God Knows Me: Lessons From The Book Of Nahum

Nahum 1:6-8, “Who can stand before his indignation?  and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?  his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.”

This Bible passage speaks about God's wrathful judgment upon the Assyrian people. In between these two intense verses showing the fierceness of God, we find a beautiful oasis proclaiming God's goodness and protection of His saints. God is good. Circumstances do not affect God's goodness. Nations do not affect God's goodness. Nothing affects God's goodness. GOD IS GOOD ALWAYS! God is good all the time; all the time God is good! 

The Lord is a stronghold in the TIME OF TROUBLE! The Lord knows them that trust in Him. God is familiar with His children. God cares for you. He provides for you. He watches over you. God says in the midst of the fury, “I know who you are, and I am your stronghold in the time of trouble.” God is not only familiar with us, and cares about me, He breathes life into you, He knows the number of hairs on your head, and He knows our very thoughts. God is a good God!!! In the midst of life's storm, the Lord is always with His children (Hebrews 13:5).

God Knows Me In My Difficulties

Consider the afflictions of Joseph: 

Genesis 26:28, “And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;”

Genesis 39:2, “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.”

Genesis 39:3, “And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

Genesis 39:21, “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

In Joseph's difficulties, God was with Him

Jonah caused his own difficulties. God sent the storm to chastise him. Yet the Lord was with Jonah. God sent the storm when the disciples were on the ship. Yet the Lord was with them.

God Knows Me In My Desperation

God knows when I am desperate. In John 20 we find that Mary Magdalene was desperate. She was:

1. running 
2. weeping 
3. searching

You may be in a desperate situation. You';re ran all you can run. You've wept all you can weep. You've searched all you can search. God knows you dear friend! 

Psalms 139:1-4, “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.”

God Knows Me In My Doubts

Even in times of doubt, like John the Baptist, God knows me. Satan tried to get Jesus to doubt in Matthew 4:1-10. The serpent tried to get Eve to doubt in Genesis 3:1. There will be times when you doubt, when your faith is weak, but God doesn't change. God still know you and me in our doubt. When my faith is weak, God is good!!!

Nahum 1:7, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”

2nd Timothy 2:19, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

God Knows Me In My Deeds

2nd Samuel 11:27, “And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”

 God sees what I do. David sinned against God and he thought he had covered it up. But God saw. Job 34:21, “For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.” Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Psalms 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” Psalms 33:18, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;” Are you doing works for you, or works for God? 2nd Corinthians 5:10 says we as saints will have to give account, at the Judgment Seat Of Christ, for the good and the bad done in our body.

God Knows Me In The Time Of My Death

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. When I someday breathe my last dying breath, Jesus knows me. He knows my destination. God knows me at the time of death, because my destination will be with Him forever. Jesus knew the repent thief on the cross when he died..

Luke 23:40-43, “But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Psalms 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” 

Many people read and know about Jesus, but does He know you? Are you one of His sheep?

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.”

Nahum 1:7, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”

It's not that you are familiar with Jesus that mattered in Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus said He did not know them!!! Will Christ someday say those horrifying words to you dear reader: “I NEVER KNEW YOU”? If you don't know for sure you are saved, now is the time to settle it. Please read: “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” (by Dr. John R. Rice).

Bob Jones Camp Teach Same Junk As Jehovah's Witness

Romans 4:5-6, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,” 

Repeatedly in the Scriptures we are clearly taught that a person is justified solely BY FAITH. On that basis alone God justifies a man. That is why I make such a big fuss over the popular heresy of Lordship Salvation. This Devil's lie is preached in pseudo (false) Christian churches today, which says that you must “repent of (turn from) your sins” to be saved. Proponents of Lordship Salvation require people to follow Christ as “Lord” to be saved, and to surrender to live for Him. Yet these deceivers still claim to believe that salvation is wholly by God's grace. May I please point out that the advocates of Lordship Salvation are teaching the same Satanic false gospel, as the Jehovah's Witnesses:

“Jehovah's Witnesses teach that salvation is possible only through Christ's ransom sacrifice[1] and that individuals cannot be saved until they repent of their sins and call on the name of Jehovah.[2] Salvation is described as a free gift from God, but is said to be unattainable without good works that are prompted by faith.” —Jehovah's Witnesses And Salvation

Ladies and gentleman, that is EXACTLY what Dr. Steve Pettit and Bob Jones University are preaching today! They have sinfully moved away from the hope of the Gospel. Sadly, the shameful Harvest Baptist Church on Guam deceitfully claims to believe in their Statement of Faith, that salvation is wholly by God's grace. Yet, Jehovah's Witnesses claim the same thing! The official Watchtower website states: 

“The Bible shows that you must have works, or acts of obedience, to prove that your faith is alive. (James 2:​24, 26) However, this does not mean that you can earn salvation. It is “God’s gift” based on his 'undeserved kindness,' or 'grace.'” —'What Is Salvation?'; Ephesians 2:​8-9 ; King James Version.

