Simple Kind Of Man

Dr. Mike Murphy
June 28, 2021

"It made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and confounded me with the sense of mine own ignorance; for there never came thought into mine heart before now that showed me so the beauty of Jesus Christ.  It made me love a holy life, and long to do something for the honour and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus.  Yea, I thought that had I now a thousand gallons of blood in my body, I could spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus."

Who do you think wrote these words?  Would you guess one of the Christian writers like C.S. Lewis, Fanny Crosby, or G.K. Chesterton?  Or would you guess one of the great novelist of history like Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, or John Steinbeck?  Or would you guess one of the great ministers like C.H. Spurgeon, Charles Finney, or Billy Graham? Although each would reference him, and most would often quote him, none of these wrote the words above.  These are the words of a man few know the name of, but a man God used in a powerful way.  These are the words of John Bunyan.

Most hear the name Bunyan and immediately think of a giant of a man with a blue ox, but John Bunyan was just as giant of a man in his own right. Countless stories you have read, and endless sermons you have heard, all have their roots in the words of John Bunyan.  He was a man far more quoted than known.  John Bunyan spoke words that would stir you, and wrote words that would move you.  He made the greatest of scholars marvel, and the worthiest of theologians ponder.  But through it all, John Bunyan was never more than a simple man.

Bunyan lived his life in the 1600’s in the town of Bedford, just north of London.  He came from a poor family, and never received much of a formal education.  As he became a young man, he served in the army for a brief time, then returned to work with his father as a tinker(metal worker).  Through it all, he lived his life far from God, but the whole time the Holy Spirit was working on John Bunyan.  Many nights, he would awake from dreams where he saw visions of demons in his sleep.  One Sunday, while playing sports, his mind was suddenly filled with a thought that he could not shake, a thought that startled him.  “Will you leave your sins and go to heaven, or have your sins and go to hell?”  It was a thought that stayed with him.  A short time later, he overheard several godly woman talking while making lace to sell.  He heard them speak of the joys of salvation, and how their own righteousness was unable to save them.  The words would stick with John Bunyan, and he would remember them often.

Many of these thoughts and incidents led John to clean up his life, looking to be seen as a moral man.  But there was still one problem, God had yet to change his heart.  So John still struggled internally as he tried to look moral outwardly.  John remembered the group of women he had heard speak of the joys of salvation, and knew they attended a local Baptist church.  John soon found himself at the church, and soon found himself close with the pastor of the church, who took John under his wing.  John did not find Christ overnight, it took him years to work through the demons that haunted him.  But through it all, Christ found John, and found a permanent place in John’s heart.

As John grew in Christ, his love for God’s Word also grew.  Soon John became a deacon of the church, and soon found himself preaching on Sundays. It did not take the church long to recognize the gift that God had given this man, and the call He had placed on his life.  John began to preach wherever, and whenever he could. It is reported that often thousands would bear the rain and storms to come hear John speak.  He would speak wherever the Holy Spirit moved and led him, often in barns, stables or even in open pastures.  But wherever he was led, John spoke the truth in God’s Word, and he spoke each word with a boldness that was led by that truth.

But with each word John spoke, enemies grew.  At this time in history, the State controlled much of the Church.  They did not agree with the way John conducted his sermons, and they were upset at the fact that he had not been formally trained as a minister.  So John was arrested, and put on trial.  During the trial, those who had captured John came to him.  They told him they would set him free if only he would promise to never preach again.  This was tempting to John, as he had a wife and four children, one daughter who was blind.  He worried what would become of his family without him working and providing for them.  But the Lord spoke to John, and John stood strong.  As John was sent to prison, the magistrate warned him that if he ever got out of prison and preached again, the State would hang him.  John’s reply startled all who heard, “If I were out of prison today, I would preach the Gospel again tomorrow by the help of God.”

For the next twelve years, John would call a prison cell home.  But even from the isolation of a cell, the Lord gave John a voice, and He blessed John in ways he could have never imagined.  From the cell, the Lord spoke to John, and the words He led John to write have blessed the world many times over.  From his cell, John wrote, Pilgrim’s Progress, and Grace Abounding To The Chief Of Sinners, and other incredible writings of God’s mercy and His love.  John once explained that it was in prison that the Lord opened His Word to him in ways He never could have anywhere else.  God had a captured audience in John, and John soon found that his capture was actually a blessing, allowing him endless time to spend with our Lord.  John would later say of prison, “He can make a jail more beautiful than a palace, restraint more sweet by far than liberty, and the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.”

After spending twelve years behind bars, John was released and eventually given a license to preach.  With each word John spoke, thousands would flock to hear him speak of Christ.  His words had a power that even the greatest of scholars could not explain.  One of the greatest theologian scholars of the today, John Owen, would often find himself listening to the words of John Bunyan.  One day, King Charles II would ask John Owen what he could possible gain from hearing this tinker preach?  Owen answered the king by saying, “May it please your majesty, if I could possess that tinker’s abilities for preaching, I would most gladly relinquish all my learning.”

