05/31/23 BUILD ON THE ROCK

05/31/23 BUILD ON THE ROCK
(understanding infallibility)

BUILD ON THE ROCK
(understanding infallibility)

All teachings of all Christian leaders and all Christian groups (movements, denominations, conventions, assemblies, synods, conferences) must be considered as no more than human attempts to understand God and His word. All men, their teaching, their organizations and their followers are fallible. They can and do make mistakes and sometimes deliberately promote that which is clearly contrary to God's word.

This does not mean that all men deliberately promote that which they know to be error. But all men are fallible, that is they are subject to error. This includes the Prophets and Apostles who were infallible while they were inspired, guided supernaturally by the Holy Spirit, as they communicated the revelation of God. However, these men (including Moses, David, Solomon, Matthew, John, Paul) were subject to error when they were not being infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit. Since no one (other than the Bible Prophets and Apostles), is beyond or above the possibility of error, and in fact should be expected to make error; we should not hold to them or their teachings as if they are God's infallible word. Infallibility is possible only to the all wise, all knowing God and it is communicated only to those holy men of old, at God's appointed time, for God's appointed purpose. 

None of the Church's extra Biblical leaders have ever been infallible and therefore it is expected that they have made mistakes. Entire portions of God's revelation, which had been lost or rejected by the post-Apostolic "Church," needed to be rediscovered. This has been an ongoing reality throughout the history of the Church. Many great Biblical truths were rediscovered during the Reformation, but the leaders of the Reformation were not infallible. Other Church leaders, preachers, theologians, Biblical scholars have rediscovered great truths, but it is a mistake to think they recovered and rediscovered all that had been lost, or that they articulated eternal truth infallibly.

I appreciate godly men who have focused on specific areas of truth (Theology, hamartiology, soteriology, ecclesiology, eschatology, linguistics, history, culture, hermeneutics, missiology, angelology, etc.), but they have only been fallible men commenting on God's infallible revelation. Seek and accept truth, but always stand on the Bible.

All other ground is sinking sand.

05/30/23 LET GOD BE TRUE...

05/30/23 LET GOD BE TRUE...

This is a quote from a letter, which Martin Luther wrote to Philip Melanchthon (Luther's theologian).
"...It suffices that through God’s glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins?..."

In fact, Luther also made the comment, "sin boldly."

Regardless any attempt to explain this comment, it still says what it says and unless Luther corrected this at a later date, it is a license to sin. Sadly, what should have been the Reformed Movement by returning to the Bible, became the Deformed Movement because if followed mere men.

It is not only unfortunate that he made such a blasphemous statement, it has been the confession of faith for millions of people who were led astray by his false doctrine.

Never exchange Divine truth for human "wisdom."
Never follow a blind man, no matter how popular or educated or respected he is by other people.

05/30/23 GUARD YOUR TREASURE

05/30/23 GUARD YOUR TREASURE

If someone tells you God does not love all sinners,
If someone tells you Christ did not die for all sinners,
If someone tells you God does not save whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord,
If someone tells you God does not save and cleanse from all sin in this present evil world,
If someone tells you believers, followers of Christ cannot be and live a life of purity, holiness, righteousness, 

Then you should not listen to that person, since he is denying the clear revelation of God and replacing it with corrupted human religion.

False teaching has always been around, but false teaching, false teachers, false prophets and false Christs are going to be the most telling sign of the end times.

Now is the time to get out of false religion. Don't let someone convince you that their "knowledge" of God's word is greater than God's clearly revealed word itself.

Salvation that does not save from sin is not salvation; it is counterfeit.

05/30/23 BIBLICAL BASICS TO SALVATION

05/30/23 BIBLICAL BASICS TO SALVATION

God sets the standards.
God provides the means.
God reveals our need and His provision.
God convicts of sin.
God calls us to repentance.

We choose to accept or reject.
God chooses those who believe.
God regenerates, justifies, forgives, cleanses, enlightens, leads, empowers those who believe and follow.

We either continue in the Lord, continue in faith, continue in grace, stand fast, walk in the light, abide in the vine, build ourselves up in the holy faith, keep ourselves in the love of God, separate ourselves from the world and separate ourselves to God,
or
We will fail of grace and fall from grace, we will become entangled again in the pollution of this world, we will be deceived and we will become a slave to sin again.

God gives us growing grace and knowledge as we read, pray and obey, which enables us to make our calling and election sure.

05/29/23 CHOOSE WISELY

05/29/23 CHOOSE WISELY

The fully convinced pagan follows his god fully, eagerly exterminating the children of the Living God.

The fully convinced Christian follows the True and Living God fully, 'til the extinguishing of his own life, in serving God and loving our enemies.

Then there are the people who love themselves, love pleasure, love the praise of men, love worldly position and honor, love the world and the things of the world but do not love God.

Jude refers to them as...
Jude 1:12-14
12 ... spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Jude tell us that Enoch, in the days before the world wide flood, prophesied of the people with misplaced love:
Jude 1:14-16
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.

We have a choice today. We will either be committed to the god of this world or committed to our own advancement or committed to the will and work of God.

Choose ye this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, will serve the the Lord.

05/29/23 IT IS A WARNING AND A PROMISE

05/29/23 IT IS A WARNING AND A PROMISE

God did not call believers, the Church, to take up the arm of flesh, to fight with carnal weapons, to kill our enemies, but neither do we cower back, pretending to be valiant warriors (waving a sword of steel), while our children are being offered to the god of this world.

But the enemies of righteousness should seek and surrender to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, because when He comes back, as King of kings, He will tread the winepress of the wrath of God, and justice will finally reign.

