Heavens King At The Door - 2
By Carlos M. Aguilar

In Revelation 3:20 we read, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Jesus is knocking, the text says he also is using His voice. In Psa 103:20 the psalmist writes, “Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” Our Lord knock through goodness (Rom 2:4), He knocks through love (Jn 3:16; 1Jn 4:7-8; 3:1; 4:19), and He knocks though fear. Luke writes “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him” (Luke 12:5). Most people hold to the fact that to teach Jesus is to teach love. While that is true our Lord speaks of death as often as life; hell as often as heaven. He speaks of anguish for the lost as often as bliss for the saved. Our Lord also knocks through the proclamation of His Word. Paul writes in 1Cor 1:21, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” God has always placed a great deal of importance on His Word. It is “the power of God to salvation” and must be heeded.

Our Lord knocked on the door of many. He knocked on the doors of the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum through mighty works yet they deed not heed the warnings. He also knocked at Pilate’s door. In Matt 27:19-26 we have the account of Pilate's sitting on the judgment seat making the decision of which prisoner he was going to release. His wife relates her dream concerning Jesus, and warns him not have anything to do with His condemnation. Pilate convinced of the innocence of Jesus, puts it in the Jews court to decide. Pilate had the power to release whomever he wanted. But he chose not to hearken to the knocking. Jesus also knocked at the door of Felix through the Gospel (Acts 24:24-25), he also refused to open the door of his heart. Our Lord also knocked on Festus' and Agrippa's door (Acts 26:21-28), they too left him on the outside---at the judgment He'll leave them on the outside---knocking will be in vain. In Matt 25 we find the parable of the Foolish Virgins. Note verse 10 and 11. “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!” Note also Rev 3:7, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” If Christ is on the outside of your heart---you are responsible. The apostle Paul in the book of Romans speaks of giving his own soul (CH 9:1-4) for the Israelites if it could get them to heaven but he knew it was their own responsibility. He also says in Rom 14:12, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Heaven's King is at your door---what will you do with Him?

He's at your door now---there will be a time when the door to the kingdom will be closed. It will be a sad day when that occurs and you are on the outside.

CHURCH HISTORY: A BIBLICAL VIEW
Part IV - No. 21 Compiled and written by Gary Eubanks

A. Causes. The Crusades - military expeditions to re-conquer Palestine from the Moslems - were an inevitable outgrowth and typical manifestation of the climate and conditions which prevailed in the Middle Ages. They sprang from a time of great, if misguided, religious zeal. This strong religious zeal found expression in monasticism, asceticism, and a sense of "other-worldliness" and self-sacrifice. Roman Catholicism also placed much emphasis upon reverence of relics, pilgrimages to sacred shrines, and the spiritual benefits which could be thereby obtained. Certainly there were other motives which prompted some Crusaders to "take the cross" - love of adventure, desire for territorial advancement, hope of plunder, religious hatred - but it cannot be doubted that true religious fervor was the primary catalyst which stimulated the Crusades, and that without it they would never have been mounted.

The immediate causes of the Crusades were two. (1) Though the Moslems had allowed pilgrimages to Jerusalem since its capture in 638, the Seljuk Turks, also Moslems, conquered Palestine in 1076 and put a stop to pilgrimages. This aroused a great furor in Europe. (2) Alexius I, the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople, appealed to Pope Urban II for aid against the Moslems who were pressing heavily upon his domain. Thus, at the Council of Clermont in 1095 Urban II eloquently called for a liberation of Palestine from Moslem hands. Great promises were offered to those who participated in the struggle. Urban himself offered plenary indulgence to those who took part. Others went further and promised eternal life itself to the participants, and not only to them but also to their parents and to all those who contributed in any way to the efforts of the Crusaders. Earthly advantages accruing to Crusaders were exemption from debt and freedom from taxation and payment of interest.

B. Number and kinds of Crusades. There were seven major crusades between 1095 and 1270, as well as minor expeditions between these two dates. All of them, with the exception of the First Crusade (1095-99), were largely failures. Members of the First Crusade eventually fought their way to Jerusalem and on July 15, 1099 captured the city amid a ruthless massacre of its inhabitants. There they set up a kingdom and held the city until it was recaptured by the Moslems in 1187. The excommunicated leader of the Sixth Crusade (1228-29), Emperor Frederick II, regained it by treaty but it was permanently lost to the Moslems in 1244.

C. Scriptural errors. From the viewpoint of their objectives, then, the Crusades were ultimately a great failure. Their greatest failures, however, occurred on the moral and spiritual side.

(1) They were wrongly motivated by a desire to rescue from infidelic hands things and places which were thought to have a sacred value. Moreover, it was thought that by revering these things and pilgrimaging to such places that special spiritual benefits could be obtained. The New Testament teaches no such things. As a matter of fact, it teaches the very opposite. Inordinate veneration and pursuit of physical objects is idolatry (Eph. 5:5; I Cor. 10:14; I Jn. 5:2). Never were relics, images, or holy places involved in the devotion of early Christians. They were devoted to Christ, not to things, and were never promised any special rewards for pilgrimages or the veneration of relics. Christ Himself dismissed the idea of holy places when He said men would worship the Father in spirit and truth, not in Jerusalem (Jn. 4:1924).

(2) They were wrong in their very character because they were attended with terrible cruelty. Members of the First Crusade massacred Jews in the Rhineland and provoked bloody reprisals in Hungary. When Jerusalem was finally captured, they ruthlessly slaughtered the inhabitants. By the moral standards of the New Testament the Crusades were a despicable disgrace (Matt. 5:7,43-48; Jas. 2:13).

