Msg #1748 Saul's Type-A Personality

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

There were three signs in King Saul's calling and three sins in King Saul's falling. In 1Samuel 13 God staged Israel's great victory over the Philistines. The new king and his Type-A personality was nervous, but he was in his place,… until he stepped out of his place. Saul's first sin was well thought out and very practical. He rationalized it superbly, it was pragmatic. At first glance it seems that God completely overreacted…. Barred from the kingdom for one burnt offering? “Thou hast done foolishly; thou has not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee” (1Sam 13:13). God wanted “a man after his own heart;” Saul was not that man; he could get things done, alright, but didn't do them God's way. God places utmost importance on HOW things get done, Type-As on THAT things get done. Israel won the victory over the Philistines, but not via Saul, it was Johnathan who slew the Garrison of Philistines (Chap. 14).

In 1Samuel 15 God staged the annihilation of the Amalekites. Saul's Type-A personality stepped in to do the job and his second sin was well thought out, very practical, rationalized superbly, pragmatic,… and disobedience. The next victory over the Philistines was secured, not by Saul, but by a shepherd boy, a man after God's own heart, who slew a giant. Saul's third sin was opposing God's man. The Type-A personality is competitive, aggressive, organized, fast talking, ambitious, impatient, and a good time manager. Type-B is more relaxed, non-competitive, non-aggressive. I re-wrote the song “Learning to Lean” with lyrics “Learning to “B”, Learning to “B”, I'm learning to “B” like Jesus. Finding more power than I ever knew, I'm learning to “B” like Jesus. God makes us new creatures, conformed to Christ, some are slow learners.

An Essay for week #48 Nov 26, 2017

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Msg #1749 There is Much in a Name

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

Christology must be the Bible believer's favorite “ology,” and my favorite part is learning how God uses various titles for his Only Begotten Son. It is important to pay close attention. First note that all modernist bibles have stripped the name “Jesus” from 47 verses, “Christ” from 37 verses, and 'Lord” from 40 verses. Twice they had the audacity to strip “Lord Jesus Christ” out of their copyright bibles (Col 1:2, 1Thes 1:1). For this study you must use an Authorized KJB. Jesus is his name before his death and resurrection, before salvation was made complete; it is his earthly name; it speaks of his humiliation, his humanness, his finiteness; it means saviour. Consequently the Gospels use Jesus 612 times, Epistles 71 times, while Christ is used only 56 times in the Gospels, 256 times in the Epistles. Before his crucifixion he was never called Jesus to his face, they called him Master or Rabbi, believers called him Lord, thus a Christian is not one who believes in Jesus– the world believes there was a Jesus – but a Christian is one who believes in “The Lord Jesus Christ.” The word Christ (Hebrew Messiah) means the Anointed One, and is the official title of the Son of God. He is the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. When the compound name Jesus Christ is used, the emphasis is on what he was over what he is, when Christ Jesus is used it emphasizes him exalted who was once humiliated. He is Lord when he owns you. His fullest title is the Lord Jesus Christ. Differentiate between the Son of God and the Son of Man, the Son of Abraham and the Son of David. Discover the seven “I AM” titles in John… be a student of his names, in a KJB.

An Essay for week #49 Dec 3, 2017

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Msg #1746 Called to be Faithful Till Death

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

It is striking how the signs assuring Saul's anointing are so very specific; so much so that they tell a story in themselves. Two men meeting Saul near Rachel's sepulcher highlights the importance of those who went before us, at the border of Benjamin, the importance of stepping out of a comfort zone. The father caring for Saul has evident significance, and one cannot miss the irony that Saul chasing after stubborn asses was now called to lead stiffnecked Israel. The next sign took place at the plain of Tabor, where Deborah had to take Barak by the hand and lead him into battle. Much could be said about God's demand for male leadership here, but let it suffice that three men going up to God to Bethel was Saul's sign. There are the kids, the bread, and the wine showing that God won't buy you the farm, but will provide your daily bread. The third sign involved the hill of God and the garrison of Philistines. We are in a battle, and the enemy has us outnumbered, and outgunned. The company of prophets with psaltery, tabret, pipe and harp tells something about our music and the new song he puts in our heart. It is not just the old song with new lyrics crammed in, note the difference. God gave Saul another heart and all these signs came to pass that day. Is Saul among the prophets? Turns out not. We know Saul's obedience was short lived. The signs were so sure, God's call and anointing so certain, yet Saul's terrible fall was such a tragic failure. He became an opposer of God. This accounting is meant to be sobering. So many great starts for God end like Saul. Lord, may I be faithful till death.

