Priceless Gems From 'The Sword Scrapbook'

I just purchased the 'SWORD SCRAPBOOK' volumes I (1969) and II (1975) on eBay by Dr. John R. Rice's loyal lifelong secretary Miss Viola Walden (1915-2007). I snapped some photos today of interesting things in Volume I.

I Love Sharing My Music With Others

Proverbs 18:1, “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.”

I've been playing pedal steel guitar for 34 years since 1992, which has been a passion for me over the years. I started playing lap steel in 2006. My Mom Barbara Jean Stewart (1935-2001) while she was still alive enjoyed hearing my steel guitar. My father took this photo in 1998 at his Rescue Mission on Chicago's West Side...

Dad took a photo of Mom and Me (1998)

She went to Heaven on August 20, 2001. I miss my mother. I thank God for music.

Here are some of my Mom's Gospel piano recordings. She never played anything except hymns of the Christian faith:

• Gospel Medley 1 (3:25 Minutes)
• Gospel Medley 2 (10:41 Minutes)
• Gospel Medley 3 (6:10 Minutes)

Here are some of my steel guitar recordings:

1. Pedal Steel Guitar From My Heart
2. Steel Guitar Songs I Recorded For You
3. Brighter Day
4. He Knows My Name (I played along with a Hyles-Anderson College song)
5. God Understands
6. In The Garden
7. Just Over Yonder
8. There's A Highway To Heaven
9. Do They See Jesus In Me?
10. His Hand In Mine
11. Near To The Heart Of God
12. He Washed My Eyes With Tears
13. A Million Moons Over Hawaii
14. Rainbows Over Paradise
15. Then Came Jesus
16. Thank You Lord

When I moved from Chicago to the island of Guam in 2004 and lived there for 17 years, I learned to play the Hawaiian lap steel guitar, which was fitting for living on an island.

I just ran across this pretty song today and thought I'd share it with everyone. I love country music with a pedal steel guitar (mostly 1970s music). Nearly all of today's so-called "Country music" is garbage. Alan Jackson is right, country music is dead! This song is a pretty song with nice lyrics and has a great pedal steel guitar. ...

You Must Be out of Your Ever Lovin' Mind

Many years ago, I started a dedicated website just for the Hawaiian steel guitar, which is mostly played using the C6th tuning. On my website you'll find several hundred songs containing steel guitar, which is the best way to learn to play any musical instrument, by saturating your ears and mind with what a particular musical instrument is capable of doing.

This was the song in 1992 that drew me into learning to play the pedal steel guitar, "My Wonderful Jesus" by The Gospel According To Steve, Leroy And Brother Dave. My favorite Hawaiian steel guitar artist is Jerry Byrd (1920-2005). I met Jerry in 1993 in Winchester, Indiana, at the bi-annual Hawaiian Steel Guitar Convention. I also met famous steel guitarist Bud Tutmarc (1924-2006) at the convention in 1993. When I attended Hyles-Anderson College (1985-1993), I bought one of Bud's gospel cassettes at the college's bookstore. Bud Tutmarc made many recordings with the Ralph Carmichael orchestra. ...

“For Ever and Ever” - Bud Tutmarc & Ralph Carmichael (1969)

Lloyd Green (born 1937) is my favorite pedal steel guitar artist, and one of my musical heroes. I had the privilege of meeting Lloyd and his late wife Dorothy, in 1995 at the International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis. Lloyd has recorded pedal steel guitar and Dobro on about 30,000 songs as a career Nashville musician from the 1960s throughout the late 1980s, including all of Don William's recordings. Lloyd played steel guitar on "Remember When" by Alan Jackson. Here is "In The Garden" by Lloyd.

I had been offered countless times on Guam a full time job to play my steel guitar in bars and nightclubs (they offered me $200 per night), which I always kindly turned down because I never wanted to use my God-given talent to help the Devil sell booze. Plus, by God's grace, I have never drank one drop of Liquid Devil, and by God's grace I never will. Those aren't my kind of places. I have always played freely at home, nursing homes, weddings, or in the sand at the beach when I lived on Guam. Music makes the world a better place.

These days at just play my musical instruments at home for the dog, Miss Pickles.

I Love Playing 5-String Banjo

I had learned to play the 5-string banjo in the late 1980's but there was no internet back then and living in Chicago meant I had no inspiration. Chicago is a Blues town! But in 2017 I learned about a guy named Dave Hum (1966-2012) in Salisbury, England, and his music inspired me to get back into my banjo playing, which I am still passionate about.

I made this banjo blog as a tribute to Dave Hum, and to share my own Bluegrass and folk backing tracks with other musicians. Last week I recorded the popular folk song using the Double C tuning (gCGCD), 'Whisky Before Breakfast.' Here is 'Old Spinning Wheel' that I recorded last year in Standard tuning (gDGBD). I really like playing this song, 'Mason's Apron,' also played in Standard tuning. And 'My Grandfather's Clock' in Standard tuning.

Here are some more 5-string banjo songs that I recorded at home...

