3,4); was exalted to God’s right hand (Eph 1:20); and there is
no other name under heaven by which man can be saved (Acts 4.12)
I believe that all men without Christ are sinners, guilty before God, and are under His condemnation. (Rom 3:23; 6:23)
I believe
that all who repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and
who respond in genuine obedient faith, are supernaturally born again
(John 3:3,7; 1 Pet. 1:3,23; Titus 3.5), sealed by God and given the Holy
Spirit as a guarantee (2Cor 1:22), adopted as children of God (Jn
1:12), and eternally saved. (Jn 6:47)
I believe
that all who come to believe in Christ, being filled with the Holy
Spirit (Acts 10:47-48), are commanded to be baptized (Matt 28.19; Acts
2.38; Mark 16.16, Gal 3.27); to observe the Lord’s Supper until His
return (Luke 22.19; 1 Corinthians 11:25-26); and are to be a part of a
local assembly of Believers (i.e, a home or community meeting on
the Lord’s Day of fellow Christians for worship, service and
fellowship). (Heb 10.25; The Book of Ephesians)
I believe in the personal and imminent return of Jesus Christ for His church. (I Thes 4:16,17)
I believe
in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, the everlasting
bliss of the saved in heaven, (Phil 3:20) and the everlasting punishment
of the lost in hell. (Rev 20:15)
I believe that the sick may request to be anointed with oil by the Elders of the Church as they pray the “prayer of faith”
and the Lord can save the sick and raise them up from both physical
and/or spiritual sickness as God chooses according to His will and
pleasure which He may or may not reveal to us. (James 5.14-15)
I believe that every believer is endowed with spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ. (I Cor 12:4,11)
I believe that all believers are called to live a life of holiness apart from all worldliness and sinful practice. (Rom 12:1,2)
I believe
that salvation is God’s merciful gift (we don’t deserve it) and
possible only by faith** (belief + trust + response) in Jesus Christ
alone (and no other) – (Ephesians 4: 2-4, 8). But because of his great
love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even
when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been
saved. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this
is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
**
FAITH is a combination of belief + trust + response. Belief that Jesus
is the Son of God, that was He born a real man, human in every way
except the sinful nature; that He lived sin-free life (unlike us Romans
3:23), that He freely gave His life on the Cross and paid my penalty for
my sin.
It is the belief that Jesus died on the Cross but three
days later rose from the dead defeating the power of death. It is
belief that I am a sinner who is justly and eternally condemned for
violating God’s holy standards.
Faith is trusting that Jesus
Christ alone can atone (satisfy God’s requirement for justice) for my
sins (and is willing to) and save me from an eternity in Hell that I
deserve…
and faith is responding in humble obedience (God is
right, I am wrong) by confessing my sins, repenting (turning away from
sin), and “putting on” Jesus Christ (like a person would believe and
trust and put on a parachute to save himself from burning airplane that
was going down).
I believe that an obedient response to God’s gift of
salvation and the resulting transformed life (from a lover of sin to a
lover of righteousness and God) is the evidence and authentication of
true salvation in a persons life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I truly appreciate Brent taking the time to respond to my challenge. I pray that others will at least accept the challenge to put your own personal Statement of Faith in writing, for your own benefit and to give you more confidence when sharing His Word, His Gospel.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
A number of times in our Bible studies and Sunday School Classes at International Bible Baptist Church - Riverside I have shared my conviction that all believers should confirm their own personal Statement Of Faith, what YOU believe and what YOU share when following His Great Commission and being His witness to all the world.
Yes, that should conform to the local church fellowship where you worship - but, you have to confirm your own personal beliefs - based upon your own study of Scripture.
How do you confirm your own Statement of Faith, so that you may affirm those beliefs when sharing with all the world? Glad you asked.
I would suggest that your first step should be to put YOUR own personal list of "What I Believe" statements in writing and support each statement from Scripture. That done, what do you do with your Written Statement of Faith now that you have confirmed it in writing? Do you just fold it, put it in your desk drawer, and let it gather dust? Or will you put it in your Bible so you might read it periodically? I would suggest the latter.
