Should Communion, The Lord's Supper, Be Open, Closed, Or Close?

SHOULD COMMUNION, i.e., THE LORD'S SUPPER be Open, Closed, or Close?  ~  What is the difference?  Glad you asked.

Open Communion:  All Christian believers present at the time the Lord's Supper is celebrated, local church members or visitors, can participate in remembering Christ through receiving the elements.  The individual person determines if he/she is spiritually ready to receive the Lord's Supper.

Closed Communion:  Only members of that local church fellowship may participate in the Lord's Supper celebration.

Close Communion:  Local church members and visitors from other church fellowships in the same denomination may participate in the Lord's Table celebration.

 

Confusing?  I agree.  And I do not believe Jesus Christ meant to confuse anyone when in Luke 22:19 we read, "He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' "

So what is the difference between the three Communion practices?   The following excerpt comes from GotQuestions (dot) org:

* * * The difference between “Open” and “Closed” communion hinges on a church’s view of the purpose of communion and the authority of the church. Churches that practice “open” communion invite all professed believers in Christ to join them in observing the ordinance. 

Churches that practice “Closed” communion limit involvement in the Lord’s Supper to their own local body - only official members in good standing are allowed to partake. 

Some churches practice a third type, which they call “Close” communion.  In “Close” communion members of other churches in the same denomination are allowed to break bread together with the members of the local church. * * *

In a given local church fellowship, who decides who can participate in the Lord's Supper?  Is it the pastor, the deacons or elders, their denomination?  Who makes that spiritual decision?

I ask myself, "When Jesus 'took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me' -  who was He addressing when 'He gave the elements to them'?"   "Them" at that time referred to His apostles who were sharing the Passover Meal with Him in the Upper Room on that particular evening. 

But when He said, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me" - I am convinced His "you" was addressing all believers down through the ages.  Jesus Christ did not die just for His apostles - He did not die just for pastors, elders, deacons.  He did not die just for Baptists, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, etc.  He did not die just for a given denomination.  No, Jesus Christ died on the cross to offer salvation and eternal life to ALL who will believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior.

Nowhere in that Luke 22:19 verse, or anywhere in the Bible, do I see Jesus Christ telling any denomination, any church, any pastor, elder, deacon - that THEY should judge who is saved, who is a believer, who is spiritually fit to join Him at His Lord's Table. 

Think about it.  A person, a church, or a denomination which tells a person, "You cannot take the Lord's Supper with us, because you might not be a real believer" - is placing himself, his church, his denomination in the position of being God, of passing judgment on another - just because that person is not a member of his local fellowship. 

I must ask that person, church, or denomination, "Are you that SURE that all members of your local church, the ones with whom you are willing to take the Lord's Supper - are they ALL true believers?"  If not, then using your criteria, you must deny them Communion.  How will YOU judge which in your own fellowship deserve to receive Communion?

How can you be sure?  The solution is simple.  Offer the Lord's Supper to all who are attending your Communion Service - and leave it to that individual and to God to judge who is fit to sit at His Table.  In my understanding of the Bible, in over 33 years of study, that is what is taught in God's Word.

One last thought on that subject:  I attribute my salvation to a man, Pastor Sam Lacanienta, through whose Godly love, patience, and guidance I was able to see my path to the foot of the cross, where Jesus Christ died for me and where He was inviting me to become an adopted child of God, through Him.  But to be honest, even though I feel it with ever fiber of my being, that Pastor Sam is a true believer - I cannot say with absolute certainty that is true.  Only Pastor Sam and God know for sure. 

What I do know is that if Pastor Sam had not loved me to the cross - most likely I would still be wandering in the perverted secular world today - walking toward an eternity without God, an eternity in hell.  But praise God, I am a child of God, because of the Light I saw through and in Pastor Sam.

But if I am a leader in a church which practices Closed Communion or Close Communion - I would have to tell Pastor Sam that he cannot join me and Jesus Christ in the Lord's Supper celebration - because he is not a member of our local fellowship and therefore I am not sure he is really a believer.  Do you see the gaping fallacy in either of the Closed or Close Communion practices?

Most church fellowships which practice Closed or Close Communion also have the restriction that only a believer who has been baptized, preferably in their church fellowship, can participate in the Lord's Supper.  Really?  Then the thief on the cross could not participate at your Lord's Table - for he was not baptized.  "And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.' "  (Luke 23:43)   He can be in Jesus Christ's Paradise - but he cannot participate in your Lord's Supper celebration.

In those churches who practice Closed or Close Communion, my mother, if she were alive, could not join us in the Lord's Supper - because she was not baptized.  My step-father had her in a cult church for 20 years.  But before she died in a nursing home, I was able to get her connected with a Bible-believing Baptist church where the pastor led her to the Lord.  He told me, "Bill, I led her in the Sinners' Prayer, but because of her strokes I am not sure she understood fully."  And I told him, that is why I had not tried to do it over the phone while she was in the nursing home in Little Rock. 

Yet, God is so gracious.  For at her viewing, before the people came, I stood by her casket and I heard a revelation telling me, "Don't worry. She is with Me now."   I have never heard such a revelation about myself, although I have no doubt of my salvation.  But through His grace, I did receive that revelation from the Holy Spirit about her - and it was not my imagination.  For it was totally unexpected. 

