Volume 12 Homeward Bound Number 04

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:11)

God’s Love and Coming Wrath

John Payne

“For God so loved the world”, I know we have heard it a guhzillion times but I am asking you to
think about it again for just a moment. We are living in a time of luxurious love. Two thousand years
ago the Almighty Son of
God voluntarily sur-
rendered His life here on
the Earth for each of us in
exchange for the wrath that
we were supposed to have
received from His Father.
All we have to do in return
is enter into covenant with
Him. Surrender ourselves
completely. Enter into a
yoke relationship and let
Him lead us here for the
remainder of our days.
Yield to His Lordship.
Repent of our sins. Follow
Him wherever He directs
us. Plain and simple. And
if we choose not to do so then the wrath of God falls upon us in the end and we spend an eternity in
the Lake of Fire apart from Him and His Father.
What then is there really to choose? When you look at both options in the plain light of day it
is such an easy choice that any man or woman would be out of their mind not to pick the right one. At
least in retrospect it was indeed such an easy choice for many of us. But by and large most will opt for
the wrong one and spend forever apart from Him in a place originally created for Satan and the fallen
angels. Why? Because they, as was I until I made my choice only after my life here on this planet was
completely destroyed and I had nowhere else to go, nobody else to turn to for help, are willfully
ignorant of the Truth (II Peter 3:5). They have been blinded by Satan (II Corinthians 4:4) and would
rather enjoy the pleasure of sin for a very, very short season rather than choose the course of holy
living that leads to peace with God.
In the end God will have these who have made the wrong choice in
derision (Psalm 2:4). It is not that they weren’t warned. They had
their whole lives to repent, to change their minds and hearts and
turn towards God and live for Him. He is patient and
longsuffering towards men (Romans 2:4), not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance (II Peter
3:9, 15). In the end He will loose His terrible wrath upon all
who have not been found cleansed by the blood of His Son and
they will all be destroyed eternally. Have you ever really
thought about it in these terms? (continued on page two)

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God’s Love and Coming Wrath (continued)

The other day during the visit of Pope Benedict in Washington the United States Army Chorus
performed one of the most stirring renditions of the Battle Hymn of the Republic I have ever heard.
This, along with other musical selections, was supposed to impress upon the Pope America’s great
tradition of “faith”, according to Anita McBride, the First Lady’s Chief of Staff who advised the faith-
based media present at the event. Instead of trying to impress the Pope, a man who is steeped in
error, a man who is leading hundreds on millions of people on this Earth
away from the truth of the Gospel, we here in these United States ought
to be trying to impress Almighty God with repentant hearts in order to
assuage His wrath which could descend upon us with little notice.
Have you ever read or meditated upon the lyrics of that great
hymn? Julia Ward Howe penned those words in November of 1861 and
if you were to spend just a moment you might tremble in fear when you
see just what she was writing about. It was no simple war song, as she
spoke of a day coming, and now is a preparing. In just the very first
verse she wrote, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the
Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are
stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory!
Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.” Well
written Mrs. Howe. At this very hour the Lord Jesus Christ is trampling
out the vintage of those grapes of wrath. They are stored up against
unrepentant sinners who have chosen not to submit to the Lordship of
Jesus Christ. Do you think, even for a moment, that the Lord Christ looks forward to this vengeance,
this wrath with joy? You are mistaken if you do. It will be a day of great sorrow but great righteous
judgment when that wrath is finally poured out upon mankind. I have printed the full lyrics of this
hymn elsewhere in this Newsletter, please take the time to read it at your leisure.
Sister Howe wrote of the experience of writing this poem on the banks of the Potomac River: “I
awoke in the grey of the morning, and as I lay waiting for dawn, the long lines of the desired poem
began to entwine themselves in my mind, and I said to myself, “I must get up and write these verses,
lest I fall asleep and forget them!” So I sprang out of bed and in the dimness found an old stump of a
pen, which I remembered using the day before. I scrawled the verses almost without looking at the
paper.” And lest you think that her writing of this hymn was not founded upon scripture, her vision
was based upon the very Word of God founded in Revelation 19:15 where we read, “And out of his
mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he
should smite the nations: and he shall rule them
with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress
of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
His wrath is real and the saints of God, those of us who
have been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, having
been filled by the Spirit of God, know the truth of this
matter and take it very seriously. Brethren, this wrath is
coming and coming sooner than any of us think!
Brethren, not enough of our time is given to
preparing for that awe-full day, preparing to avoid it, preparing to tell others how they too can avoid
it. If we were to read His Word earnestly and understand the charge given to us, (continued on page three)
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God’s Love and Coming Wrath (continued)

