Anyone Can Choose To Be Happy

Jeremiah 3:15, “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

I love listening to Bible preaching, it helps us think right. I heard Pastor Jack Hyles once say that he asked his secretary to compile a list of all his appointment for that week. There were approximately 140 appointments that week. Of those 140, Dr. Hyles said 135 of them could have been avoided if people would just listen to his weekly sermons. I never forgot that.

I love listening to preaching in fair weather, laying truths up in store for when the storms of life come, when we are too weary in our soul to care enough to listen to preaching. Truly, unshakable faith comes from having our faith shaken. I learned that truth from Pastor Hyles too. Gotta love fundamentalist Baptist Bible preachers!

Having said that, here are some life-changing quotes from Brother Hyles...

“There's no such thing as people who can be happier than other people, there are people who choose to be happier than other people.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “The Secret To My Christian Joy”

“It's not the conditions of your life that make you unhappy, it's whether you choose to look at the positive or the corresponding negative that makes you unhappy or happy.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “The Secret To My Christian Joy"

Those truths are so powerful. I receive emails frequently from discouraged believers. I already know what the problem is before even finishing reading their email. The problem is that they have been focusing on the wrong things in life, instead of all of God's abundant blessings. I am guilty of doing it too. A thief robbed me on May 10th, but I didn't think to look at my security camera footage until May 24th. Sure enough, a young punk walked up and stole my clothing rack that I ordered from Amazon, right off my front porch. Here's a photo of him leaving with my package, the dirty thief...

A Dirty Thief Stealing My Amazon Package On May 10th, 2024

I could allow this theft to discourage me, make me unhappy and become bitter. But I've been rejoicing all day today, praising God that I am not the thief, he is! I am a blood-washed, redeemed, child of the King. I prayed for the salvation of that young male, but it is unlikely he will ever be saved. That is sad and tragic, and his own decision. You can see the little white sign posted on my lawn, right in front and to the left of the guy, which reads: "JOHN 3:16, JESUS LOVES YOU!" You can't see any print because it is facing the street. That thief robbed a child of God. Matthew 18:6, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

The rack only cost $30, and Amazon replaced it, but the evil spirit that is instilled in the neighborhood by criminals who constantly steal everything not bolted down or chained is detrimental to society. Albeit, my faith is not shaken by some thief. I have been rejoicing in the Lord today, thanking God that my name is written in Heaven, and for His abundant blessings upon my life. I ate delicious Chinese food for lunch today.

I also went and picked up my Recording King Elite 85 maple neck banjo from the music store. I paid them $65 to do a proper setup on it. I could have done it myself, but I wanted to help support the local economy, and help the music store stay open. That is being ethical, which I think is rare these days, and important for Christians to be. I love learning and playing the banjo. I've been working on one of my favorite songs to play called, "Chicken Reel." Yes, you can make chicken sounds with a banjo!

I had a nice day today in the Lord, despite being the victim of a robbery, despite my constant neck pain. The police said Amazon was the victim, but that is only from a financial viewpoint. I suffered a lot of mental anguish, physical neck pain, aggravation, worry and stress. I am ten times more of a victim than Amazon! The owners of Amazon didn't feel five seconds of grief, pain and worry, I did. Amazon won't lose sleep or worry that the thief may come back, but I will. So, who is the true victim? I am saddened how calloused the cops can be sometimes.

Anyway, I choose to focus on the many blessings in my life, as Dr. Hyles wisely teaches. And by the way, there is nothing wrong with being unhappy. Sometimes I need to feel unhappy, so I can feel happy again later on. We cannot realistically be happy all the time. No one can live on the mountaintop all the time, we need to first ascend from the valley below. You cannot be upstream, until you've first be downstream. Sorrow, pain and unhappiness are a necessary part of life. They enable us to later on experience joy and happiness. Psalms 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

I heard Pastor Hyles say in his 70's that he is a happy man. I admire that, considering all the attacks, suffering and problems that Dr. Hyles had to deal with. He learned a long time ago that the secret to happiness in the Christian life is to focus on the good things, the blessings, the loved ones in our life, and the goodness of God. Anyone can be happy if we choose to be. Oh sure, heartaches will come, losses will occur, enemies will attack us, bad things will happen; but we can overcome those setbacks quickly and get back on our feet for Christ.

I was down, sad and frustrated yesterday when I discovered on my security camera system that I had been robbed, and that the cops wouldn't do anything to arrest and punish the guy, but today is a new day. I am not going to get discouraged because of the insane ways of the ungodly world. The United States is a total mess today, in so many ways, but all is well in my heavenly Father's house!

If thieves come back while I am at church one day, and they break thru to steal everything that I own, I will rejoice that my name is written in Heaven in the Lamb's Book of Life (Luke 10:20), and that no thief can steal my eternal rewards from the Lord for serving Him (Matthew 6:19-20). If you are a born-again child of God, you have an abundance of reasons to jump up and shout with great joy! Just knowing that we have escaped the damnation of hell, fire and brimstone is enough reason alone to rejoice continually.

I was also happy today to know that I can look in the mirror and see an honest man. I am a guilty sinner like everyone else, and I have many faults, but God knows I am an honest man. I would rather die than steal from anyone! I fear God, the young fool who robbed me doesn't. Psalms 36:1, “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.” Stealing is not a victimless crime. And Amazon isn't the only victim just because they were nice enough to replace the stolen item free of charge. Amazon didn't suffer any mental anguish, but I was a nervous wreck all day yesterday. When someone steals from you (especially at your your home), you feel threatened, violated and taken advantage of. The police don't seem to understand that or care, sad to say. I am not impressed at all with the Pensacola Sherriff office's lack of sensitivity and compassion for residential victims of crime. Amazon didn't get robbed, I did!