Yet she could not take Communion at a church which practices Closed or Close Communion.  Really?  That is a true case of:  "God said she is saved - Man said I am not sure" - so she has to be excluded from celebrating the Lord's Supper.  Not according to Jesus Christ.

More about the Lord's Supper  ~  The Lord's Supper is NOT a one time event.  Jesus tells us to do this "in remembrance of Him" (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25).  How often does your church remember Jesus Christ and what He did to offer us eternal life?   That is reflected in how often your church fellowship celebrates the Lord's Supper?

Should we call it Communion - or should we call it the Lord's Supper?  Either is correct, but let's examine both.  Calling it the Lord's Supper is probably most common and, for me, has a deeper meaning.  What is more personal and intimate than coming to the table to share a meal with friends and family? 

Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine (or sup) with him, and he with Me."  That is the ultimate intimacy, being at the Lord's Supper Table.  That implies we are in personal communion with Him - just as when we sit, pray, and eat with our immediate family.  It is a form of Communion, but I personally prefer to consider it dining at the Lord's Supper Table - with Him.

Let's look at the way several leading theologians define the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper:

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A.  Dr. Wayne Grudem:  His book "Systematic Theology - An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine" (1311 pages) is considered a standard textbook in most seminaries.  In his shorter version of the same book, which I have in my personal library, titled "Bible Doctrine, Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith" (528 pages) - chapter 28, pages 387-394, he tells us regarding the Lord's Supper:

The Lord Jesus instituted two ordinances (or sacraments) to be observed by the church.  The previous chapter discussed "baptism," an ordinance that is only observed once by each person, as a sign of the beginning of his or her Christian life.  This chapter discusses "the Lord’s Supper," an ordinance that is to be observed repeatedly throughout our Christian lives as a sign of continuing in fellowship with Christ. .  .  .

The meaning of the Lord’s Supper is complex, rich, and full.  Several things are symbolized and affirmed in the Lord’s Supper.

1. Christ’s Death:  When we participate in the Lord’s Supper we symbolize the death of Christ because our actions give a picture of his death for us. .  .  . “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

2. Our Participation in the Benefits of Christ’s Death:  Jesus commanded his disciples, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26).  As we individually reach out and take the cup for ourselves, each one of us is, by that action, proclaiming, “I am taking the benefits of Christ’s death to myself.” .  .  . 

3. Spiritual Nourishment:  Just as ordinary food nourishes our physical bodies, so the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper give nourishment to us.  But they also picture the fact that there is spiritual nourishment and refreshment that Christ is giving to our souls; the ceremony that Jesus instituted is, in its very nature, designed to teach us this.  

4. The Unity of Believers:  When Christians participate in the Lord’s Supper together they also give a clear sign of their unity with one another.  In fact, Paul says, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17).

Bill Gray Note:  If your church or denomination practices Closed or Close Communion - aren't you denying the "unity of believers" that is symbolized in the Lord Supper and in His sacrifice to offer all people eternal life?

B.  Dr. Wayne Grudem:  His book "Systematic Theology - An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine" - in chapter 50, pages 996-997, tells us regarding the Lord's Supper:

Who Should Participate in the Lord’s Supper?

Despite differences over some aspects of the Lord’s Supper, most Protestants would agree, first, that only those who believe in Christ should participate in it, because it is a sign of being a Christian and continuing in the Christian life. .  .  .

Second, many Protestants would argue from the meaning of baptism and the meaning of the Lord’s Supper that, ordinarily only those who have been baptized should participate in the Lord’s Supper. .  .  .

But others, including the present author (Dr. Grudem), would object to such a restriction as follows:  A different problem arises if someone who is a genuine believer, but not yet baptized, is not allowed to participate in the Lord’s Supper when Christians get together.

In that case the person’s non-participation symbolizes that he or she is not a member of the body of Christ which is coming together to observe the Lord’s Supper in a unified fellowship (see 1 Corinthians 10:17: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread”).

Bill Gray Note:  Personally I believe the question of who should participate in the Lord's Supper falls upon the individual person.  For you and I cannot tell a person he or she is not saved, not a believer in Christ.  Such a decision falls upon the individual to do a self-examination such as:

1. "Have I truly received the Lord?"  Keep in mind that the thief on the cross was not baptized. 

2. "Am I currently harboring an unrepentant sin which would prevent me from participating in the Lord's Supper?" 

Neither I, nor you, nor any pastor, can answer those questions for this individual.  That is between the individual and God.

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C.  Dr. Ron Rhodes:  Dr. Rhodes is president of "Reasoning From Scripture Ministries," and author.  He is also adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, Talbot Seminary (Biola), and  Veritas Evangelical Seminary.   He tells us his book "The Complete Book of Bible Answers" - chapter twenty-four, pages 229-230:

What are the different views of the Lord’s Supper?

There are four primary views:

The Roman Catholic view is known as transubstantiation.  The advocates of this view say that the elements (unleavened wafers and wine/grape juice) actually change into, become, the physical body (and blood) of Jesus Christ.

The Lutheran view is labeled consubstantiation.  According to this view, Christ is present in, with, and under the bread and wine.  Christ is truly present, but no change occurs in the elements.

The Reformed view is that Christ is spiritually present at the Lord’s Supper.  It is a means of grace.  The proponents of this view say that the elements contain a dynamic presence of Jesus, and it is made effective in the believer as he partakes.

