The Word of Truth Ministries
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For many observers, the American Christian is as unique a "Christian" as the American is a unique world citizen. I do not use the word unique in any positive way, but I mean that he/she is peculiar, strange, aberrant, different from the norm. And being different, he/she has become a norm unto himself/herself. This world has 6.5 billion people; Americans are a very small portion of that number--300 million people. Yet this small percent consumes most of the world's fossil fuel and other natural resources; it possesses most of the world's financial resources and dictates the world's financial markets; it has more nuclear weapons that could kill the peoples of the world--and has been the only nation to ever use them against human beings; it is positioned all over the world militarily and financially; its culture is promulgated throughout the world via radio, TV, movies, DVD's, etc. In short, although Americans are a small percentage of this world's population they are used to dictating the terms and conditions of most of the world's behavior. And since this has become a way of the world, Americans tend to see this as the way it should be--the normal way of life--and that perception has produced an anomaly in Americans' thinking and behavior toward the rest of the world and toward God. As a result of our unique and unusual position and authority in the world, many American Christians have merged Americanism with Christianity and the two behaviors and ideologies are incompatible--Americanism is centered around money, consumerism, the pleasures and comforts of this life (hedonism); Christianity teaches that with what things one has be content and to set one's affections on God and things above--resultantly, many American Christians have become the very epitome of the apostate believer; they are fervent in their spirit but without the baptism of the Spirit of God and have not even shed their coats of sin through baptism in Jesus name--for nothing but that name can wash away/remove sin. [Acts 4:12] And they loudly proclaim that they are Christians even though they have done nothing that Christ said, the way He said it must be done, to be a Christian. And what is even more pitiful is that most of these American Christians are unaware of their sorry state. The condition of the American Christian may be directly and indirectly attributable to the attractive and seductive nature of the American society, its culture, and its position of authority in the world. Although many in this nation tout the fiction that this nation was conceived and born of religious principles, such a statement is more a fiction of poorly educated religious leaders and right wing Republicans than it is a fact. Furthermore, the strong Religious Right political group of this nation is pushing a so-called moral agenda and arrogantly claiming that this nation is a Christian nation; that too is fiction of many self-righteous and pseudo-godly Evangelicals who are right in their own eyes, but are not yet washed from their own filthiness.* They are very fervent in their spirit, but so was Apollos; yet he needed to be born again, even as most of them need to be. [Prov. 30:12] In America there is a culture, peculiarly American, that breeds the idea that whatever Americans do they are right and godly; after all, we have convinced ourselves that we are a godly nation with principles that come from the Bible. Such "reasoning" goes nowhere logically. But it is a school of thought many American religious leaders and superficial thinkers use. They assume they can talk truth into existence. They make assumptions that saints in light know of, but they are not even saints in darkness; these are those who will say to God, "Have we not done many marvelous works in your name?" And He will say, "Depart from me, for I never knew you.") These anomalous American Christians think that it is as they say it is, and everyone hearing them should believe their pronouncements as a matter of fact. Yet, regardless of their thoughts, God is not swayed by their mental perambulations about themselves. Jesus is the door, and there is no other way to God, and to try another way is to fall into Christ's category of thieves and robbers. To be a Christian in your own way is to attempt to come up some other way, and this is the delusion of many American Christians--the old Burger King religion, "Have it your way!"--but God's way, according to God's correctly interpreted word, is the only way of God and the only way to God. Sadly, these words seem harsh to many because they are unaccustomed to ministers or anyone else being truthful with them. My boldness in truth-telling is because I am not out to win any awards from men or seduce anyone into giving me or this ministry money. I am not in the American way, although I am an American, I am in God's way. I am not trying to offend, I am just speaking the truth of God so all can know the truth and be made free. What I say may, to the average reader, seem harsh and rude. Excuse the undesirable taste my words bring, but it is the taste of God's truth that you are experiencing. I and others have encountered that taste as well. It is a taste you must acquire and learn to love! A "brother" whom I was trying to help turn back to God, having gone far from God's word gave me a long story about why I should consider him right while in a very bad marriage--biblically bad. After his long statement of his case, he asked if I believed him, as if his recitation of his case established godly facts. Ready and easy acceptance of his word was what he was accustomed to, but I told that brother that I had heard his case, which is not to say accept/believed his case. I select what I believe. And I do not believe everything that someone says to me, regardless of his position in the church or outside the church. Men lie! There were other factors that militated