How Salty Are You?

 Dr. Mike Murphy

July 9, 2023

Salt.  Most will recognize it quickly the moment its’ flavor hits your taste buds.  But history shows us that salt is so much more valuable than just for flavor. Salt was not only used to enhance our food, salt was used to preserve our food. Up until refrigeration came into being, salt was used to keep food, and by rubbing, packing, or placing food on salt, food was able to be keep for longer periods of time.  But salt was so much more in ancient days. Salt was a valuable commodity in many cultures.  The word “salary” actually comes from the word salt, as it once meant “salt-money”.  At one time, Roman soldiers were actually given an allowance so they could buy salt.  And even to this day, we often say that a valuable employee is “worth his salt”!

In days past, salt was used for so much more.  Salt was once used to confirm a friendship.  The Greek saw salt as a form of divinity.  The Romans saw it as pure and would sing, “there is nothing more useful than sun and salt”.  The Jewish people grew to include it as part of their sacrifice.  In much of the Arab world, even to this day, when two men partake in salt together, they form a bond, swearing to protect the other against all enemies.  And in much of the ancient world, if two parties were witnessed eating salt together, they entered into a legal contract that could not be broken.  In the Bible, King Abijah talked about one of these salt covenants(2 Chronicles 13:5), “Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?”

With all that salt was used for, it should come as no surprise that Christ would described those who had accepted and followed Him, as the salt of this earth.  When He spoke the words we call the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”(Matthew 5:13).

When many read these words, they can see where Jesus called those who follow Him to be the preservative of this world.  Preserving the truth that God has given us, and slowing the moral and spiritual decay we see in a fallen world. Many others read these words and believe Christ was calling His followers to bring “flavor” to a tasteless world.  To enhance and help nourish this world, by bring the goodness to this world that we see in Him. A goodness that stands out in the work we are called to, and in the hope we are given, that brings a needed flavor, different from any taste this world could ever offer us.

As I look at this verse, I see both.  And as I look at it closer, I even see so much more. We are to be the preservative this world needs.  A famous Greek biographer, Plutarch, once said when describing the preservation value of salt, “meat is a dead body and part of a dead body, and will, if left to itself, go bad; but salt preserves it and keeps it fresh, and is therefore like a new soul inserted into a dead body.”  Salt preserved against the corruption that would come to the meat.  And as a Christian, we do the same as Plutarch once said.  We help Christ bring “a new soul to a dead body”, bring life and hope, where this world no longer can see either.  As a Christian, we also bring flavor to a bland world.  We leave this world with a taste that leaves them longing for more.  Not feasting on decayed meat, but nourishment that brings them pleasure and fulfillment with each bite. Nourishing not only their body, but also their spirit.  And as a Christian, we hold the promise of God’s “salt covenant”.  The promise that tomorrow can only bring through His Son, and the promise that He will always be there for us, standing up for us in every situation.  A binding promise that He has told us could never be broken.

But as we read the words of why Christ called us to be salt, we must also read His next words that warned us of what could happen to salt.  "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”(Matthew 5:13).  The value of salt was held in the effect the salt had, and Christ knew this as He was speaking those words.  In Christ’ day, and all around the area of Nazareth where Christ grew up, it was well known what salt was often like when it was collected from the Dead Sea.  Salt was created in the Dead Sea by evaporation. What they pulled out of the sea often looked like salt, but it had none of the values of salt. Unable to offer flavor and to serve as a preservative.  Christ also knew, that salt was often found in rock, and people would lay their meat on the rocks to preserve it. But over time, the salt would leak from the rocks, and the rocks would become useless. Good for nothing than to crush up and fill the roads, trampled under foot each and every day.  And Christ also know how bakers would use blocks of salt in their ovens, bringing seasoning to the foods as they would cook.  But eventually, the heat would take its’ toll on the salt blocks, causing them to melt away.

As I read the warning of Christ, I am reminded of a favorite saying that was often heard in Christ’ day.  A rhetorical question they would ask, “Can salt lose its’ saltiness?”. Salt will always be salt, nothing more or nothing less. Sodium chloride will always be nothing but sodium chloride.  Many have tried to recreate it with different minerals and chemicals.  But at the end of the day, they are nothing but imposters, having none of the values of salt.  Preserving nothing, adding no flavor, and unusable for binding any covenant. Good for nothing more than to be crumbled with the rock, thrown in the road and trampled under foot.

When I look at the Church today, the rhetorical question of Christ’ day comes to my mind, “Can salt lose its’ saltiness?”.  As we look at the Church today, do we see those who try to mimic salt, so called “churches” who are led by imposters who try to serve as nothing more than salt substitutes?  And in these “salt substitutes”, the words of Paul quickly come to mind.  “Having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with such people.”(2 Timothy 3:5). And Paul’s final words from that verse tells us exactly what we should do with these “salt substitutes”, throw them out!  They serve no purpose, this world can never be preserved by them and they bring absolutely no flavor to it.  They are nothing more than the salt of the Dead Sea, nothing more than evaporation, that has no value, burning away quickly from the heat of this world. They have no place in God’s kitchen, and you will not find them sitting on His shelves.