The memorial view (Dr. Rhodes view and my view) is that the elements do not change.  The ordinance is not intended as a means of communicating grace to the participant.  The bread and wine are (only) symbols and reminders of Jesus in His death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).

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Since we participate in the Lord’s Supper in Remembrance of Him and His Redemptive Work on the cross - it would seem that we should do this fairly often.  Since becoming a believer in 1987, I have been in different Filipino-American Baptist churches in Southern California - and typically we have always celebrated the Lord's Supper once a month, usually the first Sunday of the month, at the close of our regular worship service. 

The Lord's Supper we receive at the close of our worship service is always a special blessing and a source of additional spiritual strength to help us face the coming week in the secular world.  Typically on the first Sunday of each month, we close the worship service by having the elders, or other spiritually mature members, pass the elements (unleavened wafers and grape juice) to the congregation. 

As this is being done, our pastor will review and share Scripture relating to the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).  And then, together, we and our believing visitors, participate in the eating of the wafer, symbolizing His body, and the drinking the grape juice, symbolizing His blood shed for us.

Our pastor will explain that the Lord's Supper is a time for all believers to do a spiritual examination of himself or herself.  That it is a time to for all believers to renew our focus on Christ, our Christian walk, and our Christian obedience.  Then our pastor will remind those present during the worship service that the Lord's Supper is only for those who have believed and received Him as Lord and Savior. 

He will assure those who are not yet believers that we do not look down upon them for not being able to participate at that time - but that we sincerely pray that they will make the decision to follow Christ as Lord and Savior. 

Actually, before we celebrate the Lord's Supper, that would be a great time to have an altar call.  For then those who do make a decision at that time to follow Christ - can then participate in their first Lord's Supper celebration.  What a wonderful way to start their Christian life.

1 Corinthians 11:23-24, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'" 

At this time, all believers then, together, eat the wafer symbolizing His body broken for us.


1 Corinthians 11:25-26, "In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood.  This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes."  

Then, all believers, together, drink of the grape juice symbolizing His blood spilled for us.

How often does YOUR church fellowship "Do this in remembrance of Him"?  ~  Daily, weekly, monthly, once a year, once every three years, never?  Once again, my personal feelings are that it should be done frequently enough to stay in faith with His teaching, yet not so frequent that it becomes a ritual and loses its flavor.  Taking Communion every day or every week, for me, would bring it into the realm of being a ritual.

Yet a church which only partakes of the Lord's Supper every six months, once a year, or once every several years - gives me the feeling that this church places no real value on His declaration, "do this in remembrance of Me."   I have to ask, "Does this church really have a relationship with Jesus Christ - if it remembers Him only every few years?"

What message would that send to your church fellowship, to visitors, when your church does not celebrate the Lord's Supper - or only does it once every few years? 

As I suggested above, the Lord's Supper should not be a major, all day affair.   It is most effective when seen as an adjunct spiritual blessing closing our regular worship service once a month.  It is like our monthly "spiritual vitamin boost" to sustain us in our secular world.

Another view of making the Lord's Supper a major feast event is reflected in the apostle Paul's admonition to the church at Corinth.

In 1 Corinthians11:20-34 the apostle Paul admonishes the church at Corinth because they made the Lord's Supper into a major meal or feast - when it really should be seen as a Spiritual Snack (my interpretation) meant to fill us Spiritually, not Physically.   Come in reverence, simplicity, and pureness of heart to His Table.  That is what He asks us to do, often enough to be special, not so often as to become a Religious Ritual - "do this in remembrance of Him"  (Luke 22:19, ! Corinthians 11:24 and 25).

Once again, it is my personal view and belief, but I believe that the Lord's Supper should be celebrated on a monthly basis in every church - and that ALL believers present that day, local members and visitors, should participate.  Food for thought?  I pray this has given you sincere Christian food for thought.

While there are churches which teach that only members of that local church fellowship can partake of the celebration - I personally believe that when our Lord told us in Luke 22:19, "do this in remembrance of Me" - He was speaking to ALL believers, not just a local fellowship.  And what kind of Christian community would we be if we cannot welcome and share the Lord's Table with visiting brethren?

The following two short videos will help us better understand the meaning and responsibility of participating in the Lord's Supper. 

The first video is a short, 4 minute, animated explanation taken from GotQuestions web site and is a good review of that special form of worship:

What Is The Importance Of The Lord's Supper / Christian Communion?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GOAeH8Grao

The second short video (3 1/2 minutes) is one I made from a PowerPoint Presentation based upon chapters 48 through 50 of Dr. Wayne Grudem's book "Systematic Theology - An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine."  This 1311 page book published in 1994 has virtually become a standard textbook in most Christian seminaries. 

There is a shorter version of his book titled "Bible Doctrine, Essential Teachings Of The Christian Faith" published in 1999.  A pastor Friend, Pastor Ed Dacio, gifted me this shorter book of Christian doctrines which has been a true blessing in my Christian writing ministry.  And I have Dr. Grudem's initial book "Systematic Theology" downloaded into my computer in Adobe PDF format.  So I can study from both.

In this short presentation video, chapter 48 speaks of the church, chapter 49 speaks of Baptism, and chapter 50 addresses the Lord's Supper.  Below is the text from a slide in the presentation which speaks of what I have tried to express earlier regarding participating in the Lord's Supper:

"The Lord’s Supper looks forward to a greater feast (Matthew 26:29, Revelation 19:9).  From Genesis to Revelation, God’s aim has been to bring His people into fellowship with Himself, and one of the great joys of experiencing that fellowship is the fact that we can eat and drink in the presence of the Lord."

