Pen of Iron

I'm in Nova Scotia, in the little town of Digby, on the northwestern horn. I drove back the youth group of Biblebelievers' Baptist Church from Montreal, 14 hours of driving time. Out of cash and gas.
Consecrated, Redeemed, I didn't get to pass by western union yet and might not be able today. Don't worry, I'll be taken care of. I might also be teaching Sunday school. Please pray for me. Been praying much with Pastor Peter, it's a real blessing.

It is now 5:50 P.M. over here. We're an hour ahead of Montreal.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 3:44 PM | 3 comments    

Isa 26:19 ... together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Okay. So since I turned fifty years of age I keep getting notification from all sorts of health departments asking me to go for all kinds of tests. The latest episode was a letter I got from the funeral parlour asking me if I have made funeral arrangements. I realize this may shock some of you but interestingly enough, and being the organized person that I am, and since we do not have a family cemetery in Canada, I figured I should be ahead of the game and I signed the application form returning the questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope.

Last night a lady from the parlour called me and we went over my requirements. Did I want a regular burial or cremation. (I am a Christian I replied, I wanted the traditional Christian burieal). Where did I want to be buried and why. I had picked a location and explained the reason for that particular spot being that I knew several believers buried there. The lady, for some reason, wanted to know what did I mean by "believers". Of course that threw the subject wide open and I got to witness to Claire who was quite open to the gospel. You call it burial site, but it is resurrection ground (got that from my assistant pastor, Brian). I want to rise with fellow believers from the same spot. She wanted to hear more about the resurrection and life after death. I explained to her that in order to rise you must fulfil one condition: you must be born again. I believe in God and in good, she said. I repeated the condition. You must be born again. You talk like one of the men I buried she replied (lol). We speak the same langauge because we have the same spirit, I replied.

For over half an hour, Claire and I conversed and I got to witness to her very clearly about her need to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, she did not understand what I meant by "trust". Again I explained that it is not by works of righteousness but by faith we are saved through grace, not by works lest any man should boast. Also that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, that on the cross he had paid the price for all our sins and when he cried "it is finished" he had completed the job.

In the end, the lady agreed to meet with me in June to complete the formalities on condition that she would tell me about the burial plan and I would tell her about my resurrection plans.

Talking about the formalities, I wish to say that the stone they lay on the grave will cost $2500 alone and it has to conform to certain norms if I want it made elsewhere. I have often wondered about the epitaph that I would want on my grave.

I think I would like the verse above especially the phrase: awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust: thy dew is as the dew of herbs..

Posted by Consecrated at 9:24 PM | 10 comments    

Here's a sermon by Jonathan Modene entitled "why I am not a reformed baptist".
Reformed theology is spreading like wildfire; afterall, we are in the Laodicean church age.
If you are a reformed baptist or something similar, you need to hear this, you WILL give account of your doctrine and its effects at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
If you're not saved, stop acting slick about the confusion Satan is causing amongst Christians. There's nothing surprising or novel about his tactic.

We're not saved from hell based on our own merits, we're saved from hell based on the righteousness of the Son of God alone, which became ours the day we trusted his finished atoning work for us which he wrought at the cross of calvary, resurrecting in power on the third day.
Instead of feeling self-righteous, repent and trust the Lord Jesus Christ. We never told anyone to trust us. We always pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 9:37 PM | 9 comments    

Labels: audio

We're back in a new house. The Lord God Jesus Christ is abundant in goodness and mercy.
Get ready for more gospel preaching and Bible teaching than ever.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 5:10 PM | 2 comments    

Psa 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

The date is finally upon us. Friday, 6 April is moving day. It has been five months since we started the renovations and now we are about ready. It is amazing to see how many church members have volunteered their services together with their family vans. I do not need a moving company anymore. A large crowd is coming out. How heartening to see the Christian love and bond in action.

