Eat Some Fruit Every Morning For Good Health

Daniel 1:11-15, “Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.”

I encourage you dear reader to start eating some fruit every morning. Fruit is loaded with good fiber, which you won't get any other way than by eating green leafy vegetables and fruit each day. Fiber is so good for our body!!! Fruit is high in needful nutrients, protein, fiber and vitamins. I eat 1 Kiwi each morning. I eat 1 apple each morning. I change my routine. Sometimes I buy green grapes, other times red or black grapes. I even saw candy grapes the other day at Walmart, but got the green grapes for now. I bought yellow guavas a couple weeks ago. Then I tried some plumcots. I usually buy a tray of apricots, but Walmart was out this week. 

Also, you should eat 1 or 2 Tablespoons of flaxseeds, which you can but at Walmart. I buy bags of whole flax seeds, which at the Walmart I go to are in the same grocery area as the cooking oils. I challenge you to read up about the health benefits of eating fruit and flaxseeds. Flaxseeds contain a lot of Omega 3 oils, which our body needs. If you don't eat a lot of fish, you can still get your Omega 3 oils from flaxseeds. Consuming just 2 Tablespoons of flaxseeds provide all the Omega 3 oils required for each day. Flaxseeds have been PROVEN to lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other common preventable diseases.

Our American diet is woefully devoid of nutrients, fiber and necessary vitamins and minerals. This morning I started my day with 1 apple. Did you know that there are over 5,000 different kinds of apples? Wow! So far I have tried Ambrosia apples, Jazz apples, Cosmic apples (that's what I had today), Honeycrisp apples and Gala apples. I still haven't tried Fuji apples (the sweetest of all apples), or Granny Smith apples. And there's a lot more! All of the aforementioned types of apples are sold at Walmart. An apple a day keeps the doctor away! That saying is very true, because apples contain malic acid that burns away bad plague in our arteries. Apples are high in nutrients and needed fiber.

If you go to any doctor for constipation, ALL of the them will give you a prescription for something like Metamucil, or some other pharmacy remedy. But the simple TRUTH is that eating some fruit every morning will prevent constipation. Why? It is because fruit contains much good fiber, which the American diet is woefully lacking. Only 5% of Americans eat enough fiber in their diet!!! That is why so many Americans have rotting bowels, cancer and all sorts of preventable medical ailments. Eating fruit is a natural prevention for constipation.

Also, eating beans will prevent constipation. Just 1 can of beans provides 100% of the body's daily requirement of fiber. Beans are also super high in protein! All forms of meat contain ZERO fiber!!! Beans give you BOTH protein and plenty of good fiber. Beans are super foods! People normally have gas if not used to eating beans. But if you continue to eat them 3 to 4 times per week, after a couple weeks the gas goes away. Also, I always soak my beans overnight in water, to remove the substances that produce bloating and gas. Replace the water with fresh water and then cook the beans under medium heat for 90 minutes. I buy bags of dry beans, soak, replace the water, and then cook them. Cumin is a wonderful spice for beans! I like my beans plainer than spicier. I normally add a little Himalayan pink salt, some fresh ground medley of peppercorns, and fresh minced garlic. I sometimes toss in a piece of bacon or ham for flavor. GOOD STUFF MENARD!!!

As a general rule, we should only eat foods with ONE INGREDIENT. Beef, chicken, pork, seafood and veal only contain ONE INGREDIENT! Take a look at the list of ingredients for those tasty Totinos pizzas! There's about 30 ingredients, half of which you cannot even pronounce! Case in point, here are the ingredients for Totinos pepperoni pizza...

INGREDIENTS

Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Water, Tomato Puree (water, tomato paste), Imitation Mozzarella Cheese (water, palm oil, rennet casein, modified potato starch, vegetable oil, potato starch, sodium aluminum phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, citric acid, potassium sorbate [preservative], sodium phosphate, sodium citrate, titanium dioxide [artificial color], maltodextrin, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, riboflavin, Vitamin A palmitate, Vitamin 86, Vitamin B12), Pepperoni Pizza Topping (pepperoni [pork, beef, salt, Contains 2% or less of: spices, dextrose, oleoresin of paprika, natural flavor, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, lactic acid starter culture, BHA, BHT, citric acid], water, soy protein isolate), Vegetable Oil. Contains less than 2% of: Rehydrated Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese (water, skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, citric acid, Vitamin A palmitate, Vitamin B6), Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Dry Yeast, Defatted Soy Flour, Dextrose, Spice, Monocalcium Phosphate, Baking Soda, Beet Powder, Rehydrated Enzyme Modified Cheese (water, milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Monostearate, Maltodextrin, TBHQ (preservative), Ascorbic Acid, Natural Flavor. 

CONTAINS WHEAT, MILK AND SOY INGREDIENTS. SOURCE

Tasty but not healthy! We don't see Americans dropping dead in the streets from eating Totinos pizzas and other tasty junk food. However, we do see millions of Americans dying prematurely from cancer, stomach and intestinal issues, bowel disease and all sorts of preventable diseases. The BEST way for anyone with Type II Diabetes to 100% get rid of the disease is to just lose 10 to 50 pounds (depending how overweight you are). The more weight you gain, the harder it is for your heart to pump blood to where it is needed. The feet are the first body parts to die when someone becomes diabetic, because the feet are farthest from the heart. God made the human body incredibly intricate, complicated and wonderful. The body has the amazing ability to heal itself, within limits.

Millions of Americans have suffered needless leg amputations because of diabetes (aka, 'The Silent Killer'). You can have diabetes, which is doing major damage to your body, and not even know it until it's too late. Diabetics can suffer sudden blindness from a stroke. A stoke is simply when an artery that supplies blood becomes clogged by plaque. I watched a video recently on YouTube about the strangest ways people have died. A teenage boy in South American died when his girlfriend gave him a hickey on his neck. She unintentionally caused a blood clot under the skin in his neck, which worked its way up into his brain, causing a stroke and death!!! Wow! The human body is incredibly complicated and yet profoundly simple. God is more than amazing!!!

Remember, one ounce of prevention is worth one pound of cure! It is true. Also, one ounce of mother equals one pound of clergy...lol. I really like that truth!!! Most people wait until health problems start to surface, and only then do they take appropriate action. Sadly, many people refuse to start eating healthy even after they develop diseases that can oftentimes be cured. Walking is also the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Yes, you can lose a lot of weight by just changing your diet, without doing any exercise at all. Losing weight is 90%, and 10% staying active. But staying active sure helps! Our whole American lifestyle today is horrible! It is sad that people need to pay to go to healthclubs to stay fit. Once upon a time, people worked to stay fit, and we were much better off in the old days of farming and labor intense type jobs. Nowadays machines do everything! People will ride the bus to work (instead of walking or riding a bike), they'll take the elevator or escalator (instead of ascending the stairs), and then pay to go to a fitness center after work. That is ridiculous!

