Remember The Old Paths

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

Remember the days when...

Moms were at home,
Dads were at work,
Brothers were in the army,
and Sisters got married before having children!!

Crime did not pay!!
Hard work did and
people knew the difference!!

Moms could cook;
Dads would work;
Children would be quiet!

Husbands were loving;
Wives were submissive;
Children were polite!!

Women wore the jewelry;
Men wore the pants;
Harlots wore the paint and
children wore the stripes!!

Women looked like ladies;
Men look like gentlemen,
and children looked decent!!

People loved the truth and hated a lie;
they would follow the Pastor and ignore the world;
they came to get IN and not to get OUT!!

Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Shouting sounded normal and
crying sounded often!!

Church folk were faithful;
Sinners were respectful and
everybody had manners!!

Cursing was wicked;
Drinking was evil;
Divorce was unbelievable;
the Flag was honored;
America was beautiful and God was welcome!!

We READ the Bible in public;
Prayed in school and
preached on the court house steps!!

Going to Church was a blessing;
going to school was an education
and going to a gas station that sold beer was a disgrace!!

Grandma and GrandPa were wise;
Mom and Dad were together
and Children were precious!!

To be called an American was worth dying for;
to be called a Christian was worth living for and
to be called a traitor was worth fighting for!!

Cowards were shot;
Deserters were hung and
Criminals were sent to prison, not WASHINGTON!!
Sex was a dirty word;
Homo was an unheard of word
and abortion was an illegal word!!

Love was clean;
courting was watched;
dating was going to Church and
marriage was till death!!

Preachers preached because they had a message;
Singers sung because they had a song;
Christians shouted because they had the VICTORY
and sinners got convicted!!

Preachers preached from the inspired KING JAMES BIBLE;
Singers sang from the heart;
Sinners repented of unbelief and got SAVED!!

A New Birth meant NEW LIFE in the Holy Spirit;
Repentance meant A CHANGE OF MIND, not a change of behavior to be saved;
Salvation meant being indwelt with the Holy Spirit;
Discipleship meant being changed by the Holy Spirit;
Joining the Church meant you would attend that church!!

Being a Preacher meant you were CALLED OF GOD, not choosing it as a profession;
being a Deacon meant you would serve the Church;
being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus and
being a Sinner meant somebody was probably praying for you!!

Laws were based on the BIBLE;
HOMES saw to it that the Bible was read
and churches taught the Bible!!

You could borrow money on your Church letter;
a Man's word was his bond
and a woman's virtue was priceless!!
Preachers were more interested in NEW CONVERTS
than new clothes and new cars!!

Churches wanted to reach every creature with the GOSPEL
more than new buildings and paving parking lots!!
People prayed and wept over the lost in their community!!

God was worshipped;
Christ was exalted and
the Holy Ghost was followed!!

The Bible was believed not corrected;
Sinners got Saved;
Converts were CONVERTED!!

The Gospel was PREACHED not shared.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHEN...

We would go witnessing in tears!

We prayed a lot and talked little on the phone!

We spent more time with the Bible than the TV!

We would weep about lost souls!

We would enjoy going to CHURCH more than anything!

We had testimony and song services!

We would really try to do something for God!

We would say AMEN to the truth!

We would go to the ALTAR to repent of sin!

We would bring folks to Church!

We would take the Pastor home for Sunday dinner!

We gave tithes and offerings gladly!

We would seek the WILL OF GOD on everything!

We would stand against sin anytime and anywhere!!

THAT WAS THE OLD PATH!!!

But today...

Isaiah 5:20,

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;

that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Christ Is The END Of The Law For Every Believer (Or, Exposing The Seventh-day Adventist Cult)

Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

One of my favorite men of God, mentor, preacher and Bible scholar is Dr. Max D. Younce. In my humble opinion, Dr. Younce is one of the most unknown great theologians of our day, as scholarly as was Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) during his time. I highly recommend that all my web visitors purchase hard copies of Dr. Younce's books (so you'll have them to learn from) while they're available, because nothing good lasts forever (except eternal life). If you physically see books in your home, you're far more likely to read and benefit from them (case in point is this very article), than if you have to go look for them online. Dr. Younce has so graciously sent me his books over the years, which I cherish more than gold. PDF files are great for maintaining content format, perfect for publishing books.

Unfortunately, for numerous reasons, PDF files often don't get read. The main reason is that people are lazy! It takes sincere interest to navigate through a PDF file online, but HTML webpages are more pleasant for the not so ambitious reader. For this primary reason HTML is more user friendly, so when I find some truth that I believe is critically important for others to learn, I like to share it as HTML (hence this article). This is a fascinating and practical Bible study. For example: I learned that the Old Testament “Law” comprises about 720 commandments total. I know you'll benefit from reading this. I thought it was VERY important, because many people go astray on the Gospel when they misunderstand the purpose of God's Law, which is to give all men “THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN” (Romans 3:20). ~ David J. Stewart, webservant.

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ARE WE TO WORSHIP ON SATURDAY?

Excepts from “THREE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS” by Dr. Max D. Younce | Website: Heritage Bible Baptist Church

There are various claims concerning the Sabbath. Some hold that after the Resurrection of Christ, the Sabbath was changed to the first day of the week, Sunday, in commemoration of the Resurrection.

Another view, held by Seventh Day Adventists, is that the moral law, the Ten Commandments, have never been done away with; so, that we are still to worship on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.

Still another view set forth is that, after the Resurrection of Christ, the Law including the Sabbath was fulfilled by Christ; thus, quoting "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." (Romans 10:4) They also maintain that the Law was given only to Israel and was only a shadow of future things to come. They gather together on Sunday, the first day of the week, not out of legal duty because of a commandment; but, of their privilege under grace to worship and fellowship together in commemoration of Christ‟s death and Resurrection.

Let us go to the Authority, the Word of God and get the answer.

1. "Sabbath." What Is The Meaning Of The Word?

The word "Sabbath" appears for the first time in the Bible in Exodus 16:23,

"And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, to morrow is THE REST OF THE HOLY SABBATH UNTO THE LORD...".

It simply means to "stop, cease what you are doing, or take an intermission from your previous labor and activities." The word, itself, is a transliteration from the Hebrew and the Greek. The Hebrew for "Sabbath" is "shabbath" and the Greek is "sabbaton." Both are brought over into our English, untranslated. Literally, Exodus 20:8 would read,

"REMEMBER THE REST DAY AND KEEP IT HOLY"

In the Old Testament, the word "Sabbath" is used approximately 75 times; and, in 35 cases, it is in reference to the ceremonial "Sabbath Day." The other 40 times it has reference to the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day. We also need to take notice that, in the New Testament, the word "Sabbath" occurs over 60 times; but, never appears again after Acts 18:4.

