Something Went Wrong In The Process!

Dr Mike Murphy
August 19, 2023

I am just not crazy about heights!  During my college days, a friend of mine convinced me to overcome this by going hang gliding with him. For several minutes of floating all I could think about was what all could go wrong on the way down.  I was never so glad as to see the ground again in my life.  Even a hard landing came with a sense of comfort!  On that day, I made up my mind that the next time I found myself in the sky, outside of a plane, it would be because the Lord was calling me up. Finding myself alone in the air relying on flimsy materials made by man, there was just too many things that could go wrong in the process that would have me plummeting swiftly in a downward motion!

During a recent discussion, I watched as many around me found themselves in the middle of my worst fear.  Their beliefs were in free fall.  Without even knowing it, their own logic and reason had caused them to jump from the plane without a parachute.  Their very souls were on a downward spiral, plummeting them to a certain death.

In the middle of the discussion. I found them arguing against the certainty of God.  They claimed that the only certainty we will ever know is change itself. That God is constantly evolving, thus changing His mind with a better understanding of the issues as time develops.  As history unfolds, God will adjust His teachings and views as He has greater understanding of man and our environment.

The above philosophy is called Process Theology.  Although many reading this may not be familiar with its’ teachings, in our universities and within the halls of several of our seminaries it is being taught as a basis of truth.  So just what is Process Theology?  Let us take a look at the tenants of this philosophy.

At the heart of this teaching we see an organic worldview, one that teaches that God is only a part of this whole creation, not its’ Creator.  Creation did not come from nothing, God and the universe are mutually interdependent.  They would tell you that you cannot have one without the other.  So where do you find this view put forth in the Bible?  The answer is simple, NOWHERE!  This teaching completely ignores the first ten words of the Bible itself.  Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  God’s own word does not tell us that He just witnessed this, was simply a part of the creation, or was just around when it happened.  He tells us that His action created this world, and we are only here because He created it and placed us in it.

As many are first hearing of this teaching, please realize this is far from a new view of God and this world, but one that is as old as man himself.  Paul addressed this very issue while in Athens.  One of the prevailing views of Greek society was known as Stoicism.  At the heart of Stoics was a materialistic, pantheistic view that taught all things are connected, and that this interwoven connection linked everything shared is what we call ‘God’.  Paul addressed this matter(Acts 17:24-32), telling the Greeks that God created all things, sustains all things, and put forth a purpose and a plan for all things.  That anyone who ignored this was acting out illogically. The same argument that Paul used to bring many in Athens to the Word of God that day, is the same message many within Process Theology need to take to heart today.

Process Theology also teaches that God is not omnipotent, that God’s only power is one of influence or persuasion.  God’s role with man is reduced to His attempt to bring as much harmony as His persuasive abilities will allow.  As I mentioned before, God is learning as He goes under the teaching of this philosophy.  So God attempts to persuade man towards His position based on the knowledge He gains each day.  In simple terms, God’s wisdom is reduced to trial and error.  Because God is not inerrant, salvation is not something that can come from God under this philosophy.  Therefore, Jesus Christ was not who He said He was.  Jesus was just a man, not God incarnate, having come to offer a plan of salvation to all mankind.

From the first word of Genesis to the final amen in Revelation, God’s Word is consistent.  His message and teachings are unwavering and will never change(Psalm 119:89, Malachi 3:6). God had a purpose and a plan for mankind in the first verse, and it never differentiates(Isaiah 46:10). From the beginning God had a plan to bring man closer to Him, and offered that plan to the world through Jesus Christ(Psalm 33:11, John 1:1).  Christ has always been that plan, and because Christ is God, He has not and will not ever change(Hebrews 13:8). God’s Word is inerrant, ever word is given with purpose and truth(Proverbs 30:5, Psalm 12:6, 2 Timothy 3:16).

These are just a few examples of hundreds in the Bible that show the consistency of God and His plan for mankind.  For any philosophy to ignore this they would have to leave the Bible closed, as every page is filled with the same message.

So why would Process Theology take this approach, ignoring the very words God gave us?  Throughout history, man has looked to his own logic to excuse his behavior when it comes in conflict with God’s Word.  We are no different today than man has been throughout history, knowledge wise, but wisdom poor.  We see in this philosophy the attempt to justify much of the social behavior of the day that is in conflict with the Word of God.  If God is learning more as this world turns, then His view on many of the issues of the day may be changing also.  This philosophy would tell you that God’s view on homosexuality, abortion, immorality, and others may change as God has grown to understand the issues better.  Under the doctrines of Process Theology, right and wrong are ever changing.  What was wrong in God’s eyes a thousand years ago, my now be considered right as the Lord has evolved and His knowledge has increased.