You can view this PowerPoint based video at:

"Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Bible Doctrine" by Dr Wayne Grudem, Chapters 48, 49, 50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqLMu7xI2Wg&list=PL_YT3RttutrgBgasKH52cypQO_ADjr5ns

I pray this discussion of the "The Two Ordinances" has been helpful to you - and that your church family is enjoying the spiritual blessings of regular visits to the Lord's Table.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill  

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In My Life I Have Learned That Old Dogs Can Learn A Lot From Young Pups

IN MY LIFE I HAVE LEARNED THAT OLD DOGS CAN LEARN A LOT FROM YOUNG PUPS  ~  "Okay, Bill, what are you trying to say?"  Glad you asked.

Recently a hometown Friend and Christian brother, Billy Bell, posted about his excitement in soon being able to get together again with the Wise Guys, a group of young boys from their church.  Like many of us, I assume their meetings and activities have been curtailed due to the Pandemic Lockdown - but now they may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. 

I posted the following response to his post - and then felt it can be useful to many of my Friends. Especially those of us who spent a good part of our lives in the secular world.  And that thought led me to posting this on my Facebook page and Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries blog site:

Bill Gray:   Hi Billy Bell , Your post touched on a distant thought I used to wrestle with on occasion.  In your post you write, "We are having our first, in months, meeting of The Wise Guys this morning.  We are all excited about seeing each other again.  One of the things Chad and I want to discuss is what they want the last few meetings we have left to focus on, practical life lessons, .  .  .   But, how do you do that with soon to be college freshmen?  I didn’t put my spiritual affairs in order until I was 45 years old.  So who I am to teach these young Christians, who are so far ahead of me on their spiritual journey than I was at their age?"

Boy, does that stir a deja vu moment!  I did not become a believer until age 50 in 1987.  And then it took me a few years to feel that I was maturing enough to be able to share with others.  Around 1990, Dory and I were attending Friday Night Bible Study at the home of friends, Fred & Nattie Almeda.

One week Dory was on a business trip to Canada and I went to Bible study alone.  When I got to Fred's home, his high school age daughter, Audrey, told me that her mom and dad were not home and was surprised I did not get the message that Bible study had been cancelled.  Disappointed, I thanked her and was ready to leave when she said, "Why can't we (her younger brother Arnel, herself, and me) have a Bible study?"

I was not knowledgeable enough to lead two teens in Bible study - so she volunteered.  That night the three of us had a great Bible study in the book of John.

Later as I thought about all the young people in our church fellowship, and their Biblical maturity at such a young age - I began to wonder what had happened to me.  I was in worship service, Sunday School, and Bible study every week, read my Bible - and yet these young people put me to shame with their maturity.  Since then, four of those young men have become pastors, and married young ladies from our fellowship - forming young pastoral families.

But where did I go wrong?  Why was I such a late bloomer?  And then God put on my heart, "Those experiences, positive and negative, I had during all my years in the secular world - God can use to help minister to others."

Think about it.  Those young people who, from a young age, were devout believers and became pastors or pastors' wives - how do they counsel a person who has experienced the world, and likely had taken part in some of the negative aspects of our society?  That person who, at age 30, 40, 50, etc., has been living in the secular, pagan, have-fun-at-all-cost world.  And now wants to be a Christian believer, wants to turn his/her life around and serve God.  How does that young pastor, or pastor's wife, counsel such a person with questions about life and the world - when that secular lifestyle is totally foreign to them?

Yet I could, for as the old saying goes, "Been there, done that!"   I know what it is to turn a party-hearty lifestyle around to living a 24/7/365 day Christian life.  Yes, regardless of my life's past ups and downs - God can use my experiences to help others who are beginning their walk toward the cross.

And God being faithful - in the early 1990s, through Pastor Sam Lacanienta, gave me a Christian writing ministry which I have been doing since.  It began with doing a Christian Snail-Mail Newsletter, The Good News - then doing church bulletins with devotional inserts - and for years I have been doing my Friends Ministry eNewsletter, Facebook dialogues and Facebook Notes, and the Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries blog site. 

From 2007 to 2015 I posted on the Religion Forum of my Alabama hometown newspaper, the TimesDaily, which was a great learning experience.  I joined because two atheists were dominating the Religion Forum.  And during those years I had the opportunity to dialogue with atheists, agnostics, Christians of the Legalistic, Liberal, and Conservative theologies, Roman Catholic friends, folks in various cults, New Age and Wicca followers, and what I call the vanilla-flavored non-believer - those folks who just did not want to be bothered with God.  In other words, I had dialogues which ventured into many beliefs and lifestyles.  During those years, I learned a lot which I apply to my writings today.

One of those young men from my early Christian walk in our Filipino-American Church fellowship, who became a pastor, Pastor Freddy Cortez, is the one who suggested I turn my snail-mail newsletter which was mailed to about 400 hundred homes in 12 countries - into my e-mail based Friends Ministry eNewsletter which at one time grew to over a thousand people around the world receiving it.  

