True and False Authority

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THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

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Which Are You Under?

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

As you may very well know, when we set out to communicate the truth – all of it – without apology, He promised that we will be ousted by those professing to know Christ, namely those in positions of leadership. Jesus was! Paul was! The Jewish prophets were! Anyone who embarks upon going all the way with the LORD will be rejected and falsely accused, attacked and cut off (financially) by the antichrist spirit operating in the organized church world (See Matt. 10:22; Jn. 16:1-3; Matt. 5:10-12, 1 Kings 18:4, etc.).

When we learn true authority, by deduction we will discern false authority.

Always remember that “ALL” authority has been given unto our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ and He only gives it to those who obey Him (Matt. 28:18-20; Jn. 14:21,23; 2 Cor. 10:6; etc.). The unchanging Son of God, in whom “ALL” authority is vested, never grants His divine authority to any person who holds a position of leadership in a corporate setting – unless that individual is abiding fully in Him.

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18

How much power/authority has been given to the Son of God? “ALL power.” What/Where is the sphere of this power specifically? “Heaven and in earth.” Where do you live? On “earth?” Are you living in fervent obedience to the Master of the Universe in Whom all authority abides? How much of His power is entrusted into your life at this time?

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20

While on earth, Jesus walked a life flawlessly committed to His Father and purposely did not commit Himself to mere men. Unlimited authority was invested in Him (Jn. 2:24-25; 3:34; 5:30, etc.).

“For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.” John 3:34-35

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10:38

The early believers met in houses as well as at times in the Jewish temple (Acts 2:42-47; 5:42; Philemon 1:3, etc.). When those who held the positions of leadership refused to purge themselves of unbelief, wrong beliefs (false doctrine), sin, and rebelled against the Word, Paul “departed from them, and separated the disciples” (Acts 19:9). Church splits can be a blessing! Beloved, we need not be so naïve as to believe that those who have the positions (hirelings in most cases) are necessarily in the right – correct. When we view life from a Scriptural perspective, we find that throughout Old and New Testament history, in the vast majority of cases, those who held offices in organized religion, were the greatest enemies of Christ – antichrist (Is. 56:10-12; Jer. 23; Ezek. 34; Matt. 23; Phil. 3:17-20, etc.). Is anything different in our day? No.

Jesus spoke a more piercing, furious, potent, and lambasting rebuke to religious authorities than any other class of men (read Matt. 23). It was men who held leadership positions in organized religion who called for the death of Jesus Christ. They did this while believing they were serving God, deceived and not knowing that they had been turned over to a demonic, deluding spirit because they did not love and obey divine truth (Matt. 27:12,18; 2 Thess. 2:9-12).

When looking at history we find that it was when the church (called out remnant) was removed from homes in the 4th century that men were able to begin to come in and mislead, distort, deceive, separate, polarize, and bring blindness to people’s lives. The purity of worship was lost in most cases. The Holy Ghost foretold that this was coming. This is exactly one aspect of what the Holy Spirit was prophetically foretelling and revealing to the apostle Paul when he told the Ephesian elders: “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29-30)

This they were able to do by moving the gatherings to their own buildings, separating people from intimate fellowship in the Word, Holy Spirit, and among themselves. Compare Acts 2:42-47.

It should be no surprise that the Roman Catholic Church, which is an antichrist system, began about that time. No one system has corrupted the Gospel of the grace of God through Christ more than this system which Jesus Christ defined and told us He will destroy in “one hour” (Rev. 17-18).

“And he went into the synagogue (man-organized church), and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. 9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. 10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. 11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” Acts 19:8-12

We see that these believers began to gather “in the school of one Tyrannus.” The whole point of gathering is to worship the LORD Jesus Christ – when this is lost, no matter the physical locale, all is lost. A separate gathering place is not sinful. It only becomes sinful when men rule in lieu of Christ, the Supreme Ruler and Head of His body (Col. 1-2).

