The Judgment Of The Nations

Matthew 25:31-46, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

Please consider Matthew 7:21-23. These people boasted to Christ of their “many wonderful works” done is His name. They boasted of their preaching in Jesus' name, calling Him “LORD, LORD.” They were completely sincere. But the Lord said He never knew them, calling them “workers of iniquity.” They were shocked! You see, you are not one of Jesus' sheep unless you have been born-again, and that only happens by doing the will of the Father, which according to John 6:40 is to BELIEVE on the Son of God. Those foolish people had been deceived by the Devil to live the Christian life, without ever being born-again. This is the foolish Lordship Salvation group today, who call Jesus, “LORD, LORD,” but they have not done the will of the Father, they have added works to pervert grace.

This is very interesting. In Matthew 25:31-46 we see the righteous doing many wonderful works. But in Matthew 7:21-23 we see a group of people doing many wonderful works in Jesus' name, but they are unrighteous (goats). So not all goats do evil. Some goats do works of righteousness. And not all sheep do righteousness. Some sheep do evil things. So what's the difference between the sheep and the goats? What makes a lamb a lamb? John 10:1 and 9, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ...I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” If you are not a sheep dear friend, you can become one right now, by simply entering through “THE DOOR” of Jesus by faith! Simply come oh needy sinner, receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, believing that He was buried and raised up from the dead three days later. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

You don't have to do anything to be saved accept believe the Good News of Jesus Christ. You need to know WHO He is, WHAT He has done for you, and WHY He did it. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31). He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and bodily resurrected three days later from the dead (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus died for our sins because we are guilty sinners (Romans 3:23), and there is a penalty for those sins in Hell forever (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:12-15; 21:8; Psalms 9:17). 

So we learn by comparing Scripture with Scripture, that the defining factor in Matthew 25:31-46 of what makes one “righteous” is solely based upon faith. My destination is not based upon how I live my life, it's on whom that I trust to save me. JESUS PAID IT ALL!!!

Living For Jesus

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” —Mark 8:34-38

Only what's done for Jesus' sake or the Gospel's will matter when we get to eternity. What are you doing for God? Have you told anyone lately about the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ? There is still a great need for missionaries in all parts of the world! Eighty-percent of the people living in the interior of Papa New Guinea don't have any utilities and don't even use money. They barter crops and livestock with each other. The average ANNUAL salary in places like Afghanistan is about $140. In China it's about $300. In Papa New Guinea it's about $485. This is per year! You'd be shocked how many people in this world live on LESS THAN $1 A DAY. Would you believe 1,400,000,000? That is accurate. 

Oh how the world needs Jesus! If nothing else, you can support a Christian Baptist missionary who is serving the Lord on the mission field. There are so many ways you can further the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many churches which distribute free tracts worldwide. I love leaving tracts everywhere I go. You can be intuitive and think of ways on your own to spread the Good News of Christ. There is something that every believer can and should do to help get people saved. I don't care how successful a ministry may seem, if the Gospel is not being preached, then they are a total failure in Heaven's sight (Matthew 7:21-23). 

By the way, there's a lot of phony so-called “Christian” TV and radio shows that beg for money and sugarcoat the truth as to not offend people. The truth needs to be spoken without apology. There is something that everybody can do for Jesus' sake and the Gospel's. Life is short, Hell is hot, and eternity is a long time. 

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

~by British Missionary Charles T. Studd (1860-1931) 

If you want to serve the Lord, join a local Bible-believing church. I always recommend a Bible-believing, soul-winning, King James Bible only, people-loving, Independent Fundamental Baptist Church and get involved. Doctrinally, you won't find a better church than a fundamental Baptist church. Get involved and join a soul-winning program. Some churches have a Fisherman's Club for men (or a Lighthouse Club for the ladies). Jesus wants to make every believer a fisher of men! Mark 1:17, “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.”

Soulwinning is every believer's responsibility. Luke 8:15,  “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Bearing fruit as a believer is God's intended goal for us. Pastor Dwight L. Moody wisely said, “It is the only happy life to live for the salvation of souls.” Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” 1st Corinthians 9:16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” Sharing the Gospel is not just for full-time Christian workers. Life is short, Hell is hot, and eternity is a long time. Somebody needs to warn the lost. We are the only Jesus that somebody knows. So if we don't witness to them, nobody else will!