I have decided not to focus on this stuff. As a human being I tend to start thinking about the negative stuff in my life. We all do that at times. The answer is found in 2nd Corinthians 10:5-6, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” Satan wants the child of God to worry, fret and become discouraged. If we are not vigilant to guard our heart (Proverbs 4:23), we may become disillusioned with life, bitter and a casuality for Christ. That downward spiral all starts when we choose to focus on the negatives in our life, instead of looking at God's blessings and the good things.

I've been spending some time each day learning the 5-string banjo, which I love to play. Dave Hum is my favorite banjo player. I discovered his music in 2018, which rekindled my love for the banjo. I find joy and pleasure in making my own backing tracks, and trying to recreate what Dave did, learning the songs and articulating them the majestic way that he does. The banjo makes people happy! Of all the evil things in this world that can destroy a man, I thank God that I have found a hobby that is good, honest and refreshing to do, playing the banjo. I still have a ways to go. Learning to play any musical instrument is a lifetime journey. I am taking a break from my steel guitar playing, so I can pursue the banjo.

Like Dr. Hyles said, I choose to be happy. Let me repeat those precious quotes again...

“There's no such thing as people who can be happier than other people, there are people who choose to be happier than other people.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “The Secret To My Christian Joy”

“It's not the conditions of your life that make you unhappy, it's whether you choose to look at the positive or the corresponding negative that makes you unhappy or happy.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “The Secret To My Christian Joy"

There are rich people with tens of millions of dollars, who are miserable. Solomon in the Old Testament was the wisest man who ever lived. He enjoyed untold pleasures with his 1,000 women lovers (700 wives and 300 concubines). Solomon was filthy rich. He enjoyed the best foods of the time, the best of everything. Yet, the Bible says he hated life! Ecclesiastes 2:17, “Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Solomon looked at the wrong things. He had so much to be thankful for, but he was worried about his investments and kingdom.

Some of the most miserable people in this world are rich people. Hollywood actors are largely a miserable bunch. Most of them cannot stay married more than a few years. I just heard that Jenifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are getting divorced, again. The Bible says only by pride comes contention (Proverbs 13:10). Hollywood actors are generally sinfully proud! Only a proud person files for divorce, because they view them self as being more self righteous than their spouse. The inspired Holy Bible teaches that we ought to consider each other as being BETTER than our self. Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

We can be happy if we choose to be. Life is too short to live with a burden of hatred. I used to think I would be happy if I could find a wife, but I don't think that way anymore. I am happy now, living alone and single. I'd love to meet a woman and get married. Yes, absolutely! But after 18 years it just doesn't look like it will ever happen. So, should I be miserable for the rest of my life without a wife? No, I am going to thank God for the peaceful life that I enjoy, living alone. Jesus is my companion! My music and ministry are my work. Sure, I wish things were better, but they aren't, and I simply don't know how to make things better. I'm an idiot...lol.

I seem to be able to help everyone except myself. I get lonely every day, and I want to be married, but women today are scary. The female cop that came to my door was completely covered in big multi-colored tattoos all up and down both arms. She looked ridiculous! This is how broken our society is today. Today's youth and adults alike are following the world's wickedness, apostasy and insanity. The gender-bending craziness that has infected mainstream American culture is of the Devil. The news media are the biggest promoters of evil. At some point after the year 2000 the media overnight began sanctioning and promoting homosexuality as a normal way of life. That is Satan and his minions!

There's nothing new under the sun the Bible says. People haven't changed in thousands of years. When Elijah preached to the Jews and compelled them to choose sides between God and Baal, the Bible says they answered him not a word (1st Kings 18:21). That sounds like 95% of churchgoers today, fence-straddlers, who refuse to choose whose side they are on, God's or the Devils. These churches today that support the LGBTQ agenda are of the Devil. They've chosen the wrong side! These foolish churches that use and promote the modern corrupt Bible revisions are all pulling on the same rope as the Devil.

When Jesus healed ten lepers of the horrific disease of leprosy, only one man bothered to come back to thank the Lord (Luke 17:11-19). People haven't changed since Bible times. Most people today are ingrates. At every public event I've ever attended, people throw their trash on the ground and leave it there. I've literally been driving behind vehicles as the driver tossed their garbage out the car window.

Just to show you how rotten people are becoming, I went to Walmart today to buy some slippers. I saw the following pair hanging on the rack and took a couple pictures in disbelief of what I saw...

Some thief hung their old filthy sandals on the rack, and wore the brand new sandals out the Walmart door unnoticed without paying for them. Who looks at shoes? I thought it was hilarious when I saw those old filthy shoes for sale...lol. I mean, I've heard of new Blue Jeans being sold that deliberately are made to look faded, worn and old; but I've never seen old, worn and greasy shoes for sale before! Unreal.

I showed another customer in Walmart, a female, the dirty shoes hanging for sale. I told her that a thief swapped their old shoes for the new ones. She seriously said, “Hey, that's a great idea!” Oh brother! Or, I should say, Oh sister! People are something awful, aren't we?

Anyway, I am often reminded of our dear Savior's precious words in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” We can be happy if we choose to focus on Jesus' resurrection instead of this horrible world. Colossians 3:1-3, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” This is the only true way to find happiness in this life, by setting our thoughts and desires upon heavenly things.

Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Thank you for reading my blog.

An Important Lesson On Repentance

Philippians 1:5-7, “For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”

You can hardly step into any church today without hearing the Devil's lie that to get to Heaven you must “turn from your sins.” There are different variations of this damnable heresy. In Chick Tracts you will read on the back page of every tract that to be saved you must, “Be willing to turn from sin (repent).” The late cartoon evangelist Jack Chick was a theological liar. Sadly, Pensacola Christian College (PCC) also preaches another gospel, requiring lost sinners to “follow and obey God's will instead of your self-serving sins.” That is not the simplicity that is in Christ which we read about in 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15.