each and every one of us, before He departed this Earth sending us out to go and preach the Gospel,
we would understand better this wrath of God that is seldom if ever preached from the pulpits in
America today. I need not spend much time here speaking of His great love for us, we are bathed
continuously in it, we experience it moment by moment and exist in this wonderful relationship with
Him as a result of that great love. Dear brothers and sisters, time’s a wasting, we have much work to
do. He is returning at a time we know not
when. The Bible says, “But of that day and
that hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels which are in heaven, neither the
Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch
and pray: for ye know not when the time
is.” (Mark 13:32-33)
There are souls in need of
redemption, in need of delivering from
God’s wrath. Let us use the time wisely.
The Bible speaks much of God’s impending
wrath. From Genesis through Revelation it
speaks of what will happen in the end for
those who will not repent. Some mock and
laugh, thinking it all a fairy tale. Were you
to read this great Book with the Holy Spirit’s
guidance you will see that this wrath of God
is no joke. “Be not deceived; God is not
mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. For he that soweth
to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-
8)
Know well what the Word of God speaks of His wrath. The Bible says, “Howl ye; for the day of
the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be
faint, and every man's heart shall melt: and they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold
of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their
faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce
anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.” (Isaiah 13:6-9)
Ezekiel 7:17-19 tells us, “All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water. They
shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all
faces, and baldness upon all their heads. They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold
shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath
of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the
stumblingblock of their iniquity.” Go back and read the entire chapter if you want its full flavor, it is
not a pretty sight.
Zephaniah 1:14-18 describes for us, “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth
greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a
day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness
and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and (continued on page four)

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God’s Love and Coming Wrath (continued)

alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men,
that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood
shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be
able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire
of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”
And further, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the
stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of
a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled
together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their
places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich
men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every
bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in
the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks,
Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the
throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” This we find
in Revelation 6:12-17.
Again I tell you dear brethren, let us go forward in
service to our great Lord and Savior and soon coming King, the
wonderful Jesus Christ preparing for that great and terrible day.
Let us do our part in spreading the Gospel to those around us,
warning them of the wrath to come and of the blessedness of peace
with God through Christ the Son. Amen?

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Julia Ward Howe
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps

They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;

“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”; (continued on page five)
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Battle Hymn of the Republic (continued)

Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with
His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call

retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His
judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my
feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free;
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,

He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

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Just How Wrong is Rev. Jeremiah Wright?

