Roots by the River

Following is an article by an old friend, Bob Flynn, President of the Christian Military Fellowship. Casualties of War — Friendly Fire I am grieved in my spirit of late at the breaking news about all of the terrorist activity reported in the news. Not the television network news, nor even the cable news, but reports from the front lines in the battle for souls. My ears are still ringing from reports of church splits, pastoral staff resignations, mischief and misbehavior at Christian universities. What fuels the flame of this seemingly continuous conflagration that destroys lives, churches and makes impotent the work of the Gospel? It is the sin of anger! Yes, you heard it here first. Anger is a sin. I did not come to this conclusion by way of thoughtful consideration of my intellectual prowess. It came instead by incremental illumination by the Holy Spirit as He worked upon my heart during a ten-year long sojourn in the second chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians. It could...

Biographies are written about famous people, not because the people are good, but because they were great in their profession, science, military, drama, politics or sport and their lives were fascinating. These people will be imitated; they will have babies named after them. As an example, Peton Manning will become a great quarterback like his example Johnny Unitas. Unfortunately bad qualities are also copied and proudly so. This just happens. Here are two short biographies of men who can be copied: “Agape Leadership” about R. C. Chapman “To Know This Mystery” about Lewis L. Bock M.D. Here is a poem, Status Quo, written by Dr. Bock a year or two before he died in 1985. To Know This Mystery by Dr. Lewis L. Brock, M.D. Status Quo! I’m so tired of mediocrity, Lord, Weary of the commonplace Jaded by the customary Of business as usual Of life restrained Shallow and muted Of preoccupation with trivia Small talk and egomania And knowledge falsely so-c...

I would like to remind Christians of what they have in Christ in this present world. The unbeliever may know the words, especially if they were raised in an evangelical church, but know nothing of the experience the words describe. 1. We have peace with God (Romans 5:1) 2. We have become slaves to God (Romans 6:22) 3. The Spirit of God dwells in us (Romans 8:9-16) 4. We have been given the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24) 5. We have been made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) 6. Streams of living water flow from us (John 7:37-39) There are many doctrinally correct people in Evangelical churches who do not have the spiritual victory that the scriptures describe as normal to the Christian life. If they are Christians, they have bought into the lie that spiritual defeat is normal and right. There is a possibility that they have not been saved. They are not defeated Christians. They are just not Christians! Jesus does a better job of saving than they evidence in their liv...

Over the years I have read the Bible but I did not keep track. The first time I read the Bible through was in the first year of our marriage (1952-53). I read four chapters every morning in the Old Testament and two chapters every evening in the New Testament. The result was I read the Old Testament in nine months and the New Testament two and one half times in the same period. I had been a Christian four and one half years before I started. However, before I did this reading I had memorized at least two hundred verses of scripture. I found out that many of these verses which had been memorized were memorized out of context. I had to unlearn some of what I thought I had learned. Maybe eight years ago, I followed a “Youth With a Mission” one-year Bible reading program. I did this for maybe three years. Then four years ago I stated using a reading schedule put together by Robert Murray M’Cheyne called “Light on the Way.” In one year the Old Testament is read once, the New Testa...

I would like to remind us of where we were , and for people who have not yet received the Savior, where they are . When were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. Romans 6:20 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Ephesians 2:1-2 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Colossians 1:13 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[b] your evil behavior. Colossians 1:21 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. Colossians 2:13 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and ha...

Over the last few years I have been hearing rumors of my retirement. My job description has bee changed several times by transferring responsibilities and discontinuing others but that is not he same as quitting. Over the last year or two I have transferred administration of CCM, pasturing staff, travelling to bookstores and quite a bit of personal ministry to Matt Meyer. He has not complained. Five years ago I quit taking conferences out of town. More recently I moved my office to our home for counseling, and later quit preaching at the Chinese Church in Pullman. Then last Thursday we made a bi-lateral decision (God and I) for me to quit preaching, going to church and counseling here in the home. All of the above have been down because Bessie has become increasingly frail and needs me even if I am not much help. I am honoring previously made commitments (I am speaking at CRF at the University of Idaho on February 8, 2010 at 7:30 pm on “Life between the Sexes.” If you need a ref...

Here is a note to bring you up to date on my returning the $500 to the Treasury Department. I wrote the check on April 16, 2009. It was returned to me by the Senator. It was sent again on June 6 to the US Treasury, certified mail. It was signed for on June 24. It was finally cashed on August 10. My last e-mail on the subject, it had not yet been cashed. So cheer up, it is possible to return money to the government.

Following is another sermon post from recent correspondence. A New Command “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) While prayer and reading God’s Word are absolutely necessary in order to grow in our relationship with the Lord, there is a third key to our Christian walk, and that is fellowship. Fellowship, in the context of our Christian perspective, is a good and right relationship with our fellow Christians, our brothers and sisters in Christ. It was Christ Himself who taught us that we should look at those who follow His Way as family. “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50) Now, if Christ Jesus, God clothed in flesh refers to us as brothers and sisters, how much more so should we, mere mortals so finite and insignificant to ou...

