Copyright (c) 1989, Elijah Gwinn, all rights reserved.
THE DRIFTING CHURCH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About 211 pages, broken down in two parts for Internet.
Clearing the Worldly Mind . . . . . . . . Chapter 1, 19 pages
Who's A Christian?. . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 2, 20 pages
Persecution of the Saints . . . . . . . . Chapter 3, 10 pages
Teachings of the Early Church . . . . . . Chapter 4, 23 pages
End of part 1
______________________________________________
Part 2
Power of the Positive Devil . . . . . . . Chapter 5, 29 pages
The Rapture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 6, 14 pages
The Great Harlot . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 7, 20 pages
Living the Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 8, 20 pages
Serving the Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 9, 29 pages
PO Box 175, Littlerock Washington 98556
POWER OF THE POSITIVE DEVIL
There is much power in positive thinking, but is the source of
this power God centered? Is this power from the Christian God or
from the gods? If the power of positive thinking is from false
gods it is not something a Christian should be playing around
with! How are we as Christians to know if the power of positive
thinking is from God or from Satan? Let us look into the source
of this power.
In one evil witchcraft book it says: "the magician is a master
of positive thought, and for him there are no denials. He is
also The soul of discretion because he believes that knowledge
is power and that knowledge shared is power lost.
To the magician negative thought can mean the destruction of
his work, and therefore in order to avoid negativity he trusts
no one. .... This control, this mastery, can be achieved only,
says magic, through the help of God. ... one must dig deep
within one's soul to establish contact with the Divine Being;
one must journey deeply into the dark realms of the unconscious
mind to reach God. God is in man.
This is perhaps one of the most closely guarded secrets of
magic. One does not project outwardly to a mythical heaven in
order to reach God but inwardly to the inner mansions of the
human soul, where God dwells. ... All magical rituals and
ceremonies are directed toward this personal god that dwells
within. ... power waiting patiently to place at man's disposal.
All man needs to unleash this awesome force is concentrated will
and determination..." [The Complete Book of Spells, Ceremonies,
and Magic, page 12]
Notice that this god of the witches uses the positive thinking
of the witch to work this awesome power of white magic. Accord-
ing to the witches, white magic is worked through positive
thinking and black magic is worked through the power of negative
thinking.
We find the witch must have faith to work his or her magic. The
witchcraft books say: "The central law of magic is that the
power of the gods, who are the aspect of the one God, can be
tapped by man by various magical practices.
These different methods can be seen simply as keys to the doors
of the deep unconscious. The powers of the gods are both
positive (white magic) and negative (black magic).... The main
ingredients in any magical undertaking are concentrated will and
unshakable faith. This faith is not faith in the gods, because
the gods are self-sufficient and do not need our faith to exist.
The faith referred to is faith in ourselves and in the power of
the human mind. With will and faith any of the ceremonies
described here can be used with positive results. Negative
results would mean that neither the will nor the faith were
strong enough." [The Complete Book of Spells, Ceremonies and
Magic, page 363]
As we can see from these writings of witchcraft, the faith of
the witch is not faith in God, but faith in one's self. In other
words they have elevated themselves as being a deity of divine
will. This is very close to the belief of positive thinking
Christians! He or she thinks the power of their own mind is
going to cause things to happen. They think by thinking, they
can think things into existence or cause things to happen. As we
will see they are practicing witchcraft.
If the witch wants something she thinks it into existence. In
the witchcraft books it says: " For this reason the magician
learns to develop his imagination and powers of visualization at
quite an early stage, for he believes that the more powerfully
he visualizes something, the better chances will be to manifest
itself physically... thus, if he wishes to acquire a material
possession such as a house, for example, he will find a
photograph or drawing of the house of his dreams and keep it
around him constantly.
He will imagine himself within the house and pretend he owns
it, and hypnotize himself with the idea that he already
possesses the house. This form of Imitative Magic is not an
exclusive property of the magician; many persons far removed
from the magical scene practice it often under the guise of
positive thinking.... We all know what tremendous amounts of
willpower, determination, and positive thinking were necessary
to make both these dreams come true.
What this proves simply is that what we commonly know as magic
is an inherent trait of the human mind and that we all practice
it sooner or later in our lives, often unconsciously." [The
Complete Book of Spells, Ceremonies and Magic, page 44]
This very much parallels the teachings of the positive thinking
Christians. They teach: " Make a picture in your mind of your
body, well. Think especially of the part of the body that most
needs to be well. See it well and perfect and shining with God's
light.
And give thanks that this is being accomplished.... In order to
receive God's life in the body, we must first be able to forget
the body so that we can quiet the mind and concentrate the
spiritual energies on God.... He will notice as he relaxes that
even his breathing is altered...." [The Healing Light by Agnes
Sanford, page 26]
The Christian preacher Rev. Norman Vencent Peale writes: "
Spend several minutes each day visualizing His (God's) presence.
Then practice believing that affirmation. Go about your business
on the assumption that what you affirm and visualized is true.
Affirm it, visualize it, believe it, and it will actualize
itself. The release of power which this procedure stimulates
will astonish you.... Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind
a mental picture of yourself as succeeding.
Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your
mind will seek to develop this picture... believe in your own
God released powers." [The Power of Positive Thinking, page
15-17]
This Christian teacher goes on to say: " Go alone into the
quietest place available to you and sit or lie down for fifteen
minutes and practice the art of silence. Do not talk to anyone.
Do not write. Do not read. Think as little as possible. Throw
your mind into neutral.
Conceive of your mind as quiescent, inactive. This will not be
easy at first because thoughts are stirring up your mind, but
practice will increase your efficiency. Conceive of your mind as
the surface of a body of water and see how near quiet you can
make it, so that there is not a ripple.
When you have attained a quiescent state, then begin to listen
for the deeper sounds of harmony and beauty and of God that are
to be found in the essence of silence." [The Power of Positive
Thinking page 28]
To see where Rev. Peale and other so-called positive Christians
are receiving this power let us look into the dark books of
witchcraft to reveal their source. The dark books of witchcraft
say: " There are many positions one can use while meditating or
entering astral travel. One of which is laying down flat on your
back.... You must concentrate on emptying your mind, for you
must be in the no mind state.
This is best done by imagining that your mind is the surface of
a body of water. You must see how quiet you can make your mind,
until there is not a ripple on the face of the water. When you
reach this quiet, no mind state you soon come in contact with
God.
To help reach the no mind state lay on your back as still as
possible and relax your body. Start with your toes relaxing your
body and work upwards until your body is relaxed from your feet
to the top of your head. As you reach the no mind state start
listening for the deep sounds of harmony and beauty as you
become one with God.... It is in the no mind state that the
spirits of the gods can enter your body and impart to you their
awesome powers."
The witch goes on to say that she could increase the power of
positive magic by facing east in the Yoga lotus position. She
said the archangel Raphael, the angelic force she wanted to
contact, is supposed to vibrate most harmoniously with a yellow
candle, as he is the archangel who stands in the sun.
It seems this practice of facing east worshiping the sun is
nothing new to God. It is no doubt the practice that kindled the
anger of God in Ezekiel 8:16 in the Bible.
As you can see, these Christian teachers of positive thinking
come dangerously close to duplicating the witchcraft practices
described above.
Hence it is rather obvious where the source of their power is
coming from. We are not saying that Christians should not think
positively. As you can see witchcraft is worked also through
negative thinking. If a person is not careful he can ignorantly
invoke some of the negative powers of witchcraft just as easily
as the positive powers.
We must warn you that the (Black) negative powers are far more
harmful than the (White) positive powers. But whether white or
black magic, it is all from the devil and is an abomination to
God. [Ex. 22:18, Deut. 18:9-12]
If true faith does not come through positive thinking where
does it come from? To find the answer we must naturally turn to
the Bible. The Bible says: " So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God." [Rom. 11:17] " God hath dealt
to every man the measure of faith. [Rom. 12:3]
As you can see we are all given a measure of faith; we receive
faith by hearing and studying the Word of God. Thus the best way
to increase our faith is to study and obey the Bible. We know
from experience that when we become lax in studying the Bible,
our faith starts to decline and the more diligently we study the
Bible the greater our faith increases. As we study and apply
ourselves we are given spiritual gifts, but these gifts do not
come without some dedication and obedience.
As the Scriptures say: " For to one is given by the Spirit the
word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same
Spirit; To another FAITH by the same Spirit; To another the
gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of
miracles... But all these worketh that one and the selfsame
Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will." [1 Cor.
12:8] As we can see it is God who gives faith and other gifts to
men as it pleases Him. Nowhere in the Bible does it teach men to
grow their own faith.
Many false teachers speak of seed faith saying you must grow
your faith like a seed. They use the mistranslation of 2
Thessalonians 1:3 to espouse their doctrine of man growing his
own faith.
This passage says: " because that your faith groweth exceeding-
ly..." [KJV] They think this means we can grow or manufacture
our own faith by positive thinking. They do not understand that
the Greek word (huperauxano) translated "groweth" means " to
increase above ordinary degree." and should have been translated
" because your faith is greatly enlarged," which could not be
used to support a doctrine of growing your own faith.
If Paul had meant Christians were to nurture or grow their own
faith until it had grown from a seed into a tree, he would have
used the Greek word (anabaino), but he deliberately used the
word (huperauxano) which signifies an abundant increase but does
not mean that faith had been produced by the Christians
themselves.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say we can grow our own faith by
our thinking. The Bible consistently teaches us that faith is a
gift from God which comes by obedience. "by it the elders
obtained a good report... by faith Abel offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice.... by faith, Noah, being warned of God of
things not seen as yet, moved with fear, preparing an ark... By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which
he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and went
out, not knowing whither he went...." [Heb. 11] " others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a
better resurrection. [Heb. 11:35 KJV]
All of these passages show us these people used actions of
obedience to God which was counted as faith and righteousness.
Hence faith is nothing more than believing in God and the action
of obedience. This is why Apostle James said: " What doth it
profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have
not works? can faith save him?... Even so faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me
thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my
works.... Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he
had offered Isaac his son upon the alter?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was
faith made perfect?... For as the body without the spirit is
dead, so faith without works is dead also." [James 2:14-26 KJV]
Faith is always an action that you have in your own power
either to do or not to do. Faith is not the action of claiming
you are healed when you are not healed or thinking positively
thus causing something to happen. By true faith something
happens because you have the courage to step out in faith and
make a free will choice to do or not to do. Your action of
obedience in stepping out in faith and doing the right thing
even though that action might cause you some grief is true faith
indeed.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say go and make the claim you are
healed and you will be healed. Either you were healed or you
were not healed. When Jesus healed the sick he said: " Behold,
thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto
thee." [John 5:14 KJV] He did not say go and think you are
healed and your wish will be granted.
Often plagues and sickness come on the children of God because
of disobedience as Moses said: " If thou wilt not observe to do
all the words of this law that are written in this book, that
thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY
GOD; Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the
plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continu-
ance, and sore sickness, and of long continuance.
Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt,
which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. Also
every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the
book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou
be destroyed...." [Deut. 28:58 KJV]
And in turn if the children of Israel hearken to the law of God
and obey, Moses said: " And the Lord will take away from thee
all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt,
which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them
that hate thee." [Deut. 7:15 KJV]
The priests of positive thinking like to point out first Peter
2:24, where it says: " by whose stripes ye were healed." They
teach that we were healed physically by the wounds of Christ,
therefore we must claim this healing, so that we can be healed.
They do not understand that this scripture means you were healed
spiritually and were restored from a state of sin and condemna-
tion by His stripes. Thus we are healed physically by Him in His
own good time.
We can only use this healing as He dispenses it to us. Thus by
His stripes we are healed according to His will if we are
obedient to Him. We are physically healed by Christ's wounds if
we faithfully obey his commandments and if God wants us healed.
We cannot bully God into healing us against His better judgment
when He knows we would be better off spiritually by remaining in
weakness.
As the scripture says: " Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be
offended in me." [Matt. 11:6] In other words, "Blessed is he who
does not get upset by the way I run my business!" God does not
operate by our time table! It is up to God to heal us in His own
good time according to His own purpose. Often God has some
lesson He wants us to learn before we are healed physically.
Sometimes God allows us to be afflicted for our own good, be-
cause He knows we would not do as good a job serving Him if we
had our health.
Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to lie to ourselves or to
ignore the natural signals which God created to warn us of
potential health problems. Satan would love for us to be
ignorant enough to ignore those God given health signals so he
could destroy us when God is trying to warn us. It is a sin to
lie to ourselves, claiming we are healed when we are not. We are
either healed or not healed according to God's own purpose.
The priests of positive thinking get upset at this teaching.
They believe only that which is good comes from God, hence God
would never allow anything bad like sickness to happen to a
Christian. They believe it is only Satan who wants us sick.
True, Satan wants us sick and God does not want us to be sick.
However God allows us to be sick, thereby causing good to come
from sickness. These ignorant priests of positive thinking are
ignorant of the fact that God created every thing which was
created including sickness, disease and death. [Eph. 3:9, Colo.
1:16, Rev. 4:11]
God uses sickness, disease and death to accomplish that which
is good. Often sickness, disease and death cause good things to
happen. Man does not understand the infinite wisdom of God. He
does not understand that in some cases if God were to extend a
man's life it would cause that man to lose his soul.
In other cases if death did not hang over man's head he would
forget God and do wickedly. Men often begin to think about God,
only when they think they are going to die. In some cases if God
healed a man that man would become exalted and not be fit to do
the works of God, therefore God makes the man strong in spirit
but weak in flesh. Such a man was Apostle Paul. As Jesus said to
Paul: " My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness." [2 Cor.12:9 KJV]
Holy men of God sin ignorantly, or fall short of what God has
given them to do in this life, hence they are often more
afflicted with infirmities than less holy men. More is required
of those who have received much from God. As Jesus said: " For
unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:"
[Luke 12:48 KJV] Holy men are afflicted because they do not
measure up to God's standard.
As the scripture says: " My son, despise not thou the chasten-
ing of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For
whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourageth every son
whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you
as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers,
then are ye bastards, and not sons." [Heb. 12:5 KJV] We can
assure you, those who claim to be Christians but never suffer
sickness, poverty or persecution are bastards and not sons nor
daughters of Christ, the suffering Messiah.
We have known Christians who have told us they have never been
persecuted for being a Christian nor suffered sickness nor
poverty. After knowing those people for a while it was evident
why they never suffered with the Lord. As soon as the smallest
trouble came along they gave in to the devil, rather than suffer
persecution.
They were too cowardly to stand up for the truth, righteous-
ness, the Bible, God or their fellow man. When they saw their
fellow man being mistreated they would not defend him. When
God's name was being blasphemed they kept silent or laughed.
They did not have enough love nor guts to witness the Gospel to
their fellow man, hence it is no wonder they are not partakers
in the sufferings of the Lord.
By faith Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of
God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of
the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of
the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. [Heb.
11:25]
When Moses saw the Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, he could have
kept silent; not getting involved, thereby retaining his wealth
and his position of great authority in the Egyptian government.
But he was a true man of God, hence he could not keep silent nor
be cowardly by not getting involved. By being a man of God and
getting involved he suffered much hardship. [Ex. 2:12]
If you make a study of the Bible and church history you will
find millions of righteous Israelites and Christians suffered
persecution, poverty, sickness and death because they refused to
choose riches, wealth and prosperity by siding in with the
wicked.
They preferred to suffer hardships rather than to be cowardly
and partake of the pleasures of sin. It is a sin to sit back and
do nothing, while watching rich and important men mistreat
people under their authority. By not stepping forward in the
defence of the poor and suffering, you are a partaker in the
evil deeds of the rich man. Cowardly people will not inherit the
kingdom of God. [Rev. 21:8]
By not having the faith to step forward and defend people being
oppressed by the rich and the mighty we are inviting slavery for
ourselves and our children. America did not become the great
nation it is by men being cowardly; our forefathers were bold
and righteous men who had enough guts, love and faith to stand
up against the King of England.
Many of them like George Washington were wealthy men and could
have retained their wealth and authority by serving the King of
England, but since they were righteous men, they could not stand
by and watch the kings men mistreat the poor. Therefore they had
the faith to step forward and risk everything they owned to
defend the poor.
They did this even though they knew they did not have one
chance in a million to defeat the king of England. They had
faith that God would deliver them, even through such terrible
odds. These men suffered many hardships during the long, hard
years of that war.
We know of Christians who are suffering hardships at this
present time, because they choose to defend the poor rather than
keep silent and save their jobs. They could have had wealth and
prosperity if they had kept silent and refused to get involved,
thereby helping themselves rather than helping the oppressed.
It seems to be a rule that almost all holy men are poor men and
we can see why this is the rule. Men of God become poor because
of the persecution they receive for being bold and upright,
defending what is right. Men who are poor have to turn to God
and prayer for their very existence, but the rich man does not
have much need to turn to God for he has all he needs.
God knows it keeps men humble when they are weak, sick or poor
both in health and in finances. The Lord God is a refiner of His
people, as he said: "I will bring the third part (of my people)
through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and
will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and
I will hear them: I will say, it is my people: and they shall
say, The Lord is my God." [Zech. 13:9, Mal. 3:2 KJV]
How does the Lord refine us? As he said: " I have refined thee,
but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of
affliction. [Isa. 48:10 KJV] We are refined by suffering
affliction with Christ as Apostle Peter said: "Beloved, think it
not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings..."[1 Peter
4:12 KJV]
The Bible infers that we are the clay and God is the Potter.
[Rom. 9:21, Lam. 4:2] What pot or vessel made of clay is worth
keeping which has not been seasoned by passing through the fiery
furnace? So also men are made of dust or clay and are worth
nothing until they have passed through some fiery trials which
build character.
Character involves such characteristics as love, patience,
humility, tolerance, mercy, wisdom, justice, fairness and
kindness. Those with godly character are peaceable, gentle,
reasonable, stable and unwavering, without hypocrisy. God gave
us free choice so that we could develop character by experience.
God of necessity made man the clay model, character can't be
created automatically, but it must be created by experience and
experience takes time.
Men mature through trials and suffering, that's why God allows
wars, and suffering! To prevent it would be to prevent the very
purpose that God is working out in this evil world. If we're
going to have good character it comes through experience. Man
learns by suffering. Did you ever hear of anyone learning that
the stove was hot by putting his finger on it?
Have you not read that: " He (Jesus) learned obedience from the
things which He Suffered. And having been made perfect, He
became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salva-
tion." [Heb. 5:8 EKJV]
God is preparing a people to reign with him as priests and
governors in his millennial kingdom. [Rev. 20:6, Luke 19:15] How
better could God get people ready for this task than by trying,
testing and perfecting them so they will be worthy of the task?
How can men help govern paradise unless they have been refined
by God through trial and experience?
As King David said: " it is good for me that I have been
afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth
is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." [Ps.
119:71 KJV] Men of God are at times foolish; hence it is good
for them to be afflicted, as David said: " Fools because of
their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, are
afflicted." [Ps. 107:17]
God allowed Satan to afflict Job, even though Job was the most
upright and holy man on the face of the earth. Job was not
totally perfect and needed some refining. " The Lord said unto
Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none
like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one that
feareth God, and esheweth evil?
And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst
me against him, to destroy him without cause.... And the Lord
said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job
with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown." [Job
2:3-7 EKJV]
God allowed Satan to afflict Job, because God knows men are
perfected through weakness, suffering and hardship. The man who
does not suffer afflictions and hardships does not mature as a
Christian. How can the strong man understand the feelings of the
weak or the infirm man unless he has walked in his shoes? How
does the rich man understand what it is like to be poor and
suffer hardships when he has never been poor?
Some of you may ask: If what you say is true, then why do so
many poor people who suddenly attain wealth, become snobby,
nasty human beings? The answer to this question is obvious.
Those who suddenly attain wealth and can't handle it, were given
their wealth by Satan and it snared them just as Satan wanted.
Or, people who become nasty after receiving wealth, may not have
been chosen to be God's people, therefore they are nasty people.
Being poor only refines the people of God; it does not refine
the world.
Some of you may be thinking: People who have always had wealth
seem to be many times more compassionate and understanding
humans than most poor people. The reason for this are two fold;
first, the wealthy are more well educated than the poor, hence
they know how to act. However with most of them it is just an
act, for down deep in their hearts they are greedy, selfish and
lustful.
Show me a war, and I will show you some rich and\or power
hungry men who have been oppressing the poor, until the poor
could no longer take the abuse the rich and powerful were
dishing out. However these same rich and powerful men are most
often pillars and model citizens in their home towns.
As James said: "Is it not the rich who oppress and personally
drag you into court?" [James 2:6 NASB] Jesus said: "But woe to
you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.
Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to
you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when
all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers
used to treat the false prophets." [Luke 6:24-26 NASB]
How does the wealthy and well educated Lawyer or Judge under-
stand the things the poor are confronted with unless they
themselves suffer such hardships? How does the well educated
man, who came from an upper or middle class family which
provided him with most of the finances for his education, know
the feelings or hardships of the poor man who came from a poor
family which did not have the finances to help him get an
education?
How can the man who has had good luck all his life understand
the man who has never had a break in life? How can the man who
has a good wife understand the feelings and needs of the man of
God who was forced to divorce his wife because she was so evil
no sane man could live with her? Was the marriage to the evil
woman the mistake (sin), or was the divorce the mistake (sin)?
How does the Christian woman with a good husband understand the
feelings and needs of the Christian woman who has an evil hus-
band that beats her all the time and steps out on her? If she is
forced to divorce her husband, was the divorce the sin or was it
the marriage which was the sin? Was the marriage God's will? How
does the man or woman who came from a good home with good par-
ents understand the poor young girl with no family or friends,
who was forced into prostitution and later became a Christian?
God knows that men who never experience hardships do not have
the compassion nor understanding of those who have suffered many
hardships. Men who have not suffered numerous hardships of their
own will not have the mercy or understanding they should have
towards those who suffer such hardships. This is why Jesus said:
"Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go
into the kingdom of God before you. [Matt. 21:31] " to whom
little is forgiven, the same loveth little." [Luke 7:47]
Positive thinking Christians are arrogant, they think they
create their own luck! They are ignorant of the fact that good
luck and bad luck are random and come to us at random. Good
Christians have bad luck, just like others in the world.
We suffer from floods, earthquakes, bad weather, disease and
wars just like the other people in the world. As King Solomon
said: " I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not
to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to
the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor
to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken
in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare;
so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth
suddenly upon them." [Eccl. 9:11 KJV]
When we suffer hardship we should rejoice because it makes us
better Christians. As Apostle James said: " Consider it all joy,
my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the
testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.... Blessed is a man
who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he
will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to
those who love Him.
Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God;
for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt
anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and
enticed by his own lust.
Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when
sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived,
my beloved brethren. Every good thing bestowed and every perfect
gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with
whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow." [James 1:2-17
NASB]
We can see from this passage, the writings of King David and
the book of Job, that all things which are good, come from God,
sometimes it is something presently pleasant; Sometimes it is
chastening from the Lord, which is presently grievous, but
whether it is presently pleasant or some grievous affliction,
sickness, poverty or some trial, it is good because it is sent
to further refine us like silver and gold. [Ps. 119:71, 2
Cor.1:6, 1 Pet. 1:7 4:12]
Babies in the faith often use out of context the passage which
says 'God tempts no-one`. They try to use it to prove God does
not cause sickness or affliction. They do not understand that
God does not use sickness or affliction as a temptation, but for
refining. The prophets of God took the proper viewpoint. They
knew God tempts no person, but they also knew God does afflict
His people to perfect them like silver and gold is refined.
As David said: " I know, O Lord, that thy judgements are right,
and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me." [Ps. 119:71&75 KJV]
Many of those who teach positive thinking believe God will not
let anything bad happen to a Christian. They say people who
serve God will become rich both in good health and finances.
They are ignorant of the word of God and the history of the
Christian Church.
If we look at the history of the church in the chapter called
[Persecution of the Saints], we see good Christians down through
the stream of time suffering both physically and financially.
False teachers do not understand that even Jesus was made per-
fect through suffering [Heb. 2:10], holiness demands suffering.
All of those who are holy in this unholy world will suffer with
Christ. [John 15:18-21, 2 Cor. 1:4-7, 1 Peter 4:1, 4:12-13]
If serving God made us rich in the wealth of this world like
the prophets of positive thinking espouse, the richest men on
Earth would be the best and holiest men of God. However we all
know, most rich men in this world do not want anything to do
with Christ Jesus nor the Bible! The Bible makes it very clear,
it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus said: " How hardly shall they that have riches enter into
the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a
needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of
God." [Luke 18:24 KJV]
Jesus knew a Camel could only get through the needle's eye (the
gateway into the city), by unloading his cargo of riches. Like-
wise rich men can only enter the kingdom of heaven by getting
rid of most of their riches by feeding the poor.