John Payne

This evening on C-SPAN I watched a replay of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s National Press Club
Speech, entitled Faith, Social Justice and Public Service, in Washington, D. C., followed by questions
provided by reporters. Rev. Wright is the former Pastor of Senator and Democratic Presidential
Candidate Barack Obama. He Pastors Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois. He has, of
late, been in the news for many comments he has made. I am sure you have seen and or heard them
in outtakes in the media used to attack candidate Obama during the current presidential election
cycle. You can find a copy of this address at:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=205074-1 .
At 46:22 into the above referenced copy of the broadcast, Rev. Wright is asked a question by a
host, NPC member Donna Leinwand, on behalf of one of the reporters who submitted questions prior
to his talk. Leinwand asked Rev. Wright, “Jesus
said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no
man cometh unto the Father, but through me.
Do you believe this and do you think Islam is a
way to salvation?” Rev. Wright’s reply was
quick, short and singular: “Jesus also said other
sheep have I who are not of this fold.”
Applause, agreement and seeming pleasure
from those in attendance followed.
I was not surprised by his comment or
the follow up at the conference at all. As far as I
am concerned, this one sentence answer sums
up the fact that Rev. Wright is in grave error,
only the tip of the iceberg, an apostate and a
dangerous man to be in fellowship with. To claim him as your Pastor, for any reason whatsoever,
indicates your extreme lack of Biblical knowledge. One visit to this church’s website will demonstrate
their nonconformity with orthodox Christianity. To claim to have been a member of this church for
twenty years and maintain such a close relationship with its Pastor, as did Senator Obama, and not
know of the positions and theology of this supposed man of God, is an out and out fabrication.
Rev. Wright here is allowing for Islam to be an authentic way of salvation, another “way” to the
Father, when Jesus has stated that He Himself is the only Way (John 14:6). Rev. Wright has set
Himself up as an authority in direct opposition to the Word of God. He is preaching another Gospel.
What does the apostle Paul tell us about men like this? He says, “ . . . such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (II
Corinthians 11:13-15) Paul also says, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you
into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble
you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9) So, we are to look upon men who pervert the teaching of
Jesus Christ and the apostles as accursed. Seems harsh? No, not at all. This is God’s call, not ours.
This is just how seriously we are to take this.

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Circumspect
John Payne

Circumspect. Certainly an odd sounding word and one that we do not use conversationally
these days. I surely cannot remember the last time that I used it, if ever. In my King James Version
Bible the word occurs but once,
and that in Exodus 23:13. “And
in all things that I have said
unto you be circumspect.” Its
use here is as an adjective,
modifying the noun “you”. The
only other time in my KJV a
form of this word appears in the
passage Ephesians 5:15-16.
“See then that ye walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but
as wise, redeeming the time,
because the days are evil,” this
time as an adverb, modifying
the verb “walk”. It appears only
once or twice in all other
modern English translations of the Bible, the New King James and 21st Century King James Versions
excepted.
This entire grammar discussion aside, do you know what the word means? I thought that I did.
I have read these passages of scripture many times, taught on them and even preached on them but to
come up with a concise definition, I could not do that until this past Sunday without probably like
most of you having to run to a desktop dictionary. Listening to a sermon at Greater Bridgeport
Christian Fellowship in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Rev. Michael Hawkins is Pastor, he came
across with a concise definition that caused me to think
deeply. In his sermon entitled The Slavery of
Unforgiveness he described circumspect as being careful to
consider all circumstances and possible consequences.
Wow! That said it all in a way that was powerful and
left me with something to go back into the Word of God and
meditate upon. Now well equipped with this definition, if
we look back to what God is telling us in Exodus chapter 23,
referenced above, we see that He has commanded us to
look upon all He has told us to do and “consider all
circumstances and possible consequences.” Reflect upon
His commandments and apply them to all of life’s
experiences and future possibilities, making sure that we
are prepared to obey Him in all things, knowing He has set
in order the way before us and laid out for us the route for
every possible combination of events. Look with Holy
Spirit vision ahead, down the road so to speak, not letting
life’s future events sneak up on us and take us by surprise,
or allowing our common enemy, Satan, to (contined on page eight)

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Circumspect (continued)
take advantage of us due to lying in wait along the route with a sudden calamity, especially since we
are not supposed to be ignorant of his devices.
In looking at the passage from Ephesians we can see that we are to walk wisely, looking at
every possible combination of events and possibilities that might lie ahead of us since the Lord gives
us vision to see them clearly so that we might be prepared. This is because only a fool will run off
down that path blindly not knowing where he is going. Further, we are told to “redeem the time", the
Greek here implying to purchase back by payment of a price or recovering from the power of another,
in order that we might make wise use of every opportunity for doing good, so that by the zeal and
passion of our obedience we exhibit that we truly belong to Him and make the time that we have
redeemed back our very own and put to good us in the Kingdom. This passage warns us as well that
the days are evil. They were evil in Paul’s day and they are just as much and even more so today. All
the more reason to be circumspect.
I have learned something wonderful this past weekend in the word circumspect, something
that I plan to both live and share with others. I hope that you have too! Let us walk the rest of our
days circumspectly before our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What is the Bible?

