The Spirit of the Pharisee

I've been reading through the gospels a lot lately, and I'm seeing something that's very interesting as I look at the Pharisees. They were supposed to be the Spiritual leaders of their day, but they were corrupt, deceitful, and dirty in both heart and mind. The practiced tradition rather than what the Bible taught and they did everything for their own self-agrandizement and political gain. It was obvious they didn't care about the people they were supposed to be ministering to. In short, they had a form of godliness, but they denied the power thereof.

This is why when Jesus showed up they hated him. It's because he would not be corrupted as they were. We was not political nor was he interested in exalting them and their elistist group mentality. He viewed them as a bunch of great big PHONIES, SINNERS, and HYPOCRITES. It's because he pegged them for what they really were.

Is it no wonder then that we read the following in John 7 :1, "After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him."

Because of who they were and what they wanted to do to Jesus, he had to separate himself form them. That is to say, the Pharisees were so wicked and vile in their hearts (and remember their sins were INWARD, for they often made it a point to appear sinless in the eyes of men OUTWARDLY) that they wanted to CRUCIFY Jesus. They wanted Him DEAD! Why? Because he pricked their hearts. His standing against them made them so angry they wanted to completely give in to the basest desires of their flesh and KILL Jesus rather than endure him and his constant ignoring them and not giving them the worship they so badly desired.

They prided themselves on what they did for God. Yet they never dealth with the fact that didn't know God, didn't serve God of a pure heart, and belonged to a group that consistenly chose fame, fortune, and fellowship with man over a close relationship with God.

They were religious people who were carnal and its because of them being so they wanted to MURDER those who wouldn't recognize them as they wished to be viewed.

As I thought on this, it wasn't hard for me to make a correlation to the modern Church and it's religious leaders. The Church today is FULL of modern day Pharisees. I've seen them time and again. Haven't you?

They are easy to spot. They all have the same spirit. And it's not the Spirit of Christ.

So what is the spirit of a Pharisee? Let's look at some defining factors of the Pharisees to find out.

THE CARNAL vs. THE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF THE PHARISEE

The first thing we notice about the Pharisees of Jesus' day is they are all lost. They've never been regenerated. They might be claiming to be leaders of God, but they didn't know God. They were not saved. Thus, they were still in their old carnal, sinful nature. Is it then no wonder Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again!" Jesus could see their hearts and he saw a group who didn't care about truth, they only cared about control. They did not serve God out of conviction but rather out of convience. And they were not converted. They were still in their old fallen nature, desiring as little tyrants to rule over the people rather than to truly minister to them.

Jesus said of this crowd that they were then blind spiritually. And this love of their position in which they held lead to them not wanting to humble themselves to the will of God. The were prideful.

This is important. For pride is what damned the Devil. He thought he was better than God so he should just take God's place. The Pharisees felt the same, for when Jesus showed up -- God manifest in the flesh -- they wanted him dead, cause they thought they could do a better job at governing than he could. They were self-righteous and for this reason they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God.

The Pharisees of today often have this exact same spirit. I'm not saying that all religious leaders of today are lost. Some might very well be born again, but it's interesting to look at these men and see that same self-righteous attitude in them, that same spirit of I'm a leader and I'm above reproach cause I'm of God! Yet, in the flesh they continually brag only upon themselves and their group, and they are quick to crucify anyone who doesn't go along with them and their traditions. Truly, they are carnal and quick to allow their flesh to rule them, even ridiculing others who don't do things they same way they do. I often wonder if Jesus would have come in our day instead of in the times of the Jews, if the modern Pharisees would not have crucified Jesus as well. For they seem to have the same spirit.

THE PHARISEES WOULD NOT LISTEN TO EXHORTATION

When Jesus spoke, the Bible says he spake as one having authority and not as the scribes (Mark 1:22). In other words, his speech was different than theirs. Why is this? It's because he spake the TRUTH while they were busy speaking lies.

The Pharisees didn't like to hear the truth. They wanted to be the ones who were right and try to claim that everyone else was wrong. So when Jesus showed up on the scene and exposed them for what they were, religious hypocrites who preached for vain glory, he warned the people about them. He further told them what they really were, going so far as to say they were a "generation of vipers."

Jesus wasn't the only one to tell the Pharisees the truth. Peter did as well. And so did Stephen. And in Acts 7:57 we find that the Pharisees, "Stopped their ears." That is they put their fingers in their ears like a bunch of little school children, rather than sit and listen to the truth when it pointed out their sins. And what did they do? They MURDERED Stephen in cold blood. They couldn't handle the truth. They would rather shut some one up rather than let him tell the truth about them.

In Jesus' day the same is true. They wanted to KILL him for no other crime than his telling them the TRUTH. Why was this? Because the truth exposed them as wrong. It further showed they were what the people really knew they were while they were trying so hard to pretend to be something different.

And, Jesus' preaching of the truth angered them greatly because it made them look bad. (Notice Pharisees only care about themselves and their group and anything that exposes them for what they truly are makes them want to murder others).

In Matthew 15:12 we read: "Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?"

Notice the Pharisees are also easily offended. We see this same spirit in the Pharisees of today. They are easily offended by truth. They cannot receive criticism. They cannot receive instruction. They will not even examine themselves and what they believe in light of the Scriptures to see if what they teach is true. They must immediately denounce their critics and in the flesh seek to destroy them. Why? Because this is the first instinct of the flesh and a flesh-driven person. Just like their great-great-great-great, etc. grandfather Cain, who was of that wicked one, their hearts are full of hatred and malice, and they want to KILL anyone who simply questions them, their works, or their beliefs. Their hearts are full of murder. And although modern day Pharisees might not literally kill someone they don't agree with, they are quick to crucify them with words and attack them mercilessly. That leads us to my next point.

THE PHARISEES LIVE ONLY TO ATTACK OTHERS THEY DEEM A THREAT TO THEM AND THEIR GROUP

The spirit of the Pharisees is a spirit of contention. And though the Bible teaches that we should earnestly contend for the faith, we find no where in the Scriptures that we are supposed to be contending just for the fun of contending. Nor do we find that our contending should be in the flesh. Neither are we to contend with others just to exalt ourselves. Biblical contention is to contend for doctrine not to contend just to exalt a man who calls himself a doctor. In other words, it's to defend God's truth rather than man's truth. And in scriptures, we find that there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. The scriptures tell us to "speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15) and in a "kind and tenderhearted" manner (Eph. 4:32). Why is this? It because we are supposed to exercise "brotherly love" and perfer others in "honor" (Rom. 12:10) as we "esteem others" better than ourselves" (Phil. 2:3). Yet, this is exactly what the Pharisees will not do. It's because they think only of themselves and because they are so self-righteous, they believe they are right and everyone else is wrong. It's because of this, they love to argue, ridicule, and belittle others. It makes them feel good about themselves. They love to put others down because it lifts them up. Because they are in the flesh, they want so badly to appeal to the flesh of others and in the flesh make their enemies appear to be inferior to them. This is why they toil endlessly in trying to discredit others. They want people to only follow them. They want to be viewed as the authority and anyone who doesn't exalt them and their group must be eradicated.