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:12

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Colossians 3:16-17

His saints are to diligently and joyfully worship Him alone who is “the Almighty,” the One in Whom “all authority” resides – The Eternal Word, Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:8). Of the divine Person of Jesus Christ, the Book of Revelation states:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

Note in the text we visited above (Acts 19:8-12) that:

V8 – Paul the apostle is an incredible gift to all believers under the New Covenant. He determined to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified (Gal. 6:14; 1 Cor. 2:2). No matter where he was, the apostle Paul spoke “boldly … concerning the kingdom of God.”

In Paul’s ministry, it was all about King Jesus and the “things concerning the kingdom of God,” not men and their religious notions, fame, organizations, denominations, building and curriculum programs and projects.

V9 – In this arena of organized religion, the leaders were “hardened, and believed not, but spoke evil of that way before the multitude,” so Paul pulled the true believers out of that house of rebellion (Ichabod) and began gathering and teaching in an atmosphere of pure faith in Jesus. Nothing has changed: It is all too common for organized religious leaders today to speak evil of the LORD’s truth and those who are messengers of it.

V10 – For two years the apostle Paul taught and the Word of God reverberated to Asia.

V11 – As He promised, His power followed the preaching of the pure Word – “the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” (Mk. 16:15-20).

V12 – Notice in this verse that there was the power of the LORD Jesus present to bless people as Paul and the other disciples walked unwaveringly in the Spirit and in divine truth. This is the remnant.

“And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:22

Praise the LORD: Take a look at this snapshot of the blessed power from on high that was present in our LORD’s ministry:

“And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” Luke 4:31-44

When we are submitted under the “mighty hand of God” and not the religious props of mere men posing as His authority (wolves in sheep’s clothing), we can be assured that the blessing of His presence and healing power will be present in the midst of the pure worship of His holy saints (1 Pet. 5:6). Jesus is all-powerful. Jesus still heals broken hearts, broken lives, and broken bodies!

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

“O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.” Psalms 96:9

When men and women obey the LORD in sincerity and in truth, He promises to purely manifest His power to bless and meet all needs in the midst.

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.” Psalms 24:3-6

To find or enjoy an environment of pure worship, there has to first be a cleansing of our own temples – first our own lives, then the gatherings. This ocurrs when we sincerely humble ourselves before the LORD our God our Maker and rend our hearts – tear them open and bare before His holiness (Joel 2:13).

“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23

It is a diabolical lie to believe that one is right with God while serving mere men. Pleasing God and pleasing men can be two totally different things – and usually is. So many today vainly believe they are in right standing with God while they serve the religions of sinful men.

We are only to submit to men inasmuch as they follow the LORD – according to His Holy Word.

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation…Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:7,17

We are only to “submit” to God-fearing leaders who speak “unto you the word of God” and “they watch for your souls” in the fear of God and “warn” you to “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” (Heb. 13:7,17; Col. 2:8).

Those leaders who are true and not false “watch for your souls.” They oversee the people of the LORD by “preaching,” “warning,” and “teaching.” This is according to the apostolic pattern (Col. 1:28; 2:8).

So many leaders today want people to submit to them (including giving tithes and offerings) and yet they are not doing what the LORD told them to do. These men do not fear Him nor feed and protect the sheep of His pasture. Incredible! And most people in their audiences do not know the Word of God enough to discern that these men are smiling, charismatic wolves posing as sheep (Matt. 7:15-23). This accounts for much of the devouring doctrines which are rampant in parts of the church world.

“Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.” Proverbs 27:23

Isn’t it time that we cease from propping up false authority and begin putting the LORD’s money into true works of Christ that align with the New Testament revelation?

Any leader who does not diligently watch over and protect with truth the saints of the LORD, is clearly identified as false authority according to Holy Scripture. Delivering a nice little sermon and shaking the hands of the people on Sunday morning, does not constitute the biblical model of God-fearing, obedient leadership.

