Firstborn

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Don Merritt
donmerrittonline.com
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Glorious!

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Don Merritt

memorial-036

Everywhere we look God is glorified; everywhere we look God is busy.

Every day we live we give glory to Him; every day we sing His praise.

In all that we do we serve Him; all that we are we give to Him.

The heavens declare the glory of God; 
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they display knowledge. 

 There is no speech or language
    where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

What a wonderful and awesome God we have! May each of us give Him the thanks and praise that He deserves, and may each one of us serve Him to our dying day!

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Why I DON’T Use King James- Redux

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Don Merritt

Here’s another one that I’ve mentioned in recent posts, I may as well share this as well, from March of 2014…

Long ago I grew accustomed to receiving “hate” emails from KJV fans.  I should have kept them, because I’m sure you would be greatly amused if I posted a list of the names I’ve been called because I use the NIV in this blog most of the time. The first few times I received these emails, I thought that maybe I should reconsider, then I began to find them amusing and even hilarious, but now I’m just bored.

Dear reader, I do not use the KJV because it is written in a language that nobody speaks; it’s just that simple.  In that sense, it has much in common with things that are written in Latin, it’s a dead language that isn’t spoken anywhere, with the possible exception of Ivory Tower professors somewhere.

With that out of the way, I will agree with those who would say that the King James English is beautiful and poetic.  Why should that surprise anyone? After all, it is the language of Shakespeare, yet ask any freshman student about studying Shakespeare: they have to translate it into modern English before they can follow it. Many of my detractors claim that the KJV is the only accurate translation of the Bible.  While it is my view that the KJV is a fine translation, it is very far from perfect!  The other day, I saw a post that consisted of a list of words and the number of times they were used in the KJV and the NIV.  They were words like “hell” “damnation” and so on, all dealing with judgment and punishment.  The KJV had these word more than the NIV, and judging from the fact that the same blog had another post attacking the NIV for being “politically correct” I’m going to assume that the blogger was trying to show that the NIV is soft of judgment and condemnation.  (I apologize for not having the links here for you to verify this, but this morning I couldn’t find the post again…)

To be honest and fair, however, the KJV would have the word “hell” more often than the NIV because the KJV renders five different words “hell” even though the five different words mean five different things- this is an example of a KJV weakness, not a KJV strength.  Of course, the NIV doesn’t have the word “damnation” a single time, it is a word that is no longer in use in the English language, but it means “condemnation, judgment, punishment” and those are the words the NIV uses, depending on context. Here’s a KJV weakness that you might not even want to know about:  The Greek word baptiso is a verb which means “to immerse.” King James was translated in a rough time in history, during the time of the English Reformation.  Those poor translators couldn’t be sure who was going to win out, and the way they handled this word could spell either life or death, so they transliterated it rather than translating it, thus creating a new English word: Baptize.  Now you figure out what it means: Can you translate “immerse” into “sprinkle”?  We still can’t all agree on that question, can we?

The KJV has its problems, the NIV has its problems; they all have their problems! That’s why many of us study in Greek and Hebrew and then look at the English; KJV fans, the original language is the best, not the KJV.  Still, I like the KJV, I learned this stuff in KJV, I can even speak King James English, but I don’t teach in it because few can fully understand it today.

Over 20 years ago, I was teaching in a church where several of the older members complained about the NIV, saying that they prefer the KJV. “If it isn’t King James, it isn’t the Bible” was the rallying cry.  So being young and eager to please, I announced one Sunday in church that I would be starting a new class that would be all King James.  We would use the KJV exclusively, all teaching would be in King James English, and all questions and comments by participants would be in King James English. ” There is a sign-up sheet on the table outside, so be sure and sign up so I will know how many class handouts we will need; and they too will be written in King James English!”

Well of course nobody signed up!  They wanted to hear King James, but they wanted it explained in language they would understand…

In conclusion, if you prefer the King James, by all means use it.  As I have said, it is a fine translation.  But if another person uses a different translation, it really isn’t your place to order them to switch!  It really doesn’t mean they are the “devil’s blogger”!

