Santa's Moral Judgments

"Santa says he's gonna find out who's naughty or nice.
I like the Easter Bunny better . . .

. . . He doesn't make any moral judgments."

That was the message that appeared on one particular Christmas card. Sadly, the sentiment of this card is the ditch that the majority of modern society has fallen into. Most, if not all, immorality is now acceptable, and woe to you who should dare to speak out against any immorality.

This Christmas card illustrates the ignorance of modern society, as well as the poor means with which society is attempting to raise its children these days. There is absolutely nothing wrong with judging another person, or judging them morally. The ignorance of those who think there is, is demonstrated by the fact they have no clue what the English word "judge" actually means. It has multiple definitions. If we judge by discernment, it is perfectly fine and perfectly acceptable. Right and wrong still exist, regardless of how the world attempts to blur the line between the two. If we judge by condemnation, this is wrong. Every sinner already stands condemned, both by their rejection of Christ Jesus and in His sight because of their sin and unwillingness to repent. When He returns to judge the world, their condemnation will become evident and they will spend eternity in Hell separated from God, which is their just and acceptable punishment for sinning against a thrice holy God. Because they are already condemned, we do not need to condemn them further. However, we do need to be discerning and expose their darkness.

"Tell me what the world is saying today, and I'll tell you what the church will be saying in seven years from now." —Francis Schaeffer

Like we read in the Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament, and church history, the church is supposed to be turning the world upside down. However, a good thorough look across North America will reveal a "church" that is being turned upside down by the world and absorbed by the world. When the church is accepting, propagating, and encouraging the immoral "values" of the world, there is something wrong. The church is not becoming "enlightened"; it is becoming darkened! It has spit in the face of God, is rejecting His holy Word, and conforming itself to the immorality of the world. And worldlings^* looking at these changes taking place think the church is changing for the better?!? When the church is siding with the world and being absorbed by the world, it is not a good thing. It is a change for the worse and reveals just how great a number of professing "Christians" are actually false converts. As persecution starts to come upon North American churches, the true believers will be revealed as they refuse to bow down to the world's golden idol and are imprisoned or lose their lives for taking a stand against immorality and sin.

"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

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^*worldling: 1.) a person absorbed by the concerns, interests, and pleasures of this present world. 2.) an inhabitant of the Earth.

Accountability

Every once in a while in a Christian's life, you are going to need somebody to walk right up in your face and point their finger.

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." Galatians 6:7-9

"He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." 2 Corinthians 9:6

Sow what you want to reap.

Grow what you want to keep.

We all miss the mark from time to time. None of us is perfect. If we are truly Christians, we need to speak into other believers' lives, as well as receive when other believers speak into our lives. Instead of trying to justify ourselves, we need to listen, thank them, and examine ourselves honestly. If I am doing something sinful, I would hope that a brother or sister in the faith would call me on it and keep me accountable. If we refuse accountability, perhaps we should question whether we are Christian to begin with. When we examine everything Jesus and the Apostle Paul said, there is no room for debate on this. We are not islands unto ourselves. Everything each one of us does affects the others some how, some way. It is the ripple effect. You cannot escape it.

"Sow a thought, reap an act; so an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny." —Warren Wiersbe

If you claim to be a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus, what kind of Christian do you want to be? Do you want to be the kind of "Christian" that Jesus spits out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16)? Or do you want to be the kind of Christian who will hear Jesus speak the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:21, 23)? Remember that actions speak louder than words. You may talk a good game, but what do others see in your walk? What you truly and honestly believe will be seen in the way you conduct yourself throughout your daily life and activities. If you know you are a fraud and a hypocrite, then repent and beg God for His forgiveness, and start living the way the Bible teaches and Jesus would want. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:15).

Had He Known Me Better!

by Frederick Marsh

Humility is the queen of the Christian graces. The excellence of humility is illustrated in the following Scriptures.

1. Humility is the Flower of Grace—Ephesians 4:2. Humility walks consistently, loves generously, serves willingly, acts meekly, forgives heartily, forbears thoughtfully, and responds obediently.
    
2. Humility is the Soul of Contentment—Philippians 4:12. It feels that it does not deserve anything, therefore takes whatever comes with gratitude. It ever sings, "O to grace how great a debtor!"
    
3. Humility is the Secret of Service—Acts 20:19. To serve the Lord with all humility of mind, is to have the bloom of consecration, the aroma of grace, the unction of love, the warmth of zeal, the ardor of faith, the walk of obedience, and the beauty of holiness.
    
4. Humility is the Badge of Obedience. The Lord's command is, "Humble yourselves" (1 Peter 5:6), and it is not without meaning that it is to be "under the mighty hand of God." We only know the mightiness of God's hand--when we lie low beneath it.
    
5. Humility is the Lesson of Grace. When we are yoked with Christ in God's will, we are in the position to learn of Christ, who is "meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). To talk about humility, is to show we do not possess it; but to keep step with Christ, is to have it without knowing it.
    
6. The Mind of Humility. "In humility of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves" (Philippians 2:3). To see the best in others is to find the worst in ourselves. Self-contemplation leads to self-congratulation, and that always fosters pride.
    
7. The Example of Christ. The mind of Christ is illustrated in that He "humbled Himself" (Philippians 2:8). He went down, before He was raised up. We need to pray: "Help us, O Lord, to deeper sink, that we may the higher rise." The downward path is the upward one.
    
8. Humility is the Attire of Heaven. "Be clothed with humility" (1 Peter 5:5). This is a suit that is always in fashion; it never wears out, and it is always befitting. Humility is recognized by men, admired by angels, and loved by God.
    
9. Humility is the Securer of Blessing. "He gives more grace to the humble" (James 4:6), or as the margin, "A greater grace." Whether an excelling grace, or "more" of the grace that excels, humility is its own reward, and is rewarded by the Lord's commendation.
    
10. Humility is the Harbinger of Reward. "He who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12). The heavier the cargo, the more the vessel is sunk into the water, and the greater its worth. When the fruit of humility causes the branch of the soul to bend in lowliness, the Heavenly Gardener plucks the fruit for the garner of His love!

"There is nothing more characteristic of a true Christian, than humility. It is the first lesson that he learns in the school of Christ, and is the source of contentment and solid peace of mind.

If he hears that anyone has reviled him, he is ready to say, "Had he known me better, he would have said worse things of me than that!"

The fiercest storms of adversity blow over him. Humility gives a pliancy to his mind, which saves it by yielding to the force it cannot resist; like the weak and bending reed that weathers out the tempest which fells the tall and sturdy oak."

No Way!

There are many ways to get into Hell.
"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." Matthew 7:13

There is only one way to escape Hell.
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

There is no way to get out of Hell.
"They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever!" Revelation 20:10
"They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power!" 2 Thessalonians 1:9

Planned Parenthood

from the 1992 album We Are Not Ashamed by Lust Control

Thank God for godly parents, Thank God for godly teachers
Who don't wimp out when it comes to the truth, Thank God for godly preachers
Planned parenthood, you make me sick to my stomach, And sometimes I just wanna cry
Your answers for kids lead to their destruction, I got one question -- WHY???

Planned parenthood, you ain't no good
Your only plan: To brainwash the nation
Planned parenthood, you ain't no good
You justify murder and fornication

Well, you taught my boy to wear a condom, 12 years old, had to take your course
Mandatory Sex Ed in the school, You're coming in like a Trojan horse
I'm not afraid to tell my kid about sex, But you wanna teach her to play
You give her pills and pay to kill her baby, Well, you're gonna pay yourself someday

Planned parenthood, you ain't no good
Your only plan: To brainwash the nation
Planned parenthood, you ain't no good
You justify murder and fornication

You are pro-abortion, You are pro-gay rights
I know one thing that you're against: You are anti-Christ!!!