And, I would suggest you periodically revisit what you have written. A year, two years from now - have any of those beliefs changed or been slightly modified as your grew in Biblical maturity? If not, are you sure you have written what you believe from your own personal studies - and not what a pastor or a church has told you to believe?
Many years ago a dear Friend, Pastor Freddy Cortez, taught me to always be an Acts 17:11 Christian, testing the teaching and the teacher against Scripture. Over the years that advise has held me in good stead. Based upon his advise, when I encounter a new ministry, i.e., church, web site, or any Christian organization or ministry - the first thing I look for - before reading any of their material - is their posted Statement of Faith or Statement of Beliefs. Believe it or not - there are people, ministries, and churches who refuse to post this vital information.
Some years ago I came upon the web site of a church in the Midwest - but could not find their Statement of Faith. I sent them an e-mail asking if I had inadvertently missed that information. A person from that church responded, "We do not post our Statement of Faith - because we do not want to offend anyone." Yes, that was supposedly a Christian church - which would not share their Statement of Faith in Jesus Christ - to not offend anyone!
I replied, "Well, there are two things I am sure of - (1) you have offended God - and (2) you have offended me."
I have found other churches and ministries who have told me, "We don't hold to a formalized Statement of Faith. We just prefer to affirm our love and acceptance of all people and make them feel welcome in our fellowship." Really? Affirming your faith in Jesus Christ in writing - is too formal and restricting to your fellowship? Good luck!
And, to follow my own advise, this week I have revisited my own personal Statement of Faith, which is the same for our Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries. And, yes, I made modifications. Most were just grammatical corrections.
But I have rewritten what we believe about the Bible. I rewrote that statement to make sure it declares our firm belief "That the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God." I want to make sure that what we believe about God's Written Word, the Bible, firmly supports our Conservative Christian faith.
STATEMENT OF FAITH - Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries
WE BELIEVE:
That the Bible is
the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. The
Bible is the sole authority for our Christian faith and Christian life.
The Bible is God's authoritative written revelation to man. We believe
in the verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture and that all 66 books of
the Bible are without error in the original manuscripts.
We
believe Scripture should be interpreted according to its historical,
grammatical, and literal sense. We believe that Divine inspiration
extends equally and fully to all parts and words of the Bible, so that
the whole Bible, in the original manuscripts, is without error in its
moral and spiritual teaching and in its record of historical facts.
In one God, eternally existing and manifesting Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who before His incarnation, existed in the form of God and of His own
choice lay aside His divine glory and became a man in every aspect,
possessed of all the human characteristics of man. He was and is fully
God and fully man.
That our Lord Jesus Christ was supernaturally conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin, Mary. He died on
the cross for our sin; rose from the dead on the third day; and sits at
the right hand of God the Father as the ONLY mediator between man and
the Father.
That by His death on the cross our Lord Jesus
Christ, who was sinless, made a perfect atonement for our sin - that
through His death on the cross the wrath of God against sinful man was
appeased; and that His death on the cross provided grace for sinful man,
which is why Jesus Christ is the ONLY path through which man can, of
his own free will, have eternal life with God.
That through His resurrection on the third day
our Lord Jesus Christ defeated death, once and for all, and made
redemption available to ALL who will believe in Him as Lord and Savior.
That the Holy Spirit is God and is a person possessed of all the divine attributes of God.
That all who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior become children of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ, have His promise of eternal life, and will never lose their salvation.
That the Holy Spirit indwells and seals all born-again believers
at the time of their conversion and that this is a once-for-eternity
event. We should be seeking filling (empowering) of the Holy Spirit
daily, hourly, continually - through prayer, Bible study, and Christian
fellowship.
That heaven and hell are real places and
these are the ONLY two choices man has for his eternal home. Your choice
must be made before this life is finished. There is no second chance
after leaving this life.
That everyone will face judgment before Jesus Christ. The believer to a judgment of eternal rewards - the non-believer to a judgment of eternal punishment in hell, the lake of fire.
In a Pretribulation Rapture of the church, His body of believers worldwide.