As King Solomon said: "give me neither poverty nor riches; feed
me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee,
and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take
the name of my God in vain." [Prov. 30:8 KJV]
Solomon knew those who are rich forget God, for they have no
need of Him, but those who are poor are blessed by God because
they need God for their very survival. However this does not
mean God wants us extremely poor. For if God's people were
extremely poor they might be tempted to steal. [Luke 6:20]
The Bible infers that those who do not suffer with Christ will
not reign with Him. [Rom. 8:17, Phil. 3:8-10, Colo. 1:24, 2
Thess. 1:4-5,] " if we suffer, we shall reign with Him:" [2 Tim.
2:12 KJV]
The word "if" implies we will be granted the right to reign in
His kingdom only if we suffer with Christ. As Paul said: "Yea,
and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution." [2 Tim. 3:12 KJV]
He did not say you may suffer persecution, he said you will
suffer persecution. Show us a person who has not suffered
persecution or hardship for being a Christian and we will show
you a hypocrite who is only a Christian in name!
Positive thinking and the prosperity doctrines are handy tools
for the rich to oppress the poor! The prophets of prosperity
and positive thinking teach us that serving God always leads to
success and prosperity, hence they ostracize those who are poor
and say they are poor or suffer persecution because they are not
living right or don't have enough faith. Their attitude is both
arrogant and blasphemous to all the saints who have suffered
because of their faith in Jesus.
Apostle Paul mocked such arrogance when he said: " We are fools
for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but
ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised. Even unto
this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and
are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; And labor,
working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being
persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we entreat: we are made
as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things
unto this day." [1 Cor. 4:10 KJV]
It does not sound like Paul and his small band of disciples
were very prosperous in worldly goods! If serving God made us
rich in this world's goods like the false prophets say, Paul
would have suffered no hardship, since he was a very holy man.
The prophets of prosperity are wrong, Paul did suffer need and
it was because he was holy that he suffered.
These prophets of positive thinking and prosperity do not
understand what real success is! They equate success as
acquiring wealth, power or the goods of this world! They do not
understand what Spirit we are serving and that we are not of
this world!
False prophets are carnal minded, they do not understand that
real Christian success is when you have enough faith to give
what you have to feed the poor. Real success is when you have
the faith and guts to stand up for righteousness, being willing
to suffer with Jesus for defending what is right, thereby
causing yourself grief on this Earth, but storing up for your-
self treasure in heaven. [Matt. 19:21]
The Bible does not tell us to store treasure on this earth; how
are we to become successful in storing treasure on this earth
when the Bible speaks against it? As Jesus said: " Sell that ye
have, and give alms; providing yourselves bags which wax not
old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief
approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also." [Luke 12:33 KJV]
As Jesus said: " No servant can serve two masters: for either
he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold
to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
(riches) Mammon." [Luke 16:13 EKJV]
Jesus did not come into this world with the goal of accruing
wealth or the goods of this world! When Satan showed Jesus all
the kingdoms of the world he said: " All these things will I
give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." [Matt. 4:9
KJV]
Jesus knew that Satan was the ruler of this world and it was
Satan's wealth which Satan offered Him, [John 14:30, Eph. 2:2]
But he refused Satan's offer! Instead Jesus chose to be an
example to us by being a poor man and suffered all the hardships
of the poor and suffering saints. " For it was fitting for Him,
for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in
bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their
salvation through sufferings." [Heb. 2:10 NASB]
Apostle James said: " Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for
your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupt-
ed, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you,
and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped
treasure together for the last days.
Behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your
fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the
cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the
Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and
been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of
slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth
not resist you." [James 5:1 KJV]
Rich men do not care nor understand that there are only limited
resources on the face of the earth. They do not understand that
one man's gain is another man's loss. Those who make large
unjustified salaries only oppress those who make small wages.
They can only receive such large salaries at the expense of
those under them who are not being paid a fair wage for their
labor.
In most cases the man making the large wage does not work half
as hard for his money as those under him. The man making the
large salary is most often so selfish he does not care if those
under him can survive.
All he cares about is his greed and living in luxury; he would
not be willing to give up part of his large salary or luxury in
order for those under him to make a fair wage. It is no wonder
the Women's Liberation Movement is making such inroads into our
society. It is happening for just cause, because there is not
justice in the pay scales of this world.
The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer.
Women and poor people do the bulk of the work and are only paid
token wages so that the rich men can get richer. It is an
abomination to God! All men and women in this great country and
for that matter the whole world should be able to make a fair
living for themselves and their families, but because of the
greed of rich men who want to live in luxury this is not
possible.
With modern technology it is possible to produce cheap and
unlimited electric power and an abundant supply of food out of
the limited resources on this planet.
There is no need for anyone in this world to suffer from lack
of food, power nor heat. However, the rich and powerful men have
hidden this technology from the average person. Yes, it is
possible to generate all the electrical power we need at less
than one tenth of one cent per kilowatt hour! However, the U.S.
Government has hidden this technology from the public, because
it would do great financial damage to those who are rich!
Those who claim to be Christians, who silently sit back and
ignore these injustices are only hypocrites. Men and women of
God are bold and always speak out against injustice no matter
what the injustice is, as long as they have the power to do so!
With the United States of America being about six percent of
the population of the world, but consuming seventy percent of
the worlds goods, it is no wonder we are at the brink of
Armageddon. The American people just do not understand that one
man's gain is another man's loss.
They are prosperous at the expense of the rest of the world,
just as the big-shots on the job make large wages at the expense
of those under them. Do not be foolish enough to believe the
poor will sit back forever and receive the short end of the
stick. Armageddon is at the door!
Many of you at this point are thinking I sound like a commu-
nist! In fact Christ Jesus and His Apostles were the worlds
first historical communists. Look at Acts [4:32-35], "all things
were common property to them." [Acts 2:44-47] However, the
communism of Jesus and His Apostles unlike the communism of
today was voluntary.
Christ Jesus is against forced communism. Ananias and Sapphira
died not because they refused to be communists, but rather,
because they were lying to the Holy Spirit about the price they
received from the sale of their property. [Acts 5:1-11]
I am a computer and robotics expert. The poor and middle class
Americans and the rest of the world including Russians should be
warned that if they do not start standing up to the rich
capitalists and powerful communists we are doomed for two
reasons.
First, the rich and powerful men are destroying the Ozone layer
above the earth and the seas below with their pollution. Second,
with modern robotic and computer technology the rich and
powerful no longer need many of us poor and middle class people
for slave or cheep labor.
By the year 2000, the rich and powerful men are going to need
only about two thirds of us poor and middle class people for
their work force. The Russians project they will have fifteen
million unemployed workers by the year 2000. What is going to
become of the fifteen million unemployed Russians and the other
third of the Americans who have no jobs? By the year 2022 they
will not need 75 percent of us!
In my opinion, the rich and powerful of the free world and
communists block have already decided to terminate those poor
people they don't need. Their plan is, force the middle class
into poverty, then terminate the poor with secret chemical
warfare, germ warfare, mock war, starvation and disease. The
starvation of the Africans and the disease called Aids was their
first step to meet this goal. In my opinion the rich and power-
ful had a vaccine or cure for Aids, before they released it!
In fact the U.S. Government is predicting that two thirds of
our work force in the near future will be women. Where did the
men go? Women only make up about 56 percent of our population.
In my opinion the rich and powerful men in control of the U.S.
Government and the Russian Government have agreed to stage mock
wars in South and Central America to get rid of the peons in the
U.S., U.S.S.R. and the peons in Central and South America. Get
the dumb slobs to kill each other in the name of patriotism.
[Isa. 4:1, 6:12, 13:12]
Contrary to the false prophets of the prosperity doctrine some
good Christians are going to see much harm in the near future.
Some of the false prophets of prosperity are so arrogant they
say the apostles and saints who were martyred for the name of
Jesus, were small in faith or nothing bad would have happened to
them. They claim to be so holy, God will rapture them from this
earth rather than suffer them to suffer martyrdom like the
saints of old. In the near future these false prophets will be
forced to eat crow!
False prophets use positive thinking and the prosperity doc-
trine to justify the rich and condemn the poor. Their whole
theology is based on justifying their wealth, power and posit-
ions of authority. They want us poor Christians to believe they
are rich and have their positions of authority because they are
better Christians than we are. They do not want us to know: "
Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and
heirs of the kingdom.... Do not rich men oppress you, and draw
you before the judgment seats?" [James 2:5 KJV]
They do not want you to know that God does not call many mighty
or rich men into his kingdom. The Bible says: " For ye see your
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh,
not many noble, are called." [1 Cor. 1:26 KJV] " But woe unto
you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you
that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when
all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the
false prophets." [Luke 6:24 KJV]
As an example of the evils of positive thinking, we once knew a
woman who claimed to be a great Christian. She was a powerful
top supervisor who espoused positive thinking and the prosperity
doctrine. We will call this woman Jezebel, for it is a proper
name for her. She had under her authority supervisors who were
bed hopping, drunken fornicators who hated all men of God. They
had a poor Christian man working under their authority.
This poor Christian was a hard worker and a preacher of the
Gospel. Since he would not partake in their drinking and drug
parties, they tried everything they could to get him fired. He
never did anything to them except defend a couple of poor
Christian women who they were unjustly harassing.
These evil supervisors admitted the man of God was more produc-
tive on the job and did an overall better job than his fellow
workers. The man of God had taken several tests and he was on
the top of several registers for promotion. However these evil
supervisors kept harassing and bypassing the man of God and
promoting their lazy drinking buddies and bed partners to all
the jobs that came along.
Jezebel knew the man of God was being persecuted for being a
Christian. But she kept telling him he was being persecuted and
passed over because he did not have enough faith. She said all
he had to do was name the job he wanted and visualize himself on
that job and it would be his. However she refused to help him
get any of those promotions. She said he needed no help from
anyone but God and she did not want to interfere in God's work.
She acted as if her karma would be upset if she interfered by
giving him a break and getting him away from those evil men.
(Karma is a belief of the heathen cults of India; they believe
that if you interfere with another man's life, you hurt yourself
and the man you are trying to help, giving yourselves bad karma.
They think it is better to let a man drown rather than pull him
out of the river.)
The evil supervisors kept persecuting the man of God, giving
him a hard time until his health started getting bad. When his
health started failing he went to four days a week by order of
his doctor.
Jezebel said all he had to do was claim he was well and he
would be well. She made it clear that she had the authority to
promote him, but she did not want to interfere with God's will
by giving him a job better for his health. Due to the stress on
the job, the man of God missed a few days work.
When he returned to the job he was behind in his work. He was
informed that if he could not do the job, he must return to work
five days a week or he would be demoted to a lower job. They
knew his doctor would not agree to him working five days a week.
They demoted him to a lower job, one they knew he hated. They
kept giving him such a hard time he finally had to quit the job
due to his health. The only help the man of God could get from
Jezebel was criticism and rebuke; telling him none of this would
have happened if he had more faith or had taken authority over
the situation.
The man of God clearly did not have the authority to take
authority over the situation any more than the martyrs of the
faith. [Rev. 6:9, 20:4] Jezebel had the authority to do some-
thing about this deplorable situation but she did not have the
faith to do so. True faith is always in your power to do or not
to do some action which is within your power.
God does not expect a Christian to take authority he clearly
does not have in his physical power to do. The Bible said: "obey
your masters" [Eph. 6:5] "Agree with thine adversary quickly;"
[Matt. 5:25] In other words, you must use some wisdom before you
start rebuking your adversaries.
The man of God was not in the position to take authority over
the situation, but Jezebel did have the authority to take author-
ity over the situation, because the wicked men were subordinate
to her. If the man of God had tried to take authority over the
situation, he would have been usurping authority over his boss.
Usurping comes through witchcraft by positive thinking and not
from God.
Nowhere in the Bible does it tell a slave or a poor man to take
authority over his master or his boss. Trying to take authority
when you do not have authority is not faith, it is arrogance and
usurping authority which is clearly of the nature of the devil
and not that of God.
God wants people who are in authority, like Jezebel, to have
enough faith to stand up for righteousness and use the authority
they have for good even if they get in trouble for it. Likewise
God wants the small and poor men to stand together against evil
men and be willing to lay down their life for their friends.
[John 15:13]
Jesus said: " Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilest thou
art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver
thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer,
and thou be cast into prison." [Matt. 5:25 KJV] Apostle Paul
said: " Servants, obey in all things your masters according to
the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in single-
ness of heart, fearing God:" [Colo. 3:22 KJV]
Apostle Peter said: "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of
man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do
well." [1 peter 2:13 KJV]
These scriptures, as well as all other scriptures tell us to be
submissive to those who have the rule over us. "Servants, be
subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and
gentle, but also to the froward." [1 Peter 2:18] Therefore it is
not God's will for us to take authority over people and things
we have no authority over.
We are to obey the government as long as the government does
not want us to do evil. But if the government wants us to go
against the word of God, we are not to obey. [Acts 5:29] Any
time we know we should act in the defence of our fellow man and
do not do it, it is sin. As Apostle James said: "to him that
knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." [James
4:17 KJV]
Remember, who is Caesar in the U.S.A.? We, The People!
Therefore we should stand up against the rich and powerful
tyrants who are running this country!
People like Jezebel are wealthy in riches and they still have
their high positions in the government, because we let them get
away with it. These tyrants are rich in this world, but they are
poor in the sight of God.
They have no God given wisdom, they do not understand what
Jesus meant when he said: "A certain man went down from Jeru-
salem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of
his raiment, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came
down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed
by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the
place, came by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan as he
journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him had compassion
on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds..." [Luke
10:30]
They do not understand what Jesus meant when He said: "For I
was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye
gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in:
naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye
visited me not..." [Matt.25:42 KJV]
Rich and powerful men and many people of the United States do
not understand that to know to do good and not do it is sin.
They have it in their power to do good, but they do not have the
faith to do it, nor think they are required to do it, because
evil false teachers have them deceived.
Those false teachers of the prosperity doctrine say: "The
saints and apostles who died for their faith in Jesus were small
in faith, because God would not let anything bad happen to good
Christians like us." God help these poor ignorant people! They
think they are better than the Holy Apostles of the Lord. God
allowed Jesus to suffer, hence they must think they are better
than Jesus.
Because of false doctrines, lack of faith and lack of justice
by the rich and powerful, many poor Christians are out of work
and in poor health; not able to work. These poor Christians are
suffering many hardships now. But they are rich in faith,
justice, mercy and the love of God and have much treasure in
heaven, but their treasures in heaven will do them little good
in this cruel and evil world.
But it will do them much good in the world to come. These
trials are good for them spiritually, because it helps them see
the evils of the positive thinking and prosperity doctrines and
it makes them more humble and understanding of the suffering of
other people.
We know of cases where good Christian people have been hurt
severely by positive thinking Christians telling those who are
sick that they are not living right or do not have enough faith
or they would not be sick. In Another case a man called a Christ-
ian woman and asked her to pray for him, because he injured his
back on the job.
She told him she would not pray for him, for if he were living
right this would not have happened to him. We could go on
telling you of one experience after another where this evil
positive thinking and prosperity doctrine has hurt many good
people but we think you have the picture by now.
Who do these positive thinking hypocrites think they are? They
think they are so holy they will never suffer sickness! They
think they are so high and mighty they can alter the death cycle
declared by God in the garden of Eden! [Gen. 3:19]
Enoch and Elijah were the only men in the Bible who never
suffered death by disease or by being killed. And even they will
suffer death at the hands of the beast man at the end times.
[Rev.11:7]
All men are either killed in accidents, by murder or disease.
Who do you know who lived for more than a thousand years? Who do
you know who will never get old or die of hardening of the
arteries, stroke or heart disease?
The plain truth is that we all succumb to death by either
disease, accident or murder! So who do these false prophets
think they are fooling? Who do they think they are? Satan has
them deceived into thinking they are so holy, high and mighty
they will never die?
Man does not have the power to alter the life and death cycle
which was established by God. Only God can alter the life and
death cycle. Who do these positive thinking fools think they
are? They are arrogant liars like their father the devil. It is
a total waste of time or at best witchcraft to try to change
reality with positive thinking.
We are either sick or well, we are either dead or alive, we are
either rich or poor and positive thinking or lying to ourselves
is not going to change it.
The only thing a Christian can do is pray to God for help by
praying "Thy will be done" and if it is God's will to help, we
will be helped. Help from God may not be of the nature we
expect, but it will be something God knows is best for us,
whether life, death, sickness, health, rags or riches.
God grants miracles and answers prayers in a way which He knows
is best for us. We must not conjure up our own miracles by
positive thinking or the end result will be something which is
not best for us. (Hell Fire!)
There were many good and holy men of God in the Bible who
suffered from disease and affliction. As we mentioned Apostle
Paul besought the Lord three times about his affliction which
according to history was no doubt cataracts on his eyes. He was
not healed lest he be exalted. [2 Cor. 12:7, Gal. 4:15 Acts 9:8]
Epaphroditus was a fellow laborer with Apostle Paul. He was,
according to Paul, a very holy and upright man, but he was sick
nigh unto death for a time and then was healed. [Phil. 2:27]
Dorcas, a good Christian woman, was sick and died, but was
revived through Apostle Peter's prayer. [Act. 9:36-41]
If Peter had not come along and had the faith to pray for her
she would not have been revived. Again faith required the action
of him who believed God could heal. He did not have faith in his
faith or positive thinking, but he had faith in God! Paul left
Trophimus at Miletum because he was sick. [2 Tim. 4:20] Isaac, a
holy man of God, was blind in his old age. [Gen. 27:1] Israel
was sick in his old age and died. [Gen. 48:1, 50:7]
Elisha, one of the mightiest prophets of God, received a double
portion of the spirit of Elijah. Elisha did many miracles, but
he lay on his sick bed dying of an incurable disease of which he
died. [2 Ki. 2:9, 6:17, 13:14&20] In fact Elisha was so holy and
upright that when a dead man was cast into the grave of Elisha
the mere touch of his bones revived the dead man. [2 Ki. 13:21]
Read the paper back book by Rev. Judson Cornwall, called
"Unfeigned Faith" it is one of the best books ever written on
balancing your faith, he puts positive thinking in its proper
place. Use a Concordance and look up all the occurrences of
words like disease, death, sickness, pain, suffering, persecut-
ion and affliction. Read those passages and you will find that
the people of God have been greatly afflicted by various afflict-
ions. ALL THOSE WHO SERVE THE LORD WILL SUFFER
PERSECUTION AND HARDSHIP. [2 Cor. 1:5, 2 Tim. 3:12,
John 15:20, 1 Peter 4:12]
Like King David, those who serve the Lord are greatly afflicted
because of their righteousness. David was greatly afflicted by
King Saul and his daughter because he would not strike back when
they persecuted him. [1 Sam. 16:14, 18:29, 19:9, 24:4-7, Ps.
25:16, 88:15, 90:15, 116:10]
One thing we know; Satan will not allow a good Christian, who
is dedicated to serving the Lord, to receive much wealth. Satan
knows such a person would use his wealth in the service of the
Lord. However Satan pushes wealth at those he can corrupt with
it! Satan knows he can destroy with wealth those who are weak or
not sincere about serving the Lord.
As Rev. C.S. Lovett said: "Satan cannot create, he can only
destroy. He can arrange for that Christian, whom wealth would
destroy, to make it. He can cause the Christian for whom money
would be used to exalt Christ, to stay poor. He can engineer
loss for one man and profit for another."
[Dealing with the Devil, page 80]
Those who preach the positive thinking or prosperity doctrines
must think Satan is stupid! Anyone with any intelligence would
agree that if Satan had the authority to offer Jesus wealth, if
Jesus would worship him, he also has authority to give his
wealth to whom he will. If we have any intelligence we must
agree Satan is not going to give wealth to men who would use the
wealth against him. Satan is not stupid!
As Jesus said: "Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of
God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.
Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are
ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you
from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your
name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your
reward is great in heaven: for in like manner did their fathers
unto the prophets. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have
received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye
shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn
and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!
For so did their fathers to the false prophets." [Luke 6:20 KJV]
In this passage Jesus is teaching us just the opposite of what
the positive thinking prosperity teachers are teaching us! Hence
if you choose to jump on their bandwagon of prosperity and live
in luxury, you will mourn and weep when Jesus returns to this
earth. If you stand up for righteousness and justice now you
will suffer in this life, but you will rejoice when Jesus
returns. The choice is yours!
After reading this chapter, you should be able to see that the
positive thinking and prosperity doctrines are the doctrines of
the devil. Those who practice those evil doctrines get their
wealth and power from Satan!
As Apostle Peter said: " Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing
that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that
are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us
unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle
you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." [1
Peter 5:8 KJV]
End of Chapter Five!
Copyright (c) 1989, Elijah Gwinn, all rights reserved.
THE RAPTURE
One false doctrine leads to another false doctrine in order to
Justify the original false doctrine. It is a never ending cycle!
The PreTribulation Rapture doctrine is the corner stone of the
evil positive thinking and prosperity doctrines! Without the
Pretribulation rapture doctrine the positive thinking and
prosperity doctrines would be very unbelievable.
Satan is the master of deception, hence he makes his doctrines
as easy to swallow as possible!
Satan creates as many false doctrines as he needs to make his
doctrines palatable. In order to get people to believe in his
positive thinking and prosperity doctrines he was forced to
create the Pretribulation rapture doctrine; if nothing bad can
happen to a Christian, it would not be possible for Christians
to go through the Great Tribulation.
When Christians speak of the rapture, they are referring to the
second coming of Christ, when he takes the church up in the air.
[1 Thessalonians 4:17]
There are basically only two systems of theology in the world,
the false theology of Satan and the true theology of God. For
every genuine doctrine, there is a counterfeit. Positive think-
ing is a counterfeit of faith and miracles. The prosperity
doctrine is the counterfeit of true Christian success, which is
having the faith to take actions which may cause suffering with
Christ. The Pretribulation rapture doctrine is a counterfeit of
the genuine Rapture.
There is a pattern to the doctrines of Satan, which we will
discuss later as we deal with cults. Satan is very deceptive,
Satan always teaches nine truths in order to slip in one lie.
Those who do not make a diligent, sincere and prayerful study of
the Bible easily fall into Satan's many deceptions. There are
many good and well meaning Christians, who fall for Satan's
doctrines. There are many Christian ministers who have accepted
Satan's doctrines without question.
Many people are lazy and ministers like all men, have the bad
habit of accepting the first doctrine on a particular subject
they encounter as long as it sounds good. Most of the bogus
doctrines are learned by going to a seminary. A person is at a
disadvantage at a seminary; who would dare go against his
professor? Once a doctrine is established in a denomination or a
seminary it is difficult to go against tradition.
If you go against, or question, the established doctrines of
your denomination you are in deep trouble with man and Satan.
Satan has so many clever arguments, he can confuse and deceive
well meaning Christians who have done quite a bit of Bible
study. Those who have not done a large amount of Bible study are
totally at Satan's mercy! Many who have done a good deal of
studying have unknowingly accepted many of Satan's doctrines.
It takes several years of sincere and hard study and investi-
gation to get a somewhat correct understanding of the Bible. If
you are not sincere about accepting what God has shown you as
the correct understanding, it is easy to get derailed by the
false teachers who are in the majority.
It is very difficult to stand by yourself, on an interpretation
of the Bible given to you by God, when everyone around you
disagrees with you. It is also easy to get exalted and think you
have the correct interpretation when in fact your interpretation
is bogus. The only way to stand up against these odds, is to
constantly reevaluate your understanding of the Bible.
Always be willing to listen to another interpretation and then
spend several days studying to see if the interpretations of
others are more correct than your own. You will never learn the
truth if you are not willing or if you are too lazy to spend
several hours or days studying to see if other interpretations
are better than the one you have accepted. Every thing in life
worth having is acquired only by hard work and the correct
interpretation of the Bible is no exception!
Concerning the correct interpretation of the Bible Justin
Martyr said: " those who are eager to find out and learn it
might do so (only) by much labor." [A.N.F. Vol. 1 page 244]
The best way to study the Bible, is to think of several key
words pertaining to the subject in question and look up all the
occurrences of those words in a concordance. A concordance is
the best way to start a study of any subject. Bible Commentaries
and Encyclopedias are helpful if you use them for ideas and do
not take their word for the correct interpretation.
Bible Commentaries and Encyclopedias are only about 80%
correct, but that other 20% can throw you off enough to lose
eternal life. The best way to study is to use a concordance and
several good translations of the Bible or the original Greek and
Hebrew Bibles and pray for understanding while studying.
Apostle James said: " But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him
ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without
reproach, and it will be given to him." [James 1:5 NASB]
Apostle John said: " the anointing which you received from Him
abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but
as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and
is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."
[1 John 2:27 NASB]
This means the Holy Spirit you have received will teach you all
you need to know if you are sincere, study the Bible diligently
and pray for understanding. It means you do not need a preacher
or seminary to teach you what is right and wrong.