2. Many Sabbaths.

Many people are not aware that Jehovah had given other Sabbath Days, contained in the ceremonial laws. The Feast of Trumpets, which fell on the first day of the seventh month, was called a Sabbath. Leviticus 23:24,25 states,

"...In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a SABBATH, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do NO SERVILE WORK therein."

The Day of Atonement was called a Sabbath, as we read in Leviticus 16:29,31,

"...In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and DO NO WORK AT ALL, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you. (29) It shall be a SABBATH OF REST unto you..." (31)

Notice in Leviticus 23:27,28,30-32, concerning the same feast,

"Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you...And ye shall do NO WORK in that same day...And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do NO MANNER OF WORK...It shall be unto you a SABBATH of REST..."

We have the same with the Feast of Passover, as recorded in Leviticus 23:7,

"In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do NO SERVILE WORK therein."

The same was true concerning the Feast of Pentecost, as given in Leviticus 23:21.

The Feast of Tabernacles was also called a Sabbath. It lasted seven days and no work was to be done on the first day, nor on the eighth day, which was the day after the feast. Look at Leviticus 23:34,35,39.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do NO SERVILE WORK therein... (34,35) On the first day shall be a SABBATH, and on the eighth day shall be a SABBATH." (39)

A Sabbath for the Land to Rest. We have this recorded in Leviticus 25:1-4a.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, (1) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a SABBATH unto the LORD. (2) Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; (3) But in the seventh year shall be a SABBATH OF REST unto the land..." (Leviticus 25:1-4).

So far, we have found that God had given many Sabbaths, besides just the seventh day, weekly Sabbath, to the nation of Israel. One can easily determine, by the context, which Sabbath the Lord has reference to. Something else we have seen thus far is that ALL the SABBATHS were REST DAYS, including the Sabbath of the Land, the seventh-day Sabbath, and the ceremonial Sabbaths.

3. The Fourth Commandment.

The Sabbath. In Exodus, Chapter 20, we have the record of the well-known Ten Commandments. In Verses 9,10, we have the Fourth Commandment, which is the Sabbath.

"Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work...But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt NOT DO ANY WORK, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates."

As one can see, the Sabbath was a day of complete rest for everyone within the Jewish nation, including the children, servants, visitors, cattle, oxen, and etc. This principle was laid down by God at Creation, as stated in Verse 11,

"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day..." (See also Genesis 2:1-3)

4. No Sabbath For 2500 Years.

The principle of one day in seven for rest, was laid down and in the mind of God from Creation; but, was never given to man as a commandment until 2500 years later in Exodus16. We have no record of Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob ever observing the Sabbath.

Only after Israel was liberated from Egypt and received the Law, did the Sabbath appear as a commandment. We have no record of Moses ever keeping any Sabbath until Exodus 16, after Israel‟s deliverance from Egypt. This is the first mention of the weekly Sabbath, in connection with the giving of the manna. Let us notice Exodus 16:26,29,30:

"Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. (26) See, for that the LORD hath given you the SABBATH, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; ABIDE YE EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE, LET NO MAN GO OUT OF HIS PLACE ON THE SEVENTH DAY. So the people rested on the seventh day." (29,30)

Two things are evident:

1. This commandment was given only to the nation of Israel through Moses.
2. It was a complete day of rest and no person was ever to leave their dwelling place.

For those who maintain we are to worship on Saturday, the Sabbath, we find just the opposite in the Bible. Saturday, the Sabbath, was never given as a day of worship; but, rather, a day of complete rest. It was not a day of religious gathering; neither that of any public gathering for fellowship or business. They were commanded to rest, and not leave their homes. Here, again, is the command concerning the Sabbath.

"See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath...abide ye every man in his place, LET NO MAN GO OUT OF HIS PLACE on the seventh day." (Leviticus 16:29)

Those, today, that say we are to worship on the Sabbath, or Saturday, are laboring under a drastic misconception! First of all, they must be Jews, for the Law was never given to Gentiles.

Second, they break the Law of the Sabbath by going to church and worshipping. Remember, the Sabbath was a day of complete rest. It was not a day of worship, and you were never to leave your house.

Years ago, I was talking with a lady, who was a SeventhDay Adventist, and her husband, of another denomination. During the conversation, she stated that tomorrow (Saturday) she was going to church and it made her feel so good to worship on the real Sabbath. I asked her how far she had to drive to church and she answered "About 15 miles." It completely ruined her whole day when I told her that, under the Law, she would be taken out and stoned to death!

I reminded her that Exodus 16:29 says you are not to leave your house on the Sabbath, and Exodus 31:15 says you shall be put to death for breaking the Sabbath. Numbers 15:32-35 tells us that "Sabbath-breaking" is punishable by stoning. Her husband later told me he had never seen his wife so upset. She would have been better off to listen to the Word of God, than to her "church."

A warning to everyone is found in the middle verse of the Bible, Psalm 118:8. "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man!" The prophet Jeremiah puts it this way in Jeremiah 17:5,

"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."

5. What Is The Law?

Many people have the mistaken idea that the Law of the Old Testament is only the Ten Commandments.

The word "law" is used in reference to the entire Law, to distinguish it from the rest of the Old Testament. The Law included the moral laws, the civil laws, the ceremonial laws; and, was given only to the nation of Israel. I have talked to several rabbis, over the years. All agreed that there are approximately 720 laws, under the caption of "The Law."

Sometimes you will find the word "Law" is in reference to the Ten Commandments or the "Tables of Stone." This is made clear by the context. Outside of this, the word "Law" is all-inclusive of the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws of God, unless, otherwise specified.

For example, in 1 Corinthians 9:9, where Paul quotes from the Old Testament Law,

"For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn..."

This appears nowhere in the Ten Commandments; but, is a civil law found in Deuteronomy 25:4; yet, specified as part of the law of Moses.

Unless a person keeps the whole Law, all 720, the Bible says they are "cursed." Paul makes this clear in writing to the Galatians...

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the CURSE: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Galatians 3:10).

This is from Deuteronomy 27:26, which is part of the Law, itself.

6. Who Changed The Sabbath?

As we have seen, the Sabbath has never been changed. There is not one verse of Scripture anywhere in the Bible to substantiate a change of the weekly Sabbath! It was always on the seventh day of the week—Saturday. To say "Sunday is now the Sabbath" is not found in Scripture. Neither is it found in Scripture that the first day of the week, Sunday, is ever called "the Sabbath."

