WesleyGospel Ministries

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
–Psalm 14:1 (NIV)–

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
–Romans 1:18-20 (NIV)–

I had a dream that made me afraid.
As I was lying in bed, the images and visions
that passed through my mind terrified me.
–Daniel 4:5 (NIV)–

¹¹ I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel I preached is not of human origin. ¹² I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
–Galatians 1:11-12 (NIV)–

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit 
that we are God’s children.
–Romans 8:16 (NIV)–

—

The contempt it puts upon the honour of God: for there is something of practical atheism at the bottom of all sin. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. We are sometimes tempted to think, “Surely there never was so much atheism and profaneness as there is in our days;” but we see the former days were no better; even in David’s time there were those who had arrived at such a height of impiety as to deny the very being of a God and the first and self-evident principles of religion. Observe, [1.] The sinner here described. He is one that saith in his heart, There is no God; he is an atheist. “There is no Elohim, no Judge or governor of the world, no providence presiding over the affairs of men.” They cannot doubt of the being of God, but will question his dominion. He says this in his heart; it is not his judgment, but his imagination. He cannot satisfy himself that there is none, but he wishes there were none, and pleases himself with the fancy that it is possible there may be none. He cannot be sure there is one, and therefore he is willing to think there is none. He dares not speak it out, lest he be confuted, and so undeceived, but he whispers it secretly in his heart, for the silencing of the clamours of his conscience and the emboldening of himself in his evil ways. [2.] The character of this sinner. He is a fool; he is simple and unwise, and this is an evidence of it; he is wicked and profane, and this is the cause of it. Note, Atheistical thoughts are very foolish wicked thoughts, and they are at the bottom of a great deal of the wickedness that is in this world. The word of God is a discerner of these thoughts, and puts a just brand on him that harbours them. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; for he thinks against the clearest light, against his own knowledge and convictions, and the common sentiments of all the wise and sober part of mankind. No man will say, There is no God till he is so hardened in sin that it has become his interest that there should be none to call him to an account.

—MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY ON PSALM 14:1–

Joseph Stalin, the leader of the U.S.S.R., that is, communist Russia, had a daughter–her name was Americanized once she moved to the United States: she took the name of Lana Peters. She had mixed up feelings about her family and Russian patriotism while growing up; but she became a poet and writer; and made friends with other writers. Much to her frustration she found that being a writer in the Soviet Union wasn’t all its cracked up to be. She came to feel depressed, isolated, controlled, as she and her friends lived in constant fear of arrest by the KGB and getting their manuscripts confiscated because of Russia’s anti-free speech laws. Because of her position among the political elite, she was fortunate enough to have a Russian passport and travel outside the country. Most Russians were not allowed to. Her father died in 1953. She finally made up her mind in 1967 and moved to America at the age of 41. “I came to the rejection of communism totally,” she said (34:09). Stalin and his Russian communist leaders were Antisemites. In her opinion, Russian antisemitism grew out of Stalin’s rivalry with Leon Trotsky, who was Jewish, and whom Stalin had assassinated. Stalin believed that “all Jewish people were against him,” because they were fans of Trotsky–in Russia, they simply came to be viewed as political enemies of Stalin (43:15). Her impression was that “millions of people feel very much discontented with the regime…I don’t believe in a combination of freedom and communism…generally these two things do not go together” (50:12). Coming out of atheism and into Russian Orthodoxy and then Catholicism was explained by her in the following way: “It was based on some inheritance of religious feeling, which I had from my grandmothers; and then the conditions of life, when life becomes difficult: then the inner life becomes very important for a human being. The moment comes when you feel you just cannot exist in this…YOU JUST FEEL THAT THERE IS GOD, I cannot explain to you how you feel that” (55:25). Its what Wesleyans call the witness of the Spirit: this is what brought Stalin’s daughter out of atheism; and emphatically not rationalizing through C. S. Lewis type arguments. –J.B.

Originally from here.

From Idiotic Things People Did in the Bible

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned…Ahab got up to go down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth. 1 Kings 21:15–16

What He Did

Ahab pouted because Naboth wouldn’t sell his vineyard. Jezebel arranged a fake trial and had Naboth killed. Ahab gleefully claimed the land.

Why It Was Idiotic

Killing a man over a vegetable patch? That’s how far their greed and arrogance went. Elijah showed up and pronounced God’s judgment: dogs would lick Ahab’s blood and eat Jezebel’s body. And they did.

Here’s the Scoop

Ahab, king of Israel, did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him, largely because of his marriage to Jezebel, a Sidonian princess who led him and Israel into the wicked worship of Baal (1 Kings 16:30–33). Under her influence, Ahab built altars to Baal and allowed Jezebel to massacre the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4).

One of their most wicked acts was orchestrating the death of Naboth so Ahab could seize his vineyard, prompting God to send Elijah to pronounce judgment: Ahab’s blood would be licked by dogs in the same place as Naboth’s, and Jezebel would be eaten by dogs (1 Kings 21:19, 23).

Though Ahab briefly humbled himself and delayed judgment (1 Kings 21:27–29), he later died in battle, and dogs licked his blood as foretold (1 Kings 22:37–38). Years later, Jezebel was thrown from a window by her own servants at Jehu’s command, and dogs devoured her body, fulfilling Elijah’s prophecy (2 Kings 9:33–36).