If you listen to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will teach you the
correct understanding of the Bible. The main thing is, you must
be sincere, hunger and thirst for truth. You must put God first
in your life and let the Holy Spirit feed you.
As God said: " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea,
come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and
your labour for that which satisfieth not?
Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and
let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and
come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an
everlasting covenant with you..." [Isa. 55:1 KJV]
This means you should spend as much time seeking the lord and
his understanding as you do trying to make a living! Why do you
spend so much time trying to make money just to spend it on that
which does not satisfy the needs of the soul?
As Jesus said: " you are not setting your mind on God's
interests, but man's...If anyone wishes to come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.... For
what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and
forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his
soul? For the son of Man is going to come in the glory of His
Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man
according to his deeds." [Matt. 16:23-27 NASB]
This means we should give a large portion of our life in the
study of that which is holy and good. We should have our
priorities set so that studying how to please God is number one
in our life. Our main priority in life should be gaining eternal
life; not treasure on earth! Jesus said to the man who spent his
life storing up goods on earth: " you fool... So is he that
layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
[Luke 12:20-21 EKJV]
We can tell you from experience, a man who is rich towards God
will not be rich in this worlds goods because he has spent the
vast majority of his productive life seeking God and His king-
dom; therefore he is not rich in earthly treasure. It is not
likely that a man who inherits wealth will be very holy since he
will more than likely forget God while he is having a good time
living in pleasure and luxury. [Prov. 30:8] Young men are fool-
hardy for not seeking out holy men who have spent their lives
learning to follow Christ.
People today, unlike those of ages past, do not respect their
elders in the faith, hence they do not seek out holy men who can
teach them. Since the youth of today seem to be lifted up with
pride about their understanding of the Bible they will pay the
cost.
It takes a man of God a lifetime to acquire the correct
understanding of the Bible. There are many men of God who have
believed the Pretribulation Rapture doctrine for 20 or 30 years,
but after a diligent reevaluation of their belief, searching the
scriptures they turned to the Post Tribulation Rapture. It is
almost impossible for a sincere man of God to make a complete
study of the Rapture and remain a Pretribulationist. Apostle
Paul said: " Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine."
[Titus 2:1 KJV]
After a lot of soul searching, we do not see how any man of God
could consider the Pretribulation Rapture doctrine a sound
doctrine! Paul told elders to use sound doctrine to exhort
people. [Titus 1:9] There is no affirmation in the scripture
that the Rapture will take place before the Great tribulation
begins. Such a teaching is an inference, not the assertion of
the Word of God. Since it is only an inference or the opinion of
men and not asserted by the Bible it is not and cannot be a
sound doctrine.
I was a minister of the gospel for almost 8 years before I ever
heard of the PreTrib rapture doctrine. At that time I had never
studied anything but the Bible in English, Greek and Hebrew. All
of my diligent study was by myself with no-one to help me but
the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit taught me the second coming
of Christ was going to be after the Great Tribulation.
It came as a great surprise to me, to find Bible teachers who
teach a Pretribulation Rapture. I had never heard of the PreTrib
Rapture doctrine. In all of my hundreds of hours of Bible study
it never occurred to me that there was any possibility of a
Pretribulation Rapture.
PreTribers think not believing in PreTrib causes apostasy. They
believe a Rapture that could happen at any moment keeps people
from apostasy since they do not want to be left behind to suffer
the tribulation and since they are expecting the Lord to appear
at any moment. According to the PreTrib doctrine only those
living the faith will be Raptured and the rest will be left
behind to suffer the tribulation.
They make inferences into several verses of the Bible to
support this doctrine. [Mark 13:33, Luke 21:36, Thess. 5:6-9
etc.] They do not understand that when the Bible tells you to
watch, it is not because you are to fear the second coming of
Christ, but it is because you are to fear the coming judgment if
you are living in sin. "Watch," literally means " to be sober."
The command to watch does not mean "to look for" but "to be
wakeful." These passages do not refer to the Rapture, they refer
to the coming judgment and to when the Lord comes for you at
your death, because it is your time to die!
We must all be sober and awake, not sleeping spiritually when
the Lord comes for us or we shall be cast into hell. Hence not
believing in PreTrib has nothing to do with people falling into
apostasy, but living in sin does. If we die living in sin we
will go to hell. This is true no matter when the Lord comes! If
you die, for you it is the end of the world and it makes no
difference to you when the second coming of the Lord takes
place. Hence we must all watch and be sober even if we believe
in a PostTrib Rapture.
If you look at Mark 13:24, you will see that this chapter is
not referring to a PreTrib Rapture, but it is referring to a
PostTrib Rapture, hence PreTribers are lifting verses 33 thru 37
out of context in order to teach their doctrine.
PreTribers use Luke 21:36 NASB, " But keep on the alert at all
times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all
these things that are about to take place, and to stand before
the Son of Man."
They infer that the word (escape), is referring to the PreTrib
Rapture. But it is referring to escaping the wrath of God during
the Great Tribulation and the coming Judgment. Just because the
church is going to go through the Great Tribulation does not
mean the church will suffer the wrath of God. The Bible says: "
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" [1 Thess. 5:9 NASB]
When the children of Israel were in Egypt they suffered much by
the hands of the Egyptians, but when God delivered his wrath
against the Egyptians the children of Israel did not suffer the
wrath of God. [Ex. 9:4, 9:26, 11:7, 12:23]
Likewise during the Great Tribulation, Christians will suffer
by the hands of the beast man and his wars, but Christians who
have received the Holy Spirit shall not suffer from the wrath of
God. [Eph. 1:13, 4:30, Rev.7:3, Rev.9:4] It seems Pretribers do
not have the faith it takes to believe God is able to deal His
wrath out on those who are wicked and at the same time spear the
children of God!
It is apparent from studying the writings of the early church
fathers, that it never occurred to the early church fathers that
there was any possibility of a Pretribulation Rapture. In the
first 375 years of the Christian church the Post Tribulation
Rapture was the only Rapture doctrine taught.
If you were to take a group of people who never heard of the
Pretribulation Rapture and give them only Bibles to study with
no-one to corrupt their minds with suggestions or inferences,
they would all come to the conclusion that the Rapture was going
to take place after the Great Tribulation, because that is what
the Bible asserts.
Jesus Said: " Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of
the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of
the Son of man in the heaven: and then shall all the tribes of
the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other.... Then shall two be in the field;
the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be
grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other
left." [Matt. 24:29 KJV]
The word (Post), means after, and if Jesus said the Rapture
will take place immediately after the tribulation, (Post
Tribulation), His word is good enough for me! In the garden of
Eden God said: " the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou
shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt {NOT} surely die." The Serpent added the word {NOT},
by inference and changed the meaning. [Gen. 2:17 & 3:4]
Likewise when Jesus said: " Immediately after the tribulation",
Satan changed the word (after), to (before), inferring and
creating the Pretribulation Rapture doctrine! Satan has two
reasons for wanting us to believe the Rapture is going to take
place before the Great Tribulation.
First, he needs this doctrine for the chief corner stone of his
positive thinking and prosperity doctrines. Secondly, he wants
us to believe the rapture is going to happen before the great
Tribulation, so he can get people to receive the mark of the
beast.
Satan knows that Christians who believe in the Pretrib Rapture
doctrine will be more easily deceived into thinking it is not
the mark of the beast, since the Rapture has not taken place
yet! When the mark of the beast comes, the government will
assure the people the mark has nothing to do with the mark of
the beast. They will make the mark sound like a good idea, since
it will stop crime, cheating on your income tax and stop many
other social problems. It will look like such a good idea, it
will almost deceive the very elect. [Matt. 24:24]
Remember: " Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness". [2 Cor. 11:14
KJV]
When the mark of the beast comes the vast majority of the
Pastors will assure their Congregations it could not possibly be
the mark of the beast, since the Rapture obviously has not taken
place. They will assure you that as a Christian you have nothing
to worry about, since you will be Raptured before the Great
Tribulation or the mark of the beast.
They will say, after all if you are once saved always saved,
you have nothing to worry about even if you accepted the mark of
the beast. See how nicely all these false doctrines fit to-
gether! [Rev. 14:9]
After all the Bible clearly states the mark of the beast will
occur in the last half of the Great Tribulation, therefore why
should those who believe in the Pretribulation Rapture doctrine
worry about such a silly thing, since according to the Pretrib
doctrine only Jews will suffer the mark of the beast. (What
Nonsense!).
False preachers will say, after all, how could a small computer
chip placed under your skin or an invisible mark or a small
credit card with your number on it be a sin if it does that
which is good, wiping out crime. Many will say Jesus has already
returned to earth and the mark is part of his new kingdom.
They will say the mark of the beast cannot come for another
thousand years, until after the millennium of their new society.
Satan is clever and he will make it all sound good!
Do not let these false teachers fool you, the Bible clearly
states when the Rapture will take place. Almost all pretribers
admit that first Thessalonians 4:16 and first Corinthians 15:52
are referring to the Rapture. First Thessalonians 4:16 says, a
trumpet will sound and the first resurrection takes place at the
Rapture. " the dead in Christ shall rise first".
The Bible says those who rise in the first resurrection shall
reign with Christ for a thousand years, but those who do not
rise in the first resurrection will not rise until the thousand
years is finished. According to the Bible those who rise in the
second resurrection will be sent to hell. [Rev. 20:1-15]
According to the Bible: " there was found no place for them."
[Rev. 20:11] In other words no place in heaven was found for
those who rise in the second resurrection.
From this we can see how important it is for us to be in the
first resurrection. " on such the second death has no power, but
they shall be priests of God and Christ, and shall reign with
him a thousand years." [Rev. 20:6 EKJV] Death does seem to have
power over those who rise in the second resurrection.
The Bible speaks of Jesus second coming, but nowhere does it
speak of his third coming as the pre-tribers infer. " So Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation." [Heb. 9:28 KJV]
All verses of scripture used to justify the PreTrib Rapture
doctrine are lifted out of context. The Bible makes it very
clear when the Rapture will take place. First Corinthians 15:52
KJV makes it very clear: " In a moment in the twinkling of an
eye, at the LAST TRUMPET: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
This is the most damaging verse in the Bible against those who
believe in the Pretribulation Rapture.
It is clearly speaking of the same Rapture and resurrection of
the dead in Christ, spoken of in first Thessalonians 4:16.
Notice the time frame! The Rapture will happen at the LAST
TRUMPET!!!
When will the Last Trumpet sound? Is it logical to think the
last trumpet in Revelation 8:7 and 16:2, will sound before the
first trumpet sounds? Or will the Last Trumpet in Revelation
10:7 and 16:17, sound as the Last Trumpet? We must all agree
that it is nonsense to think the Last trumpet will sound before
the first trumpet!
In order for the Pretribulation Rapture doctrine to be correct
the Last Trumpet would have to sound before the first trumpet
and that would make no sense at all.
According to the pretribers, the Rapture is going to be a
secret Rapture in which Christ secretly takes his church up into
heaven. Does this concur with the teachings of the Bible? No!
According to the Bible Satan is more than likely the one who
will come in secret. [Matt. 24:26, Mark 4:22, Eph. 5:12] That
which is done in the dark and in secret is an attribute of the
Prince of Darkness and not that of Christ. [2 Cor. 6:14, 1 John
1:5]
According to the Bible Jesus will come and destroy with the
brightness of his coming and every eye will see Him. " then
shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness
of his coming." [2 Thess. 2:8, Zech. 14:12, Heb. 1:3 KJV]
Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that Christ will come in
secret! In fact the Bible teaches just the opposite. The Bible
says: " Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the
earth shall wail because of him." [Rev. 1:7 KJV]
From this scripture we can see that even those who are in their
graves will see Christ and all those who are upon the earth will
see him, so how can it be in secret? The Bible says Christ will
come with a shout and with a trumpet. Those who come in secret
do not come with a shout and a trumpet! [1 Thess. 4:16]
The Bible said Jesus will come in the glory of His Father.
[Matt. 16:27] The glory of God is so mighty and bright that even
Moses could not look upon the face of God and live. [Ex.
33:18-23]
Every time Moses got close to the glory of God, his face glowed
in the dark. when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with
Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever
he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been
commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that
the skin of Moses' face shone. [Ex. 34:34]
When Jesus comes in the glory of his Father there is no way it
can be in secret! When Jesus comes it will be with great glory
and brightness as Zechariah said: " the Lord will smite all the
people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall
consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes
shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall
consume away in their mouth." [Zech. 14:12 KJV] It sounds like
the Lord is coming like some nuclear being with great power and
glory and a thing like that cannot be in secret!
Those who teach the Pretrib doctrine claim the early church
believed in the PreTrib doctrine. We have read the writings of
the early church and nowhere is there any reference to a Pretrib
Rapture. All of the early church fathers taught a Post-Trib
Rapture. All of the writings of the church fathers used by the
Pretribers to justify their doctrine are taken out of context.
Barnabus expected the church to go through the Tribulation and
Christ to return only at the end of the Tribulation. Justin
Martyr expected the church to go through the Tribulation.
Irenaeus and Hermas both expected the church to go though the
Great Tribulation.
Bishop Irenaeus said: " But when this Antichrist shall have
devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three
years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and
then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory
of the Father, sending this man [Antichrist] and those who
follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the
righteous [the church] the times of the kingdom" [A.N.F. Vol. 1,
page 560]
All of the early church fathers believed in the Post Trib
Rapture and made statements like: " For all those, and other
words, were unquestionably spoken in reference to the resurrect-
ion of the just, which takes place after the coming of the
Antichrist, and the destruction of all nations under his rule."
As we said in a previous chapter, suffering with Christ refines
and purifies the children of God. God will also use the
tribulation to refine His people.
The opinion of the entire early church is summed up by Bishop
Irenaeus (A.D. 130-202), he said: " And for this cause tribulat-
ion is necessary for those who are saved, that having been after
a manner broken up, and rendered fine, and sprinkled over by the
patience of the Word of God, and set on fire [for purification],
they may be fitted for the royal banquet." [A.N.F. Vol. 1, page
557] He went on to say God would use the Great Tribulation to
accomplish the purification of the church.
The entire early church believed in the Post Tribulation Rap-
ture until Augustine (A.D.354-430) started his false amillennial
doctrine. He believed that the thousand years with Christ began
with Christ's earthly life and would continue to the end of the
church age. This false doctrine became the predominant interpret-
ation in the entire church for hundreds of years.
Many in the church of the Middle Ages believed the false
prophet Mohammed was the Antichrist. There is no trace of the
PreTrib Rapture doctrine in the Christian Church from the
beginning of the church down through the middle ages.
The Protestants started their own doctrine about A.D. 1550, the
Protestants believed the Roman Catholic Church and the Papacy
were identified with the Antichrist. In their false interpretat-
ion the period of the Great Tribulation was not 1260 days but
1260 years. They believed the Tribulation started when the
Papacy started and would continue for 1260 years.
<>says: " Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the
earth shall wail because of him." [Rev. 1:7 KJV]
From this scripture we can see that even those who are in their
graves will see Christ and all those who are upon the earth will
see him, so how can it be in secret? The Bible says Christ will
come with a shout and with a trumpet. Those who come in secret
do not come with a shout and a trumpet! [1 Thess. 4:16]
The Bible said Jesus will come in the glory of His Father.
[Matt. 16:27] The glory of God is so mighty and bright that even
Moses could not look upon the face of God and live. [Ex.
33:18-23]
Every time Moses got close to the glory of God, his face glowed
in the dark. when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with
Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever
he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been
commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that
the skin of Moses' face shone. [Ex. 34:34]
When Jesus comes in the glory of his Father there is no way it
can be in secret! When Jesus comes it will be with great glory
and brightness as Zechariah said: " the Lord will smite all the
people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall
consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes
shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall
consume away in their mouth." [Zech. 14:12 KJV] It sounds like
the Lord is coming like some nuclear being with great power and
glory and a thing like that cannot be in secret!
Those who teach the Pretrib doctrine claim the early church
believed in the PreTrib doctrine. We have read the writings of
the early church and nowhere is there any reference to a Pretrib
Rapture. All of the early church fathers taught a Post-Trib
Rapture. All of the writings of the church fathers used by the
Pretribers to justify their doctrine are taken out of context.
Barnabus expected the church to go through the Tribulation and
Christ to return only at the end of the Tribulation. Justin
Martyr expected the church to go through the Tribulation.
Irenaeus and Hermas both expected the church to go though the
Great Tribulation.
Bishop Irenaeus said: " But when this Antichrist shall have
devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three
years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and
then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory
of the Father, sending this man [Antichrist] and those who
follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the
righteous [the church] the times of the kingdom" [A.N.F. Vol. 1,
page 560]
All of the early church fathers believed in the Post Trib
Rapture and made statements like: " For all those, and other
words, were unquestionably spoken in reference to the resurrect-
ion of the just, which takes place after the coming of the
Antichrist, and the destruction of all nations under his rule."
As we said in a previous chapter, suffering with Christ refines
and purifies the children of God. God will also use the
tribulation to refine His people.
The opinion of the entire early church is summed up by Bishop
Irenaeus (A.D. 130-202), he said: " And for this cause tribulat-
ion is necessary for those who are saved, that having been after
a manner broken up, and rendered fine, and sprinkled over by the
patience of the Word of God, and set on fire [for purification],
they may be fitted for the royal banquet." [A.N.F. Vol. 1, page
557] He went on to say God would use the Great Tribulation to
accomplish the purification of the church.
The entire early church believed in the Post Tribulation Rap-
ture until Augustine (A.D.354-430) started his false amillennial
doctrine. He believed that the thousand years with Christ began
with Christ's earthly life and would continue to the end of the
church age. This false doctrine became the predominant interpret-
ation in the entire church for hundreds of years.
Many in the church of the Middle Ages believed the false
prophet Mohammed was the Antichrist. There is no trace of the
PreTrib Rapture doctrine in the Christian Church from the
beginning of the church down through the middle ages.
The Protestants started their own doctrine about A.D. 1550, the
Protestants believed the Roman Catholic Church and the Papacy
were identified with the Antichrist. In their false interpretat-
ion the period of the Great Tribulation was not 1260 days but
1260 years. They believed the Tribulation started when the
Papacy started and would continue for 1260 years.
Hence no idea of a PreTrib Rapture could have been possible
under the doctrines of early Protestant church. In fact the
Pretribulation Rapture doctrine is a very new doctrine in the
Christian Church.
Satan started the PreTrib Rapture doctrine in A.D. 1830, so it
would have time to grow strong just before the Great Tribulation
and the mark of the beast. He needed to get it started before it
was too late; the Post Tribulation Rapture was revived by a
Catholic Priest named Ribera in A.D. 1590 and started to trickle
into the Protestant church just before A.D. 1825.
Satan had to have a counterfeit doctrine to counter the Post
Trib Rapture which the Bible clearly teaches. The PreTrib
Rapture doctrine was started in the early part of A.D. 1830 by a
young Scottish woman by the name of Margaret Macdonald. She was
a false prophet and predicted Robert Owen was the Antichrist. Of
course he died without becoming the Antichrist.
She had a private revelation from Satan in Port Glasgow,
Scotland. In her vision she saw a select group of Christians
would be caught up to meet Christ in the air before the
tribulation days of the Antichrist. This was the first time
anyone had split the second coming of Christ into two distinct
parts or stages.
A popular preacher by the name of John Darby of the Church of
the Brethren visited Margaret Macdonald and within a few months
her prophetic outlook was mirrored in the September 1830 issue
of The Morning Watch Paper and the Church of the Brethren. He
evidently went home and started studying the Bible to see how he
could fit this vision in with Bible prophecy.
He found a few verses he could take out of context and began
inferring that certain scriptures were pointing to a PreTrib
Rapture. His main goal in life must have been to make a name for
himself among the brethren. Early disciples of the PreTrib
interpretation often called it the new doctrine.
As you can see the PreTrib Rapture doctrine did not start by an
honest study of the scripture, because there is no way a sound
minded, Holy Spirit filled Christian could study the Bible and
come up with the PreTrib interpretation without someone or Satan
making an inference or a suggestion as to the possibility of a
PreTrib Rapture.
The PreTrib Rapture doctrine is one of the most inscrutable
doctrines to ever come along. It is not a sound doctrine and to
teach it one must grasp at straws twisting the Bible and taking
the Bible out of context. Do you not think it strange that the
Holy Spirit taught the Post-Trib doctrine to the saints for
hundreds of years before the church was introduced to the
PreTrib doctrine?
SUMMARY
The Bible clearly says the Rapture will take place after the
Great Tribulation. " Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of
the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of
the Son of man in the heaven: and then shall all the tribes of
the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other.... Then shall two be in the field;
the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be
grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other
left." [Matt. 24:29 KJV]
The Bible clearly states the rapture will take place at the
last Trumpet. " In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." [1 Cor. 15:52
KJV]
The Bible clearly places the Last Trumpet at the end of the
Great Tribulation. " But in the days of the voice of the seventh
angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should
be finished, as he declared to his servants the prophets." [Rev.
10:7 KJV]
Read Revelations chapter eight thru chapter ten and you will
see that there are seven trumpets which will sound during the
Great Tribulation and the Last Trumpet is the Trumpet of the
Lord which will sound and the time of this church age shall be
finished. [Rev. 10:6]
We could write an entire book about Pretribulationism vs. Post-
tribulationism and point out how the Post Tribulation doctrine
is the only doctrine asserted by the Bible, but that is not what
God wants us to do; God has a different plan for the rest of
this book.
FURTHER READING
If you are not convinced by our feeble arguments that the
PreTrib rapture is a false doctrine, there are three excellent
paperback books which have been written by men far more elegant
in speech than myself and I would highly recommend them.
I have read all three of them and they are well written and to
the point. The first is "The Blessed Hope" by Professor George
Eldon Ladd of the fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif-
ornia. He takes you through the entire history of the Christian
Church and shows that the Christian Church never heard of the
PreTrib Rapture doctrine until A.D.1830.
He gives many good arguments as to why the PreTrib Rapture is a
false doctrine. The Second book is " The Incredible Cover-Up" by
Researcher and Journalist Dave MacPherson. He went to Glasgow,
Scotland to do research on the source of the PreTrib Rapture
doctrine. His book is an in-depth study about the origins of
Pretribulationism.
He makes many good arguments as to how the PreTrib doctrine is
a false doctrine of Satan and points out on page 103, the Pre-
Trib Rapture doctrine along with positive thinking caused the
death of thousands of Chinese Christians. He warns us that the
PreTrib Rapture doctrine teaching "there will be no tribulation"
and "the Christians will be able to escape all this" are really
the false teachers Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter
days.
The third Book and probably the most in-depth study to date on
Pretribulationism vs. Post Tribulationism is, " The Church And
The Tribulation" by Professor Robert Gundry Ph.D, Professor of
Theology at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California. He
takes all the view points of PreTrib, MedTrib and Post-Trib and
shows whether they are taken in or out of context.
He contrasts one against the other and shows how the PostTrib
view comes out on top of all the other views. His book is very
well done. By reading his book you can see his great talent and
education at work.
LAST APPEAL
For God's sake, and for the sake of your soul, please read all
three of these books before you dismiss Post Tribulationism. Our
arguments in this chapter are very feeble, because we did not
want to get into a full discussion of the Rapture. A valid
discussion of this subject would take an entire book dedicated
only to the subject of the Rapture. Since there are several good
books which have been written on this subject it did not behoove
us to re-invent the wheel.
We must warn you that the PreTrib Rapture doctrine will cause
millions of Christians to receive the mark of the beast and end
up in hell! Many other Christians will suffer more than is
necessary because they are not prepared physically, emotionally
nor spiritually for the Great Tribulation which is soon to come.
Last of all, thousands of good Christians are suffering now
because rich men are using the positive thinking and prosperity
doctrines as a handy tool to oppress the poor.
Remember the PreTrib Rapture doctrine is the corner stone of
the evil positive thinking and prosperity doctrines which come
to us out of witchcraft. These doctrines help make the rich men
richer and poor men poorer. With the PreTrib doctrine Satan will
destroy millions.
The Positive thinking and prosperity doctrines are doctrines on
which cults like Unity Church base much of their theology. By
their evil theology they are deceiving millions of people and
sending them to hell. Almost all of the modern day witches go to
Unity Church.
Christians should find out what the doctrines of Unity Church
are so they can flee from those evil doctrines. Unity Church is
part of the Babylonian system. The Bible says: " Come out of
her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and
that you may not receive of her plagues." [Rev. 18:4]
Any preacher which teaches the evil positive thinking,
prosperity or PreTrib Rapture doctrines or any doctrines that
support such doctrines are ignorantly doing the work of the
devil.
End of Chapter Six!
Copyright (c) 1989, Elijah Gwinn, all rights reserved.
THE GREAT HARLOT
There are basically only two systems of theology in the world,
the false theology of Satan and the true theology of God. For
every genuine doctrine, there is a counterfeit. There are
basically only two churches in the world, the false (harlot)
church teaches Satan's lies and the true church (Christ's
Bride), teaches the truth.
