by E.M. Bounds
“Study universal holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this, for your sermons last but an hour or two; your life preaches all the week. If Satan can only make a covetous minister a lover of praise, of pleasure, of good eating, he has ruined your ministry. Give yourself to prayer, and get your texts, your thoughts, your words from God. Luther spent his best three hours in prayer.” – Robert Murray McCheyne
WE are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the Church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the man or sink the man in the plan or organization. God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. “There was a man sent from God whose name was John.” The dispensation that heralded and prepared the way for Christ was bound up in that man John. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” The world’s salvation comes out of that cradled Son. When Paul appeals to the personal character of the men who rooted the gospel in the world, he solves the mystery of their success. The glory and efficiency of the gospel is staked on the men who proclaim it. When God declares that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him,” he declares the necessity of men and his dependence on them as a channel through which to exert his power upon the world. This vital, urgent truth is one that this age of machinery is apt to forget. The forgetting of it is as baneful on the work of God as would be the striking of the sun from his sphere. Darkness, confusion, and death would ensue.
What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men — men of prayer.
An eminent historian has said that the accidents of personal character have more to do with the revolutions of nations than either philosophic historians or democratic politicians will allow. This truth has its application in full to the gospel of Christ, the character and conduct of the followers of Christ — Christianize the world, transfigure nations and individuals. Of the preachers of the gospel it is eminently true.
The character as well as the fortunes of the gospel is committed to the preacher. He makes or mars the message from God to man. The preacher is the golden pipe through which the divine oil flows. The pipe must not only be golden, but open and flawless, that the oil may have a full, unhindered, unwasted flow.
The man makes the preacher. God must make the man. The messenger is, if possible, more than the message. The preacher is more than the sermon. The preacher makes the sermon. As the life-giving milk from the mother’s bosom is but the mother’s life, so all the preacher says is tinctured, impregnated by what the preacher is. The treasure is in earthen vessels, and the taste of the vessel impregnates and may discolor. The man, the whole man, lies behind the sermon. Preaching is not the performance of an hour. It is the outflow of a life. It takes twenty years to make a sermon, because it takes twenty years to make the man. The true sermon is a thing of life. The sermon grows because the man grows. The sermon is forceful because the man is forceful. The sermon is holy because the man is holy. The sermon is full of the divine unction because the man is full of the divine unction.
Paul termed it “My gospel;” not that he had degraded it by his personal eccentricities or diverted it by selfish appropriation, but the gospel was put into the heart and lifeblood of the man Paul, as a personal trust to be executed by his Pauline traits, to be set aflame and empowered by the fiery energy of his fiery soul. Paul’s sermons — what were they? Where are they? Skeletons, scattered fragments, afloat on the sea of inspiration! But the man Paul, greater than his sermons, lives forever, in full form, feature and stature, with his molding hand on the Church. The preaching is but a voice. The voice in silence dies, the text is forgotten, the sermon fades from memory; the preacher lives.
The sermon cannot rise in its life-giving forces above the man. Dead men give out dead sermons, and dead sermons kill. Everything depends on the spiritual character of the preacher. Under the Jewish dispensation the high priest had inscribed in jeweled letters on a golden frontlet: “Holiness to the Lord.” So every preacher in Christ’s ministry must be molded into and mastered by this same holy motto. It is a crying shame for the Christian ministry to fall lower in holiness of character and holiness of aim than the Jewish priesthood. Jonathan Edwards said: “I went on with my eager pursuit after more holiness and conformity to Christ. The heaven I desired was a heaven of holiness.” The gospel of Christ does not move by popular waves. It has no self-propagating power. It moves as the men who have charge of it move. The preacher must impersonate the gospel. Its divine, most distinctive features must be embodied in him. The constraining power of love must be in the preacher as a projecting, eccentric, an all-commanding, self-oblivious force. The energy of self-denial must be his being, his heart and blood and bones. He must go forth as a man among men, clothed with humility, abiding in meekness, wise as a serpent, harmless as a dove; the bonds of a servant with the spirit of a king, a king in high, royal, in dependent bearing, with the simplicity and sweetness of a child. The preacher must throw himself, with all the abandon of a perfect, self-emptying faith and a self-consuming zeal, into his work for the salvation of men. Hearty, heroic, compassionate, fearless martyrs must the men be who take hold of and shape a generation for God. If they be timid time servers, place seekers, if they be men pleasers or men fearers, if their faith has a weak hold on God or his Word, if their denial be broken by any phase of self or the world, they cannot take hold of the Church nor the world for God.
