Author: Believers of Biblical Truth

At Believers of Biblical Truth, we are wholly committed to preaching the unfiltered, uncompromised truth of God’s Word. Our ministry, firmly grounded in scripture, relies on the guidance of the Holy Spirit—not the influences of a sinful world. As we present the Bible’s teachings, we do so in the spirit of 2 Timothy 3:16, which reminds us that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Through each message, we seek to present the truth in a way that is faithful to God’s inerrant Word and pleasing in His sight, guided by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, as instructed in John 16:13: “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.” Our sermons are not designed to entertain or tickle ears; they are solemn presentations of God’s direction and commands for our lives. In today’s world, where truth is often distorted to fit human desires, we emphasize reliance on the Holy Spirit and scripture alone. We heed the warnings of Ephesians 6:11-12 to “put on the whole armour of God,” that we may “stand against the wiles of the devil,” choosing to remain steadfastly in the Word, rejecting Satan’s deception, and grounding ourselves in God’s eternal truth. We believe in using scriptural authority to address life’s toughest issues, with an unwavering dedication to God’s truth. Each sermon is followed by a round-table discussion where our dedicated team addresses questions with the utmost care, ensuring that every answer reflects God’s wisdom. We invite all who are seeking clarity to email us at thebbt2021@gmail.com, where questions are welcomed, encouraged, and answered thoughtfully by our team. This ministry is a place for growth, correction, and alignment with God’s Word, as we strive to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) by spreading the gospel boldly. We recognize the Bible’s call not to engage in foolish arguments but rather to focus on edifying one another and upholding the truth. As 2 Timothy 2:23-24 counsels, we are to “avoid foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that they do gender strifes,” and to serve as “the servant of the Lord,” who “must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.” The Bible’s truths are absolute, not subject to human desires or interpretations. We stand by the conviction that “truth is not hate,” even if it brings discomfort. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that “the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,” and we believe that its power should be wielded in love to draw others to the cross, not as a weapon of condemnation but as an invitation to eternal life in Jesus Christ. In a world often at odds with the gospel, we are compelled to preach the unchangeable truth, recognizing that the only relationship of lasting value is our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our virtual church is enriched by the insights of great theologians who have profoundly influenced Christian thought, including Calvin, Wesley, Gill, Henry, Luther, Edwards, Ellicott, Spurgeon, Baucham, Grudem, Barnes, Clarke, Benson, MacArthur, Graham, N.T. Wright, Keener, Fee, Bruce, McKnight, deSilva, and Sproul, along with others who have faithfully articulated the gospel. Though we rely on these wise voices, our foundation remains the Bible itself, and we uphold the teachings of those who reinforce its truths. Stay connected with Believers of Biblical Truth for regular teachings and discussions: Facebook: facebook.com/believersofbiblicaltruth Blog: fromthecrosstothechristian.wordpress.com At Believers of Biblical Truth, we are here to spread the gospel with clarity, conviction, and reverence. Prepare to be challenged by God’s Word as we seek to “walk in truth” (3 John 1:4) and draw closer to Christ in spirit and in truth.

He will have the last word!

Why should the Christian speak out against wrong doing? Why should the faithful earnestly try to teach the faithless? Why is it important to do both, the acts of loving service that lets the light of Christ shine through us, and the act of loving correction? Why is it not okay for Christians to be tolerant?

As I read this morning, I was led to two passages of scripture.

Hebrews 12
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Notice how God uses the structure of the family in His instruction. If you can take just a moment and consider how your own household, how your own children, how you and your authority in the house, would operate if you treated it with the exact same reverence, or lack there of, as you do to the Father in heaven.

