Why I am not a Calvinist!

I remember one time someone calling me a "Calvinist," and I remember being so angry. Never in my life have I been more offended than when someone labelled me with that horrid name. For to me there is no other doctrine more DISPICABLE than that of John Calvin. And I certainly don't want to be associated with that DICTATOR, and Bible Perverter. I find his doctrines not only un-biblical, but also illogical and unbelieveable. For this reason, I am not a Calvinist. And I wish here to go on record saying so. I've never believed in Calvinism, nor will I. It's an insane idea by an insane man.

However, there are many people out there, even in Independent Baptist Churches, who call themselves Christians yet they believe in the teachings of Calvinism and call themselves Calvinists. It is with these people with whom I dogmatically choose not to associate.

There are many reasons why I choose not to follow them in the error of their ways, and I will briefly explain some of their doctrines and teachings below and then tell why I do not wish to follow them in their anti-biblical doctrines.

THE "TULIP"

The teachings of Calvinism have been whittled down by many to an interesting acronym, that of "T-U-L-I-P." These letters stand for:

Total Depravity

Unconditional Election

Limited Atonement

Irresistable Grace

Preservation of the Saints

Now, let me publically state I'm not a 1 point or 2 point or 3 point, etc. Calvinist. I am a NO point Calvinist. That is, I don't adhere to ANY of these points, especially as John Calvin presented them.

Let's look at each one of these in a little more detail.

TOTAL DEPRAVITY

Although I agree with the "depravity" part, I don't agree with the word "total." Calvinists believe that men have no free will in and of themselves. And they further believe that man is SO depraved, that he can't even of his own free will believe on Christ. They teach, therefore, that God must first "regenerate" the man so that he can then believe on Christ.

I find this to be probably the DUMBEST, CRAZIEST, most RIDICULOUS teaching ever invented by man. For in our King James Bible, the word "freewill" appears 17 times! How on earth could a man who claims to be a Calvinist preach from a Bible that 17 times uses a word that he claims man doesn't have??? That's C-R-A-Z-Y! That's why I adamantly REJECT this teaching. Although man is depraved (that is he's a Sinner), he's not so depraved that he can't do anything of his own free will.

UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

This teaching is a real doosie. Calvinists teach that God has already chosen who is the elect and who isn't. In other words, men don't have a choice in the matter. They are either the "elect" or they aren't. If they are, they'll go to heaven. If they aren't, they'll go to hell. But where is man's choice in the matter? It's not there. Once again, Calvinists have done away with man's "freewill." And by so doing, they leave the choice up to God and not man. But this is silly. For God gave man free will to either accept or reject God, his teachings, and his doctrines. So to believe this would mean you have to accept a God who is "unfair" and who will not give certain people a chance to be saved.

But in the Bible, we find that today, everyone has an opportunity to be born again. It is by their CHOICE of either accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ. I therefore REJECT this teaching by John Calvin, for it does away with man's decision of choosing to be saved or not.

LIMITED ATONEMENT

This teaching to me is out right BLASHPEMY! For Calvinists believe that Jesus didn't die for everyone, only for a certain few, which call the "elect."

But what does the Bible say about this? It says that Jesus died for ALL MEN (1 Tim. 2:5,6). Why would Calvinists then say otherwise? It's almost as if they are denying the blood atonement as sufficient for the sins of all men, downgrading it, making it only good enough for a select few.

This is ridiculous! God is not "limited" in his power. His blood atonement was sufficient to pay for the sins of the entire world, and for every man woman and child that ever walked on the face of this earth, past, present, and future. So why would they desire to "limit" that efficacious atonment?

They limit it to only those who are saved. But then, they turn around and say they don't know who the saved are, and only God knows who's elect. If that be so, then they are so stupid that they can't tell you who Jesus Christ died for. But I know who Jesus died for. He died for ME! ANd not only me, for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2)!

What's further crazy, is that NO CALVINIST can ever tell you that they know for sure if they are saved or not. They can only "hope" they are one of the elect. This is silly. For in the Bible, you can KNOW you have eternal life (1 John 5:13). Calvinists, therefore, don't know who Jesus died for, don't know if they are one of the elect, and don't even know if they'll go to heaven when they die. Who would want to belive in such a ridiculous system?

IRRESISTABLE GRACE

This teaching is utter nonsense and I certainly disagree. For although I do believe in the "grace" of God, I can not believe that man must accept it against his own will. No, man with his FREE WILL, can reject it. For example, look at Acts 7:51. There we find the Jews "resisting" the Holy Ghost. Also we find that a Christian can "grieve" the Holy Spirit in Eph. 4:30.

I thank God for the grace of God, but I don't believe it's "irresistable." There have been plenty of people in this earth that God showed grace to, but they "resisted" it and did wrong. How could anyone believe in "irresistible grace?"

PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS

This last teaching of Calvinism has been changed over the years. Today many Calvinists call it the "preservation" of the saints. But that's not what John Calvin said it was. He believed in the "perserverance of the saints." In other words, he taught that you were one of the elect, ONLY, (and notice that word "only"), if you ENDURED to the end. For if you fell away, then you were immediately labelled by other Calvinist to be "LOST," and they were quick to point the finger at you and say you weren't one of the "elect." This set up strange system, in which the men in charge, who DIDN'T even know if they were part of the elect, could pass judgment and tell you that they KNEW for sure that you WEREN'T part of the elect! What a crazy system! It set men up as judges over others and they could point the finger anytime someone sinned. But they themselves didn't even know if they were saved. They only "hoped" they were. And because of this, there were many who thought that keeping the commandments and doing good works meant they were part of the "elect." In other words, they ended up trusting in their OWN WORKS, rather than faith alone in the FINISHED WORK of Jesus Christ.

To me this is inexcusable, and outright blasphemous. I do not believe ANY of the 5 points of Calvinism. Nor, do I want do. I also don't desire to follow Calvin! To me, John Calvin was a horrible example of a religous leader. He was a MURDERER! For he had Servetus burned at the stake. That's M-U-R-D-E-R! Who would want to follow a man like that?

Further, his doctrine was not Biblical. He tried to apply salvation only to the "elect," which he defined only as those who followed him and his teaching. However, the Bible says that the "elect" are those who of their own accord receive Jesus Christ as Saviour by trusting his shed blood atonement as sufficient to take them to heaven.

With that stated, let me sum it up as clearly as I can, "I'M NOT A CALVINIST, NOR DO I ADHERE TO ANY OF THE POINTS OF CALVANISM. I FUTHER THINK CALVIN DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF HE WAS SAVED OR NOT, and I PERSONALLY WONDER IF HE EVEN WAS, AS HE COULD MURDER OTHER PEOPLE WITHOUT GUILT OR REMORSE!

For those who didn't get it, allow me to reiterate, "I THINK CALVIN WAS EVIL! AND I REJECT HIS FALLACIOUS TEACHINGS, AND VIEW THEM AS ANTI-BIBLICAL!"

Now, why am I so adamant about this? It's because I've had someone accuse me of being a Calvinist. Well, THEY ARE WRONG! And this article should prove that without any shadow of a doubt!

One thing I do appreciate, however, about modern Calvinists is their desire to print and distribute much literature. Although I don't agree with their doctrines, I have noticed that oftentimes, they do preach the Gospel of salvation by FAITH ALONE IN THE BLOOD ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST." For this they should be applauded. However, when they try to DIVERT people into believing that even though Jesus died that a person must believe what they teach in order to be one of the "elect," we should reject them and their heretical teaching of Calvin, and rather point sinners only to the word of God, and salvation by man's own FREEWILL of accepting Jesus Christ's sacrificial blood atonement by FAITH alone.

So this is why I'm NOT a Calvinist. It's because the founder of that movement was corrupt, and so are his teachings. And I want nothing to do with him or them. And although some of the modern followers of Calvinism might present the gospel clearly in their literature, and for this I praise God, I still reject them for their following the other doctrines of John Calvin.

The Ommission of the Blood of Jesus Christ

I've been saying it for years, that modern FUNDAMENTALISTS, EVANGELICALS, and so-called CHRISTIANS, are GUILTY of ommitting the blood of Jesus Christ in their gospel message, either ignorantly or willfully. By saying this, I've gotten a lot of angry letters, emails, phone calls, etc. They all tell me things like, "Well, you don't have to know about the blood to be saved!" or "You don't have to know anything to get saved. Just come to God the best way you know how!" But is that so? Of course not. A person must first HEAR the gospel before he can believe it, and before he believes it, he must UNDERSTAND it! That's just sound Bible doctrine.

I was reading through a commentary by J. Vernon McGee the other day, and read the following. I believe it's very important for us today, for there are many today who claim to be Christians, yet they leave out the blood of Jesus Christ for salvation. I quote from page 20 of his commentary on the book of 1 Peter:

" 'And sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ...' There is often a silence about the blood of Christ, even in fundamental circles. As long as the blood of our Lord coursed through His veins, it had no saving value for us; but when that precious blood was shed, Christ Jesus gave His life. The life of the flesh is in the blood. He shed that blood that you and I might have life.
Remember that Peter is writing to Jews who had been brought up in Judaism. They were the Diaspora, believing Jews living in Asia minor. They knew the Old Testament, and they understood that the high priest on the Day of Atonement took blood with him when he went into the Holy of Holies, and that he sprinkled the blood seven times on the mercy seat. Now the Lord Jesus Christ has taken His own blood to the throne of God (the throne at which we are judged as guilty sinners), and He sprinkled His blood there. He gave His life and paid the penalty for us. Now that throne of judgment is the throne of grace where you and I can come and receive salvation.
My friend, the gospel has not been preached until the meaning of the blood of Christ has been explained. It may offend you aesthetically--the offense of the cross is that He shed His blood. Of course it is not pretty, but your sin and my sin are not pretty either. Our ugly sin is what made it necessary for Christ to die for us.
This reminds me of a story about a terrible accident which occurred at a railroad crossing. Several people were killed when the train hit a car. There was a court trial, and the watchman who had been at the crossing at the time of the accident was questioned.
'Where were you at the time of the accident?'
'I was at the crossing.'
'Did you have a lantern?'
'Yes.'
'Did you wave that lantern to warn them of the danger?'
'I certainly did.'
The court thought that was enough evidence. When the watchman walked out of the court he was heard to mumble to himself, 'I'm sure glad they didn't ask me about the light in the lantern because the light had gone out.'
My friend, there can be a lot of lanterns waved in the circles of fundamentalism and evangelicalism and conservatism. However, unless there is the message of the blood of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of the blood which cleanses us from all sin, there is no light in the lantern."