Tragically, Pacific Garden Mission's radio program since 1950, 'Unshackled,' also preaches a counterfeit gospel of turning from your sins to be saved. Dear reader, nowhere does the inspired Holy Bible teach that to receive God's free gift of eternal life, that you must forsake a lifestyle of sinning, or experience some radical change of heart toward your sinning that results in a changed life, which is the heresy that Ray Comfort preaches. And let's not leave out the Lordship Salvation cult at Bob Jones University (BJU).

Now, in this blog I am going to make it very plain and simple to you what is very wrong with all of the preceding counterfeit plans of salvation. In all of the aforementioned false gospels, they require human reformation, which is not Bible repentance. I can sum up my blog with the following true statement: The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU. In the corrupt plan of salvation of PCC, Unshackled, Ray Comfort, BJU and Jack Chick—they all require YOU to commit to turn from your sins, which they errantly teach will result in a radical change of behavior. This is human reformation, not Bible repentance (which is a change of mind). Do you see the difference dear friend?

1. In the Devil's counterfeit gospel—which requires faith in Christ PLUS turning from your sinful ways and following Christ in obedience as “Lord” of your life—the emphasis is upon YOU.
2. In God's simple plan of salvation—which requires admitting you are a guilty sinner and by faith receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that He was buried and then bodily resurrected three days later from the dead—the emphasis is upon CHRIST.

The inspired Holy Bible teaches that as believers Jesus lives the Christian life through us. Galatians 2:20-21, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Lordship Salvation teaches the exact opposite, that the burden of change is your responsibility.

The infidels at GotQuestions.org errantly teach that “repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.” Pensacola Christian College (PCC) teaches this same damnable heresy. They are horribly placing the burden and responsibility upon YOU to change your behavior, instead of relying upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to live through us as Christians. You get saved by coming to God as you are, as a GUILTY UNGODLY SINNER, and then when God saves and indwells you with the gift of His blessed Holy Spirit, He begins to work to change you (John 16:13).

When someone associates behavior modification with getting saved, they corrupt the Gospel and confuse people. Please don't believe anyone who insists that you must TURN FROM YOUR SINS to receive God's free gift of eternal life. It's a gift, and a gift cannot be merited or earned in any way if it is truly a free gift (Romans 5:18).

God Commands All Believers To Do Good Works

1st Peter 1:15-16, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

As fundamentalist Bible-believing Christians, we hear so much preaching against Lordship Salvation, misunderstood repentance and that you do not have to do “works” to get to Heaven, that it would be very easy to just dismiss the importance and biblical mandate for every born-again believer to “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

I love the following passage of Scripture, which puts the cookies on the bottom shelf to reach:

Romans 3:26-31, “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

What a Swedish smorgasbord of truth to fill our spiritual belly. I am half Swedish. My biological mother was born in and grew up in the country of Sweden, moving at age 13 with her mother (after my grandfather went to Heaven) to Chicago in the United States. When I learned that the word smorgasbord is Swedish, I started using it more often. The preceding Scripture passage from Romans 3:26-31 is wonderful. Let's look at a few statements, shall we:

1. God justifies whosoever believes (trusts) in Jesus.
2. We are saved by the law of faith, not the law of works.
3. A man is justified by faith without the works of the law.
4. Jews and Gentiles are saved the same way—by faith in Jesus Christ.
5. Whether circumcized or uncircumcizied (as regards ceremonial law), it doesn't matter because both Jew and Gentile are saved by faith alone.
6. Just because we are not saved by keeping the law doesn't excuse us from obeying the law as believers.
7. God still commands every born-again believer to keep the law (morally).

Titus 2:13-14, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘇𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀." God desires for all of His children to be ZEALOUS of good works. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches that we are saved by grace through faith without works; and then verse 10 says that every believer is "𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺" (𝗘𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟮:𝟭𝟬𝗯).

Romans 6:1 teaches that if we continue in sin as saints, God's saving grace will abound. Paul asks the question in 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟲:𝟭𝗯, "𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱?"; and then in verse 2 Paul writes, "𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻?" The moment that a person gets saved, their life is forever hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-3). That is because we are bought with a price. 1st Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” The price is Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). We literally become God's property, and the Devil knows this means hands off! Our physical body becomes the temple of God's indwelling Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 3:16-17). Amen and amen.

In The Beatitudes, In Matthew 5:16, Jesus exhorts every believer to, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” No child of God has the Lord's permission to continue in a lifestyle of open sin, blaspheming the Word of God. When God's children live contrary to the holiness which God desires for us to emulate, the Word of God is blasphemed (spoken evil of by the world).

Titus 2:1-5, “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

When God's children do not live according to the Holy Scriptures, the world speaks evil of the Word of God.

“I’d be a Christian if it were not for the Christians.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Dr. Lester Roloff rightly said: "Jesus saved you so that you WOULDN'T live like that anymore." But if we choose to defy the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and live in terrible sin, then God's grace will still abound (Romans 5:20). Put another way: We fall IN GRACE as believers, but never FROM GRACE! Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” I have seen umpteen corrupt preachers try to use this passage of Scripture to teach that salvation can be lost.

Thankfully, they are all wrong! We see directly from the context itself why anyone could ever 'FALL FROM GRACE,' which is because they are attempting to appease God's wrath against sin by keeping the law of works. Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” I marvel how any pastor could ever preach the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation, when the inspired Holy Bible plainly teaches that no one can be saved by doing the works of the law.

In my humble online ministry for Jesus Christ, I often preach against the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation, because so very few preachers do, and it is a critically important matter of faith; but this in no way means that I do not believe we as God's children are commanded by Him to pursue a lifestyle of holiness, doing good works and living for others (Philippians 2:3-5). 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭:𝟭𝟱-𝟭𝟲, "𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆, 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻; 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗕𝗲 𝘆𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆; 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆."