In a Premillennial Second Coming of Jesus Christ
at the end of the seven year Tribulation, to establish His Millennial
Kingdom, the Kingdom of God on earth. For one thousand years He will
rule the world, the perfect Theocracy, from the throne of David in
Jerusalem.
As of today, July 20, 2018 - this is our Statement of Faith. I welcome all questions or comments. And I pray that, if you have not yet put your Statement of Faith in writing, this will encourage you to do it - for that can only strengthen your witness.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Last night I watched a great video of Dr. Ravi Zacharias responding to the question, "Is Roman Catholicism a cult?"
Over the years that I have been doing Christian apologetic writing, I have often been asked a similar question, "Is Roman Catholicism a heresy?" Or I have been told emphatically, "Roman Catholicism is a heresy!" And my response is that even though I spent many years of my early life attending the Roman Catholic church, since becoming a Christian believer in 1987 I could no longer be comfortable attending the Roman Catholic church.
Does that mean that I do not believe a person can be Roman Catholic and still be a Christian believer? No, I believe there are Christian believers in the Roman Catholic church and there are people who just attend out of habit or birthright. The same is true in the Baptist church, or any other denominational church. In any denominational church we will find true believers - and we will find those who profess, but do not possess, the Christian faith.
In the video below I believe that Dr. Ravi Zacharias gives a good analogy. He tells us that while different denominations may have varying doctrines and practices - what makes a Christian is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ - not our label.
For me, there is a Gospel song which says this very clearly. It has long been one of my favorite songs, "It's Not What's Over The Door."
Just a sample of the lyrics:
Some people think today, If heaven you would see,
You must belong to their one church, Or be lost eternally.
But according to God's word, What He's still looking for,
Is what He finds within your heart, And not what's over the door.
It's not what's over the door Of the church that you attend,
That makes you a child of God, And a heavenly citizen.
As the eyes of the Lord look this world o'er, There’s just one thing He's lookin’ for
Can’t you see that’s what’s in your heart, And not what's over the door.
You can find a great rendition of this beautiful Gospel song by The Cathedrals on YouTube. It speaks to my heart, I believe it will speak to yours also.
That said, I believe that Dr. Zacharias hits the nail on the head - when he tells us that most often a cult church is one that was started by "one man" with that one man setting the theology, doctrines, and teachings of that church or group of churches.
It does not matter which label that church wears, i.e., Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Independent, etc., - if "one man" is at the helm, sets all the doctrines, and does all the teaching - that church can be in danger of becoming a cult church.
That is one major reason I would always suggest to anyone who has a calling to be a Christian leader - pastor, elder, lay teacher, etc. - and wants a solid Christian education - attend a major conservative Christian seminary which offers a well rounded faculty of solid Christian teachers. Good examples are: Biola University Talbot School of Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary, California Baptist University, Chafer Theological Seminary, Liberty University Theological Seminary, etc.
In contrast to the conservative theology seminaries, there are those which lean heavily toward liberal modernism in their theology and teaching. Examples of such seminaries are: Duke Divinity School, Harvard Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, etc.
The ironic thing about these typically Ivy League schools is that they were the first Christian colleges founded in America - and they were founded primarily to provide higher education for future pastors and Christian leaders. But over the centuries they somehow took the more popular liberal and modernist path - and strayed away from conservative theology teaching.
"But, Bill, what is the difference? Don't all seminaries teach the Bible?" Great question. Glad you asked.
So, what is the difference between the teaching found in conservative theology schools - and that found in the more liberal schools? Traditional or conservative schools provide stronger emphasis on systematic theology - taking a more expositional indepth approach to Scripture.
While the liberal schools place heavier emphasis on social/moral theology and often treat Scripture as only a source for inspiration. Liberal theology tends to focus on the Bible as an evolving story and seeks to understand Scripture as an unfolding, ever changing narrative. And, of course, the liberal theology school of thought has found appeal to a wider, often secular, audience.
And many of the liberal theology churches and denominations have also moved toward a more ecumenical "one religion fits all" teaching.