And for several years I was a contributing columnist on the The Conservative Voice, a news and commentary online web site founded by Nathan Tabor, who holds a Masters in Public Policy from Pat Robertson’s Regent University and is very involved in Conservative politics and in protecting our Conservative Christian faith. 

The Conservative Voice had a number of sections covering virtually every aspect of our Conservative lives.  My posts most often were in the Faith & Family section, occasionally in the Politics section.  That was a great learning experience also, for before, on my own sites and on the TimesDaily Religion Forum - I was addressing maybe hundreds, sometimes thousands of readers - but The Conservative Voice had about 250,000 readers worldwide. 

That was a huge jump in possible readership and was where I learned to stop speaking "Christianese" and find euphemisms which were more broadly received.  An example: instead of writing that born-again believers are "indwelled" by the Holy Spirit, I found that the concept was better received by the wider reading audience if I wrote, born-again believers have the Holy Spirit within us.  Same meaning, less questioning looks from the non-believing world.

The experiences I lived while still in the secular world have flavored my writings since becoming a believer at age 50, lessons I most likely would not have learned if I had become a believer at a young age like Billy Bell's young Wise Guy students in his church group and like the young believers in our Filipino-American churches in Southern California.

One valuable lesson I have learned from all this - is that "We older dogs should never hesitate to learn from the young pups."

Billy Bell, thank you for stirring this moment of deja vu memories for me.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day, Bill

Bill Click on the image to enlarge:

You "MUST" Watch This Video - And Then Share It!

YOU "MUST" WATCH THIS VIDEO - AND THEN SHARE IT!  ~  Tonight I was flipping through the YouTube videos when I noticed this testimony.  I clicked so see what this young lady had to say, and will admit that initially I expected to see the typical testimony of some young girl, gushing about the misguided person she had been in high school - until a youth counselor pointed her toward Jesus.  And truthfully, that is a story which would have make me say, "Praise God!" as I clicked on to a more interesting video to kill a little bit of time before going to bed.

And in the beginning, this video did seem to be of that flavor, a wee bit different, but basically the same.  I started watching thinking, "I will watch for five minutes and then go to bed." 

But the more I watched, the more I knew this was not just some empty headed young girl - but a lady who had been dealt some bad cards in life and had definitely taken a wrong turn - as she followed the draw of the secular world. 

I could relate to her story, not that I had taken that same path - but that in my youth, during the Decadent Decade of the 1960s, I, too, made a lot of bad decisions and had been walking down the wrong path of life - like her, following the intriguing draw of the secular world. 

Many of my friends and readers possibly have experiences from a time in your life when you were vulnerable - experiences you may not want to share with others.  Very likely your experiences are not as extreme as hers, nor mine - but still they may be pulling your away from turning to Christ for forgiveness - and possibly you may be at that point in your life when you can find the peace this lady spoke of - by turning it all over to God.

Several things about this young lady got my attention:  First, she is sincere, very sincere - and she is transparent about the lifestyle she had been leading before the Holy Spirit stepped in.  And, the second thing which got my attention is that this young lady understands the Bible, God's message to us, better that many mature believers and even pastors. 

Notice I said, she UNDERSTANDS God's Word - not that she KNEW God's Word like a pastor, Bible teacher, or other mature and studious believer would know it.  It is obvious that since she made the decision to turn from that secular world and turn to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit has been opening her eyes and her heart, giving her spiritual enlightenment.

Even though the evening was getting late tonight, I could not stop watching her testimonial video.  And after watching, I could not go to bed before I SHARED it with you.  I pray it touches your heart as it has mine - and that you will be convicted about also sharing her testimony with all your FRANs (Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors).

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This is the note on her YouTube video:

This is probably the hardest video I’ll ever upload to my channel.  But when the Holy Spirit tells you how and when to do something, you obey.  My speech was slow and calculated in the beginning, just a little nervous, y’all.  I pray this finds your heart on fertile soil.  God bless you all!

“And they overcame him (the accuser) by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even when faced with death” (Revelation 12:11 NASB).

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation.  There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow.  But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death”  (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT).

Thank you all for watching.

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MY TESTIMONY | Strip Clubs, Sex For Money, My Encounter With Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLfZ5m2f35U

I pray you will watch the video, pray about it, and then share it.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray

 

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A Dialogue About The Billy Graham Crusades

BACK IN THE 1980s, there was an exciting adventure series on television titled "The A-Team" - the adventures of four ex-special forces soldiers, starring Mr. T. with all his bling and with George Peppard as their leader.  After a successful operation, Peppard would often declare, "Don't you love it when a plan comes together?"

Well, I will take my version of that and say, "I love it when an interesting and productive dialogue comes together."   Especially with a Christian brethren.  And I love it when I have an opportunity to dialogue with my dear Friend and Christian brother, Mark Masakayan - for his thoughts and comments always gives me food for thought.  This current dialogue is a great example of how he can inspire me in a discussion on our Christian faith.  And I will admit that I really enjoyed sitting in his classes at church - even though once in a while he would have to tell me to sit down and shut up, but in a nice way.

On Wednesday, March 10, I shared a video where non-believing (possibly atheist or at least agnostic) Woody Allen interviewed Billy Graham and both take questions from the audience in this 1969 Woody Allen TV Special.  That post led my Christian brother, Mark Masakayan, to respond.

