Salvation Is A Journey

Salvation is a journey, much like sanctification. Why do I say this? Have you never considered why Scripture speaks of our salvation using past, present, and future tenses? Yet our preachers falsely teach only in the past tense, with such false assumptions and concepts such as "Once saved, always saved." If you truly repented of your sin and trusted in Jesus 20 years ago, then you will be repenting of your sin and trusting in Jesus today, and you must be repenting of your sin and trusting in Jesus 20 years from now.

Have you never considered why Jesus says, "the one who endures to the end, he will be saved"? Have you never considered why Paul says, "run in such a way [so] that you may win"? Look! If you quit in the middle of a race and walk off the track, you did not endure until the end and you will not receive the prize! Period. If your preacher says otherwise, he is lying to you. You did not "lose" your salvation because you did not obtain it. You forfeited it! It is ludicrous that many self-professing Christians believe that Jesus told us to enter the race, that we do not actually have to run it, or that we can leave it at any time, and that we will still obtain the prize. Seriously?!?!?

Many of you need to start reading your Bibles and paying attention to the words, rather than swallowing the camel of false teaching your "leaders" spoon feed you from the pulpit. Try reading the writings of the early Christians from the first three centuries. They absolutely believed you could forfeit your salvation. Scripture and the early Christians are opposed to the heretical false teachings you have received from your so-called "leaders."

You cannot lose what you never had, but you can forfeit what you have yet to obtain.

The entire New Covenant Scriptures were finished by the end of the first century. The Christians of the next two centuries used all of these Scriptures and were taught by those who had been taught by the apostles themselves. Control your ego, pride, and arrogance, ditch your personal ambitions and hidden agendas, and stop your attempts to play games using proof text methodology, eisegesis, and Scripture twisting by pitting verses against each other. You are not God. Stop trying to make your confusions over Scripture to be one or the other. You are 1,900 years removed from the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, the languages of the time, the culture, and their customs. Do not pretend like you are smarter than and know more than the Christians of the first three centuries. That is the height of egotistical hubris!

You can disagree with what I have said here, and try to pit your favourite proof-texted verses against the plethora of other verses that contradict your interpretation and what you have been told to believe. That is fine. That is your choice. But as for me, I am going to believe what Scripture says and what the early Christians taught and believed. Y'all have the habit of cherry picking which statements from Jesus and His apostles you want to believe and emphasize, and which ones you do not. Those statements that contradict you, you simply ignore, deny, or reject because they do not fit with the theology you have been brainwashed, conditioned, indoctrinated, and programmed with. You need to be an overcomer here. Read Jesus' letters to the churches and be honest with yourself as to where you are. Then seek to correct it with the help of the Holy Spirit. May Yahweh be with you.

Cain and Abel

You have probably heard it said that the reason Abel's offering was accepted was because he offered a spotless lamb (Christ), and the reason Cain's offering was rejected was because he offered the fruit from a cursed land. That is the most common interpretation provided, but is it correct?

No!

No, it is not correct.

This interpretation is imposed upon the biblical text. The people who do so are apparently illiterate, or too lazy to do their own work and merely rely on the erroneous work of others. If there was no mention of resting on the seventh day, or a requirement to do so, until Moses, then the same weight of argument applies here. You will find no mention of God requiring an offering of a spotless lamb until Moses. While it was a requirement under Moses and until Christ Jesus, you cannot read such requirements backwards. You cannot say that is what Abel did because Yahweh required it where there is zero mention of such a requirement. That is an argument from silence. The first mention of a lamb for an offering was in Genesis 22. Yahweh God would not require the offering of a spotless lamb until hundreds of years later.

So what does the text tell us?

"So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him." Genesis 4:2-8

"By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks." Hebrews 11:4

The reason Cain's offering was not accepted is a matter of the heart. Hebrews offers us some insight into this. The idea that his offering was rejected because it was fruit that came from a cursed land is nonsensical and ridiculous. Several of the offerings under the Law require fruit that comes from a cursed land. We are not told specifically why Cain's offering was not accepted. Some people claim he did not offer the first fruits (the best) of his crops. Perhaps. Hebrews does not say that Abel's offering was "better" because he offered a spotless lamb. Again, that is being imposed upon the text. Had Cain made his offering by faith, Yahweh would have accepted it. How do we know? Because He told Cain as much: "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

God may have slain a lamb in order to cloth Adam and Eve as a precursor to the requirement of the Law that would be fulfilled in Christ, but we have to be careful about reading into the text that which is not actually present. Too much of our theologies impose nonsensical beliefs upon the texts that simply are not there. If it is something you thought about and could be a possibility, then teach it as such, but . . . do not teach it dogmatically! If it is not explicitly spelled out in Scripture, then what you are offering is nothing more than conjecture. Ditch the use of proof text methodology, eisegesis, and Scripture twisting, and teach the Word of God in context based on the details that are actually present.

It is one thing to draw parallels and speculate, but it is quite another to teach those speculations dogmatically as if they are biblical truth. The Scriptures are inspired and God-breathed; not your opinions, speculations, conjectures, or fanciful imaginations. Read the text in context, taking into account chronology of events (What order are the book in history?), and then teach it accordingly.

The Existence of Jesus

"No serious historian of any religious or nonreligious stripe doubts that Jesus of Nazareth really lived in the first century and was executed under the authority of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea and Samaria." ―Professor Craig Evans

No serious scholar has ever ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus, and with good reason. History proves without a doubt that Jesus is indeed a historical figure. Observe...

• Cornelius Tacitus (A.D. 55-120), Roman historian: Most acclaimed works are the Annals and the Histories. The Annals cover the period from Augustus Caesar's death in A.D. 14 to the death of Emperor Nero in A.D. 68, while the Histories begin after Nero's death and proceed to the reign of Domitian in A.D. 96. In the Annals (XV,44), Tacitus alludes to the death of Christ and to the existence of Christians at Rome:
  

  "But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also."

  Christus is the Latin rendering of the Greek Christos. It is interesting that Pilate is not mentioned in any other pagan document which has survived. It is an irony of history that the only surviving reference to him in a pagan document mentions him because of the sentence of death he passed on Jesus the Messiah.
  
  
• Suetonius: Roman historian and court official during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Suetonius wrote in his Life of Claudius (25.4):
  

  "As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome."

  Chrestus is a misspelling of Christus. Claudius' expulsion of the Christians from Rome is mentioned in Acts 18:2. This event took place in A.D. 49. In his work Lives of the Caesars, Suetonius also wrote:
  

  "Punishment by Nero was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition."

  Assuming Jesus was crucified in the early thirties, Suetonius places Christians in the Roman capital less than 20 years later and he reports that they were suffering for their faith and dying for their conviction that Jesus had really lived, died and that He had risen from the dead!
  
  
• Pliny the Younger: Roman governor in Bithynia, A.D. 112, wrote to Emperor Trajan to seek advice as to how to treat the Christians. He recounts that he had been killing Christian men, women, and children. He is concerned that so many have chosen death over simply bowing down to a statue of the emperor or being made to "curse Christ, which a genuine Christian cannot be induced to do" (Epistles X, 96).
  
  
• Tallus: Tallus was a secular historian who (circa A.D. 52) wrote a history of the Eastern Mediterranean from the Trojan War to his own time. The document no longer exists but it was quoted by other writers like the Christian, Julius Africanus, who wrote around A.D. 221. He quotes Tallus' comments about the darkness that enveloped the land during the late afternoon hours when Jesus died on the cross. Julius wrote:
  

  "Tallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably, as it seems to me (unreasonably of course, because a solar eclipse could not take place at the time of the full moon, and it was at the season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died." (Chronography, 18.1)

  The importance of Tallus' comments is that the reference shows that the Gospel account of the darkness that fell across the earth during Christ's crucifixion was well known and required a naturalistic explanation from non-Christians.
  
  
• Phlegon: Julius Africanus also quoted another secular scholar whose works are now lost. Phlegon wrote a history called Chronicles. Phlegon also comments on the darkness at the time of Christ's crucifixion:
  

  "During the time of Tiberius Caesar an eclipse of the sun occurred during the full moon." (Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1)

  The 3rd century Christian apologist Origen also references Phlegon's record of this event in his work (Celsum, 2.14, 33, 59), as does the 6th century writer Philopon (De.opif.mund. II, 21).
  
