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Heed The Warnings!

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:01:00 -0400

Matthew 7:22-23 esv
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’...

‎(Taken from Adam Clarke's Commentary on the bible)

Mat 7:22

Many will say to me in that day

in that very day, viz. the day of judgment - have we not prophesied, taught, publicly preached, in thy name; acknowledging thee to be the only Savior, and proclaiming thee as such to others; cast out demons, impure spirits, who had taken possession of the bodies of men; done many miracles, being assisted by supernatural agency to invert even the course of nature, and thus prove the truth of the doctrine we preached?

Mat 7:23

Will I profess

I will fully and plainly tell them, I never knew you - I never approved of you; for so the word is used in many places, both in the Old and New Testaments. You held the truth in unrighteousness, while you preached my pure and holy doctrine; and for the sake of my own truth, and through my love to the souls of men, I blessed your preaching; but yourselves I could never esteem, because you were destitute of the spirit of my Gospel, unholy in your hearts, and unrighteous in your conduct. Alas! alas! how many preachers are there who appear prophets in their pulpits; how many writers, and other evangelical workmen, the miracles of whose labor, learning, and doctrine, we admire, who are nothing, and worse than nothing, before God, because they perform not his will, but their own? What an awful consideration, that a man of eminent gifts, whose talents are a source of public utility, should be only as a way-mark or finger-post in the way to eternal bliss, pointing out the road to others, without walking in it himself!

Depart from me - What a terrible word! What a dreadful separation! Depart from Me! from the very Jesus whom you have proclaimed in union with whom alone eternal life is to be found. For, united to Christ, all is heaven; separated from him, all is hell

Paul Opposes Peter

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:26:00 -0400

Paul Opposes Peter

[11] But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. [12] For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. [13] And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. [14] But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

(Galatians 2:11-14 ESV)

Justified by Faith

[15] We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

(Galatians 2:15-16 ESV)

[28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

(Galatians 3:28-29 ESV)

There are those of us who insist on adhering to OT Jewish rites, dress code and upholding of it's ceremonies. Those who beleive that salvation can only be maintained through a Jewish mindset and personality.
These passages are very clear and speaks directly to this matter.

Fill Up With The Ways Of God, Not The World

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:45:00 -0400

I John 2:15-17

[Do Not Love the World]

[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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (ESV)

James 4:4

[Warning against Worldliness]

[4] You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity (Def.-The quality of being an enemy; hatred;) with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (ESV)

Romans 12:2

[TotalDedication to God]

[2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what isgood and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 2:12

[The Spirit who is from God]

[12] Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (ESV)

The Word and Wealth

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:18:00 -0400

1 Timothy 6:5-7 esv.
and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain, from such withdraw yourself.
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world....

"Depraved in mind". The false teachers are often referred to in the Pastorals as having faulty reasoning (v. 4; 1:7; 2 Tim. 3:8). Since the gospel is the truth, to deny it is to think in a faulty manner. "Imagining that godliness is a means of gain". People who wrongly preach that God will give material health and wealth if only one has enough faith fall under the condemnation of this passage. (Quoted from the ESV study Bible)

"From such withdraw yourself": do not come near them; have nothing to do with them; do not lay hands on them, or admit them into the ministry; do not suffer them to preach, or encourage them by hearing them: if in the church, cast them out; have communion with them, neither in a civil nor in a religious way; avoid all conversation with them. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions omit this clause; it is wanting in the Alexandrian copy, and in Beza's Claromontane Exemplar, but is in other copies.

(Taken from John Gill's exposition on th entire bible.)

They That Wait

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:21:00 -0400

Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The purpose of a "Wilderness "Experience"

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:49:00 -0400

This is an article written by Andrew Strom from johnthebaptisttv.com. Permission to post his articles are given beforehand.

WHY The 'WILDERNESS'?

-Andrew Strom.

The 'wilderness' is not a concept that is understood too well in

Christendom, despite the fact that it is all the way through the

Bible. From the book of Genesis right through Revelation there

are clear references to the 'wilderness' as being something God

often employs in His dealings with men. The pattern is undeniable.

When we look through the Scriptures we see that the wilderness

is often a place of spiritual "crisis" and also preparation. It is the

place God sends us before the "real action" begins - before we

enter into the full purposes of God in our lives. There must be

'death' before there can be resurrection. There must be a desert

place before the "promised land".

The wilderness is a place of trial and testing, of brokenness and

full surrender to God. The props and activities that have kept us

continually striving to "make things happen" are stripped away.

Our self-reliance is shattered and replaced with a total reliance on

God alone. Every "idol" in our lives (often including our own ministry)

is brought under the piercing searchlight of God. Our selfish motives

and ambitions are shown for what they are. This process may take

years. Finally we emerge broken, chastened and purified. The

process has matured and cleansed us in so many ways. We are

now ready for the fulfillment of all that God originally called us to

do. But our heart-motives are vastly different from what they were

before.

We see this pattern all the way through Scripture. Many lessons

can be learned from what we read there. Abraham, Joseph, Joshua,

Moses, David, Elijah, John the Baptist, Paul the apostle - and even

Jesus Himself - all had to go through this "wilderness" experience.

Very often it lasted for years and years. Why then should we be

surprised if it happens to us?

Probably the best-known instance of a 'wilderness experience' in

the Old Testament is the story of Moses and the children of Israel.

Moses had been raised and trained all his life in the palaces of

Egypt. But when he came face-to-face with his heritage as an

Israelite, he rose up "in his own strength" and killed an Egyptian

slave-driver. He was then forced to flee into the desert, where he

was to spend 40 YEARS as a simple shepherd in the wilderness.