Mark Masakayan:  Billy Graham was a great man of God.  He shared the Gospel and did it in a very charming way.  I don't agree with some of his methods in unifying the Catholic church of his time (which is also ours) with the Christian church.  It was quite the controversy on ecumenicalism.   With that said, I still believe he was used by God.  Maybe this John MacArthur video will help better explain my thoughts.

John MacArthur On Billy Graham's Legacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOtQEAjHZlI

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Bill Gray:  Hi Mark Masakayan, Funny you should bring that up.  Dory and I were just talking the previous evening about Billy Graham - and why some Protestants speak negatively of him.  Earlier that evening she had watched a video on her iPad where the speaker was dissing Billy Graham.  She asked me why he would do it - and I told her of the early days of the Billy Graham Crusades which began in Los Angeles in 1948.

Part of the Crusade's organizational effort was designed to encourage as many local churches as possible to support the Crusades and to act as focal points, i.e., counselors, for new "inquirers" who come forward at the Crusade.  The Los Angeles Crusade banner (see photo below) announced:  "Hundreds Of Churches Uniting."  He firmly believed that many of the thousands who came forward at a Crusade did so out of emotion, or because the person they rode with went forward.  And the following week, as they would got back into their work schedule and into the secular world, they would slip back into their old lifestyle, forgetting their reason for going forward at the Crusade.

So he organized counselors from the various churches to speak with and pray with each person who came forward - and to get their information so they could be connected with a local church fellowship.  Billy Graham's belief was that an "inquirer" who came forward and was helped to locate a local church fellowship where he/she could get involved, after a year or so of being involved and as they had grown spiritually - then he felt comfortable calling them "converts."  Greg Laurie does the same at his Harvest Crusades.

So Billy Graham wanted counselors from all the various local churches and denomination, including the Roman Catholic.

Why include the Roman Catholic church?  Among the many thousands, now millions, who have attended a Crusade and come forward - every church and denomination, including the Roman Catholic, was represented.  He wanted to have counselors with whom the inquirers could relate.

You and I would feel comfortable speaking with counselors from most Protestant denominations, even those with whom we have differences.  But the person raised in a Roman Catholic environment - who comes forward at a Crusade - very likely would not feel comfortable talking with a Pentecostal or Church of Christ counselor, or even a Baptist counselor - and that person could be lost spiritually because of that disconnect. 

However, let them talk with a person from their own environment and even if their background is Roman Catholic, their coming forward would indicate that they would be open to further Bible study and discipling.  And that is the first step toward bringing a secular person or a person who, all his/her life, has believed that salvation is from the church instead of through Jesus Christ alone - into an understanding and acceptance of Biblically based salvation.

In his biography Billy Graham tells of a high level Roman Catholic priest (can't recall if he was a Monsignor or a Bishop), attending one of the early Crusades, who came to Billy Graham's hotel room after the Crusade meeting - because he was concerned about being seen going forward at the Crusade.  Billy and his team talked and prayed with him - and he prayed to truly receive the Lord.  He was born-again.  But being in a position of influence in his local parish, how could he relate that new belief to those who attend his mass?  Given the lifelong mindset of the many, he would have to proceed slowly and cautiously.  But still the Holy Spirit would be working through him to reach them. 

Billy counseled him to not make his conversion known right away - for if he did, he would get strong resistance when he witnessed to other Roman Catholics in his parish.  We know that feeling - for most of us have experienced Roman Catholic friends and family, even some who have not been to mass in years - who will declare, "I was born Roman Catholic and I will die Roman Catholic!"  Would the priest be able to witness to that person if it was known that he had become a born-again believer?  Not likely.

These are some of the reasons why Billy Graham included the local Roman Catholic parishes in his Crusade team - for just as Christ ate with sinners - we, too, are to witness to all people, even to our Roman Catholics and Jewish friends - and to people from the many world religions.

At the 1948 Crusade in Los Angeles when Billy Graham included the local Roman Catholic priests - that caused a fire-storm among many Protestant leaders.  And it is obvious that storm lingers until today, leading Protestant leaders such as John MacArthur to misunderstand Billy Graham's motive for that inclusion.   Then and now, many well known Protestant leaders refuse to participate in the Crusades for that reason. 

I wonder how those same leaders relate to Jesus Christ eating with tax collectors and sinners.

Billy Graham was not saying that Roman Catholics are born-again believers.  But he is saying that there is a possibility that every one, including our Roman Catholic friends, can find the Truth at a Crusade - and he did not want to exclude anyone - just as Christ did not exclude the tax collectors and sinners.

In my personal experience I have met Roman Catholics who I believe were born-again believers, yet still participating in all the Roman Catholic masses, rituals, and celebrations.  Maybe some stayed to be witnesses to their fellow Roman Catholics, maybe others stayed because they did not want to give up their long held relationship with the Virgin Mary and other church Saints.  I have often wondered how long they could continue doing that - and I have postulated that they could stay in the Roman Catholic church for maybe a year or so before those practices began to wear on them.

About 25 years ago, a Chinese/Filipino pastor friend gave me an unpublished manuscript on a cassette tape, which has since been published, titled "Far From Rome, Near To God" and is the personal testimony of 50 Roman Catholic priests who made the transition from Roman Catholicism to the Protestant faith.  When I began to read the manuscript, I was immediately drawn to the very first testimony (at that time) in the unpublished manuscript.  That testimony was written by Anthony Pezzotta and is titled "I Found Everything When I Found Christ."  