05/29/23 BE DOERS OF HIS WORD AND WORK

05/29/23 BE DOERS OF HIS WORD AND WORK

Someone wisely said, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

A poet penned the following words,
"For all sad words of tongue and pen,
The saddest are these, 'It might have been.' "
God's word says... 

Romans 2:12-16
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.  

James 1:19-27
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

2 Corinthians 6:1-3
1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.

Ephesians 5:14-21
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

05/29/23 BE SURE TO CONTINUE IN THE FAITH

05/29/23 BE SURE TO CONTINUE IN THE FAITH

In my Sunday Bible Class I pointed out that though Abraham is known as the Father of the Faithful and although the Bible refers to him three times as the "Friend of God," he was not flawless in his life.

When God called him to leave his homeland and most of his family ties in Ur, he obeyed, though he did not know where he was actually going. He must be commended for his obedience and trust in God. After he had lived for a while in Haran, God called Abram to leave his home and other family members, to travel down to the land of Canaan. Again Abram obeyed.

As he followed God, he pitched his tent, dug wells and built altars. He was living the life of faith faithfulness. Then he faced a famine.

There is no record that he sought God's will and no record that God directed him to leave the area, but Abram took his family and went to Egypt.

This appears to have been an act of fear and the flesh rather than an act of faith. In fact, the fear factor grew even greater and the disobedience became more pronounce when he got to Egypt. He lied about his relationship with Sarai. The Pharaoh knew enough moral truth from his Noahic background and/or as it was written on his heart, to not take another man's wife. He confronted Abram and Abram returned to the place God designated. He not only returned to the location, he returned to the altar and resumed his walk with God.

There were other occasions that Abram distrusted and disobeyed God. He trusted in the flesh for an heir (appointing his servant and then through Hagar having his child). And, for a second time he feared a king and lied about his relationship with Sarai.

My point is not to demean Abram, though there was no excuse for such disobedience and failure. My point is that after his failures Abram would return to a faith relationship. It was in his faith walk that God called Abraham His friend.

When faced with the greatest challenge of his life, Abraham was called by God to offer his son, his only son, whom he loved. 

Abraham not only offered Isaac, he got up early in the morning, packed up his gear and headed up the mountain with Isaac. Fully planning on making a complete sacrifice of his son, Abraham knew that God would restore Isaac's life because he told his servants that he and Isaac would return from their sacrificial errand.

My point in this lesson was to encourage folks NOT TO FALTER, but if the do falter, DON'T HESITATE TO REPENT. Though Abraham is a man among men and though he has an exalted place among the godly, the fact is that we have more spiritual benefits than he had.

We have the written word of God.
We have the heritage of Old and New Testament miracles, prophecies, teaching and the model of godly believers.
We have the record of the life of Christ.
We have the fellowship of the present day church.
We have the fullness and cleansing and constantly abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

We should walk in such a way that God is pleased with us and in such a way that He is not ashamed of us, but rather, that He calls us His friends. 

1 John 2:1-6
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 

1 John 3:22-24
22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 

Hebrews 2:10-18
10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You."
13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me."
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.
17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

05/29/23 NO MORE FENCE STRADDLING

05/29/23 NO MORE FENCE STRADDLING

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country by abandoning the aim of any anti-family, anti-Bible, anti-Christian Political Platform.

Renounce and Denounce

05/27/23 DON'T PUT IT OFF ANY LONGE...

05/27/23 DON'T PUT IT OFF ANY LONGE...

Even in my advanced years, I am still amazed by those who have the advantage of knowing the way of God, but choose to follow their own futile way instead. God's way is the only way of true love, joy, peace, fulfillment, success, but they choose the dark path that leads to eternal destruction.

When people wait too long to surrender to Jesus, they often are unable to surrender to Him. Years of pride, resentment, doubt, anger, failure, disbelief pile up between them and God.

It is not that God cannot forgive and deliver them, but rather, that they cannot overcome their own barriers. Rejection has an accumulative effect.

Then of course, there is always the possibility that the end of a person's life comes suddenly, without the opportunity to make things right with God.

A person will want to repent the moment he wakes up in hell, but he will regret being there. Sadly, he will be there forever because He would not recognize and receive Christ as Lord of his life.

05/27/23 BALANCING BELLS AND POMEGRANATES

05/27/23 BALANCING BELLS AND POMEGRANATES

It is one thing to believe the Bible in your head it is another thing to believe it in your heart.

It is one thing to profess Christ as Savior, it is another thing to possess Christ in your heart and life.

05/27/23 WAKE UP, THE TIDE IS FLOODING

05/27/23 WAKE UP, THE TIDE IS FLOODING

Soon after I joined FB (14 years ago) I made the following post. Still true.

March 20, 2009... BEWARE OF MEN ON WHITE HORSES (Revelation 6:1-2) and MEN IN WHITE HOUSES (1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE).

I have been crying out for sixty plus years, and voting against political and economic Red Tide since it started rising in 2008. But because people have refused the truth of God and the Lordship of Christ, The Red Tide has poisoned every area of life. Even when we flushed The Red Tide out of the White House, it continued its deadly spread.

I have also been raising my voice, as a Christian, against the father of lies, but again, America has been turning against God, to the point that I don't think it will ever recover. It has certainly lost millions of souls during the past years of swimming in The Red Tide, and will lose millions more.

It is time to turn to God and His word. Societal "woke" is a cruelty joke. The Bible tells us to awake from our sleep, our trance, our spiritual death. 

Romans 13:11-14 (NKJV)
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 (NKJV)
33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.  