Planned parenthood, you ain't no good
Your only plan: To brainwash the nation
Planned parenthood, you ain't no good
You justify murder and fornication
Planned parenthood, you ain't no good
Your only plan: To brainwash the nation
Planned parenthood, you ain't no good
You justify murder and fornication

(Romans 1:24-25; James 3:1; Luke 17:1-2; Proverbs 6:16-19; Luke 18:6-8; Matthew 18:6)

You Talk About God Too Much

My good friend, Jerry, from out east, has been accused of this on a number of occasions. Who has accused him of such? Professing believers. Jerry likes to fellowship with other believers and will often ask others out for a coffee. On several occasions, members of a couple different churches he has attended over the years have accused him of talking about God too much. Including deacons and elders!

If this sentiment is ever uttered by one professing Christian to another Christian, apparently the first has no love for God. If anything, we do not give God enough of our time or talk about Him enough. It is impossible to talk about God too much. If you can tire of talking about God, you might want to examine yourself to see if you are truly in the faith. There is no more noble a subject than to speak of God from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun.

Professing Christians who can tire of reading good Christian material, listening to good sermons (apart from on Sunday), and fellowshipping over Jesus, ought to examine themselves to see if they are truly in the faith. You realize that for all eternity we will be sitting at the feet of God, learning from Him? If you can tire of Him as a subject now, imagine eternity. If you do not love Him now, you will not miraculously love Him later. Jesus is just a crutch to you, a "Get out of jail free" card, a means of fire insurance. You want to be in heaven, but you just do not want God to be there. You have an obvious lack of love for the Saviour of our souls. This should concern you greatly.

If you, as a professing Christian, would rather talk about anything else under the sun other than God, you can be sure that you are not a Christian. There is nothing wrong with talking about other subjects, but when you ache inside to talk about anything besides God, and it bothers you when someone else talks about God so much, then you are not a Christian. You obviously have yet to recognize how desperately wicked a sinner you truly are, and to be hit with the reality of precisely what Jesus accomplished on the cross on your behalf, and to repent of your sins, trust in the Saviour, and live a holy life. When you understand exactly how wicked and depraved you truly are, and just what Jesus did for you on the cross, it fills you with immense gratitude and thankfulness. How could you be satisfied with talking about God less after all that He has done for you? Guaranteed that if someone gave their life for you by taking a bullet for you, whether in war or a robbery or whatever, you would talk more about that person than you care to about God. Think about that.

Quietness

Here are some fun quotes pertaining to quietness. Many of these quotes I can identify with, or have at specific times throughout my life. One of the reasons I prefer to work alone is because I can get lost in thought, and I frequently think nonstop. Most people these days distract themselves just so that they will not have to think, because otherwise they will be forced to have to face themselves and reality. Thinking expands the mind. Generally, my quietness is a result of having nothing to say and/or to contribute to a conversation. The things I would like to say, people are not interested in listening to—including self-professed believers in Christ.

 "I think a lot, but I don't say much." —Anne Frank

"Staying quiet doesn't mean I have nothing to say, it means I don't think you're ready to hear my thoughts." —Unknown

God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason.

God gave us a mouth that can close and ears that don't for a reason.

"The quietest people have the loudest minds." —Unknown

"Don't underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and notice more than you realize." —Unknown

"I'd rather stay quiet than explain my problems to people who are just curious and don't really care." —Unknown

"My mama always told me that if I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. And some people wonder why I'm so quiet all the time." —Unknown

"Better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." —Unknown

SOCIETY: "Why are you so quiet?"
ME: "Why are you so loud?"

SOCIETY:
"You should talk more!"
ME:
*Tries to talk.*
- Gets ignored.
- Gets interrupted.
- Gets talked over.
- No one pays attention.
- No one cares.

SOCIETY:
"Why are you so quiet?"
ME:
1. I refuse to gossip, which I feel constitutes 70% of human conversation.
2. Silence is beautiful.
3. Small talk bores me quickly.
4. I'm not going to talk just for the sake of talking.
5. Even if I'm quiet, I still feel as if I'm more open and friendly than most. Social "barriers" mean nothing to me.

Are Catholics Christian?

If you search for this question on Google, sites like Answers.com, which do not provide answers but merely provide opinions, will give you false answers. It will say that, yes, they are Christians. It will say that they are the first Christians. It will even say that they were the only Christians for the first 1000 years. But these "answers" are all false; they are all lies.

Catholics are not Christians! Not even in the least. Catholicism may be a Christian sect, but they are by no means Christian. A simple reading of Scripture will reveal a great many contradictions within Catholic beliefs and traditions. Rather than Scripture be their sole authority and they conform themselves to it, Catholicism says that they and their traditions transcend Scripture. Catholicism broke off from genuine Christianity somewhere within the first five centuries. Catholics were not the first Christians, nor were they the only Christians for the first 1000 years. As soon as the papacy began its rule, it began blotting out true Christianity and ruling the world with an iron first until the Reformation, when men and women touched by God began to read the Scriptures and see the inconsistencies, contradictions, and falsehoods of the Catholic church and expose them to the light. The Catholic church and Catholic apologists are not above lying and deceiving people with lies because they are nothing more than two-bit liars.

Catholicism is a joke. You can obtain a price list for the Catholic church that lets you know how much you need to pay in order to absolve your particular sin. If you commit fornication, sex outside of marriage, you simply pay the priest, say your "Hail Mary's," and away you go, free to commit the same sin again. True repentance does not exist within the walls of the Catholics church or within the confines of Catholicism. Catholic women, while wearing crosses around their necks, will prostitute themselves out over their webcam, sell their bodies to complete strangers for a couple hundred or thousand dollars, and participate in pornography. The cross around their neck is meaningless. It is nothing more than a religious trinket. These Catholics "profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him" (Titus 1:16).

Catholics are highly superstitious. Every practice in Catholicism was taken from some other cult and absorbed into Catholic tradition. Lighting of candles, prayer beads, etc. Catholics pray to Mary, who, apart from being the chosen vessel to give birth to the Messiah, Jesus, is nothing and can do nothing. They also pray to dead "saints," who are also nothing and can do nothing. It is as silly as you praying to your dead grandfather or grandmother. The Catholic church tells people that if they pay a certain amount of money, they can absolve the sins of a dead loved one and make a way for that dead loved one to enter Heaven. If your dead loved ones left this world without knowing Christ Jesus as their personal Saviour, your dead loved ones are in Hell and will reside their for all eternity. Do not believe the lies of the Catholic church. They like to presume that they have more power than God and that they are some how above God and that God will bend to their will.

Catholics and the Catholic church are some of the greatest religious hypocrites in existence. Some will religiously attend mass daily, yet willingly commit a variety of sins at the same time. Catholicism, like all other cults, is a religious system based on scales. They believe that if you do enough good to counterbalance the bad you do, then you will be able to get into Heaven. But that is not what Jesus said, nor what the Bible teaches us. These Catholics would do well to start reading the Bible, beginning with Romans 6 and 8.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "I can never understand how a 'Catholic priest' can ask people to confess their sins to him. I would not make my ear into a common sewer, for all the wealth in the world! What foulness must there be on the soul of him who has heard the sins that others have committed, and who knows what sin he has himself committed!" "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). The only person you need to confess your sins to is the Lord Jesus. Repent of your sins, trust in the living Saviour, and live a life of holiness.

Are Catholics Christian? No, they are not! They were not the first Christians, and they were not the first Christians for the first 1000 years. Catholicism is a sect that broke off from genuine Christianity in the first five centuries, began to dominate and rule the world, and continues today to be a cult that leads millions of people to an eternity in Hell.

Admiration, Envy, and Jealousy

Christian, do you ever admire the lost? Are you ever envious or jealous of them? I am. Let me explain why. The other day at work, while working alone, I listened to two other employees nearby talking while they were working together. They were talking up a storm about their favourite things, the things that interest them the most, and they were doing so with passion. When a topic interests you, why would you not talk about it with passion?

