Winkiepedia

What is the purpose of Sabbath? It is a covenantal reminder that all we have flows from God and all we do is to be for God. The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. It is not primarily a legal restriction but a relational opportunity. It is not for God’s sake, but for ours; for a single day it boundaries all labor apart from that which rests, refreshes and replenishes our lives. It hallows forever the necessity of periodic release from pressure, and reminds us recreation is in a real way a re-creation.

The consequence of working seven days without rest or respite results in death. Though the execution of legal national penalty is no longer in effect, the inescapable principle remains; when people and their livelihoods, industries and companies begin to prematurely die, much of this needless suffering and loss will trace back to attempted violations of what is unchangeable. Without a sacred break, you habituate acceleration to burn out.

~Winkie Pratney
     Spiritual Vocations

Work is not a curse but a sacred calling. It was not given us as either a liability or limitation but as a holy right and responsibility. The curse that came to the first family for sinning was not that they would have to work but what work they did would now become ensnared in extra effort and a burden within a blessing. Whatever your work, there will be powers and principalities set to make all your needed effort troublesome and tiring.

~Winkie Pratney
     Spiritual Vocations

In Modernism, miracles also are suspect if not “impossible.” Forced to deny plain words of the Scriptures that expose and condemn all natural man’s selfish actions, the Modernist has to question ALL Scripture that does not agree with his life. The God’s Divine Directory becomes a book “written by man” full of “mistakes.” Its plain demands become “Misinterpretations.” Modernism joins Satan by asking “Has God said?” when He very plainly HAS! (Genesis 3:1). 

This philosophy tries to take the supernatural from Scripture and society, undermining faith in God and His Word. Here, the Bible is not our absolute guide for life under the light of God’s Holy Spirit. A Modernist rethinks truth in a way that clouds Christ’s clear commands. He makes darkened reason, not intelligent trust in the Word of a wise and holy God, his rule. Subtle changes in understanding of truth, double-thinking, and silence on issues that clarify sin are all marks of Modernism.

~Winkie Pratney
     Youth Aflame 2.0

Jesus did not promise all His followers popularity, but LIFE. We need only to remember that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4; John 15:18-19; 1 John 2:15). Men who conform to the world will not change it. Early Christians were often deeply hated, despised, and persecuted. Some were even murdered, but the Gospel spread; “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” Ten of the twelve disciples died violently for their Lord. Jesus Himself said, “The world will hate you because I am not of the world.”

~Winkie Pratney
     Youth Aflame 2.0

The Gospel has built-in power to change society. Society is simply a lot of separate people living together and no one can change people like God. To alter the living conditions of people is really only a useful side-issue. The Bible shows us that changing social conditions alone will not necessarily change the ultimate choice of a man or woman’s heart. Environment only influences our decisions, never creates them. We are much more than our food, houses and books. Giving selfish people better homes or nicer food will not transform their natures; they will simply be more refined sinners. If we center our hearts on God, our life will change deeply enough to affect both our living conditions and our world, but simply moving a man’s home will not move his heart.

~Winkie Pratney
     Youth Aflame 2.0

There are serious flaws in the good deeds philosophy mentioned under Humanism. Jesus taught a life of good works not FOR salvation, but as a natural result of His own inner transformation of our hearts. True Christians do good flowing from the love that is a consecration to the highest good of God and His Universe, in glad service for their Heavenly Father John 9:4-5). Jesus too, was moved with compassion by human need. But He did not come merely to start relief programs. He had the ability to supply food for others. He fed multitudes, BUT always did these miracles within a limit of spiritual response. He wanted to meet the needs of the whole man. In fact, He distrusted those who followed Him for the supply of physical need alone (John 6:26).

~Winkie Pratney 
     Youth Aflame 2.0

We cannot just TEACH man to be good. Today’s highly educated generation are only smarter sinners. The city killer is no less evil than the jungle head-hunter. Both have selfish hearts, expressed in more or less educated ways. Our conscience needs to be cleared and reawakened; we need forgiveness and cleansing from our past; we need a force inside of us to guard our hearts and minds as a block to future wrong. We need power to live above ourselves and not be a slave to selfishness. God, by the Holy Spirit, can do this. He can point out what man without God cannot see — the “exceeding sinfulness of sin” (Romans 7:13). A pig in a sty cannot tell what a “clean” home is like. It has a wrong idea of “clean” in the mud. Only God can show us both our wrong and conquer it. He wins our rebel hearts by His great love, then takes up His own home in our lives by His Holy Spirit (Revelation 3:20; Ephesians 3:17).

~Winkie Pratney
     Youth Aflame 2.0

Modernism grows out of religious humanism. A Modernist lives by his feelings like other selfish people, but the desires that may seem to move him most are the needs of the sick, uneducated, poor and hungry. And who is not touched by human need? How noble such efforts seem, even when a man merely uses human plight to gratify his selfishness or appease his conscience. What a tragedy that such deeds of giving can be used as excuses for not doing the first thing God asks of a man; surrender to Christ. Although Modernism has attempted many needed relief and social programs that have been of help to the world, it has helped keep alive a terrible lie, that man can make it to perfection and purity on his own.

~Winkie Pratney
     Youth Aflame 2.0

Humanists try to deny or ignore sin. To justify themselves they may do many “good works.” These may seem acceptable in the sight of men, but God searches the heart and sees our real motives. All of our works will be exposed by the light of Heaven. We all know deep inside that “it is appointed to man once to die, and after death the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27; Acts 17:31). Psychiatry can at best EXPOSE the CAUSE of our guilt, leaving psychology to make an attempt to help us live with it. But none of our studies can REMOVE it. Only the Law-Giver Himself can pardon; only the blood of Christ shed “for the forgiveness of many” can rescue us through God’s conditions of our repentance and trust.

~Winkie Pratney  
     Youth Aflame 2.0

A Humanist’s answer is not real. It does not account for the disgusting dictatorship of sin in the human heart. Good FUTURE deeds (even if made from the right motives) cannot cancel out bad ones. If wrong has been done, the penalty of God’s broken law must function. God must be strictly fair. His justice cannot simply excuse, for instance, a murderer on his promise of some future behavior. Selfishness unchecked would murder God’s Universe.

~Winkie Pratney 
     Youth Aflame 2.0