  
• Mara Bar-Serapion: Syrian stoic philosopher who wrote a letter from prison to his son circa A.D. 70. He compares Jesus to the philosophers Socrates and Pythagoras.
  
  
• Josephus ben Mattathias (also known as Flavius Josephus): 37-100AD, Jewish priest, general and historian. He wrote two great works of Jewish history: The Jewish War, written in the early 70's and Jewish Antiquities, which was finished about A.D. 94. In his work, Jewish Antiquities, there is a passage that has created heated debate among scholars for many decades (XVIII, 33):
  

  "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day."

• Lucian of Samosate: Greek satirist later half of 2nd century spoke scornfully of Christ and the Christians but never argued that Jesus never existed (The Death of Peregrine, 11-13):
  

  "The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account..."

  He even said:
  

  "(Christ was) the man who was crucified in Palestine"

• The Babylonian Talmud: References to the history of Jesus in the Talmud do not question that Jesus Christ existed.
  

  "It has been taught: On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu.  And an announcer went out, in front of him, for 40 days (saying): 'He is going to be stoned, because he practiced sorcery and enticed and led Israel astray. Anyone who knows anything in his favor, let him come and plead in his behalf.' But, not having found anything in his favor, they hanged him on the eve of Passover." (Sanhedrin 43a; df.t.Sanh. 10:11; y. Sanh. 7:12; Tg. Esther 7:9)

  Another version of this text reads: "Yeshu the Nazarene." Yeshu (or Yehoshua) is Hebrew (or Aramaic) for Jesus—in English this name is also translated "Joshua." The Old Testament hero bore the same name as Jesus the Messiah. "Hanged" is another way of referring to a crucifixion; see Luke 23:39 and Galatians 3:13.
  The issue the Talmud quarrels with is not with whether or not Jesus existed, but with the Christian belief in Jesus' virgin birth. It records (not surprisingly) that He was born under shameful circumstances:
  

  "R. Shimeon ben Azzai said [concerning Jesus]: 'I found a genealogical roll in Jerusalem wherein was recorded, Such-an-one is a bastard of an adulteress'" (b.Yebamoth 49a; m Yebam. 4:13)

  In another passage we are told that Mary, "who was the descendant of princes and governors, played the harlot with carpenters" (b. Sanh. 106a). In another passage we find:
  

  "His mother was Miriam, a women's hairdresser.  As they say, ...'this one strayed from her husband'" (b. Sabb. 104b).

• The Amoa "Ulla": Ulla was a disciple of Youchanan and lived in Palestine at the end of the third century. He wrote:
  

  "And do you suppose that for (Yeshu of Nazareth—Jesus) there was any right of appeal? He was a beguiler, and the Merciful One hath said: 'Thou shalt not spare neither shalt thou conceal him.' It is otherwise with Yeshu, for He was near to the civil authority."

*Note: The writers of the Talmud took their job seriously. These men were Jews who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They were not Christians, but they documented Christ's crucifixion. Flavius Josephus was a professional historian who took his job seriously as well. He researched his work before publishing it. These Roman men were professional historians. They also researched their work before publishing it. They also documented Christ's crucifixion.

Skipped Verses

It is pretty sad when there is a verse that you would like to learn more about, but when you pick up your favourite "Study" Bible or your favourite commentary and look up that verse . . . there is nothing said about it.

Commentaries should address each and every verse while retaining the immediate context and comparing similar parallel passages found in other books. By doing so, you avoid making two related passages teach two different things. When verses are skipped, you can be sure they did so for one of at least two reasons: (1) the person is ignorant as to what that verse or passage teaches, and so rather than educate themselves about it by studying, they simply ignore it, or (2) the verse or passage contradicts what the person already believes by way of their particular flavour of theology, and so they ignore it so they do not have to admit they are wrong and conform themselves accordingly to God's Word.

Religious individuals adamantly adhere to how they were raised, what they were taught, or what they might currently believe, and refuse to admit they could be wrong, reforming and conforming themselves and their beliefs according to the Word of God rather than the traditions of men. Genuine followers of Jesus are willing to see where they have believed in error and then to correct those errors by conforming themselves and their beliefs according to God's Word. Read Revelation 2:12-17, where the congregation of Pergamum started believing the wrong things. Jesus encouraged them to repent and stick to the Word of God. Just because you attend some organized religious institution does not mean what they teach from the pulpit is biblically accurate or true. With 40,000+ different "Christian" denominations, groups, and sects, how could it be since they each teach something different?

This does not mean that full commentaries (that address each and every verse) are free from errors. But at least they address every verse in the passage. It is rather pointless to write a commentary that avoids addressing every verse, because when people are stumped by a particular verse and go to look it up in your commentary, they will just get more frustrated because they cannot find an answer to the verse they are looking at. Why is it so difficult for certain Christians, especially those in unbiblical leadership positions, to humble themselves and admit, "I don't know"?

Most "Study" Bibles and commentaries are nothing more than vanity, where the author is pursuing personal ambitions by pushing their hidden agendas. Whenever some celebrity preacher's name is attached to a so-called "Study" Bible and/or commentary, you should be extremely wary. Even more so when they skip verses. Among the many of these, the MacArthur "Study" Bible and commentary is guilty of all of this. It is personal vanity that skips verses, pursues personal ambitions, and pushes hidden agendas. It presents its teachings as "biblical" when many of them are anything but.

Beware of any preacher who behaves in such a manner as to imply or infer that teachers of the last 200 years are more intelligent and more spiritual than those of the first three centuries, and that we somehow have it all together (while claiming that the early Christians became corrupt within 50 years). They maintained the unity of the Spirit and the unity of the faith for 300 years. We currently have 40,000+ different denominations, groups, and sects, each of which believes what they teach to be entirely 100% the "Word of God." Anyone who thinks that modern generations are "smarter" than previous generations is ignorant of reality and conflates "technologically advanced" with being "more intelligent." If we are more intelligent, then why can we not accomplish the same things they accomplished without technology? If we know more about Scripture and their time period than they did (the hubris here is astonishing), then why do we have so many different denominations and why do we fight over our "doctrines"?

Unless God's children start pursuing Jesus of their own accord and conforming themselves to His teachings, instead of blindly following what some ignorant preacher in the pulpit has TOLD them to believe, I fear the words of Jesus will find fulfillment: "When the Son of man returns, will He find faith on the Earth?" Read the letters to the 7 congregations in Revelation and seek to fix those things Jesus highlights. These problems exist in the modern "churches" and individual believer's lives. Fix them in your own life, and then follow Jesus alone by being obedient to what He has commanded. You cannot ride the coattails of another, and if the person you are attempting to ride the coattails of is leading you astray from behind the pulpit, then you will be twice the child of Hell as he/she already is. YOU are responsible for your faith and how you conducted yourself in this world and what you believed. If you believe the LIES some preacher has spoon fed you, thinking "He ought to know what he's talking about," you will NOT be able to blame them when you stand before Jesus on Judgment day. Consider Adam and Eve and their excuses. Your false teacher might receive a greater judgment, but you will not get off without being judged yourself. You will be without excuse because Scripture repeatedly commands you to "search the Scriptures" and to "work out your own salvation" and to "study...rightly dividing the word of truth."

Choose this day whom you will serve . . . and then do so!

Christians

This song, unfortunately, exposes the frequency with which nominal (name only) religious individuals abuse the Name of Yahweh and Jesus, hiding behind religion while pretending to be followers of Jesus, giving the rest of us a bad name. This was the Devil's winning move; "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Many people call themselves "Christians" but have never had a transformational encounter with the Lord Jesus.
And any man or woman who ever utters the words "God told me you were my spouse" to you . . . RUN!!! They are LIARS with personal ambition and hidden agendas. Yahweh God never said any such thing to them! Look for a spouse who embodies the character of Jesus while being obedient to His commandments and teachings, lifting you up and edifying you to become more like Jesus.
If you believe yourself to be, and profess yourself to be, a true believer in and follower of Jesus, then read these lyrics and do two things: (1) make sure this does not describe you in the least, and (2) avoid those "Christians" who are exactly as described here. You can try to show them their hypocrisy, trying to win them genuinely for Christ Jesus (but remember, conversion of the soul is the Lord's work; we only plant and water), but 9 times out of 10 they will turn on you and attack you because they are enemies of the Lord Jesus. They hide behind religion pretending to be something they are not.

