What would it take?

Do you share your faith? Do you tell others what Christ did for you? Do you tell them what Christ did for them? Do you talk about everything except for God? Does the Name above all names only come up when someone sneezes around you? May I suggest that your current path come to a screeching halt, you turn to Christ and do what He told us to do.

What would it take for you to share the Gospel with someone? Your coworkers, people at the grocery standing in line with you, your family, anyone. Everyone needs to hear the TRUE Gospel of God. First please make sure it is THE GOSPEL and not a watered down, mane centered, feel good story about how God has a wonderful plan for your life and wants to bless you (see any of my other posts). What incentives would it take for you to open your mouth and proudly proclaim the Saving Grace of the Lord?

Would you talk to your neighbor for $5.00? How about $10.00? Better yet, would you accept $1000.00 for each and every person that you shared the True Gospel with? Would that open your mouth and negate all of the anxiousness and fear associated with talking to someone about Jesus? Although it may not erase the fear, I am almost certain that most people would overlook such personal discomforts and feelings for $1000.00 per person. I would also venture to say that in my hometown of Paducah Kentucky, within a week every ear would have heard Gods Gospel. I am not in the clear here either. I wrestle with just this thought daily. Lord why can’t I open my mouth more? Why can’t I tell those poor souls that are buying their way to hell every minute of the day as they live in constant rebellion and hatred towards the God that breathed physical life into them? I could make any number of excuses, but would any of them matter? If I am not doing what the Father said for me to do I am living in sin.

Reflecting on the simple question of monetary gains for evangelizing, if you would do it for money – why won’t you do it for the saving of souls? Isn’t the soul of a loved one or friend more precious than anything money could buy? Matt 6:24 makes it clear that we can’t serve God and money. So what is the real problem? For me, and this is not an excuse, I am a naturally quiet person. I find it hard to talk to anyone that I do not know. The more I get to know someone, the more I speak around them. It’s my “nature”, it’s who I am or actually who I was. But there is the answer, at least on my part, I am trying to do the talking, I am sweating opening my mouth, I am standing there palms drenched in sweat with my knees knocking (not that bad, but bad none the less). I am trying to do something that God will do using me as His tool. Just as He used men to write the Bible as His pens, He will use my mouth to speak His words. It all boils down to the fact that I am holding on to part of my flesh and not being the slave to God that I am. Moses had a speech impediment Exodus 4:10, Jeremiah did too Jer 1:5-9. But look what the Lord did through them. Is He not capable of opening my mouth as well or am I just being openly defiant to Him? I know the answer and I know what I must do. The question is – Do you?

We are bought with a price, 1 Cor 6:19-20. How can we not open our mouths? Not just because we are commanded to, but because of the people that are on their way to hell. We are commanded to sow the seed and God will take care of the rest. He uses our words to tweak the conscience of others hearts, to till the ground and loosen the ground. We must simply do what we know we are to do and open our mouths and BOLDLY proclaim the TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. There will be persecution, you can count on that John 15:16-25. We must not run from God like Jonah did - Jonah 1:3. Just step out in faith that God will do what He promised. Speaking to people is by ar the hardest thing for me to do, it’s not part of my physical/ fleshly makeup. It is part of my spiritual makeup because my heart cries out for the lost, especially the lost that are really on the way to hell. The ones that are having their itching ears tickled 2 Tim 4:3 and looking for answers outside of what God revealed and still reveals to us in His Word. \I have close friends and family that are deceived by what the American form of Christianity has instilled in them. They are what’s called inoculated against the True Christianity of the Bible. They look for teachers that fit their beliefs instead of looking for teachers that teach the Word.

There is a conference scheduled for October 11th here in Paducah KY at the Cherry Civic Center. This is a free event with a lunch being served. The topics include:
What is wrong with American Christianity?
The essential elements of the Gospel
What is TRUE conversion?
Check it out here www.realtruthmatters.com Please register early as seating will be limited.

Are you......?

What is probably the most important question to ask yourself, that is if you call yourself a Christian? Is it – Do I spread the Gospel, Do I go to church like I should, Do I sin too much, Should I tell people at work about God or Should I be doing more? I say no it is none of those. It will actually dictate the answer of those questions for you.

Are you curious yet? Have you figured out what the question is? You may have never heard this before; you may want to ask yourself this question daily. In fact in a different way we are exhorted to ask ourselves this question, to test ourselves if you will.

I’ll stop stalling now and let you in on it. Just a 3-word question to ask – “Am I changed?” Has the Lord, God of all taken my sinful nature and reversed my direction? Am I now walking in the Light instead of hiding in the darkness? If you have indeed been saved by grace, you have been changed. You are a new creation in Christ as 2 Cor. 5:17 tell us. If you have been recreated then how can you live a life of sin John 3:3? How can the power of God (Rom 1:16) unto salvation not be enough to change you? The power of God created everything, can that same power not take you hardened heart and make it pliable? Make you sinful nature turn from hating God and turn to Him in mercy?

