Something To Read While I'm Away

Old School Theologian, Scholar, and Archeologist, J.W. McGarvey

Hey everyone. I have been very sick. And now I am leaving town until April 8th. Please pray for me. While I am away, check out our wonderful archives for things you may have missed over the past year. I can't believe we are now at over 40 thousand hits. Amazing!

If you have the patience to learn..... Click here and read this commentary by J.W. McGarvey on the book of Acts. You will learn some important and valuable things. But it's not for quick-n-easy trite spiritual wimps. This book is a Rembrandt, a Picasso, a Da Vinci not a run-of-the-mill flea market purpose driven velvet-Elvis. It won’t fit well in some seedy trailer park spiritual life. And it wont sell in a fad driven, pop-religion, mass-produced, pre-fabricated Wal-Mart church.

This book is the real deal and talks about deep spiritual truth, if you can handle it.

It's Strange

It’s strange how the nights seem darker
Shadows more foreboding when the wind howls
Rather than caresses
When the clouds cover stars and veil
The sea of illumination in a mist of doubt
Like vaporous stresses

Its strange how ugly and empty
The night becomes when you stray from
Your conscience’s calling
When one moment eclipses all reason
And floods of emotion high jack you
Like autumn leaves falling

Come quickly you gathering light,
you hope of redemption
the purchase from death
come quickly you giver of gifts
ancient wisdom of life
the worker of rest

Its strange how perfect the misdeeds
And sins of indiscretion lead to demise
Like rust on steel
But when you turn to love’s purpose
Like the crash of a tide changing chorus
You see what is real

Its strange how the wheels spin slowly
So perfect and complete
by ancient design
When you look back at the chaos
Patterns develop in relation to choices
And grace makes them align

Come quickly you mounting messiah
You steed of protection
You conqueror of death
come quickly you army of angels
Trumpet of jubilation
The triumph of rest

"Planned Parenthood" Kills Moms too with RU-486

Psalms 82:3 "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed."

Two more women have died after using the abortion pill RU-486, regulators said Friday in a warning that brought renewed calls for pulling the controversial drug from the market.

The organization that provided the pill to the two women said it would immediately stop disregarding the approved instructions for the pill's use.

The Food and Drug Administration warned doctors to watch for a rare but deadly infection previously implicated in four deaths of women who had taken the drug. The woman's symptoms in the two latest cases appeared to resemble those in the cluster of four cases in California where the women died from an infection of the bloodstream, or sepsis.

Those women did not follow FDA-approved instructions for the pill-triggered abortion, which requires swallowing three tablets of one drug, followed by two of another two days later.

Instead of swallowing the final two tablets, the second course of pills was inserted vaginally in the four women, an "off-label" use that studies have shown effective and that has been recommended by a majority of the nation's abortion clinics such as Planned Parenthood. That use does not have federal approval though studies have indicated it produces fewer side effects.

It was not immediately known if the second course of pills had been inserted vaginally in the two latest women to die, an FDA spokeswoman said. She declined to be identified, saying she was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.

Two Senate abortion foes, Republicans Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, urged passage of legislation that would suspend sales of RU-486 until the Government Accountability Office reviews how the FDA approved the pill.

"RU-486 is a deadly drug that is killing pregnant women," DeMint said. "This drug should never have been approved, and it must be suspended immediately."

Monty Patterson, a California man whose 18-year-old daughter, Holly, died in 2003 after taking the abortion pill, also said the drug should be pulled from the market. The Senate bill is informally called "Holly's Law."

"The bottom line is that this is not about the abortion debate. This is about the safety, health and welfare of women," Patterson said.

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. said it would immediately stop recommending vaginal insertion of the final course of pills. Four of the women who died, including the latest two, received the pills at Planned Parenthood-affiliated clinics, said Dr. Vanessa Cullins, the organization's vice president for medical affairs. Planned Parenthood estimates RU-486 has killed 560,000 babies in the U.S. since it was approved.

