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HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO THE “ALTAR.”

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THE ALTAR OR LETTING GOD “ALTER” YOU.

By Ken Blue

A police officer, who was a member of our church, told the following story. He said, when he pulled someone over, or was called to a domestic disturbance, many times it was necessary to arrest someone or write a ticket. The guilty would weep, and plead, and promise not to do it again. However, before the week was over he was arresting them again. He assured me that these people were serious, and meant it when making their promises; they simply lacked the character and commitment to follow their promise.

Some Christians are like that. They make promises to God at the “altar,” which they forget before the next invitation. They mean it when they say it, but the commitment is not life changing. If we spent more time in private prayer, we might not feel compelled to go to the “altar” quite so often.

There are many ways to get people to the altar, if that is your objective. Usually this can be done through a series of questions. 1. How many of you feel your need to read more Scripture? 2. How many of you need to pray more? 3. How many feel your need to love the Lord more? 4. How many of you need to witness more? 5. How many feel your need to love your husband or wife more? 6. How many of you want the power of God in your life? 7. How many of you want God to use you? I know I do.

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If we spent more time in private prayer, we might not feel compelled to go to the “altar” quite so often.[/pullquote]

As you can see, the questions are unlimited, and every believer will answer yes. The problem is, none of us will ever arrive at a place where there isn’t a need to say yes to these questions. Thus we keep running to the altar at every invitation.

Why not settle these questions in your private prayer time as you read the Bible, and develop from the inside out? If you are serious, you ought to get it settled. If you aren’t, no amount of trips to the “altar” will; and you’ll be getting another notice before the week is over.

This does not mean that churches should not give people an opportunity to respond to the sermon. It means your questions should not be a form of manipulation to see how many you can get to respond to you. People grow from the inside out. It is not the “altar” you need. You need to let God “alter” you.

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ARE BAPTIST COWARDS

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TOO COWARD TO USE BIBLICAL INSTRUMENTS

cowardBy Ken Blue

There must be some logical explanation as to why we go to the Old Testament to support a doctrine or a standard, and then tiptoe past obvious passages which teach an unavoidable truth. That truth is the use of instruments in worship and praise.

However, if you want to see a pastor squirm and crawfish, challenge him on why he ignores this clear teaching in the Word of God.

If you don’t believe Baptist are cowards, in this matter, observe how they are chained to the piano and the organ. They actually fear to introduce any of the following instruments.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Cowardly Baptist chain themselves to the piano and the organ only.[/perfectpullquote]

  1. And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. Genesis 4:21
  2. “… with psalteries…with cymbals…with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.” 1 Chronicles 16:5-6.
  3. “With… cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.” Psalms 98:6.
  4. “And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.” 1 Kings 1:40.
  5. “And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe…” Isaiah 5:12.
  6. “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.” Exodus 15:20.
  7. “…the king stood by a pillar …and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets…” 2 Kings 11:14
  8. “…And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 29:27
  9. “…the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David.” Amos 6:5
  10. “And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.” 1 Chronicles 13:8.
  11. “ Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.” Psalms 150:3-5.

All of the above were used by Israel to serve and praise God. You will find all kinds of stringed, wind and percussion instruments in the above list. Really, don’t you shun them because you fear the brethren? “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” Proverbs 29:25.

AMORAL: MUSIC OR INSTRUMENTS

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USE OF MUSIC OR INSTRUMENTS IN THE CHURCH

musicBy Ken Blue

The “switch and bate” by some of the brethren is to associate musical instruments with certain groups or individuals, and then make you think the instrument itself is carnal and evil. Music and musical instruments are not the same. Music instruments are amoral, regardless of your dislike for certain ones, and all the ranting and raving in the world will not change that fact.

Most fundamentalist believe you have “stepped over the line” if you have guitars, bases guitars, electric pianos, or drums in your church. They cannot help it; that was the way they were trained and conditioned to respond. If they go to the Old Testament for their examples of worship, they should also go there for their choice of instruments.

If we were true to old paths and followed our forefathers, there would be no instruments in any of our services. The use of instruments in church came some four hundred years after the founding of the Christian church. Prior to this, instruments were associated with the devil, dancing and the Catholic Church. The only instrument permitted for centuries was the organ. Later the piano was introduced, but was not allowed to be played during the “worship” service. It was a bar room instrument. Evangelist, John R. Rice said the reasons churches do not win souls is because of the use of the organ. (See his book; Why Our Churches Do Not Win Souls).

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Music and instruments are completely different issues.[/perfectpullquote]

Only until recent times have churches allowed what we call “Specials”. Choirs and congregational singing was all that was allowed. It was deemed worldly and sinful for one person to sing a solo.

grenadeMusic can be wicked, worldly, blasphemous, and vile, but musical instruments are amoral. They are like a hand grenade; they can be used to commit suicide or to defeat an enemy.
Their use is determined by the person holding them. So, don’t let some slick preachers and evangelist “switch and bate” you, by pretending the two are the same. Music and instruments are completely different issues.

Yes, we too can draw a line, and we will draw it for ourselves. Why allow some other church or pastor to draw it for your church? He doesn’t know where the biblical line is. He simply draws it where he thinks it should be, and then wants you to believe you dishonor God if you don’t stop at his line. I assure you, there is music that I dislike, but that is a different matter.

If you can’t find anything to criticize a church about; criticize its music. It matters not that they believe the fundamentals of the faith, have souls saved each week, send out pastors and missionaries and believe the King James Bible. You see, music is that gray battlefield where you can fight until you are blue in the face, but you can’t defend your position from Scripture. All you can do is discredit those who don’t follow your lead.