What's Happened To The Old Time Religion Of The Bible?
As far in the past as just about 2,000 years ago the Apostle Paul was concerned about saving the Old Time Religion; he charged his son in the ministry, Timothy, to be watchful of a false religion that didn't include the evangelizing of the full truth of the Holy Bible and the proclamation of the gospel of the cross.
Paul expounded, "I charge thee so before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ , who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his dominion; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure anomalies, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." II Tim 4:1-5
When Billy Graham's early Crusade in LA was coming to a close, Time magazine (September 6, 1963) released a report by an Episcopalian rector, he said and I quote," His ministry has set the church back 50 years." Dr. Graham, who generally never responds to his critics, referred to the remark at the minister's breakfast the closing week of the crusade. With humor and kindness he revealed, I'm afraid I haven't succeeded. I had been hoping to put the church back 2,000 years.
In 1929 Billy Sunday preached a message titled "A warning for America". He said, What America wants is a tidal wave of the Old time Religion. I wonder what he would think today, 83 years on, when the church has moved ever so close to the planet , so much in fact that it is tricky to tell the difference any more between the believers and the unbelievers. They look alike; they talk alike; they do similar things and go to the same places.
A large amount of folks today are concerned about unemployment, the economy, inflation, and ever increasing tension around the globe, the devaluation of cash and a complete bunch of other stuff. But the best concern for America should be that it has departed from its belief in God. The sole hope and the sole salvation for America and its troubles is a return to the old time religion that was taught and believed by our forefathers; that was first delivered unto the saints in the New Testament times.
Paul writing to Young Timothy, II Timothy 4:1-5, announced, For the time is coming when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto legends. I believe Paul was talking about the last days. I'm sure if Paul were here today he would say this is the time I referred to almost 2,000 years back.
When you factor in Washington DC today, it makes you wonder who is in command of the Zoo, the keepers or the monkeys. According to one presidential candidate, the old time religion is under attack by the administration and the media. How different that is from the time when our forefathers and diplomats depended on God for the steering of this country.
Ungodly organizations like ACLU have raised up to defy the principles this country was set up upon, utilising the separation of church and state as their reference in precisely the way never intended by our forefathers . The move away from any reference to God, the Bible or prayer in our faculties or on government property has had a devastating effect. It has taken us form a point when the biggest problem in the schools was throwing paper wads to having to have cops on campus and metal detectors to give protection to the students and teachers from being killed, but with all of the efforts, school is still a perilous place. In numerous places teachers live in fear of being assailed by the scholars.
Preachers departed from the evangelizing of the old time religion, and the result's many churches became no more than social clubs teaching the health and wealth gospel and ignoring the weightier matters of the endless welfare of the soul.
Things today are 1,000,000 light. Years from the time I grew up when the old time religion was hurting but still alive. When I was 3 years old my folks moved into a 2 room vacant country store building; 2 years later they moved into a nearby 3 room bungalow. There was no electricity or running water. The rent was $7 a month. Dad had no automobile and worked for himself picking up little carpenter roles, farm work, or whatever. I was a contented kid who had zip so far as real cash. I did not know what it meant to be poor because I didn't have anything to compare it with in my little world.
Ironically the commonest word utilized by the youth of today, who do have access to lots, is, I'm bored. That word wasn't even a word that I knew and naturally never used and still don't use it even until this day.
When I was 13 years old , they were having a revival a block down the street in the little old two room school house where I attended grades 1-6. The preacher's name was Rev. Gilbert Morris and he was an old time religion preacher. The Lord spoke to me that night in my spirit and I went forward at the invite and received Jesus as my savior. There has not been a day since that I regretted that decision, nor has there been a day since that's hasn't impacted my life in a positive way.
Today many would laugh at the way In which I grew up and think it to be a dreadful way to live , and whoever requires the old time religion anyhow. How wrong they're! I wouldn't exchange my infancy experience for any kind of the so called modern ways children grow up today with all their electronic toys and contraptions; nor would I exchange my relationship with God for all the world's wealth and fame.
We have lost our way in America, and have been drawn into the concept by Devil himself the good life is decided by how many gadgets a person can buy and how much money they can hoard. I read that in the last 20 years there's been a massive movement forward in this country to secularism and away from any hint of the old time religion. Today many believe they are too educated, to clever and classy to be involved with a horse and buggy faith of the type our grandfathers and grandmamas trusted in to take them smoothly thru life even in the hardest times.
Men may just be able to visit space and travel thousands of mph, and live in mansions costing millions of dollars, but one thing has not changed since Paul wrote to Timothy some 2,000 years ago, and that's man's shameful nature and his need of the text of Jesus Christ, and his guarantee of absolution and redemption thru his shed blood on the cross. That is what the old time religion is about.