RU-486 is sold by Danco Laboratories and is approved to terminate pregnancy up to 49 days after the beginning of the latest menstrual cycle. It blocks a hormone required to sustain a pregnancy. It keeps the new baby from being able to sustain life. When followed two days later by another medicine, misoprostol, to induce contractions, the baby is terminated.

Danco said it was reviewing information about the cases as it becomes available. The rate of sepsis is about one in 100,000 uses, comparable to infection risks with surgical abortions. But some studies show it's much higher.

At least seven U.S. women have died after taking the pill, sold since The other U.S. death associated with Mifeprex was the 2001 case of a ruptured ectopic, or tubal, pregnancy.

Read More Here from Reuters.

Proverbs 24:11 "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter."

This baby is 49 days old like the ones killed by RU-486

Who Was St. Patrick?

Did you wear something green today? Did you celebrate St. Patrick’s day today? Do you even know who he was or what he did? Did you drink some green beer today to honor a man you know nothing about.?

He didn't drive snakes from Ireland. He didn't use the clover to illustrate the trinity. He didn't call down fire on druid priests. He was not sent there by the pope. (He was from the Celtic church in England that didn't follow the pope.) Those are all fictions written by catholic monk’s years after Patrick died.

The facts are that he was kidnapped and made a slave in Ireland as a teenager. He escapes and returns home. He then says he is called by God back to Ireland as a missionary. He then proceeds to convert thousands of Irish people to Christ and puts an end to the druid religion. Amazing story.

Click here to read about St Patrick's life.

Click here to watch a video about Him.

Read the Confession of St. Patrick to get a better understanding of the man. It is one of only two writings we know were truly written by him.

The question is should we be celebrating the life of a man if we don't know anything about him? Did he believe and follow the truth? And if he was a great missionary to Ireland, should we remember his work of preaching the gospel by violating it and getting drunk?

Click here to read more about what the Bible has to say about drinking alcohol.

Against The Wind...

Click here to see what Peter was thinking

Ever heard the Bob Seger song AGAINST THE WIND? I heard it the other day on this classic rock station as I was flipping through the channels.

In Against the Wind Bob Seger sings…

And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home

And I guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed

Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searching
Searching for shelter again and again

Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind

I relate! I feel like I am running against the wind. The difficult truth is that we all are.

Matthew 14:23-24 says that Jesus had “went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.”

The Apostles in the boat were just trying to cross the lake but they were being knocked around “because the wind was against” their boat. Their story is a good analogy of how Jesus finds all of us. We are beat up, knocked around and trying to forge ahead while the tide of this world pushes against us. We are running against the wind.

We try to hide in the boats of life. We seek shelter again and again from the wind and waves. But we just get blown around. Many seek the boat of substance abuse, which always sinks. Many tried the boat of sexual promiscuity only to drown. Others vainly seek shelter in the boat materialism or greed. It sinks under the weight of all its possessions. Others try the boat of philosophy or popular psychology, only to be left drifting further from their goals. We have all tried many boats, but we are still all struggling against the wind.

The Apostle Paul talked about how the very nature of this world is at work against our conscience. We are at war with our own desires with in us. In Romans 7:21-23 Paul says, “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”

We are at war within ourselves. Our fleshly desires are battling our conscience. We are often torn between a desire to do good and a desire to do evil. When we fight our fleshly desires and the temptations which are pushing and pulling on us, we are running against the natural way of this fallen world. We are in opposition to forces of evil and wicked desires. We are running against the wind.

However, there is some good news. Neither wind nor waves stop God. Matthew 14:25-27 explains that “During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."

Not only did the winds not stop Jesus, neither did mankind’s tendency to sin. Romans 8:3-4 says, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

The “requirement of the law” was that we should die. The result of sin was death. The wages of sin are death. The Old Testament law gave commands on who was to die for violating the Law. The law couldn’t save. It could only tell why we all deserved to die. But when Jesus died on the cross in our place, his death paid our penalty for us. He was condemned to death in our place. The requirement that we die was fulfilled by his death. And it’s fulfilled in us when we start following the spirit rather than the desires of the flesh. We start walking against wind in obedience to God.