Satan has many religious systems in the world, but they are all
part of the great harlot church which is prostituting the Word
of God. All the branches of this great harlot church teach eight
or nine truths in order to slip in a lie or two.
In the last few years, we have been hearing a lot about cults.
There have been several books written warning Christians about
the various cults and explaining what the basic marks of a cult
are. There are some basic marks and patterns to many of the more
obvious cults.
However, Satan is clever and many sleighty cult (prostitute)
doctrines have slipped into most of our so-called orthodox
Christian churches. Most of our so-called Christian churches are
teaching doctrines which have originated from Satan's Zionist
Babylonian prostitute Jewish synagog.
The word "CULT" has become an effective tool to brand those who
we disagree with as cultists. To justly define a cult, we should
not think in terms of what men define as being a cult, but we
should think in terms of what God would declare as being a
church affiliated with the great Zionist harlot church.
According to the Bible any person who teaches false doctrines
is a servant of Satan. Satan is the head of the great babylonian
harlot Judeo-Christian church, and those who teach false
doctrines are servants of the harlot church.
Satan would like us to believe that all cults conform to the
same obvious pattern. The more obvious cults do conform to
somewhat the same pattern. Namely they try to bring God down to
man's level and exalt man to God's level. But as you will see
this is not Satan's only shenanigan!
How do we, as Christians, distinguish which churches are a
branch of Satan's prostitute church and which churches are a
branch of God's true (Bride of Christ) church? It is difficult
to define the marks of a cult, because Satan is always changing
his strategy! In this chapter we will attempt to define what a
cult is.
To understand Satan and his prostitute church, we must first
understand what the true church is! We must also learn what the
Bible means when it speaks of a church! A church is an assembly
of people, not a denomination.
In the Bible the Greek word (Akklesia) is translated (church).
(Akklesia), means to summon forth an assembly or a congregation
of people. In other words the people are the church. Since the
people are the church, how do we judge a church as being a
branch of God's church or a branch of Satan's church?
To answer this question, we must find out what the Bride of
Christ is! According to the Bible the bride of Christ is a
church without spot or wrinkle.
The Bible says Christ will present to himself: " a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that
it should be holy and without blemish." [Eph. 5:27 KJV]
Apostle Paul said we should: " keep the commandment without
stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ"
[1 Tim. 6:14 NASB] Apostle Peter Said: " be diligent that ye be
found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless."
[2 Peter 3:14 KJV]
Jesus infers that only those who have not defiled their gar-
ments are part of the Bride of Christ Church and they will be
chosen for His kingdom.
He said to the angel of the church of Sardis: " Thou hast a few
names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and
they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that
overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I
will not blot out his name out of the book of life" [Rev. 3:4
KJV]
Apostle John infers that those who are worthy shall be granted
white wedding garments to be the Bride of Christ, as they go to
the marriage supper of the Lamb.
The Bride of Christ in white garments without spot or wrinkle
are the people chosen out of many earthly churches to be the
Bride of Christ. [Rev. 16:7]
Jesus says, those who do not have on a proper wedding garment
shall be cast into outer darkness for: " many are called, but
few are chosen." [Matt. 22:11] Jesus infers that only those who
are wise enough to keep the oil of the Holy Spirit in their
vessels, shall enter the marriage of the Lord. [Matt. 25:4]
We can see from these passages, the Bride of Christ is not a
denomination or church on this earth. It is a church made up of
saints selected out of various Christian Churches. It is made up
of saints throughout the stream of time who keep their garments
clean, without spot or wrinkle.
Since the true church is not on this earth, how do we know if
the church we attend is a godly church or a cult? The truth of
the matter is, none of the church denominations on earth are the
true church of God!
But some independent churches within those denominations are
part of the true church of God, because they have godly pastors.
A church is simply no better than its pastor who the people of
the assembly follow!
We are to follow pastors who follow Christ. The Bible says:
" Obey those taking the lead of you, and submit, for they watch
for your souls, giving account" [Heb. 13:17 EKJV]
Apostle Peter told the pastors: " Feed the flock of God which
is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint,
but willingly; not for money, but of a ready mind; Neither as
being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the
flock." [1 peter 5:2 EKJV]
Pastors have the oversight of the church and we are to submit
to them, but before we submit to them we had better find out
where they are leading us. Since the pastor is teaching us we
are under his influence whether it is good or bad.
He is leading us to where-ever he is leading us. If the pastor
is following Christ all is well. However, if the pastor does not
follow Christ, our souls are in big trouble.
Any pastor who is not following Christ is a wolf in sheeps
clothing! Any pastor teaching false doctrine is deceived and a
member of Satan's ministry!
A pastor who is a member of Satan's ministry is automatically a
member of the false babylonian church which makes him a cultist.
If the pastor is a cultist, that makes his church a cult no
matter what denomination that church is affiliated with!
James said: "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren,
knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment." [James
3:1 NASB] In light of this, pastors should not teach things
which are unsound doctrine, because it makes them Satan's
ministers and cultists. Those who teach false doctrine will pay
a heavy price.
This does not mean men must have perfect understanding of the
Bible before they can be ministers, but it means they should
only teach what they know to be sound doctrine. Any pastor who
is so unsound he preaches false or unsound doctrine is not
qualified to be pastor. [1 Tim. 3:1, Titus 1:9]
We should not follow pastors who teach unsound doctrine and
neither should we support them or pay them tithes. Those who
support or pay tithes to unsound pastors are supporting the
works of the devil! If we attend a church led by an unsound
pastor, we are supporting his ministry just by being in his
church.
The larger the congregation the more power and prestige it
gives the pastor. Men have the bad habit of going along with
what is popular. They like large cathedrals, pomp and pageantry,
hence the larger the attendance the more power Satan can muster.
We should seek out holy men who can lead us on the right path!
Very seldom will you find holy men leading large congregations.
When holy men teach the truth it offends the people, thus you
will not likely find holy men leading large congregations. As
Jesus said: " Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide,
and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are
those who enter by it.
For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to
life, and few are those who find it." [Matt. 7:13 NASB]
This infers that the way, or the church, teaching the truth is
small, but the church teaching false doctrine is large. It also
infers the correct way is strict and difficult. As Peter said: "
IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL
BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?" [1 Peter 4:18 NASB]
As Jesus said: " many are called, but few are chosen" [Matt.
22:14 NASB]
You will never find the perfect church or the perfect pastor,
because such a thing does not exist in this imperfect world. But
if you look hard enough, you will find holy men who are doing
the best they know how to do.
They will be honest and if you ask them something they do not
know, they will tell you they do not know for sure. They will
only teach what they know to be sound doctrine. There are holy
men like this in almost every city, but you will only find them
by some effort and searching.
Any man can become a holy man if he is sincere, all it takes is
sincerity, honesty, dedication and a lot of Bible study and
prayer. Holy men are hard to find, but they are out there
scattered all over the earth.
We have never found one in charge of a large congregation. It
seems they are always in small churches or house meetings. They
almost never become famous and their names are often spoken of
reproachfully by pastors who are in charge of the large
churches.
Any pastor who teaches false doctrine is going to be popular
with the people. People love to be flattered, they love to hear
how wonderful they are. The Bible cramps their style, thus
sooner or later, due to popularity the false teachers always
rise to the top and are put in charge of large congregations.
Like Apostle Paul said: " the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled,
they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to
their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth"
[2 Tim. 4:3 NASB]
According to most so-called cult experts, all cults follow a
set pattern, they all bring man up to the level of a God and
bring God down to the level of an exalted man. Many cults do
just that, but the more crafty cults are not guilty of this. In
God's eyes those who teach false doctrines are cultists, no
matter where they try to place God or man!
We agree that any preacher who teaches Christ is an exalted man
is a false teacher. The Bible clearly teaches that Christ is
both the Son of God and part of the Godhead.
The original Greek New Testament says: " looking for the bless-
ed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and
Savior, Christ Jesus" [Titus 2:13 NASB] Verse ten of the same
chapter says: "God our Savior" Both of these verses along with
others make it very clear that Christ Jesus was much more than
an exalted man.
The Bible says that through Jesus, God created the world. [Heb.
1:2] Apostle John tells us Jesus was with God in the beginning
of the world and that Jesus created every thing that was creat-
ed. [John 1:1-15] Apostle Paul tells us Jesus was the image of
God and by Him all things which have been created were created.
[Colo. 1:15]
All of the following passages imply Jesus is part of the
Godhead and not an exalted man. [Ex. 20:2-5, Duet. 6:4, Prov.
8:22, Ps. 45:7, 50:7, Isa. 9:6, 2 Chr. 2:6, Matt. 17:2, Mark
9:2, John 4:24, 5:44, 6:23, 8:41, 10:30, 14:8&28, 20:28, 1 Cor. 8:3-6,
1 Tim. 1;17, Heb. 2:9,]
Those who teach that Christ is an exalted man are false teach-
ers and, as we said, all false teachers are cultists in the eyes
of God. Those who are born again Christians believe in one God
manifested in three beings- God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Spirit.
True saints believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His sinless
life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His shed
blood, His bodily resurrection, and His ascension to the right
hand of God the Father.
They believe in His Lordship and in His return in glory and
power. [Matt. 16:16, Luke chapter 1, Acts 10:38, Rom. 3:22-26,
Eph. 1:20-23, 1 John 1:1-14]
True Saints believe Christ's death on Calvary is sufficient and
full payment and atonement for our sins, but Jesus did not die
for those who are willfully disobedient after baptism. True
saints believe in justification by faith through the redemptive
work of Jesus.
True Saints believe a person must receive the Holy Spirit to be
saved, those who let the Holy Spirit do its redemptive work will
mature, bringing forth good fruits and works meet for repentance
and eternal life.
True Saints give the Holy Spirit the credit for all of their
works of righteousness, for without the Holy Spirit they could
not be saved. If we let the Holy Spirit do its work, through the
grace of God, we are able to mature and to meet the requirements
of the law by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not our works
that save us, Jesus is saving us.
We stay saved by letting the Holy Spirit perfect us and prepare
us for eternal life. Those who willfully resist the Holy Spirit
in this redemptive process do not stay saved. They are like the
man who, after being saved from drowning in the sea, jumps back
in the sea to continue drowning.
Many cults believe you cannot be saved unless you belong to
their church. Those who claim membership in their particular
church is necessary for eternal life, are indeed cultists. If
membership in a particular earthly church were necessary for
salvation or eternal life, Christ died in vain! Who are such
people worshiping?
If they believe membership in their particular church is
necessary for salvation, they are worshiping the woman (Church)
and not God! The Bible says: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved" [Acts 16:31], nowhere in the Bible does
it say you are saved by believing in or belonging to a church!
Jesus said: "ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you....how much
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those
who ask Him" [Luke 11:9-13 NASB]
This means God gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him for
it. Nowhere in the Bible does it say to go join a church and it
will give you the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is the seal of
eternal life. Those who are sealed with the Holy Spirit when
Jesus returns will be Raptured and reign with Christ a thousand
years. [Eph. 1:13, 4:30, Rev. 7:3]
Most so-called cult experts say any church or group who does
not believe in once saved always saved is a cult! We strongly
disagree, we know those who believe in once saved always saved
are false teachers, which makes them cultists!
The once in grace always in grace crowd are in the majority and
have been in the majority for many years. They have been putting
great pressure on those who disagree with them. This pressure
has caused many pastors who do not believe in once saved always
saved to swerve from the truth.
Since Jim Jones and his cult appeared to murdered all those
people, there has been a strong public outcry against cults. The
Judeo-Christian once saved always saved crowd has used this to
their advantage. They have been branding every church that does
not believe in once in grace always in grace as cults. [We have
heard unconfirmed reports that our government murdered the cult
blaming it on Jim Jones.]
Many pastors have been so intimidated by this unjust branding,
they have deviated from the truth. Many pastors have been living
in fear of being branded as a cultist. Therefore they have
adopted some of the tenants of the once saved always saved
doctrine. This makes them look very foolish, because it makes
their doctrines contradictory and unsound.
They make the mistake of saying we are saved by grace apart
from works. This is a half truth! We are indeed saved by grace
without the works of the law. But if we do not let the Holy
Spirit do its redemptive work, we do not stay saved.
If the Lord saves a man from drowning in the sea of sin and he
willfully jumps back in the sea, he is no longer saved. Only one
place in the Bible tells us what we are saved from!
It says: " He (Jesus), will save His people from their sins."
[Matt. 1:21 EKJV] If a person is saved from sin, how does he
stay saved if he deliberately jumps back into sin? Concerning
such people the Bible says: " It is impossible to renew them
again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the
Son of God, and put Him to open shame." [Heb. 6:6 NASB]
As we stated in the previous chapters of this book, the once
saved always saved doctrine is not a sound doctrine. It is the
doctrine of devils.
As we stated, the early church did not believe in once saved
always saved and neither do those who are true modern day
Christians! Those who teach once saved always saved are
prostituting the Word of God. Since they are prostituting the
Word of God, it makes them members of the great harlot church.
The Bible tells us to come out from the Zionist controlled
Judeo-Christian harlot church which is prostituting the word of
God. It says: "Come out of her, my people, that you may not
participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her
plagues" [Rev. 18:4 NASB]
These false once saved always saved prophets have been in the
majority for many years and look where it has led us! The people
who belong to their churches think they can sin their way to
heaven.
They lie, cheat, steal, fornicate and commit adultery. The once
saved always saved doctrine is from the pits of hell and
following such a doctrine has led this nation down the path to
destruction. Almost all the ills of this nation can be laid at
the doorstep of those who teach the once saved always saved
doctrine.
The Bible tells us not to forsake: " the assembling of our-
selves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one
another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching."
[Heb. 10:25 KJV]
Cultists like to remind us of this verse. They try to imply
that we are to assemble with them or we are breaking this
commandment.
Truly we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves
together, but the Word of God also tells us: " Now I beseech
you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but
their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the
hearts of the simple." [Rom.16:17 KJV]
As you can see we are not to assemble with willful sinners, but
we are to assemble with the saints! Paul said: " But now I have
written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called
a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a
railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no
not to eat." [1 Cor. 5:11 KJV]
This means we are not to assemble with nor eat at the Lord's
table with willful sinners. The Bible infers that we should
withdraw from men who teach unsound doctrines like positive
thinking and prosperity doctrines for they suppose that gain is
godliness. [1 Tim. 6:5]
The Bible tells us to put away from among us those who are
wicked. [1 Cor. 5:13] As you can see, we are not to have fellow-
ship with false Christians. As the Bible says: "come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean thing; and I will receive you." Light can have no
fellowship with darkness. [2 Cor. 6:17 KJV]
Those who prostitute the Word of God by teaching Judeo-
Christian false doctrines like once in grace always in grace,
positive thinking, prosperity doctrines are not servants of the
Lord, but they are deceived by Satan and doing the works of the
devil.
We call on all such men to repent and start teaching the truth.
If a person is truly sincere about serving God, he will see the
simple truth as we have presented it in this book and repent.
As Christians, we should give pastors who are not teaching the
truth a chance to repent. Present them with a copy of this book
and if they do not repent after reading it, they are very
deceived and not fit to be your pastor.
If a pastor does not agree with the things written in this
book, it is more than likely he has never received the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not teach men different inter-
pretations of the same Bible subject.
The Holy Spirit does not give more than one interpretation of
the same Bible verse! The Holy Spirit is consistent and always
teaches Christians pieces of understanding which fit together in
God's masterplan.
God's masterplan is like a big puzzle, all the pieces fit to-
gether to form one big picture. There is only one picture, but
Satan tries to distort it by introducing foreign pieces from
other puzzles.
The Holy Spirit teaches all holy men pieces from God's puzzle.
The more the holy man studies, prays and applies himself, the
more pieces he is given to fit into the puzzle. The more pieces
he acquires, the more clearly he can see God's picture.
Therefore it is not strange that men like Bishop Irenaeus (A.D.
130-202), came up with the same understanding as ourselves and
others in the modern world.
Holy men all pretty much understand the same things. They all
know only in part, but the parts fit together and concur with
the big picture. A holy man may not be sure of the correct
understanding of a particular scripture. But after prayer and
diligent study of that scripture, he starts receiving correct
pieces of God's big picture.
Some holy men may not know the correct understanding of a
particular scripture, because they have not yet studied enough
on that subject. But when another man of God comes along and
shows them several pieces of God's big picture, they recognize
those pieces as fitting in with the pieces they already have.
This happens if they have the Holy Spirit and have studied
diligently.
It may take those who have not done a lot of studying a little
more time and some additional study, before they know for sure
whether these new pieces fit into God's picture. But if they are
sincere, they will soon come around to the correct understand-
ing.
All Christians know down deep in their hearts that doctrines
like once saved always saved are not correct. But wolves in
sheep's clothing are hirelings, they are not willing to go
against established traditions and doctrines of men. They are
not willing to take the chance of being kicked out of the
ministry of their church.
As Jesus said, My sheep know My voice: " And a stranger they
simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do
not know the voice of strangers.... you do not believe, because
you are not my sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they
shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My
hand." [John 10:1-30, 15:20 NASB]
This means those who do not understand the truth, when it is
presented to them are not God's disciples. If they were God's
disciples they would receive the truth, obey the truth and no
one can snatch those who want to serve God, out of His hand.
This does not mean Christians cannot choose to quit serving God
and end up in hell. It means those who choose to serve God need
not fear Satan, because he cannot snatch them out of God's hand
against their will.
If a person does not receive the truth, it is because he is
evil and deliberately does not want the truth or he is blinded
by Satan, so that he cannot see the truth. The Lord wants us all
to be of the same mind in our understanding of the Bible. [2
Cor. 13:11, Phil. 1:27, 2:12, 4:2, 1 Pet. 3:8, 4:1]
As Apostle Paul said: " Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no
divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind
and in the same judgement." [1 Cor. 1:10 NASB]
The things in this book are spoken according to the wisdom of
the Holy Spirit, because we have the mind of Christ. [1 Cor.
2:4-16]
If people do not understand what we teach, it is because they
do not have the Holy Spirit. As Apostle Paul said: " But the
natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for
they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them,
because they are spiritually discerned." [1 Cor. 2:14 EKJV]
If our pastor persists in teaching Judeo-Christian false
doctrines we must do as the voice in heaven said: "Come out of
her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and
that you may not receive of her plagues" for the sins of this
great Zionist controlled harlot church, which is prostituting
the word of God, has reached into heaven. [Rev. 18:4 NASB]
We do not like going out on the limb. It is human nature to
want the respect of other men. Everyone likes to be loved and
respected by their fellow churchmen. Everyone likes to have
fellowship with other Christians! But if we yet pleased men, we
should not be the servant of Christ. [Gal. 1:10]
We certify to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached
of us in this book is not after man. For we neither received it
of man, neither were we taught it, but by the revelation of
Jesus Christ.
Since we choose to please God, rather than man, we will be
bold. As far as we know, all Lutheran, Episcopal, Baptist,
Presbyterian, Methodist, Church of Christ, Church of the
Brethren, and some Pentecostal churches teach the evil once in
grace always in grace doctrine, which makes them cults in the
eyes of God.
If you want to have the truth of the Holy Spirit on your side,
you must decide whether we are teaching you the truth or whether
all those popular churches are teaching you the truth. We cannot
both be teaching the truth; one side is wrong, we cannot have it
both ways. The decision you make could either lead you to heaven
or hell. It is a serious decision you must make! Your life could
be at stake, hence think long and hard which side you are on.
One side is the side of the devil. The other side is the side
of the Holy Spirit. We pray that you will make the right choice!
If you choose the side of the devil you are not ignorant of the
truth, because we have taught you the truth.
If you choose the side of the devil you become part of the Zionist
controlled harlot church and you could end up in hell. If you choose the
side of God, you will live forever with God in paradise. The choice is yours!
Cultists always say: " Christians are forbidden to judge one
another." they quote Romans 14:13 KJV, " Let us not therefore
judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man
put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's
way." False teachers take this verse, and others, out of
context. They imply that this verse forbids us to judge others
who claim to be Christians.
This verse, taken in context, means we are not to judge others
in what they eat or drink or disfellowship our brethren for
trivial reasons. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell you not to
judge others who claim to be Christians! In fact the Bible says
just the opposite.
It says: " Now I urge you brethren, keep your eye on those who
cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which
you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves,
not of our Lord Jesus Christ but of their own appetites; and by
their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of
the unsuspecting." [Rom. 16:17 NASB]
This verse and others contradict those who teach Christians are
not to judge. Look at [Matt. 7:5, John 5:30, 7:24, Luke 7:43,
12:57, 1 Cor. 5:11, 6:2, 2 Thess. 3:6&14, Titus 3;10], all of these
verses imply that Christians should judge.
As Apostle Paul said: " he that is spiritual judgeth all
things, yet he himself is judged of no man." [1 Cor. 2;15 KJV]
Any person who is honest, and not a hypocrite, knows that every
thing in life is a judgement. To say it is wrong to judge is
nothing more than hypocrisy. God wants us to judge righteous
judgements with reason and justice.
As Jesus said: " For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be
judged" [Matt. 7:2 KJV] We will all be judged by our judgements,
hence it behooves us to judge with mercy, justice and
righteousness.
There is one mark which the most evil of cults seem to share,
namely they abuse spiritual authority. They try to keep their
thumb on the members of their church. This is probably the most
awesome tool in Satan's arsenal of dirty tricks. In their lust
for power and authority, many of Satan's ministers try ruling
over the members of their church.
Pastors ruling over their congregations rather than merely
leading their congregations are counterfeit spiritual author-
ities. We, as Christians, should flee from any pastor who rules
over his congregation.
Satan's ministers always take advantage of mistranslations of
the Bible, which they can use to evil advantage. As an example
they like to use the K.J.V. mistranslation of Hebrews 13:7&17; it says:
" Remember them which have the rule over you" or " Obey those
who have the rule over you" men who seek power and authority do
not want you to know that the word translated here as (rule), is
the Greek word (Hegeomai), which should have been translated in
these verses as (to lead) or (to guide).
The correct translation of these verses is: " Remember your
leaders" and "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority."
It may seem to you there is not much difference in either
translation. There is fundamentally a big difference between
leading the congregation and ruling over them.
The word (lead), suggests the people have a choice either to
follow or not to follow, but the word (rule), implies the people
have no choice but to obey the pastor. To have no choice in
whether or not to obey the pastor goes against the Spirit of
God.
The Spirit of God is a meek and quiet Spirit. [Matt. 11:29,
21:5, Gal. 5:23, Col. 3:12, 2 Tim. 2:25, 1 Pet. 3:4] In this
life God never forces anyone to do anything. He gives us free
will to obey or not obey. He also gives pastors free will to
obey or not obey.
It would not behoove us to obey a pastor who is disobedient to
Christ. God would never command us to obey without question
those who have the rule over us. He commands us to obey those
who lead us on the correct path to God. As Apostle Paul said: "
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or
of obedience unto righteousness?" [Rom. 6:16 KJV]
If we obey a pastor who is following Christ it is good. If we
follow a pastor who is following Satan we are members of the
great harlot church which is following Satan to hell.
Ministers who rule over their congregation instead of leading
them are greedy, power hungry cultists. They most often live in
luxury while their congregation lives in poverty. They are like
leaches who suck the blood out of their victims. They have their
nose in all the affairs of their congregation.
They deceive their congregations into believing they must have
permission from the pastor before they can make a move. They
brainwash their congregations into submitting to them in areas
that are none of the pastors business.
True men of God set a Godly example like Jesus did. They live
in poverty while their congregation lives better than them-
selves. They believe it is better to give than to receive. They
are meek and humble when it comes to asserting authority.
They are bold as a lion against wolves who feed on their flock.
They do not pry into the affairs of their congregation in areas
that are none of their business. They allow their congregation
free will to either submit or not submit to their authority.
They are not brutish, but they are meek, gentle, kind, long-
suffering, reasonable, just, fair, upright and honest. True men
of God seek righteousness, mercy and justice for all, they are
not greedy and would not think of living better than the average
member of their congregation.
One of the major signs of a cult is the leader living in
luxury. No man of God would allow himself to live better than
the standard of his congregation. Jesus set the example. He was
a King, but chose to live in poverty. As Apostle Peter said: "
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that
ye should follow his steps" [1 Peter 2:21 KJV]
The Holy Apostles followed Jesus example of poverty, as Apostle
Paul said: " Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and
thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain
dwelling place; And labour, working with our own hands:"
[1 Cor. 4:11 KJV]
Holy men like the apostles collected large sums of money from
the brethren, but they did not keep it for themselves like the
false pastors of today! [Acts 4:34, 1 Cor. 16:1] The apostles
worked at various trades on occasions in order to raise money to
continue their ministry. The Bible said: " It is not desirable
for us (the ministry), to neglect the word of God in order to
serve tables." [Acts 6:2 EKJV]
However the apostles were willing to work with their own hands
or do anything which was necessary to disseminate the Word of
God. Indeed the Bible teaches: " let the one who is taught the
word share all good things with him who teaches." [Gal. 6:6
NASB]
As the Bible says: " You shall not muzzle the ox while he is
thrashing." [1 Cor. 9:9 NASB] These things were written so the
brethren would share their goods with the pastor, so the pastor
would have more time to study the word of God and preach the
Gospel. But it was not meant for pastors to live in luxury like
many of the pastors of today.