Ephesians 5:11-17 (NKJV)
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (NKJV)
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

05/27/23 A PARTY IS NOT ALWAYS A PARTY

05/27/23 A PARTY IS NOT ALWAYS A PARTY

I am always amazed at "Christians" being deceived concerning political, social movements (they profess to be Christians, but their viewpoint and actions contradict the word of God). For instance, I have Christian friends who have supported "social"-groups and "community"-parties that are openly anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian.

It is possible for the saved to be deceived, it is not possible for the elect (those who will finally be saved) to be deceived. Christians must deliberately hold fast, remain faithful, continue on, remain, stand steadfast or they will finally fall from grace and away from God. You can't follow the world and make it to heaven.
KNOW THIS, the "social..." and the "communi..." agenda is to become god, as was the agenda of their father, the devil. The family is a family of liars, murderers and thieves. Christians must come out from among them and be separate. 

John 8:44 (NKJV)
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  

John 10:10 (NKJV)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NKJV)
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."
17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."
18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

05/26/23 DESIGNED TO COMMUNICATE

05/26/23 DESIGNED TO COMMUNICATE

God designed us and expects us to communicate with God and with other people.
It is a good idea to communicate.

We should communicate with peers and with those in authority (even parents and pastor).

BUT BE WISE AND BE LOVING IN YOUR COMMUNICATIONS.

Let folks know how things are and how you see things.
Express appreciation.
Voice concerns.

You should encourage your parents, your spouse, your children.
Pastors should encourage their parishioners.
Parishioners should encourage their pastors.

If you can't compliment those in authority, then you need to communicate with them concerning the things that bother you.
It is difficult, but sometimes your loved ones need to hear the hard things as well as the encouraging things.

You can't choose your family, but you do choose your friends and church relationships.
In either case, you should guard yourself and your family from carnal, negative influences and you should garner spiritual, edifying influences.

Remember, Jesus said we are in the world but we are not of the world. The folks we know are not always going to be kind or civil. You don't cut yourself off from all negative people but you must not allow venomous, toxic people to poison you and your relationship with Jesus or others.

If you, as a parishioner, are being blessed and built up by your pastor's ministry, you should tell him.
If you are not being blessed and built up by your pastors ministry, you should have a talk with him.
If you are not able to communicate your concerns with your pastor, then you should meet with him and spiritual leaders in your church.
If they will not be Biblical and loving then you should find a church that is Biblical and loving.

Obviously the previous principles apply to pastors as well as parishioners. The road to good communications and healthy relationships is a two way street.

05/25/23 PREACHING/TEACHING UPDATE FOR WEDNESDAY EVENINGS

05/25/23 PREACHING/TEACHING UPDATE FOR WEDNESDAY EVENINGS

Wednesdays 7:00 PM. A series of lessons on, "The Doctrines of Salvation" (Soteriology). This will include a time for Questions and Answers, as well as open discussion.
Here are some of the topics that I will address.
Salvation, the Divine side and the Human side.
Salvation, a Basic Outline:
Predestination, Calling, Justification, Glorification.
Sanctification: Initial, Entire, Progressive.
Personal Salvation: Past, Present and Future.
Biblical Terms:
Atonement, Propitiation, Satisfaction,
Justified, Converted, Transformed, Reconciled,
Forgiveness, Remission of Sins
Regenerated, Born Again, Newness of Life
Redeemed, Ransomed
Sanctified, Cleansed, Purified, Crucified, Spirit Filled, Perfected in Love, Conformed to the Image of Jesus, Resting
Adopted
Elect, Chosen, Saved
Delivered, Purchased, Bought
Sought, Found
Abiding, Remaining, Continuing
Resurrected, Glorified
OVERVIEW of PRAISE and PROCLAIM SERVICES
(all services are in-person and online).

Sunday Mornings we have two meetings: Bible Class and Praise and Proclaim Service.
I am teaching and preaching from the book of Genesis and from the Harmony of the Gospels.
(Sometimes I switch the subjects between Bible Class and Praise and Proclaim, depending on the lesson and message of those particular passages).

Sunday 10:00 AM Bible Class: 45 minute session.

Sunday 11:00 AM Praise (music, testimonies) and Proclaim Service: Usually between 60 to 90 minutes.

Sunday Afternoon Fellowship meal (coming soon) for those who are interested. We should be resuming this activity soon.

Sunday 6:30 PM Evening Gathering. A mixture of fellowship, teaching, preaching. A Personal Journey Testimony each Sunday evening. Service usually 60 to 90 minutes.

Wednesday 7:00 PM.

Wednesdays 7:00 PM. Teaching a series of lessons on, "The Doctrines of Salvation" (Soteriology). This will include a time for Questions and Answers, as well as open discussion. 60 to 90 minutes

I also lead a Men's Ministry Study on Thursday nights at 7:00. This is a training class for future leadership in the local church. It is a combination of Bible, Theology and Christian History.
The present study is titled, "Bible Theology In Genesis." 60 to 90 minutes.

05/25/23 UNWORTHY, NOT WORTHLESS

05/25/23 UNWORTHY, NOT WORTHLESS

Left to ourselves, we are unworthy, but because of God's loving salvation, we are not worthless.

05/23/23 VIDEO... WILL ADD ARTICLE LATER

05/23/23 VIDEO... WILL ADD ARTICLE LATER 

You may find this video interesting (or even helpful) but you may want to just listen rather than watch because I am walking and talking.

Or you could take some Dramamine hehehe. Or you might want to just slide on by.

05/23/23 THE WRONG STANDARD

05/23/23 THE WRONG STANDARD

People are willing to vote Biden out because he has crippled the economy, which is what he actually told us he would do, following in Barry's footprints. But people were not listening or understanding the concept of Fundamentally Changing America.