Yes, that is by far the most hilarious thing I’ve been called for using NIV! 🙂

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Why I don’t debate any more- Redux

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Don Merritt

I’ve mentioned this post recently and thought I’d share it today for those who weren’t here back in October 2013 when it originally ran…

Before you read this be warned! This is a story of a doctrinal debate that happened in a denominational setting where I had the side that the denomination in question did not agree with.  You may well disagree with me on the question, and if that is the case, please understand that I have no intention of causing any offense to you whatsoever, nor do I wish to demean any point of view that differs from mine; this is a story about an incident that I very much regret and in many ways I am the villain of the story!

Twenty years ago, I found myself in a conversation with my boss about Baptism. He is the “Big Guy” in my recent post “Attitudes are powerful.” Mr. Big did not believe that baptism is necessary for a person to be saved into Christ.  I believe that it is the means by which we enter our covenant relationship with Christ.  With most people, you can exchange views, discuss them, bat them around a bit and all is well; an interesting discussion.  With Mr. Big, however, there was never a view other than his own. “My way or the highway” was one his favorite sayings in fact.

Well, he couldn’t handle my arguments, so he challenged me to debate his pastor.  Being young and foolish, I accepted.  Of course I knew that if I didn’t, I’d never hear the end of it.  His pastor was excited about the opportunity and arranged a big event at his church that even included a Saturday night potluck.  He wanted all of his congregation to see how stupid it was to insist that baptism was in any way essential for salvation.  Of course, it was essential to join his congregation!

I knew exactly what his points would be, for I had carefully studied both sides of the question in Seminary, and even written a term paper on the subject; I was ready.  Any time you go into a debate on a doctrinal issue, you are ill-advised to argue about the conclusions, for when you do so, you will not change anyone’s mind, so I prepared to go after the presuppositions that back up those conclusions.  Pastor Larry was not prepared for that, I’m afraid.

We debated for the first hour in a very polite and kindly manner, and it went just as I had expected; he made his points and I made mine very politely, but I had a trap to set for the very end.  As I had expected, Pastor Larry kept reminding me that “the Bible means what it says and it says what it means” and that “the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.” I saved a verse for the end of the debate, which was supposed to be 90 minutes.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Mark 16:16

Pastor Larry did exactly what I expected him to do: He declared that I could not use that text because that final passage in Mark is not found in all of the early texts… I was ready.  For that night, I was using an old Bible that was beat up and about to fall apart.  I calmly stood up, ripped out the page from the Bible, wadded it up and tossed it over my shoulder and politely asked Pastor Larry if there were any more pages that I should rip out of the Bible so that he could win the debate.

There was literally a gasp in the room; Pastor Larry was mortified that I had treated the Word of God with such disrespect:

Gotcha!

If it is the Word of God, then how can you ignore it to make a point?  If it isn’t the Word of God, then surely you have removed it from your own Bible.  That was my “kill shot” and it worked… Pastor Larry could only stammer; he hadn’t expected that tactic.

In the aftermath, several families changed churches, and Pastor Larry was fired. Mr. Big’s son and daughter in law found another church as well…

Unintended consequences, and I felt absolutely terrible, I had never intended for anything like that to happen, I was simply trying to make the point that I had been asked to make.  I will never do that again, and when you see the way I respond to certain comments here, you will note that there are times when I am challenged and let it go.

Now you know why that is.

When the issue of baptism comes up, I usually suggest that since all of the Christian brotherhoods agree that we should be baptized, let’s not argue about the why, let’s just get it done.  When it comes to sprinkling or immersion, rather than argue, I just say that since everyone accepts immersion and not all accept sprinkling, why not just be immersed?  It covers all of the bases and we don’t divide ourselves with arguments.  Yes, I see this as very important, but I don’t wish to divide God’s people to win an argument.  There will be ample opportunity to teach God’s Word as we go from there…

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Grace and Peace

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Don Merritt
donmerrittonline.com
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Hurry Up!

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Don Merritt

Hurry up!  Time is of the essence!  Let’s go, go, go!  Get things done!  Time to run! I’m late!  Rush, rush, rush! Urgent! Move it! Get the lead out!

Welcome to another week.

