Galatians 4:16-17, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.” Titus 3:10-11, “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” Esther 4:14, “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
People will get mad at you for speaking the truth rather than being mad at the people who lied to them. This is true. I should wash my hands of Harvest Baptist Church in Guam. And, of those who refuse to listen. I've done my part. Jesus didn't waste precious time on the Pharisees. Nor those who refused to hear the truth. GOD has called me to spread the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, and expose the deadly lie of Lordship Salvation.
I believe I should spend my time with those willing to listen. The Holy Spirit has primed this group for me. They are hungry for the truth. Those at Harvest Baptist Church have chosen their destiny. The Jewish people refused Jesus Christ. If they, knowing the law, would refuse the Christ, why should I be dismayed at these people at Harvest, and Bob Jones University, who deny the truth that I bring them? Hell will be full of people who believe they know the truth (Luke 13:23-24). It fills me with happiness to know that nothing but belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all I need to be saved. If the pastors, staff and congregation at Harvest Baptist Church in Guam want to deny the truth, then they have chosen their own fate in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 7:21-23).
Imagine how miserable these people are trying to live a life that is impossible. It is why Christ said His yoke is light. Because we believe, and add nothing to the work of Jesus Christ, we are truly free men. There is no condemnation in us. It is a simple Gospel. People are fearful of simplicity—If it's not complex, it can't be true, is their belief. Just look at the English language. Oh how we have distorted communication. We use jargon and $25 dollar words when simple monosyllabic words will do just fine.
Don't be troubled dear reader. Rest in Jesus Christ. I know you become weary, like I do. I have a difficult calling as a Fundamentalist Bible preacher. Most men would faint. I am strong in Jesus Christ. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. I am humbly doing what I know to do, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me, to help others. The Lord guides me. The Lord strengthens me. Jesus is all I need. God is allowing me to suffer, and be alone without a wife, because He is using me in an uncommon way to do His work. I am grateful that God is using a broken humble sinner like me.
Humbly said, it was God that called me for this time. No one else. ME. Esther 4:14, “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” My words may fall on deaf ears at Harvest Baptist Church of Guam, but ultimately GOD is in control. GOD is not surprised nor rattled.
To avoid being discouraged (more than I already am by the apostasy at Harvest), I must always remember that it was GOD Who placed me at this specific location on Guam, in this neighborhood, at this specific time, for this specific purpose of preaching THE TRUTH. Of all of those to whom I speak the truth, maybe only one person may listen at Harvest. And maybe that one person was why GOD sent me to Guam and Harvest Baptist Church. And, GOD will reward me for it. Thankfully, I know that pastors and layman alike all across America are having to choose sides in the battle over the infallibility of God's Word. Everyone is being forced to take sides in the ongoing battle over Free Grace Theology versus the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation. God is using my preaching against Harvest Baptist Church's woeful lack of love, sinful lack of compassion for hurting people like myself, and shameful indifference toward the truth—to shew other churches what NOT TO BE LIKE.
The Apostle Paul Was Also Demonized For Telling The Truth
The Apostle Paul told THE TRUTH to the churches of Galatia, which made them upset. They counted Paul as their enemy and shunned him (Galatians 4:16-17). They foolishly allowed themselves to be zealously affected by a works-based cult, that added to the Gospel. Paul called the Galatians “foolish” in Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” This Bible passage has Dr. Steve Pettit's name written all over it, who perverts the Gospel utterly at Bob Jones University.
I am speaking the truth in love, but like the Apostle Paul, the Bob Jones crowd on Guam have counted me their enemy. They won't even allow me to attend church services. I pleaded three times in 2017, and have continually presented my petition since, but their pastors couldn't care less. I am just a troublemaker to them. But the good Lord is on my side, for one reason only, and that is that I speak THE TRUTH. What saith the Scripture? Romans 3:4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” As long as my words agree with God's Words, I am going to be okay!
You Don't Have To Forsake Sinful Behavior To Be Saved
There is not one mention in the inspired King James Bible of “repent of your sins,” or “turn away from your sins,” to receive God's free gift of eternal life. I have met some deceived Baptist pastors who are cowards. They are afraid to go against their peers in the Bible Jones' camp. So instead of defend the Gospel, they make excuses to give the benefit of the doubt.
When I visited the Lighthouse Baptist Church on Guam in 2018, Sean Quinlan was their pastor. He is affiliated with Pensacola Christian College in Florida. I kindly let him know that some of their literature in the church tract rack, taught that you must turn away from your sinful ways to be saved. He didn't care! Pastor Quinlan's excuse was that you have to turn “from” something in order to turn “to” something. Although that is a true statement, it was wicked of Pastor Quinlan to use it to justify ungodly preachers who require people to forsake living a lifestyle of sin to be saved.
Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) correctly understood that believing on Christ and repentance are simply two different ways of looking at the SAME event. ...