I just wrote this blog to encourage all my readers to start including eating fruits into your diet each day. I admit that I don't like eating fruit, so I drink it instead. I bought a 1,000 watt Nutri-Ninja from Walmart last month for $75. My old one was 1,100 watts, which I ordered from Amazon, but it burned out last month when a tree branch fell upon my powerlines in front of the house, and knocked only one line down. So I had partial power. When I went to turn on my microwave, all of my lights and air-conditioner backed through the Microwave. Everything powered one!!! That was weird. But it fried the electronic circuitry in my 1,100 watt Nutri-Ninja. I hate when that happens!!! Anyway, I LOVE my Nutri-Ninja. I liked the 1,100 watt better though, because the 1,000 watt has a kick to it, when it starts up, vibrating my counter top. So I recommend ordered the 1,100 watt unit from Amazon. But either works just fine! I just press the button that reads “Smoothie,” and a minute later my drink is ready.

Each day I take 1 apple. I add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of whole flaxseeds. I add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Today I added 1 yellow Kiwi. I put the peel, seeds and all into the Nutri-Ninja. Always remove the apricot seeds though, they are too hard and toxic. Strawberries spoil very quickly, good for 2 days at best if left unrefrigerated. The same is true with blackberries! So I bought a big tray of fresh strawberries and blackberries the other day, and ate them all by end of the next day. I rinse each strawberry in cold water, after inspecting it for any mold, and put the whole strawberry (green leaf and all) into the Nutri-Ninja. Strawberries contain LOTS of healthy good fiber and nutrients!

For lunch yesterday I ate a big salad. I always but the 3-pack of Romaine hearts. I use 1 heart per salad, cutting it all up. I added some olives, a bunch of baby carrots, a light sprinkling of Parmesan cheese (I love goat's cheese sometimes), some seeds (a blend of hemp, chia and flax seed) all in one big bottle from Walmart, and a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil for flavor. I'm having the same today, but with a can of sardines in extra virgin olive oil. I'm also making tacos today, loaded with diced fresh lettuce and tomato. I like using McCormick original taco seasoning with regular ground beef (which has more fat). I also have some small wonderful ripe Haas avocados today! Amen! So I'm having one with my salad, and one with my tacos. Avocados are great for good health!

When I start each day eating fruit, I feel good all day and am less likely to reach for the Doritos or Cheese Puffs (I admit that I have a bag here and there still). I need my junk food! And I occasionally still eat a Totinos pizza. I really love Tombstone pizza. My absolute favorite food of all time are Pizza Puffs, which I order from the 'ILTACO' company in Chicago. They deliver them via UPS on dry-ice, right to my front door in Pensacola! I loved them as a teenager, and still do at age 55. I must have my Pizza Puffs!!! Thank God for all the great food He has blessed us with, and the amazing taste buds to enjoy them!!! I always order the box of 48 Original Sausage Pizza Puffs. Also, you might be able to find a store locally to purchase them in your area. I bought a small deep fryer at Walmart for $20. I preheat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then cook them for 5 to 6 minutes (from frozen). If you've never had an Original Sausage Pizza Puff, you have been missing out all your life!!! I'll bet you didn't expect to read about Pizza Puffs in my blog about eating fruit, did you! Ha Ha! Seriously, I need to balance my healthy eating (which I don't particularly care for), with the foods I love the most. I will say this though, since I have started eating fruit, I crave Kiwis and apples. What we eat today, we will crave tomorrow! So just start eating some fruit each morning, or drink it down like I do. I also do add some cold water to the Nutri-Ninja, so it won't be too thick to drink. I often toss in 1 or 2 peeled mandarin oranges.

By the way, NEVER buy a juicer! They waste all that wonderful pulp and nutrients. It is possible to drink too much fruit juice, which will add lots of extra calories to your day's caloric intake. But by eating all the fruit, with all that good fiber, your stomach will fill up before you can consume too many calories. In other words, you cannot get fat by eating whole fruits and vegetable. Try different fruits to see which ones you prefer most. I try to eat 75% healthy foods, and then no more than 25% of the Pizza Puffs, cheeseburgers, breaded chicken steaks with southern pepper gravy, et cetera. I'm making you hungry, I know...lol.

Granted, we may eat a super healthy lifestyle and still get hit by a Mack truck one day...lol. Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” The most important thing is to make sure that you are prepared to meet your Maker. Amos 4:12, “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” I am prepared to meet God. That is, I have been born-again, since age 13 in 1980. I know 100% that I am going to Heaven, and I can show you from the inspired Holy Bible why I know this. No one needs to fear, worry or doubt that they have eternal life right now, and will go to Heaven to be with Jesus when they die someday. Jesus wants to be your personal Savior dear friend, if He is not already.

Thank you for reading my blogs. I love you all with God's unconditional love.

Christians Should Look At People As Broken, Not Bad

Jude 1:17-23, “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

My favorite preacher is Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001). The vast majority of Dr. Hyles' critics are online. They are people who have never met Brother Hyles, didn't see and hear him in real life, didn't laugh from his witty sense of humor, and most of all feel his genuine love for people. I learned so many life-changing truths from Pastor Jack Hyles. He is my Christian hero!

Having said that, one of the most profound truths that I learned from Dr. Hyles was that as Christians we should always look at people as being BROKEN, rather than BAD. I love that! Pastor Hyles was so right! It is easy for us, in our sinful human nature, to view the human race as garbage. Let's face it, people do some really rotten and horrific things to each other! The truth is that we ALL have good and bad inside of us as humans. No one is perfect, literally!

In chapter 4 of his helpful book titled: “Teaching On Preaching,” Dr. Jack Hyles writes:

19. Think of good things to do for your enemies. Realize that people may not be all bad because they dislike you—Look upon them as being broken rather than being bad. I have a watch on my wrist. Sometimes the battery gets weak and it begins to lose time, or perhaps it will stop running altogether. I do not get mad at the watch; I realize that it is broken. I do what I can to fix it. When somebody does not like me, it may be that the battery is weak. I should not give him my hatred, vengeance, revenge or vindication. I should rather look upon him as being broken and not bad so that I may love and not hate him, do good to him and not ill! There is nothing that quite warms the heart like this, and once you have tasted the heavenly manna of forgiveness, you'll never again enjoy the bitter taste of revenge. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: 'Teaching On Preaching,' chapter 4, 'Keeping A Warm Heart As You Preach'

I love that!

I once heard a state trooper (who appeared in the 2009 TV series: “Alaskan State Troopers”), quote something brilliant that his father (who was also a state trooper in Alaska) taught him. He told his son: “Most people who get into trouble with the law are not bad people; rather, they are good people who are just at a bad point in their life.” I like that and couldn't agree more! In essence, that wise father was teaching his son to have compassion on people.

The best police officers balance the letter of the law with compassion. When we hear about abusive police brutality (which is sadly all too common), or a jerk cop with a John Wayne type of aggressive attitude and behavior, you know that such a person woefully lacks compassion. There is a need for compassion in society today, not just from cops toward the public, but also from the public toward the police. Sadly, just in June of 2022 in Chicago, three cops took their own life.