John Bunyan never spoke a word of Greek or Hebrew.  Terms that I use today so easily like Tetragrammaton, Theophany, and Soteriology, John Bunyan never knew.  But of this man C.H. Spurgeon would once say, “Prick that man anywhere and his blood is bibline.” There is not a single word of Pilgrim’s Progress that is not supported and immersed in the Word of God.  John Bunyan’s knowledge of God’s truth was not found in a book, but as you read each of his words it is not hard to see that His truth is found.  Bunyan did not find that truth though in the words of others, but in the Word of God.  I could build a library the size of Texas, fill it with the works of every great theological scholar of history, and it would still not compare to the understanding that John Bunyan had through his personal relationship and the conversations he had with our Lord.  Bunyan showed us that knowledge and logic may be found in men, and may be seen in a book, but only wisdom can come from the Lord.  A wisdom that He so longs to share with each of us still today.

By all accounts, John Bunyan was a simple man.  A man who never studied at the feet of the world’s great scholars. A man who most of our seminaries today would scoff at, would reject and never allow to grace their halls. A man who most churches would never hire, and most denominations would never give the time of day.  A man the world would describe as simple.  But a man whose Godly wisdom made him far from simple.

As I talk about the life of John Bunyan, the words of a song from my youth come back to me.  “Be a simple kind of man.  Be something you love and understand.”  With each day I left to spend on this earth, I pray the Lord will make me a simple kind of man.  A man whose heart will simply feel the love that Christ brought to us.  Whose eyes will see the simple truth His Word shows us.  Whose ears will simply hear the grace and mercy His whispers to each of us.  And whose mind will know the simple wisdom only He can give us. 

I wish to follow a truth that is not confined stiffly to the pages of a book, but a Godly truth that flows, moves and breaths as He surrounds me in that truth. A truth that drives me to my knees, and keeps me on my knees.  A truth that quiets me when this world calls me to speak, but emboldens me when the Lord needs me to speak.  A truth that no man can offer me, but a truth that the Lord so graciously gives me.  A simple truth that cannot be found in my own words, but are found in every word that He speaks through me.

More than once, I have spoke of a faith I was blessed to have seen in my grandmother.  One of my most cherished possessions is a Bible that she used every day. As you open each page of her Bible, you can barely read the verses because of all she wrote in the margins.  But each time I look closely, I find those margins far from a distraction, but filled with wisdom.  My grandmother was far from being considered an “educated woman”.  Her formal education ended with the fifth grade.  In the writings of the margin of her Bible, you will not find a single theological word that myself, and most theologians use freely each day.  But in each of her words you will find a wisdom and an understanding that speaks directly to your heart.  A simple truth that no book could have shown her, that only the Lord could have revealed to her.  An understanding that goes far deeper than the sophisticated words I have often spoken and written.  A simple truth that explains God’s Word in a way that every man can comprehend, and that all of His children yearns to understand.

I pray, that the Church, and myself, will return to a faith like the one that once brought children to the knee of Christ.  A faith filled with the innocence of humility and trust, A faith filled with an unbridled joy, that would allow us to rush to His lap, and to feel Him surround us with His arms.  A faith without pride, ambition, and absence of pretentiousness. A faith that forgets our own logic, and seeks the blessings of His wisdom.  A simple faith that is only known in a Father’s love, and only felt in our Father’s presence.

A simple faith that led the psalmist to proclaim, “The unfolding of Your words gives light.  It gives understanding to the simple.”(Psalm  119:130).  A message of faith that took the most sophisticated plan that man would ever know, and brought that plan to this world in the most simple of ways.  A simple truth that came into this world as a Child so many years ago.  A simple wisdom, that Child would grow to give us, and spend each day explaining to us.  A simple mercy that Child would die on a cross for so that we might all know.  A simple grace that Child offers to each of us today.  A simple love, that the Spirit of that Child longs to fill in each of us as you read these words.  A simple message that longs to again be heard throughout this world today.  A simple truth that yearns to be heard again by this simple kind of man.

Praying a simple understanding will soon return to this land and to this Church.

The Future Hold All The Answers!

 Dr. Mike Murphy

May 12, 2021

The Book of Revelation.  A book of the Bible that more quote than understand, that more discuss than read.  A book that most have an opinion on, but far too few have the insight to explain.  A book that our world has sadly come to know more by its’ symbols than by the message of its’ words.  A book of the Bible than more see as a fictional novel, than for the factional warnings that fill its’ pages.

Ask a group as they leave church this Sunday to explain the Book of Revelation, and you will get mainly glazed stares and complete silence.  Many will tell you they do not have the training to fully understand John’s vision, and the words God instructed him to give us. What we fail to see is that Revelation does not come with a warning label, only a simple set of instructions the Lord ask us to follow.  God wants all of us to understand the Book of Revelation!  We so easily forget, God did not choose the most scholarly man He could find to reveal the events of Revelation to.  He gave them to a fisherman named John.  A simple man of faith who looked to God and His Word for the answers.  A man of prayer, and a man who studied and often quoted the words of those God had also chosen in past years to reveal His Word through.