An Excerpt from “The Journey” by
Billy Graham
For three years Billy Graham worked to distill into one book
his lifetime of experience and learning about how to live the
Christian life. The result of this effort is “The Journey.” “This book
summarizes everything I have tried to say in the course of my
ministry over the last 65 years,” says Mr. Graham. The following
excerpt from “The Journey” emphasizes the power of the Word of
God.

What is the Bible?

What makes the Bible so different from other books? At first
glance it looks like any other book (although you may be
intimidated by its size). You also might wonder if it’s of any use to
us today, since it mostly tells about events that happened thousands
of years ago. And yet people in every generation have found its message indispensable, and its influence on
individuals and society over the centuries has been enormous. Why? What is the Bible?
For one thing, the Bible is a collection of books, written by dozens of authors over many hundreds of
years. Some are very brief—less than a page—while others are much longer. But in spite of their diversity,
when you examine them, you discover they all have a common theme: God’s relationship with the human race.
This is one reason why the books of the Bible are just as relevant today as when they were written. The
Bible deals with timeless questions: Who are we? Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we
going? How should we live?
Can you think of any questions more important than these? How can we ignore them?
(continued on page nine)

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What is the Bible? (continued)

The Word of God.
But the Bible is important for a much greater reason: The Bible is the Word of God. Yes, various human
authors wrote it—but behind them was another Author: the Spirit of God. Even when they weren’t fully aware
of it, God was guiding them so that what they wrote wasn’t just their own words, but God’s Word. The apostle
Peter wrote, “No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had
its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as
they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-
21). God wanted to speak to us in words we could
understand—and the Bible contains those words.
The Bible isn’t just a collection of men’s ideas
about God, nor is it a guidebook for living that people
developed over the centuries. It is the Word of God—and
that makes all the difference. This means the Bible is our
authority in everything it touches. This means the Bible is
our guide to show us how to live. Most of all, this means
the Bible is our instructor, teaching us about God and His
plan of salvation in Christ. The Old Testament points
toward Christ’s coming; the New Testament tells of His
arrival. From Genesis to Revelation we see God’s great
plan unfold—His plan to win a lost humanity back to
Himself. The central theme of the Bible is salvation, and
the central personality of the Bible is Christ.
The Bible is God’s gift to us. It came from God, and it points us to God. The Bible says of itself, “All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy
3:16-17 NKJV).

Can We Trust It?

Since the Bible is God’s Word, we shouldn’t be
surprised if Satan tries to convince us otherwise. The very
first question in the Bible came from Satan’s lips, casting
doubt on what God had told Adam and Eve: “Did God
really say ...? (Genesis 3:1). Then he became bolder, flatly
denying what God had said: “You will not surely die”
(Genesis 3:4). Ever since that dark day in the Garden of
Eden, one of Satan’s most persistent strategies has been to
make us doubt the truthfulness and authority of God’s
Word.
In the summer of 1949, my team and I were
preparing for the most intensive evangelistic mission we
had ever attempted, a citywide outreach in Los Angeles,
California. Although the press had ignored (continued on page ten)