Good works are not the payment for sin, the payment for sin is death. Yet, billions of religious followers around the world foolishly think that good works are necessary to get to Heaven. Albeit, if you were to pay for your own ticket to Heaven, you would need to burn in Hell forever (Revelation 20:11-15).

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty! Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work. If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from?

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

We must stay true to the simplicity of the Gospel!! Repentance regarding salvation is a change of mind from unbelief to belief!!! We must earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3).

How To Serve The Lord

Romans 12:6, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;”

When it comes to serving the LORD, every believer should have a great desire to serve Him in the manner He wants us to serve Him. Let me illustrate this thought. When I was a boy, my mother often gave me chores, but she wanted me to do them right. If I didn't do a thorough job, she made me go back and do it thoroughly. In other words, though I did the job, I did not do it in the manner that she wanted. If I griped and complained about doing the job, she would tell me to either do it cheerfully, or she would give me a reason to gripe and complain. My mother wanted me to do right, but she also wanted me to do it in the manner that she desired. God wants us to serve Him, but He also wants us to serve Him in the manner that He desires. Romans 12 shows six expectations for the manner that God expects us to serve Him. Let me share these expectations.

First, we are to serve the LORD with our whole being. The verse above says, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith. It matters not if what I do for God is more or less than what another does; it only matters if I do it with all of my ability. God does not compare you to another; He compares you to your ability to serve Him.

Second, we are to serve the LORD with faith. To serve God in our own abilities is unacceptable to God. God wants every believer to step out by faith and go beyond their abilities because the life of faith forces the believer to trust Him. You cannot please the LORD if you do not serve Him by faith.

Third, we are to serve the LORD by serving others. Verse 7 says, let us wait on our ministering. The Christian walk is not about what others can do for me, but what can I do to help others. When you get “I” out of your Christian walk is when you can see clearly through the eyes of God to see the needs of others. You will never please the LORD until you make yourself a nonissue with everything you do for Him. Sadly, one of the greatest tasks a pastor must deal with is getting people to get along with each other because most people serve the LORD for themselves. Take yourself out of the equation of serving the LORD and you will be happy to be used to help others.

Fourth, we are to serve the LORD with simplicity. Verse 8 says, let him do it with simplicity. God wants the believer to be careful about becoming double-minded in their service to Him. God wants all of your focus. He understands that you cannot have a dual focus and please Him.

Fifth, we are to serve the LORD with diligence. Verse 8 continues to say, he that ruleth, with diligence. This is doing everything for God with a standard of excellence. Don't just do good enough for God, but accept nothing less than excellence for God. Don't do halfway jobs for God, but go all the way and with all of your being. Be diligent, work hard, and serve the LORD with a standard of excellence for your expectation.

Sixth, we are to serve the LORD with cheerfulness. Verse 8 concludes, he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. God doesn't want His children to serve Him with a bad or negative attitude, but with a cheerful attitude. It is not hard to serve the LORD with a cheerful attitude when you realize it is a privilege that the LORD would let you serve Him.

Be A Child, Juvenile Adult

My hero of the Christian faith is Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001). Brother Hyles cared about God, people and truth. That is why I love him so. The Bible teaches in Galatians 2:20 that we don't live the Christian life in our own human strength, but that Jesus Christ lives the Christian life through us, by God's grace, the same way we got saved.

The following life-changing truth is from Dr. Jack Hyles' helpful book titled: “Grace and Truth”:

A child is not a complete person. He cannot enjoy many things that maturity will allow him to enjoy. For him many wonderful, enriching experiences yet wait that he cannot enjoy until he reaches adolescence and adulthood.

The adolescent is not a complete person, for there are many rich and satisfying endeavors that can be enjoyed only by adults.

The adult may or may not be a complete person; that choice is up to him.

The child-adolescent-adult is a complete person. This is a person who, when he became an adolescent did not substitute adolescence for childhood, but ADDED adolescence to childhood.

Then when adulthood came, he did not substitute adulthood for adolescence but rather added adulthood to adolescence and childhood. He retained his childhood enjoyment and added to it the enjoyments of adolescence. He then retained his childhood and adolescent enjoyments and added to them adult enjoyments. He then became the complete person with a complete set of appetites, delights and fulfillments.

Why riot make a list of all the enjoyments unique to childhood. Have you retained them, or did you trade them for the enjoyments of youth? Everyone enjoys a teenager who, while possessing the maturity of youth, still possesses the excitement, exuberance and warmth of a child. We all know of adults who have added adolescence to childhood and adulthood to adolescence. This may be what charisma really is. There is a bit of little boy in every attractive adult male personality. There is an obvious pleasance or a bit of adolescence in every adult male personality. Likewise the attractive woman has a bit of little girl in her. She also has retained the flavor of adolescence in her mature, adult personality.

In many of our schools the best teaching is done in the lower grades. Such teachers can appeal to a child because they have retained a bit of childhood in their personalities. The same is true with a youth worker. Perhaps a youth worker is one who has kept his youth while becoming an adult. He was not willing to sacrifice youth for maturity and adulthood, but rather chose to retain his youth while adding the maturity of adulthood.

Think for a moment of some people whose presence you enjoy the most. Notice carefully and you will see that these people are childish, juvenile adults. This is why little children enjoy their presence. This is the reason that young people love to be with them and that other childish, juvenile adults enjoy their company. To be sure, such a person may draw criticism from incomplete people. The suave teenager may not like the teenager who has retained a touch of childhood. The drab adult may not enjoy the presence of the childish, juvenile adult. Perhaps the incomplete man will even develop a jealousy for the complete man. This perhaps is prompted by envy and covetousness.