When God inspired and revealed the book of Revelation to John, He intended for us to understand every part, in every chapter.  And just like John, through our prayer and study we can understand the prophecies that we find in its’ chapters.  And any prophecy we may not understand fully, we have the promise that one day all will be made clear when we see that prophecy fulfilled.

We must understand, the key to comprehending Revelation is not found in the Book of Revelation.  We must look to many of the same prophets of old that John, the apostles, and Christ Himself often quoted.  Revelation is the culmination of many of the prophecies we find throughout Scripture.  The Book of Revelation gives color and detail to the masterpiece many of the Old Testament prophets had already began to paint.  Revelation continues and completes what these men of God had started, to shine a light on the dark future this world gives us, and to show us a Glorious Hope where no hope would otherwise be found.

Many will say that the Book of Revelation can never be understood, and it generally serves no purpose for us to study it or devote time in it.  In many churches today, the book is ignored, seen as controversial and generally to hard to comprehend.  I do not believe that those who would assert this philosophy have even thought through what they are saying.  In reality, they are telling you that God is foolish.  That God gave us the detailed and visionary words of this book with no purpose in mind.  These words are simply there for no other reason that to fill up space.  The Bible tells us, “The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.”, Proverbs 16:4.  God has a purpose for all things, and each purpose leads to the fulfillment of God’s plan.  If we choose to ignore that purpose, we must be willing to accept that we can never understand that plan.  Revelation, and all prophecy, brings to life the purpose of that plan!

To best understand Revelation, and all prophecy, we must be willing to put our own desires and interpretations aside, and concentrate on God’s will and His vision.  2 Peter 1:20-21 tells us, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”  Our hermeneutics, the principles of interpretation, must reflect the vision the Holy Spirit shows us, not the image that we desire to see.  We must have a desire to see and understand Scripture through the Lord’s eyes, not through our own.

So if God intended for Revelation to be understood, and to have us see the future through His eyes, why have so many interpretations of these prophecies been presented and often taught?  Let us take a look at the four main interpretations of Revelation, and see what image is reflected in our own eyes, and what vision is seen through God’s eyes.  

Idealist or Symbolic Interpretation

Those who follow this view teach that there are no references in Revelation to actual events, past, present or future.  This view uses a symbolic or allegorical approach to its’ interpretation.  Revelation is seen as imagery that represents the ongoing struggle of good versus evil.  Followers of this interpretation will tell you that John was trying to put forth an idea, not a literal prophetic message.  Idealists see five main purposes in the book.  First, it calls us to live an honorable life.  Second, it teaches us we are to endure.  Third, it tells us that evil will be overcome in the end.  Fourth, it gives us a glimpse into who Christ is.  And fifth, that history is in the mind of God and can be seen in the moral destiny of men.

This allegorical view of Revelation was first thought to be widely introduced by Origen, and made popular by Augustine.  Much of the early church rejected this view, but the view has again come to prominence among many theologians in recent years.  One of these recent theologians, Robert Mounce, stated, “Revelation is a theological poem presenting the ageless struggle between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. It is a philosophy of history wherein Christian forces are continuously meeting and conquering the demonic forces of evil.”

They teach that the symbols of Revelation are not representative of events, but of themes.  For example, the battles written of in Revelation are seen as spiritual warfare, Christian persecution throughout the ages.  The beast of the sea is seen as political opposition to the Church.  And the catastrophes foretold are seen as God’s unhappiness with man.

There are many problems with this approach.  It becomes based on man’s interpretations, not on God’s intended meaning.  The culture and politics of the day become influencing factors of this view.  The view turns on itself, as the symbolism it is based on can be seen to represent whatever one chooses.  And above all, it ignores God’s own words. Those who say that moral instructions are the purpose of Revelation, ignore what Christ Himself says about the book. Revelation 22:18-19 tells us, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”  Christ specifically tells us the purpose of this book, it is prophetic, not symbolic!  When we place interpretative symbolism over proven substance, we forfeit our understanding of God’s plan.

Historicist Interpretation

This view teaches that Revelation predicts and envelops the whole history of the Church, from the time of the Apostles until the end of this Age.  Many who take this position see in the first three chapters of Revelation as seven distinct eras of the Church’s history.  They see in chapters four through seven the decline and eventual fall of the Roman Empire. They tell you the judgments of chapters eight through eleven represent the challenges of Western Europe, and the rise of religions that oppose the Church.  Many proclaim the fifth trumpet judgment as the rise of Islam, and see the sixth trumpet judgment as the emergence of the Turks.  Many see chapters eleven through thirteen as the struggles of the Protestant Church against Catholicism, with chapters fourteen through nineteen representing God’s judgment against the Catholic Church.

