The Bible Is Genuine and Trustworthy (Pasche)

"For the Word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in truth." Psalms  33:4-

To judge of a book, we must first examine its contents. The

Jews would not believe Jesus because He testified of Himself; but He replied: “Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true.” And He produced the most conclusive evidence, saying: “The works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me that the Father hath sent Me.” Jesus and His apostles wrought many divine miracles and thereby proved the genuineness of their message, as Jesus said to His disciples: “Believe Me for the very works’ sake.” John 14,11.

Another proof for the genuineness of the Bible and the whole Christian religion we have in the preservation and extension of the Christian Church to this day. It has been attacked and persecuted persistently, but not even the gates of hell prevailed against it.

Infidels and scoffers, critics and persecutors, passed away and are forgotten; but the Word of God and His Church has endured. And then there are the many prophecies which have been fulfilled. The Bible foretold future events, and the fulfilment of all of them proved the Bible true.

Furthermore, the Bible bears witness of itself that it is the Word of God, inasmuch as it teaches a sure and safe way unto sal­ vation, a way in which sinners can be saved— the way of faith in Christ Jesus. The Bible lays before us a plan for the salvation of sinners of which man without the revelation of God could never have dreamed, a plan which God alone could devise and carry out. Search all religions, and not one of them will speak to you of a Savior, a mediator between God and men. The Bible alone brings us this wonderful message that God Himself came to this earth to suffer and die for the sins of all mankind and thus to purchase man from the slavery of Satan to be again His own for time and eternity. The Bible bears witness of itself. Open the Book and examine it. It will not fail to commend itself to you as the wisdom of God and the power of God.

Prayer.

We thank Thee, Lord God, heavenly Father, for the way unto salvation which Thou hast revealed in Thy holy Word. Such a thing no man could ever have imagined, and the Book which tells us of it cannot be of man’s making; it was given to man by Thee, who alone couldst devise, execute, and make known such an eternally adorable plan. Thousands using the Scriptures have felt their power. Thy Holy Spirit, through the Bible, worketh in us the conviction that Thy Word is truth. And what a blessed influence this Word hath exerted on mankind! It is a true comforter of the soul. Let it always be unto us the joy and rejoicing of our hearts. Amen.

DAILY READINGS IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST - J.R. Miller (1890)

February 11. The Wrath to Come

"Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Luke 3:7

 There are a good many people who want to flee from God's wrath — but are not willing to give up that which draws God's wrath down upon them. When a godless man becomes sick, and it seems as though he may die, immediately he begins to look about for some way of flight from the wrath which he feels hangs over him. He sends for a minister or for some Christian man. He has his long neglected Bible brought from his parlor table and laid beside his bed. He will find refuge from his peril, if he can. He wants to have the Bible read to him; perhaps there is some virtue in that which will shield him. He wants the minister to pray for him; for he has heard that a good man's prayers will save a soul. He wants to be baptized and to receive the Lord's Supper; he hopes that these holy ordinances may somehow shelter him from the wrath. 

Yet all the while, he has not really thought of trying to unload the burden of sin which is crushing him. He is carrying his sins, unconfessed and unforgiven. He has no true sense of sinfulness, no realization of God's holiness, or of his own debt to him; he is simply terrified, and is trying to flee from the impending wrath. 

If he gets well again, he will most likely return to his old life and live on in sin as before, proving the insincerity and worthlessness of his repentance. If he were asked, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" his answer could not be "Love for Christ," or "A sense of my guilt" — but "Fear of the terrors of death and Hell!"

It was a very proper question, therefore, which John asked the multitudes who came to him desiring to be baptized. The only flight that saves — is away from sin, and to Christ. No man is saved who carries his sins with him in his flight. The door of the refuge is wide enough to admit the worst penitent sinner — but not wide enough to admit any cherished sin.

 ALEXANDRINE LIBRARY DESTROYED - Tyrants, including Islam, seek to destroy every vestige of institutional memory of a society leaving only the darkness of ignorance in its place (JLO)

" And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" 2 Thessalonians 2:11

    The Alexandrine library was destroyed A.D. 642. The citizens pleaded with the Saracens in vain to spare this treasury of literature. At first Omar yielded. "But stay, we have a duty to perform as Mus- selmen. Examine the books. Burn such as blaspheme the prophet. And those that accord with him are useless. Let them all be burnt!"     

The conflagration lasted for days and the Mss. furnished 4,000 baths with fuel for six months. 

    The books, according to some estimates, numbered about a quarter of a million. 

 Scripture Admits of No Compromise (Pasche)

"If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32.

Even those who in doctrine declare the word of Scripture to be the Word of God are nevertheless in danger of disobeying the Word of God in practise. This is done by the making of com­ promises, that is, it is done when the Church maintains only so much of God’s Word as the world and worldly-minded Christians are willing to put up with, in other words, as human reason deems compatible with its ideas of what ought to be done or left undone. All the passages bearing upon this question inculcate upon all Chris­ tians the duty of abiding in the Word without making any com­ promise. God says: “ Ye shall not add unto the Word which I com­ mand you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it.” Deut. 4, 2.

While Luther was ever ready to sacrifice life and all for Christ’s sake, he was never willing to yield one jot or tittle of the Scriptures. And only those are Lutherans indeed who accept the whole Bible, — not only certain doctrines which appeal to certain groups of men, but everything that the Lord has commanded to teach and observe, — not the Law alone nor the Gospel alone, but the whole revelation of God; not only those parts which appeal to man’s fancy and whim, but also those books, chapters, and verses which transcend human reason; not only those parts which contain ar­ ticles of faith, but also those which contain historical, geographical, geological, astronomical, or any other scientific statements; in short, the whole Bible, unabridged, uncurtailed. For it behooves us to accept all the doctrines revealed to us by God in Holy Writ, also less prominent and less fundamental ones. It must be our earnest concern not to lose or vitiate any one of them. For the doctrines of the Bible form a united and connected whole; all the various parts of this divine unit are wonderfully interwoven, so that it is im- posible to restrict any of them without at the same time, in effect, corrupting and destroying the others. “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

Prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we pray Thee to give us Thy Holy Spirit that He may dwell in our hearts, daily keep us in Thy grace, and protect us in every temptation. Let us never depart from the Word of Truth, but fearlessly confess it. Whether we meet with approval or disapproval, honor or reproach, whether the membership of our congregation be increased or decreased, let us guard against all falsifications of the Gospel. Restrain, we beseech Thee, all enemies of Thy Word, for the sake of the glory of Thy name. Amen.