against what he was saying and that I was too educated to merely accept what a person says without proof. To do so would be unscriptural and uninformed. Anyone who simply believes a man's pronouncement on a matter without adequate proof, and this is especially true today among Christians, is a foolish believer and goes contrary to biblical teachings that admonish us to watch and pray, prove all things, and beware of false prophets. But American Christians have been seduced into letting their spiritual guard down because of personal likes and dislikes of individuals--that is silly women's behavior. [Job 5:2; 2Tim. 3:6] Such unqualified acceptance of a person's pronouncement is behavior that falls short of any credible academic standard as well. In academia, one must support any claim that is made, knowing that men will claim anything. And after one offers that proof/support, it is tested over and over again for certainty before it is established and accepted. This is man's standard, God's standard is higher, for those who would use God's standard! The scriptures teach us that the Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonicans because they received the word of God with all readiness of heart AND searched the scriptures daily to see if the things the great and mighty Apostle Paul said were true. They did not simply accept his pronouncements on matters. Furthermore, Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica and admonished them to PROVE ALL THINGS and hold fast/keep that which is good. [Acts17:11; 1Thes. 5:21] Even in academia, we expect a person to prove whatever he/she says; that is what well educated and correct thinking people do. Most of what comes out of the preaching world and out of the self- anointed and self-appointed ministers of today is not good, not godly, but mere drivel--from the Evangelicals to the Apostolic ministers and churches, most have gone away from the Bible as the basis for their belief and teachings. Many ministries have gone to the American culture (the world) for their inspiration more than to the word of God as their wellspring of principles to live by and to teach. And since they cater to the world for their guidance, many have been made rich in the process. [I have no problem with rich people becoming ministers, but I have serious problems with a minister becoming rich off the people of God. He is no model of Christ, as we are truly to model and grow into Christ.] Paul teaches us that they that would be rich fall into temptation, snares, many foolish and hurtful lusts and drown themselves in destruction and perdition. He goes on to teach us that the very love of money is the root of ALL evil and those who have coveted after have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. [1Tim. 6:9-10] And even with all that teaching, many in the church in this capital-driven society cannot resist the seduction of this society's wealth, as they pierce their souls for the dollar. The messages and music of most modern American ministries have fashioned their teaching and preaching around the American cultural principles. We have tuned into American norms and tuned out to the "Every word that proceeds out the mouth of God" principles of God. [Mat. 4:4] By and large, American values have invaded and overrun the house of God and the behavior and mindsets of many "once saved" ministers of God--they long and thirst to be American and worldly. Yet, the American culture is antithetical and enmity to the things of God. And the American culture is powerful and seductive to the young and the old man and young and old women the world over and certainly to its own citizens. It prompts them to dream of being like Mike or some other rich role model, but not like God. After conditioning their dreams against and away from godliness, it tells them that all they ever dreamed of can be theirs for the taking. Notice the ungodly dreams and low standard the world has prompted us to set for ourselves. We compare ourselves by ourselves and measure ourselves among ourselves and do not know that such behavior is unwise. [2 Cor. 10:12] The standard is Christ, not any worldly standard. I remember talking to a brother whom I was trying to turn back to Christ from his wantonness against Christ, and that brother told me of his great hostility toward me and his desire to fight me as a result of my telling him the truth of God's word. He reached for a supposed model of Christ, a man whom he claimed had similar feelings, to validate that totally carnal notion as credible. My heart sank within me for his tragic fall from grace, and I realized that the brother may have gone too far to be reclaimed. Americans live not only in a comfort-driven-society* unlike any world we have known, we live in a luxury society where kingly luxuries are considered commonplace for all. We have men possessing millions and billions of dollars and can afford things that many men in other societies and countries cannot dream of. And still, there are those not possessing such wealth who live as if they do and think that they are supposed to live that way. And since men can imagine themselves with things that go far beyond the biblical admonition, "With food and raiment therewith be content" their imagination turns into their supposed need/greed. [1 Tim. 6:8] This society, through its media and other mechanisms, tells each person that he/she should have all that it offers and that to have less is be less and to deprive oneself--America defines us by what we have, and many Christians allow that to be their definition as well. A consumer society, as we live in, says consumption is happiness and the inability to consume is poverty, which is bad, which is then unhappiness and even misery. And it is certainly an American ethos that everyone should be happy--the Preamble to the US Constitution states that we have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Many Americans, however, overlook