Our ISP should be discontinuing the service at our present address on Friday and reconnecting us at the new house. So, just in case, we lose track of you (or you lose track of us) please pray for us that the move go safely and that we transition smoothly to our new abode while looking for the city whose builder and maker is God.

Heb 11:10 For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Posted by Consecrated at 7:06 AM | 6 comments    

Today is the first of April aka April fool. The world system allows for a day where people can lie and do pranks on each other as though man is honest throughout the rest of the days of the year.

Here's what Scripture has to say about the Fool.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. ... (Psalm 14:1)

The only fool today is the one who does not worship the risen Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, son of God and son of man, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; (1 Timothy 1:15).

NO PRANKS HERE.
The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the grave. This was no prank. HE conquered death, ascended into heaven and with his blood made atonement for all our sins. This too was no prank. By his wisdom, through the cross of Calvary, God made a folly out of all the forces of evil.

BUT WAIT!
Did you know that God has room for foolishenss too? Yes, God can use a certain type of foolishness to bring him glory. It is discussed in 1 Corinthians 1:21. Here is what it says: For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe....
.
THE TRUTH IS.
To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. (Rom 16:27)

Posted by Consecrated at 6:27 AM | 6 comments    

You don't have to die and go to suffer hellfire for your wicked sins. The Lord Jesus Christ paid for them, trust His blood alone to atone for you. Receive Him in your heart, for He has loved you enough to die in your place.

Remember, neither Mary, nor Mohammed, nor Buddha, nor pope JP2, nor Ganesh, nor anybody else ever could, or would die on the cross for you. There was only 1 man on that cross. Mary didn't hang on it, neither did anyone else.
ONE man only hung on that cross of calvary. ONE MAN ONLY. No two people hanged there. ONE MAN ONLY. ONE body, ONCE broken.

Lift up a prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, and tell Him that you surrender your self-righteousness in exchange for His. You can pray alone, now, simply step away from the screen, kneel and offer up a prayer from the heart. He will answer it and save you from yourself and hell. Get a King James Bible, start reading the book of John.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 10:47 PM | 3 comments    

If you're new or old to Pen of Iron, here are some basic doctrines we stand for and defend, because the Bible teaches. You will find them peppered throughout our posts, and sometimes exposited in the Bible Doctrines page.

The King James Bible is perfect.

Dispensations. Salvation is not identical in all dispensations, and Israel and the Church are NOT the same.

Pre-millennial. Definitely pre-millennial. That's Bible 101 right there.

The church-age ends in apostasy, not in the gospel conquering the world.

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith in the Son of God, without any admixture of works. Sacraments are a work of the devil.

Eternal security of the believer; in the church-age. A Christian does not have to endure to the end to be saved. That applies to tribulation folks.

The free choice and responsibility of man to receive or reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hell and the lake of fire are literal and the latter is the final, eternal, and conscious destination of all who reject the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ .

The Lord Jesus Christ resurrected physically, bodily, from the grave. It was the same body that was crucified that resurrected, but glorified.

The church is raptured BEFORE the tribulation; and there is MORE THAN ONE rapture in the Bible.

The independence of the local church.

Ecumenism is a work of the devil. Yes, that too.

Two ordinances given to the church: baptism and communion.

Baptism follows salvation; obviously then it is not required for salvation. It must be a conscious choice, and it is done in obedience to a commadment from the Lord Jesus. Baptism is by immersion.

Rome (with its religious system) is the bloody Babylonian whore of Revelation 17. Rome does not change.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 10:07 PM | 9 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 8:36 PM | 8 comments    

Technology taken to extreme translates into human disaster.

I read the following:
Quote Robots are increasingly being used by ordinary people. Robot vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers are already in many homes, and robotic toys are increasingly popular with children.
As these robots become more intelligent, it will become harder to decide who is responsible if they injure someone. Is the designer to blame, or the user, or the robot itself?

Asimov's three laws for robots:
A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law

Humanoid heads with expressive features have become alarmingly lifelike.