Christians
YelloPain

Christians
Not saying I'm not one
I'm saying I've met some that made me not ever wanna be a Christian
Lord, forgive 'em
They hide behind religion

I wanna make an announcement
I'm a believer in Jesus
I believe that He died for my sins
I know that He's the Redeemer
My problem is people I should've got saved from, but I heard they was saved
But since the beginning, these Christians been using His Name for personal gain
So, I know that this sound like it's unrelated, but how do we build up Americas?
A group of European settlers came across the water, they was terrorists
They burned down the innocent villages, women and children, and made up a narrative
They said that God told 'em they was supposed to do it
Now let's make the comparison
Nowadays, nobody murder you under religion no more, it's scarier
They murder your vision in God and you start thinking maybe the Lord is a character
Cuz it seems like the evilest people I've met were the strongest promoters of Jesus
Cuz He died to forgive us for all of our sins, so they use that to cope with the demons
I know an atheist that molested his daughters, but he kept a perfect image
Did it for so many years, and then when he got caught all of a sudden he turned a Christian
It's never too late, but I just find it funny there wasn't one day that he served in prison
About 30 years doing the same s**t, then he found God in 30 minutes
I know this one pastor molested his daughter
The staff at the church kept saying, "Forgive him"
I know this girl that got raped and her momma wished happy birthdays to the person that did it
I know that Jesus forgave us, but some things I struggle to learn
How to work on forgiving?
I know a momma who cut off her son for religion, what kind of Jehovah she witnessed?
This one girl I changed my ways with convinced herself that I cheated
She said she had confirmation from the spirits, stopped picking up calls for no reason
She got romantic with one of my closest homies less than 30 days while I was grieving
He ain't know that I knew, he called me I confronted him and he gon' blame it on Jesus
He said, "God told me this is my wife"
But she told me He said I'm her husband
So which one was God, which one of y'all lied? To be honest I find it disgusting
And I know a pastor that took a donation and went bought his wife a new Lexus
You know you was supposed to take that and upgrade the facility; Why you finesse us?
The worst type of Christians the ones that believe they talking to God, but it's really ambition
Convincing themselves that it's genuine, trying to block out the hidden agendas
And they play on the hearts of the Christian, beginnings with hallelujahs and they memorize scriptures
Made me gullible cuz it was convincing
God, I need You to come fix me
I don't want to give up believing cuz I still remember
All of the times that You helped me and saved me when I ain't deserve it cuz I'm still a sinner
It's just that all of the Christians You've sent me that I got to witness, they all was pretenders
All of 'em wicked, and for the life of me I just don't see why I gotta forgive 'em

Need You to heal me, God, I know You real
That's why I'm on my knees, begging
Isaiah 29 verse 13 I just wish I would've read it
He say, 'They honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me"
Father please
Protect me from . . . Christians

Not saying I'm not one, I'm saying I've met some that made me not ever wanna be a...

I follow God, but I will never ever follow... Christians

Lord forgive 'em, they hide behind religion

The Uselessness of the Sermon

What good has the sermon ever done for the people of Yahweh?

Self-professing believers will listen to anywhere from one or two sermons to a dozen or more sermons throughout the week. They will listen to one or two sermons on Sunday, perhaps a sermon on Wednesday, and download and listen to several sermons from their favourite preachers. With all these sermons being consumed, and all the 'Christian' material available at their fingertips (books, music, videos, etc.), why has it done nothing in their lives? Zero transformational change has occurred in their day-to-day attitudes, behaviour and conduct! If the sermon had any practicality, any usefulness, then why does the world see little to no difference in those professing to be "Christians" compared to the world's testimony concerning the first three centuries of Christians?!?!?

Like Ephesus, they still have a lack of love for Jesus and for others, including their enemies. Like Pergamum, they believe those wrong things that tickle their ears, majoring in the minors and minoring in the majors. Like Thyatira, they are too tolerant, failing to deal with the sinful behaviour and false teachers among themselves, including calling out the sins and false teachings of their favourite preachers. Like Sardis, their works are not as great as they think (although some of them erroneously believe they do not have to do works of any kind, despite Scripture repeatedly saying we will be judged by them in the end). Like Laodicea, they think they have it all together, despite the fact they are falling apart. They conduct themselves and their business practices through the week separate from anything Jesus had to say. They put on a charade on Sunday, masquerading as if a genuine Christian, but live like the Devil from the moment they walk out of their organized religious institutions and for the rest of the week! And they have the nerve to attempt to call themselves "Christians"?!?!?

If sermons were biblical, which they are not, they should be practical and result in transformational change. However, there is nothing practical about the sermon! Preachers speak on issues they have no experience in or with. The sermon was not part of congregational practice until the 4th century, when they started imitating the Sophists. While things started going amuck in the latter half of the third century, the Lord's Congregation was turned completely upon its head in the 4th century, and we have never recovered from it! Sermons fill peoples' heads with all sorts of useless information and opinions of men. They do not bring about transformational change. Only encounters with the living God will do that! As Paul prayed for Timothy, that he would "know the love of Christ." This experiential knowledge surpasses any educational knowledge, which does not save but only puffs up the ego.

Any genuine believers out there reading this, it is time to "come out of her" (the various man-made denominations with their opinions and traditions of men) and to take your profession of faith seriously, being obedient to the teachings of Jesus. The letters to the seven congregations are also letters to us, because we face the exact same issues. We need to repent of these things and to fix what is broken. We need to stop being religious and to start living out what we profess to believe. If we believe it is important to help the widows, orphans, sick, poor, and imprisoned, but never lift a finger to do so, then we are liars and hypocrites! As the old cliche goes, "Actions speak louder than words." Read James 2:14-26. Your actions complete, perfect, and confirm what you say you believe.

Read the Bible every day. Read the New Covenant thrice as much as you read the Old Covenant. Read the New Covenant Scriptures and obey what they say. The only time you will find the words "by faith alone" in God's Word is in the negative, when James says, "not by faith alone." Let that sink in. Anything you believe contrary to this is a heretical false teaching that is separating you from our Lord and Saviour, King Jesus. Repentance and obedience are part and parcel of salvation! Stop believing what some pulpiteer has told you and start reading the Word of the Lord for yourself! You cannot get into Heaven by riding the coattails of someone else or by believing everything they tell you to believe and opposing everything they tell you to oppose. Read the Scriptures! In context!!!

If you never find time to open the Scriptures, and you are constantly making empty excuses for why you do not do so, it is no different than when Jesus said, "whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 10:33) and "the angels of God" (Luke 12:9). You are merely paying lip service to Him while your heart is far from Him. Do not kid yourself otherwise!

My prayer for my brothers and sisters in the faith all around the world, regardless what denomination you find yourself in having been seduced by their particular theologies that have replaced Scripture and usurped the power of God:

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

The Sunday Mornin' Chainsaw Massacree

The Sunday Mornin' Chainsaw Massacree
Don Francisco

They were goin' to church: all the regulars and a few more
Nobody had a clue what was comin' when they walked through the door
They were sayin' hello, they were takin' their seats
And everyone was ready for the basic repeat
Some songs then an offering and a sermon like the Sundays before

Nobody noticed what was sittin' underneath the front pew
No-one had imagined what the pastor was intendin' to do
When he got to his feet, they were settlin' in
Waitin' for the preacher man to begin
But that expectation was never again to come true

'Cause the sanctuary suddenly filled with a deafening roar
When the chainsaw started that the pastor picked up from the floor
He laid into the pulpit and he cut it right through
Only pieces were left after a second or two
And when he turned the thing off, you know he had their attention for sure

It was the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree
Nobody died except religious co-dependency
The heavens were opened when that pulpit went down
And God's Holy Spirit started movin' around
And those half-baked pew potatoes got really set free
At the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree

And the minister asked, "Do you all understand what I did?
Everyone's a minister here; you know you're not little kids
The Holy One's in each one of you, and it's time I let you see that it's true
My name isn't 'pastor'; from now on, call me 'Uncle Sid'
Don't you dare call me pastor; my first name's really just 'Sid'."