In Romans 10:4 we read,

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

With Christ‟s payment on the Cross and His Resurrection, the Law ended. This included the whole Law, moral, civil, and ceremonial. Since this included the seventh-day, weekly Sabbath, does it then include the end of the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments? It most assuredly does!

Then one may ask, "Do we not have a moral code of laws to go by today in God‟s Word?" Yes, we do! Living in the Dispensation of Grace, or Church Age, we have all of the Ten Commandments reiterated several times in the New Testament, with the exception of one—THE SABBATH! Notice the following with their references. We are not giving all the references, just enough to suffice.

Ten Commandments & New Testament References

1. "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." (Ex. 20:3) John 4:21-23; 1 Tim. 2:5; James 2:19; 1 Cor. 8:6.
2. "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain." (Ex. 20:7) James 5:12; Matt. 5-33-37; Matt. 6:5-9
3. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image..." (Ex. 20:4). Acts 17:29; Romans 1:22,23; 1 John 5:21; 1 Cor. 10:7,14
4. "Honor thy father and mother..." (Ex. 20:12) Ephesians 6:1-4
5. "Thou shalt not kill." (Ex. 20:13) Matt. 5:21,22; Romans 13:9
6. "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Ex. 20:14) Matt. 5:27,28; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; 1 Cor. 6:9-20; Hebrews 13:4; Romans 13:9
7. "Thou shalt not steal." (Ex. 20:15) Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3:10-12; James 5:1-4; Romans 13:9
8. "Thou shalt not bear false witness." (Ex. 20:16) Colossians 2:9; Eph. 4:25; Romans 13:9
9. "Thou shalt not covet." (Ex. 20:17) Ephesians 5:3; Luke 12:55- 21; Romans 13:9
10. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Ex. 20:8-11) Found nowhere in the New Covenant made upon Calvary!

For those of you that want to be justified by the Law; remember, you must keep all of God‟s Law absolutely perfect. This includes the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws, which totaled approximately 720. If you break even one of these laws, you are as guilty and condemned as if you had broken them all. The Word of God makes this clear in James 2:10,

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, HE IS GUILTY OF ALL."

There are those who want to justify themselves by keeping the Law, but do not want the penalty of the Law. For example, dishonoring your parents warranted the death penalty (Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Exodus 21:17). This was the Fifth Commandment. What about adultery, the Seventh Commandment? Christ said in Matthew 5:28,

"That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust hath committed adultery with her already".

Leviticus 20:10 says that both...

...the adulterer and adulteress SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH."

Those of you that want to be justified by worshipping on Saturday, the "Sabbath," have condemned yourself to death by stoning. (Exodus 31:15). If you left your residence and went to church to worship; you have broken the Fourth Commandment covering the Sabbath. You are not to leave your house for any reason, as the Sabbath was a complete day of REST, not "running around"! (Exodus 16:29,30).

Did you cook anything, or even turn on your stove on Saturday? If you did, then you are to be taken out and stoned to death. In Numbers 15:32,35, the Israelites found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. It could have been to build a fire for warmth or cooking purposes, we do not know. Nevertheless, he had broken the Sabbath Day Law and Verse 35 gives us the Lord's response.

"And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation SHALL STONE HIM with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and HE DIED; as the LORD commanded Moses."

The Law given to Moses for Israel upon Sinai, was a perfect Law reflecting the glory of God. The Law was given to show mankind his inability to be as righteous as God, Himself. Therefore, it was a "mirror" in which man could see himself for what he is—a sinner! Romans 3:20,

"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."

Therefore, God has concluded that we,

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (i.e., His absolute righteousness).

It, therefore, becomes a matter of being justified by Grace (Mt. Calvary) or Law (Mt. Sinai). Galatians 2:16 clarifies the issue,

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Those who extract the seventh-day "Sabbath" (Saturday) and the various laws concerning what may be eaten and what was forbidden (Leviticus, Chapter 11), seem to disregard the rest of the laws in Leviticus. As you read all 27 chapters of Leviticus, you will find myriads of laws—all received by Moses as part of the entire Law. Notice what God says in the last verse of the last chapter about all of the laws given in Leviticus.

"These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL in Mount Sinai." (Leviticus 27:34).

Therefore, when Christ died upon Calvary and was resurrected, the Law came to an end in its entirety. It could be stated no clearer than in Romans 10:4,

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth."

The end of "The Law" is the whole law, all inclusive of the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws. We are given the righteousness of Jesus Christ, Himself, upon trusting Him as our personal Savior.

"And be found in him (Christ), 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." (Philippians 3:9)

7. Why Worship On Sunday?

How did it come to be that the bulk of Christendom worships and observes the first day of the week as the Christian "Sabbath"? There are several things we need to recognize and substantiate with Scripture:

The first day of the week, Sunday, is never referred to in the Bible as "the Sabbath Day."

The assembling of believers in the Book of Acts was never on the seventh day, Saturday.

Jesus never recognized the Sabbath after His Resurrection.

We have no record, anywhere in the Bible, that Jesus ever met with his disciples, or any group, for worship on the Sabbath Day—after His Resurrection.

After the Resurrection, when Christ met with others and the day is specified, it is always the first day of the week, Sunday.

Christians are commanded to assemble themselves together for the purpose of: (1.) resting from their weekly jobs of physical labor, (2.) to fellowship, exhort, and care for one another, (3.) to partake of the Lord's Supper, (4.) to study and learn from the pastor and/or teacher of the local assemblies.

8. Christians Are Commanded To Assemble Themselves Together Regularly.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25).

When we assemble together as Christians, what a wonderful opportunity to encourage someone who is going through some difficult times. Having a good attitude, a pleasing and happy disposition, rubs off and encourages others.

An unforgettable incident happened at my Ordination, many years ago. An elderly lady came up to me after the service and told me she had been praying for me ever since I was saved. She related how proud she was of me for yielding to God‟s call to Bible college and to prepare for the pastorate. One will never know what an encouragement that was to me to finish the course I was about to begin. Those words rang in my ears many times while going through college, especially when I was thinking of quitting!

9. The Early Church Worshipped On The First Day, Sunday, NOT The Seventh Day, Saturday.

We are told, specifically, in Hebrews 10:25, as Christians, not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Notice, carefully, that the assembling of the Christians in the Book of Acts (the "History Book" of the Early Church) was never on the seventh day, Saturday. Jesus never recognized the Sabbath (Saturday) after His Resurrection; and, we find no record that He ever met with His disciples or any other group for the purpose of worship on the Sabbath, after His Resurrection.

John 20:19 tells us that Jesus met with His disciples on the first day of the week.

"Then the same day at evening, being the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."

Then we have recorded, just one week later, the disciples assembled again on the first day of the week, Sunday.