Jeremiah 23 is a landmark chapter dedicated to the exposure of false shepherds among the people of God. This is how it begins:

“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:1-2

Make no mistake: The LORD is “against” these “pastors” who have “scattered” His “flock” and “driven them away, and have not visited them.” He promised to judge these wolves in sheep’s clothing.

False leaders have time and energy to collect tithes and offerings, yet they conveniently find little or no time to dwell among the people and visit them. Amazing! Any leader who is too busy for people, the people Christ came and died for, is too busy and totally deluded.

How long shall we fund the ministries of these wolves?

The LORD is angry with these men who usurp and intercept His worship, but it is only when people support these deceivers that they are able to continue beguiling and ravaging the sheep of His pasture.

Jesus Christ bought us with His very own precious blood – so we could know and worship Him and the Father (Jn. 17:3). Satan’s emissaries, wearing sheep’s clothing, are in our midst, diverting pure worship to themselves or something else other than the LORD – entrenching the affections of men deeper into this fleeting world by building greater and greater buildings, involving them in programs and fostering their allegiance to an organization of mere men. This is idolatry and spiritual adultery. Men are not to usurp, subvert, and intercept the authority invested in and granted by Jesus – “All power.” When such occurs, there is the quenching of His Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19).

God is calling us to repent and be broken before Him before it is too late. He loves us. He loves you, and here is the proof of His love:

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation 3:19

Let’s look at the divine prescription for getting right with the LORD and upholding Christ as the Supreme Authority of our lives and His body. At the beginning and end of His ministry on earth, Jesus cleansed the temple. In doing such He established a memorial of the zeal of God for holiness among His people, namely in having undiluted, unpolluted, pure worship:

“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out (purged, cleansed) all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.” Matthew 21:12-17

Note what we see in this important text:

Purging – “cast out (purged, cleansed) all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves” (v12)
Prayer – “My house shall be called the house of prayer” (v13)
Power (to heal) – “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them” (v14)
Persecution from Pitiful Pharisees – “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased” (v15)
Praise – “And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (v16)
Peace – “And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.” (v17)

We see from this biblical model that when there is first purging and prayer, there will then be power, persecution, praise (to God), and divine peace. First we must assure that the LORD Jesus Christ is truly the “Head” of our lives – exalted as the Supreme Authority and not subtly replaced by mere men (Col. 2:8-10, 18-19).

Ready or not – Jesus is Coming.

PRAYER of Consecration: LORD Jesus, I need Your holy grace in submitting fully to Your Lordship. I want to truly and genuinely love and serve You Jesus and be Your unspotted sheep – kept from the lure of the evil one and his false leadership that poses as Your true authority. Thank You my LORD for dying for me and rising again from the dead. Cleanse this temple – my heart, mind and body afresh with Your holy blood. I know You are coming soon LORD and I want to be fully pleasing to You in all things. Right this moment, I ask You to please take over my life completely. Reign upon the throne of my heart. Into Thine hands I commend my spirit. Wash and fill me my Savior. I love You supremely Jesus. Amen.

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The Life God Blesses to Bear Fruit for His Eternal Glory

A fruitful life for God’s glory involves first being genuinely born again, abiding in Christ via the crucified life, bearing spiritual fruit—such as Christlikeness in character, good works, and evangelism—by remaining in vital union with Jesus, the true vine (John 15).

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16

JUST as Jesus multiplied the little with the boy who gave the loaves and fishes, so He does with our efforts. Jesus multiplied that little and fed 5,000 men, and that doesn’t count the women and children present. Try Him.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalms 34:8

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Matthew 25:40-46

God blesses the lives of His faithful saints. His faithful saints seek His face continually.

“Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

God prospers us according as we seek His face and stay upon Him. Of king Uzziah king of Judah, God’s Word says:

“As long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.” 2 Chronicles 26:5

At times in this life there are season of uncertainty, where our vision may not be clear. We must “stay upon” the LORD.

“Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” Isaiah 50:10

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” Jeremiah 29:11-14

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

We’ve never been so reminded of this as of the miraculous events of late where beloved brother Juan dropped some plastic water bottles that hit me in the feet. Only God could have orchestrated this collision of Juan’s life and mine.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” Psalms 37:23

Ask Him.

Recently brother Stacy Strother reminded me that God simply wants us, His people to be available, to pray and watch Him work!

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” Mark 16:15-20

It has been wisely stated:

“Show me a man’s prayer life, his life of prayer or lack thereof, and I will show you who that man truly is and who and what he loves most.”

All who are zealous for the LORD are zealous about His work, to do it. Not build a church, but to see Christ work in the hearts of men—to strengthen and equip His body and convict and save lost souls to Himself.

One source notes:

“Evangelism is the act of sharing the Christian gospel—the ‘good news’ of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection—with the aim of inviting others into a relationship with God. It is considered a core mission for believers to spread this message of salvation, hope, and love, often stemming from Jesus’s command in the Great Commission.”

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30

YOUR PRAYER: Holy Father, in Jesus’ name, unite my heart to fear Thy name. Do your work in and through my life. I am all Yours. Maximize the fruit produced to Your eternal glory. You must increase but I must decrease. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Washed. Sanctified. Glorified. [podcast]

“Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” John 13:8

Jesus’ true bride is known in that she is making herself ready for Him.

“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.” Revelation 19:7-8

“This morning I read Psalm 45. Titled the Kings marriage. The story of the King and His bride. This is a beautiful picture of the marriage supper of the Lamb in Rev 19:7-9. The Bridegroom is adorned in glory, majesty, righteousness and truth. Sitting in His royal throne. Then enters the Bride. Holy, without spot or wrinkle. Wearing the righteousness of Christ. And Jesus says, you are in thy Father’s house and He desires thy beauty and worship. Wow! Because she is wearing the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:4). His attributes. And she is wearing gold. Fine gold because she has been tried in the fire of affliction. And she is one of the five wise virgins who is invited to enter into the King’s palace. What a glorious picture of all who make themselves ready and are clean and white before their King Jesus! Alleluia!” Karen Cochran

The person who repents, puts their faith in Jesus Christ, and is saved, and continues rooted in Christ, continuing/abiding in Him, will confess any sin committed and be perpetually transformed by Him (Proverbs 28:13; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 1:7, 9; 3:4-10).

Many have been misled. Jesus invented the term “FALL AWAY” (Luke 8:13). The Son of God does not lie. If falling away isn’t possible, why did Jesus say it is possible? Jesus is returning for those who are looking for Him by the way they live.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as 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

Only those hearing and obeying God’s Word are being washed by it.

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto THEM THAT LOOK FOR HIM shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are WASHED, but ye are SANCTIFIED, but ye are JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

The explanation below is modified from another source and notes the following:

“‘Washed, sanctified, and justified’ (often replacing glorified with justified) describes the comprehensive spiritual transformation of a believer in 1 Corinthians 6:11. It signifies being cleansed from sin, set apart for God’s purpose, and declared righteous through Christ, moving from a past life of disobedience to a new identity and a life of obedience to God (2 Corinthians 5:15).

- Washed: Refers to being cleansed of the defilement and stain of sin, often linked to baptism and the washing of regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
- Sanctified: Means being set apart to God for His holy purpose. It involves both a position of holiness in Christ and a progressive, lifelong process of becoming more like Him.
- Justified (Glorified/Righteous): Means being acquitted of all guilt and declared righteous before God on the basis of Christ’s finished work.

Contextual Meaning

- Transformation: The Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians that while they once lived in sin, their identity changed upon following Jesus.
- The Power Source: These changes are accomplished in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God, not by personal merit.
- Living the New Life: This transformation signifies that believers are no longer defined by their past sins, but by their new, holy standing.”