If everything is just about love, no rules, no accountability, no consequences for choices, then why did God create a hell? Let me ask it this way, if all there is is love, then why do you need time-outs? Why do you have rules in the house? Shouldn’t you be more tolerant to your child’s disobedience? You are probably saying that this is not the same at all, but it is. It is exactly the same. When God talks any where in the bible about his relationship with us he uses familial terms. Marriage, bridegroom, bride, father, son, and so on. He is using something that we are very familiar with because we all go through it. Some of us have great experiences of the family, others not so much. But God says, through his word, that this is what a family looks like, this is what rules in the house looks like and this is what consequences look like. Now many people are thinking that God’s love is what saves them instead of thinking that BECAUSE of God’s love there is a pathway to salvation. However, it is the very thing they are claiming will save them from hell without them repenting or living in faith that will condemn them, the love of God. A parent cannot have multiple children, and then tell them that this is the reward for obedience and that this is the consequences for disobedience, and then share the same reward with both the obedient and disobedient children. How do you think that would go over with your kids? How would that have went over with you when you were a child? You may not have been able to stop it, but what would you have thought of your parents. You see, if God does that, then he makes himself out to be a liar, a fraud, unfair, unrighteous, and will bring wrath from the minds of his children against him. There is nothing that God does that earns our wrath. Anything we do that has a negative consequence is a result of our own unacceptable and fleshly intervention. So when believers say, on behalf of a sinner, that Christians should stop hating and start loving by not talking about the consequence of sin is death (pure bible words by the way) you are completely misunderstanding, egregiously misrepresenting and grossly underestimating God’s love.

Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived, according to the bible. The book of Proverbs are know for pure and never outdated wisdom. Just reading one proverb a day, every day of every month, is an exercise a lot of Christians do just because of the wisdom in these chapters. I wasn’t going to give you a whole chapter, but chapter 29 is full of the wisdom about right and wrong, and correction. These God inspired words tell us that there is good in the leadership of obedient Children of God, and there are indeed consequences for disobedience. It tells us that the love we often use to justify sin does not work with the wicked. That people who live in sin bring about wrath, not peace.

Proverbs 29
29 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
4 The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.
6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.
7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.
8 Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.
9 If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.
10 The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.
11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
12 If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.
13 The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes.
14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.
15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.
17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
19 A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.
20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.
22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
23 A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
24 Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.
25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
26 Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.
27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

At the end of the day, no one likes to be corrected. But for the purging of sin from our life, it must be done. For the purpose of raising children, it must be done. In just one home that has no discipline and structure you can see the fate of an entire country that is slowly doing the same. Leaving the rules and codes of morality up to man is no different than letting the kids run the house. Let them make up their own rules and see how fast the parent is out the door. There is one difference between the father that lives in the home, and the Father that lives in heaven. The Father will never be divorced from his bride the church, He will never be evicted from heaven (someone much more powerful than man tried that once and failed huge), and He will have the last word.

I chose to follow that Father, I chose to follow those rules, I chose to be obedient (and I know I will fail daily, but I will be obedient in seeking his forgiveness and I will forever seek sanctification), and I will forever love my brothers and sisters on earth so much that I will never stop speaking the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

If you stand in the mirror, what will the reflection tell you about your relationship with God and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your home, straight from the cross to the Christian!

Do not mistake God’s love for tolerance

I love you so much that I will not lie to you. I love you so much that I will not withhold from you the truth that set me free, because I want you to be free from the consequence of sin too. I will love you so much that I will not quit or give in just because you say God’s truthful love is hateful. Because I know that no one really wants to endure correction, even me. I will love you so much that I will not hoard salvation all to myself, but rather share with you the truths you need to know so you can make the best choice in your life, to receive Christ into your mind and share His greatest gift of all, the cleansing love of the blood of Christ.

Galatians 5
16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

John 15
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 14
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

Love abounds in Jesus. God’s love is so great, no human has yet to experience in its full splendor. I look forward to the day when I travel over Jordan, and get to experience His love forever.

In the few verses from Galatians we see it declared that if you do not have God’s love in you, meaning if you commit those acts without repentance, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. These are not my words, but the words of God. You cannot willingly and happily live in sin and think you are saved. To sin and seek forgiveness is one thing. But to sin and think that you are covered by God’s love and do not need to seek forgiveness, well….that’s what we are talking about here.

