Posts in Devotionals

A Msg#1546 Response to the Calling of Calvinism

On 11/22/2015 2:38 PM, Ron wrote: “Notice the effectual nature of God's call to Abram. Love ya, brother!”

Dear Ron,

I think that's a cop out. Notice more so that Abram could have said no, and God would have called another.

Baptists who want to justify their twisted compromises as Calvinists say, “We don't believe in John's assertion of the Total depravity of man, just in the 'effectual' total depravity of man; we don't believe in Calvin's Unconditional Election, just the 'effectual' unconditional election." Baptist Mid-Missions doesn't believe in the Presbyterian Church's doctrine of Limited Atonement, just in the "effectual" limited atonement. Mislead Baptist Calvinists don't believe in Irresistible Grace, only the "effectual" irrestibleness of God's grace. The Roman Empire, which attempted the hostile takeover of Christianity, taught John Calvin and his Presbyterian Church to say "Preservation of the Saints;" it was not anything they got from Bible study, where they could have worded "Eternal Security." God preserving his seed line for Christ, is entirely different than his preserving the blood bought, born again, converted to Christ, quickend saints of the New Covenant. John Calvin, with his covenant theology and adopted Roman replacement theology, never "effectively" got the difference.

You want to be careful of the word "effectual," this old Baptist preacher is wise to its secret code in Calvinistic circles.

Love ya, brother.

Msg#1604 Wednesday Day Four

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

Wednesday, the fourth day of creation finds the first of God's lights placed in the firmament. They were created to divide the day from the night, for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years. The two great lights which God set in the firmament mark out our twelve months and the 365 day year. Most people know the quarters of the moon; they mark out our weeks. Few discern the five visible planets (Greek for “wandering stars”) that stand out from the thousands of stationary stars. Five planets visually trace out a highway in the sky. Two, Mercury and Venus, are closer to the sun and three are outside of Earth's orbit, thus often visible in the midnight sky. The thousands of stationary stars are grouped into eighty-eight constellations which mark out four seasons in our hemispheres. Thirty-five-hundred years ago Job speaks of Arcturus (Job 9:9), the third brightest star in our sky. It is found in the Boötes Constellation seen in the northern sky next to the big dipper. More people may be familiar with the Orion Constellation that Job mentions. It is on the celestial equator and only visible in Job's sky in the month of January. The most visible hot blue cluster of stars called Pleiades is also mentioned by Job. It would be visible at tree top level only in Job's month of October. Today more people watch TV's tonight show than understand the wandering stars on their highway through the constellations. More people read the occult's horoscope than know the constellations visible in their seasons. The heavens declare the glory of God, but mankind sets in baneful ignorance. The firmament sheweth his handiwork, not ones vain personality in a Zodiac. Tonight I'll shut off the TV and get out a telescope.

An Essay for week #4 Jan 24, 16

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Msg #1518b Three New AD Religions Cont.

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

The third man made religion orchestrated by Satan, and intent on annihilating Christianity, was started 300 years after his Roman Catholic religion failed at the task. Islam, which means 'submission' would most surely eliminate Christianity. For all Arabs, Muhammad, Islam's human founder born around 570 AD, rejected Catholicism because they worshiped Mary as a god.(Qur'an surah 5:119) Muslim's confession of faith states, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah." A Muslim is by definition, “one who submits to the majesty and will of Allah.” By Muhammad's own admission demons gave him the words for his Koran, and he established a socio-economic-political-militant-religious system designed to take over the world. He pictured Judaism as a restful oasis in mankind's journey, Christianity as a larger, lovely oasis, and Islam as the Supreme oasis. Muslims were forbidden to leave the supreme oasis, and those who settled in an inferior one must be compelled to move on to Islam. Satan's Islamic invasion has not gone as planned. At Muhammad's death in 632 AD there was no assigned successor. The questions of who will be the spiritual and socio-political leader, or 'Caliph', would cause more division and blood shed in Islam than any other issue. The Sufis thought any qualified companion of the prophet eligible, the Sunnis required the new Caliph be Aristocracy of Mecca, and the Shi'a insisted that Allah himself would divinely appoint the next leader, and they knew it was, 'Ale, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammed. In Islam Jihad was thus expanded; it started as “struggle against and slaughter of the infidels”, now it included slaughter of the contenders for leadership as well. It is not radicalized Muslims who insist on Jihad, it is fundamental to the core of Islam!

