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Posts from 2010 (Page 23)

Evangelizing the Elderly

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The elderly of our world provide another vital target population. For the first time in our history, there are as many people over age 65 as there are under 18. Often the elderly are lonely, ill, poor or dying. They need the help and fellowship of the church. To be ready for living and for dying, they need Christ. In every local church we have energetic and devoted members who are approaching retirement age. Moreover, these unique members can reach those of their own age with the gospel.

Even the elderly, in many cases, have dabbled in idolatry or the occult or immoral sex. Consequently, spiritual ground is not easily gained in their lives. Their minds have been bound by the powers of darkness and much intercessory prayer is needed to reach both backslidden Christians and nonbelievers. However, it is not impossible, if Christians are willing to pay the price to pray.

We must minister to various races, nationalities and cultures around the world and to those pockets of people who come to the United States. Some 25 Million Hispanics live in the United States, and their number is growing. Migration from the Middle East has reached such proportions that Muslims outnumber both Jews and Presbyterians.

We can reach them when we deliberately seek to understand them. The apostle Paul said, “And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them that are without law,” (1 Cor. 9:20-21).

Relationship of Idolatry and Pagan Worship

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There is a relationship of idolatry is worship of other gods and goddesses and pagan heads of state. Devils are always attached to different territories, leaders and have an emotional impact upon the people. An example of having to accept the local gods in order to prosper is recorded for us in (2 Kin. 17).

After the Assyrians had carried off the Israelite populations, they filled the vacuum they had created by transplanting large groups of people from other conquered areas.

These new settlers did not worship the Lord and so the lions caused much chaos among them that the governor sent a complaint to the Assyrian emperor that the immigrant transplants did not ‘know not the manner of the god of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the god of the land,’ – 2 Kings 17:26.

The emperor discerned the people not worshiping the god who controlled the regions; to change them, he sent the Jewish priest back to Samaria from Assyria ‘to teach the people the law of the god of that land’ –2Kings:17:25.

The priest sent to the colonists was not a true priest or God, but one of those who had been attached to the calf-worship, probably at Bethel. Hence, he would be willing to tolerate the mixed religion, which a true priest of the Lord would have unsparingly condemned. — 2 Kings 17:28

The Old Testament reveals high places on which the people offered sacrifices to the god residing there (I Sam. 9:12-13; 10:5; 1Kin. 3:2; Hos. 2:13, etc.). High places were places people sacrificed to the god of the area. High places were associated with Baal (‘high places of Baal’ in Numbers 22:41), or other alien deities (Lev. 26:30)

Neo Paganism Revival

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“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments,” (Ex. 20:3-6).

Neo Paganism is the revival of the old gods and goddesses of pre-Christian polytheistic mythologies, mystery cults, and nature religions, such as Celtic, Egyptian, Roman, and Sumerian. Prudence Jones and Caitlin Matthews writes: “Pagans’ are people who follow the Old Religion, the native religious tradition of Europe which predated more abstract world religions such as Christianity . . . In a sense the new Pagans are neo-Pagans, since they derive their impetus from a spiritual re-emergence and reinstatement of ancient Pagan principles.”

Neo Paganism also includes existing tribal religions and shamanism. Then it includes new religions inspired by avant-garde science fiction and fantasy works as well as diverse occultic sources and traditions; related to witchcraft covens are other neo-pagan groups.

Moses stayed on the mountain for 40 days and received from the Lord all the laws that were to govern the religious and secular life of the Israelites. The Israelites felt abandoned by Moses during his absence and went to Aaron and said to him, “up, make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him,” (Exodus 32:1).

Intercession of the Holy Spirit

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In connection with the subject of intercession, the question is to whether the Holy Spirit is not presented in Scriptures as an intercessor.

(Rom. 8:26). “In like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

One explanation has been given that the Holy Spirit is here referred to as dwelling in us and thus making intercession. The Divine Spirit is said to be a Spirit of supplication, Zachariah 12:10.

The distinction which is made between the intercession of Christ in heaven in His priestly office and that of the Holy Spirit interceding within the souls of believers, referred to by Shedd (see Commentary on Romans), must be carefully used, for if pressed to its extreme it would lead to the materialization and localization of the Divine nature. Moreover, may not the intercession of Our Lord be regarded as being partially exemplified in that of the Spirit whom He has declared to be His agent and representative? If Christ dwells in believers by His Spirit, His intercession, especially if subjective in and with their spirits, may properly be described as the intercession of the Holy Ghost.

The Scripture makes it clear that the battle is not our personal battle. We are part of the war but the battle is the Lord’s. We are led by the unconquerable One. The battle rests upon His ability and He has already won the war! Read (Jn. 14: 15-27).