The reason I was immediately drawn to his testimony was that he was born in Italy into a devoutly Roman Catholic family, educated in Roman Catholic seminaries in England, Germany, Spain, and Rome, and spent a large part of his early ministry as a priest and educator in the Philippines. 

After being ordained, he went to the Philippines where he taught theology in Roman Catholic seminaries.   He was later appointed and served for 10 years as Director of Schools and Seminaries, teaching other Roman Catholic priests - as well as being Rector of Local Salesian Communities.

In his testimony "I Found Everything When I Found Christ" Tony wrote:  "At the end of January 1974 I was in Santa Cruz, south of Manila, where an attractive Baptist church had just been built.  I had never been in a Protestant church, so one day I walked quietly into the sanctuary to look around.  Almost immediately I was greeted by a friendly Christian believer who introduced me to the pastor, Ernesto Montealegre."

Tony goes on to tell how he and Pastor Ernesto, in their conversations and friendship that followed, tried to convert one another.  Roman Catholic priest Father Anthony Pezzotta had a friendship with Baptist Pastor Ernesto Montealegre and also with my long time Friend, Pastor Joe de la Peña, who until a few years ago, served as senior pastor of the Church On The Solid Rock in Lake Forest, California.  And through that relationship with Pastor Ernesto Montealegre and Pastor Joe de la Peña, Tony Pezzotta made the final decision to leave the Roman Catholic church and join the Baptist church. That was the perfect example of Friendship Evangelism.

About 10 years ago, my Friend, Pastor Joe de la Peña, e-mailed me that Tony Pezzotta was speaking at their church in Lake Forest the following Sunday.   Dory and I went to that service and finally I was finally able to meet Anthony Pezzotta in person.  I was not disappointed.  Tony gave a message and then after our obligatory Fil-Am Food Fellowship, Tony led a Question/Answer session.

One thing that Tony emphasized in his Q&A session, as well as in his writings, is:  Even though he chose to leave the Roman Catholic church, he did not dislike nor look down upon Roman Catholics.   Tony, like me, still had family and friends in the Roman Catholic church.  It was just that he could not continue to teach and practice what he could no longer believe. 

Tony Pezzotta found the Truth through meeting and fellowship with Baptist pastors.  Would that have happened if those Baptist pastors had rejected Tony and refused to talk with him because he was Roman Catholic?  Very likely not.  But praise God, they were open and their openness help smooth the way for Anthony Pezzotta to follow that inner voice and become a great Baptist leader in Southern California.   Isn't that what Jesus did with the tax collectors and sinners in his day?

To my very dear Friend, Mark Masakayan, I pray this gives you a better understanding of Billy Graham's approach to the Crusades and his inclusion of Roman Catholics in the Crusade counselor teams.

Actually, a non-believer, possibly an agnostic or even atheist, William Randolph Hearst, was used by God to make the Los Angeles Billy Graham Crusade effort explode into a great soul gathering.

Hearst was head of one of the largest newspaper and publishing organizations in America.  And although it is never known if he attended a Crusade meeting or not - for his own reasons (God working?) he instructed his editors all across America to publicize the Los Angeles Crusade.  And that caused the Crusade, which was scheduled to only last a few weeks - to last for several more months.  God knows what He is doing, even when using non-believers - and, yes, even Roman Catholics.  

That highly publicized 1948 Los Angeles Crusade is what catapulted Billy Graham into national and world-wide prominence and made him into the world's leading Evangelist.  And God kept those Crusades reaching million for half a century.  God bless, Bill

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Mark Masakayan:  Bill, wow! Thank you for that full response.  I hope you were able to watch the video I included of Pastor John MacArthur.  Thanks for the tag too!  I almost forgot all about the Woody Allen video connection.

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Bill Gray:  Hi Mark,  Yes, I did watch the video and in most of it I do agree fully with Pastor John MacArthur.  He spoke of the metastatic spread of Liberalism throughout the body of Christian believers.  That actually became a major problem in the latter part of the 19th century following the Civil War and grew at an alarming rate through many Christian churches and denominations - bringing an urgent need for Conservative, aka, Fundamental Christians to stand up for our faith.   

In 2016 I wrote in another blog titled "Conservative - OR - Liberal Secularist.  Which Flavor Christian Are YOU?" addressing comments from a Religion Forum adversary, Crusty, and his persistent declaration that Bill Gray is a "Fundamentalist."   How did I address that accusation, i.e., Crusty's secular attack against my Christian faith?

Actually, the term "Fundamentalist" was coined by a journalist in Southern California during the first years of the 20th century as a negative label for Conservative Christians. 

Following Christ's earthly ministry, adversaries of Christ and His teachings in the city of Antioch coined the term "Christian" as a negative label for followers of Jesus Christ in the early body of believers which was born of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD.  What the Antioch adversaries meant as a derogatory name for believers quickly became a "crown of glory" for us. 

And in the same way, "Fundamentalist" was intended to be a negative or derogatory label for Conservative believers - yet has become a hat those of us who understand it wear with pride.

In that blog, I shared with my Friend, Crusty:

Well, let me see.  I call myself a Conservative Christian and Crusty, you call me a Fundamentalist.  Okay, no problem.  For the vast majority of Conservative Christians I know do believe what is taught in the 12 volume set published in the early 20th century and distributed by Biola University, titled "The Fundamentals, A Testimony To The Truth."