Another Essay for week #18 May 3, 15

Msg #1518 Three New AD Religions

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

Religions are man made systems for dealing with four questions, 1) Where did I come from? 2) Why am I here? 3) Where am I going after death? and 4) How do I get there? God deals with these questions in a 66 book revelation of truth, but Satan orchestrated six man made answers, three in BC religions, and three in AD religions. Hinduism and its Protestant reformation Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism are the primary Eastern Religions from BC. And after Christ bruised Satan's head via the Cross on Calvary three primary AD religions were used to try and stomp out Christianity. When Judaism rejected their Messiah their laws and sacrificial system which pointed to the first Advent of Christ, became hollow and baseless. Their diabolical nature was made obvious when they wanted to kill the resurrected Lazarus as well as the Christ who resurrected him. They plotted the destruction of Christianity until their barbaric annihilation by Titus in 70 AD. Then, 300 years later Emperor Constantine the Great forced everyone in the Roman Empire to convert to what he called “Christianity.” The mongrel Roman pagan “Christianity” called Catholicism has deceived millions with its diabolical subtleties. When the Roman Emperor empowered the Roman Church to take over Christianity they 1) Thought they were the New Jerusalem and called Millennialists heretics, 2) Thought the Bible was allegorical and only pious “Clergy” should read and interpret God's secret hidden sayings, and 3) Thought men in black robes could be priests and intercessors for the ignorant masses they called “laity.” When Protestants finally protested about Rome selling indulgences they kept these primary errors completely intact. Don't believe it? Just ask your baby baptizing, robed clergy, SHE won't either. The “Church,” whether Roman or Protestant, is apostate and opposing Christ, just like their founder.

An Essay for week #18 May 3, 15

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Msg #1517 The Eastern Religions

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

When God makes a move, Satan makes a counter move. In 2350 BC “it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth” (Gen 6:6). A hundred years later, in 2250BC, after Noah's descendents said, “Go to, let us build a city,” God said, “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their languages” (Gen 11:4,7). Four hundred years later, in 1850 BC, the LORD secured his promised land to Isaac. At the same time, Satan appeared to a Persian named Zoroaster and revealed himself as an equal twin of the LORD. Zoroastrianism is the basis for the eastern religions. In 1492 BC, less than 400 years later, while God was giving his Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, Satan was developing his precepts in the religious culture of India. Hinduism has a triune godhead; 'Brahma' as Creator, 'Vishnu' as Preserver, and 'Shiva' as Destroyer. The father of lies always twists the truth of the LORD God. His true trinity was revealed to the Hebrews, from the line of Seth. Hinduism and Indian culture also supposed that the 'most holy people' sprang from the head of 'Manu', the first created man. 'Rulers and warriors' came from his hands, 'craftsman' came from his legs, and 'base servants' came from his feet. To move up this caste system you must do yoga exercises and maintain good karma in your present level. Then, after death, perhaps you will be reincarnated into an upper level; eventually reaching the ultimate Nirvana, where your soul is emancipated from ignorance. Satan always counterfeits God, but the caste system was such a cultural blunder, that in 500 BC, Satan sent an 'enlightened one', or 'Buddah' to reform the whole complex cynical thing. Thus Buddhism spread on further to the East. I'm glad I'm in Christ.