Dear reader, that is exactly what the Lordship Salvation gang teach and preach!!! I am so sick and tired of hearing the Bob Jones University (BJU) crowd claim that we are saved by grace alone, but then they sinfully redefine grace to included repenting of your sins, following Jesus as “Lord,” and faithfully running the race until the end. None of these are part of the Gospel. 

I hope you understood what I just showed you dear friend. BJU on their website, in their Statement of Faith, teach that people must be “willing to repent and turn from their sins” to be saved, which is EXACTLY what Jehovah's Witnesses teach. In case you don't know, JW's are a demonic religious cult! You cannot show me one verse in the Bible that teaches to repent of sin to be saved. Repentance is toward God (Acts 20:21). Repentance is acknowledging the truth (2nd Timothy 2:25).

You are a needy sinner dear reader. That is the truth you must first realize to be saved (Romans 3:23). Christ died on the cross in your place, to pay for your sins and mine (Romans 5:6-9). If you will simply embrace the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, believing that He died on the cross for you, was buried and resurrected three days later, you will be immediately and forever saved (John 20:32; John 19-20; 1st Corinthians 15:1-5). By faith, simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins. That is all God requires of you to be saved, your trust in His dear Son. Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) explains it this way:

“Dear sinner, do not make this a difficult matter. There is one simple step between you and Jesus. When you trust Him, everything else is settled, and you have repented, you have come to Christ, you have received Him, you have done everything necessary to be saved.” —Evangelist John R. Rice, a great quote from his tract titled: “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

I love that. Dr. John R. Rice has it right! There is no need to mention repentance when witnessing to someone. God Himself didn't mention the word “repent” even once in the Gospel of John, the purpose of which book is to get men saved. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” We are saved by believing, not by repenting. Repentance simply facilitates (makes possible) believing. Repentance is a change of mind. I don't have to tell you to change your mind to be saved—you do that when you hear the truth of the Gospel and believe it to be saved. Pastor Jack Hyles exposes the falsehood of Lordship Salvation and Calvinism with these helpful words: 

“Lordship salvation would make salvation a trade or a deal or maybe even a bribe.  It would take away the simple reception of Christ for eternal life and would become God giving us something if we give Him something. God would say to us, 'You give Me something; I'll give you something. We will trade, and you will be saved.' Salvation is not my giving God something and God giving me something; salvation is God giving me something and my receiving it. Romans 6:23, 'For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.'” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Lordship Salvation” (chapter 11 from his book: “Salvation Is More Than Being Saved”)

Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold has these helpful words to add in defense of the Gospel of free grace:

“Many people are finding the broad way, because they listen to the wrong message. There is few that find the truth. And what's the difference between true Christianity, and all the religions of the world? If it's by Christ alone, it's GRACE. If you have anything to do with it, it's WORKS. And God says, 'For by Grace (Christ) are ye saved, and that not of yourselves (that would be works), it is the gift of God (not of works), lest any man should boast. So any person who depends upon themselves, can always lose their salvation. Check it out! Anybody who teaches you can lose it, it's because their salvation depends their works. That's them! That's works! If I depend upon Him, that's grace! I'm saved by grace, Christ. You don't earn it! You don't work for it. 'For by grace are ye saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.' Salvation is the gift of God!” —Pastor Ralph "Yankee" Arnold, a quote from the sermon titled: “The Damnable Doctrine Of The Devil”

Beware of Pacific Garden Mission's poisonous 'UNSHACKLED' radio series. Sadly, PGM is now preaching hardcore Lordship Salvation. Bob Jones University, Faith Baptist Bible College And Theological Seminary, Maranatha Baptist University, Liberty University, Moody Bible Institute, John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, John Piper, Sam Horn, Steve Pettit—these men and institutions are all in agreement with the Satanic Jehovah's Witness' cult!!! I shared their quotes with you. Just like Pastor Marty Herron and Mormons, JW's preach that to be saved you must “repent of your sins.” The Bible condemns these wicked false teachers!!!

