Christ’s True Church is Identified by the Ongoing Washing and Adherence to Sound Doctrine
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not (does not remain) in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth (remains) in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 9
SO, will those who don’t continue to the end in “THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST” be in Heaven? No. And, the “doctrine of Christ” is that which God reveals of His only begotten Son and His will in His Word, the Bible, Holy Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16).
3 Types of Doctrine in the Bible and the World:
1. “Doctrine of God”, “Sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:1, 10; 2 John 10-11, etc.).
2. Doctrines of men (Mark 7:6-10).
3. “Doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).
Are YOU enduring sound doctrine? (2 Timothy 4:2-4) Are you receiving the rebuke of the LORD or are you forsaking His mercy by rejecting His truth? If so, GOD Himself is sending “strong delusion” to your life (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Repent sinner – before it’s too late.
“Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself 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
Our LORD made it clear that His abiding disciples are only “clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” (John 15:3) This is not a one-time event but an ongoing experience of every true follower of Jesus who is abiding/remaining in Christ and not departing from the faith (John 15:1-6; 1 Timothy 4:1, etc.). Christ is going to return for a people who are being washed by His blessed Word. This we understand to mean that His true remnant are those who are enduring sound doctrine and not shunning anything that comes from Him in His written Word. Sound doctrine is an integral part of Jesus’ washing. Making oneself accountable to sound doctrine is evidence that one is abiding in Christ and not departing from the truth.
“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:” Titus 2:1
Those who truly know and follow Jesus hear His Word and do not shun “sound doctrine,” but rather fall on that blessed “sword of the Spirit” for continual shaping and circumcision (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).
MANY who claim to know Jesus hate Him in reality and that’s exactly why they refuse to “endure (hold themselves accountable to) sound doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:3)
Wolves patty cake with you because they want your money and could care less about your eternal soul (Isaiah 30:9-10; 2 Timothy:2-4; 2 Peter 2:1-3).
Enduring Sound Doctrine is Crucial
Are YOU enduring “sound doctrine”? – “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For 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; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4
To “endure sound doctrine” involves opening our hearts and lives to the full counsel of God’s Word. The word “endure” here comes from the Greek word anechomai which means to hold one’s self up against, to bear, endure, suffer. Are you suffering “sound doctrine”? Are you bearing “sound doctrine”? Friend, are you holding yourself up against “sound doctrine”?
“Sound doctrine” hurts at times and yet, later it will yield the greatest of rewards. Enduring sound doctrine requires the cutting away or circumcising of those things in our hearts, thinking, and lives that are not of God. It’s a cutting away of the old and of that which does not please our LORD. If you are like me, you still have things in your life that the LORD is dealing with.
The LORD is still working on us. Jesus said that when He causes good fruit to be born in our lives, He then purges us so that more fruit can be produced (John 15:1-6). So, we learn from this that our LORD’s purging is the result of measured victory and the facilitating of greater victory!
Why do we resist the blessed deliverance of our Father? It’s always a blessed outcome when He delivers us from something that is not of Him, right?
Guys, do you remember when you were a boy and got a splinter in your finger or foot? Everything that touched that splinter hurt and so you complained to your daddy and he got out the tweezers. Then, you resisted, pulled back, and said something like “But daddy it’s going to hurt if you pull out the splinter.” Your father then still proceeded, going against your will, and forcefully held down your hand where the splinter was. He then plucked that foreign object from your body and you were immediately comforted and the healing began.
Yielding our will to our heavenly Father is so very important. Telling Him today that He is the One in control, and not us, is a good place to start.
Many among us migrate to smiling, entertaining, ear-tickling hirelings who refuse to preach on sin, the holiness of God, the need for repentance and confession of all sin, the daily cross, dying to self, giving of ourselves and substance to God and others, and judgment to come. If this is not amended, it will result in eternal damnation. Avoiding truth speakers – those who preach only God’s holy truth/Word – is deadly. Rebellious, unrepentant, backslidden Israel did just this and they called out for the phony false prophets to give them “smooth things.” (Isaiah 30:9-10)
Saints, you are bought with the price of the very blood of Christ, and called to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” 2 Timothy 2:3-5
Jesus and His apostles never said that enduring hardness and sound doctrine would be easy. Yet, they did promise that the rewards will be eternal (Matthew 5:10-12; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Peter 4:12-14, etc.).