Prayer: Jesus, I know You are going to return for a Bride that is without spot, wrinkle, or sin of any kind. Purify this life LORD Jesus which I now submit to You without reserve. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Is the Crucified Life Essential for Going to Heaven? [podcast]

Jesus taught that the Heaven bound disciple must have root in himself, must “endure to the end”, must have a long term, an eternal perspective (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Mark 4:17; Luke 8:13). The Cost of Discipleship “And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 […]

How We Know the Bible is the only Holy Book on Planet Earth [podcast]

There’s only one Book whose Author is God. Only God knows the future – and His foretelling of the future in the Bible clearly proves it’s His Book. Law of probability and the fulfillment of Bible prophecies: Odds of the more than 300 prophecies of the prophets concerning the coming Messiah, given hundreds of years prior to His arrival coming true are: 8,749,002,899,132,046,697,490,008,908,470,485,461,412,622,723,572,849,745,… 703,082,425,425,639,811,996,797,503,692,894,052,708,092,215,296 to 1 Fact: Only the Almighty could know the future and forthtell it in specific detail, long before it ever happened. THIS is how we know that the Bible is truly the Word of the one […]

Articles

What’s Behind Atheism and Evolution? NOT SCIENCE [podcast]

Atheist – n. One who denies the existence of God.

NO SUCH THING AS AN “ATHEIST.” TOTAL SHAM of sinners TO self-righteously INDICT GOD.

“They are without excuse:” Romans 1:20

God does not believe in atheists …. no such thing (Romans 1:18-20). Those who claim to be atheist are merely dishonest moral cowards who seek to deny the obvious and escape personal accountability to a holy God and Judge of their eternal soul. God has no obligation to further prove Himself to unbelievers. Read Romans 1. There are 3 things that prove there is a Creator of this creation….. 1. Creation itself reveals that there must be a Creator (v25), 2. Our Maker gave each of us a conscience to know right and wrong (v18-20), and 3. the Word of the Gospel (v16).

To say we have no Maker would be like saying that something can come out of nothing and that a painting has no painter. What kind of looks and attitudes would someone get if he stated that paintings have no painters, that art has no artist? People would laugh as such delusionment, right? Refusal to be personally accountable is at the root of this denial …. not going to end well.

2 CLEAR PROOFS THAT THERE IS A GOD AND THAT HE CREATED ALL THINGS:

(1) CREATION: “The heavens (creation) declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.” Psalms 19:1

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made (earth, elements, etc.), even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 1:20

Without exception, every single self-proclaimed “atheist” is a liar.

There is no need for faith or the Bible to simply know there is a God. Creation alone guarantees that there is a Creator the same as every painting assures there is a painter – whether you can see him (the artist) or not. There is also no “excuse” for us denying the One who made all things, because we are drowning in the beauty of His creation which we see in every direction we look. In fact, there could be no greater absurdity than denying the existence of the One who gave you your own existence.

(2) CONSCIENCE: “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.” Romans 1:19

Is there truly such thing as an atheist? According to Romans 1:19, God’s Word states that all men have within them the knowledge of their Creator.

Attention “Atheist”: Fact: there is not 1 stitch of evidence is all the museums of the world to prove evolution. Fact 2: it’s only the moral coward who runs from God, spending his time trying to disprove something he claims doesn’t exist. The answer is to repent and believe on the LORD Jesus Christ.

History and the study of peoples (anthropology) across the earth, reveals that all men are religious, the central difference is the object of their worship, not only with people groups but also with individuals. Everyone worship someone, whether self or the One true God or some false god.

Christianity is the only belief system in the world that demands change – that the adherent repent before the one true and holy God for sinning against Him.

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” Acts 17:30

Could it be that the religion of atheism is a cloak for those who would rather espouse a belief system that allows them to be their own gods and in control of their own lives and destiny? You see, those who call themselves “atheists” simply enthrone themselves as their object of worship (god). To do this though, they must first deny and do away with the one true God that exists in their conscience. To do this, they must espouse something like atheism or believe in the proof-less myth of evolution, which makes man out to be a glorified animal.

If we evolved from apes, why are apes still here? Where is the intermediary species?

