Jan 30 2015
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It’s About Good Verses Evil

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Conservative radio hosts dominate talk radio programs across this nation. Liberal-minded programs just don’t do very well at all. I guess, when it comes down to it, people don’t like to listen to liberals talk their nonsense. When you listen to talk radio–especially to men like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity–there is constant comparing conservatism to liberalism, or Republican to Democrat. That is all right for these men to do that; that is why their shows are popular, and that is why Americans listen to them. It is educational as well as entertaining at times to listen to these conservative talk shows. I found myself laughing a few times over the years while listening to some of the things that are said. I also had to intentionally shut the radio off or change the station to keep me from becoming too pessimistic or even overly political. After listening to the constant talk of how our great country of America is declining in every way, it is hard not to be very discouraged or even outright angry.

America, the only real military super power, is declining economically and it is directly related to the moral decay of America and her increasingly open rejection of God. There is no way anyone can convince me that all of those that founded our nation and all of those pioneers that forged this country were true born again believers; however, I am convinced their morals and standards were high and were greatly influenced by the written word of God. It was only about fifty years ago that TV would not show Elvis Presley gyrating his hips, and now today, at the mall just down the road from me, they have posted in the windows some of the most sensuous pictures of women advertising skimpy clothes. In my 58 years of life I have seen an incredible deterioration of morality here in America.

The battle rages: Democrats against Republicans, liberals against conservatives, lefties against righties. I want to set something straight right now, church of God. For us it isn’t Democrat versus Republican, it isn’t liberals against conservatives, and it is not the left against the right; it is right against wrong. It is about overcoming evil with good. Do not let yourself get caught up in the wrong fight. The wrong fight is carnal; the true fight is spiritual. Haven’t you noticed that everything that is evil in this world and this country is embraced by the liberal crowd? They are for murdering babies in their mother’s womb and they have no problem promoting the homosexual lifestyle. They encourage dependence upon government and criminalize the hard working go getter. Telling lies is accepted for the sake of achieving a goal. Anything that has a standard of godliness is rejected by that liberal crowd, but it isn’t just the liberals. There are some conservatives, as well, that reject godly values. Maybe not as blatantly, but many are started on the path of moral decay.

I do not consider myself a Republican, although I voted Republican many times. I do not consider myself a conservative, although I agree with the highest conservative values. I am a bible-believing, Spirit-filled saint of God. That also means that I belong to a whole other and completely opposite kingdom. It is clear in the bible that God’s people are foreigners and strangers just passing through this old world. This world is not our home; heaven is our home. Until we get there, the kingdom of God is within us. Give me a moment to shout hallelujah! We are here to shed the light of Christ, we are here to be an example of godly living, we are here to love fallen man on behalf of God, and we are here to speak for God. We are here to promote and advance the kingdom of God.

Deep sadness comes over me at times when I see what is happening to this country. I will be the first to admit I love the comfort and prosperity we live in here in America. However, my concern for America is not that we are losing all the blessings of God that we have come to take for granted, but to see the decay of society and the rise of the antichrist spirit in this nation. I am not much of a weeper, but what gets me teary-eyed is to think how God has blessed this nation, yet we have spit back in His face. Therefore I am determined that I am going to love Him with everything in me. I appreciate every blessing He has bestowed on us, but I am not fighting to keep them; I’m fighting for the establishment of the kingdom of God.

I don’t know about you, but I am convinced that we are living in the very last days. When I first got saved, I was taught that there was going to be a great last days’ revival. I am believing for that. I believe the 20th century has experienced a true spiritual awakening. However, the bible doesn’t speak much of a last days’ revival other than James writing of how the farmer patiently waits for the latter rain. What the bible does have quite a bit to say in regard to the last days is that mankind will turn from God. The bible clearly teaches that there will be perilous times, iniquity will abound, love will grow cold, and deception will increase. I am careful not to allow myself to end up, in an attempt to restrain society, fighting against what God has allowed to be. I will vote if there is someone to vote for. I will pray and preach against the evils of abortion and sexual sin of all sorts. My purpose for being here, however, and your purpose for being here is to be a light in this dark world that is getting darker by the day. I am not going to get caught up in political debates, though there may be a need for them. I am not going to label myself according to some political preference. Just because I reject the Democratic Party does not make me a Republican. Just because I reject liberal ideology doesn’t lump me in with the conservatives. I am more conservative than a conservative. I’m a child of God. I belong to an eternal kingdom that I already have the privilege of walking in. God’s kingdom is the kingdom that I am concerned about. It is His kingdom that has come unto me. It is the kingdom of God that Jesus came into Galilee preaching. It is the kingdom of God we must receive as a little child. It is the kingdom of God that we have the privilege of knowing mysteries about. Whatever we need, carnally or spiritually, is added unto us as we seek the kingdom of God. Now that is the kingdom I am fighting for. It is “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on EARTH as it is in heaven.”

