One Sunday afternoon while I was sitting on the couch watching television, a religious program came on. I had watched religious programs many times in the past so this was nothing new. At the end of the program they played that song
“Just as I am.” When they came to the part that says, “But that thy blood was shed for me,” the spirit of God fell on me. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t get up, all I could do was sit there and weep. My wife who was in the other room heard me weeping and came in to see what was happening. She said “what’s wrong with you?” With tears streaming down my face the only thing I could say was “I can’t resist”. I was thirty four years old when this happened and since then I have never been the same.
Later on we joined a Baptist church. This church had Pentecostal tendencies and since I had been raised in the Pentecostal religion this seemed to fit. However the pastor of this church was not a Pentecostal preacher and was disturbed at the direction that the church was going. Later on some of the deacons formed a committee and fired him because of his allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel calls many religious practices and beliefs into question. Many of the deacons and church members were offended by his teaching.
One Saturday morning (before he was fired) at the men’s prayer meeting the pastor passed out some literature that had been written by a Christian scholar in Australia. The focus of this literature was the historical gospel and what this gospel calls into question. The pastor said “I want you men to take this literature home read it and tell me what you think about it”. This was the first time that I was exposed to the gospel that is in the bible that was taught by the apostles. Later that evening I called the pastor and we discussed what was in the literature. Our eyes were beginning to open to the truth of the gospel. The Christian scholar in Australia also published a magazine where he and other scholars discussed theological issues. The circulation was world wide and was mostly directed to ministers. I have all of their publications, which is a stack about two feet high. Some of the scholars would come to the USA and hold seminars where they would teach the gospel and all that it calls into question. These seminars were never held in churches but were held in hotel meeting rooms.
I have been actively studying the gospel and all that it calls into question for the past thirty five years. The benefits have been overwhelming. I have learned that all we need as Christians is Christ and his gospel. The best part of the gospel is that it is not subjective. It is a past historical event that took place over two thousand years ago. As sinners we need to go outside of ourselves to this past historical event so that we can learn the truth about what Christ has accomplished for us in our name and on our behalf. So much of today’s Christianity involves looking inward to yourself which is basically religion. Religion is man’s preoccupation with his own spirituality and as the apostle Peter said, “The dog is turned to his own vomit and the pig is washed in its own mire.” 2 nd Peter 2:22. The historical gospel is not compatible with organized religion and never will be because of the freedom that it brings to the believer.
I hope you enjoy visiting this web site and most of all I hope that it will encourage you to study more about what Christ has accomplished for you.
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