Abiding

The Necessity of Earnestly Contending for the Faith from a Full Counsel Perspective [podcast]

Paula White Exposed [video]

THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

Powerful Prayers from Children-This Will Shake You [video]

The Fear of the LORD is to Hate Evil: Pride, and Arrogancy #shorts [video]

“Search the scriptures … they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” John 5:39-40

Those who are Christ’s come to Him and the way they do that is that they “Search the scriptures” to see Him for who He is, to know His will, to learn to worship, love, and obey Christ who is the Word of God.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Those who truly know and are choosing to love the LORD supremely, daily search His Word, they prayerfully pour over and study the words of the Savior they so heartily love. In contrast, so many today are fulfilling prophecy as they give their allegiance, money, and time to a church and not to Christ Himself. They have a mere “form” or formula of godliness yet they are denying the power, the authority of Jesus Christ to reign in their personal lives (Luke 19:27). Read 2 Timothy 3. God is calling these to “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18)

“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” Job 22:21

An enormous percentage of those who claim Christ as Savior are in truth serving a church, a pastor, and not truly serving Jesus. All of their resources go to their church, not to the Savior and His Gospel work – of feeding His sheep with His pure Word and soul winning. Those who serve the LORD Jesus seek His face daily, they search His words for themselves and obey them, building a foundation against the day of judgment (Matthew 7:19-29; 2 Timothy 2:15). Their hearts and lives are centered around the throne of God where Jesus is seated making intercessor for His people, His true church (Jeremiah 17:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:24-26). | A Glorious High Throne [podcast]

How do We Know who is Truly “of God” and who is “NOT of God”?

Jesus informed us how to know exactly who is “of God” and who is “NOT of God” by their view of the whole, the entire contents of His written Word. Memorize John 8:47.

“He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” John 8:47

Jesus told the religious counterfeits of His day that He knew they were “NOT of God” because they didn’t honor His words as the final divine authority. The same is true today.

Anyone who picks and chooses what they wish to study and know of God’s Word is a fraud, a counterfeit who is serving the god of self and so carefully erects the image of a false god, “another Jesus” in his heart and it’s always an agape love, a merciful, grace only “Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:2-5; Galatians 1:6-9). One can observe that it’s never a balance of divine attributes, never the full spectrum of truth about the LORD which would include His love, grace, justice, holiness, the cross, the crucified life He mandates, and judgment, etc.

Those who are “of God” hear, receive, embrace, and walk out “ALL scripture” which is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The counterfeits among us privately interpret God’s Word, conveniently excluding that which calls them to truly repent, to die to self, to live a crucified life, to keep all sin out of their lives in readiness for the return of Jesus for His bride which He defines as being “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27; 2 Peter 1:19-21). God’s holiness is never mentioned among them, even though He commands us to “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

Enduring Sound Doctrine

Regrettably and yet, as the Holy Spirit foretold, there are many who are refusing to “endure sound doctrine,“ and the word “endure” here means to hold oneself accountable to 2 Timothy 4:2-4:

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 3-4

Because men true to God’s Word war with the weapons of His warfare which is God’s Word, they dismantle and crush the sin-justifying arguments perpetrated by the “ungodly men” Jude warned us of and that we have everywhere today, who are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (license to sin).”

It can be observed that when men get weary with sin they begin to make concession for it and in their unrepentant depraved hearts change the image of the one true God to fit their own sinful ways (Romans 1:18-22; 2 Timothy 4:2-4).

If you obey God and endeavor to preach all of God’s Word, there will be those who say you are a works based legalist trusting in your own righteousness. This is a coward’s cop out and realize it’s Christ they are at odds with primarily, not you.

Does it not seem that those who endeavor to learn and teach the whole of God’s Word will be called legalists, simply because some do not wish to hear the whole of God’s Word, namely certain doctrines that cause them conviction? They despise conviction of their sins, and anyone who preaches the parts of God’s Word that calls them to truly repent and be crucified with Christ, will be attacked by them.

“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:” Acts 7:51-52

Holiness, not sin, is a characteristic of God’s people.

“Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.” Psalms 93:5

“They have corrupted themselves, their spot (blemish, sin) is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.” Deuteronomy 32:5

“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” Proverbs 30:12

Why are many who profess Christ “not washed from their filthiness”? -Because they refused. They created a false god in their own wicked image who they vainly imagine overlooks their rebellion and sin. Problem is, that god doesn’t exist other than in their own depraved hearts.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2

“But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.” Philippians 1:17

Counterfeits, tares want to accept what they personally choose and to reject from the full counsel of God’s Word what they simply do not like. Regrettably they have created a god in their own unrepentant sinful image and that is who they truly serve – the god of self. I assume many of them don’t even believe in the necessity of repentance and hell and holiness, all of which Jesus and His holy apostles often preached. Their “heresies” are a work of the flesh and soul damning (Galatians 5:19-21). Jesus preached the necessity of repentance and the cross and loving God supremely (Luke 9:23-24; 13:3, etc.). Any alternately defined so-called “agape love” is a farce, a false love (Proverbs 27:5-6). Preaching another gospel, a false gospel, holds the penalty of eternal damnation as one who does such is “accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).