(3) They were wrong per se, for the New Testament teaches with the utmost clarity that the weapons used, and the wars waged, in the interests of Christ's kingdom - are not to be of a physical nature (Jn. 18:36; II Cor. 10:3,4; Eph. 6:10-18).

The religious zeal of the early second millennium was not entirely spent upon the Crusades. Not long after the beginning of the First Crusade another monastic order was begun in Citeaux, France in 1098. It was begun by a Benedictine monk, Robert, who sought greater monastic discipline. Consequently, from the very beginning the Cistercians stressed greater asceticism, isolation from the world, the rule of silence, contemplation, and "apostolic poverty." Great emphasis was also placed upon agricultural labor and relatively little upon teaching or preaching. (At one point Cistercian monks were even forbidden to preach or baptize.) The dwellings, clothes, houses of worship, and diets were of the plainest sort. The eating of flesh was forbidden (I Tim. 4:1-5), except in cases of severe sickness. The Cistercians slept in their regular attire on beds of straw.

Bernard (1090-1153) was the most vigorous proponent of Cistercian monasticism and was also the most influential religious figure of his time. Ironically, he exerted much of his influence by preaching and writing. Other preachers took Cistercian principles to more radical extremes. Arnold of Brescia (?-1155) taught that one could not be a true disciple of Christ unless he literally abandoned all property and worldly power. In the early Twelfth Century Peter of Bruys combined strict asceticism with a repudiation of infant baptism, the Lord's Supper, church ceremonies and buildings, prayers for the dead, and the cross (the last since it was the instrument of Christ's suffering). Such extremes were reactions to the wealthy and worldly aspects of medieval clergy.

In Your Anger
Joe Fitch

“Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Eph.4:26-). Anger is not always a sin. God's anger -- even his fierce anger was cited often in the Old Testament. Jesus also became angry -- he “looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts,…” (Mk.3:5). Being like Jesus means developing the right kind of anger rather than trying to eliminate anger.

The root of anger must be right. Cain! -- “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?” (Gen.4:6) The why is really vital. Cain's anger had a bad root -- envy. Abel's sacrifice was accepted; his was not. Sound disturbingly familiar? How about this? -- he prospered; I did not -- or they listen to him; not me -- or he was invited; not me --they compliment him; ignore me -- my feelings are hurt. Beware! Anger with a selfish or mean root always bears bitter fruit. You must correct the why of anger or “sin lies at the door” (Gen.4.7). Anger can never be right while the why is wrong.

“Be angry” does not require anger. There is very little need to encourage anger! Rather, the sentence warns of anger's inherent dangers -- in your anger “sin not …nor give place to the devil.” Yet, some situations actually do expect anger -- a righteous anger. Moses came down from Sinai and found Israel embroiled in idolatry and revelry (Ex.32:1-). Should Moses be indifferent? No! Burning anger was the proper response to their insult of Jehovah. God did not reprimand Moses. Throwing down the stone tablets was not proper; but his anger was right. In another case, Potiphar came home to his wife crying about an assault on her by Joseph. She displayed proof(Gen.39:1-). Should Potiphar be angry? -- incensed? Of course, he should! Her accusation was a lie; her evidence was wrong. However, Potiphar's anger was exactly right. Again, a fellow ridicules and slanders a brother -- in Christ. Should you be angry? Yes! He is your brother -- a son of God. I dare say you are seriously wrong if you are not angry.

The expression of anger must be right. This is an easy place to err. Anger's emotion easily clouds judgment -- easily ignores truth -- easily steps over the bounds of right. In Cain's anger, he refused to listen -- even to God. He murdered his brother; he lied to God afterward. That is anger gone amuck. Don't do that!

Anger must not void self control. In no circumstance can self control be sacrificed. "I will not be brought under the power of any "(1Cor.6:12) -- not even anger. You may be justifiably angry; you can not afford to be mad ! Anger is often right; rage is never right. The danger in anger is so great that we must approach all anger with great caution. We must learn to be "slow to anger "(Jas.1:19) -- just as God is(Psa.103:8 145:8). Thus, we avoid many terrible disasters.

In anger, how do you behave? Do you throw a tantrum? Scream and holler? Stomp and kick? Throw things? Anger may occasionally be right, but such unrestrained behavior is never right. It is absolutely wrong -- sin!

In anger, what do you say? Do you “cuss” -- burst out in profanity? Do you spew out insulting, hateful, and mean invectives. This is frequently anger's vocabulary. Do you falsely accuse those who anger you? Do you call people contemptuous and ugly names?(Mt. 5:22). Do you spread rumors? -- carry gossip? Anger may be right, but all such malicious speech surely is not. It is wrong -- sin!

In anger, what do you do? Cain was angry with Abel, and killed him. In your anger, do you also do harm to people? -- do hurtful things? Do you stir up strife? -- a favorite tactic of anger. “An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression” (Prov.29:22). Anger is permitted; malicious conduct is not. It is wrong -- sin.

In anger, do you accuse God? Anger often criticizes God. Anger blames God even when the incident was not God's doing. Job knew better than that. “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job.1:22). In anger, we boldly judge whether God did the right thing. Even David was caught in that snare. “And David became angry because of the LORD's outbreak against Uzzah;” (2Sam.6:8). Anger may be right, but judging God is surely none of our business!  In fact, it is arrogantly wrong -- sin!

The duration of anger must be right -- “do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” Brief is the only safe time frame for anger -- even right anger. A long visit with anger will see the acid consume its container. Learn from God who “does not retain His anger forever” (Micah7:18).Let it go!