I'm in correspondence with someone that has been sending me messages from his meditations. To provide a broader distribution, I will be posting these occasionally. See following: Taking Up the Cross And Jesus said to all, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Today I would focus in on just one of Christ’s words, “daily”, as in taking up our cross daily. In today’s culture, we have a great tendency to segment our lives. We have our work life, our family life, and the life we share with our friends. Finally, we have our religious life, our relationship with God, which we often like to put into a little two or three hour block on Sunday. Now, how do you think the almighty God, creator of everything, feels about being so marginalized. Not to mention the fact that we would most certainly be shirking our duty to be Christ’s ambassadors to everyone we meet through our attitude of love, kindness, patience, and ge...

Recently I received several sermons that I would like to make available: The Inheritance of Moses and Esau “[See to it] that no one is…unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:16-17) As Christians, we share in a great inheritance of grace, mercy, peace, and joy, and after this world, eternal life and unending glory. With most worldly inheritances, you do little or nothing to earn it, you are merely born to it. Our Christian inheritance is much the same. We can by no way earn it, it is a gift. We gain this gift only by simply believing that it is there to be had, and by having faith in He who gives it. Faith, not being a matter of head-knowledge, but of heart-knowledge, a true and deep acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior. Let us take firm hold of this blessed inheritance, being fully...

There is much misinformation about lighthouses. In my seventy years of reading books, poetry and having conversations, if lighthouses are in the text they have always had, with no exception, the wrong reason for lighthouses being lighthouses. “They are on dangerous rocky shores to warn ships to stay clear of the rock and the surf.” This non truth is spoken authoritatively and seems to be accepted by the hearer or reader. In reality it is a myth. Here is the correct definition: “A structure with a powerful light that gives a continuous or intermittent signal to navigators.” Each lighthouse in the world has its own distinctive signal and its exact location. When that signal is seen, the ship’s navigator knows exactly where he is. The lighthouse is navigational structure only. It has nothing to do with rocks and safety. They are beautiful pieces of architecture as seen from the shore. From the sea the signal is the only thing worth seeing. The navigator does not want to see the bea...

We linked the Tenth Commandment with the Seventh. Today we will attach it very strongly with the First and Second Commandments. No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24 Money is the other god that is before the God of the First Command; “You shall have no other gods before me.” Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5 Greed is idolatry. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

There is another temptation that is more present than sexual temptation that does not seem so evil. After all it is the last commandment and it is not stealing or committing adultery; it is only wanting to steal or commit adultery. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus 20:17 Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 5:27. You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' According to Jesus when you have violated the Tenth Commandment you have already violated the Seventh. The Tenth Commandment defines greed and greed is one of the signs of advanced depravity in Romans 1. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. Romans 1:29 Do your own study of greed in the Luke 12:15, Ephesians 5:3, 5, Colossians 3:5, 2 Peter 2:...

We can easily recognize sexual temptation. It is very present in life, in pictures, advertisements, fiction and ritual. We are told how to handle these temptations. RUN! Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 This is how Joseph handled it. He ran. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. Genesis 39:12

1. You may have figured this out that many “born again” Christians have not been born again. How do we know? There are two basic reasons: • They do not show the evidence of life in Christ • They are later truly born again and the evidence then immediately is apparent. 2. You may also have realized that there are Christians, real ones, who live like unbelievers. How can we tell the difference between the believer and the unbeliever? It is difficult, but here is the basic evidence. • The unbeliever can enjoy his sin. • The believer cannot enjoy his sin. Even if not caught by the culture, he is always caught by God and disciplined by God! And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as...

Forty-five years ago Lyndon Johnson was President of the United States. Art Buchwald wrote the following: “As soon as the President finished his State of the Union speech, I was ordered to get some public reaction. So I immediately called my father in Forest Hills, New York, and asked him what he thought of all the things the President wanted to do (The Great Society). “If he’s got the money,” my father said, “let him go ahead.” “I don’t think he has the money, Pop.” “I knew there was a catch to it.”

Here is a description of a politician between 900 and 1000 BC. It is in 2 Samuel 15:1-6. Absalom was not a good guy. He used promises and flattery. Sometimes this happens in the church too. People are bought with promises, lies and flattery. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Acts 20:29-31 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. 1 Thessaloni...

If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:9-11, 18 This glory is a glory which is given to men. The one glory faded; in fact it looks as if it had no glory at all in comparison with the surpassing glory, a glory which lasts. This glory which lasts is ever increasing. We as believers have more glory than Moses as long as we keep our hearts and faces unveiled to reflect God’s glory.

These two words both describe one who is following Satan. Yes we know that lying is following Satan. We did not know that being lied to was following Satan. Eve was lied to; she followed Satan. We know we are not lie. We are not to believe lies that are told to us. If we do believe a lie, we are in sin. The liar says that he is telling the truth. The truth teller says that he is telling the truth. It is up to the listener to know the difference. Here are a few ways to discern lying: 1. smooth talk 2. flattery 3. suggestion 4. subtlety 5. involved explanations 6. know the truth very well 7. know the enemy’s tactics well

In the August 27, 2009, Wall Street Journal there was a note on the front page with no story attached. “The Federal Government sent about 3900 stimulus payments of $250 each this spring to prison inmates.” I am assuming that these inmates are old enough to be on Social Security. I can thank of no other reason. That is why we received the $250 each. It certainly could not be intended to buy future “votes” because a conviction of a felony deprives the felon the right to vote. Even if this package was not intended to buy votes, it demonstrates moral irresponsibilty. Our returned checks to the Secretary of the Treasury still has not cleared.