The authentic remnant elect of Christ do not patronize false leaders.

Refusing to sit under, condone, bid Godspeed to the false gospel, false doctrines, false teachers and wolves of the modern church … is not forsaking the assembly! Instead, it’s obedience to God who mandates that we “mark them“, that we “earnestly contend” against, and warns us that anyone who bids Godspeed to them will be punished with them (Romans 16:17-18; Jude 3; 2 John 2:10-11).

People who limit God, who only migrate to that which does not require truly dying, or rather who intentionally evade, reject the hard truths of the original Gospel, will always attack those who do. Christ’s prophets and apostles dealt with this very thing often (Isaiah 51:7, 12, etc.).

No matter what false professing evil men do, the true body of Christ must continue in the faith once delivered to the saints. Jesus’ letter to the Philadelphia church reveals two things He confirmed as obedience:

“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” Revelation 3:8-12

TODAY: A dear Christian young lady asked me why I am not part of a church group any longer. A gently-communicated litany of doctrines purposely not being taught in the modern churches ensued. Also the fact that that the King James Bible is nowhere to be found. They only use pitifully lame fake “bibles.” It’s a busine$$ to the modern pastors who refuse to preach cardinal biblical doctrines such as the divinity of Christ (Christology), hell, repentance, judgment to come, confessing and cleansing ourselves of all sin, the return of Christ and being ready for it at all times, the cross – crucified life, etc.

When unrepentant sinful men whom Paul calls “enemies of the cross of Christ….” refuse to repent, in the darkness of their depravity, they begin to fashion a god in their own evil image, one that supposedly approves of their sin

Key words, truths in Romans 6: 1. sin, 2. the cross, 3. grace …. If you are denying sin, the topic and reality of it, you are denying Christ, denying the holiness of God. He put it all over His Word, on every page. You’d better get concerned about it and if you truly fear God, you will. If sin was not a big deal to God, why did He send His only begotten Son to die for it – to wash us initially and perpetually? See Romans 5:9; 1 John 1:7.

News Flash: God’s definition of sin never changed because He loves you and saved you by His grace. Just because God is love and extends His grace in salvation in no way means He is less just, holy, or not going to judge His people. Jesus came to save us “from” and not in our sin because sin defiles us in the eyes of a God who is “Holy, holy, holy” and commanded us to “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (Isaiah 6:3; Matthew 1:21; John 1:29; Titus 2:13).

Salvation was never designed as, and is not a free pass to sin (Romans 6:1-2). No, it’s initial forgiveness of our sins and the expectation and mandate of God to abide in Christ and remain washed from all sin (2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:25-27;1 John 1:7,9; 3:3-6; Revelation 19:7-10, etc.).

“People who have overcome darkness, sin in their lives, typically have a fire inside of them that is almost impossible to extinguish.” unknown

The remnant body of Christ is pressing in to the LORD with reckless abandonment, forsaking their lives in this fleeting world that they might gain them eternally with Christ.

God’s people, though they be few, are known in that they seek out, are corrected by, embrace, and place themselves under the whole counsel His Word. With Paul they declare:

“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Romans 3:4

God’s Word is not to be treated as “private interpretation.”

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:19-21

It’s HIS Word and we are of all men most depraved and deceived when we don’t receive it

“ALL scripture” in the Bible is from God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Pride says: “I will ignore this and that.”

Humility, the cross says: “Yes Jesus, yes Sir LORD, let God be true and every man a liar, beginning with me, the worst evil sinner ever”

No part of God’s Word can be ignored, such is rebellion.

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Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee [podcast]

There nothing – NO-THING – more important in your life than your relationship with Christ. Job 22 “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou […]

ARE THE BELIEVER’S PRESENT AND FUTURE SINS AUTOMATICALLY FORGIVEN? [podcast]

MESSAGE RECEIVED/COMMON OBJECTION: “If Jesus only died for past sins that means He has to ‘die again’ for present & future sins? This is not what the word says. He will not die again because his death fulfilled the law for the believer. Therefore there are no more sins to be forgiven for the believer. But we must still confess sins present & future.” REPLY: “He died once” (Romans 6:10). The perfect sacrifice of Jesus is not in question, but the faithfulness of the individual saved person, the recipient of salvation, certainly is. God “cannot deny Himself” – yet “if […]

Grace vs Holiness [podcast]

“The horrible travesty we have in America today is Christianity without holiness.” A.W. Tozer Grace and holiness come only from God. The LORD is Holy and He extends salvation by grace to repentant, believing sinners at the moment of conversion. Grave vs Holiness: WHY is one of these two so overwhelmingly overemphasized by today’s pastors and self-appointed “grace teachers,” when the other is prioritized by God as is demonstrated by the number of times it appears in Holy Scripture? Which word appears more times in the Bible?: Grace, or Holiness LET’S DO THE MATH: Comparing Grace and Holiness 170 […]

Holes in Your Money Bags? [podcast]

Revolutionary! Is there a reason your bag has Holes in it? “Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.” Haggai 1:5-7 The people who were supposed to be the LORD’s people had alienated the affections of their away […]

Abiding

“My Sheep Hear My Voice, and I Know them, and they Follow Me” [podcast]

There are 7 portraits of Jesus in the Gospel of John. One of those seven portraits is Jesus our “the good shepherd.” (John 10)

The first thing the good shepherd of the sheep did was give His life to purchase the sheep with His own blood.