People often wonder why I do not have a lot to say and generally keep to myself. Because of this, they presume that I am arrogant and standoffish. Generally, I do not have much to say because I have nothing to contribute to the conversation as I do not know much, if anything, about the things that interest them. However, when they have things to say, I will listen to them and every now and then chime in and say or ask something, whether to clarify what they have just said or to get a better understanding of what they are trying to say. For instance, if a car guy is talking to me about cars, I know absolutely nothing about cars as I have no interest in them (apart from driving them from point A to point B). When they are finished with what they have to say, it generally becomes quiet as I have nothing to say and cannot talk about what I am passionate about.

The alternate reason as to why I do not have much to say is because I have absolutely no interest in their immediate conversation due to it being centered on filth, which I refuse to glorify in the least. When they are talking about drinking and drugs and parties and getting laid, I could care less. Those are conversations I do not wish to take part in, and I usually let them know.

I admire the lost and am envious and jealous of them because they can freely talk with passion about whatever interests they have, regardless of how mundane. If I were to start talking about what I am passionate about, they would accuse me of "preaching" to them and I would soon be dismissed from my job. It is pretty sad, too, because when I was in high school, you could dialogue with an unbeliever and reason with them without them getting angry or accusing you of trying to shove religion down their throat. They were more open back then, more reasonable, and you could talk freely about religion, having a decent discussion, without arguing. Nowadays, however, you even mention the word "religion" and people fly off the handle in an irate tirade.

I am passionate about Christ Jesus, the Bible, theology, and real science (the stuff you can hypothesize, test, and observe—not the imaginary fiction purported by evolutionists). When I am around other Christians, I tend to take advantage of it and I just talk and talk and talk. Why? Because I do not get to do so very often. I am starved for rational, logical, intelligent conversation. I would love to talk about my interests, but modern society hates Christ Jesus, hates His truth, and hates those who follow Him. Even just by living differently, they notice and they begin targeting you. I do my best to keep my head down and my nose clean, yet somehow rumours, gossip, and lies seem to find me. I do not appreciate liars who make stuff up about me just to try and get me in trouble because they do not like me. If their biggest accusation against me is that I am a Christian, I would be all too happy to plead guilty.

When I am involved in a conversation pertaining to someone's interests, I do not notice it so much. However, when I am a third-party to their conversation, I really notice how much people talk about those things they have an interest in. Because of how freely they can talk about their likes and interests, and how they can do so with passion, without fear of reprisal, I envy them. I wish I was able to talk more freely about my passion for theology. I miss not having that freedom.

The Foundation of the World

"This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.'" Matthew 13:35

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'" Matthew 25:34

"so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation," Luke 11:50

"Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." John 17:24

"just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love" Ephesians 1:4

"For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, 'AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,' although His works were finished from the foundation of the world." Hebrews 4:3

"Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." Hebrews 9:26

"For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you" 1 Peter 1:20

"All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain." Revelation 13:8

"The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come." Revelation 17:8

Jesus was loved by God the Father before the foundation of the world (John 17:24). His purpose was foreknown before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20). His works were finished from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:3). Jesus spoke in parables to reveal things hidden since the foundation of the world (Mathew 13:35). The blood of God's prophets has been shed since the foundation of the world (Luke 11:50). We were chosen in Jesus from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).  The kingdom of God was prepared for us from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). Those individuals who do not have their names written in the Lamb's book of life were not written in it from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8; 17:8).

Before God ever embarked on the creation of the universe, these things were already predetermined and decreed. Time just had to catch up. Humans need to quit trying to measure God by our standards and trying to understand Him with our finite and fallible minds. If we are going to claim to read the Bible literally, then we might start doing so with passages like these and those where Jesus speaks of those whom have been given to Him (John 6:37, 39; 17:1-2, 6, 9, 24; 18:9). Those who leave us were never part of us to begin with (1 John 2:19). The sooner we learn this and accept it, the better off we will be. There is no such thing as a "backslidden Christian" as he/she has never slid forward in the first place.

The Truth of Biblical Election

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:44

"For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." John 6:65

Jesus made it abundantly clear that no one can come to Him in saving faith unless God the Father has granted it to him/her and drawn him/her to Himself. Mankind does not have the option to choose whether they will come or not.

"It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me." John 6:45

Only those who have heard from and learned from God the Father are able to come to Jesus in saving faith. Why? Because He has regenerated them, made them spiritually alive, and given them a heart of flesh. Paul made the process plain and simple:

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:29-30

Each one of these statements is true of the born-again Christian. God did each of these things to the believer. You cannot have one and not the others. If one is true, they are all true. If God started the process, He will complete the process. There is absolutely nothing we can do to hinder or stop it.

"All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." John 6:37

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day." John 6:39

"Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.'" John 17:1-2

"I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word." John 17:6

"I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;" John 17:9

"Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." John 17:24

"To fulfill the word which He spoke, 'Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.'" John 18:9

Jesus also made it absolutely abundantly clear that all genuine believers were given to Him by God the Father and that no one can come to Him in saving faith who has not been given to Him by the Father. Every single individual that the Father gave to Jesus from before the foundation of the world will come to Him in saving faith. Why? Because God has determined it and His will is always accomplished. Jesus will not lose even one of those of whom God the Father has given to Him.

"They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us." 1 John 2:19

Those who walk away from Jesus and the Christian faith were never genuine believers to begin with. They were two of the soils Jesus talked about; they were false converts. If God did not choose to save some of us, then none of us would be saved. Every single one of us would end up in Hell for eternity. You can either come to terms with these truths or you can continue worshiping your false god, because your god is not the God of the Bible. Your god tries to save many but only succeeds in saving some. My God, the God of the Bible, saves each and every individual He set out to save from the foundation of the world.

The reason you came to saving faith (not any other kind of faith) is because God determined that you would. Again, see Paul's words regarding the process. God has always elected some individuals while leaving the others to themselves. He does not leave it to chance.

Your Constitution? Or God's Word?

A preacher is brought in to the church to speak the Word of God into every area of church life. When the overseers or elders of a church reject the Word of God in any area in favour of the church's Constitution, or a particular Creed or Confession, that preacher should run fast and far from that church. 

"All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching [what is right], for reproof [what is wrong], for correction [how to get right], for training in righteousness [how to stay right]; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Any church or denomination that places more stock in their Constitution (or Creed or Confession) than they do in Scripture, may that church or denomination be damned. When what a preacher can or cannot preach is dictated by what appears in a church's or denomination's Constitution (or Creed or Confession) rather than what appears in Scripture, may that church or denomination be damned. Scripture is our first, only, and final authority on all matters pertaining to faith and life.

"But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"" Matthew 4:4

Regardless of a church's or denomination's Constitution (or Creed or Confession), they need faithful men who fear, respect, and revere the Word of God and will study and preach it faithfully, honestly, and truthfully. No man should be a preacher who thinks he deserves it or has earned it! It is a holy calling. It is not a position for men who desire power over others. It is not a position for men who desire to earn good money. It is not a position for men who desire to be famous and well-liked. If you are not humble and do not have the character and attitude the Apostle Paul possessed, then you do not deserve to be and should not be a preacher!

"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." 2 Peter 1:20-21

The Word of God is not yours to twist and manipulate in order to suit your personal feelings or opinions. Men who have been called by God to be preachers must be faithful to the Word, honest with what the Word teaches, and to submit themselves to the truth of the Word—no matter what it may cost them. Regardless of how a man is raised, what a man is taught, or what a man may presently believe, he must always seek to submit and conform himself to the truths revealed in Scripture through thorough and honest study.

Our only rule of faith and practice is the Word of God. We have . . . 

     no creed to defend,

     no denomination to maintain, and

     no confession to bind our minds.