The preacher’s sharpest and strongest preaching should be to himself. His most difficult, delicate, laborious, and thorough work must be with himself. The training of the twelve was the great, difficult, and enduring work of Christ. Preachers are not sermon makers, but men makers and saint makers, and he only is well-trained for this business who has made himself a man and a saint. It is not great talents nor great learning nor great preachers that God needs, but men great in holiness, great in faith, great in love, great in fidelity, great for God — men always preaching by holy sermons in the pulpit, by holy lives out of it. These can mold a generation for God.
After this order, the early Christians were formed. Men they were of solid mold, preachers after the heavenly type — heroic, stalwart, soldierly, saintly. Preaching with them meant self-denying, self-crucifying, serious, toilsome, martyr business. They applied themselves to it in a way that told on their generation, and formed in its womb a generation yet unborn for God. The preaching man is to be the praying man. Prayer is the preacher’s mightiest weapon. An almighty force in itself, it gives life and force to all.
The real sermon is made in the closet. The man — God’s man — is made in the closet. His life and his profoundest convictions were born in his secret communion with God. The burdened and tearful agony of his spirit, his weightiest and sweetest messages were got when alone with God. Prayer makes the man; prayer makes the preacher; prayer makes the pastor.
The pulpit of this day is weak in praying. The pride of learning is against the dependent humility of prayer. Prayer is with the pulpit too often only official — a performance for the routine of service. Prayer is not to the modern pulpit the mighty force it was in Paul’s life or Paul’s ministry. Every preacher who does not make prayer a mighty factor in his own life and ministry is weak as a factor in God’s work and is powerless to project God’s cause in this world.
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Abiding
Top 12 Missing Essential Doctrines in the Modern Church World! [podcast]

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOUR “CHURCH” OR FAVORITE PREACHER? It’s real simple… if they are not preaching the cardinal doctrines of the original Gospel given to us in the New Testament, they are preaching “another gospel” and are “accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9).
“For MANY DECEIVERS ARE ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” 2 John 1:7-11
Modern church wolves refuse to preach the original Gospel of Jesus Christ from the pages of Holy Scripture and in the power of the Holy Ghost. No, instead they preach sermonettes that cater to the self-worshiping idolaters they entertain and collect money from (2 Timothy 3:1-7). They don’t even use the King James Bible but rather some cheap counterfeit. Their ear-tickling topics range from healing damaged emotions, 5 love languages, best life now, recovery, learning to love yourSELF, coping platitudes, loneliness, psychobabble band aids, law of attraction, being a successful single, purpose driven delusionment, etc.
LOTS of lying going on when we have counterfeits peddling affirmation without salvation, the “promise” of things “getting better” when their prey are heading straight to hell. Especially certain social media platforms are flooded with this false gospel coming out of “Christians.” There is no sin or repentance in their message which alone identifies it as a false gospel. You see, the things that are happening to the sinners around us are allowed by God in order to lead them to repentance and yet, the counterfeits among us are assuring those sinners it’s all going to get better and never giving them the 10 Commandments to show them they are sinners (Galatians 3:24) and then, leading them to Jesus (Romans 10:9-10, 13, etc.). 10 Commandments Evangelism
In the modern church world, there is …..