One old preacher once said, "You can't preach the Gospel without preaching the BLOOD, and you can't preach the BLOOD without preaching the Gospel!" What on earth, then are modern so-called Christians preaching?

Oh yeah, that's right. They are preaching a "BLOODLESS GOSPEL" which is "another gospel," of which the apostle Paul warns us about in Galatians chapter one. What is their gospel? It goes something like:

Just ask God to save you

Ask or invite Jesus into your heart

Make your committment to Christ

Call on the Lord through prayer alone and ask him to come into your heart

Repeat this prayer after me

Simply Recite the Sinner's Prayer

But, all of these modern gospels have one thing in common -- THEY ALL LEAVE OUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, and FAITH ALONE IN IT FOR SALVATION!

Further, they can all be done in the MIND, without any faith whatsoever from the HEART.

So HOW ON EARTH, can so called Fundamentalists, Evangelicals, and Christians preach THESE rather than simply pointing sinners to Christ crucified and salvation by faith alone in his precious shed blood? It's insanity!

I'll close with this. I'm constantly working to get people the truth about the Spanish Bible, and which one is the best. Through my studies, I'm convinced it's the Valera 1602 Purified Spanish Bible. But I'm also amazed at how many FUNDAMENTALISTS and EVANGELICALS disagree, choosing instead other versions. One of those is the modern GOMEZ Spanish Bible. And, I found a new book by one Emmanuel Rodriguez defending that version and Mr. Gomez who produced it. In that book I read about the tesimony of Mr. Gomez, and that book gives the following information about his "salvation" experience. I quote from pages 22-23:
Gomez speaking: "My religion never taught me that God was willing to save a wretch like me. They never told me that if I would PUT MY FAITH IN THE BLOOD THAT CHRIST SHED FOR ME ON THE CROSS [emphasis mine], that, not only would He save me from an eternity in hell, but He would change my life. ...but something happened to me today. I ASKED JESUS TO SAVE ME. [emphasis mine] And he did. He changed my life."
This is very interesting and is typical of what we see in modern Fundamentalists circles today. Some might talk about the blood and say that to be saved a person MUST put their faith in it. But then later they will give another conflicting idea for their plan of salvation, that of ASKING for God to save them. But where's the faith in the blood if you are asking? For asking God to save you, apart from trusting him and his blood atonement to do so is another gospel.
Is Mr. Gomez even saved according to this testimony? He tells us an American Missionary from Colorado told him the right way to be saved: By FAITH IN THE BLOOD, but then on the next page, he confesses that he rather "ASKED JESUS TO SAVE HIM." So which is it? Did he trust the blood, or did he only ask?
I'm not calling into question Mr. Gomez' salvation. He could very well be saved, and I hope he is. But why does he give two conflicting statements in his testimony in that book? Thank God he "mentioned" the blood and wasn't "silent" like many modern Fundamentalists. However, why did he say he "asked" for salvation, rather than "trusted" the blood like instructed?

This is an important point. For there are countless millions of people today who call themselves Fundamentalists or Evangelicals who rather than preach the Blood, pressure people to "repeat a prayer" or "call vocally upon God asking for salvation" without stressing a Sinner's need to trust the blood atonement. They are like Mr. McGee said, watchman with no LIGHT in their lanterns.

I'll close with one more example. I was preaching in Guatemala once with a man who had a big church and bus ministry. I preached on "THE BLOOD of Jesus Christ." Afterwards, the Pastor got up and apologized publically for not having preached the blood before, and he promised from then on to preach the blood alone for salvation. Yet, he'd been in the ministry for decades and claimed he had won thousands to Jesus Christ. What then was he preaching? It was a "BLOODLESS GOSPEL." But he was only doing what he'd been instructed to do in his own Bible College when he went "soul winning." What was that? A quick 1,2, 3 repeat after me method of quickly pressuring a sinner to REPEAT a prayer, without any signs of REPENTANCE from the heart. And absolutely no mention of the blood atonement, nor one's need to trust it alone for salvation. Who was this man? I'd rather not give his name, needless to say, he uses the Gomez Spanish Bible now. Could there be a pattern here?