Evangelist Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1969) penned these wonderful words:

“God gives you eternal life when you take Him. Eternal life is wrapped up in Christ. 'He that hath the Son hath life.' There is just one difference between a Christian and a sinner. A Christian has Christ and a sinner does not have Him. That is the only difference. All you need is Jesus. It is all in Jesus! If you will take Him, He will blot out all your sins. If you take Him, He will give you a new nature. If you take Him, He will go with you along the journey of life. He will be with you when you are tempted. He will put arms of power around you and give you the victory. '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.” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Things I Have Learned: Chapel Talks,” page 223; Bob Jones University Press, ©1945

If this seems like a trifle matter to you dear reader, I am afraid you are not saved. Anyone who thinks that the Jehovah's Witnesses are saved is lost. Marty Herron tells unsaved people to repent of their sin to be saved, which is exactly what JW's tell people. This is NOT the Gospel which the Apostle Paul received from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12; 1st Corinthians 15:1-4). We've got a bunch of grace-corrupters in our church pulpits today. The deadly Lordship Gospel has infected tens of thousands of churches. In essence, the heresy of repenting of sins to be saved is a bridge between true salvation and works for salvation, which is a hybrid false gospel of partial faith in Christ plus works. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again!

As a closing thought, I'd also like to point out that JW's love the poisonous Greek translation of Brooke Westcott and Fenton Hort. The JW New World Translation (NWT) is based upon the 1881 Greek text of Westcott and Hort. That does not come as a surprise, because Westcott and Hort were unsaved Anglican (Catholic affiliated) ministers, who both denied Jesus' deity. Despite much debate on the matter, it is clear that Westcott and Hort were liberal theologians who butchered the Word of God. The Devil's modern Bible revisions are mainly responsible for perverting theology, corrupting the meaning of repentance, and corrupting the Gospel. This is why the Jehovah's Witnesses love the corrupt Greek text set forth by Westcott and Hort in 1881, because it attacks the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ (which JW's deny). 

So anyone who embraces, preaches or bids Godspeed to those that teach Lordship Salvation, you are in league with the Devil and his Jehovah's Witness' cult. Pilgrim's Progress author, John Bunyan (1628-1688), wrote these awesome words:

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

Lordship Salvation is of the Devil. The heresy of “repent from sin” to be saved is of the Devil. The Bible simply tells us to BELIEVE. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” 2nd Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” The Gospel is so free, easy and simple. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do. 

So please don't let the Harvest Baptist Church on Guam trick you with their rhetoric. Like JW's, they'll superficially say they believe in salvation by grace through faith alone, but then subtly bid Godspeed to Unshackled, Bob Jones University and John MacArthur (all hardcore Lordship Salvationists). Harvest preaches the same “repent of your sin” junk theology as Bob Jones University, from which all their staff at Harvest are graduates. God's curse is on BJU and churches like Harvest Baptist Church on Guam. I wouldn't enroll my dog in their Harvest Baptist Academy. They are deceived of the Devil. They are lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16). Jesus called them naked and blind. The Lord said they are poor and wretched, yet they foolishly think they are rich and increased with goods. What fools! Anyone who bids Godspeed to Lordship Salvation is a damned fool. Anyone who supports the heresy of “repent of sin” to be saved is not saved!!! Grace is corrupted the second anyone messes with it. To attack the grace of God, is to attack the God of grace. Amen and amen!

I wrote this blog just to show everybody how evil Lordship Salvation is. Steve Pettit, Marty Herron, Tom Ferrell, Sam Horn, Gary Walton, Ray Comfort, Kevin Bauder, John Piper, Paul Washer and John MacArthur are all aligned doctrinally with the ungodly Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Church of Christ, Seventh-Day Adventists and Roman Catholics on the meaning of repentance! The inspired King James Bible teaches something very different, and much simpler. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do. Everything that's hard and complicated about salvation is God's side of it. More people will die and burn in Hell, because they're trusting too much. I love the Gospel hymn: "My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less." Those old hymns of the faith are more doctrinally sound, than most of today's corrupt modern Bible revisions. Go figure! ...

My hope is built on nothing less  

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

Does Romans 8:38-39 Apply To Salvation?

Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Does Romans 8:38-39 apply to the believer's salvation? Yes, absolutely! Romans 8:38-39 applies to born-again believers. Proof is found in Romans 8:33-34, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." The whole world can condemn a Christian. A believer may even be convicted in court and receive life in prison, but in God's sight that saint is “JUSTIFIED from all things” (Acts 13:39). Also, Romans 5:20, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” The Bible says where sin did abound, GRACE DOTH MUCH MORE ABOUND! I love that. These verses clearly teach eternal security; once saved always saved. 