Am I saying that liberal theology churches and followers are not Christian? No, in no way. But they seem to have missed the point in the full revelation which God has given to us in His Written Word, the Bible. The liberal Christian will end up in heaven alongside we conservative theology Christians. The main difference is that they will find many pot holes and pitfalls along the way in their daily Christian walk. And they will find their path more crowded.
Jesus tells us, in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
Yes, it is my belief that our liberal theology brethren will always find the path they have chosen toward the narrow gate more crowded - for it will be full of those who attend church to only be made to feel good and assured that God will overlook their favorite sins and they can find many "feel good" churches and pastors who will cater to those desires. And they will be walking alongside the many secularists who smirk at our Christian faith - and those who teach a different Gospel, i.e., the cult churches.
One of the most obvious cult groups in America has long been the Worldwide Church of God which was started in 1933 by Herbert W. Armstrong. When Armstrong died, his successor, Joseph W. Tkach, began a movement to bring that church in line with mainstream Christian theology. And they changed the name to the Grace Communion International to divorce themselves from the shadow of Herbert Armstrong. This angered many of Armstrong's followers - who split off and started about six other churches which still teach Armstrong theology. All of them are cult churches.
Why are they, the Worldwide Church of God and its offshoots, cult churches? First, they deny the Trinity, claiming that the Holy Spirit is merely a "power" emanating from God. They deny hell for unbelievers, instead teaching annihilationism, that the unbelievers will be totally destroyed and have no eternal existence in hell. They teach "second chance" salvation, i.e., that a person who dies while still rejecting Jesus Christ - will be given a second chance after death. They are cult churches.
Another cult god-father was Oral Roberts, the virtual god-father of Prosperity Theology. Other cult leaders who followed in the steps of Oral Roberts in Prosperity Theology include Robert Tilton, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland, Reverend Ike, Frederick K.C. Price, T. D. Jakes, Kenneth Hagin, Paul Crouch, etc. - and female versions are Joyce Meyer, Paula White, etc.
That said, I believe that a person who has put his faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior - is a Christian believer - regardless of the name over the door of their church. But I would have a difficult time going back into Roman Catholicism - after being a Baptist-flavored believer for over 30 years.
Yet, just as Dr. Zacharias tells us, I would not say that a person is not a believer because he worships in the Roman Catholic church. Still I would wonder how that person can go along with the worship of and prayers to non-deity such as Mary and all the other church appointed saints.
So, watch Dr. Ravi Zacharias' video and consider what he is telling us.
Is Roman Catholicism a cult? - Ravi Zacharias at Texas A&M's Veritas Forum
Dr. Ravi Zacharias answers the question, "Is
Roman Catholicism another example of how unity does not equal
uniformity within the Christian community or is it at its core a
derivative of true Christianity?" at Texas A&M's Veritas Forum on March 19, 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CisY1QTgEis
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Several weeks ago, our sermon at International Bible Baptist Church - Riverside was presented by Jonathan Dave Nolasco and was based upon James, chapter 2. That sermon started my spiritual mental wheels turning.
My focus went to verses 14 and 17 in the James 2:14-17 passage, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Jonathan's message that Sunday focused more on the message found in verses 15 and 16, loving our neighbor and allowing our Christian witness to show through how we relate to and treat others. My antennae was piqued more on rehashing mentally how I have seen this full James 2 Scripture passage used, and misused, in past years.
The following Sunday during our "after service" fellowship, my dialogue buddy, Ben Gallardo, and I had another good discussion and I told him how Jonathan's message that week had caused me to consider the best way to present that particular passage to readers of my blogs and eNewsletter.
We know our "Salvation by Works" brethren will use this passage in their attempt to prove that folks are saved by works. And our Arminian brethren will use it to prove that a Christian can indeed lose his salvation.
So, let's dig more deeply into this James 2 passage and see what we can discover.
First, James is addressing Christian brethren, as witnessed in multiple verses: James 1:2, 1:16, 1:19, 2:1, 2:14, 3:1, etc. These people are saved Christian believers - or he would not be addressing them as brethren. So, is James telling people whom he calls brethren - that if they have no works, they are not really saved? If so, why is he calling them brethren? Or is he telling them that they can lose their salvation, i.e., the Arminian view?
