A Reprobate Mind

Preached Saturday, May 27, 2006, at the Fredericton Farmer's Market. No box, no music... this message caused the most people to stop and listen than I have ever seen yet. It seemed the entire section of the market was attentively listening to God's Word being proclaimed. "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." (Romans 1:28)

Reprobate: [adj] marked by immorality; deviating from what is considered right or proper or good; "depraved criminals"; "a perverted sense of loyalty"; [syn: depraved, immoral, perverse, perverted] n : a person without moral scruples [syn: miscreant] v 1: reject as invalid 2: abandon to eternal damnation

I believe we are living in the last days of the earth, when men and women are turning away from sound doctrine, sounds thinking, becoming unreasonable and exchanging the truth of God for a lie. The evidence of this is found in both believers and non-believers alike. "The fool has said in his heart there is no God" and "many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." It is absolutely imperative that we walk before the Lord in holy reverence and righteousness, holding fast to the knowledge of God which He has made clear from the beginnning. Hear the vital words of Jesus: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17) I just can't stress this enough.

Had an encounter with the police on this occasion, received a warning that I could be fined $25o dollars for causing a disturbance. Please pray that the door of the gospel be not hindered, and for wisdom on how I shall proceed. "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Download below:

Eli Brayley - A Reprobate Mind (Open Air)

Then the Churches had Rest

"Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." - Acts 9:31

In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the man who violently persecuted the Body of Christ (throwing them in prison and overseeing their death sentences), Saul of Tarsus, was miraculously apprehended and changed by an encounter with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, as recorded in the ninth chapter. Saul then began to preach and teach in various cities, and later was introduced to the twelve apostles in Jerusalem, whom he spent much time with "coming in and going out" as we see in verse 28.

We can talk much about the result of this transformation in Saul's life, but what of the implications this conversion had on the corporate Body of Christ at that time? We come to our text in the 31st verse: "Then had the churches rest..." And rest they had indeed, though not for long; until the fires of persecution were re-kindled in chapter 12, when king Herod killed James the brother of John by the sword.

It is interesting to note, in verse 31, the advantage which accompanies this rest that the Church experiences. We see that the believers were edified. Meaning, they took that opportune time of rest to grow in faith and love with one another (2 Thessalonians 1:3), to be built up as Christians (Jude 1:20), to strengthen that which was weak (Hebrews 12:12), to practice those things which they had learned (Philippians 4:9), etc. The key to this verse is the following line: "...walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost..." The result of all this was the multiplication of those being saved.

We can draw a parallel between the circumstance of the early Church and the circumstance of the Western Church today. Namely, that we, like those believers in Judea, Samaria and Galilee, are experiencing a time of rest from persecution, from which we may worship the Lord in peace and safety. The question is: are we also being edified and multiplying?

There are two possible outcomes to rest. The first is edification, the second is deterioration. One stems from the fear of God, the other from careless complacency. One results from the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the other from the pursuit of comfort through other things. One harvests converts, the other yields nothing. It is vital that we recognize which outcome is resulting from our present time of rest: edification or deterioration? 

This is My Commandment

"And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." - 2 John 5-6

Just a quick thought on this passage of Scripture: upon closer examination you will find that John presents us with a loop. First he commands that we love one another. Then he explains what love is, which is to keep Christ's commandments. And then he spells out just what the commandment of Jesus was: to love one another!

-Love one another = keeping the commandments

-Keeping the commandment = love one another

Whatever else, let us as Christians fulfill our Lord's command to love one another, just as [in the same way that] Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35)

www.timothyministry.com

A dear brother in the Lord had it on his heart to change the URL for this website, so from now on the new address will be www.timothyministry.com! Bless the Lord for his help and provision.


Psalm 146

Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

I AM THAT I AM

This is a video segment from the preaching on Saturday, the 13th, at the market. The text is taken from Exodus 3:13-14, "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

A big thanks to those who came out to help sing and witness. We must be faithful in proclaiming the Word of God and allow the Spirit of the Lord to save men's souls. Eternal souls are at stake, and it is like in the days of old: "...the word of the LORD was rare in those days..." (1 Samuel 3:1) As the Church in Canada, we must be true to the Bible, to our faith and to our King, in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important.