All of us know of a young person who has gone off to college and has come home a different person, much to the dismay and disappointment of his parents. We also know of a young person who has gone off to college to return the same person who is just more mature and able to enjoy more of life. Such people bring delight and satisfaction to their parents. A farmer worked hard to send his son to the state University. While working in the field one day a neighbor asked him if he had noticed any difference in his son since he had been to the university for a fear The farmer replied, "Yep. You ain't never seen so much change in one young'in'. Before he went to the university, when he would plow, he would say to the mule at the end of the row, 'Whoa, Reb. Turn around and giddup.' Now that he has been to the university for a year he says, 'Halt, Rebecca, pivot and proceed.'" (It is the opinion of this author that "the mule walked on.")

The childish, juvenile adult enlarges his potential for service to mankind. He is not a specialist able to work just with children, nor is he a specialist able to work just with teenagers, nor is he limited to working only with adults. He has enough child in him to work with children, enough youth in him to work with young people and enough maturity to work with adults. Fortunate is such a person and fortunate are those privileged to be near him.

I am thinking now of a great preacher whom I found one day playing hopscotch with some children. I think Of another great man of God whom I found One day Playing marbles with some junior boys. Such IL Person makes a better pastor, for he can appeal to all ages. He makes a better parent, for he can have the proper rapport with his children at every stage of development. He will have a richer life, for he will be able to enjoy the company of any age. 

He will be a better leader, for he will know the heartbeat of each follower. He will be a more desirable person, for all ages will enjoy his presence. He will be more versatile in that his appeal will span all of life. He will never really grow old, for even in his senior years, he will still in some ways be a little boy and a young man. I think of my mother, who at this writing is 86 years of age; yet every time I talk to her I see the twinkling eye of a child, the mischievousness of childhood, the optimism and expectancy of a teenager, the glamour of a young woman, the endurance of youth and the wisdom of adulthood wrapped up in one personality. This is why she, at the age of 86, attracts little children and teenagers as well as adults. There are people in their forties who are older than Mother. 

She is a childish, juvenile adult who refused to trade the joys of childhood for the joys of adolescence, or the joys of adolescence for the joys of adulthood. She has retained them all and in so doing has kept her appeal to others and her enjoyment of others regardless of the age. In 2nd Peter 3:18 we are admonished to grow in grace. The word "grow" could be better translated "increase." It means to keep what you have and add more. It is like a growing tree. While the tree adds branches, it keeps its trunk. While it adds leaves, it keeps its branches. It is like an army which takes ground. It does not give up what it had; it adds new land to the land that already has been conquered. In other words, growing in grace is "adding to," not "substituting for." 

1. Do not exchange poverty for riches. The wise person will add riches to poverty. There are some enjoyments that are unique to poverty. How tragic it is when one gives up these enjoyments that are so rich that they cannot be bought with money in order to exchange them for things less valuable which can be bought with money. Such a person becomes poverty stricken because of his riches and trades that which cannot be bought by money for that which can be bought by money. This type of individual can be the poor rich man or the rich poor man.

I think of my good friend, Russell Anderson, from Ypsilanti, Michigan. Though his wealth enables him purchase whatever he would want, his wife Maxine still sews for the children and makes their clothes. She often trades at discount stores where the common person trades. They often raise a garden. In other words, because they were once poor they learned the enjoyments of the poor. Now that they are wealthy they have kept their poverty and have doubled their enjoyment rather than substituted one for another. 

2. Do not trade simplicity for profundity. Though every Person should strive to become as profound in profession and field as he possibly can, he should not with the acquiring of profundity discard the pleasures of simplicity. In reality no one can be profound who has not retained his simplicity, for he will be completely unable to transfer his profundity to others. Simplicity is the tool with which profundity is transferred. Simplicity is the conveyer by which profundity is transported. Without simplicity, profundity is a house built upon the sand. Our Lord was the master at adding profundity to simplicity. He could take the deepest and most profound truths and wrap them with the simplest of terms. 

The deepest of doctrines were conveyed to us by such stories as a boy running off from home, a lady losing a coin, a lamb getting lost from the flock, a man going out to plow, a farmer sowing in the field, etc. When one becomes profoundly simple, richly poor, simply complicated, discerningly naïve, weakly strong, conservatively aggressive, excitedly serious, unpredictably stable and unknowingly educated, he has arrived at a place to where he can live the rich life of being a childish, juvenile adult.

Are There “Distinguishing Marks” For A True Believer?

1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” Hebrews 12:14-16, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”

One of the most dangerous false prophets of our generation is Evangelist Ray Comfort. In this video exposing Ray Comfort's false plan of salvation, there is a brief clip of him errantly teaching that Hebrews 12:14 means if you don't live in holiness, you cannot go to Heaven. Dear reader, that absolutely is NOT what the Bible is saying in Hebrews 12:14. If we interpret verse 14 within the context of the passage, it is made abundantly clear that without holiness many people shall be defiled. That is, they won't get saved because of our poor testimony. Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” This is what the author of Hebrews 12:14 means. We don't know who penned the book of Hebrews, but I humbly think it was the Apostle Paul, because Paul was always heavy in his doctrine (as we see in Hebrews). Regardless, God is the divine Author of the entire Holy Bible (2nd Timothy 3:16-17).

Hebrews 12:1, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Here in Verse 1 we see that the topic at hand is WITNESSES to the faith. This is a continuation of Hebrews chapter 11, which is often called: “The Hall of Faith.” The writer of Hebrews mentions a handful of faithful patriarchs of the faith in chapter 11 (Abraham, Noah, Rahab, David, et cetera), and then continues in chapter 12 by telling us that we, likewise, are expected by God to live in holiness; otherwise the lost won't see Jesus and won't get saved, and it will be our fault.

My good friend, Curtis Smale, turned 57 on January 13, 2022 and then went to Heaven just a few days later. He suffered a stroke in early January and died a couple weeks later. My friend left a wealth of wisdom on his blog. I have downloaded Curtis' entire blog, using a wonderful free program called: "HTTrack." The program is freeware and simple to use. There are YouTube videos which can show you how to use it if you have any questions. I highly suggest that all my blog readers download your favorite websites to save them on your hardrive.