The US military plans to have a fifth of its combat units fully automated by the year 2020. Asimov's laws don't apply to machines which are designed to harm people. When an army can strike at an enemy with no risk to lives on its own side, it may be less scrupulous in using force. Unquote

I wish to pose the question and I am dead serious. What guarantee have we got that humans will be safe in the long run? The day might come when people would not be able to distinguish between real human beings. Your next door neighbor might be one of humanoid monsters designed to exterminate the human kind.

WOE unto the world from the dangers of these technolgical advances which have done little good to restore the earth. Do I need to remind everyone of our environmental woes. Gas and carbon dioxide emissions. Depletion of the ozone layers. Global warming, water shortages, etc. The list goes on and on.

I can only think of one created being who would want to destroy God's work. And the picture is ugly no matter how much we try to sugar-coat it. The devil's latest trick is to design robotic toys to condition the mind of your children into acceptance.

If robots must obey orders, whose orders will humanoids and the like obey in the long run?
I wonder.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6432307.stm

Posted by Consecrated at 10:17 AM | 2 comments    

It is one of those answers. You witness to somebody about the Lord and the answer pops up.
I appreciate what you are doing, but it is not for me!

Pastor Rick Sowell from Hope Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio will be holding revival meetings at our church during the last three days of April, and because this is such a special occasion, here am I all excited trying to rally the troops to come and hear the Word of God.

Patricia retired from work about a year ago. On her last day of employment I treated her to lunch at a nice Chinese diner. This made her very happy because no one had invited her to the place before. I thanked the Lord and hoped that she would see my Christian love as I witnessed to her about her need for salvation. She was a WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) she explained but nothing more transpired that day. She gave me her home number and we agreed that I'd invite her to church next time we had a revival. Guess what. A month ago, Patricia was called in to replace a lady who is on maternity leave. Today, the Lord opened my mouth and I invited her to the revival. "I know you are trying to save me, she said, but this is not for me".

The Word of God is for everybody, I replied. This is not for me, she repeated. What do you mean it is not for you, I insisted. We are all created alike, body, soul and spirit. We all have a destiny and after death we either go into everlasting life, or eternal damnation, I explained.
Where are you going to spend your eternity?

I don't know, she said.

Jesus loves you and he wants to save you. You need not suffer for eternity. Jesus paid a hefty price to give you happiness. For once, give yourself a chance, I pleaded with her. Come and hear the Word. Let the Holy Spirit work in your heart to heal you from whatever scar or reason is causing you to answer me like this. This preacher does not come very often. Please plan to come and let the Word of God work in your heart, I pleaded again and again.

We will talk again, she replied. As she walked back to her desk, I did not know what to think.

I will try to talk to her again.
May the Lord open her eyes to see that the Word of God is for her and for everyone.

Posted by Consecrated at 12:37 PM | 3 comments    

The most ridiculous thing I read in the news this morning comes from an article on the BBC website and entitled: Robotic age poses ethical dilemma

This is what it said: Last year a UK government study predicted that in the next 50 years robots could demand the same rights as human beings.

The full article can be viewed at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6425927.stm

In a previous article entitled: Robots could demand legal rights, it was said: If granted, countries would be obliged to provide social benefits including housing and even "robo-healthcare"...

Hello!

Posted by Consecrated at 10:39 AM | 3 comments    

Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose

Something is happening at my office and a decision that might affect my work assignment is awaited. Would you please pray with me that God be in the outcome. I do believe that all things work together for good as we read above, however, I feel safer when I pray.

Posted by Consecrated at 4:14 PM | 4 comments    

Bob Jones Sr. was a down to earth peanut farmer. This is old time preaching, before "scholarism" catalyzed apostasy. The audio is about 15 minutes long.