Ten years after the horrifying 9/11 attacks on New York City's famous World Trade Center (WTC), I watched a televised interview with dozens of paramedics, cops and firefighters, sharing their personal stories about struggling with post traumatic stress, broken marriages, health problems, et cetera. One policeman said something that I'll never forget. He said: “Cops make our living on the worst 10 minutes of people's lives.” I had never thought about that before, but he is right!

I don't condone, excuse or think police should get less severe punishments when they abuse, lie, terrorize and hurt people. Just because someone is a cop is not a justifiable extenuating circumstance. Pastors don't get such considerations! Cops should be held to the same intolerant standards of law and penalty as ordinary citizens. It bothers me that police are often given light sentences for severe crimes, versus the average American citizen who would go to prison for a very long time. That is injustice!

There is so much injustice in our country. The bisexual rock n' roll band, The Rolling Stones were busted by police in Arkansas, with a car full of cocaine. The cops let them go! But a drug-addicted Kansas City mother was sentenced by a judge in 1999 to life in prison, for possessing 1/16th an ounce of cocaine! Justice is very human! There is sadly very little mercy balanced with convictions in the American court system! As of the end of 2016, a shocking 7,346 youth under the age of 18 in the United States are serving life in prison sentences! This type of cruel and inhumane abuse is almost unheard of anywhere else in the world. The disturbing truth is that the American prison system is motivated by greed!

During the frightening 2020 “Black Lives Matter” rioting, I heard in the news about an admirable police chief in Missouri. He met with a mob of angry protesters to try to calm them down. I agree with what he suggested as part of the solution to police brutality nationwide. The police chief said that police departments nationwide need to start doing a much better job of filtering out bad apples during the hiring process. Just because a guy has the physique of Frankenstein is not enough to qualify him for the job of being a cop! The police chief wisely said that people should have a reputation for having COMPSSION before they get hired.

The Right Person for the Job

Police Chiefs Discuss the Most Important Commodity in Law Enforcement

The consensus from the chiefs was that they are looking for team players who are compassionate, ethical, and empathetic. They want someone who does the right thing when nobody is around; thinks independently, quickly, and “outside the box”; and demonstrates a solid work ethic and strong verbal and written communication skills. The problem is that people who self-select into law enforcement professions do not necessarily meet these standards.

SOURCE: The Right Person For The Job

I could write for days about the needful topic of compassion. We are witnessing nowadays a woeful lack of compassion, underlying the entire underbelly of American society. Why is this? What saith the Scripture? ...

2nd Timothy 3:1-7, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Wow! What a scary indictment against the human race by God Himself. Can anyone disagree that we are now living in such prophetic “perilous times”? I think not. When rapper Kanye West is break dancing at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, we know that the end must be near! When we see literally HUNDREDS of Bible versions flooding into the Bible colleges and churches, we know that the Devil is behind all this utter confusion.

Consider the unimaginable crimes that have been committed across the United States over the past 50 years. I could mention some heartbreaking horrors that I have heard and seen in the daily news, Forensic Files, Cold Case Files, et cetera. It is shocking the depths to which us humans can sink without Jesus Christ as our Savior, and if we fail to walk close with the Lord as a born-again child of God!!!

My purpose in writing this blog is to challenge you dear reader, from this moment forward to view people as broken rather than bad. Pastor Jack Hyles is correct, we wouldn't throw away a $10,000 Timex watch if it was broken, we would try to get it fixed. There's not a human being for whom Christ wouldn't have died on the cross. What saith the Scripture? ...

Romans 5:5-9, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

I absolutely love that precious passage of Scripture? The Bible says that hardly would someone sacrifice their life to die for a righteous man. Some people might even die for a good man. But who in the world would give their life to die for a career criminal? Jesus, that's who! I have news for you dear friend, you and I are career criminals in God's holy sight. You may be the noblest and most morally upright person in your community, but in God's sight you and are are sinners.

I see so much lack of God's unconditional love in religious institutions and churches today. Sadly, everything has now come down to the evils of THE LOVE OF MONEY (1st Timothy 6:10-11). Humans are notorious for going into denial. Since it is a horrible sin to prioritize money over people, religious leaders know that they cannot succumb to such wickedness. So when it unfortunately happens (which is always the natural tendency anytime money gets involved), those leaders go into utter denial. Remember, anything can be justified! If you are willing to break the rules, discard or change THE TRUTH, and individual people aren't important to you anymore, then you are capable of committing the worst evils.

Pensacola Christian College (PCC) comes to mind, which is a terrible religious cult (founded in 1974 by Arlin and Rebekah Horton). I had always heard about the woeful lack of love and compassion for people at PCC, but I experienced it firsthand in the summer and fall of 2021 when I attended their Campus Church on the property of PCC. I did meet some nice and friendly people there, but all the time there was a very present fear and paranoia among PCC staff and inner circle church members. In the PCC camp, individual people don't matter. I am not kidding, I am being very honest. The cult system comes first at PCC. People are expendable! That is because PCC doesn't have genuine men of God leading the people. 

Pastor Jack Hyles eloquently put i this way:

“The pastors have destroyed the churches, and they've been trained by people that have never built churches, and they have no compassion.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Many Pastors Have Destroyed My Vineyard”

That statement so accurately describes Pensacola Christian College, then and now!!! PCC has a pattern of abuse over the decades. “Ichabod” (the glory of the Lord is departed) is written over the doors of Campus Church and PCC. God knows my heart, that I do not hate any living soul in this world.

I pray for Pastor Jeff Redlin often, that God will break his stiffnecked pride and humble him for the first time in his life. If God ever does, Pastor Redlin will contact me and grant my humble request to attend Campus Church again. They have banned me from attending PCC's Campus Church! Only a fake organization, that is not a genuine New Testament church, and an unholy and unloving pastor, would deny someone the God-given need to attend church. Yes, Jeff Redlin is broken, and I don't see him as bad. But he is in the same sinking boat as the self-righteous Pharisees of Jesus' generation, who woefully lacked God's love for others. John 5:42, “But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.”

Every human being can be categorized into one of two groups: Saved or Unsaved. You will either die IN YOUR SINS and burn in the fires of Hell forever (John 8:24); or you will die IN THE LORD and you'll walk the streets of gold in Heaven with the other saints, angels and Jesus our precious Savior and Lord (Revelation 14:13). Dear reader, do you KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that you are born-again, on your way to Heaven? I mean, if you died right now, do you know 100% that you are going to Heaven. I do! You can know too.

God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). God authored the Holy Bible. Today, this is the King James Bible in the English language. God has kept His solemn promise in Psalms 12:6-7 to preserve his very pure inspired Word. God has given us an accurate written record of the divine origin, virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, human burial, bodily resurrection and miraculous ascension back to Heaven, of His only begotten (biological) Son, Jesus.

First the Bad News! The inspired Word of God teaches that all humans are guilty sinners (Romans 3:10-23). There is a penalty for sin, which is physical death (Romans 6:23). This also includes a second death in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone (Revelation 14:11; 20:11-15; 21:8). No one can escape the physical death, but God has made a way of escape from the sting of death, which is to be punished in Hellfire forever and ever. Romans 5:8-9, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” What wrath? God's wrath!!! John 3:36, “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.” If you are not born-again, God's wrath abides (continually rests) upon your head (Psalms 7:11).