In Jesus' day we read time and again that the Pharisees came to Jesus over and over with the intention of trying to tempt him. They further tried to provoke a rise out of him, hoping he too would sink to their level so he would attack them in return. They further sought to push him so hard that it would get him to say something they could use against him. This way they could attack him even the more and claim his word and doctrine was heresy. They wanted so badly to use his own words against him to try to sway the people in thier favor.

Now apply this to the modern day Pharisees. You know anyone like this? I do. Pulpits are filled with men who claim to be Pastors of flocks and Ministers who rather than exhort others spend their days attacking, oftentimes resorting to the childish practice of name-calling towards their enemies in an attempt to mock them and make them look stupid. But where are the fruits of the Spirit in this? They aren't there. That's a FLESHLY practice that is a true sign of a Pharisee.

In the Bible we are instructed how to deal with others. And if someone be overtaken in a "fault" or in "false doctrine" we are not supposed to cuss at them and call them names. Rather, we are to encourage such people to do right, and "restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1).

Pharisees never do this. They don't consider themselves or do they have the spirit of meekness. Theirs is a critical spirit in which they look at themselves and their group as right and everyone else is wrong. And, rather than take the scriptures to show unto others the truth, they only appeal to the flesh in giving into their basest desires in attacking those with whom they don't agree. Where is the Spirit of Christ in this?

THE PHARISEES FIND STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

An interesting thing about the Pharisees is they are almost always found together. They like to be in a group. Not only do they live of the flesh and by the flesh, but they enjoy the company of other flesh. They are men worshippers. They worship themselves, and they worship men within their ranks whom they themselves deem worthy of special estimation. And because there is so much man worshipping man, man becomes the measure of all things. And the group quickly becomes a movement that devotes its time to exalting those within its group rather than exalting God.

Oh, they might say they are of God, but when you actually examine the group, you find that they follow each other more often than following God. They even stick up for one another and even cover one another's sins. Just look at the story of Jesus in John chapter 8. Some Pharisees came to Jesus with some stones in their hands and brought a woman taken in adultery (always thinking about killing, they were). They wanted to kill that woman, but Jesus wrote something on the ground that made them run off with their tails between their legs. What did he write? We might never know, but some theorize he simply wrote the verse which they tried to quote in allowing them to stone an adulterer. If that be the case, the verse says that both the MAN and the WOMAN under the law were to be stoned. Where was the man who committed adultery with that woman? Was it one of the Pharisees? We might never know. But Jesus' written note to them was so strong it convicted their hearts and made them drop their rocks and walk away. Some think it was because THEY were the adulterers. Who knows. But at any rate, they were protecting the man who adulterated by not bringing him as well. Pharisees will always do this. They will always protect their own. They have a mentality of "us first!" Their fellowship and society is not unlike Satan's many different "secret societies" in which men enter and defend their group no matter the cost. Yet they don't realize their membership cost them their soul.

We find that Pharisees often will never go against the status quo of their own camp. That is, they have a collectivism mentality. They do what's best for the group, and anything that isn't good for the group must be forbidden. This leads to much intimidation within their ranks, in which people who join them often find themselves in bondage to their system. They must conform or die. Or at least face ridicule for not following everyone else's way of doing things.

This leads to a very damnable society, one in which it makes it very hard to leave. Especially, if the whole becomes corrupt. For the more corrupt it becomes, the more devious its followers will be and the more malicious they will behave themselves towards those who of their own accord desire to leave their ranks in order to follow the truth, rather than corruption.

A good example of this is Nicodemus. The Bible tells us in John chapter 3 that he went by night all by himself to speak with Jesus. Why did he do this? I'm sure he feared ridicule by his peers for speaking with someone that they all viewed as the enemy. So in order to speak with Jesus, he went alone, in a time when he hoped no one would see him.

Notice how Phariseeism leads to fear. And as the Bible says, "The fear of man bringeth a snare" (Prov. 29:25).

The spirit of the Pharisee, then, is the spirit of "Convert to us and our group or die!" And this is ultimately what all Pharisees and their Phariseeical groups become--religious systems in which people must obey the laws of the group upon threat of ridicule, excommunication, and even death. See the Catholic Church and the Spanish Inquisition, the Masonic Lodge, The Illuminati, etc.

Sadly, modern day Christianity has become very Phariseeical and we are seeing the same spirit of those Pharisees of old running rampant today in modern Christian circles, denominations, and Churches. Even in my denomination, Independent Baptist, do we find this spirit of the Pharisees. And many of my peers are in a sad type of spiritual bondage in which they are afraid to come out and face the truth. For even questioning some of the things they have been taught could lead to loss of friends, support, fellowship, etc. Further, it could open one's self up to attack from others who portray this spirit of the Pharisees. For this reason they stay quiet and don't want to look at the corruption within their ranks.

As for me, I don't want anything to do with Pharisees. As I read the Bible, I'm faced with the same theme over and over again. It goes like this. A man starts out with God, but then he gets some followers. Eventually, they build a movement, but then it becomes a huge mass which eventually apostasies and falls headlong into corruption. God then sends a man to preach against it, and he then gets some followers and starts a movement that eventually apostasizes the bigger it gets and it becomes a corrupt Phariseeical organization, so then God has to send another man to come along and preach against that and the whole cycle begins anew.

But one thing I've noticed. God can do so much with just one man who's completly sold out to him, while a huge group who has the spirit of the Pharisee, although they might appear in the eyes of others to be doing a mighty work for God, is really not doing much but building a movement which eventually and consistently turns against God.

That's why it appears to me that the best thing to do in order to not have the spirit of a Pharisee is to separate yourself from men and their Phariseeical groups and just walk in the Spirit of God, serving him of a pure heart.

Are their Pharisees alive and well today? YOU BET YOUR LIFE THERE ARE! And they are everywhere! But at least now you know how to spot them. They are easy to find. For they are the ones who continually brag about themselves and what they do, exalting and magnifying men and their group rather than Jesus. They are continually in the flesh, and it shows as they have no charity whatsoever, and are quick to get offended. They also love to attack others and in the flesh ridicule and mock them, even calling them dirty and hateful names. And finally, they are those who faced with the truth would rather KILL you then hear what you have to say.

