1 Thessalonians 5:22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

2 Corinthians 7:1, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Job 11:14, If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

Romans 13:12, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."

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* God is watching all that we do, say, and view. If Jesus Himself were in your home sitting on the couch with you, would you have the same television line-up? If He were behind you as you purchased your movie tickets, would you be more selective in your choice of films? Well, guess what? Nothing YOU view is outside of HIS view. Are you making Him proud or grieving His heart by your entertainment choices? Here are more verses for you to consider:

Psalm 94:9, "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?"

Proverbs 15:3, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

Ezekiel 8:12, "Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? For they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth."

1 Chronicles 29:17, "I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness."

Ezekiel 20:7, "Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."

Ezekiel 6:9, "... I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations." (God wants ALL of us, including our eyes)

Proverbs 23:26, "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways."

The world is trying to tell you a vision (tel-e-vision) and God is trying to tell you His vision (in the Holy Bible). The world's vision is of lasciviousness, immorality, and rebelliousness. God's vision is of holiness, righteousness, and the preserving of your soul. Which altar do you spend more time at: the one you have erected for your big screen TV or the one where you spend quiet time with the Lord? Which one is shaping your life and the lives of your sons and daughters? Do your children look like children who take after Jesus, or do they resemble children who take after the heathenish people portrayed in videos and TV shows that you have allowed into your home? Are you growing daily in the knowledge of the Lord, or has your spiritual walk been derailed because you can no longer discern good from evil?

In conclusion, just know that you cannot take fire into your bosom and not get burned. What you set before your eyes truly is of grave importance. You cannot call what is evil good “as long as it is in the form of entertainment.”

And if you still don't believe that it matters what you watch, Satan has already got the victory. The hedge of protection has been broken. You have willingly left yourself and your family wide open to recruitment by and invasion of devils. Woe unto you! Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

Are you ready for war?

There is a war going on, a spiritual war, and the Enemy will use all kinds of sneaky tricks to cause you to fail in your Christian life.

Let me tell you a personal story of something that happened to my husband and I just last night. We were in our pick-up truck driving to a juvenile prison facility to teach our weekly one-hour bible study lesson. We were going to be teaching a powerful lesson on the danger of taking God's mercy and forgiveness for granted. Well, as we were stopped waiting for the red light to change, out of nowhere a car comes barreling in our direction. Some guy in a Porsche had made a left turn way too fast, lost control, and is now screeching in our direction about to T-bone us. There was nowhere for us to move to avoid the impact, and our truck was hit.

But the story didn't end there. After this guy hits us, he backs up and starts fleeing from the scene. My husband gives chase, and now we are chasing some lunatic Starsky and Hutch style down residential neighborhoods. We were able to get the guy's license plate number and eventually gave up trying to catch him, as it was evident that this was becoming an increasingly dangerous endeavor.

Now, all the while that we are chasing this guy, I kept thinking, "This is another trick of the Enemy. Satan does not want us to teach this lesson tonight, and this evil, reckless driver was just used as a tool to accomplish that end." For, you see, this is not the first time that we have encountered resistance of one form or another on the very night we were striving to do the Lord's work. There have been many other times where the devil tried to hinder us. Sometimes he has even succeeded, but not this time. Praise God that even with all of these fiery darts being thrown our way, we still made it to the lesson on time, and we were able to share God's Word with those young men at that facility!

And as I pondered these things over night, it was laid on my heart to write about our experience and to warn others that they need to be ready for anything the Enemy throws their way. Friends, there truly is a war going on! Are you armed and ready for the battle? Let's look at some of the Enemy's tricks and see what God's Word says we must do to prevail against the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-13, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Have you got on the WHOLE armor of God? Have you done everything you can think of to make sure that you are aware and ready for whatever the Enemy sends your way?

First, what is the whole armor? Ephesians 6:14-18 tells us this, "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..."