Those who drop out of the race before the end will lose all (1 Corinthians 9:19-24; Hebrews 12:1-4). All things are being and going to be “shaken.”
Hebrews 12:24-28
“And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:24-29
Earlier in this chapter the Holy Spirit is speaking to us about the chastening of our LORD upon EVERY one of His children (Hebrews 12:1-6). If our Father in Heaven who loves us is chastening us, He is shaking those things from our lives that do not belong so that we may “remain” in the end and not be washed away in the tidal wave of His wrath, which He warned us that many would be – “many” who claim to know Him but don’t (Matthew 7:21-29).
Now, read 2 Timothy 2 and seek the LORD to properly “suffer” so you can “reign with him” and to “purge” out those things which don’t belong in your thinking and life. It’s only then that you can be His “vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” Pore prayerfully over our LORD’s words in this blessed chapter of 2 Timothy 2. Get this divine wisdom in your heart and share it with others. Underline, highlight, and put some of the verses in this royal chapter on index cards to learn, memorize, and meditate upon them.
Avoiding Sound Doctrine is Easy to do in this Last Hour
There are many options available to dodge and avoid enduring “sound doctrine.” Satan’s wolves are the overwhelming majority of all those in leadership positions in the apostate church world today. The LORD wasn’t lying when He foretold us of this hour. These beguiling, devouring wolves make it very easy to insulate ourselves from the truth. They entertain, tickle our sinful fancy, and do anything but preach the raw Word of God in the holy fear of God. They therefore lull their gullible, unrepentant, non-abiding, un-vigilant hearers further to sleep, burying them in Laodicean lukewarmness, and this will seal their eternal doom (Revelation 3:14-21). They once knew the LORD, but have since fallen away, allowing “the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things” to choke out the Word from their lives (Mark 4:17-19).
Regrettably, most modern “preaching” is a joke. Those who preach are moral softies – pansies – who are woefully “at ease in Zion.” (Amos 6:1) They refuse to “Preach the word.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
Wolves always migrate to and morph themselves into roles and titles that hide the fact that they are antichrists – subversive to truth while claiming to represent Christ. Many today who claim to be watchmen are wolves. Beware! Hirelings do not wish to be detected. They must keep themselves hidden AT ALL COSTS! They are thriving on your dime as they deceptively scam you in order to build their church industry business. Did our LORD not tell us they would be disguised in sheep garb? (Matthew 7:15; 2 Corinthians 11:12-15) The wolf must at all costs speak ear-tickling, “smooth things” to you – to make sure he doesn’t interrupt your life the way it is, calling you to repent and truly lay it all down (Isaiah 30:9-10; John 12:23-25; 2 Timothy 4:2-4). The absolute necessity of the daily cross and personal holiness must never be mentioned (Luke 9:23-24; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16). The condition and essential of enduring to the end with Christ and overcoming sin and Satan all means dying to self and so that must be left out of the message (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Revelation 2-3). They have “crept in unawares (undetected)” and that’s how they are able to do their work of subverting truth in the guise of representing the LORD (Jude 3-4). They ever seek to remain hidden from the view – the discernment – of those they prey upon and are deceiving. This is exactly why the LORD gave us so much instruction concerning knowing/discerning them by their fruits – namely that of their doctrine. We are told to “earnestly contend” against them and “mark them which cause division contrary to the DOCTRINE” our LORD gave us in His Word (Romans 16:17-18; Jude 3-4). Did not our LORD, the very “Great shepherd of the sheep,” repeatedly warn us because He loves and desires to protect us? (John 10:1-10; Hebrews 13:20) Dear Pastor
You see saints, ANY so-called “Christian” leader who is not teaching you to die is false. It’s real simple – Jesus taught the daily cross and it’s all over each of the 4 Gospels which feature what our LORD taught. Any writer, blogger, or leader who isn’t teaching what Jesus taught is a fraud. Paul said that the person who does this is an enemy of the cross of Christ and minds “earthly things” – anything except that which our Heavenly Savior said and therefore counted as important to Him and those who will know Him (Philippians 3:18-21).
“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
“Whose God is their belly” – Regrettably, most people in ministry are out to make a name for themselves and not to make Christ Jesus’ name glorious. The remnant disciple has to be wiser than to patronize such and to thereby shun Jesus and do despite unto Him with whom we have to do (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). Sound doctrine teaches us that all glory goes to Christ alone and He will share that glory with no man (Isaiah 42:8).