Please note in the second block of scriptures that Christ himself is talking and he is telling you that if you do not have his love in you, you are like a dead vine that is ripped off and cast into the fire. The fire is a symbol of judgement in the bible. Make no mistake about it, Jesus is saying if you do not accept Him as your savior, you will not receive everlasting life. Notice again, Jesus says that if you do have his love in you, you will obey; you will do as He commands. He tells us to love each other as He has loved us. What does that look like. Did Jesus ever encourage anyone to live in sin? I don’t think so, and I would need to be led to that scripture if you would say He did. Jesus has always freed people from their sin and told people to sin no more. So if we tell people that it is okay to live in sin, are we actually doing what Jesus did? Do we really love our neighbor the way Christ loves him? Do we love him as much as we love ourselves? Salvation is not just good enough for us, it is good enough for all. So why do we understand that sin has no part in our lives, but we will stand by and allow others to live in sin just because they are our mom or dad, brother or sister, best friend or co-worker? I would challenge anyone who would say, “Well, I would never do that but live and let live.” Or “To each to his own”. No….I am sorry; you are far off the mark of what Christ says here. In fact, Jesus says that if you do not do as He has commanded; he is not with you. That is why it is dangerous to claim to be a Christian and then walk around telling people who live in sin that everything is going to be okay because God loves them. That is not the whole truth! It is a half truth that is told deceitfully, and that is not the message of Christ. Yes, god loves us. He loved Hitler and Manson and Dahmer as much as He loves us. But there is an expectation that we all share as much as we share His divine love. That is to obey. Whether your disobedience is as gross as these men, or as simple as being a great person who simply does not believe, it is all the same to our God.

Please note the final block of scripture. Christ says that he who does not do as Christ says, that person is listening to another word, and it is not the word of God. Whose word do you think Jesus is talking about. Right, I thought the same thing, Satan!

God’s love is real, and it is wonderful. Do not mistake God’s love for tolerance. We are to be obedient children to the Father. You must repent from your sin. That word means to “change your mind” If you like being drunk you are to hate it. If you like being a liar, you are to hate it. If you like being an adulterer, you are to hate it. All manners of sin. I really want to stop talking about just the issue of same sex marriage and homosexuality. It is a sin, and it does qualify here. However, there are many who point fingers and don’t understand that God hates ALL sin. Not just one, but all of it. And although we are weak in our flesh, we are to repent, and seek forgiveness for our daily failures. But we certainly are not to enjoy the sin, or live in it with some form of earthly peace. We are to hate sin, and to turn away from it. That is the fruit of God’s true love, and it should be the message of our brotherly and neighborly love.

May the divine peace from the great comforter be with you today!!

We love people to heaven, not to hell.

What do you think would happen if a person was hired to do a job, and after being hired, that person not only decided to do the job the way they wanted to, but told the boss that his ways are wrong, and the employee’s way was the right way because his ways make the other employees happy? What would you do if you were that boss? Some might say, I would evaluate the employee’s actions to see if it is time to bring my business into a new and updated age. And some might say, I would fire that employee for not upholding the mission and work ethic of my company.

There was this employee once who worked as a representative of a political group. He was very good at his job, very well respected by his peers, and very feared by those on the other side. He had a mission, and his work ethic was to complete that mission at all cost. But one day something happened and he switched sides. It was total shock to everyone. His peers thought he had lost his mind. Those who once were his adversaries refused to accept him because they did not trust him. He evaluated this dilemma, and decided that the reason he switched sides was not because of him, but because of platform that he stood on and believed in. He figured if he stuck as true as he could to the political group’s core beliefs and acted as closely to its ethical standards as humanly possible, his behavior and devotion would be all he needed to gain favor from the people in the platform that was once his enemy. Who is this employee? His name is the Apostle Paul.

It’s a hard thing to look at someone who used to represent a certain brand or team and then watch them leave for another. Don’t you always wonder what that person is thinking on the inside? Do they truly like it there? Are they giving it their best or too busy trying to get back home? In the book if Galatians we see, shortly after Paul’s conversion, Paul writes to the people of that area and is acutely aware of this very position. In the first several verses he writes all about God, convincing them that he is speaking to them about the Father’s business, and not his own. He gives the Father all the credit, taking NONE for himself. He pointed to God in all ways. When your job is to represent God, and you have spent your life in sin, which is all of us, the only thing we can do is point our friends and loved ones to the almighty Father. Trying to bring someone to ourselves makes us idolaters in the eyes of others, as well as God, because that means we are the center of our universe. Paul would have never been able to gain the trust of anyone had he done that. However, Paul accepted Christ, and because he did a change happened in his actions, and his platform. He was no longer on the platform of Rabbinical Law, He was on the platform of Christ.