Don’t be afraid. The normal laws of nature don’t apply to Jesus. And he, who was without sin, has triumphed over sin. The winds of desire and waves of temptation will not drowned Jesus. He had the power to overcome. The life of Jesus terrifies many, leaves others in unbelief but it also inspires some. It inspires some to step out in faith, walk on water against the wind.

Obedience is not dangerous. Was it dangerous for Moses to cross the Red Sea? Was it dangerous for Joshua to attack Jericho? Was it dangerous for David to fight Goliath? Was it dangerous for Daniel to continue to pray and be cast into the Lion’s Den? No! Obedience is not dangerous.

In Matthew 14:28-29 Peter sees Jesus walking on the water and says, "Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”

That is right. You read correctly. Peter walked on water. Jesus example inspired him to try it. He saw Jesus walking on water and realized that if Jesus had the power to overcome gravity, that Jesus could give Peter this same power to defy natural law and walk on water too. He asked if he could. Jesus said, “Come” and Peter obeyed. And obedience to God is never dangerous, even during a storm.

It is often said, that you can’t walk on water unless you get out of the boat. Many have sought shelter from the wind and waves of life in man-made boats and only find themselves tossed around by the winds. But by faith, Peter got out of the boat and walked on water. He was walking in obedience against the wind.

Obedience is not dangerous but following after the flesh is. Paul said in Romans 8:13 “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” If we follow after the rules of this world and not the words of Christ, we will die. If we follow the evil desires of our hearts and not the desire of God’s heart, we must die. If we live by the flesh, we will die by it. But if we put to death the deeds or rather misdeed of the flesh by the power of the Spirit, we will live.

Paul explains in Galatians 5:24, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” We have to kill the desires with in us which are waging war against us. We have to put to death our passions. We have to step out of the boats of life in faith, walk on water and against the wind. The danger is not to obey Christ. The danger is to obey our passions and desires.

There is not fear in walking by faith. The fear is losing our faith. Therefore, we must recognize that our focus effects our faith. Look what happened to Peter when he lost his focus. In Matthew 14:30-31 is says that, “when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?"

Why did Peter doubt? When he took his eyes of the prize and focused on his problems rather than the source of his power, he started to sink. When we are focused on Jesus, his power, goodness, and love, we walk by faith. When we turn our focus to our problems, challenges, and struggles, we sink. If we look at the wind and the waves rather than remember the righteous reward of faithfulness, we lose focus. And focus effects faith.

Paul explained in Romans 8:5-6 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace”

Where is your mind set? Where is your focus? Do you set your heart on things above or below? Are you focusing on the passions of the flesh or have you set your mind on the spirit? If you focus on the fleshly desires you will die. But if you focus on the things of the Spirit, you will find life and peace, despite the wind, waves, storms and sins.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

After Jesus takes a hold of Peter, he is no longer sinking. The Masters hand brought comfort and a refocusing of faith. Matthew 14:32-33 says, “And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God."

You see the presence of Jesus in your life brings peace. Some times when the winds of this world blow, we pray and God says, “Peace be still!” and the problem just disappears. Others times, we pray for God to save us, and he allows the winds to continue for a short while but helps us walk miraculously through the storm. We often pray for God to take the winds away. “Remove the storm, Lord!” we may ask. But sometimes, God knows better. He just takes our hand and we both walk against the wind.

Paul said in Romans 8:10-11 “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

By setting our minds on the spirit and not the flesh, we learn from the Holy Spirit to walk against the wind. You might say, why should I want to get out of the temporary safety of my boat and walk on water like Peter did? Why should I jump ship and go overboard in my faith?