It is sad that communism only bothers some folks when their pocketbook suffers, or when US give-away programs are redirected to the illegal invaders instead of the home grown welfare dependency culture.

It is also sad that the loss of governmental financial benefits are more important to people than American exceptionalism, Christian morality, family values, religious freedom, American independence, freedom of speech, common sense and the rock solid facts which are blindly rejected by the un-woke agenda of the Liberal movement.

If I was promised financial stability for life, I would refuse it if it meant giving up the true riches of freedom I mentioned earlier. Plus the fact that those who turn you against godliness are only luring you into their trap with the bait of financial promises, which they do not intend to honor.

It is not really about the money, it is about greed and idolatry, which lures you away from dignity, truth, righteousness, salvation and Jesus.

05/22/23 AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER FROM GOD

05/22/23 AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER FROM GOD

God the Son (the Logos, the Son of God) has always been God. But the Logos has not always been a human being. Approximately 2,000 years ago the Logos became flesh and dwelt among mankind. As Man, Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead (and as part of the Godhead, He raised Himself from the dead). When Jesus ascended to heaven He ascended as God and Man. As the Logos, Who became Man, He sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus made it possible for all men, that is, all sinners to live with God forever.

Believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.

If you truly believe in Him, truly trust Him, you will surrender to His will and you will keep His commandments and you will do that which is pleasing in His sight.

Salvation, the Christian life, is the miraculous presence of God in us.

Don't miss your opportunity. Today is the day of salvation.

05/20/23 KNOW YOUR SOURCE

05/20/23 KNOW YOUR SOURCE

Be extremely careful when learning the Bible. Very few of those who come from a Bible believing heritage have been faithful and diligent in their studying God's word, while those who have been deceived by the cults have equipped themselves to lead people away from sound doctrine. This is especially true in these last days. I have said for years that the greatest sign of the end times may be the number of false Christs and false teachers, along with the rarity of Biblical teaching.

The longer you wait to learn the truth, the more likely you will be deceived and lose your soul.

05/20/23 A BIBLE TOOL

05/20/23 A BIBLE TOOL

This is taken from Thompson Chain Reference Bible. It shows the first three sections of a Harmony of the Gospels:
I. THE PRE-EXISTENT CHRIST
II. THE PROPHETIC CHRIST
III. THE CHRIST OF OBSCURITY 

Use this as a study tool for your own growth and knowledge. Find and read the references, then commit the points to memory. There are only 5 points in the first section (PRE-EXISTENT CHRIST). There are 32 points in the second section (PROPHETIC CHRIST), but after you read each passage, you can choose a few for memory. The third section has only 13 scenes.

You could just memorize the Scriptural locations rather than memorize the verses. You may find this rewarding and enjoyable as well as informative.
(It may help to click on the image in order to enlarge the photo)

Take your time. Don't rush. You are not on a schedule or in a race. Enjoy your study. Of course, you can use the same method throughout the Harmony, but you will benefit greatly with these first three points.

Let me know if it goes well for you.

05/19/23 THE TRUE WORK OF SALVATION

05/19/23 THE TRUE WORK OF SALVATION

Most church folks have no idea about the meaning of salvation.

They nod in agreement when they hear someone verbally attack the idea that salvation saves us from sin and sinning.
They act like turning from sin is sinful, as if the idea of deliverance from sin in this life is the word and work of the devil.
They get bent out of shape when someone refers to deliverance from sin and sinning.

Though I don't use the term, "Sinless Perfection," God does call us to turn from sin and He enables us to live righteously. The Bible clearly says that believers in Christ do not continue in sin. Though the term, "Sinless Perfection," is an unfortunate tag (which is laden with misunderstanding and emotional baggage), it seems to me that those who are opposed to living without sin (or Sinless Perfection, as they call it) are promoting, "Sinning Perfection?"

Actually, the people they blame for teaching, "sinless perfection," do not use the term, "Sinless perfection." The term, "sinless perfection" is a catch phrase designed by and used by proponents of sinning religion to turn people from Biblical righteousness, purity, uprightness, goodness, godliness. Those who attack the straw man of supposed "sinless perfection," are denying God's desire, His willingness, His ability and His provision to save His people from all sin and rebellion.

The Bible tells us to pursue holiness (the separation from sin and separation to God, to pursue "the sanctification,") without which no man shall see the Lord."
Hebrews 12:14-15
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Our behavior reveals our true loyalty
Psalms 24:3-4
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.

James 4:7-8
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The Bible tells us that those who sin are of the devil.
1 John 3:4-10
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

The Bible tells us that we are slaves of the one we serve.
Romans 6:1-23
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

05/19/23 BIBLICAL SEPARATION

05/19/23 BIBLICAL SEPARATION

For those who have been led astray by the Liberal lie: American, "Separation of Church and State," actually means, KEEPING THE STATE OUT OF THE CHURCH, not the other way around. However, there is so much of the WORLD in today's American Church, and the fact that every profane religion in the world is mistakenly thought to be the CHURCH, that now the phrase does not mean anything at all, much less the truth of the matter.

This is why God tells believers to come out from among the unbelievers and be separate.
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."
17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."
18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."
7:1
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 

This does not mean we leave the physical world, but rather we separate our selves from the worldly worldview, the anti-spiritual worldview, the devilish worldview, the carnal worldview.

Jesus prayed to the Father for believers.John 17:13-18
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 

This means that we view things from God's perspective, we renounce and denounce the worldliness of our past, embrace the Divine and Biblical perspective, pursue life with clean hands (regenerated life) and a pure heart (entirely sanctified heart). 