I recently heard Pastor Phil Kidd errantly say that the Bible does not teach the eternal security of the believer. As much as I love and admire Pastor Kidd, he is very wrong theologically on this vital issue! I say that respectfully, but truthfully. What I just taught you from Romans 8:34-39 is 100% eternal security my friend. Nothing shall separate any believer from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! 1st Peter 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,” There is no such thing as a believer who doesn't love Jesus. You may not love Him enough to keep His commandments (John 14:15), but you still love Him as your Savior. 1st Corinthians 16:22, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”

A man may not love his wife enough to be faithful only to her, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love her at all. In the Old Testament book of Genesis, Jacob had multiple wives, but he loved all four of them. The Bible says he favored Rachel, but that doesn't mean he didn't love the others too. So it is possible for a man to love multiple women at the same time. Granted, God's original intent was for one woman and one man to get married, and be together for life. That is why God created one wife for Adam, not two. My point is that a child of God can still love Jesus, but have his or her priorities wrong in life. 

This was the case with king Amaziah in the Old Testament. Although he did right in general, Amaziah brought pagan idols into the land (2nd Chronicles 25:14-15). 2nd Chronicles 25:1-2, “Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem.  And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.” For example: A man can place his lust of the flesh as a higher priority in his life than his love for God, and that is when he gets into trouble. Proverbs 14:14, “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.” Every believer backslides at times. We all do! The Bible says a good man lives for principles and truth, and not for his own pleasure and desires.

The Bible teaches in Romans 8:33-34, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” And on what basis does God justify a man? Romans 4:5-6, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,” Repeatedly in the Scriptures we are clearly taught that a person is justified solely BY FAITH. 

That is why I make such a big fuss over the popular heresy of Lordship Salvation. This Devil's lie is preached in most churches today, which says that to be saved you must repent (turn) from your sins. Proponents of Lordship Salvation require people to follow Christ as Lord to be saved, and to surrender to live for Him. Yet these deceivers still claim to believe that salvation is wholly by God's grace. May I please point out that the advocates of Lordship Salvation are teaching the same Satanic false gospel as the Jehovah's Witnesses:

“Jehovah's Witnesses teach that salvation is possible only through Christ's ransom sacrifice and that individuals cannot be saved until they repent of their sins and call on the name of Jehovah. Salvation is described as a free gift from God, but is said to be unattainable without good works that are prompted by faith.” —Jehovah's Witnesses And Salvation

Ladies and gentleman, that is EXACTLY what Dr. Steve Pettit and Bob Jones University are preaching today! They have sinfully moved away from the hope of the Gospel. I hope you understood what I just showed you dear friend. BJU on their website, in their Statement of Faith, teach that you must repent of your sins to be saved, which is EXACTLY what Jehovah's Witnesses teach. In case you don't know, JW's are a demonic religious cult! You cannot show me one verse in the Bible that teaches to repent of sin to be saved. Repentance is toward God (Acts 20:21). Repentance is acknowledging the truth (2nd Timothy 2:25).

You are a needy sinner dear reader. That is the truth you must first realize to be saved (Romans 3:23). Christ died on the cross in your place, to pay for your sins and mind (Romans 5:6-9). If you will simply embrace the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, believing that He died on the cross, was buried and resurrected three days later, you will be immediately and forever saved (John 20:32; John 19-20; 1st Corinthians 15:1-5). By faith, simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins. That is all God requires of you to be saved, your truth in His dear Son. Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) explains it this way:

“Dear sinner, do not make this a difficult matter. There is one simple step between you and Jesus. When you trust Him, everything else is settled, and you have repented, you have come to Christ, you have received Him, you have done everything necessary to be saved.” —Evangelist John R. Rice, a great quote from his tract titled: “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

I love that. There is no need to mention repentance when witnessing to someone. God Himself didn't mention the word “repent” even once in the Gospel of John, the purpose of which book is to get men saved. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” We are saved by believing, not by repenting. Repentance simply facilitates (makes possible) believing. Repentance is a change of mind. I don't have to tell you to change your mind to be saved—you do that when you hear the truth of the Gospel and believe it to be saved. Dr. John R. Rice has it right!

Dear friend, NOTHING shall ever separate any child of God from salvation. 1st John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” This Bible verse explains the meaning of Romans 8:38-39. What is the “love of God” that we cannot be separated from? Why, it is the same love of God that compelled Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Nothing shall ever separate us from the love of God that made redemption possible! The same love of God that redeemed us, is the same love of God that sustains us daily in our Christian walk.

Five Great Life Changing Decisions

Ecclesiastes 12:9, “And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.”

My favorite preacher and mentor of the faith, Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001), made these five life-changing decisions as a young 19 year old man, while pastoring his first church in east Texas:

1. I will be a friend to my friends.
2. Money will never influence my ministry.
3. I will base my loyalties on principles and not on institutions.
4. I will make my decisions on the basis of right and wrong, and not how it turns out.
5. No one will ever tell me what to preach, where to preach, or how long to preach.