1. Arkansas Traveller (Deering Golden Era banjo)
2. Boys Of Bluehill (I used the Double C tuning, gCGCD)
3. Dunphy's Hornpipe (I used Standard tuning, gDGBD)
4. Golden Slippers (Deering Golden Wreath)
5. Green Gates (Deering Calico)
6. Green Gates (Deering Goodtime Special)
7. Miss McLeod's Reel (I used Standard tuning, gDGBD)
8. My Grandfather's Clock (Deering Golden Era)
9. Old Spinning Wheel (Deering Goodtime Special)
10. Off To California (Deering Golden Wreath)

The banjo is a happy instrument. Thanks be to God, I have a Deering Calico (maple neck) and Golden Wreath (mahogany neck) banjo, and a Recording King Elite-85 banjo (maple neck), but I mostly enjoy playing my Deering Goodtime Special (hard rock maple) student model. The Goodtime Special is 3 pounds lighter than my other banjos, which helps my neck since I have an old injury that causes me tremendous pain all the time. I love the 5-string banjo!

God Is Faithful And Good

These days I just play at home at my leisure, when my neck pain and related afflictions aren't stifling my ambition. When you're suffering in constant chronic neck pain, and taking multiple different prescription meds, you don't want to do anything except rest. My burning neck pain is so bad every day, and the burning nerves throughout my upper body, et cetera. I digress. I have no complaints to the good LORD, He is wonderful and I love Him.

Kindly said, I don't claim to be a good Christian, but God knows that I do care and I want to be a blessing to as many people as I can for Christ with my website ministry, which is my greatest passion, serving Jesus. I enjoy making music with my banjo, steel guitar and other stringed instruments, but those things don't change lives or earn me rewards in Heaven. So, I am making an investment with my ministry labors!

I recently bought some music from Hyles-Anderson College and added my pedal steel guitar to one of their songs just for fun, “He Knows My Name.” I am grateful to be an alumnus of the college while my hero of the Christian faith, Dr. Jack Hyles (1926-2001), was still with us. Brother Hyles is still alive, he has simply relocated to Heaven to be with the dear Savior.

In the photo below, you can see the “Division 4, 76-3,” blue birthday gift that my bus kids and workers (my church family) gave to me while attending Hyles-Anderson College (1985-1993). Our church bus route was in Chicago in the Wicker Park neighborhood. I voluntarily served the Lord on the 76-3 bus route for 7 years, drove a church bus for 4 years, and then I helped out in the church Bus Garage for my last year with Rick Suba, the mechanic for the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. And you can also see a Youth Conference poster on my wall.

Me in 1992 with my Emmons D-10 Pedal Steel Guitar

I hope you've enjoyed hearing some of my music. I just wanted to take a break from my other articles and share my music with everyone. Tomorrow we'll be back to my regular ministry articles.  God be the glory. Music makes the world a better place.

God is good, just and faithful!

A Christian Cannot Be Demon Possessed

1st Corinthians 3:16-17, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

Ephesians 1:13-14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

A Christian man recently wanted to debate with me, insisting that he is demon possessed. He told me that he has a psychiatrist doctor to help him with his mood swings, nightmares that cause him to grind his teeth and dark thoughts. The man said he is taking numerous prescription medications. I sympathized with his medical afflictions and prayed for him. It is not my place to condemn anyone. There but for the grace of God, go I and you.

However, I needed to kindly disagree with his assertion that a born again Christian can be demon possessed, simply because it is not true, which he didn't take lightly. The inspired Word of God is very clear the the believer's physical body is the “temple” of the indwelling Holy Spirit. 1st Corinthians 3:16-17, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

We also learn from the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:13-14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The moment that a lost sinner trusts Christ as his or her personal Savior, that individual is immediately and forever SEALED with the Holy Spirit of God. A transfer of ownership has changed hands from Satan to God. There is no way that a child of God can be inhabited by a demon, although it is possible for a Christian to be influenced by demonic spirits.

In Matthew 16:23, Jesus called the Apostle Peter “Satan.” We know that Peter was not the Devil, but he was thinking like the Devil at that time, wanting to prevent Jesus from going to the cross, which was the entire reason for His coming to earth.

The Afflicted Woman In Luke 13:16

According to biblical teaching, Satan can cause suffering and sickness, as seen in Luke 13:16, where Jesus refers to a woman who had been bound by Satan for eighteen years. However, not all sickness is attributed to Satan; some may arise from natural causes or divine purposes (John 9:1-5).

In an attempt to prove that a Christian can be possessed by a demon, the man I mentioned earlier brought up Luke 13:16, “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” Since she is a daughter of Abraham, we know that she was saved. The guy debating with me insists that “Satan hath bound” means she was demon possessed. Now, dear reader, the Bible doesn't say that she was demon possessed, it says that she was bound by Satan for 18 years. Jesus said the thief only comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10).

In Job chapter one we read that God gave Satan permission to afflict Job terribly. Satan caused thieves to murder Job's servants and then steal all of his livestock. The Devil murdered all ten of Job's children. Poor Mrs. Job! I have always been empathetic toward Job's wife for suggesting that Job curse God and die, because she had just lost every last one of her precious children. Of course, she was very wrong and lacking in her faith, but she was hurting deeply. Job's wife is a perfect example of how NOT TO respond to life's tragedies. Yet, I wonder how you or I would have done in her situation. Would we have praised the Lord anyhow? God allowed Satan to afflict Job and his wife. Mrs. Job was tested just as much as Job! Yet, neither of them were demon possessed.