"What do the Scriptures teach?" That is and must be our only concern. If the plain teachings of Holy Scripture appear to destroy or contradict our understanding of any doctrine, then let us relinquish the doctrine, or acknowledge the fact that our minds are both depraved and minuscule, and bow to the revelation of God.

—Don Fortner

What Is A Successful Ministry?

by Don Fortner

"Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:2

The desperate need of the hour is faithful men in the pulpits of our churches. We have an over-abundance of preachers. We do not need any more slick, polished, well-educated professionals in "the ministry". But we do, most desperately, need some faithful men--pastors after God's own heart, who feed His people with knowledge and understanding. Thank God, we have a few!

In this day of big business religion, when churches are measured not by their orthodoxy, but by the opinions of men; when a preacher's success is measured not by his faithfulness, but by the number of names added to the church roll--it might be wise to consider what a successful ministry is according to the measure of Holy Scripture.

According to the Word of God, those preachers and churches are successful who are faithful to the work to which God has called them. Never in the Old Testament or in the New was a prophet, apostle, or preacher measured by the opinions of men. God's servants never courted the favor of men, and were never favored by the majority of the people. The church of God has always been out of step with society. The servants of God have always been looked upon as peculiar, bigoted dogmatists, intolerant and incapable of compromise. But they were faithful--faithful to God, faithful to His truth, and faithful to the souls of men.

Do not be so foolish as to measure God's work by man's yardstick. Do not measure the success or failure of preachers and churches by men, by numbers, or by popular opinion. The only measure of success for churches and preachers is faithfulness. Those who faithfully seek and promote the glory of God, who faithfully proclaim the truth of God, and who faithfully serve the eternal interests of immortal souls are successful. Those who are not are failures. The one will stand the fire of judgment. The other will not.

The greatest blessing God can ever bestow upon any people in this world is to establish in their midst a faithful Gospel church with a faithful Gospel preacher as his messenger.

"Tychicus . . . is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord." Colossians 4:7

Gender and Sex

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names."

—Chinese Proverb

The English-speaking world today is in shambles. The English language is being systematically destroyed by Left-wing Liberals, Feminists, and Homosexuals. Instead of using words correctly and for what they actually mean, these ignorant idiots (and, yes, that is precisely what they are) are re-defining many words to suit their various political, personal, and perverted agendas. They have already corrupted the meaning of the words tolerance, orientation, and identity, among others. Now they are attempting to alter the definitions of the words gender and sex, and distinguish them one from the other (much the same way they are attempting to distinguish bestiality from zoophilia, when they are one in the same interchangeably). The word gender and the word sex are the exact same word; they are interchangeable. There are only two genders; there are only two sexes. Observe:

GENDER n. 1. Properly, kind; sort. 2. A sex, male or female.

SEX n. 1. The distinction between male and female; or that property or character by which an animal is male or female.

—American Dictionary of the English Language

gender n. 1a a person's sex, either of the sexes.

sex n. 1 either of the main divisions (male and female) into which living things are placed on the basis of their reproductive functions. 2 the fact of belonging to one of these. 3 males or females collectively. 4 sexual intercourse.

—The Canadian Oxford Paperback Dictionary

gender n. 1: SEX

sex n. 1: either of two divisions of organisms distinguished respectively as male or female 2: the sum of the structural, functional, and behavioral characteristics of living beings that subserve reproduction by two interacting parents and that distinguish males and females

—Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary

Useless, worthless, God-less websites such as Facebook have created a list of 50-plus "genders" for their users to choose from. There are only two genders, two sexes: male or female. Every man, woman, and child on this planet belongs to one or the other. Every animal on this planet belongs to one or the other. Every man, regardless of surgical alteration or mental health issues, belongs to the gender/sex of Male. Every female, regardless of surgical alteration or mental health issues, belongs to the gender/sex of Female. Period! There are no if's, and's, or but's about it. You can feel like you are a balloon trapped in a man's or woman's body, but that does not make you a balloon. You are either a man or a woman. If you are one and you think you are the other, you need to seek help through mental counseling.

There is nothing for you to discover! If you have a penis, you are a Male. If you have a vagina, you are a Female. Period! Parents who do not live in, or refuse to live in, reality and inform their children which gender/sex they truly are, but instead encourage their children to decide for themselves, are cruel parents who should not have children placed in their care and need to seek help through mental counseling. Their child, if they are taking hormones in preparation for surgical alteration, need to seek help through mental counseling.

Why is it that our present society is suddenly catering to and entertaining the whims of the mentally ill among us? Instead of getting them the mental help they so obviously are in need of, we are bowing down to their every whim and punishing those who have the intelligence and discernment to recognize the problem and sound the alarm. One young female "tween" (as fools are calling them today) taking hormones to become a boy gives unwanted intimate advances toward another young female "tween," who politely informs the first girl that she is more than willing to be her friend but that she is not interested in her that way, beats up the second girl for refusing her advances and some how the second girl is held to blame? The school and legal system are attempting to hold the second "tween" responsible for the entire incident? Not only is a less-than-2% population telling the other 98% what they can or cannot say, think, or believe, but now if they make unwanted intimate advances at normal individuals, the rejection thereof is some how seen as "intolerance" and "hate" and worthy of fault for any physical altercations as well as legal condemnation.

If normal individuals are going to be held at fault and guilty for any physical altercations that may occur, whether they stand there and take it or use self-defense for their own protection, they might as well make sure they earn it by laying a good beating to the other person and at least make the fault and guilt worth receiving. It is pretty pathetic how our laws have made these twisted individuals untouchables but allows them to get away with bloody murder. They can lay a beating on you and nothing will legally happen to them. But if you swing back once in self-defense to let them know to back off, you get the full force of the law brought down on you. Talk about a corrupt legal system!

Wake up, humanity! Pick your brains off the floor and shove them back inside your skulls. There is no excuse for the rampant ignorance that is plaguing our nations. Every single one of us knows for a fact that there are only two genders/sexes and that the only suitable and appropriate union of those sexes is one man with one woman. The penis was designed specifically to enter the vagina and the vagina was designed specifically to receive the penis. It does not matter whether you "identify" with either gender/sex, you are what you were born as. If you were born with a penis, you are a Male. If you were born with a vagina, you are a Female. If you were born as a hermaphrodite, this is an abnormality, a birth defect as the result of the mutation of genetic information; you are not a separate gender/sex, but you have both genders/sexes (male and female) in your person, of which one is more dominant than the other.

Let us be wise and use wisdom and start calling a spade a spade.

Choice Quotes

Delusion (noun):

1. A misleading of the mind.
2. False belief; a fixed misconception.
3. Something which one accepts as being true or real but which is actually false or unreal.

—Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary

G. & C. Merriam Co. (1953)

[God's] truth [is] not to [certain individual's] taste. We all know how soon a man will contrive, against the strongest evidence, to reason himself out of the belief of what he dislikes.

—Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

Three things cannot be long hidden:
The sun, the moon, and the truth.

—Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

It is a small and narrow mind that is afraid to change; it is a sign of greatness that one is prepared to admit at times that one has been mistaken, and that therefore you have had to change your position.

—D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)

Our only rule of faith and practice is the Word of God. We have . . . 

     no creed to defend,

     no denomination to maintain, and

     no confession to bind our minds.

"What do the Scriptures teach?" That is and must be our only concern. If the plain teachings of Holy Scripture appear to destroy or contradict our understanding of any doctrine, then let us relinquish the doctrine, or acknowledge the fact that our minds are both depraved and minuscule, and bow to the revelation of God.

—Don Fortner

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Thy name give glory."

—Psalm 115:1

"Not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit."

—1 Corinthians 2:13

"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."