"And after EIGHT DAYS again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you." (John 20:26)

Here is Jesus, during the 40 days after His Resurrection, meeting with His disciples on the EIGHTH DAY, or the first day of the next week—Sunday. Within these 40 days before His ascension, we can find no record that He ever met with His disciples on the Sabbath; nor does He even mention the Sabbath.

Now, let us again go to the "History Book" of the Early Church, where we find the believers meeting on the first day of the week and never on the Sabbath.

"And again the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the disciples came to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight." (Acts 20:7).

Could the Word of God be any clearer, that the customary day of believer‟s assembling themselves together was the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, Sunday, NOT the Sabbath.

One more case in point. You may recall in 1 Corinthians 16:1,2, when Paul was writing to the Corinthians about giving.

He had advised the other churches in Galatia to take up a collection for the poor, less-fortunate Christians in Jerusalem; and, he was advising the Corinthians to do the same.

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even do ye. Upon the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (Sunday, not the Sabbath) let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

This was not an isolated case with the Corinthians, as Paul had also instructed the Galatian churches to do the same thing on the same day, Sunday, the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.

Question: What about Paul preaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath (Saturday)? As we go through the Book of Acts, we do find that Paul went into the synagogues on several occasions and preached the Gospel. This, of course, was on the Sabbath, or Saturday. Those that Paul was trying to reach by preaching in the synagogues were LOST people, still trying to keep the Law for their justification. Paul‟s message to them was Grace; not, Law! Paul did not break bread or worship with them. That was not his purpose. He was capitalizing on an opportunity to reach a lot of people at one time and give the Gospel.

Paul describes it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:19,20,

"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law."

Paul gives his purpose for going into the synagogue on the Sabbath very precisely. It was to win his kinsmen, the Jews, to Christ; not to worship or fellowship with them.

Question: How long would Paul continue this practice? Let us return to Acts 1:8, where we have the commission, or "marching papers of the Christian" given by the Lord, Himself.

"...ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth".

Paul followed this order, "To the Jew first," until they finally rejected his message. At that point, he turned to the Gentiles and the rest of the world, regardless of nationality, color, or creed.

Acts 18:4-7a is the record of the last time that Paul preached to them on the Sabbath Day.

"And he (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks...Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the JEWS that Jesus (humanity) was Christ (deity). And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he (Paul) shook his raiment, and said unto them, I am clean: FROM HENCEFORTH I WILL GO UNTO THE GENTILES, and he departed thence..."

This is the last mention of the Sabbath in the Book of Acts. It is no more "To the Jew first"; nor, is there any more worship under the Law on the Sabbath. Why? Because...

"...Christ is the END OF THE LAW for righteousness to everyone that believeth."

Christians, today, are instructed to set aside a day for gathering together. Hebrews 10:25 tells us,

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

This would be a time of rest, physically and mentally, from our jobs of weekly labor and stress. It is a time of spiritual refreshment as Christians gather together, learning the Word of God, observing the Lord‟s Supper, fellowshipping and singing together. It also provided a special day for all Christians to unite in giving their offerings unto the Lord as the Lord "hath prospered them." This would be following the principle laid down in 1Corinthians 14:40,

"Let all things be done decently and in order."

Therefore, that one day a week which was observed by the disciples was the first day of the week—Sunday. These were Christians, set free from the law of sin and death, including the seventh-day Sabbath. Remember, whenever we find the disciples meeting together, and the day is mentioned, it is always the first day of the week—Sunday.

Let me recapitulate. John 20:19 says it was the "first day of the week" when Christ met with them. Eight days later, that again being the "first day of the week," Christ met with the disciples as recorded in John 20:26. In Acts 20:7, Paul met with the disciples on the "first day of the week"—Sunday. From 1 Corinthians 16:1,2, we find that all the churches in Galatia, as well as the one in Corinth, assembled together on the "FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK."

One can easily see God‟s will; instructing the disciples through the guidance of the Holy Spirit; in choosing a specific day for worship and fellowship; thus, corroborating His Word.

"Let all things be done decently and in order." (1 Corinthians 14:40).

This principle has been followed by Christendom, ever since it was first established by the disciples after the Resurrection of Christ. Just imagine what chaos we would have in the work force if some Christians wanted Monday off to worship. Then, there would be some who wanted Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday; or maybe Friday or Saturday off to worship. No company could run efficiently if a different group of people were missing every day. God knew exactly what He was doing when He established a specific day, that being THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, for Christians to assemble together. It also protected the manufacturing plants and all companies, today, who need a full work force each day to effectively turn out their product or service.

10. What The Saturday "Sabbath" Worshippers Need To Know.

If you hold to worshipping on the "Sabbath" or Saturday, you are under the curse of the Law. You are required to obey all of the 720 laws; that is, the moral, civil, and ceremonial, all the Law of God. Your instructions are in Galatians 3:10,

"For as many are as of the works of the Law are under THE CURSE: for it is written, CURSED is every one that continueth not in ALL THINGS which are written IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW TO DO THEM."

May I also point out that you are to work six days every week— and no less; or you have also broken the Law of God and are under its curse! Notice, the Fifth Commandment concerning the Sabbath requires you to work six full days, not five, or five and a half!

"Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work." (Exodus 20:9).

Can any Seventh-Day worshipper claim this fulfillment of never missing a week of working six full days?

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10).

11. Our Eternal Life.

Eternal life is a free gift, bought and paid for by the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and received by faith.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9)

God does not give you the faith to believe with. He gives you the evidence of the death and Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, it becomes your responsibility to believe or not believe. You are totally responsible for your own choice. John 3:36 gives the verdict for both choices:

"He that believeth on the Son hath EVERLASTING LIFE: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM."

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)

12. Our Earthly Walk.

At the moment we trust Christ as our personal Savior, we are indwelt with a new nature—the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13). The believer still has his old, Adamic nature he was born with. Therefore, both natures are in a battle to control the believer's life. Galatians 5:17, 18 tells us...

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."

This includes the Law of the Saturday "Sabbath," as well as the other 719 laws!

The flesh always seeks to exalt self; whereas, the Holy Spirit seeks to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1,2 is speaking of our service to the Lord and not of Salvation. The Lord makes it very clear that all works done out of the flesh will be condemned.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, BUT after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE from the LAW of sin and death."