It was the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree
Nobody died except some habits and formality
The heavens were opened when that pulpit went down
And God's Holy Spirit started movin' around
And that pastor and the congregation got really set free
At the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree

Now the reason I know is 'cause I happened to visit that place
By then, the pews were gone and we worshipped and danced in the space
Some had a teaching; some had revelation; some had a psalm; some interpretation
Jesus was Lord, and he was shining on every face
By the time we were done, I'd been filled by his power and grace

It was the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree
Nobody died except religious co-dependency
The heavens were opened when that pulpit went down
And God's Holy Spirit started movin' around
And the pastor and the congregation got really set free
At the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree
At the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En-6040PEqs

Godless False Accusations Against Me

There are ignorant un-Christ-like hate-filled people out there guilty of IMAX-level projection engaging in ad hominem, name calling, and character assassination attempts who are trying to make themselves feel better about themselves by saying that I am "trying to start [my] own cult." Other ignorant people who lack the ability to think critically for themselves will simply hate me and engage in the same Christ-less behaviour just because of what these ignorant clowns have said about me. They have never met me, they do not know me from Adam, and they have never personally talked to me to learn anything about me or my faith. Yet they believe what they have been TOLD about me. You should never discount someone else just because of what some ignorant clown has TOLD YOU. Give them a chance; listen to them or read them in order to make up your own mind about them based on legitimate facts, reality, and truth.

I have no desire to be a leader of something. The cults are already here with the 40,000+ Christian denominations that exist today. I have a personal desire to return to first century New Covenant Christianity, as recorded in Scripture and practiced by the early Christians of the first three centuries. I am seeking to be free of these opinion-laden cults of men and to return to the Lord Jesus by making Scripture my ultimate authority. That is all. If you are content with the establishment and their lies, good for you. Where are you most likely to find accurate biblical truth? Those of the first three centuries who were directly taught by one or more of the apostles, or by one or more of the disciples of the apostles, who spoke the same language and had the same customs and culture as the apostles, and maintained unity of the Spirit and the faith for 300 years? Or us, who are removed from those teachings, the language, customs, and culture by 1,900 years, and have splintered into 40,000+ opinionated denominations, groups, and sects? The answer is obvious, but for some reason we tend to think we are "smarter" than the previous generations. All one has to do is read the apologetic defenses of the early Christians to see how that is not true.

While most professing believers are comfortable being religious nominal (name only) "Christians," I want to live it by practice. As James wrote, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Like the song from Petra says, "Sometimes God's children should be seen and not heard." Where are the Christians who are supposed to love their neighbours and their enemies and put the words of Christ into action? At the end of the Instruction on the Mount, Jesus told us what those who hear His words and obey them are like. If you dressed as a homeless person and walked into most "churches" today, the majority of people would look through you and ignore you, give you looks that tell you that you are not supposed to be there, tell you to sit in the back, and not acknowledge that you are there. Is this how they learned Christ Jesus?!?!? Is this how a "Christian" is supposed to behave and act? Yet they claim I am "trying to start [my] own cult"??? *LOL* They should really look in the mirror, because they are already part of one! These people "honour God with their lips, but their heart is far from [Him]," "teach as doctrines the commandments of men," "neglect the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men," and "reject the commandment of God in order to establish [their] tradition" (Mark 7:6-9).

A distinguishing mark of Christians is their integrity. That integrity is demonstrated by following the Lord Jesus—regardless of what others do—simply because He is Lord. That integrity is demonstrated when we desire to be aligned with Him, subjecting every aspect of our lives to His leading, regardless of how it contradicts our opinions, our feelings, our proclivities, how we were raised, what we were taught, or what we might presently believe. That integrity is demonstrated when we do right because it is right, and when we keep our word no matter the cost to ourselves. We are to act upon revealed truth, not merely be informed by it. That is the difference between obedience and disobedience and rebellion. Christian integrity conforms to the Lord Jesus and His revealed Word, no matter the cost to self. The lack thereof is conformity to the traditions of men.

Like Ephesus, many believers today have lost their love for Jesus and for others and need to overcome their lack of love. Having been like Ephesus, I am learning to love others the way Jesus commanded me to, to love my neighbours as myself and to love my enemies and do good to them. Like Pergamum, many believers today have believed the wrong things and need to get rid of the lies. Having been like Pergamum, I am getting rid of the lies of the past 1,700 years and conforming to the faith of the first 3 centuries. Like Thyatira, many believers today have become too tolerant by putting up with sinful behaviour and false teachers among themselves. Having been like Thyatira, I am willing to be unpopular by calling out sinful behaviour and false teachers among Christ's Body. Like Sardis, many believers today need to stop living a double life and realize that their works are not as good as they think. Having been like Sardis, I realize my works are not what they should be, and I need to be fully committed to the Lord Jesus. You cannot serve two masters: choose either the Lord or choose the world, but you cannot have both. Like Laodicea, many believers today think they are rich and have it all together but are actually poor and falling apart, needing to get serious about their faith. Having been like Laodicea, I have become serious about my faith, wanting to be obedient to the teachings of Christ Jesus. Unlike these people, I have a desire to be like Philadelphia, to keep the Lord's Word, stand strong, and not deny His name, and like Smyrna, to be faithful unto death. I can only pray that the religious nominal believers out there who are constantly giving Christianity a bad name by their behaviour and conduct before the world would become faithful followers of Jesus by obeying His commandments and teachings.

When someone elevates Jesus as their authority to the center of their life and their faith, who is the one who attacks that person to try and tear them down? The Devil! When you confront the establishment, challenging their power, position, popularity, and/or pay cheque, of course they will turn on you and claim you are "trying to start [your] own cult." These ignorant un-Christ-like hate-filled people can say whatever they want about me. I will be all too happy to bear that cross in order to reform and conform myself entirely to Scripture and the Lord Jesus.

Jesus' Letters to the Churches

Jesus gave the apostle John a letter to write to seven different congregations. These letters were not merely for those seven congregations alone, but for every denomination and every organized religious institution and every professing believer today as well! Read them with wisdom, understanding, and discernment, and you may see yourself in one or more of them. Then REPENT and get back on course!

Dear Ephesus,
I know you are patient and hardworking. You believe the right things, and you don't give up when things are hard. But you've lost your love for me and for others. Repent and remember what you used to be like. If you overcome your lack of love, you will live with me in paradise.
(see Rev. 2:1-7)
Like Ephesus, many professing believers today have lost their love for Jesus and for others and need to overcome their lack of love. Having been like Ephesus, I am learning to love others the way Jesus commanded me to, to love my neighbours as myself and to love my enemies and do good to them.

Dear Smyrna,
I know you are poor and have many trials, but don't be afraid of suffering. If you are faithful unto death, I will give you the crown of life.
(see Rev. 2:8-11)
Wanting to be like Smyrna, I desire to be faithful to my Lord and King, Jesus, until death.

Dear Pergamum,
I know you live in a difficult place. You hold fast to my name and are not afraid to share the good news. But some of you have started believing the wrong things. Repent and stick to the word of God. If you get rid of the lies, I will give you the bread of eternal life.
(see Rev. 2:12-17)
Like Pergamum, many professing believers today have believed the wrong things and need to get rid of the lies they have been told and have embraced. Having been like Pergamum, I am getting rid of the lies of the past 1,700 years and conforming to the faith of the first 3 centuries.

Dear Thyatira,
I know your love and faith and service. But you are too tolerant. You put up with sinful behaviour and false teachers. Repent and deal with the sin in your midst. If you are willing to be unpopular, I will make you shine like stars in the heavens.
(see Rev. 2:18-29)
Like Thyatira, many professing believers today have become too tolerant by putting up with sinful behaviour and false teachers amongst themselves. Having been like Thyatira, I am willing to be unpopular by calling out sinful behaviour and false teachers among Christ's Body, especially when they behave contrary to it.

Dear Sardis,
I know you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Your works are not as good as you think. Repent and stop living a double life. If you put off dirty things, I will give you clean, white clothes so you can live with me forever.
(see Rev. 3:1-6)
Like Sardis, many professing believers today need to stop living a double life and realize that their works are not as good as they think. Having been like Sardis, I realize my works are not what they should be, and I need to be fully committed to the Lord Jesus. You cannot serve two masters: choose either the Lord or choose the world, but you cannot have both.