—Luke 24:45

Homosexuality and Pedophilia

Homosexual apologists have attempted to separate homosexuality from pedophilia, claiming that pedophiles cannot, by definition, be considered homosexuals. Their illogical methodology for this claim is the belief that pedophiles who molest boys cannot be considered homosexual if that individual has at any time been married or sexually involved with women. Based on that argumentation, homosexual apologists have effectively denounced and cutoff a vast number of the homosexual community as not being homosexual. A great number of professing homosexual males have been married and/or sexually involved with women in the past. Likewise, a great number of professing homosexual females have been married and/or sexually involved with men in the past. According to this argument, these professing homosexuals are not truly homosexuals. This argument from homosexual apologists has admitted that homosexuality is in fact a choice.

Homosexual apologists admit that some homosexuals sexually molest children, but they deny that homosexuals are more likely to commit such offenses. They argue that the majority of child molestation cases are heterosexual in nature. While this is correct in terms of absolute numbers, this argument ignores the fact that homosexuals comprise only a very small percentage of the population—less than 2%.

If the world population is 6 billion, 2% of that is 120 million. If half that number is males and half is females, that is 60 million gay men compared to 2,940,000,000 straight men. If 1000 homosexual males were pedophiles and 10 thousand heterosexual males were pedophiles (exaggeratedly 10 times as much), that is 0.0016% to 0.00034%. If 1 million homosexual males were pedophiles and 10 million heterosexual males were pedophiles, that is 1.6% to 0.34%. While the numbers may be with heterosexuals, the percentage is with homosexuals. Ergo, percentage-wise, homosexuals commit such offenses more frequently than do heterosexuals.

Homosexuals comprise less than 2% of the population, yet are responsible for one-third of all child sex abuse cases. There is an overwhelming correlation between homosexual preference and pedophilia. This is further evidence that homosexuality is in fact sexual deviancy, as all psychologists acknowledged only a couple decades ago. Presently, panels of so-called "psychologists" have moved things like homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, etc., etc., from the category of sexual deviancy and mental disorders to a category of legitimate lifestyle. None of these is acceptable for civilized people; all of these were contributors to the downfall and destruction of great civilizations of the past, as we see repeating itself today because of people's ignorance and lack of discernment. When people love darkness rather than the Light, they inevitably fuel the darkness and find ways of excusing it and embracing it. Men love their sin more than they love the Saviour.

Some homosexual apologist fools out there attempt to claim that homosexuals cannot be pedophiles because, they argue, pedophilia is a separate orientation. By that same illogical argument, it is also impossible for heterosexuals to be pedophiles. Neither are "orientations." (I am curious as to what these people think the word "orientation" means.) They are both disorientations and these people need to be reoriented through love and getting them the proper mental help they so desperately need. Pedophilia and homosexuality are not sexual orientations; they are sexual deviances. Homosexuals can be pedophiles. Pedophilia known as pederasty is homosexuality. Heterosexuals who commit pederasty are committing the act of homosexuality, which makes them homosexual. You only need to commit a single act of homosexuality to be a homosexual, in the exact same manner that someone who commits a single act of murder becomes a murderer and someone who commits a single act of rape becomes a rapist. Ergo, 100% of male child sexual abuse is committed by homosexuals. Homosexuality is not an "identity," nor is it normal or natural. Homosexuality is a sexual deviancy. Period! It is a perversion of both human and sexual natures. This is Humanity By Design.

Be Thankful

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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In all circumstances! This comes as a surprise when one considers the vicissitudes of human life. Sickness and health, poverty and wealth, joy and sorrow, are all ingredients of the cup placed to human lips, so all must come within the scope of thanksgiving. Why be thankful for everything? Because God causes everything to work together for good to those who love Him.

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A godly farmer was asked to dine with a well-known gentleman. While there, he asked a blessing at the table as he was accustomed to do at home. His host said jeeringly, "That is old fashioned; it is not customary nowadays for well-educated people to pray before they eat."

The farmer answered that with him it was customary, -but that some of those on his farm never thanked God their food.

"Ah, then," said the gentleman, "they are sensible and enlightened! Who are they?"

"My pigs!" the farmer answered.

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Charles Dickens said that we are somewhat mixed up here in America. He told an audience that instead of having one Thanksgiving Day each year, we should have 364. "Use that one day just for complaining and griping," he said. "Use the other 364 days to thank God each day for the many blessings He has showered upon you!"

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Some years ago an old black woman was put up at auction at a slave-market. She was distressed lest she might be sold to a cruel master. A godly man bought her and set her free at once. But she would not leave him who had set her free, and insisted upon going into his household and working for him. Now when she could do what she pleased, she would not go anywhere but to him. She would say: "He saved me! He saved me!"

This is how we ought to feel toward Him who died for us and set us free.

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"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues."

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"Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted, all that God has given us."

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"None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy."

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"When we have an attitude of being thankful, we never take anything we have for granted. We are blessed in so many ways."

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Do you not teach your children to say "Thank you" for what they receive? Even the baby, before it can speak, is made to utter a "ta," an expression of gratitude for what it is given. Well, we are the children of God, and He demands of us that we shall not take anything He gives us as a matter of course, but in a spirit of thankfulness.

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"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

For Christ who came from Heaven above,
For the cross and His redeeming love,
For His mighty power to seek and save,
For His glorious triumph o'er the grave.
For the lovely mansions in the sky,
For His blessed coming bye and bye,
I give Thee humble thanks.

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"Let us be thankful!" Hebrews 12:28

"Overflowing with thankfulness!" Colossians 2:7

John the Purifier

The term ὁ βαπτιστὴς is never used in classical Greek. It is only ever used of John. It is a title bestowed upon him by outsiders, just as the title Christian was first bestowed upon the followers of Christ Jesus by outsiders (Acts 11:26). So this title is particular and peculiar to John's ministry. Why was this title bestowed upon him? What significance did it have? What was his ministry about?

"Why then are you baptizing?" John 1:25

"What (baptism), then, do you baptize?" Since Jews in religious rites employed βαπτίζω in the appropriate sense to purify, the question might be modified this way: "What (defilement) do you purify?" Is it an actual removal of ceremonial defilement, or of spiritual defilement? or, is it only a symbol of purification? What is its character? What is its nature? Baptisms are of endless variety, which this passage brings that fact out clearly. The purifying agencies were made up of water, blood, ashes, and fire. There is absolute proof that objects not enveloped by water, blood, ashes, or fire are said to be baptized—ceremonially purified (e.g., Mark 7:4, re: tables/couches).

"I baptize in water." John 1:26

John's answer is perfectly satisfactory: "I baptize with water. Water (of purification, i.e., the symbol of repentance) is the essence of my baptism. My baptism has no other power than that which belongs to simple water, and is therefore merely symbol in its character." His baptism was corporal: Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16—"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." John's was a baptism of repentance, whereas Jesus' is a baptism of grace.

John does not merely say Ἐγω βαπτίζω, but Ἐγω βαπτίζω εἰς μετανοίαν—into repentance (Matt. 3:11). He does not merely preach a βάπτισμα, but a βάπτισμα μετανοίας—of repentance (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). The nature of his baptism is βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν—baptism of repentance into the remission of sins (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3).

"And [Paul] said, 'Into what then were you baptized?' And they said, 'Into John's baptism.'" Acts 19:3

Both the Pharisees and the Apostle Paul asked the same essential question, though not identical in every respect. Both questions reveal variety in the nature of baptisms. The answer "We were baptized into John's baptism" gave Paul all the information he desired. Likewise, John's answer gave the Pharisees all the information they sought.

Just as the Israelites under Moses' leadership had to pass through the Red Sea at the exodus, and just as the second generation of Israelites under Joshua's leadership had to do the same thing at the Jordan River, so now true Israelites must identify with the water and their prophetic leader in order to begin experiencing true restoration. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, the passing through the Red Sea is described as a "baptism." So, too, could the passing through the Jordan River. These "baptisms" merely identified the Israelites with their prophetic leaders. So, too, with John's baptism.