Money always seems to be the biggest set back to getting more done for God. It's a shame. I sometimes wish I had a billion dollars to do so much for God. Then I stop and realize that if God wanted me to have a billion dollars, I would have it! No, God works in His own way, in His own time, and in His own sovereign plan. We are expected to do what we can with what God has given us. God asked Moses, “...What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod” (Exodus 4:2). A rod? God empowered Moses through that rod to deliver Israel from the land of Egypt. Moses brought the plagues upon Egypt through that little rod. 

God can use whatever is in your hand friend to do mighty things if it is yielded to Him. God needs not our money nor our talents, He needs our heart and obedience. Commit what you have dear Christian to God and start serving the Lord Jesus Christ. This is an adulterous and sinful generation. Will you tell others about Jesus Christ and be counted as a fool for Jesus? Or are you ashamed of your Savior? Don't deny your Savior and Creator—tell the Good News of Jesus far and wide for all to hear. 

My friend, do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? Have you been born again? Simply come to God as a needy sinner, receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died, was buried, and bodily resurrected from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). That is the 'GOOD NEWS' of Jesus Christ that saves even the vilest sinner, if you'll simply receive it as your own. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

What Is In Thy Hand?

(a life-changing MP3 sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles)

Jesus Said To “Be Of Good Cheer” To All Saints

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

These are perilous times, with all that’s going on in the world, with the Coronavirus pandemic, and all the mob nonsense going on in the United States. Consequently, a lot of people are succumbing to related stress and frustrations, and suicides are skyrocketing worldwide. American society is presently overwhelmed with health issues and mental distress. Many people are not getting along with their spouse, and may sometimes wonder where God is in all the seemingly impossible situations in people’s lives. But nothing is impossible to our God! Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

America is on it’s way out unless something happens. The country is facing a national coin shortage due to the pandemic, and some places want an exact cash amount or you have to pay by credit or debit card. We are definitely headed for a cashless society, which we read about in Revelation 13:17. Without the mark of the Beast, no one will be able to buy or sell. Obviously hard currency won't be accepted anymore in the near future. Already we are seeing this in many places, and on all airplanes, where cash is not accepted. I can assure you that nightmare conditions are coming to the United States in the next couple years. At present, over 35,000,000 Americans are unemployed because of the Coronavirus, and I heard on the news recently that at least 40% of those people won't be getting their jobs back. Many people are survivors and will no doubt adapt, but millions will succumb to poverty and all manner of related evils. Could the lockdown be worse than the virus itself at killing us?

I think it is obvious that end time Bible prophecy is slowly but surely coming to pass. I could go on for a long time. The powers that be evidently think they can keep things closed down forever due to the virus, and our country cannot survive that way. The predictions are all doom and gloom. More and more people are being infected with the virus and hospitals are getting full to capacity. Doctors are committing suicide, overwhelmed with stress and grief. Where I live on Guam it is all the same. Stores will not allow you to enter without a mask, and if you forget, they treat you like a criminal. This is author George Orwell's dystopian nightmare come true, times ten, as depicted in his classic book titled, “1984.” The book is considered a literary classic due to its uncanny accuracy about a futuristic totalitarian world government (aka, “Big Brother”). Mr. Orwell was not a Christian, so his book uses a bit of strong language. If you prefer listening than reading, like me, you can listen to the 3 hour book '1984' read on YouTube. 

Despite the problems all around us dear saint, we need not be perplexed or worried in the least. Our God is faithful. If you are a born-again believer, you have so much to rejoice about! This temporal life is merely as a vapor the Bible says, which appears for a short time and then vanishes away. James 4:14, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” But thank God that truth never changes! God never changes! Jesus Christ never changes! My anchor holds!!! Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” I love that Bible verse. Our Lord hasn't changed over the past 2,000 years. What you read about Jesus in the Bible dear saint, is as relevant today as it was back then. Malachi 3:6 teaches that the Lord never changes. 