The Faces of Lawlessness are Many. Rebellion comes in a nearly unlimited variety of flavors, all with evil at their root. The myth that man is good is a lie, a front that masks rebellion against the one true God who sent His only begotten Son to die for us – because we’ve “ALL sinned” against Him (Romans 3). Hiding behind one’s religion is a sham that will soon lose its cover and find the religionist standing bare naked before a Holy God and Judge of all eternal souls. We have all sinned against our Maker and in desperate need of His saving mercy. We will stand before Him individually to give account for our lives in this fleeting life. To be saved, one must repent and believe upon His only begotten Son. There is no other way to be right with God and escape the flames of eternal damnation.

It seems obvious that atheism its a dishonest position to cloak a deeper issue of the heart. It is a fact that no scientist has ever proven evolution, nor does any museum in the world contain even one stitch of information which proves evolution.

So-called atheism is the vain attempt of sinful, unrepentant mere men to deny their Maker. The LORD made all men with a conscience and consciousness to know that He exists and that He made them. This means they are accountable to Him and this is why they intentionally seek to deny Him. But denial changes nothing. According to Romans 1:18-20, God made all men with the built-in knowledge that He exists as their Creator and Judge.

Adaptation is part of CREATION. It merely speaks to a loving God who made men and even animals to adapt to their environment on HIS earth where He created and placed them (Psalms 8). There is no museum in the entire world that has a stitch of proof of evolution. “The FOOL hath said in his heart, there is no God.” (Psalms 14:1)

Debate an “atheist”? Perhaps simply quote Psalms 14:1 to him ….

MESSAGE RECEIVED:

“There is no God, boy. Grow up.”

REPLY:

There is a God, who is the Judge of your eternal soul, and He says you are a sinner and a fool in need of His forgiveness.

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Psalms 14:1

Then when he returns fire….

“Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” Proverbs 26:5

Does it not seem that those who refuse to take personal responsibility for their own lives (sins) have to fabricate some myth or adhere to an existing one, in order to continue to soothe/override the conscience their Creator made them with? Many of these same people say things like “If there were a God He wouldn’t allow such terrible things to go on upon earth.” So, in this it seems to me that they are making themselves to be more just and righteous than their Maker and now have placed themselves in judgment of Him – Get it, these scoffers make themselves god while denying the true Maker.

“Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?” Job 4:17

Maybe we ourselves (God’s people) blame God for things we do not understand and should consider a more noble and upright road of humility, honesty and transparency, like King David who took personal responsibility for his own life, instead of blaming the Almighty.

“For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” Psalms 38:18

Isn’t the moral downward gravitational pull of our own sinful nature a constant reminder of our great and utter necessity for God’s grace and mercy?

Those who deny God and His obvious existence, will be denied by God. They will be denied entrance into eternal glory and violently terminated into the bowels of eternal damnation.

Okay, back to atheism……

To say the universe created itself would be more delusional than to believe that cars and trucks make themselves, have no maker. If mere vehicles can’t create themselves or appear out of mid air, how did the universe do so?

For many an atheist, evolution is the religion he places his faith in.

The Scoop on the Atheist Evolutionist: Those who refuse to acknowledge and obey their Creator have to make up some link-less, proof-less fairy tale (evolution) so as to convince their own consciences that the Bible isn’t true – but the end will show it is.

Of atheists, one writer says: “The “Atheist” Can’t find God for the same reason the thief can’t find a policeman.”

In this statement, the author is expressing the truth that the atheist simply does not want to find God. The atheist wants to place his trust and future upon a long ago bankrupted myth, so he can live the way he wishes – as his own “god” – and with no standard to live by. In order to perpetuate the evolutionary lie that violates his own conscience, he must continue to believe the lie that he came from an animal, so that he can continue to justify living like one.

“I suppose the reason we leaped at the origin of species was because the idea of God interfered with our sexual mores.” (Sir Julian Huxley, President of the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Could it be that what belief system one adopts is largely a heart matter? Could it be that behind the so-called atheism some claim, is a prideful heart that simply refuses to willfully humble itself before the Almighty in repentance? Is this also what is behind the attack on the Bible?