The Baptism which John preached and the Baptism which John administered were one and the same baptism. John preached the imperative necessity for a thorough change in the condition of the soul manifested by godly repentance and issuing in the full remission of sin through "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world;" which changed condition of the soul was the work of the Holy Ghost. This baptism of the soul which was set forth by words in the preaching was identically the same baptism which was set forth by water in the rite. The purification of the soul was always effected, as a fact, by the Holy Ghost; and the purification of the soul was always exhibited, as a necessity, by the pure symbol. The agencies differed infinitely; the baptism was one absolutely—effected in the one case, symbolized in the other.
Matthew's "Repent!" and Mark's and Luke's "Baptism of repentance into the remission of sins," and John's "Behold! the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world," have all alike the same amount of water in them; that is to say, just as much as may be found in the burned out craters of the moon. The verb βαπτίζω and the noun βάπτισμα, as used in the history of John's baptism, have no more to do with the quantity or the manner of using the water employed in his symbol rite, than has the multiplication table to do with the amount or the manner of using Rothschild's wealth. Let these words mean what they may, they have no more control, in the relations in which they stand, over the use of the water, than a sleeping infant has over the earth's diurnal revolution.¹
The word βαπτίζω, as used in Scripture, has no more control over or connection with the manner of using this water, than a broken arm has control over or connection with the movement of the solar system.²

βαπτιστὴς has nothing to do with water in any form or measure. It carries no water with it. John ὁ βαπτιστὴς is and can only be, John the Purifier. Ιωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς = John the Purifier.

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¹ James W. Dale, Johannic Baptism, p.407.
² Ibid, p.417.

Humanity By Design

GOD CREATED HUMANITY IN THIS WAY:

"Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female" (Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6).

God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone" (Gen. 2:18a). Any man; every man; all encompassed in Adam, our head and representative. God then continued by saying, "I will make a helper suitable for him" (Gen. 2:18b). The phrase "meet for" (KJV) in Genesis 2:18 comes from two Hebrew words. The first, #5048, is a preposition indicating before, in front of, opposite. The second, #3509.1, is a marker of comparison: as, like; a marker of similarity or correspondence. The phrase "meet for" in the Hebrew indicates something that is both similar yet different; something that was similar to Adam yet completely different from him. Not a mirrored image, which is entirely the same and identical. As other translations render it (more accurately, I might add), this is what was "suitable" for not only Adam but for every man—woman. Every animal in the animal kingdom had its suitable pair, something that was similar but different—its female counterpart. The similarity was in its kind; the difference was in its make up. Adam saw that every animal had its appropriate pair while he did not. Thus, God said "It is not good for man to be alone." In creating the "suitable" helper for Adam, He created woman. Woman is similar to Adam, being of the same species; but different from him, being a woman and having womanly parts rather than manly parts. This difference would be key to the mandate that God would give to the two of them, which is the same mandate given to all mankind—"Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28).

GOD INTENDED HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS TO FUNCTION LIKE THIS:

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5; Mark 10:7-8).

The creation account gives a very clear picture—a standard—of God's intention for all human relationships. The only standard for sexual expression you will find consistently praised in both Testaments is that of heterosexual monogamy. Throughout the entire Bible, only that standard is upheld. Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul upheld the standard of heterosexuality. If I uphold the life of a child in the womb, I am necessarily opposed to abortion. Likewise, Scripture, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul, while upholding the standard of heterosexuality, are necessarily opposed to homosexuality (and every other sexual deviation). The statement encompasses every man; all men: "For this reason a man [any man, every man, all men] shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). Jesus made the point of directing his listeners back to the beginning, the creation of humanity, which tells us everything we need to know about God's design, plan, and intention for human relationships. Anything outside of this union—one man and one woman—is a perverse, abnormal, unnatural, abominable sexual deviation.

GOD GAVE HUMANITY THIS MANDATE:

"Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:22).

Man and woman were perfectly designed for each other; both for pleasure and for procreation: "Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28). The genital parts of both man and woman were designed differently yet complimentary—they fit together perfectly. They are, by design, perfectly fit for each other; perfectly matched. Like a light bulb and a socket, a plug and an outlet, a bolt and a nut, male and female genitalia were perfectly designed for complimentary union. This union of man and woman is the only means with which to create progeny and carry on one's family name as well as the human race. Humanity would die outside of this union and this mandate. Every living creature that God created, those in the water, those in the air, and those on the land, were all given the mandate to "be fruitful and multiply." They could not fill the waters and the air and the land otherwise. Humanity was given the same mandate, which is an expectancy of how God intended human relationships to function, the standard upheld by both Jesus and the Apostle Paul.

The Nickels and Noses Racket

by Milburn Cockrell, 1941-2002

The average pastor is no longer a powerful, plain preacher--but a polite, polished politician!

We live in a time of big meetings, big churches, big church buildings, big preachers, and big church budgets. The failure or success of a church and its pastor--is judged by the number of nickels and noses that they have. In all too many cases, there is seen in this more Satanic pride, than spiritual piety.

In the craze for nickels and noses churches have replaced preachers and pastors, with puppeteers and pranksters. The gospel of Christ has been superseded by gimmicks, gadgets, and games. Psychology has taken the place of Holy Spirit conviction. The faith has been displaced for finance, fun, and foolishness. Church discipline has been relegated to the background, in order to swell the size of the church with religious hypocrites who might give a little money to the church now and then.

The nickels and noses racket has filled our churches with unconverted persons. We have far more churchianity than Christianity. Many church members are white-washed--but they are not blood-washed. Their names are upon the church roll--but they are not found in the Lamb's book of life. Many have been reformed--but they have not been re-born. Many have been confirmed--but they have not been converted to Christ. There are so many lost people in our churches, that you cannot tell the difference between a church member and the unconverted. The reason is, because there is no difference. Both are headed to Hell as fast as time can carry them!

It has produced icy services--and cold, callous, complacent church members. Look at the average church! They have their robed choir, their cut and dried program, and their intellectual preaching. They have a beautiful edifice. They have all the organization and rituals one could ask for--but in most cases it is Spiritless! We have form without reality; we have organization without power; we have profession without possession. We have a form of godliness--without the power of it. We have religion without life.

It has caused pastors to spend more time worrying with goats, than feeding the sheep. The pastor nowadays must provide a spiritual diet for people who have no spiritual appetite. Like Ezekiel of old (Ezekiel 37:1-10), he must preach to dead, dry bones--but without the blessings which Ezekiel experienced. These dry, dead bones can't hear--yet the pastor must keep preaching and pretend that someone is listening. These dry, dead bones do not grow in grace--for the dead do not grow. These baptized bones are in no way sensitive to the appeals made to them from the Scriptures by the pastor. They watch the clock on Sunday morning, hoping the pastor will preach a short sermon so they can soon go home and do what they really enjoy.

This idea has given us the gimmick gospel. Most church members want to be entertained--instead of instructed in the Word of God. They have far more delight in the gospel of amusement--than the gospel of the atonement. Gospel celebrities must be brought in to entertain these worldly church members. These members love to hear these clerical comedians who mix a few verses of Scripture with a large amount of humor. Special singing groups must be brought in too. These have the same dress, music, hair style, and manners of any rock and roll group. Our church services nowadays have become a carefully produced theatrical production for the delight of carnal Christians and religious rascals. The only difference between this entertainment and that in the local nightclub, is that it has a religious flavor! But they say it must be done to get nickels and noses!

While there are some exceptions, most big churches are worldly churches. They have high carnality--and low spirituality. Truth is very scarce in such fashionable churches, because the Word of God has been compromised to keep nickels and noses.

What Are You Watching?