What's needed is someone to preach against them, their sin(s), and their apostate practices. Who is that man? In the Old Testament, it was many different prophets. What did they get for their service to God in preaching against corruption? Stoned, ridiculed, mocked, imprisioned, and even killed. But then Jesus showed up. What did he do? He preached against the Pharisees. What did they do? They crucified him!

So we see that it's not easy to go against the Pharisees and corruption. Yet, if you truly love God, then shouldn't you choose the Spirit of Christ rather than the spirit of the Pharisee?

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.

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?

Focusing on Each Other Instead of Focusing on the Issue

I think probably the greatest tool that Satan has is to get people's eyes off of what's happening and getting people's eyes on one another.

As I watch American Politics, I see this is exactly what's happening today with the whole "debt" issue. Democrats are against Republicans and will not pass or sign anything they put out. Republicans are the same way. Thus, they only do what's best for their party. They focus on EACH OTHER instead of on the important ISSUE. They are not interested in what's right and what's best for the country. They are only intersested in themselves and furthering their political careers. Because of this, they are at a standstill, a deadlock, neither one wanting to give an inch, and neither one wanting to compromise with the other. Thus, Satan has won, as nothing can be done.

And who suffers for it? The American People.

Sadly, there is politics in the Church as well. And, all too often this politics mirrors the national politics in Washington. Just as politicians focus on one another rather than on the issue, so too Pastors, Missionaries, Evangelists, etc. focus on one another. And often, they are only interested in making themselves or their "camp" or "Bible College affiliation" look good, while lamblasting and putting down others. This is why there is so much bitter infighting among "Independent Baptist" Preachers. They don't get along, and it's because they focus on EACH OTHER rather than on the differences that supposedly divide them.

Instead of having Bible Studies and looking at truth, and discussing it, most Indies (what I call Independent Baptists) will not even crack open their Bibles and look at it with other ministers. They claim to be Bible Believers, but they refuse to have Bible Studies with others.

Instead they focus on the man himself. Once they find something they can use as an excuse to make someone they don't like look bad, or find a way to make them look not as spiritual as themselves, or somehow make them look stupid, then they can write that person off, and not even look at what that person is teaching. But what if that person has a good point?

The Independent Baptist's answer is: "So what! Who Cares!" And the person is blackballed and his doctrine, ideas, and words are not even looked at.

This is sad, but this is rampant in our churches today. Instead of unity in Christ and uniting around what the Scriptures teach, there is much dissention and division in Christian circles, and very little charity.

I speak from experience. This is what happened to me. I was part of a big Independent Baptist movement. But someone lied about me, and told people I was crazy and such. They said, "Bro. Breaker is against PRAYER all together!"

But that is simply not so. However, because they said it, and they focused on ME instead of on my teaching (which is nothing more than sound Bible Doctrine), I was blackballed and they told those within their group not to even listen to me at all. The focus was on ME, not on the scriptures.

Next, they told people things like, "Breaker has gone off the deep end!"

And finally, they LIED by saying that I called my old Pastor a "heretic." But I never said such a thing. Those were words that a person tried to put in my mouth that I never uttered.

Thus, the focus was on me, not on my teaching. I was a "crazy person" teaching false doctrine in their eyes, and I was ridiculed, mocked, and made fun of. But never once was what I was teaching looked at by any of them.

However, what I was teaching was nothing more than what I was taught from the Bible by the very man who turned against me! I went back and read his commentaries, his tracts, even a letter of his to my own father, and they all confirmed that what he once taught is what I'm teaching, and that I was not the one who changed.

The problem was that he and his croonies had changed and I had not. But I could not turn the focus on them. They would not allow it. If I tried to say, "You have changed your position," then I was labeled the crazy person who was speaking foolishly and the heretic that no one should listen to. They even attacked my credibility, and claimed I wasn't a Pastor, I never led anyone to the Lord, and I never started any Churches in Honduras.

That was fine with me. If they wanted to lie about me and discredit me, not problem. I know it's a lie and so does Jesus. But it does hurt some, especially since they were drawing a line and pushing me across it and telling others not to go along with me in anything.

Truly, I can't wait till the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that God will show them they were wrong.

But that's not important now. What is important is the issue itself.

The Issue once more is this, "Can a person be saved by prayer, and is it possible for a person to be tricked into trusting in their Prayer rather than trusting in Jesus Christ's shed blood alone for salvation?"

The answer is: "No on is saved by their prayer, and YES A PERSON CAN BE DECEIVED INTO THINKING THEIR PRAYER SAVES THEM!" This is exactly what happened to me. It also happened to my wife, and it's happened to many others.

In our day and age of "shallow soulwinning" in which a "soul winner" gives a person a presentation of only three or four verses from the Roman's road and then quickly pressures them to "Repeat a Prayer," it is common to see people tricked or deceived into thinking they are saved BY their prayer. That is they think the prayer itself is the SAVING MEDIUM.

This leads to a person eventually doubting whether they are saved or not, and the remedy for this by those same "soul winners" is for them to just "say the Prayer over again for ASSURANCE." Oftentimes, people pray the prayer over and over again night after night, HOPING they'll be saved because of it. But are they? Are they?

That's the issue, but nobody will touch it. Nobody wants to think that Churches are full of people like I was, who might have sincerely prayed a prayer, but have never been born again. It's because they are trusting in what they've DONE (their prayer), and not in what Jesus DID FOR THEM (in dying on the cross in their place for their sins.)

This "1-2-3, repeat after me" type of soulwinning often does more harm than good, as it does not give a clear presentation of the Gospel. Often, many are left thinking their prayer saves them. But where is this in the Bible? People like this are not saved. They cannot be. For if they trust their prayer, then they trust their own righteousness, and not Christ's alone.

But where are those faithful ministers of the Gospel who are pointing this out? They are few and far between. They don't want to "rock the boat." They just want to go along with what everyone else is doing, especially when it's easy to get a person to "repeat a prayer" and doing so makes it easier to "BRAG UPON YOURSELF and HOW GOOD OF A SOUL WINNER YOU ARE!" (Modern Christianity has become a "braggers club" and it's no longer about Jesus and what he's done for Sinners, rather it's about you and what you do for Jesus.)

So we see the focus is not on the Issue, rather on the man. People who talk like I do, are looked upon as "anti-soul winning." But that's not the case! I am very much for Soul Winning! I'm just against doing it in a shallow manner in which a person can end up deceived into thinking they are saved when they aren't!

But very few want to look at this issue. It's just easier to label someone a "Calvinist" who doesn't do things the same way you do. (I'm very much against Calvinism, by the way!).

So who gets hurt when the focus turns from the issue itself to attacking each other personally? Why lost Sinner's of course. They are the ones losing out. For they are left LOST and still going to Hell, but no one seems to care enough about them to make sure they are presenting them the Gospel clearly, and instructing them plainly to TRUST THE BLOOD OF JESUS ALONE for salvation.