Remember, the specifics of the law of the seventh-day Sabbath were: you could not leave your dwelling place; you could not build a fire; you could not cook; nor, do work of any kind on the Sabbath. Violation of these Sabbath restrictions required the death penalty, by stoning. The Sabbath was a day of complete rest only. Those, today, holding on to the Saturday "Sabbath" ought to be so thankful they are living in the Day of Grace, and will only suffer loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11-15); instead of being stoned to death under the Law! Therefore,

"...the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

We are grateful to the Lord that the disciples followed the Holy Spirit‟s leading in setting aside the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (Sunday) for Christians to assemble. Following this example, we can use this day, not only to rest; BUT, also to worship together; partake of the Lord‟s Supper, fellowship, exhort others; and to study God‟s Word through the preaching of the Word. This provides us opportunity to exalt the Lord by the Holy Spirit, and not the flesh; by exalting self through the keeping of the Old Testament Law of the Sabbath. Proverbs 3:5,6 sums up the whole matter of the Flesh and Spirit conflict.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

THE LAW OF THE SABBATH

God gave the Law to Israel. It was never meant to save;
It regulated all of life from the cradle to the grave.

It was a stern schoolmaster, and showed our lost condition;
As filthy sinners bound for Hell, sentenced to Perdition.

The Sabbath Law belonged to God, a high and holy sign.
That He would keep His promises to Israel in due time.

No cooking, walking, playing; it was really for the best.
In "Six days may work be done; ...the seventh ye shall rest."

For foolish souls who paid no heed, the penalty was death.
God wanted them to know He gave them evr'y breath.

Set apart as a nation, with a mission to win the world!
Instead they crucified their King; and the Age of Grace unfurled.

You can't get to Heaven by keeping the Law.
Try and you're destined to fall;
If you offend in just one point, you'll be guilty of it all.

This would seem a cruel hoax making God look most unjust,
To give us what we cannot keep; but, keep it all we must!

Wait! God has sent the Answer. He nailed it to a Cross.
Christ, the "end of law for righteousness." Oh! What a terrible cost!

He "redeemed us from the curse of the law," and paid sin's penalty.
What no mere man could ever do, Grace now extends for free!

There's neither "Jew nor Greek;" but, all in Christ are one.
Israel's set aside; we're grafted in; but, this nation is not done!

When the Deliverer comes out of Zion, they'll be "forgiven by the Lord."
From Tribulation to Kingdom they'll go, as promised in God's Word.

We know the Sabbath is not for today. It's a Covenant Sign to the Jews.
We will follow our Savior's lead, and on Sunday fill the church pews.

Praise the Lord for His Amazing Grace, and Salvation full and free.
He only asks that we use each day to "Win the lost for Me!

Scriptural allusions: Romans 11:26; Galatians 3:13,28; James 2:10;
Jeremiah 31:31, Poem: Marjorie A. Younce

Heritage Bible Baptist Church

Pensacola Christian College Refuses To Reconcile

Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

God knows that I just humbly want to make peace with PCC. They already knew in 2021 about my difficulties with the Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, likely because someone from Harvest emailed or called him to warn Campus Church about me. Pastor Redlin even admitted to me that someone had contacted their church to get into contact with me, and he claimed they didn't know how to contact me. I don't believe him, because the church has my mailing address on file. They even mailed me a welcome letter in July of 2021. He also had my email, because I emailed him the first week that I started attending the church, when he scolded me for mentioning that I hoped to find a wife at Campus Church. He was foolish to scold a 54 year old man for hoping to find a wife. Where else would I find a wife, if not at church? That was cruel of him.

So, since he claimed that they didn't know how to contact me, he said he and the other pastors had to go look at my ministry websites to see how to contact me. He said that in the process of searching through my websites they noticed that I "find weaknesses in preachers." That really hurt my feelings, because I have been faithfully contending for the faith by exposing bad preachers who promote Lordship Salvation, fake Bibles and a wrong meaning of repentance. Redlin shunned me after that, avoiding me and not replying to my emails asking him if was welcome as a divorced person at Campus Church. He just didn't like me.

So I left the church in frustration and criticized him on social media. I humbly wrote to him in 2022, apologizing for my rants and anger, begging for a second chance. He ignored me for a month, so I wrote two more letters and mailed them. One went to PCC and the other to all the pastors of Campus Church. Again, they all ignored me. So after 6 weeks I went to social media again, on my Jesus-is-Savior.com website, lashing out against them for being a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites.

Only then did Pastor Redlin reply on August 2, 2022, to tell me "your remarks were consequential," saying that I cannot attend Campus Church anymore. I was cut to the heart, again, and the saga continues. The problem is that PCC has tens of millions of dollars, and several thousands of supporters, so what is one hurting man to them? They have the opposite attitude of Jesus, who was willing to leave the 99 sheep to go find and help that one lost lamb. 

At PCC, they have the 9,999 so they couldn't care less about the one individual who is hurting and needs their love, understanding, forgiveness and a helping hand to get his life back on track. I have zero social life. I suffer in constant pain in my neck, from getting severely rear-ended by a church bus in 1992, and then falling down a mailslide at work in 2005, and a second neck surgery in 2010 that made me worse. I survive daily on taking prescription opiate pain drugs (not enough unfortunately because of stupid government laws that oppress pain sufferers, instead of the criminals who illegally abuse and die from them).

I don't write posts, articles and blogs against PCC and Campus Church to hurt them (God knows my heart), but simply because I am hurting in my soul to be a part of a church family, and still don't have one. Dr. Jack Hyles once said in a sermon ("Many Pastors Have Destroyed My Vineyard") that today's religious colleges are academic in nature, and not church builders, so they lack compassion for people. Dr. Hyles sure knew what he was talking about, because he practically gave the address of PCC. They woefully lack God's unconditional love for people. I feel sorry for PCC, that they are so carnally minded and lacking in compassion for people. I would be shocked if Pastor Redlin responded to your email. They just don't care.

My only prayer for Redlin and the PCC camp is that God would humble them to start caring about everyone, and not just their select group of paying members with money. Jeff Redlin is sinfully holding a personal grudge against me, and ungodly PCC leaders are sanctioning his terrible behavior, because Redlin is a PCC alumni (one of their own). I have had several people admonish me to let it go and move on, but it's not that easy, because I still have no social life. Pastor Redlin fully knows that my wife divorced me, and that I am suffering with physical afflictions because of my neck injury, but he has zero love or compassion.

He gets paid well over $100,000 a year, as do many PCC employees. One of my Facebook friends who is familiar with PCC, and has a friend in their church, told me that PCC leaders have huge egos. I think he nailed it. I love them at PCC and hope one day to reconcile with them. I told PCC and Campus Church in 2022 that I would do whatever they require to make the peace, but they won't even communicate with me, except to tell me I am not welcome there. So, I will continue to preach against them, which is my only recourse to cope with my pain of soul. I pray and wish that haughty PCC leaders and their terrible pastors could woefully suffer as I have, and see what it feels like to lose everything near and dear in life, and then be shunned and ostracized by churches for telling THE TRUTH.

