BARBITURISM - POISONING CAUSED BY USE OF A BARBITURATE
Compton’s Encyclopedia says, “Several types of chemicals induce sleep and cause intoxication. These chemicals also cause physical and psychological dependence. The group includes ethyl alcohol, barbiturates, methaqualone, and many related sedatives. Barbiturates, also known as downers, may be prescribed by doctors for insomnia and tension. It is very easy to become addicted to them, and they cause severe depression. Those taking barbiturates can easily lose track of how many they have taken. This can lead to a fatal overdose.” You have probably heard of these drugs and possibly known someone affected by them. In a spiritual sense we may be drugged like this as well. Satan wants nothing more than to destroy the church and all Christians, and to do that he will use any means necessary. One interesting thing about these drugs is that the person taking them often doesn’t realize the effects until it is too late.

Satan puts us to sleep with his drugs and if he can give us enough we slip into a coma and eventually die a spiritual death. Sin in our life is one of those drugs that the devil gives us, but Paul says that Jesus has the cure. (Eph 5:14) “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Complacency and indifference to the cause of Christ, the true cause of Christ (reaching the lost), are both symptoms of an overdose of Satan’s drugs. We may be involved in lots of activities related to the Social Gospel, but we may be neglecting the essential part of Christianity. Many churches today fit this description. It sounds a lot like the church in Sardis as described by John, (Rev 3:1-2) ”And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. {2} Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” Satan had the whole church at the brink of death and they were going along like nothing was wrong.

If we think that we can live as part of the world and still be pleasing to God we are truly intoxicated by sin. Paul tells Timothy the same thing concerning widows. Even though specifically aimed toward widows it applies to all of us, (1 Tim 5:6) “But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” We need to check ourselves regularly with the Great Physician to be sure that we are not under the influence of Satan’s barbiturates.

BARBARISM - A BARBAROUS OR UNCIVILIZED STATE OR CONDITION
We live in a civilized land and of course, consider ourselves to be civilized. Oddly enough though, we often do things that the barbarian would never do. Let’s be realistic the heathen of the South American or African jungle would never even think of doing some of the things we do in this civilized country. When was the last time you heard of a barbarian killing his wife and their children and then fighting off others for hours before finally taking his own life. It happens several times a year in this country. Even though the barbarians as we call them will fight viciously against an enemy tribe, they do not make a habit of fighting among themselves like we do. Even those battles between tribes with spears and bows and knives over such petty things as tribal boundaries can't compare with our civilized wars with guns, tanks, bombers and missiles.

Spiritually we find some of those same human weaknesses in us as Christians. While the barbarian would shout a warning or possibly even physically intervene to stop a companion from going over the edge of a cliff, we are too civilized to do that. Everyday somewhere around 8 - 10 million people die in this world and the vast majority of them do it outside of Christ. Right near us the local papers are filled with obituaries of people who have stepped off the cliff into the great eternal abyss, and what are we doing about it? Nothing. How barbaric. We haven’t seen the worst yet. There are often Christians who begin drifting away from Christ in one way or another, and do we help hold onto them to bring them back? Do we even shout a warning to them? The fact is that in many cases we help push them off the edge. It happens with the new Christian who doesn’t say or do something just right and instead of exhorting them to continue to grow and encouraging their willingness to try, we jump on them and condemn them for not knowing everything we know. Or we see someone do something and immediately tell everyone in the congregation how wrong they were for what they did instead of going to them. In neither of these cases do we ever think that it has taken us a number of years to grow beyond the stage this individual is. In neither of these cases do we stop to first examine our own life, attitude, and motives.

I wish I could say I never faltered in this area. I know as well as you do how difficult it is to have the courage to say or do something, and how much more difficult it is to be sure to say or do the RIGHT thing. We don’t have the ability to see others’ hearts and minds to know just what will get through to them the way Jesus could, but we do each have the ability to look at our own lives and attitudes and to control the way we react. If we will go as we should the blood of those going over the cliff will not be on our hands, but if we fail to warn them we will be to some degree responsible. (Ezek 33:7-9) “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. {8} When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. {9} Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”

Are you your brother’s keeper? If not you should be.