An Essay for week #17 Apr 26, 15

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Msg #1515 The Un-Copyright Book of Books

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

It would take only 70 hours to read all sixty-six books of the Book of books. Reading aloud all 1,189 chapters would have an impact on your faith; faith cometh by hearing. Forty-four authors wrote all 31,101 verses over a period of 1,600 years. These 8,674 distinct Hebrew words combining with the 5,624 distinct Greek words, which translate into 12,143 distinct English words bear witness in perfect harmony of one God in one continuous story. That miraculous story is about one person and his perfect work: Christ redeems mankind from the clutches of sin. Forty four authors writing one story over a period of 1,600 years is an unanswerable proof of the divine inspiration of the Holy Bible, the Book of books. But that truth is under diabolical attack and always has been. The devil's lie, accepted and believed by the vast majority of “Christendom,” is that God was unable to preserve his inspired words. The lie contended that ill begotten “Church Fathers” inserted all kinds of errors into the Holy Bible, and that copiests messed it up so bad that there is presently no inerrant, infallible, inspired Bible. All “Christendom” is now thrust into a quagmire of copyright bibles each claiming to fix God's blunder. Satan laughs as clergy and pews recite his lie, “No one really knows what the Bible says but my favorite (copyright) version says... “ Satan is the author of confusion. It is a shame that so few believers see this travesty. The attached article clarifies his tactic and the copyright boondoggle rather succinctly. Ask yourself, “What is Truth?” Then ask, “Who owns its copyright?”

An Essay for week #15 Apr 12, 15

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Msg #1515 Addendum on Copyright Considerations

It is meaningful to step back and look at the larger deception that is in place in the modern church. There are hundreds of bible version out there. Each version is copyright and must, by law say something “significantly different” from any other copyright version. They cannot just say the same thing in a different way, they must have a “significantly different” presentation of material. Hundreds of bible version presenting hundreds of version of what God meant to say produces such a fractured authority that nobody really knows the answer to Pilate's question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Every one is thereby allowed to make up their own “interpretation” whereby their distinct personal version of a verse is as valid as anyone else's version.

Case in point, after Pilate's question, “What is truth?”, his next declaration, exactly translated from the Greek, was “I find in him no fault at all.” But copyright requires that quote to change.

Perhaps he said, “I cannot find anything wrong about him.”, as copyright by James A.R. Moffatt D.D., D.LITT., in his 1950 The Bible – A New Translation. But Dr. Moffatt was also thinking that Pilate asked “What does truth mean?”, instead of “What is truth?”

Or was it “I find no guilt in him”, as copyright by The Lockman Foundation, California in their 1960 NASB (NASB is a registered trademark of the same, standing for the New American Standard Version).

Or was it, “For my part, I find no case against him”, as copyright by the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press in their 1961 NEB (NEB is a registered trademark of the same, standing for the New English Bible).

Or was it “I find no crime in him”, as copyright by the World Publishing Company in their 1962 RSV (RSV is a registered trademark of the same, standing for Revised Standard Version).

Or was it “I cannot find any reason to condemn him”, as copyright by the American Bible Society in their 1966 Good News Bible- Todays English Version.

Or was it “Speaking for myself, I find no case against this man”, as copyright by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in Washington D.C. in their 1970 NAB (NAB is a registered trademark of the same, standing for New American Bible).

Or was it “I find no basis for a charge against him”, as copyright by the New York Bible Society International in their 1973 NIV (NIV is a registered trademark of the same, standing for New International Version).

Or was it “I don't find this man guilty of anything!”, as copyright by the American Bible Society in their 1995 CEV (CEV is a registered trademark of the same, standing for Contemporary English Version).

Or was it “I find no guilt in him”, as copyright by Crossway in their 2001 ESV (ESV is a registered trademark of the same, standing for English Standard Version).

Many will read all these copyright renditions and repeat Hillary Rodham Clinton's line “What possible difference could it make anyhow!” They might continue, “Pilate found nothing wrong with the dude!” Two important observations on these multiple renditions. First, words are important. Many of the words added by theses translators are not represented at all in the Greek New Testament¹. Further, the word used in the Greek, and consequently in the Authorized King James Bible, is exactly the word used to describe the Old Testament passover lamb and/or sin sacrifice which was to be without fault or blemish. But that exact word is carefully avoided by all modern versions. The wide variations in Pilate's modernized declaration certainly come from copyright considerations, but they also show a “fault” in them which is even more diabolical.

