Diminish Not A Word
©FOUNDATION MAGAZINE, July-August 1973
[FOUNDATION is published by the Fundamental Evangelistic Association in
Los Osos, California. It is free to those who regularly support the FEA ministry.
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WHEN GOD SPEAKS, He wants people to hear all of
His message-not a revised, altered, edited, abbreviated, watered down version. God told
Jeremiah to "...Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak unto all the
cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words that I command
thee to speak unto them: diminish not a word" (Jeremiah 26:2). Most people did
not want to hear what God said, but God wanted them to hear it anyway. Had Jeremiah toned
down the message to make it more acceptable to men, it would not have been acceptable to
God. If anyone thinks the fundamentalist position and message is too strong, then that
person should make his complaint to God Himself. We as fundamentalists are only seeking to
stand where He has told us to stand and to say what He has told us to say. The truth of
the matter is that confusion abounds in the church today simply because too many pastors
have "diminished the Word of God" to avoid defending their constituency. People
need to hear God's message-not a computerized, psychologically phrased substitute. We are
told that the Gospel must be attractively presented so we must not use the words
"hell," "born again," and "redeemed." Yet Jesus Christ
warned about hell and said that people need to be saved, born again, redeemed-and that is
the message He gave us to preach. Diminish not a word.
Billy Graham Crusades, Key '73 Evangelism, Campus Crusade and other ecumenical
evangelistic programs are leading thousands of God's people right into the ecumenical
movement and many pastors are silent about these issues. The Far Eastern Broadcasting
Association will not take any broadcast which deals with controversial issues. Similar
policies are followed by many other Christian radio stations and groups. Jeremiah could
never have preached God's message on these stations. He spoke too plainly on controversial
issues. People were offended. But, friends, Jeremiah spoke the Word of God and he was
under orders to "diminish not a word."
Needed today, more Jeremiahs who will proclaim the gospel and cry aloud against sin in
the court of the Lord's house-and diminish not a word!
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