There are many criticisms of this approach, including the wide variety of interpretations that have come from it.  It has been said that as many as fifty different interpretations have been present at various moments in history, with no two interpretations agreeing with what events of history were being represented. These views tend to focus on Western Europe, ignoring the rest of the world. Focusing its’ attention to struggles between Protestantism and Catholicism.  It is for these reason, that this viewpoint has been all but forgotten, with only a very few following it today.  Those that do find themselves waist deep in prophetic gobbledy-gook, not knowing which direction to turn to find a way out.  The Lord requires us to both read and understand the prophecies that Revelation gives us(Revelation 1:3), not to look to assign meaning to them by connecting them to events of history.

Preterist Interpretation

The term preterist comes from the Latin word ‘preter’, which means past. Most preterists see the Olivet Discourse(Matthew 24) and the Book of Revelation fulfilled by the events of the destruction of the Temple and the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  They state that chapters one through three deal with the conditions of the churches of Asia Minor prior to the events of 70 AD, with the rest of Revelation being fulfilled by the events that surround the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.  Full preterism then teaches that chapters twenty through twenty-two of Revelation have already been fulfilled, and we are now living in the era of the promised new heaven and new earth.  While partial preterism teaches that the events of chapters twenty through twenty-two will be fulfilled at a future date, with the resurrection of believers and the return of Christ.

The teachings of preterism can be traced back to a Jesuit priest named Luis de Alcazar.  His commentary, Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi, published a year after his death in 1614, put forth this viewpoint in response to many pointing to the Pope as the Anti-Christ.  This theory took the focus off the conflict between Catholicism and the Reformationists, placing it on events that had already been fulfilled.

When we closely examine this interpretation, the flaws quickly become overwhelming. We must first accept that Alcazar was given greater understanding than over fifteen hundred prior years of Church history.  That he understood more than those who were taught at the very feet of John, many who lived, or had relatives live through, the events they say the Revelation described.  We are told that Polycarp was a disciple of John.  From his writings, Irenaeus tells us that he was taught by Polycarp.  And we also  know that Irenaeus taught and mentored  Hippolytus, who we also have early church writings from.  Irenaeus wrote of his teacher Polycarp, “Polycarp...instructed by apostles...always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true.”

So what exactly did Polycarp teach about Revelation?  Irenaeus addressed this in his writing Against Heresies, and Hippolytus also addressed the issue in Treatise on Christ and Antichrist.  They tell us that Satan will attempt to reign over mankind as a man we know as Antichrist, and he will desire for all to worship him as God.  They connect the teaching of Christ, Daniel, and the writings of John, teaching of a seven year tribulation with the “abomination of desolation” at its’ midpoint.  The Antichrist will be the little horn of Daniel(Daniel 7), and will overthrow three other kings of the earth as he gains his power. The Antichrist will deceive the majority of the people of this world, and will persecute those who refuse to worship him as God.  They also tell us that at the end of these seven years, and after the three and one half year reign of the Antichrist(the last half of the Tribulation), Christ will return and destroy the kingdom of Satan.  Those who were taught by John did not teach or believe the interpretation of Alcazar, who had objectives besides truth in mind when he penned these views.

Another problem those that follow preterism cannot overcome is the date of when John wrote the Revelation.  And once again the writings of Irenaeus and Hippolytus are not their friends.  In order for Revelation to apply to the events of the destruction of Jerusalem, then Revelation would have had to have been written before 70 AD, as these prophecies were written and given future tense. Almost every legitimate Biblical scholar will tell you that John was given and wrote the Revelation from the isle of Patmos around 95 AD, long after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.  And when we look at the writings and beliefs of our early Church fathers, like and including Irenaeus and Hippolytus, they all tell us that it was also given and written by John at this time, not before the Temple and the city were destroyed.

Closely looking at this interpretation, we see more than just flaws in the fabric, we see gaping tears in the material.  We see a view that was not introduced to show others the truth, but to put forth for alternative motives.  We see prophetic truth becoming prophetic delusion when we examine this view closely.

Futurist Interpretation

When the world today hears of the events Revelation describes, most recognize it from the futurist viewpoint.  Most within the evangelical church today hold to a futurist interpretation of the Olivet Discourse and the book of Revelation. Futurists follow the words of Christ in Revelation 1:19 as a guideline.  “ Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.”. When we look closely at chapter one, we see what John had been shown, the glorified Christ on the isle of Patmos. When we look at chapters two and three, we see John describe the things “which are”, the seven churches of Asia Minor and the realities those churches each faced.  Then when we look at chapters four through twenty-two, we see described events “which will take place”, future events that those of John’s day had not yet seen.

Futurism applies a literal interpretation of the Book of Revelation.  Chapters four through nineteen describe events that the world will see because man has failed to follow God.  For example, chapter thirteen describes a future world empire that will be lead by political and religious leaders known as the two beasts.  In chapter seventeen, we will see an apostate Church represented by the harlot.  In chapter nineteen, we see the literal and physical return of Christ, and the battle in which He will overcome Satan and those that choose to follow him.  In chapter twenty we see Christ reign over this earth for a thousand years in what we call the Millennium.  And in the final two chapters, we see the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.