And look at where this “salt substitute’ has led us.  Over the past years, we have watched the numbers of the Church in this country diminish, and it should be of no surprise to us that it has.  We see many of our churches who have bought into these “salt substitute”, trying to serve this world nothing more than dead and decaying meat.  Nourishment this world is not drawn to because it has no flavor.  And with one bite, they soon determine they have no desire for a second bite.  As what these churches are offering gives them nothing different from what the world is already serving them.

It is time this Church rolled up our sleeves, picked up our pickaxe, and got busy working the salt mines again.  Producing salt, true salt, that will never lose its’ value and flavor.  Removing the “salt substitutes” from our shelves, getting them out of our kitchen, and tossing them in the trash where they belong. This world yearns for the real nourishment of what only Christ can offer them, and what He has called on us to serve them.

Praying each of you are salty!

The Return Of the Black Robe Regiment

Dr. Mike Murphy

July 2, 2023

It was a cold January morning as the pastor approached the pulpit.   As he looked out at the full pews of the church, his emotions must have been churning at the sermon the Lord had called him to deliver that day.  As he concluded his sermon, he read from the third chapter of Ecclesiastes.  “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” As he got to the eighth verse, his voice began to ring loud.  “A time of war, and a time of peace.” “And today” he declared, “this is a time for war!”  With this he removed his robe, revealing the uniform of a colonial officer.  He then walked out the doors of the church to drums beating.  As the congregation watched, you could see the men kiss their wives and children, then proceed out of the church to enlist for the cause of liberty.  Within half an hour, 162 men had followed the lead their pastor had set, joining the call of freedom.

Peter Muhlenberg was just one of many that set into motion the events of this nation from the pulpit, forever changing our history.  Echoing through the churches of all the colonies, you could hear the calls to a divine right of resistance, not a divine right of kings.  Galatians 5:13 became a verse that was quoted in sermons every Sunday, and from this came the call "all men are created equal”.  Liberty and justice were a divine right that could only be given by God, not by a king from a ruling land.  They envisioned a land that would be led by God’s principles, not by man’s corruption.  A government not exploited by vice, but one restored by righteousness(Proverbs 28:15, Isaiah 1:26).

Since before our nation was a nation, the churches of America have been at the forefront of the issues that drove the people and society.  The church taught people why a society could never stand without a moral basis.  From the pulpits came the call for honesty, to be law abiding, and to respect those around us and the property they owned.  The congregations were also taught the importance of liberty, government corruption, and that with the power to tax came the power to control and to manipulate the people.  Historians of the day often wrote that the Bible and liberty were intertwined in the minds of the American Colonist, that the need for a moral and righteous government was a jurisdiction that was authorized to all man by God.

From this belief, history brought Reverend Jonathan Mayhew to the forefront.  It was during one of his sermons from the Old West Church in Boston that the phrase came, “no taxation without representation”.  His words lead many to rebel, and caused England to eventually overturn the Stamp Act.   Mayhew preached that without liberty, there was tyranny, and tyranny was of the devil. That resistance to tyranny was obedience to God.  John Adams would later call Reverend Mayhew the “morning gun of the Revolution”.

During the early years of this nation, it was pastors that found themselves as the voice of most of our communities.  Pastors were far more than simple sermon givers, they were the leaders of the community.  They were the teachers, the scholars, and the keepers of God’s Word.  These pastors did not pull punches when it came to the Scriptures, they firmly believed that from a Biblical foundation of morals that our nation would be born.  And when the colonies broke free of the hold that the King had, it was the strength found in our pulpits that rallied our forefathers together under the call of liberty. Because of the influence they voiced, the British soon labeled these patriotic pastors as The Black Robe Regiment.

These were men whose honor and integrity were without question.  Their sermons echoed with the message that man should always find himself under the power of God’s Word. Their sermons were not only filled with stories of the Bible, but dealt with issues that everyone faced each day.  Whatever issues were affecting society, were preached in the pulpit from a Biblical perspective.  

Daily, these ministers spoke of a liberty that they believed could only be given to man by the Hand of God.  As the British began to tighten their hold on the colonies, it was the pastors that lead the call for separation.  These pastors delivered this message knowing well the cost they would pay for doing so.  Many were tortured and imprisoned.  Many saw the very churches they delivered this message from burned to the ground.  Many watched as their families were tortured and killed.  And many paid the ultimate price, giving their lives for a cause and belief the Lord had lead them to.  These men were considered among the greatest of targets by the British troops, in hopes of silencing the call that had rallied the people.  But despite all they faced, their voice was never silenced. Truth prevailed!    

It was Christian pastors who defined the role this country would play in the history of this world.  The vision of this nation that God had given them, was the vision that our forefathers used to structure this nation.  The words and message in their sermons found there way into our Declaration of Independence.  Our Founding Fathers claimed that authority was given to separate from the rule of England by "the laws of Nature and Nature’s God”.  These were more than sophisticated words, they rang with meaning as they reached the ears of the King of England.  The term “laws of nature” was actually a legal term, found within the very standard of English law itself.  The Blackstone Commentary on Law defined “laws of nature” as "the will of God for his creation as revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures”.  Our Founding Fathers were claiming that the authority and the very foundation of this country rested on the Bible.