If you want to know what is success for a Christian, listen. You won't get something like this in books or university libraries. This is for the real-world.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 11:10 PM | 0 comments    

Labels: audio

2Corinthians 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

My brother in the Lord, Marc Onofre, defined it best while preaching in the preachers' course: "a star is a wicked person that looks good"
Or sings good I would add. The Bible is as up-to-date as ever, and idolatry is back in bold. We separated Christians most vocally decry the worldliness and compromise of others yet indulge ourselves with exceptions. The french have a term for it "peche mignon"; "sweet sin". Take "American Idol" for instance. You would think the word IDOL pretty much gives it away as an IDOLATROUS show but Christians who can crossreference the laodicean church character, the physionomy of the antichrist, and the geography of the millennium before you're done with the alphabet are strangely myiopic when it comes to reading the word IDOL in American, or Canadian IDOL for that matter.
Ironic twist, they use the same tired old justifications they've judged for so long in others.
I'm not concerned in this post with the nauseating Christianity displayed by some contestants on the show. How O how could Christian parents encourage their children to be part of it, or an entire church be the practicing ground for its American Idol hopeful, or a man sing "Amazing Grace" or even a Ground Infantry sing "His eye is on the sparrow" for such a worldly and sensual show is so far beyond me that I dare not tread the waters. No, those "Christians" sold out long ago. In fact they were never in the battle. Those guys would think you were kidding them if you ever read them James 4:4 and ask to see your Bible. Of course their "Ultra New ReReReRevised manifesto for the Post-Modern she-male version" cools down the verse 'bout 17 notches. No, forget those guys. We've wasted too much our nerves on people who fear not the Lord. My concern is for the troopers. The guys in the front-lines of our spiritual war.

So, to you who are still in the action
2Corinthians 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial?
Men of Belial are men of vanity. Vanity is all that show is about.
:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with IDOLS? for ye are the temple of the living God
I.E. what are you doing letting american idols into God's temple, which is your body, through the gates of the eyes. Be like Nehemiah and shut those gates to the heathen.
No wonder we have no time for Bible reading and no energy to bend the knees, we're wasting away at the local shrine: the T.V. set.
An insiduous effect of television is that one person turns it on, and others flock. Idolatry is contagious. God is aware of that in the Bible. How many times have we heard the first commandment preached as "whatever you put before God in your life is an idol". But just how much do we believe that?
I'm guilty also including of American Idol.
A while ago the booklet "the second coming" by Larkin, (written before T.V.) spurred me to drastically lessen my television viewing time (I'm talking t.v generally). The sermon "the thief in the living room" by Ruckman also had an impact. I still watch the box, but watch myself also. A good indicator of "backlsiding" is the fluctuation in the amount of time you spend watching T.V.

American Idol has it judges and its standard. The standard is clearcut: "Will the world accept you?" In fact the judges phrase it similarly.

The Bible is clearcut: God is the Judge of all the earth, and all will appear before Him to be judged. He has his one judge, that Just One, the Son of God, and he will set us up as judges over the world and angels. The standard? the Lord Jesus Christ. Will He accept you?

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 9:37 PM | 6 comments    

It has been four weeks since I was approached by three Syrian ladies (whose daughters come to our AWANA club) to teach them the Bible in Arabic. Of the three ladies, one has no clue about the Bible, the second knows about it but has hardly ever read it, the third wants scientific proof. Interesting combination.

It all started with one mother bringing her little girl to the AWANA Sparks club. Little Maria invited Renee who brought her sister Pearl and soon followed with two neighbors Nathalie and Patricia. The girls would go to their club meetings while the three mothers stayed behind in the sanctuary. As the Lord saw fit, different leaders would witness to the women while they waited. Meanwhile, Nathalie (daughter of the scientific one) got saved from day one and is growing in the Lord. For my turn, and because I speak Arabic I got the lion's share in the witnessing process. At one point, the lady who knows nothing asked me to teach them the Bible in Arabic. When she insisted, I knew she was serious and I checked with my pastor who gave me his blessings.