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the Gomez Bible is now printed by Chick Tracts. You know, the ones with the cartoons in them. And, have you ever read the back page of a Chick Tract? They instruct you to "ASK" Jesus into your heart. Where's the FAITH IN THE BLOOD like the evangelist from Colorado instructed Mr. Gomez to follow? They might mention the blood, but they don't instruct Sinners to trust or rely solely in the shed blood by faith alone. They try to get sinners to ask or beg for salvation apart from resting only in the finished work of Christ.

I'm a BIBLE BELIEVER, and I'm quickly getting as far away as I can from modern apostate FUNNY-MENT-AL-ISTS who claim to be standing for the faith, when they preaching another plan of salvation. I don't want to be connected to anyone who OMITS the blood of Jesus Christ. And that's exactly what they are doing.

If you are a Fundamentalist, an Evangelical, or a Christian, make sure you don't go along with them in the error of their ways in ommitting the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. Preach the blood with all your might! Make sure there is LIGHT in your latern!

All this ties in to why we left our old home church. It was over this very issue. If you desire a real eye-opening read, then please go to:

http://www.rrb3.com/Left/reasons_left_church.htm

This is a very important topic. That of salvation. For there very well could be countless millions of people within the Fundamentalist, Evangelical, and even Independent Baptist movements which are lost, trusting a BLOODLESS GOSPEL rather than the true BLOODSTAINED GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. It is for them that I keep my lantern lit! Wouldn't you do the same?

Note: Part of the reason for me posting this blog, is because I've recently been personally attacked by Mr. Emanuel Rodriguez, in his following article:

http://www.deanburgonsociety.org/PDF/is_gail_riplinger_right.pdf

In this article, Mr. Rodriguez states that for "dishonest practices" I was "kicked" out of my old home church. I know of no dishonesty on my part, nor of any dishonest practices. All I know is that I of my own accord left that church over this very issue, an issue in which they used to be in complete agreement with me. (Click on the link above about why we left our own home church to read the letter of my old Pastor to my father, where he too once claimed to be against "Ask Jesus Into Your Heart.") It appears the doctrine of SALVATION and the SPANISH BIBLE are quickly being melded together, and in order to find the right Spanish Bible, you need to make sure the people who try to steer you in the direction of thier own version(s) have the RIGHT GOSPEL of salvation to begin with! For this is a very, very important issue.)

Ask Who into Where?

One thing that I, as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, can't stand is this modern anti-biblical teaching that's filled churches world-wide in which a Sinner seeking salvation is instructed to simply "ASK JESUS INTO THEIR HEART."

This is not only heretical and illogical, but also very dangerous, for it can lead to a person getting a DEMON rather than getting saved!

I know that might sound very far-fetched to some, but you must understand, NO WHERE IN THE BIBLE IS ANYONE ANY WHERE EVER INSTRUCTED TO ASK JESUS INTO THEIR HEART! It's simply not there. So where does this come from? The answer: From apostate teachings and apostate denominations.

Way back in the 1800's there were the unitarians and universalists who taught the brotherhood of man. They believed we were all "brothers" whether we were saved or not. And they eventually are the ones who started this anti-biblical instruction of "asking Jesus into your heart" claiming that was the only way "Jesus" could live inside of you and dwell in your heart. And though the Bible does tell us that Jesus indeed does dwell inside of believers, it DOES NOT teach that he does so through ASKING. Rather they Bible teaches that Christ dwells in the hearts of believers only through TRUSTING.

Below are a few verses about this...

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts BY FAITH; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

In the Bible, when Jesus comes into a person's heart, it is always through FAITH, not by asking." Faith in What? FAITH in the blood atonement of Jesus Christ, his Sacrifice for your sins on Calvary.

This is simple, plain, Biblical salvation. You are saved through faith alone, and not by works. And your faith must be in the blood of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:25) shed on your behalf for your sins.

Now, with this in mind, let's look at this modern false gospel of "Ask Jesus into your Heart." Is it Biblical? Most certainly not! So, then, what does it do for the Sinner? Nothing, in God's eyes, for it is trying to come to God and seek forgiveness apart from the Blood of Jesus. It does not and cannot save anyone.

So what does it do? The fact is that instructing a Sinner to simply "Ask Jesus into their heart" can be the most damaging thing that any person can ever do, and it might just not only end them up in Hell, but might get them a DEMON as well.

Let me explain...

A few years ago I met a man who used to be a Devil worshipper, and who told me that he had countless experiences with Demons. So I asked the man the following question, "Did you ever know any Demons named Jesus?" The man answered, "Funny you should say that, because oftentimes the Demons would ask me to call them Jesus?"

This lead to me remembering the verse in 2 Cor. 11:4, which speaks of those who preach "another Jesus," which is not the Jesus of the Bible. Could this be those DEMONS who desire to be called Jesus?