PCC won't contend for the faith, as I have faithful done (and am doing), and then paying a staggering price as a consequence of telling the truth. PCC wickedly bids Godspeed to the Bob Jones University cult, who have joined the new reformed Calvinist movement. BJU even invited die hard Calvinist Paul Washer to preach at their college in December of 2022. BJU has gone to the Devil, and PCC shamefully supports them wholeheartedly.

I have rightly exposed both camps, for which I am despised (like Jesus was rejected and despised by men). At present I sit home from church on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, having no church to attend. I was hoping that at least one of my blog friends would contact Pastor Jeff Redlin, to ask him why he is being so hateful and refuses to forgive me as his Christian brother, so that I can just attend Campus Church again. Here are their email addresses at Campus Church...

jRedlin@campuschurch.com

info@campuschurch.com

THANK YOU!

CCM Singers' Keith And Kristyn Getty Exposed

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.”

I need to warn you about Keith and Kristyn Getty. They are CCM yuppies.

However, I like that they focus on doctrinally sound lyrics (so they claim at least). I found this on Wikipedia...

In 2013, the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song in the United States sought permission to include the Gettys' hymn "In Christ Alone" in a hymnal with a modification of the lyrics "Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied" to instead say, "Till on that cross as Jesus died, the love of God was magnified." Keith Getty and co-author Stuart Townend rejected the request for modification and the Committee subsequently declined to include the song in its hymnal. The dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, Timothy George, published an article criticizing the Committee's attempt to remove the controversial doctrine of the wrath of God from the song. The topic of George’s article became popular and was eventually adapted by reporters from USA Today, The Washington Post, and other major publications. SOURCE

They refused to allow the Presbyterians to remove God's wrath from their song's lyrics. Here's an article about it. So I applaud the Getty's for this. However, as I will show you in a moment, the Getty's are hardcore hellbound Calvinists, promoters of false prophets' John Piper, John MacArthur and other infidel heretics.

I don't like the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) of the Getty's, which lacks the beautiful melodies of the old hymns. I like the old hymns because the authors are dead, so they don't get the praise and idolization instead of the performers. The Getty's get the praise and glory instead of God, because they are at the center of their songs.

Kristyn Getty and her husband are ecumenical and worldly...

Though primarily known for her work in Contemporary Christian Music, Getty has collaborated with artists of varying genres throughout her career. Notable collaborators to appear on recorded albums include bluegrass musicians Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krauss, country singer Vince Gill, Broadway actor Heather Headley, South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, hip-hop artist Trip Lee, spoken word poet Jackie Hill Perry, and R&B singer Blessing Offor. Artists from within the CCM genre who have performed with Getty include Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith, Rend Collective, We Are Messengers, Shane & Shane, Fernando Ortega, Matt Papa, and Sandra McCracken. SOURCE

Forbes says the Getty's net worth is $2,500,000.

Much worse, the Getty's are unsaved reformed Calvinists. Missionary to India, David Cloud, exposes them (Note: I do not agree with David Cloud's plan of salvation). If you want to see how bad Keith and Kristyn Getty really are, READ THIS ARTICLE.

Here is a quote from the preceding helpful article. The Getty's are into Lordship Salvation...

The Gettys are a bridge to new Reformed Calvinism.

The Gettys are new Reformed Calvinists. Keith leads worship at Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio, pastored by Alistair Begg. This is the world of John Piper, David Platt, R.C. Sproul, Al Mohler, Jr., John MacArthur.

Reformed Calvinism is not biblically sound. It is a path to the world of Augustine, the church fathers, John Calvin, Protestantism, the Puritans, infant baptism. It is a path to Replacement Theology (the church is Israel). It is a path to Amillennialism and the rejection of the imminency of Christ’s return and the loss of all of the spiritual benefits of that important doctrine. SOURCE

Here is another quote from the preceding helpful article...

The Gettys are a bridge to the world of rock & roll.

In a July 2013 interview, Keith Getty mentioned vile rocker Sting and homosexual rocker Elton John in a positive light, with not a hint of warning. The interview was with Dan Wooding of Assist Ministries and was broadcast on Frontpage Radio from Nashville.

In the same interview Keith Getty heaped praise on Bono of the Irish rock band U2, calling him a “brilliant theological thinker” and saying that Bono “cares for a lot of the things that Christ asks us to care about.” He also said, “I love his passion for life and his passion for learning.” Getty had absolutely nothing to say about Bono by word of warning. SOURCE

The Getty's music is bringing the Devil's worldly music right into the churches.

The Getty's wickedly promote false prophet, John Piper, a staunch hellbound Calvinist.

The Getty's are phonies! They are not saved.

Beware Of The "Repent Of Your Sins" Heresy

I have received countless ministry emails from worried people over the years, who were lied to by sincere but corrupt pastors, who unbiblically told them that they couldn't go to Heaven unless they turned away from their sinful ways.

Nowhere in the inspired King James Bible are we taught to forsake a lifestyle of sinning as a requirement to be saved. Faith is the only righteous thing that we can do. Jesus came to die on a cross to pay for our sins, He does not require that we first give up our sinful bad habits to be saved. The truth is that it is impossible for anyone to give up their sinning. Even the best saints still sin each and every day. The Apostle Paul admitted in Romans 7:14-25 that he struggled with sin all the time, and that he found no good thing in his flesh (Romans 7:18).

I am so glad that you see the truth in this matter. Infidel Calvinist evangelist Paul Washer is a false prophet. In one sermon he admitted that his own mother doubted her salvation because of her struggle with sin. Paul falsely comforted her by saying that her worries prove that she is saved.

The proper mindset of a genuinely born-again believer is that JESUS PAID IT ALL!!! I know I am saved because my faith (whole confidence) is in Jesus Christ alone, the only begotten Son of God, because of what He has already done to pay for my sins through Calvary's cross. My total faith is in THE GOSPEL. The Gospel is the "GOOD NEWS" of Christ's death on the cross, burial and bodily resurrection three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-6). That is my only hope for forgiveness of sins and eternal life, nothing less or more.

All of these reformed Calvinists today (John Piper, John MacArthur, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Marty Herron, Bob Jones University, Steve Pettit, Sam Horn, Gary Walton, Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, Paul Washer, Ray Comfort, et cetera) are pulling on the same rope as the Devil. They are all deceived by Satan, living the Christian life without ever having been born-again by faith alone. They all errantly teach that to be saved faith is not enough. In addition, they all errantly preach that you must "repent of your sins" (which in their flawed understanding means to forsake your sinful behavior and surrender control of your will over to Christ as the supreme "Lord" of your life).