Key Verse- Galatians 1:10  8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Biblical Scholar and Commentator John Trapp has an excellent note on this the tenth verse.

Men pleasers, that curry favour with all, and covet to be counted no meddlers. These lose a friend of God. Neither do they long hold in with those whom for present they do so much please.

In my opening, the employee took a job, and then made it all about himself and his ideas. He made it about doing what he thought was best to accomplish the job. The same thing has happened in this world. When we accept Christ into our heart, we are now workers for Christ. We are told, however, that a true conversion will bring about a change. We can no longer serve the world, which we were once a slave to. But we also cannot come into the fold of the redeemed and say to Christ that His platform is no good and that you have a better one. What you are now saying is that my God is totally insufficient and that you are the all knowing and the all powerful. We do not get to water down the gospel, we do not get to minimize sin so greatly as to tell people it is okay to live in it while serving God. That is not the Gospel at all. It may be your idea, but it is not that of God. Verse 11 in the ‘key verse’quote shows that Paul believed this too. He knew what he did, and he knew that people were not going to just blindly follow him in the name of Christ. He simply could not preach his own message, he had to Preach Christ, and he had to do it in such a manner that not only showed loved, but also showed truth. The truth being that sin is not accepted by God.

I have said here that I have seen people act this way. I have indeed seen people dismiss sin who say they believe in Christ, all manners of sin. I have seen people who leave Christ at home while they go to the home of a flat out sinner and socialize. They are not preaching the gospel and trying to win souls for Christ. They are partaking in the activity. So much so that they proclaim the lost worldly sinner a close friend. How is that being a peculiar people? It isn’t, it is being a friend of the worldly and God has already denied you because you are denying Him.Who did Christ surround himself with in His inner circle. Sinners yes, but sinners who upon hearing His call, left everything, and followed Christ. None of them continued in their worldly life. They traveled right by his side. But the truth is that churches are doing it as whole denominations. “We have to get these pews filled.” “We can’t preach anything that will lose members.” Women can come and sit in the holy sanctuary with mini-skirts on and cleavage all over the place and no one will even bother to address how that grieves the spirit. Like wise, men come to church with a hang over. I go to churches where people will wear suits for work, for weddings, for funerals, but when it comes to going to church its jeans and a t-shirt. Why shouldn’t they take the holiness of God seriously, the pastor is leading the way! God wants the best we have. I used to say that God doesn’t care what we wear as long as we are they. I have corrected that lie. I now say, God wants our best. You know why? Because He gave us the best He had. He gave His only begotten son. Why does the boss deserve the suit, but Christ doesn’t. Since when have we minimized going to church as just another activity that we have to do, so we might as well do it our way. I am afraid that there are a lot of church leaders who are going to find themselves fired when it comes time for the heavenly board meeting with the CEO.

I wonder who this world would compare Paul today? Today we compare Donald Trump to the most evil of all men. The liberals are painting a picture of evil, all the while not really believing in evil. What does that comparison mean? I take it that it actually means that you agree there is a hell, and there really is evil behavior, and that certain people like Hitler, Manson, Mussolini, and Donald Trump are going there because God will not take them into heaven. The word evil is used so that means people believe in evil. But what I am finding is that evil is only to a certain point and evil only offends a certain moral code. So there are a lot of people out there making up their own rules to life. They have the corner on morals, because they are the Supreme Being that can say what is moral and what is not. Again, I am afraid that there are many who will not see heaven right along with Hitler and they are going to be some pretty nice people.

John 14 is a wonderful chapter to read, and I encourage you to read it in its entirety. For now, I would like to draw you attention to a few verses from that chapter.