Repentance is not a different plan of salvation from having faith: it is part of the same plan of salvation. Or rather repentance is simply another way of describing or looking at the plan of salvation. One who turns from sin to God has done so by trusting in Jesus Christ. A change of mind toward sin is necessarily involved in saving faith.SOURCE: Evangelist John R. Rice, “Acts: Filled With The Spirit,” pp. 250-252; Sword Of The Lord, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; ©1963
Dr. Rice is correct—one who turns from sin to God HAS DONE SO BY TRUSTING IN JESUS CHRIST!!! In sharp contrast, this is very different than the heretical preachers who teach that you MUST turn away from intentionally committing sin to be saved. Read the following Satanic heresy taught by Evangelist Ray Comfort (which is the same junk theology taught at Bob Jones University today). Ray Comfort says:
“That's all repentance is—You've sinned against God; it's a matter of saying, 'God, I'm sorry,' and then LIVING A LIFESTYLE that proves the reality of your repentance. That's what repentance is, it's a continual thing! God, 'I'm sorry, but I'm not going going to lie or steal or blaspheme Your name ever again. It has that attitude! And the second thing—trust in Jesus!” [emphasis added]SOURCE: Evangelist Ray Comfort, “I've never killed anyone” (MP3 clip)
Do you see the DRASTIC difference between the mindset of John R. Rice versus Ray Comfort concerning repentance? Dr. Rice correctly teaches that repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. The man who believes has repented and the man who repents has believed. They are not two separate acts. They are two different parts of one action of trusting Christ as one's personal Savior. The man who acknowledges that he is a guilty sinner (Romans 3:19)—trusting in Christ Who died on the cross to pay for those sins (Ephesians 1:12-14)—is saved (Acts 16:31). This is Bible repentance—a simple change of mind that compels a person to believe the Gospel to be saved.
In sharp contrast, Ray Comfort (and other heretical proponents of Lordship Salvation) teaches that turning away from sinful behavior is a separate act from believing. Mr. Comfort errantly says that repentance is “a continual thing,” which you must do for the rest of your life to prove that you are really saved. This is a perversion of the Gospel (Acts 15:1; Galatians 1:6-9). In essence, Dr. Rice correctly teaches that we repent TO believe; whereas Ray Comfort errantly teaches that we repent AND believe.
Respectfully said, I heard Pastor Charles Lawson heretically teach that your faith is not valid with God, unless you have repented (stopped deliberately committing) from your sins. This is Calvinism, not the Free Grace Gospel. Pastor Lawson doesn't understand what it means to repent. Turning away from sins is reformation, not repentance. Sorrow for sins is penitence, not repentance. Trying to amend one's sinful ways is penance, not repentance. Repentance is a simple change of mind, where you acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God, and thus see your desperate need for the Savior (Galatians 3:24-26). Anything more is a perversion of the Gospel.
The phrase “turn from sin” is no where found in the Bible, so we ought not use it, lest we confuse people concerning how to be saved. Dr. Rice uses the phrase, and I don't think he should, but he very clearly explains what is meant by his use of the phrase. What Dr. Rice is teaching is very different than what Ray Comfort, Charles Lawson, John MacArthur, Paul Washer, Steve Pettit, Marty Herron, John Piper, and countless others teach these days. It is true that in order to turn “to” something, you must logically also turn “from” something, which is exactly what repentance is—a change of mind from unbelief to belief.
It Is Not Okay To Embellish The Gospel
There is only one Gospel. What saith the Scripture? 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.” In the Epistle of Galatians, Paul rebukes the churches of Galatia for moving away from the hope of the Gospel. Paul plainly says that the foolishness they have fallen for is NOT another Gospel. And so I say to you today—Oh Harvest Baptist Church of Guam, and Bob Jones University, and The Master's University, and Faith Baptist Bible College And Theological Seminary, and Moody Bible Institute, and Pacific Garden Mission's UNSHACKLED radio—who hath bewitched you that you should believe another gospel? Oh foolish Lordship Salvation crowd, woe unto you all!
The Bible clearly defines “The Gospel” in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as three things: Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was buried. Three days later He resurrected from the dead physically. Jesus was seen in His resurrected body by over 500 brethren at one time (1st Corinthians 15:6). Anyone who comes to God as a needy sinner (Romans 3:19-20), receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sins (2nd Corinthians 5:21), believing that He is risen and alive (Romans 10:9-10), is saved (Romans 10:13).
Salvation is a matter of taking God at His Word as recorded in the Bible, believing what God has promised by faith. The Gospel is not Good News to be lived, it is Good News to be believed. 1st Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Repeatedly in the Bible we are taught that the way of salvation is simply to BELIEVE. No where are we taught to forsake our sinful bad habits to receive God's gift of eternal life. It is a gift (Romans 5:15-18; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). A gift is a take proposition, not a give proposition. Salvation is receiving, not achieving.
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