An Essay for week #46 Nov 12, 2017

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Msg #1747 Thanksgiving

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

The Bible reveals a couple interesting things about our thanksgiving. For the Bible believer thanksgiving is not a mere suggestion. Philippians four connects it to a peace that passes all understandings. The Psalmist reveals its spontaneity in a quickened soul, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4). But the Bible makes mentions of the sacrifice of thanksgiving, “And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. … I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. … By him (Christ) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Psalm 107:22, 116:7, Hebrews 13:15). Recall that King David said he would not offer a sacrifice “which doth cost me nothing” (2Samuel 24:24). Thanksgiving is commanded, has great promise attached, and is often spontaneous, but sometimes it might be a sacrifice that costs you something. Note also that its lack is one of the steps that spirals us down and away from our God. Romans chapter one describes that spiraling stairway, but note that first God shows man as being without excuse. God does not believe in atheists. Every man knows internally about the Godhead and the wrath he is deserving of (Rom 1:18-20). So the staircase has a top step, “When they knew God,” a first step down, “they glorified him not as God,” and the next step down, which holds our attention here, “neither were thankful.” This stairway spirals down to a pretty disturbing depth of depravity, but this week just focus on this one step, and don't even go there. Happy Thanksgiving.

An Essay for week #47 Nov 19, 2017

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Msg #1802 God Save America

What The Bible Says – Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

When one hears “God bless America” the thought must rise “He has blessed America,” and hearing “God save America” should elicit “save her from her pride, her arrogance, and her pernicious, progressive ways.” Isaiah 25 succinctly promises that salvation, “Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth… therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee” (Isa 25:1,3). Democrats think they are the strength to the poor and down-trodden, Republicans suppose they are the strength of economic conservatives, but God says there is a vail over their understanding, a reprobate heart in their chest, “And he will destroy in this mountain (i.e. Zion, i.e. Jerusalem, where we properly place our Israeli embassy) the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations” (25:7). The salvation of a nation that preaches Evolution as their creator and god, sodomy as their alternate lifestyle, and murder in the womb as their privilege will first be a day of darkness, a terror-able day, the Day of the Lord. “He shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them… and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands” (Isa 25:11). Days are short in this January of 2018. The believer longs for his salvation because “He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the LORD hath spoken it” (25:8). That upcoming “Earth Day” is in reality the upcoming “Day of the Lord.” “God bless America, God save America, but first save my children, save my family, save my neighbor.” Preach the gospel, the Lord is soon returning.

Msg #1802b Worship Canceled

What Your Pastor Says – Good Samaritan Baptist Church Pastor Ed Rice

Dear Member/Guest

The frozen water pipes from our two broke furnaces kept me from preaching what God had laid on my heart for the second Sunday of 2018. The attached Penny Pulpit must suffice for that, but God has other lessons for GSBC to take away from the cancellations. For those that gathered at 10 am and shared a song and a prayer, God blessed your short and stunned worship and gave safe travels in bitter cold. Thanks for not flushing.

For those alerted of the dilemma and averted from cold travels, God blessed you with a longing for Christian fellowship on a Lord's day, and an answer to your prayer. It was simply a reset on the oil burner, a new fuse on the gas furnace, and not a single pipe was broken.

For those to ill, or old, or hospitalized to tackle twelve degrees of cold we missed you, and prayed for you, knowing you missed us and prayed for us.

To those with no intention of attending this 2^nd worship service of 2018, the cancellation can still be a blessing because you hold this letter, and perhaps a new appreciation of the importance we place on our gathering with other believers on the first day of the week, the Lord's Day, the day God rose his Christ, our Lord, from death to life.

On the twentieth anniversary of my pastoring Good Samaritan Baptist Church I must say that this Sunday, with frozen pipes, the breath of saints visible in the cold air, and the singing of three verses of “Jesus Loves Me” was a memorable blessing. Be blessed, and I'll see you when the heat is back up.

 Pastor Rice

An Essay for week #2 Jan 14, 2018

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Msg#1803 The Three Veils

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

The Bible reveals three veils that were removed because Christ gave his life for the remission of sin. The most familiar is found in Exodus 26, “And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet,… and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy” (vr. 31,33). The holy and sanctified were separated from the most holy presence of the LORD God himself and it is marvelous that that separation is rent in twain by the cross of Christ (Matt27:51, Mark15:38, Luke23:45). A second vail is found in Exod 34, “Behold the skin of his face shone and they were afraid and (Moses) gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went before the LORD to speak with him he took the vail off” (vr. 30,32-34). The Apostle Paul writes, “(Israeli) minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ… Seeing then we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech” (2Cor 3:14, 12). The Holy Bible is not veiled in Christ. The third vail covers the face as a maiden offers herself to her beloved. Rebekah shows it such in a beautiful picture in Genesis 24:64. Tamar shows it ugly, soiled, and polluted in 38:14,19. But the picture is redeemed forever in the Ruth 3:15. Most do not understand the song, “Sweet Beulah Land” (Isa 62:4), but a Christian is married to Christ, and like Ruth our vail is off and filled with six measures of barley to sustain us “until the morning.” Three beautiful portrayals.