I next asked the man how a person gets a Demon. His answer was very disturbing. He said, "To get a demon, a person has to ASK for it!"

This made me ponder well the modern "ask Jesus into your heart" gospel. For if a person asked another Jesus into their heart, a DEMON, he very well could get one! This means "asking Jesus into your heart" could lead to a person getting DEMON-POSSESSED!

I finally asked the man, "What makes Demons flee?" He answered, "Funny you should ask that as well, for the only thing that makes Demons flee is mention of the blood of Jesus Christ!"

So there you have it. If a so-called "Soul-Winner" goes to a lost soul and instructs him to simply "ask Jesus into his heart" then that poor soul could be asking a DEMON to come inside of him!

The only way to make sure a person doesn't get a Demon is to PREACH THE BLOOD ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST for salvation, and FAITH in it alone, for this makes the Demons flee!

Thus, this modern blood-less gospel of "Ask Jesus to come into your heart and life" pleases the Devil greatly, as it's one of his greatest tools for him and his legions to gain acess and entrance into the hearts of the lost.

So I ask you? Is it right to tell people to "ASK JESUS INTO THEIR HEARTS?" Or should we rather instruct them in the Bible way of salvation, which is complete TRUST in the finished work of Jesus Christ (i.e. his shed blood) on the cross of Calvary?

TRUST JESUS FOR SALVATION AND HE WILL ENTER INTO YOUR HEART

ASK JESUS TO COME INTO YOUR HEART, AND YOU COULD BE ASKING A DEMON TO COME INTO YOU!

BILLY GRAHAM'S HERETICAL TEACHING ON SALVATION

I read the Pensacola News Journal the other day and I turned to the column by Billy Graham. As I read the title, I immediately became enraged at the absolute HERESY that I saw. It said, "each time we sin, we must seek forgiveness." What? Doesn't the blood atonement of Jesus Christ offer forgiveness for ALL sins? Why then should we ask to be forgiven all over again when we sin?

And as I read through the piece, I couldn't help by be saddened by the GREAT heretical teaching that I found spewing forth from this so-called Baptist Preacher.

Mr. Graham's column is always a question and answer forum. And the question this time from a reader was: "If all our sins are forgiven when we come to Jesus, then why do we have to keep seeking God's forgiveness when we sin? If we're already forgiven, why bother asking for forgiveness when we sin?

This is an EXCELLENT question, for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary paid for all sins, PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE! And to be forgiven, one must receive that payment by FAITH, not by ASKING. In other words, you are forgiven when you TRUST the blood atonement of Jesus. It's not your beggings, pleadings, or asking for forgiveness that secures God's pardon. It's whether or not you have accepted the salvation that God offers by FAITH in his shed blood!

But how does Mr. Graham answer the question? I quote: "It's true that when we sincerely repent of our sins and turn to Christ for forgiveness, God completely forgives us and looks on us as if we have never sinned."

This is great! Mr. Graham should have stopped right there, for this is a sound Bible truth. However, he then adds: "But we will still sin -- and when we do, we need to confess it and repent of it, and ASK Christ to forgive us...when you sin, repent of it and seek God's forgiveness at once."

What? He just said prior to that that God forgives COMPLETELY and looks at Christians as if they have never sinned. But now he says that after we sin, we need to ASK Christ to forgive us. Why? Does that mean that God only forgives your PAST sins based upon his sacrifice on the cross, but all future sins are not paid for, thus you must seek forgiveness of them by confession? This is EXACTLY what Mr. Graham's answer leads us to believe. And this is utter HERESY!!!

Of course when Christians sin they should confess it to God and repent (feel sorry) of it. Mr. Graham has this right. But to teach that a man must then ASK God for forgiveness of that sin is not Biblical. This is not sound doctrine. Why ask God for something you already have?

To ASK God to forgive your sins is to beg God to do something apart from his sacrificial shed blood atonement and faith in it alone. You are either saved by FAITH alone, or by ASKING for forgiveness. Which is it?

To instruct a Christian to ask God for forgiveness is to instruct them to do something apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For when a person is saved, he HAS God's forgiveness already. Why then should he ask for it all over again. (Doesn't this imply DOUBT that a Christian even has forgiveness to begin with?) All a Christian needs to do according to the Bible is confess it and forsake it (Prov. 28:13). He does not need to "seek forgiveness" for it. For in Christ, he already has forgiveness. (Or as Mr. Graham put it before, "God completely forgives us and looks on us as if we have never sinned." This Mr. Graham has correct. But to turn around and then say that afterwards you must seek forgiveness is not only ILLOGICAL, but ANTI-SCRIPTURAL!)

Now, because a person is forgiven of all their sins in the person and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, this does not give a man an excuse to sin more. Rather it's a great incentive to do all he can to stop sinning. Because Christ Jesus granted him forgiveness, he should want to live for God and sin less, not sin more. (It's because I'm saved and forgiven that I serve Christ Jesus, not in order to be saved or be forgiven.)