We find these type of hellbound Lordship Salvation heretics in Scripture. 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟳:𝟮𝟭-𝟮𝟯, "𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲, 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻; 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲? 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘀? 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂: 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗲, 𝘆𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆." They cried out to Jesus, "Lord, Lord," boasting of doing many wonderful works and preaching, ALL IN JESUS" NAME!!! Yet, the dear Savior looked them square in the eye and said these horrifying words: I NEVER KNEW YOU, DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.

Jesus tells us in verse 21 where they went astray, by failing to do THE WILL OF THE FATHER, which according to John 6:40 is to BELIEVE ON JESUS. We get saved by ceasing from our own works, and resting entirely in Christ's redemptive work (Hebrews 4:10-11).

All of these new reformed Baptist Calvinists today are preaching another gospel, which is accursed by God (Galatians 1:6-12). John Calvin (1509-1564) taught a counterfeit plan of salvation of partial faith in Christ plus works. The entire Epistle of Galatians refutes the damnable heresy of partial faith in Christ plus keeping the law to be saved (Galatians 3:1-3).

The false prophets in Matthew 7:21-23 served Christ diligently, doing not just a few (but many) good works. They did it all for Jesus in His name. They preached in Jesus' name, just like so many false teachers today also do. But they were serving Christ to please God the Father, not relying solely upon Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for their sins. You cannot get to Heaven by inviting Jesus into your life, a popular lie which we often hear nowadays from religious false teachers. To "repent" in the Bible simply means "a change of mind," a change of mind from unbelief to belief.

We Have So Much To Be Thankful For In America

Psalms 73:1, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.”

Psalms 145:9, “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”

Luke 6:35, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

I was watching an interesting YouTube documentary today about 20 Horrible Historical Facts School Doesn't Teach. The second thing mentioned was our first U.S. President, George Washington's false teeth. A common misconception is that he had wooden teeth, but in actuality George Washington's dentures were comprised from gold, lead, ivory, human and even animal teeth. By the time George was inaugurated as our country's first U.S. President in 1789, he only had one natural tooth remaining in his mouth. Ouch! Poor Mr. Washington!

By God's grace, at age 56 I still have all 28 natural teeth in my mouth. My four Wisdom Teeth have all been removed (which many people do for various necessary reasons). I realized today how blessed I am to still have my natural teeth. I brush my teeth after every meal, and so should you, to prevent bacteria from accumulating that will rot your teeth over time. I also rinse my mouth a couple times a day with Listerine, to kill germs. Albeit, it is not good to use Listerine dozens of times a day, because your mouth needs some good bacteria.

I have suffered in much bodily pain for the past couple week. I went to the hospital Emergency Room last Tuesday. They did blood and urine tests, and a CT scan, but couldn't explain the reason for my left shoulder blade pain, and also sharp pain on my right flank (in the kidney area in back). I went to a chiropractor on Wednesday, who took x-rays, but also couldn't explain the reason for my two areas of pain. On Friday I had a MRI, and met with a doctor on Tuesday who looked over my MRI notes.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find any reason to explain my pain. So now today I have an appointment with a Physical Therapist, who will do a Deep Tissue Massage on my left shoulder blade. The doctor I saw this past Tuesday thinks I might have a deep knot in my shoulder blade. If after a few sessions with a Physical Therapist I still have horrible pain, he is going to schedule a CT scan on my neck at C5-C6-C7 (where I had surgery in 2009 and 2010, and I have surgical hardware). The doctor on Tuesday told me that my surgical hardware produced a glare on the MRI imaging, which makes it difficult to see what's going on, so there might be still a problem in my neck (in a blind spot that an MRI cannot detect, but a CT scan will).

One day at a time. I slept terrible last night, continually waking up due to the intense pain. The shoulder pain during the day is a 6-7 out of 10 (10 being the worse pain), but at night is an 8-9 out of 10, stabbing to 10 at times. The right flank pain is likewise 6-7 during the day time, but at night is about an 8. The pain is bad enough to prevent me from sleeping well. I took 100 mg of Diphenhydramine last night to help me sleep. I had my appendix removed in 1999 and my gall bladder removed in 2015, so it cannot be those organs. The CT scan showed that my kidney is okay on the right side. X-rays showed that there are no kidney stones. Pain can be difficult to diagnose from what I have being reading. I'd appreciate your prayers. Thank you.

In the YouTube video that I mentioned earlier, the narrator mentions that the first commercially available microwave oven was sold in 1947, which measured nearly 6 feet tall and weighed 750 pounds. Wow! We sure have come a long way since 1947. Today's convenient home microwaves weigh under 10 pounds and cost less than $100. We are so blessed by God!!!

I admit that last Tuesday night at Baptist Hospital, after the CT scan, I had already prepared myself for possible bad news that my kidney had failed and I needed it removed. The stabbing right flank pain was that bad. The pain has subsided somewhat since (thankfully), but it still hurts a lot, so something is still wrong. I even told the Lord at the hospital that if it was His will for me to go home to be with Him in Heaven, I am ready. You never know when pain starts in the body what it might be, anything from harmlessly sleeping awkward to terminal cancer. At my age, 56, my mind tends to think the worst. My pastor's father is now 59 years old. Just two years ago he had quadruple heart bypass surgery. So you never know. Thankfully, at least at the present time, there doesn't seem to be anything major wrong with me to explain why I am still having horrible sharp pain in two different areas. One day at a time. Hopefully the procedure today will prove to have been helpful. We'll see. God is so good!!!

No matter what happens, I choose to always remain grateful to God.

Please Keep Me In Your Prayers For Stabbing Shoulder Blade Pain

Philippians 3:20-21, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

My Recent Cervical MRI From July 21, 2023

Please keep me in your prayers. About 10 days ago I started having horrible stabbing pain in my left shoulder blade (at the bottom toward the center of my back), and also in the right flank area (by the kidney). On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst, both areas are about a 6-7 during the day, but a 9-10 at night. For the past several days I haven't been able to stay in bed to sleep, because the stabbing pain is constant and is torture. Last night I got up at 2 am to go sleep in my office chair, but it didn't help so I just started trying to search the internet for answers.

On Tuesday I tried all day to make an appointment with a primary doctor, since I don't have one. The earliest appointment I could find is at Baptist Medical Group on September 19th (two month from now). So I had no choice than to go to the emergency room at Baptist Hospital Tuesday night in horrible pain. They used red dye and did a CT scan, but couldn't find anything wrong. The doctor said she thinks the two pain areas are not connected. She thinks my shoulder blade pain is muscular in nature. They did blood and urine tests and said everything looks good except for my high sugar, which is in the 200-300 range from Type II diabetes. So they gave me 4 mg of morphine, 1 mg of diluadid, and then discharged me to go home at 4 am, not having any definitive answers why I'm in pain.