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What is the Bible? (continued)

it, several hundred churches had come together to prepare and pray for the planned three-week-long event. We
believed God had led us there, and many were praying He would use the meetings to bring many to Christ.
Just weeks before the mission was to start, however, I experienced a major crisis of faith—the most
intense of my life. Some months before, a fellow
evangelist whom I respected greatly had begun to
express doubts about the Bible, urging me to “face facts”
and change my belief that the Bible was the inspired
Word of God. “Billy,” he said, “you’re fifty years out-of-
date. People no longer accept the Bible as being inspired
the way you do. Your faith is too simple.” I knew from
my own reading that some modern theologians shared
his views.
For months doubts about the Bible swirled
through my mind, finally coming to a boil during a
conference at which I was speaking in the mountains
east of Los Angeles. One night, alone in my cabin at the
conference, I studied carefully what the Bible said about
its divine origin. I recalled that the prophets clearly
believed they were speaking God’s Word; they used the
phrase “Thus says the Lord” (or similar words) hundreds
of times. I also knew that archaeological discoveries had
repeatedly confirmed the Bible’s historical accuracy.
Especially significant to me, however, was Jesus’
own view of Scripture. He not only quoted it frequently,
but also accepted it as the Word of God. While praying
for His disciples, He said, “Sanctify them by the truth;
your word is truth” (John 17:17). He also told them, “I
tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by
any means disappear from the Law” (Matthew 5:18). Shouldn’t I have the same view of Scripture as my Lord?
Finally I went for a walk in the moonlit forest. I knelt down with my Bible on a tree stump in front of me
and began praying. I don’t recall my exact words, but my prayer went something like this: “O Lord, there are
many things in this book I don’t understand. There are many problems in it for which I have no solution. ... But,
Father, by faith I am going to accept this as Thy Word. From this moment on I am going to trust the Bible as the
Word of God.”
When I got up from my knees, I sensed God’s presence in a way that I hadn’t felt for months. Not all my
questions were answered, but I knew a major spiritual battle had been fought—and won. I never doubted the
Bible’s divine inspiration again, and immediately my preaching took on a new confidence. This was, I believe,
one reason why our Los Angeles meetings had to be extended from three weeks to eight.
Don’t let anyone shake your confidence in the Bible as God’s Word. If you have questions about it,
don’t use them as an excuse to turn your back on God. Instead, face your doubts and seek answers; you aren’t
the first person to ask them. (Your local Christian bookstore can help you.) In addition, read the Bible for
yourself with an open heart and mind. Ask God to show you if it truly is His Word—and He will.
Your life will never be the same once you trust the Bible as God’s Word. God will begin to use it to
change your life.

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REASONS WHY FEW ARE SAVED

”God has set a Savior against sin,

a heaven against a hell,
light against darkness,
good against evil,
and the breadth and length and depth and height of grace that is in Himself for my good,
against all the power and strength and subtlety of every enemy.”

I will show you some reasons of the point, besides those five that I showed you before. And, First, I
will show you why the poor, carnal, ignorant world miss of heaven; and then, Second, why the
knowing professors (Editor’s Note: those who profess to be saved) miss of it also.

[First, Why the poor, carnal, ignorant world miss heaven.]

1. The poor, carnal, ignorant world miss of heaven even because they love their sins, and cannot part
with them. "Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19) The
poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they are enemies in their minds to God, his Word,
and holiness; they must be all damned who take pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians
2:10-12) The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they stop
their ears against convictions, and refuse to come when God calls.
"Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand,
and no man regarded, but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and
would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will
mock when your fear cometh - as desolation, and your destruction -
as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you; then
shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me
early, but they shall not find me." (Proverbs 1:24-29)

2. The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because the god of this
world hath blinded their eyes, that they can neither see the evil and
damnable state they are in at present, nor the way to get out of it;
neither do they see the beauty of Jesus Christ, nor how willing he is
to save poor sinners. (II Corinthians 4:2-3)

3. The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they put off and defer coming to Christ, until the
time of God’s patience and grace is over. Some, indeed, are resolved never to come; but some,
again, say, “We will come hereafter”; and so it comes to pass, that because God called, and they did
not hear; so they shall cry, and I will not hear, saith the Lord. (Zechariah 7:11-13)
(continued on page twelve)
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REASONS WHY FEW ARE SAVED (continued)