SOURCE: “There Is A Man In The Kingdom”

In his classic MP3 sermon, “Filled With All The Fullness Of God,” Dr. Hyles tells the story of how he was called to his second pastorate 10-miles outside of Marshall, Texas. None of the men in the church voted for him. He was called as their pastor by a vote of 28-to-27. Everyone who voted for him to be their pastor were the church youth and one lady adult.

Three bigshots in the church—the chairman of the deacon board, the Sunday School superintendent and the treasurer—called him close to midnight, demanding to meet with him immediately at the church. So a young 19-year-old Jack Hyles walked down a dark country road to meet with the three men at the church. As he sat listening in the front pew, those men told him that he wasn't old enough to pastor their church, and that they didn't want him as their pastor. They threatened Brother Hyles that if he did accept the pastorate, the treasurer would never write him a paycheck.

After leaving the meeting, Brother Hyles drove around in the wee hours of the morning in an east Texas pine thicket, praising God and feeling great peace and joy in the Lord. During that drive, the young Jack Hyles made five promises to God; namely:

1. Nobody will ever tell me what to preach or where to preach.
2. Money will never be an object in my ministry.
3. I will always be a friend to my friends.
4. I will be loyal to principles, and not to Institutions.
5. I will make the decisions of my ministry on the basis of what I think is right only.

SOURCE: “Filled With All The Fullness Of God”

In the sermon Dr. Hyles states:

“Students of Hyles-Anderson College, do not give your loyalty to Hyles-Anderson College. You give your loyalty to what we stand for today, and if tomorrow we don't stand for it, you withdraw your loyalty—loyalty to principle, loyalty to right, loyalty to character, loyalty to integrity, loyalty to conviction, loyalty to truth; not loyalty to institutions.” —Dr. Jack Hyles, from the sermon titled, “Filled With All The Fullness Of God.”

In 1945, Brother Hyles became the pastor at the Grange Hall Baptist Church in Marshall, Texas. They didn't  pay him for the first 8-weeks, and when he did get paid, his salary was $20 a week. In his sermon titled “Good Ol' God,” Dr. Hyles says that during those 8-weeks that the church deacons refused to pay him, he bought a push-lawnmower and cut the grass of church members for $1 to $2 to keep food on the table. He faithfully pastored that church and walked with God. Oh, how we need to get back to old-time Christianity in our churches today. 

I don't know about you, but I have adopted Pastor Jack Hyles' five life's decisions for myself. I am a friend to my friends. I won't allow anyone to control when, where or how long I preach. I will make my decisions based on what is right and wrong, and not on expediency or convenience. I am being loyal to truth and not to institutions. Money has never been, nor will it ever be, an issue in my ministry. I hate money. If I have it, I love sharing it with others. There is nothing in this life worth hanging onto except Jesus!!! I love you with God's unconditional love reader, whoever you may be, and I pray that you will seek God in your life.

INTERESTING FACTS: In 1945 the average annual salary was $2,900.[1] Minimum wage was 40 cents an hour. The average weekly salary receiving minimum wage was $16 a week in 1945. That's $832 a year. Dr. Hyles got paid 25% more than minimum wage, which today in 2014 in Texas would be $9.06 an hour (minimum wage in 2014 in Texas was $7.25).

For We Walk By Faith And Not By Sight

2nd Corinthians 5:1-7, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

I admit that I get discouraged sometimes when I pray. Do you know why I get discouraged? It is because I don't see God answering my prayers in my expected time. But then I feel convicted by the indwelling Holy Spirit,Who rebukes me for walking by sight, instead of by faith. You see friend, it is a matter of trusting God. It doesn't matter if we see visual answers to prayer or not, God commands us to “Pray without ceasing” in 1st Thessalonians 5:17. I have been praying for a wife for over 10 years, and am still waiting. But I am still praying, trusting the Lord. I have searched high and low for a wife, but haven't been able to find someone.

I love our text passage of Scripture. What does 2nd Corinthians 5:1 mean by “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”? The “earthly house of this tabernacle” refers to our physical body. Being “dissolved” refers to our eventual death. The Bible teaches that we have an immortal body in Heaven waiting for us, at the Rapture (Romans 8:23; 1st Corinthians 15:51-58). The Apostle Paul said in verse 2, “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:” What a comforting promise from God! 

I earnestly desire my resurrected body, which will be free of physical pain. I won't be bald anymore. I won't be overweight anymore. I won't need glasses to watch television. I won't have to battle depression all the time. I won't limp when I walk because of radiculitis. I won't need to take prescription pain medications anymore for my neck pain. Hallelujah! Amen! What a glorious day that will be!!! Philippians 3:21, “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.”