Simply put, from the words of the Bible that these Christian pastors were inspired to preach on, came the very words that crafted the governing principles this nation would be founded upon.  This rang evident in the words of one of this newfound nation’s top newspapers in 1789, “Our truly patriotic clergy boldly and zealously stepped forth and bravely stood our distinguished sentinels to watch and warn us against approaching danger; they wisely saw that our religious and civil liberties were inseparably connected and therefore warmly excited and animated the people resolutely to oppose and repel every hostile invader. . . . May the virtue, zeal and patriotism of our clergy be ever particularly remembered.”

If liberty can only come from God as our forefathers believed, then today we find our liberties once again in great jeopardy.  The very Christian principles and morals that this nation was founded on are being rapidly stripped away in front of our very eyes.  Biblical morals, the very threads that were used to sew the fabric of this country together, are being replaced by man’s own failed logic.  We watch daily as the virtues the Lord set forth are redefined as hateful and bigoted. God’s truth has been devalued to the level of man’s opinion, with society finding itself leaning more towards the latter everyday.  

With each day, America finds itself becoming more and more like Nineveh.  As we look out from our windows, we can see the image of Jonah getting closer and closer to our shores.  Any day, we know he will arrive on our coast, and we all know the warning and message he will bring. Will America put on the sackcloth, returning to the morals and teachings that brought us liberty?  Or will America become another fading name, only to be found in books of history?

Americans have seen Jonah approaching at its’ shores before in our history, and leaders stepped forward to warn the nation.  During the early years of this country, a movement of humanism began to sweep the world.  Out of it, we saw the fall of France, and one of that nation’s bloodiest moments of history, the French Revolution. Many in our country feared that this form of humanism would spread to America.  But at this time. men of God stepped forward. They called for revival, as thousands found themselves on their knees praying for God’s Hand of protection on this nation.  We refer to this period and this movement as the Second Great Awakening.  As this revival was starting, Charles Finney reminded the ministers in his day of the influence God had given them from the pulpit. “Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation.”

It is time once again that the pastors of this nation heeded the words of Charles Finney, and find themselves picking up the black robes of our founding ministers.  Before it is too late, it is time for pastors to clear their throats and find their voice once again.  Pastor must again read the words of Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  We must remember that Christ has called us to help Him mold this world through His message, not for all the misguided values of this world to mold us.

We must again find our pulpits preaching the Full Word of God, not just the parts that make us feel good.  We must again make this nation understand, that you cannot have true love unless it is filled with God’s truth(1 Corinthians 13). The words we preach on Sunday, must drive us on Monday.  And we must again fill our pulpits with those who are without question accountable to the Lord. Those pastors and people of God who are willing to follow this call, will find a voice more powerful than they could ever imagine.  But those who will not, need to find themselves listening from the pews, not preaching from the pulpit.

Until the ministers of God find their voice again, this nation will never find itself on its’ knees looking to the Lord for the truth in His answers.  And we must find the pastors of this country leading this charge, once again remembering why Christ called them to be ministers in the first place.

  This call will not always be easy.  Just as these founding ministers faced threats, mocking, harassment, and personal loss, many today need to be prepared for the same.  But as they do, they will know that the Lord is with them every step of the way, as they work hand in hand with the Lord to once again change the heart of this nation, and bring us back to the truth our nation was founded on.  

Before it is too late, the ministers of this nation must return to the closet of those founding pastors, and pull out the black robes that have been tucked away in the farthest corners.  As we look out our windows and see Jonah walking onto our shores, it is now or never for this nation. It is time for a return of The Black Robe Regiment!

Praying that the Lord’s Truth will be heard clearly again in the pulpits of your churches!

Awakened!

Dr. Mike Murphy
June 11, 2023

The words he wrote must have troubled him.  He saw a nation that was turning to lawlessness, a nation of people only concerned with their own selfish interest.  Since the War of Independence, the nation found itself in a moral decline.  The roaring waves of the First Great Awakening had now turned to nothing more than ripples.  He watched as our churches were becoming empty. Church membership in this nation had fallen to just five to ten percent, and many of our churches were facing the horror of having to permanently close their doors. The Methodist were losing members far faster than they were gaining them.  The Baptist referred to this time as their “wintry season”.  The Lutherans were looking to merge with the Episcopalians just so both could survive.  It was so bad in New York, that the Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church simply quit functioning. It had been so long since he had confirmed anyone that he decided his job was no longer needed.

As he saw the Church falling apart, he watched as the nation was following suit.  Out of the nearly five million citizens that made up this country, three hundred thousand were drunkards.  Sexual immorality was soaring, as illegitimate births and sexual diseases were becoming epidemic.  Crime had become an all to common occurrence.  Bank robberies were being seen every day, and people began to not trust the security any of the banks offered.  For the first time in our history, women were now afraid to go out at night.  Dueling had become the national pastime, and it was said that this country had become stained in blood.  

Even his friend, the President doubted our future.  A fellow friend had written to President Washington, warning of what he saw.  "Our affairs seem to lead to some crisis, some revolution; something that I can not foresee or conjecture. I am more uneasy than during the war." Washington’s reply was just as troubling, "Your sentiment... accords with mine. What will be is beyond my foresight."  All of this had so troubled John Marshall, the future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, that he found himself writing of it to his friend James Madison.  The words that came from his pen brought tears to his eyes.  “The church is too far gone ever to be redeemed.”