When it is more important for professing "Christians" to "not miss their TV show" than it is for them to prove their faith by standing with Jesus for truth against immorality, there is something severely wrong; both in their hearts and their minds. These so-called "Christians" willingly watch trash like Spartacus, True Blood, Game of Thrones, Lost Girl, Bitten, etc., including TV shows that have been inundated by the homosexual agenda, and somehow think there is nothing wrong with doing so. It is evident that these "Christians" do not read their Bibles, if they ever have even once.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things" (Phil. 4:8). Apply the truth of this verse to the rationale of these "Christians" and their idolatry of not wanting to "miss their TV show" under any circumstances; even when that TV show is morally corrupt. "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them" (Eph. 5:11). Do verses like these mean nothing to these so-called "Christians"? They know what they ought to do, but because they love darkness more than they love the Light, their idolatrous heart would rather continue watching a show they know they should walk away from, rather than obeying and serving the Living God.

If you can pray the following prayer over the things you watch, then by all means watch them.

"Dear Lord, we invite You to come join us in this time of viewing. As Your children, we commit this time to You as worthy of our attention. May our family be uplifted by this hour before the screen. And, Lord, we pray that families everywhere would have the opportunity to do likewise. We thank You for providing this program for us, and we ask You to bless the men and women who produced this show and those who made it available. May they have Your blessings to do more of the same. In Jesus' name, we thank You, Amen."

This can also be applied to what you listen to and what you read. You are what you read; you are what you watch, and you are what you listen to. Garbage in, garbage out. It is not "just a book"; it is not "just a movie"; and it is not "just a song". It is an influence on who and what you are and what you believe.

God knows everything you think, hears everything you say, and sees everything you do because He is always with you. With that fact in mind, freedom in Christ is doing those things which the Holy Spirit leads you to do; not what you feel like doing. If the Holy Spirit is leading you to...

• ...drink alcohol (if you believe this is okay)—How much?
  Remember what Ephesians 5:18 says?
• ...listen to music—What’s the message?
  Would the Holy Spirit want to embed this message in your heart? (Galatians 5:13)
• ...watch movies and TV shows—Which ones?
  Would the Holy Spirit want to embed these images in your heart? (Galatians 5:13)
• ...visit places of entertainment—Are you taking God with you?
  If you wouldn't take Jesus there if he was with you in the flesh, you have no purpose in being there yourself.

"For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7

You act the way you act because you believe the way you believe. You behave the way you behave because you think the way you think. How you believe determines what you do. Correct belief and correct thinking will result in correct action.

Galatians 2:11-14 teaches us to (1) watch our lifestyle and not to act hypocritically, and to (2) act in a manner that is worthy of the truth of the gospel. "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him" (Col. 2:6). In other words, walk as if you have truly received Him. "Bear fruits in keeping with repentance" (Luke 3:8).

• "...walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called," Ephesians 4:1
• "...conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ;" Philippians. 1:27
• "...walk in a manner worthy of the Lord..." Colossians 1:10
• "...walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory." 1 Thessalonians 2:12

Homosexual Agenda Infects More TV Shows

Homosexuality has infiltrated two more television series, attempting to press their agenda and convince people that there is nothing wrong with it. Through manipulation and brainwash, their typical tactics, homosexuals use the media to spread their lies the same way Hitler spread his: by repeating them loud enough, long enough, and often enough.

In Gotham, the depraved writers have turned Penguin into a homosexual who desires to be in a relationship with Riddler. In Supergirl, the depraved writers have turned Carla Danvers into a lesbian, using the argument of an alien super being "coming out" with their powers and abilities as their rationale for homosexuality. Homosexuals and their supporters will look anywhere and everywhere for illogical and irrational arguments to use in attempts of persuading people that homosexuality is normal and natural, which it is not. Homosexuality is abnormal and unnatural, and everybody knows it, regardless of how much they try to convince themselves otherwise. Homosexuality goes against both human and sexual natures. Logic, common sense, science, nature, etc., all agree and prove that homosexuality is a perversion; an abomination of how God created us ("Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female" [Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6]), how He intended relationships to function ("For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" [Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5; Mark 10:7-8]), and the mandate He gave us for procreation ("Be fruitful and multiply" [Gen. 1:22]).

Is inevitably having a shorter life span due to the diseases that result from homosexual activity considered normal and natural? Is successfully terminating your family line considered normal and natural? Homosexuals have a life expectancy of 1/3 to 1/2 that of heterosexuals, and they will never be able to procreate and create progeny to carry on their family name.

Homosexuals and their supporters willfully fail to grasp simple logic. If God created gays, there is a problem. Imagine in the Garden of Eden God created three couples instead of just one. There is Adam and Eve, obviously, and then two homosexual men and two homosexual women. Guess what? Homosexuality died with the first generation. The only couple capable of living long lives and carrying on the human race would have been Adam and Eve. The others contracted diseases, cut their lives short, and died being the only members of their family tree. Seems a rather cruel joke if that is how God intended it to be. But that is just it. That is not how God intended it to be, and that message is announced loud and clear from the beginning of Scripture until the end of Scripture. Logic, common sense, science, and nature all prove that homosexuality is unnatural. Homosexuals love their sin the same way zoophiliacs love their sin and pedophiles love their sin, and that is why they try so hard to manipulate and brainwash society into accepting their aberrant behaviour as "normal" and "natural," despite the fact that everyone knows in their hearts that it is not!

Homosexuality and its perverted and depraved writers have practically turned Teen Wolf into a gay porn TV show. I have already quit watching a number of previous favourite TV shows because homosexuality infiltrated them and tried forcing their perverse opinion upon the viewers. Once again, homosexuality has ruined two more TV shows. Thus, I will no longer be watching Gotham or Supergirl. More Christians need to prove their faith and grow a backbone, turning off the TV and refusing to watch when these people infect our shows with the homosexual agenda. If these so-called professing "Christians" stood by their faith and took a stand, the ratings for these shows would go down and they would have to remove this perversion from the show. But when Christians choose to watch even though they know it is wrong to do so, they encourage it and support it.

The way you live, "Christian," reveals the truth about what you truly believe. When you watch stuff you know you should not, your true faith is being revealed. You cannot claim to be a Christian and in the same breath admit to watching trash like Spartacus, True Blood, Game of Thrones, Lost Girl, Bitten, etc. Standing by while homosexuality becomes a key theme of your favourite TV show shows you to be a hypocrite, too. If Jesus means a thing to you, and if your faith is genuine in the least, then develop a backbone and take a stand. When it is more important for you to "not miss your show" than it is for you to stand up for Jesus and the truth, you have revealed your idolatry. Watch How You Live! I would sooner watch no TV than to be inundated by the homosexual agenda and their filthy lies.

Benedictions

What exactly is a benediction? A benediction is a short, concise pronouncement of divine blessing given in the Bible in the form of a petition, a promise, or an assurance. It voices images of protection, or comfort, or some other word of assurance. It represents a joyful, unifying call to faith; patience and practice for the faithful.

The word benediction means "to say good, to voice good thoughts, to pronounce." What makes good thoughts is that they are based on Truth—God. Whatever is true fulfills itself. Good is the inevitable result of the certainty and righteousness of Truth—God, Who is all-good.

The reading aloud of a benediction at the conclusion of a church service is joy expressed, cherished, and shared with all in its hearing. It is the essence of genuine, heartfelt joy and commitment, seen in the exalted light of spiritual interpretation. It is impersonal, it is positive, it is healing, and it is eternal. It is part of "the morning meal" that blesses all.

1. The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
2. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)
3. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever. (Psalm 121:7-8)
4. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
5. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6)
6. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
7. Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25-27)
8. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; (2 Corinthians 9:8)
9. Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11)
10. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14) 
11. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. (Galatians 6:18)
12. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23-24)
13. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
14. And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Philippians 4:19-20) 
15. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (Philippians 4:23)
16. Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)
17. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) 
18. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
19. Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
20. Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
21. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:2-3)
22. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. (Jude 1:20-21)
23. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)
24. Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Revelation 1:4-5)

Can Women Be Deacons?