Futurists rightly contend that this literal interpretation can be traced back to the founding fathers of the Church.  These beliefs can be found in the writings of the Church’s earliest leaders.  Clement, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Tertullian, and many others all taught and wrote these principles.  It was not until Origen introduced an allegorical interpretation of the Bible in the early two hundreds that this view was not widely accepted.  In modern times, the literal interpretation of the founding fathers of the Church has once again rose to prominence.

Those who follow the view of futurism do not discount or deny the symbols that are found in John’s writing.  Nor do they claim to have all the answers when it comes to these symbols, they do not claim to be able to explain every detail of these symbols with complete certainty.  But they do teach and believe, that a literal interpretation must be applied and followed throughout the Book of Revelation.  They believe that consistency must be used when reading the prophecies John gave us.  Only futurism instructs the reader to take a literal view of each of these symbols and visions, reducing the difficulty in understanding and teaching  each.

When we look closely at all four of these interpretations, it becomes obvious to those who seek the Truth which view reflects those of John.  When we implement and compare the principle of letting Scripture interpret Scripture, it is not hard to see which interpretation holds up to this scrutiny.  When we look at the Book of Revelation with a perspective of the entire Bible and its’ history, we soon see which view we must follow.  When we look at past prophecies, and see how the Lord fulfilled His words and His warnings, we soon come to see that futurism emerges as the only credible interpretation.  The first three interpretations ignore the basic teachings of Scripture, having resulted in a myriad of errors in predicting and explaining the words and warnings John gave us.  The facts of Scripture, and the history we find in the Church, prove to us beyond a doubt that we should all take a futurist interpretation when reading John’s words.

So next time you sit down, and open your Bible, do not be afraid to read the Book of Revelation!  Never feel that it is a part of God’s Word you cannot and will not ever understand.  Pray before you read it, and trust that the Lord gave John these very words so that you might know them.  And as you read the words of John, please remember, the future hold all the answers!

Every time you read God’s Word, I pray you  stay true to God’s Word(Revelation 22:18-19)!

Jeremiah's America

Dr. Mike Murphy
March 31, 2020

Of all the heroes of the Bible, one seems to intrigue me the most.  Each time I find myself reading the words of Jeremiah, I always seem to take pause, reading over each of the words again and again.  And with each read, the Lord always teaches me more.  Always showing me something I had not seen before.

Jeremiah found himself in the midst of difficult times.  After the death of King Josiah, the nation of Judah had lost its’ compass, wandering aimlessly away from the direction of God.  Jeremiah referred to Judah as a prostitute(Jeremiah 2:20, 3:1-3), willing to sell itself for a moment of pleasure.  A nation far more interested in following their own ways, than in turning to God’s proven wisdom. So often, Jeremiah warned the people that God’s judgement was at hand.  But because God had so often delivered Israel from the hand of destruction, they took for granted that God would just save them again.. Each warning of Jeremiah was ignored, because Jeremiah did not speak the words the people wanted to hear.

Jeremiah watched as the people followed a worship ritual, but still lived a sinful lifestyle each day.  The words they heard at the Temple had become nothing more than ceremony.  Words spoke on the Sabbath, that were forgotten by the following day.  The people did not make God a part of their daily lives, and His laws and ways were not a part of their daily decisions.  The image of the Temple had become more important to the people than the substance of their faith in God.  And when the people looked at the Temple, they did not see an image of their relationship with the Father, they saw a status symbol.  The Temple was seen as a protector, a sanctuary that placed them above the evil of the world around them.

As Jeremiah watched the people each day, the message that Jeremiah was called on to deliver to the people became a difficult one.  Jeremiah had an unquestioned love for his land of Judah, and for its’ people.  But the love that Jeremiah had for the Lord was even stronger.  This left Jeremiah to speak words that had to trouble him, that had to bring him great pain as the words passed from his lips.  Each time the Lord told Jeremiah to warn the people of Judah’s coming destruction, you can hear Jeremiah pleading with the Lord to give him other words to speak.  Jeremiah prayed, begged, petitioned, and beseeched the Lord to give him a different message to deliver to the people.

After hearing Jeremiah’s heartfelt pleas, the Lord again spoke to Jeremiah.  And the words that Jeremiah heard the Lord speak to him, must have been just as hard for him to hear.  The Lord told Jeremiah, “As for you, do not pray for these people, and do not lift up cry nor prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you.”.(Jeremiah 7:16).  More than once, Jeremiah heard the Lord repeat these words(Jeremiah 11:14, Jeremiah 15:1). Through all of Jeremiah’s  pleas, the word of the Lord became very clear. Because the people were unrepentant of their sins, the Lord was lifting His hand from covering them, and would watch as a pagan king would take them into captivity.