What an enormous length of time! Imagine if every Christian leader

had to spend that long in the wilderness before God would allow

them to lead His people! It is almost impossible to imagine the

depths of despair and "death" to all his dreams and hopes that

Moses went through during this time. In fact, after 40 years it is

hard to imagine anyone being "deader" to the usual ambitions

and temptations of leadership than Moses would have been. And

what PATIENCE these years of waiting must have produced in him!

We see here the lengths that God will go to in the "preparation"

of a leader "after His own heart." (-Though 40 years is unusually

long). The isolation, the chafing, the crying out to God for deliverance

- all play their part. Such an experience is almost irreplaceable.

That is why God uses it so often. The hearts of driven men are so

similar in so many ways, that God's "cure" becomes similar also!

He will even shut us up in a kind-of 'prison' for a time so we cannot

escape the process. It is that important. He does not want 'self'-

oriented leaders shepherding his precious sheep.

After his 40 years of preparation, Moses returned to Egypt at God's

command to lead His people out of bondage. This was the beginning

of the entire nation of Israels' wilderness experience. For when they

left Egypt the only way to their "Promised Land" was through the

desert. Some commentators say that in a straight line, their journey

could have taken just a few weeks or less. But because of their

disobedience and fear, the vast majority of those who left Egypt

were destined to die in the desert, never reaching the Promised

Land. In fact, their wilderness journey ended up taking 40 years!

Now we need to take special note of this fact:- Not everyone who

entered the wilderness survived it. In fact, multitudes perished there.

The wilderness tried them and found them wanting. They went to

the place of testing and failed the test. This is a pretty crucial fact

to realize in our day also. Just because we are "called out" and

enter a wilderness time, does not mean that we will embrace the

dealings of God and respond appropriately. It is entirely possible

to lose everything out there. These people lost out completely.

Only their children came through to inherit the promises of God.

How clearly we see this pattern over and over again - in both the

Old Testament and the New:- That many whom God wants to one

day use are sent into a place of aloneness and brokenness before

being brought into their true destiny. We have not even mentioned

heroes of God such as Noah, Jacob, Job and others who all had

similar experiences. Part of this process lies in the "waiting" that

takes place. Also, the fact that all the supporting 'props' are taken

away. The "waiting" alone can be torture.

The wilderness also deals with any fear of man or 'systemized'

way of looking at things. God often uses it to bring a whole fresh

perspective, which is very important for leaders who are going to

be representing a "new" approach or facing opposition because of

the confrontational words that they are bringing. The lonely desert

years give them backbone to stand up to the crowd or the powers-

that-be, and declare God's truth without compromise. They now

truly fear God rather than man. And they think differently from

others. The wilderness is vital for anyone who is wanting to bring

fresh manna to God's people.

Are you someone who has been going through such a "desert"

experience, my friend? Be encouraged! Look up, for your deliverance

draws nigh. God only ever sends His children through such

experiences when there is a great purpose to it. Don't give up. Don't

be cast down. On the other side lies a 'land of promise' if only you

can hang on to Jesus. Be active, be praying, be prepared. Don't

become "passive" and let the desert swallow you whole. Use this

time to draw closer and closer to Jesus. Dig down and plant your

feet firmly on the Rock. Humble yourself before the Lord and He

will lift you up in due time - if only you can cling to Him.

-Please comment on this article at the following website-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

God bless you all.

Andrew Strom.

Everyone means Everyone

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:17:00 -0400

Act 2:21
"And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

As you can see, "everyone" means everyone. The greek word for "everyone" is "pas", which also means "whosoever".
This is a confirmation of Joel 2:28. The Spirit also confirms this speaking through the writings of Paul in Romans 10:13 ( For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.) ans is confirmed later in the book of acts 16:31 ( And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.) The criteria for salvation, is beleiving in Jesus Christ.

There is no some people shall be destined for heaven, while others are doomed because God has destined them for hell. God wants everyone to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This does not say that God predestined some in the world.....but the world.

And, once again, it states "whosoever".
How many ways can you interpret that?

Deceptive spirits

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:35:00 -0400

1 Tim 4:1-2 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,

In these last days, many of us are following deceiving spirits. One of those deceptions is when we follow the doctrine of "God wants you to be rich" and make that message the priority of their sermons and life pursuits. Many "christians" are so devoted to these teachings, that they call down the wraith of God if you refute them! They get ANGRY, and will come just short of cussing you out....lol

Do you think the Son of God, came down from heaven, just so we can get Rolls Royce's and have mansions or did He die to bring us into right relationship with Him, that we might live lives of holiness?

Another deception is for those who believe that we can never leave our salvation. Look at what it says in v.1: "some shall depart from the faith..." You can't depart from something that you were never a part of , can you? It doesn't make much sense if I tell you don't depart from your marriage, if you aren't married, or don't leave your job at Sears, if you don't work for Sears.

Likewise, how can the Lord say that some will depart from something that they were never a part of? They have had to be of the faith, i.e believers in Christ.

A conditional Promise

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:01:00 -0400

John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

The word "abide" comes from the Greek word "Meno" which also means: to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry. All of the words are great substitutes for the word "abide", keeping the intent of the scripture. If you do not continue in the Lord you are doomed to the fire, i.e hell. For apart from Him you can do nothing. (v. 5)

Condom Distribution

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:24:00 -0400

Coming to a town near you. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

The end of days, people!!

Condoms to be distributed to elementary school students without parents knowledge or consent!

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100624/uproar-over-mass-schools-giving-elementary-kids-condoms/index.html