But there is Good News!!! The Bible teaches mankind that God will save anybody who places their childlike trust (reliance, faith, confidence) in the Good News (Gospel) of the Lord Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 3:19-20). Acts 16:30-31, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The invitation to be saved is given to you and your whole family! All you need to do to be saved is stop trying to do something to get to Heaven:

Hebrews 4:10-11, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

Jesus explained in John 6:28-29 what “labour” a sinner must do to get to Heaven:

John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

The only “work” (labour) that God requires or allows to get to Heaven is to BELIEVE ON JESUS!!! That's it. You must accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sin. Simply trust God, taking Him at His Word as recorded in the Holy Bible, believing that Jesus was buried, but then resurrected from the dead three days later. He did that FOR YOU dear reader, because God loves you more than you could possible ever know (John 3:16).

Why I Disagree With All 5-Points Of Calvinism

This is one of my favorite sermon booklets by Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995). Dr. Hutson succeeded Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) as editor of the Sword Of The Lord ministry in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Today, Dr. Shelton Smith is the editor of the Sword, whom I admire, love and respect for faithfully contending for the faith (Jude 1:3). I thank God so much for Pastor Curtis Hutson, a genuine man of God. The Sword Of The Lord has been blessed to have godly leaders since it was founded in 1934 by Dr. Rice in Wheaton, Illinois. They moved decades later to Tennessee. The following sermon exposes all 5-points of Calvinism (the heretical teachings of an unsaved man named John Calvin, 1509-1564). To God be the glory!

 

by Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995)

The term "Calvinism" is loosely used by some people who do not hold Calvin's teaching on predestination and do not understand exactly what Calvin taught.

Dr. Loraine Boettner in his book, "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination" says,

"The Calvinistic system especially emphasizes five distinct doctrines. These are technically known as "The Five Points of Calvinism". And they are the main pillars upon which the superstructure rests."

Dr. Boettner further says,

"The five points may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word T-U-L-I-P , T, Total Inability; U, Unconditional Election; L, Limited Atonement; I, Irresistible (efficacious) Grace; and P, Perseverance of the Saints."

These are the points of Calvinism.

I have heard preachers say, "I am a one-point Calvinist."

I have heard others say, "I am a two- or three-point Calvinist."

I want us to look at all five points of Calvinism as taught by John Calvin, then see what the Bible has to say on each point.


I. Total Inability

By total inability Calvin meant that a lost sinner cannot come to Jesus Christ and trust Him as Saviour, unless he is foreordained to come to Christ. By total inability he meant that no man has the ability to come to Christ. And unless God overpowers him and gives him that ability, he will never come to Christ

The Bible teaches total depravity, and I believe in total depravity. But that simply means that there is nothing good in man to earn or deserve salvation. The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."

A preacher brought a wonderful sermon on the depravity of the human heart. And when he finished his message, someone came to him and said," I want you to know I can't swallow that depraved heart that you preached about."

The preacher smiled and said, "You don't have to swallow it. It's already in you!"

While the Bible teaches the depravity of the human race, it nowhere teaches total inability. The Bible never hints that people are lost because they have no ability to come to Christ. The language of Jesus was, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:40).

Notice, it is not a matter of whether or not you can come to Christ; it is a matter of whether or not you will come to Christ.

Jesus looked over Jerusalem and wept and said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . .how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37). Here again notice, He did not say, "How often would I have gathered you together, but you could not." No. He said, "Ye would not!" It was not a matter of whether they could; it was a matter of whether they would.

Revelation 22:17, the last invitation in the Bible, says, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely ."

If it is true that no person has the ability to come to Christ, then why would Jesus say in John 5:40, "Ye will not come to me." why didn't He simply say, "You cannot come to me."?

The only thing that stands between the sinner and salvation is the sinner's will. God made every man a free moral agent. And God never burglarizes the human will.

D. L. Moody addressed a large group of sceptics. He said ,"I want to talk about the word believe, the word receive, and the word take." When Mr. Moody had finished his sermon, he asked, "Now who will come and take Christ as Saviour?"

One man stood and said, "I can't."

Mr. Moody wept and said, "Don't say, 'I can't.' Say, 'I won't!'"

And the man said, "Then, I won't!"

But another man said, "I will!" Then another said, "I will!" And another said , "I will!" Until scores came to trust Christ as Saviour.

Some Calvinists use John 6:44 in an effort to prove total inability. Here the Bible says, "No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him...."But the Bible makes it plain in John 12:32 that Christ will draw all men unto Himself. Here the Bible says, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

All men are drawn to Christ, but not all men will trust Christ as Saviour. Every man will make his own decision to trust Christ or to reject Him. The Bible makes it clear that all men have light. John 1:9 says, "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Romans 1:19,20 indicates that every sinner has been called through the creation about him. And Romans 2:11-16 indicates that sinners are called through their conscience, even when they have not heard the Word of God.

So in the final analysis, men go to Hell, not because of their inability to come to Christ, but because they will not come to Christ-"Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

The teaching that men, women and children are totally unable to come to Christ and trust Him as Saviour is not a scriptural doctrine. The language itself is not scriptural.


II. Unconditional Election

By unconditional election Calvin meant that some are elected to Heaven, while others are elected to Hell, and that this election is unconditional. It is wholly on God's part and without condition. By unconditional election Calvin meant that God has already decided who will be saved and who will be lost, and the individual has absolutely nothing to do with it. He can only hope that God has elected him for Heaven and not for Hell.

This teaching so obviously disagrees with the oft-repeated invitations in the Bible to sinners to come to Christ and be saved that some readers will think that I have overstated the doctrine. So I will quote John Calvin in his "Institutes," Book III, chapter 23,

"....Not all men are created with similar destiny but eternal life is foreordained for some , and eternal damnation for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the other of these ends, we say, he is predestined either to life or to death."

So Calvinism teaches that it is God's own choice that some people are to be damned forever. He never intended to save them. He foreordained them to go to Hell. And when He offers salvation in the Bible, He does not offer it to those who were foreordained to be damned. It is offered only to those who were foreordained to be saved.

This teaching insists that we need not try to win men to Christ because men cannot be saved unless God has planned for them to be saved. And if God has planned for them to be eternally lost, they will not come to Christ.

There is the Bible doctrine of God's foreknowledge, predestination and election. Most knowledgeable Christians agree that God has His controlling hand on the affairs of men. They agree that according to the Bible, He selects individuals like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David as instruments to do certain things He has planned. Most Christians agree that God may choose a nation-particularly that He did choose Israel, through which He gave the law, the prophets, and eventually through whom the Saviour Himself would come- and that there is a Bible doctrine that God foreknows all things.