I have seen website after website disappear suddenly and forever! GONE!!! I was thankful that I downloaded Pastor Wally Beebe's Bus Ministry website before he went to Heaven and it vanished forever. I also archived the complete ministry website of Dr. James Sightler (son of famous preacher Harold Sightler). Here is one of the wonderful articles that I preserved by Dr. Sightler, had I not archived with HTTrack the world would have lost forever!!! When I am dead and gone dear friend, so will my ministry work. That is why I started my blog ministry last year, and by God's grace intend to keep writing like a zealous groundhog on groundhog day!!!

Here is some helpful information from my now in Heaven good friend, Curtis...

Are There “Distinguishing Marks” For A True Believer?

Below, I give the link to a False Gospel teacher’s very Christian-sounding teaching.

You may want to read that first and see if you can detect what is wrong with it. There are a couple of sentences that scream False Gospel.

Here is what I responded to what Senior Pastor Colin Smith wrote:

A saved person is one who believes in Jesus. There are no “distinguishing marks of a Christian.” There are traits that are found in one living by the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, et al.. And there are good works that saved believers are commanded to do.

But there are many unbelievers who do good works and have love, joy, and peace (although not of the same kind and source as a believer in Jesus (which is God)).

According to the Bible, a person knows he is a saved believer by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit–because he believes in Jesus.

Salvation is a FREE GIFT through faith in Jesus.

The reason that the article linked to below is False Gospel teaching is that it makes the doing of good works the bottom line for defining who is and who is not a saved believer in Jesus.

That is salvation by works, unavoidably.

Our works are not our assurance of salvation–faith in Jesus, ONLY, is the source of our assurance of salvation.

All believers in Jesus ~still sin~.

Notice the spiritually deadly teaching written by Colin Smith: “All of us have heard stories about people who have professed Christian faith while quietly indulging their sins of choice. Such a person is not a Christian but a hypocrite. What a person believes is a necessary mark, but it is not sufficient to identify a genuine Christian.”

What this article is saying is that a person cannot believe in Jesus and be saved while he still sins.

This is deadly false doctrine.

When Jesus tells saved believers to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses” in the Lord’s Prayer, are they not true Christians? Obviously they are.

When Paul tells saved believers in Jesus to confess their sins to one other, are these people not true Christians? Yes, they are.

When 1st John says that if we say we have no sin, that the truth is not in us, is he not saying that all saved believers still sin? Of course.

Those who have believed in Jesus are saved eternally.

Jesus said, in John 6:47: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who BELIEVES IN ME ~HAS~ EVERLASTING LIFE.”

Galatians chapter one condemns Senior Pastor Colin Smith to Hell, twice, for preaching a false Gospel of works.

The Beatitudes DO NOT tell us what a saved believer in Jesus looks like, as Smith says in the last part of this article.

The Beatitudes tell us what God’s will is and how we should live, and how far our inner attitudes fall from perfection.

But there are people who do not even believe in Jesus who live by the Beatitudes.

Smith says at the end that salvation is not by works, but then he contradicts himself by saying that it is only by works that we can know if someone is saved.

This is how all the false teachers operate. They say they believe in salvation by faith alone, without good works; and then they make good works a requirement to know if you are really saved.

The truth is, those who believe in Jesus as Savior are saved eternally. (John 6:47)

It is God’s will that those who are saved eternally should live by His Word and Spirit in love and righteousness.

But even if a believer in Jesus does not live God’s way, and even if a believer in Jesus has his life dominated by sin, this does not erase his salvation, because salvation is by faith in Jesus, not by good works we do, either before or after salvation.

Pastor Smith needs to get saved through faith in Jesus, and to ever have Jesus alone as his foundation for salvation and true Christianity.

See my blog, graceinsightandart.wordpress.com Search: “Lordship Salvation.”

Curtis Smale

Here Is the link to the False Gospel article:

http://unlockingthebible.org/distinguishing-marks-christian/

John 6:47

Laying Up Treasures In Heaven For Yourself

Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

The longer I live on earth the more I realize how in vain it is to lay up treasures down here. I thank God that I have spent the last 19 years laboring night and day online for Christ:

1st Corinthians 3:5-9, “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.”

I love this passage of Scripture. 1st Corinthians 3:9 teaches that WE ARE LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH GOD!!! Wow! I love that. God desires for lost sinners to be saved more than anyone. 2nd Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Many people want to see evildoers and career criminals burn in Hell forever. But that is not the great loving heart of our God. Certainly, God is a righteous God Who loves justice and righteousness, but He also desires to see wicked sinners repent (think differently) and come to Jesus by childlike faith for the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

If I understand the Bible correctly, God will reward me for every keystroke and mouse-click, because I did it lawfully, preaching a correct Gospel, using the only inspired Bible (the King James) and I did it all for Jesus my Savior (Mark 9:41). Everything that we do to further the preaching of the Gospel will be rewarded by God in eternity. But this is only true if you are a born-again believer. Unsaved people can follow and serve Christ for a lifetime, and yet still split Hell wide open when they die (Matthew 7:21-23). YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN (John 3:3).

Hebrews 6:10, "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Jesus exhorts all believers in Matthew 6:19-20 to lay up FOR YOURSELVES treasures in Heaven. Through prayer, giving to the poor, fasting, laboring and serving Jesus Christ and the Gospel, we are laying up eternal heavenly treasures which neither thief nor moth can corrupt. What a great God and Savior!!!