An Essay for week #3 Jan 21, 2018

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A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit

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Msg #1814 Sinless Perfection – NOT

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

The Apostle John carefully dictates some principles to determine the authentic conversion of professed believers around us. They are the same as those used to self-authenticate ones own conversion, obedience of Christ's commandments, a holy walk, and an authentic love for the brethren. But when rehearsing these he seems to over emphasize, perhaps because one cannot know another's heart as one's own. In this profound emphasis for authenticating a new-birth a person should abide in Christ and NOT abiding in sin. 1John 3:9 is the capstone of that emphasis. Be careful with this verse, even though a dozen verses earlier John says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1:8). Many use 1John 3:9, taken out of context, to support errant teachings about sinless perfection. Like some take Nebuchadnezzar's tree, or Satan's pinnacle to suppose that the world is flat! And some even suppose that it was half-angel half-human giants that caused God to destroyed the world with a flood The half-breed angles are the problem, they say, not man's depravity! False teachers take a verse out of its context and develop a whole system of error around it. Acts 2:38 might suppose ones baptismal regeneration, but the rest of the Bible cannot support it. Use great care in your Bible study and great criticism of charismatic teachers. Be a Barean (Acts 17:10-11) with your Bible. Don't be led down a crooked garden path. It is painstakingly Scriptural and obvious that believers still sin, but we now have an advocate with the Father, and he is the propitiation for sin. The point being (for 1 John 3:9) true believers use that advocate and do not continue in sin,..Every man that hath this hope in him is truly changed.

An Essay for week #14 Apr 8, 2018

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A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit

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Msg #1812 The Passover Lamb

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

The passover lamb was selected and separated from the flock on the tenth of the month, examined for three days to be found without spot, and then slain on the fourteenth day of the month (Exod 12). God carefully followed this calendar when our Passover Lamb was crucified on Mount Calvary. On that Palm Sunday he was separated from the flock with a cry “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” He purged the temple that evening and again on the marrow after cursing a fig tree, and the Bible says of him, “And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him” (Luke 21:37-38). To arrange that he be crucified on a Friday, fitting Roman Catholic tradition, scholars suppose Jesus took some time off and did nothing for one day, but those of us who can read God's calendar know that he was selected on the tenth and crucified on the fourteenth just like the 1,500 passover lambs before him. A Bible believer should study these last four days of the Christ's ministry with intrigue. They are addressed in Matthew 21-28, Mark 11-16, Luke 19-24, and John 12-21. (That's 30 of the 89 chapters of Gospel covering just the last week of Jesus' time on earth.) In these days of Church apostasy and compromised bibles it is important to study these days of his passion and resurrection for ourselves. Modernist ecumenical 'scholars' are not to be trusted with such a precious commodity. God bless your Easter Sunday worship.

An Essay for week #12 Mar 25, 2018

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A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit

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Msg #1813 A Victorious Resurrection and More

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

The Victory in Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is preceded by three important things and followed by three important things, none should be overlooked. His Vicarious Death is essential to our saving faith as heralded by Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” His Virtuous Life enabled him to be the Lamb of God, sacrificed for us, as proclaimed in 2Cor 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” and verified in Hebrews, “… yet without sin” (4:15, 9:28). Acknowledge also his Virgin Birth, he was not the son of a man, he was the Son of God (Luke 1:26-33). He was the “seed of woman” that would “bruise Satan's head” (Gen 3:15), and his Virgin Birth was a sign to all Israel that their Messiah had arrived to take away the sin of the world (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6). But there is even more to his victorious resurrection when we declare his Vital Message, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom 10:9). “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17). Further, he will have a Visible Return where every eye shall see him (Rev 1:7, 19:11-18). An honest Bible student also sees his Virtual Return at the rapture (1Thes 4:14-18). Then there is a 1,000 year Vibrant Reign from the Throne of David in Zion. Worship his Majesty in Spirit and in Truth (Ps 21:5,29:4, John 4:23, Jude 1:25).

An Essay for week #13 Apr 1, 2018

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A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit

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Msg #1810 Is It Really Real

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes, that have been taught to “act” Christian without understanding “be” Christian. In his "My Little Children" epistle the first thing the beloved Apostle John lays out is a means for determining the fidelity of ones faith; “Hereby we know that we know him” (1John 2:3a). The first stabbing probe is pointed, “He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him” (verse 4). With John's clarification these are Christ's commandments, not Moses' ten (verses 5-8). This is a New Covenant in a New Dispensation that reprimands Covenant Theology and exposes Ellen G. White's chronic debacle. These probes are not designed to be thrust into a neighbor's heart or a loved-ones soul, they are intent on a self-examination. A second heart searching probe, “He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now” (verse 9). Again this is not a club used to beat on someone else's feigned faith, it is to cut and reach into our own soul. Then, like the third tine of a pitch fork, from the pen of a ninety year old preacher, “If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him” (verse 15b). Paul wrote to reprimanded carnal Christians, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves, how Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2Cor 13:5). The Apostle John gives us tools for that examination. In dealing with this Peter said to one Simon the Sorcerer, “Thy money perish with thee… for they heart is not right in the sight of God” (Acts 8:20,21). Be sure yours is, don't just “act” Christian.

An Essay for week #10 Mar 11, 2018

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A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit

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