4. The poor ignorant world miss of
heaven, because they have false
apprehensions of God's mercy. They
say in their hearts, We shall have
peace, though we walk in the
imagination of our heart, to add
drunkenness to thirst. But what
saith the Word? "The Lord will not
spare him; but then the anger of the
Lord, and his jealousy, shall smoke
against that man, and all the curses
that are written in this book shall lie
upon him, and the Lord shall blot
out his name from under heaven."
(Deuteronomy 29:19-21)

5. The poor ignorant world miss of

heaven, because they make light of
the gospel that offereth mercy to them freely, and because they lean upon their own good
meanings, and thinkings, and doings. (Matthew 22:1-5, Romans 9:30,31)

6. The poor carnal world miss of heaven because by unbelief, which reigns in them, they are kept for
ever from being clothed with Christ's righteousness, and from washing in his blood, without which
there is neither remission of sin, nor justification. But to pass these till anon.

[Second, I come, in the next place, to show you some reasons why the professor (Editor’s
Note – those who profess to be Christians but indeed are not) falls short of heaven.]

First. In the general, they rest in things below special grace; as in awakenings that are not special, in
faith that is not special, etc.; and, a little to run a parallel betwixt the one and the other, that, if God
will, you may see and escape.

1. Have they that shall be saved, awakenings about their state by nature? So have they that shall be
damned. They that never go to heaven may see much of sin, and of the wrath of God due thereto.
This had Cain and Judas, and yet they came short of the kingdom. (Genesis 4, Matthew 27:4) The
saved have convictions, in order to their eternal life; but the others convictions are not so. The
convictions of the one doth drive them sincerely to Christ; the convictions of the other doth drive
them to the law, and the law to desperation at last.

2. There is a repentance that will not save, a repentance to be repented of; and a repentance to
salvation, not to be repented of. (II Corinthians 7:10) Yet so great a similitude and likeness there is
betwixt the one and the other, that most times the wrong is taken for the right, and through this
mistake professors perish. As, (1.) In saving repentance there will be an acknowledgment of sin;
and one that hath the other repentance may acknowledge his sins also. (Matthew 27:4) (2.) In
saving repentance there is a crying out under sin; but one that hath the other repentance may cry
out under sin also. (Gen 4:13) (3.) In saving repentance there will be (continued on page thirteen)
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REASONS WHY FEW ARE SAVED (continued)

humiliation for sin; and one that hath the other repentance may humble himself also. (I Kings 21:29)
(4.) Saving repentance is attended with self-loathing; but he that hath the other repentance may have
loathing of sin too; a loathing of sin, because it is sin, that he cannot have; but a loathing of sin,
because it is offensive to him, that he may have. The dog doth not loath that which troubleth his
stomach because it is there, but because it troubleth him; when it has done troubling of him, he can
turn to it again, and lick it up as before it troubled him. (II Peter 2:22) (5.) Saving repentance is
attended with prayers and tears; but he that hath none but the other repentance, may have prayers
and tears also. (Genesis 27:34-35, Hebrews 12:16-17) (6.) In saving repentance there is fear and
reverence of the Word and ministers that bring it; but this may be also where there is none but the
repentance that is not saving; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy, and
observed him; when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) (7.) Saving
repentance makes a man's heart very tender
of doing anything against the Word of God.
But Balaam could say, "If Balak would give
me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot
go beyond the commandment of the Lord."
(Numbers 24:13)

Behold, then, how far a man may go in

repentance, and yet be short of that which is
called, "Repentance unto salvation, not to be
repented of." (a.) He may be awakened; (b.)
He may acknowledge his sin; (c.) He may
cry out under the burden of sin; (d.) He may
have humility for it; (e.) He may loath it; (f.)
May have prayers and tears against it; (g.)
may delight to do many things of God; (h.)
May be afraid of sinning against him–and,
after all this, may perish, for want of saving
repentance.

Second. Have they that shall be saved, faith?