2nd Corinthians 5:5, “Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.” I love this Bible verse, which speaks of the gift of God's indwelling Holy Spirit. Every Christian believer immediately receives God's blessed Holy Spirit the moment they are born-again. In fact, it is the indwelling by Holy Spirit that is the new birth! The Bible calls the Holy Spirit the “earnest” of our inheritance. The English dictionary defines “earnest” as: “Something of value given by one person to another to bind a contract.” 

The Holy Spirit is God's earnest that He will make good on His purchase. 1st Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). That simply means God's Spirit is the proof, the downpayment, the evidence, that we are saved. 1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” What an awesome God and Savior!!!

As I mentioned earlier, I sometimes get frustrated when I pray, because I don't see results. I have learned the hard way that I must trust God, and lean not unto my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-7). We've all heard boasters, bragging about how God always answers their prayers. From what I've seen, most of those types of people are religious con artists, crooks in the pulpit, and live extravagant lives parasiting off of churchgoers! I'm talking about bonafide answers to prayer! I've heard people in churches all my life boast of answers to prayer, because someone gave them food, old clothes, even a used car. But I've had people give me those things when I didn't pray for any of it! God is good, please don't misunderstand. All good things are from God, even the very breath that we breathe (Acts 17:25).

But I'm talking about answers to prayer, like when the Egyptians had the Israelites corner by the Red Sea, and they were about to be put back into slavery. Moses prayed and God delivered them. I'm talking about answers to prayer, like when Peter was about to have his head cut off by Herod. The church was praying for his release. God delivered Him. James 5:17, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” I love that Bible verse! Elijah was a normal man. Although he boldly stood up against the 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah fled in fear from one woman, Jezebel. What a witch! The city's stray dogs eventually had her for dinner, literally! 

Elijah became depressed. He was just an average Joe! Yet, the Bible says in lieu of his frail humanity, God gave Elijah what he prayed for. Do you know why Elijah wanted God to stop the rain for 42 months? It was to destroy Ahab's wine orchards! Elijah was a righteous man. God's man wanted his omnipotent God to do this for him, and He did. I often pray for God to humble the Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, for their own sakes. These neo-evangelical churches today are destroying people's lives with dangerous corrupt Bible revisions, and a counterfeit Lordship Salvation gospel which does not produce the new birth.

I wrote this article in my blog to encourage others to pray, sharing my own lack of faith at times and human weakness. Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” This Bible verse teaches that we ought not worry about anything; but instead, take everything to God in prayer. You don't have to pray long at all. Jesus said that God the Father already knows what we need, He just wants us to ask Him (Matthew 6:7-8). It is far better to pray for 10 seconds dear friend, then not to pray at all. If you are discouraged in your time spent in prayer, let me encourage you to pray for a few seconds here and there. That is a start! Hopefully in time, you will learn to pray throughout the day, as I do. 

Some people get down on their hands and knees and commit an hour or more a day to prayer. God bless them! That is how Evangelist Tom Williams said he prays. I believe him. I heard Pastor Tony Hutson say that his father, Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), used to lay prostrate on the floor in their home's bedroom, praying in humility to God. I love Dr. Hutson! I probably should do that too, but I don't. I pray without ceasing, all throughout the day, wherever I go. I am in constant physical pain in my body, and I cannot concentrate on my knees. It is torture for me. I know my God understands. Psalms 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” I learned at Hyles-Anderson College from my Bible teachers that: “Little prayer equals little power; much prayer equals much power.” Pastor Jack Hyles displayed signs all around him, which read: “Pray for power!” I do believe that God answers prayer, but I get discouraged when I don't see those answers. The important thing is to just keep praying. To pray is to trust God.

I have learned in my 53 years of life, and being saved for 40 years, that God's hand at work is not seen in weeks, months or even years, but in decades. I have concluded that God does this on purpose—to test our faith, shape our lives into Christ's image, and humble us. God is not a vending machine, where you put in a dollar, press a selection button, and get a soda. We must remember as saints that God is our heavenly Father. When my four children were young I loved them and wanted to give them things, to make them happy. When they asked for something, I didn't usually give them what they wanted right away, but that thought was on the back-burners in my mind. Eventually, I gave them what they requested, because I loved them. God does the same thing. When we ask Him for something, it is continually on His mind. 