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

Jesus who created us, then came to die to buy up back to the Father and Himself.

The Bible, God’s Word, is full of illustrations of who God is, and who He is to us. He is our shepherd….the shepherd of His true sheep. How do we know who His remnant saints, sheep truly are? How do we know if we individually are truly His?

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:27-29

“John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice – But ye will not hear: – my sheep follow me; but ye will neither follow nor acknowledge me. Any person who reads without prejudice may easily see, that our Lord does not at all insinuate that these persons could not believe, because God had made it impossible to them; but simply because they did not hear and follow Christ, which the whole of our blessed Lord’s discourse proves that they might have done. The sheep of Christ are not those who are included in any eternal decree, to the exclusion of others from the yearnings of the bowels of eternal mercy; but they are those who hear, believe in, follow, and obey the Savior of the world.” Adam Clarke

We know He is our shepherd if we are reading, listening for, and walking out the voice of His Word. That’s why He gave us His Word. The voice of His Word is His voice. This is why God gave us the Bible, His Word, the “voice” of His Word. Jesus says “My sheep hear my voice” and the “voice” of Jesus is with us, is God’s written Word. We have the “voice”, the very words of our LORD on record. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The primary way God’s voice is heard by His sheep is the Holy Scriptures….. reading God’s Word is hearing the voice of God.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” John 16:13-14

Our LORD, the good shepherd of our souls, told us that His sheep are those who hear His voice, the voice of His Word. Those not in the Word are not hearing the voice of God.

“He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” John 8:47

Those who are “of the truth” hear the voice, the words of Jesus Christ.

“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” John 18:37

Jesus made it clear who His true sheep are ….

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14:21

Jesus’ sheep hear His voice, He knows them, they follow Him. They don’t listen to nor follow their own feelings, human reasoning, their own wicked heart, nor any mere men … “follow your heart”? No. That’s a lie from hell. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Jesus died to save you so you would be His, and that you would follow Him, His voice and none other.

Jesus, on record in John 10:27-29, is telling us that it’s only those who are hearing His voice, the voice of His Word, and following Him, who are going to be kept in His holy hand. After being saved, only those who abide in Christ to the end will be kept by Him and with Him eternally. Read John 15:1-6 where you will see that any whom Jesus saves and yet then they don’t “abide” (remain, continue) in Him will be cast into the fire of hell (v6).

Take a closer look at John 10:27-29. Anchor the promise in verses 28-29 on verse 27 where Jesus identifies who His sheep are—those who hear and continue to hear His voice and continue to follow Him (present tense). The divine promise here to be kept is a conditional
promise requiring the individual recipient of the gift of God to continue to hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27-29). If you are born again, a sheep of Christ’ pasture, and you cease hearing His voice and following Him, you are no long His.

Many today detach, separate our LORD’s words in verse 27 from verses 28-29 of John 10. In doing so, they perpetrate their “eternal security” mythology which is Satan’s first lie (Genesis 2:17; 3:4). Beware as this was the first lie Satan told mankind, which led to the fall (Genesis 2:17; 3:4).

The LORD saved you to be His – to hear the voice of His Word and to follow Him, to walk with Him.

“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:5

To be kept you must live “through faith” – to hear and believe the voice of His Word, and walk with Him accordingly.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“Eternal security”, otherwise known as “once saved always saved”, is a lie from hell. Run from any and all wolves peddling this, Satan’s first lie (Genesis 2:17; 3:4).

To be “kept” by Jesus, the saved sheep must live his life “through faith.”

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Luke 17:5

The recipient of salvation must “through faith” be “kept.” God never removes man’s free will and requires not only initial but also continued faith. Jesus foretold that some would be saved and then not continue with Him and “fall away” (Luke 8:12-13).

“Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:9

Prayer: Father, I know You are holy and require my faith to the end of this life. Make sensitive my conscience, quicken my spirit to repentance and to be holy as You are holy. In Jesus’ name.

Jesus Christ our LORD is “that great shepherd of the sheep.”

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

“For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,” Psalms 95:7

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalms 100:3

“To hear His voice, we submit to the pruning of the Holy Ghost in our heart. The fruit of righteousness can only be produced in an ABIDING relationship with Jesus and cultivated by the Holy Spirit given to them that OBEY him. (John 15:3-5; 14:15-17)” Jon Crane

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