John 14  22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Many go right to love. Jesus said we are to love first. I agree, obviously. But I call your attention to the fact that the emotional love of humans is not at all the divine love of the Father. His truth will prevail because He loves us. He loves us so much, He allowed His only begotten son to be murdered by man in order that man might be saved. That translates to you loving the enemy, and your neighbor and all of man kind enough to tell them the truth. Living in your sin will result in eternal damnation according to God’s love for man! That is the truth. We cannot say of an unrepentant sinner, after his death, that we will pray for his soul. It is too late for his soul. The best you can pray for is that in the last minutes of his life he had a changed of mind and truly repented before almighty God. But we don’t want to pray for salvation because that means something or someone else is the keeper of the morals.

James 1- 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

2 Timothy 3  1This 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.

Luke 6 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Acts 5 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

John 8 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Matthew 22 37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Matthew 22 is pretty amazing to me. First even Jesus puts God first. Not His will, but thine. Jesus asked to be spared off the cross, but it was the Almighty’s will. And Jesus was obedient to His Father. Then Jesus tells them the truth; that they want to kill him because He spoke the truth. This should clear up all the lies told about how it is okay to let the drunk be drunk, the liar to be a liar, the thief to be a thief, the adulterer to be the adulterer, the homosexual to be the homosexual, and so on. People who wish not to witness the truth say they will bring the lost to the cross through behavior. Well behavior is evidence of the spirit in you. It may be helpful for a sinner to think you are a nice person, but a sinner needs to know what he is going to be saved from, and why. That means you actually need to speak about the sin in his life. Doesn’t matter if he is your brother or a stranger. We love people to heaven, not to hell. When Jesus sat with them He was teaching the gospel. He did not take part in their sin, nor did he allow them to feel comfortable in it. He told the truth, and free will allowed them to be saved like the Harlot, or allowed them to walk away like the rich man who refused to give up his possessions. He spoke and they listened. It is all about hearing the gospel and examining your life. But it is not about you making a decision for Christ and then telling Christ that you are going to do it your way. It is not about a church putting a cross on the facade of the building, bibles in the pews, and then saying we are going to teach things our way, and we are going to let people walk into the sanctuary and dishonor God. No Sir!!!! It is about you searching your soul for the power of the Holy Spirit and asking yourself in the courtroom of the unforgivable lie detector called the mirror, “Do I want to live for Christ, or do I want to die for me?

If you stand in the mirror, what will the reflection tell you about your relationship with God and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your home, straight from the cross to the Christian!

There is no Resting in Peace!

As I write this the recent events are that the ultimate champion and boxing legend Muhammad Ali has passed, the greatest hockey player (arguably of course) Gordie Howe has passed and over 50 people were gunned down in the bar in Florida. In between these events, many individuals all over the planet, not famous, not nationally known or recognized, experienced a loss of their own. My mind started processing thoughts about death as the loss of Ali. I saw a nation, led by our self-proclaimed Christian President, as well as leaders from around the world, ask that the dead “rest in peace”. I am certain that there were those unknown and more common people across the planet that wished the same for their lost loved ones as well.

What is it that we really know about death? Nothing for sure other than one minute you are alive, and the next second you are not. So beyond that, it comes down to a matter of faith, the belief in something unknown and unseen. For that reason, let me take a second to explain why I believe in the unknown and unseen.

For many reasons I believe there really is a God. When I look around at life, I find it impossible to believe that some explosion created all of this. I have often marveled at the care my God put into creating the human body. The fact that we create hydrochloric acid in our stomachs. This is an acid that eats through anything. Yet God created the right mix, and the right balance that we might use this in the digestion of our food. The bible says that man was made from the earth and scientists have proven that the chemical make-up of man has no ingredient that is not found in the earth, not one microbe of us can disprove that we were initially created from the earth. Please, do not even get me started on the wonders of the female body. The delicate exchange of oxygen and food that enables a life to grow inside a life still amazes me. No scientist has ever created something new out of nothing. No one has ever snapped their fingers and said let there be a doo-hickie, and then bam, there is this thing never seen before. But my God created it all. No man has ever raised a man after being three days dead! But eye witnesses to this account tell me that Jesus did. And no other faith can boast about their God being gone from the grave. Their leaders did not defeat death and the grave. These are just a few, a very few reasons why I believe in God Jehovah. That is important because it is that belief that forms my understanding of death. I chose to believe the bible regarding death, which is truly not the end of life.