Children of God are commanded by the Word of God to pay tithes
which is ten percent. [Mal. 3:8] The pastor is only entitled to
use the bare minimum from the church treasury which is necessary
to sustain his life. In no way is he to take more money from the
treasury than necessary for him to get by! The majority of tithe
money is to go towards missions which disseminate the word of
God.
If the pastor loves his fellow man, he is willing to sacrifice
and suffer in order for more money to be spent on missions to
the heathens.
There is never enough money for missions and feeding the poor,
hence holy pastors always live on or near the poverty level.
This does not mean holy pastors are always as poor as church
mice. It means holy pastors never take more out of the church
treasury than they need for the bare necessities of life. Many
will argue that the pastors family deserves to live as well as
others in the congregation.
This is true, but his family should not live above the level of
the average member of his congregation. In fact if he wants to
be an example like Jesus and the apostles he will choose to live
below the level of the average member of his congregation.
Churchmen make a big mistake when they pay their pastors large
salaries. Large salaries attract wolves in sheep's clothing.
Wolves are often attracted by money; cut off the large salary
and the wolf might leave!
Wolves are not usually as willing as holy men to shepherd a
church for a small salary. A holy man will shepherd the church
even though he gets no pay, because he loves his sheep and loves
working for the Lord.
Of course we, as Christians, should not allow the pastor to
receive no pay. The laborer is worthy of his hire and the pastor
must have a lot of time to study the Bible, in order for him to
know how to lead us. If a pastor works at a trade and shepherds
a church, he may not have enough time to study the Bible and the
church will suffer the consequences.
The job of pastor is not a position which should be sought
after. People who seek to be a pastor are most often lifted up
with pride. One does not go to a seminary to prepare to be a
pastor. God prepares pastors through the school of hard knocks.
Those who go to a seminary to prepare to be a pastor are doing
things according to man's way! How can a man learn in a seminary
how to be humble, meek, wise and reasonable?
If you disagree, read the chapter about the positive devil. As
we said, people mature through experience and hard knocks.
People do not mature just because they can afford to go to a
seminary or because men have taught them how to act maturely.
This is not to say, men who have gone to seminaries are not
qualified to be pastors. No, it is entirely possible for a man
to go to a seminary, see the truth as revealed by God and choose
to suffer with Christ, teaching the truth, rather than pleasing
men by teaching what they have been taught in the seminary.
If a pastor does choose the right way, he will be in disfavor
with the world and will not be put in charge of a large church.
Seminaries cannot give a person the experience of hard knocks in
order to mature. Only suffering with Christ allows men to mature
to the point they are qualified to be pastors.
All the seminary can do is teach you how to govern a church,
raise money and manage social events according to man's wisdom.
Mans wisdom is fair for managing money but not spiritual
affairs. The churches should become wise, and hire administrators
to handle the church funds. Then they should ordain holy
men who have matured by suffering with Christ in life's
experiences to govern the church.
Since most so-called Christian churches appoint men as pastors
who have gone to seminaries rather than ordaining men who have
suffered life's experiences, we have churches full of men who
know how to win friends and influence people, according to the
subtle ways of the world.
But they know almost nothing about holiness, righteousness and
the truth of the scriptures. Because of this 97% of our so-
called Christian churches are nothing more than social clubs,
led by social directors who call themselves pastors.
These social directors are nothing more than ministers of the
harlot church, which is prostituting the Word of God. They teach
the things they know people like to hear.
Since they are experts who have been seminary trained in how to
win friends and influence people, they are experts at making
floury speeches which are beautiful. They never offend anyone by
teaching the stark reality of the Bible.
They teach wonderful things people like to hear, like once in
grace always in grace. After all sinners do not want to hear
they are going to hell if they continue to sin willfully!
These false prophets teach positive thinking, prosperity doc-
trines, the PreTrib Rapture and the ordination of women. They do
it to be popular or to make money! Rich men can afford to pay
more money into the church treasury.
Therefore what pastor, who wants to make a good living, can
afford to offend the rich. If they make the rich men uncomfort-
able with the truth, they will be offended and stop supporting
the church. After all, rich men like to hear they are rich as a
reward for being such fine Christians!
No rich man wants anyone to believe the rich actually oppress
the poor! What rich man wants to hear about suffering saints or
a suffering Messiah, who requires His people to suffer in order
to be worthy of eternal life? Who wants to hear Christians will
have to suffer through the Great Tribulation? After all no-one
likes to suffer, hence the voices of the false prophets sound
wonderful indeed!
What pastor, who wants to make a good living, can afford to
offend the rich bankers, politicians and executives in his
church by teaching the truth about the Zionist Beast which
controls the Judeo-Christian churches?
Only a saintly fool would dare to offend the Zionist Jews who
own most of the large corporations in America, by stand up
against the Zionist conspiracy telling the truth about the
Zionist Jews taking over the Democrat Party and the media.
Or, speak against the politically correct, by telling his
congregation Zionist Jews control Hollywood and are brainwashing
the public teaching Babylonian Talmud politically correct
Zionist doctrines in movies and programs teaching their
Babylonian Talmud view of right and wrong. Or, telling his
congregation these same Zionist Jews are deliberately making
Christians and those who disagree with their politically correct
propaganda look like deranged hate mongers.
Those who stand up for the truth pay the awesome cost of
poverty, defamation of character and becoming outcasts in this
forward and perverse generation.
It is much easier to yield and knuckle under to strong move-
ments like once saved always saved, positive thinking, pros-
perity doctrines, and the PreTrib Rapture. Only those who are
very strong in faith and are willing to suffer with the Lord are
able to stand up for the truth.
Unfortunately very few pastors are willing to pay the cost of
suffering with the Lord for teaching the truth. Hence they
surrender and become members of the great harlot church which
prostitutes the Word of God.
As Jesus said: " I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays
down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling, and not a
shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf
coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches
them, and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling, and
is not concerned about the sheep." [John 10:11 NASB]
Few modern day pastors are willing to sacrifice their lives or
livelihood for the sheep, hence they are hirelings who surrender
to Satan's pressure and become members of Satan's evil cult, the
great Zionist controlled Babylonian harlot church.
Since it is human nature to want to be loved and respected by
others, to be respectable, most pastors surrender to doctrines
of devils, hence they will pay the awesome price of eternal hell
fire.
Since it is human nature for people to want the respect and
fellowship of others, most people surrender to the authority of
Satan's ministers. To do otherwise is to suffer a lonely life
all by your self with few friends and the contempt and hatred of
those around you. Those not willing to pay this price are doomed
to destruction in hell fire.
As Jesus said: " If you were of the world, the world would love
its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chose
you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember
the word that I said to you, A slave is not greater than his
master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you."
[John 15:19 NASB] As Apostle Paul said: " And indeed, all who
desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." [2
Tim. 3:12 NASB]
SUMMARY
We must choose whether we want to suffer a lonely life with the
saints and the suffering Messiah or whether we want to live in
pleasure on this earth in the fellowship of willful sinners. The
choice is ours!
The Bible tells us to withdraw from false teachers and those
who walk disorderly not obeying the Bible. The Bible commands us
not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. However God
does not want us to assemble with false teachers nor with those
who follow false teachers or walk disorderly. [1 Cor. 5:11]
As we said earlier, we have never found a holy man leading a
large congregation. Holy men are always found in small churches
or house meetings. Since it is unlawful for us to assemble with
hypocrites, it is better for us to assemble with two or three
good brethren rather than a multitude of hypocrites. Jesus
anticipated his disciples would be few and would have trouble
finding real Christians to assemble with. This is why Jesus
said: " For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them." [Matt. 18:20 KJV]
There are many good Christians and holy men outside of our
churches who are lonely because they understand it is a sin to
assemble with hypocrites or false teachers.
When we continue to assemble with hypocrites and false
teachers, we are doing a disservice to good Christians and holy
men because they are being cheated out of the fellowship and
tithe support they deserve.
If all good Christians withdrew from false teachers and
hypocrites as the Bible commands and started searching for good
Christians and holy men to assemble with, it would not be long
before there were many good churches in their part of the
country. [Rom. 16:17]
By withdrawing from false teachers and hypocrites and searching
out holy men to assemble with, we would be supporting the
ministry of good Christians and at the same time helping God.
The reason we can't find many churches led by holy men is
because few Christians are sincere enough to sanctify or
separate themselves from hypocrites, thus leading a lonely life
of a saint who only supports holy men.
If Christians had enough guts or nerve to withdraw from false
teachers it would not be long before there were good churches on
almost every corner. Those who are not willing to withdraw from
false teachers and hypocrites have no-one but themselves to
blame for the lack of good churches available to them!
We encourage you to either search for a holy man to teach and
lead you, or else become a holy man by diligently studying the
Bible, affirming what we teach is true and begin your own house
meetings. The Bible, along with this book, is a good starting
point for starting house meetings or a church.
By the lead of the Holy Spirit we deliberately wrote this book
to be a Spirit filled commentary dealing with everything a
Christian needs to know to do a good job of serving the Lord and
teaching others how to serve the lord.
We have read many commentaries, but we do not know of another
Holy Spirit filled commentary which in one small volume deals
with as much needed Spirit filled information as this little
book! It is nothing we did, but God breathed the wisdom of the
Holy Spirit into this book.
If we fellowship with devils, we will get a devil's reward! If
we fellowship with saints, we will get a saints reward! When we
attend a church led by false teachers or pay tithes to false
teachers we are supporting the works of the devil.
If we support the works of the devil we will suffer for it in
the judgement day! If we refuse to support the works of the
devil and assemble only with the few saints we can find, we may
be lonely in this life, but our reward will be great in heaven!
The choice is ours!
End of Chapter Seven!
Copyright (c) 1989, Elijah Gwinn, all rights reserved.
LIVING THE FAITH
By reading the previous chapters of this book, you may have gotten
the idea that I am a stern and hard hearted preacher of fire and brimstone!
You may be saying to yourself, if what we are saying in this book is true,
living the faith is almost impossible!
You may be thinking, if it is almost impossible to live right,
why try! You may be thinking there is no need to try, because
you will only fail! Such thinking is foolish because nothing
could be further from the truth!!!
God is not a sourpuss nor a cosmic faultfinder! God is Love! [1
John 4:8] God is righteous, reasonable and merciful! [James
3:17] God absolutely will not allow Satan to put a burden on you
which is too heavy to bear! God always leaves a way for you to
escape. As Apostle Peter said: " The Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godly out of temptations" [2 Peter 2:9] The way of escape
may not be of the nature you hope for, often death is the way of
escape. You may die at the hands of an evil person, but there is
nevertheless an escape.
When Jesus was on the cross, by praying to the Father, He
escaped from further torture which was of a nature too severe
for a man to endure. Jesus and all the martyrs escaped when the
pain became unbearable by giving up the spirit in death.
Jesus said: " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and
learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find
rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light." [Matt. 11:28 KJV]
The Lord gets upset with those who speak of the burden of the
Lord, because there is no burden! God said: " the burden of the
Lord ye will mention no more.... Because ye say this word, The
burden of the Lord, I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not
say, The burden of the Lord." [Jer. 23:36 KJV]
As Apostle Paul said: " God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to
bear it." [1 Cor. 10:13 KJV]
In other words Satan will tempt you with sin, but through the
Holy Spirit, God will give you the strength to resist the
temptation, if you allow the Holy Spirit to assist you.
If people give in to sin without allowing the Holy Spirit to
assist them, they do not escape. But if they resist the devil
and pray for help, by the power of the Holy Spirit they shall
escape.
As Apostle James said: " Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." [James 4:7 KJV]
This is a promise, Satan will flee from you, if you faithfully
resist him. Satan is not as powerful as he is puffed up to be!
Those who have the Holy Spirit, through the power of the Holy
Spirit can put Satan and his demons to flight.
Jesus said: " These signs shall follow them that believe; In my
name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new
tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on
the sick, and they shall recover." [Mark 16:17 KJV]
Apostates try to downplay this verse, they even tried to take
it out of the Bible! Satan does not want you to know that
everyone who has the Holy Spirit can do these things! Yes, all
those who have the Holy Spirit and keep God's commandments have
these powers when and if they should ever need them.
We don't mean that you should deliberately go out and handle a
rattle snake or drink deadly poison, that would be tempting God.
But God on occasion does lead people to handle deadly serpents
as a sign to unbelievers.
I have experienced these powers and on occasion have been lead
by the Spirit of God to handle a deadly Cottonmouth Water
Mocasin. [Don't take it upon yourself to handle a deadly
serpent. To do so, might be tempting God!] I have on occasion
laid hands on the sick and seen miracles worked through the
power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, God still works miracles!
Apostates scoff at this, they assert that miracles, prophecy
and tongues have been done away with! They take 1 Corinthians
13:9-10 KJV out of context. It says: " For we know in part, and
we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in
part shall be done away." False teachers say when the Holy
Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost that which is perfect came
and miracles, prophesy and tongues were done away with.
What nonsense! On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was
poured out on the children of God and they began to prophesy and
speak in tongues. [Acts 2:4] After the Day of Pentecost and
throughout the rest of the New Testament the disciples of the
Lord spoke in prophesy, tongues and worked miracles. [Acts
10:44, 19:6&11, 28:3&8]
When Apostle Paul said: " But when that which is perfect is
come, then that which is in part shall be done away." He was
referring to the second coming of Christ. We have no need of
things in part when we are with the master! Notice that he said:
" when that which is perfect is come". He did not say " that
which is perfect has come".
Notice also that he said: " then that which is in part shall be
done away." He did not say " it has been done away."; that which
is perfect has not yet come and will not come until the Lord
returns.
If that which is perfect has come, according to this scripture
we would no longer know in part, but we would all have a perfect
understanding of the Bible. I don't know anyone who has a per-
fect understanding of the Bible. Do you?
This passage could not be referring to the Holy Spirit or the
church as being " that which is perfect". It was speaking of
something in the future and not in the past tense. The Holy
Spirit and the church had already come, hence if it were
speaking of the Holy Spirit or the church, Paul would have
spoken in past tense.
Jesus said: " he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall
he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I
go to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that will I
do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me,
anything in My name, I will do it." [John 14:12 NASB]
This was not a promise only to the holy apostles, it was a
promise to anyone who believes in Christ Jesus and receives His
Holy Spirit. He did not say "apostles who believe", he said: "
he who believes", shall do greater miracles then He (Jesus) did.
Those who believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, are
able to do the same miracles the seventy did, when Jesus sent
them out to preach. [Luke 10:17]
We, as the children of God, do not need to fear Satan. Respect
the power of Satan, but do not fear him, because we, through the
Holy Spirit, have more power than Satan and his demons! It is
Satan who must live in fear of us, for he knows he is a puffed
up bag of wind compared to the Holy Spirit which is within us.
God did not give us a spirit of fear to be cowardly or to fear
Satan. [2 Tim. 1:7, 1 John 4:18, Luke 12:5, Rev. 21:8] God gave
us the Spirit of Great Power; we must learn how to use this
power in order to put Satan and his demons to flight. In reality
Satan is a mouse who casts the shadow of a Grizzly Bear!
Apostle Paul gives us a clue, as to how to make this awesome
power work for us. He said: " take unto you the whole armor of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking
the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints." [Eph. 6:13 KJV]
According to this we must take on the whole armor of God, to be
able to stand against the devil. We must receive the truth when
it is presented to us. We must always tell the truth and never
lie. We must study the Bible diligently, having our feet shod
with the Bible, so that we can walk on the right path.
Studying the Bible gives us more faith. We must use this faith
as a shield against Satan's constant attacks. Our helmet to
protect our brain from attack is the sword of the Spirit which
is the Word of God, engrafted in our minds. We must pray
constantly for ourselves and our brethren. In other words study-
ing the Bible, righteousness, faith and prayer is our total
defense.
The faith is not as hard to live as the devil and the hypo-
crites would have us believe. God is not a vicious, vindictive,
exacting cranky old man who goes by the letter of the law,
trying to send as many people to hell as he can. God is more
kind, longsuffering, gentle, loving, forgiving and reasonable
than any man who ever lived! The Bible says: " The Lord... is
patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to
come to repentance." [2 Pet. 3:9 NASB]
God is much like natural parents with disobedient children they
love. What good father or mother, who loves their children, will
not forgive their children when they repent? Often children push
their natural parents to the limit, but the parents who love
their children are willing to forgive the children for almost
any crime. The natural parents are willing to forgive their
children and make excuses for them when people outside the
family would like to hang them.
Likewise God loves His children and is willing to forgive them
of almost any sin when they sincerely repent. He will forgive
them for any sin except willful sin against the Holy Spirit.
We must try to go by the letter and spirit of the law. The Law
of Moses as amended by the New testament is our guide which God
sent for us to go by. God is the author of the law and He
interprets the law as it pleases Him. God is not a bureaucrat or
an unjust judge who goes by the letter of the law.
God goes by the spirit of the law and he is not concerned with
the letter of the law. Everyone knows that laws are guidelines
for men to go by, but it is impossible to write a law to cover
every situation that could take place.
I have studied American law; worldly judges often rule against
the man who was in the right, because to do otherwise would set
bad precedents causing bad law in the future. They feel sorry
for the poor man they send to jail unjustly, but they feel it is
necessary to preserve the integrity of the court system.
God is not like the worldly judges. He is always just and fair.
God's legal system does not have such bureaucratic nonsense as
convicting the just rather than setting bad precedents.
The Bible says: " our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made
us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but
of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth
life." [2 Cor. 3:6 KJV]
This means we should try to obey the law, but the spirit and
intent of the law is more important than the letter of the law!
Those who go by the letter of the law in judgment of others,
rather than the spirit of the law, sin by putting unnecessary
hardships on their brethren. If God had written a law to cover
the spirit of the law, the world could not contain the books of
the law, neither could man remember all the rules. [John 21:25]
God gave us the Bible and the Holy Spirit as guides, but intend-
ed us to go by the overall spirit of the law rather than the
letter of the law.
Does this mean we should justify sin? God forbid! No, we are
not to justify sin, but we are to judge righteously concerning
sin. Because I wish to please God rather than my brethren, I
will go out on the limb again! It is hard to get along with
hypocrites! It would be easier for me to either side with the
liberals or the conservatives.
But since many Christians suffer more than is needed because of
these two groups, I will make them both angry with me. Woe is
me! I have already made the liberals angry. Now it is time to
chastise the conservatives.
Many of the more conservative churches make a lot of man made
rules they think are necessary to keep the congregation on the
right path.
Unfortunately these man made rules probably cause more people
to go to hell than all the devils combined. These ignorant souls
put up signs by the door saying: Thou shalt not smoke, thou
shalt not drink alcoholic beverages, thou shalt not go to
movies, thou shalt not have a television, thou shalt not dance,
thou shalt not play cards, thou shalt not go to parties, thou
shalt not enjoy life, thou shalt not listen to music, thou shalt
not get a divorce, thou shalt not get married a second time etc.
etc.!
All of this sounds holy, but you cannot read it in the Bible!
Yes, there is some truth connected with these man made rules,
but it is another shenanigan of Satan to get us sidetracked. The
Bible is quite strict enough, without adding burdens. These man
made rules accomplish getting people discouraged, causing them
to give up and turn to sin.
We will look at these things one by one! The Bible does not say
it is a sin to smoke. We cannot say a person will go to hell for
smoking, but the person who smokes smells like he's been there!
It is hypocrisy for a fat person to condemn another person for
smoking.
There is a little sin in overeating and smoking, because you
are defiling your body and smoking is offensive to those around
you. Offence to those around you could cause you to go to hell.
Satan has a hand in this, he tempts people to overeat and smoke.
Sometimes demons cause Christians to overeat and smoke against
their will.
These people need prayers and help from their brethren, they
don't need condemnation or criticism. They need prayers and
support from their brethren so they can overcome these demons.
They need someone to help them cast out these demons of gluttony
and nicotine. When demons have Christians captive against their
will, these Christians are not sinning willfully, because what
they are doing is against their will.
The blood of Christ on the cross covers all sins that are not
willful sins committed after baptism. Casting out demons which
are in Christians is part of the process of maturing.
The more demons you overcome the more mature you become. This
is all part of overcoming, as Apostle John said: " For this is
the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His command-
ments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes
the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world,
our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" [1 John 5:3 NASB]
As Jesus said: " To him that overcometh will I give to eat of
the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
[Rev. 2:7 KJV] We often slip up and fall into sin either ignor-
antly or for some reason that is out of our control.
This is why Apostle John said: " My little children, these
things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know
that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I
know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him." [1 John 2:1 KJV]
This means we are commanded to keep the commandments recorded
in the Bible, but when we slip up either through ignorance or
for some reason out of our control, we can go to Jesus and he is
faithful to forgive us.
Many Christians think it is impossible for Christians to have
demons. That is what Satan would like us to believe! On several
occasions I have had the experience of casting demons out of
Christians in the name of Jesus. Thousands of Christians and
ordained ministers of the Gospel have had the same experience.
It is true that God would not allow a Christian to be possessed
with demons, but we are saying some Christians have demons.
There is a big difference between being possessed and having a
demon. For a full discussion of this subject, read "Deliver Us
From Evil" and "Can a Christian Have a Demon?" both books are by
Don Basham.
It is what is in our heart that counts With God! He knows
whether we sinned wilfully in rebellion against the Holy Spirit
or whether we sinned in ignorance or did some bad thing we did
not plan to do in a moment of anger and are now sorry. God can
tell the difference between premeditated crime and sin done
through the pressure of Satan. One was done willingly, the other
done against our will because we lost control.
Good Christians can be tricked by Satan into thinking something
is not a sin, when in fact it is a sin. Regardless of what some
preachers teach, Satan and his demons can read minds. They use
this mind reading power together with their power to pop ideas
into your mind to twist your thinking. Satan and his demons can
twist your mind for a shot time into justifying a sin as no
longer being a sin of any importance, because you can't read
about it being a sin in the New Testament. Then later you come
to your senses and look back and wonder how you could have been
so stupid as to justify such a sin.
God knows how hard you tried to resist Satan, for those who
resisted little it could be crime. But for those who resisted
much and were overcome by Satan, it could be counted weakness
rather than crime.
God is the just judge who knows the reins of the heart. " I am
he who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each
one of you according to your deeds." [Rev. 2:23 NASB]
God does not expect us to be perfect! We are to strive for
perfection, but only God is perfect! As Jesus said: " Be ye
therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect." [Matt. 5:48 KJV] He wants us to strive to be perfect,
but he knows men cannot be perfect.
As Isaiah said: " But we are all as an unclean thing, and all
our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a
leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
[Isa. 64:6 KJV] King David said: " there is none that doeth
good, no, not one." [Ps. 14:3 KJV] John said: " If we say that
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us." [1 John 1:8 KJV]
God only expects us to do the best we can. He is like a just
employer, who hires several men. When the men do the best they
can by working hard and giving the boss a fair days work, the
boss does not complain!
Even if the men fail to do the job because of some difficulty,
the just employer praises the men if they did the best they
could under the circumstances. When a just king goes to battle
and gets defeated, he does not condemn his soldiers as long as
they put up a good battle. But if he finds a soldier who was too
lazy or cowardly to fight, he either throws him in prison or
puts him to death.
The Lord gives us all talents (jobs to do), according to our
abilities. If we do well we are rewarded, but if we are lazy and
refuse to work, we are cast into outer darkness where there is
weeping and gnashing of teeth. [Matt. 25:30]
Apostle Paul told you to: " work out your salvation with fear
and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will
and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumb-
ling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless
and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a
crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights
in the world." [Phil. 2:12 NASB]
It appears we have many Pharisees in our Christian churches
today. They say it is a sin to let wine touch your lips. They
say it is a sin to drink wine or beer. The Bible says just the
opposite!
These Pharisees say that when Jesus turned the water into wine,
it was grape juice and not wine. The Bible says just the
opposite! A person would not know that the Bible says just the
opposite unless he studied some Greek and Hebrew!
The Greek words (Oinos), (Oinou) or (Oinon) are used when the
Bible is speaking of aged wine of up to 10-12 percent alcohol.
The Greek word (Gleukos), is used when the Bible is speaking of
new wine or grape juice. The Hebrew word (Yayin), is used when
the Old Testament is speaking of aged wine of up to 10-12
percent alcohol.