FEEDBACK:
“Excellent Truth righting divided. Balance makes all the difference so we do not fall into condemnation overcome with sin or even self righteousness which is pride the most damming sin of all. But for the grace of God in my life giving sound teaching and chastening me makes me appreciate my salvation and increase my love for God and sound teaching. Also makes me more patient with those being taken captive by false teachers and teaching. Knowing God gave me grace so must I give grace with truth to others. We are still on the potters wheel we need to remember we are all in different places in our salvation experience. But are we humble enough to say are we teachable and correctable this we must always ask ourselves to see what type of spirit we are operating under. Brings to mind the old hymn…grace grace God’s Grace that is greater than ALL our sin.” Nancy Cote
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“What this world needs is Christian Unity, not denominations that misguide and divide us!”
REPLY:
Well, truth does divide. Sound doctrine is made to divide between God’s true people and those who are counterfeit. “Heretics” (those who do not believe the truth but rather espouse lies) are to be rejected (Titus 3:10-11). They are to be marked – scoped out, identified, and rejected (Romans 16:17-18).
MESSAGE STATED:
“The Word of God is not about doctrine or theology, it is all about Jesus Christ and His Love, Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness. The Scriptures teach and guide us to a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through the understanding given to us by the Holy Spirit….May the love of Christ be upon you all, Praise God for all glory is given to our Father in Heaven.”
REPLY:
Those things ARE doctrine brother. “Doctrine” appears 51 times in God’s Word. But you left out the uniqueness of Christ and how He – the only Messiah – fulfilled over 300 prophecies, holiness, the life and mission of Christ, repentance, sin, the soon coming of Jesus, the daily cross He commanded us to take up, etc. Now, do we begin to see why the Bible and studying the full counsel of God’s Word is so important – so we are not misled by half truths and people who leave out so many truths from the whole message of God’s Word? Memorize 2 Timothy 3:16 in KJV and notice the very first stated reason God gave us His Word – “doctrine.” Sound doctrine is not legalism – it’s essential for the growth and protection of God’s people (Acts 20:20-32)
When people are being taught a feelings-based spirituality instead of biblical Christianity, they want to throw overboard doctrine but God says that’s EXACTLY why He gave us His written Word – so that His divine truth (doctrine) can be firmly established as the foundation of our beliefs and lives and protect us from false teachings that Satan gives us through wolves in sheep’s clothing to subtly seduce us away from Christ (Colossians 2:4-10). Those who do not endeavor to learn and to disclose the full-counsel of God’s Word, selectively teaching half-truths, are preaching “another gospel” and “another Jesus” as fueled by “another spirit” and are “accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-10). They are fulfilling prophecy – on the wrong side of that which is foretold – “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For 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; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4).
This just in – Here’s a blessed testimony of a brother I was privileged to meet and go to Bible school with 20 years ago:
“Hi brother. I hope everything is well with you. I am going forward in the call of God. It’s been great learning so far. One thing that has become clear to me is the necessity of the minister (all who name Christ as LORD) to die to self, and daily at that. I’m starting to look for enough strength to get through one day and then worry about the next. Since I started learning this recently, I thought of you and your book (I Die Daily). There really is something to this dying to self thing. Any advice would be gladly received as my goal is the same as it was at IBC.”
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
Yeah, your book I Die Daily overwhelmed me the first time around. I think I am more ready for it now. I want all to count for Jesus.”
REPLY:
Amen. I am praying for you. Brother, you are hearing the voice of the Savior and are therefore dead center in His will …. Isaiah 37:31
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Abiding
“Seven Women shall take hold of One Man” [podcast]
Two Types of Believers – the mere professor and the possessor.
God created us and sent His only begotten Son that we might know Him.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3
THE POSSESSORS
“In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.” Isaiah 4:2
The LORD Jesus is “the branch … beautiful and glorious” shall He be and shall be His reign. One commentation of this passage is as follows:
“Isaiah 4:2
a [In that day] In that day—the Millennium (Isa_4:1-6).
b [branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious] Christ is the Branch of the Lord that shall be eternally “beautiful and glorious” in the Millennium and New Earth periods (Isa_9:6-7; Isa_11:1; Jer_23:5; Jer_33:15; Zec_3:8; Zec_6:12; Zec_14:1-9; Rev_11:15).
c [fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely] The earth will be restored to normal fertility and productivity when Christ comes (Isa_35:1-7; Isa_58:11-12; Joe_2:21-27).
d [escaped of Israel] A remnant of Israel shall escape the future tribulation and battle of Armageddon (Isa_4:2-3; Zech. 13:8-14:14; Mat_24:31; Mat_25:31-46).”