There are five reasons to go overboard?
1. Because the winds are against you and you won’t make it on our own, even in that boat.
2. Because waves don’t stop God and he has power over forces you fear. He has triumphed over sin and death and can help you do the same thing.
3. Because obedience is not dangerous and God calls you out of the boat. And disobedience toward God by following the flesh is dangerous.
4. Because your faith needs focused. And people in boats don’t have to totally depend on Jesus like Peter did. Only getting out of the boat will teach you to walk on water by faith against the wind.
5. Because his presence brings peace. When you walk with Jesus the storms may continue to rage but you will be impervious to their forces as you walk hand in hand with the savior.

Bob Seger ends his song against the wind by singing…

Well those drifters’ days are past me now
I've got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out

Against the wind
I'm still running' against the wind
Well I’m older now and still
Against the wind

Get out of the boat. Jump ship. Go overboard. Take Jesus hand and start running against the wind.

Learn How To Inspire Others To Go Overboard Here

Liberal or Conservative?

Click on picture to read more

Question: Dear Scripturists, Are you liberals or conservatives?

Answer: “Liberal” and “conservative” are not Biblical labels that we can prove are good or bad with the commands of God.

I am called to be liberal in my giving (2 Corinthians 9:13) but not in my doctrine.

I am called to conservative and “stand firm and hold to the teachings” which the Apostles “passed on” to us. (2 Thessalonians 2:15) but I am not called to be conservative and hold to the “traditions of men.” (Matthew 7:8)

The idea that liberals are progressive and conservatives are traditional is what makes me avoid both terms. I hold to the traditions of the Apostles and Prophets (1 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 2:20 & 3:5) from the Word while at the same time I am very progressive in how I obey the Word of God which they gave us by “becoming all things to all men.” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Which am I, a liberal or conservative?

What was Jesus? When it came to following the Law he was very conservative. (Matthew 5:17-18) When it came to the traditions of men he was very liberal and bucked their man-made traditions. To the Pharisees Jesus was a flaming liberal who healed on the Sabbath (Mark 3:2) and didn’t wash his hands before he ate. (Matthew 15:2) To the Sadducees he was a rabid conservative who naively believed in angels, demons, man’s soul, an afterlife, judgment and the resurrection of the dead. To both groups he was a radical who didn’t believe people became blind and poor as punishment for their sins or the sins of their parents. (John 9:2-3) And even his own disciples thought he was and extremist when taught that you can’t divorce your wife unless she committed fornication. (Matthew 19:9-10)

Though there were times he did keep some traditions in order not to cause unnecessary offence. (See Matthew 17:27) His normal practice was to buck man-made tradition in order to ward off hypocrisy and teach about the true meaning of the Word of God. There were times he would offend people to show that they were blind guides. (Matthew 15:12-14). And there where time he would heal the lame or save the lost rather than not offend some legalist’s opinion of right and wrong based upon things they added to the Word of God. In fact, when they allowed man-made tradition to trump mercy, healing, or salvation, it made him angry. (Mark 3:5)

This meant that Jesus consistently rebuked the lack of sincerity and complete obedience to the weightier matters of the law of the doctrinally conservative Pharisees (Matthew 23:23). And he also was consistently rebuking the lack of trust in the Word of God or faith in the power of God by the doctrinally liberal Sadducees (Matthew 22:29).

Jesus was an equal opportunity offender. So we see Jesus as holding unswervingly to the Word of God but being very progressive and often, but not always, breaking the traditions of men. These traditions, which the Pharisees and Sadducees held on par with the Word of God, were often used by them to supersede obedience to the word of God. (Mark 7:13) But Jesus kept the whole Law without fault. (Hebrews 4:15)