Don’t cheapen the Cross, the sacrifice of God, the suffering of Christ. Do not call yourself a Christian if you remain in your sinful lifestyle, if you are one of those mentioned in 1 Cor 6:9 –10, don’t take the Saviors name in vain and try to justify your lifestyle, your sins. Man will naturally try to justify themselves (Luke 16:15), but are not and never will fool God. Do not mock God (Gal 6:7).

If God has started a work in you, He will finish it Phil 1:6. If you look back at your past sinful life and lust to have it again you are not fit for the Kingdom Luke 9:62. If your basis, your point of looking back for salvation is a prayer, a walk down an isle, a preachers exhortation that you are “saved” instead of an actual supernatural work of God that totally changed you from the inside. A lot of people are deceived by the modern message that churches are preaching. I would not be at all cautious to say that at least 90% of those that call themselves Christians aren’t. They rest their faith on a fleeting, momentary fuzzy feeling during a preachers message, the badgering by that same preacher to walk the sawdust trail during an extended altar call that is actually a form of hypnosis. No where in scripture is music used for a call to repent, no where in scripture is anyone declared saved by anyone, no where in scripture are the guidelines of Campus Crusade for Christ laid out – the first of their “Principles” is sad – God has a wonderful plan for your life. Now, where exactly does the Bible say that? I am also sure you would have a hard time talking Stephen (Acts 6:8 – 8:3), Philip, Matthew, James the brother of Jesus, Andrew, Peter, Jude, Luke and any of thousands if not millions of Martyrs for Christ that they had a wonderful life planned out for them. All that statement is – is a man centered statement to produce a very unbiblical result. If you look at John 15:20 Jesus Himself promised His followers that they would be persecuted. But then if that is your message, how many decisions would churches have? I venture to say that if the true Word of God was preached and the “decisions” were not head felt, but heart felt with the urging of God, instead of the urging by man, if the Holy Spirit was allowed to do what He said He would do, then the 90%+ fall away rate would be cut drastically.

God is all powerful and can change a mans sinful heart. We are all sinful, vile creatures that deserve damnation, but instead God provided a Way to salvation. The Way is Christ, not a prayer, not a ticket, not a decision or getting baptized, but Gods Holy Power to Salvation. We are commanded to repent and turn from our sinful existence, to trust in what God revealed to us through His Word. There is no other way. Don’t listen to Oprah, Obama or any other heretic that says all roads lead to God. That is a lie from the pits of hell. God is very exclusive in revealing salvation – John 14:6 is pretty cut and dry. Is that a narrow minded thought? You bet and Matt. 7:14 tells us that.

Are you a Christian? Have you been basing your salvation on a single experience? Has your life not changed to the conformance to more Christ likeness? Did you “give your heart to Jesus” in Vacation Bible School and base you salvation on that experience? Do you not produce the fruit of scripture? Or do you produce evil fruits? Has your life changed? Does your life continue to change? Has your bible been closed for days? Months? Years? Do you not love the Word of God? His love story to you? Also do not postpone crying to God that He might save you. A deathbed confessional may very well be the greatest fairy tale of our time. This is the hour unto salvation.

If you have any questions about salvation, please send me a message. I am no biblical scholar by any means, but I will find the answer for you. It may not be what you want to hear, but it will be the Truth of the Word.

Who is your master?

Did you know that as a Christian you are in all actuality a SLAVE to Christ? Not a servant or a follower, but a SLAVE.

Did you realize that the word in the original Greek NT Text Doulos means slave. Did you know that the word Doulos is used 130 times. Did you also know that the word Doulos is only translated slave 1 time in the King James translation? What about the other 129 times you ask. Servant or bond servant are the most common words used. Just take the great verse of spoken by our lord in Matt 6:24 -

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

The first part Jesus used the word doulos, - No man can be a slave to two masters... Now that adds a whole new level to the verse. Since we are slaves and have been bought with a price, we are not our own. We are Christ's and we do His will, not our own. If you are still doing your own will, then you are still a slave to self, the flesh and this wretched world.

Christ is Lord, wether you accept and realize it or not. God created the world through Him and will judge the world through Christ. He is Lord and Ruler of all, like it or not. In order to be a Christian you must confess that Christ is Lord after you come to that realization. He is Lord no matter what anyone says to the contrary.

Check out this great message from Pastor John MacArthur on this most important topic. As always, Dr. MacArthur, one of the - if not the greatest Biblical minds of our day says this better than I ever could.

CLICK HERE FOR PASTOR JOHN MACARTHURS SERMON ON SLAVES TO CHRIST

Where's Bentley?

Okay, I'll put it to you straight. I've deliberated about the title of this posting and decided to not go for the obvious Waldo play on words and call it Where's Baldo? I did a little photoshopping and made a little "Where's Todd Bentley" Game. It's not very hard, but it's fun. Enjoy. The first person to find him in this picture will get........ absolutely nothing.