I am not going to lie down and play dead and let the wicked take America. I will pray, I will vote, I will take the opportunity to teach those that will listen that America must repent and turn to God; but one day it is going to be an antichrist nation. Even then, the kingdom of God will stand unshaken.

My intention for writing this article was not to scold any Christian for fulfilling what they believe is their political duty. I thank God for those in the church that keep us informed and challenge us to be a voice for morality. I wrote this to comfort you and proclaim peace in the midst of America’s declination. If we are truly in the last days, there is nothing you can do about it. I just want to remind you that you are on the winning side and you belong to the ETERNAL Kingdom of God. “..but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the KINGDOM and the power and the glory forever, Amen.”

Jan 30 2015
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Know Christ, Know Doctrine

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“For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.” Pro. 4:2

“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” I Tim. 4:13

“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:” Tit. 2:1

The word doctrine has a simple meaning: It means instruction; and for the Christian, the instruction or doctrine is the word of God.

There was a young man who worked for me over 20 years ago. This man was raised in a Christian home. One day as we were talking, the word “doctrine” came up. He then said to me, “doctrine is of man.” I took a moment to reassure him that doctrine, true doctrine comes from the Bible. I could tell that he developed distaste for doctrine. One reason could be that he may have had men’s doctrine, mixed with biblical doctrine, forced upon him. It could also be because of another issue that I would like to address. That issue? Many hear Christians preaching written doctrine which lacks the power to reveal, what I will call, Living Doctrine; the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, you can know Bible doctrine very well. You may have it memorized, itemized and categorized so well that you can debate with any high profile theologian, and yet, still end up in hell. How sobering to think that while you are reading this there are multitudes of souls in hell that had all their T’s crossed and their I’s dotted when it came to biblical doctrine.

Another reason that young man who worked with me could have been frustrated with doctrine is because some Christians are so staunch about the doctrine they believe, that they become a very mean spirited people. Unless you see it the way they do and agree with all the doctrines as they have them laid out, they will be very impatient with you and even write you off as a heretic. They lack such grace and patience toward other believers and criticize them for making the tiniest little doctrinal mistake. Don’t get me wrong, I think bible doctrine is of the utmost importance, but knowing doctrine, without knowing the living Christ, is as vain as anything else in this world. In fact, it could be more deceptive than just being out in the world, stumbling around in darkness. If you are in darkness there is a hope that you recognize your need for Jesus, the light of the world. However, if a person is not saved, but they have a good handle on bible doctrine, it could deceive them into thinking they are saved and blind them to their need of a Savior. My mentor used to say, “It was easier to get a man saved in a bar then it is to get him saved in a dead church.” At least in the bar a man can know he is lost. If an unsaved person is all puffed up in their knowledge of the bible, they are in a very dangerous position. The Lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. No doubt, there are many people who think they are saved because they know bible doctrine so well. Some know it better than some Christians do. However, if you are born again, if you know Christ, then you know doctrine. The author of it is living in you. Knowing doctrine however, does not mean that you know Christ. Just like if you love God you will love man, but loving man does not necessarily mean that you love God. If a person comes to know Christ, they may not yet know their bible too well, and may not be able to write specific doctrines down on paper or barely speak about them, but they will know doctrine simply because it is implanted in their heart.