Mr. Graham has a warped idea of salvation. To tell people that salvation is by asking for forgiveness, is to tell a person that they can receive forgiveness by something THEY do, rather than trusting in what JESUS did for them in their place for their sins. This is a great blasphemy, because it gets the eyes off of Jesus as the FORGIVER, and onto the Sinner. God forgives, but he only forgives based upon one's faith in his finished work. He will not forgive anyone simply because they ask him to. How could Mr. Graham miss this? How could he say it correctly, but then turn around and negate what he said by saying that after a Sinner has forgiveness, and is viewed by God as sinless in Christ, that he must later seek forgiveness?

Why is that? Hmmm. Oh, yeah, I know why... it's because Mr. Graham doesn't preach the Blood Atonement of Jesus Christ for savlation. Rather, he tells people to simply "make their commitment" to Christ, or to "Ask Jesus into their hearts and lives." But these are BLOODLESS GOSPELS which emphasize that a person is to DO SOMETHING (i.e. works) rather than simply trust in what Jesus Christ has already DONE for mankind to offer them forgiveness of sins.

For more on this "asking" vs "trusting" heresy, please read the following article by clicking on it below:

ASKING VS. TRUSTING

For God does not give anyone forgiveness of their sins because they ask him to. Rather God only gives forgiveness to those who receive him by FAITH in his precious shed blood.

You would think if a person was truly saved, they would know this. How could a man who claims to be an evangelist tell you that you are saved and sinless in Christ, but then turn around and tell you that you have to ask for forgiveness later when you sin. That's not right. When you sin as a Christian, you should confess it to God, not man, and you should forsake it, but you already have forgiveness. That's how good God is. He forgave you before you even commited that sin! According to Mr. Graham, it sounds like you lose your salvation when you sin, and that's why you have to "ask for forgiveness" all over again. But that's a wicked HERESY, for the Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews that if you could lose it, you could NEVER get it back again. So, Biblically, you either have forgiveness of your sins or you don't, and it's not by your asking, rather by your trusting God's finished work of his sacrificial blood atonement on the cross of Calvary. Could it be that those who "ask" for forgiveness do so because they AREN'T FORGIVEN in the first place? Could the be lost, and it's for this reason that they don't understand the Gospel of salvation and forgiveness by FAITH rather than by BEGGING?

What's the Job of a Pastor?

Many people today have very strange ideas about what a Pastor is and what he's supposed to do. They get their teachings usually from modern tradition or from their own denomination rather than from the Bible. So according to the word of God, what is the job of a Pastor? What should he do?

The answer is very simple. As simply put as possible, the Pastor should: 1. READ, 2. FEED, 3. INTERCEDE, 4. SPOT THE NEED, and 5. LEAD.

Let's look at each one of these in light of the scriptures:

1. READ THE BIBLE

The Pastor's job is to spend as much time as possible in the Scriptures reading and studying them. We find this in the book of Acts in the following passage:

Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

Here we find Peter and his congregation coming to him with problems. Rather than deal with them, Peter tells what he's supposed to be doing. He says he should not "leave the word." In other words, the Pastor's job is to spend as much time in the scriptures as possible, so that he might bring a powerful message to his congregation. He's to STUDY, and READ God's word and learn it inside and out, so that he might devote himself to "the ministry of the word" (vs 4).

2. FEED THE CONGREGATION

A Pastor is not only supposed to be learned in the scriptures, but he must also know how to minister or preach the word of God others. He must also know how to TEACH them, so that once people are saved, they will grow in the Lord. This is easily found in the following passages:

John 21:16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

God's intention for preachers and pastors is to not only PREACH the word, but also TEACH new converts from the scriptures. This is an important work, and is something all those who claim to be Pastors should know how to do.

3. INTERCEDE FOR OTHERS

We've already look at Acts chapter six above. And in verse 4 we read that one of the things that Pastors should do is give themselves "continually to prayer." This is to pray for others both lost and saved. They are to beg God to save the lost and help them to hear the Gospel, and they are supposed to intercede on behalf of other Christians who are suffering and plead God to give them grace and if possible deliverance.

Below Paul also tells us:

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

In the first verse, we have the Apostle Paul, who instructed us to be a follower of him, telling other Christians that he did not cease to pray for them. And in the second verse we find Paul instructing Timothy, a young preacher, to pray and intercede on behalf of all men. Thus, a true Pastor should follow this example as well, found often in prayer, praying for not only his own congregation, but also for other Christians, and even those lost people in his community and abroad.