So what had caused the Church to fall so fast?  Most historians list a series of issues that brought the Church to this low point.  First, was the war. Many do not realize, but the war had divided the nation.  Only one-third had supported independence, while another third had sided with England, leaving a final third that sat on the sidelines uncaring.  Of the third that supported independence, many if not most had come from the churches of this country. Ministers had often been the voice that led the cause.  After the war, many churches found themselves without pastors, as these men had bravely gave their life for our freedom.  The unity of many local churches had been lost during the war.  And as the men that had fought came home, many discovered a lull in returning to everyday life.  Timothy Dwight, who would become a leading theologian of his day, spoke these words of the day.  “Seven years of war had unhinged the principles, morality, and the religion of the country more than could have been done by a peace of forty years.”

Second, was the emergence of Rationalist Deism.  They saw and taught God as distant, uninvolved in the world around us.  It also stripped the moral code as given from God, and placed it in the minds of men.  Authors, like Thomas Payne, attacked the very principles of the Bible.  He wrote, “It would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the word of God.”  Most had never even heard the Scripture questioned, and had no clue how to reply now that it was happening.

Third was an acceptance of French secularism.  During the war, America had closely aligned itself with France.  As the war ended, many of the teachings and writings of Voltaire and Rousseau became popular within our society.  These atheist teachings became an accepted part of university teachings.  An acceptance of immorality soon became commonplace in our culture. Socio-political gatherings known as ”infidel clubs”, began to arise in many major cities. The stated purpose of these clubs were to destroy Christianity, and to revolutionize government around atheist principles.  An atmosphere developed that attacked the very core of the home and the family.

Last, but far from least, was a rise in Unitarianism.  Unitarians took a universalist approach to faith, denying the deity of Christ and pushing toward humanism.  As Unitarians gained such a stronghold in one of our major denomination of the day, that the denomination not only split, but soon became extinct.  This belief also gained a strength in many of our universities.  Schools of the day that not only educated our leaders, but developed our theological ministers.  A poll taken in this day at Harvard found not one believer in the whole student body.  The same poll was taken at Princeton, a theological college at the time, and found only two believers.  At Williams College a mock communion was held.  At Dartmouth, anti-Christian plays became commonplace.  Bibles were taken by college students from churches in New Jersey, and thrown into a bonfire. Christians became so scarce on campuses that they were forced to meet in secret, keep their minutes in code so no one would know what they were doing.

So what brought America back from the depths of this immorality?  Two simple words, prayer and revival!  Revival in our churches, and the prayers of believers saved this country.  A small spark that started in the 1790’s became a raging fire that consumed the 1800’s.  A fire we all know as the Second Great Awakening!  God’s Word was again preached, heard from our pulpits and from the voices of our leaders.  Words that spoke a truth to the hearts and the minds of the people of this country.  Words that blew the Spirit across this nation, filling once again our congregations and dotting our once church less cities with steeples.  Hundreds of thousands found themselves on their knees, with their arms raised again to the Lord.  A hunger for flesh was replaced with a hunger for the Lord and a passion for His Word.  America had again found the Lord, and they soon realized the Lord had not forgot them.  America flourished like it never could have imagined.

Once again, we find our nation in similar conditions to those described by John Marshall and many of our Founding Fathers after the War of Independence. We find ourselves a nation divided by an internal war.  We watch daily as our nation attempts to redefine God.  We watch as secular principles are thrown to the forefront, and the lawlessness that comes with these decisions.  And we watch as many in the Church are willing to compromise their faith in favor of society’s acceptance.  We watch as America heads in a direction that will result in destruction, a direction our forefathers once feared this country was mired in.

So how does America avoid the cliff we are running toward?  How do we repeat the wisdom of our forefathers, and pull ourselves out of the depths we now find ourselves trapped in?  There is but one way to accomplish this goal, to miraculously bring America back from the abyss we find ourselves heading toward.  We must take a position of strength, the strongest of positions we can find ourselves in.  We must again find ourselves on our knees!  We must not only humble ourselves and admit our flaws, but turn to the mercy of the only One who can correct these flaws!

As we bend our legs and find our way to the ground, we must also realize whose knees must first touch that ground.  It must be the Church.  We cannot expect people to find their way to their knees, who do not know the purpose of being on their knees(2 Chronicles 7:14).  And we cannot expect people to turn toward God, unless the Church first knows the direction in which the Lord stands. It was once said, “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.”  These words must ring in each of our sanctuaries,  The Church must again find its’ voice, find the One who gives words to that voice, and awaken this nation.  Awaken this nation from the sleeping coma we find ourselves in.

But in order for the Church to awaken this nation, it means that the Church must first find itself awake.  As I look around this nation today, I hear the snores and the yawns that are coming from our churches.  I see the stillness of their slumber.  I see a Church that is fast asleep.  A sleep that has made the Church oblivious to the dangers that surround us.  A sleep that has filled the Church’s head with dreams of the world accepting us, of a worldly belief that might include us.  A sleep we must quickly awakened from, but a sleep where lullabies are being sung from many in our pulpits.