***

There are certain biblical names that carry negative connotations. Call someone a “Judas,” and you’re accusing him of the worst kind of treachery. Call a woman a “Jezebel,” and you’re labeling her as a conniving, deceitful person. And Jezebel was certainly conniving and deceitful.

“The Bible also says that God’s ways are far above human ways. We cannot begin to understand the mind or purposes of God: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9)

As we’ve seen before, the door of evil is opened by the sin of idolatry. She led her husband into Baal worship. That’s why we must soak our souls in the Word of God—so that if anyone tries to give us an image of God that doesn’t match the one revealed in Scripture, we immediately reject it.

Both Jezebel and her weak husband ended up having dogs lick their blood. These were not house pets, but unclean feral dogs. What a horrible and degrading thing. Demons, like hungry dogs or lions, thirst for our blood. We are surrounded by an unseen enemy—a spiritual one that we wrestle with, not in flesh and blood. Again, as Scripture keeps repeating, we give a license to the devil when we give ourselves to sin. That is his territory, and he wants to consume us:

Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard for a vegetable garden (1 Kings 21:2). But Naboth refused to sell because it was his family inheritance. Jezebel saw Ahab sulking and wrote letters in his name, commanding:

…seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die. (1 Kings 21:10)

Naboth was then taken outside the city and murdered. Ahab promptly took possession of the vineyard.

Once again, the gospel has parallels with this story. Both Naboth and Jesus were innocent. Both had illegal trials. Both were charged with blasphemy, and both were murdered outside the city. In Matthew 21:38, Jesus said the religious leaders wanted to kill Him to seize His inheritance:

“But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’” (Matthew 21:38)

Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him. (Mark 14:55–56)

“He has spoken blasphemy!…He is deserving of death.” (Matthew 26:65–66)

Jesus also…suffered outside the gate. (Hebrews 13:12)

We are told that Ahab reigned for a long 22 years. Here is a question that has no doubt plagued Bible believers throughout history: If Ahab was so evil and provoked God to anger more than any before him, why didn’t God just kill him instead of allowing him to continue doing evil? Why does God allow evil men and women to exist? Wicked dictators have slaughtered hundreds of millions throughout history, yet at the same time, they’ve enjoyed the warmth of the sun, the love of music, the blessing of having a family, and even a veggie garden. They continued to commit unspeakable atrocities, and Heaven remained silent.

It is a great mystery, but one partly answered by Scripture. The Bible tells us that Pharaoh was a cruel dictator, yet God used him for His purposes (see Exodus 9:16). He used the evil Joseph’s brothers committed for His own plan (see Genesis 50:20). The Bible also says that God’s ways are far above human ways. We cannot begin to understand the mind or purposes of God:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9)

But we do know this: when evil deeds are committed, God’s wrath is stored up and will eventually be made manifest on the Day of Judgment. When it comes to God’s judgment, it’s not a matter of if but of when. It is therefore wise not to question the moral character of God for allowing evil to exist. It’s wise not to accuse God of unfairness especially because we were once evil, and God mercifully held back His judgment from falling upon us and instead fell upon Christ (see Isaiah 53). Such thoughts are consoling to a humble heart. Our big takeaway from this evil couple is a solemn warning about how pride, idolatry, and injustice provoke the judgment of a holy God—who in the end will show that He will not be mocked (Galatians 6:7).

WILL THE F.B.I. PLEASE ARREST THESE PEOPLE!
THEY’RE INVOLVED IN TREASONOUS ACTIVITIES.
–J.B.–

What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of SINFUL FLESH,
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
–Romans 8:3 (KJV)–

WALK IN THE SPIRIT,
and ye shall not fulfil THE LUST OF THE FLESH.
–Galatians 5:16 (KJV)–

ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS,
which war against the soul.
–1 Peter 2:11 (KJV)–

I CHASTISE MY BODY, and bring it into subjection:
lest perhaps, when I have preached to others,
I myself should become a castaway.
–1 Corinthians 9:27 (Douay-Rheims)–

—

Every man knows that the sinner,
out of sympathy with God,
must be changed before
he can enjoy God’s presence and love.
Every man, unchanged by God’s grace,
knows himself to be a sinner
and not holy by nature.
–Charles Finney, “On Following Christ”–

—

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.
–The Articles of Religion,
VII. “Of Original or Birth Sin”–

—

A life worn out by endless reflections
Has shattered every single last hope of rising again
Has defied Your advise and counseling

The sinful nature causes a weak discipline
And drags me to the human frailtie’s grave

Self inflicted wounds
Innumerable false steps
Unforgivable mistakes repeated to a frightening degree
Gradually growing conscious of the habit-forming addiction
Through me all actions fail

The human weaknesses
Are once again at force
In unrecognizable shapes
New structures each time
Fragile symptoms constantly show new characteristic sides

I myself am weak, am nothing
Uncontrolled line of thought colors my manners
I know there is more to reach for
I know where strength is found
The overflowing, everlasting source
With You my maker

With You by my side
The safely directly journey
In me, around me, Your presence
Enriches, creates, gives life
You offer completeness
You are hope

–Extol, “Human Frailtie’s Grave”–

—

John Wesley, The Doctrine of Original Sin (Bristol, 1757).

Dr. Thomas C. Oden, John Wesley’s Scriptural Christianity (Zondervan, 1994), p. 155.