Some years ago, a young man in our church, led one of his buddies that he went to high school with, to the Lord. His name is Joey. One day, Joey was invited to a bible study by another brother in our church. He went, but the brother who invited him did not show up. So Joey was there by himself amongst several men he didn’t know. Well, these men were advocates of the “once saved, always saved” doctrine. During the study, Joey was hearing things that didn’t sound quite right in the Spirit. He felt the Holy Spirit just told him to remain quiet since he was surrounded by men that had more experience with their bibles then he did. After he left the study and talked to a few brothers from our church, they explained to him about the doctrine they were teaching. How was it that Joey being so new in the word and only in the beginning stages of learning bible doctrine, was sensing what they were telling him was wrong? How was he able to identify false doctrine even though he had not yet known how to rightly divide the word? It was by the Spirit of God, who leads us into all truth. He had the author of all bible doctrine living in him. It was because he knew Christ. The Spirit of God that was in him, revealed that a lie was being presented to him. Thus he rejected what the man had to say. In his spirit, he knew what true doctrine was and what was false. He knew Christ, therefore he knew doctrine.

Our generation of ministers has done a huge disservice to millions of people by somehow letting them think that if they know the bible, if they know doctrine, if they know how to somewhat talk and act like a Christian, then they are therefore saved. People who are really saved have a testimony, they have had a revelation, they are known by their fruit.

For example, take a look at the Apostle Paul. He knew the written word (Old Testament) as well as anyone. Concerning righteousness which is in the law, he said he was perfect. Yet, he was making himself an enemy of God by hunting down God’s children. After Paul had his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he received a revelation of Christ. He knew who Christ was at that moment and all that doctrine he had in his mind now took on a different light. It was revealed to him that Jesus is the living embodiment of doctrine. That happened in an instant, all because he came to know Christ. He went on to write about half of the New Testament books. We know that he was inspired by the Holy Spirit, but he also could write those epistles because he had doctrine in his heart which came out in the letters he wrote.

In conclusion; saint of God, if you really want to know biblical doctrine well, seek the Lord Jesus Christ. Study Him, and you will think right when it comes to true biblical doctrine. Immediately upon hearing it, you will know what doctrine is true and what doctrine is false.

Jan 30 2015
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Are We Just Sinners Saved By Grace? (Continued)

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As I stated in last month’s article, I will continue to expound on, what I consider poor theology, Christians considering themselves sinners. I will be the first to admit that I have sinned since I have been saved, and I do not know of any believers that have not sinned since they became a believer. However, sin must not be our habit. You are what you practice. If you practice righteousness, holiness and faithfulness, then that is what you are. If you practice or have a habit of sin, then you are a sinner.

In last month’s article I closed with the suggestion that some may ask, “what about Paul claiming to be chief of sinners?” I would like us to take a look together at this portion of scripture where Paul makes that statement. It is found in I Timothy 1:15; “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” No doubt that the way this is translated into English it appears Paul is claiming to be the foremost sinner. Before I continue to look more into this verse I want you to consider a few things. If Paul is really stating that he is not just a sinner, but the worst of them all, why would he rebuke the Corinthians for allowing that man to have an incestuous relationship with his father’s wife? If Paul told them to remove that man from the church should they not remove Paul too, especially if he is a worse sinner than that man? If Paul was the worst of sinners, should he not heed his own warning to the Corinthians about the Lord’s Supper when he said, “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” (1Co 11:29). The worst of sinners would most certainly drink in an unworthy manner.

Again I ask, do you think the great apostle Paul was the worst of all sinners after he became a believer? I am sure he wasn’t and I am sure you don’t really believe he was either. I am a stickler when it comes to reading the bible. I believe, for the most part, we must believe the bible for the simple words it says, but every once in a while something is said that seems contradictory. When that happens we have to take a closer look at the passage(s). One of the most important rules of good bible study is to take the verses around a verse and let it help bring a clearer understanding to the passages in question. I tell my church often, “let the scriptures interpret the scriptures” Of course we cannot leave out the biggest factor of true bible study and that is the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. As we apply the rule of keeping scripture in context, not just with the verses around it, but the text of the whole teaching of the bible, we can get a clearer understanding of what Paul was really saying. Let’s look at the few verses that surround what Paul said in regard to being a chief sinner. Notice how often he talks in past tense in I Timothy 1:12-16.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; (13)Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (14) And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (15)This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (16)Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