Why, they that shall not be saved may have
faith also; yea, a faith in many things so like
the faith that saveth, that they can hardly be distinguished, though they differ both in root and
branch. To come to particulars:

1. Saving faith hath Christ for its object, and so may the faith have that is not saving. Those very Jews
of whom it is said they believed on Christ, Christ tells them, and that after their believing, "Ye are of
your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." (John 8:30-44) 2. Saving faith is wrought
by the Word of God, and so may the faith be that is not saving. (Luke 8:13) 3. Saving faith looks for
justification without works, and so may a faith do that is not saving. (James 2:18) 4. Saving faith will
sanctify and purify the heart, and the faith that is not saving may work a man off from the pollutions
of the world, as it did Judas, Demas, and others. (II Peter 2) 5. Saving faith will give a man tastes of
the world to come, and also joy by those tastes, and so will the faith do that is not saving. (Hebrews
6:4-5, Luke 8:13) 6. Saving faith will help a man, if called thereto, to give his (continued on page fourteen)
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REASONS WHY FEW ARE SAVED (continued)

body to be burned for his religion, and so will the faith do that is not saving. (I Corinthians 13:1-5) 7.
Saving faith will help a man to look for an inheritance in the world to come, and that may the faith do
that is not saving. All those virgins "took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."
(Matthew 25:1) 8. Saving faith will not only make a man look for, but prepare to meet the bridegroom,
and so may the faith do that is not saving. "Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps."
(Matthew 25:7) 9. Saving faith will make a man
look for an interest in the kingdom of heaven
with confidence, and the faith that is not saving
will even demand entrance of the Lord. "Lord,
Lord, open to us." (Matthew 25:11) 10. Saving
faith will have good works follow it into heaven,
and the faith that is not saving may have great
works follow it, as far as to heaven gates. "Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works?" (Matthew 7:22)

Now, then, if the faith that is not saving may

have Christ for its object, be wrought by the
Word, look for justification without works, work
men off from the pollutions of the world, and
give men tastes of, and joy in the things of
another world–I say again, if it will help a man
to burn for his judgment, and to look for an
inheritance in another world; yea, if it will help a
man to prepare for it, claim interest in it; and if
it can carry great works, many great and
glorious works, as far as heaven gates, then no
marvel if abundance of people take this faith for
the saving faith, and so fall short of heaven thereby. Alas, friends! There are but few that can produce
such [works] for repentance; and such faith, as yet you see I have proved even reprobates have had in
several ages of the church.

But,

Third. They that go to heaven are a praying people; but a man may pray that shall not be saved. Pray!
He may pray, pray daily; yea, he may ask of God the ordinances of justice, and may take delight in
approaching to God; nay, further, such souls may, as it were, cover the altar of the Lord with tears,
with weeping and crying out. (Isaiah 28:2, Malachi 2:13)

Fourth. Do God's people keep holy fasts? They that are not his people may keep fasts also–may keep
fasts often–even twice a week. "The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus with himself: God, I thank thee
that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in
the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." (Luke 18:11-12) I might enlarge upon things, but I intend
but a little book. I do not question but many Balaamites will appear before the judgment-seat to
condemnation; men that have had visions of God, and that knew the knowledge (continued on page fifteen)
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REASONS WHY FEW ARE SAVED (continued)

knowledge of the Most High; men that have had the Spirit of God come upon them, and that have by
that been made other men; yet these shall go to the generations of their fathers, they shall never see
light. (Numbers 24:2,4,16, I Samuel 10:6,10, Psalm 49:19)