Those who follow Process Theology face two questions they cannot, and will not, ever be able to answer.  If right and wrong are ever changing, how do we know the standard by which the Lord would want us to follow?  What one may say is the standard today, could be completely different in another’s eyes tomorrow.  The result of this is nothing short of complete chaos. Second, if God is eternally processing and changing, then one would presume that there is something greater that is influencing God.  What is this ‘something greater’? What is this supposed force that is bringing God greater knowledge and an increase in greatness?  You will never get an answer to these questions.  To summarize the words of Paul, there is no answer to the illogical!

It is important that we, as Christian, are aware of those things that are being taught in the name of God.  The Bible tells us that we should be able to defend our faith at all times(1 Peter 3:15), and we should show the world the truth in those teaching that do not stay true to God’s Word(2 Corinthians 10:5).  We live in a day and age where we are called on for this purpose more than ever. Although Process Theology is growing in popularity everyday, it is one the Church should be able to quickly overcome.  The ‘god’ of Process Theology is not even worthy of worship, not knowing right from wrong, and having no control over good and evil.  And to those that follow Process Theology, I would simply say, “You need to take a hard look at your logic.  Because something has gone wrong in the process!”

 

Dream A Little Dream For Me

Dr. Mike Murphy
August 12, 2023 

“If you can dream it, you can do it!”  Walt Disney

“Hope is a waking dream.”  Aristotle

“The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.”  William Shakespeare

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”  Eleanor Roosevelt

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.  If you can dream it, you can become it.” William Arthur Ward

“Nothing happens until we first dream.”  Carl Sundberg

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”  Harriet Tubman

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”  C.S. Lewis

It is often said, “This world was built on dreams.”  I would have to disagree with this popular quote,  This world is not built on dreams, but by the One who gives us those dreams. From the Patriarchs to the Apostles, we have read of the Lord speaking to us through dreams, Revealing His plan and purpose for this world and for our lives.  Often in dreams, He has shown us the hope of tomorrow, and He has declared to us the reality of today.  

Through a dream, the Lord reminded Abraham of his future.  His promise of a son, and His promise to those many descendants who would follow(Genesis 15:1).  He confirmed that covenant and blessing with Jacob also through a dream.(Genesis 28:10-17). Through a dream, God showed Samuel a young shepherd boy.  A boy who would be made king, and through whose lineage would come the King of Kings(1 Samuel 3).  Through a dream, God gave the son of that shepherd boy wisdom(1 King 3:5). In a dream, the Lord showed Daniel a vision.  A vision of the future history of this world, and the events that would define man. Zacharias was given a dream of a son, a son who would grow to be ‘one crying in the wilderness’(Luke 1:5-25).  At the time of Jesus’ trial, the wife of Pilate had a dream of a righteous Man, and warned her husband against persecuting Him(Matthew 27:19).  In a dream, a Roman centurion named Cornelius was ordered to send for Peter, and the Good News was brought to the Gentile world(Acts 10:1-48).

As the Holy Spirit fell on the people, Peter quoted the words of the prophet Joel. Words that hold the purpose of today, and the promises of tomorrow.  “In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.’”(Acts 2:17).  We see in this verse the Lord’s great desire to never leave us blind, His desire to communicate with us by all means. His Words speak to us.  His Voice leads us.  And His Spirit guides us.  

As I see the cancer beginning to grow in me again, I realize that the spotlight of my time on this stage may soon begin to dim. But that does not mean my dreams for each of you have begun to fade.  I dream that many of you will find your way to that stage.  With a loud and clear voice, you will proclaim the Truth to the audience in front of you, and His love and His purpose will be known.  In the days ahead, the stage may not always be pleasant. The audience may not always cheer at the words you speak.  Others may, and will, try to take that stage from you, speaking words that do not hold true to the script.  But stand strong in the middle of that stage, and speak loud so that all may hear.