I have often said, "Did it ever occur to you that nothing ever occurred to God?". God in His foreknowledge knows who will trust Jesus Christ as Saviour, and He has predestined to see that they are justified and glorified. He will keep all those who trust Him and see that they are glorified. But the doctrine that God elected some men to Hell, that they were born to be damned by God's own choice, is a radical heresy not taught anywhere in the Bible.

I have in my hand a booklet entitled TULIP written by Vic Lockman. In the booklet Mr. Lockman attempts to prove the five points of Calvinism. Under the point, Unconditional Election, he quotes Ephesians 1:4, but he only quotes the first part of the verse: "He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. " However, that is not the end of the verse. Mr. Lockman, like most Calvinists, stopped in the middle of the verse. The entire verse reads: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." The verse says nothing about being chosen for Heaven or Hell. It says we are chosen that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

Under the same point, Unconditional Election, Mr. Lockman quotes John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Again, Mr. Lockman, like most Calvinists, stops in the middle of the verse. The entire verse reads: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

The verse says nothing about being chosen for Heaven or Hell. It says we are chosen to go and bring forth fruit, which simply means that every Christian is chosen to be a soul winner. The fruit of a Christian is other Christians. Proverbs 11:30 says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise."

Nowhere does the Bible teach that God wills for some to go to Heaven and wills others to go to Hell. No. The Bible teaches that God would have all men to be saved. Second Peter 3:9 says that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." First Timothy 2:4 says, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

Those who teach that God would only have some to be saved, while He would have others to be lost are misrepresenting God and the Bible.

Does God really predestinate some people to be saved and predestinate others to go to Hell, so that they have no free choice? Absolutely not! Nobody is predestined to be saved, except as he chooses of his own free will to come to Christ and trust Him for salvation. And no one is predestined to go to Hell, except as he chooses of his own free will to reject Christ and refuses to trust Him as Saviour. John 3:36 says, "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."

Nothing could be plainer. The man who goes to Heaven goes because he comes to Jesus Christ and trusts Him as Saviour. And the man who goes to Hell does so because he refuses to come to Jesus Christ and will not trust Him as Saviour.


III. Limited Atonement

By limited atonement, Calvin meant that Christ died only for the elect, for those He planned and ordained to go to Heaven: He did not die for those He planned and ordained to go to Hell. Again I say, such language is not in the Bible , and the doctrine wholly contradicts many, many plain Scriptures.

For instance, the Bible says in I John 2:2, "He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." The teaching of Calvinism on Limited Atonement contradicts the express statement of Scripture. First Timothy 2:5,6 says, " The man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all...."

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Saviour of the world. John 4:42 says, "And said unto the woman, Now we believe , not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." Again I John 4:14, "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." The Scriptures make it plain that Jesus came to save the world. John 3:17 says, " For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

No man will ever look at Jesus Christ and say, "You didn't want to be my Saviour ." No! No! Jesus wants to be the Saviour of all men. As a matter of fact, I Timothy 4:10 says, "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."

The Bible teaches that Christ bore the sins of all people. Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." There are twos "alls" in this verse. The first "all" speaks of the universal fact of sin- "All we like sheep have gone astray." And the second "all" speaks of universal atonement-"and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." The "all" in the first part of Isaiah 53:6 covers. If all went astray, then the iniquities of all were laid on Christ.

Not only did He bear the sins of us all, but the Bible plainly teaches that He died for the whole world. Look at John 2:2, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." If that isn't plain enough, the Bible says His death was for every man; "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9).

Nothing could be plainer than the fact that Jesus Christ died for every man. First Timothy 2:5,6 says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all. . . . " Romans 8:32 states, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

Look at the statements--statement after statement: "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man"; "Who gave himself a ransom for all"; "delivered him up for us all."

John 3:16 has often been called "the heart of the Bible." It has been called "the Bible in miniature." "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus died for the whole world. He suffered Hell for every man who has ever lived or ever will live. And no man will look out of Hell and say, "I wanted to be saved, but Jesus did not die for me."

Some argue that if Jesus died for the whole world, the whole world would be saved. No. the death of Jesus Christ on the cross was sufficient for all, but it is efficient only to those who believe. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross made it possible for every man everywhere to be saved. But only those who believe that He died to pay their sin debt and who trust Him completely for salvation will be saved.

Again I quote John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. . . ." Everybody is potentially saved, but everybody is not actually saved until he recognises that he is a sinner, believes that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the sin debt, and trust Him completely for salvation.

The atonement is not limited. it is as universal as sin. Romans 5:20 says, "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Isaiah 53:6 states, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

A famous English preacher spoke in an English town, then rushed to catch his train for London. A sinner who heard him preach felt that he must immediately settle the matter of salvation. So he followed the preacher to the train. Just as the train pulled into the station, he took hold of the preacher's lapel and said, " I want to be saved! Tell me how!"

The minister said, "I must catch this last rain to London. Do you have a Bible?"

"Yes, I have one at home," said the anxious inquirer.

"Then go home and find Isaiah 53:6. Read it carefully. Go in at the first all, and come out at the last all, and you will be saved."

The preacher rushed away, and the anxious sinner was left alone. He went back to his home, and opening his Bible, he turned to Isaiah 53:6. What did the preacher mean, he wondered--"Go in at the first all and come out at the last all, and you will be saved"? He found the verse and read it carefully: "All we like sheep have gone astray."

Well, he thought to himself, I can certainly go in at the first all. I have gone astray. I am a poor, lost sinner. The he read the last part of the verse, "And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." He said to himself, "If I come out at the last all, I must believe that all my sins were laid on Christ, that He took my place and paid for my sins. And if I rely upon that, I will be saved. That's what the preacher meant."

He then trusted Christ and was saved. He believed that he was a sinner, and that all his sins had been laid on Christ.


IV. Irresistible Grace

The fourth point of Calvinism is irresistible grace. By irresistible grace, John Calvin meant that God simply forces people to be saved. God elected some to be saved, and he let Jesus Christ die for that elect group. And now by irresistible grace, He forces those He elected, and those Jesus Christ died for to be saved.

The truth of the matter is, there is no such thing as irresistible grace. Nowhere in the Bible does the word "irresistible" appear before the word "grace". That terminology is simply not in the Bible. It is the philosophy of John Calvin, not a Bible doctrine. The word "irresistible" doesn't even sound right in front of the word "grace."

Grace means "God's unmerited favour." Somebody said G-R-A-C-E- God's riches at Christ's expense. Grace is an attitude, not a power. If Calvin had talked about the irresistible drawing power of God, it would have made more sense. But instead, he represents grace as the irresistible act of God compelling a man to be saved who does not want to be saved, so that a man has no choice in the matter at all, except as God forcibly puts a choice in his mind. Calvinism teaches that man has no part in salvation, and cannot possibly co-operate with God in the matter. In no sense of the word and at no stage of the work does salvation depend upon the will or work of man or wait for the determination of his will.