“Them that are escaped of Israel” refers to those who come out of her, that is, they come out from among the tares or counterfeits who merely profess to be serving God and yet aren’t, and therefore do not have the fruit to prove they are truly Christ’s (Titus 1:16; Matthew 3:7-10). Those who escape the judgment to come upon the hypocrites “take root downward, and bear fruit upward” and that means they are complying with Christ and being crucified, that is dead to the self-life, buried, and raised up by Christ, bearing fruit “UPward.” Here’s the whole verse: “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isaiah 37:31).
Eternal resurrection blessings untold await those who are “accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:34-36).
The Branch of the Lord Glorified
“In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. 5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.” Isaiah 4:2-6
Only a remnant will remain. And Isaiah is saying here that God will bring these few through “…the spirit of judgment, and…the spirit of burning” (same verse, Isaiah 4:4). This great separation is coming.
The LORD is purifying a people for Himself. In Daniel we read:
Daniel 11:35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.
Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
Those who are truly Christ’s fellowship with other of His true disciples and also with elders who like Christ’s apostle Paul, jealously brood over God’s people, to protect them. They discern and gather with those who embrace and preach the original Gospel and expose those who preach and espouse “another Jesus … another spirit … another gospel.”
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:2-4
THE MERE PROFESSORS
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16
Please explain….What kind of relationship is based on the participation of only one of the parties? A non existent dying relationship. The eternal security heretics are self-serving. They could care less about Jesus but rather simply wish to use Him to get them out of Hell without any kind of a real and abiding, fruit-bearing vital union relationship with Him (John 15:1-16). Seems this is what the Holy Spirit is getting at when He led Isaiah the prophet to pen these words:
“And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.” Isaiah 4:1
In other words, “We want to use your name but don’t wish to have any kind of an intimate relationship with you.” Or, “We want the ring, the provision/money, the marriage, but we don’t want the commitment. We don’t want to be faithful to you! We want the crown but not the cross.”
And in the USA today, the woman can “get bored” and divorce her husband and get half of what he has and be grossly over-charged on “child support.” To further make the point, divorce lawyers inform us that when there is a prenup involved, the divorce rate goes down to nearly zero. hmmmm
THOUGH NEVER HEARD IN THE APOSTATE MODERN CHURCH WORLD, THE ORIGINAL GOSPEL INCLUDES….. from the Gospel of Luke
Only those who repent will be with Christ. Everyone else is going to hell irrevocably.
“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3
The crucified life is a must, a condition for overcoming sin and being in Heaven instead of hell.
“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27
You must forsake all to follow Jesus
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
You must lose your life to know and walk with Jesus and be in glory.
“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Luke 17:33
Christ’s “enemies” are those who don’t let Him reign over their lives.
“But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.” Luke 19:27
In this late hour we have so very many women who simply do not want to be unmarried and so they will deceptively manipulate their way into a marriage to a man they have no intention of being a virtuous God-fearing wife to. We also have so many who want to believe the notion that they are going to Heaven because they said a prayer way back, yet they want zero to do with truly following Jesus, the Great Bridegroom, daily. They want nothing to do with the cross, the crucified daily life, living a life of prayer, repenting as needed, being holy as He is holy, etc. No desire for commitment, for intimacy, for an intimate relationship.
“And don’t we see this in today’s modern church world? They want Jesus to take away the reproach of their sin, but refuse to live according to His righteous ways. The continue wearing their religious garb, outer religiosity which is filthy rags, a mere ‘form of godliness.’ (2 Timothy 3:5) Counterfeits don’t want Christ to rule over them. On the day of His return they will expect to be invited into the marriage supper and yet will be rejected.” Karen Cochran
In like fashion, do we not have millions of church-attending counterfeits today who manifest no proof of knowing Jesus today? This was all prophesied of this last day. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-7. They have an “I go to church” mere “form of godliness” arrangement.
