Wisdom of the Elders of Zion - Gems of Genesis

WISDOM FROM THE ELDERS OF ZION

‘Gems from Genesis’

All of the tenets of God’s revelations are found in the book of Genesis.  Maybe not in detail, but a journey through the 66 books of the bible reveals for us the foundational truths of all of God’s revelations.

Foremost of all the greatest truths is God’s plan for man’s reconciliation unto himself.  Most bible believers believe that all of us were born sinners by virtue of Adam’s fall.  Ironically, Calvinists and Armenians alike agree on this point.  Through no fault of our own, we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity.  This is a fact shrouded in mystery, but, corroborated throughout scripture.  Modernists do not accept this doctrine, but when they get a glimpse of the full story, their beliefs are likely to change. 

How God dealt with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, is rich in every aspect of theology.  It must be stated emphatically that the account of their redemption offers no evidence of any act on the part of Adam as a contributory factor to his redemption.  Salvation wholly is a work of grace.

You will notice that when Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness, following their act of disobedience, they immediately hid themselves and tried to cover their nakedness by a fig leaf covering. 

This story is a perfect picture of humanity when sinful awareness becomes real.  There are just two ways of reaction when sinful awareness becomes paramount.  We either attempt to excuse or cover ourselves by some form of human ingenuity which of course is a tragic situation.  On the other hand, like Adam, we should become profoundly ashamed.  When sin is exposed, it becomes a distasteful act, which of course, grieves the heart of God.  His heart is filled with tears, but mankind is oblivious to this fact, because of the hardness of our hearts. 

It is at this point that God’s spirit leads us to the only alternative we have if we expect to be accepted into His family as redeemed souls; and that is to pray the sinner’s prayer.  (Luke 18:9-14).  That simple prayer will ring the bells of heaven as no other, and that is why with authority that Jesus could say “I am the way, the truth and the light.” 

Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Catholicism and even some parts of Protestantism  are all centered around the performance of some earthly deed as a requirement for entrance into that celestial city.  They cannot fathom the meaning of that simple “Sinner’s Prayer.”  Only God, thru Christ Jesus, understands the cry of the penitent sinner.  A successful soul winner sticks to this simple “Sinner’s Prayer”.  Herein lies the inside story of a phenomenal ministry that happened seventy years ago in Fort Worth, Texas under J. Frank Norris.  This hymn that we sing tells the whole story … “Ring The Bells of Heaven”.

By Roy Falls

Two Lone Voices Crying In the Wilderness

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Unlike David Stokes, Roy Falls, knew the "REAL" J. Frank Norris.  Roy Falls speaks from first-hand experience.  David Stokes' account is a cobbled patchy rendition of J. Frank Norris' life ..... gleamed from heresay opinions. 

Roy Falls

We can ... "SET OUR SAILS"

We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.
- G. Campbell Morgan

When I read this quote from G. Campbell Morgan, my first thought was this…. a concern about the condition of the world in which we live … a day and time of apostasy, as nowadays we do not see a whole host of fervent soul-winners. I take the words "can set our sails" to mean we as Christians can (and should) do God's work, by going out into the highways and byways to reach lost souls.

Those lost souls become NEW Christians...those new Christians give testimonies and the soul-winners themselves give testimonies and as a result, the atmosphere becomes charged with the holy spirit.....which has been blown down as wind from Heaven and caught with our sails.

If this were to become a prevalent thing....and the testimonies never died off….a perennial revival would be born. But it has to start with me, you ...just one ... repeating the story over and over again. As the chorus of the old hymn entitled “Tell It Again” rings loudly the message:

"Tell it Again, Tell It Again,
Salvation Story Repeat o'er and o'er
till none can say of the children of men
nobody ever has told me (the story) before."

Furthermore, a lot of the churches have become a social club. Church should be for the unsaved, not just the saved. Jesus said the harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few. Let us go out, find the lost and “bring in those sheaves” … we can set our sails.

Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.

By Gail Hawkins, daughter of Roy Falls

If You Don't Want To Be Slandered ... Do Nothing

The title of the latest book on J. Frank Norris, by David Stokes, is called “The Shooting Salvationist”, which is a mischaracterization of J. Frank Norris.