Does the Bible say anything about irresistible grace? Absolutely not! The Scriptures show that men do resist and reject God. Proverbs 29:1 states, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Notice the word "often" in this verse. If God only gave one opportunity to be saved, then man could not complain. But here the Bible says, "He, that being often reproved.. . " This means the man was reproved over and over again. Not only was he reproved many times, but he was reproved often. But the Bible says he "hardeneth his neck" and "shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." That certainly doesn't sound like irresistible grace. The Bible teaches that a man can be reproved over and over again, and that he can harden his neck against God, and as a result will be destroyed without remedy.

Again Proverbs 1:24-26 says,

"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh."

Here the Bible plainly says, "I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof." That doesn't sound like irresistible grace. God calls, and men refuse. Is that irresistible? God stretches out his hand and no man regards it? Is that irresistible grace? No. The Bible makes it plain that some men do reject Christ, that they refuse His call. John 5:40 says, "Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life." That verse plainly teaches that men can and do resist God and refuse to come to Him.

In Acts chapter 7, we find Stephen preaching. He says in verse 51, "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." To these Jewish leaders, Stephen said, "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost."

So here were people; some of whom had seen Jesus and heard Him preach; others who had heard Peter at Pentecost; others who had heard Stephen and other Spirit-filled men preaching with great power. And what had they done? They were stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. That is ,they were stubborn and rebellious against God. The Bible plainly says, "They resisted the Holy Ghost."

Notice the words of Stephen in verse 51, "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Here the Bible teaches that not only were these Jewish leaders resisting the Holy Ghost, but that their fathers before them had also resisted the Holy Spirit. Stephen says that all the way from Abraham, through the history of the Jewish nation, down to the time of Christ, unconverted Jews had resisted the Holy Spirit.

There is absolutely no such thing as a "can't-help-it-religion." God doesn't just force men to be saved with His so-called irresistible grace.

God offers salvation to all men. Titus 1:11 says, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." But man must make his own choice. He must either receive or reject Christ . John 1:12 says. "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."

When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, ho often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Here again the Bible clearly indicates that God would have gathered them together as a hen gathers her chickens, but they would not. That certainly shows that they could reject and resist Christ.

"I would, but ye would not" does not fit the teaching of irresistible grace. So people do resist the Holy Ghost. They do refuse to come to Christ. They do harden their necks. They do refuse when God calls.

That means that those who are not saved could have been saved. Those who have rejected Christ could have accepted Him. God offers salvation to those who will have it, but does not enforce it upon anyone who doesn't want it.


V. Perseverance of the Saints

The Bible teaches, and I believe in, the eternal security of the born-again believer. The man who has trusted Jesus Christ has everlasting life and will never perish. But the eternal security of the believer does not depend on his perseverance.

I do not know a single Bible verse that says anything about the saints' persevering, but there are several Bible verses that mention the fact that the saints have been preserved. Perseverance is one thing. Preservation is another. No. The saints do not persevere; they are preserved.

The Bible states in Jude 1. "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ..." First Thessalonians 5:23 says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The other morning I opened a jar of peach preserves. I don't know how long those peaches have been in that jar. But the jar had been sealed some time ago, and the peaches were preserved. When I took out the preserves and ate them with a good hot biscuit, they were as good as they were the day they were placed in the jar.

But wait a minute! The peaches had nothing to do with it. They were not fresh and good because they had persevered. They were good and fresh because they had been preserved.

The Bible makes it plain that the believer is kept. He does not keep himself. First Peter 1:4,5 states:

"To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

The Bible says in John 10:27-29:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand."

Now that doesn't sound like perseverance of the sheep or the saints. Here the sheep are in the Fathers hand, and they are safe-not because they persevere, but because they are in the Fathers hand.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "I do not believe in the perseverance of the Saviour."

To be sure, the Bible teaches the eternal security of the believer. But the believer's security has nothing to do with his persevering. We are secure because we are kept by God. We are held in the Father's hand. And according to Ephesians 4:30, we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.

So I disagree with all five points of Calvinism as John Calvin taught it.

There is a belief that if one does not teach universal salvation, he must either be a Calvinist or an Arminian. In this book, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, Dr. Loraine Boettner says on page 47,

"There are really only three systems which claim to set forth the way of salvation through Christ [And he names them]:

"(1) Universalism, that all will be saved. (2) Arminianism, which holds that Christ died equally and indiscriminately for every individual......., that saying grace is not necessarily permanent, but that those who are loved of God, ransomed by God, and born of the Holy Spirit may (let God wish and strive ever so much to the contrary) throw away all and perish eternally; and (3) Calvinism."

He continues,

"Only two are held by Christians." That is Calvin's position and Arminius' position."

Calvinists would like to make people believe that if one does not teach universal salvation, he must either be a Calvinist or an Arminian. And since the Arminian position does such violence to the grace of God, many preferred to call themselves Calvinists. But a person doesn't have to take either position.

I am neither Arminian nor Calvinist. I believe in salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. I believe in the eternal security of the believer. I believe that Jesus Christ died for all men, and I believe what the Bible says, "That whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

But I disagree with all five points of Calvinism as John Calvin taught it.

In conclusion, let me say that Calvin and those who followed him claimed to believe and follow the Bible. They claimed to find at least a germ of the Calvinist doctrine in the Scriptures. But a careful student will find that again and again they go beyond Scripture, and that Calvinism is a philosophy developed by man and depending on fallible logic and frail, human reasoning, with the perversion of some Scriptures, the misuse of others, and the total ignoring of many clear Scriptures. Calvin did teach many wonderful, true doctrines of the Scripture.

It is true that God foreknows everything that will happen in the world. It is true that God definitely ordained and determined some events ahead of time and selected some individuals for His purposes. It is certain that people are saved by grace, and are kept by the power of God. That far Calvinists may well their doctrines by the Scriptures. But beyond that, Calvinism goes into the realm of human philosophy.

It is not a Bible doctrine, but a system of human philosophy, especially appealing to the scholarly intellect, the self-sufficient and proud mind. Brilliant, philosophical, scholarly preachers are apt to be misled on this matter more than the humble-hearted, Bible-believing Christian.


OBJECTIONS ANSWERED

Dear Rev__________:

I have your letter which came recently, objecting to my article, "Why I Disagree With All Five Points of Calvinism." In the second paragraph of page 1, you say, "As to will. . . "Then you spend the next two or three pages talking about will and calling attention to Bible verses. You mention Titus 3:5 where the Bible says, " Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

I have just read this section of your letter over several times, and you seem to confuse works with will. For instance, you call attention to Isaiah 64:6 where the Bible says, " all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. " Trusting Christ for salvation is the opposite of works. When a man believes that Jesus Christ died for him and fully trusts Jesus to save him, and nothing else, then he's not working for salvation. He's trusting Christ and what Christ did at Calvary.

But it is his own will that he trusts Christ. God doesn't make anyone trust Him. In John 5:40 Jesus said, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." He did not say you cannot come; He said you will not come.

You go on to say in this particular part of your letter, "We are sinners from birth. . . as Adam, we hid ourselves from God."

It is true that Adam hid himself from God. But when God came and called for Adam, Adam answered God of his own will and he came out from his place of hiding of his own will. God did not take Adam by the hand and drag him out of the place of hiding. He simply called and Adam came out. Every man comes to God of his own will.