So many people pray amiss, and not according to the Scriptures. 1st Timothy 6:6-8, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” This passage of Scripture teaches that we ought to be content with simply having food and clothing. Yet, many Americans are in massive debt because they are courteous, wanting far more than life's basic necessities. So then they pray for money, and it doesn't come. God is not your ATM machine! My prayers are mostly for my web visitors, for God to work in their hearts, as my words speak to their minds. I pray for my family. I pray for Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, and Pastor Herron's family. I pray for Lloyd Green (my favorite musician and his family). I pray for my pastor and his family. I pray for Pastor Jack Hyles' family. I pray for several dozen people regularly. I pray for God to please give me a wife. That is my only request from God today. The Lord takes good care of me, and I am grateful.

We walk by faith and not by sight the Bible says. That is very important to have engrained into your mind dear reader. We walk BY FAITH, and not BY SIGHT. Our seven weapons of spiritual warfare according to Ephesians 6:11-18 are: truth, prayer, salvation, Gospel, faith, righteousness, and the Word of God. It is a matter of faith, of trusting the promises of God. In the Old Testament Book of Esther “God” is not mentioned even one time, yet we see God's divine plan at work throughout Esther. The lesson is this—When you cannot see the HAND of God at work, trust the great HEART of God.

The Often Confused Parable Of The Sower And Seed

 Mark 4:14-20, “The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”

The parable of 'The Sower And The Seed' is often misunderstood. There are four groups of seeds. Only the first group is unsaved. The same parable is told in Luke 8:11-15. The Word of God is the seed. The first group doesn't get saved, because the Devil captures the seed away.The other three groups got saved, because the Bible says the seed began to grow. 1st Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." The seed in the parable is the Word of God. Mark 4:14, "The sower soweth the word." 

The goal of the parable is not salvation, but soulwinning. The second group never matures because they have shallow roots. The third group never mature to bear fruit because they are choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of this world. But the fourth group gladly receive the Word, and obey God's commandments, bringing forth some 30, others 60, and some 100 souls saved. Mark 4:20, "And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred."

Evangelist Ray Comfort interprets this passage wrong on his website. Here is Ray's unbiblical answer to the question:

Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?

... We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and until we forsake them through repentance, we cannot be made alive in Christ ...

If belief is all that is necessary for salvation, then the logical conclusion is that one need never repent. However, the Bible tells us that a false convert "believes" and yet is not saved (Luke 8:13); he remains a "worker of iniquity." Look at the warning of Scripture: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). The Scriptures also say, "He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them [repentance] shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). Jesus said that there was joy in heaven over one sinner who "repents" (Luke 15:10). If there is no repentance, there is no joy because there is no salvation.

SOURCE: http://www.livingwaters.com/witnessingtool/browse.shtml

Ray is wrong! He teaches that a person can believe, but still not be saved, if they continue living in sin. That is of the Devil. A person who believes is saved, period. John 6:47, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." As we read in Ray's previous quote, he says Luke 8:13 refers to a person who believes, but is not really saved because of sin in their life. That is junk theology of the worst sort! The Bible says the second group received the seed, and sprung forth in new life. That means they got saved. But because they had shallow roots, when persecution came they stopped maturing, never bearing any fruit. The subject here is soulwinning, not getting people saved. God doesn't just want us to get people saved, but also “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20b). God wants us to teach our converts to become soulwinners too! The idea is to perpetuate the Gospel.

Also, notice that Ray cites 1st John 1:6 to support his heresy, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” But carefully notice that the subject is "fellowship," not sonship (salvation). No Christian can live in willful open sin and have a close fellowship with God, but that has nothing to do with receiving the free gift of eternal life by faith alone (Galatians 3:26). Mr. Comfort is woefully ignorant of the Bible, wrestling the Scriptures to his own destruction, and those who follow his theological lies. Pastor Curtis Hutson gets repentance 100% correct in this helpful written sermon titled, "Repentance: What Does The Bible Teach?"

It Is Right To Rebuke The Bob Jones University Crowd

Titus 1:10-13, “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;”

Titus was not an apostle, yet the Apostle Paul taught him to rebuke false teachers, that they may be sound in the faith. Paul didn't make any exclusions. Paul didn't say, “rebuke them sharply, unless they are a local church.” Some pompous arrogant pastors have been misled to believe that they have authority in the church. No, the pastor is not the authority, the inspired Word of God is the only authority. The pastor is the under-shepherd, having only the power of influence, if he deserves it! If he teaches wrong, he ought to be corrected and/or fired.

Bob Jones University alumni, Lou Martuneac, has turned against his college, exposing them for preaching the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation. For that I commend him. Likewise, I have turned against Hyles-Anderson College, where I graduated in 1993, because since 2008 they have denied the inspiration of the King James Bible. What is wrong with Christians today? Lou makes this helpful true statement, defining Lordship Salvation:

Defined briefly: Lordship Salvation is a position on the gospel in which “saving faith” is considered reliance upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. Lordship views “saving faith” as incomplete without an accompanying resolve to “forsake sin” and to “start obeying.” Lordship’s “sine qua non” (indispensable condition) that must be met to fully define “saving faith,” for salvation, is a commitment to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Christ in submissive obedience. (In Defense of the Gospel: Revised & Expanded Edition, p. 48.) 