My dreams show me that the coming days may not be easy ones for the Church. Days of which the preparation to harvest the field will take place.  A time that the wheat and the tare will be separated, with each no longer mingled together, making it easy for all to identify each. A harvest that will not come easy. The tare, or the weeds, have rooted themselves deep into the soil of this world, and will not be plucked out easily.  A day in which all will be made clear, and each that make up this Church will once and for all have to decide, are they wheat or are they chaff.  Before that day when the wheat is lifted out, and the chaff is left behind, this Church may see some turbulent days.  Days that may challenge you, days that may seem often as nightmares instead of dreams.  But hold tightly to those dreams that the Lord has for you!

“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).  Never give up on the dreams that the Lord has for you.  In those dreams you will find your hope, and in those dreams you will find your future.  In those dreams are plans beyond all you could begin to imagine.  Extraordinary things that the Lord is calling each of you to.  Plans that He can use to change the lives of those around you.  Plans that will open doors you did not even know were there.  Doors that will open your life to places you could not have imagined, to accomplishments for His glory you never thought you were capable of achieving.  In His plans you are not just capable, you are able!

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but where dreams come true, there is life and joy.” (Proverbs 13:12).  Dream to do great things for the Kingdom of God!  Dream to fulfill all the Lord desires for your life.  In those desires you will find His joy, you will find His love, and you will find His purpose.  The Lord desires so much for you, far more than you are capable of desiring for yourself.  But His desire does not begin in your dreams of tomorrow, they begin in His dreams of you today.  Pray the Lord will make obvious all the opportunities He gives you each day, and do not let those opportunities pass you by.  As I have often said, the opportunities you let pass today, is the blessing you will not know tomorrow.  I dream of a life for each of you that are filled with these blessings!

“It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools will not turn from evil to attain them.” (Proverbs 13:19).  Trust what the Lord has in mind for you, making the dreams He shows you a reality.  Do not let the words this world will tell you of tomorrow, stop you from seeing the dreams the Lord has for you today.  In those dreams the Lord has for you can be found wisdom, not the nightmare of a fool’s heart.  Let that wisdom lead you to boldly proclaim His Word, not to take the foolish path of cowering in corners.  His Word tells us, "Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?" declares the Lord.   "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the Lord.”(Jeremiah 23:24).  I pray the Lord will never find you hiding, more afraid of what the world might say than proclaiming to all what our Lord can do.  The Lord desires for you courage, the courage to stand firmly in the middle of that room, facing this world with His Truth in one hand, and His Word in the other. Do not face this world with fear, but with confidence. Three hundred and sixty-six times we find in the Bible the Lord telling us “Fear Not”.  A constant reminder for every day, of every year.  I pray in these approaching days, each of you will be free of the fears that restrict you, and confident in His hand to guide you!

I pray the Lord will fill your life with the dreams He has for you.  That His desires will become your desires.  That His wants will become your wants.  That His needs will become your needs.  That His dreams for you, will become the reality that guide you each day.  That the dreams He gives you of tomorrow, will be found in all your words and actions today. Take pride in being a dreamer, when you dream each day for the Lord.  Embrace and remember yesterday, live for God today, and help fulfill His dream of tomorrow!  Dream big, dream extraordinarily, dream for the Lord!

Praying that each of your days and nights will be filled with visions of the Lord’s dream for each of you!

Hope!

Dr. Mike Murphy

March 2 2021

Hope.  A small word with the largest of meaning.  A word that incorporates so much, it would all but require every letter of the alphabet in order to best explain.  But a word that to listen to being spoken recently, you would think was nothing more than a four letter word.

With all that is going on in this nation and this world today, I recently paid close attention to how this word was being used by a few of our local and national leaders.  And with each, I could hear the uncertainty as each answered, “We hope so.” At the same time I was hearing them speak, I read as others were trying to tell me how all hope was lost for this nation.  And as fear could be heard directing the shouts of their answers, assurance could be heard in His voice as it softly spoke to me, reminding me that if my eyes were focused on Him, hope would be all I could see.

God’s Word tells me, “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”(Proverbs 23:18).  The hope that the Lord offers, the hope we read in each word of Scripture, is simply not the same hope this world knows.  God’s definition of hope, and this world’s definition of hope, is as different as faith is from fear. Hope, in this world’s eyes, leaves you with doubt, as one of the most common phrases we hear today is, “I sure hope so.”   

