Blog | Reproach of Men

Better To Not Vow…

One of the least understood aspects of Christianity is church membership. Even among fundamental Baptists there is little more than a cursory understanding which often consists of believing that showing up and warming a pew regularly is fulfilling the covenant. However, the truth is much different. It is not well understood today that the LORD has never changed His view regarding covenants — especially those covenants where individuals vow to serve Him.

Because the modern day Christian lacks understanding of this issue, churches suffer greatly and have little influence in this society. Unfortunately, I do not expect the situation to change anytime soon. The following lesson is to at least take a step in the right direction.

May you find it profitable.

For those who cannot use the embedded player, wish to use a different player, or want to save the file, the following link is provided:

Better To Not Vow…

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

In Memory of Ethan Hardin

On January 7th, 2011, Ethan Hardin, Sgt. US Army, was killed in action in Afghanistan. Today, January 22nd, his body was laid to rest in Round Mountain Cemetery with full military honors. By all accounts, Ethan is a brother in Christ. He also was a member of Mission Boulevard Baptist Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

I know Ethan as I was at one time a member of Mission Boulevard, and studied under his father, Tom Hardin, who is a missionary of Mission Boulevard. I know it is never the desire of a father (or of any parent) to bury their child, so Ethan’s passing is a particular grief.

There are perhaps many things which could be explored as to why Ethan has passed on, but they are for a different time, and perhaps a different post. Most importantly, those things are for his family and his church to examine and seek the face of the LORD for answers. They do not belong to me.

We know, or should know, that the LORD never takes anyone before their time. Thus, knowing the LORD took Ethan at the young age of 25 should make us consider where we stand before the LORD, and seriously consider what He has called us to do. Nonetheless, should we falter in that, if we are the LORD’s we ought to know there is mercy and forgiveness with the LORD.

To remind us of that, and that we may remember Ethan Hardin (for I am certain Ethan now knows of the mercy, grace and forgiveness of the LORD firsthand), the following hymn is given. ((No, it is not Baptists singing it. I could not find any recording done by Baptists))

In Christ,
Paul W. Davis

The Enemies of America

Fundamental Christians, especially Baptists, would never admit to it, and would never want to believe it to be true — that they have become the enemies of America. However, that is not the most serious part of what has happened to Christianity in America. Rather, it is that Christians in America have become the enemies of the LORD God, and through that, the enemies of America.

How?

Because the behavior of Christians, including fundamental, Bible-believing Christians, more closely resembles the behavior of pagans and atheists, than that of a child of the LORD God. Hence, Christians are bringing the judgment of God upon America just like the pagans and atheists.

By the way, just in case you wonder, I stopped watching television sometime in 1999 or thereabouts.

I pray the message is profitable for you.

For those who cannot use the embedded player, wish to use a different player, or want to save the file, the following link is provided:

The Enemies of America

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

The Necessity of Faith

The Scripture is express that faith is essential if one is to have any hope of pleasing God. However, it seems that the “faith” defined by many Christians is not really faith at all. Rather, it is either intellectualism or emotionalism dressed up as faith.

This is not acceptable. Moreover, it is a ticket to destruction. It seems to be lost on an increasing number of individuals that there is no substitute for faith. However, I suppose this also has never changed — that it has always been this way. Which is why we have the example of Israel as an utter failure in the Old Testament. Israel failed due to a total lack of faith on the part of a majority of it’s citizens — they could not perceive who the LORD is, and what He was doing.

Individually, that can happen to anyone today — even those who claim Christ. Hence, it is incumbent upon each of us to insure that the faith we believe we have, is actually the faith defined in Hebrews, chapter 11.

I pray the message is profitable for you.

For those who cannot use the embedded player, wish to use a different player, or want to save the file, the following link is provided:

The Necessity of Faith

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

Faith vs. Rationality

There exists in the minds of many, a divergence between faith and reason. However, there exists no such divergence if one has a proper understanding of Scripture. Moreover, the reason and logic of the Scripture can be taught, and taught in such a way that someone who is lost can understand it if they apply themselves.

Herein lies the problem: Knowledge of salvation gained in this way — is not faith. Moreover, it is not an acceptable substitute for faith. Though the understanding arrived at may be the same, the means by which that understanding is arrived at is crucial. The route of one is the mind, but the route of the other is the spirit. The difference is life and death.

We would do well to examine ourselves as to how we arrived at our own understanding of the things of God — is it by faith, or by reason and rationality. The difference does determine where we end up.

I pray the following lesson is profitable for you.

For those who cannot use the embedded player, wish to use a different player, or want to save the file, the following link is provided:

Faith vs. Rationality

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

Josef Tson

I first heard about Josef Tson back in the 1990’s. The tape I have from then is a partial recording, but it is very powerful. The video is not quite as powerful, but the message is the same. The message is profitable for all, and fundamental, unaffiliated Baptists would do well to take heed.

There are only three caveats that I make concerning Pastor Tson and the forum in which he presents his messages and testimony:

His forum is Southern Baptist. It is not the best and he could do better. However, the Southern Baptists are the largest “Baptist” denomination in America, and they took Pastor Tson in immediately. I am not certain Josef Tson understands who and what the Southern Baptists are. But, I am not certain most Southern Baptists understand who and what they are either.
His understanding of the word “servant” as opposed to “slave” is culturally driven. That is not bad, but it does bear some explanation. In the KJV, the word “slave” is only used twice. The word “servant” is used in 887 verses. In short, the word “servant” encompasses everything from a slave to a taxi driver who is hired for a few moments time.
I cannot speak as to his Bible, but the wording he uses and the understanding he has of what it teaches is consistent with a Received Text rendering.

With those things in mind, please be blessed.

If you cannot view the video in the post, it can be found here.

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

If You’re Saved…

The greatest danger faced by those who claim to be born again is not from any threatened persecution. Rather, this danger comes from within – from their very own heart. It is the fact of the following verse that presents the greatest danger of all:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

If it is so that one is saved, there will be ample confirmation in the life of the believer. However, there is an evidence of salvation that is often ignored or overlooked precisely because it raises a very uncomfortable question:

If you’re saved, where is your power over sin?

That is the subject of the following message. I pray it is profitable for you.

For those who cannot use the embedded player, wish to use a different player, or want to save the file, the following link is provided:

If You”re Saved…

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

A Sequence of Events

During one of the Bible studies, I was asked a question about salvation and the time of the Great Tribulation. When I attempted to explain, there was not an adequate way to explain certain things that occur without some form of timeline. To assist the individual, I promised that I would produce a sequence of events that gave the major occurrences from the rapture to the new heavens and new earth.

This sequence of events is not set at a specific time in the future, just that the events will occur in sequence beginning at some point in the future. Neither is the chart done to scale. Having it to scale would not benefit our understanding one iota. What is profitable is knowing what events, in what order, and why they are ordered that way.

The image below is a cropped screenshot for viewing in the post. The link below is to a PDF document that you can save to your computer.

A sequence of events from the rapture to the new heavens and new earth

I pray it is profitable for you.

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

A graphic showing the sequence of events from the rapture to the new heavens and new earth

Examine Yourself

This message addresses the issue of salvation and whether we are honest with ourselves about what we have believed. Salvation is more than merely assenting to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior. Salvation is also very much different from simply asking Christ to come into your life.

I pray it is profitable for you.