Some churches say that women cannot be deacons while some churches say that women can be deacons. Which is the correct view? As with any opposing biblical views, the Greek needs to be consulted in order to determine the truth.

In the Greek, there are three words we need to be concerned with: diakoneō (διακονέω), which means to minister/to serve; diakonia (διακονία), which means ministry/service; and diakonos (διάκονος), which means minister/servant. Diakoneō appears 38 times in 32 verses. Diakonia appears 36 times in 32 verses. Diakonos appears 31 times in 29 verses. Only thrice in Scripture is diakonos translated as deacons: Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8 and 12. Only twice in Scripture is diakoneō translated as deacon: 1 Timothy 3:10 and 13. It is best to understand these words in their usual translations as either ministers or servants and minister or serve, respectively.

There is no "office of a deacon," as found in the KJV. In the 1560 Geneva Bible, 1 Timothy 3:10 reads: "And let them first be proved: then let them minister (διακονέω), if they be found blameless." In the same Bible, 1 Timothy 3:13 reads: "For they that have ministered (διακονέω) well, get themselves a good degree, and great liberty in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus." Other translations have "serve as deacons" (v.10) and "served as deacons" (v.13), which is a redundancy. "As deacons" is not required or necessary in either verse. The translation of verse 10 should simply be "then let them minister" or "then let them serve," and the translation of verse 13 should simply be "they that have ministered" or "they that have served." Period.

Diakoneō (διακονέω) means "to serve, wait upon, with emphasis on the work to be done and not on the relationship between lord and servant." This word is used in 1 Timothy 3:10 and 13. Diakonos (διάκονος) means "a minister, servant, deacon." This word is used in Romans 16:1 of Phoebe and, interestingly enough, it is also used in 1 Timothy 3:8 and 12.

Romans 16:1-2

¹ I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a [deacon/servant/minister] (διάκονος, diakonos)^{[predicate/anarthrous,noun]} of the church which is at Cenchrea; ² that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.

1 Timothy 3:8-13

⁸ [Deacons/Servants/Ministers] (διάκονος, diakonos)^{[anarthrous,noun]} likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, ⁹ but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰ And let these also first be tested; then let them [serve/minister] (διακονέω, diakoneō)^{[present imperative active]} if they are beyond reproach. ¹¹ Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. ¹² Let [deacons/servants/ministers] (διάκονος, diakonos)^{[predicate/anarthrous,noun]} be husbands of one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. ¹³ For those who have [served/ministered] (διακονέω, diakoneō)^{[definite article,aorist participle active]} well obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Predicate is part of a sentence that states, affirms, or asserts something about the subject. Anarthrous refers to a word that appears without a definite article—"the." Present Imperative Active describes the verb. Imperative is a grammatical mood that forms commands or requests, including the giving of prohibition or permission, or any other kind of advice or exhortation. Aorist Participle Active also describes the verb. Aorist is a verb tense expressing action or, in the indicative mood, past action, without further limitation or implication. Participle is a “verbal adjective”: it is like a verb, in that it has Tense (past, present, perfect—future participles are rare in the NT)  and like an adjective, in that it has to agree with  the noun or pronoun which it qualifies (goes with) in Number (singular or plural), Case (Nominative, Accusative, etc.) and Gender.

In 1 Timothy 3:11, Paul uses the word likewise, which means "in the same way, in a like manner, similarly, also, too, as well." It relates back to what was just said. Paul was not talking about wives of deacons because no pronoun was used to refer to them. If that is what he meant, he would have said their wives or their women. Since there are no comments about the wives of elders, why would there be comments about the wives of deacons? There is no feminine form of diakonos (διάκονος); the same form of the word diakonos is both masculine and feminine. If Paul were to use just the term diakonos if he wanted to refer to women servers, it would have been unclear to his readers. He had to identify them as women. Hence why he refers to women in verse 11 with the Greek word gunaikas (γυναῖκας): Γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως... (Women likewise...).

Based on the words used, Phoebe is referred to by using the exact same word that appears in 1 Timothy 3. This tells me that women are allowed to be deacons. In the early church, women were full and active members. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 informs us that both husbands and wives could pray and prophesy in the worship service. Paul's chief concern was that no woman should attempt to usurp the position of their husbands in the home or in the church. God has appointed specific roles and tasks for both men and women.

On the other hand, however, women are not allowed to be elders or pastors (see Women Pastors: What Does the Bible Say?). "Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says. And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment" (1 Corinthians 14:34-37). "But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve" (1 Timothy 2:12-13). These verses—God-breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit, have no bearing on women being deacons as they are under the authority of a male elder within the church.

Verses 1-7 of 1 Timothy 3 are best understood as "Qualifications To Be An Overseer/Elder," while verses 8-13 are best understood as "Qualifications For Servants." When we understand these passages in this way, and the language being used, it removes any confusion on the issue. Do not cherry pick at verses 11 and 12, trying to justify your desire for exclusion of women as deacons. Romans 16:1 uses the exact same word regarding Phoebe as is found in 1 Timothy 3:8 and 12. In order to grasp the truth here, let us eliminate the use of the word deacon and use the more accurate translation of either minister or servant, which is why 1 Timothy 3:8-13 is best understood under the heading, "Qualifications For Servants." These servants are especially qualified for ministering to the church, each other, and the surrounding community. The word "minister" here does not mean "preacher"; it means "someone who is qualified to attend to the needs of someone else."

Can women be deacons? According to Scripture, yes, they can.

Diakoneō (διακονέω)	Diakonia (διακονία)	Diakonos (διάκονος)
Matthew 4:11 Matthew 8:15 Matthew 20:28 Matthew 25:44 Matthew 27:55 Mark 1:13 Mark 1:32 Mark 10:45 Mark 15:41 Luke 4:39 Luke 8:3 Luke 10:40 Luke 12:37 Luke 17:8 Luke 22:26 Luke 22:27 John 12:2 John 12:26 Acts 6:2 Acts 19:22 Romans 15:25 2 Corinthians 3:3 2 Corinthians 8:19 2 Corinthians 8:20 1 Timothy 3:10 1 Timothy 3:13 2 Timothy 1:18 Philemon 1:13 Hebrews 6:10 1 Peter 1:12 1 Peter 4:10 1 Peter 4:11	Luke 10:40 Acts 1:17 Acts 1:25 Acts 6:1 Acts 6:4 Acts 11:29 Acts 12:25 Acts 20:24 Acts 21:19 Romans 11:13 Romans 12:7 Romans 15:31 1 Corinthians 12:5 1 Corinthians 16:15 2 Corinthians 3:7 2 Corinthians 3:8 2 Corinthians 3:9 2 Corinthians 4:1 2 Corinthians 5:18 2 Corinthians 6:3 2 Corinthians 8:4 2 Corinthians 9:1 2 Corinthians 9:12 2 Corinthians 9:13 2 Corinthians 11:8 Ephesians 4:12 Colossians 4:17 1 Timothy 1:12 2 Timothy 4:5 2 Timothy 4:11 Hebrews 1:14 Revelation 2:19	Matthew 20:26 Matthew 22:13 Matthew 23:11 Mark 9:35 Mark 10:43 John 2:5 John 2:9 John 12:26 Romans 13:4 Romans 15:8 Romans 16:1 1 Corinthians 3:5 2 Corinthians 3:6 2 Corinthians 6:4 2 Corinthians 11:15 2 Corinthians 11:23 Galatians 2:17 Ephesians 3:7 Ephesians 6:21 Philippians 1:1 Colossians 1:7 Colossians 1:23 Colossians 1:25 Colossians 4:7 1 Thessalonians 3:2 1 Timothy 3:8 1 Timothy 3:12 1 Timothy 4:6