Everybody’s always in a big rush, have you noticed that?  I remember when fax machines came along… weren’t they going to make things easier?  Well maybe they did in a way, but as I recall they also made me everyone’s slave.  Instead of opening a letter that came in the mail that made a request and asked for a prompt response (when you have a minute), now I was getting faxes that said the sender was waiting for a response immediately…

Fax machines are kind of obsolete now that we have scanners and email, and the demands are even greater… and you can never get away because you have a smart phone and you can get email even when you are out… and the people still expect an immediate reply.  In fact, with all of the modern time-saving technology that we have, we’ve never been more at the beck and call of others; the insanity just increases.

Being a bit of a rebel myself, I tend to investigate new electronic devices when I get them to discover if they have a very old-fashioned feature: an off button.  I have demonstrated this feature to countless young people over the years who had no idea that their cell phones even had such a thing!  My kids thought that they only had vibrate buttons; imagine their surprise!

Well, as I was saying I’m a bit of a rebel, so I tend to turn these devices on only when I want to use them, to the consternation of some− oh well.  It seems to me that we need to have some time to relax, to think and to spend with family, loved ones and the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is another old-fashioned notion: we need to devote time to our important relationships. I know, people everywhere are falling over in shock, right?

Take a few minutes today for those important relationships in your life, especially the one with our Lord, your sanity level will be healthier and your life will be enriched.

Now: I’d love to say more, but sorry, I’ve gotta run!

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Something to Mark the Day

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Don Merritt

As most of you know, today is the 4th of July, Independence Day. If you aren’t American, this is a big deal over here, marked by parades, picnics, family and community get-togethers, BBQ’s, baseball games, fireworks… well, you get the idea. This year in particular it’s a big day because after the COVID restrictions and lockdowns that marred the day last year, people are happy to do something normal again, as I’m sure they are all over the world.

Of course, it just isn’t the Fourth without our National March, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by JP Souza…

 

Have a great Fourth everyone!

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We all have our problems in life-Redux

Posted on July 3, 2021 by Don Merritt

This post originally ran in May of 2018… I thought it might be interesting to run again again today…

Over my years of writing and teaching and preaching, I have had quite a few people take exception to my usual optimistic approach to the Word. Some have even told me that I can be optimistic because I’ve led a very easy life and never had to deal with the problems that most others deal with. My reaction to those kinds of remarks is always mixed, with equal prats of amazement and amusement…

We all have our share of problems in this life.

The other day, Friday to be exact, I got to deal with one of my little problems, for it was the day of my annual visit to the Ophthalmologist. I so enjoy this visit, in fact I enjoy it so much that it was my first annual visit since 2012.

The only way I manage these visits is to mess with the doctor. The object of the game is to be so flippant that they think I’m not being truthful about my condition… until they dilate my eyes and look inside, whereupon they tend to fall off their stools in horror at the freak show they’re looking at. You see, I have had macular degeneration for 40 years, and nobody has it that long. Yes, dear reader, I am a medical miracle, because I was diagnosed with this condition as a teen, and teens simply do not get macular degeneration. Even 40 years later, I am a bit young to have it…

I guess that makes me special, doesn’t it?

That, by the way, is the kind of flippancy I have at the doctor’s office. Yes sir, special indeed!

They want me to read the letters on the chart, and I say “What chart?” Of course, I know there’s always a chart right next to the door in an examination room. They tell me to look at the little light and follow it with my eyes, and I laugh at them. Anything I look at simply isn’t there; what vision I still have is peripheral…

And they know that… but they think I’m not being serious. Maybe they can’t see that if I don’t approach the whole subject with a sense of humor, I can’t bear it. Whenever I walk into a wall, I laugh and laugh, just as I do when I miss the first step on a stairway and bounce all the way down on my rear… it just strikes me as comical, as hilarious. You see, that’s a choice I made long ago: Any time you aren’t sure whether to laugh or cry, laughing is a lot more fun.

The doctor told me that the forms I had filled out upon arrival hadn’t indicated blindness. I told her that I hadn’t noticed a question on the form, but then that’s what happens when you hand a stack of forms to a blind person to fill out…

You see, I’m a returning patient, not a new one, and they already have all of my records, but apparently someone hadn’t noticed. Oops.