Many read these words and ask, why would the Lord does this?  Why would He not send Jeremiah to call on the people to repent?  It all comes down to one word, truth.  The truth is, God’s blessings flow to us when we are committed to God.  The truth is, there are consequences to a hardened, unrepentant heart. And the truth is, sin had so incorporated and numbed the hearts and minds of the people, that Judah no longer feared or respected God.  Although God would have loved nothing more than to see His people fall to their knees before Him, He knew that in reality, they had turned their backs on Him.  He knew that no matter how long and hard Jeremiah prayed, Judah would not seek His face.  God knew that as He lifted His hand of protection from Judah, a hand they did not want covering them, that a terrible fate awaited them.  And out of His love, He called on Jeremiah to warn the people of what was to come.  The bottom line is, God did not reject the people of Israel, the people of Israel had rejected God.

As I read the words God gave to Jeremiah, my thoughts turn to this day, and to this country..  I watch as our country grows more each day to look and sound like the people of Judah.  We find ourselves going through the motions without even realizing what those motions are, or where those motions will lead us.  We speak of God, but never find the time or desire to speak to God.  And we quote the Word of God, without even knowing what those words say.

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once warned of the days we find ourselves living in, "I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost; Christianity without Christ; forgiveness without repentance; salvation without regeneration; politics without God; and Heaven without Hell." Like the words that Jeremiah spoke to Judah, the words and warnings of Booth and others fall on the same deaf ears today. 

Paul tells us that a time will come when people will not tolerate the truth, and will twist the Word of God to fit their own desires(2 Timothy 4:3-4).  Just as Judah did with Jeremiah, many will ignore the warnings and the pleads that will come from men of God on that day.  Warnings that are not to be given because these men seek destruction.  But because they know that the truth must persevere in order to reach as many with that truth as possible, and as a warning of coming judgement to those who refuse to listen to that truth.  As I look at the world today, I hear Paul’s words, and I hear the voices of many Godly men beginning to speak those warnings.  I hear the prayers and pleas of those men falling on deaf ears.  And I wonder how long it will be until these men hear the Lord speak to them the words they never want to hear.  Words that tell them to pray for America no more.

God’s Word tells us, “For the word of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”(1 Corinthians 1:18).  It breaks my heart to have to say, but we live in a country that now finds more foolishness in the Cross than it does truth.  And if breaks my heart even more, as I listen to many who claim to speak for God, making more excuses for the Word of God, than speaking words to explain the truth of God’s Word.  We are a nation that spends far more time on our backside than we do on our knees.  More concerned with meaningless political promises and Hollywood gossip, than we are concerned with the rising chaos that is coming at us.  We are a people that thinks we have the power to define evil, believing that following the lesser of two evils is a path that God would lead us on.  Not even realizing that by following any degree of evil, we are doing nothing more than trying to justify the following of our own path, completely ignoring the path God is pointing us toward. I defy anyone to show me a single verse in the Bible that makes even the slightest suggestion that through our affirmation of evil. good is produced.  Can you show me just one verse?  But in our attempt to do so, we are making Christianity a sub-culture, not the counterculture that the Lord called us to be.

We cannot look to God seeking to repent, because we no longer know how to repent, and what the word means.  We think that repentance is nothing more than casually saying to God today we are sorry, and believing that we can just repeat those words again tomorrow.  We so easily forget, repentance is not just heard in our words, but seen in our actions.  Repentance is a three part process, in which we seek forgiveness of our sins, turn away from those sins, and turn to God so we will sin no more.  We cannot find our knees to repent, because we do not think we need to seek forgiveness.  Finding it easier to justify and redefine our sins, than to turn to God and turn away from those sins.

America, I pray for you, and I beg of you, find your knees.  I plead with you to hear these words I speak to you.  You can mock me, make fun of me, ridicule me, and even hate me, but please do not ignore these words.  Words that not just I alone am speaking to you. Please, please, do not let this opportunity pass.  Hear the calls to return to God while those words are still just calls.  Let the words of David be your rallying cry.  “Teach me Your way, O Lord: I will walk in Your truth.  Unite my heart to fear Your name.”(Psalm 86:11).  Place those words in your heart, and hold them tight.  Do not take God’s blessings and His mercy for granted.  I cry out to you America, do not let the words of this call turn into the words of a warning.  Do not let those who call out to you hear the words the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. Numbing words, that bring their greatest fears for this nation into a reality.

To those who take these words to heart, who call on the name of God. Make these words, your words.  Do not let a few speak these words alone.  Now is not the time for silence, but a last call to action.  Do not just support those who speak, find your own voice, and speak loudly.  The future holds plenty of time for a hoarse voice to heal, so speak loudly and boldly each of your words today.  Do not let fear or crowds stop you, let the Holy Spirit guide you.  Never forget, many, if not most, will not like what you have to say, but they need to hear every word the Lord is calling on you to speak.  Let the words of Paul drive you, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed”(2 Timothy 1:12).  Those who will try to silence you will also look to shame you.  But find no shame in each of the words God calls on you to speak.  Even though they may not yet realize it, their only hope lies in each of your faithful words.