The Scoop on the Atheist: Instead of simply admitting what he knows to be true and repenting of his many sins, he embarks upon the futile and foolish endeavor of disproving the obvious – that there is a God and he is accountable.

No matter who we are or where we are today, here is the message for life: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

Why does one need the Son of God? To escape the consequence of his sin – eternal damnation.

You might ask: How have I sinned against the Almighty? God’s holy law reveals how you have utterly offended and violated His holiness:

By not putting Him first in your life
Having idols – any person or thing that is more important than Him
Using His holy name in vain
Not gathering with His people regularly
Have not always honored your parents
Have hated or begrudged anyone (heart murder)
Been sexually immoral by lusting after someone you’re not married to by looking upon them while entertaining evil thoughts
Stolen (anything)
Lying
Coveting what is not yours

Friend, before it is too late, humble yourself before the God who is worthy of all your worship.

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” Psalms 95:6

Are you ready to turn to God before it is too late? Below is the outline of a humble prayer to repent before a holy God and receive Christ before it is too late for you. In a begging manner (because you are a spiritual pauper and in utter need of His mercy), cry out with all of your heart and aloud with your mouth to God with these words. Remember, He is listening right now. Pray this in desperation, trusting Him fully, and He will rescue (save) you: Dear Heavenly Father, I know You are holy and I have been very sinful. I have sinned against You in many ways and are worthy of Your holy judgment. Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son Jesus to die a horrible death on that wooden cross for my sins, and thank You for raising Him from the dead to completely justify me. I love You my LORD Jesus. From this very moment forward, I am all Yours and thank You that You are all mine. Amen.

PEACE WITH GOD

“Scientists who go about teaching that evolution is a fact of life are great con-men, and the story they are telling may be the greatest hoax ever. In explaining evolution we do not have one iota of fact.” Dr. T. N. Tahmisian, Physiologist, Atomic Energy Commission. As quoted in: Evolution and the Emperor’s New Clothes, 3D Enterprises Limited, 1983, title page

“Evolution is a fairy tale for grownups.” Dr. Louis Bounoure, Director of the Zoological Museum and Director of Research at the National Center of Scientific Research in France, J. Rostand, “LaMonde et la Vie,” October 1963, p. 31 from V. Long, “Evolution: A Fairy Tale for Adults,” Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Vol 78 (1978), no. 7, pp. 27-32

“One of the reasons I started taking this anti-evolutionary view, was … it struck me that I had been working on this stuff for twenty years and there was not one thing I knew about it. That’s quite a shock to learn that one can be so misled so long. …so for the last few weeks I’ve tried putting a simple question to various people and groups of people. Question is: Can you tell me anything you know about evolution, any one thing that is true? I tried that question on the geology staff at the Field Museum of Natural History and the only answer I got was silence. I tried it on the members of the Evolutionary Morphology Seminar in the University of Chicago, a very prestigious body of evolutionists, and all I got there was silence for a long time and eventually one person said, ‘I do know one thing — it ought not to be taught in high school’.” Dr. Colin Patterson, Senior Paleontologist, British Museum of Natural History, London Keynote address at the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, 5 November, 1981

The denial of God is a discrediting of His creation, those created in His image, mankind.

“I shall argue, however, that discrediting ‘human dignity’ is one of the most important implications of Darwinism, and that it has consequences that people have barely begun to appreciate.” James Rachels, Created from Animals: the Moral Implications of Darwinism, 79-80.

“I know that, at least in paleoanthropology, data are still so sparse that theory heavily influences interpretations. Theories have, in the past, clearly reflected our current ideologies instead of actual data.” Dr David Pilbeam (Physical Anthropologist, Yale University, USA), ‘Rearranging our family tree’. Human Nature, June 1978, p. 45.