pursuit and assume that that the Constitution says we have a right to happiness and that it is a God-given right. This is the logic and culture that is being spooned-fed to each American on a daily basis if he/she turns on the TV, radio, or reads the newspaper. This is the American norm, and it has, seemingly, become irresistible to the covetous nature of most American Christians and churches. Consequently, to have the much touted "American dream" (a dream that is evolving and expanding daily, and always defined by consumerism) and Christianity, American Christians have had to concoct a new basis on which the ideals of Christianity can live consistently with those of a consumer-driven society. And since a right dividing of God's word will not allow such a union, many ministers and churches have reverted to their old nature, as they have gone wanton against God: they have ignored the biblical principle of "Every word that proceeds out the mouth of God" and have adopted a partial approach to the word of God--accept the part that does not conflict with their form of Christianity and carnal desires and ignore the rest. I fear that this principle is widespread in most American churches. This fallible standard is an ancient and historical standard of God's backslidden people. It is as old as Moses and as new as the early church after the apostles' deaths. Whenever the people of God backslide, they seek their own soothsaying prophets. Notice what God said:
Furthermore, God's backslidden people kill, abuse, and/or ignore God's true prophets because they speak His truth, which backslidden people do not want to hear, because their deeds are evil. [John 3:19] God said that they run, but I have not sent them. They prophesy but not by me. Yet to these false prophets the backslidden assemble themselves around in mass numbers, as they turn their ears away from God's truth to the false prophets' fables. [Jer.23:20-23; 2 Tim. 4:1-4] And they will hate God's truth and God's messengers of truth. This is where the people are today. They want and do have their feet planted firmly in the world, and still claim they are Christians, as they do that portion of the word that does not conflict with their wrong interpretation of God's word. God's word SHOULD govern their lives, but does not, for they love the things of this world. And because they want a cover for their sins, they take on him name, but not his behavior--they wear their own clothing and eat their own bread and claim it to be the bread of God! [Isa. 4:1] How accurately God has described and predicted their actions for them to see themselves! But they will not see themselves because they are too busy in their carnality and covetousness, and busy with the things of this world. Therefore, God has sent them a strong delusion so they will be damned because their hearts have gone wanton against God and resistant to His truth. [2 Thes. 2:11-12] Sadly, this is the behavior of most American Christians, as they are full of themselves and Americanism and void of godliness. And since they have a form of godliness but not any of God's power of obedience to His word, they then have become gods unto themselves. [2 Tim. 3:5] They make their own rules--partial obedience to God's word is sufficient to be a Christian--and they assume that God will accept their rules of engagement for their lives. And if He does not, they declare themselves Christians anyway, simply by proclamation. This type of American swagger that has engendered hatred for Americans in most parts of the world may work among men, but no form of human swagger will ever work with God. Man is a minute creature of God's making. And man's way is not the way of God; God is the only potentate of the universe, not puny man! [Isa. 55:8; 1Tim. 6:15] God's way is this: "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." [Mt. 4:4] God will accept nothing less! Yet man's way is partial obedience. This way has been repudiated by God in principle and in fact many years ago, as King Saul was in partial obedience to God's word and assumed that such obedience would be enough and accepted by God. But God will not accept just anything that is given to Him. He will accept behavior that is in accord with His terms and nothing less. God had sent King Saul to kill all the Amalekites--women and children; cattle and all; he killed some and kept such of their substance as he wanted to keep. The man of God, Samuel, challenged King Saul's obedience to God's word and had to carry out God's word, because the king was caught up with himself and the substance of the Amalekites. King Saul was partial in his obedience but total in his disobedience to God. You see, a half truth is a whole lie; partial obedience is total disobedience to God! Resultantly, God rejected him, as God has rejected the person who thinks he is a Christian on his own terms.[1 Sam. 15:3-33] A person who is a Christian on his own terms is one who obeys God's word as it is convenient to him. That person is not a Christian at all. Consider this; to be a true minister of God one must preach all of God's word--the whole counsel of God.[ Acts 20:20-35] And to be a Christian one must obey all of God's word--every word that proceeds out the mouth of God. [Mat. 4:4] But first there must be a preacher who preaches the whole counsel of God and is living that truth unto perfection.