Many want the blessing and benefits of marriage but they don’t want the marriage commitment – and so they live in fornication. And, as was foretold of these final days before Christ’s return, there are so many who have a mere “form of godliness, but (are) denying the power (the authority) thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5). They do not want real commitment to the LORD because they are “lovers of their own selves … lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-7).
Two verses before this revelation (4:1) the Scripture tells us of the men of Israel being killed off due to the wars:
“Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.” Isaiah 3:25
While this is physically speaking of the loss of the men in Israel, there’s a deeper, a prophetic conveyance to us in this late hour – “They are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).
“Seven women shall take hold of one man” – In other words these women described above wanted to be married to a man but they would do their own thing within that marriage arrangement. They didn’t want any responsibility to the man but rather just wanted the reproach of being an old maid removed from their lives. Mere professors are self-serving instead of Savior-serving.
The “seven women” spoken of here are like many today who merely want an arrangement with the Great Bridegroom yet don’t want the real relationship which involves the unreserved giving of oneself to the other party but rather simply want the benefit of the removal of the reproach, the scourge of being without that bridegroom/husband and the possibility of bearing fruit, children. Like the five foolish virgins of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins, these counterfeits refuse the responsibilities of a real relationship and therefore forfeit the virtue, the substance enjoyed by those who have a real relationship with the Bridegroom. This is a prophetic utterance concerning the church, the division between the wheat and the chaff, the tares in the last days where some were real and others had a mere “form of godliness.” Many today who were initially saved say in their hearts: “Thank You Jesus for saving me but I will live the rest of my life on my own terms, doing as I please. Don’t bother me with the cross, but I will be expecting the crown. I’ll do what I please and that’s why I simply want an arrangement and not a real marriage and the associated involvement.” See Luke 6:46.
The false bride of Christ professes to know Him and yet they don’t want to commit to Him but they want Him to commit to them, to be that false Christ many preach today that keeps them even in their sin of fornication and spiritual idolatry. They want Christ to be faithful to keep them eternally secure yet they are not faithful to love, seek, worship, trust, walk with, abide in, and obey – as He requires!
“Isaiah 4:1 “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.” These women want to use Jesus to keep them out of hell but don’t want a commitment. And don’t want to be faithful! They want to live as they please and take care of themselves. They only want the stain of sin removed from them. They want to be the bride of Christ with no responsibility. But they fully expect Him to take them with Him to live eternally.” Karen Cochran
OUR LORD is calling His people to daily present to Him their “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1
Notice how these seven arrangement “brides” say “We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel.” In other words, “We’ll make our own money and buy our own food and clothes”….. “We don’t need you too involved in our lives other than an occasional hook up, when it’s convenient.” ….. Yet unless we seek and ingest the bread of Heaven, the Word of God Himself and His Word, how can we be nourished, how can our vessels, our lamps be full of His divine virtue, the oil of His presence to make it to the bridal chamber of eternal glory in this dark, fallen world? See Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins which has never been more relevant than it is in this final hour before His return (Matthew 25:1-13).
Also, the mere professors, represented by the seven women here, say “We will … wear our own apparel” (Ephesians 5:25-27).
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 19:7-9
The apparel of “fine linen” is only given to those who choose to engage in a genuine relationship with the Bridegroom, Jesus.
Of this “seven women shall take hold of one man” in Isaiah 4:1, David Wilkerson wrote:
“Scripture Always Refers to The Church in the Feminine Gender, in Many Cases As a Bride. The seven would-be brides Isaiah mentions are clearly a type of the characteristics of many in the last-days’ church. These seven would-be brides are seeking to lay hold of one man, whom I take to be Christ. Yet these brides are not interested in loving Him. On the contrary, they have only one thing on their minds – the removal of their reproach! ‘We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach’ (verse 1). I see here seven women approaching a man and saying, ‘You don’t have to provide food for us. We’ll take care of our own bread. And you don’t have to provide any clothes for us. We’ll provide our own robes… Sure, these women want to be the bride of Christ – but only on their own terms. They want an arrangement without intimacy, love or devotion. The number seven is used in regard to these brides to remind us that in every church system there are such people. They attempt to ‘take hold of one man’ – Christ – only to get relief from the guilt and condemnation of their sin. They don’t want intimacy with Him. They want nothing more than forgiveness – to have the reproach of sin removed. I call this the church of forgiveness only.'”