According to “Barnes Notes On The Whole Bible”:

Whom Satan hath bound - Satan is the name given to the prince or leader of evil spirits, called also the devil, Beelzebub, and the old serpent, Matthew 12:24; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2. By his “binding” her is meant that he had inflicted this disease upon her. It was not properly a “possession” of the devil, for that commonly produced derangement; but God had suffered him to afflict her in this manner, similar to the way in which he was permitted to try Job. See the notes at Job 1:12; Job 2:6-7. It is no more “improbable” that God would suffer “Satan” to inflict pain, than that he would suffer a wicked “man” to do it; yet nothing is more common than for one “man” to be the occasion of bringing on a disease in another which may terminate only with the life. He that seduces a virtuous man and leads him to intemperance, or he that wounds him or strikes him, may disable him as much as Satan did this woman. If God permits it in one case, he may, for the same reason, in another. [emphasis added] —“Barnes Notes On The Whole Bible”

I agree with Pastor Albert Barnes (1798-1870). The woman in Luke 16:13 was not demon possessed, she was bound by Satan with a disease for 18 years until Jesus freed her.

And may I kindly say, I think it would be foolish for a Christian to try to determine if our illness has been caused by the Devil, the Lord, or is just a result of living in a fallen world. Does it really matter? I mean, since we know that nothing can happen to anyone without God's knowledge and permission, we would be wise to simply trust God rather than to try to figure out the cause of our suffering.

I admit that I myself have a hard time knowing that God sees an innocent person being robbed and then murdered, and does nothing to stop it, but we suffer because we live in a fallen world of sin. I am not going to place God on trial as the heathen world continually does. Living in a fallen world doesn't mean that we suffer evil because of any particular sin we may have committed; but rather, because Adam's sin brought the curse of sin and death upon the entire human race (Romans 5:12). That is why bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. And to clarify, we're all bad sinners in the sight of a holy God (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10-23). Some of us may live above reproach, but no one can live above sin.

The Apostle Paul's “Thorn” In The Flesh

Another argument that the man I mentioned earlier brought up is the Apostle Paul, citing 2nd Corinthians 12:7, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” Again, the man claims that Paul was demon possessed as a Christian. Dear reader, this is false teaching! It is IMPOSSIBLE for a child of God to be possessed by a demon! Likewise, no child of the Devil has the Holy Spirit living inside them. Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” No one is saved who does not have the Holy Spirit living inside (indwelling) them.

The Apostle Paul did not claim to be demon possessed; but rather, he said “there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.” We must never read into the Scripture what it does not say. The messenger of Satan was not a demon, it was the “thorn.” The Bible plainly says that! To say that the “messenger of Satan” was a demon who entered into Paul is a wicked thing to claim. Most theologians think that Paul's thorn was poor eyesight, because he said to the churches of Galatia in Galatians 4:15b, “for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.” Paul had poor eyesight. We don't know for certain if that is the “thorn” which he spoke of, but it certainly could have been.

The Human Heart Doesn't Need A Demon To Do Evil

Dear reader, I find no evidence that the afflicted woman in Luke 16:13 or the Apostle Paul were demon possessed. That is a serious accusation to make about someone. Just because you are going to a psychiatrist doctor, taking multiple prescription medications, suffering from dark thoughts in your mind, grinding your teeth at night during nightmares and you're struggling with your mental health, does not mean friend that you have a demon living inside you! Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

I think we give the Devil way too much credit. I do not believe that every time someone commits a horrible crime that the Devil made them do it! We are fully capable of committing the most unimaginable heinous evil deeds as humans. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that some monsters are demon possessed! How do we know the difference? I don't think it was meant for us to know. There are some things that only God Himself knows. So, I think Christians are sometimes inspired by demons, but never possessed. It is impossible!

Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) didn't think the fight over the inspiration and accuracy of the King James Bible was a trifle matter. Dr. Hyles pastored First Baptist Church of Hammond from 1959 to 2001. Along with co-founder Dr. Russell Anderson (1931-2023), Dr. Hyles started Hyles-Anderson College in 1972. Dr. Anderson was saved in 1959 in Michigan. There was no truth any more important to Brother Hyles than the inspiration of every single word in the King James Bible...

“And brother, any time anybody ever casts any reflection upon the accuracy and the inspiration—verbal inspiration—of this Bible, I'll guarantee you he was inspired by the demons. I'll guarantee you! I don't care if he's got a 'reverend' in front of his name. I don't care if he has a clerical collar on. I don't care what school he's been to. He's of the Devil if he says that the Bible is not verbally inspired by God!” —Dr. Jack Hyles, a great quote from the awesome MP3 sermon titled, “Satan's masterpiece”

You see, a Christian can be inspired by demons, as was Peter in Matthew 16:23, but that doesn't mean you are demon possessed (i.e., a demon lives inside of you).

I humbly think as Christian believers that we need to be very careful about casually going around deciding who is demon possessed (including our self). If you were to suggest to me that serial killers' John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer were demon possessed, I wouldn't argue with you. Those monsters were pure evil! But even though Pastor John MacArthur preached a counterfeit plan of salvation, I do not think he was demon possessed. I do think he was inspired by demons to preach the lie of Lordship Salvation.

Beware of nutty Pentecostals and Charismatics who see everything through a filter of being demon possessed. To the man with a hammer in his hand, everything starts looking like a nail sticking up. And to the wacky Charismatic, they see all evil as being the result of having a demon inside you. I reject all that utter nonsense! Humans are evil enough of our own nature, without needing a demon to make us do bad things to other people. To become evil, all you need to do is just stop caring and your life will spiral downward into insanity and ruin. That is why my favorite Bible verse for many years has been Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Always be on guard!