But I care. I care a lot about lost souls. I truly want them to be saved. I also care about lost religious people who think they are saved, but aren't. I want to see them saved as well.

But once again, when I say something like that, the PHARISEES will bypass the issue and go straight to focusing on me, saying things like, "Oh, you just want to talk people out of their salvation! That's all you are interested in."

But that's not true at all! If a person is saved, I don't want to cause doubt. However, at the same time, as I read the scriptures, I see that a person who is saved will have assurance. So could it be that those who don't have assurance aren't saved to begin with, and they are the ones who truly need to be saved?

In closing, it's sad to see how focusing on each other instead of on the issue itself has led not only to the downfall of America and its economy, but also to the downfall of the Church as well. Because "politicians," both secular and religious, would rather play their silly games and exalt themselves in the eyes of others, people get hurt. In American politics, those who get hurt are the American taxpayers, who are asked to pay higher taxes for the stupid spending of those in power. But why should we have to pay for their mistakes and mismanagement funds?

In the religious world, the pride of ministers wanting to be looked upon as right while everyone else is wrong has led to a false gospel and a deceitful plan of salvation which gets a Sinner to DO something with their lips, without trusting only in what Jesus has DONE from the heart. And, even though this method makes the soul winner look good in the eyes of the "brethren" by counting how many people he's gotten to "repeat him in prayer," it doesn't really get a lot of folks truly saved. Instead, lost people suffer for it, as many of them get a false assurance of salvation, thinking they are going to heaven based upon their prayer, rather than on the Biblical means of faith from the heart.

Sadly, the issue is never dealt with. Politicians don't deal with the national debt, and get it paid off completely, and most Preachers don't deal with man's sin debt, pointing him to the shed blood of Christ that paid for it.

Instead, they are happy attacking on another, exalting themselves, and forgetting about the important issues.

Truly the Judgment will be terrifying for such men who only care about themselves rather than truly caring about others enough to deal with the issue so that they might be saved.

For more about THE REAL ISSUE of salvation and the sad deception of deceiving people into trusting their PRAYERS instead of in Christ Jesus' bloody PROPITIATION for man's sins, go to:

http://www.rrb3.com/mypub/books/hrsy_sin_pryr.htm

This deals with the ISSUE at hand.

Bringing Men to Christ

I love old books! When I'm out and about I love to stop at Antique Shops, Flea Markets, Book stores, and more, looking for old literature. The older the better, for modern books don't give you as much information as those of old.

My recent find was a book by R.A. Torrey from 1893, entitled, "How to Bring Men to Christ."

It his preface, the author writes: "This book is written because it seems to be needed. The author has been repeatedly requested by Ministers...Christian Workers, and his own students to put into a permanent and convenient shape the substance of what he has said at Conventions, Summer Schools, and in the classroom on personal work. The time has come to yield to these requests..."

When I read that I was stupified. He said that there was a NEED to write a book about how to bring men to Christ. Why would he say this? Didn't Christians in his day know how to bring men to Christ? I mean, shouldn't they know how to win souls? Obviously many of them didn't.

The author continues: "...Never before in the history of the Church were there so many who desire to win others to Christ... But while they desire to do this work, many do not know how. This little book aims to tell them."

What a confession! In 1893, the notable evangelist R. A. Torrey said that there were many that wanted to win souls, but very few that actually knew how to do so!

If that was true in 1893, I wonder what things are like today? Could there many in our day who also don't know how to win souls to Christ? Are there even any left who desire to see souls saved?

Obviously, we are in a time of apostasy. That means there are very few who have the truth. And, there are even fewer still who are preaching it.

The Independent Baptist Movement wants us to think that they are the last "bastillon of orthodoxy" and only they are holding up the truth amidst a day of darkness, as they are the only denomination left that hasn't fallen head-long into apostasy. But sadly, they too are apostate in many of their practices, especially in that of evangelism, as they are now preaching the same apostate Gospels that many other denominations are teaching. They are "BLOODLESS GOSPELS" which entirely omit the blood of Jesus Christ.

In short, there are more modern day "soul winners" that are damning souls then there are actually winning souls to Jesus.

This is undeniable, as the church is not growing, instead the world is growing wickeder, and there are less people in our churches than ever before. Yet, Independent Baptists, among almost all other denominations, are still bragging on how many souls they've won, and how big their "Mega-churches" are. But, if this is so, why aren't those souls they claim to have won changed? And, why aren't they in church? Why is it they are still in the world doing the same things they did before? And why isn't the world getting better if there are so many souls being won, as many denominations claim?

Let's look at what the Bible says and then at what modern day "soul winners" are saying.

In the Bible, the Gospel is found in 1 Cor. 15:1-4. There, it states:

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Here the scriptures tell us exactly what the Gospel is. It has five points, just as our Lord had five bleeding wounds. They are clearly seen in the above verses:

1. Christ died

2. On the cross

3. Was buried

4. Rose again

5. According to the Scriptures

This is the true Gospel, and one can't look at it without clearly understanding that it's Bloody. It's not about man and what he's supposed to do or not do. It's about Jesus, and what HE DID for man. He died a bloody death, crucified on a blood-stained cross, shedding every drop for our sins. He was then buried in the very same blood-soaked ground he died on, and then he rose again after three days to put his blood on the mercy-seat in heaven. And he did all of this, according to the scriptures, which prophecied of him in type with the death of sacrificial lambs mandated by the Old Testament law.

In short, the Gospel is BLOODY, and it's all about Jesus Christ and his SHED BLOOD for our sins to offer us forgiveness and eternal life, which we obtain not of works, but by simple FAITH in Jesus' bloody payment for our sins in our place!

But is this what is being taught today by modern soul winners? Unfortunately it is not. They quite often leave out the blood of Jesus in their presentation of what they call the "plan of salvation." Instead of stressing a sinner's need to trust Jesus' blood atonement for their sins on their behalf, most "soul winners" of today instruct Sinners to only do one of the following:

Repeat a Sinner's Prayer

Ask Jesus to Save them

Invite or Ask Jesus into their hearts

Beg Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins

Make their commitment to Christ

These are common sayings from many modern day "soul winners," but are they Biblical? Are any of these the true Gospel of salvation? According to the Bible, they most certainly are not! For they all have one thing in common, THEY LEAVE OUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, and MAN'S FAITH IN IT ALONE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS. These then are BLOODLESS GOSPELS, devised by men to get sinners to DO something, rather than simply rest by faith in what Jesus has DONE for them 2000 years ago. They, then, are damnable heresies which twist the emphasis from Jesus to man himself. And they will save no one.

