In the old days, traveling sale men would travel, first in covered wagons then in automobiles, far and near peddling their wares. Often, they were accused of shady dealings. In some cases, it would be correct to call them con-men, swindlers, cheats, and hucksters! I have heard my paw-paw talk about "BLUE-JOHN" that was sold by peddlers. "BLUE-JOHN" is milk so diluted with water that it has a blue hue; it was passed off as 100% perfect whole milk right from the cow containing all the finest qualities nature's goodness. The reality was it was not pure but it was diluted in order to have more product to sell there by making a greater profit! In Corinthians 2:17, Paul states that real ministers of the Gospel do not "peddle the Word". The work in the Greek means to adulterate the Word; a God called preacher does not water down the Word in order to manipulate the circumstances for his gain regardless if the gain is popularity, position, or prosperity! As you read verse 17, four characteristics mark a Preacher of the Word: authenticity - no hidden agenda, authority- the call of God, accountability- to God and anointing- by Spirit as result of union with Christ. No wonder Paul exclaimed who is sufficient for these things in verse 16 and later in Chapter 3:4-7. We are not sufficient in ourselves, but our sufficiency if found the Spirit's enabling; it is our availability and His ability! We preachers and teachers are to present the pure unadulterated Word because we have been commissioned to represent the Lord and preach His Word! We are not to have a "Sales Pitch" to manipulate the consumer. We don't have anything to sell! I promise you I don't try to sell "Peter and Paul" salt and pepper shakers to make a buck! Furthermore, the God called man can't be bought regardless of what form compromise masquerades in!!! Revival will come to the Church again when the preachers and teachers in the church begin to display a "Not For Sale" attitude in their approach to ministry! We are to be sold-out to Jesus!
Today is Ground Hog Day; the whole nation tunes in to watch with festive crowd in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for the appearance of the fur covered meteorologist, the Ground Hog. According to Hog doctrine, with the emergence of the icon, the forecast for the coming days is revealed; if it is cloudy, spring will come early, but if it is sunny, supposedly he sees his shadow, the verdict is six more weeks of winter. This ritual is provides a welcome relief to winter's icy boredom but no one plans their schedules according to his appearance; it is all folklore and fun I can't help believe that many that worship on Resurrection Sunday, Easter Sunday, have the same attitude concerning the emergence of Jesus Christ from the tomb 2,000 years ago. I call them Ground Hog Christians! For these seekers, Jesus Christ appears from the tomb one time a year and they make sure He goes back into the tomb before Easter last egg is found! Just like the fury creature of Punxsutawney, Jesus Christ receives a casual glance but has little impact on the gathered crowds; it is all folklore and fun! Their lives have a shadow of doubt cast over it. Here is the reason for their lack of commitment to Jesus Christ and His church. They live as if He doesn't live today! The sad and sickening paradox of unbelieving believers is zapping the church of her power! The Early church along with the Apostles, eyewitnesses of His Resurrection, were absolutely certain of His Resurrection so much so that most were martyred for their uncompromising testimony that Jesus Christ is Lord; they could not deny the fact of the empty tomb and His appearances to them! When the stone was rolled away, their world was turned upside, or should I say right side up with His glorious resurrection; they became transformed and triumphant people as recorded in the Book of Acts. The Gospel spread like a wild fire on the west Texas plains in July; great personal,sacrifice, persecution, and death could not retard the Gospel flame as leaped frogged across seas, oceans, mountains and deserts. What explanation is there to account for the victorious conquest that led millions to saving faith in Jesus? There is only one explanation, HE IS ALIVE FROM THE DEAD! HE STILL LIVES TODAY! Because He lives, every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday; because He lives, everyday is a celebration of the Resurrection. If Jesus Christ is not alive today and seated at the right hand of God, Christianity perpetuates a 2,000 year old hoax! Without the actual, literal, physical, and historical resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity crumbles under the weight of a dead savior's corpse. As Paul stated to the first Ground Hog Christians, the Corinthians," and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!"( 1 Corinthians 15:17). The early church believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ was alive from the dead. If the Twentyfirst century
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Doug MillerEvangelist Archives
May 2021
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