Have you cast off all traces of untruth and unrighteousness from your life? Have you made it a point to read your bible faithfully, ever growing in the knowledge of the Lord, always ready to share with others the gospel? Is your faith in the Lord deep and sure, knowing that He is in control and able to lead you forward in all matters? Is your assurance of salvation such that you are truly just a pilgrim passing through and you know that when you die you WILL go to heaven? Have you kept your sword sharp and ready, not relying on some other man's knowledge of the Word, but able to discern Scriptures for yourself? And is prayer a consistent part of your daily walk?

We truly need the whole armor of God to be successful in the war that is raging!

Romans 13:12-14, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."

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The second important thing we must do to be successful in this battle is this: Have you done everything you can think of to make sure that you are able to stand against whatever the Enemy sends your way? This includes not only arming your mind and body for battle, but also making sure that your camp (your home) is clean. The bible tells us in Deuteronomy 23:14, "...For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee."

Are there things that you or your children have in your possession or in your home that you know would be displeasing to the Lord? Certain movies, music, posters, video games, magazines, books, clothing, jewelry, souvenirs, artifacts, charms? If Jesus came through your front door right now and did a "tent inspection," is there anything that he would find that would bring shame to you because you know that He would disapprove because that thing is worldly, explicit, profane, or from some heathenish culture? And, please, don't rationalize it away by saying, "But that's not what it means to me" or "my son/daughter is just going through a phase." Remember, we are warring against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So how can you say that you are battling against evil if you are personally allowing it to reside in your own home? Those things that you allow into your home and take lightly will become snares to you and your family's Christian growth and welfare. God does not want us to welcome them into our tent. He wants us to destroy them. Deuteronomy 7:25, "The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God." 1 Peter 2:11, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul..."

This is a matter of grave importance. Joshua 7:11-26 tells what happened to Achan, his family, and the Israelites because of the stuff that Achan had in his tent. First, Achan hindered the Israelites from being successful at war. Then eventually he and his whole family had to pay the ultimate price with their lives because Achan had taken of an accursed thing, stolen it, and put it even among their own stuff. Here is some of the bible account:

[God's warning] "Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for this saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you." (Joshua 7:13)

[The punishment Achan and his family would face] "And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel." (Joshua 7:15)

[Achan's mistake] "When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it." (Joshua 7:21)

Friends, we are living in some dark days. We need to decide which side we are on and live accordingly. The Lord wants to build us up, use us, and protect us, but we have to give him every area of our lives. We cannot give up any ground to the Enemy. No, you probably won't be burned alive like Achan and his family, but you and your family WILL suffer if you allow just any old worldly things into your home.

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So, in conclusion, I hope that you now see more clearly the battle that is at hand. The good news is that even with all of the things that are working against us, the Lord gives us the power to overcome them. Jesus' shed blood made a way for us to be victorious against all sinfulness and against anything the Enemy would try to do to us. Here are some verses of encouragement for those of you striving to be soldiers for the Lord:

Psalm 18:39, "For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me."

Psalm 138:7, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."

1 Corinthians 15:57, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Psalm 91:3, "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence."

Jeremiah 1:19, "And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 17, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Revelation 1:18, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

No Fear!

We are living in a time where people everywhere are looking for ways to "push the envelope," so to speak. There is even a slogan that embodies this live-on-the-edge lifestyle and that slogan boldly states, "No Fear." Perhaps you yourself have seen those two words emblazoned on the back window of your neighbor's pickup truck, or maybe you've seen the No Fear logo on some guy's hat or sweatshirt. What is it all about? Well, in some instances it is the proud proclamation made by those who participate in extreme sports such as motocross or rock climbing or base jumping. In other instances it is just a design on a piece of clothing as part of a current fashion trend. But, unfortunately, I believe that No Fear is also the subtle cry of many who proclaim to be Christians. And although these Christians are not decorating themselves in No Fear paraphernalia, they live their lives as though they are truly without fear. But the fear that they seem to have lost is not the fear of participating in some radical sport or hobby. No, the fear that seems to have fallen by the wayside is their fear of the Lord!