But when we look at how His Word defines hope for us, we see a confidence, a security, a certainty, that only His hand can offer.  To best see this, look closely at Proverbs 10:28, which tells us, “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”  With Him, or hope is based on more than just a simple expectation, our hope is based on the certainty that only joy from Him can bring. Hope leaves us, the Christian, not having to say, “I sure hope so”.  But with the confidence of saying, “I have no doubt!”

One of the most famous verses where we read about hope, is found in the very first verse of what we refer to as the “faith chapter”.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  Our hope is not based on a feeling founded in doubt, but in a reality based on assurance.    On the certainty of knowing, if the Lord tells us something, it is going to happen. On the assurance of knowing, every promise the Lord has given us is going to be fulfilled.  A hope, grounded in faith, not confused and clouded by fear.

Our faith leaves us with the certainty that no matter what we might face, no matter what we might see, God is in control.  Not filled with a fear, that finds doubt taking the upper hand and driving our emotions. A hope that leaves us ready to face tomorrow, because we know He is right here with us today.

As David was captured by the Philistines, and being brought in front of the king of Gath, he wrote these words. "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."(Psalm 56:3).  And just like David, our fears cannot control us, if His hands are guiding us. Words that should be permanently found on the tip of our tongue today. We so easily forget, there is nothing more contagious than the hope that only He can offer us.  A hope that when spoken assuredly, truthfully, and lovingly, will draw people to it faster than we can count. A hope that will never lead us to speak foolish words of fear that the Lord has never once spoken, but man has so often been heard foolishly repeating.

Church, if that hope is guiding us, foolish words of fear will not be heard spoken by us.  Words that are absent of the one thing this world needs right now more than ever. And the one thing that His presence in us, gives each of us an abundance of what this world desperately needs most. Hope!

A reality found in our hope that does not blind us from the trouble we see staring us in the eyes today.  But one that calls us to lead all around us to act purposefully and wisely, planning and preparing best for tomorrow based on what we see coming from all that would look to trouble us and threaten us today.  A hope that is not only greater, but wiser, that the foolishness and panic that fear and trouble will always look to bring our way. A hope that leaves us grounded in the truth, as the world around us looks to attach itself to any false promise that might suddenly sound good.

We know that there is nothing we can face today that is greater than the hope we find confidently and assuredly in each promise He has given us for tomorrow.  A hope so deeply rooted in Him that it leaves our eyes focused on things that are greater than this world, not caught up in things that look to do nothing more than paralyze the world around us.  Leaving this world to hear us speaking words of wisdom, calmness, and truth, that draws everyone in this world to stop, and careful listen to the hope we have to offer. A hope for tomorrow, that He is offering to all who will just reach out to Him for it today.

I pray with each fearful word of doubt we hear this world speak, that the world will hear two words of hopeful certainty coming from us.  Words that allow us to calmly and wisely look at the fears of this world today, and show them the assurance of the hope He is giving us for tomorrow. Two words unlike any other, Jesus Christ.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”  Romans 15:13

"Like"able

July 22, 2023

Time probably never moves slower than when you are waiting in a doctor’s office.  After checking everything on my phone, and watching whatever generic channel the television is on, I often find myself looking around the waiting area at all the other people who are bored beyond belief also.  But as I sat through an unusually long wait the other day, I found that is was not what I saw around me that drew my interest, but what I heard.

         Sitting a couple of chairs from me were two young girls, both probably in their late teens or early twenties.  Both so caught up in conversation they did not realize how loud they were speaking. And as they spoke, it was the words they were saying that caught my attention.  Let me rephrase that, it was not words they were saying, it was one word they continued to repeat over and over. It seemed like every other word they spoke was “like”!  “Like, she said..”. “Like, I have one of those.”. “Like, anyone would care if...”. In a matter of moments, I had heard the word “like” more times than I had heard the word in total over the past year.  So me, being one of curious mind, looked at my watch and decided I would see how many times they used the word “like” in sixty seconds. And as I watched the time move that minute, the “likes” just keep adding up.  By the time the minute was up, the two girls had used the word “like” forty-two times! They were speaking the word so often it become hard for me to keep count, often both saying the word at the same time. I began to think to myself, if I could get just a quarter each time these two girls used the word in the course of a day, I would gladly pay off this country’s national debt before I immediately retired!

Later that day, as I thought again about the conversation I heard from these two young girls. I began to wonder what words people heard me speak in my conversations.  Were the intent of my words lost in the foolishness of my dialogue? Do my words leave others wondering more about me, than they do about the meaning of the words they hear from me?  And as I thought about what others heard from my words, an even greater question came to my mind. What does the Lord hear each time I open my mouth to speak?