Dear Philadelphia,
I know your good works. You may seem small and weak, but you have kept my word and not denied my name. If you stand strong, I will make you a pillar in my heavenly temple.
(see Rev. 3:7-13)
Wanting to be like Philadelphia, I desire to keep Jesus' word by obeying His commandments and teachings, standing strong and not denying His name.

Dear Laodicea,
I know that you are lukewarm, like bland, yucky water. You are leaving a bad taste in my mouth. You think you are rich and have it all together, but you are poor and falling apart. Repent and get serious about your faith. If you open the door, I will come in and feast with you.
(see Rev. 3:14-22)
Like Laodicea, many professing believers today think they are rich and have it all together when they are actually poor and falling apart, needing to get serious about their faith. Having been like Laodicea, I have become serious about my faith, wanting to be obedient to the teachings of Christ Jesus.

List of Sins

Most people take sin far too casually, shrugging it off as merely something that everyone does, thus not being a "big deal." Yahweh sees it quite differently. "Sin" means "to miss the mark." In this case, it is missing the mark of holiness and righteousness, which Yahweh requires of us: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48); "Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:16). Sin will condemn, destroy, and lead most people to eternal ruin (see the entire epistle of 1 John). Ergo, we must carefully read Yahweh's Word and study the meaning and results of sin. We must also realize that Jesus is the only answer to the disaster of sin because He provides us forgiveness and liberty! Here is a list of sins as found within the New Testament Scriptures:

Adultery—Matthew 5:27-28, 32; 19:9, 18; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Mark 7:21; John 8:1-11

Anger—Galatians 5:20; Ephesians 4:26, 31; 6:4; Colossians 3:8; James 1:19-20

Anger with one’s brother—Matthew 5:22

Arrogance—2 Timothy 3:2; 2 Corinthians 12:20; 2 Timothy 3:2; 1 Corinthians 4:6, 18,19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4

Bitterness—Ephesians 4:31; Hebrews 12:15; Romans 2:24; 3:14; Acts 8:23; James 2:7

Blasphemy—Mark 8:38; Acts 18:6

Boasting—Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2; Galatians 5:26; 1 Corinthians 4:7; 5:6

Brutality—2 Timothy 3:3

Brother going to Law against brother—1 Corinthians 6:1-7

Carousing—Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:21; 1 Peter 4:3

Clamour—Ephesians 4:31

Complaining—Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 4:9; James 5:9

Conceit—2 Timothy 3:4

Coveting—Mark 7:22; Ephesians 5:5; Acts 20:33; Romans 13:9; 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 6:1

Cowardice—Revelation 21:8

Deceit—Mark 7:22; Acts 13:10; Romans 1:29; 1 Peter 3:10

Defrauding—1 Corinthians 6:7-8

Denying Christ—Matthew 10:33; Luke 12:9; 1 John 2:22-23

Desiring praise of men—John 12:43

Disobedience to parents—Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2; Titus 3:3

Divisions—1 Corinthians 1:10

Divorce—Matthew 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18

Drinking parties—1 Peter 4:3

Drunkenness—Romans 13:13; 15: 13; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:10; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 4:3

Eating the Bread or drinking the Cup unworthily—1 Corinthians 11:27
What precisely does this look like? "Therefore [What is it there for? See verses 17-26!] whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." Preachers like to add all sorts of "rules" as to what is 'unworthy,' but what does the CONTEXT tell us? It has NOTHING to do with the many types of sins you might find yourself guilty of. It has to do with how you treat the Lord's Supper!

Effeminacy—1 Corinthians 6:9

Enmities—Galatians 5:20

Envy—Mark 7:22; Galatians 5:26; Titus 3:3

Evil thoughts—Mark 7:21; Matthew 15:19

False witnessing—Matthew 15:19

Fathers, provoking children to wrath—Colossians 3:21

Fearfulness—Matthew 10:26, 28

Filthiness—Ephesians 4:3

Fleshliness–1 Corinthians 3:3

Foolishness—Mark 7:22; Titus 3:3

Foolish talking—Ephesians 5:4

Fornication (pre-marital sex)—Mark 7:21; Matthew 15:19; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19

Greed—Ephesians 4:19; 5:3; 2 Peter 2:14

Lust, lusting—1 Peter 4:3; Titus 3:3

Haters of God—Romans 1:30

Hatred—Matthew 5:; 2 Timothy 3:3; Titus 3:3

Homosexuality—1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; Romans 1:26-27

Hypocrisy—Matthew 23:13,23, 25; 23, 27,28, 29; Mark 12:15; Luke 12:1; Romans 12:9

Idolatry—1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:9; Galatians 5:20; Revelations 21:8; Ephesians 5:5

Immorality—Galatians 5:19; Revelation 21:8; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:13, 18

Impurity—Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5: 3, 5

Jealousy—Galatians 5:20; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 12:20; James 3:16

Jesting—Ephesians 5:4

Judging—Matthew 7:1-5; Romans 2:1; 14:13; Luke 6:37 James 4:11

Knowing to do good but not doing it—James 4:17

Laying up treasures on earth—Matthew 6:19-21; 19:21; 1 Timothy 6:9-10; Luke 12:21, 33; 18:22

Legal matters, court–1 Corinthians 6:1-6

Living for pleasure—2 Timothy 3:4

Lovers of self—2 Timothy 3:2

Loving another person more than Jesus—Matthew 10:37; Luke 14:26

Lusting after another person—Matthew 5:27-28; 1 Peter 4:3; Matthew 18:9

Lying—Revelation 21:8, 27; 22:15; Ephesians 4:25; Romans 9:1; 2 Corinthians 11:31; Galatians 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:7

Malice—Romans 1:29; Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8; 5:8; Titus 3:3; 2 Peter 2:1

Man praying or prophesying with head covered—1 Corinthians 11:4-16

Murder—Revelation 21:8; Mark 7:21; 5:21; 10: 19; 19:18; Luke 18:20; Romans 1:29; 1 Peter 3:15; 4:15; Matthew 15:19

Murmuring, complaining—Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter  4:9; James 5:9

Pride—Mark 7:22; 1 Peter 5:5, 6; James 4:6; Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18;14

Prostitution–1 Corinthians 615-16

Quarrels—James 4:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:11; 2 Timothy 2:23

Reviling—1 Corinthians 4:17; 5:11; 6:10; 5:11; 2 Timothy 3:2; 1 Peter 2:23

Sensuality—Galatians 5:19; Mark 7:22; Romans 13:13; 2 Corinthians 12:21; 1 Peter 4:3; Ephesians 4:19; 2 Peter 2:2

Slander—Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:22; Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 Corinthians 4:13; Romans 1:30

Sorcery—Galatians 5:20; Revelation 21:8, 15; 9:21; 18:23

Speaking against the Holy Spirit—Matthew 12:32; Luke 12:10

Stealing—Ephesians 4:28; 13:9; Matthew 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Romans 2:21; 13:9

Strife, quarreling—Galatians 5:20; Romans 1:29; 13:13; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 12:20; 1 Timothy 6:4

Swearing an oath—Matthew 6:34-37; James 5:12

Swindling—1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 6:10

Thievery, theft—1 Corinthians 6:10; Mark 7:21; John 10:1, 8; 1 Peter 4:15; Matthew 15:19

Treachery—2 Timothy 3:4

Unbelief, lack of faith—James 1:6; Mark 9:24; Hebrews 3:12, 19; 1 Timothy 5:8; 2 Corinthians 6:14-15; 7:13; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Titus 1:15; Revelation 21:8

Unforgiveness—Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25-26

Ungodliness—Romans 1:18; 4:5; 5:6; 1 Timothy 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:16; Titus 2:12; 2 Peter 2:5, 6, 7

Ungratefulness—2 Timothy 3:2; Romans 1:21; Luke 6:35; 2 Timothy 3:2

Unholiness—2 Timothy 3:2; Hebrews 12:14

Unrighteousness—Romans 1:18, 29; 2:8; 6:13; 1 John 1:9; 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:9

Wickedness—Mark 7:22; Luke 11:39; Acts 8:22; Romans 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:8, 13; Ephesians 6:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 12; 2 Timothy 2:19

Woman cutting her hair short—1 Corinthians 1:14-15

Woman praying or prophesying with head uncovered—1 Corinthians 11:5-16
Preachers will tell us that "the Bible transcends culture and society," but then they turn around and tell us that "this is not applicable to us because it is not a part of our culture or society." Can they please make up their minds? If the Bible transcends culture and society, and if the early Christians believed this should be a practice in every congregation, then would that not mean that regardless of what any culture or society practices, including our own, this should be part and parcel of each and every congregation of the Lord?