Recently, the Barna Group showed the results of a two year poll they had concluded of theologically conservative pastors.  This poll looked at where they stood on the moral issues that the country faces today.  When asked if the Bible spoke to the moral issues of our country and the world today, ninety percent of the pastors answered “yes”.  But when asked if they addressed these issues, spoke of them from the pulpit and taught of them in their churches, less than ten percent said they did.  When asked what these pastors were doing to make their congregations aware of what the Bible said of these issues, the resounding answer was “nothing”.  Our pastors told Barna that they know what the Bible says about the issues that we face today, but have chose to ignore what the Lord has to say about them.  Remember, these were evangelical pastors, the ones we would expect to hear the truth of these issues from.  If we included our more liberal pastors, these numbers would be beyond staggering!  The vast majority of pastors in this country today are deliberately deciding to not teach all that the Bible tells us!

So with this in mind, Barna went on to ask what they did see as the purpose of their church.  They asked how these pastors defined a successful church.  Five answers were overwhelmingly given, five answers that pastors today define as success in a church.

-Attendance

-Tithing

-Number of church programs

-Number of staff

-Size of their facilities

Success is being seen in our churches not by the lives we touch, but by the size and beauty of our buildings!  Not by the numbers that are brought to the Cross, but by the numbers we have on our staffs!  Not by the souls that we help the Spirit to reach, but by how full our collection plates are each Sunday morning! We see success spoken in terms that are material, not described by words that are spiritual.

For this nation to be awakened, we must first awaken this Church.  We must bring many of our pastors out of the dormant hibernation they now find themselves in.  We must realize that our pulpits are not leading us into this slumber out of blind ignorance, but out of willful disobedience.  We must awaken our pastors to the fact that not one of their answers for success did Christ die for. Not one of these answers did Paul describe as “success” in his ministry(2 Corinthians 11).  Not a single one of these answers has ever directed a soul to the Cross.  And not one of the answers will ring the alarm bell that will awaken this Church and this nation.

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”, Psalm 50:15.  The words of the psalmist need to now stir us, to drive us into action.  Words that must now ring through our sanctuaries, and awaken our pulpits.  Words that stirred our forefathers, and brought a past generation to its’ knees.  Men with the names of Finney, Asbury, Dwight, Beecher, Campbell, and others.  Men who not only fell to their knees, but whose words led the Spirit to cause other legs to fully bend.  Men who led a generation to not only return to the Lord, but to honor the Lord.  Men who led their generation and this nation to be used by the Lord in mighty ways.  A generation that not only sought to honor God, but brought His hope back into the heart of this nation.  

This same hope is today waiting for us, calling us back to the Lord.  A hope that yearns to fill our hearts, a hope that seeks to once again use this nation to glorify our Lord.  A hope filled with unlimited promise, a hope that knows no end to the opportunities it can bring. A hope that waits anxiously for us to awaken.

I want to tell you a little story of a man that most of you will remember from history, Thomas Edison.  Many of you know Thomas Edison as one of the greatest inventors the world has ever known.  Many of the devices we use today came at the hands of Thomas Edison.  In December of 1914, a sixty-seven year old Edison had been working at his lab and warehouse on a storage battery. Despite his efforts, he could not get it to hold its’ charge.  This particular evening spontaneous combustion had broken out in the film room. Within minutes all the packing compounds, celluloid for records and film, and other flammable goods were in flames. Fire companies from eight surrounding towns arrived, but the heat was so intense and the water pressure so low that the attempt to douse the flames was futile.  Everything was destroyed. Although the damage exceeded two million dollars, the buildings were only insured for $238,000 because they were made of concrete and thought by experts to be fireproof.  With everything gone, you would have to wonder how Edison would go on!  But go on he did! The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins surrounding him and said, “There is great value in disaster.  All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”  Three week after the fire, Edison delivered what was maybe his greatest invention.  Edison delivered the first phonograph! 

Out of the fire, God created an opportunity for Edison to create a contraption that would change the world.  A device that would be used to help God spread His plan of perfection to the world!  A device that would allow many to hear God’s Word!  Out of the worst disaster, God created the greatest of opportunity.  Where most would see no hope, God saw endless potential. Where we see destruction, God sees the occasion to show His plan of perfection.  When we think we are hopeless, the Lord sees the greatest of expectations! Expectations that lead us to bring honor to His Name!

That same hope is waiting for us today. The hope that drove Edison.  The hope that lead a new nation mired in disaster to rise up, and to help the Lord spread His Word throughout this world.  The hope that stands at the door of our churches today, knocking loudly.  A hope that is without limits, that exceeds all expectations. A hope that only needs us to be awakened!

Praying each of your lives will be awakened to His hope!

Storming The Beach!

Dr. Mike Murphy
June 4,  2023

As we reflect back on D-Day, and remember the sacrifice many made for us so we might experiencing freedom, I am reminded of a long-time neighbor of ours who was there that day.  Often, I would listen closely as he would recount the events of that day. I can still see the fear in his face as he told the story. And I can still feel the tears that would form in his eyes as he spoke of the friends he lost that day.