How does this no fear attitude manifest itself in the professed Christian’s life? It shows itself in many different ways. It is apparent when they break the Lord’s commandments and go about their day-to-day activities living immorally with no care or concern for the one whom they claim is their Savior. For example, the bible is clear that God would have us abstain from sex outside of marriage (1 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Corinthians 6:9). Yet Christian men and women everywhere are fornicating freely with no true remorse and no plans on stopping. They have no fear.

Also, the bible is clear that we are to guard our minds and hearts from evil influences of this world (Psalm 101:3; Jeremiah 10:2; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:11-12, 15-16). Yet Christian men and women everywhere are filling their eyes, ears, and soul with sinfulness displayed via inappropriate movies, television shows, video games, and music. They find enjoyment and entertainment in the violence, sex, profanity, lies, and rebelliousness that they so willingly set before their eyes. They have no fear.

Furthermore, the bible says that as Christians we are to be separate and set apart; not giving place to the devil; pilgrims just passing through; cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit; living soberly, righteously and godly in this present world (1 Peter 2:11; Titus 2:12; 2 Corinthians 6:17; 1 John 2:15). Yet these fearless Christians look, act, and behave just like this sinful world with their suggestive My Space pages, revealing clothing, use of foul language, adornment of tattoos, and love of all things worldly and carnal. They are without fear!

But these things ought not to be, and this no fear attitude is in direct opposition of how the bible says Christians are to conduct themselves before our Holy God!

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Where did such rebelliousness come from? How has this brazen attitude gained such a stronghold in the lives of so many professed Christians? Why have they lost their fear of the Lord? Sadly, I believe that part of the problem lies in the present-day churches themselves.

Many churches are teaching this no fear mentality by neglecting to share the whole counsel of God. These preachers will tell the congregation all about God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness, but they never touch upon the weightier matters such as righteousness, holy living, repentance, and judgment. These preachers will spend 30 minutes telling the congregation to name it and claim it, focusing on God's abundant blessings for your life, yet they are afraid to say anything that might cause the congregation's conscience to be pricked (or their purse strings to be tightened).

Think about it. When is the last time YOUR preacher spoke out against fornication, lying, or immorality amongst the brethren? When is the last time you heard a sermon and truly felt grieved in your soul to the point where your sorrow led to repentance on your part? Have you been lulled into believing that all of the sins you are currently committing and the carnal ways you are clinging to are of no consequence because, hey, no one is expected to be perfect? Has your fear of the Lord been replaced with some mumbo-jumbo along the lines of "The God I serve is a forgiving God, so I am eternally sealed no matter what I do or how much I sin"?

Yes, most church leaders convey to the congregation that there is nothing to fear, as though God is some big teddy bear. The bible even warns us of this very occurrence: that certain men would fall short of preaching God's Holy Truths. Jeremiah 23:14 reads, "I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah."

Isaiah 29:13, "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."

The Lord has this to say about such worthless preachers: Jeremiah 23:21-22, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings."

People, wake up from this dangerous slumber! Whether your ignorance is because your pastor is not sharing all of God's Word with you or because you have just been too lazy to read the bible for yourself, you need to open your eyes and learn the fear of the Lord. Jesus' shed blood does not give you license to sin. Do not mock God with your words of love but actions of disrespect and shamelessness. If you have truly been born again, you should no longer be sinning, period!

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2)

"Awake to righteousness, and sin not" (1 Corinthians 15:34).

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Ask yourself, have you been living as a "No Fear" Christian? When there is the fear of God, the Christian is striving to perfect holiness in their lives. When there is no fear of God, the person continues to wilfully sin. Which have you been doing? I beseech you to learn the fear of the Lord before it's too late. And we will see exactly what that means now.

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What does it mean to fear the Lord and why is this of the utmost importance in the Christian's life? Here's what God's Word says on this matter:

Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

Matthew 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Psalm 89:7, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him."

Deuteronomy 10:12-13, " And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?"

Proverbs 8:13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."

Malachi 1:6, "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

Psalm 33:8, "Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him."

Acts 10:34-35, "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

1 Peter 1:17, "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear."

Psalm 147:11, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy."