Oftentimes, so-called modern day soul winners will simply tell a Sinner to be saved all he has to do is "call" upon Jesus. They take Rom. 10:13 as their main text, (instead of 1 Cor. 15:1-4), and teach that this "calling" is only through prayer. But to do so, they wrestle the word of God to their own destruction. For in the scriptures, calling upon God for salvation is by FAITH, not by a vocal prayer alone. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT CALLING UPON GOD BIBLICALLY

This is important, as many of those today which brag about being "soul winners" don't make this distinction. In fact, they don't do much more than just quote Rom. 10:13, and then tell a Sinner they are saved by their prayer. This leads to a Sinner, if and when he doubts he is saved (which he will do, because he's not saved if he's not trusting the finished work of Christ alone), to simply repeat a prayer over again until he feels like God heard him. Sinners who believe they are saved by prayer never have assurance of salvation (something the scriptures say all true believers should have), so they often times pray the prayer again, many times every night of their lives before bed, hoping some how each mystical enchantation will give them eternal life. This leads to them doubting their salvation, as they never know for certain if they are saved. This is why they pray the prayer again, over and over.

And, many of those who do this are the very same people who claim to be "soul winners." It's all they know, and they go out instructing others to do what they have done. (Notice, it's all about what they have done, not about what Jesus did for them).

Maybe this is why in Chapter one of R. A. Torrey's book, "How to Bring Men to Christ," he says: "There are certain general conditions, the fulfilment of which is absolutely essential to real success in bringing men to Christ. These conditions, fortunately, are few and simple and such as any one can meet. First, The one who would have real success in bringing others to Christ must himself be a THOROUGHLY CONVERTED PERSON."

This is so important! For how can you get others saved if you are not saved yourself? Sadly, it appears that many of those who claim to be Christians today are not saved. They have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof (i.e. the BLOOD OF JESUS). They might be making "converts" but they are not truly, nor "thoroughly converted," for they oftentimes end up trusting in the prayer they SAID, instead of the blood God SHED.

If anyone doubt this, just ask anyone who claims to be a "Christian" what their testimony is, and you'll be surprised to see how very few will tell you they are trusting the finished work (i.e. the shed blood) of Jesus Christ. Instead, they'll say things like, "Well, I said the prayer," or "I asked Jesus into my heart," or "I commited my life to Him," or "I asked God to forgive me my sins."

But all of these things can be done by man without trusting in what Jesus did for him. Why do they all consistenly leave out the blood? And why are they trying to do something to be saved instead of simply resting by faith in what Jesus did for them?

I'm not saying that all those who claim to be "Christians" are lost. I'm not saying that. But I am saying that not all those who claim to be "Christians" are saved! There are countless millions of people who label themselves as Christians, that are religious but lost.

These people need the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, for they've been dooped into thinking they can obtain salvation by something they do; some religious ritual they must perform.

They truly need someone to show them how to come to Christ the right way-the Bible way-through FAITH in His bloody sacrifice as sufficient to forgive them of their sins.

Mr. Torrey wrote a good book, but he too left out the blood on many occasions in his illustrations and verses to present a Sinner in his many different ways to "come to Christ." However, he did redeem himself on page 34, when he said, "The way of salvation can be made plain by the use of Exod. 7:7,13, and 23. These verses show that it was the blood that made the Israelites safe and just so it is to-day the blood that makes us safe, and when God sees the blood he passes over us. The only thing for us to do is to get behind the blood. Then show the inquirer that the way to be behind the blood is by simple faith in Jesus Christ."

Have you come to the cross of Calvary and trusted the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone for salvation? Romans 3:25 says, "Whom God set forth to be a propitiation, THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD..." Is Jesus your propitiation? Have you trusted his blood for the forgiveness of your sins? If not, why not?

Or, are you one of those who prays the prayer every night, each time hoping somehow you'll get assurance and know you are on your way to heaven? If so, you can be saved and know it. You can be ASSURED of your place in heaven. Just trust the shed blood of Jesus.

It's clear that anyone can pray a prayer. But just because a man approaches God and speaks to him doesn't mean he's saved. Salvation is by heart-felt faith in the finished work of Christ. Any man who approaches God outside of believing upon him for salvation is not saved! Thus, they need to be brought to Christ. How? Through the Blood!!!

CLICK HERE TO READ MY BOOK THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS

The Lie about Lucifer

I've heard quite often the blantant lie that is being propogated today by many so-called "Scholars" that the passage of scripture in Isaiah 14 which speaks of "Lucifer" does not apply to the Devil or Satan. On source states:

"Lucifer, used as a name for the Devil, is not found in the Bible. There is only one reference to Lucifer in the Bible (Isa. 14:12), and it does not refer to Satan, but to the king of Babylon."

The truth of the matter is the passage does apply to Satan. But it also applies to the king of Babylon as well. In other words, it's written literally to the King of Babylon, but it's also written spiritually to the Devil inside of Him. Thus, it does apply to Satan.

As we look at Isaiah chapter 14, we can't deny there are some verses which apply literally to the King of Babylon, the man, at the time it was written. But as we look at other verses we find they can only apply to Satan, who was once known as Lucifer. For example we read:

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Did the King of Babylon literally fall from heaven (vs 12)? Nope!

Who is the "son of the morning?" Why it's Satan. And he was cast down to earth when he fell from heaven.

Who said, "I will ascend and exalt my throne above the stars of God..." You might say, "Well, the King of Babylon could have said that!"

True. He could have said it. But he couldn't of done it. Only Satan, who can travel to heaven before the throne of God and back (See the book of Job) can literally ascend into heaven.

And who shall be brought down to hell? Surely the King of Babylon died and went to hell. But the Bible teaches us that the Devil will also be brought into Hell.

To say that Isaiah chapter 14 only speaks of the King of Babylon and has nothing to do with Lucifer or Satan is a blatant lie. And those who propogate this, whether knowingly or unknowingly, are guilty of covering up for Satan and trying to hide the fact that the word "Lucifer" applies to the Devil. Who would do such a thing?

Don't you think the Devil appreciates it when people help cover up his name? Especially since so many today are worshippers of "Lucifer." You see it's easier to call yourself a worshipper of "Lucifer" than a worshipper of "Satan" or the "Devil."

The truth is Lucifer is Satan, and the passage in Isaiah 14 does apply to him. And to prove it, let's go to Ezekiel chapter 28. There we read of the prophet prophecying against the King of Tyrus. (Just like Isaiah prophecies against the King of Babylon in Isa. 14). In the passage we read the following:

12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Notice here we read of the "anointed cherub" (vs 14). Is that the King of Tyrus? Or could it instead be Satan or Lucifer? Whoever it was, he was in the Garden of Eden (vs 13). Does that sound like the King of Tyrus? Was he there with Adam and Eve? OF COURSE NOT!!!