Sin remains the curse of humanity, the writer of all wars, crime, murders, abuse, illness and death. And the old time religion is the only cure. Our need today hasn't modified; it's still the very same as usual. Sin is Satan?s enticement to destroy each good thing in our lives. The old time gospel is the opposite; it teaches the correct way to love ourselves and our neighbours more than things. It centres in Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and for ever and ever. It is rooted in:
- "His virgin birth" - A virgin shall conceive and bear a son (Matthew 1:23).
- "His virtuous life " - He was at all points tempted, yet without Sin (Hebrews 4:15).
- "His vicarious death" - Christ died for our sins (I Corinthians 15:3).
- "His victorious resurrection" - He is not here, he is risen (Luke 24:6).
- "His visible return" - Behold he cometh ... And every eye shall see him (Rev. 1: 7).
Jesus is the central glory of the Old Time Religion . Paul declared in Gal 1:8 "If we or an angel from heaven evangelise any other gospel unto you let him be accursed." Without Jesus there is no old time religion, no clemency, no deliverance and no triumph over sin. There is not any gospel (Excellent news) without the cross of Christ.
Somewhere along the way America has lost its soul ?what America desires today can only ever be found in the old time religion. Our philosophy seems to be," If it feels good, do it; if you get caught, blame someone else."
"Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It?s good enough for me.
It was good for the prophet Daniel
It was good for the fiery furnace
It was good for Paul and Silas
It was good for our mothers
And it's good enough for me."
Some would like to confuse the easiness of the old time religion. W.A. Criswell, that famous old gospel pastor of times past, tells an experience that happened to him which shows God's straightforward way of salvation:
He told of a point when the little country church he. Pastored was having a prayer meeting, and on this occasion the men went out into a grove beside the meeting place. Dr Criswell said, I have not heard such testimonies. One man got up and said I was plowing in the field and a fire ball came from heave and knocked me to the ground. I don't know how long I lay there.When he became conscious, he told how the plow and the mule and everything looked. Another man stood up and asserted, One day God sent an angel form heaven that told me how to be saved.
Doctor Criswell thought to himself.I must not be saved because I never saw anything like that.So he started to pray each day that God would send him proof that he used to be a Christian. One day God sent a miracle.
Doctor Criswell had a dream that he was in a massive crowd approaching the pearly gates of heaven when the Lord stopped him and related, Why should you enter my heaven and walk on my streets of Gold?Doctor Creswell expounded, I'm aware That I am saved because a fireball came from heaven and knocked me to the ground.Satan was there and he laughed ha, ha, ha;I sent that fire ball to deceive you.And he took hold of him and dragged him down into the fire and brimstone of hell.
Again Doctor. Criswell found himself walking toward the gates of New Jerusalem and the Lord stopped him and said, Why do I have to permit you to enter and walk upon my streets of gold? Doctor. Criswell asserted, I know That I am saved because an angel of light came from heaven and told me the simplest way to be saved.And Satan was there and he laughed, and declared, I transformed myself into angel of light to deceive you.And he took hold of him and dragged him down into a curving sheet of flames.
Once more Doctor Criswell found himself approaching heavens gates and the Lord stopped him and said, Why do I need to let you enter and walk on my streets of gold?Dr. Creswell said, One day I was in worship service when a gospel invitation was given and my dear mum turned to me and claimed, Son why don't you accept the Lord Jesus as your savior today. And I did with all my heart and now I trust you to keep your word, and the Lord expounded, Enter in thy good and true servant.
The stress today is on the new age gospel "The wealth Gospel". I for one am not against wealth, but I'm against replacing the prosperity gospel for the old time gospel of the cross of Christ, and blood redemption thru the passing of Jesus on the cross. The eternal welfare of the soul is being exchanged for the present welfare of health and wealth.
Conclusion
With all that is occurring in the world today it is easy to become distracted and over look that which is most crucial. The welfare of your perpetual soul counts for evermore while all else is only temporal. I invite you to think about what the old time religion can do for your hope and your life. Jesus recounted, I'm come to give you life and give it to you more abundantly. Learn how it's possible for you to have a relationship with God.
About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is an inspiring speaker and writer who has been involved in teaching Christian Private Development for more than 30 years. There may be more than 600 articles to help on his internet site in your private growth. Be sure to take vantage of the FREE offer to get the electronic book The 4 Pillars for Private Development while available.
Revival Prayer Session @ Queens Parish: Rev. Emmanuel M. Oshoffa