In the book of Revelation, the testimony of Jesus, told by Jesus through John, we find that after our physical death there will be a search. The book of life will be searched and if your name is not in it, you will be sent to hell.

Revelation 20 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

So why wouldn’t our name be written in the book of life?

Romans 6 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So if sin is death and death keeps us from having our name in the book of life, what is sin?

James 4 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

1 John 3 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth (violates) also the law: for sin is the transgression (violation) of the law.

So if sin is the violation of God’s law, what is a violation?

Jesus testified in Revelation 21 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Jesus taught us in Mark 7 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Galations 5 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 3 3 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. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

How do you avoid hell and overcome sin so that our names are in the book of life?

Romans 10 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Galations 2 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me

Why do I explain this to you? For as much as we all loved to watch Ali or Gordie perform in the ring or on the ice, and for as much as we love our friends and family who pass on (from the unknown everyday person to those in the national headlines as victims of crime), UNLESS they, in the last moments of their life, called on the name of Jesus and believe in God Jehovah as the one true God, THERE IS NO “resting in peace”.

As Christians we must learn that the earthly love we all want to live by is an unhealthy love because it is a love of satan, which is to say a love of lies. We must want to love people to life, not to death. Ali did not believe in God, he was a muslim. He is not resting at all. His soul will be tormented in the fires of hell forever. And if that thought disturbs you because you liked him so much here on earth, then please, stand in front of the mirror and challenge yourself against the scriptures I presented you. I am not sure of the spiritual condition of Mr. Howe, or any one of those people killed in the bar, or anyone who died. It is possible, and I pray that it is the truth, that as the last moments of life came to Ali he saw the errors of his ways and accepted Christ. It would be a shame that his testimony of such a change cannot be shared, but it would be glorious to God and just fantastic for his soul. I can only say that if they were not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, they are not in peace.

Understand that you as a Christian have a job to do. That job is not to love others to hell, but to love them to heaven.  It is our job, our very important job, to talk to as many people as possible about the love of Christ, the natural human nature of sinful man, and the need for Christ’s cleansing blood of salvation while they are still alive. We want to serve our God who served us while on this earth by not letting people die in sin. For those who say “but he is my brother” or “she is my sister, and if I try to talk about Christ they will stop loving me.” please let me remind you that Jesus’ own people murdered him for what he preached. I have no problem choosing God over my family! Some have walked away from me already. It is sad, but I am not going to lie just to maintain a relationship. I owe more to God than that. He was rejected by many. His own half-brothers and sisters did not come around until He was well into His ministry. Why is our relationship with our family more important than His? Why are our feelings more important than Christ’s? God is hurt everyday by those who curse Him, and even nicely deny him. That brings Him much sorrow. Are we more important that God?

We Christians need to get back to telling the truth, starting with more brave preachers. I know of only one who publicly came out and spoke of this matter. That does not mean he was the only one, it means I only know of one. That’s sad because hundreds and thousands should be making statements like this everyday. The murders in the bar in Florida are a tragedy, but the greater tragedy is that they were in the pit of sin in the first place! The greater tragedy is the thought that their lives were taken so suddenly that they did not get right with God before they died and they are now tormented in hell for all eternity. If I am wrong about hell, then I guess I am just wrong about hell. But if I am right about hell, then why can’t we agree that this is a bigger tragedy than just the earthly death?  A brother of mine told me, “Things are only going to get worse.” He is absolutely right, they certainly are, and the world will fall apart before God comes and puts it all back together in the perfect way for which it was intended. But that does not mean that we are to sit idly by and let wrong be wrong. When we are a saved Christian we become His agents, we become disciples. We take on the same charge that he gave to the original 12. We are to speak out against sin!

Mark 16 15 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.