There is nothing selfish or wrong about wanting to labor here on earth to lay up treasures FOR YOURSELF in Heaven. That is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20. The Savior said to lay up treasures FOR YOURSELF!!! Our blessed Savior is so ethical that He even promises a REWARD to those who help a disciple who follows Christ. Matthew 10:42, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

Many of my web visitors over the years have helped my ministry, by sharing my articles on social media. The dear Lord said that those believers who be rewarded for helping me, because I follow Jesus Christ. I am not just an adopted son of God by choice, but I am also a disciple of Jesus by choice! The choice to become a disciple of Jesus, is a completely separate decision from choosing Christ as one's personal Savior. We must NEVER mix or confuse these two things, for do to so is the heresy of “Lordship” salvation. In fact, one of the ways that we can earn rewards in Heaven is by refuting and exposing the Devil's dangerous lie of “Lordship” salvation (which is rooted in heretical Calvinism).

You can lay up treasures in Heaven by helping your local Bible-believing, separated, soul-winning church. God does not reward anyone for playing church! God does not reward anyone for doing nothing for Christ or the Gospel. God rewards LABOR (1st Corinthians 3:8). Passing out Gospel tracts is LABOR. Tithing is LABOR, because you had to go to work to earn that money. Praying and fasting is LABOR. Fasting is letting go of the physical to grasp more of the spiritual during a time of prayer. God rewards that! Giving alms (money, clothes or food) to the poor is LABOR, because someone went to work to pay for those things. God keeps tract of our good deeds, sacrifices and efforts done for Jesus' sake and the Gospel's.

The God Of All Comfort

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” —2nd Corinthians 1:3

The Apostle Paul had suffered horrible trials and tribulation while traveling through Asia, so bad in fact that he stated in 2nd Corinthians 1:8b, “we despaired even of life.”

In writing of God's sustaining grace concerning the poet William Cowper, Joseph Larson said:

“It was William Cowper on his way in a cab to the Thames River to commit suicide, who, when the driver could not find it for the dense fog, returned to his house and thanking God for the fog, wrote:

Trials can make life seem not worth living. Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 1:9, “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” In other words, Paul says, “We felt as if we were under a death sentence and all hope was gone. But we suffered so that we would stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God, Who raises the dead.”

God moves in a mysterious way,

His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps on the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His works in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.”

God will oftentimes bring a Christian to the point in life where there is no direction to look except up, to where all we have left is our faith. When all you have is God, God is all you need. God brought the Apostle Paul to the point where he even despaired life itself, so that Paul would learn to trust completely in God.

Serving God With A Broken Heart (lots of helpful resources for the hurting soul)

It Doesn't Matter How You Got There (a beautiful MP3 sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles)

Wasted Suffering | Wasted Pain (encouraging MP3 sermons by Dr. Jack Hyles, 1926-2001)

Don't Be Too Hard On Yourself Or God

Acts 16:16-31, “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

I woke up today and started to become a bit frustrated. I got frustrating because since 2015 Google has been censoring my website articles, reducing my web traffic by 85%. I began to complain to God, asking Him if I am wasting my time. I became frustrated realizing that all my labors are being cast aside and countered by Google, rendered ineffective for no other reason than they don't like what I am preaching! But then the indwelling Holy Spirit reminded me of a Scripture passage we learned about in church last Sunday. By the way, everyone needs to attend a local Bible-believing church. Amen!

I thought about our text passage from Acts 16:16-31. The disciples were doing something good—they were soulwinning, preaching the Gospel to the lost. When a woman who had been exploited by wicked men because of her soothsaying abilities got saved, she was no longer of use to them. Consequently, those wicked men were able to convince the local ungodly authorities to have the disciples arrested, beaten stripped of their clothes and thrown into prison! Think about that. The local authorities didn't care about the afflicted woman who had been exploited by wicked men. No, they only cared about the pimps who used her! Unbelievable!!! We see that type of wickedness much today in America. It doesn't matter that preachers are getting people saved and lives are being changed for good, big tech social media companies are censoring God-fearing preachers who tell THE TRUTH.

As I pondered this matter of Google censoring my ministry by 85%, the Lord comforted my heart. His blessed Holy Spirit told me not to be so hard on myself or Him. I'm not the first preacher who has been censored...lol. Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan (1628-1688) was locked up in prison for 12 years for preaching the Gospel. Contrary to the demonic health, wealth and prosperity preaching of Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Joseph Prince, Joel Osteen and Pat Robertson, the Bible says in Hebrews 11:37b that some Christians were “SAWN ASUNDER” for their faith!!! 2nd Timothy 3:12 guarantees that if you live godly in Christ Jesus, YOU WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION!!!

As I pondered these easily forgotten truths in the Bible, I thanked God for using a broken humble sinner like me to help reach others as an ambassador of God (2nd Corinthians 5:18-21). Acts 17:32, “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.” I love that Bible verse! As the Apostle Paul preached the truth unto the men at Athens, Greece, some mocked him while others listened attentively with curiosity. They even asked Paul to explain it to them again!!!

The Lord encouraged my soul today concerning being censored by Google. The disciples were also censored. They were physically assaulted, beaten and thrown into prison. I heard a beautiful and very needful sermon last night by Pastor Steven Anderson called: “ONLY ONE VIEWPOINT IS ALLOWED.” Please listen to this message! The video is now safely on the BannedPreaching website, because YouTube banned it! It is a crying shame that a website would even have to exist called, “BannedPreaching.” I love Pastor Steven Anderson as my dear brother in Christ and that he is a faithful truth-teller!

In the preceding needful sermon Brother Anderson wisely explains that the Devil doesn't want people to get saved. The Bible teaches this in 2nd Corinthians 4:3-4. Satan blinds men's minds, lest they see the truth of the Gospel and be converted into the Kingdom of God. It is for this reason that Satan doesn't want people to hear the message of preachers like myself and Pastor Anderson. We are VOICES for God. John 12:17, “The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.” Amen! I love that.