To my knowledge Bentley is still on sabbatical and isn't speaking. I did not switch over to godtv this evening to see the broadcast. But have fun and invite your friends to play along too. Click the picture to open up full size (I hope this works through photobucket, if not let me know and I'll try an alternative)

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR FULL VERSION TO SEARCH FOR WALDO Bentley

CLICK HERE FOR HIS LOCATION (ANSWER)

Where's Todd Bentley Hiding?

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it odd that the current poster boy for the charismatic healing wave is M.I.A ? To me, if Todd has been truly anointed with healing powers from God, would he not be able to heal himself and not need a sabbatical to rest or be refreshed or whatever other reason they concoct?

In my estimation, Bentley has been coming under much "fire" lately, and it ain't the fire he calls down in his meetings. The Nightline segment was fantastic at sharing some of Bentley's questionable tactics and past. I am personally awaiting Geraldo's follow up report of his forst segment pertaining to Bentley. Geraldo may be a little controversial, but he doesn't pull any punches.

I really believe God has taken Bentley out of the picture for a while, or maybe even for good. I know that I have been praying that God would show His power and silence this heretic. It is sad that these thousands of people are being lead astray with itching ears by this 2 Tim 4:1-5false prophet.

Do a quick search on youtube for Bentleys videos. All I can say is WOW! And HOW! How can these poor souls be so deceived by this loon?

Click here for Real Truth Matters

Here are some of Bentleys greatest Bams:

ABC's Nighline Clip


Legdrop the pastor?


Bob?


BAM!BAM!BAM! HEY!HEY!HEY!


Uh, yeah.


1 Cor 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Behold, Rev 3:20's real meaning

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.


Perhaps one of the most used scriptures by evangelists and preachers for decades to declare that Jesus is standing at your hearts door and knocking, seeking a place within your heart and life. The paintings, pictures and stained glass representations of this bring it to life, quite possibly the most recognizable artwork of Christ, next to da Vinci’s Last Supper.

The sermon may go a little something like this:
“Oh lost sinner, Jesus is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Won’t you open the door and let Him in? Won’t you let Him fill the hole in your heart that only He can fill?”

How many times have you heard that referencing Revelation 3:20? Countless I am sure. My former church home just posted the latest sermon entitled “Grace Matters” here.
If you skip to about the 28:30 mark, or thereabouts, you will hear Pastor Jimmy Franks use this analogy and use of this most important text of Christ’s Revelation as presented to the Apostle John. (I check back sometimes to see if they have changed their message from a man centered message to a Christ centered message that no longer promotes the declaration of salvation to people, or that freely accepts people as born again that are blatantly living a life of sin which would mean that God is not powerful enough to change someone)

“So, Jeff, what’s the deal? Why are you writing a blog entry on this?”

I am glad that you asked.

Using this passage of scripture in this manner is….. well, not scriptural and a gross contextual misuse. Here is the entire passage:
Revelation 3:14-20 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

You see, this passage of scripture is not about an individual’s heart or salvation; this passage is written to the church that has turned their back on Jesus. Look again at the picture. Jesus is on the outside of the church door, knocking, seeking to be within the church. The church has turned their back on Him, maybe over run with “seeker sensitive” programs, maybe everyone is to caught up in their religion, maybe no one even knows Jesus to let Him into their church and are instead having fellowship with the other “jesus” they have created that allows for them to live a life of sin and still consider themselves saved or born-again. Something is wrong and for whatever reason Jesus is not part of their church. And by power of deduction and a little Kentucky slang "If Jesus ain't in your church, then Jesus ani't your focal point of Worship".

This passage is evangelistic in nature. Just understand that it is evangelistic to the church, not an individual. The church age we are living in now parallels this church that Jesus speaks of. This is the last church age before Jesus’ return. Are you ready? Are you in a church that professes Christ in words only and actually turns it’s collective back on Him? Does your pastor boldly and biblically proclaim God’s Truth as revealed in His Word? Have you had an encounter with Christ? A life changing, Damascus road event that turned your sin loving life into a God loving, Word proclaiming, truly Born Again child of the True and Living God? Or are you content at believing a walk down the isle, a 10 second prayer or a pastor declaring you saved is all you need for your ticket to heaven?

My dear friend, Christ is not a ticket to anything. He is Everything. If Christ is not your everything, then you will probably be one that is referred to in Matt 7:21-23. You will profess Him as He rebukes you and tells you that He never knew you. What a fearful thought that people that even people that preached, cast out demons and other miracles will be cast into the bottomless pit of hell. How many times have you preached? How many demons have you cast out of someone? How many miracles have you performed? Speaking for myself only, zero. But by the Grace of God He chose me to save, He extended Grace to me, He pulled me out of sins grip into His bosom.

What about you? No prayer will save you. No profession of faith. No decision. No walk down an isle. No manipulation by an evangelist or preacher to evoke an emotional response while the choir sings “Just As I Am” 7 times. Nothing can save you less the Father draws you to Him. Nothing you can do can save you, which would be salvation by works. Cry out that God will be merciful and save you and don’t stop until He allows His Grace and compassion to rebirth you into His true Church for His Glory.