Acts 1 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We are indeed to let the light of Christ shine in us through our behavior that we might draw unbelievers to the cross. But that DOES NOT translate to helping people feel comfortable living in their sin. And if they reject you, take comfort that Christ was rejected to the cross, and you are under His care! We can start by being honest and stop lying just because people are dead. We need to speak the truth to them while they are alive, and if they reject Christ, we need to be just as truthful after their death. Maybe if we start telling the truth about dying in sin, people will start living for Christ! Those who do not have the spirit of Christ in their hearts when their hearts stop beating will not experience peace, but the torment of the fires of hell! That’s the truth!

If you stand in the mirror, what will the reflection tell you about your relationship with God and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your home, straight from the cross to the Christian!

Influence is a powerful thing!

When I read the book of Ruth, I truly wonder what it was that Naomi did to win Ruth over to the LORD. What did she say, how did she conduct herself? Her influence had to be powerful. It was enough to make one sinner sad and cry about her choice to stay living in sin, and powerful enough to bring another person straight to the cross. Influence is a powerful thing! Sometimes, it is all that a Christian has. How we use it can be good or bad. So when I read this story, I wonder about what she did that was so powerful, and that I want to be that influence in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi~ You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

I believe Gandhi was talking about peace, but his words remind me that if I want to bring people to the cross, I have to model the behavior of the one who died on the cross. I have to be that person who can be the influence, not just by words, but by behavior. I believe that Ruth had to have the right combination of teaching and story telling with model behavior to have such an influence. She had to be the change she wanted to see in her daughters-in-law. Today’s Christians have to be the change we want to see in the world.

The behavior of Elimelech was no Godly model to follow, and neither was that of the sons. In fact, we see that their behavior was outside the will of God. These three men were as disobedient as could be. Not only did their behavior cause them to fall out of fellowship, but they broke their covenant with God. They paid the ultimate price for that. Elimelech was killed almost immediately upon entering into Moab, and the sons died ten years later. Some may say that their biggest offense was marrying someone outside the faith. While there were no laws against the marriages at the time, we all realize that we are not to marry non-believers. That would represent a relationship that is unequally yoked. I would suggest that they did not marry outside their faith, but rather married into the life of sin that they had come to love more than God. They turned their back on God and walked straight away from the chosen people. Again, we see these men died with no explanation. It must have been quick and with the understanding that since God was offended by the Moabites, He was not at all pleased with their behavior, Deuteronomy 23:3.

Deuteronomy 23:3 “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever,”

So here we are. Naomi’s husband- dead. The two sons- dead. All that is left are the two daughters-in-law and the mother, Naomi. Naomi has heard that God has delivered food to the land of His people back in Bethlehem-Judah, the land of bread and praise. Naomi makes the decision to return home to be with her people, God’s chosen people. Even though Naomi loved these two ladies, and even though she most likely would have loved their companionship, Naomi offers them an opportunity to leave her. This was important because following her into the house of God has to be a voluntary act. So she advises them to return back to their homes. She is now in the position to make her own choices and is making far better choices than the men in her life. She is making choices that show the fruit of her faith. She knows Orpah and Ruth are not Israelites, so if they make the decision to come to Christ, they must do so understanding that there is no obligation to do so. They need to have the free will to make the choice. This is a picture of our free will today. Christ does not make people follow Him. It is a decision that needs to be made freely and completely. But up until this moment, they do not share her faith. They are from a land of sin, a land and a people despised by her God for all their idol worshiping.

Orpah loved her mother-in-law and Naomi loved her. Noami kissed her good-bye and Orpah cried. Then Orpah kissed Naomi good-bye and returns to her people, the people of the land of great sin and idol worship. Such is the case for many today. We will see that there was something during the ten years that Naomi did to show her faith. And at this point, Orpah wants to go with Naomi, but turns back. Today we see many people who want to follow Jesus, and may even say that they believe they do follow Jesus, but they do not turn from their sin. It is always right there. Some find it so enjoyable that they just flat out refuse to follow God, and make up a ton of excuses why “Religion” isn’t for them. Some are lukewarm Christians. They proclaim Christ, yet they do not follow. They proclaim faith, but have no works generated by the spirit that is supposed to be in them. They think that is a decision for Christ, but fail to realize that Christ says this is not a decision for Him, but rather a decision for themselves. There is no middle ground, either you are a believer and enthused about that, or not. It was an “or not” for Orpah as she sadly and fatally chose to return to sin from where she came.