As the small boats pulled toward the beach, he told me of the bullets you could all but feel whizzing by.  The endless explosions that hit all around him, causing waves in the ocean that reminded him of an approaching storm.  He would explain to me how these explosions so surrounded them, that their small boat could not make it all the way to the beach.  Soon, he found himself treading chest deep in the ocean, carrying countless pounds of gear, as he struggled to make his way to the sand.  With each step, he could watch as the soldier beside him would fall. And with each passing moment, the water became red, and the dead served as cover from the onslaught of fire.  He said he had no clue how he made it to the shore, or even how long it took him. And the excitement he felt as his feet came out of the water, was soon replaced by the increased fire that was now coming his way.

It felt like hours that day, as he made his way to cover, and even longer as they captured the strongholds that lined and overlooked the beach.  And as the day turned to night, he talked of how an eighteen years old boy looked back over a beach that was littered with the bodies and the faces of those he had been talking to just hours before.  Voices of those lost, he could still hear. Faces of those now dead, he could still see. And as sad as the loss of these left him, what he was a part of that day always turned his sadness to joy, every time he proudly told me the story.

A generation of young men that stormed a beach that day.  A beach that most would never see again, but a beach that many they served with would never leave.  Each of these young men knew the risk as they entered those small boats, and made their way to that beach.  Most realizing that many of the faces of those beside and across from them, would be faces they would never see again. Many also knowing it would be their face that others would again never see, as it would be their life the price of that day would cost.  But it was a price they were more than willing to pay. A cost they were willing to covering, so others, like me, might freely live. And a cost they knew if they did not pay, the evil that so many throughout this world would continue to see.  A cost that found them willing to pay all, so future generations might still be able to have all. A cost each of us could never repay to all of them as we remember this day.

As I remember my neighbor, and I think of what he did for me that day, my mind wonders forward to all I now see.  To the world I see around me today, and the blessing that surround me each day. To the opportunities I have this day, because of the courage he showed that day.  On that day so many years ago, on a beach so many miles away.

As I think of that day, I ask myself, "Do I have his courage?  Can future generations count on me, the way he has shown me I could count on him?"  And as I ask myself these questions, I ask myself an even greater question. As a Christian, can the Lord now count on me to faithfully and dutifully "storm the beach" for Him, the way those young men did for me on that day so many years ago?

We find ourselves living in a world today where evil does not just look to raise its' head, it now looks to proudly boast its' presence.  An evil, that not only looks to attack this church, but has the destruction of this Church in its' sights. An evil that sees persecution as a tool always at its' disposal, to silence the voice of all who seek to speak for Christ.  And an evil, that looks to wage a war of propaganda against this Church, seeking to convince this world that it is those it looks to silence that offers this mankind its' greatest threat.

In the face of this evil, can Christ count on me to climb into that small boat and fight my way to the beach?  Can He count on me to face all evil looks to throw at me, and still faithfully and dutifully fulfill all He is calling me to do?

His Word tells me, "for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses."(2 Corinthians 10:4).  Am I willing to face the fire that evil directs at me, and find in me the courage to come ashore, and take down those fortresses? Willing to give Him my all, so that future generations of Christians, may know the freedom to bring His all to a needing world?

It is time for my words and my actions to show Christ that I am willing to storm that beach.  Time for me to rise, put on each piece of armor He has given me(Ephesians 6:10-18), and attack evil's stronghold that stands right in front of me.  Time for me to be strong and courageous, not found trembling and afraid, as my feet touch the shore, and I approach evil's fortresses. Knowing that with each step I take forward, He will be walking right beside me, and His direction and leadership, will never fail me.

As I prepare for this battle, I am left with a few question.  Questions I now have for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  How many of you are willing to offer your all and enlist with me in Christ’s army?  How many of you have armor in hand, and are ready for the onslaught that will come as we climb into those small boats?  How many of you will I see beside me as I come ashore? How many of you are willing to give your everything, all you have to offer, as you storm that beach for Him?

"'No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,' declares the LORD." Isaiah 54:17

A Conversation With God

Dr. Mike Murphy

May 13, 2023

A conversation with God.  So many times we find ourselves desiring to hear from God, to hear His voice guiding us, giving needed direction to us. Others will say if they could only hear Him speak, then they could believe, then they would know He is real.  So many questions would be asked of God, if we could just have a conversation with Him, just one little chance for us to talk to Him.  So many who think to themselves, if I could just hear Him speak, all my questions would be answered.   Each time I hear someone say this, I stop and ask myself, “How do you not already hear His voice?  How do you not hear it above all the other sounds around you?”  And with each question we would ask, I can all but hear the Lord saying, “Why have you not already listened to My answers?”

Each day, I find myself having a conversation with the Lord.  Some days, it seems like it is me doing all the talking, sharing with Him all my concerns, and laying all my problems at His feet.  Other days, it is me doing all the listening, carefully hearing each word of wisdom He gives me, and understanding the plans He has for me.  Like all good conversations, our conversation goes both ways. And with each word He speaks to me, our relationship grows, my faith is strengthened, and my understanding of His ways become greater.

Many will hear this and ask, “Does God actually speak to you, does He really have a conversation with you?”  My answer to that question is a one hundred percent yes!  I have a conversation with our Lord every day!