The passage, although written to the King of Tyrus was a message to Satan, who was upon the mountain of God (vs 16), and who was full of wisdom (vs 12), and who corrupted himself (vs 17) because of his iniquity (vs 15) and who fell.

As we read verse 17, we find him being cast to the ground and laid before kings so they might behold him. This sounds a lot like what we read in Isaiah 14. So what we see is God speaking to the Devil or Lucifer through his prophet, who addresses Satan through the King of Tyrus, just as Ezekiel addressed Lucifer through the King of Babylon.

Without a doubt, Lucifer is Satan! And anyone who says otherwise is either completely ignorant of the Bible and how to read cross-references, or is in cahoots with Lucifer and is trying to hide the fact that the word "Lucifer" (which many downgrade by saying only means "Light-bearer") is a name for Satan himself. Which is it? You decide.

The Seven Pillars of A Christian Life

I heard a great message at Church today in which the Pastor showed what he called the seven pillars of a Christian life, and the importance of all Christians practicing these seven pillars, otherwise they will fall. His text was from 2 Peter 1:5-8:

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

And, I'm sure you can discern from the passage exactly what those seven pillars are that we should add to our faith. They are:

1. virtue

2. knowledge

3. temperance

4. patience

5. godliness

6. brotherly kindness

7. brotherly charity

VIRTUE

The Pastor then said each Christian should learn these things in order. And, as we started looking at each one, I suddenly realized I didn't really know what virtue was. I mean, I used it in sentences before, and I've read the word in the Bible, especially when it speaks of a virtuous woman. But if someone asked me to define the word, I wouldn't know how to define it. So I looked it up in the Webster's 1828 dictionary when I got home. I found it means:

1. Strength

2. Bravery; valor.

3. Moral Goodness The practice of moral duties and the abstaining from vice, or a conformity of life and conversation to the moral law. In this sense, virtue may be, and in many instances must be distinguished from RELIGION. The practice of moral duties merely from motives of conveniences, or from complusion, or from regard to reputation, is VIRTUE, as distinct from religion. The practice of moral duties from sincere love to God and his laws, is virtue... Virtue is nothing but voluntary obedience to truth.

As I thought on this, I gleaned a great truth. Religion is doing something for God because you are COMPELLED to do so, while virtue is doing right because you want to. What a great difference!

How sad to me in our day there are so few Christians there are out there in modern Fundamentalism who have true virtue. Many of them are instead religious, as they might serve God, but they do so because their Pastors force them to, or compel them to, browbeating them time and again for their lack of service for God. Whatever happened to just serving God because you love Him, and not because you are presssured to do so?

So many preachers nowdays have to visit people in their congregation every week, because if they don't they won't come to church. They have to lay guilt trips on their congregation to do visitation or soul winning, because if they don't, then the people won't do so. They have to start programs in which the congregation can earn stuff for each visitor they bring to church, because if they don't, they won't invite others.

The problem is a lack of virtue in the congregation. And the Pastor is too blind to see it. If only he would preach the Bible, preach Christ crucified, and preach the compassion of Jesus, then the congregation could do those things because they WANT TO, not because they are guilt tripped into doing them because they HAVE TO! If only people had a "want to" in themselves, then we could see real revival in America!

How sad there is such a lack of virtue in Christianity today.

KNOWLEDGE

Next, the scriptures speak of "knowledge." We know that this is learning the scriptures after one is saved so they might grow in grace (2 Peter 3:18). But in modern Christianity today we see very little sound bible doctrine being preached and taught from the pulpit, and very little growth in the lives of those we call "converts."

I believe it's because many pastors use "Christian psychology" or modern made up programs of man like the "Purpose Driven" programs. Instead of just teaching verse by verse from the Bible (which is the best way), Pastors often jump around from passage to passage pulling what they want from the scriptures to prove their own points, rather than letting God himself make the point he wants others to get from the context of His word.

Surely, we live in a time of spiritual drought, in which truth lieth in the streets, and people are spiritually anemic. Sure we have many who claim to be "Bible Believers" but very few are actually "Bible Readers." And even fewer still are "Bible Knowers" and "Bible Doers."

If only people would get in the book, and learn it and practice it, my how times would change!

TEMPERANCE

Temperance is our third pillar, and I must admit, I had to look that one up too. It basically means "self-control." I've heard it preached that temperance has to do with the way metal is tempered or heated to make it stronger, and how God often must put us through trials and tribulations to teach us how to deal with things we can't always control without exploding in anger and giving ourselves over to hatred, filthy communications (cussing), and brawling. It's all so we can learn to control ourselves in adversity.

But do modern Christians have temperance? Thankfully many do, but how often do you hear of a man who falls into sin? How often do you see those who name the name of Christ fall into adultery, or some other grevious sin? It's all too common. Their lack of self-control prove they haven't grown in the faith.

PATIENCE

This brings us to our fourth pillar--patience. This is something very few Christians truly have today, nor do they want. I've even heard preachers say things like, "That's one thing you should never pray for, because if you do, God will make you wait to get it!"

But how many today truly practice patience? How many are "longsuffering" with others and able to simply place things in God's hands without trying to fix things themselves? My, what a mess we can make of things when we impatienly do things our way instead of God's way!

Without patience, it's easy to run around like a dead chickenswith their head cut off toiling in the service of the Lord, but doing so in the flesh, not in the Spirit of God. Sure, you can claim, "I'm doing something for God!" But even the Pharisees said the same! It's easy to DO something. But it's harder to first PRAY and then DO, because that takes patience.

Are you a GO AND DO Christian, or are you a PRAY, WAIT, and then GO DO TRUSTING GOD Christian?

The old saying is "Patience is a virtue." We should be patient, waiting on God as we pray and then go and do for Him, never rash and zealously doing something for God without first asking God to bless it!

GODLINESS

Godliness is our fifth pillar, and boy is it an important one. The word shows up in the scriptures only in the New Testament and is mentioned fifteen times. Godliness is living a holy, peaceable and honest life (1 Tim. 2:2) full of good works (1 Tim. 2:10), excercising yourself spiritually by being profitable to God (1 Tim. 4:7,8) consenting to sound doctrine and departing from strife, pride, envy, railings, disputings, and evil surmisings (1 Tim. 6:3-5). It is further fleeing foolish and hurtful lusts and sinful desires, instead following love, patience, meekness (1 Tim. 6:5-11), while acknowledging the truth (Titus. 1:1). For there be many who may hold a "form of godliness" but they deny the truth and the power therefore (See a list of such people in 2 Tim. 2:1-7).

Godliness is wanting to be more like God and to live your life trying to please God. Are all Christians like this today? Most certainly not! There are many who might act godly outwardly and around others, but if you were to follow them home, or see them outside of Church, they are just as worldly, fleshly, and carnal as they can be. They are modern day Pharisees who appear righteous before men, but inwardly are ravenous wolves! God help us! We need more godly Christians in our churches, pulpits, schools, political offices, and secular job force.