The Hebrew word (Torish), is used when the Old Testament is
speaking of new wine or grape juice. The Hebrew word (Shakar),
is used when the Old Testament is speaking of Beer or fermented
drinks other then wine. The Hebrew word (Asis), is used to
denote wine made from things other than grape juice.
The Hebrew word (Shakar) could have more properly been translat-
ed (Beer) or (Fermented Drink) rather than (Strong Drink).
Strong drink is not a proper choice of words for Shakar. The
N.I.V. properly translated the word (Shakar) as (fermented
drink).
We will give you an E.K.J.V. Greek translation of John 2:3-10;
it says: " And being short of wine (OINOU), the mother of Jesus
says to Him, They have no wine (OINON). Jesus says to her, What
is that to Me and to you, woman? My hour has not yet come.
His mother said to the servants, Whatever He may say to you, do
it. And there were six stone water pots standing, according to
the purification of the Jews, each containing twenty or thirty
gallons. Jesus says to them, Fill the water pots with water. And
they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, Now draw
out, and carry to the master of the feast. And they carried
them.
But when the master of the feast had tasted the water which had
become wine (OINON), and did not know where it is from- but the
servants knew, those having drawn the water- the master of the
feast calls the bridegroom, and says to him, EVERY MAN FIRST
SETS ON THE GOOD WINE (OINON); AND WHEN THEY HAVE DRUNK, THEN
THE WORSE; YOU HAVE KEPT THE GOOD OINON UNTIL NOW."
Nowhere in this chapter is the Greek word (Gleukos) used.
Apostle John knew how dangerous to your spiritual life over
drinking alcoholic beverages is. But he deliberately chose to
use the words (OINOU) and (OINON) rather than (GLEUKOS). The
words (OINON) or (OINOU) could not possibly be referring to
grape juice.
Everyone knows or at least should know that wine gets better
with age. This is why it was such a great miracle! The wine
Jesus made tasted better than the other wine, hence it had to be
wine which had aged to maturity. Wine which has aged through
natural means to maturity is always about 10-12 percent alcohol.
Anyone but a hypocrite can see from this verse the Bible was
speaking of aged wine rather than grape juice.
In those days they did not have chemicals to retard the fermen-
tation process. New wine or grape juice does not last very long
before fermentation takes place. Fermentation starts taking
place within 24 hours after the grape is picked from the vine.
Within a couple of months grape juice turns into wine with
alcoholic content of from 7 to 12 percent.
Passover is in the springtime and since they had no chemicals
to retard fermentation, there was no grape juice to be used when
the Jews celebrated Passover. Wine (Yayin), was always used at
Passover. Apostle Paul told us: " Stop drinking only water, and
use a little wine (OINOS), because of your stomach and your
frequent illnesses." [1 Tim. 5:23 N.I.V.] Here we have a command
to drink wine, but nowhere in the Bible does it forbid the
drinking of wine or beer.
In fact the Bible speaks of wine and beer as a good thing! The
Bible says: " And you may spend the money for whatever your
heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine (Yayin), or strong
drink (Shakar, Beer), or whatever your heart desires; and there
you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice,
you and your household." [Deut. 14:26 NASB]
The Bible says: " Go then, eat your bread in happiness, and
drink your wine (Yayin), with a cheerful heart; for God has
already approved your works. Let your clothes be white all the
time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with
the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which
He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in
life, and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun."
[Eccl. 9:7, Ps. 104:15 NASB]
The Bible consistently tells us that everything created by God
is good. Apostle Paul said: " For everything created by God is
good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with
gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and
prayer." [1 Tim. 4:4, Gen. 1:12 NASB]
The Bible consistently tell us it is a sin to be a wine imbiber
or a drunkard. The Word of God says no drunk shall inherit the
kingdom of God. [1 Cor. 6:10] It is a sin to get drunk because
you lose control of yourself and sin against others. [Rom.
13:13, Eph. 5:18, Gal. 5:21, Prov. 20:1, 23:30, Isa. 5:11&22, 28:7,
56:12]
Wine and beer are good if a person uses them moderately, but
they can be abused like anything else in life. Some people
should never touch wine or beer because they cannot handle it.
Wine and beer were intended by God to be used as medicine, and
not for drunken pleasure. Apostle Paul said: " No longer drink
water exclusively, but use a little wine (Oinos) for the sake of
your stomach and your frequent ailments." [1 Tim 5:23 NASB]
He did not say to drink wine for the pleasure of getting drunk.
In other words we should drink wine when we don't feel well.
Alcoholic beverages are used by Satan to destroy people, hence
he that is wise drinks little wine or beer.
There is no sin in having a television or in watching movies as
long as the Christian controls what he watches. There are many
television shows and movies which can be watched by Christians
without sin! There are several Christian and educational shows
on television that are quite godly. However, like everything
else in life, this privilege can be abused.
Satan gets his licks in any way he can. Television is probably
the most powerful tool Satan has. Through television and movies
Satan is attacking our minds. Many television shows and movies
which seem harmless to the average Christian have subtle satanic
messages in them.
Television and movies have done much to damage the thinking and
lifestyle of the American people because of Satan's demons using
it as a tool. The American people are beguiled by television.
They mimic the people who they see on television, hence they are
being led down the road to destruction.
While there is no sin in having a television or watching
wholesome shows, I am inclined to agree with David Wilkerson on
many points. In his Book: " Set the Trumpet to Thy Mouth" he
points out many things that are harming American Christians,
like television, rock and roll music, punk rock etc.. It would
not be a bad idea to read his book.
Satan's Zionist disciples are using the Television media with
its movies and programs to brainwash the public into accepting
their Zionist-Communist Babylonian Talmudic views of right and
wrong. Walt Disney Studios has now been taken over by the
Zionist Jews. Thus, the new Disney movies are full of Zionist-
Jew brainwashing messages to brainwash children into the Jewish
Talmudic views of right and wrong. They depict white men and
Christians as evil racist shrews, while American Indians and
Negroes practicing witchcraft are portrayed as the good guys.
[See the Appendix in the back of this book about who controls
America. It tells how the Jews took over the media and Disney.]
Many Christians think it is sinful to listen to music or go to
dances or parties. There is no sin in listening to music,
dancing or going to parties as long as no sinful activity goes
on in those dances, music or parties.
The Bible makes it very clear that we are not to attend wild
parties where people are getting drunk! Apostle Paul said: " Let
us behave properly in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness,
not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and
jealousy.... make no provision for the flesh in regard to its
lusts." [Rom. 13:13 N.A.S.B.]
Apostle Peter said the heathens have: " pursued a course of
sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and
abominable idolatries. And in all this they are surprised that
you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation,
and they malign you; but they shall give account to Him who is
ready to judge the living and the dead." [1 Pet. 4:3 N.A.S.B.]
The Greek word (Komos), here is translated (carousing), this
word is correctly translated carousing or revelry. As you can
see the Bible speaks against carousing or revelry. The word
(carouse), means attending noisy or merry drinking parties where
alcohol or drugs are being abused.
The word revel means to take much pleasure in noisy, festive
and merry parties or events. It is a sin for a Christian to
attend such parties! However there is no sin in attending
parties where people are having high-principled good times
without getting drunk.
It is not sinful for Christians to go to dances where others
are having a decent and undefiled good time with no carousing or
revelry. As we have already shown Jesus and His mother attended
parties where people were served wine and Jesus was without sin.
The Lord would not have attended a party where people were
getting drunk or gaudy.
Apostle Paul said: " be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord." [Eph. 5:18 KJV]
King David said: " Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:
praise him with the psaltry and harp. Praise him with the
trimble and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and
organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the
high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise
the Lord. Praise ye the Lord." [Ps. 150:3 KJV]
As you can see there is nothing sinful about music or dancing
as long as it is God centered. Sin comes in because sinful
people abuse music and dance, using them for sinful purposes
like they do everything else in life.
There is no sin in having fun and enjoying life as long as the
fun is God centered, wholesome and clean fun. God is not a
bitter, ill-humored, touchy old shrew who hates people having
fun. If we put having fun ahead of our service to God we become
idolaters. Idolaters shall not inherit the kingdom of God. [1
Cor. 6:9]
As long as we put God first there is no sin in clean fun.
Anything we put before serving God is idolatry. According to
the Bible even covetousness or greed is idolatry. [Colo. 3:5]
Many Christians think it is a sin to play cards and other
games. There is no sin in playing cards and other games as long
as they are clean games and as long as a person does not get
greedy and start gambling for big money or other sinful reasons.
I play poker for chips or pennies. Each player starts with
under 100 chips or pennies to see who can wins the chips or
pennies. There is no big money or monetary consideration of any
significance involved so there is no sin in such games. I play
checkers, chess, cards, backgammon and some computer games. It
is all clean fun and there is no sin involved. Those who are
against such things as clean games, dancing, music and parties
are nothing but Pharisees.
As Jesus said of hypocrites: " they bind heavy burdens and
grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they
themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all
their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments..... But
woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither
go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to
go in..... woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye compass sea and land to make one convert, and when he is
made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than your-
selves....
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay
tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the
weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these
ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye
blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel....
woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like
whited grave stones, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but
are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within
ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." [Matt. 23:4-28 EKJV]
In other words hypocrites bind down heavy burdens on people, so
they can have no fun. These hypocrites forbid people to drink
beer and wine which God ordained to be received with thanks-
giving, they forbid people to dance, listen to music, play games
and other things which were created to be used or done with
thanksgiving.
These hypocrites bind unnecessary burdens on us, then they them-
selves lie and sin willfully, omitting the weightier matters of
the law like justice, mercy, righteousness, fairness,
reasonableness, gentleness, kindness and all the important
commandments of God. They do this because they do not have the
Spirit of God which teaches what righteousness is. These
hypocrites fake it, pretending to be Christians, hence they have
no spiritual understanding.
The Bible makes it very clear what is sinful! The following
list of sins is as complete as I know how to construct. It is a
sin to be irresponsible, untrustworthy, unfaithful, it is a sin
to lie, cheat, take advantage of people, use people or swindle
people.
It is a sin to steal, curse, blaspheme, use profanity, unnecess-
arily offend people, not treating others as you would want to be
treated, fornication, incest, bestiality, adultery, idolatry,
greed, covetousness, lust, homosexuality, men being effeminate,
being cowardly, sensuality, uncleanness, enmities, strife,
jealousy, envying others, outbursts of anger, hating people,
murder, being contentious, being argumentative, sowing discord
between people, causing trouble for others, drunkenness,
carousing and reveling.
It is a sin to have a party spirit, joining factions, cliques,
and religious denominations, (witchcraft, taking hallucinogenic
drugs, taking drugs for pleasure and sorcery), being a false
witness, teaching false doctrine, trying to get others to follow
you to hell, backbiting, unjust judgments, unjust condemnation
of others, abusing others in any manner, mistreating people, not
having hospitality, living in luxury while others are starving
to death, being lifted up with pride, being proud, being high
minded, being lazy or selfish, shedding innocent blood, devising
wicked plans, wicked imaginations, imagining evil about others,
fantasizing lusts, sex or evil in your mind, lacking self
control, nudity, vulgarity, being indecent or doing things you
think are wrong, which condemn your heart. [Lev. 18:22&23, 20:12, Prov.
6:16, Rom. 13:13, 1 Cor. 6:9, Gal. 5:19, Eph. 5:5, Colo. 3:5, 1
Tim. 1:9, 4:1, 6:4, 2 Tim. 1:7, 1 Pet. 4:3, Jude 16, Rev. 21:8&27,
22:15, Rom. 14:14&23, 1 John 3:20]
The Bible says: " Now the works of the flesh are clearly
revealed: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness,
idolatry, sorcery, hatred, fighting, jealousy, anger, rivalry,
divisions, denominationalism, envying, murder, drunkenness,
revelling, and like things to these, which I told you before
that those who practice such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God." [Gal. 5:19, Greek Translation or EKJV]
The Greek word translated above as (sorcery), is the Greek word
(Pharmakeia), which is properly translated (The Use Of Drugs),
(Sorcery) or (witchcraft).
The Greek word translated above as (denominationalism), is the
Greek word (Aireseis), which can be properly translated (To Join
a Sect), (To Choose Factions), (To Choose Parties), (To Join
Cliques), (To Join a Dogmatic Group), (To Choose a School of
Philosophy) or (To Be Denominational).
If you believe something is a sin, it is a sin for you, even
though it is not a sin for others! Apostle John said: " For if
our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth
all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we
confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,
because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are
pleasing in his sight." [1 John 3:20 KJV]
Apostle Paul said: " I know, and am persuaded by the Lord
Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that
esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.... he
that doubteth is condemned if he eats, because he eateth not of
faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. [Rom. 14:14&23 KJV]
This means God knows when we do things we think may be wrong.
He knows we did these things even though our heart was condemn-
ing us with doubts. These are not willful sins, because we did
not know for sure if it was a sin. But never the less God counts
these things as if we committed a sin and we suffer for them.
The next time we ask God a favor, he remembers our sins and may
not grant us the favor. This is the reason our prayers are often
not answered as we would like.
In context Romans chapter fourteen was referring to eating and
drinking , but never the less the principle still applies to
other subjects, because he said: " whatsoever is not of faith is
sin.", therefore when we doubt something is all right to do, and
do it anyway, it is sin.
Concerning eating and drinking there is the commandment, thou
shalt not eat blood, nor things which have been strangled, and
things contaminated by idols. [Lev. 17:10-16, Acts 15:20] Things
strangled means things that have not been killed outright, like
an animal which has been killed by other animals, or an animal
that died. Things contaminated by idols means things which you
know have been sacrificed or offered to an idol.
Those are the main commandments to Christians concerning eating
and drinking. There is wisdom in the Israelite Kosher laws of
Moses! Israelite-Christians are commanded concerning eating the
following. It is not good for your health to eat animals of
prey, fish of prey or birds of prey. All garbage eating fish,
birds and animals, if eaten, are hazardous to your health.
Unless I was starving to death, I would not eat Bats, Owls,
Hawks, Eagles, Vultures, Wolves, Coyotes, Rats, Mice, Cats, Pigs
or Sharks. Neither would you eat such creatures if you knew of
the diseases and germs you could acquire by eating them. This is
why God commanded the children of Israel not to eat such creat-
ures.
Yet, under emergency survival conditions, I would not hesitate
to eat any of the above creatures if I had nothing else to eat.
The Israelite Kosher laws were health laws, but, starvation is
worse for your health than eating any of the above creatures.
God would not care if we eat forbidden creature under emergency
circumstances. [Lev. 11:1-47, 17:10]
We should be careful not to offend our brethren. If our
brethren believe it is a sin to drink beer, watch television
etc., then it is a sin for them and we should not offend them by
drinking beer or doing things which offends their faith. Apostle
Paul said: "So then let us pursue the things which make for
peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the
work of God for the sake of food.
All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who
eats and gives offence. It is good not to eat meat or to drink
wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The
faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God.
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves."
[Rom. 14:19 NASB]
This means it is not hypocritical to drink wine, beer or eat
things or do things in private that your brethren disapprove of.
As long as they don't know about it, it won't hurt them. This is
acceptable as long as you are sure it is fine with God for you
to do such things.
It is a sin to eat or drink or do things in front of brethren
which would offend them, but what you do in private is none of
their business. You may disagree with me, but this is the
understanding God has given me and it would be a sin for me to
go against what God has shown me.
Many brethren think it is wrong for women to clip or cut their
hair or wear pants. They think it is wrong for men to wear
skirts or dresses. The Bible does not teach such nonsense! God
does not care how we dress as long as it is decent, as long as
men are not being effeminate, wearing clothing designed for
women or as long as women are not dressing and acting like men.
Christians would condemn a man if he wore women's pants which
zipped up the side. Since these pants are designed for women
they are woman's apparel and it is not a sin for women to wear
modest women's apparel! If it is a sin for women to wear pants,
it is also a sin for men to wear pants. The early church taught
that it was a sin for Christians to wear clothing which showed
the outline of the body.
Pants do show the outline of the body, hence the early church
would have condemned men or women for wearing pants! In those
days Christian men wore skirts and dresses and women only wore
dresses which went down to their ankles. The only difference
between the men and women's dresses was the feminine designs
women put on their dresses. Men did not wear feminine designs on
their dresses.
As an example Bishop Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 153-217),
said: "clothing, which cannot conceal the shape of the body, is
no more a covering. For such clothing, falling close to the
body, takes its form easily, and adhering as it were to the
flesh, receives its shape, and marks out the woman's figure, so
that the whole make of the body is visible to spectators, though
not seeing the body itself ... For neither is it seemly for the
clothes [of a man], to be above the knee ... nor is it becoming
for any part of a woman to be exposed ... women are prohibited
to expose the ankle, but because it has also been enjoined that
the head should be veiled and the face covered; for it is a
wicked thing for beauty to be a snare to men." [A.N.F. Vol. II
page 265-266]
This was the attitude of the entire Christian Church from the
time of the holy apostles until about A.D. 1650. Since A.D.
1650, Christians have gradually become more liberal in the way
they dress. However those who condemn women for wearing pants
without also condemning men for wearing pants are being
hypocritical.
The early church taught that women were to wear veils and men
were to wear beards. The Constitution of the Holy Apostles says:
" Do not paint thy face, which is God's workmanship; for there
is no part of thee which wants ornaments, inasmuch as all things
which God has made are very good. But the lascivious additional
adorning of what is already good is an affront to the bounty of
the creator. Look downward when thou walkest abroad, veiling
thyself as becoming women." [A.N.F. Vol. VII page 395]
The constitution also said: "for it is not lawful for thee, a
believer and a man of God, to permit the hair of thy head to
grow long ... nor by nice combing and platting to make it curl
and shine ... you shall not make to yourselves curls and round
rasures. Nor may men destroy the hair of their beards, and
unnaturally change the form of a man.
For the law says: 'Ye shall not mar your beards.` For God the
creator has made this decent for women, but has determined that
it is unsuitable for men. But if thou do these things to please
men, in contradiction to the law, thou wilt be abominable with
God, who created thee after His own image." [Lev. 19:27, A.N.F.
Vol. VII page 392]
Men were not allowed in the early church to have long hair on
their head, but the beard and moustache could be trimmed " but
the hair on the chin is not to be disturbed, as it gives no
trouble, and lends to the face dignity and paternal terror."
[A.N.F. Vol. II page 286]
The general attitude of the early church was that men were not
to be effeminate by having long hair and shaved faces, and women
were to wear their hair rather long and also wear a veil. These
were mere customs and traditions of the early church and they
are given here as an example of what the early church believed.
Modern Christians are not necessarily bound by these traditions.
You can see from the teachings of the early church that it is
hypocritical to teach that women are to wear long hair or veils
without teaching men are to wear beards. Does the Bible teach it
is a sin for women to clip or cut their hair? No, the Bible
teaches it is a shame for women to not wear veils or to shave
their heads!
The Bible teaches a woman's long hair is a glory to her and a
natural covering, but it is a shame for a man to have long hair!
[Lev. 19:27, 21:5, 1 Cor. 11:1-15]
The Bible says: "For if a woman is not covered, let her also be
shorn (Keiro). But if shameful for a woman to be shorn (Keiro)
or to be shaved, let her be covered." [Greek Translation, 1 Cor.
11:6] The Greek word (Keiro) which was here translated (shorn)
means, to shave or clip small by shearing. Those who teach it is
a sin for women to clip or cut their hair, are being hypocrit-
ical, for the word (Keiro) cannot be properly translated merely
clip or cut.
The proper context of this chapter is, women should wear veils
and wear their hair fairly long and men should wear their hair
fairly short. To read more into this chapter is hypocritical.
The Lord commanded that if a man suspected his wife of being
unfaithful to him, he was to take her to the priest and the
priest shall: "cause the woman to stand before YWHW, and shall
(cut off the long hair of the head) (Pera) (make bare the head)
of the woman, and shall give into her hand the food offering of
memorial; it is a food offering of jealousy, and in the hand of
the priest shall be bitter waters which cause the curse...."
[Hebrew Translation, Num. 5:18]
According to the Rabbins (writings of the rabies), a woman
accused of adultery was stripped of her garments, her head made
bare and dressed in black by persons of her own sex. The woman
was then questioned by the priests. If she denied the charges
she and her husband were taken before the Sanhedrin Counsel to
be judged. This was not only the custom of the Jews.
Almost all nations had similar customs, according to Tacitus,
German 19, women found guilty of adultery were punished: "
Having cut off her hair, and stripped her before her relatives,
her husband turned her out of doors." Clitophon says, women
reduced to slavery had their hair cut off and were deprived of
their ornaments. [Clarke's Commentary, Vol. VI page 250] It was
also the custom of Israel to shave off the hair of women reduced
to slavery. [Deut. 21:12]
According to the custom of Israel a woman was to wear a veil to
show she was under the authority of her father or her husband.
Only prostitutes in those days would go outside without a veil.
It was considered disgraceful for a woman not to wear a veil
and it was considered a very great degradation for a woman to
have her head shaven or cut short. No decent woman wanted people
to think she had been accused of adultery or was a slave!
Apostle Paul was, in first Corinthians chapter eleven, teaching
Christians to be decent and adhere to the customs and traditions
of dress that were acceptable to people of their own time.
Notice that Paul said: " according as I delivered to you, you
hold fast the traditions." [Greek Translation 1 Cor. 11:2]
This means Paul wanted us to hold fast to the traditions of the
early church. This part of the chapter was not given as a
commandment of God, but as a tradition. He did not say that he
commanded us, but he said to hold fast to the traditions of the
church. Frankly I think the traditions of the early church were
good traditions!
However we think it is hypocritical to believe women wearing
veils or pants or men wearing beards or skirts has anything to
do with righteousness or eternal life.
As long as men are not being effeminate and as long as women
are not being masculine and as long as people dress decently
without nudity there is no sin.
We should be more concerned about the more weighty matters of
the law like justice, mercy, and righteousness! God does not
care how a person dresses or wears their hair, as long as they
dress decently and modestly. God does not care how men dress as
long as men are not being effeminate by wearing rather long hair
or dressing in clothes designed for women. God does not care how
women dress as long as women don't try to dress like men, act
like men or wear extremely short hair. [Deut. 22:5]
Most of the modern churches are letting their congregations
down by being sidetracked on issues of no importance and failing
to teach the things which are important, like the ramifications
of willful sin. They should be more interested in the ramificat-
ions of having hospitality, washing the saints feet and taking
the Lord's Supper. The Bible commands us to have hospitality,
wash the saints feet and take the Lord's supper when we are
worthy. The churches should heavily teach the ramifications of
important things which make their members either go to heaven or
hell.
The liberal pastors get sidetracked on things of no importance
because they like to please the people. It is no fun to be
serious all the time. Everyone likes a relaxed atmosphere.
Since they think they are once saved always saved, they are not
concerned for the safety of the souls in their congregations.
The people, as well as the pastor, will pay a terrible price for
this relaxed atmosphere and lack of concern for their spiritual
welfare!
Most conservative pastors get sidetracked with touch not taste
not, handle not, things of no importance to God, but fail to
teach the important things like willful sin and the ramificat-
ions of taking the Lord's supper, proper baptism, hospitality
and washing the saints feet!
End of Chapter Eight!
Copyright (c) 1989, Elijah Gwinn, all rights reserved.
SERVING THE LORD
For some reason most modern Christians have never been taught
that Hospitality is a Commandment. We receive a curse when we
are lacking in Hospitality, the Bible says: " Cursed is he who
distorts the justice due a stranger, orphan, and widow." [Deut.
27:19 EKJV]
The justice due a stranger is Hospitality! The Bible says God:
" executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and His love
for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. So show your
love for the stranger." [Deut. 10:18 EKJV] This is a command
from God for us to show love and Hospitality to strangers.
God said: " The stranger who resides with you shall be to you
as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for
you were aliens in the land of Egypt." [Lev. 19:34 NASB] " There
shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as
well as the native." [Lev. 24:22 NASB] " You shall not oppress a
stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger."
[Ex. 23:9 NASB]
God in His love and kindness is very concerned about strangers,
since we are to be as our Lord, we should also be very concerned
about strangers.
Jesus said: " I was a stranger, and you did not invite me!"
Those that heard Him, said: " when did we see you a stranger and
did not invite you?" Jesus said: " to the extent that you did
not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
And these will go away into eternal punishment." [Matt. 25:43
NASB]
Apostle Paul said: " Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what
is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in
brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not
lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, devoted to
prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing
hospitality." [Rom. 12:9 NASB]
Apostle Paul said: " An overseer then must be above reproach,
the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable,
hospitable, able to teach." [1 Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:8 NASB]
The Bible infers that holy women show hospitality to strangers.