Our U.S. Society Is As Unethical As It Is Wicked

Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

I am so sick and tired of our ungodly crooked society in the United States. Everywhere I turn as a born again Christian, at age 59, I see corruption. But this is nothing new. I remember when I lived in Chicago decades ago, that I received a disturbing letter one day from my bank. The Park National Bank sent me a letter saying that they would be selling my personal information to strangers, and if I wanted it stopped I would have to write them a letter requesting that they don't sell me out. That made me so angry. It should be the other way around. Legally, no one should be able to share or sell your personal information without your express authorization, and I don't mean permission buried in 50,000 words of fine print in an agreement that you were pressured to sign without having 8 hours and a lawyer to read and understand it! I hate our unethical culture of greed, selfishness and manipulation in America.

I went to download an app for my Discover credit card today, because their website is not working properly and I cannot log in. I called and tech support said their website is down. When I downloaded the app from Google Play and went to open it, I was accosted with a threatening message that said if I use their application, they are going to spy on me. You are being spied on by your credit card company. Yes, credit card companies monitor your spending habits and transactions to assess creditworthiness and detect fraud. They also collect data on your online behavior and social media activity for marketing purposes. That is so immoral, unethical and sinful. If you want a credit card nowadays, you have no choice.

And then there are ungodly realtors. If you read a standard real estate contract today, the realtor makes out like a bandit either way if the seller or the buyer reneges. I really hate lawyers! Hell is full of accursed attorneys who spent their lives preying upon their victims.

I typed "professional banjo" into a search engine, but I was disgusted when a bunch of cheap inferior quality banjos came up for $150 to $500 from China. Then at the bottom of all those pages I found an unethical disclaimer that says the person recommending the essentially garbage banjos gets paid kickback money from Amazon (or some other merchant) for referring people to their website. That is highly unethical and immoral, because that person is telling you that they are lying to you to make money. Nobody thinks that a piece of crap for $150 from China is a “professional banjo.” I hate when people lie to make money!!! I paid $4,436 for my Deering Calico banjo, and that is a bona fide professional banjo (which I bought at a 15% discount from Fuller Guitars in Houston, Texas).

Tragically, we live in a wicked world of liars, cheats and con artists! Whether it be Priceline, Alamo Car Rental or Allstate Insurance, they are all ungodly and unethical thieves! There is a never ending cry in God's ears from hurting victims of hundreds of wicked insurance companies who make money by denying claims. Insurance companies are lying crooked thieves! Prudential Life Insurance are dirty ungodly thieves!!! Hell is coming up to meet them at their coming!

While our U.S. government is giving hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars away to Ukraine and Israel, many Americans cannot afford to live anymore. Food prices are so high right now that people aren't buying it anymore. I am spending less and less on groceries, sticking to whatever bargains I can find. I bought a big 5 pound bag of Russet potatoes at Walmart for $3.34. Why should I pay $10 for skimpy prepared meals? I love making homemade French fries with ketchup. I also make my own hashbrowns with my Hamilton food processor. Just one potato makes enough hashbrowns for me. Why spend more?

I guess it's mainly because I am growing older, but I notice unethical things a lot lately. The inspired Holy Bible teaches in Revelation 20:6 that we as saints will someday reign with Christ during the Millennium. I agree with Pastor Steven Anderson that there won't be any laws, rules, codes nor regulations at that time, the Holy Bible will be our only rule Book. I sure hope that is so. I can tell you one thing. If the Lord entrusts me with any power to control laws, I will do away with all shady fine print that attorneys write to hurt people. I hate fine print! They deliberately make it tiny for a reason, because it is unpleasant and if you really understood what that fine print said, you'd RUN AWAY!!!

Furthermore, if I had my way as a ruler, I would ban all disclaimers and legal notices from being any smaller, or a different color, or less vibrant and loud, than the original advertisement used to attract customers. So, if you use a megaphone to promote your service or product, so must you also use that same megaphone to tell customers the bad or potentially risky information! I am so sick of liars, cheats and cons!

I saw a woman in New York City get arrested for changing the locks on her own house, because some squatter stole her home, hasn't paid a penny in rent for years, and the criminal government are doing nothing to give her justice! God damn New York City! They're way past unethical at this point in NYC, now it's just downright criminal. I feel so sorry for those home owners! Can you imagine being bilked for $15,000 a year or more in property taxes, and there's a squatter whose been stealing your house for years and hasn't paid a single dime in rent, damaging your property with wear and tear, and the law sanctions it and there's absolutely nothing you can do? Welcome to New York. That crap is not allowed in Florida!

I admit that with my constant chronic neck pain, burning nerves throughout my upper body and related bodily afflictions (from getting hit by a bus in 1992 and suffering a steep fall at work in 2005), I just don't have much patience with anyone or anything. Unfortunately, my wife doesn't understand what I am going through, but I love her still. I live in a lonely world of constant physical burning pain in my neck and bodily discomfort that only somebody suffering constantly from damaged cervical nerves and osteoarthritis can even begin to understand.