I read of some men whose excellency in religion mounts up to the heavens, and their heads
reach unto the clouds, who yet shall perish for ever like their own dung; and he that in
this world hath seen them, shall say at the
judgment, Where are they? (Job 20:5-7)
There will be many a one, that were
gallant professors in this world, be
wanting among the saved in the day
of Christ's coming; yea, many whose damnation was never dreamed of. Which of the twelve ever
thought that Judas would have proved a devil? Nay, when Christ suggested that one among them was
naught, they each were more afraid of themselves than of him. (Matthew 26:21-23) Who questioned
the salvation of the foolish virgins? The wise ones did not; they gave them the privilege of communion
with themselves. (Matthew 25) The discerning of the heart, and the infallible proof of the truth of
saving grace, is reserved to the judgment of Jesus Christ at his coming. The church and best of saints
sometimes hit, and sometimes miss in their judgments about this matter; and the cause of our
missing in our judgment is, 1. Partly because we cannot infallibly, at all times, distinguish grace that
saveth from that which doth but appear to do so. 2. Partly also because some men have the art to give
right names to wrong things. 3. And partly because we, being commanded to receive him that is weak,
are afraid to exclude the least Christian. By a hid means hypocrites creep into the churches. But what
saith the Scripture? "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins." And again, "All the churches shall
know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you
according to your works." (Jeremiah 11:20, 17:10, Revelation 2:23) To this Searcher of hearts is the
time of infallible discerning reserved, and then you shall see how far grace that is not saving hath
gone; and also how few will be saved indeed. The Lord awaken poor sinners by my little book.

Bible Literacy Project News

Biblical ignorance
Chicago Tribune Editorial
May 12, 2005

The Case for Teaching The Bible

By DAVID VAN BIEMA

When American novelists gave their books titles like "East of Eden,"
"Absalom, Absalom!" and "Song of Solomon," they assumed their audience
would immediately understand the biblical allusions. With today's readers, that
may be a mistake. In a recent survey, only 1 out of every 3 American teenagers
could identify who asked, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (It was Cain, in the
book of Genesis.)
(continued on page sixteen)
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Bible Literacy Project News (continued)

It's every person's decision whether to believe or practice what is taught in the Bible. But no
one can deny its influence. Trying to understand American literature and history without some
knowledge of the Bible is like trying to make sense of the ocean despite a complete ignorance of fish.
Religion, particularly Christianity, has played a large role in our culture since the Puritans arrived
intent on "advancing the Gospel of the kingdom of Christ," in the words of William Bradford,
governor of Plymouth Colony. Yet many American high schools choose not to teach their students
about what is undoubtedly the most influential book in Western history.
The survey, sponsored by the Bible Literacy Project, yielded other distressing
news. Only 34 percent of teens know what happened on the road to Damascus--
where the Apostle Paul was stunned into conversion by the appearance of God.
Twenty-eight percent didn't know who Moses was.
Anyone unfamiliar with these stories would be puzzled by countless biblical
references in poems, novels and speeches. That's why, when college English
professors were asked in 1986 what book they wished incoming freshmen
had read, the Bible ranked first. Some 90 percent of high school English
teachers in the new survey said it's important for all high school students to be
acquainted with it. But they said most of their pupils are not.
That ignorance acts as a hindrance to learning. "I'll make comparisons, you
know, I'll say, `You know, like Noah and the ark or like Moses,'" one teacher
reported, "and I'll have kids kind of look at me: `Who's Noah?' or `Who's
Moses?'" One teacher gave up using Charles Portis' novel "True Grit"
because "the kids were so stumped" by its many biblical allusions.
But many high schools don't offer courses or even units of courses about the Bible. Some teachers
and administrators fear that any such instruction is constitutionally forbidden or that it would
somehow be inappropriate. In fact, the Supreme Court has made it clear that public schools are free to
teach about the Bible just as they would any other work of literature or history. The U.S. Education
Department has issued guidelines stressing that religion is an appropriate subject for study.
Public schools have no business using Bible instruction to advance a religious agenda. But when
they decline to impart knowledge about such an important subject, they are not doing anything to
preserve the separation of church and state. They are merely failing their students.

Homeward Bound is published by Homeward Bound Ministries, Post Office Box 3351, Milford, Connecticut,
USA, 06460. Homeward Bound is a teaching ministry attempting to edify the body of Christ, prepare men and
women to serve in the Great Commission and furnish articles of timely interest and content relevant to our day
and the issues we face in our daily walk with Christ. We invite you to write to us and ask questions regarding
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Thank you for taking the time to read this issue of Homeward Bound!
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