BROTHERLY LOVE AND BROTHERLY CHARITY

The next two pillars both are two words long each, and the first word of each is "brotherly." They are brotherly kindness and brotherly charity.

Why did the Holy Ghost use the word brotherly twice? I believe, like in many parts of the scripture, when God uses the same word twice there is a reason for it, and usually it is because it's so important, God chose to tell it to us more than once. It wasn't God being redundant it was for us to remember what he said!

Brotherly kindness and brotherly charity almost sound like the same thing, don't they? So what is the difference between kindness and charity? For you can be kind to someone without being charitable, and you can give charity to someone without being kind. So what's the difference?

Kindness in Webster's 1828 Dictionary is described as: "good will," "hospitality," or "an act of benevolence." And, the word Kind in Webster's is defined as: "Disposed to do good to others, and to make them happy by granting their requests, supplying their wants or assisting them in distress; having tenderness or goodness of nature...Proceeding from the tenderness or goodness of heart."

In other words kindess, or benevolence, is the opposite of "violence." It's doing good towards and simply being nice to others who are also Christians (hence the word brotherly), compassionately and caringly as you help those in need.

Does this sound like modern Christianity to you? Are Christians nice to each other all the time practicing acts of goodness one to another? If you say yes, then you must not have been saved for a long time. My old Pastor used to say, "The people who will hurt you the most when you are saved are other Christians!" And, boy have I found that true.

Backbiting, gossip, bitterness of heart, church splits, threatenings, and more are common in Christian circles today, and it's only getting worse. Where is the love? It is a fallen pillar.

What's worse is the great lack of Christian Charity. Webster's defines charity as "...liberality to the poor, consisting in almsgiving or benefactions, or in gratuitous services to relieve them in distress. Alms...any act of kindness."

Charity, then, is more than just being nice. It's giving to those other brothers in need. It's helping those Christians who can't help themselves, and lending a hand to those who need a leg up.

Does this sound like how modern Christians help other Christians? Not on your life! Instead, many churches are more focused on giving to missions than to helping those saints within their own church. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with giving to missions. We should encourage the spread of the Gospel. But how can we care more about lost souls than we do about the souls that are already in the church?

I can't tell you how many empty church buildings I've been invited to preach in. There are far less numbers in Fundamentalits churches than ten, twenty, and even thirty years ago. Why is this?

From what I've seen, the reason most often that people who claim to be Christians are out of church is because instead of finding charity from others in a time of need, they are criticized for not being as rich or as strong or as full of faith as others in the congregation. Because of this, they leave the church because they are not helped, only hindered by self-concieted Christians who only care about themselves. Their attitude is "I got mine, now you go get yours and leave me alone!"

Where is the love? It used to be Christian character was so strong that it dictated to the world how they should behave. People worldwide in the Victorian Era prided themselves on being civil, charitable, and courageous. But today the church has adopted the world's attitude of "Me first, you next, maybe!"

I remember, and it wasn't that long ago, when a member of the church was suffering financial difficulties, other members would anonymously buy him groceries and leave them on his door step. But now it's hard to find Christians with that same spirit of charity. Why is this? Could it be because modern day Pharisees have entered the ranks are are only interested in what they can get from others rather than what they can give?

SUMMARY

In closing, let me say that the message I heard that Pastor preach today really led me to thinking, and really showed me some things that I need to do in my life to strengthen those pillars so that I will not "fall" as the Apostle Peter says.

However, it also exposed to me the reason that modern Fundamentalist Christianity today is so powerless amid an evil and ungodly world. It has given heed to the world, and has chosen wordliness over godliness. It's lack of virtue has lead to it becoming a political, religious system which tries to control men, rather than encourage men to serve God of a pure heart. Rather than teach sound Bible doctrine, it seeks to replace it with tradition and the programs of men. Rather than being temperant and patience, it has become so anxious to appear godly, it does all it can for God in the flesh, without first seeking God's face and striving to serve Him in the power of God. Because of its carnality, the church has turned from true kindness and charity to strife, envying, backbiting, and attacking one another. Their pillars have fallen, and rather than rebuild, they are tearing them down even further.

The Pastor said it well when he said: "The world is getting darker, and did you know that the darker it gets the brighter a light is? We are the light of the world, and the only light this dark world will ever see!" But he then added sadly, "But as the world is getting darker, I fear that the church is getting dimmer. It's because they have allowed the pillars to fall. We need to set them up again!"

Do I really need to say anymore? How is your Christian life? How are your pillars?

As the Pastor said, "Heads bowed and eyes closed..."

Confusing Gospel Tracts

My wife and I went to Chick-Fil-A for a free sandwich the other day, and while there I went to the men's room. As I walked in, I noticed a gospel tract on the cork bulletin-board, and I took it down to read it. It was simply one small piece of paper printed on the front with nothing on the back. What it said was:

"The Bible says in Romans 10:9, "That if thou (you) shalt confess with they mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine hart that God hat raised Him (Jesus) from the dead, thou (you) shalt be saved!"

It's that simple! If you will believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, then say this prayer--just say, "God I believe in my heart that Jesus died, shed His blood, and arose from the dead. Jesus, come into my heart and give me eternal life. I now confess that Jesus is my LORD! Thank you, Father for saving me!"

Next, find a local Bible-Believing church and attend regularly. And study God's Word--Get a Children's Bible Story Book, read through it several times. It will give you an overview of the whole Bible from cover to cover. I did it.

You will fail and make mistakes, but DON'T QUIT! Simply ask Jesus to forgive you when you fail, and He will! He is not a hard taskmaster; He is tender, loving and full of mercy. He knows who you are and loves you very much."

Several things were troubling to me in this tract. As I read tracts, I like to try to read them through the eyes of a lost guy, thinking as he does, and wondering what he would think if he read this. And what I saw was this tract could very easily confuse a sinner into thinking that "saying the prayer" outloud alone vocally would be all that's needed for him to do to save himself. Where is the "believe in the heart" in this?

As I looked further, I found in the prayer itself it said: "God, I believe in my heart that Jesus died, shed His blood, and arose from the dead." This was good. And you might be asking: If that's true, then isn't a guy saved? Isn't that all's that necessary, just believing! I say, "YES!" Believing is all that's needed to be saved.

However, what if the sinner prays that prayer from the mouth, with no belief from the heart. In other words, he "repeats" the prayer but doesn't believe in Christ when he does so. Isn't he still lost? Sadly, he is. For prayer and repeating words, save no one. FAITH is what saves.