No cross. No Jesus. No blood. No judgment. No sin. No repentance. No hell. No readiness for the soon return of Jesus. No Heaven. No equipping preparation for ministry. No Scripture memory. No holiness. No Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment. No Christology. No fear of God. No repentance. etc., all of which are Bible doctrines essential to salvation and/or essential to sound foundation in Christ and are missing in the modern church world.
“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
THE TOP ESSENTIAL BIBLICAL DOCTRINES NEVER HEARD IN THE APOSTATE MODERN CHURCH WORLD!
- The divinity of Jesus Christ (John 1:1-4, 14; 1 Timothy 3:16). | Jesus Christ is God
- The virgin birth of the only begotten Son of God (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). | The Virgin Birth of Jesus
- The essential precious blood of Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19). | The Blood
- The inherent fallen nature of mankind (Genesis 6:5, 12; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18). | Fallen, Sinful Man
- Worshipping God not idols (Exodus 20:3-5). | Idolatry
- The essential doctrine and necessity of repentance (Luke 13:3). | Repentance
- The Return of Christ and being ready for it (Luke 12:40; 21:34-36). | The Return
- Who Jesus is returning for and who will be shut out of His eternal kingdom (Matthew 25:1-13; Ephesians 5:25-27). | Ready for Christ’s Return
- The essential of enduring to the end to be with Christ eternally, initial and final salvation (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Hebrews 3:6, 12-15; 10:26-30; Revelation 2:26). | Enduring to the End
- The essential daily cross, the crucified life, which Jesus required in following Him (Luke 9:23-24). | Living the Crucified Life
- Forgiving all others from the heart (Matthew 18:21-35). | Forgiveness
- Walking in God’s love (Ephesians 5:1). | The Love Walk
- Holiness – including the necessity of personal holiness (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16). | Holiness
- Judgment (Psalms 9:15-17). | Judgment
- Hell (Matthew 8:12; Mark 3:29; Luke 16:19-31). | Hell
- Fearing God (Psalms 2:11; Luke 12:4-5). | Fearing God
When’s the last time you heard verses like this in the modern church?
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Luke 17:33
The modern church is going down in flames into the flames of hell. It cannot be reformed. Come out from it.
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4
In 2 Timothy 4:3 to “endure sound doctrine” means to hold oneself accountable to it. WHAT’s at the root of those who refuse to “endure sound doctrine”? – They simply do not love Jesus like He commanded them to (Matthew 22:37-39). They profess Christ as Savior and yet love self supremely and therefore serve the god of self. The Holy Ghost through Paul told us this of those who have a mere “form of godliness” in the last day resumé found in 2 Timothy 3:1-7.
Notice by divine design the very first thing he reveals is that “men shall be lovers of their own selves.” All the following evil comes out of self love, refusal to love God supremely and therefore repent, deny self, take up the cross and follow Jesus:
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:1-7
God is toppling all the heart idols (Ezekiel 14:3)… because He’s Jealous and wants us looking to Him and not these mere men, these vile wolves, these celebrity sinners posing as His representatives (Exodus 34:14).
“For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” Exodus 34:14
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Fulfilling Your Calling [podcast]

“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.” Colossians 4:17
MINISTRY which pleases God is simply helping people know and grow in Christ for themselves – by the cross life and getting into HIS Word for themselves so they can follow HIM, not you! True ministry fosters in the hearers faith in God, not the preacher or local church organization! Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 1:9; 3:5; 4:5.
Your communications and ministry are fed and fueled by your personal daily study and knowledge of God’s Word (Proverbs 22:17-21; 2 Timothy 2:15).
Ephesians 4:1-14
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting (equipping, maturing) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” Ephesians 4:1-14
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Swept Away in the “Strong Delusion” [podcast]

Recorded at a fellowship in Houston, Texas
God Himself personally sends a “strong delusion” to all who do not love His truth so that they WILL believe lies. He greases their pole to hell. That’s how personally He takes it when people call Him a liar by not believing His Word.
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8
Notice “of God” and “NOT 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
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