In verse 12, Paul acknowledges that God found Him faithful. In verse 13 he states that he “was before” a blasphemer and persecutor, who at that time obtained mercy. In verse 14 he states that grace “was” exceeding abundant. Then going on to verse 16, Paul tells us he obtained mercy (past tense). When you read these verses together you can come to a simple conclusion that Paul wasn’t considering himself a sinner at the writing of this epistle, but that his life prior to his conversion was when he considered himself to be chief of sinners. Don’t forget, Paul persecuted the church of Jesus Christ and that is one reason why he felt he was such a sinful man. If there is one verse that I would think summed up Paul’s life after his road to Damascus experience it is, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20). I am certain none of you would argue against the point that if Christ’s life is being lived out in Paul and his natural life is reckoned dead, then he is not a sinner. The same is true for you as well. This truth helps bring clarity to what John meant when he said, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1Jn 3:9). That seed of Christ, which is in us, cannot sin. When we live according to the Spirit of God that is in us, we live the life of a saint, not a sinner. This is what is called walking in the Spirit.

When you walk in the Spirit, you are walking according to the nature, character and righteousness of Christ, in the measure of light He gives you. If you walk in the flesh, you can’t help but to express the deeds of the flesh. That is a sinful life. As I said in last month’s article, this could be the reason some Christians make the statement that they are just sinners saved by grace. It may be because they refuse to walk in the Spirit and instead walk in the flesh. If you walk in the flesh you are not going to feel very saintly; if you live in the flesh you are not going to feel close to God. However, if you walk in the Spirit, you will have the peace and joy of the Lord, and you will go out with confidence and boldness to tell others they too can be delivered from being a sinner.

Let me finish by saying that when we became new creatures in Christ, we received the indwelling Spirit, but there also remained that old fleshly nature. Through the Spirit we have power to overcome our flesh, and through the cross we can reckon our old man dead and crucified with Christ. If you are one that insists that we are still sinners because we have that old nature that we give into once in a while, I won’t really argue that point with you. I am well aware of the battle between the Spirit and the flesh. However, if you would read the New Testament in its entirety, you will see that the title of being a sinner is not given to the saints of the living God. If God doesn’t call us one, I am not going to argue with Him.

Jan 30 2015
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Are We Just Sinners Saved By Grace?

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There is a little phrase or slogan that is being said quite often in our church generation. That phrase is, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” There is even a song that the Gaither’s sing called “Sinner Saved by Grace.” Here are some of the words from the song: “And made me what I am today, just an old sinner saved by grace. I’m just a sinner, saved by grace.” So, is that what we really are? Evidently, many Christians think so, for I hear them say it, and I know many more believe that. I want to deal with this statement, so I ask you to give prayerful consideration to what I will be saying.

I want to start with a simple lesson from everyday life. Before I was married, I was free to live an independent life. I was what is called single. Once I stood before God with my bride and said “I do,” I gave up my independent single life. I became one with my wife at that moment and left that altar a married man. Since that day I got married, I have had some moments of desire for that independent life. There were even some times my wife got frustrated with me for doing my own thing, being selfish. Anyway, let me ask you a question to start challenging your thinking. Would my marital status change if I acted like a single man? Was I not still married even if there were moments I may have acted contrary to that? Now that I have you thinking a little bit, consider this scripture, “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1Co 6:10-11) There was a time I was a single man, and such were some of you brothers reading this article, but today you are married. You are not called a single man, but a married man. There was a time in my life, and in yours, if you are born again, when we were called sinners. I was a sinner, and I knew I was a sinner. Some of my sins I liked, some I was ashamed of. One thing for certain, I was in bondage to sin. However, when I got saved, I didn’t just get my sins forgiven and promised heaven, but I was also given power over sin and freed from the bondage of sin in my life. So with that said, I stand confidently before the Lord today and tell you I am no longer a sinner. I am washed, I am sanctified, and I am justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I belong to Him now, and I identify with His life now. I must add that I do sin sometimes, but thank God sin is not my common practice. Righteousness, holiness and obedience to the will of God is the life I identify with.