These words, “The Shooting Salvationist”, are meant to demean the legacy of J. Frank Norris. So if any of you out there want to avoid being slandered and labeled a Shooting Salvationist….just adopt the following creed:



1. Just be a timid soul and look the other way when you see corruption
already all around you.

2. Just stifle your conscience and look the other way when God’s name is
abased.

3. Suppress your convictions and pretend a “holier than thou attitude”

4. Do not trouble yourself when you hear the cry of suffering humanity.

5. Maintain a life of ease and comfort.

6. Do nothing significant lest you incur the jealousy of the indolent.

7. Just sit on the sidelines while others win the prize.

8. Never challenge the evil giants and just let evil prevail.


By Roy Falls



The following song was often heard at the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas, during the J. Frank Norris era.


AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?

Sure I must fight if I would reign,
Increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

CHORUS:
And when the battle’s over
We shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown!
And when the battle’s over
We shall wear a crown
In the new Jerusalem.
Wear a crown, wear a crown,
Wear a bright and shining crown,
And when the battle’s over
We shall wear a crown
In the new Jerusalem.


There was never a choir that sang with such heartfelt emotion, as was the case of the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth in it’s heyday.

This is one of the reasons why the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth became such a phenomenal influence. The Fundamental Movement is still alive and well today…all across the United States because of the legacy of J. Frank Norris.

Wisdom From The Learned Elders of Zion

God’s Word Never Changes Insofar as Bedrock Principles are Concerned

Isaiah 40:8 … The Word of God shall stand forever


There is least one distinct difference between the wisdom of the Word and the ever-changing thoughts of worldly wisdom. The world changes, sometimes for the good, but also for the bad because of a lack of acquiring heavenly wisdom. In the world of geo-politics, we once had G-20 Summit conferences, in which nations could cooperate with one another for the benefit of all concern. In time these G-20 nations was narrowed to G-2, and now we have reached a low of G-0, simply because of the complexity of events.

It is almost impossible to know what policies are best and most desirable. This dilemma is in keeping with “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my word shall not pass away.”

The theme running throughout the entire 66 books in the bible is the same for every generation. The person who reveres the bible and researches it’s content, can receive strength for every occasion. His mind is transfixed and his hope is steadfast.

So God declares, “Let the heathen rage,” the Christian can rest assured his redemption is sure to come. Even if the pathway is strewn with pitfalls, rest assured, he who rules the universe will never leave us, nor forsake us. One look upon the Savior’s face will suffice to erase all the heartaches left behind. I remember Mordecai Hamm quoting from one of his favorite hymns … “the toils of the road will seem nothing when we get to the end of the way.” It was the Apostle Paul who said, “None of these earthly distractions move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself.” He was referring to the prevalence of moral decay even in his day.

And we can be assured, as was in the day of the Saints of old, when the hour of despair overtakes us, God has a way of turning evil into good. The history of the old testament Israelites is a living example of God’s providential care.

Like Job of old, we too can say, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the later day upon the earth.” Scanning through the scriptures, we cannot help but see the folly of seeking pleasure in this life at the risk of losing our soul. The highest mountain peak of all is when we shall get a glimpse of the glorious day when Christ shall reign over all the earth.

The gathering storm, as Winston Churchill used to say, prior to World War II, what we see at this present time is but a prelude to events preceding the coming Kingdom. Judgment precedes victory and is made plain to us as we recall sacred pasts.

What I have given you is a short rendition of the 39 books of the Old Testament. In coming weeks, I hope to take a leisurely walk through all 66 books of the Bible. The title of which I have named Wisdom From The Learned Elders of Zion

Repeating again, thy word shall never fail, likewise, Jesus never fails. This song tells it all.


By Roy Falls

A Most Disturbing Conversation

I recently engaged in a conversation with a person, who by all appearances, possessed all of the characteristics you would expect to hear from a Christian.

What disturbed me was when this person stated that “Our church does not preach that old Hell-Fire and damnation kind of religion”.