Jesus didn’t fit in with the liberals or the conservatives. He wouldn’t let zealots make him King. (John 6:15) He wouldn’t let the Sadducees Priests continue to turn the “house of God” into a “den of robbers.” (Luke 19:46-47) He mocked the Pharisees religiosity without compassion, mercy, justice or faithfulness. (Matthew 23:23) He rebuked the government leaders like Herod. (Luke 13:32) He taught government employees to repent of injustice. (Luke 18:13 & 19:9) His own family said he was crazy. (Mark 3:21) He cast a legion of demons into pigs that farmers shouldn’t even have been keeping according to the Law. (Luke 8:33 & Deuteronomy 14:8) He reached out to Samaritans (John 4:9) but was ultimately rejected by them (Luke 9:52-53) and every one else (Luke 23:21). All the liberal and conservative groups conspired together against him and put him to death. (Mark 3:6 & Mark 12:13)

Therefore, to this faithfulness to the word of God with rejection of human traditionalism, to this obedience to will of the Father over the will of men, to this hate for sin with a love for sinners, to this sincerity in religion with rejection of religious pretensions and to this zeal for the “house of God” while receiving persecution from the religious traditionalists, we are called.

My problem with liberals is not that they are progressive in styles or methods but that they don’t hold firmly to Biblical doctrine and apostolic tradition. They are more upset that their church is not using the latest music styles in worship than the fact that some of our leaders have compromised on the method of accepting Jesus Christ and how you are saved.

My problem with conservatives is that they are not conservative out of a love for God’s Word but a love for tradition of all kinds and especially their own. They are conservative for conservatisms sake. They are more upset that someone introduced drums in the worship service than the fact that the majority of people in their church (including them) have not tried to share the gospel with one person this year.

So I am not a liberal or a conservative. I am a follower of Jesus.

The question is not are we liberal or conservative. The question is: Are we lovingly faithful to the pattern of sound teaching revealed in the Word of God?

Philippians 3:17 “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”

2 Timothy 1:13 “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus said in Luke 11:28 ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

21 things about the "ONE FAITH"

There is but “One Faith.”

Ephesians 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

What do we know about the One Faith?

1. The “One Faith” is something you are “saved through.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith”
Acts 15:9 “He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.”

2. The “One Faith” is something you must have to please God.
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

3. The “One Faith” is something that you will NOT be “justified” by “alone” without deeds.
James 2:24 “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”

4. The “One Faith” must be accompanied by action or it is “dead” and “useless”
James 2:17 “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
James 2:26 “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
James 2:20 “You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?”

5. The “One Faith” is something that is shown by “what I do.”
James 2:18 “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

6. The “One Faith” is something “made complete” by what we do.
James 2:21 “Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”

7. The “One Faith” is something you should “obey.”
Acts 6:7 “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

8. The “One Faith” is something you should “examine to see if you are in.”
II Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith”

9. The “One Faith” is something you should be “established in” and “sound in.”
Acts 16:5 “And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.”
Titus 1:13 “Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith”

10. The “One Faith” is something you must “continue in”
Colossians 1:22-23 “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel….”

11. The “One Faith” is something you should “stand firm in.”
I Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.”

12. The “One Faith” is something you should “keep hold of.”
I Timothy 3:9 “They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.”

13. The “One Faith” is something you can and should “keep.”
II Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

14. The “One Faith” is something you can “deny.”
I Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

15. The “One Faith” is something you can “turn away from.”
Matthew 24:10 “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other”

16. The “One Faith” is something you can “abandon.”
I Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

17. The “One Faith” is something you can “wander from.”
I Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
I Timothy 6:21 “which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.”

18. The “One Faith” is something you can “destroy in others” by “wandering away from the truth.”
II Timothy 2:18 “who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.”

19. The “One Faith” is something you should “contend or fight for.”
Philippians 1:27 “…I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel”
Jude 1:3 “…I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith…”
I Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

20. The “One Faith” is something you should “remain true to.”
Acts 14:22 “…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.”

21. The “One Faith” is something that was “once for all entrusted to the saints” by the first century.
Jude 1:3 “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.”

Click here to learn the core message of the "ONE FAITH" and how to obey it.