For the aforementioned reasons, I just don't have the patience to read lengthy legal jargon and fine print one mile long in a business or service agreement. Like most people, I just sign the stupid thing. Damn the torpedoes! Call me a fool, and maybe I am sometimes, but I am miserable in my suffering and just want to go home to be with the dear LORD. I have zero patience with complicated things. For that I have nothing to apologize for.

I view American society today as a giant mousetrap! With all the extra security at every public event and cops galore, societal paranoia over crime, and everyone having a mobile phone stuck to the side of their head these days, I just want to stay home where I am safe.

I have visited the First Baptist Church of Pensacola downtown a couple dozens times over the past 4 years. It's only 10 minutes away from my home. I get creeped out each time I visit because they have not one, but two police cruisers parked outside of the church all the time during services, anticipating crime. Why does a church need such protection? Granted, they're one of the largest churches in the city, having well over a thousand members. Also, the church has some very wealthy and influential members from the community, which I think plays a role. Sadly, the church is corrupt, preaching the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation. They only use the English Standard Version (ESV), which is highly corrupt. I could NEVER join such a cult!

I think it is sad and tragic, and a shameful testimony of what our American culture has deteriorated into, when a church needs police presence at all times. There's always a cop sitting next to the information desk. I exited the contemporary church service one Sunday and the cop looked at me like he wanted to kill me. That was creepy! I don't know what has happened at their church in the past, but it feels more like Nazi-Germany than a church today. I digress.

Dear reader, if you are a born again child of God, be an ethical person. That is, do the right thing! If you borrow a cart at a store to use it while shopping, please put it back where you found it. Don't just leave the cart in the parking lot for someone else to have to deal with. I always return my cart, even if it means walking all the way back into the store to return it. That is being ethical.

I've been to some websites that refuse to allow me to exit, and I have to close the whole browser just to escape. That is so wrong, thuggish and unethical to do to people. Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

Thousands of websites today, including YouTube sad to say, display big busted lewd women in advertisements who are scantily clad like harlots, luring men to dating websites to get their money. It is highly unethical and sinful to buttonhole guests with immoral temptations, all so that the company can make more money. It is truly evil. The inspired Holy Bible calls men's struggle against the lusts of the flesh a "war" (1st Peter 2:11).

Yet, countless unethical companies today couldn't care less, exploiting the ungodly lusts of the flesh to make money. I am reminded that the Holy Bible warns the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil (1st Timothy 6:8-11). And this truth holds true for today's wicked religious schools—that deny the inspiration of God's Word, set low moral standards for their students, and preach Satan's fraud of Lordship Salvation—all in an effort to make more filthy lucre (Romans 16:17-18). RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!!

We made the mistake of attending the Pensacola Seafood Festival in September of 2025 for Labor Day. One of their umpteen unethical vendors charged me $14 for one chicken teriyaki stick. The meat was cold and there were only about three small pieces of chicken on it. I added some fried rice, which was another $11. I paid $25 for garbage! I was so pissed off! I told my wife we'd never come back to the festival, because they have become utterly greedy and don't want to give the patrons something worth the money, they just want to empty your wallet and give you nothing in return. Nothing is worthwhile anymore in our rotten society!

Hollywood is very unethical. When you buy a movie, Hollywood forces you to watch previews for 10 other movies, trying to lure you into buying more of their films to get your money. But you paid for that movie DVD or Blu-ray, so why should you have to watch (or go through the trouble of skipping through) 10 other movie previews that you didn't buy (and are very likely not interested in)? If they were ethical, which they are not in Hollywood, they would have put the movie previews at THE END of the movie, not at the beginning each time you want to see it. Hollywood has no class at all, they are just ungodly greedy jerks!

Nearly everywhere that we go on social media today, we are bombarded with unethical advertisements, being hounded IN YOUR FACE to buy something. Facebook does it incessantly, shoving advertisements IN YOUR FACE. They are ungodly greedy sinners.

The company Microsoft is one of the most unethical companies! They forcefully reboot my computers on a regular basis without my permission. I have tried to stop it, but aside from turning my computers off, there's absolutely nothing one can do. Microsoft are thugs!

If you buy a computer that comes with Microsoft 10 Home, they won't allow you to buy software from any other company. The software is locked. You have to literally go through a scary in depth process to disable it. Microsoft has faced harsh criticism for various unethical business practices and software issues, including allegations of monopolistic behavior and aggressive tactics. Some users and critics have described the company's actions as thuggish, particularly in its handling of competitors and customer concerns. It's no wonder why so many people hate Microsoft! Thankfully, there is a caring holy God in Heaven who sees everything, and no evildoer can escape the wrath and judgment of our faithful Creator (Ecclesiastes 5:8, 12:13-14; Matthew 12:36; 1st Thessalonians 4:6; Hebrews 4:13).

Another one of my pet peeves is when you visit a website and they unethically buttonhole you with pop-up messages, IN YOUR FACE, harassing you with whatever they are pushing. When you close one window, another one rudely pops up, and then another, dangling in your face to annoy you so that you cannot enjoy the material that you came to read in the first place. Sadly, companies are often ruthlessly competitive and don't care about their neighbours. This is nothing new, this disturbing but intriguing documentary shows how ungodly and ruthless competitors were when the television was invented, stealing other men's inventions. 

Libraries could be written about the unethical things that go on in the United States today, let alone the entire world. I want no part of any of it as a born again Christian. Although we cannot control what other people do, I strongly encourage you dear reader to be different than the average bear. I fear God and I hope you do too. Knowing that I must give account to my Creator one day compels me to be careful how I treat people. I am careful to avoid getting into difficult situations where I might be tempted to lie or to do something wrong.