So on Wednesday, still suffering in agonizing stabbing pain, I found a chiropractor who could see me yesterday. They took x-rays of my pelvic and upper body areas. No major issues were found. My kidney is okay and I don't have kidney stones. The chiropractor wouldn't adjust my neck without permission from the pain clinic that handles my old neck injury. The chiropractor put a TENS unit on both pain areas, and did 3 adjustments.

Although the TENS unit felt good during use, an hour after leaving the clinic I was still in excruciating pain. I actually went last night with the First Baptist Church of Pensacola to watch the Wahoo's baseball team play against the Pandas at Maritime Community Park. The Pensacola Wahoos won! Yea! I had a nice time at the game, with food, drinks and fireworks after, despite my horrible pain (and yes, I did go to church Sunday with the same horrible pain). Last night I was hurting so bad that I ordered a TENS unit for $143 from Amazon, which is supposed to arrive on July 25th.

I went to my regular pain clinic on Tuesday. They moved up my normal monthly appointment to fit me in. They gave me a prescription for 500 mg Nubametone 2x daily and Lidocaine patches (which had to be special ordered and should come in tonight at CVS). But they gave me some sample patches at the clinic and so far nothing is helping to alleviate the stabbing shoulder blade pain. So far neither the hospital, pain clinic or chiropractor have been able to diagnose why I am in horrible pain in both my right flank area and my left shoulder blade area. The pain started about 10 days ago and hasn't become better or worse, it's the same. At night it is torture, especially in the shoulder blade area, which feels like a knitting needle stabbed in my back.

I found this article while searching for answers online, which says that the C5-C6 area of the neck can cause stabbing pain in the shoulder blade. I had surgery at C5-C6-C7 in 2009 and 2010. I have sharp radiating pain down both arms and legs, but the pain has always been intermittent. This pain is constant. Sometimes I can feel the shoulder blade pain extend down the back of my left arm, but stops at the elbow. The radiating pain from my neck always shoots down into my two middle fingers on the left arm, and thumb with forefinger on my right arm. Usually the radiating pain happens 80% on my right side from the stenosis and radiculitis. So the pain clinic has me scheduled next month for a new MRI. So I guess I have to just wait and suffer in pain for now. I don't know where else to turn.

The very first thing I did, and have been doing since, is to pray for the Lord's help. I am often reminded of the Old Testament story of King Asa, who had problems with his feet, but he didn't pray. The Bible says that Asa sought relief from the local doctors instead of God, and the next verse says that Asa slept with his fathers (i.e., he died). So I always go to God first.

It is now 3 am Sunday morning and my shoulder pain is so excruciating that I cannot sleep. It feels like a knitting needle shoved in my back, stabbing constant pain. The pain was bad last night radiating down the back of my left arm to the elbow, but now is mostly hurting under my left shoulder blade.

I have already used the Patient Portal to contact my pain clinic, requesting if I can bring in my MRI test scan images on Monday for them to diagnose, to see what might be wrong. So far everything seems to be pointing to a problem in my neck. I took a look a quick at the MRI images on my computer, and it seems something may be going on at C5-C6, but I am not an expert on reading MRI images, so I am not sure what to look for. I saved a picture of my MRI for you to see for yourself, even before my doctor has seen it. What do you think? It sure looks like something is pressing against my spinal cord at C5-C6. Ouch! The human spinal cord is as frail as tissue paper, so it doesn't take much to cause pain and problems. The area that you see in the MRI is C5-C6, exactly where I've already had two major surgeries in 2009 and 2010.

Also, if you look to the left of the suspect area at C5-C6-C7, you can see my two bone grafts and missing disks. Please keep me in your prayers. I dread getting another surgery, but I do need to get rid of this intolerable shoulder blade pain. Thank you. Jesus is precious!!!

Anyway, I am hurting in much intolerable pain. Kindly said, please don't message to ask me a bunch of questions about my health. I simply cannot reply to dozens of people all asking who, what, where, when, how and why. Literally, I have some Facebook friends who message me every 3 or 4 days to ask me how I am doing, which is not necessary. But THANK YOU for caring!!! You are all so sweet to care about how I am doing. Everybody likes to be cared about, me too, but I simply cannot reply to everybody. I have several facebook friends, as well as ministry web visitors, who like to send me things to watch and read, asking for my opinion. I just cannot watch hour long sermons to analyze them for people. Sometimes I can.

All I am saying is please be patient and understanding if I fall behind in replying to messages, because I don't ignore anyone on purpose. I am in pain all the time in my neck from stenosis and radiculitis at C5-C6-C7. The pain radiates. Lord willing, hopefully the doctors will learn something from my MRI. I dread getting MRI's, because I am claustrophobic big time. Even with the open bore, I have panic attacks.

Years ago in 2006 I hit the panic button and was crying when they pulled me out of the MRI machine. I told the MRI technician that my legal bills from my wife filing for divorce were already over $10,000 and she was boasting of going to fiesta parties during the divorce, while I was suffering in excruciating pain in my neck and ready to go for surgery. Great wife, huh? 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯 𝟭𝟮:𝟰, "𝗔 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱: 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀." I have forgiven her long ago, because she must answer to God for abandoning me when I needed her the most. I have suffered alone now for 17 years, laboring in my ministry with no earthly companion. The famous preacher, Charles Weigle (1871-1966), often told the sad story about his disloyal wife who abandoned him too. Charles went into a deep depression, as I have also been depressed oftentimes since 2006, being alone and in pain with no one to share my life with. Life is not fair, but our great God is faithful and good. It is not God's fault what we sinners do.

Tomorrow on Tuesday morning I have an appointment to meet with a doctor at the pain clinic, who will hopefully read my MRI test image results. I hope they can determine why I have stabbing pain under my left shoulder blade. The sharp pain in my right flank is still there, but has subsided much compared to earlier this week. A CT scan and x-rays showed that my kidney is okay and there are not kidney stones. Someone suggested that I might have gallstones, but that is impossible, because I had my infected gallbladder removed in 2015. I had my infected appendix removed in 1999. I'm leaving this world piece by piece...lol. I had the neck (cervical) disks between C5-C6-C7 bones removed in 2009.

Anyway, God is so good, always! I'd appreciate if you'd just remember me when you talk to God. I'm trying by God's grace to make the best of my troubled life. God is so good and everything that God does is right. I have no complaints. Every day above ground is a good day. Jesus is precious!!!