Bio

Dr. Mike Halsey is the chancellor of Grace Biblical Seminary, a Bible teacher at the Hangar Bible Fellowship, the author of Truthspeak and his new book, The Gospel of Grace and Truth: A Theology of Grace from the Gospel of John," both available on Amazon.com. A copy of his book, Microbes in the Bloodstream of the Church, is also available as an E-book on Amazon.com. If you would like to a receive a copy of his weekly Bible studies and other articles of biblical teaching and application, you can do so by writing to Dr. Halsey at michaeldhalsey@bellsouth.net and requesting, "The Hangar Bible Fellowship Journal."

Comments may be addressed to michaeldhalsey@bellsouth.net.

If you would like to contribute to his ministry according to the principle of II Corinthians 9:7, you may do so by making your check out to Hangar Bible Fellowship and mailing it to 65 Teal Ct., Locust Grove, GA 30248. All donations are tax deductible.

Come visit the Hangar some Sunday at 10 AM at the above address. You'll be glad you did.

Other recommended grace-oriented websites are:

notbyworks.org
literaltruth.org
gracebiblicalseminary.org
duluthbible.org
clarityministries.org

Also:

Biblical Ministries, Inc.
C/O Dr. Richard Grubbs
P. O. Box 64582
Lubbock, TX 79464-4582

Friday, October 26, 2018

THE ABOLITION OF "OF COURSE" AND "EVERYBODY KNOWS"

General Douglas MacArthur said something that needs our close attention: "History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."

This is similar to what John Adams, Founding Father and second President of the United States said: "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other."

THE MORAL LAW

There have been two anchors in America which have held our country morally steady to the extent that they have prevented prevented MacArthur's political and economic decline from happening here. As Romans 2 points out, there is in every person a moral law written in their hearts: "For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them."

Paul restates this truth in Romans 13: "For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil," and "Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

Because of the moral law written even in the heart of the unbeliever, unbelieving government officials know what's good and right and they understand what's evil and wrong. They may pervert this moral law, but they know right from wrong.

THE PERMEATION

Then America has had the historical blessing of a Bible saturation. We see this to the extent of the Bible's permeating the vocabulary of the American when he talks about how as a youth, he was a "prodigal son," or how he was helped by a "good Samaritan." He describes making a narrow escape "by the skin of my teeth" (Job 19:20). He may deal with a stubborn man and say, despairingly, "A leopard can't change his spots" (Jeremiah 13:23). Or he may speak of some burden as "That's my cross I to bear." He may devote many an hour to some charitable work, saying, "That's my labor of love." All are allusions from the Bible.

ISRAEL'S LAW

But more than that saturation and more than the moral law, The Ten Commandments with their "Thou shalt nots" have planted deep roots in the American heart, even to the extent that a huge number mistakenly think that their keeping of the Big Ten gets them into heaven (Contra Gal. 2:16). Not only that, but biblical concepts soaked the American culture--accountability to God, judgment to come, a holy, personal God, the human being created in the image and likeness of God, a hell to shun, and a heaven to gain.

 BACK TO MAC AND JOHN

But we're living in a post-Christian decay of darkness in America which is so thick that we're seeing the abolition of "of course" and "everybody knows." For example it was not so long ago that Americans would say, "Of course there are two genders. Everybody knows that."

Not long ago, Americans said, "Of course, marriage is between one man and one woman. Everybody knows that."

Not long ago, we said, "Of course it's murder to kill babies; everybody knows that.

NOT SO NOW

Not so today. The moral law is violated with no fear of God before their eyes. The Bible soaking has evaporated. Those topics mentioned above don't come with an "of course" and an "everybody knows that." They're debated, demonstrated against, and mobs form to punish and ruin those who believe and dare to say, "Of course" and "Everybody knows that."We watch as the prediction of MacArthur comes true and John Adam's whale goes through the net.

This is the time when the Christian, dressed in the armor of light, shines in the darkness as never before, making disciples and snatching brands from the burning.






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