The
Right Revd John R. Crouch
AD, Dip CYW
The
Bishop of North Somerset
  
Two thousand years have passed since the birth, death and resurrection of the
Lord Jesus Christ and two hundred years since the world was turned upside down
by the preaching of the Gospel. Here Saints of God, in the midst of
persecution, perished rather than deny their Saviour. Over four hundred years
have passed since the Reformation struggled to recover those same biblical
truths which had been buried by the enemies of Christ.
During these times God has raised men, empowered with His Holy Spirit with a
desire to honour their Lord and follow His commandments. When they upheld the
truth of an inspired, infallible and preserved Word, they were persecuted and
ridiculed. When the wrath of Rome brought hatred and persecution upon them, they
did not flinch from the truth even unto death for the cause of King Jesus.
In our own day, when we look at the trials these godly men and women endured,
their example encourages us to stand firm in the face of the enemies of Christ
and the Gospel. Oh, how much we can learn from the Peters and Paul’s, the
Wycliffe’s, Luther’s, Calvin’s and Spurgeon's that were tormented by the false
religion of their day. Spat upon or burnt at the stake. Such was their lot in
this world yet we rejoice at their final end for “to be with Christ is far
better” says Paul the Apostle. All died in faith bringing glory to their
Lord and Saviour.
What encouragement! How we would like to have their courage to stand in our day,
but how easily we turn from encouragement to despondency. Today the battle
continues with new ideas and teachings coming from many directions with one
teacher denying this and another Minister allowing that. Places of learning
with men of intellect rewrite and revamp the truth as we know it resulting in
the authority of Gods Word being undermined.
The believer who faithfully worships in his pew is left confused and bewildered
at the changes being brought in by every wind of doctrine as the Serpent slips
his poison to the unwary and spins his lies to the ignorant. He is working his
deceit well. The Churches are almost empty, there is no fear of the Almighty,
and the world has no time for God.
The modernist and the liberal accuse those who hold to the old paths as the very
reason for the decline and decay and say they have wasted the churches.
For the past one hundred years or more there has been a form of religion
taught in disguise of an Evangelical Gospel, which has made Salvation to depend
on mans own choice or will. Worship in the Church has also come under attack
with a form of praise that excites the emotions and becomes little more than
entertainment. Such is the religion of those who would today fill the Churches
with strobe lights, rock music, videos, etc, whilst casting out sound biblical
creeds, all in the name of progressive worship.
Those who advocate such novelties should assess the results carefully. Contrary
to their dire warnings about followers of the old ways, it is they themselves
that have successfully promoted their form of religion during the past four
generations. It is their form of worship that the Church in general has been
adopting and practising and God has not blessed; all their efforts to please
men, it would seem, has not pleased Almighty God.
Love and unity is always their cry of defence, yet it has been my experience
that they who call most loudly for this are often the most intolerant and
unloving.
When the conflict raged in days gone by, the battle lines were quite clear to
see, but now it is hard to see who my enemy is and who is my friend? In every
church the noise of war can be heard as pride, vainglory and self advancement
come to play.
What of our man in the pew? He is but cannon fodder in these unholy wars! He
sees his familiar friend become his enemy; she finds her labours in a strange
land. The bliss they once had turns to sadness in the house of their God. They
attempt to comfort themselves every Sabbath day by saying “We come to worship
God” but how that praise is tainted when sin is abounding in the camp of the
Lord. Where is the united praise and worship and how can there be united prayer
when hearts are at odds one with another? Will God accept this praise?
Do I hear you blessing God that this has not been your Christian experience? I
would rejoice with you my friend if it had not been my own cry just a few short
years ago. Now eyes revile that once gazed with love, the hands that now fall
limply into mine- once held as though they would never let go; and the hissing
tongue replaces the kiss of greeting.
But “Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering; (for
He is faithful that promised).” Heb.10 v 23.
My God is in Heaven and His ways are my ways. The battle doesn’t lie only
with the learned, but with every saint who dares hold to the paths of true
biblical religion. Do not be misled into thinking all is well with you. If you
are enjoying a measure of peace in your life- may God continue to bless you.
Then again, it may be you have not yet entered into the battle; it’s possible
your time has not yet come to fight against irreligion in the land- but it will
come!
It may be you say- the battle is won. God in Christ is always sovereign and He
will triumph over His enemies. Who would challenge this- but the battle still
rages in the lives of Gods people and the fight is still the same fight as the
saints of ages past. Is truth and righteousness still under fire from the
powers of darkness? Are men still in bondage to sin and Satan? God’s word is
under attack more today possibly than in any other!
Have you ever wondered why God didn’t take you immediately into Glory the moment
that you were born again? It must be that He has a work for you and I to do
with which He equips us with His Holy Spirit, His gifts and His grace to accomplish. A work
where He has all the glory and we have all the blessing. Did He not say
“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from
their company, and shall reproach you , and cast out your name as evil, for the
Son of Mans sake?” Luke 6 v 22.
The age of martyrs is not yet passed, the battle continues; it is not so much
that the world has crept in, but rather the Church has opened the doors wide and
the flood is drowning us.
Maybe you are waiting for a man of God to follow. My dear friend in the pew-
God asks “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Who answered that
mighty call? “Here I am; send me” was the reply from one lowly servant
of God. No my friend, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the
strong, but those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
With this question in your heart and mind “And who then is willing to
consecrate his service this day to the Lord” turn your eyes upon Calvary-
shall we be spared less than He who came to do His Fathers will? Is it not time
that you and I answer the question that came to Elijah as he sat in the cave -
“What doest thou here Elijah” 1Kings19 v 9.
Do we sit here burying our heads in the darkness or do we answer Gods call to go
forward in His Name to face the enemy?
Arise is the call! Go forth is the command! “Fear not for I am with you”
is the promise. Isaiah 41 v 10. Amen.
The
Right Revd John R. Crouch
AD, Dip CYW
The Bishop of North Somerset
E-Mail
Bishop John
Yeshua01@btinternet.com
Serving The
Diocese of North Somerset and Yeshua International
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