Next, the tract instructs the sinner to say: "Jesus, come into my heart and give me eternal life." But, where is this found in the Bible? This is the modern new age gospel that has its roots in the Unitarian/Universalist movement. (Which started the "ask Jesus into your Heart" stuff).

The Bible clearly teaches if a man believes, then Jesus does enter in. Why then would a man try to command God to come in to him when God already promised He would at the very moment the sinner believes? Doesn't make much sense.

Later down in the tract is the worst part. It says "You will fail...simply ask Jesus to forgive you..."

If I read my Bible right, and I believe I do, when a person is saved, they are forgiven of all sins: PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE. When then would a person ask God to forgive him after he's saved? Does that mean God didn't forgive him before?

No, the Bible speaks about confessing your sins to God, not for forgiveness, as a true believer already has that, rather for fellowship. When we sin as Christians, we should confess our sins to God alone, and tell Him we are sorry. This is not so we don't go to Hell. It's so that God will not chastize us here on earth. In other words, it's for Him to be merciful to us here. (Prov. 28:13)

Can someone be saved reading this Gospel tract? Sure. If a guy has had a seed planted before and wants to be saved, he can get saved reading this tract. I'm not saying he couldn't. But I am saying the wording of this tract is quite confusing. Why do people write tracts that are so confusing? For a man who knows nothing and simply reads this can end up praying and then trusting his PRAYER. He then can just beg God for forgiveness everytime he sins thereafter, and what has he become? Nothing more than a lost religious person.

Where's the blood in this tract? And where is FAITH alone IN THE BLOOD in this tract? It's not there. Sure it mentions the blood, but it doesn't instruct the sinner to trust the blood atonement alone for salvation.

This tract looks to me like a compilation of all the various methods or instructions that many are preaching today for a sinner to get saved. It's like the tract is trying to cover all the bases, so Christians who read the tract will like it, each one seeing what they want to see. In the tract we find salvation is by:

1. PRAYING THE PRAYER

2. ASKING JESUS TO COME INTO YOUR HEART

3. CONFESSING THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD

4. ASKING JESUS TO FORGIVE YOU YOUR SINS

And more. To me, this is an "eccumenical" tract, and who ever put it out would do much better to simply quote 1 Cor. 15:1-4 and other verses and then point sinners to Christ through FAITH ALONE in His SHED BLOOD.

To those who claim I'm "straining at gnats" let me give a brief testimony. Before I was saved, I read tracts like this all the time. Mostly, I read Chick Tracts. I "prayed the prayer" over conservatively 1500 times from age 13 to age 18. Never once was I saved. The tracts were confusing me. They told me I had to pray, and I was trusting my prayer to save me. The fact that I had to pray it again and again showed I wasn't saved.

I'm not the only one that this happened to. My wife went through the very same thing. And many others we've spoken to and heard from. This is a real problem today in Modern Christianity. Untold millions are confused by Gospel tracts instructing them to DO something rather than simply believing upon what Jesus has already DONE for them.

If this is true, that means there are countless millions of people who think they are Christians but they are utterly lost. Instead of modern ministers addressing the problem and seeking to see them saved, they gloss over the issue, often times just calling it a problem of "semantics." They just don't want to think that so many could be lost and on their way to Hell. But what if they are?

I believe there is nothing of any greater value to God in this universe than the human soul. It is so precious and dear to Him, that he died on the cross to save it. With this in mind, shouldn't we take a look at this problem? Shouldn't souls be as precious to us as they are to God?

A clear presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a plain pointing of sinners to Christ crucified in their place for their sins should absolve all confusion. Preaching the Blood alone for salvation and man's faith in it (Rom. 3:25) completely obliterates all confusion, for as the old Hymn states, "There is power in the Blood!"

With this in mind, let me just show one more tract that I recently was sent in the mail from a famous Tract printing organization that I believe is very confusing, which proves my point that instead of CLARIFYING SALVATION, modern Christians are CONFUSING SINNERS.

The tract is entitled, "I'm a Pretty Good Person." And on the front cover it continues, "I would never hurt anybody. I am honest. I love and care for my family. Surely I will go to Heaven when I die."

Now identify yourself with a lost sinner. When you read that, you might be thinking, "Yep, that pretty much describes me!"

To add to confusion the tract continues on the next page, "It is true; most people are pretty good."

Thankfully, the tract goes on to quote Romans 3:10 and 23, proving Biblically man is not good, but inheritantly evil and in need of salvation.

But as the tract continues, it reads, "You must believe that Jesus died for you." This is great! But it doesn't stop there. The tract continues on the back page with the following:

"...Ask Him (God) to save you and take you to Heaven when you die...Please call on Him today...What a tragedy it would be for a good person like you to die and go to hell."

What??? First it instructs a sinner to ASK God to save them and take them to heaven (instead of simply TRUST him to do so by Faith), and then it calls the sinner a "good person." Weird? I thought it earlier quoted that there was NONE GOOD, no not ONE!

Finally, it ends with the following prayer: "Dear Jesus, I realize I am a sinner and you paid for my sin on the cross. Please forgive me, save my soul from hell, and take me to Heaven when I die. Thank you, Lord, for saving me. Amen."

Notice it doesn't say, "Lord, I trust you and your finished work on the cross." Or "Jesus, I accept by faith your shed blood as sufficient to wash my sins away."

Why not???

It further instructs the sinner to say, "Please." Will God save someone who is sincere, and who begs him nicely for salvation apart from BELIEVING in his Atoning work? Not on your life!

What a confusing tract. It confuses a sinner from the get go, by making him think he is good, then telling him that according to the Bible he isn't, but then in the end stating he is. What??? Am I the only one who sees a problem here?

Then, instead of instructing a sinner to simply BELIEVE upon the finished work of Christ -- i.e. His Shed Blood -- it instructs the sinner to only realize (rather than believe) Jesus died for his sins and then beg Him for forgiveness.

You might say I'm a stickler for things like this and I'm being too critical. But am I? The Devil specializes in deceiving people and he'll use anything he can to damn souls to Hell, even confusing Gospel Tracts!

Why not print Gospel tracts like they did back in the 1800s when they didn't instruct a sinner to do or pray anything? What's wrong with simply ending with, "Trust the blood to be saved or reject it and go to Hell!" Why do they "pressure" a sinner to do something. (By the way, the only thing a man can do that's not a work is believe!)

This is why my wife and I print our own tracts. We can't in good conscience pass out tracts that can and often do confuse sinners. I pray if you are passing out tracts, you'll make sure to pass out good ones with a clear and concise plan of salvation pointing sinners to salvation through God's method--through His blood atonement. For souls are at stake. And if you are Christian, some day you will give account to God. Are you prepared? Do you feel the tracts you use clearly present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a non-confusing manner? If not, then get some good tracts, or else do what we are doing, print your own.