Dr. Ken Blue

MISSIONARY VS. EVANGELIST

June 3, 2013 by Ken Blue

By Ken Blue

I don’t expect this article will win the good neighbor award. However, I think it is time we give the subject some thought. We are well aware that there are “evangelist” for about every subject on earth. There are clown evangelist, singing evangelist, vintriqualist evangelist, carpenter evangelist, and evangelist telling established churches how to run their church. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Then we find the same thing concerning “missionaries.” They come in all varieties, and many are doing everything except what Paul did.

Technicality, there is no office in the New Testament for missionaries. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” Ephesians 4:11. The “evangelist” is supposed to be doing what the missionary is “supposed” to be doing. These are not two different ministries. There is but one, and it is the evangelist.

The question is, what is a “real” evangelist supposed to be doing? Evangelist are supposed to go on a mission into an area where the lost are, preach, and win people to Christ. Their task is not to have some “unique” ministry where they entertain members of local churches. Their task should be to win a group of believers, and then let the group call a pastor, or chose one from the group. The evangelist moves on, and repeats that same form of ministry; that is his “mission.” We have given that task to a group called missionaries, while evangelist do everything except start churches.

I’m sure I’ll be accused of straining at a gnat, but it is time we take a long, hard look at what we are doing, and supporting. Evangelist have written their on job description, and missionaries have been pushed out into another category. Paul, the Apostle, had a mission, and did the work of an evangelist. He went everywhere preaching the gospel, and establishing churches.

Now if you disagree with me, that’s ok, we can still get along, I don’t expect anything to change. I am contemplating becoming a missionary to retired pastors in Arizona. I need your support, and help purchasing a truck and a fifth wheel. I just want to be a blessing to others.

Ken Blue

Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BABIES DIE?

May 28, 2013 by Ken Blue

By Ken Blue

I am confident that there is nothing that grieves the heart more than the loss of a child or infant. The saddest part of my ministry was counseling couples whose infants had died. However, in the midst of all their grief, there is hope.

Jesus loved little children and said, “…Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:16. I cannot but believe infants go to heaven at death.

Also, King David was informed that his infant son had died. He had fasted and prayed for days that God would spare the child. However, after receiving the news of its death, he did the following. “But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. ²⁰ Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. ²¹ Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. ²² And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? ²³ But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:19-23.

Paul, in Romans 5:19 gives us an answer to the question. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Romans 5:18. He is contrasting the actions, and consequences of Adam with those of Christ. Through Adam’s disobedience, all are condemned to die. However, through the obedience of Christ, one can be made righteous.

Now, we realize that those capable of understanding the gospel message are required to accept it by faith. And let there be no misunderstanding here. The text is not teaching universal salvation for all men. Faith in the finished work of Christ is always the requirement for those capable of having it. However, we have ample reason to believe that those too young, or who are incapable of faith, are saved by His free grace, without faith.

The following epitaph from St. Andrew’s churchyard in Scotland is a case in point.

Bold infidelity, turn pale and die. Beneath this stone, four sleeping infants lie: Say, are they lost or saved? If death’s by sin, they sinned, for they are here. If heaven’s by works, in heaven they can’t appear. Reason, ah, how depraved! Turn to the Bible’s sacred page, the knot’s untied: They died, for Adam sinned; they live, for Jesus died!

Thank God that He has not left us in the dark on this important matter. There is no reason to doubt that infants, and little children are ushered into the very arms of Jesus at their death. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:18.

Ken Blue

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HEAD, HANDS, AND FEET, THAT EVEN DOGS WOULDN’T EAT

May 25, 2013 by Ken Blue

By Ken Blue

“And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.” 2 Kings 9:35.

I can’t remember a time when we didn’t own a dog or two. They make great pets, and I enjoyed training and, working with them. Someone has said that a dog is man’s best friend. A good test is to lock your wife and your dog in the trunk of the car. Open it after thirty minutes, and see who is the happiest to see you. You’ll have a greater appreciation for your dog after that experiment.

However, there is a negative side to dogs also.

Dogs can be disgusting much of the time. In fact, there are very few things they will refuse to eat. They are meat eaters, and are attracted to the smell of blood. That is what makes the above text so interesting.

Jezebel may have been the most wicked, and the most corrupt woman who ever lived. I have yet to find any child who was so named by their parents. Her vile nature is also demonstrated in that the dogs refused to eat the spawning ground where her wickedness originated.

The dogs would not eat her skull. It was as if divine providence made it repulsive to them. Her brain was the incubator that hatched every form of wickedness and cruelty imaginable. It was there, she plotted the death of God’s prophets. It was in her immoral and twisted mind she established the worship of Baal. The dogs must have been repulsed at the skull that gave birth to the plot to have righteous Naboth killed, and his land stolen by her wicked husband, Ahab. Thus, against their nature, they refused to eat her wicked skull.

The second thing the dogs refused were her feet. Those feet were too vile for the dogs to stomach. Her feet had walked the path hundreds of times to where the “groves” stood, and Baal was worshipped. Her feet had led the ten tribes of Israel into total apostasy, and to forsake the true God or face death. Those feet led her soldiers to where God’s prophets were in hiding, and she had defiled her feet by having them executed. Elijah was also on her “most wanted” death list.

The third item the dogs could not stomach were her bloody hands. Dogs, who scavenged garbage dumps for any scrap they might find, were repelled at the scent of her vile hands. Those hands had signed, and falsified documents with orders to have the righteous put to death. She had lifted those hands in worship to the idols of Baal. God did not give a record of the extent of the wickedness those hands had committed. The dogs, themselves, testified to her wickedness.