BAPTISM OF FIRE - (SPIRITUAL SANCTIFICATION AS A GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT)
REALLY, HELL
(Mat 3:10-12) And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {11} I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: {12} Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Luke 3:16-17) John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: {17} Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

Even the casual reader can see that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire are not the same thing. Judging from the context it becomes clear that being baptized (immersed) in fire is not something one should be desiring. The fire described in these verses brings a vivid picture of destruction, not blessing.

We may fall into a dangerous trap (like those who pray for a baptism of fire) of asking for something without fully understanding what we are asking to receive. James and John did this, (Mark 10:36-40) “And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? {37} They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. {38} But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? {39} And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: {40} But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.” One of the stages of Jesus’ glory was the cross and without doubt the Sons of Thunder didn’t want to be on Jesus’ right and left for that. They were looking for honor, but Jesus reminded them that true honor comes with a price much higher than anyone wants to pay and higher than some are willing to pay.

The old adage is valid here, “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” When we pray we need to be sure we are not praying selfishly or without heed to God’s will. We often pray for God to keep a loved one who is suffering alive. If that individual is a faithful Christian, we may be praying for the wrong thing. It may be time for that saint to depart to be with the Lord. Let’s all strive to think of the consequences before we ask, and always be willing to submit to God’s will knowing that He knows best.

BAPTISM - A CEREMONIAL IMMERSION IN WATER, OR APPLICATION OF WATER, AS A RITE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
There you have it, A dictionary definition. Obviously the Bible and we are wrong, baptism doesn’t have to be an immersion, but just any application of water will do. I guess this has to fall into the “don’t believe everything you read” category. The dictionary explains quite accurately how the word is used in religious circles today, but not the true meaning of the word. If just any application of water would do, why does the Bible always have examples of people going down into the water? I mean let’s face it water is not nearly as abundant in that part of the world as it is down here in Alabama where I live. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to just put a dab on the forehead, or maybe sprinkle a few drops or pour just a cup? It would have been much more logical by human standards, but not by God’s. Paul explains it admirably when he says “we are BURIED with Christ by baptism” and “we are PLANTED” Romans 6:4-5 (Emphasis mine). When was the last time you saw something buried or planted without being fully covered over with dirt or whatever substance was being used? I can honestly say I can’t remember ever experiencing that.

There are two other problems associated with baptism. One extreme says that it is not a necessary part of our salvation, and many brethren are falling for this one. The other extreme puts baptism forth as a cure all and focuses on this one step of God’s plan to the exclusion of other equally important aspects of salvation. We can realize without even turning to scripture that there is more to baptism than just being submerged in water. People do that when they go swimming or deep sea diving. Have these people been baptized? We can also understand that God does not command anything that isn’t necessary. Most obviously, we see that baptism alone is not enough. What does the Word of God say about it?

(Col 2:12) “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” The effectiveness of baptism is in the operation of God and our faith in that operating ability.

(1 Pet 3:20-21) “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. {21} The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” Baptism does save us contrary to what many teach. There is nothing special about the water or the process, other than the fact that baptism by immersion in water is what God expects and demands as a prerequisite to being his child. Jesus said concerning marriage, “What God hath joined let no man put asunder”. God has joined salvation, forgiveness, and adoption with baptism. Why does man try so hard to separate them?

Many scriptures point to other parts of God’s plan for salvation. Many of those scriptures that emphasize the essentiality of baptism also point to the fact that it can’t stand alone. “He believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Mark 16:16; “repent and be baptized every one of you”. Some live as though they think baptism washed away past, present and future sins at the point of baptism, and so they make no attempt to even change their life. Baptism is a burial of the old, sinful man who has been put to death. The sad thing is that many never killed him. They just knocked him out for a little while, and they didn’t bury him deep enough to keep him buried. Don’t let the sinful man resurrect himself in your life.