James 4:7-8
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

05/18/23 OVERVIEW OF SERVICES

05/18/23 OVERVIEW OF SERVICES

For midweek service I addressed several issues. I also wanted to present Bible verses which substantiate Divine revelation and inspiration and I wanted to follow up with a review of the history of the English translation of Bible and I wanted to clear up some confusion concerning various translations that have similar (and sometimes the same) names, but we did not have enough time.

Understanding the authority of Scripture and the history of translations is important for the serious Christian, especially in a society that has been taught to distrust and discount God's word.

The Lord willing, I hope to address these subjects next Wednesday. We have in person (at my Net House) and online (ZOOM) meetings. If you are interested in being part of our Christian gatherings, please let me know.

My teaching and preaching schedule looks something like this.

On Sunday Mornings we have two meetings: a Bible Class and a Praise and Preaching Service. I am teaching and preaching from the book of Genesis and from the Harmony of the Gospels.
(Sometimes I switch the subjects between Bible Class and Praise and Preaching, depending on the lesson and message of those particular passages).

Sunday 10:00 AM Bible Class: 45 minute session.

Sunday 11:00 AM Praise (music, testimonies) and Preaching Service: Usually between 60 to 90 minutes.

Sunday Afternoon Fellowship meal for those who are interested. We should be resuming this activity soon.

Sunday 6:30 AM Evening Gathering. A mixture of fellowship, teaching, preaching. Usually 60 to 90 minutes.

Wednesday 7:00 PM. Teaching (doctrine, Christian living, ministries), Q and A Time, Discussion.

I also lead a Men's Ministry Study on Thursday nights at 7:00. This is a training class for future leadership in the local church. It is a combination of Bible, Theology and Christian History. The present study is titled, "Bible Theology In Genesis."

05/17/23 Naked as a Sooty Tern (or a Dodo)

05/17/23 Naked as a Sooty Tern (or a Dodo) 

I am having a hard time coming back from my delusions. Actually, I am having to come back from the mental treatments I was forced to take because of my supposed delusions.

Many years ago I said that the king had no clothes, and he was as naked as a Tern. (OK, I did not say Tern, but I did not think Blue Jay was appropriate.)

I cried out that the king was naked, but some of the really smart people around me said he was not naked and others said I should not be so dogmatic in my opinion. Of course, it was not my opinion. HE WAS NAKED. But he was personable, he was articulate, he was educated and he was the social darling, so no one could say anything about him that was negative. (But he was still naked.)

I lost friends because I was honest about the king. Eventually the king left his throne and we had a well dressed king in the palace. Wouldn't you know it, everyone started saying our new king was naked, including the courtiers, the media, the academics, and a host of other self servers.

Now I was considered crazy because I called the naked king, naked and I was considered crazy because I said the new king was not naked.

Then, a new king took the throne and he was as naked as a Dodo Bird. Now people began to call me a conspiracy theorist and an enemy of the kingdom and a terrorist because I stood against the naked insanity of the Dodo king.
In order to keep my job and to stay out of a mental institution or jail, I was required to attend sessions for re-education. This went on for a couple of years until someone in the palace finally admitted the nakedness of the Tern and the Dodo.

The kingdom suffered, families suffered, economy suffered, individuals suffered because they insisted that the king was naked. Now the evidence is in. They were naked and their supporters were either deluded or lying for their kings.

But instead of admitting the nakedness of those kings, the supporters still claim that I was deluded. Those of us who were not deluded into lying for the king have lost more than can be tallied. Our lives and our kingdom will never be the same.

I am just glad that I was not deluded and led astray by either of those birds.

05/17/23 BETTER TO STAY WITH SCRIPTURE

05/17/23 BETTER TO STAY WITH SCRIPTURE

Sinning religion simply says that the verses which conflict with the sins in their "Christian" beliefs and behavior, don't actually apply to them. They deny that they have a license to sin, then they say that whatever they do in the future is "paid for" in the atonement of Christ. They do not believe that obedient faith is saving faith (let me say that another way, they do not believe that saving faith is obedient faith, or they do not believe that faith and obedience are essential to salvation). In fact, they say that faith is a fleshly work which does not save and is not required of Christians. They say that God saves the lost and then they have faith. 

Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

05/17/23 WISDOM PLUS UNDERSTANDING

05/17/23 WISDOM PLUS UNDERSTANDING

With age comes knowledge. I think that the combination of age and knowledge contributes to incoherent communications. The more you know, the less coherent you can become to others because you personally know that "A" connects to "Z" through a series of other steps (which is also true that "A" connects to "D" or "N"). The more you know, the easier it is to skip from a premise to a conclusion, because it makes sense to you, but if your audience does not know the alphabet of life, they get lost between the premise and the conclusion when the process is not explained.

Though failed communication can be attributed to age and memory, it is also related to the idea of accumulated and abundant knowledge. This is why experts in any given field lose their audience, whether in physics, history, chemistry, mathematics, linguistics or Bible. I often remind myself to, "connect the dots," because other people may have forgotten the dots (as I sometimes do) or they have never heard of the connections. An abundance of knowledge is not always attended by wisdom or informative communication. 

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 NKJV
9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs.
10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright--words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.
12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. 

Romans 2:2-16 NKJV
2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds":
7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath,
9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
11 For there is no partiality with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

05/17/23 IT IS A "GOOD (EXCELLENT, NOBLE) WORK"

05/17/23 IT IS A "GOOD (EXCELLENT, NOBLE) WORK"

It is not only the job of the pastor to;
Declare the gospel,
Shine the light of truth on darkened minds,
Rescue the perishing,
Reconcile sinners to God,
Feed and Lead God's people,
Equip believers for spiritual warfare,
Bind up their wounds,
Teach sound doctrine, Reprove, Correct and Instruct in righteousness,
Present the whole counsel of God,

But he is also to lead his people into total victory, perfect love and faithful living.