In Matthew 23:37 Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

Still discussing the matter of will, you make reference to Romans 5:12 and say that we are dead in sin. Then you continue, "Note a dead person cannot move, respond, walk, nor anything."

Now, you have a misunderstanding of death. Death is not annihilation. Death is not cessation of existence. Death is simply separation. Physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the man from God.

In the parable of the prodigal son, when the prodigal returned home the father said, "This my son was dead, and is alive again." The prodigal son was dead in the sense that he was separated from the father. He was certainly capable of making decisions while he was in the far country separated from the father. As a matter of fact, he made the decision and went back to the father. Luke 15:18-20 says, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father."

Now, here is a dead person who could move, respond, walk, see his need, decide to do something about it, and go to the father. And verse 24 says, "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."

Your misunderstanding of death has led you to build a false doctrine based on an illustration, instead of Scripture. In Genesis 2:17 God said to Adam, "..for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." If you'll read the next few chapters of Genesis, you will find that Adam did not die in the sense of ceasing to exist when he partook of the forbidden fruit. As a matter of fact, Genesis 5:4 says, "And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters." According to this verse, Adam lived eight hundred years after he begat Seth, and Seth was not begotten until after Adam disobeyed God.

Now, was God wrong when He said to Adam, "Thou shalt surely die"? No. Well, did Adam die? Yes, He died in the sense that God drove him from His presence, and he was separated from God because of his sins.

When the Bible says that men are dead in trespasses and sins, that does not mean they cannot move, respond, walk, nor anything as you said in your letter. Adam did a lot of moving and a lot of responding and a lot of walking in the more than 800 years he lived after the fall.

So you see, when the Bible says that "death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned," that "death" is not to be compared with the body of a dead man lying in a casket. I might say that what you see in the casket in the funeral home is really not the man. The body that you're looking at is only the house in which the man lived. The man who lived in that house is still alive. He's either with Christ in Heaven, or he's in Hell, depending on whether or not he trusted Christ as his Saviour. If he's in Heaven, he can certainly move, respond , and walk. And if he's in Hell, he can certainly move, respond, and walk.

I won't take the space to quote the many Bible verses concerning the dead, but I suggest you read the story of the rich man in Luke 16 and you will see that though he had died he could still talk and make decisions. And if you'll read Revelation 6:9-11 and Luke 15: 7 and 10, you will see that people who are in Heaven are conscious. You will see that they rejoice. They talk. They know what's happening on earth, and they ask questions of the Lord. So you're wrong when you compare the spiritually dead state of a sinner with that of a body lying in a casket.

Further in your letter, you tell of a young girl who was supposedly led wrong by what you call Baptist doctrine. You say she accepted Christ, and now she is living immorally and impure.

Now, Mr.___________, I can only say what the Bible says in Hebrews 12:8, "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." If the young girl you mentioned has trusted Christ as Saviour, I can assure you that she has everlasting life and she will be chastened. John 3:36 says, " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." Now that's a fact. It's not a matter of what I think about it. It's a matter of what the Bible says. And Hebrews 12:8 makes it clear that those who trusted Christ as Saviour will be chastised.

On page 5 you say, "Now as to perseverance..." and you call attention to Revelation 3:5 and talk about overcoming. You imply that this overcoming is some kind of perseverance or effort.

First John 5:4,5 says, "For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" Here the Bible says plainly that the victory that overcometh the world is our faith. We overcome the world by trusting Christ, not by persevering.

I made it plain in my article that I believe in eternal security, but the saints are not secure because they persevere. They are secure because they have been preserved. The word "perseverance" is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "a persistent effort." "Preservation" is defined as "the act of keeping or state of being kept from injury or decay."

The victory that overcomes the world is not your perseverance. It is your faith, according to 1 John 5:4.

You close your letter with a P.S., "Note no human is born of his own will but of the will of the parents. Christ says we are to be born again."

Again, you make the mistake of using a human illustration in order to build a Bible doctrine. You seem to make the same mistake that Nicodemus made in John chapter 3. He tried to compare the spiritual birth to the physical birth. In John 3:4 he said to Christ, " How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"

You cannot compare the physical birth to the spiritual birth. Jesus said in verse 6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." They are two different things. You will be better off if you will build Bible doctrine on what the Bible says rather than on illustrations.

I hope this letter helps you to better understand my position. I want you to re-read the sermon, "Why I Disagree With All Five Points of Calvinism," carefully.

I'm glad you receive THE SWORD OF THE LORD, and I want you to feel free to express your opinions about anything you find written in the paper.

Sincerely in Christ,
Curtis Hutson

Copyright 1980 by Sword of the Lord Publishers
ISBN 0-87398-931-7

Why I Preach Against Pensacola Christian College

Luke 15:3-7, “And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

Our dear Savior, Jesus, tells a parable (our text passage of Scripture) in which He says the Great Shepherd (who is none other than our Lord and Savior) left the ninety-nine sheep, to go find and help that one helpless lamb that was lost. I cannot think of a better parable in the Holy Bible that personified our great Savior, Jesus Christ! He left the splendor and safety of Heaven, to come down to earth to be beaten beyond recognition, stripped naked, humiliated, spit upon and ultimately crucified on a criminal's cross for our sins. Jesus did that FOR YOU friend. He did that for me too.

For that very reason, the Bible teaches (and commands) that every child of God forgive others, be kind and tenderhearted, just as God the Father did the same to you and me for Christ's sake:

Ephesians 4:30-32, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

God is teaching us the importance of the INDIVIDUAL. That is why Jesus washed the stinking dirty feet of His disciples, and told them to go do likewise to each other. How many believers today have this kind of Christian mindset, who are willing to forgive, love, be kind, tenderhearted, and even wash their brother's or sister's dirty feet (which represents putting up with the annoyances of other saints, and helping them when in need, and carrying our Christian brother without complaining that he's too heavy).

Having said all that, let me mention Pensacola Christian College (PCC). God knows my heart, that I do not hate anyone at PCC or their Campus Church. I have written and published many harsh complaints against PCC on social media since 2021, many in the past couple weeks (after being told by Pastor Jeff Redlin that they have banned me from attending their Campus Church anymore). Does that sound very Christian to you? It's not in the least.

This matter is not about me, and it never was; it is about how big religious institutions like PCC treat people—the little guy like me, the nobody, the hurting divorced person, the struggling saint, the homeless person who needs a place to sleep, et cetera.

Sadly, in July of 2021 when I met Pastor Jeff Redlin for the first time, I confided in him that I was homeless, sleeping in Walmart's parking lot. He just walked away. That made a very bad first impression on me, that the pastor of a mega church, with an abundance of resources at his disposal, would do nothing to help a homeless brother. The truth is that I didn't tell him expecting any help from him. I was just letting him know of my situation, being talkative. But when he walked away, with a disturbed look on his face, I saw Jeff Redlin's face (which was the back of his head as he scurried away, afraid I might actually ask for his help). Truly, the thought never crossed my mind that day.