I absolutely love what Pastor Jack Hyles said:

“If you want to never do anything that is terribly wicked, then you never do anything that is slightly wicked.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, "Unjust In The Least"

I wish that all corporations and our government would treat people the way they want to be treated to fulfill 'The Golden Rule' which Jesus taught in Matthew 7:12, but they don't. The real world doesn't work that way. But this is nothing new under the sun. Psalms 142:4, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” Have you ever felt that way? I certainly have, often.

I called Medicare yesterday and was put on hold for almost an hour, but was rudely hung up on when a man finally answered. I don't even get upset anymore, because I understand that people are angry, worked up and don't know the Lord. And if they do know the Lord, most believers are carnally-minded, walking in the flesh.

Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Although He is speaking about the coming Tribulation period, we are already seeing this phenomena today in America. The daily news is filled with horrific stories of unpunished crime and corruption, which injustices cause people's hearts to grow cold. Everywhere we go in the United States today we are meeting cold, uncaring, unkind and frustrated Americans. Evil begets more evil.

I could spend a day sharing my own painful experiences of dealing with irate Americans with you. We need to always remember what the Scripture teaches in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Beware Of Ecumenism

2nd Corinthians 6:14-18, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Carefully notice that God does not say to stick around and attempt to change unbelieving false prophets. No, God tells the saints to COME OUT! We are commanded by God almighty to come out from among them!

That means to come out and separate from the apostate Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and their demonic Lordship Salvation. The SBC has 47,000 member churches who all ascribe to the SBC's Statement of Faith, which is corrupt! The SBC false preaches that to get to Heaven you must turn from your sins. Neo-evangelicals will hurt you!

Ecumenism

I looked up the word in Webster's book
For ages it has been around.
It means, "All religions should cooperate
And in peace and love abound!"

I remember when first I heard the word;
It was spoken by well-meaning men.
But when faced with the results of this compromise
It was obvious that this was SIN!

The religionists say, "We must forget our differences
And in love and harmony sing!"
But the Bible says, "Come out from among them
And touch not the unclean thing."

This error began back in ancient times;
They called it a "Brotherhood of Men".
Then a proposal was made called "Common Cause".
And the sheep were invited in!

"Evil communications corrupt good manners,"
I once heard a teacher say.
And accommodation with error for a period of time
Will lead the sheep astray!

The sheep thrive only with the Shepherd's care
And its Spiritual Food they need!
But the goats will eat most anything
And on the trash of the world they feed.

The True Gospel Message is rarely preached
In the average church today;
The "Psychology of Self" is now proclaimed,
And the sheep are being led astray!

The false shepherd's sound forth on every hand
And the multitudes follow them;
But the True Shepherd is calling His own by name
And the sheep only follow Him!

Some say, "All religions will lead us to Heaven."
But wait, what did Jesus say?
"No man can enter except by me!
And there is no other way!"

"I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep
And they are saved for evermore;
And by me they enter the Heavenly fold

Because I am the only door!"

By: Orval V. Brewer

The best thing for a corrupt church is to have a church split...

2nd Corinthians 6:17-18, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 

It is infinitely better to be divided over truth, than to be united by error. Being a Christian fundamentalist means more than just adhering to biblical fundamentals, it also means separating from those who no longer believe them as well. And always remember, Bible fundamentalists don't change, people quit being fundamentalists! You can keep your new (neo) churches, new bibles, new music, new sermons and new evangelical apostasy!

The undiluted preaching from God's Word and an authoritative stand on truth seem to be on the decline. What we're seeing instead is a broadening of the gospel, a redefining of what it means to be a Christian, and a growing emphasis on inclusion and tolerance. Ecumenism has come to mean “reducing all elements of faith to the lowest common denominator.” God's Word is neglected, experience is valued above truth, a false and selfish “faith” is promoted, and sound doctrine and correction are despised as “divisive” and “unloving.”

Unity in the faith is impossible without the doctrine of Christ. Without such a foundation we have no basis for the faith, for the gospel, for knowing Jesus, or for knowing anything pertinent to the Truth. And yet a perverted gospel message is being preached from nearly every pulpit today, which instead of being born again requires that you turn from your sins to become a Christ follower. This is not the gospel presented by the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. The glittering terminology of ecumenism is seen, on close examination, to be as hollow as a soap bubble and just as slippery and hard to hold onto.

How many times have you heard that somebody was “causing division in the church?” Well, maybe they were supposed to! After all, there are two things that cause division according to the Bible: truth and error.

Haven't you heard the scripture, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.” That's right! Jesus said that “For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three” (Luke 12:51-52). Hard words to hear! Yet, harder to accept. But, that's what Jesus said and is preserved in the inspired Holy Scripture. Jesus said that whole families would be divided over Him. And there are many occasions in the New Testament when whole assemblies of people were divided because of Jesus (John 7:43, 9:16, 10:19, Acts 23:6-7).

Ignoring the Scripture, numerous evangelical leaders today claim that a concern for doctrine causes division; and therefore, should be avoided for the sake of love and unity among the brethren. The Scripture, however, couldn't be more specific in its opposition to such a teaching.