The Pharisees were plotting to silence the blessed Savior, but the more they tried the more popular Jesus became! Therefore, I know that if God be for me, no man can stop my preaching!!! Google can continue to censor my ministry, but God is still on His throne. Wicked men censored, banned and persecuted the disciples of Jesus. In John 15:19 Jesus exhorts every believer to keep in mind that if the world hated Him, so also will they hate us as His disciples!!! John 7:7 says the world cannot hate us as believer; but rather, they hate Jesus because through the Word of God He testified against the wickedness of the world, and they despise that (John 3:20). 

So please don't be too hard on yourself or God dear saint of God, when persecution comes, because the world persecuted our dear Savior. The world nailed Him to a cross. I read a great quote today on social media...

“A free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular.” —Adlai Ewing Stevenson, 23rd U.S. Vice President

Jesus spoke THE TRUTH, for which the world nailed God to a cross! 2nd Corinthians 5:19, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” God was in Christ, as we just read (1st Timothy 3:16; Colossians 2:9 - All Scriptures references are only to the inspired King James Bible). The Godhead indwelt the fleshly body of the man Jesus (John 1:1-3, 14). What a great God and Savior!!!

I also saw something beautiful on the BannedPreaching website, which is that you can DOWNLOAD THEIR ENTIRE WEBSITE'S CONTENT with just one click (you will need 770 GB of free hardrive disk space. That's almost a terabyte!!! You can buy a 5 TB USB hardrive on Amazon fairly inexpensive. I have that exact hardrive which I use on my laptop.

Dear reader, we are on the winning side in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37). Bible prophecy is history written in advance. We are blessed to read in the Bible about events that haven't even happened yet, in past tense. How awesome is that!!! Despite our problems, pain, burdens and heartaches in this temporary world, we already KNOW that Christ has won the war and we are on His side by the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Everything that Christ has accomplished is only by His precious blood which was shed on Calvary's cross and sprinkled upon the heavenly Mercy Seat (Hebrews 9:12, 22-24; 12:24). THANK YOU JESUS!!!

So don't be too hard on yourself oh saint of God! The world WILL despise and hate you. Jesus said they WILL deliver us up to the courts to be prosecuted as saints. In fact, Jesus foretells of the time when Christian will be martyred for their faith. Matthew 24:9, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.” How are we supposed to respond to that? John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Keep your head high oh Christian, and let God's love shine on your face for Him!!!

Now, I'm not talking about the fake apostate Hillsong church today with their sycophantic worship! Those yardbirds are a disgrace if ever there was one. Their gospel message is intentionally vague, welcoming and affirming sodomites in their unrepentant state, calling them righteous children of God. Hillsong's greedy leaders deliberately blur the lines between truth and lies, between righteousness and unrighteousness, between saved and unsaved. As the churches become more worldly, so is the world becoming more churchy! Proverbs 24:24-25, “He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.”

I'm talking about genuine Bible Christendom. Jesus warned in John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Have you been BORN-AGAIN dear reader? That is the $64,000 question. You were born the first time from your mother's womb. That is the birth by water (flesh) which Jesus speaks of in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Some corrupt preachers errantly teach that the “water” in John 3:5 refers to water baptism. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Here we see that “water” and “flesh” are synonymous. You and I spent 9 months forming in our mother's water bag (i.e., born of water) in her womb. This is the first (physical) birth).

Now there is a second birth by the Spirit (i.e., God's Holy Spirit). God desires to save all humanity (2nd Peter 3:9). I don't care how vile, wicked and contemptible you may be or think of yourself, God loves you oh sinner and He wants to save you, so says the Scripture:

Romans 5:6-9, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” 

Christ died for THE UNGODLY (you, me and all mankind). We are all wicked sinners (Romans 3:10-23). There is NONE righteous, no not one. Ecclesiastes 7:20, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” There is a penalty for our sins, which is DEATH (Romans 6:23). The Bible speaks of a “second death” (Revelation 21:8b), which is eternal separation of our body, soul and spirit from God in a Lake of Fire and Brimstone, being tormented by God in fire forever and ever without rest (2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 20:11-15). That is the BAD NEWS!

The GOOD NEWS is that God loves you friend. In fact, God loves you so much that He was willing to die for you! God came down to earth, born of a virgin as a man. Jesus lived a sinless life. He was crucified on a cross for our sins, paying our debt of sin that we simply could not afford to pay. If we were to pay for our sins, we would have to be punished in the fires of Hell forever!!! That may be difficult to accept, but it is what the Bible teaches. Don't try to figure God out dear friend, just trust His Word that He has recorded. John 5:39-40, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” If you simply come to Jesus as a guilty sinner, BELIEVING that He is the Christ, the only begotten (biological) Son of God, receiving His sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, and believing that Christ was buried but is risen from the dead, YOU ARE SAVED!!!

The very second that you put your FAITH (trust, confidence, rest) in Jesus Christ, God performs a supernatural miracle by which you are instantly made a born-again child of God. God's Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. THIS IS THE NEW BIRTH!!! God is born in you! Isn't that beautiful? Sure it is. When you were born the first time (physically), you were born into God's creation; but when you get born for the second time (spiritually), God is born into you! 1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

I hope you enjoyed learning those Bible truths. I always enjoy teaching them! As a born-again child of God I greatly desire to preach the truth of the Gospel to get more people saved. So it greatly frustrates me when the Devil's crowd censors the truth. The Bible says in 1st Corinthians 1:18 that THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IS FOLLISHNESS TO THEM THAT BELIEVE NOT!!! 1st Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” I wish the owners of Google believed the Gospel, but they don't, so to them it is foolish. It is so easy to be saved! Pastor Anderson preached a great sermon recently called, what else: "SALVATION IS EASY." I encourage you to listen to it. God bless you dear reader (and you sincerely are dear to this humble Gospel preacher). THANK YOU for reading my blogs! I love you with God's unconditional love.