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” No matter what happens in life, the Christian can keep his or her head high and rejoice. Our God liveth! Lamentations 3:23b, “great is thy faithfulness.” God is faithful. 2nd Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Concerning the future Tribulation period, Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:6, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” We are not in the Tribulation yet, but I believe we are getting very near. We certainly are hearing about rumors of wars, pestilences (Coronavirus), famines (Africa), but these are not the Tribulation yet. 

I believe the Rapture of the Church must happen first. My rational is very simple. Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Only a pretribulation Rapture makes sense doctrinally. If Christ's Second Coming and the Rapture are the same event, as some misled pastors are teaching nowadays, then the Antichrist must appear first. If that be true, then why would we be commanded to look for the appearing of the blessed Saviour? No, Jesus could come at any time, just as the Holy Bible teaches (Mark 13:35-37). Jesus could come back today!!!

God Hates Sin, But Not The Sinner

Psalms 5:5-7, “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.”

I've heard some people quote Psalm 5:5 as evidence that God hates some people. This would contradict John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The answer is very simple, there are different Greek words for love used in the Bible. I have heard a few Baptist pastors make fun on these differences, but they are showing their nativity and unlearned ignorance of the Scriptures in so doing. 

The Ancient Greeks' 6 Words for Love (And Why Knowing Them Can Change Your Life)

• Eros, or sexual passion. ...
• Philia, or deep friendship. ...
• Ludus, or playful love. ...
• Agape, or love for everyone. ...
• Pragma, or longstanding love. ...
• Philautia, or love of the self.

SOURCE: The Ancient Greek's 6 Words For Love

In John 3:16, the word “loved” means agape, or love for everyone. When Jesus asked the Apostle Peter in John 21:16 if He loved Him, Jesus meant agape. But Peter responded by using the word fileho (friend) for love. Jesus was asking Peter if he loved him unconditionally, but Peter replied by saying he was fond of the Lord. You see, when you are only fond of somebody, when circumstances change you are no longer fond of them. We call those “fair weather friends.” Jesus was about to be crucified and leave. Peter's friend would be gone. Jesus was teaching Peter that if he truly loved him, then he would keep His commandments after He was gone (John 14:15). Jesus commanded Peter to “FEED MY SHEEP” (believers), when He was gone.

Only a naive and foolish preacher would make fun of these Greek differences, and scold Christians for consulting the source languages. I am a firm believer that Christians today don't need anything more than our English King Jame Bible, but it certainly doesn't hurt to study the Masoretic Hebrew and Textus Receptus from which our beloved King James Bible was translated. We are commanded to “study” (2nd Timothy 2:15). Sometimes know-it-all religious people want to argue over Bible version discrepancies, but I refuse to lower myself to their ignorant level. If you don't see a big problem in having hundreds of English Bible revisions today, you have a big fool! Bob Jones University are damned fools!!! They sanction and use multiple Bible revisions from multiple ancient texts, which woefully contradict each other.

A simple Bible study reveals that God loves all humanity unconditionally. Some preachers are ignorant of God's love, teaching that God would never send someone to Hell that He loves. That is like saying that an earthly judge would never sentence someone to capital punishment if they loved them. Such unlearned preachers fail to understand that God's holiness demands justice, but that does not cancel God's unconditional love. Beware of any preacher who endorses hating people! God does not hate homosexuals, He loves them so much that He sacrificed His only begotten Son on the cross to pay for their sins (Romans 5:6-8). How can anyone hate any sinner, for whom Christ died? I don't care how popular or successful a pastor may become, he will always be a failure in Heaven's sight until he learns to love everyone with God's unconditional love.

We must never accept the sin with the sinner, nor reject the sinner with the sin. The psalmist David often spoke imprecatory prayers, wanting to see his enemies get what they had coming to them. Psalms 58:6, “Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.” Like David, there are many wicked people whom I desire to see punished. There are many people who have hurt me throughout my life, who got away with it, and there was nothing I could do. God promises in Romans 12:19-21 to avenge me of all evil against me, and vise versa if I've ever hurt anyone and failed to make reconciliation and restitution. This law of God applies to all humanity! But I do not hate anyone. I have forgiven everyone. I do not believe King David hated his enemies. What saith the Scripture? Psalms 109:4, “For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.” David didn't say that he returnee evil for evil, but he prayed.