"You are not going to be what you decide to be; you are going to be what you decide to be around." —Pastor Jack Hyles

Positive Christianity Is The Enemy Of The Cross

Behold the emergence of the ecumenical apostate church—the bride of Antichrist! “Positive Christianity” is the enemy of the cross. Pastor Joel Osteen at the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, is a perfect example of fake Christianity. Joel is wrong on the gospel, wrong in his ecumenical message, and wrong in his delivery.

The truth offends those who don't want to hear it. Yet to speak anything less is to trifle with the eternal destiny of souls. Ecumenism's promise of "unity" is tempting, but it denies Christ and paves the way for the Antichrist and his New World Order religion. It is a unification that will ultimately lead to destruction.

True unity is not sought by pretending that there are no differences, as modern ecumenists have done, but by recognizing and respecting those differences, while focusing on the great orthodox truths all born again Christians share; namely, Christ's Virgin Birth, the Godhead (aka, Trinity), Jesus' Deity, Christ's Sinless Life on earth, Jesus' physical Resurrection after three days, Jesus' literal liquid Blood Applied to the Mercy Seat in Heaven, the Authority of Inspired Scripture and Jesus' Second Coming. These are the Doctrines of Christ. These are core fundamentals of the Christian faith, which if denied, evidences that someone is lost.

Manmade unity is not what God desires. He wants a holy Church. Many Christians believe that unity in itself will bring about a holy revival. But unity cannot bring holiness, only holiness can bring about true unity. For when God's children start seeking to live, worship and pray according to the inspired King James Bible, and go forth bearing precious seed (soulwinning), then God Himself will unite the hearts of those who love Him—those who hate sin and error and have a burning desire to lead lost sinners to Christ with the gospel—and God will truly shine forth from the midst of such a church!

We hear a lot today from dead churches about promoting better unity, fellowship, Bible study meetings and worship, but please don't leave out “soulwinning” because The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is not to go into all the world to fellowship, worship, study the Bible and promote unity. No, God's Great Commission to local churches is to go forth PREACHING THE GOSPEL!!! God deliver us from today's lethargic do-nothing, spiritually dead, pathetic churches!

The unification of the various national identities, races, and religions can only be achieved through the eradication of sin. That means only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can we become perfectly one. The other avenue to unite people, the program of the Antichrist, will only be accomplished temporarily through ecumenical deception.

Just give me the old paths...

Jeremiah 6:16, “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.  But they said, We will not walk therein.”

God Is Looking For A Few Weak Men

 2nd Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

It is obvious when a preacher is avoiding being offensive, and I want to walk out and leave. America is going to Hell, literally, because of lame preachers who are afraid of offending people. If the shoe fits, where it! I recommend that every young preacher NEVER use a sermon outline. SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES (John 5:39) and let God speak to your soul, and then preach to others, sharing what God taught you.

A faithful sermon is not a performance, it is the outflow of your soul to others!!! A true preacher loses himself in the sermon and isn't concerned about what people think. My goal when I preach in an article is not that people would walk away saying, “That was a great sermon or article.” I failed if that is all you get out of my preaching. My goal is ALWAYS for others to walk away saying, “BOY, WE HAVE A GREAT GOD!!!” I want you to go away praising Jesus! I want people to get saved!

I want believers to become better soul-winners! I want the Holy Spirit to make a difference through me. By myself, I can do NOTHING (John 15:5). I want to be weak enough, so that God can be glorified through my labors for Him. When I am strong, then am I weak, because God resists the proud, talented and able. My failures are God's opportunities to use me for His glory. God is looking for a few weak men!!!

The devils tremble when the weakest saint gets down upon his knees to pray. My weakness is God's strength to work through my life. Therefore, I am only as able for God's use as I am broken, weak and disabled. 2nd Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Physical Healing Is Not Guaranteed In The Holy Bible

James 5:13-16, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Our blessed Creator is a miracle working God. Certainly God can heal anyone and even restore the dead back to life if He so desires. That being said, please consider Jesus' words in John 15:24, “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.” Did you read that? Jesus did works that NONE OTHER MAN DID. That means men today cannot do the miraculous works which Jesus did.

But wait, didn't Jesus promise in John 14:12 that those who believe in Him will do the works He has been doing, and even greater works, because He is going to the Father? This suggests that believers will have a broader impact through our faith and ministry, reaching more people over time than Jesus did during His earthly ministry. But I humbly do not think Jesus meant that we could empty hospitals, raise the dead and cause the lame to walk again. 

The fact of the matter is that not one human being since Christ walked this earth, and the power that He gave to His apostles (Matthew 11:1) to verify their apostolic authority, has been able to do such miracles. There's not one whacky Charismatic alive on earth today who can raise the dead, make the lame to walk, cause the blind to see, or heal the sick. Scumbag Evangelist Benny Hinn has been exposed repeatedly as a criminal lying fraud.

2nd Peter 2:1-3, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

I detest religious nuts who lay heavy burdens upon sick people's shoulders. When I was flying from Guam to California to get my second neck surgery in 2010, I had the unpleasant experience of sitting next to a religious Charismatic nut. The self-righteous fella had a female pastor in Colorado. He cruelly told me that if I was filled with the Spirit I wouldn't need the neck surgery. What a jerk! Thankfully I know enough about the inspired Word of God to know that he was very wrong and delusional, woefully ignorant of biblical truth.