Woman speaking or teaching in public—1 Timothy 2:11-15; 1 Corinthians 11:33-37
Let us be specific here; this refers to exercising spiritual authority over men. Women were no less valuable to the Lord (they were the first to see Him risen), but they were not selected as part of His inner circle, they were not chosen to be apostles, and they were not chosen to be shephards/watchmen/overseers of the congregations.

Wrath—Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8; 1 Timothy 2:8

Wrong–1 Corinthians 6:8

Ephesians 1:3-6

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:3-6

Dear Scripture-twisting Calvinists, please curb your presuppositions and preconceptions from being imposed upon the text and pay attention to precisely what verse 4 is saying and what it is not saying. It does not say, "just as He chose us to be in Him." Rather, it is talking specifically to those of us who are "in Him," and speaks of us with such an esteemed position as being chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him.

In verse 5, the word "predestined" does not refer in the least to God choosing who will be saved and who will not be, misquoting this passage and claiming that such choices were made before the world existed. Paul is writing to Christians, to "saints...who are faithful in Christ Jesus" (v.1). He is saying to believers, those who are "in the Beloved," that such persons, because of the condition of being "in Christ," are therefore predestined to "every spiritual blessing" that Yahweh chose before the foundation of the world for all who are in Christ.

From before the foundation of the world, Yahweh God had determined to bless us, who are "in Christ," with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. From before the foundation of the world, Yahweh God had determined that we, who are "in Christ," would be holy and blameless before Him. From before the foundation of the world, Yahweh God had determined to adopt us, who are "in Christ," as sons. Everything is determined by our being "in Christ."

Yahweh does not pick and choose who is going to be "in Christ." Numerous New Covenant passages contradict and oppose such a false teaching. He does, however, have a condition — faith (Rom. 4:16; Heb. 11:6). Yahweh invites and will bestow His blessings on whoever will come (Matt. 11:28; 22:9; Rev. 22:17).

A Pagan Origin for the Sermon

Taken from To Preach Or Not To Preach by David C. Norrington, pages 44-48.

Rhetoric

Through the classical period the theory and practice of rhetoric did not change greatly and what follows is a brief outline of its main features in the Greco-Roman world.⁷

Rhetoric was particularly the province of the rich and powerful and was the most prestigious of all forms of learning. Furthermore, eloquence had become the principal aim of education; acquiring the art of speaking was perceived as the route not only to culture but also to thinking and acting correctly, since wisdom and eloquence (and social status) were believed to be intimately connected.⁸ Acquiring rhetorical competence was a lengthy process and a hallmark of a higher education. It required the mastery of an elaborate technique dominated by the traditions of the past and centered on invention and arrangement of material, style, purity of language, memory, delivery, voice modulation and posture. The principal medium of rhetorical expression was the public speech or lecture and capable exponents of the rhetorical arts looked forward to a distinguished career, fame, wealth, power over others and the admiration of the populace.⁹

The Greeks were intoxicated by rhetoric and the Romans later fell under a similar spell. Roman rhetoric was an adaptation of the Greek form with perhaps less emphasis on persuasion and more on style and artistic effect.¹⁰

Rhetorical displays ranked with theatrical performances as great spectacles of entertainment—even if the audience could not understand the language of the speaker—for a fine rhetorical display was regarded as a true work of art (Philostratus Vit Soph 491, 589).¹¹ These performances could excite the same kind of enthusiasm as that generated by popular entertainers in our own day.

Not only was rhetoric popular, it had real merits. It offered a clear-cut framework within which practitioners could express themselves coherently and fluently. As these techniques were widely appreciated, rhetoric offered a common standard throughout the Greco-Roman world which all could appreciate, irrespective of education.¹² It demanded some thought, logical ingenuity and psychological observation.¹³ Rhetoric also exercised a liberalizing influence. Rhetoricians were prone to argue for and against, with often the same rhetorician arguing both sides of a disputed case in quick succession. This demonstrated that there were two sides to each issue and that even the worst examples were entitled to a hearing.¹⁴ Lastly, as G.A. Kennedy points out:

In political debate there was in the best periods of ancient history a willingness to entertain the opinions of others when expounded with rhetorical effectiveness. At the very least rhetoric imparted vigor to ancient intellectual life; it has long been noted that oratory flourished most in the democracies and least under tyranny.¹⁵

For many, the virtues of rhetoric were self-evident and no alternative foundation for education was seriously considered.¹⁶

The problems with rhetoric surfaced early on and became increasingly severe with the passage of time. Indeed, when rhetorical studies dominated the timetable the disadvantages were formidable. First, style and form took precedence over substance to the extend that, for many listeners, content was immaterial.¹⁷ Second, rhetoric was not primarily a method of instruction, encouraging a disinterested analysis of data, but rather a technique of persuasion more akin to seduction than ratiocination. As its emotional content was often high and its subject matter distorted, audiences were frequently swayed by specious argument. The rhetorician himself was likely to be swayed by his own speech even more than his audience.¹⁸ Third, as the influence of rhetorical traditions gained in strength, rhetoric gradually discouraged independent thinking and intellectual curiosity, and in their place emphasized conventional content.¹⁹ Fourth, in spite of a concern for honesty in rhetorical theory, rhetoric failed to encourage a love of truth. For many rhetoricians, since content was secondary to victory in argument, truth was almost irrelevant.²⁰ Fifth, the rhetorician like any stage performer, was concerned, at least in part, to display his genius and to receive the acclaim of the audience.²¹ Such a method inevitably fostered egotism and arrogance (Philostratus Vit Soph 616). This was particularly the case in the unreal atmosphere of the schools where declaimers had difficulty at times in preserving their own mental balance.²² The judgment of Sir William Tarn that rhetoric 'debased everything it touched' is perhaps not too severe, particularly of rhetoric during the latter days of the empire, the period the sermon came to prominence within the church.²³

The Influence of Rhetoric in the Church

A hundred years ago [sic], Edwin Hatch argued that the extensive use of the sermon arose under the influence of Greek rhetoric brought into the church by those Christians who had been trained in rhetoric, and perhaps even taught rhetoric themselves—before or after conversion—and who subsequently achieved influence in the church. Many of the church's fathers—Tertullian, Cyprian, Arnobius, Lactantius and Augustine among them—had been professional rhetoricians before becoming Christians.²⁴ Moreover, as rhetoric was the mainstay of the educational system, the Christian community had little choice but to recognize it and respond to it in one way or another.²⁵ But the Christian use of speeches and rhetorical forms did not arise form copying the activities of pagan religion. There were no 'sermons' in Greco-Roman religion as, for the most part, it knew little dogma and so required little use of formal teaching. The church, on the other hand, valued dogma and used formal teaching methods. It was here that rhetoric made its impact. The christian rhetorician would expound the sacred text of Scripture, just as the sophist would supply an exegesis of the near-sacred text of Homer, although the Christian aimed to teach the congregation, including the simple, and to change lives, rather than to concentrate on the rhetorical arts.²⁶ Simplicity of style was achieved on occasion as in the homilies of the 4th century²⁷ but, more often than not, although the content was more or less Christian the style was Greek. Often indeed the content was mixed, for pagan ideas were corrupting Christian thought even by 100AD, as can be seen from the writings of Clement of Rome; the influence of techniques current in the schools is clearly visible in Augustine's biblical exegesis.²⁸ As the majority of great Christian leaders had received a better training in rhetoric than philosophy,²⁹ the finer points of philosophical debate frequently eluded them, with the result that pagan philosophical/theological³⁰ ideas were unwittingly incorporated into the corpus of Christian doctrine even by those who, like Tertullian, claimed to despise pagan philosophy.³¹ This tendency should not be confused with the deliberate use of pagan philosophy by Christians as a weapon against their opponents. The problem of inadvertently utilizing non-Christian ideas and thought forms in the explication of Christian faith is a perennial one.