The dictionary defines a “conversation” as an exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas.  In everything around me, in all I see and all I hear, it is impossible for me to ignore that exchange.  As the thunder roars and the lightning strikes, I can hear the voice of God reminding me of Who created this world around me.  As I watch the faith grow in those around me, I hear the love in the gentleness of His voice.  And as I watch the news, and I see what man is capable of without turning to Him, I hear the stern warning in each of His words. But above all, as I daily turn to Him in prayer, I hear His Spirit speaking back to me, internally answering me.  And as I pick up His Word each day, and carefully read the words He has given us, I clearly hear His voice guiding me, giving purpose in each answer He shows me.  I cannot begin to imagine spending one minute of a single day, not hearing His voice, and not being in conversation with Him.

Though we do not realize it, the Bible is one of God’s main ways of speaking to us.  If the heavens are the megaphone on which He gets our attention, then Scripture would be the cell phone He uses to send us “text messages” all day, everyday.  When we read His Word, we are hearing His voice, just as plain and clear as if He was standing in front of us speaking.  Each minute we spend time in that Word, we are interacting with Him, spending priceless time with Him,  and are in the greatest of conversations with Him. The Bible is God’s love letter to each of us, and as we read that letter, we can hear Him speaking each word of that love to us.  Pouring out His heart to us as He shares with us His encouragement, His strength, His insight, and His wisdom.  Speaking to us a love so deep, that He would give everything to reach us, to protect us, and to spend eternity with us.

“So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”(Isaiah 55:11).  Each conversation He has with me, each word He speaks to me, carries a purpose and a plan that I know is so much greater than me.  But despite the greatness of those plans, He includes someone as simple as me.  And He shows me that the purpose for His plans were made with simple me in mind.

My God is not a quiet God, but a God who will speak to me as much as I will listen to His voice.  A God who is always ready to share His wisdom with me. A God that despite all the chaos I see going on in the universe around me, is never too busy for me.  I find myself so easily forgetting sometimes, my God is the greatest of multitaskers, He can get more accomplished in a single second than I can even think about doing in a whole day.  He is able to give more of His time and attention to everyone, individually, on the face of this earth, than I can give of my attention to a single person.  And with each conversation, with each second He spends with me, I recognize more and more just why He is God, and why I am not.

With each conversation He has with me, with each second He spends talking to me, I come to realize the wisdom He has to offer me.  I can feel His words shaping me, and molding me, making me into a reflection of each of those words.  I can hear Him whispering to me, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”(James 3:17).  Each day as this world does it best to also speak to me, I hear the selfishness and envy in the world’s words.  Calling me to put myself first at all cost, despite what that cost might bring to others. But as I hear His voice speak to me, I hear the calls of this world fading away, only leaving me to hear the pureness that His voice is calling me to.  A pureness in His voice so peaceable and gentle, that it is slow to find confliction, but quick to lovingly show me ways to serve.  A reason in His voice that leads me to see that my way is not always right, and helps me to see His wisdom being expressed in the words of someone else.  A mercy and goodness in His voice that always brings me back to His ways, leading me to a sincerity that calls me to also lead others to His voice.

With each conversation I have with Him, I grow to appreciate each word of His Word a little more.  With each word I read, with each prayer I share, I find myself walking step in step with Him.  And soon I have come to realize, I cannot walk with Christ, without finding myself in a conversation with Christ.  Each word He speaks to me comes to life, proclaiming louder and louder His love, wisdom, mercy, grace, and truth with each step.  Drawing me closer into His arms with each word.  I soon find myself realizing, there is no One I had rather talk to, no One I had rather spend time with.  No One I would rather have a conversation with.  And each day, I found myself living more and more for the moments when I can share a conversation with my Lord.

Praying you find time to talk to Him today.

Can I Get A Witness!

Dr. Mike Murphy

May 6, 2023

It would be the trial of a lifetime.  Tom Daniels got the case of the century thrown into his lap.  He had tried many major cases as a top Assistant District Attorney for the city.  But this case would be like no other.  The murder of a city councilman, who was running for mayor upped the stakes.  Top that with the fact that known mob associates with connection to the sitting mayor had been arrested for the crime, turned the focus and the heat up on every word he said. This was the case he had dreamed of, but could be the case that buried him.

With the District Attorney out on medical leave, recovering from a recent heart attack, every decision for the case fell on his shoulders.  He made sure that all evidence for the case found its’ way to his desk, as it would be him answering the media hounds if even the smallest tidbit of information was overlooked.  He also made sure that by all evidence coming through him, he could keep a lid on all of it. He knew that with any leak, City Hall would be at his door faster that the reporters.

As he looked over the evidence, he felt confident in so much that he saw. The ballistics reports had come back in his favor.  Detectives had turned up a half-smoked cigarette with the DNA of the accused at the rally where the councilman had been speaking as the bullet took his life.  He had a written message in the handwriting of the accused also.  A message that had been coded, but as the code had been broken, a message that talked about the assassination of the councilman that day.  

Tom had all he needed to proceed at trial.  All that is, but one thing.  He did not have a witness!  Over seven hundred people had been at the rally that day, but not one had come forward stating they had seen the accused commit the crime.  He could not even get a single person to confirm they had seen the accused at the rally that day.  With the mob’s involvement, he knew that many were scared.  Scared for their life, and the lives of their family.  He had offered witness protection to anyone who would step forward.  A huge reward had also been offered to anyone who had evidence of the shooting.  Day and night, detectives continued to interview any and everyone who had been at or near the rally that day.  But as the detectives asked the question, echoes could be heard through the silence of the replies.