Colossians 1:27-29
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

1 Timothy 3:1
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

05/17/23 INFIDELITY NOT ALLOWED

05/17/23 INFIDELITY NOT ALLOWED

God is looking for faithful followers, He is not looking for a "one night stand" and He is not looking for "a friend with benefits." If you are not totally surrendered and completely faithful to Jesus, you are committing spiritual adultery. 

James 4:4 NKJV
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 2:15-17 NKJV
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

05/17/23 EVEN THE BLIND CAN SEE THIS

05/17/23 EVEN THE BLIND CAN SEE THIS

It has always been this way, but it is now much more evident than it has ever been.

The nation that rejects Christ is deceived, ensnared and doomed.

The lukewarm "Christian" in that nation is a stumbling block, a blind leader of the blind and a millstone around the neck of other Americans.

05/17/23 AWAKE TO IMPENDING DISASTER

05/17/23 AWAKE TO IMPENDING DISASTER

A Political Party is not the answer to America's problems.

Jesus is the answer.

The more wicked the Party is, the faster it takes our country to destruction.

05/16/23 YOUR VOTE CAN COUNT AGAINST U.S.

05/16/23 YOUR VOTE CAN COUNT AGAINST U.S.

I did not vote to "fundamentally change," America, and I did not vote to replace freedom with Communism.

Look at the mess the donkeys made of America's economics, education, freedom, morals, safety, law and order, family structure, Christian freedom and values. I still won't vote for a donkey.

05/15/23 I POSTED A VISUAL HELP

05/15/23 I POSTED A VISUAL HELP

I posted a chart showing the chronological order of some major English translations from KJV to NKJV, as depicted in Thompson Chain Reference Bible.

You should be able to zoom in or enlarge for the documentation.

This is worth your time.

05/14/23 READ AND HEED

05/14/23 READ AND HEED

I've been reading proverbs and watching people.

If you do not want to become a clueless old person, don't be a know-it-all youth.

05/12/23 THE ARM OF FLESH WILL FAIL YOU

05/12/23 THE ARM OF FLESH WILL FAIL YOU

When the oppressive State crushes society, real men stand strong and wield the Sword of the Spirit, while wannabe men only wave the sword of steel in the air, and rattle their tongues, while they watch families, faith and freedom being taken away.

As totalitarianism tightens its grip on a nations throat, it produces resistance, driving some people "underground" and keeping the wanabees under wraps." When Christians are persecuted we continue to obey God and love our enemies and do that which is pleasing in God's sight.

If you read this and say this is not true, then you don't know Jesus. God transforms us by His miraculous saving power and He conforms us to the image of His Son, by purifying our hearts through the infilling and the continual indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The Christian life (as described in the New Testament) is not when humans do the best they can, it is when humans lovingly and faithfully submit to the rule of God in their lives and therefore they do what God enables them to do.

05/12/23 BEING SPIRITUAL IS DELIVERANCE FROM CARNALITY

05/12/23 BEING SPIRITUAL IS DELIVERANCE FROM CARNALITY

Don't read the next sentence unless you read the info that follows it.

I woke up this morning feeling safe and secure because I know there is a 2nd, with many a proponent. Then I checked recent reports on State abuse and attacks on family, faith and freedom. Sure enough, the renegades are in charge, while big mouthed "warriors," are abandoning America's children. The self styled saviors of society are boasting and fuming, but they have not done anything to stem the tide of perversion and persecution in their own neighborhoods. This is one reason I don't boast in the flesh or trust in those who do.

But my first reason for not touting or exercising carnal force is because the New Testament makes it clear that Christians are not violent; neither do they boast in the arm of flesh, nor lie about their commitment to deliver anyone with carnal weapons.

Christians take up the Sword of the Spirit; not the sword of steel.
Christians fight the good fight of faith, not the war of the flesh.
Christians walk their talk and put their own lives between the children and the ravenous beast.
Christians are faithful to God and His call to self sacrifice.

Very few are soldiers of the Cross because most preachers are not telling their parishioners what true salvation entails, and requires.

You can't follow God and darkness at the same time.

If you are ever going to get right with God and if you are ever going to enlist in spiritual warfare, you better do it soon, before you are unable to do it at all.

05/11/23 WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!

05/11/23 WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!

I don't care how competent or nice the food server is, if the restaurant is adding excrement or poison to the dish, it is not a good restaurant. If the server really is a good person, then the server should leave that restaurant.

I don't care how competent or nice the teacher is, if the school is undermining faith, family or freedom, it is not a good school. If the teacher really is a good person, then the teacher should leave that school.

Christians must come out from the denizens of darkness and be separate. Parents must stop sending their children to the very institutions that have attacked the Bible, the family, morality, freedom. And teachers must abandon the ships of perversion.

I often think, "What is wrong with people?"

Parents, teachers and pastors need to stop supporting, promoting, allowing the violation of the children.

Don't sacrifice to Moloch.
Don't work with Moloch.
Don't excuse Moloch.

05/11/23 SAVIOR AND LORD...BOTH

05/11/23 SAVIOR AND LORD...BOTH

SAVIOR AND LORD
The Lordship of Christ is to confess that Jesus Christ is God and to profess a total submission to Him.