There is no guarantee of bodily healing just because you are a Christian and pray to God for healing. Your pastor can anoint you with olive oil (symbolic of the blessed Holy Spirit) and pray for you to be healed, or to have a child if you are a barren wife, but I think it is unwise to assume that God will automatically work a miracle. It is a foolish thing to make demands of God, lest you lose your faith when God fails you. But if you understand that God does not normally heal the sick, then you won't be discouraged.

I heard a Baptist preacher foolishly teach that if a barren woman prays for a child, she should go buy a baby crib and everything that the baby will need, to show her faith that God will answer her prayer. Dear reader, please listen to me, that is optimism, not faith. Optimism is a positive outlook. Faith is still trusting God when He doesn't seem to answer your prayers.

If it is God's will to heal someone, then He will; but dear reader, it is rare to see such miracles. Pain, disease and suffering are a part of this temporal earthly life. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden to eat the forbidden fruit, they made it very clear to the LORD that they wanted to make their own choices between good and evil. But along with great power comes great responsibility. The ability to make our own choices is a great power. Adam and Eve wanted to big dog it! So along with that adult power to choose for themselves, God allowed them to suffer the blessings or consequences of their choices. This is why the world is in such a mess today, because humans continue to make the wrong choices. Ecclesiastes 7:29, “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”

And also, after my first surgery in 2009, I had come out of a restaurant and randomly met the pastor of Victory Chapel on Guam, a Pentecostal cult. He had two female church members with him. He also cruelly told me that if I were filled with the Spirit that I could be instantly healed. What a jerk! Those Charismatic nuts hold healing crusades at Ypao Beach Park on Guam. Their cult leader is Wayman Mitchell who performs the alleged healings. It couldn't be more obvious that what they are doing is fake, as victims fall backwards into the arms of workers when touched by Mitchell's hand. What religious quacks and snake oil salesman! They are dangerous FALSE PROPHETS who give suffering people FALSE HOPE (Matthew 7:15).

Scripturally there is no guarantee that anyone will ever be healed by God in this earthly lifetime. Although the soul and spirit were redeemed when we trusted Jesus as our Savior, the Bible is very clear in Romans that the body will not be redeemed until the Rapture. ...

Romans 8:22-23, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

See also 1st Corinthians 15:51-58 about the Rapture. When Peter's wife's mother was sick, Jesus healed her. Peter could not heal his own mother. The Apostle Paul suffered from a thorn in the flesh, which the Bible doesn't specify what it was. Based on Galatians 4:15 in the Bible, I think Paul had poor eyesight. Also, it is commonly purported that Paul needed to utilize Barnabas and Timothy to help write some of his epistles.

At one time Paul and the other apostles had the power to heal the sick and raise the dead, but that power eventually went away. We see this truth in 2nd Timothy 4:20, “ Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.” Paul couldn't heal his friend Trophimus. There are unsaved people who have been completely healed of cancer and other potentially lethal diseases. Some of them are atheists. So, although some Christians may boast that God healed them, the heathen world experiences the same healings at times. The Lord's thoughts and ways are above our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Don't try to figure out God because you'll drive yourself crazy trying. Just trust Him (Job 13:15).

When the Apostle James said that the prayer of faith shall heal the sick, that is only if it is God's will. There is much Charismatic healing fraud. God's power is not available on demand for money, entertainment or exploitation. God gave us doctors to care for the sick and dying. When doctors have done all they can, sometimes God will heal the afflicted. The Lord allowed Satan to afflict Job's health. Any preacher who says that it is always God's will to heal the body is a liar! I have never seen even one instance of any preacher healing the sick to empty a hospital. No, it is always some bizarre story in a remote place out in the middle of nowhere, with no cameras or credible witnesses.

I detest the Pentecostal and Charismatic religions! Throughout the Holy Bible saints became sick and died. King Asa's feet became infected and he died. The Bible says Asa sought healing from the physicians instead of the Lord. God could have healed him, but he lacked faith. So, I do believe in a miracle working God, but we must always remember that it is usually NOT God's will to heal the sick. That is obvious from reality. Most people with terminal illness do die prematurely.

That being said, we should always pray on the way to the doctor or hospital, and trust the dear LORD no matter what the outcome (Job 13:15). The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” So, I stopped looking for visible results to my prayers a long time ago. Now I just pray and forget about it, trusting the LORD's goodness. Life is easier that way, instead of always putting God on trial. Jesus said in Mark 11:22b, “Have faith in God.”

When Jacob's true love Rachel was giving birth to their second child Benjamin, she died. Jacob was devastated. I sometimes wonder why God allowed Jacob's beloved soulmate to perish so young. David's baby son died days after being born, even though David fasted and prayed night and day prostrate on the floor. Sickness, pain, suffering and death are the wages of sin (Romans 6:23), although not necessarily because of a particular sin. Bad things happen!

Romans 5:12 teaches that we live in a fallen world of chaos, suffering and death because of Adam's sin that opened the floodgate of sin and death upon humanity. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says there is such a thing as “luck.” Time and chance happeneth to all. One day every saint of God can look forward to being given a new glorified body fashioned like unto the Lord's resurrected body (Philippians 3:21). Until then, pain and suffering are realities of life that we must contend with. Pastor Jack Hyles is absolutely right, who said: “Life is a veil of tears.”

Beware Of Lunatic Charismatics And Their Fake Healing