JREnsey blog for May 2022

Welcome…to the May 2022 edition of the JREnsey blog. Let’s share a few minutes over matters of common interest.

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The Word for May:

Exodus 14:9,10,13,30: “But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

¹⁰ And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord….

¹³ And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever….

³⁰ Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.“

[At the end of the day, it is better to be numbered with the pursued than among the pursuers.]

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Droplets of truth

“Without Freedom of Thought there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as Public Liberty, without Freedom of Speech.” —Benjamin Franklin (1722)

The big difference in Christianity and Islam is that in Islam you die for your God. In Christianity, the main message is: Jesus died for us!

Time always tells the truth.

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors.

The measure of a man is how he bears up under misfortune. – Plutarch

The giants of the race have been made of concentration, who have struck sledge-hammer blows in one place until they have accomplished their purpose. – Orison Marden

The world is so constructed that if you wish to enjoy its pleasures, you must also endure its pain. Whether you like it or not, you cannot have one without the other. – Brahmananda

Win hearts, and you have hands and purses. – Lord Burleigh

It’s a mistake to suppose that men succeed through success; they much more often succeed through failures. Precept, study, advice and example could never have taught them as well as failure has done. – Samuel Smiles

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. – Chinese proverb

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When uncommon valor was a common virtue

WWII naval hero Admiral Chester Nimitz, commenting on the battle of Iwo Jima, said, “Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

Judging from what I am hearing and witnessing, that could also be said of many young ministers of the 30-50 generation who choosing to take stand for righteousness and truth and against the encroachment of heresy and compromise. I salute them for their courage to oppose both cultural and denominational drift, clearly nailing the besetting trends that are impacting the Christian faith. These men recognize that the spirit of political correctness has invaded every denomination to some extent, but they are not willing to let go of what brought us to where we are! Some are paying a heavy price in terms of fellowship severance and unbridled criticism, willing to be misunderstood and mischaracterized for the sake of truth.

One of the criticisms they often endure is that they are “negative”—and who wants to wear that collar? If one is opposed to anything he is apt to be labeled “negative.” How sophomoric. We should not be so naïve as to think that we would have a well-rounded ministry by stating only what we are for and never mentioning what we oppose. The apostles didn’t trust that theory. One well-known pastor/leader told me once, “I don’t have enough time to preach about all the things I am for, let alone the things I am against!” What a non-brilliant cop-out! As a result of that approach, today that assembly hardly resembles an Apostolic church.

Some people assume the things they silently oppose will “take care of themselves” if they only concentrate on the things they are for. Try tending a garden, raising a child, developing a personal health regimen, running a political campaign—or building an Apostolic church—on that philosophy. It would be like rowing a boat with a single oar and going around in circles. If what is opposed should never be mentioned, someone should have informed Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude. They took up precious Bible space opposing ideas, philosophies and practices that were unorthodox and heretical, and sometimes the men who espoused them.

Thinking people recognize that one-sided presentations are apt to leave listeners confused and without direction, with more questions than answers. But, of course, that is the easy road. Just tell people what they all can agree on and what will make them happy. Help them to justify their carnal indulgences. Glad hand and back slap but never confront. Such philosophy will be the death knell of the Apostolic movement. Genuine revivals have never been birthed in that way.

Of course, there are two sides to the coin. We should not sanction the other extreme that assumes that we have to go through a litany of rules and regulations every time we stand to preach in order to prove our pulpit worthiness and red hot conservatism. All thinking persons know there is a biblical and practical position between the extremes that embraces both truth and reason. The man who rides a hobbyhorse will make both himself and his people sore.

So our hats are off to those brave young pastors who are wise enough to see the negative trends and courageous enough to stand against them. They manifest the virtue of uncommon valor. They will be the salvation of the Apostolic Movement.

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Pick a response

Christians have developed a list of pat answers for any eventuality: “God took him…The Lord must have had a purpose…It was the will of God…The Lord was wanting to teach us something…,” ad infinitum. True, perhaps, in many cases. We are especially prone to such philosophy when major diseases, like cancer, or tragic accidents strike our loved ones. But, noticeably, neither Paul nor the other apostles used God to explain every eventuality or physical problem. Life happens. It happens to sinners, to saints, to good people and bad. It rains on the just and the unjust. If God does not deliver us from pain and problems, His grace is granted to keep us faithful through them. He can even use our faithfulness as a testimony.

It is nice that God does not let—He probably allows more things than He causes—negative things come our way without getting some mileage out of them. Paul explained in Philippians 1:12: “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.” God knows how to turn what seems to be a bad event into a good one if we will stop and give the situation some thought. He does not wish that our misfortunes, as we are apt to call them, cast a bad light on the church. Therefore, He tells us through Paul, “For I know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

So, relax. Life happens. But remember—the ultimate outcome is still in God’s hands.