Though the Christian's heart can be purified from the sinful nature, subsequent to our salvation (justification, regeneration, conversion), our initial salvation makes it possible for the believer to live in obedience to the commandments of God and therefore, not sin.
1 John 3:9 NKJV
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

1 John 5:4 NKJV
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.

1 John 5:18 NKJV
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

This is because salvation is not simply forgiveness of our sins in the past, but deliverance from the power of sin now. 

Romans 10:8-11 NKJV
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

We must confess that Jesus is Lord (our God) and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead. From the beginning of our relationship with God, we acknowledge Jesus as God, and therefore we obey Him.

Unlike the New Birth and the Death of our Old Man, this is not a Two-Step experience. Jesus becomes both our Savior and Lord when we are converted, when we are born again. If He is not our Lord, He is not our Savior. We are not saved if Jesus is not Lord. This is clearly and redundantly taught in the Bible.

Not only does the Bible state that God expects Christians to quit sinning, the Bible instructs believers in living victoriously over sin.

05/10/23 EVEN THE DUMB BEASTS

05/10/23 EVEN THE DUMB BEASTS

Even the dumb beast of the field knows when danger is present. Sadly, many of those who claim salvation turn to darkness in the time of storm. In fact, many of those who claim salvation are part of the dark system that endangers freedom, family, faith. 

2 Corinthians 6:14-18
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."
17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."
18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

05/10/23 THERE IS ONE PRIORITY

05/10/23 THERE IS ONE PRIORITY

If we turn EVERYTHING in USA back to conservative, moral, family and freedom friendly rule, without Christ, USA is still lost.

We should vote for these qualities and we should vote against godless, Bible hating Communism and Communists, but salvation and godly living is obtained, attained and retained through a submissive, faith relationship with the God of the Bible; it is not obtained, attained or retained through political powers; it is lost when we align with political powers that oppose God. Political powers can either encourage and support Christian living or undermine and attack Christian living.

This is a wicked world and this world is not the Kingdom of God, therefore we will not see the King until the King comes back. However, we are the salt of the earth and we must be faithful to God and His word if we are going to be a positive influence in this world. When a person loses his spiritual saltiness, he is good for nothing... but to be cast out and trodden under.

We live in the world, but we are not of the world.
We must not love the world or the things of the world, because if we do, the love of the Father is not in us.
We must not be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Expect to be hated by the world.
Expect the State to oppose God and His people.

Our warfare is not carnal (fleshly), but spiritual.
Our weapons are not fleshly, but spiritual.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers.

Even if we could get all the earthly benefits we want through the State, we cannot get salvation or spiritual victory through the State. 

I am glad when the State and when society recognizes Biblical truths, but it will always be a short lived recognition.

Remember, we are to obey God rather than men.

Christians are told to obey legitimate authority.
When obeying humans or human rule contradicts God, we must obey God instead.

05/10/23 LORDSHIP OF CHRIST IS THE ISSUE

05/10/23 LORDSHIP OF CHRIST IS THE ISSUE

I had people turn against me, my message and my ministry, years ago because I preached Christ's exclusive Lordship over His Church and over the individuals in His Body.

Make no mistake. The Lordship of Christ in our lives is radical and crucial. Most folks who claim salvation do not surrender to His Lordship. His Lordship means that He is God and therefore He has supreme authority over His people personally and corporately. This, in turn, means that we are going to be at odds with the world around us, including society and the State.

I preached a separated life from, and victorious life over the world, the flesh and the devil. This is costly. It has cost individual believers and entire nations their freedom to worship and serve God, as well as the loss of friends and family.

My preaching held to Biblical standards and sure enough, it resulted in oppression and losses. Because some folks were not willing to pay the price of total commitment, they chose to blame me and my preaching. They slandered God's message and ministry by saying I was an ISSUES PREACHER. I did not preach legalism, which usurps the rule of God with external rules and regulations made by men. 

I was an ISSUES PREACHER. But the issues I was concerned about were morality, Divine authority, Christian submission. Remember, God is an, "issues God," as we see in the Ten Commandments. God forbids certain behavior and requires certain other behavior. His issues are also found in the New Testament. In fact, the New Testament makes it clear that God's issues are spiritual (forbidding lust, not only physical adultery; forbidding covetousness, not only stealing; forbidding anger and hatred, not only murder). Not only does God forbid sinning in the Christian life, He delivers His people from sinning.

Though people faulted me for being an "issues" preacher (because of certain Biblical issues they did not like), they continued to raise their children by the same issues that I had taught them, and as a result they have reaped the benefit of being the parents of believing children. If other preachers had been focused on the issues, with which God was concerned, then maybe our country would not be traveling the path taken by society in the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Perversity and persecution are rising like a flood, destroying souls, families and our nation.

My, "issues preaching" was Biblical and salvific, for individuals and our society, if it had been accepted and followed. People are less impressed with Biblical truths today than they were 40 years ago. We are approaching a time when God will give entire swaths of society over to perversity and deception, because they have loved the lie and refused to obey the gospel. 

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 (NKJV)
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

Don't consider the call and invitation of God to holiness of heart and life lightly. Nonchalance will cost you and your family eternal life with God.

05/09/23 KNOWING IS ESSENTIAL

Christian truth is not one dimensional.

In order to grasp the full meaning of God's enlightenment (individually), we must have a knowledge and a proper understanding of the various doctrines of the Bible (prayer, worship, victorious living, grace, fellowship, ministry, family, spiritual unity, service). God revealed truth concerning man's condition, God's nature, God's requirements, God's plan, God's salvation, God's presence, God's people, end times. It is a lot to learn but it is not more than we need, or more than we are able to comprehend.

However, it is opposed by Satan, and he attacks from several angles, such as incompetent pastors and teachers, disinterested parishioners, false teachers and false doctrines, intimidation, misdirection.