[1 Tim. 5:10] The Bible commands us saying: " Do not neglect to
show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained
angels without knowing it. " [Heb. 13:2 NASB] The Bible says: "
love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another
without complaint." [1 Pet. 4:9 NASB]
The word (Hospitality), in the New Testament, is translated
from the Greek word (Philoxenos). This word is derived from two
Greek words (Philos) and (Xenos). The word (Philos) means loved,
dear, friend or congenial associate. The word (Xenos) means
(Stranger), hence the word Hospitality in the Bible means to
show strangers love and friendship.
Over ninety-nine percent of our modern churches do not teach or
obey the commandment of Hospitality. Our fathers understood this
commandment. If a stranger came to their church, after church
almost the entire congregation would speak to the stranger,
shake his hand and invite the stranger home for dinner or they
would find out where the stranger lived and visit him.
Today you as a stranger can go to almost every church in this
country and after church everyone gets up and goes home without
speaking to you or asking you home for dinner! This is an
abomination to God!!! It is a commandment of God to extend the
right hand of fellowship to strangers.
Television is the major blame for people no longer being
friendly. Today people have too much entertainment. They don't
get together with other people like their fathers did. In the
old days before television, neighbors would get together on
Friday nights and play musical instruments and sing songs for
entertainment. As a result of television American Christians and
especially strangers are lonely people.
Today true Christians are the loneliest people in the world!
Worldly people go to bars and taverns and have all the fellow-
ship they want. Christians have no place other than churches to
meet other people because they don't go to bars and taverns.
But when we go to modern churches, Christians don't have enough
hospitality to invite us home for dinner or find out where we
live so they can visit or be friends.
To the shame of most Christians, a person could go to a tavern
and the people at the tavern would show a hundred times more
hospitality than most Christians do in church meetings. I know
some Christians who were so starved for friendship because of
the way the churches are, they went to taverns because the
people at the taverns had more hospitality than the Christians!
I don't have enough friends! I find most preachers so shallow
on the scriptures they bore me. I go to church mainly to meet
people and make friends. When I go to church the lack of
hospitality depresses me! To me, going to church is almost a
waste of time, because of the lack of hospitality in the
churches. As a stranger I have gone to hundreds of churches and
did not meet anyone who wanted to be friends!
Recently my mother and I went to a local church hoping to make
some friends. After church we stood there in the church hoping
someone would want to make our acquaintance. Not one person had
enough hospitality to invite us to visit them! We tried to
strike up a conversation with the pastor but he was too shy.
Mother and I went home very disappointed!
A few day later mother met a member of the same church. The
woman said to mother: " the people at my church are very
friendly, aren't they!" Mother said: "NO, I did not find them
friendly at all!" this seemed to shock the woman.
We did notice that the people at that church were friendly to
those they knew, but they were very shy about talking to
strangers. Being shy is fine, but it is a sin to be shy with
strangers, because you have broken the hospitality commandment.
We have found that you can measure the spiritual strength of a
church by how it treats strangers.
How is a person, especially a single adult, supposed to meet
people in our modern churches? How is any stranger going to make
friends in modern churches? This lack of hospitality is one of
the biggest tools Satan has to get Christians and the world
discouraged, so that they stop going to church.
The people in our modern churches are so shy, cold and uncaring
about strangers and single adults, the old Israelite custom of
matchmaking no longer exists in our churches. For over 4000
years there was a matchmaker in every synagog and church. In
those days people had so much love and hospitality they cared
about people being lonely.
Today people are too shy and uncaring to be match makers. Today
people ignorantly consider the honorable job of matchmaking
nothing but being a busybody in other peoples matters. Modern
Christians do not seem to understand or care that single people
are lonely. They do not understand that there is a great need in
our churches for matchmakers.
In this respect the churches are letting the single Christians
down in a big way. It is getting so difficult for single
Christians to meet other single Christians in this modern
uncaring society, single Christians are being forced to resort
to putting adds in the news papers and going to taverns in order
to find single people to date. This is an abomination to God!!!
It is not an abomination to put an ad in the news paper to meet
people. But it is an abomination that modern Christians are so
uncaring about single people being lonely. It is an abomination
that single Christians are being forced to resort to putting ads
in news papers and going to taverns to meet people.
Because of this uncaring attitude in our churches, good single
Christians are getting mixed up in things that can cost them
their soul. The church should be the center of activity for
single people as well as married people. One of the major
reasons church attendance is declining is because the pastors
are failing to recognize the need for matchmakers and single
activities in our churches.
Because of the uncaring attitude of modern Christians concern-
ing single adults and strangers many people are going to go to
hell. This lack of love, hospitality and lack of concern for
single adults and strangers is causing the downfall of many
Christians. Christians being too shy to be matchmakers and
failing to show concern and hospitality for others is destroying
more people than all of Satan's devils combined. Because of this
millions of people will go to hell.
Our churches often spend millions of dollars evangelizing
around the world, which is good. But just as many souls could be
saved right here at home if our churches would start showing
more love, caring and hospitality to strangers and single adults
in our churches.
We know a Christian worker who spent two years trying to get a
sinner to turn to the Lord. After the sinner turned to the Lord,
the Christian worker asked the man, " What was the main argument
or scripture I used that finally caused you to change your mind
and turn to the Lord?" The new Christian said: " Nothing you
preached had any bearing on changing my mind. It was when you
had the hospitality to invite me to your home for a bowl of soup
that changed me. When I felt the peace and love in your home, I
knew I had something missing in my life!".
Christians who do not have enough hospitality are often
spinning their wheels preaching to people, as the Bible says: "
Faith without works is dead!". [James 2:26]
As my grandfather often said: " A man's daily walk is the
greatest preacher!" As the Bible said: " THE NAME OF GOD IS
BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,". [Rom. 2:24, 2
Pet. 2:2]
It seems modern Christians are blind when it comes to
understanding the commandments of God! The main reason for this
blindness is preachers giving the Lord's Supper to those who are
not living right!
Any minister worth his salt will warn the people about the
consequences of taking the Lord's Supper in an unworthy
condition! Any preacher who loves his congregation will warn
them every time the Lord's Supper is offered! To do otherwise
destroys the spiritual awareness of the congregation!
The Bible says: " Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and
drank this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and
so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that
eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are
weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." [1 Cor. 11:27 KJV]
This means you are damned and put to sleep spiritually when you
are blasphemous or unthoughtful enough to eat the Lord's Supper,
while living in sin!!! In harlot churches which are prostituting
the Word of God, they offer the Lord's supper without warning
the congregation each time it is given.
You will notice in harlot churches that almost everyone takes
the Lord's Supper! We have gone to such churches and seen
prostitutes, thieves, liars and the biggest crooks in the
country taking the Lord's Supper! How is it that everyone in
those hypocrite congregations are all living so well they are
all worthy to take the Lord's supper?
By contrast, when you go to a church filled with sincere
Christians who are serving God the best they know How, at least
20 percent of them refuse to take the Lord's Supper because they
were so thoughtful of the Lord's body, they felt they were not
presently living good enough to take the Lord's Supper! This is
the proper attitude!
What Christian does not slip up on occasion or get into an
argument with someone and not make things right with that person
before the next church meeting? There has been many times I
would have refused to take the Lord's Supper if it were offered.
If I was angry with a person or did some small sin that I had
not had a chance to make right, I would not take the Lord's
Supper until I made things right or got things straightened out
with God.
A few years ago my mother went to church and refused to take
the Lord's Supper, because she did not think she was presently
living good enough. After church the elders wives told mother:
"Always take the Lord's Supper, the women of the church might
get the wrong idea and think you are a bad woman, because you
did not take the Lord's Supper!" Mother said: " I don't care
what people think, I am not serving the women of the church, I
am serving God! I am not going to eat and drink damnation to my
soul just to please the women in your church! You told me the
other day several people in your church are asleep! This is why
you have so many people spiritually asleep in your church!".
When mother refused to take the Lord's Supper she was no doubt
living better than the elders wives who were taking the Lord's
Supper. Later we found those same elders wives were asleep worse
than the members of their congregation.
Because of this lax attitude of the churches concerning the
Lord's Supper, Christians are sick spiritually, being weak and
asleep in the Lord! This is why you can preach to such people
until you are blue in the face and everything you say goes over
their head. They always think it refers to someone else and not
to themselves. This is why they can always see the sins of
others but they can never see their own sins!
Another thing modern churches are lax about is washing the
saints feet. Modern apostates say the early Christians washed
the saints feet because they wore sandals and their feet were
dirty. This was not the case!
Washing the saints feet is a spiritual cleansing ritual that
Christ considered mandatory! It is a Commandment to wash the
saints feet. Jesus told Peter, if you don't partake of the foot
washing you can have no part with Me. [John 13:8]
Jesus was speaking of spiritual cleansing and not dirty feet,
because he said: " you are clean but not all of you." Judas
partook of the foot washing but he was not clean.
Jesus said: " What I do you do not realize now, but you shall
understand hereafter." [verse 7] He could not have been referr-
ing only to dirty feet, they all understood about dirty feet!
Jesus said: " If I then, the Lord and teacher, washed your feet,
you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an
example that you also should do as I did to you." [verse 15]
The foot washing was a spiritual cleansing ritual commanded by
the Lord. It caused men to be more humble, it is a humble
experience to wash the saints feet. It humbles you very much!
The hypocrites don't like humbling themselves and washing other
peoples feet. Can you see a rich man humbling himself and
washing a poor man's feet? The proud and the hypocrites get rid
of the foot washing because they do not like to be humbled. They
will suffer the consequences.
Hypocrites also try to do away with proper Baptism, because
they do not want to trouble themselves with being buried in
Baptism, submersed under the water. The word (Baptism) is the
Greek word (Bapto) which means, (immerse). Thus when we find the
word (baptize) in our Bibles it should have been translated
(immerse). Those who have only been sprinkled for baptism, have
not been baptized. The Bible commands us to be immersed
(baptized). Your Christian life starts at baptism.
In our liberal age, churchmen are teaching that baptism as a
baby is all the baptism you need. Yet, the early church made it
clear one must repent before baptism. How can a baby repent? The
early church made it clear that if you did not repent and under-
go proper baptism you could not enter the Kingdom of God. I tell
you the truth, baptism as a baby does not count as proper
baptism.
If you have not been baptized the proper way you are not a
Christian! Jesus said: " unless one is born of the water and the
Spirit, he can-not enter the kingdom of God. [John 3:5 NASB]
This means we should be baptized by immersion and must receive
the Holy Spirit before we can enter the kingdom of God! Modern
apostates do not interpret the Bible this way but the early
church did! [Eph. 4:5]
Jesus said: " He who has believed and has been baptized shall
be saved;" [Mark 16:16 NASB] The word (and) implies both belief
and baptism are necessary in order to be saved. Apostle Peter
disagrees with modern preachers who teach baptism has nothing to
do with the saving process. Peter said: " BAPTISM NOW SAVES you,
not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for
a good conscience". [1 Pet. 3:21 NASB]
The context of this verse means, Noah in obedience to God
through the action of faith saved eight souls by bringing them
through the water, likewise the act of faith and obedience to
God through being baptized by immersion helps save your soul!
Those who refuse proper baptism simply will not be saved
because they refused to keep this commandment. Even Jesus had to
be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. Who do these modern
Christians think they are? They must think they are better than
Jesus and do not have to fulfill all righteousness! [Matt. 3:15]
The Bible says there is only one Baptism, hence there is only
one proper way to baptize. [Eph. 4:5] Why did Peter command
those who received the Holy Spirit to be baptized if baptism was
unnecessary? [Acts 10:48] When the multitude ask Peter what they
must do to be saved, why did Peter command them to repent and be
baptized if baptism was unnecessary? [Acts 2:38]
As we said, and as the early church said, your Christian life
starts at baptism and baptism means to be immersed under the
water. Those who have only been sprinkled are not saved, and
rightly so, for anyone who is no more interested in keeping the
commandments of God than to refuse proper baptism does not
deserve to be saved!
Anyone who is sincere about serving God wants to fulfill all
righteousness, hence they are baptized. Only those who are not
sincere about being a Christian would take the chance of not
being baptized by immersion.
The thief on the cross had no chance to be baptized. Hence it
was just for God to grant him eternal life without baptism. But
what is the excuse of those who have had plenty of time to be
baptized? There is none!
The early church made only one exception; `The Teaching of The
Twelve Apostles' said: " And concerning baptism, thus baptize
ye: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living
water. But if thou have not living water, baptize into other
water; and if thou canst not in cold, in warm. But if thou have
not either, pour out water thrice upon the head into the name of
Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the
baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whatever others can; but
thou shalt order the baptized to fast one or two days before."
[A.N.F. Vol. VII, page 379]
Surely, those who hear the word of God and repent are saved if
they die before they get a chance to be baptized. But those who
had the chance to be baptized and were not sincere enough to
take the time to be baptized have no excuse and deserve to go to
hell. Since they deserve to go to hell, they will go to hell!
Christ died on the cross to give us the chance for repentance
and baptism, those who willfully dishonor this chance by refus-
ing baptism or those who are too stubborn to obey the process of
salvation offered to them by God are worthy of death.
SOULISH BABIES
The Bible tells us not to be tossed to and fro by every wind of
doctrine. The Bible tells us to become stable and mature Christ-
ians. " let us press on to maturity" [Heb.6:1] The Bible tells
us to avoid outbursts of anger and to have self-control.
Apostle Peter said: add to your knowledge self-control. [2 Pet
1:6] Apostle Paul said one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is
self-control. [Gal. 5:23]
Some translations use the word temperance rather than self-
control. Self-control is the better translation, but both words
mean about the same thing.
The Bible tells us the double-minded man is unstable in all his
ways. Those who are unstable cannot expect to receive anything
from the Lord! They are like the tossing sea, they are up and
down like a rollercoaster. [James 1:8]
Jesus said: " If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." [Luke 9:23
NASB]
Jesus said: " Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by it-self
alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." [John 12:24 NASB]
Unless we are willing to stop being selfish and emotional
babies, we will remain by ourselves without the help of the Holy
Spirit. If a person is not willing to let his carnal nature die
by bringing selfishness, emotion, lust, greed or other carnal
and childish activities under control, he will get no help from
the Holy Spirit.
Unless a person sincerely repents by starting to turn around
his life by trying to denying self, he does not receive the Holy
Spirit. The Spirit of God does not make an abode in unrepentant
people who are not sincere about changing their life style!
We do not need to be perfect to receive the Holy Spirit, but we
must be willing to try for perfection before we can receive the
Holy Spirit.
Apostle Paul said: " For to be carnally minded is death; but to
be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind
is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot
please God." [Rom. 8:6 KJV]
Solomon said: " The way of a fool is right in his own eyes."
[Prov. 12:15 KJV] " There is a way which seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death." [Prov. 14:12 NASB] " All the
ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs
the motives. [Prov. 16:2 NASB] " Every man's way is right in his
own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts." [Prov. 21:2 NASB]
How do we as Christians know whether we are being foolish in
the way we conduct ourselves? How do we avoid being immature
babies? How do we become mature Christians? How can we avoid
Satan deceiving us into doing foolish things? How do we exercise
self-control in a godly manner? To understand these things we
must diligently study the Bible, study Satan's tactics and pray
to understand them so we can avoid falling into his traps!
There is a dangerous pit the majority of Christians fall into
when they first become Christians. When a person first becomes a
Christian he undergoes a deep emotional experience. He is elated
and feels great affection, love, excitement, emotion and
exhilaration.
Satan sees his first opportunity to attack! Satan knows baby
Christians do not understand the difference between love and
emotion! He knows they do not understand how to balance emotion.
One of Satan's favorite activities is playing with your
emotions!
There are three states of emotion, Hot, Balanced and cold!
There is Godly emotion which is balanced emotion and two Satanic
emotions, namely Hot and Cold! Almost all baby Christians adopt
the Hot emotion, because it is the emotion of the carnal mind.
Baby Christians are not aware that uncontrolled (Hot), emotion
is the most formidable enemy to the life of a Christian. Our
emotions emit joy, elation, happiness, stimulation, cheerful-
ness, sorrow, excitement, despondency, grief, melancholy,
misery, moaning, coldness, dejection, affection, compassion,
confusion, anxiety, kindness, zeal, preference, interest,
aspiration, expectation, covetousness, pride, fear, remorse,
hate, anger, and the feeling of security. Aside from our
thoughts and intents of our will, most of our operations issue
from emotion.
If a Christian learns to control feelings, desires and emotions
he is well on his way to being a mature Christian. The person
who is controlled by his emotions cannot be spiritual!
He who lives by emotion lives without principle and self-
control. Emotions change as feeling changes, emotion can rapidly
change from one extreme to the other.
Christians that go by feelings and emotions are very unstable.
If Christians would observe their feelings and emotions at work,
they would notice they can be one way one minute and quite the
opposite the next.
An emotional person is controlled in accordance with the par-
ticular environment of the given moment. The slightest agitation
and he loses control. The more one probes the workings of an
emotional life the more he will be convinced of its wavering
nature and undependability.
Emotional Christians are very moody! They are easily offended,
they change the way they conduct themselves according to the
mood they are in. If they are in a good mood they are kind and
friendly. If they are in a bad mood, they are cold and unfriend-
ly. They are in a different mood about every time you come in
contact with them. They are unpredictable and fly off the handle
rather easily.
Every time you see them, you don't know what to expect! It is
difficult for those who come in contact with them to get along
with them. Emotional people are driven by impulse rather than
reasoning things out so they can be reasonable.
Hence they are unfair, unreasonable, unjust and difficult to
get along with. They fly off the handle at the slightest
offence. They are often offended without a cause. Through
ignorance they let Satan lead them by their emotions, therefore
they sin often.
The emotional mind is Satan's playground. He controls people by
emotions because they have not learned to check their emotions
against the teachings of the Bible, which is engrafted in their
minds.
As you can see these unstable and emotional Christians act the
same as the worldly people! They commit the same emotional sins
as the heathens. The mature Christian has his emotions under
control. Very seldom does he fly off the handle without good
reason. He is stable, hence he is always friendly, reasonable,
fair, kind and just in the way he treats others no matter what
mood he is in.
Those who live by emotion are on top of the world for a while,
then after a while they are in a pit! Such a person is up and
down, like a yoyo, spiritually. He is unable to withstand the
smallest mishap.
Such unstableness exists because the person is controlled by
his feelings rather than by the Holy Spirit. Before a person can
become spiritual he must totally silence his emotions by examin-
ing every instance of emotion before he acts on it.
An emotional Christian is like a pond with sand and mud at the
bottom. It is clear and looks clean when it has not been disturb-
ed for a while. But let someone come along and agitate it and
its muddy character appears.
A wise Christian never does anything when he is upset or
emotional, because he knows he is temporarily cut off from the
Holy Spirit and will make mistakes which he will later be sorry
for. Even worldly people know people should make no serious
decisions or take any action when they are in an emotional
state.
Yet we often see Christians being swept along by their emot-
ions, speaking in prophecy, tongues and preaching the Gospel as
they are led by their emotions. Because they have never learned
how to deny the agitation of their emotions, they mistake
emotions for the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God is a meek and a quiet Spirit. It does not
impart its power to people while they are out of control with
emotional agitation. God knows that people are temporarily
disconnected from the Holy Spirit by emotional agitation.
Even when these poor souls led by emotion try to do what is
good, Satan slips in a few of his suggestions while such persons
are out of control with emotions.
Everyone knows that when a person gets emotional, his mind
becomes clouded with agitation and he cannot think clearly. The
Spirit of God simply cannot get through to a mind while clouded
with emotional agitation.
When men become emotional they make all kinds of mistakes,
because they temporarily have disconnected themselves from the
Spirit of God. Anyone who acts from emotion cares neither for
principle nor reason while he is emotional, but only for his
feelings.
Any Christian who has paid some attention to their emotions,
would notice how changeable and undependable it can be and how
dangerous it is to walk by emotion. All who desire to be
spiritual must be stable with self-control and principle or they
will not receive anything from the Lord.
God does not lead anyone while they are in emotional turmoil!
God is perfect, He would not lead men while they are in emotion-
al turmoil, because such men would make too many mistakes in
God's name.
The man who has not handed emotion over to death, cannot abide
by a permanent standard. He will live by the whims of his
changing emotions and not according to God's spiritual standard.
We often see Christians childishly swept along by their emotion,
getting angry for trivial reasons, flying off the handle because
of the slightest provocation or being unfriendly to friends and
strangers.
When a person does these things he is letting Satan control him
through emotions and these emotions cause him to sin. The best
of us, through emotions, lose control at times. When we lose
control we show our immaturity as Christians. Those who allow
themselves to be led by emotion are serving Satan and self while
they are being emotional.
Satan loves for people to serve self rather than God. Emotional
Christians jump from one extreme to another. They live by
impulse, so their whole life is out of control. They show love,
hate, friendship and coldness in a whimsical fashion, hence they
hurt those around them.
Emotional people are undependable. Their friends cannot depend
on them. Their friends never know what to expect because of
their changing moods.
If they are in a good mood they will help their friends when
they need help. But if they are in a bad mood or upset with
their friends, they won't help them just for spite.
Since they are driven by impulse, Satan often causes them to
spend their money by impulse rather than spending their money
wisely. They buy things by impulse, lust and greed rather then
using their money for necessity and the work of the Lord.
Often these emotional impulses cause them to get in debt,
putting them in bondage to their creditors, thus hindering them
from being able to fully serve the Lord.
Such carnal people cannot please God because they are out of
control, only serving themselves. We see all kinds of baby
Christians being led by other emotional big babies, jumping on
one popular bandwagon after the other.
These babies fall for unsound doctrines like positive thinking,
the Pretrib rapture and once saved always saved. Most emotional
baby Christians are deceived and mistake emotional activity for
the Spirit of God.
You see them running around being emotional, being out of
control with tongues and prophecy, as they cry with joy. You see
people being slain in the Spirit, which is contrary to the meek
and quiet Spirit of God. God does not force Himself on people
but Satan does!
These baby Christians attempt to secure salvation for people by
the power of emotion through tears, mournful faces, cries, or
other emotional devices.
They exhaust every method to excite man's emotions, to arouse
his interest in Christ, to make him feel sorry and shameful, to
create fear in him, but all of these things are just counterfeit
religion. The Spirit of God is the only thing that can change
men, it does no good to try using emotions and fear to change
people.
Unless a person is willing to sincerely repent by turning his
life to the service of God, he cannot receive the Holy Spirit.
After a person receives the Holy Spirit, he must be sincere
enough to let the Holy Spirit do it's redemptive work or it does
him no good to receive the Holy Spirit.
Those who willfully resist the Holy Spirit can lose the Holy
Spirit, because the Spirit of God does not always strive with a
person who willfully resists the Spirit. [Gen. 6:3, Isa. 45:9,
Heb. 6:6, 10:26, 2 Pet. 2:21]
The reason the early church insisted on women wearing veils was
so that men's sinful emotions would not be aroused. Lust,
fornication, greed, adultery and all evil desire comes from
man's sinful emotions.
Does this mean that all emotions are evil and we should try to
become cold without emotion? No, to become cold and uncaring is
the other extreme of emotion. To be cold, insensitive, uncaring
or hard is just another evil emotion.
The person who has denied self with its emotions and has hung
them on the cross, examines every emotion and only allows
balanced godly emotions to act.
Godly emotions are not against the Spirit of God, but they are
in harmony with the Holy Spirit and the Bible. A spiritual man
is not devoid of emotions, but he has his emotions under
control. The spiritual man needs his emotions to express his
love and sympathy towards others.
Spiritual emotions are meek and quiet emotions, they show
compassion and concern for others without tears and crying with
loud commotion. The most tender, loving, merciful and sympathe-
tic person is a spiritual man. Spiritual men are not cold or
hard hearted.
The mature spiritual Christian tries to be calm no matter what
happens. He does not cry like a baby and get all emotional when
something happens. He stops all emotions long enough to examine
them in order to see whether they are from Satan or God. The
mature Christians emotions are controlled and used according to
the Spirit of God.
We have watched many Christians come and go over the last
thirty years. We have noticed that those who go by emotions
rather than the Bible and sound reason most often fall by the
wayside.
They do not have much depth or spiritual roots. As Jesus said:
" the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the
man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy;
(emotion) yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only
temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of
the word, immediately he falls away." [Matt. 13:20 NASB]
This is speaking of emotional people who try to be Christians,
but because they are carried along by emotions they fall away.
They make the mistake of following their emotional feelings
rather than deeply rooting themselves in the Word of God and
seeking the things of the Spirit.
A person who is truly interested in God will study the Word of
God to see how to become spiritual. He seeks the things of the
spirit of God, like reason, justice, fairness, honesty and
righteousness. If he is sincere he will allow himself only to be
guided by the word of God and the Holy Spirit. When a thought,
emotion or suggestion comes to his mind he will intercept it to
see where it originated from and whether it is in harmony with
the Word of God. He checks his emotion for he knows that God,
self and Satan use emotions.