Never forget, this nation is worth fighting for!  God has used this nation in amazing ways, and can still use this country in amazing ways again.  This country has given us opportunities like none this world has ever know.  Liberties and freedom that history could not have even imagined.  God has used this country to take His Word to places that most thought could never be reached.  Created technological advancement through this nation that brought His name to people most never knew existed.  I beg you, do not make that our past, make that again our future.  Before the words of these calls turn to warnings, again make His future, our future.  Make His purpose, our purpose.  And make His hopes, our hopes   Do not let history repeat itself.  Let us learn from the words of Jeremiah, not have the Lord call on men of God today to repeat those words.

I beg of you America, find your knees.  While there is still time left before nothing is able to be found of us at all.

Praying the words Jeremiah once heard, are not spoken by God about this nation again today.

Essential

Dr. Mike Murphy
March 27, 2020

Life is truly an adventure, and I am amazed at all I continue to learn each day.  Today, as I had to go to a doctor’s appointment, I learned just how little I know, just how ignorant I really am(and no, I do not need overwhelming agreement from the peanut gallery!)  I realized that a word I thought I understood well, I really did not understand at all. That word? Essential!

Recently, our state set mandatory standards for businesses being open due to the risk of the Coronavirus.  And in doing so, asked all businesses to close that were not seen as essential.  

As I headed to the doctor’s appointment, I expected to see almost everything closed.  Almost every business I passed, I anticipated seeing the lights off, and the doors locked.  But what I saw shocked me, as an uncountable amount of businesses were open, lights fully on, and welcoming all in. 

I quickly learned that so many more things were “essential” than my mind could begin to realize.  From the pet store, to the cable outlet location, to the mattress store, to the fitness center, to the golf driving range, I discovered that each of these are now considered “essential”.

During this same time, I also noticed that a fellow pastor now considered himself “essential”.  Deciding to open the doors of his church as normal. Defying the request for organized meetings to cease for a short period, in order for people to not be put at an unnecessary risk.  And as I read his statement of why he decided to keep his church services opened to the public physically, I saw all the “I’s” and the “me’s” that filled the words of his response. Leaving him saying, “It’s not about everybody else’s faith, it’s about my faith, it’s my conviction,”.  Evidently having come to the conclusion that people hearing him speak live each Sunday morning and Wednesday night was, “essential”.

As I thought about all this, I decided to reach for my dictionary.  In the hope it would bring to me a little clarity as to what the word, “essential” actually means.  As I looked up the word, it defined “essential” as, “of the utmost importance; something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable”.  So as I thought about this definition, I began to ask myself, what in my life is actually “essential”?

Essential is not found in what I want.  Essential is found in what I need, in what I cannot live a day of my life without.  Essential is not found in what the words politicians look to promise me, or in the words that reporters on the nightly news might look to use to inform me.  As I can live each of my days without what a single one of those words says. But what I cannot live without is what His Word says to me, what He looks to speak to me. As essential is only found as I read His Word, as I look to the very One I cannot live a single moment of my life without.

The reality of all we see around us today shows us, as a society, we have come to describe “essential” as what we think we want, not in what the Lord is showing us we need. A society that no longer knows the difference between a want and a need, as it thinks everything we want is exactly what we need most.. That thinks “essential” is seen in how it makes us feel, not in the necessary reality it brings.  ”If it feels good, do it”, has become the “essential” motto we put forward each day.

Scripture tells me, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”(Psalm 118:8).  Essential words that should be at the tip of my tongue each day. Words that do not leave me living on each word I might hear the government or the media speaking to me.  Or words society might tell me will place a “happy feeling” in me. But words that leave me grounded as I look to Him each day to guide me. Words that continue to speak to me, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”(Proverbs 13:20).

His Word essentially leaves me prepared to face the chaos of the situation I see this day all around me. Words that leave me with the common sense to know the difference between preparedness and panic.  That does not look to leave me foolishly acting out of fear, but does call me to wisely move forward out of the precaution His has taught me in the face of the dangers I cannot help but see. Wisdom that does not leave me in a possible pending pandemic to think I can blindly find myself in a crowd to do what I might foolishly want to do that day.  Or foolishly sitting on a pew come Sunday morning thinking I will gain greater understanding of what His Word says if I listen to a preacher speaking live, than I do from a virtual feed, where you will not find me looking to risking myself and others  

The essential truth of all I see around me, shows me that only One thing in my life is essential.  Only One thing in my life is going to be wisely walking with me tomorrow, as He carefully guides me through this day.  Better defining for me the meaning of the word “essential” than any dictionary ever could, as His Word tells me, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”(Psalm 9:10).

This week, the Lord has used all the chaos, panic, threat, and misguidance we see surrounding this world today, to remind me what in my life is essential.  Placing the wisdom we see in each line of His face right in front of me, and using each of those lines to ground me. To essentially show me that His truth are the only words I need to listen each day to.  Words that continue to teach me each day the difference between what this world foolishly and blindly wants to speak to me. And what the wisdom of His Word so exceedingly places in me. Wisely grounding me in where the preparation of His truth can only take me, instead of foolishly looking to lead me to where society’s words of panic and selfishness would seek to bring me.  Reminding me today, no matter how crazy I see this world become around me, He is always right there beside me. Because at the end of the day, Christ is the only thing in my life that is essential.

