Old Paths in Portrait

“379. Cessation of Immediate, Open Revelation. We need not wonder at all that God should so often and continually reveal himself by prophets and miracles, and by external signs and tokens of his presence and will, to the Israelite nation. We need not wonder that now we should see nothing of this nature, no immediate open revelation or communications any more than if there was no God. For this way of revealing himself, as God used to do to that nation, is not at all suitable to the present state of the church. The church was then confined to one particular nation, who God chose on purpose to make them the receptacle of his revelation and the conveyor of it to the rest of the world. And I can think of no other way that it could be done with any tolerable convenience, but by a chosen peculiar nation, who should alone be God’s people and have the true religion among them. Therefore, it was highly convenient and necessary that there should be such a manner of communication with such a nation. It was also necessary in the first transition of this revelation from the Jews to the world, as it was in the apostles’ times, that the world receiving this revelation from them, might see God still revealing himself, and so might receive it from God in the same manner as they received it. And upon many other accounts, it was necessary that inspiration and miracles should be continued while divine revelation was in transition from the Jews to the world. It was necessary for the establishing of the truth of the gospel, which was now revealed and brought out from under its types, shadows, and dark prophecies. It was necessary for the introducing of this new, most perfect and everlasting dispensation, and it was necessary till the completing of the canon of Scripture, etc. But that God should now, from time to time, reveal himself after that manner to his church, is no way necessary, nor at all suitable to the gospel state of the church, which is not any particular enclosure, but is dispersed through the whole world. The church is made up of the true worshippers of God throughout the world, without any walls or dividing bounds. How is it practicable that God should treat with the church now, in such a way as he did with that peculiar nation? Besides, if it were practicable, it would be very impertinent, for what need [is there] of new revelations to the end of the world? Is it not better that God should give the world a book, which should be the summary of his will, to which all nations in all ages may resort, to know the mind of God? It would be impertinent because that extraordinary and miraculous way was made use of once, only for the introducing the more perfect way in which the catholic church of all nations was forever to be instructed. God now communicates himself to his church in a much more glorious way than that by miracles, etc. [It is] by the communication of his Spirit of holiness to the hearts of his people, and his teaching and spiritually instructing us out of the world. This is infinitely a more excellent way, as the apostle says in 1 Cor. 12:31, etc. This is the end of the other way. It is excellent in itself, but inspiration and miracles are good for nothing without it, as the apostle plainly tells us in 1 Cor. 13. He tells us that prophecy and miracles are nothing without charity, like the sounding brass or the shadow without the substance. And seeing the substance is come, what need the shadow be continued? Seeing the end is come, it would be impertinent still to continue the means. The church now enjoys that glory in comparison with which all the glory of prophecy and miracles, even those of that extraordinary prophet Moses, is no glory at all. 2 Cor. 3:10.”

-Jonathan Edwards  American Minister  1703-1758

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Art

Hell

Old Paths In Portrait

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, but not all faith pleases God.”

“True faith commits us to obedience.”

“Faith in faith is faith astray.”

-A.W. Tozer American Minister 1897-1963

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Old Paths In Portrait

Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior

“Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by. 

Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee,
Whom in Heav’n but Thee.”

-Frances Crosby American Hymnist 1820-1915

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Old Paths In Portrait

“…popular Christianity has as one of its most effective talking points the idea that God exists to help people to get ahead in this world.”

-A.W. Tozer American Minister 1897-1963

Audio Sermon

Friends: Hear Jim's sermon 'A Soldier's Story' at:https://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=jrobinettesermons. May God bless!

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Mission Africa February 2019 Prayer Letter

“...approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel,” 1 Thessalonians 2:4 NKJV

Friends: May our Lord bless you in His grace this month! Our verse above is a reminder to us that the Lord has entrusted the precious gospel, the power of God unto salvation, and that He approves those He sends to bring the Good News to the nations. How encouraging it is that God calls, prepares, equips, qualifies provides for and sends for His purposes in the Gospel! We thank Him today once again for the Gospel and the Gospel ministry that He has appointed for us!

Late last year I, Jim, was blessed to visit Lahore, Pakistan with a new friend, Minister John Feroze Masih—in both photos at the left. It was an enlightening ministry time and I found the people to be friendly and open. God blessed me with a new view of Islamic people and how they live and interact with each other. We all share so many things in common in life and it was a joy to find common ground with the people and share about the one and only true God and the eternal Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ and His great salvation! The children at left gathered for a Gospel meeting and I taught and preached in various types of meetings for about 12 days. We visited a very poor area called the ‘brick kilns’ where the people are brick makers, we also visited professing Christians in their homes and in house churches. Many churches in Pakistan meet in houses. John’s daughter Elizabeth professed faith in Christ after one meeting and said, “now I know what it means to be born again.”

This month I travel to Guinea, West Africa to minister the Gospel to primarily French speaking and Muslim people with another new friend Sieh Kargbo, a Christian Minister and friend of Maurice Bangura of Sierra Leone. I was blessed to minister in Sierra Leone last June and we were recently encouraged that  since then 17 new churches with about 220 people attending have baptized about 120 people in that Muslim land. We appreciate your trust, prayers and gifts, dear friends in the Gospel!

FACTS: The Republic of Guinea

Capital: Conakry

Population: 10.5 million

Area: 245,857 sq km (94,926 sq miles)

Languages: French, Susu, Fulani, Mandingo

Religions: Islam, Christianity, indigenous beliefs

Life expectancy: 53 years (men), 56 years (women)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV

  

KAPPY’S CORNER—Growing and Reproducing

My husband enjoys gardening. One day he went out and dug up a small diamond shaped plot in the grass. Out of his care for his highly allergic wife he planned a pollen-free succulent garden. In the days and weeks that followed he brought home an interesting variety of small plants bought from the plant sellers that line certain main roads here. He has tended them, watched over them, and protected them. His garden is thriving.

There is one plant in particular that interests me. Some months ago he brought it back from a ministry trip to western Uganda. It was small and one of the silvery green leaves died almost immediately after it was planted. We were unsure of its survival since it came from a very different environment, but it has slowly and steadily grown large and healthy. The spear-head shaped leaves grow straight up from the heart of the plant. They become broader and darker green as they come to maturity and the tips begin to curve downward toward the soil. One day we noticed an odd looking pale growth on the point of one of the larger leaves. As we watched it day by day we recognized it as a miniature of the parent plant. What a design! I marvel at the genius of God’s creation. Since then the parent plant has reproduced itself many times over.

It occurs to me that this plant is a picture of the Church. As I was reading in Acts, chapter 2, about the day of Pentecost, it struck me that a handful of believing Jews in an upper room in Jerusalem were the beginning of the New Testament Church, the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit eventually moved them and others in the early church to write the very words I hold in my hands today, over 2,000 years later. We know some of these people well from their writings.  As the believers matured in the Holy Spirit they reached out and, in a sense, reproduced themselves spiritually many times over. One by one by one, souls came to Christ. We who are saved are the result of this early action of the Holy Spirit through these very human individuals.

Just as a plant can’t live without the root, the Church is rooted and grounded in Christ, the Word of God. Let this serve as an encouragement to all of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ that He has and will continue to work in and through us very human individuals—for His glory.