1Even the corrupted Westcott and Hort Greek text, based on the corrupted Alexandrian Egypt manuscripts, copyright 1966, by The United Bible Societies of the USA, agrees with the Greek Received Text (The Textus Receptus) in this instance, in this verse.

Msg #1516 The Book of Books

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

The Book of Books is the greatest English literature ever written and banished from our government schools. Great literature contains a prologue and an epilogue. God's prologue is called the Pentateuch, and God's epilogue is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The theme of the whole Bible is Jesus Christ the righteous. The Old Testament is his 'Preparation', the four Gospels are his 'Manifestation', the Acts of the Apostles his 'Propagation', the twenty-one Epistles his 'Explanation', and the Revelation is his 'Culmination'. God's prologue is a most enlightening study. Genesis is man's creation in the image of God, and his fall from that position. It emphasizes man's depravity and oncoming perpetual punishment. But Noah found grace, Abram a calling, and Israel made his way into Egypt for 400 years. Exodus is redemption, tabernacling with God, and the law of God (given in 1492). Leviticus depicts the absolute righteousness of God and Numbers the deplorable failures of man to follow God. In Deuteronomy Moses, the great prophet, steps back and looks at the big picture to conclude that mankind needs the Great Prophet, Everlasting Priest, and Eternal King. In good literature everything in the body is introduced in the prologue and summarized in the epilogue. What a genuine theme! The preparation for the Messiah is made up of history, poetry and prophecy which declares “Thus saith the LORD.” But God's word to Moses is pretty emphatic, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken... And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him” (Deut18:15,19). It is a limited offer: Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

An Essay for week #16 Apr 19, 15

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Msg #1513 This Week Know Your Friend

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

Palm Sunday marks a Christian's calendar with an importance that disciples explore enthusiastically. For Israel, on the tenth day of Abib, the passover lamb was separated from the flock and watched until the fourteenth day of the month. It was to be without spot or blemish. Our Lord Jesus Christ was separated from the rest on Palm Sunday. He taught daily in the temple and prayed daily with his disciples. He purged the temple of money changers on Sunday and again on Monday. He wept over Jerusalem, and cursed a fig tree. He taught parables and his authority angered the Scribes and Pharisees. There was a widows mite, an Olivet discourse, and a friends betrayal. On the fourteenth day of the month they crucified him. He died as our Passover Lamb. In those days of examination Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Our friend walked through these four days in full public view. Each day and each event is carefully recorded for a disciple's study. Such detail is hidden from Rome. It cannot be seen by Protestants with Good Friday leftovers. But for the believers who reject her traditions and open his pages, there is wealth and wisdom about a friend which sticketh closer than a brother. Religionists go to a Roman Good Friday celebration, Bible students go to a midweek prayer meeting and remember the last supper in his presence. “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Pr 17:17). “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (18:24). “Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not” (27:10a).Let Jesus be your closest friend on this most precious week.

An Essay for week #13 Mar 29, 15

Msg in audio at www.GSBaptistChurch.com/audio/gs150329.mp3

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Msg #1514 Resurrection After Three Days

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

“But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (1Cor15:3-4). TV-2 News announced last week that “some” Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter. To be accurate “ALL” Christians believe that 19 centuries ago, on the Sunday after Passover, the Christ arose from the dead. Believe less and you are not Christian at all. Most believe more. Some believe it all. The Lord Jesus Christ said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John11:25-26). The gospel message of Christianity is, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (not the second day as Rome contends): And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve” (1Cor15:3-5). Students of the Holy Bible know that the day after Passover was a sabbath day, and that sabbath days are not just on Saturdays. Again Jesus said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt12:39, cf 16:4, Lu11:29). Luke 24:21 says, “and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.” Again, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19) Three days in the tomb is important to a Bible believer: not so much to Roman dogma or TV-2 news. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, makes three days.

An Essay for week #14 Apr 5, 15

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