Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. We have often read of much
concern by many over the removal of a cross from various monuments.
Similarly, there have been incidents around the nation during the
holidays where nativity scenes were not allowed in public places.
We were all made aware of the monument of the Ten Commandments
that was forcibly removed from an Alabama courthouse. There
are those who are working to remove the motto, In God We Trust,
from our nation's money. Some are bent on having under
God removed from the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the
United States. In light of all of this, what is a true believer
to do? What, if anything, should be our concern? It is indeed
a romantic and reassuring idea-false, however-that by such mottos on
our currency or phrases in our pledges that it makes it so.
The reality is that our nation as a body of citizens has long
ago turned its back on biblical Christianity. In fact, it has
never embraced it. Neither has any other nation
on earth. Great numbers of people in any nation on earth may be
Christians, but that does not mean that they live in a Christian
nation. The nations of the earth cannot
be Christian. The Lord Jesus said that His
kingdom was not of this world. If it was of this world, then
we would fight with the weapons of this world. But the weapons
of our warfare are not carnal. The weapons of any nation on
earth must of necessity be guns, knives, and bombs, because in
this world there will be wars and rumors of wars till the time
of the end. Some have said that the cross
should not be removed from this monument because to do so is
to remove a symbol of Christianity. It is odd that the followers
of Christ should agree that something could be a symbol of their faith
which the Lord never taught them to adopt. I see a lot of people
wearing crosses around their necks, in their ears, and other
places, and it is quite common to see crosses adorning all sorts
of books, buildings, art, and tombstones. The problem with
these things comes in when we try to make a T-shaped piece
of wood, gold, or plastic into a symbol of Christianity. Men
in their religious fervor may desire, as the heathen do, to
have images and icons which they consider to have some significance,
but Christ never taught this. Many of the early Jewish believers
thought that the symbol of circumcision should be carried over into the
New Covenant. Yet such an idea was rejected by the Apostle Paul,
who rightly understood that true faith in Jesus Christ is not
demonstrated in outward signs and symbols, but only in that
work which is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost. As the
followers of Christ, we are not free to design and adopt symbols
because we like them, because they remind us of certain aspects
of our faith, or because we value their religious worth. The only
symbols we are to adopt and promote are those three symbols the Lord
Jesus left us with and taught us of. The first is baptism. Much debate has been given on
what method should be used and the administration of it, who
can administer it, and who is a proper candidate. The Scripture
seems to be plain spoken about all aspects of it. The Greek
word for baptize is baptizo, which literally means to dip
or immerse. The baptisms that took place
in the Scripture were done where there was much water. Baptism
is meant to be a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection
of Christ, and also the death of the old man and the resurrection
of the new. As to who can administer baptism,
the Scripture seems quite clear that anyone who is sent by God
to do it must do it. Philip met the Ethiopian on the
very road which led by water. On the other hand, Paul said
he was not sent to baptize. Who are the proper candidates?
Those who believe. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. The second symbol which we are
given is bread. The Lord told His disciples to
eat the bread of His table in remembrance of Him. He had specific
reference to the taking of the bread at the last Passover feast
He had with them on this earth. But he did not intend that we
should remember the Passover when we eat it, but to remember
that he gave his body as a sacrifice for us. For as often as ye eat
this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till
he comes. And the third symbol that the
Lord gave was wine. The Lord Jesus astonished his
disciples when he told them, This cup is the New Testament
in my blood. This do ye as often as ye drink
it in remembrance of me. One thing that no Jew would do
was to drink blood. Yet the Lord told them that that's
what they were to do. Obviously, He did not mean that
the wine was literally blood, but that it was a symbol of His
blood shed for His people. As we drink this wine, we are
reminded of the awful price that was paid for us. The bread and
the wine are spread upon the Lord's table. Those who are invited
by the Lord should eat and drink freely of it. Let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that
cup. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.