It may be objected that Greek rhetoric entered the church at least as early as the apostle Paul and that later developments stem from his contribution. Paul's precise knowledge and use of rhetoric are still disputed, but his epistles reveal a considerable understanding of the rhetorical conventions taught in the schools.³² Whatever the case may have been, rhetoric did not dominate Paul's presentation of the gospel in substance or form, and he rejected the cultural values associated with rhetoric (1 Cor. 1:10-2:5; 1 Thess. 2:1-12).³³ Moreover, although Paul relied on public speaking to a great extent in introducing the gospel to others, there is no reason to suppose that he was limited to this one method. As well as the home, the workshop and other locations may have been used for missionary activity among small groups or with individuals, using a variety of means. But it should be noted that there was often no sharp distinction between the home and the workplace.³⁴ Later, we shall see that Paul did not advocate the use of public speaking as a means to Christian growth. The church's use of rhetoric does not have its origin in the work of Paul.

When men such as Origen, John Chrysostom and Augustine made extensive use of the sermon, this was seen not as a distortion of New Testament methods but as a revival of the noble art of preaching as practiced by Paul. Many since have viewed preaching as re-awakening of spiritual power. But the use of Greco-Roman rhetoric depended for success entirely upon the skills and self-confidence of the individual rhetorician (to whom went the acclaim).³⁵; it involved forms designed to entertain and display genius rather than instruct or develop talents in others; it had little interest in the spiritual welfare of the hearers,³⁶ and it seldom required action on their part.³⁷ Such a method was not designed to foster Christian virtues or intellectual maturity, and there is little evidence to suggest that it can do so.³⁸ It seems that even the sermons of Augustine, delivered to his congregation at Hippo, failed to develop critical skills or independent judgment and were of questionable value in the development of spirituality.³⁹ Furthermore, as we shall see, the use of the sermon even without rhetorical coloring distorted New Testament practice considerably. The belief that methods into Christianity are unimportant, eloquently summed up in the assertion of Adolf Harnack that 'a living faith needs no special methods',⁴⁰ may sound deeply spiritual but is a distortion of the teaching of both testaments and certainly of the work of Paul, who was concerned with method as well as content—as we may see, for example, in his discussion of rhetoric, his practice of evangelism and his attitude to money and gifts.⁴¹

From a Christian standpoint, the pagan origins of rhetoric do not pose a problem. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the church embracing ideas from the surrounding culture. The Old Testament supplies several cases where the results of pagan influences were beneficial such as the appointment of judges to assist Moses (Exod. 18:13-26), the (possible) use of ancient Near Eastern concept of wisdom and the design of the Tabernacle.⁴² More frequently, however, syncretism and acculturation were harmful both to Israel and the church. This was because they led to the absorption of ideas and practices inimical to biblical faith and frequently to subsequent contempt for that faith.⁴³ So it was with rhetoric, with its insatiable demand for speeches as the medium for its artistic expression and its unavoidable confrontation with the more personal methods of the New Testament.

Internet Troll Warning

Trolls are to be ignored. Do not speak to them or of them. Anything else will encourage them.

Why would you want to spend HOURS of your life debating energy sucking vampires and delusional crazy people who refuse to argue the main point and can never provide a reasonable refutation or intelligent counter-argument, and are incapable of having a serious, mature, respectful, intelligent, rational, honest conversation?

For 10 years, I debated worldviews and religions in comment sections, wasting HOURS of my life daily. I gave up comment-section debates 15 years ago for better pursuits. Now, I just post facts. If you like it, great; if you don't, fine. I'm NOT here to impress you!

You do not owe any of your time, energy, nor emotions to these people who are disconnected from reality and rely on denial, deflection, IMAX-level projection, censorship, "cancelling," manipulation, smearing, gaslighting, jamming, framing, ad hominem, name calling, character assassination, attempted intimidation, and the use of fallacious arguments that have no basis in reality.

Limiting replies is how mature, sane people filter out the drama, hatred, and intolerance of clueless clowns. These are the strong ones. They are not looking to have their ego stroked and they do not require validation from others. Time is too precious to be wasted on nonsense.

For your mental, physical, and spiritual health, it is best to stop reading and responding to social media comments, especially that of trolls. The amount of time (HOURS!) wasted on this can be monumental.

Also, you do not have to respond to every stupid person on the Internet—or at all.

Be your own person!

The Homeless Preacher

A preacher transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the church that he was to be introduced as the head preacher that morning. He walked around his soon-to-be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service. Only three people said "Hello" to him, most looked the other way. He asked people for change to buy food because he was hungry. Not one gave him anything.

He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was told by the ushers that he would need to get up and go sit in the back of the church. (See James 2:2-4.) He said "Hello" to people as they walked in but was greeted with cold stares and dirty looks from people looking down on him and judging him.

He sat in the back of the church and listened to the church announcements for the week. He listened as new visitors were welcomed into the church that morning, but no one acknowledged that he was new. He watched people around him continue to look his way with stares that said, "You are not welcome here."

Then the elders of the church went to the podium to make the announcement. They said they were excited to introduce the new preacher of the church to the congregation: "We would like to introduce you to our new preacher." The congregation stood up and looked around clapping with joy and anticipation. The homeless man sitting in the back stood up and started walking down the aisle.

That's when all the clapping stopped and the church was silent. With all eyes on him, he walked up to the podium and reached for the microphone. He stood there for a moment and then recited so elegantly a verse from the Bible...

“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. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'"

After he recited this, he introduced himself as their new preacher and told the congregation what he had experienced that morning. Many began to cry and bow their heads in shame. "Today I see a gathering of people here, but I do not see a church of Jesus. The world has enough people that look the other way. What the world needs is disciples of Jesus that can follow this teachings and live as he did. When will YOU decide to become disciples?"

He then dismissed service until the following Sunday.

His sermon had been given.

If this describes YOUR character and behaviour toward a homeless person in your church, or someone wearing shorts in your church, I suggest you REPENT, remove the log buried in your eye, and earnestly seek Christ Jesus to be Lord of your entire life so that you may imitate Him fully and completely WITHOUT hypocrisy and unbelief.

To Preach or Not to Preach

"Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it."
—Will Durant, Twentieth-century American Historian

Basically, the same disobedience committed by Israel when they possessed the Promised Land and were commanded by Yahweh to destroy all the other peoples was committed by the Christians in the fourth century and beyond—especially by the Roman Catholics. They adopted every form of paganism imaginable in an attempt to "convert" followers. Christians are supposed to remove all elements of sin from among themselves (Eph.5:3, et al.) and live holy lives (2 Tim. 3:12, et al.), living as lights to this dark world (Matt. 5:14-16, et al.). Our lives are the only 'Bible' some people will ever read, and yet we willfully and deliberately live as unbelievers and hypocrites, and then attempt to make excuses for the sin we continue to harbour in our lives. May Yahweh have mercy on our souls!

We ass-u-me there are all these "sermons" in the Bible, but in reality there are none. We call Jesus' instructions on what it looks like to live as His followers and to serve as members of Yahweh's Kingdom the "Sermon on the Mount," and we refer to Peter's speech in Acts 2 and Paul's speaking until midnight in Acts 20 as "sermons," because we are imposing our experience and understanding back upon the text. There were no "sermons" back then. The "sermon" has no roots in Scripture! It was borrowed from pagan culture, nursed, and adopted into the Christian faith. If you would like to debate this irrefutable historical fact, let's have at it! If you would like to learn more, pick up To Preach or Not to Preach by David C. Norrington.

While Augustine was the first person to title Matthew 5-7 as "The Lord's Sermon on the Mount," it was not generally referred to as "The Sermon on the Mount" until the sixteenth century. (Hmm... Notice how all the corrupt teaching the "Church" embraces was first taught by Augustine, quite often in contradiction to that which was taught, practiced, and believed for the first 300 years? Ponder that point promptly.) Not only were there no "sermons" back then, but a "sermon" was not the central focus of the assembling of the saints as it is today. They came together around a feast, in which they partook of the Lord's Supper.

The early New Covenant congregations (A.D. 30-300) did not listen to a 30-60 minute "sermon" based on a couple verses ripped out of their immediate context, with every word scrutinized for its potential meaning (and then choose the one that best fits with their beliefs and agenda), and a preacher spewing his opinion of what the section was teaching. It is important for us to remember that the early Christians shared the same languages, the same customs, and the same culture as that of the apostles. Being of the eastern mindset, they understood precisely what was spoken and written to them. Most of our preachers, having the mark of their particular seminary stamped upon them, engage in proof text methodology, eisegesis, and Scripture twisting when they attempt to convey the Word of Yahweh to the members of their particular organized religious institutions.