My words, often stand as my witness, as the image I show others of His presence in me. Words, that often allow me to reflect the difference that only He has made in my life. But words, as I took a moment to think about, made we wonder how much of a reflection of Him others are left seeing and hearing.

Do my words serve as a reliable witness?  Do those words attest to the fact that He, alone, is my Lord and Savior, and all my hopes and dreams rest in His hands?  Do others hear in my words as I seek to share the Gospel, the sacrifice that Christ made for someone as undeserving as me?  Do others hear the strength of the Holy Spirit in my words, or do they just hear the weakness of my own voice? And do my words leave them hearing and seeking a hope that only through Him tomorrow can bring?  Or do my words leave them only focused on the failures they see in me today?

The Word of God tells me, what the perfect, witnessing sound on my words should sound like.  “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have”(1 Peter 3:15).  In each witnessing word I speak, must be heard the glory that can only be found in Christ.  A glory, that did not end on the Cross, but began as He gave all on that Cross. Witnessing words, that always leave others without a doubt of the power that He holds in His hands.  The power to reshape the heart of the most hardened sinner, as He one day, not so long ago, reshaped the hardest of hearts He found in me. Witnessing words, that are always heard being spoken boldly(Mark 8:35).  Words that always leave others realizing the saving power His Word holds, but never leave anyone thinking, a single one of my words hold even an ounce of power. Witnessing words, that always find me reaching out to others with open hands, never finding me reaching for others with a closed fist. Witnessing words, that find me making the most of all the opportunities He daily gives me. Opportunities, to take His Word to a needing world, as on a past day, that Word was taken to a needing man who carried my name. And witnessing words, that find their greatest joy in hearing others speak the words, “ Christ, I give my life to you”.  Knowing that those words serve as a greater witnessing statement than any words I might ever speak.

Each day, I need to make sure I am doing the job He called me to do, and seeking to perform that job not to the limitations and failures of my own abilities, but to the endless abilities that the Holy Spirit brings to my life.  Making sure that in each of my words, all are pointed toward His direction, not ever left staring in my direction. Words that do not leave others doubting and focused on the foolishness of my words, but leave all, without a doubt, immersed in the wisdom of His words.  Words that leave me standing as a credible witness, not as an “expert consultant” that Satan is happy to see taking the stand.

From the strangest of situations, in listening to two young girls butcher the English language in a doctor’s office waiting room, the Holy Spirit found a way to speak clearly to me.  Showing me that my words are not about how many ‘likes’ they might receive on social media, but by how “likely’ others are to hear His Word when I speak. Words that serve as a witness to His glory, and words that are only concerned with whether He records them as “like”able in His Book, not how others might view them on Facebook.

Praying each of my words are always heard by Him as “like”able.

Give Me Liberty....

Dr. Mike Murphy
July 15. 2023

"The Constitution of the United States is indubitably Christian.  Because the overwhelming majority of the creators of the Constitution were practicing Christians who derived their political philosophy from the Bible and other Christian sources, it should come as no surprise that they enshrined numerous Biblical principals in the Constitution."  

Who would you guess these words belong to?  What pastor do you think spoke them?  What famous Christian writer of history would you guess penned them?   What if I told you these words were not that of a Christian, or even an American, would you believe me?  Now what if I told you these words were those of a well-known socialist and atheist, how much would you doubt me?  These words were actually written by a man who described himself as both an atheist and a socialist, a man who never called the United States his home.  These were the words of H. G. Wells, words he wrote in his book Outlines Of History in 1920.

Go back one hundred years, and you will find that even the strongest of those that disagreed with Biblical principles, knew without a doubt, where the concepts and fundamentals of our country’s foundation began.  They knew that the very structure and laws that made up our government could be found and supported within the pages of God’s Word.  That the concepts on which we were created as a nation, were concepts that could only be given by God.