We have entered a period of human history that is more like the days of Noah and the days of Lot than we have ever seen. Sadly, many of those who are church people will not be ready for the sudden destruction and will fail of the grace of God. 

Hebrews 12:14-17
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

05/09/23 DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

05/09/23 DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

Christians do not need to line up with popular "Christian" teachers or doctrines, but we must line up with God's revelation.

05/09/23 LINE UP WITH TRUTH

05/09/23 LINE UP WITH TRUTH

Christians do no need to make the Bible line up with "science," (so-called), but we must line up with God and His word.

05/07/23 FIRST THINGS FIRST

05/07/23 FIRST THINGS FIRST

The birth of Christ is essential.
Knowing the date is incidental.
The death, and resurrection of Christ after three days are essential.
Knowing how many hours in those three days is incidental.
The return of Christ is essential.

Knowing the day and hour is not even possible.
There are other things that I don't know but I don't base my relationship with others on those kinds of things.

I have my view of those unclear areas, and I hold my views because I believe I have Biblical foundation. I also see advantages in my position and I see how my views can be helpful to believers in understanding God's word and living the lives they ought to live. But I do not insist that others adopt my views on incidentals. In fact, I don't insist they adopt my views on the essentials, but I do tell them God requires their acceptance of those essentials.

Even in some essentials, professing Christians disagree with me.

The Bible teaches that God saves His people from sin's penalty, power and pollution and from sinning. Some folks deny this, but I still love them, even though they are wrong.

Men are God's appointed heads of the family. Some folks deny this, but I still love them, even though they are wrong.

The New Testament makes it crystal clear that Christians are not violent and we do not kill others, for any reason. Some folks deny this, but I still love them, even though they are wrong.

If non-essentials cause you to be distanced from a loving, Biblical pastor, then you are having more of a problem than some minor disagreement over incidentals.

Years ago I was learning how to live faithfully as we were moving from Philadelphia to Laodicea, and I took some radical steps as a believer in an environment that was hostile to Christ and His people. Some of my people did not take some of the same steps that I took. I had no problem with that. Each one must walk in his or her own light. We got along fine. I trusted their faithfulness to God and they trusted my preaching and teaching and gave respectful submission to my leadership. Obviously I would not stand for anyone bringing discord and division, but that was not the case.

There are some things that I know that I don't know.
There are some things, in which I may be in error.
But there are some things I know, and I know that I know.

It is a mistake to focus on the incidentals and allow disagreements to hinder your relationship with your pastor or your church.
If it is important, then it is worthy of meaningful discussions and it is worthy of displaying Christian grace.
It is possible that a well learned, faithful pastor has discovered some truths you have not yet learned.
It is possible that you might need to change your mind about some things, (which probably has happened often in your pastor's own walk with God).

Jesus reproved followers who focused on the less important parts of the faith life, while they were being blind to the weightier matters.

Never forget: Christ is the Head of His Church. He sets the rules, the standards, the protocols. We are called to practice the presence of God, and to honor and protect the integrity of His word and His work. 

Ephesians 4:1-6 NKJV
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

05/07/23 A KEY TO SUCCESS

05/07/23 A KEY TO SUCCESS

If you can't be reproved,

and you won't be moved,

you won't be improved.

05/06/23 THAT SETTLES IT

05/06/23 THAT SETTLES IT

The lyrics of a song,
"God said it,
I believe it,
And that settles it for me."

Someone pointed out that the truth is,
God said it, and that settles it.

Both statements are true. If God said it, that settles it. But on a personal level an individual must accept the authority of God in order for the Bible to be the final authority to them personally.

Sometimes we may have questions about what a passage means, but when the Bible states a subject clearly and redundantly, we don't have to figure it out. We better be sure of the Biblical essentials and we better not allow the non-essential issues to divert our attention from the essentials.

The things we believe concerning God and His word need to draw us closer to Him and His people; they need to fill us with the fruit of the Spirit; they need to conform us to His image; they need to perfect us in the faith; they need to make us of one mind with God and one another; and they need to cleanse us from all sin.

05/06/23 IT'S A HEART THING, NOT HEAD THING

05/06/23 IT'S A HEART THING, NOT HEAD THING

I get information from the internet. I "Google" for information. HOWEVER, not all information on the internet, Google or other search engines is accurate or even true. In fact, many times the most popular answers and the bulk of answers to many questions are errant.

Christians must not use internet search engines to answer their Biblical questions or give them spiritual guidance. Most of the time, when I read articles by "Christian experts, "popular teachers," "learned apologists," "leading theologians," I find them to be mistaken, to be un-Biblical.

I often watch debates or discussions online, about Biblical truths, doctrines, passages and I am amazed at the blatant resistance and rejection of clear Biblical revelation by the supposed "teachers of truth."

People are more impressed with the wisdom of man than the simple truths of God. They are more convinced by high sounding, renowned authorities than clear and redundant Biblical revelation.

There is a plan behind this confusion and division. Satan wants people to follow the blind and deceived "intellectual" types rather than believe godly, Spirit filled, Bible believing pastors.

Even if you could win every argument, you could still be wrong about Biblical truth. In fact, sometimes people discount the essential, spiritual, deep teaching of a godly pastor because they disagree with him on a small, insignificant, unessential. inconsequential concept. This causes the person to miss the great truths of God taught by preacher because of something that the pastor may believe to be true, though he does not make that incidental point into a litmus test of salvation.

Heady people are often led astray because they think that truth is the rightful property of other heady people. The problem is that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. God has not revealed His deeper truths exclusively or primarily to the exceptional minds, the academic elites of this world. 

1 Corinthians 1:20-31
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."