1 Samuel 12:24, "Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you."

So we have just read that God wants and deserves our fear, that He requires it of us. The fear of God means to have holy awe and reverence for God and His laws. You should hate and shun anything that would offend your Holy Father whom you love and respect. You should desire to be obedient to the one whom you call your Lord. Your sincere fear and reverence should lead you to live your life in such a way that would make your Heavenly Father proud. You should put His will above all others.

People have forgotten that fear of the Lord is a good thing and that it produces wonderful changes in our lives. This fear leads us to depart from evil. It teaches us knowledge and wisdom. It prolongeth our days and keeps us from wickedness. It strengthens our walk and helps us to strive to live holy, righteous, worthwhile lives. It is a fountain of life! Just look at what these verses tell us about the benefits of fearing the Lord:

Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 16:6, "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil."

Deuteronomy 6:24, "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day."

Proverbs 10:27, "The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened."

Proverbs 14:27, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death."

Proverbs 19:23, "The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil."

Psalm 34:7, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

Psalm 145:19, "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them."

Psalm 112:1, "Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments."

Proverbs 31:30, "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

So in conclusion, never forget who God is. Never become highminded, arrogant, or presumptuous. Never take the Lord's mercy and grace for granted. And never lose your fear of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 5:29, "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!"

You're too harsh

Every now and then I receive email from visitors to my website. On a few occasions the purpose of the email has been to let me know that the sender believed that I am too harsh. They felt that I came across as judgmental and arrogant. They told me that I would "get more bees with honey." To that person and to any person who believes that my website is a place of arrogance and harsh judgments, I would like to share this with you:

First and foremost, if you will read my testimony, you will see that I truly do not believe that I am anyone special. I am no better than anyone else. I am ashamed when I think of the sins that I have committed: murder, lying, fornication, stealing, and witchcraft, just to name a few. I would not and do not look down upon anyone no matter what they have done. How could I? I am the same, if not worse, than they are. It is not with Pharisee-like pride that I share God's Word with the world. It is with the heart of the publican, standing afar off, who smote his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." I do not rejoice that anyone is made sorry by something they read on my site, but I do pray that their sorrow would lead to repentance. As Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 4:14, "I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you." The purpose of my site is not to shame anyone or to be judgmental towards anyone, but to be a portal where the whole counsel of God is shared.

And I realize that in this era that we are living in, churches have moved away from preaching hell-fire and brimstone. We are living in a time when it is more politically and religiously correct to speak on Jesus' love and forgiveness. But does that mean that we are to ignore the Lord's other instructions in the bible that tell us that we are also to use Scripture to warn, rebuke, advise, and reprove people of their sinfulness? Should verses such as these below not be followed:

2 Timothy 4:1-4, "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

Luke 24:47, "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

1 Timothy 5:20, "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear."

Ephesians 5:11, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (To stand by silently for fear of "judging" is having fellowship with the thing you are afraid to speak out against. The bible says to REPROVE unfruitful works of darkness.)

Colossians 1:28, "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:"

Reader, it is the Christian man or woman's duty to speak out against sinfulness, and that is what I am trying to accomplish with my website. Ultimately I want to be able to state this: "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you ALL the counsel of God" (Acts 20:26-27). And while I am declaring ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD (not just love, forgiveness and mercy), some person might be offended by what they read at my website. Someone might believe that one of my articles sounds harsh. But, again, it is up to me (and anyone who calls themself a Christian) to be a good watchman and to make sure that people are warned of the seriousness of sin. If you or I are not sharing all of God's Word, that would be a dereliction of our duties. Ezekiel 3:18 and 33:8 tell us this. It reads: "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." So with all of that being said, I will never cease from warning the wicked men and women of this world of their sinful ways. I am doing it to save someone's life!