"The Fundamentals" is a 12-volume series of articles defending the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith.  And, I praise God for putting a full set of these books into my personal library about 20 years ago.   How He did that is another story which I will share at a later time.

A century ago, Biola University founder Lyman Stewart and his brother anonymously funded a hugely influential set of essays known as "The Fundamentals" - to combat the Liberal Theology teachings spreading through the Christian churches.  A Biola historian's research of archived letters and documents sheds light on how Stewart and others helped to shape the face of evangelicalism today.  If you truly understand what these volumes teach and why they were written, you will realize that being call a Fundamentalist - is really a great compliment. 

This Biola web site tells us more about "The Fundamentals" and why they were written and distributed:

The Untold Story Of The Fundamentals:
By Paul W. Rood II - Biola Magazine
https://www.biola.edu/blogs/biola-magazine/2014/the-untold-story-of-the-fundamentals


A remarkable literary project of the early 20th century, "The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth," is soon approaching the 100th anniversary of its completion.  The project was conceived and funded by Biola’s founder, Lyman Stewart, mobilizing a network of conservative evangelical writers into a movement in defense of the inspiration and authority of the Bible and the core doctrines of traditional Christian faith.

Bill Gray Note:  Visit the Biola link above to read the full story of The Fundamentals.  Their Vision: Stem the Tide of Liberalism.

So, when my Friend, Crusty, and other non-believers or Liberal theology proponents declare that Bill Gray is a "Fundamentalist" - that is a hat I am proud to wear.  For, in doing so, I am in the company of many great Christians, including the founders of Biola University/Talbot Seminary.   You will often see me speak of Conservative Christian theology; that could just as easily be called Fundamentalist Christian theology - for, in my heart, the two names are synonymous.

Mark, in your video, Pastor John MacArthur's other major point regarding Billy Graham and the Roman Catholics, I have pretty much covered in the earlier part of this blog.  But let me say there are movements within the Roman Catholic church which most folks miss.  There is the dyed-in-the-wool Roman Catholic and on the other end of the spectrum there is the Charismatic Roman Catholic, which is akin to Pentecostalism in the Protestant churches. 

But in the middle of that spectrum, there are many Roman Catholics who are very similar in thinking to we Conservative Christian believers.  They believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life - not the church.  They have Bible studies to learn for themselves what it teaches.   And I would suggest they are the ones which the evangelicals in the Billy Graham Crusades were reaching out to with the Gospel.

When I was in the Air Force I married a beautiful lady who was Roman Catholic, but divorced for a good reason.  And for about 20 years I attended the Roman Catholic church, but never actually joined it.  During all those early years, I don't recall ever seeing anyone coming to mass with a Bible in hand.  The only Bible I saw was the one the priest read from on the lectern or pulpit.  We participants had our Missals and Rosary, but no Bibles.  Yet today we see Roman Catholics attending Bible studies.  Could God working through Billy Graham have helped make that happen?

Around 1990, Dory and I were still worshiping with Pastor Sam Lacanienta in the Fil-Am Church of Irvine.  He was invited by such a group within a local Roman Catholic church in Orange County to come and lead a Bible study for them in their church facility.  Dory and I went with him and found the group of Roman Catholics very receptive to the Gospel as found in the Bible.

Circa 2000, Dory and I were in the Fil-Am Church in Corona and through the working of God and new members of our fellowship, a number of people in a local seniors complex began coming to our worship services. 

One of those men, Daniel, came faithfully to our afternoon worship service every Sunday - but in the morning he went to a local Roman Catholic church because his cousin was the Monsignor there.  He and I had many good conversations.  One in particular I recall, we were helping a mutual friend, Maggie, in her apartment.  Our conversation turned to prayer and the difference between praying to Roman Catholic Saints versus praying only to Jesus Christ and God the Father.

Daniel told me, "But, Bill, you host an E-Mail Intercessory Prayer Chain where you ask people to pray for others. That is all we are doing when we pray to Mary and the Saints." 

My answer to Daniel, "In the Intercessory Prayer Chain, those people whom I ask to pray for others - are all alive and can offer their prayer requests directly to God.  But Mary and your Saints are all long dead.  They cannot hear our prayer requests, nor would they be praying for folks here on earth.  They are too busy worshiping God in heaven to bother with us on earth."

About that same time, 2000, we had a beautiful lady, Connie Quintans, who had been in the Roman Catholic church all her life.  Her two sons and their families had become members of our Corona Baptist church - so she started coming with them to worship services and Bible studies.  After worshiping with us for a while and faithfully attending our Bible studies each week, she prayed to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.  Connie was born-again in our fellowship.  A year later she passed away with cancer, but she was saved. 

At the burial, because some of the family were still in the Roman Catholic church - at the internment first there was a Roman Catholic priest who spoke to us at the grave-side service.  He told us that Connie was in purgatory.

After the priest left, our pastor, Ed Dacio, came and spoke to us.  The very first thing he said was, "We can celebrate Connie's life - for we know that at this very moment, she is in heaven in the presence of her Lord Jesus Christ."   I just looked at Dory and smiled.

So to close this rather long dialogue, let me finish by saying that just as Jesus Christ ate and had fellowship with sinners and tax collectors - I do not fault Billy Graham for including Roman Catholic parish representatives in his Local Churches Team to counsel inquirers. 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray