Don't Muddy The Gospel

I found this excellent blog article today, by Army chaplain David Rutkin, which I wanted to share with my blog visitors as well. I thank God for fellow truth-tellers like David Rutkin, who get the Gospel 100% correct:

Don't muddy the Gospel. Explain it simply so it can be understood by the hearer. 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most significant element of the Christian faith. 

Needless to say, the Gospel should be preached at church and I firmly believe at every occasion. 

The Apostle Paul separated himself from others according to the clear Gospel message of Christ (Rom. 1:1). The Gospel is where he divided himself from another. 

The clear Gospel message should be the foundation of where a church stands. If one does not get the Gospel saving message correct (Rom. 1:16), then they are likely to err in other understandings of Scripture.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is His sinless shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection as the full substitute payment which saves a sinner from eternal damnation when believed by faith. 

If the Gospel is tampered with at all and not explained vividly, it can lose its saving effect.  Notice the verses below.

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” - 1 Corinthians 1:17

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 11:3

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” - Galatians 5:4 

This is a harsh reality, and a real tragedy which is going on in many Christian churches today. Every Bible-believing church should give a clear presentation of the Gospel and invitation to accept Jesus Christ alone as Savior by personal faith. 

I’m a stickler for a clear presentation of the Gospel. 

Salvation is not a sinner promising to turn from sin, sorrow for sin, or giving their life/heart to Jesus so that He will save them. Salvation has nothing to do with our promises or gifts to Christ. Salvation is simply us accepting Jesus’ satisfactory payment on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We simply trust in Jesus alone to save us (Acts 16:31, Rom. 4:5, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Eph. 2:8-9). 

Jesus gave His life for us (Gal. 1:4, 1 Tim. 2:6, Tit. 2:14); we don’t give anything to Christ for salvation. 

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Gal. 2:21). 

If we make salvation about us or something we promise to do for God, then salvation is no longer a gift, but we earned it (Rom. 4:16, 11:6). A sinner must understand they have nothing to offer Christ, but simply trust in Him alone to save them by accepting His substitutionary payment for their sins. 

I do not believe I am splitting hairs because as seen from numerous Scripture above, the Apostle Paul was just as dogmatic. 

SOURCE: The Crystal Clear Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Judas Repented - Matthew 27:3

Beware Of False Prophet Pastor Greg Laurie

Acts 3:14-21, “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

Greg Laurie is the theologically incompetent pastor (in my humble opinion) and founder of the Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and of Harvest Crusades. Pastor Laurie is an evangelist, best-selling author and religious movie producer. Unfortunately, Mr. Laurie is also a dangerous false prophet who preaches a counterfeit plan of salvation.

The Difference Between Remorse and Repentance

“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” (Acts 3:19 NLT)

Spiritually speaking, there’s a vast difference between the words remorse and repentance. And it’s important that we understand this difference. People are sorry when their sin catches up with them. They feel remorse when they begin to reap what they sow. But remorse doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has repented. The apostle Paul wrote, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT). If you are truly sorry, you will not only have remorse for your sins, but you will also repent and change your behavior.

Too many people have a false assurance that they are Christians because they possess a sense of remorse for their sins, even though they never repent. But look at the words of Acts 3:19 again: “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away” (NLT).

The word repent means to change direction. But we have people today who theoretically come to Christ without ever changing their lifestyle. They have never repented. They will say, “I’m sorry for what I did,” and then keep sinning like nothing ever happened. What kind of sorrow is that?

SOURCE: https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/harvestdaily/greg-laurie-devotion-july-23-2025.html

Dear reader, what you have just read from Pastor Greg Laurie was inspired by demons. The first big mistake that he made was to use one of Satan's modern corrupt Bibles. Laurie quotes Acts 3:19 from the corrupt New Living Translation (NLT), “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” According to Acts 20:25, the turning “toward God” part is correct; however, nowhere does the original Greek language suggest that the word “repent” (metanoeo: to think differently) in this verse means to repent “of your sins.” The wicked translators of the NLT and Greg Laurie sinfully added those words, thus perverting God's inspired Word (Proverbs 30:5-6; Jeremiah 23:36). The accurate King James Bible reads in Acts 3:19a, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out...” A more literal translation using Greek meaning would be, “Think differently and be converted, that your sins may be erased.”

That being said, the second big mistake that Greg Laurie made was to misinterpret this passage by only quoting one verse. In order to properly understand what you need to think differently about in Verse 19, we need to examine Verses 14 through 18 as well. Let's examine this passage further. ...

In Verse 14 the Apostle Peter tells the Jews that they had just crucified the Holy One, that is, the promised Messiah, Jesus.

Peter says in Verse 15 that God raised Jesus up from the dead.

In Verse 16, the apostle tells the Jews, that the lame man they witnessed being made whole (in Verse 7) was healed by faith in Christ.

In Verse 17, Peter tells the Jews that he knows they killed Jesus in their ignorance.

In Verse 18, Peter tells them it was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets that Jesus should suffer such things and be crucified.

In Verse 19, having already explained the situation to the unbelieving Jews, who had just recently crucified their Messiah, Peter invites the people to change their mind to believe on Jesus Christ to be saved, just as the lame man who had just been healed believed and was saved. This is the proper interpretation of this Scripture passage, but what Greg Laurie is teaching is irresponsible Bible exegesis and a lie. The Jews were not being invited by Peter to turn away from their sinful lives; but rather, to place their faith in Jesus Christ to be saved. Their dilemma wasn't that they were active sinners, it was their sinful unbelief in Christ.

The third big mistake that Pastor Greg Laurie made is to errantly assume that you must feel sorrow to be saved. He differentiates between remorse and repentance of your sins, both of which are NOT required to get to Heaven. You do not have to feel sorrow for sins to be saved, you must admit you're a sinner. That is, you must see your need for Christ (Galatians 3:24-26).

Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) rightly said that a good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one. Acts 3:19 is a highly controversial passage of Scripture, while Greg Laurie totally ignores hundreds of clear passages of Scripture concerning what is required to be saved. Other controversial passages of Scripture are Acts 2:38 and Romans 10:9, which verses do not constitute the Gospel. The Gospel is plainly defined for us in 1st Corinthians 15:1-6, which does NOT include turning away from your sinning to be saved. Nor does the Gospel require that you live a changed life as Greg Laurie foolishly requires.

One of my favorite preachers, Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951) said it well...

“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …

Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”

SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the sermon: 'What Is The Gospel?'

Shame on Pastor Laurie for using the Devil's blatantly corrupt modern Bible revisions. By doing so he was misled to improperly interpret Acts 3:19 to mean forsaking your sinning instead of trusting in Christ to be saved. I hate all of the modern Bible perversions! They are all corrupted, every last one of them!!! If you don't have a King James Bible, you don't have an inspired Holy Bible. Bible repentance never means to turn from your sins! Bible repentance is a change mind, which use can only be determined by the context of a particular Scripture passage. In the case of Acts 3:19, the context plainly indicates that it is thinking differently to put one's faith in Christ, nothing more.

I cannot warn you enough dear reader to avoid and run away from Pastor Greg Laurie (Romans 16:17-18). If you do your homework to examine what the Roman Catholics, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Churches of Christ and other pseudo-Christian religious cults teach about repentance, you will find that they all teach the same errant theology as does Greg Laurie. Jesus came into the world to die for our sins on a cross. God does not demand that you first be willing to reform to turn from your sinning, to receive God's free gift of eternal life which is through faith alone in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:4-7, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:9).

Greg Laurie is a false teacher! Anyone who teaches that you must “repent of your sins” to get to Heaven is a bold-faced liar! You do need to repent to be saved, but repentance simply means to change your mind. It is clear from umpteen Bible passages that repentance to be saved simply involves changing your mind from unbelief to belief in Christ. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Is An Atheist Today Who Claimed To Be A Christian Yesterday Saved?

1st Corinthians 15:1-2, “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.”

Is an atheist today who claimed to be a Christian yesterday saved? The resounding answer is, No! Respectfully, contrary to what pastors' Ralph Yankee Arnold and Thomas Cucuzza falsely teach, there are no atheist believers. I love and appreciate these dear men of God, who both preach the truth of a free grace plan of salvation. That being said, I humbly disagree with them that a person who previously professed faith in Christ, but no longer professes faith in Jesus years later, is saved. I contend biblically that they were never saved at all; and that what might have been erroneously called “faith” was mere lip service.

The Bible teaches that to enter into God's Kingdom we must be born again (John 3:1-7). The new birth is as irreversible as the first birth. Someone who is born physically (of water Jesus said, flesh) cannot stop breathing or they will die. Likewise, a Christian cannot just stop believing. To give you Scriptural proof of what I am saying, please consider 1st Corinthians 15:1-2, “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.”

Carefully notice the Apostle Paul's warning, “if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” That simply means if at any point in the future you go astray from the Christian faith, it just shews that you were not saved at all. It also means that whatever philosophy you are trusting in that is not a free grace Gospel cannot saved you. Paul is NOT teaching that you can lose God's free gift of salvation. If saved, always saved. Paul's warning to those who have “believed in vain” simply means that if you put your faith in “another gospel” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4) you have never been born again and still need to be saved before it is too late. All unbelievers who die in their sins go to burn in Hell forever.

This is why God inspired the Apostle John to pen the Epistle of 1st John, to help individual professed believers "know" (1st John 5:13) that we are saved. This is because many people who profess to be a "Christian" in fact have never actually been born again. They've merely been going through the outward motions of living the Christian life, like the people did in Matthew 7:21-23. John emphasizes the truth that whosoever denies that Jesus is the Christ is definitely not saved. What saith the Scripture? ...

1st John 2:21-24, “I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.”

Any preacher who foolishly teaches that there are saved unbelievers, because they formerly professed faith in Christ long ago, are deceivers. You just read it for yourself that anyone who denies Jesus is the Christ is a liar! How then can any preacher foolishly claim that these “liars” who deny Christ are saved? I think not. We know that Peter denied knowing Christ, but it is very clear from the Scripture that he never actually denied Christ. There's a big difference!

I believe there is such a thing as being familiar with the facts of the Gospel, but not actually trusting Christ as one's personal Savior. Many false prophets exploit the Gospel to sucker money from gullible people, but they don't believe a word of the Gospel. Judas was one of Jesus' very apostles, yet he went to Hell in his sin of unbelief. Judas heard the Gospel. Judas met the Savior. Yet, he didn't believe as Peter did, when Peter confessed that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, the Christ (Matthew 16:16).

Peter denied Jesus in the Bible, but it is plain to see from the story that it was only superficial due to fear. Peter never stopped believing that Jesus was who He claimed be, God in the flesh (John 10:33).

John the Baptist became discouraged while in prison and sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He were truly the promised Messiah, or should they look for another. Jesus told John's disciples to go tell him the dead were being raised, the blind made to see, et cetera. I personally don't think John ever doubted Jesus for one second. I think he was simply discouraged.

But I'm talking about when someone who used to profess faith in Christ now claims to be an atheist or an unbeliever. According to Paul in 1st Corinthians 15:2 that person was never saved to begin with. We KNOW that the new birth is irreversible, irrevocable and permanent. To say that a professed atheist is saved because 10 years ago he went to church and said he was a Christian is preposterous.

Granted, God alone knows a person's heart. A man could lie and say that he is an atheist for a number of reasons, but if he believes on Christ in his heart he is saved. Peter denied knowing Christ publicly, but we also know that he lied to them. Peter did in fact know and trust the dear Savior.

Paul had started several churches in Galatia. He preached unto them a free grace Gospel. Afterwards, while on another missionary journey, he received word that the Galatian churches had become corrupted by a Judaist cult which required keeping the law to be saved (Galatians 1:6-9, 3:1-3, 6:7).

It is plain to see that some of the churchgoers in Galatia had never truly been born again at all. They heard Paul preach a clear and concise Gospel message the first time he was present, but later on they followed after "another gospel," which very thing Paul was very concerned might happen to the church at Corinth (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4).

We see this same evil happening everywhere in churches today. The Devil's fallacies of wrong repentance, Calvinism and Lordship Salvation have crept into most churches today, including so-called "Independent Fundamentalist Baptist" churches, which have actually STOPPED being Christian fundamentalists, because they no longer believe a free grace Gospel (but are in denial and still say they do). The Devil is a beautiful liar.

So, to answer your question directly, if someone claimed to be a Christian a month ago, but now denies knowing Christ as their personal Savior, they were never saved at all. They merely were familiar with some Christian principles, or joined a Christian organization, or had lived the Christian life for a time; but they have never been born again.

We see this very thing in Matthew 7:21-23. These unfortunate sinners boasted to Christ of having served Him loyally, doing "many wonderful works" all in Jesus' name, but the dear Savior denied knowing them as His sheep. They served Christ, but never relied solely upon Him for salvation (John 6:40). Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again, and that is what we see happening in 99% of churches today. Religion never saved anybody! Respectfully, contrary to what pastors' Ralph Yankee Arnold and Thomas Cucuzza falsely teach, there are no atheist believers.

I humbly disagree that a person who walks away from salvation in unbelief is saved. I agree that salvation cannot be lost. I agree that you don't have to remain faithful to get to Heaven. I agree that salvation is permanent. But the inspired Holy Bible says in 1st John 2:19 that if someone leaves the church it is because “they were not of us” (i.e., they were never saved to begin with). That doesn't mean someone who becomes disgruntled and leaves a church is not saved. Nor does it mean that someone who doesn't go to church is not saved. In my humble opinion, I believe this Scripture passage is referring to people who once professed faith in Christ, but then left the faith and no longer profess Christianity. They were never saved at all according to 1st Corinthians 15:2.

I am NOT a Calvinist. I reject all 5 tenets of Calvinism. I do not believe in the perseverance of the believer to be saved, which would constitute works for salvation. I do however believe in the perseverance of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Hebrews 13:5). If saved, always saved. I kindly reject the idea that someone is saved who formerly claimed to be a Christian, but now openly denies faith in Jesus Christ. They may have once ascribed to some philosophies of Christianity, joined a Christian organization, or lived the outward Christian life (Matthew 7:21-23), but they were never born again.

Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again. Those unsaved religious people all profess to be Christians, but they are not. So, it is not surprising that 10 or 20 years later some of them turn away from the Christian scene.

LAW Versus CHRIST

Galatians 3:18-29, “For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 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. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

I absolutely LOVE the Epistle of Galatians, because it clarifies the Gospel so well. I really love the Apostle Paul. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!! Paul was a stickler for right doctrine! That is why I love him so much as a preacher of the free grace Gospel. Unlike 99% of shameful pastors today, who are cowards that merely go along to get along with their ministry peers, the Apostle Paul prioritized RIGHT DOCTRINE above and beyond any human relationship. 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.”

Evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935) got it 100% right...

“The law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.“ —Billy Sunday

So many preachers today are foolishly mixing LAW and GRACE together, which is another gospel. I love what Pilgrim's Progress author, John Bunyan (1628-1688) said:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Everyone is Either Under Law or Under Grace

My friend, you are either under the law of God or under God's grace, and there is nothing between. Romans 11 is speaking about the Jews. Most Jews were unsaved, still under the curse of the law; but a remnant of Jews were saved, under grace. The Bible makes clear that there is nothing in between. Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

Here's a great MP3 sermon by Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold titled, “Caught Between Grace And Works.” The Scriptures are abundantly clear that salvation comes without works, without keeping the law, without self improvement, without following Christ as “Lord,” without turning away from sins. Eternal life is a free gift, paid for by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). There is no requirement in the Scriptures to “turn away from sins” to be saved. That is not what “repentance” means. To “repent” means “to think differently.” Repentance is unto the Gospel itself! There is not even one Bible verse that teaches “to turn away from sins” as a prerequisite to receiving the gift of eternal life.

Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Again, there is no mention of forsaking sinful bad habits, nor of inviting Christ into one's life, nor of making Jesus one's “Lord” to be saved. Romans 3:20b makes very clear that “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” I hear many corrupt, but sincere, pastors preaching a distorted plan of salvation. They tell the Gospel while simultaneously telling people to “ask Jesus to take control of their life” to be saved, which is not the Gospel. Effectively, they are building a bridge between the Gospel and works salvation.

Pacific Garden Mission's “UNSHACKLED” is a major offender in this area, telling people to turn away from sinful ways and surrender control of their life to Christ to be saved. Sadly, UNSHACKLED could be renamed to SHACKLED. Granted, it does sound really good to tell sinners they must depart from sinful behavior, and believe the Gospel to be saved. It appeals to our carnal human nature that a man ought to have to forsake his sinful ways if he expects God to save Him! However, this is what religion teaches, not the Holy Bible. To include forsaking one's sins as part of salvation, is no different than trying to keep the works of the law to be saved. To say that God will not save a man who is unwilling to forsake his sinful ways, is to say that “works” are required to receive the “gift” of eternal life. How absurd! A gift is a gift is a gift!

The very doctrine of God's imputed righteousness to the believer obliviates all such teachings of declaring Jesus as one's Lord to be saved. The truth is that JESUS IS LORD, you don't make Him Lord. To be saved, you simply receive Jesus as your Savior. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” 1st Timothy 4:10, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Jesus is the Savior of all men, but you must receive Him personally to be saved. The way to be saved is to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL!!! The apostle Paul declared in 1st Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” Notice that the Gospel is rendered ineffective by men's “words of wisdom.” Intellectualism is an enemy of soul-winning!

I know you've heard them. I have heard them—preachers who ramble on for hours, lacking any real substance. By the end of their sermon you're utterly frustrated, because there was nothing to grab onto in their message, nothing to sink your teeth into! I love porcupine preachers—because YOU GET THE POINT!!! The apostle Paul warned of balloon-preachers, who are filled with hot air, diluting the truth in never-ending displays of worldly wisdom. One such preacher is Dr. Ravi Zacharias. Religious radio is filled with dry preachers, deadbeats, who avoid offending their listeners for the sake of donations. They are a sure cure for insomnia (unable to sleep)! The great need of the hour is PREACHING PREACHERS! Today's religious ministers are teachers who appeal to the MIND, not Bible-preachers who appeal to the HEART!

Oh how we need men of God today, who walk with God, and who preach the truths that God's Word burns into their heart. God's Word burned in Jeremiah's heart!!! Jeremiah 20:9, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” Preaching is truth set on fire!!! The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah (known as “The weeping preacher”) had quit preaching in frustration. Jeremiah's message was one of doom for Israel. It was too late for them (Jeremiah 25:11)—no matter what they did, the Jews were going to be humiliated by the Chaldeans (Babylon). Yet, even in his frustration, Jeremiah couldn't withstand the burning conviction of God's Words in his heart, and he returned to preaching the inspired Words of God to the people. Amen!

In God's simple and wonderful plan of salvation, there is LAW and CHRIST. Dr. Law diagnoses us with terminal cancer (imminent death) caused by of sin; but Christ (Dr. Grace) has the eternal cure for us, which we can have through faith alone in Him.

When some corrupt preachers tells you that to get to Heaven, you must first “repent of your sin” or “turn away from your sin” or “forsake a lifestyle of sinning,” he has been inspired by demons!!! Nowhere in the inspired King James Bible are we taught to do any of those things. Bible repentance is a simple “change of mind” from UNBELIEF to BELIEF. Mark 1:15, “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” The Greek word for repent here is metanoeo, a verb, meaning: “to think differently.” A literal interpretation of this passage would be: “Think differently and BELIEVE the Good News that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried and bodily resurrected three days later.” That is “the Gospel” according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4!!!

God's LAW shows us our sinnership, our desperate need for redemption. What saith the Scripture? Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Galatians 3:24-26 teaches that the LAW then brings us to CHRIST, to be saved by grace along through faith alone in Christ alone (i.e., the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen). 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” I love that Bible verse!!!

So there you have it my fine non-feathered friend, LAW and CHRIST (or, respectively, OLD and NEW Testaments; or, LAW and GRACE). Please don't ever get stuck on the law, like infidel pastors' John MacArthur, Adrian Rogers, Chuck Phelps, Billy Graham, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, Joel Osteen and other cult followers of the damnable Lordship Salvation and wrong repentance Calvinist movement in America. Calvinism (i.e., the heretical teachings of a man named John Calvin, 1509-1564) is NOT the free grace Gospel presented in the Holy Bible (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

When asked how to be saved, Paul and Silas simply told the Roman jailer to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:30-31).

My Opinion Of Ghislaine Maxwell In The News This Week

Ecclesiastes 5:8, “If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.”

Like many folks, I have my opinions. Since by God's grace I thankfully have a large following of blog visitors, I like to share my opinion on secular matters sometimes just to give my two cents worth as a born again Christian and a fundamentalist Baptist preacher.

According to Wikipedia: “Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell is a British former socialite and a convicted sex offender. In 2021, she was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offences in connection with the deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The following year, she was sentenced in federal court in New York City to 20 years of imprisonment.”

If you've been keeping up with recent news in July and August of 2025, then you know that Ghislaine Maxwell has been a hot topic. This all erupted because President Donald Trump at one time was clearly close friends with Jeffrey Epstein (1953-2019), purportedly visiting his “Orgy Island” where male guests allegedly had sex with underaged teenage girls. It's none of my business and I couldn't care less what they did there, because it's not my area of jurisdiction. But what bothers me is the blatant abuse of government power.

For a few years now we have heard about a “Client List,” with celebrity names like Donald Trump, Prince Phillip and Bill Clinton, to name but a few clients. Attorney General Pam Bondi even said a few months ago that she had “the list” in front of her. Then, mysteriously, she backpaddled and changed her story, denying in President Trump's presence on camera that the list even exists. Right. Like most others, I don't believe her for one moment. I agree with Tucker Carlson's suspicion that it was Israel who funded Epstein's sex empire.

I doubt if any of us common folks will ever know the truth of what went on regarding this travesty of justice. Clearly there are some very high profile characters involved who have the desire and means to cover-it all up by manipulating the legal system. You see, everybody has a boss. So, if you control the top boss, you control the entire organization or department. That is how evil has gone on unchecked for so long in this country, because the top boss of this wicked world is Satan according to 2nd Corinthians 4:4, and there are many powerful Satanists in this world lurking behind the scenes who control things. If you don't believe that dear reader, you are very naïve indeed.

The recent outcry for justice from the American public has been severe. Nobody who has an IQ above 50 believes for one moment that Jeffrey Epstein commit suicide in 2019. I am 100% convinced that Mr. Epstein was murdered to silence him from testifying in court against his high profile clients. The elite will stop at nothing to protect themselves and their own interests. That is why they had President John F. Kennedy assassinated. My humble personal opinion is that the whole matter of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell stinks to high Heaven. Since the media has been dangling the matter in front of our faces for months, I have an opinion.

It is very obvious to me (and this is just speculation) that President Trump is very concerned about this matter blowing up in his face, so he is making sure to handle the situation to make it go away, using Pam Bondi (whom he appointed to the position of Attorney General) to give Ghislaine Maxwell (who is serving a 20 year prison sentence) a sweet deal in exchange for her cooperation to help distance Mr. Trump from the criminal allegations against him.

Ghislaine had been incarcerated in Florida, but for some unknown reason was moved a couple weeks ago to a minimum security prison facility in Texas. I am fully convinced that on his last day in office in 2029, President Trump will give a full pardon to Ghislaine Maxwell. If that happens, we will know that President Trump did in fact give her a pardon in exchange for her silence. It is also possible that the U.S. Supreme Court, or the Attorney General's office could release her early from prison. The American people are sick and tired of blatant corruption. Who cares what Ghislaine Maxwell has to say!

I like Mr. Trump as a strong leader and his quick wit, but he has proven in the past that he is loyal to those who are loyal to him, and woe be unto his enemies because he is vindictive. That is a scary man! Ghislaine Maxwell said publicly from prison this week that she is not aware of anything illegal Donald Trump or Bill Clinton did at Orgy Island. She said this week that Bill Clinton was her friend, not Jeffrey Epstein's friend. I don't believe that for one second. I think they're all guilty. That's just my humble opinion, which I am entitled to have and express as an American citizen. The fact that anyone would even go to Epstein's filthy island resort speaks volumes as to their type of character and worldliness.

Personally, I couldn't care less what might have happened at Orgy Island. It's not something that I even want to know about. I do not subscribe to The Enquirer. What bothers me is the blatant abuse of power that we are seeing in all of this. The disgusted look on Pam Bondi's face (in my humble opinion) at the White House when denying that a Client List exists, shows that she doesn't like being controlled by President Trump. That is my opinion. Anybody who works for President Trump fully knows that to go against him is career suicide.

I am fully convinced that Pam Bondi did have a Client List (and Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are both on the list), and she was told to make it disappear as a matter of National Security (which is the lame excuse that the U.S. Justice Department always uses to ignore high crimes and treason). We need a more honest government!

911 Was A Blatant Inside Job Orchestrated By The White House

I remember after the 911 attacks in 2001, hearing the ungodly U.S. Justice Department cite reasons of National Security why they wouldn't investigate and prosecute the 911 perpetrators. They were told from their bosses not to arrest, try and prosecute President George W. Bush and his complicit wicked staff, who blatantly orchestrated the 911 attacks. 

Anyone who has done their homework knows that 911 was an Inside Job, orchestrated by top members within our own White House. The evidence is overwhelming! Just the fact that Marvin Bush, President Bush's younger brother, was in charge of security for the World Trade Center for the 2 years leading up to 911 is a Smoking Gun. That's how they planted the bombs that imploded the three buildings, using Controlled Demolition. Truly, the Bush family is one of the most wickedest families in the world. Thankfully, they cannot escape God's judgment and wrath; there will be justice for the victims (Ecclesiastes 5:8).

George W. Bush's brother was on the board of directors of a company providing electronic security for the World Trade Center, Dulles International Airport and United Airlines, according to public records. The company was backed by an investment firm, the Kuwait-American Corp., also linked for years to the Bush family.

The security company, formerly named Securacom and now named Stratesec, is in Sterling, Va.. Its CEO, Barry McDaniel, said the company had a ``completion contract" to handle some of the security at the World Trade Center ``up to the day the buildings fell down."

It also had a three-year contract to maintain electronic security systems at Dulles Airport, according to a Dulles contracting official. Securacom/Stratesec also handled some security for United Airlines in the 1990s, according to McDaniel, but it had been completed before his arriving on the board in 1998. ...

But none of these connections has been looked at during the extensive investigations since 9/11. McDaniel says principals and other personnel at Stratesec have not been questioned or debriefed by the FBI or other investigators. Walker declined to answer the same question regarding KuwAm, referring to the public record.

SOURCE: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2003/02/04/bush-linked-company-handled-security-wtc-dulles-and-united

Truth is stranger than fiction. You couldn't make this stuff up! 

WTC Security
Companies that Provided Security at the World Trade Center

A company named Stratesec had an ongoing contractor to handle security at the World Trade Center "up to the day the buildings fell down" according to CEO Barry McDaniel. The company, formerly named Securacom, acquired an $8.3 million World Trade Center contract in October 1996, according to SEC filings. The company also provided security for Dulles International Airport and United Airlines between 1995 and 2001. Two of the commandeered flights on September 11th were United Airlines', and one took off from Dulles. 1

Marvin P. Bush, brother of George W. Bush, was a principal in the company between 1993 and 2000. A private Kuwaiti-American investment firm with ties to the Bush family was one of the company's backers.

In the company's own words, Stratesec has "an open-ended contract with the General Services Administration (GSA) and a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with the agency that allows the government to purchase materials and services from the Company without having to go through a full competition." It promotes its services to clients such as the armed services and Department of Justice for projects that "often require state-of-the-art security solutions for classified or high-risk government sites."

The role of Stratesec in providing security to the targets of the September 11th attacks has apparently not been investigated. Asked if FBI or other agents had questioned anyone at Stratesec about the company's security work in connection with the 9/11 attack, CEO Barry McDaniel said no.

SOURCE: https://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/background/security.html

I am convinced that the same corrupt subversive powers working behind the scenes in Washington DC are that same powers at work covering up Jeffrey Epstein's empire of sleaze.

It is no secret that the majority of Americans think Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were close buddies with Jeffrey Epstein years ago, and they're all guilty of something. I've seen photos of Bill and Hillary Clinton golfing with Donald Trump. They're all friends and accomplices!

I learned a long time ago from Manly P. Hall (a 33rd degree Freemason) that the best form of deception is the half-truth, because in part if contested it can be defended with irrefutable logic. Such is the case with Ghislaine Maxwell this week claiming that she doesn't believe Jeffrey Epstein commit suicide, he was murdered. Well, that is what we all suspect. That is the apparent truth. So, by telling a truth it makes it looks like her other false claims that Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are innocent also appears to be the truth. It's an effective tactic!

The media used this very efficient tactic on 911. They first told us the truth that two commercial airliners crashed into trade towers 1 and 2. No one can deny that. They used that truth to cover-up the blatant lie that those 2 planes caused 3 buildings to crumble to the ground. No plane ever struck building number 7 located one block north of towers 1 and 2. Ladies and gentlemen, 2 planes cannot bring down 3 buildings! It is obvious that the government and media lied, and were complicit working together to bury the truth and protect the criminals behind the attacks. There was a total media blackout after 911 concerning the truth!

Hitler and His Nazi Propaganda Minister Understood the Power of Lying

Don't trust the mainstream media, they work for the international banks destroying America and the rest of the world. There is a reason why the Nazis burned books in the streets. As Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels said:

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” 

SOURCE: Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels

That is why when someone is accused of committing a crime and is arrested in America, the corrupt court system mistreats that person as if they are guilty for years to come throughout the court case, assuming their guilt, so that over time the accused person starts believing they are guilty, even if they are innocent. A grand jury has already decided that they are guilty, even though they haven't appeared once in a court of law yet. That is how corrupt our legal system is in the United States. You are literally guilty until deemed innocent. That is not justice!

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Nazi Propaganda Minister

The Truth is the enemy of the propaganda machine! A public that is aware of everything that goes on cannot be manipulated into a Nazi regime. That is impossible. The solution is simple. Turn off the mainstream propaganda machine that fills you with lies and start investigating matters for yourself. The press are nothing but a bunch of rotten presstitues for sale!!! I got that word “presstitues” from Gerald Celente. He's not saved, but he says some wise stuff. Pastor Jack Hyles wisely taught me that every man is my teacher. That is, there is something that we can learn from every human being, even if what not to do.

I thought it fitting to delve into 911 a bit, since the Jeffrey Epstein scandal is being called a conspiracy, just like 911. The biggest conspiracy of all is that there are no conspiracies! By definition a “conspiracy” is two or more people plotting to do something evil. There have been millions of conspiracies within our own government over the centuries. I learned a long time ago that our federal government only puts forth the illusion of being honest and competent, but in reality the vast majority of our leaders have proven themselves to be incompetent, puppets, liars, untrustworthy, thieves, treasonous traitors and contemptible politicians.

For Ghislaine Maxwell from prison to paint a rosy picture of Bill Clinton (a known high crimes criminal) and Donald Trump is disgusting. She would say anything to get out of prison. Desperate people do desperate things. Over the next few years, if not much sooner, you can expect to see Ghislaine Maxwell released from prison, excused from her 20 year sentence. But if that were you or me, we'd be forgotten about to rot behind bars for the decades to come. 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.”

I believe that the American people are being played like a violin.

God's Simple Plan Of Salvation

2nd Corinthians 11:1-4, “Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

Since the beginning of human civilization, the Devil has tried to tempt humans to disobey God. The Devil's name is Satan, who fell from his lofty position as one of God's archangels in Heaven. In Ezekiel 28:11-17 we find what is called in theology, “Double Fulfillment.” That is, this passage of Scripture has two parallel applications. Although Ezekiel 28:11-17 is speaking about the king of Tyrus, it also describes Lucifer and his fall from glory. We see another example of Double Fulfillment in Hebrews chapter 7, which speaks of Melchisedec. This passage is also clearly about the precious Lord Jesus Christ, who is without beginning or end, the King of Righteousness (Hebrews 7:1-4).

Lucifer became Satan, a malicious spirit being who labors night and day to kill, steal and destroy. As such, the Devil desires for for and everyone else to go to Hell forever. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again. Sadly, it is rare nowadays to hear preachers even use the term “born-again.” What saith the Scripture? John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

So how do you get born again? What does that even mean? Well, the Bible says that when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, death passed upon all men. Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” Every human being born into this world since Adam, has been born with an inherent sinful nature. It is a part of who we are as humans. Children do not need to be taught how to lie, cheat and do wrong; they need to be trained up to tell the truth, be honest and to always do what is right.

Because of our sins, there is a penalty, which according to the Bible is death. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Carefully notice the contrast in Romans 6:23, between the deadly wages of sin that we deserve, versus the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. No one needs to go to Hell forever. God desires for all men, even the worst of criminals, to repent of their unbelief and come to Jesus Christ in faith to be saved (2nd Peter 3:6).

Also, please understand that there is a difference between being spiritually dead versus the second death in the Lake of Fire. Every human being is born spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-2). But only Christ-rejecters are case into the everlasting Lake of Fire (Hell). Those sinners who never trust Christ as their Savior will perish in their unregenerated state. They were born spiritually dead into this world, and they will die spiritually dead. That is why everyone must be “born again,” it is not optional if you want to enter into the Kingdom of God.

You would be shocked friend, if in the Baptist church that you hopefully attend, you start asking the people around you if they know for certain they're going to Heaven. Ask them why they know. You will be shocked, as I was, to learn that at least half of them haven't a clue. I'm not kidding. I know a good elderly man, who has been an usher in a local Baptist church in Pensacola for the past five years, but when I witnessed to him, he told me that water baptism is necessary to go to Heaven. That is his pastor's fault for not feeding his congregation.

In that dear man's church, the pastor is always telling everyone that they must have “a relationship” with Christ to get to Heaven. What does that even mean? Judas had “a relationship” with Jesus, but John 6:70 says Judas had a devil in him. Judas died in his sins because of unbelief, and is sadly burning in Hell forever. The unsaved wicked Pharisees also had “a relationship” with Jesus, but perished in their sin of unbelief. I am so thankful that I know I am a born-again child of God. If you don't know that friend, you can and should KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt (1st John 5:13).

Salvation is solely based on what Christ has already DONE for you through Calvary's cross, and the blood which He sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12, 22-24; 12:24). So many churchgoers have been lied to, misled by their heathen pastor to think that they are saved by partial faith in Christ, PLUS something else (repenting of sin, following Christ as Lord, living the Christian life, et cetera). I tell you that there is no plus anything in God's simple plan of redemption. You simply CEASE from your own false religious dead works (i.e., trusting in Roman Catholicism, good works, Mother Mary, the Pope, Mormonism, Hara Krishna, religion, sacraments, et cetera), and come to God as a needy guilty sinner, completely RESTING in the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:10-11). That is what repentance is, a change of mind, turning from your UNBELIEF to BELIEF in Jesus as the Christ, the only begotten Son of God. When the Roman jailer asked Paul and Silas the $64,000 question: “What must I do to be saved?,” the answer was a simple: “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST” (Acts 16:30-31).

It is important that you understand what you are being saved from. That is why I took the time to explain these things to you friend. It is not enough to merely believe the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen to get to Heaven; you absolutely must realize and admit to yourself and God that YOU ARE A GUILTY SINNER:

Romans 3:18-20, “There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

God made two great divisions to His inspired Word: Old Testament and New Testaments (or respectively, LAW and CHRIST). 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.” God's Old Testament law (which is summed up in the Ten Commandments) was intended by God to be used as a measuring-stick, by which when compared humans fall short of being sinless and perfect. Thus, realizing our shortcomings to perfectly keep God's law, we then realize our need for the blessed Savior, Jesus. That is what Galatians 3:24-26 is teaching.

This should make it obvious to you then, dear reader, why it is so wrong for any preacher to falsely teach that you must “turn away from your sinful ways” to be saved. Evangelist Ken Ham preaches this damnable heresy! Forsaking your sinful ways was never the intended purpose of God's law. Does God want you to turn away from a deliberate lifestyle of sinning? Yes, of course, but that has absolutely nothing to do with receiving His free gift of eternal life. You must keep living the Christian life (which is our SERVICE for Christ, or sanctification); completely separate from getting born-again (which is SALVATION in Christ, or justification. 

Pilgrim's Progress book author John Bunyan (1628-1688) well understood this very important distinction, as a free grace preacher of the saving Gospel:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —Evangelist John Bunyan

Also, Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965) had a very good understanding of this important distinction between sanctification and justification:

“There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness.” —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, Hebrews. Zondervan Publishing House, 1959 (p. 117)

I hope you can now see dear reader why it is so very, very, very important to always keep getting saved completely separate from changes in our behavior, serving Christ, following Him as “Lord” of our life, turning away from our sinful ways, repenting of sin, running the Christian race faithfully, taking up our cross, giving up the old ways, surrendering “all” to Christ, counting the cost and paying the price, forsaking a lifestyle of sinning, living a lifestyle of repentance, et cetera, et cetera.

All of the preceding vain things have been wickedly added to the Gospel by today's corrupt neo-evangelical pastors, evangelists and Bible college professors. You may do all of these noble things and yet never have been saved at all. You don't get born-again by doing good works. You don't get born-again through the sacrament of water baptism. “Sacraments” are totally unbiblical and you ought never give any attention to such nonsense. The Bible teaches water baptism as a public profession of one's faith, but it is a command for BELIEVERS only, not a sacrament of any church. Likewise, the Lord's Supper is a command from God only for BELIEVERS, a time to remember what Jesus has done for on through Calvary's cruel cross. Please do not ever think, refer or partake of any sacraments, because they are unbiblical. There is no spiritual grace or power bestowed upon the recipient of water baptism or the communion. Beware of formal religion that corrupts the truth of God's inspired Word.

I love this helpful quote from Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951), which shows that Dr. Ironside had a very sound understanding that our service, sanctification and discipleship as Christian believers, has absolutely nothing to do with receiving God's free gift of eternal life by faith alone in Jesus Christ:

“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …

Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”

SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the sermon: What Is The Gospel?

One of my favorite authors is Michael P. Bowen. In his excellent defense of the Christian faith titled, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' Michael Bowen writes these wonderful words:

I am at eternal odds with the false, counterfeit messages of salvation-by-works that are taught from virtually every pulpit today, on every television channel, and on every Christian radio station; however, I am not at eternal odds with the individuals who preach these counterfeit messages. My heart literally goes out to all of them because they simply do not understand Christ’s plan of salvation. They have been lied to by a crafty enemy named Satan, whose sole aim is to take as many people with him to the lake of fire as he can possibly manage to steal away from God using a counterfeit plan of salvation that appears so real, so genuine, and so holy that few ever realize they have been deceived by it. Oh reader, so many of today’s professing Christians who think they are going to heaven when they die are not going to make it to heaven as they had assumed because they’ve been lied to by today’s error-filled gospel messages.

SOURCE: Michael Patrick Bowen, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' p. 17; © 2009, Xulonpress.com. Hard Copies Available

A tree without fruit is still a tree with roots. This is evidenced by the parable of the sower and the seed in Luke 8:12-15. Of the four groups, only the first group are unsaved, because the Devil removed the seed from their soul before it could sprout into new life. The second and third groups represent believers who never mature to bear fruit (leading others to Christ). They never matured into fruit-bearing Christians, because of their shallow roots; or because as with the third group, they become choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of this life. Ah, but the fourth group matured, having a good and honest heart the Bible says, keeping the Lord's Word, bearing much fruit unto Christ (cf., John 15:1-7). Just because the second and third groups didn't bear fruit, didn't mean they were not saved (as Ray Comfort errantly teaches).

I have shared these truths with you dear reader, to help solidify your understanding of what the Gospel is not. More people will miss Heaven someday simply because they trusted in TOO MUCH! Everything that is complicated about getting saved is God's part. The only thing that God demands of us to be born-again is to place our childlike faith in Jesus, His only begotten Son.

God's simple plan of salvation is so easy, free and plain to understand that even a small child can be saved. God needed to make His plan of salvation so simple, because the world is full of ignorant, unlearned and stupid people. I say that respectfully and with kindness, but it is THE TRUTH. There are a lot of not so bright humans on the planet. That doesn't make them better or worse than anyone else, it just means that God needed to make His plan of redemption for mankind utterly uncomplicated.

In 2nd Corinthians 11:3-4 the Bible even refers to the saving Gospel as “the simplicity that is in Christ.” We are saved by BELIEVING the Gospel. The “Gospel” means GOOD NEWS!!! It is the “Good News” (or “Glad Tidings”) that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, into the world, to die on a cross to pay our massive debt of sin. Jesus died on a cross! He was buried. And three days later Christ bodily resurrected by a miracle of God from the dead. These three things comprise THE GOSPEL: Jesus' death on the cross, burial and physical resurrection.

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, THE GOSPEL!!! I didn't see anything in there about turning away from sinful ways, did you? Nope! Oh, how men make everything complicated! God's simple plan of salvation is to just put your childlike faith (confidence, trust) in Jesus Christ. God knows that you and I have never seen Jesus, so it is okay to just believe on His name. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” Just take God at His Word as recorded in the Holy Bible. Simply BELIEVE the record which God Has given us in His Word of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen for our justification. What an awesome God and Savior!!!

Repentance
(a helpful article)

Wrong Repentance No Salvation
(MP3 sermon, by Dr. Hank Lindstrom, 1940-2008)