Charles Spurgeon~ The one would like to follow Jesus, but the price is too much to pay; so there is a kiss somewhat like that of Judas, and Orpah goes back to her people, and to her idols.

Matthew Henry~ Orpah was loth to part from her; yet she did not love her well enough to leave Moab for her sake. Thus, many have a value and affection for Christ, yet come short of salvation by him, because they will not forsake other things for him. They love him, yet leave him, because they do not love him enough, but love other things better.

Jesus the Christ~ Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

But the wife of the oldest son, Ruth, she “clave” unto Naomi.

Key Verse~ Ruth 1:16-17 “16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

This word clave, דָּ֥בְקָה, gives us a picture that is more than ‘held onto’. It is more like, ‘joined’ or ‘become one’. Ruth was not hugging, she was clinging and squeezing onto for dear life, as if to never let go, as if they were conjoined twins needing surgically removed from one another. And then Ruth gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard. It is the speech that draws out the topical question of this article. What did Ruth do, and what did she say all those years? I think to myself, I want to be that kind of Christian. I want to act and speak in that kind of way. I want to represent God to such a degree that, after spending time with another, when parting with that person comes to pass they fall to the ground and clave onto me for dear life and say, “I want Christ as the head of my life! I want to serve your God! I want to have what you have!” I often say that when I die I want to be exhausted. I want to be totally used up. It was a lot that Naomi went through during her time in Moab, but she brought a lost sinner to the cross. All that for just one person and it was glorious. I think that even though God made clear how he felt towards the Moabites, he had mercy on Ruth when she fell to the ground and begged to be brought into the people of God. When I think about this I am overcome with joy and hope that I can obtain, with plenty of prayer and obedience and hard spirit filled work, the example that Naomi was to Ruth. What an example Naomi must have been. Never giving up on the God of Israel when her husband and sons did. Talking and teaching about all that God did for his children of Israel. And then being the determined follower to the point that she would just pick-up and return after the death of her loved ones.

Adam Clark~ A more perfect surrender was never made of friendly feelings to a friend: I will not leave thee – I will follow thee: I will lodge where thou lodgest – take the same fare with which thou meetest; thy people shall be my people – I most cheerfully abandon my own country, and determine to end my days in thine. I will also henceforth have no god but thy God, and be joined with thee in worship, as I am in affection and consanguinity. I will cleave unto thee even unto death; die where thou diest; and be buried, if possible, in the same grave. This was a most extraordinary attachment, and evidently without any secular motive.

I just had lunch with a good man the other day who spoke about a sermon he gave. He asked his church, what does their conduct say about the kind of Christian they are. I asked that of myself and was disappointed in my truthful answer. I am my own worst critic, much harder on myself than others are on me. But the truth is that, compared to whatever it was that Naomi did and said, I am falling short. I can improve every day, I want to improve every day. The worst thing I could for my relationship with God is be content with where I am at this moment. The worst thing I can do is come up with excuses to try to claim Christ and claim the world at the same time. Being a lukewarm Christian is like not being a Christian at all, in the eyes of Christ. The featured picture here is my thermostat. In life on earth, 68-75 degrees is a comfortable middle of the road temperature for me. My wonderful wife affectionately calls me her Polar Bear because I would love a life in the high mountains of Alaska! However, if this thermostat was a gauge for my salvation, I would be in serious trouble! I would hope that top needle would be buried to the far, far right! I don’t want to ever be happy with where I am in my walk in Christ. There is more to learn, there is more to do. May my run to Him always be a full-out sprint. Being a Christian is not boring and it is tons of fun. I want to feel alive and excited about being redeemed. I have a thirst for my LORD, the worse thing I believe that could ever happen to me is to feel like that thirst has been quenched. May I live my whole life on earth searching to quench that thirst, yet dying a thirsty and worn out old man!

If you stand in the mirror, what will the reflection tell you about your relationship with God and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your home, straight from the cross to the Christian!