Let’s go back to the example of marriage. You who are married, would you ever even think to deny you are married just because you failed your spouse sometimes? If I heard a married man say, “I am just a single man that is married to a woman,” I would consider him a selfish man that probably doesn’t want to be married. So I ask, why are some Christians so willing to identify with that old life they once lived, and consider themselves that same old sinner? There can only be a few reasons they would say such a thing. One reason is they may have never really been born again and made a brand new creature, but have somehow been convinced they are saved. Another reason is that, some just repeat what others may teach. A new believer tends to accept what older Christians say as a true Christian doctrine. A final reason is that some Christians may really be unwilling to fully yield to Christ. Therefore, they find some comfort in the idea that they are still just sinners, and shouldn’t be expected to live truly righteous lives.

So I think by now you can see that I do not agree with the statement that we are just sinners saved by grace. Instead, I say, “I was a sinner that got saved by grace.” Here is what the bible calls us that are born again: saints (sacred, blameless), believers, disciples, Christians (first called that in Antioch), brethren, children of God, servants, righteous and a few other titles. In all my reading I have yet to come across a born again believer labeled as a sinner.

Why do I even bring this issue up? Is it really that big of a deal? I think so, and following is one example why I feel that way. I have ministered to prisoners with other fellow servants of God. You may be surprised that many of the inmates that attend our meetings profess they are believers or claim that they once served the Lord. How is it, that men claiming to be Christians, find themselves law breakers to such a point that they have to be locked up in prison? Now if they were in prison because of the testimony of Christ, that would be completely different, but that is not the case. Now some of these men are desperate for an answer, because they don’t want to be jail birds for the rest of their lives. They want and need a minister of God to come in and tell them of the delivering power of God. No matter how good our intentions might be, we must not go in and say to them, “you know what guys, I am no different than you. I too am a sinner, I am just saved by grace.” These men don’t need to hear that hopeless talk. They need to hear that there is more than just forgiveness for sin. They need to hear that there is life changing power given from God to deliver them from the sin that put them in jail to the righteous life that will keep them out. If sinners want to be delivered from the bondage of sin, but you go and tell them that you too are nothing more than a sinner, thinking that will help console them, you are terribly mistaken. I ask, are we delivered from a sinful life or not?

One of my favorite scriptures I use when preaching to the lost is ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (Jn. 1:12). Yes, we are given power to be children of God. We do not remain a people that are overcome with sin. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Co 5:17). Therefore, I am no longer a sinner, I got converted to a saint. Hallelujah!

I know someone may ask, what about Paul claiming to be chief of sinners? I will deal with that question in next month’s article as I continue on this topic.

Jan 29 2015
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More About Truth

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It was not my intention to follow up my last article, “The Truth About Truth” with another message about truth, but after reflecting more on this subject, I figured there is not a better time than now to bring out some more thoughts about truth.

Last month I shared how truth is more than something factual, truth is a person by the name of Jesus Christ. If you love Jesus, you love truth. If you downplay truth, you downplay Jesus. I also brought out how truth is what sets men free. So why in the world would the church ever mess around with the truth by trying to skirt around it? Proclaim the truth and let it, or I should say, let Him do His work. Another point I made about truth is that we can never really worship God unless it is in Spirit and truth. If your life is a lie, don’t think singing, shouting and raising your hands during a song service is going to be received by a holy God full of grace and truth. Then the very last point I made was that one of evidences of love is that it “… rejoiceth in the truth;” (I Cor 13:6). Real love, love for God, loves truth. If truth is diminished in a believer’s life, then understand, so is their love for God.

Now on to some more teaching about truth, right from the book of truth, and taught by the Spirit of truth. The Spirit only knows truth; He only speaks truth and fits the description as being the Spirit of truth. When we become born again believers, God freely gives us His Spirit of truth to dwell inside us. Joh 14:17 says, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” What a privilege, saints of God: We get the very Spirit of truth living in us Who will work in us and bring forth a living manifestation of truth. Everything we say must be true, and the life we live must be true. The Spirit accomplishes this in us when we cooperate with Him. Paul, writing to Timothy, called the church, “the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Tim. 3:15). Truth is what settles and establishes the church so she cannot be moved from the Rock she is founded on. Truth is the root that that goes down deep to anchor the church. Lies and deception dig away at the roots. If you disturb the roots of a tree, that tree becomes unstable. If Christians start downplaying and avoiding the truth then the church becomes susceptible to everything the devil will throw at her.