Using this passage as proof text, aren't our Works Salvation brethren putting the cart before the horse, i.e., works first, then salvation?
Or do you think James is telling believers that without post-salvation works their Christian witness is sterile, unable or unwilling to reproduce? That could be true, for if a believer does not have a desire, and a willingness, to share this great blessing of eternal life in Christ with those still lost in the world - what does that say about his own Christian faith and witness?
Why would a believer not feel a strong desire to share the joy of our Christian faith with others? I might suggest that this could come from the way folks view the Bible, God's Written Word. Do they view the Bible as God's Written Instructions to us - or do they view the Bible as just a good book of allegories, metaphors, and myths?
For me, the Bible is God's full revelation to man regarding salvation and our Christian faith. In His Bible, God gives us everything we need to know to attain salvation, eternal life in Christ - to maintain our own personal daily Christian walk - and to share that faith and knowledge with others who need to hear the Good News, the Gospel.
Basically there are only two views of the Bible held within our Christian communities: the conservative Christian view and the liberal Christian view:
1. Conservative Theology views the Bible as the Holy Spirit Inspired, Holy Spirit Inerrant, Holy Spirit Literal Written Word of God.
We
believe the Bible is
the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and
authoritative Word of God. The Bible is the
sole authority for our Christian faith and
Christian life. The Bible is God's
authoritative written revelation to man. We
believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of
Scripture and that all 66 books of the Bible
are without error in the original
manuscripts.
We believe Scripture should be
interpreted according to its historical,
grammatical, and literal sense. We believe
that Divine inspiration extends equally and
fully to all parts and words of the Bible,
so that the whole Bible, in the original
manuscripts, is without error in its moral
and spiritual teaching and in its record of
historical facts.
2. Liberal Theology views the Bible in a metaphorical, allegorical, and symbolic sense.
In Liberal Theology
the Bible is the Word of God, but it is not to be read and
interpreted as the literal Written Word of God. Some in that
camp will even deny the Holy Spirit Inspiration of the Bible,
saying that it is the product of men and the cultural
worldview of the writers during their time.
They see the
Bible as a good guideline for Christian living, but not the
inspired, inerrant, and definitely not the literal Written
Word of God. Viewing the Bible in this allegorical sense,
those with a predetermined theology can twist Scripture to fit
any doctrinal teaching they choose.
Over the past thirty years, as I have been doing Christian and apologetic writing on different venues, I have often been asked the question, "What about the Liberals who do not believe in evangelism and the divine inspiration of Scripture, who will avoid sharing the Gospel and witnessing to people in the unbelieving world about God? Are they saved?"
Many times on various venues people who tell me they are Christian have declared to me, "Bill, if someone wants to hear about Jesus Christ and the Bible, they will come and ask me. If they do not ask me, I am not going to beat them over the head with my Bible." These are the folks I call my "Couch Potato" Christian Friends.
But, are they saved? If they have heard the Gospel of salvation, believed in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, and receive Him as their Lord and Savior - YES, they are saved (Ephesians 1:13, John 1:12).
Yes, the Liberal "Couch Potato" Christian is just as saved as you and me. It is just that when they stand before Christ at the Believers' Judgment, aka, the Bema Seat Judgment - their "Christmas Stocking of Rewards" will be empty. Believing and being justified will get them into heaven - and that is our greatest reward, to be in His presence eternally. But it will be like standing before a highly respected and beloved Teacher and having to say, "No, I have not done my homework."
John Calvin said of that kind of saving faith, "It is faith alone that justifies - but faith that justifies is never alone"
We must keep in mind that Jesus Christ left us two Ordinances and one Great Commission:
The ordinances:
Baptism and Communion, which we do in
remembrance of Him and His sacrifice for us. (Luke
22:19-20, Matthew 28:19)
The Great
Commission: "GO, Make disciples, Baptize
them, Teach them. . . Be My witnesses in all the
world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark
16:15). If we are GOING, we cannot be SITTING on our
couch waiting for the world to come to us.