Just one witness was all he needed.  One reliable man or woman who could visually place the accused at the rally that day.  Just one person who could get him beyond the circumstantial and physical evidence, who could put a voice with the evidence for the jury to hear and see.  Each day they searched, but each day they failed.  As the day of the trial approached, all of Tom’s thoughts turned to one question.  “Can I get a witness!”

History has shown us, that with each piece of evidence there is importance in a witness. Someone who can bring the words off the page, and put a face to the facts that lie in front of us. Someone who can verify what is said, and confirm what is seen.  When we look at the word “witness”, we soon see the definition behind the word.  The dictionary tells us a witness is someone who sees something happen or occur.  The word “witness” actually comes to us from the Hebrew, and from the same root word we also get our word "testimony".  The word actually means, “to see or to observe the door or pathway”.  In ancient days, there was no more important part of the house than the door.  The door was by far the most used part of the structure. You could not go anywhere unless you first went through the door, and found yourself on the path.  Many houses in this day did not have windows, and in most that did, the windows were very small.  So if something was going on outside your house, you had to go and open your door so you could see or observe what had gotten your attention.

It is through this, that the terms witness and testimony soon found their way into the public forum, into our courts.  Under Hebrew law, a witness was held to a very high standard. The witness was so accountable for what testimony he gave, that to give false testimony could cost him dearly, could even cost him his life.  The life and the future of the one who the witness was giving testimony against or for, often came down to the truthfulness of the witness.  For him to accurately, factually, and without bias give an account of what he had observed.  It was the witness, and his testimony, that brought an accountability and proof to the case.

As the word made its’ way into the New Testament, and into the Greek language, it continued to carry with it this same meaning.  From the same root word in Greek that we get our word witness, we also get the same word "martyr". And although they have a complete separate meaning, it is by no mistake they come from the same root word.  Show me a sane man who was willing to die for something he did not believe in?  Willing to give his life for something he has no faith in?

Stephen serves as a perfect example of how the root word applies.  We read in Acts 7:1-53 of the stirring testimony of Stephen as he gives a witnessing account of how the hand of God had moved throughout the history of Israel, and how that history led all to the foot of the Cross.  As his testimony was angrily rejected by those who had no desire to hear the truth, Stephen was stoned to death(Acts 7:54-60).  Even as the stones were thrown at him, Stephen clung to his faith, and called on our Lord.

It was with this same faith that the Apostles also taught us to be witnesses, sharing our testimony of the Lord.  It was by this testimony that Peter reminded all of what the Disciples were a witness to(Acts 3:12-16).  It was also by this witnessing faith that Paul reminded us of what he was told, “For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.”(Acts 22:15).  Our faith makes us the perfect witness to the truth of Christ, and our testimony to this world tells them of the love Christ has shown each of us.  When Christ was asked what the greatest commandment was, He answered by saying, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”(Mark 12:30).  When we follow these words, our life bears witness to the grace, mercy and power of Christ, and our testimony serves as a solemn oath to others of His life and His death.

Why should we, as Christians, be a witness?  Because Christ commands us(Matthew 28:19-20).  Because He has conditioned us for it(Matthew 9:36-38, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, Jude 23).  Because the consequences call for it(Matthew 7:13, Revelation 20:15).  Because of the promise of His coming(1 Corinthians 15:58, 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).  Because the love He shows us requires it( 2 Corinthians 5:14, Romans 10:1).  Because the character of the Gospel stands on it(Acts 4:12, Romans 1:16).  And because of our commitment to His Word(1 Corinthians 9:16-23, 1 Timothy 1:11-16).  Peter and John answered the question this way, “for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”(Acts 4:20).  We are not just a witness because we are called to be, we are a witness because we desire to be!

We so easily forget, the Holy Spirit makes each of us a witness.  The Holy Spirit calls each of us to be witnesses.  And it is only through the Holy Spirit can we, as witness, give our testimony.  From the moment we are “born again”, we are a witness to all that Christ has and is doing in each of our lives, and we have a responsibility to take the stand, and let this world hear and see the overwhelming evidence of the difference that Christ has made in each of us.

My testimony is the witness for all the Lord has done in my life.  Each day the Lord reminds me of all I am a witness to.  I serve as a witness to the life He has given me.  To His mercy that has forgiven me.  And to His grace that alone has saved me.  Each moment that as I look at this world around me, I am  a witness to His beauty and His glory.  I am a witness to the power of His voice, and the truth of His Word.  And as I watch that Word being put into action every minute of the day, I am a witness to the amazement of His love.  Nowhere can I look around me, and not see that I am a witness to the Lord.  As I see all the Lord shows me, I realize the importance of all I see.  And with each sight I see, what it calls me to do.  I must take the stand, place my hand on His Word, and give a truthful testimony for all the world to hear. I must be willing to honestly answer every question this world may ask me about Him.  And I must be willing to give an accurate account of all I have seen Him do in my life, and in the lives of those around me.  I am a witness.  

As the Lord stands at that door knocking, I pray that each of you will answer, and be a witness to His mercy and His love!