Joh 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” What a promise we have from Jesus. God will never leave us stuck somewhere between the false and the truth. As long as you brother and sister in Christ, have the desire and determination to walk in the truth, the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth. It will be a lifetime pursuit, but all along the way the Spirit will be revealing the truth to you in a greater measure. There is never an excuse that we can come up with that will justify our ignorance of truth. We all are responsible to make sure we know, embrace and walk in the truth. We are warned over and over in our bibles to guard our hearts and to take heed that no man deceives us. As long as we are yielded to the Spirit of truth, it is impossible to be overcome by deception. There can certainly be moments when we can be deceived along the way, but that is when the Spirit of truth does His work. He reveals any deception we may be falling for as nothing other than a lie from hell. When the Spirit reveals to us things we believe to be false, we must then reject those beliefs immediately. If we refuse to, we then have willingly started down the path of deception and we are not only rejecting truth, but we are also rejecting Christ.

It is apparent that much of the church in America is bankrupt of truth. Be mad at me for making such a statement if you want, but consider this: If all the Christians in America would set their hearts and minds to really know the truth, the Spirit of truth would then guide us all into all truth. That alone would demolish our denominational separations; that would cause countless numbers of Christians to abandon dead truth rejecting churches to unite under the Spirit of truth. Sure, most churches believe and agree on many doctrinal issues. In fact I believe that they agree on more than they disagree on. However, Jesus said the Spirit of truth would lead us into ALL, let me say that again, ALL truth. Therefore church, we must believe and walk in ALL TRUTH. No excuses will be accepted.

Every so often you will meet believers that have faithfully served the Lord for many years, and yet have testimonies that they worked (or strived or endured) through all the confusion and worldly influence that had been so much a part of their church experiences. How did they do that? How did they have the ability to discern what God is in and what He is not? How did they know what was true and what wasn’t? It is by none other than the Spirit of truth. Saints, we have no excuse for any blindness we may have toward the truth. Let the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, guide you into all truth. When He reveals the truth, you are then accountable to that truth. Be brave, be bold and rise up with other saints all across this country to believe God and our bibles the way we should.

Jan 29 2015
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The Truth About Truth

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It is apparent that many of our politicians and most in the media have lost their ability to tell the truth. It wasn’t too long ago that one of our presidents became famous for lying. Jokes were made about his dishonesty. Instead of making jokes, this country should have been repenting. Today, the current man in the oval office has no sense of true or false anymore. He can go to an event and say one thing, and then go to another event and say the opposite and get an applause every time. It is not just him, who has mastered lying, but many others have made an art out of being dishonest, and then to have the press give a free pass to whatever they say is a source of major frustration. I often say, I am sure glad that the kingdom I belong to is an eternal kingdom that has a righteous King. Hallelujah! Now Paul tells us that we are not to judge the world, for they are judged already (I Cor. 5:12-13), so my purpose in even mentioning the bankruptcy of truth amongst the leaders of our nation is to lead up to an even more grievous situation that has to do with the church of Jesus Christ. Many times, the things that prevail in our society make its way into the church, and when it comes to this subject of truth, it seems there is a growing resistance towards it. I don’t know if saints really comprehend just what truth is and its connection with the kingdom of God.