At this point I think an important question is: "When are we saved?" Are we saved the moment we believe? Or are we saved after we have worked enough to earn salvation?
If we have to work to earn salvation, then why did Jesus Christ have to die on the cross? Or was His death not sufficient to give eternal life to believers? Folks, these are very important questions - for they go toward our understanding of God. Is He truly an Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipotent (all powerful), Omnipresent (all places present) God - or not?
What does the Bible say about when are we saved?
Ephesians 1:13 (nkjv), "In Him you also
trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of
your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you
were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,"
Ephesians 2:8-9 (nkjv), "For by grace you
have been saved through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest
anyone should boast."
Romans 5:1 (nkjv), "Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
2 Corinthians 5:17
(nkjv), "Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation (regeneration);
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become
new."
Titus 3:5 (nkjv), "Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
His mercy He saved us, through the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,"
Those verses tell me that the moment we hear the Gospel and believe - we are saved, justified, regenerated, and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. At that very moment a person is saved, i.e., regenerated, justified, and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Will the Holy Spirit ever leave the believer? We find an answer to that question in Ephesians 4 and John 10:27-29:
Ephesians 4:30 (nkjv), "And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption."
And in John
10:27-29 (nasb), "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me; and I give eternal life (never
ending life) to them, and they will never
perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all;
and no one is able to snatch them out of the
Father's hand."
Once a person is saved, sealed, indwelled by the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit will never leave that believer until his day of redemption. When is our day of redemption? Our day of redemption is the day we either die in this mortal body - or are Raptured from this mortal body. Until that moment, no power on earth or in heaven can evict the Holy Spirit from the believer - for our body is a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, John 10:27-29).
Then what did James mean when he wrote: James 2:17(nkjv), "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
We need to look at:
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (nkjv),
"According to the grace of God which was given to me, as
a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and
another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he
builds on it. (11) For no other foundation can anyone
lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(12) Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, (13) each
one's work will become clear; for the Day (2
Corinthians 5:10, Believers' Judgment or Bema Seat
Judgment) will declare it, because it will be revealed
by fire; and the fire will test each one's work,
of what sort it is.
(14) If anyone's work which he has
built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
(15) If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss (of
rewards); but he himself will be saved, yet so
as through fire."
We can see that a person is not saved by, or through, works. "Works will not bring salvation - but salvation should bring forth works." Which correlates with John Calvin's statement, "It is faith alone that justifies - but faith that justifies is never alone"
What kind of "works" is meant in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15? Is it works of the Law - or works which are the fruit of salvation? Works of the Law cannot save anyone (Romans 3:20). We must make clear distinction between "works of the Law" and "works resulting from salvation."
Romans 3:20 (nkjv),
"Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be
justified in His sight, for by the law is the
knowledge of sin."
Galatians 2:16 (nkjv), "Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might
be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works
of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall
be justified."
Galatians 3:2-5 (nkjv), "This only I want to learn from
you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or
by the hearing of faith? . . . Therefore He who supplies the
Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by
the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
There is a singular point in time when a person is saved "by grace through faith." At that moment the Holy Spirit indwells that person, taking up permanent residence within that believer:
John 1:12 (nkjv),
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"
At that specific moment, the person has eternal life, has the Holy Spirit within, and IS a child of God. That fact is irrefutable and immutable. Nothing on earth or in heaven can take that "child of God" status from that person. In other words, NO ONE can snatch the believer out of God's hands nor out of God's family.
At that moment, we are adopted into the family of God:
Galatians 4:4-7 (nkjv),
"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His
Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, (5) so that He
might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might
receive the adoption as sons. (6) Because you are
sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our
hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' (7) Therefore you are no
longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir
through God."
Works has not led to us being saved; works has not given us eternal life in Christ. That happened by grace through faith, alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once we are saved, regenerated, justified - that salvation is set in concrete. Now that we have been saved, because of that saving grace, that should give us a strong desire to do good works in the name of the Lord.
Look at salvation like a one-way gate. Once we walk through, we are children of God. And, at that time we should get to work - glorifying God and sharing His Gospel with the world.