Forgiveness isn't letting a matter go, it is releasing an offence into God's hands for judgment, so we can move on in life and serve Christ. Forgiveness is a matter of faith, trusting that God will hold all humanity accountable as the Bible teaches (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; 1st Thessalonians 4:6; Romans 14:10-12). I refuse to hate anyone. I may hate everything about them. I may hate their sinful behavior. I may hate their sinful attitude. I may hate their abusive ways. But I choose to unconditionally love them with God's love, which the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in my soul as God's redeemed child. Jesus is precious!

The Danger Of Adding To Faith Alone

Galatians 3:24-26, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

The Gospel is so delicate that it is easily corrupted. We are all guilty and needy sinners (Romans 3:10-23). The “Gospel” (or “Good News”) is simply that Jesus Christ DIED on the cross for our sins, He was BURIED, and He physically RESURRECTED three days later from the dead (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Anybody who places childlike FAITH (reliance) in this “GOOD NEWS” is saved. Faith is all that God requires! Our text passage from Galatians 3:26 simply says, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” In hundreds of Scripture passages we are taught that salvation is BY FAITH.

But along comes a spider, a thief, a liar, a false prophet, a Bob Jones University Bible professor—who ADDS the unbiblical requirement to “REPENT OF YOUR SIN,” or “TURN FROM YOUR SINS,” or “BE WILLING TO TURN FROM YOUR SINS” to be saved! These are all another gospel, which cannot produce the new birth (regeneration).

The following helpful words are from The Middletown Bible Church in Middletown, Connecticut. I thank God for their faithful pastor and church for contending for the Christian faith. ...

In recent years many Reformed men have been strongly promoting what has been called "Lordship Salvation." Essentially Lordship salvation teaches that simple faith in Jesus Christ is not enough for salvation. Something else is needed. A solid commitment to Christ is needed. A person needs to surrender to the Lordship of Christ. A willingness to obey Christ’s commands is a necessary condition. Also the sinner must fulfill the demands of discipleship or at least be willing to fulfill them in order to have eternal life.

We must never forget that a person is saved because he throws himself upon the mercy of a loving Savior who died for him. It is not our COMMITMENT that saves us; it is our CHRIST who saves us! It is not our SURRENDER that saves us; it is our Savior who does! It is not what I do for God; it is what God has done for me. 

We need to avoid the dangerous error of taking what should be the RESULT of salvation and making it the REQUIREMENT for salvation:

• It is because I am saved that I surrender to His Lordship.

• It is because I am saved that I follow Him in willing obedience.

• It is because I am saved that I agree to the terms of discipleship.

• It is because I am saved that I submit to His authority over every area of my life.

Behavior and fruit are the evidences of saving faith but they are not the essence of saving faith. Don’t confuse the fruit with the root. Because we are justified freely by His grace we measure up to the full demands of God’s righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21); because we are frail we often fail to measure up to the full demands of discipleship (Luke 14:25–33, etc.). The requirements of discipleship are many; the requirement for salvation is simple faith and trust in the Savior.

My commitment to Jesus Christ does not save me: CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My surrender to His Lordship does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My obedience to His Word does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My love for the Savior does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My ability or lack of ability to fulfill all the demands of discipleship does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My behavior (conduct) does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE.

God’s saving grace is to be found in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone can satisfy God’s holiness and righteousness! Eternal life is not something that we earn or achieve by our faithful living throughout our Christian life. Instead, it is a free gift that we receive at the moment we first believe in Christ. This LIFE is the present possession of every believer: "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:12; all verbs are in the present tense).

Have you been justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus? Is your hope built upon what you have done or is your hope based upon Jesus’ blood and righteousness? "I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but WHOLLY LEAN ON JESUS’ NAME!" May we be standing fully on Christ the solid Rock, not upon the sinking sand of our own fragile commitment.

Beware of the Devil's lie that you must “repent of your sin” or “turn from your sinful ways” to be saved. You get saved by believing the Gospel, not by turning from anything! I've heard some sincerely deceived Baptist pastors defend the wrong repentance crowd, saying that you have to turn FROM something in order to turn TO Christ. Well, if a person accepts Jesus as their personal Savior, who cares what they have turned from, because they are now saved (which shows that they have repented, i.e., changed their mind). Lordship Salvation and the Wrong Repentance are not always the same thing. I have met pastors who refute Lordship Salvation, but promote wrong repentance; however, both doctrines of devils promote the same evil of ADDING to faith alone.