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Does this mean that we should never share the good news of forgiveness of sins, Jesus' shed blood which leads to salvation, or God's love for the lost? Of course not. But our words must match our listener. And we must give them ALL of the facts and not just a couple verses. And the Lord gives us a spirit of discernment. We should be able to tell if someone is sincerely seeking the Lord with an open heart of sorrow and longing or if that person is rebellious and arguing and trying to hold on to their pet sins. Then we share the Gospel accordingly. And if it is a situation where large crowds are together and it is not a one-on-one situation, make it a point to share God's Word in such a way that every person will be reached no matter what state their heart is in. But, again, we must not be in such a hurry to tell people about the glories of heaven that we neglect to warn them about the dangers of going to hell. I cannot tell people about God's great mercy if I haven't first shown them that they have broken God's law and deserve judgment. How can I preach deliverance to the captives if that captive person was not first shown that they were a slave to sin?

Unfortunately, many churches and many individuals refuse to declare the whole counsel of God. They want to put on the bandage without ever making a cut. They believe that God's Truths are too harsh, and they would rather not run the risk of offending any of their attendees or acquaintances. They are busy shouting, "Peace, Peace," when there is no peace. Yes, you might get more bees with honey, but we are not dealing with bees. We are talking about people's souls here. This is a matter of eternal life in heaven or eternal suffering and torment in hell. Will the blood of these people be on your hands?

God has given us many examples in His Word of how we are to reach this dying world. The things the following men said and did may seem harsh, but lives were transformed because of their boldness and obedience in preaching. Here are just a few examples:

- God wants us to be like Jonah, who was told to "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me." (Jonah 1:2)

- God wants us to be like John the Baptist who boldly told all people to repent for the kingdom of God is near. John also shared powerful words such as these: "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." John's boldness in preaching the WHOLE counsel of God led to him being beheaded because an adulteress woman found his words too harsh.

- God wants us to be like the prophet Isaiah whom the Lord gave these instructions: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins" (Isaiah 58:1).

- God wants us to be like Stephen who was unafraid to tell the crowd this: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Then Stephen reminded them that they had persecuted and slain the prophets. Stephen called the crowd betrayers and murderers. He said that they had received God's law, but had not kept it. Stephen was stoned for speaking out against sin. I guess the masses found his words too harsh (Acts 7:51-60).

- God wants us to be like Nathan who was unafraid to speak out against King David's adultery (2 Samuel 12:1-15).

- God wants us to be like Ezra who was unafraid to tell the congregation that they had transgressed by "taking the strange wives" and that they must separate themselves from the people of that land (Ezra 10:10-11).

- God wants us to be like Jesus! Yes, Jesus showed love, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion to the masses, but He also spoke out against sin and warned of hell. Jesus told the people how God wanted them to live. Jesus preached repent or perish. He spoke on there being division amongst household members. Jesus called the religious leaders a generation of vipers, hypocrites. He overthrew the moneychangers' tables. Many people even turned from following Jesus because they found His teachings too harsh. And you know what the masses ultimately did to the Lord -- They had him crucified.

In closing, let me just say that the prophets and disciples of Jesus' day (and Jesus Himself) were not persecuted because they told people, "God is love." No, they were persecuted because people found their biblical truths harsh. People did not want to have a light shined upon their sin so they tried to silence the messengers. But sin left unchecked will only fester and grow. And God is still looking for people who are unafraid to be His watchmen and tell people not just what they want to hear, but what they need to hear. Fellow Christians, we must not become worldly and politically correct. We must love people enough to share all of God's Word with them, even the harsh parts. It is our Christian duty.

Have you been brought out?

I wanted to share with you a verse that I came across the other day while reading the bible. I felt that it was a powerful little verse, and maybe you will agree after reading it. Deuteronomy 6:23 reads, "And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in..." This verse initially was referring to what was going on with the Israelites, but I believe that it is speaking to each of us also right now today. You see, the Israelites had to be brought out of the bondage of Egypt before they could be brought in to the Promised Land, and present-day believers have to be brought out of a place of sin and bondage in the world before we can be brought in to heaven!

So what I want to speak on in this paper is the importance of truly remaining "brought out." Lots of people say that they want to follow the Lord and that heaven is their true home, but many of those same people refuse to be brought out of their current ungodly situations. But you cannot have it both ways. You cannot be at two places at the same time. The Lord wants us, no, DESERVES us to be His and His alone. But if Egypt (the world) is still what you crave for in your heart, you run the risk of never being brought in to heaven.