4. SPOT THE NEED OF OTHERS

All throughout Paul's writings, we find him caring about other Christians and helping them. In fact, he often took up offerings for the poor saints. This is something that is greatly lacking among modern Pastors today who usually are paid large sums of money to Pastor churches, but often do not put a dime back into the offering plate to help the less fortune church members in his congregation. But there are oftentimes many Christians who come to church who have great needs, and it is the supposed to be the CHURCH that helps one another. Some verses on this are as follows:

Romans 15:25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

2 Corinthians 8:4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

2 Corinthians 9:1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

This "ministering" Paul speaks of was usually in the form of an offering unto the poor saints to help them in their affliction while they were suffering for Jesus. Sadly, many churches would rather give to the lost in the form of clothing, food, money, etc. before they would help those in their own church. It's not wrong to give. But shouldn't the Church come first? A good Pastor would be faithful in helping those in his own church and make sure their needs are met, before going to the lost world and helping the poor there. And any help given to the poor should be with the goal in mind of using that generosity to forward the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the poor.

5. LEAD THE CONGREGATION

Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

The Pastor is supposed to be the spiritual leader of the congregation. That is, he's supposed to lead the people according to the scriptures. But he's not to be a DICTATOR. People should follow him as he follows Christ. And if he's a good Pastor, he will learn how to EXHORT people, rather than EXTORT people.

We live in a day and age of many Pastors who abuse their spiritual authority, and try to pressure people to do certain things. Further, some are so dictatorial that they might even force people to do things against their will. Such a Pastor is not of a sound mind, nor is he a good example of a Christian. For Jesus never forced anyone to do anything against their own will.

A good Pastor knows how to preach the scriptures and encourage people to do right, but he knows that he can't make people do anything. They should live for Jesus and obey the scriptures because they want to, not because their Pastor makes them do so.

And the Pastor should LEAD his congreation. This means he should be doing what the scriptures say, and not just telling his congregation to do it, while he himself does nothing.

We live in an age of Pastors who have the mentality of "do what I say, not what I do!" This is a horrible example of a true servant of Jesus Christ. In fact, it's a PHARISEE! For Jesus said the following of those old religious leaders in Matthew 23:3-4...

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Be very careful of Pastors who are quick to tell you what to do, but they never do it themselves. Or, they preach against something, but they partake of that same thing themselves. Those types of Pastors are not fulfilling God's plan in their life, and are most likely nothing more than hirelings, who only care about themselves, and not the people of God.

Once again, the Pastor's job should be:

1. READ

2. FEED

3. INTERCEDE

4. SPOT THE NEED

5. LEAD

Is your Pastor fulfilling his ministry? If not, why not print up this small article and give it to your Pastor? Ask him to prayerfully consider this treatise. And plead with him to put God first, his congregation second, and himself last. For a true Pastor will always want what's best for his people before he gets what's best for himself.

Christian Nobility

Sitting in Church the other Sunday I sat under a preacher who taught us from the book of Nehemiah. He had some interesting points, but one of the things we read in the passage really hit home with me, and I quickly wrote down some notes in order to write this blog. First, let me give the passage below from Nehemiah chapter three:

1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.

2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.

3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.

5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.

In this passage we find the people of Israel returning from captivity to work together to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Now, Israel is not the church, nor vice versa. But we can spiritually apply this passage to the church today, and make some comparisons. The priests would be a type of modern day "Pastors," while the Israelite people rebuilding the wall would be a type of the "church congregation." And notice that they are all working together in harmony. That is all of them but those in verse 5, who, "put not their necks to the work of their Lord." At first I didn't know what this meant. I had to think about it. Then I figured it out. These "nobles" not only didn't do any work, but they also wouldn't even TURN THEIR HEADS to even look at the work. They just sat there on their rear ends, probably eating bon-bons, and drinking mint juleps! And they weren't interested in doing anything for God!

They were completely happy in their position of laziness and didn't care at all about the work of Lord. So much so, that they didn't even want to LOOK at the work of the Lord. They wanted others to do it all, while they themselves did nothing but enjoy the fruit of the labors of others.

Now, let's spiritually apply this literal, historical passage to the church today. Are there those in the church today who like the "nobility" of old who do the same? Do they, like most nobles, think they are more important than others, and for this reason, they don't need to get their hands dirty?

Sadly, there are such people in our churches today. They are usually that "upiddy, up" crowd in the church who's families for years have been in the church, and who think that because their daddy or granddaddy built the church, that they are more important to the church than anyone else (cause if it wasn't for their forefathers, there would be any church at all).

What's worse is when the Pastor caters to them, and esteems them higher than the "newer members," which elevates these "nobles" even more in their pride, which makes them look even more important to the church than anyone else.

But this is something that God is very much against. Revelation 2:6 tells us:

"But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

What were the deeds of the Nicolaitans? It was the practice of making two classes of Christians: those who were the most important and those who are looked upon as less important. The word Nicolaity is a compound word consisting of two words: Nico and Laity.

Nico or Nike was the God of "rights" of the people. He taught that certain people deserved some things while others didn't. And laity has to do with those people who are under others. It is from this term with get the word "laymen," or those who are not in a role of church leadership, and who are rather average church members.