Jesus Christ explains it very clearly in His Great Commission to ALL believers: "GO, Make disciples, Baptize them, TEACH them. . . Be My witnesses in all the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15).
So, when James writes in chapter 2, verse 17, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Could that be saying that we have lost our salvation? No. That is saying that our post-salvation works have been tested and found lacking. Therefore we lose rewards in the life to come, when we stand before Christ at the Believers' Judgment, i.e., the Bema Seat Judgment.
Look again at what 1 Corinthians 3:15 is telling us, "If anyone's work is burned (post salvation works), he will suffer loss; but he himself WILL be saved, yet so as through fire." We may have scorched robes of righteousness - but we will be wearing them in the eternal presence of Jesus Christ.
James is not disagreeing with the apostle Paul, he is merely saying the same thing - but from a different view.
When you believe, put your faith in Him, and trust His promises - a natural result is that you will want to share His Gospel with others. You will not be forced to do it. But I suggest that you should be so excited about your salvation, that you will not be able to resist sharing Him with others. That, folks, is saving grace, salvation, eternal life - that is the fruit, the good works, which should naturally flow from your salvation.
As I said earlier, there are those of us who feel a need to share the Gospel with the world, i.e., Conservative Christians.
And there are those who are saved, but prefer to sit and wait for the world to ask them about the Gospel, i.e., Liberal Christians, aka, "Couch Potato" Christians.
The important question is: Which are YOU? Do you surrender to the saving grace which tells us to "GO! Be His witness!" ~ or do you "SIT And Wait To Be Asked?"
Your eternal rewards, not your salvation, depend upon your answer. But don't you want to enter never ending eternity with lots of treasures, i.e., rewards (Matthew 6:19-21) in your Heavenly Bank Account?
In closing, let me share a video clip which I took from a Bible Study on James 2 presented by the late Chuck Missler. Chuck, besides being a corporate leader and scientist in advanced technologies for many decades, also was an accomplished Bible teacher for over 40 years with many thousands of his teaching videos distributed around the world.
In the video below, Dr. Chuck Missler provides a verse-by-verse expositional teaching of James 2:14-26. He examines faith and works. What kind of faith saves a person? Is it necessary to do good works to be saved? Are faith and works inseparable? Is there evidence in your life that you are saved?
For many years in the world of economy and banking, we heard that proclamation: "When Merrill Lynch speaks people listen"
Well, my Friends, in the world of Christian faith and Bible teaching, I have often felt: "When Chuck Missler speaks people listen"
And that is why I want to end this blog giving you an opportunity to listen to what Chuck Missler has to say about James 2:14-17. I am giving you an edited short version - and the full one hour study - depending upon how much time you can spare.
James 2:14-26 Bible Study - Chuck Missler - Short Version (25 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIiCLO_dBhg
James 2:14-26 Bible Study - Chuck Missler - Full Study (1 hour, ten minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdxT1smfzbM
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
DEJA VU MOMENT OR FLASH BACK, OR BOTH? ~ Today I was doing research for another blog and stumbled upon the uncut video below of President John Kennedy announcing to the world America's absolute will to not back down in face of the Russian buildup of Soviet nuclear weapons on the island nation of Cuba in 1962. That was a tense week for America and for the world. And it had an even more direct effect on me personally.
"Bill, how could this conflict between America and Russia over missiles in Cuba have a more direct impact upon you - than the threat of a nuclear war?" Glad you asked.
Let's digress to a blog I began writing on November 26, 2016, but lay aside and never finished. It was titled "Fidel Castro Memories" and was prompted by the death of Fidel Castro:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FIDEL CASTRO'S DEATH today kind of brings me full circle with history. Early in July 1958, I was discharged from the Air Force and was spending time with my wife's parents in Denver. During the few weeks we were there, Grace and Lester, my in-laws, took us for an outing to the beautiful mountains of Denver. We enjoyed the day and found it pleasant that in Denver the July weather was warm allowing us to wear shorts on our drive to the mountains. But in the mountains we played in snow - in shorts. Go figure. That happens in the Mile High City.