Do you see the lying deception of Lordship Salvation? It is a half-truth. The Bob Jones' crowd will claim to believe that salvation is wholly by grace, as does the shameful Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, but then they subtly add the unbiblical requirement to live the Christian life, which to them saving faith encompasses. This is exactly what Miss Ellen G White (Seventh-Day Adventist false prophetess) and Dr. Steve Pettit (president of BJU since 2014) heretically teach. The Devil is very sneaky, so subtle that he has even deceived many preachers today concerning the Gospel. I have a book in front of me by Miss Ellen G. White (1827-1915) titled: “The Great Hope.” Sadly, it has been published by Thomas Nelson (the same company who publishes the Bible). Right doctrine matters folks! Miss White teaches a counterfeit gospel of Lordship Salvation. She writes on pages 48-49 of her book 'The Great Hope':

The sanctification now gaining notice in the religious world carries a spirit of self-exaltation and a disregard for the law of God that identify it as foreign to the Bible. Those who teach it claim that sanctification happens instantly, and by this means, through “faith alone” they reach perfect holiness. “Only believe” they say, “and the blessing is yours.” No further effort is supposed to be required from the receiver. At the same time they deny the authority of God's law, claiming that they are released from any obligation to keep the commandments. But is it possible to be holy without coming into harmony with the principles that express God's nature and will?

The Word of God testifies against this traplike doctrine of faith without works. It is not faith that claims God's favor without complying with the conditions on which He grants mercy. It is presumption. (See James 2:14-24.) [emphasis added] —Ellen G. White, 'The Great Hope,' pp. 48-49; ©1979, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Oh my, what ungodly heresy! According to Ellen White's demonic teaching, a person cannot be saved by “faith alone,” there must also be a turning from sin, she says, otherwise you have not met the conditions of holiness which God demands to validate your faith! That is of the Devil. You see friend, she is basing her false plan of salvation on one's holiness. The inspired Holy Bible teaches something very different. The Bible says our salvation is based upon GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS! Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” This Bible verse exposes Ellen White as a liar, and the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) religion that idolizes her as a fraudulent false religion. 

Philippians 3:9 says we are not saved by our OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH IS OF THE LAW! Ellen White says you must keep the law. She says obeying the law is the condition upon which God grants mercy. Is that Biblical? Absolutely not! The sole basis of the believer's salvation is Christ's sacrifice on the cross, by which God's righteousness is imputed to every believer by faith. Ellen White was a religious fool, who is forever burning in the fires of Hell.

Even more tragic is that Bob Jones University's new president since 2014, Dr. Steve Pettit, teaches the same crap theology. Read what he told 2,700 BJU students on January 26, 2015 in chapel:

“You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it! There is a justification; There is a sanctification; There's ultimately a glorification, and though there are three parts, they are all part of the whole, and you cannot separate them. In order for you to qualify for the award, you have to get into the race, you have to stay in the race, and you have to finish the race. If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 11:34)

Do you see how they agree? They both teach that you can't just get born-again and that's it. They both say more is required, that you are OBLIGATED to live a life of surrender and obedience to God. This is the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation, that Lou Martuneac correctly defined. The churches are being bedazzled dear reader! People are being hoodwinked by the Devil. I have no doubt that Steve Pettit, Ellen White, Marty Herron, Gary Walton, Sam Horn, John MacArthur, Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, and Bob Jones University are very sincere. What saith the Scripture? Proverbs 16:25, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

The Gospel is so simple. Why do men change it? Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God (John 20:31). Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. He was buried. Three days later Christ raised up from the dead. This is the Gospel (or Good News) as taught in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. We are taught 85 times in the Gospel of John to simply “believe” to be saved, with no mention of repentance. This is because repentance is included in believing. Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) explains this wonderful truth in his sermon titled, “Repentance: What Does The Bible Teach?” 

Humbly said, shame on the Bob Jones Crowd! BJU was once a citadel of fundamentalism in America. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) believed in a free grace Gospel, not the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation. What happened? How did BJU end up preaching the same Satanic heresy as Seventh-Day Adventists? Bible-believing Christians must reject and expose the apostate Bob Jones' camp today, lest a little leaven corrupt many more churches. Someone once asked the famous preacher John Wesley why he preached on the subject, “Ye Must Be Born Again,” thousands of times. Wesley replied: “It is because, 'Ye must be born again!'”