*** Only then will that minister get enough from God to see how to bring a newly born Christian unto maturity and the perfection God requires of His bride. Gods unto themselves are people who assume that they can do whatever they want and will and still have standing with God. But the Eternal God who created all things, who spoke worlds into being, the God of all gods from everlasting unto everlasting, He who is omniscient and omnipotent will not regard the vain proclamations of men who declare by their ungodly words or deeds that they are Christians their way and God will accept them flawed and frayed as they are, as if He is helpless to do anything more, and as if He has not given a method for mankind to move away from their carnal selves into the likeness of His son, Jesus Christ. This self righteous generation of self-proclaimed Christians is deceived in their own Americanism and self promotion; they assume they can set the rules of behavior. God is the law and terms giver. God has made man for His desire, His will, and His pleasure. Man cannot set the terms of his habitation, his length of life, and/or his behavior on this earth and be without unfavorable consequences. This godless and filthy generation of God-resistant man will do any vile and untoward thing, and they actually think their wrong behavior (sometimes they engage in the most vile and base offenses and abominations against God) can be godly justified beyond their own school of friends and among the council of the godly. God will not accept anything that goes contrary to his word, regardless if it is done by the majority of people or not! Human beings have shown that because they have the ability to rationalize and cogently argue a justification for their untoward behavior they then think that such behavior is no longer an offense against God's word--they are eternally wrong on this issue! This is one of the major modern day philosophical and moral tragedies of man: As mankind has become more enlightened, his cognitive mind has outpaced his affective ability to govern his cognitive skills. The cognitive mind is mankind's ability to create and do things. But our affective mind is that part of us that asks whether we should do all that the cognitive mind can do. The affective mind is that moral center of man, whereas, the cognitive mind is that raw can-do ability. But, human beings need to step back many times and see the consequences of their actions for the individual and the world. Everything that human beings can do should not necessarily be done simply because we have the cognitive ability to do them. Paul said, "All things are lawful, but not all things are expedient." [1 Cor. 6:12] The early made people of God decided that they were going to build a tower up to God. They had the ability, but what they were doing was not desired by God, and God, seeing their actions, decided to go down and confuse their effort. He confounded their language so they were not able to communication with each other in mass. [Gen. 11] Because human beings have and do use their ability to justify sin or abomination before God and then believe their own justifications and rationalizations have actually changed the hue of that act so that it is no longer sin before God's forever settled in heaven word, neither their rationalization nor their vain belief in their rationalization will change it. Nor will it change God's mind on their sin. Sin is sin and it is defined by God and Him alone! [Psa. 119:89] To presume that one can change the definition of sin and righteous is to presume a god-complex. God's reasoning, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is not parallel to flawed man's reasoning. That is why our minds must be renewed and transformed--so we can begin to think like God. [Rom. 12:2] Otherwise, carnal-minded man will reason and justify misbehavior into being proper behavior, then he will turn around and assume that since he can reason it so, God is as limited in His reasoning as man is and will therefore accept man's view of things. That is, indeed, a notion of that he is God. God sees things clearly: things are the way God says they are. Anything contrary to God's word, any deviation from His word, any adding to or deducting from His word, any misinterpretation or failure to learn what God says, and any failure to do what He says is wrong. This generation of American Christians has largely been rejected by God because it is not yet washed from its filthiness, even though they are right in their own eyes. [Prov. 30:12] Yes, they crow about their standing as a Christian nation and Evangelicals and other fundamentalists, but a tree cut off from its roots may appear green for a long time thereafter, but it is still cut off and dead. Many "Christians" have declared themselves right and have become gods unto themselves because the true God is not in their lives. [Judges 17:6] But the way of God is this: To keep his commandments--all of them as New Testament begotten children of God. [2John 5:3]
[This is a 4,460 word sermon]
_________ To be saved, whether you are Evangelical or any other faith, you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and thereafter, you must receive the baptism of God's spirit, even as the apostles received it. [Acts 2:4, 38-41] God's word has not changed because the times have changed or because one nation rises and another falls. His word is eternally settled in heaven. The rise and fall of nations is mere kid's stuff to God--a nation on top today will not be on top tomorrow, so why get carried away with that top nation's ethos and seductiveness? It will come to pass, but God will never come to pass! The important matter is whether each individual is in obedience to God's word.
**A society that affords in mass all of its
citizens' needs--food, shelter, security, etc.--and more than
our needs, but the time, comfort, and leisure to prosecute
desires, dreams, hopes, and even our wildest imaginations. As the people of God reach toward and start attaining perfection, Paul's Ephesians Letter indicates that we will see the working of the ministries more, the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the faith.... This is why perfection is such an important doctrine that we have overlooked. I do not overlook it, but teach it to the best of my ability. Be assured, however, I am doing little more than citing it here, which is more than most teachers do throughout their ministries.
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P.O. Box 6573
Oakland, CA 094603