This is nothing short of "class warfare" within the church house. For there are not two classes of Christians. There is only one. But in our age we see a great division among Church people. Especially with the teaching of "laymen" vs. "church workers." You know the teaching, in which certain people in the church are looked upon as "more important" than others, and those who don't do anything are only labelled as "laymen."

These then are the "nobility" in the church, who often feel that since they are so important, that they don't have to do anything, rather they should pass it on to others to do the work themselves. Pastors and deacons often fall into this category, as they demand worship from the congregation, but they themselves do nothing but count the offerings and enjoy the benefits of their position. They have converted themselves into the new "nobles."

I've seen it, and I'm sure you have too, that there always seems to be a "clique" in the church of those "rich" people or "popular" folks who run the church and hold much influence over the Pastor. Things always go their way, as they always win the vote to do things that they want done, (like what color the curtains and pews will be, like what types of festivals the church will celebrate, what kind of food people must bring for their fellowships, etc.)

This are the modern "nobility" who sway the actions of the Pastor and who though they themselves do nothing, they always want their names on the plaques on the walls because they give more to the church than anyone else.

But is this right? It's easy to spot such people, for they usually only brag upon themselves and/or on their church building, rather than on the Lord Jesus Christ. They put on a front that they are "noble" in character and lifestyle, but they are the ones who get the most angry when things don't go their way! And when they end up leaving a church during a church split, they are usually the ones who lead others away with them. Is this right?

As I read through Nehemiah, I couldn't help but chuckle. It appears the same type of people that were found in the congregation in Israel are found still today in our Churches. These are those who pass themselves off as "noble" people, who think they are too good to "turn their necks" to toil in the things of the Lord, especially when their desire is rather to "delegate" that job to others. Rather than work themselves, they enjoy the church pews, the church house, the fellowship, but they won't ever pass out a tract, visit other church members, witness to the lost, etc. They let others do it all, while they enjoy the benefits.

Like one old country preacher said of such people years ago, "I think the problem with a lot of church members is they caught a disease. It's called 'Buttroot!' Yeah, they don't do anything but sit on the church pew and because they've sat there so long, their BUTT done ROOTed to the pew. They don't do anything but sit there, and they think if it wasn't for them, the church wouldn't be there!"

There's your "Christian nobility." Just like those nobles of old in the time of Nehemiah, they sat there and did nothing while everyone else did the work. Maybe we should call it "Neckroot disease." For they, like the Israelite nobility, can't seem to even "turn their necks" to see the great need in the world today, especially for the lost world to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The SIN of Using Profanity, i.e. Cussing or Cursing

Is it wrong to cuss? That's an interesting question, especially when so many who claim to be Christians today do so time and again, oftentimes using profanity, words of anger, put downs, slanderous accusations, and hateful rhetoric.

What does the Bible say about such methods of speaking to, or maybe I should say speaking down, to others.

Well, the Bible has much to say on the subject, as a matter of fact. And it instructs us to abstain from such malicious practices. In other words, it is SIN to use profanity.

Let's look at some verses on this.

In 2 Timothy chapter two, we read:

14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Notice what this says. It tells to avoid "PROFANE babblings." What are profane babblings? Profanity!

We further read that we should not "strive" to use these profane words, as they are unprofitable. And we are told that if a person uses profanity he "will increase unto more ungodliness." In other words, the more you CUSS, the more CARNAL you will become!

As we continue reading the context of 2 Timothy chapter two, we come to verse 19, which states:

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.

This means that it is "INQUITY" or "SIN" to use profanity!

In Ephesians chapter four and verse 29 we read the following command to Christians:

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

What are "corrupt communications?" Why they are profane things which come out of your mouth that are not used to edify, rather to destroy.

In the context of this verse, we read the following verses:

Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

Notice that there is a contrast between "righteousness" and "wrath." And we are commanded not to lie, rather to speak the truth. We are further commanded not "SIN" while we are "angry." Why is this? Becuase those who use profanity usually do so out of ANGER, and being full of WRATH, they take out their rage on others. This too is SIN! And it's giving place to the Devil.

This is why we are commanded in Ephesians 4:31 to:

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Notice it's called "evil speaking." Why? Because cussing, or using profanity is EVIL! It is evil words coming out of an evil man's heart! And it's usually in bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, or malice. But it not just the attitude that is evil, but the actual words as well.

In Colossians 3:8 we are further commanded:

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Notice God is against "filthy communication." This is the use of "dirty words." God does not like this, nor does he like people telling dirty jokes.

So how should a Christian speak? That's easy. The following verses tell us plainly:

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

God wants us to speak with GRACE, not with ANGER. He wants us to speak in LOVE, not in HATE or WRATH. We are supposed to speak with scripture, not with harsh and painful words designed only to wound and damage.

Thus, allow me to reiterate. To use profanity is a SIN! It's wrong to cuss, whether it be in everyday speak or as a put down towards others. It's wrong to curse whether it be an object or a person. IT IS SIN!

The question then must be asked. Are you guilty of the sin of using profanity?