“Nor is there liberty if the power of judging is not separated from legislative power and from executive power. If it [the power of judging] were joined to legislative power, the power over life and liberty of the citizens would be arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislature if it were joined to the executive power, the judge could have the force of an oppressor. All would be lost if the same … body of principal men … exercised these three powers.”  These words were written by a man few may know, they were given to us by Baron Charles Montesquieu in his publication of 1748, The Spirit Of The Laws.  Although we may rarely speak these words today, our Founding Fathers knew these words well.  They were among the most often quoted words at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.  It was these words that lead James Madison to read a Bible verse, a verse that is just as rarely quoted today as the words of Montesquieu. Isaiah 33:22, “For the Lord is our judge, The Lord is our lawgiver, The Lord is our King.  He will save us.”  In this verse, Madison saw the perfect plan for government.  A government with three equal branches.  A government for the people, not a government to restrict the people.  A government that could bring our nation’s vision of liberty to life.

So if our Founding Fathers fought so hard to bring us that liberty, then just what does this word “liberty” mean?  Most today see liberty as the freedom to choose.  They see liberty as the freedom to act a certain way, to look a certain way, and to think a certain way.  Liberty, to most, is the freedom to act how they want, when they want.  

But if our Founding Fathers discovered our liberty in the Word of God, then how does God describe liberty?  If in liberty we find our freedom, then Christ tells us that in our freedom we find His Truth(John 8:32).  Liberty can only come when we know the freedom that Christ offers us.  The freedom to overcome a life that constricts us, and a Law that convicts us.  Liberty that frees us from the guilt of sin(Romans 6:18).  Liberty that frees us of the curse of moral law(Isaiah 53:12, Hebrews 1:3).  Liberty that frees us from the horrors of Hell(Colossians 1:13). Liberty that frees us to stand in the presence of the Father(Hebrews 4:14-16). Liberty that frees us to serve Christ(Romans 7:4).  The liberty that allows us to overcome death(1 Corinthians 15:51-57).  And the liberty to free ourselves from the evil of this present world(Galatians 1:4-5).

In the truth that comes from liberty, we can not only know the laws of God, we have the desire to obey those laws.  It is in that liberty that we comprehend those laws, and we understand what Christ told us of those laws.  Christ told us that all the laws of God could be summed up in two simple sentences.  Love the Lord with all our heart, our soul, and our mind. And we are to love our neighbor as ourselves(Matthew 22:37-40).   It is in these two statements that all the laws that govern this nation can be found.  And it is from these two statements by Christ that the liberty of this nation is based. 

In the truth of liberty, we find that the answers to our problems comes from God, not from government.  Liberty shows us that in God’s proven principles we find solutions, not in man’s quick fixes.  God’s liberty shows us that the only workable form of government is self-government.  It is only when we are aware of the Lord standing over us in authority, that we will ever follow the rules and laws that govern us.  When God’s Presences is observed, only then will we obey the law when no one is watching us.  Liberty can only be found when we seek God as our judge, not our fellow man.  When God’s internal punishment serves as a greater fear than man’s external punishment.  Any nation without the truth of liberty, and its’ self governing principles, we look to the failure of civil government to keep the people orderly.  It is from this truth that George Washington once said, “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.” Washington, and almost all our Founding Fathers, knew in order for man to truly be free and liberty to be found, God must first be present.

God’s truth shows us that liberty begins with the family.  Family provides us with the training grounds for self governing.  The very truths and principles that liberty are grounded in, can be found present or absent in the children of every nation.  A nation whose children are not raised in the truth of God’s Word, is a nation that will soon struggle.  A nation that does not train and educate its’ children in the principles of the Holy Word, is a nation that will soon never experience liberty.

Liberty must also be found in the Church.  The Church must stand as a protector of liberty, a keeper and reminder to the nation of God’s Word.  Christ said, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”(Matthew 16:18-19).  The Church is called to rise up against the evil that would destroy our liberty.  It was by no mistake, that the principles and teachings that brought us liberty was started in the pulpits and pews of this nation.  And it will also be by no mistake, if the liberty of this nation is lost because those same churches no longer stand and teach those principles today.

Liberty.  A word that often stirs us, but a word that is so often taken for granted.  The question becomes, will the word “liberty” continue to define us?  Will God’s liberty again be the rallying call that drives us to victory?  Or will man’s false definition of liberty become the war cry that leads us to our destruction and defeat?  This nation must once again look at the word liberty, and once again listen to how the Lord defines the word.  God makes it clear that true liberty can only be found in His Truth. He also tells us that sin leads to the horrors of death. With both of these truths in mind, the words of another Founding Father again comes to the forefront.  In Patrick Henry’s famous statement we find the words that will again define the future of this nation.  “Give me liberty, or give me death”.

Praying this nation will again choose God’s liberty.

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!