“It is easy enough to make up stories of how one form gave rise to another, and to find reasons why the stages should be favored by natural selection. But such stories are not part of science, for there is no way of putting them to the test.” Personal letter (written 10 April 1979) from Dr Collin Patterson, Senior Paleontologist at the British Museum of Natural History in London, to Luther D. Sunderland; as quoted in Darwin’s Enigma by Luther D. Sunderland, Master Books, San Diego, USA, 1984, p. 89.

“Biologists are simply naive when they talk about experiments designed to test the theory of evolution. It is not testable. They may happen to stumble across facts which would seem to conflict with its predictions. These facts will invariably be ignored and their discoverers will undoubtedly be deprived of continuing research grants.” Professor Whitten (Professor of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Australia), 1980 Assembly Week address.

“In fact, evolution became in a sense a scientific religion; almost all scientists have accepted it and many are prepared to ‘bend’ their observations to fit in with it.” H.S. Lipson, FRS (Professor of Physics, University of Manchester, UK), ‘A physicist looks at evolution’. Physics Bulletin, vol. 31, 1980, p. 138.

That the theory of evolution is atheism:

“First, it shocks the common sense of unsophisticated men to be told that the whale and the humming-bird, man and the mosquito, are derived from the same source. Not that the whale was derived out of the hummingbird, or man out of the mosquito, but that both are derived by a slow process of variations continued through countless millions of years. Such is the theory with its scientific feathers plucked off…

A second remark is the theory (evolution) in question cannot be true, because it is founded on the assumption of an impossibility. It assumes that matter does the work of mind. This is an impossibility and an absurdity in the judgment of all men except materialists; and materialists are, ever have been, and ever must be, a mere handful among men, whether educated or uneducated…

Thirdly, the system is thoroughly atheistic, and therefore cannot possibly stand. God has revealed His existence and His government of the world so clearly and so authoritatively, that any philosophical or scientific speculations inconsistent with those truths are like cobwebs in the track of a tornado. They offer no sensible resistance. The mere naturalist, the man devoted so exclusively to the study of nature as to believe in nothing but natural causes, is not able to understand the strength with which moral and religious convictions take hold of the minds of men. These convictions however, are the strongest, the most ennobling, and the most dangerous for any class of men to disregard or ignore.

In saying that the system is atheistic, it is not said that Mr. Darwin is an atheist. Nor is it meant that every one who adopts the theory does it in an atheistic sense…His theory is that hundreds or thousands of millions of years ago God called a living germ, or living germ, into existence, and that since that time God has no more to do with the universe than if He did not exist. This is atheism to all intents and purposes, because it leaves the soul as entirely without God, without a Father, Helper, or Ruler, as the doctrine of Epicurus or of Comte.” Charles Hodge, Princeton Theologian, Systematic Theology, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1975, vol. 2, p. 15

“To suppose that the eye… could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible. degree.” Charles Darwin, 1872

Atheistic Evolution? Got Proof? [podcast]

Got Proof? Science overwhelmingly confirms the biblical record of creation. Science clearly disproves the secular humanistic religious mere theory of evolution. Questions atheists can’t answer: 1. From what did the first self-replicating molecule originate? 2. What is behind inflation of the universe? 3. Our DNA has 3.5B perfectly ordered “letters” like a computer code. How did this originate, if not from a coder? 4. Why should we be moral? The term “atheistic evolution” simply refers to those atheists who believe man evolved from nothing in order to deny there is a Creator behind creation. They are behind the mere […]

“Evolution is a Fairy Tale for Grownups" ... "The Greatest Hoax Ever"

Clear proof that the devil can only make a monkey out of fools who deny the existence of their own Maker. – SIMPLE QUESTION: IF MAN CAME FROM MONKEYS, WHY ARE THERE STILL MONKEYS? “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Psalms 14:1 Is it possible to have a painting and not a painter? Got proof? Did the painting paint itself? Is it scientific, is it honest to acknowledge a creation and deny there’s a Creator? Got proof? Can something come […]