My visit was topped off with a very interesting thing. Trying to be helpful, the doctor handed me two pairs of goggles, one yellow, the other orange. They can make it easier for some low vision patients to distinguish objects by increasing contrast of light and dark, so let’s see if they might help. You know what happened? They turned everything the same color, either yellow or orange, and when that happens, I have no peripheral vision at all and loose everything.

I laughed and laughed− they don’t run into many people who’ve had MD for 40 years, for there really aren’t many people around town who are over 110 years of age!

I don’t approach Scripture with a sense of optimism because I’ve never had trials in this life. I approach it with optimism because I believe the promises of God, and so should you. We will all face trials in the here and now, of whatever sort. Yet I’m not too concerned about them, because when compared to what we have in store for us… what’s a little trial, anyway.?

I said ‘no thank you’ to the goggles as I left… what’s for lunch?

 

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Final Thoughts

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Don Merritt

In vv. 12-14 Paul gives some instructions relating to some of the men who were on the road at the time of his writing, and then comes to the key verse that sums everything up in one sentence:

Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives. (3:14)

If you remember the very beginning of our study, we saw that Paul had very quickly established a series of local congregations in Crete. People there were very receptive to the message of Christ, but then opposition arose. Paul left Titus in charge there and this letter gives instructions on how to get things organized and operating. Now, at the end of the letter, Paul sums his purpose for writing to Titus up very succinctly.

Clearly they had some urgent needs. First, dealing with persecution, second, getting properly set up to ensure the wholeness of the pure Gospel message, and finally, to have the entire community of believers pulling together and not being discouraged and divided by unnecessary controversies.

Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all. (3:15)

This final verse is the conclusion of the letter, and as such, is quite typical. Yet there is something here that is worth noting, it’s the last sentence:

Grace be with you all.

Many people, myself included, take this as a wish that grace will be with us; maybe that’s how it strikes you as well. Notice however, Paul didn’t say “will be” which would be future tense, he said “be” which is present tense. Today, we would probably say “Grace is with you all.”

Yes indeed, His grace is with us now- my prayer is that we would grab hold it and never let go!

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Paul Gives us Some Extra Insight

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Don Merritt

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Titus 3:3-8

After he has given Titus instruction about what behaviors are to be encouraged, and what not to allow, Paul shares some insights that reveal he has personal experiences that provide him with some important insight into these issues. Though he was a Pharisee among Pharisees, and very righteous in appearance, Paul has done many of the very things that he is telling Titus not to allow in the church. Paul and his very righteous colleagues were filled with foolish passions, were disobedient, malicious and hateful in spite of their outward righteousness. Yet, by the mercy and grace of God, Paul had been saved from all of that. No longer was Paul a slave to sin and unrighteousness, for by God’s grace, he was now a co-heir with Christ.

Each of us who follow Jesus today can say the same thing, that we have been turned from darkness to light, just as the people Titus has been called to lead had been. Yet Paul knew from his own experiences that this world has a way of pulling us back into silly disputes, debates and divisions. He continues:

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.

Titus 3:9-11

Verse 9 might seem a bit familiar to many us because what Paul seems to be getting at here is that we are to avoid unnecessary doctrinal disputes. It always amazes me when people become so upset when another person disagrees with them on some minor doctrinal point. They become irritated, frustrated and finally angry, over what? Is the story of Jonah and the whale (actually a fish) literal or figurative? What!? You dare to disagree with me?

It doesn’t matter, for either way the meaning is the same- so let’s fight about it…?

Even when we might disagree on something more important, God will reveal all in His time; my guess is that all of us will discover that we were right on some things, and wrong on others. There is nothing to be gained by tearing the Body of Christ apart in the meantime.

Paul’s instruction to Titus is to give people who insist on being divisive two chances to stop, and then to part company with them After that, they may, God willing, repent, and if not, they have condemned themselves. As a result, the rest of the community is spared being torn asunder.

Coming up next time, we’ll see how Paul draws his letter to a close: See you then!

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