The Lordship Salvation and Wrong Repentance crowd say you must “turn from your sin” as an ADDITIONAL step to saving faith. The Bible teaches that repentance and faith are simply two parts of ONE ACT OF BELIEVING (Acts 20:21). Repentance is simply the recognition of one's self as a needy sinner, which compels us to place our faith in the Gospel. Repentance does not mean to forsake the world, turn from sinful bad habits, nor be willing to turn from one's sins. To “repent” simply means “a change of mind”—a change of mind from WRONG THINKING of what I want to do to get to Heaven, to what God says I must do to get to Heaven. 

This is what Hebrews 6:1 means by repentance from “DEAD WORKS.” All works are dead works! Keeping the law (effectively the same as turning from your sins) is dead works!!! Good works and bad works are DEAD WORKS! You don't get saved by doing good works, nor do you get saved by turning away from bad works, you get saved by RESTING in the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:10-11, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” How ironic it is then, that so many false teachers today require lost sinners to “repent (turn) from their sin” to be saved. As we just read in Hebrews 4:10-11, salvation requires CEASING FROM OUR OWN WORKS!!! That means you DON'T have to turn from your sins to be saved, which would be self-righteousness (i.e., human reformation). Either God does the saving—ALL OF IT—or else we don't go to Heaven!!! 

I Can Do All Things Through A Bible Verse Out Of Context

2nd Peter 3:16-18, “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

I can do all things through a Bible verse taken out of context! As a general rule, a Bible student should never lift a text out of context, lest you create a new pretext (heresy). By taking Bible verses out of context, you can literally teach ANYTHING. I'm not kidding! I have heard some crazy stuff in my lifetime. I knew a religious man years ago who used the following Scripture to justify sinning. 1st Corinthians 11:31, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” He figured he wouldn't be judged, even before he had committed the sin, just so long as he admitted it was wrong! He forget about Psalms 66:18-19, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.” Proverbs 3:12, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

Folks, anything can be justified if you don't have the Holy Spirit to guide you into the truth. ...

John 16:12-14, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

When unsaved people get religion, but are not born-again, and then they try to figure out the Bible without the Holy Spirit and teach others, you end up with heretics like Steve Pettit, Marty Herron, John MacArthur, Ellen White, Charles Russell, Joseph Smith, John Corapi, Ray Comfort and Billy Graham, to name but a few. 

The Bible foretold that many false prophets would come in the last days. Matthew 24:11, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”  When I was a younger Christian, I knew early on that Roman Catholicism is a religious cult. I knew that the Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious cult. I was saved at age 13. As a teenager I read my parent's copy of Walter Martin's classic book: 'The Kingdom Of The Cults.' However, it never dawned on me until I attended Harvest Baptist Church on Guam for a year in 2014, that there are many heretical Baptist churches today, which preach another gospel! Tragically, most Baptist churches have been infected with the “turn from your sins” garbage theology to be saved, which is not the childlike faith of John 3:16. 

I became a Baptist at age 13 when I got saved, and have been an independent fundamental Baptist ever since, and I am proud of that! Being Baptist doesn't make me a Christian, but as a Christian the Baptist church aligns closest with the inspired Word of God, in my humble opinion. Please notice that I said “FUNDAMENTAL.” Most Baptist churches today are neo-evangelical, like the shameful Harvest Baptist Church on Guam. I made this chart to show some major differences between these groups...

Today's neo-evangelical Baptist churches are infected with Calvinism. I read somewhere recently that 31% of all Southern Baptist Churches are Calvinist in doctrine! Moody Bible Institute's statement of faith declares that they are Calvinists. Calvinism is not the Gospel, not by a long shot! John Calvin (1509-1564) is burning in Hell, because he thought living the Christian life was part of the Gospel. That's what Ellen G. White of the Seventh-Day Adventists believes too! The Gospel is so simple that most men pass right over it, complicating God's plan of salvation with religion. Man is incurably religious!

Never Use An Obscure Passage To Contradict A Clear One

There are a few basic rules of Bible interpretation to follow, which if observed will keep you from going astray. The first I learned from Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), who said: “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” In literally hundreds of places in the Word of God, we are taught that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Yet the proponents of Lordship Salvation always run to a small handful of Scripture passages that mention the word repent, taking all of them horribly out of context. 

For example: cartoon evangelist Jack Chick (1924-2016) quotes Luke 13:5 on his website's statement of faith, in a failed attempt to justify his heresy that you must “be willing to turn from sin” (which he errantly considered to mean “repent”) to be saved. Kindly said, Jack Chick took Luke 13:5 out of context to create his own pretext, to support his heresy. Dr. Curtis Hutson explains Luke 13:5 and gets it 100% correct:

In Luke 13:5 Jesus said, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” The context of this verse shows that they needed to repent or change their mind regarding punishment and sin. In this passage, Christ was talking to good people who believed that people suffered only because of their sins, and they concluded that those in Galilee whose blood Pilate mingled with sacrifices and those on whom the tower of Siloam fell were greater sinners because they died such horrible deaths. Jesus contradicts the thinking of these self-righteous people and tells them that they need to repent or change their mind and see themselves as sinners, too, or they will perish in their own self-righteousness. 

One does not have to know the Greek language to see that “repent” in this passage does not mean feeling sorry for or turning from sin.

SOURCE: Dr. Curtis Hutson, 'Repentance: What Does The Bible Teach?'

So we see that it is very easy to take a passage of Scripture out of context.

Never Base A Doctrine On A Single Bible Verse

Another rule to follow is to never interpret a single Bible verse, without taking into consideration the entire passage. For example: Another “GO TO” passage often used by advocates of Lordship Salvation is found in Matthew 24:13, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” They'll take this single Bible verse, and use it to teach that Calvinism is true, saying that a saint must persevere in holiness until the end to be saved. Yet, if they would simply continue reading, they would read in verse 22, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” So we see that the subject is FLESH and not SALVATION! Do you see how easy the Bible is to understand, when we simply read the entire passage? So this is another important rule of exegesis to remember. 

Another example is Romans 10:9-10, “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The Church of Christ religious denomination cite this passage, to support their heresy that a person must confess Christ publicly to be saved. They foolishly base that errantly belief on one Bible passage. But if they would simply read John 12:42-43, they would know they are wrong! John 12:42-34, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” These men were saved, because they believed, but they did not confess the name of Jesus. This proves that Romans 10:9-10 does not teach confession is required to be saved.

Romans 10:9-10 simply means that a believer confesses Christ publicly, because they are saved. But this is not an absolute rule, nor a requirement to be saved. Salvation is a matter of believing in the heart, which the Bible makes plainly clear. Likewise, water baptism is not required to be saved. In baptism, we relate to Christ's death, burial and resurrection, showing our faith. Baptism is one's public profession of faith! No one in the Bible was ever baptized until AFTER they were saved.

Beware Of Internet Preachers

The Bible says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” But for some people it's: I can do all things through a Bible verse taken out of context! You have to be really careful nowadays, because anybody and their dog, literally, can start a YouTube account and become a preacher! There are heretics like Renee Roland, who denies that Hell has fire and eternal punishment. She has tens of thousands of followers! And then there is Robert Breaker, who falsely says people were saved by works in the Old Testament. That is the same garbage C.I. Scofield and Dr. Peter Ruckman taught! Bryan Derringer teaches the Lordship Salvation heresy. Joshua Chavez falsely says you can lose your salvation. YouTube is full of theological deceivers and liars! They are unlearned and ignorant of the Scriptures, wrestling the Scriptures to their own destruction, and the demise of those who follow them. Beware of dogs!

I receive thousands of emails. Many of them are from people who are confused, worried and doubtful, after reading what some corrupt preacher said on the internet. I always encourage people to get into the inspired King James Bible, and “Let your fingers do the walking!” That was a slogan years ago for the Yellow Pages phonebook. They encouraged you to use the phonebook, instead of wasting your time walking around trying to find what you're looking for. And so I say to you, instead of relying upon unlearned and dangerous wannabe theologians on YouTube, “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES” (John 5:39a). It's okay to listen to online preachers, for I is one (lol), but ALWAYS look to the inspired Word of God as your final and only authority in all matters of faith, morality and life's decisions. 