So I just slept in Walmart's parking lot that night, as the night before, and the night before that. The ungodly Woodspring Suites Hotel in Pensacola, where I had made a 30-day reservation weeks before, screwed me when United Airlines' plane was an hour late on Guam. That caused me a 17-hour layover in Hawaii, when I missed my connecting flight to Denver in Honolulu. United has been fined again and again by the FAA for too many flight delays. Even though I did contact the hotel in advance (because of the time zone difference, they were a day ahead of Guam in Pensacola), to let them know I was coming a day late, and that they could bill me right away for the entire 30-days on my credit card, in their greed over the 4th of July weekend they cancelled my entire reservation. Wicked people!

The reason why I am preaching relentlessly against Campus Church, Jeff Redlin and PCC, is because the INDIVIDUAL doesn't matter in their cult. It is a cult when people are extendible. PCC has so many Campus Church members and college students, that they can easily expel and kick people out of their group, banning them forever, without it affecting them in the least way. So what do they care? Well, it just so happens that I am a caring person. That is Jesus in me, the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). I actually give a damn about people!!!

At PCC, they have a notorious history of mistreatment their own, and compelling students to quit and attend college elsewhere. At PCC, they expel anybody who dares to question, oppose or offend their leadership in the slightest way. But don't take my word for it, read what one of their own former abused students (Iridia) said:

“The point is that much of the reason I left PCC is that the Administration, while individually sincere and mostly "nice people", are hedged in by a system which forces them to think first of PCC, always. Individuals are not important to them.” [emphasis added]—CHAPTER 1

I couldn't have said it any better than Miss Iridia. I encourage you to read all eight chapters of her intriguing book. There is so much mistreatment and abuse at Pensacola Christian College, that she was able to write eight chapters about it! Even though the book was written back in 2004, I attended the PCC camp for a few months in 2021 and can tell you firsthand that nothing has changed there! PCC is just as messed up, authoritarian, abusive, hateful, carnally-minded and cultish in 2022 as it ever was!!!

Proof of what I say is that in June, July and August of 2022, I mailed 3 separate letters to Campus Church and PCC, pleading to make peace with the PCC camp. I offered to cooperate and do whatever they require to reconcile with them. Sadly, they completely ignored me for SIX WEEKS. I finally got upset and lashed out against them on social media. Who wouldn't? Only then did Pastor Jeff Redlin email me to let me know they have banned me permanently from attending their church.

You see, I tried to make peace with them the nice way, but they made it impossible; so now becoming enemies has become inevitable. Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy is famous for making the following quote:

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” ~U.S. President John F. Kennedy, [Remarks on the first anniversary of the Alliance for Progress, 13]

I tried to make peace with the PCC camp the nice way, but they refused; so now I will preach against them for the rest of my limited time on earth, to expose the PCC CULT and warn others of the authoritarian attitude, ongoing abuse and shameful behavior by a professed Christian group of haters. All I wanted was to come back to Campus Church, to have a church family and fellowship with fellow Christians. Is that such a bad thing? But they despise me at PCC, because I dared to criticize their leadership. Well, they deserve to be criticized. And until they humble themselves to stop pushing people away, and they start loving people, nothing will change. PROPLE JUST WANT TO BE LOVED!!!

This is not about me and my hurt feelings (and my feelings are hurt because of the ongoing mistreatment by PCC). It is about the INDIVIDUAL. It could be anybody, I don't matter. When a large cultish group like PCC shuns, bans and ostracized people they don't like, it creates hatred, enemies and ill feelings toward Pensacola Christian College. Something is very wrong at PCC and Campus Church. It appears that they don't know how to love others, and are either too afraid, incompetent or uncaring to try to learn. I just wanted to attend their church! 

Really, how pathetic is that by PCC? I humbly offered to remove all my criticisms on social media against them, but only with the understanding that they would permit me to come back to Campus Church. They said, "No." Pastor Jeff Redlin was a total jerk and on August 2nd, 20022 said in an email to me, that my remarks were "consequential." He said I was not allowed to attend church. Well, then I won't stopped preaching against their PCC cult, that ostracized people whom they don't like. Where is the kindness, forgiveness and tenderheartedness that God commands believers to have? I am now obeying Titus 1:9-14 to REBUKE THEM SHAPLY at PCC, that they might be sound in the faith. Something is wrong with their beliefs and attitudes at PCC and Campus Church.

Jesus Himself taught The Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” I would never deny anyone the right to attend church. How can people get better if they aren't allowed to come to church? Jeff Redlin's shameful excuse was that I could find a different church to attend. No, I haven't. No churches have evening services in Pensacola. Not that I have found that don't teach the Devil's Lordship Salvation. My blood is upon PCC's hands. I just won't go to church then, because I am not allowed to go to Campus Church. How are they not be called "a cult" at PCC, when they selectively decide who is relevant or not?

I relentlessly preach against them at PCC, because they don't care about people, as INDIVIDUALS. People matter to God. At the PCC cult, SOME LIVES MATTER. But to God, ALL LIVES MATTER!!! I may not matter to Campus Church and PCC, but I do matter to God. The Lord hears my cry against the PCC camp for their abuse. Genesis 4:10, “And he said, What hast thou done?  the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

Religion Is The Opiate Of The People!

Beware Of Trinity Denier: Pastor Gino Jennings

Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

1st John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

Pastor Gino Jennings is an unsaved cult leader!

Pastor Gino Jennings denies the Trinity (Godhead). Wikipedia says he denies Trinitarianism (i.e., the Bible doctrine of the Trinity).

In this YouTube video, the man who made this video compares the beliefs of two different preachers, Allen Parr versus Gino Jennings. Allen Parr believes in the Trinity, but Gino Jennings does not. Jennings' voice sounds like Wolfman Jack...lol.

Jennings is a heretical Oneness Pentecostal. They believe in Modalism (a false doctrine), which Pastor Steven Anderson rightly exposes. One of Pastor Anderson's own assistant pastors, Garrett Kirchway, denied the Trinity. Kirchway believes in Modalism, and Pastor Anderson didn't know it. When he found out, he confronted Kirchway, but he refused to repent of his heresy, so Pastor Anderson had to fire him in 2018.

There's a bunch of YouTube videos refuting Pastor Gino Jennings. Here is another one that I found. Jehovah's Witnesses also deny the Trinity. The Holy Bible mentions the Godhead (Trinity) in many passages. One is in Colossians 2:2-3, "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." I wrote these articles to defend the Trinity and refute the false teaching of Modalism:

• https://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Believer%27s%20Corner/Doctrines/trinity.htm
• https://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Truths/immortality.htm

Former Moody Church pastor in Chicago, R.A. Torrey (1856-1928), wrote these helpful words.

Here are some helpful Bible Studies by Pastor Jeff Owens teaching the Trinity: 

• God The Father
• God The Son
• God The Holy Spirit | Part 2

And here is a helpful sermon by Pastor Steven Anderson called: "The Trinity In Scripture"...

The Biblical Truth Of The Godhead (aka, Trinity)