Today those with a mere outward “form of godliness” who are “lovers of their own selves” and “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” refuse to “endure (hold themselves accountable to obey) sound doctrine” but rather want “smooth things” (Isaiah 30:9-10; 2 Timothy 4:2-4). This seems to be what is prophetically conveyed here through the prophet Isaiah for these last times. Paul foretold of these “last days” where he says “perilous times shall come” and as we know, are here now.
“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.”
John Wesley on Isaiah 4:1:
“In that day – In that calamitous time. Seven – Many. A certain number for an uncertain. One man – Because few men shall survive that dreadful stroke. Only – Own us for thy wives. Our reproach – Virginity was esteemed a reproach; children, the usual fruit of marriage, being both an honour to their parents, and a blessing of God, especially to that people, from some of whose loins the Messiah was to spring.”
Ignoring the inconvenient truth concerning readiness for Christ’s return will bring irrevocable damnation! (Read Mark 4:17-19; 1 John 2:15-17.) Hell is right now filled with those who ignored the warning signs. While on earth they refused to stop their life and look upward to their Maker, to make things right with Him. When He drew them they snubbed Him, relishing their darkness rather than His light and love (John 3:19-21).
“When Jesus came to the Earth the first time, His people were completely unprepared and did not recognize their Messiah was with them. But there were wise men who did recognize that He was here. They were not wise because of their intellect. They were wise because they were watching and paying attention to the signs of the times. Jesus then told us His second return would be met with both wise and foolish brides. The difference between the two is the wise are prepared and are waiting and watching. The foolish are paying no attention at all and are caught up living their best life now. Out of ten, Jesus said five are wise and five are foolish. That would mean half of the church today is completely unprepared. So ask yourself a question, ‘Am I being wise or am I being foolish?’ Because there are consequences for our actions.” Frank Telford
Make no mistake, The Great Bridegroom of Heaven is not coming back for a lukewarm, and uninvolved, a casual-love Bride who only want the reproach of their sin removed yet don’t want to give themselves to the Great Bridegroom. He’s not returning for those who treat Him like a second class citizen, a mere hobby, casually getting around to communing with Him. No, the Son of God from Heaven is coming out of the eastern sky for His bride – those wise virgin saints who are in love with Him, who daily attend unto Him, sitting at His feet to learn of Him.
DOOR SHUT IN FACE: Distinguishing between the wise and foolish virgins is quite simple. Those who seek God in His Word are the wise and all others are the foolish – upon whom the door of the Bridegroom shall be shut (Matthew 25:1-13). Anyone whom Christ has previously saved who is not nourishing his spirit in the Word daily, has already backslidden and is not prepared to meet Christ.
The vast majority of those falsely claiming to be saved have no heart for the Word of God and no fruit to demonstrate, to prove they are truly following Jesus – on His stated terms which begins with the crucified life (Luke 9:23-24). They don’t have time for God because in truth, many of these have never repented, truly. Their life is all about themselves and all their stupid trinkets they are adulterously choosing over Christ. Make no mistake: they are as sure for eternal damnation as if they were already there (Mark 4:17-19; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15; Revelation 2:4-5; 3:15-16, etc.).
YOU keep it, guard it, till it, fill it with the Word, etc.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23
It’s your personal responsibility to keep your heart perfect before the LORD (Psalms 34:18; 51:17; Matthew 5:6, etc.). Praying Psalm 51 is a great place to camp. Oh yes JESUS! Do Your purifying work in us, Your people. I love You dear LORD Jesus!
JESUS says to those saved that they must “endure to the end,” they must “abide” which means to remain, to continue (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; John 15:6). Jesus says that those who do not “abide” with Him will be cast into the fire and He is specifically speaking to those who are in Him (John 15:1-6). Scripture teaches initial and final salvation throughout, including the parable of the ten virgins where all ten were engaged to the bridegroom (Jesus), and yet only five made it into the bridal chamber of eternal glory and the other five were shut out (Matthew 25:1-13). God put conditions on His gift – initial and perpetual. The man who gets engaged to a woman who then begins consorting with other men, would be a fool to still marry her. The Son of God who is the Bridegroom of Heaven would never marry a whore – nor remain married to an adulterous woman (Revelation 19:7-10; Ephesians 5:25-27).
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5
So God wants a bride that is not engaged in participating with Him in a relationship, doing His kingdom work? Not.