But who is worthy to loose the book and to open the seals thereof? I felt so inadequate and I took to prayer. I knew that the best place to start was with the WORD of God. I started by showing them from Genesis 1 and John 1 the literal parallels between the Word of God and Jesus himself. Then I compared Genesis 3 and John 3, and showed them God's sacrificial lamb and the need to be born again.

It is true I can teach children in Sunday school, recite the Bible fluently in Arabic and witness at the drop of a hat, but to teach the Bible to ladies made me feel very very unworthy. Where do I go on from there, I prayed again, and our AWANA Commander gave me a set of discipleship literature to guide me on the way. As we met again and again, the first lady (who does not even know who Abraham is) had never thought about eternity. It is true, she went to church, but she had thought we vanish into nothingness after death (why do we go to church then beats me). But now she was beginning to ask questions, and the questions kept coming. She wanted to know more and the more I answered, the more she asked. How come no one ever taught us the Bible, she questioned. She was horrified when she found out that one day, every individual shall stand before the judgement seat and be held accountable for the blood that was shed on Calvary for the sins of the whole world.

This Friday, she asked me what should she do to get saved. At this I explained to her and she wanted to get saved. As we held hands to pray, I asked her to pray in her own words and as best as she could ask the Lord to save her soul. She did.

As I continue to minister to these ladies, I hope and pray that the Lord would keep his hand upon me and continue to bless for I have a long way to go with them still.

II Corinthians 2:16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death;
and to the other the savour of life unto life.
And who is sufficient for these things?

Posted by Consecrated at 1:25 PM | 9 comments    

Please guys read this article for yourselves. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6389105.stm
The article is entitled:
Emotion robots learn from people

It goes on to say that making robots that interact with people emotionally is the goal of a European project led by British scientists.... The 2.3m euros scheme will last for three years.

It worries me when I read something like this: "We are most interested in programming and developing behavioural capabilities, particularly in social and emotional interactions with humans." Who in the world can tell what these people are doing. There may be a lot more than meets the eye.
I keep saying the real aliens are coming. What is worse is that WE are making those "aliens". Check the above article then read Revelation chapter 9.
Sophisticated software/hardware coupled with genetic engineering make for fearsome creatures...

Posted by Consecrated at 10:57 AM | 8 comments    

My brother in the Lord, Bryan, wrote in his comment on the Ian Paisley audio post

"the following link is an audio file of Ian Paisley in a 1967 debate at Oxford. The crowd is laughing at him and mocking him, but he stands like a brick wall and keeps on preaching. I have alot of respect for a man like that."

Dear Roman Catholic I urge you to listen to this short audio file (23 minutes).
You have a decision to make like I had; either the words of God, or the words of Rome.
The quality is not great especially when the crowd is heard, but you will understand what he is saying.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 9:03 PM | 11 comments    

Galatians 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Whoever said that God cannot use a beggar to minister to a soul?

As I walked through the metro hallways last night I was in no mood to talk to anyone. There was a man playing a violin and I normally leave a few coins and a tract. In an eerie voice which softly filled the subterranean halls , this particular fellow sang and the words followed me. "Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care..." . I don't recall him singing the whole hymn but I knew the words that would follow: "take it to the Lord in prayer".

As I walked away the tune followed me. I was reminded of how much trouble I could save myself if I bring my concerns to the Lord. I felt a lot better.

Interestingly, the Lord practiced reverse psychology on me.
He had just used a hobo to minister to my soul.

Posted by Consecrated at 12:35 PM | 4 comments    

I've posted an audio sermon in the Bible Studies by James Modlish on the raptures; you read right, it's plural. In the near future I hope to continue the thread on the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, but for now this is a great interlude. Look for the Lord Jesus Christ's coming to take you away if you are saved. May this blessed doctrine run your life.

Which Rapture?

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 10:20 PM | 3 comments    

Labels: bible studies