All thoughts, suggestions and emotions are intercepted and
examined by the Word of God in his mind, before they are acted
on. Emotional people are most often very unjust, unfair and
unreasonable. Since they go by the emotion of the moment,
nothing they do is very biblical or thought out with reason and
sound logic.
The way you tell whether a thought or suggestion is from God or
the devil is twofold. It must be compared with the Word of God
to see if it is in harmony with the Bible.
Only those who have done a lot of Bible study are able to do
this. We do not always have the time to look things up in the
Bible. Most of the time we must go by our memory of what we have
studied in the Bible. Secondly we must examine where the thought
or suggestion came from! There are three places thoughts and
suggestions come from.
They either come from God, Satan, or from our own analytical
reasoning process. If the thought or suggestion came from
ourself, it is something we reasoned out in our own mind, by our
own mental reasoning. If it came from Satan the thought or
suggestion popped into our mind from nowhere.
When we are going along thinking of something that is on our
mind and a thought or suggestion pops into our mind from
nowhere, most of the time Satan is speaking to us. All such
thoughts which pop into our minds from nowhere must be purged
from our mind, thereby defeating Satan. Satan is always popping
into our minds with evil thoughts of lust, greed, sex,
selfishness and vengeance. As we said earlier Satan and his
demons can read minds.
Satan and his demons try to impregnate our minds with ideas of
striking back at our enemies because they are doing evil. He
tries to get us to forget that we are not of this world! Thus he
tries to get us to make war against those who conspire to do us
evil. Remember as Jesus is not of this world, neither are we of
this world; hence we should not be tricked into getting involved
in the battles and wars of men. [Matt. 26:52, Luke 9:55-56, John
18:36]
The thoughts and suggestions which are from God never pop into
our minds from nowhere, but they always come through the heart
to the mind to aid us in our thinking.
At first it is difficult to discern where our thoughts are
coming from. But with practice we can discern about 99% of the
thoughts and suggestions which come to us.
The thoughts and suggestions which come from the Holy Spirit
work through love, through the heart. You can feel these
thoughts and suggestions coming through the heart in ways of
affection, sincerity, love, meekness, gentleness and kindness.
The thoughts and suggestions from the Holy Spirit are always in
harmony with what the Bible says!
Many Christians are led by emotions and every wind of doctrine,
rather than what the Bible says. We knew a woman who came to the
Lord with joy. She was running all around the place, going to
first one church then another. She soon got into positive think-
ing and the Pretrib rapture doctrines. She had been our friend
for many years before she became a Christian.
After she became a Christian she started being led by emotions
and feelings rather than what the Bible calls being reasonable
or fair. She made the mistake of so many, thinking everything
which came to her mind was inspired by God. She kept telling us
God had shown her this or that. She thought she was a mature
super Christian. She would not take the council nor advice of
seasoned Christian ministers. She was led only by her emotions
and feelings which she thought came from the Holy Spirit.
She made the mistake of many, being in too big a hurry to sit
down and discuss with others who disagreed with her, whether her
feelings were in harmony with the Word of God.
She soon stopped having anything to do with us, because she
could see we were being constantly attacked by Satan. She went
to see an emotional baby Christian minister, he convinced her we
would not be going through so many trials and hardships if we
were serving God, for God would not let anything bad happen to a
Christian.
She told us God had shown her, and her minister agreed, that
she should stay away from us, lest evil spirits which are
attacking us jump on her. She was totally going by emotions and
feeling rather than by the Word of God.
A year or two later she left her husband and her children and
started living in sin. She has forgotten all about God and is
not even trying to live right. Yet when she was on her emotional
high she thought she was so holy, she could not have anything to
do with us or she would be contaminated. The woman truly needs
our prayers! This is just one of hundreds of similar cases we
have seen in the last twenty years concerning emotional
Christians.
Emotional Christians are just like drunks! They move by carnal
impulses, hurting those they come in contact with. In God's eyes
there is not much difference between a drunk Christian and an
emotional Christian, they both are out of control and abuse
their fellow man.
Those who go by emotion are unstable in their service to God.
No-one, including God can depend on them. They are up and down,
at one extreme or the other.
The mature man of God is constant, his ups and downs are not
very extreme, because he lets the Bible and the Spirit of God
run his life rather than emotions. Most false prophets are in an
emotional state when they speak. I could not count all the times
I have seen false prophets emotionally speak false prophesies to
people.
Emotional people are always here today and gone tomorrow when
it comes to serving the Lord. They have no deepness of root,
because they have never let their emotional self-serving spirit
die on the cross. Until a Christian lets the Holy Spirit help
him control his emotional, self-serving spirit, he will have no
deepness of root nor a spiritual life!
True prophets don't speak through emotion and their prophesies
always come to pass. Mature men of God are not swayed by
emotional prophetic appeals nor emotional fervor. Mature men of
God know that "faith cometh by hearing..." not by feeling. [Rom.
10:17 KJV]
If we set our emotional senses as the standard by which we
measure faith, those feelings become foes to genuine faith.
If a man of God figured God wanted him to do something which
was not against scripture, ten thousand prophets could not stop
him from doing it, even if they told him he would be run over by
a truck!
Mature men of God are stable in all their ways. They are never
fly by night, here today and gone tomorrow concerning living the
faith. God can depend on them to check emotions against the
teachings of the Bible, before they act.
As we said, Satan tries to impregnate our minds with ideas of
striking back at our enemies because they are doing evil. He
tries to get us to forget that we are not of this world! Thus he
tries to get us to make war against those who conspire to do us
evil. Remember as Jesus is not of this world, neither are we of
this world; hence we should avoid getting involved in the
battles and wars of men. [Matt. 26:52, Luke 9:55-56, John 18:36]
Since many of us are aware of the Great End Time Zionist
Conspiracy of Satan and his Bilderbergers, C.F.R. and Trilateral
Commission, it is very difficult for us, as upright men, to sit
back and not take rifles and go to war against them! Satan wants
to trick us into believing that God wants us to take this
world's weapons and go to war against those conspirators because
they are evil.
It would not be a sin if we did take rifles and go to war
against these evil men when they are killing others. If we see
evil men harming or killing good men and women it would be
cowardly to sit back and do nothing.
As the Bible says: "But for the cowardly... their part will be
in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the
second death." [Rev. 21:8 NASB] " Therefore, to one who knows
the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin."
[James 4:17 NASB]
The Law of Moses is still in force. When Jesus returns we shall
be judged by the Law of Moses as amended by Jesus. [Matt.
5:17-20] It would be lawful under the Law of Moses to go to war
against evil men. If it were not lawful for Christians to go to
war against evil men the founding fathers of this country
(U.S.A.) would have been willful sinners and would have received
no help from God to win the war! [Ex. 21:24, Lev. 24:20, Deut.
19:21, Num. 35:16-27, Matt. 5:17-20]
When evil men and their evil (U.S.A.) court system are
attacking us, it is very difficult as men to remember that it is
Satan and not God who wants us to take physical weapons and go
to war against these evil men! At the present time God wants us
as spiritual men to go by the Lofty Law of the Holy Spirit
rather than the Law of Moses if possible. [Luke 9:55-56]
You are probably thinking, `what Lofty Law'? Please understand,
Jesus did not abolish the Law of Moses, but He extended the Law
of Moses with His amendments. There is no sin in keeping the
Moral Laws of Moses and killing wicked men in defense of good
men. [Ex. 2:11-15, Matt. 5:17, Romans 7:12, James 4:17, Rev.
21:8]
However, since Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us, He would
rather that we went by the Lofty Laws of the Holy Spirit and be
willing to surrender our lives on this Earth, rather than to
take a mere human's life, because we are able to resurrect in a
new and good life after death, but the wicked man has no second
life or chance for eternal life if we kill him! God has not sent
us to destroy men's lives, but to save them. [Luke 9:55-56]
However, if we are caught up by circumstances out of our
control and are forced to kill wicked men in the defense of good
men we have not sinned. If we lose control and kill wicked men
who are trying to kill us, it is not a sin; however, God would
rather that we had enough self control and faith to lay down our
lives, rather than to kill those who are attacking us. If we are
forced to kill others, we will be judged by God for our actions.
Our deeds must be just deeds or actions or we shall not survive
the judgement of God!
If we see wicked men, wicked police or wicked government agents
killing good or innocent people we must try to stop them. The
Zionist Jew Bilderbergers, and Trilateral Commission under the
name of Communism have already killed millions of innocent
people who have stood against them. They are responsible for
World Wars one and two, and all wars since World War II. They
have caused many Christians to ignorantly kill good Christians
and get killed in the name of patriotism.
Thus we as Christians should refuse to fight or kill others in
the name of patriotism. We should lay down our lives rather than
kill others in the name of patriotism. The last holy and just
war we Christians of the U.S.A. were justly involved with was
the war led by George Washington.
All wars since George Washington were unjust wars Christians of
the U.S.A. should not have gotten involved in. The facts show
that World War one and two were already won before the U.S.A.
got involved. All we did by getting involved was prolong the
wars and get more innocent people killed. Our Zionist controlled
government helped start those wars.
Before the Veterans of those wars get out the tar and feathers
let me clarify my statements. The facts show that in both World
Wars the Germans knew the wars were lost and were seeking terms
for peace before the United States entered those wars. The facts
were hidden from the public by Bilderberger agents. The Bilder-
bergers wanted those wars continued in order to help bankrupt
the United States.
After the Spirit, if at all possible, God wants us at the
present time to war against these evil Bilderbergers with words
and not with rifles. When the Lord returns we are to go to war
armed with weapons against these evil men, but not now! However,
if we are caught up in circumstances beyond our control, it is
not a sin to take human life in order to save the life of good
people. [Eph. 6:12, Luke 9:55-56, Rev. 19:11-21]
Several times in the last few years good patriotic Christians
have been forced by the United States Government Zionist
conspirators to shoot it out with the police in the defence of
themselves and others.
In each and every case the Zionist controlled Government and
Zionist controlled news media have branded these good Christian
Patriots who they killed as members of subversive organizations,
Nazi's, or mad lunatics, thus fueling their conspiracy to disarm
the public in the name of public safety and gun control.
The Government and news media never try to get to the bottom of
why these so-called lunatics did what they did. They never
investigate and report on the news what really happened by
asking friends and relatives of the reported lunatic, what was
troubling the man who supposedly turned his guns on innocent
people, police and himself!
In most of these cases in reality the police shot the man and
claim that the man shot himself; hence it gives them a good
excuse to drop the question of why the man did what he was
reported to have done.
The news media's standard answer is: " Since he shot and killed
himself, we will never know why he did this terrible thing!"
Then they leave it at that. As the end times draw nearer we will
see increased reports of violence in which some man or men are
reported to have killed some so-called innocent people, shoot it
out with the police and then turn their guns on themselves or
were shot by the police.
In some of these cases, these so-called lunatics will be indeed
lunatics. However, in many cases these so-called lunatics were
and will be in reality good Christian men and women who were
pushed too hard by the Zionist controlled government and forced
into either defending themselves and/or other good men and
women.
Therefore, after this when you see these incidents on the news,
ask yourself, why did the news media not investigate and report
why the so-called lunatic did these terrible things?
One thing we know for sure. When the Zionist controlled
government takes away our guns, our freedom of religion and all
other Constitutional rights which we now enjoy will soon follow
in being taken away. They must disarm us before they can enslave
us!
It is indeed sad that the average so-called Christian is so
busy working and serving himself that he is asleep concerning
what is going on in the world around him or what is going on in
their own country.
It is pitiful that these so-called Christians are so uncaring
about others that they allow the United Sates Government which
is their servant to become their master and enslave them.
It is pathetic that these so-called Christians are so uncaring
about their neighbors that they allow them to be abused by the
rich, the government, the court system and the police. These
so-called Christians are going to have to give account of their
stewardship to God in the Judgement day as to why they let their
servants abuse their brethren!
In our opinion the Zionist Great Harlot spoken of in
Revelation's chapter seventeen and eighteen is a Unity Church
type super church of the end times. This super one world church
will have Unity Church doctrines amalgamating all churches and
religions into one super Zionist Babylonian Church. It will be
controlled by the Zionist controlled Great City of Revelation
chapter eighteen. That Great City is either Washington D.C.
and\or New York City.
In the last days the God of Heaven will stir up some-one to
plant Nuclear Backpacks in the Great City of Revelation chapter
eighteen. It will not be hard to stir them up into destroying
the Great City, because this Zionist Babylonian controlled Great
City is also the enemy of Islam and the source of most of their
problems.
When the Bible says: "Come out of her, my people" [Rev. 18:4],
it is a two fold warning. In other words God is saying: "COME
OUT OF THE HARLOT CHURCH THAT YOU MAY NOT PARTICIPATE IN HER
SINS AND COME OUT OF THE GREAT CITY WHICH CONTROLS THE HARLOT
CHURCH OR YOU WILL SUFFER HER PLAGUES!!!"
The People of the United States are going to have to give
account as to why Caesar did not control his or her elected
public servants. Remember we are to render unto Caesar the
things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.
[Matt. 22:21, Luke 16:1-13]
Who is Caesar in the United States of America? It is not the
President, he must give account to the people for his actions.
Congress is not Caesar, for Congressmen must give account to the
people for their actions.
Who is this Caesar who must give account to God of his or her
stewardship in the judgement day as to how he or she was so
lazy, cowardly or negligent as to allowed his or her servants to
abuse their neighbors and brethren? [Luke 16:1-13]
By the providence of God and by His good grace, God enabled all
of the American people to become the stewards of God. Yes, we
the American people were by the grace of God raised to the rank
of Caesar. Thus in the judgement day we must give account to God
as to why we were so lazy, cowardly or busy serving ourselves
that we allowed our servants to become ruthless masters over us!
The only excuse these so-called Christians will have if they
don't try to set things right, is that they were big babies and
at best unprofitable stewards. However, if after reading this
book they try their best to set things right and fail, they will
at least have the excuse that they tried, but were defeated by
evil men. It is your choice which excuse you want to use. [Matt.
18:25, 25:30, Luke 16:1-13]
Christians who are babies serve only themselves ninety-nine
percent of the time. They often get into positive thinking,
saying God will always look out for them no matter what they do.
They never ask themselves why God should look out for them! Why
should God look out for them since they never do anything for
God?
There is nothing sadder than to see people from fifty to eighty
years old, claiming to be Christians, but doing nothing but
serving themselves! Our churches are filled with big immature
babies who are serving only themselves.
We suggest you read the paperback book: "DEALING WITH THE
DEVIL" by C.S. Lovett. He does a good job of showing the
difference between those serving self and those serving God. We
have found from experience, Satan will try to stop people from
reading "Dealing With the Devil", hence we highly recommend it.
We do not agree with C.S. Lovett on many points, but he makes
some good points and delivers several blows against Satan with
his book, hence it is worth reading.
The Bible commands us saying: " You shall fear the Lord your
God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear
by His name." [Duet. 10:20 NASB]
Satan tried to get Jesus to serve self rather than God the
Father; Satan said: " All these things will I give you, if You
fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to Satan: " Begone,
Satan! For it is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD,
AND SERVE HIM ONLY." [Matt. 4:9 NASB]
Jesus said: " No servant can serve two masters; for either he
will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to
one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!"
[Luke 16:13 EKJV]
The Bible says: " He who was called (to be a Christian), while
free, is Christ's slave. You were bought with a price; do not
become slaves of men." [1 Cor. 7:22 EKJV]
The Bible teaches from cover to cover that we as Christians are
the slaves of Christ. The Bible infers that we were bought with
Christ's blood, hence we are the slaves of Christ.
According to the Bible, God has given us all a job to do in
Christ's service. The Bible infers that those who the Lord finds
serving themselves while he is away rather than serving the
master will be cast into hell when the Lord returns. [Matt.
24:46&50, 25:21-30, Luke 12:43, 17:9, 19:17, Rom. 6:6-18]
Our churches are filled with people who claim to be Christians.
Over 97% of the people who claim to be Christians are only
serving themselves, pleasing their fleshly lusts and desires.
According to the Bible those who have their mind on the things
of the Holy Spirit are serving God rather than themselves, but
those who have their minds on the things of the flesh are
serving their own fleshly selves.
Apostle Paul said: " For they that are after the flesh do mind
the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to
be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God..... Now if any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." [Rom. 8:5 KJV]
We can see from this scripture that those who are serving
themselves are in the flesh, serving their carnal nature rather
than God. Those who serve the flesh are mostly interested in
making money so they can spend it on having a good time or
appeasing their fleshly lusts and desires.
According to the Bible those who are serving themselves appeas-
ing their fleshly lusts and desire are the servants of the
devil. The devil was the first self server in the world, those
who Satan can get to serve themselves are doomed and will go to
hell if they don't repent.
Apostle Paul said: " Know ye not, that to whom ye yield your-
selves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness...
for the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Rom. 6:16-23 KJV]
When a Christian puts anything before serving God, he becomes
an idolater. Covetousness or greed is idolatry. Anything can
become an idol if we put it before our service to God.
As Apostle Paul said, evil people: " change the truth of God
into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature (flesh) more
than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause
God gave them up unto vile affections.... as they did not like
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a
reprobate mind," [Rom. 1:25 EKJV]
Those who serve themselves become their own God, for they only
worship and serve themselves. As I write these words, I know
some of you are saying in your minds, 'Oh I would never do such
a thing!`. As Apostle Paul said: " Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." [1 Cor. 10:12 KJV]
You might be asleep concerning your own sins.
You may have taken the Lord's Supper when you were not living
right. Hence you may be blind concerning your own idolatry. If
you did take the Lord's Supper in an unworthy condition, ask God
to forgive you and to wake you up, so you can see yourself as
you really are!
We are all guilty of being idolaters to some degree! Often we
get so preoccupied in making a living we become idolaters. We
get so wrapped up in helping our children we become idolaters.
We often get so absorbed in our hobbies we become idolaters.
Thank God our ignorant sins are covered!
Let us daily examine whether or not we are serving ourselves or
serving God! If we are serving ourselves, our children, our
hobbies or our spouses more than we are serving God, we are
idolaters and may end up in hell.
[1995 Note: If we don't tithe and help Christian Ministries
publish newsletters, books, go on radio, etc. to get the truth
out to the people of the world, how are we serving Christ? In my
30 years of ministry in studying, preaching and writing to get
the truth out to the world, other than from my parents, I've to
date received less than $700.00 in tithes and offerings. Yet, we
have spent a fortune in the last 30 years trying to get the
truth out to the public.
Ninty-nine percent of my ministry has been at my own expense.
All my life, I've spent most of my hard earned money to get the
truth out to the public. My reward is in paradise where it
belongs! But, it upsets me, seeing those around me who claim to
be Christians, not willing to sacrifice a few luxuries to help
my ministry.]
As Jesus said: " If anyone comes to Me, and does not esteem Me
higher than his own father and mother and wife and children and
brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be
my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow
after Me cannot be My disciple.... calculate the cost." [Luke
14:26 Greek Translation or EKJV]
This means, if we are not willing to put serving Christ first
in our lives we cannot be his disciples.
As Jesus said: " He that loveth father or mother more than Me
is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more
than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross,
and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his
life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake
shall find it." [Matt. 10:37 KJV]
If we are not willing to put serving Christ first in our lives
or if we are not willing to die for our faith in Christ we
cannot be Christians. If a person loves his own life or serving
self more than he loves serving Christ, he is an idolater and a
worshiper of self and not worthy of Christ.
Jesus said to count the cost before we decide to start follow-
ing Him. He said, if we are lukewarm concerning our faith and
service to Him, he will spit us out of His mouth.
The Bible says: " For it had been better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it,
to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." [2 Pet.
2:21, Rev. 3:16, Luke 14:28 KJV]
We should examine ourselves daily, to see if we are serving
ourselves or Christ! Let us look into the life of the typical
self serving person claiming to be a Christian. The self serving
man gets up in the morning, he is hungry and food is more
important than prayer, he has no time to pray before he starts
the day.
He eats and drinks what HE WANTS, he may give thanks at the
table for the food, Satan allows that. He wears what HE WANTS,
he is more concerned with what men and women think of his
clothes than what God thinks.
He says good-bye to his wife without thinking of praying with
her before he leaves for work. He's off to serve his employer.
After all, that is where the money comes from. Does he keep his
mind on spiritual things? No, he is too wrapped up in his work.
After all he must please his boss. Does he witness to his fellow
workers? No, he could get in trouble for that!
A beautiful woman walks by and he makes sure he gets his eyes
as full as the rest of the men at the office. After all he does
not want to stand out in the crowd! One of his fellow workers
tells a dirty joke, does he laugh? Yes, he is more interested in
being liked by his fellow workers than having God's approval.
He goes to the restroom, does he leave a Gospel tract? No, what
would the men in the office think if they found out? He goes to
lunch, does he read his Bible at lunch time? No, he plays games
with his friends, after all he does not want the men in his
office to think he is a sissy!
When the workday ends he heads for home. On the way home he
stops at the store to buy something. He see an old friend and
thinks about inviting the friend home so he can witness to him.
Satan tells him not to bother for it would be a waste of time;
he agrees and heads for home.
When he gets home he again eats what HE WANTS, sits in HIS
CHAIR, reads what HE WANTS, no time for the Bible. He watches
what HE WANTS on T.V., no time to fellowship with the brethren,
no time to show hospitality to strangers. After all he has
worked hard and deserves to relax.
He relaxes for HIS comfort. Goes to bed when He is tired. Does
he say his prayers before he goes to bed? No, he is too tired!
He gets up in the morning, it is Saturday, HIS day off. He does
some work around the house to make things easier for his wife
and HIMSELF in the future. He goes to the service station to get
some gas. Does he witness to anyone at the service station? No,
he went there to get gas!
He stops at the store, does he witness to some of the clerks or
people at the store? No, they might think he was crazy! He takes
his wife to the doctor and waits for her at the doctors office.
Does he witness to people at the doctors office or read the
Bible? No, he reads what HE WANTS! He reads a magazine about
sports.
Does he leave a Gospel tract in the magazine? No, those things
cost money! After all he is saving his money for some thing HE
WANTS very much.
When his wife gets out of the doctors office, they rush home
because there is a football game on television. After the game,
there are some good movies on. Does he watch them? Heavens yes,
he has worked hard at the office all week and he wants to relax.
He watches T.V. until it is time to go to bed.
It is Sunday morning, so he takes his wife to church. After all
Satan allows that! The collection plate is passed to him. Does
he pay his full tithe of ten percent? No, he can't afford it,
after all he must pay his bills or the bank will come and take
away his sail boat.
Besides he must check his finances before he can give any money
to God. After all God will look out for the preacher and his
family. After church, he gets up and rushes out the door. Does
he invite the brethren or a stranger home for a bowl of soup?
No, he has worked hard all week and he is looking forward to
going fishing, working at his pet hobby or watching television!
Does he care if a fellow Christian or a stranger is lonely and
wants to make some friends? No, he has no time to think of such
things, because he has all the friends he needs. After all he is
too busy seeking pleasure and has no time to think about the
feelings of others!
This typical self serving Christian goes to church almost every
Sunday and he thinks he is a good Christian, serving the Lord.
We ask you, what was there in his daily routine that had
anything to do with serving the Lord? Every thing he did was in
the service of himself and his family!
How can such a person claim he is serving the Lord? How can
such a person expect God to always look out for him and his
family when he never does anything for God? Such a person is not
serving the Lord! Such people are nothing but idolaters,
worshiping and serving themselves.
I did not speak of the self serving Christian women, they are
no different than the men, except they have different self
serving interests.
Most people who call themselves Christians almost never do
anything for the Lord, they almost never hand out Bible tracts,
they hardly ever witness to people, they seldom show hospitality
to strangers, they seldom read the Bible, they seldom pray. They
spend the majority of the time serving themselves, so why do
they think they are serving Christ?
If they were serving Christ they would be hungering and thirst-
ing after more understanding of the ways of God. They would
spend much of their time studying the Bible and praying for
understanding, so they could become more godlike.
They would want to visit with the brethren and talk about
scripture and living the faith. They would spend much of their
time witnessing to people and entertaining strangers.
They would be concerned about what is happening in their
country and would be going to Christian Patriot meetings trying
to stop the Zionists from taking over their country and
enslaving their children, their brethren and themselves.
They would not have much time for hobbies or watching tele-
vision, because they would be too busy entertaining strangers,
working for the Lord and fighting the Zionists.
Examine yourself, are you anything like the typical self
server? Or are your goals and top priorities in life doing the
lord's work? If you are a self-server, you and your children
will become slaves of the Zionist-Communists which is what
self-servers deserve. Heaven is waiting!
For additional reading about serving the Lord, we suggest you
read "The Spiritual Man" by Watchman Nee. There are several
books supposedly written by Watchman Nee, but from reading them
we have our doubts as to whether they were written by him.
Therefore the only book we recommend by Watchman Nee is, " The
Spiritual Man".
End of Chapter Nine!
End of Drifting Church!