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A plea from the heart

In 1987, Leon Stewart, then the General Superintendent of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, visited the General Council of the Assemblies of God and was asked to address the conference. After complementing the denomination, which is considered to be the largest and fastest growing Pentecostal-leaning movement in the world today, made a request of them:

“May I plead with you tonight in your 42nd General Council? Would you do something for the rest of us? Primarily would you do it for our Friend and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ?

“Would you lead us out of modern, cheap grace and easy believism? Would you lead us out of material greed and self-gratification? Would you lead us out of pseudo-psychology and exalted sensationalism? Would you lead us back to the voice that stills the voice of secular humanism? Would you lead us back to the touch of the nail printed hands that produce real and genuine miracles? Would you lead us back to Him, our true example, and that holy life-style that leads us upward and ever onward to where the light lingers, even when the sun is set? Would you please lead us back to a genuine appreciation of the Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus Christ? Would you please do that? I plead, do it! God bless you.”

Wow! No wonder the delegates rose to their feet and lifted their hands in contrition and prayer. If someone like him were to make a similar request of the UPCI, I wonder what his words would be.

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Your response:

I asked that question fourteen years ago on this blog. Here were some of your answers:

“I would say: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, wherein is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein (Jeremiah 6:16).’”

“Remove not the ancient landmarks which thy fathers have set” (Proverbs 22:28).

“Please try to understand that hurting, wounded souls, beaten and abused by the world, desperately seek a refuge. Please don’t take away the only real refuge (the church) by turning it into something that looks just like the world we are trying to escape from.”

“Thanks be to God for every God-anointed preacher and pastor who pays such a terrible price sometimes in order to hold fast to the truth and sound doctrine in this endtime. God bless you all.”

“Put principle above politics, piety above promotion, and spiritual power above position.”

“Don’t strike out at those you think are beneath you; they may actually be above you.”

“Revival movements consistently call their constituents to repentance and deeper commitment. Movements that are in decline only stoke the fires of self-indulgence and compromise. Please lead us into revival and soulwinning. Don’t fear what important persons think; all that is important is what God thinks.”

“Don’t let so-called smart people influence you more than the common person. There are more of us regular folk than there are intellectuals. We want to feel like we count, too.”

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Non-golfers may skip this next entry and move on

Fifteen Laws of Golf

Law 1: No matter how bad your last shot was, the worst is yet to come. This law does not expire on the 18th hole, since it has the supernatural tendency to extend over the course of a tournament, a summer; and, a lifetime.

Law 2: Your best round of golf will be followed almost immediately by your worst round ever. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former.

Law 3: Brand new golf balls are water-magnetic. Though this cannot be proven in the lab, it is a known fact that the more expensive the golf ball, the greater its attraction to water.

Law 4: Golf balls never bounce off of trees back into play. lf one does, the tree is breaking a law of the universe and should be cut down.

Law 5: No matter what causes a golfer to muff a shot, all his playing partners must solemnly chant, “You looked up,” or invoke the wrath of the universe.

Law 6: The higher a golfer’s handicap, the more qualified he deems himself as an instructor.

Law 7: Every par-three hole in the world has a secret desire to humiliate golfers.

Law 8: Palm trees eat golf balls.

Law 9: Sand is alive. Otherwise, how do you explain the way it works against you?

Law 10: Golf carts always run out of juice at the farthest point from the clubhouse.

Law 11: A golfer hitting into your group will always be bigger than anyone in your group. Likewise, a group you accidentally hit into will consist of a football player, a professional wrestler, a convicted murderer, and an IRS agent — or some similar combination.

Law 12: The person you would most hate to lose to will always be the one who beats you.

Law 13: The last three holes of a round will automatically adjust your score to what it really should be.

Law 14: Golf should be given up at least twice per month.

Law 15: All vows taken on a golf course shall be valid only until the sun sets.

[And all who have walked the links may cry “Amen!” Some preachers have been known to pray more fervently on the course than elsewhere. (See pic above.) So a little fresh air and fervent prayer may be just what the doctor ordered.

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The imprecatory Psalms

The violence in Ukraine makes me, like many of us, feel powerless. I watch helplessly as tanks roll into cities, as civilian targets are shelled, as the lives of whole families are viciously snuffed out. What do I do with this anger and heartbreak?

As I discussed recently with David French and Curtis Chang, I find myself turning again and again to the imprecatory psalms. Each morning I’m praying Psalm 7:14–16 with Vladimir Putin in mind: ‘Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends’ (ESV).

An imprecation is a curse. The imprecatory psalms are those that call down destruction, calamity, and God’s judgment on enemies. Honestly, I don’t usually know what to do with them. I pray them simply as a rote practice. But I gravitate toward more even-keeled promises of God’s presence and mercy. I am often uncomfortable with the violence and self-assured righteousness found in these kinds of psalms.