More light flooding into our hearts is needed perpetually… “The entrance of thy word giveth light” (Psalms 119:130). Think and declare: “I am a wise virgin believer who is eagerly anticipating the coming of my Bridegroom from Heaven” (Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 19:7-10). ALL who got saved in the past and yet are not devouring God’s Word daily, are of the foolish virgins and will be irrevocably shut out of the eternal kingdom of Christ. Get in the Word or perish. You CANNOT sustain a life with Christ without the daily fuel of His Word. Obey Him or you prove you do not love Jesus (John 14:21). Talk is cheap (1 John 3:18).
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Articles
The Communication of Thy Faith
Excerpt from the book Revolutionary Evangelism
“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” Philemon 1:6
Is God concerned how much we sweat or hurt ourselves in order to communicate His truth? I think not. I believe that He is simply desirous that we communicate His Word, no matter what available legitimate method(s) we might choose. The key in the LORD’s economy is “the communication of thy faith.”
Captured in the verse below, seems like the beloved Job is referring also to the refreshment that comes from opening our lips and testifying of our LORD’s great goodness!
“I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.” Job 32:20
With this truth in mind does it not behoove each and every believer to find ways to confess Christ to others who need Him?
OSWALD J. SMITH stated: ”For more than thirty years I have prayerfully considered the problem: How can we evangelise the world in the space of one generation? I do not believe we ever can send out enough missionaries; but there must be a way. After travel and study in fifty-three countries, I have come to the conclusion, the only way we are going to be able to carry out the Great Commission – ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15) – will be by means of the printed page.”
The end is near. What seed have you sown to reach the lost? What will you tell the Master in the end about how you spent your life on this earth (the life He gave you)?
“I believe our Gospel literature is having a greater impact for Christ on Africa than the coming of five thousand new missionaries.” Dr. Guy Playfield – Sudan Interior Mission
For nearly 500 years now, Gospel tracts have been used to reach the lost with the message of the Good News. No doubt that salvation tracts, also referred to as Gospel or silent messengers, are ordained by God as one of the primary methods/tools to evangelize the world.
“Unquestionably the most economical and effective method of world evangelism is the printed page. Ninety percent of the reported conversions to Christianity in Latin America are the result of sound Gospel literature. One good Gospel tract or Bible study booklet given careful, prayerful, wide distribution may easily reach more people than all the sermons one could preach in a lifetime. And after we are gone, they remain, like Longfellow’s ‘Footprints on the Sands of Time’ streams of blessing that will flow on forever.” J.E. McKEE
By divine inspiration, the modern printing press was invented about the time of the great reformation in order to communicate the grace of Jesus Christ to the world. As a result, in the 16th century, the Gospel message blazed across Europe, evangelizing those who were previously locked up by the devil in the dark ages of false religion. The great reformer stated:
- “Printing is God’s latest and best work to spread true religion throughout the whole world.” Martin Luther
Today, more Word tracts are printed and distributed in the world than any previous time in human history. Could this be as a result of the orchestrating of the Holy Spirit due to Christ’s soon return?
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30
Are you a soul winner? Do you have a systematic program to distribute God’s Word via the printed page? Do you have a willing heart? Need Gospel literature?
The message of salvation through Christ, printed in a brief format and easy to distribute, makes it more than feasible for every true Christian to “confess” Christ (Lk. 12:8-9) while communicating His message. With this in mind, will there be any excuse on Judgment Day for having ignored the Great Commission command and the precious lost souls for whom Christ died?
Good News for the disciple: Gospel tracts, which contain the salvation message of holy Scripture, make it possible for every believer to “Do the work of an evangelist.” (2 Timothy 4:5) Good tracts are available to those who desire to be about their Father’s business in winning the lost. Beware of tracts without the direct life or death message Jesus and His original apostles presented (Lk 13:3,5; Mk 16:16, 2 Cor. 2:16, etc.).
You can order Gospel tracts on this site which present the most important elements of Scripture to the lost; Holiness of God, sinfulness of men in breaking His holy law, the necessity of repentance and being born again into the body of Christ through Jesus Christ alone.
PRAYER: God, in the name of Jesus we ask You now to grant this world more Gospel workers (Matt. 9:37-38). Cause each of us to be obedient in this matter LORD. Forgive our coldness and selfishness in disobeying your Great Commission command and for not being considerate to those who don’t yet know you by hiding You from them in not sharing Your message with them. Forgive us for the excuses we have made up and how we have been ashamed of You towards those who need Your love so desperately. I am Yours LORD, please use me, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Abiding
The Weapons of Our Warfare [podcast]
Fighting Vertically (seeking His face continually) Guarantees that God will take care of the Horizontal
Your ground game will never work until you push praise to the One who made and saved you. Today is your day to train upward. The outward will follow. Verticaly praise to our LORD guarantees horizonal victory. The cross.
“Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalms 149:5-9
Dealing a crushing blow to your enemies – sin and Satan – requires kisses blown to Jesus Christ, the “first love” of your life! (Revelation 2:4-5) Like David, it will be the worshippers who will be God’s warriors!
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” Psalms 2:12
Seeking the face of the LORD is to be “continually.” The victory Jesus died to procure for you, to bless you to walk in, will evade all who do not “seek his face continually.”
“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11
The only way to get up swinging, get up winning, is to set your heart to seek the face of your Savior! Simple prescription. Do it. Your plan is set in stone. You arise each morning with joyful praise, hands and heart and tongue pointed, aimed at Heaven, lifting the name of Jesus Christ!
“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.” 1 Chronicles 16:22
The only ones the LORD is going to powerfully use to “build” His kingdom in the hearts of men, are those who “set” their soul to seek His holy face.
Is your obedience being fulfilled? Are you filled with love and therefore obedience to the Savior?
The “weapons of our warfare” are:
- The Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
- Prayer and persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
- The name of Jesus (Acts 14:13-14; 16:23-24; Acts 3:16, etc.).
OUR GREATEST WEAPON IS THE WRITTEN WORD, PRAYER, AND THE NAME OF JESUS SAINTS. FRET NOT.
In the wilderness Jesus defeated the enemy by speaking forth the Word (Luke 4). He pulled out specific ammo for the enemy to address specific attacks, On all points, against every weapon of the enemy, Jesus had ammo with the devil’s evil name on it. And in doing so, He gave us the knowledge and example of how the enemy is defeated in our own lives. The Word of God is “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” and is “sharper than any twoedged sword” (2 Corinthians 10:4; Hebrews 4:12).
Studying, knowing the Word of God is like building the military, the arsenal of your life, in order to defeat the enemy. Without a strong arsenal of weapons and ammo, and the expert ability to use those weapons, you will be naked in the battle and lose. God’s Word is your arsenal – that which you have in you – the knowledge and performance thereof. Nothing is more important to your life today than seeking God in His Word and prayer. Jesus is Heaven’s Mighty Warrior, He is “a man of war” and is coming back “in flaming fire…” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 19:11-16, etc.).
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12
We are in a war and must fight to win! “FIGHT the good fight….”
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Jesus demonstrated exactly what “the weapons of our warfare” are when He faced Satan in the wilderness. That weapon is the Word of God.
David, who was first a worshipper, was also an expert warrior. His life is a great example to the New Testament saint. David was learning to walk with the LORD, faithfully seeking Him in the pasture as he tended to sheep. He was building up his arsenal. And because he truly knew and sought the LORD, having been diligently training for warfare, the LORD, who is “a man of war,” directed him in choosing the specific ammo from His arsenal to take out Goliath (Exodus 15:3).
The “good soldier of Jesus Christ” is entrenched in the business of war, of winning the war. His Master, Jesus Christ, has never lost – and never will. Yet that blessing is reserved exclusively to those of His saints, His holy soldiers, who “strive lawfully.”
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” 2 Timothy 2:3-5
Striving “lawfully” simply means striving or working God’s way, according to His instructions and wishes, and not your own. Such includes to:
- “endure hardness.”
- realize you are a “soldier” which means you are in a war.
- not be entangled with this world.
- seek to please the LORD, who is “a man of war” and has chosen you to be His “soldier,” waging His war.
The LORD has and is bringing His true disciples to the understanding that this truly is a WAR, a fight to the death. You must “FIGHT the good fight of faith” or you will be a needless casualty of war! (1 Timothy 6:12) And so a military, a militant stance, posture, must be assumed by the disciple who will endure to the end (Matthew 10:22; 24:10-14, etc.).
Spiritual Warfare | Fake Bibles Exposed
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“Seven Women shall take hold of One Man” [podcast]
The Communication of Thy Faith
The Weapons of Our Warfare [podcast]
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The Communication of Thy Faith
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The Communication of Thy Faith
The Weapons of Our Warfare [podcast]
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