False 'UNSHACKLED' Salvation Of Debbie Brooks

Galatians 1:6-7, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Many of UNSHACKLED's heart-touching stories are a nice fairytale, but they are not Scriptural! Here is PGM's 'GO TO' Bible passage—2nd Corinthians 5:17-18, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” There is a fine line between faith and foolishness! God knows that I am not trying to be negative, nor criticize Pacific Garden Mission without a cause; but rather, they are pressuring sinners to make a commitment to turn away from sin to be saved, which is not a part of the Gospel. 

For example: In UNSHACKLED program #3589 (aired in 2020), a woman named Debbie Brooks meets with a religious friend named Sharon:

SHARON: Trusting Jesus is the only thing that can make a difference in my messed-up life. 

DEBBIE: I keep hearing that in church, but I don't get it—how something that EASY can be a life-changer. 

SHARON: Oh Debbie, it's not easy—believing in Jesus means repenting and asking forgiveness for all the old ways, and then GIVING THEM UP FOR GOOD. When you find the COURAGE TO DO THAT, He'll help you CHANGE YOUR LIFE. 

DEBBIE: Huh, well, I'll have to think about it. 

Dear reader, what you just read taught by Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago is of the Devil, straight out of the pits of Hell. I hope you see how evil this is. PGM has moved away from the hope of the Gospel. According to the preceding UNSHACKLED program, it is NOT EASY to be saved; because you are required to GIVE UP YOUR OLD SINFUL WAYS PERMANENTLY! That is “another gospel” accursed by God! Somewhere along the way, Moody Bible Institute, Bob Jones University and Pacific Garden Mission became devout followers of Pastor John MacArthur's demonic Lordship Salvation garbage theology! God's curse is upon all of them...

Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But 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. 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.”

Pacific Garden Mission are PREACHING ANOTHER GOSPEL!!! We are taught in 2nd Corinthians 11:3-4 that the Gospel is simple. Having to forsake the old sinful way of life is anything but simple. PGM has it backwards. God's plan of salvation is simply that you come to God as a needy sinner, and you receive His Son's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins. PGM demands that you turn from your sins first, which is not what the Bible teaches. PGM's false gospel is that you must make a commitment to follow the Lord. Judas followed Jesus and went to Hell. Matthew 27:3 says Judas “repented” of his sins, but he wasn't saved at all. Millions of religious people falsely think they will be in Heaven someday, but they will be in Hell. Luke 13:23-24, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) says these helpful words, explaining the meaning of Luke 13:5...

In Luke 13:5 Jesus said, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” The context of this verse shows that they needed to repent or change their mind regarding punishment and sin. In this passage, Christ was talking to good people who believed that people suffered only because of their sins, and they concluded that those in Galilee whose blood Pilate mingled with sacrifices and those on whom the tower of Siloam fell were greater sinners because they died such horrible deaths. Jesus contradicts the thinking of these self-righteous people and tells them that they need to repent or change their mind and see themselves as sinners, too, or they will perish in their own self-righteousness.

One does not have to know the Greek language to see that “repent” in this passage does not mean feeling sorry for or turning from sin. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Pastor Curtis Hutson, 'Repentance: What Does The Bible Say?'

Many proponents of Lordship Salvation cite Luke 13:5 to support their heresy. There is not one verse in the Bible that teaches to repent of sin or turn from sin to be saved. We are simply taught to “...BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST...” (Acts 16:30-31). 

The Gospel is not open to embellishment. There is a certain degree of allowable semantics in presenting God's plan of salvation, but the Gospel itself is set in concrete! Here it is:

1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

There you have it—Jesus DIED, was BURIED, and miraculously RESURRECTED three days later. There is no mention of turning away from sins, forsaking the old ways for good, following Christ, speaking in tongues, getting water baptized, joining a church, praying, confessing Jesus publicly, running the race, nor of anything else to be saved! The apostle Paul said this is 'THE GOSPEL,' which Jesus personally gave to Him.

Galatians 1:11-12, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”