All her wickedness was produced in her perverted skull. It demonstrated itself through her bloody hands and corrupted feet. There is no doubt that God had this text recorded to amplify for us the wickedness of Jezebel. Whatever a dog refuses to eat is indeed beyond description. Thus, the dogs refused to eat her skull, her hands, and her feet.

Ken Blue

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LET’S STUDY REVELATION # 41

May 23, 2013 by Ken Blue

“And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.” (Revelation 11:13-14).

One can imagine the great consternation men and women will experience during the next sixty minutes. How would the beast (Antichrist) and his government explain this event? What great reasoning of minds must have plagued the unbelieving nation? However, before they could formulate a believable account for the next news hour, God sent an earthquake that shook the city to its foundations. This gave some added news to cover.

No doubt this is the same earthquake of the seventh vial in 16:17-21. A tenth part of the city fell and seven thousand people were killed. In Elijah’s day, seven thousand were protected from the beast, Ahab, and Jezebel. Here, seven thousand unbelievers who follow the beast were killed in a few minutes.

A remnant of Jews is terrified and they give glory to the God of heaven. This “wakeup call” may have brought about real repentance of some within the city. However, just because one is frightened and calls out to God is not evidence of true heart repentance. We have all heard of “fox-hole” prayers and “jail house” religion. God alone sees the heart and knows who is truly repentant. Matthew 7:21 says, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

The second woe is the sixth trumpet (v.14), and the third woe, which is the seventh trumpet, is coming quickly.

chapter thirteen

The Scene In Heaven —

The Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet (11:15-19)

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” (Revelation 11:15-19).

he scene shifts back to heaven where the seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet (v. 15). At the sounding of this trumpet, John describes a scene of jubilation and anticipation.

Voices, perhaps, like peals of thunder ring from heaven declaring that the kingdoms of this world have been conquered by Christ and have become His. This forward-looking scene is the fulfillment of God’s promises from Genesis 3:13 to the Second Advent. The kingdoms of this world are, at present, under the dominion and rule of Satan. He is the god of this world as described by Paul. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus called him the Prince of this world. (See John 16:11; 12:31; Colossians 2:14-17; Romans 16:20; Revelation 20:10-15.)

It must be understood that the kingdoms of this world do not belong to Christ today, and have not since Adam forfeited them to the Devil. During the temptation of Christ, Satan offered these kingdoms to Him if He would serve him as second in command. He offered Christ a “constitutional monarchy.” Satan would establish the laws and Jesus would endorse and enforce them. He clearly stated that the kingdoms of this world were his and that he could give them to whosoever he would. (See Luke 4:6.) “And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.”

Jesus did not dispute Satan’s claim. It was true and will be until “the time of the Gentiles” ends. Jesus refused his offer. He knew His Father would give the kingdom to Him in due season. He overcame the temptation offered by the Devil. He was the Kinsman Redeemer and had the right of redemption as near kin, and the power of purchase. In Revelation 11:15-17, that season has arrived.

Jesus Christ will defeat Satan and reclaim His creation. His kingdom will remain forever. It should go without saying, that the kingdom mentioned here is not the church, the body of Christ. The kingdoms of this earth are political and earthly. The Kingdom of Heaven, over which Christ will rule, is also political and will rule on this earth with Christ as its King.

Israel is the object of God’s affection (vv. 16-17). The twenty-four elders are the same as those in chapter 5:4, and they are a symbolic representation of the governors of Israel. They appear as governors (Deuteronomy 31:28) and local magistrates (Deuteronomy 16:18). They represent the new government under the new King. They worship the Lord day and night. They serve God and represent Israel before the throne, as long as the nation exists. (See 1 Chronicles 24:1.)

The worship in these verses is in anticipation, and is stated as an accomplished event. The elders are praising God for what He is doing under the seventh trumpet and seven vials. Although it is written in the past tense, the completion is a few days off. Verses 17-18 says, “…because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.”

One may understand the passage by an illustration of a family held hostage. When the police arrive, the people cheer because help and rescue has arrived. If this is not convincing enough, perhaps an illustration from Scripture will do. In Isaiah 53 we read of events as though it were in the past, when in fact they were written over seven hundred years B. C. The acknowledgment recorded in the passage is yet in the future.

The first part of this verse is clarified in Psalm 2. The nations under the rule of the Antichrist spew out their wrath and hatred toward God and His Christ. They fight Him, to the last man, in the battle of Armageddon. Their resistance is vain and He that sits in heaven shall laugh at their attempt.

God’s wrath is poured out during the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation. However, His final wrath is at the Second Advent in Revelation chapter 19:11.

Some commentators think the judgment and the rewards spoken of here are a reference to the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11. This, we believe, is not the case. We are told that there will be a judgment prior to the thousand year Kingdom of Heaven. The purpose of this judgment is to destroy Christ’s enemies and to give out rewards to His faithful servants. This judgment is referred to repeatedly in the Gospels, and to the seven churches.

In the Beatitudes, the “meek” inherit the earth. The first installment of that is the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Gospels those who would enter the Kingdom of Heaven are told that they would be rewarded when the King returns. (See Matthew 10:41; 20:8; 24:47; 25:21, 23; Mark 4:24; 10:30; Luke 14:14; Revelation 22:12.)

John sees the temple in heaven (v. 19), with the Ark of the testament inside. The purpose of this vision is to reassure the remnant of God’s faithfulness. They will be able to connect God’s mighty working with the Ark. There are five names given to the ark in the Old Testament.

1. The Ark of the Covenant. It contained the tables of

the law.

2. The ark of Testimony. It testified to God’s presence

and holiness.

3. The ark of God. It was a visible reminder of His

presence.

4. The ark of God’s Strength. Many mighty works are

connected to it.

5. The Holy Ark. It was where the mercy seat was

located, and their God met in holiness with Israel.

Ken Blue

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