But they were made for moments like these.”

– Observations from Tish Harrison Warren, Christianity Today 3/8/22).

One wonders if the author and other writers on similar topics have read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, or is real history passé everywhere today?

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More gender fluidity

The Marines are always looking for “a few good men.” But what happens when politics overrule military sense? They develop maternity wear for the lady soldiers. Thank you, Uncle Joe. How thoughtful.

This is godless secular humanism, a false equality. Idiocy, in fact. The biblical pattern is for men to do the fighting, if need be, to protect their women, to keep them from harm, not place them in harm’s way. Will there soon be another “Children’s Crusade?” Who knows who this present administration will decide to put on the front lines of the next battle?

Marines alter uniform regulations, including maternity wear, manicure options and hairstyle (msn.com)

Gender Blurring in Pagan Worship | United Church of God (ucg.org)

I believe there are places within the confines of military service for women to serve, but wouldn’t it be best to be guided in those choices by the likes of Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton rather than Joan of Arc and Boudica? Women don’t belong on the battlefield with arms in combat with other armies. But the farther we go with the theory that “there is no difference in men and women” the more we will see the placement of women where God never intended for them to be. The destruction of the family unit is the goal of the BLM and Marxist activists. We must pray and preach against these philosophies. We can also speak to our school boards and principles to let them know our opposition to these theories and policies.

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Books

The Book We Call The Bible  (eBook)

by J. R. Ensey
Pentecostal theologian Talmadge French has said:
“Here we are treated to a probing, yet readable, analysis of things pertaining to the formation and transmission of the biblical text. The implications of these discussions are far-reaching, worthy of our most sincere scrutiny, and of interest and relevance to all who love the Word of God. J. R. Ensey has rendered all of us a great service in addressing, in such a detailed and clear manner, the issues relevant to the matters of biblical authority, the text and translation.” – From The Foreword

The time has come for us to objectively take a closer look at the Book that informs us of the origins of the universe, the history of man, the cause of suffering in the world, and the path to restoration, redemption, and eternal life. No other book contains this authoritative history and information. No other book can justifiably claim divine inspiration and inerrancy. The section on Why You Can Trust the Bible is worth the price of the book.

AM price $12.95

Searching the Scriptures: Merging Trust, Texts, and Translations (eBook)

by J. R. Ensey

A number of years ago, I embarked on a journey to learn more about the actual text of the Bible. I wanted to know how it came to us in the present form. The research took me to libraries (both here and abroad), the Internet, discussions with textual scholars, and the perusal of many books (a weariness of the flesh), and earnest prayer. I wanted to know the truth.

This largely polemic volume takes on the shallow claim of those who insist that only one 400-year old English translation—done with pre-set biased rules, few resources, by men who did not fully understand the New Testament was written in Koine rather than classical Greek—should be viewed as “the only Bible.” Finding truth behind the manuscripts, the texts
and translations is a worthy objective that will build your faith in the Scriptures, not destroy it.

Searching the Scriptures: Merging Truth, Texts and Translations is the result of that effort. It puts the early English Bibles, including the KJV, in perspective where they can be evaluated with contemporary translations by the sciences of papyrology, textual analysis, and linguistics. No doctrines are lost in the process and none are created in Searching the Scriptures.

If you have questions about the ancient manuscripts, the Greek texts, the differences in the Textus Receptus, the Majority Text, the Critical Text, or the translations available today, you will find some help here. What about the words or phrases in some translations that are not there in the medieval versions or vice versa? You will find the answers in this book.

Includes charts, comparisons of popular Bible translations, and other addenda that you will find helpful in the study of the Scriptures.

Apostolics, of all people, have no need to fear truth. To do so casts a shadow of doubt on the Holy Scriptures. The more one learns about the Bible, the more it is respected and trusted.

AM price $14.95

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May 8 is Mother’s Day! Let’s make it special for the first lady of the household!

Serious and funny memes for Mama

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Top 10 predictions regardless of which party is in power after the midterm elections

1. God will still be on the throne.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. The Bible will still have all the answers we need.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost if they turn to Him.

No crystal ball was needed to make those predictions. ISN’T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN ULTIMATE CONTROL?!

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Last Words

The will of God never takes you to where the grace of God will not keep you.

We don’t change the message; the message changes us.

If you still have a problem regarding face masks for restricting Covid-19, you may be interested in this report from Israel: “New study: Face mask usage correlates with higher death rates.” Google Israel National News with that lead and read the article. Informed people are less likely to be misled by political ruses.

Have a great soul winning month in May! And on May 8 speak a kind word to every mother you know, especially your own…and the mother of your children!

JREnsey