The "sermon" detracts from the actual purpose for which Yahweh designed the congregational assembly, and it has nothing to do with genuine spiritual growth. The New Covenant letters demonstrate that the ministry of Yahweh's Word came from the entire congregation in their regular gatherings (1 Cor. 14:26, 31; Rom. 12:4ff; Eph. 4:11ff; Heb. 10:25). From Romans 12:6-8, 15:14, 1 Corinthians 14:26, and Colossians 3:16, we see that it included teaching, exhortation, prophecy, singing, and admonishment. These gatherings were also conversational (1 Cor. 14:29) and marked by respectful interruptions (1 Cor. 14:30). They were not chaotic, as we might imagine such to be today, but were done in order. To be done in order does not mean to follow a pre-set structure that you never veer from. Exhortations from local elders (not the way we understand "elders" today) were normally impromptu, not planned out in advance.

When the saints of Yahweh assembled together, what did they do? Well, if we bother to pay attention to Scripture, it tells us in the plainest words possible. They read!

"Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!"" Exodus 24:7

"when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing." Deuteronomy 31:11

"Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law." Joshua 8:34

"Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it." 2 King 22:8

"Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king." 2 Kings 22:10

"And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law." Nehemiah 8:1-3

"He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance." Nehemiah 8:18

"While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God." Nehemiah 9:3

"On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God," Nehemiah 13:1

"So you go and read from the scroll which you have written at my dictation the words of the LORD to the people in the LORD'S house on a fast day. And also you shall read them to all the people of Judah who come from their cities." Jeremiah 36:6

"Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house." Jeremiah 36:8

"Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house, to all the people." Jeremiah 36:10

"Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read from the book to the people." Jeremiah 36:13

"They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us." So Baruch read it to them." Jeremiah 36:15

"Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it to the king as well as to all the officials who stood beside the king." Jeremiah 36:21

"When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe's knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier." Jeremiah 36:23

"Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud," Jeremiah 51:61

"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read." Luke 4:16

"After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it."" Acts 13:15

"For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him." Acts 13:27

"For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath." Acts 15:21

"Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching." 1 Timothy 4:13

"But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;" 2 Corinthians 3:14-15

"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near." Revelation 1:3

If you are having a hard time with all the texts from the Old Covenant, then I suggest you pay close attention to 1 Timothy 4:13. To "exhort" is to encourage or advise. What is meant by "teaching"? Modern preachers would claim this means to dissect the Word of Yahweh into all its parts and "exposit" it. Considering "sound doctrine" (or "healthy teaching") to Paul had to do with your behaviour, your conduct (see Titus 2:1-10), and not what you believe, quite obviously "teaching" had to do with how to live rightly while sojourning in this world. Remember, we are called to be salt and light to the world around us. This is not our home, we are only passing through. Anyone who lives for this world is a fool!

In the Jewish synagogues, any member who wished could stand up and read to the people. Today, it requires a "specialist." When the early Christians assembled together, they would read an entire book or letter of the New Covenant. This exposes not only the short attention span of many members today, but also their lack of commitment to the Lord Jesus. Do you know how long it would take (on average) to read each of the books/letters of the New Covenant?

Matthew: 2.5 hours
Mark: 1.5 hours
Luke: 2.5 hours
John: 2 hours
Acts: 2.25 hours
Romans: 1 hour
1 Corinthians: 1 hour
2 Corinthians: 40 minutes
Galatians: 20 minutes
Ephesians: 20 minutes
Philippians: 14 minutes
Colossians: 13 minutes
1 Thessalonians: 12 minutes
2 Thessalonians: 7 minutes
1 Timothy: 16 minutes
2 Timothy: 11 minutes
Titus: 7 minutes
Philemon: 3 minutes
Hebrews: 45 minutes
James: 16 minutes
1 Peter: 16 minutes
2 Peter: 10 minutes
1 John: 16 minutes
2 John: 2 minutes
3 John: 2 minutes
Jude: 4 minutes
Revelation: 1.25 hours

The Israelites and the early Christians were more committed to the Word of Yahweh and the commandments of Jesus than most modern professing believers. Many today want out after 45 minutes to 2 hours, having done their religious "duty" for the week. They are eager to go engage in their worldly activities, affairs, and events. The early Congregation could spend the entire day with each other and they were joyful about it. They had young children, too, so that is an extremely poor excuse used by parents today. We tend to offer up a great many excuses as to why our lives are so shallow in comparison with the early Christians, or even Christians 500 years ago. Some of these Christians had 10 children and wrote volumes of Christian works, and we attempt to offer excuses as to why we don't or can't do the same as them with only two children! Even 100 years ago, they did not have the same distractions that we have today. Be self-controlled and deal with your distractions and you will find you have the same time Christians 100 years ago and more had.

If we pay close attention to the early Christians, we can witness a vacuum being created in the later half of the third century when mutual ministry faded from the Body of Christ. Members put more and more onus on their "leaders" and took less and less responsibility themselves. In such cases, abuse is bound to happen as certain types of people grab for that kind of power and influence. To fill this void, the clergy began to emerge and open meetings began to die out. The gatherings became more and more liturgical, devolving into a "service." During the fourth century, the Congregation had become fully institutionalized. As former pagan orators and philosophers converted to Christianity, rather than leave their philosophies behind, they began infiltrating the Christian community as these people became their leaders. Augustine is embraced by both Roman Catholics and Reformed Protestants alike, despite the vast plethora of false and heretical teachings he either developed or put his name to.

By the way, the concept of a "paid teaching specialist" was borne out of Greece, not Judaism. As noted Jewish rabbi Hillel said, "He who makes a worldly crown of the Torah shall waste away." It was the custom of Jewish rabbis to take up a trade so as to not charge a fee for their teaching. We see this evidence in the life of Paul. The early Christians considered it heresy to be paid to deliver the Gospel. Yet what do 99% of "churches" today do? They pay the preacher! Both Martin Luther and John Calvin vehemently railed against the idea that the Pope was the Vicar of Christ, yet both argued that the preacher is the "mouth of God." Funny how they set themselves up as their own popes over their own State religions. But I digress.

The "sermon" makes the preacher the virtuoso performer of the regular assembly, hampering or precluding the participation of other members, which stalemates spiritual growth and encourages passivity by preventing the Body from functioning as intended. If you doubt this, simply look at the scores of Christians who have been sermonized for decades are are still babes in Christ. We are transformed by encounters with the living Lord Jesus, not by information about Him. How can the preacher learn from other members of the Body when they are muted? How can the members learn if they cannot ask questions during the preacher's oration? If we pay attention to the New Covenant Scriptures, their goal is to get each one of us to function in order to mature (Eph. 4:11-16). The "sermon" lacks any practical value and does not equip the saints (regardless how much the preacher drones on about "equipping the saints for the work of the ministry," which is just empty rhetoric), but rather de-skills them. New Covenant-styled preaching/teaching equips the Congregation so it can function without the presence of a clergyman.

Being that today's "sermon" is highly impractical, how can a preacher speak as if he is an expert on something he has never personally experienced? Hearers should be put into a direct, practical experience of what has been preached. Sadly, this is rarely the case. Doctrine has to be practical: "doctrine that is according to godliness" (1 Tim. 6:3). Paul said, "let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 2:19). Those who do not act according to this righteousness he says, "from such withdraw yourself" (1 Tim. 6:5). God cares more about our fruit than He does our particular theological dogma! As mentioned earlier, "sound doctrine" (or "healthy teaching") to Paul had to do with your behaviour, your conduct (see Titus 2:1-10). A practical "sermon" would convey as much, but more often than not they are designed to convince us to believe a certain belief the preacher holds dear, despite being unbiblical and lacking Christ.

If we rightly understood the Scriptures and the early Congregation, perhaps we would live better lives today, holy and not hypocritical. Our lives are the only 'Bible' some people will ever read, so we should live accordingly. We tend to willfully and deliberately live like the heathen and then offer up excuses as to why the power of Yahweh is not present within our lives.

"My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your
faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
—Paul of Tarsus in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5