Praying the Lord helps each of you remember what is essential in your life!  

One More Last Chance

Dr. Mike Murphy
March 24, 2020

He stood in silence, as he had so many times before.  His future now rested in the hands of the one he stood before.  A judge that not only knew him by name, but knew his history well.  A man who knew all the good he had once done, all the ways he had once looked to shape the lives of those around him.  Offering a new way, a hope to so many, who had thought all hope was lost.

He could not remember the exact day, but through the years his focus had somehow become lost.  Corners were cut, exceptions were made. Laws he had once held dear, he found himself breaking easily.  Justifying his actions today, so he could continue to break the same laws tomorrow.

With each new day, he could feel his past slipping away.  Finding himself committing acts he once stood so firmly against. Breaking laws he had once worked so hard to help uphold.  And day by day, it had become a little easier, weighing a little less on his conscience, as he found himself breaking those laws more and more.

So many times he had stood in front of the judge, and so many times he had pleaded for mercy.  Promising he would change, promising he would return to the man he had once been. Promising he would never be found in this position again.  Seeking a false forgiveness from this judge, as he knew his heart had not changed, and his desire had remained the same.

So many times he had wondered, “What right does this man have to judge me?”.  “Who gives this man the privilege to tell me what I am doing is right or wrong?”.  He had all but convinced himself he knew best what he wanted, what he needed, and did not need this man controlling his life, trying to tell him what he could and could not do.

But as he stood in front of this judge this time, he realized in the depths of his heart that all his words, all his past good actions, were now lost.  And if this judge would just have mercy on him today, forgive him one more time, he had to make the most of the it. One more last chance to get back to where he was before.  To again be the man he was once so proud to be.

In the scenario I have just painted, many may think the man I mention as fictitious.  But what if I told you the one standing in front of the judge was just as real as you and me.  Not a man, but a name being held accountable we all know well. As the one on trail is all of us, this country called America we are all a part of.  And the judge we see standing over all this, is no simple man. But the One Judge, who stands above all judges.

For years, this Judge has warned us, so many times being seen as incredibly merciful with us. A mercy far greater than any of us would ever be capable of offering.  Time after time, trying to warn us, seeking so hard to change us, to restore us to what He once saw in us. But for all the love He has for us, for every opportunity He has used to work through us, He still must remain just, and uphold the law He has placed in front of us.  

As I look around us today, and as all of us stand in front of Him as He looks out at this nation, I cannot help but feel, we have one more last chance.  One more last chance to return to the purpose that was put in place as He helped our Founding Fathers create us. The amazing things He accomplished through us, as He used this nation to bring the Good News to this world like no other country ever has before.

One more last chance to find our knees.  One more last chance to again be that “shining light on a hill” we so proudly proclaimed to be.  An example to this world of the hope, the freedom, the opportunity that comes when we closely follow the path He has placed in front of us.  One more last chance to rewrite His laws on our heart, as His Word is the focus our eyes again see. One more last chance to protect the most innocent among us, and to return to our society the morals and the principles that only He could teach us.  One more last chance to remember the two greatest of commandments He taught us, calling on us to love the Lord with all our heart, our mind, and our soul)Matthew 22:36-38), and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves(Matthew 22:39-40). Knowing that if we are found doing each, no more last chance would have to be given.

As we look at the grip this pandemic has on our nation today, I cannot help but wonder if a glimpse of that “one more last chance” is hiding underneath.  A time when all the hecticness of this world has been suddenly removed from us, giving us a moment to once again be still, and know that He is God(Psalm 46:10).  A pause for us to remember again that He is exalted above the nations, that He is in control. A quiet moment, that gives us a chance to talk to Him again. To remember, He is our greatest need, and His love for us desires for Him to be our greatest want.  A quiet moment for us to cast aside all the chaos, as we face the reality of the moment and realize, our hope and our future does not rest in our government's hands. Our hope, our future, can only be found in His hand. A hope for tomorrow that starts with us finding our knees in front of Him today.

I plead with this nation, I beg of this nation, do not let this one more last chance slip you by.  In these troubling times, as we look to pull our family and our friends close, please look to pull Him even closer.  Cherish the love He has for each of us, and the plans and purpose He has found in us, as a nation. Please do not again test the patience He has so lovingly shown us, but look to return to the arms He is holding out for us.  And in the face of these troublesome times, please do not think a virus is the greatest threat to us, as an even greater disease infects this country. A disease that once it infects, looks to leave nothing but victims behind, as it spreads through our society like a raging fire.  But unlike this virus, this disease of sin has a well-known cure that does not even require a prescription for us to obtain. As all it requires is for us to turn to Him, as we humble ourselves in front of Him. A cure that only requires for this nation, for all of us, to make the most of this “one more last chance”.

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”  Proverbs 19:21