For starters, the absolute most important thing we must understand about truth is that truth is more than just something factual. According to John 14:6 Jesus said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life:..” Sometimes, we hear a verse so often that we never pay close attention to what it really says. Jesus said some very significant things in this verse. First He teaches that the “way” is more than just a path to follow, the way is the person, Jesus. To get to the Father you follow the narrow way, which is nothing other than being in Christ. When Christians proclaim the truth that Jesus is the only way, the world views them as very narrow minded. However, those of us that are in Christ know there is nothing narrow about Him. He is infinite! Jesus continues on to make a proclamation about truth. Jesus told His disciples more than just true things; He told them that He Himself is TRUTH. So the very first thing we must understand about truth is that it is more than a fact, it is a person by the name of Jesus Christ. That understanding alone should change the way every Christian thinks about truth. Whenever we downplay truth, we are downplaying Christ. If truth is rejected, Christ is rejected. If truth is exalted, Christ is exalted. Since Jesus is also the word of God (Jn1:14) and the word of God is truth, you therefore cannot reject the truth of the word and still claim that you accept the Lord Jesus Christ. I have seen this happen many times, where for the sake of unity, Christians will so easily lie down or compromise some elements of truth. It is impossible for true unity of the Spirit to spring forth from Christians agreeing to compromise truth. True and false will always be at odds with each other just like right and wrong. Jesus referred to the devil as the Father of lies because his kingdom is built on lies. He lied to his own heart and said 5 times in Isaiah 14, “I will.” He lied to man in the garden and he has continued to spew lies all the way to this present day. Hell is for liars; heaven is where truth lives.

Another important fact about truth is again found in John; “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Jn. 8:32. What a wonderful effect truth has on mankind; truth can take a sinful bound up man and make him free. If you are a born again believer you can be certain that the truth is what made you free. So with this wonderful thought in mind, I ask, if truth is what sets people free, why does the church tinker around with truth? Why do believers think they have to cover it up when they preach to people? Why do saints think that avoiding the truth, so as not to offend anyone, is going to save them? If the truth sets people free, then let’s proclaim it from the house tops. Let’s hold it dear to our hearts, let’s promote it at all times, and most of all, may we never compromise one jot or tittle of it.

There is even more to say about truth that we learn from the gospel of John; “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (Jn. 4:24). Here again we can see another serious problem. If truth is absent or diminished in a believer’s life, God will not receive worship, whether it is a time of singing and shouting, or an offering of your life to Him. Again I say, if truth is rejected, then Christ is rejected. If Christ is rejected then there is no worship to God.

I want to bring out one more aspect of truth that is overlooked. There is something Paul says about it in the love chapter 13 of I Corinthians. Since the chapter is about love, it is possible to easily gloss over the word “truth” which is found in verse 6, regarding love. “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;” There are some ministers and believers who consistently resist the truth and proclaim false doctrines. I have had discussions with other believers about why they would listen to them or follow their ways. One reply I have heard many times is something like this; Well, I know they might be teaching or preaching wrong things, but I know they love the Lord. With that, let me ask you reader, if love rejoices in truth, and a Christian resists, downplays, neglects or even denies the truth, are they really someone that loves the Lord?

Jan 29 2015
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Eyesalve: Build Upon The Foundation

By | Eyesalve

“And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.” Gen. 7:16

Chapter 6 of Genesis ends with, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Two more times in chapter 7 it says the same thing of Noah that he did what God commanded him. You can see that Noah was a very obedient man. I guess you could say he didn’t have much choice, obey, build and live or disobey, don’t build and die. Noah built the very thing that saved Him. So too with us, as we obey, we build upon the foundation of our very own salvation, our Ark, Jesus Christ.

Jan 28 2015
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Eyesalve: They Will Follow

By | Eyesalve

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” Jn. 10:27

God’s sheep hear His voice and follow Him. God’s voice is often heard through the mouth of His ministers. When Moses spoke, the people were hearing God speak. When Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke, the voice of God was being heard. Today God has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Again, God is letting His voice be heard. As long as these ministers are speaking for God, the sheep will hear God’s voice and follow Him.

Jan 27 2015
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Eyesalve: They Will Believe it This Time

By | Eyesalve

“And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.” Gen. 45:3

Joseph is a type of Jesus Christ in that one day Jesus will reveal himself to the Jewish people, His brethren, and say, I am Jesus, your savior. This time, they will believe Him and receive Him.

Jan 26 2015
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Eyesalve: Don’t Miss Your Chariot Ride

By | Eyesalve

And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Gen. 41:42-43

I wonder how many Christians missed their chariot ride because they gave up when they faced circumstances such as Joseph did.