Goin' South . . .

I watched an old conference tape from 1996 held in Florida, sponsored by all the grace churches down there.

A preacher who I wish I had been able to know is Darryl Mefford. He died in 2004 of a sudden illness. He was only in his late 30s.

In this particular conference, focused on prayer, he said, “Every person born into this world has within themselves an internal witness to the fact that there is a God. Everybody has that understanding. Folks run around and say that they’re atheists and they’re this thing and they’re that thing but all they’re doin’ is lying. They’re lying to you and they’re lying to themselves. Everybody has that internal witness and they know this. God has put it inside of every man and they know this. They know there is a God, but you see what they do with that truth is verse 18: ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.’

“They take the truth and they suppress it. They take the truth and they bury it and they push it aside and they don’t want to hear it and they don’t want to recognize it.

“As you look out into the creation you clearly have a witness, a testimony from God Almighty that He’s there and that He’s the Creator and men know this as they look out and they see the creation and they view it.

“I like to tell people all the time; Hank Williams Jr. has got that song, ‘If heaven ain’t a lot like Dixie than I don’t want to go.’ Somebody said the other day, ‘I never been to Tennessee,’ and I said, ‘You saved the best for last, ain’t you?’ When folks from Florida come to Tennessee they want to move there.

“You look out at the beautiful creation that God has made and you see a testimony of Himself to man and men know this, but what men do is they suppress it, and they hide it, and they develop all kinds of systems and things to suppress this knowledge that they know, and to put it aside and not have to think about it and not have to recognize God but you notice He says, ‘So they’re without excuse.’

“Folks think that them there over in Africa and places like that; they’re these innocent things but you know, folks, they’re not innocent, they’re not without excuse. They have this witness within themselves-- they have that external witness. They know there’s a God but they suppress that truth and hold within unrighteousness.

“He says, ‘Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.’

“They know God. They know Him. They become vain in their imaginations, in their thinking, in their thoughts and ideals. They become vain and that’s what always happens when you reject truth.

“When light is given--and God gives light and men reject it--then they’re going to stumble into darkness. That’s always the result.  Notice their foolish heart is darkened and they change God ‘into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.’

“They live their life in the vanity of their mind. That’s those vain imaginations . . .  Folks, that sword of the Spirit you’ve got there will go into men’s hearts and will cast down those imaginations and will open their hearts and cause them to understand! It will cause them to understand their lost estate and show them the Savior who loved them and went to the Cross of Calvary and suffered and died and fully paid their sin debt and offers them a free gift.”