As we were driving to the mountains, a radio news reporter excitedly told us that Fidel Castro had defeated the army of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista and was marching on Havana. In his words, Castro had taken control of Cuba.
What had really happened was the Battle of La Plata (July 11–21, 1958) the summer offensive launched by the Batista government during the Cuban Revolution. In that battle, Castro's revolutionary army soundly defeated and virtually destroyed the Cuban forces. But, the actual fall of the Batista government did not happen until January 1, 1959.
The next week, my family and I took a train from Denver to Los Angeles, California, arriving on my 21st birthday, Wednesday, July 23, 1958. And one week later, July 30, 1958, I was offered a job working for Burroughs Corporation in the computer industry. In the fall of 1959, Burroughs Corporation sent me to work as a Field Engineer at the Norfolk Naval Supply Depot in Virginia, and later moved me to Alexandria, Virginia, to work out of the Washington DC office.
In October 1962, I was the lead Field Engineer on a Burroughs Corporation B-220 computer system for our customer, Atlantic Research Corporation, a government contractor in Tysons Corner,Fairfax County, Virginia. Another Burroughs Field Engineer, Paul, worked with me - and since we both were ex-Air Force electronic techs, we decided that we would join the Air Force Reserve just to keep up with Air Force electronics technology. We had planned to go to the Air Force Reserve Center on Saturday, October 13, and join the Reserves.
But, as fate would have it, the computer we were responsible for at Atlantic Research Corporation had a problem and we had to work that Saturday. Not a problem, Paul and I agreed. We will just go next Saturday.
Well, Fidel Castro stepped into our plans. On Sunday, October 14, the Cuban Missile Crisis burst upon us. Russia had installed missile sites in Cuba - within easy target range of America. That Sunday led into a 13-day (October 16–28, 1962) confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the apparently offensive missile sites in Cuba.
Guess what happened to the Air Force Reserve Unit that Paul and I had planned to join the previous Saturday. You guessed it. President Kennedy activated that unit on Monday, October 15. If we had joined for what was supposed to be a weekend activity - we would have been activated into full time service that Monday. Needless to say, since that day, I have never volunteered to join anything - except the church.
And, today, November 26, 2016, I read that Fidel Castro had passed away the previous day. His impact on my life has come full circle. But, his communist legacy still lingers and is still a threat to the free world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I pray that you have enjoyed this wee walk down memory lane. Why should we study history? Glad you asked.
The Spanish philosopher, essayist, poet, novelist, George Santayana (1863-1952), wrote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." And, in World War 2, England's great Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, paraphrased that declaration as: "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."
So, what do you know about the week that America, Russia, and the world - were standing on the doorsteps of a nuclear war over the Soviet missile installations in Cuba?
The uncut video below of President John Kennedy drawing a real line in the sand (unlike the wind-blown lines Obama constantly drew and then blew away) - making it clear to Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, that America would NOT accept Soviet offensive weapons so near our homeland, America.
President Theodore Roosevelt, in a letter to Henry L. Sprague on January 26th 1900, wrote: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
Praise God that America has had good presidents in my lifetime who knew how to speak softly of peace - while holding the big stick of the American military strength in hand.
In 1962, President John Kennedy took a stance for American freedom. In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan demanded and built a strong American military force, not for aggression - but to prevent aggression against America. And now President Donald Trump is effectively working to rebuild our American defense system and strategy which was allowed to wither under the administrations starting with Clinton and almost cease to exist under Obama.
Let us resolve to work with President Trump to solidify America's borders and rebuild our military strength. Our national defense and security is multi-faceted. It includes both our military strength to protect us at home and abroad - and also our homeland defense starting with secure and firm borders, which calls for walls on our southern borders.
JFK's "Cuban Missile Crisis" Speech (10/22/62) (Complete And Uncut)
https://youtubemini.site/video/EgdUgzAWcrw/jfks-cuban-missile-crisis-speech-102262-complete-and-uncut
God bless America - God bless President Trump - and God bless YOU and your family,
Bill