This kind of mentality is dangerous. First of all it:


1. Emanates from the first lie that was ever uttered
from the heart of Satan himself.
a. Satan had persuaded Eve that God did not
know what he was talking about.

2. Even if only 10% of the Bible is truth, that would
be enough to be concerned about the life to come.
In eternity, no one will be able to come back and
relive their life. There is just too much evidence
at our disposal, “for how shall we escape if we
neglect so great a salvation”.

3. Proverbs tells us that the “fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom.” If there is no hell,
then why is death such a frightful event?


All God-fearing people are appreciative of the fact that God is merciful, not willing that “any should perish”. That is why God has made ample provisions enabling us to escape the place called hell.

When God hears the heartfelt “Sinner’s Prayer” it echoes all over Heaven and it is the language He understands well. But, the sinner’s prayer for mercy is like a foreign language to any purported god of the universe. False gods are simply incapable of filling the vacuum in the human heart. Their message is simply lacking and cannot unlock the mysteries.

The scoffers mock and boast of their good works, but minus the humble admission of one's sinful condition and plea for mercy, none shall escape the damnation of the doomed.

Therefore, I plead for each one listening to my simple message “Flee to the rock, which is able to shield you from the coming storm.

Lord, I pray you will take my simple message, use it to draw lost souls to you. Amen


By Roy Falls

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Credible Witnesses of the Character of J. Frank Norris

My videos are produced in conjunction with the J. Frank Norris Historical Society.

By way of information to each of you, since August of 2010, our videos have been viewed by approximately 5000 viewers.

I assure you that my aim is to be factual and accurate on every occasion. Today, I want to give you names of persons, all of whom I knew very well, and whose credibility is beyond dispute. These are the names of people I refer to:

Brooks Morris
Lorene Rains
Bob Wood Edmonson
Charlie Brazelton

A question I would like to pose to all of those in past decades and also at this present time ....

1. Why were these people not interviewed as to the
character of J. Frank Norris in numerous biographies
2. You may say these people are dead and long gone
out of the picture
3. My answer is .... I'm not dead .... (Gail, do I look like
I'm dead?) ... I can vouch safe of what these four
people related to me about the man J. Frank Norris.


Brooks Morris was Choir Director of the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth for 28 years. He was founder and Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Using his Stradivarius violin, Mr. Brooks Morris taught violin lessons to the"Whos Who" elite of Fort Worth society.

a. He related to me that J Frank Norris was the
most honorable and and decent man he ever knew.

Lorene Rains, whose name has long been forgotten, was Norris' personal secretary for about 28 years. She was not even a member of the First Baptist Church. Outside of the Norris family, Lorene Rains knew more about the personal life of J. Frank Norris than any of his associates. In my interview of her...she said to me..... J. Frank Norris was a "Gentlemen's Gentleman".

Miss Bob Wood Edmonson, English textbook author for the state of Texas, was a devoted member of the First Baptist Church. There was never a more honorable person than Miss Edmonson. She was Dr. Norris confidant. During my interview of Miss Edmonson....I remember her quoting to me Dr. Norris' quote: "Miss Edmonson...... I want you to listen to every word I say in my sermons and correct me if at any time my English is not correct." She was my teacher at Paschal in 1936.

Mr. Charlie Brazelton, was Vice President of the Fort Worth National Bank. His comments to me were: J. Frank Norris my dearest friend. Charlie’s wife was a teenager when Norris became pastor in 1909.

Now, looking at the negative side, which the pundits have used to misinform the inquisitors.

Quoting from the late Dr. Criswell: (this was a summarization of all of what Norris’ critics have said) "J. Frank Norris had a dark side". He, Dr. Criswell, of course has passed on, but to those who echo Dr. Criswell's sentiment, my challenge is this .....

Be specific, if you can, and present convincing evidence of this so-called "dark side". I will give you equal time on my video to all who challenge me. Write to Roy Falls, Comanche Chapel, Granbury, Tx.

I defend J. Frank Norris because he was the greatest personal soul-winner of his generation. Why not learn from a man who accomplished so much.

By Roy Falls

Lorene Rains, (left) Secretary to Dr. J. Frank Norris (right)