Remember how none of the Israelite adults ever made it to the Promised Land except for Caleb and Joshua? God set them free from their captivity so that He could bring them in to a new wonderful place, but the Israelite people kept returning to their old ways and their old mindsets. And while on the journey to their new home, instead of being led by God, they oftentimes would let heathenish people influence their actions. At one point they even made the mistake of giving the glory that belonged to God alone to an idol.

And time and time again they murmured against the Lord. Some of them even began to long for Egypt in their hearts. They forgot the part about being slaves in Egypt and instead reminisced as though those were "the good old days." The Israelites eventually were even too fearful to step out on faith and believe that God would lead them to victory over their foes. All of these things ultimately lead to them missing out on being brought in to where God wanted them to be. God's Word tells us how all of this made Him feel. It reads, "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries" (Psalm 81:10-14). God would have and could have done so much for them, but in the end they just murmured, wandered, and missed out.

And what about you? Are you opening your mouth wide to what the Lord is trying to fill it with so that He can lead you home to heaven safely, or are you not hearkening to His voice and remaining stuck in your walk, always going back to the ways of Egypt (the world)?

What is keeping YOU from being truly set free? Is it thirst? As soon as a dry spell occurs in your life, do you have trouble recalling all that the Lord has already done for you? Is it hunger? Are your appetites only satisfied by the sinful things that the world has to offer? Are idols your downfall? Are you giving God's glory to another and allowing your life to be ruled by people around you? Is it fear? Are you afraid to totally commit your life to the Lord because you know that in so doing, some serious changes would have to take place? Well, the Israelites faced all of these same challenges and failed. But we should use their failure as an example for us of what not to do. You don't want to spend the next 40 years wandering here on earth only to die and end up in hell because you refused to be brought out. Let's look at some verses that show us how people who have truly been brought out should live:

1 Peter 1:14-16, "...As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 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."

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Exodus 20:2-3, "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

1 Thessalonians 4:7, "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

2 Corinthians 6:17, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord almighty."

Ephesians 4:22-24, "...That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

You see, when you have been brought out, it is understood that you are not to go back to that former place! When God destroys something in you that needed to be torn down, do not set about trying to rebuild it. Do not try to bring it along for the journey. Keep moving forward.

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I will end this paper with these important words that Jesus told us in Luke 17:32, "Remember Lot's wife." It's just three words, but they are mighty important. The Lord wanted us to again learn from someone else's mistake. Like you, Lot's wife was on her way to salvation. God had brought her out of a place of certain destruction so that He could bring her in to salvation and a new life. But she got caught up in the past and died in her tracks. She missed out on being brought in. (Refer to Genesis 19:1-26)

Friend, do not be like Lot's wife. Do not be like the wandering Israelites. Once you have been brought out, STAY OUT. Do not go back. Do not even look back. Lot's wife looked back and it cost her her life. Was her "trip down memory lane" worth dying for? Of course not. And there should be nothing in your sinful past worth not being brought out over. You do not want to miss out and end up in hell. You know what God's commands are. You know what He would have you do. You have been convicted in your heart regarding those people and places that you need to be broken off from. Do not even think about revisiting any of it. It will ensnare you. It will cause you to lose all of the forward motion that the Lord has already started in your life. Keep your hand to the plow and your face forward! Luke 9:62, "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Greetings from Baal's Temple. Wish you were here!

Have you ever received a post card from a loved one? Perhaps a close friend went on a trip to Italy, and while they were there they sent you a post card showing the Leaning Tower of Pisa with the words on the back, "Having a great time. Wish you were here." Or maybe you have received photos via email of a relative's vacation. Maybe your brother wanted to show you the beautiful beaches he photographed while on his trip to Bermuda. For the most part this is normal behavior. People love to travel to scenic or unusual places, and they also enjoy sharing memories and mementos of the time spent there with family and friends.

But as a Christian what I find to be odd and somewhat disturbing is when other Christians desire to visit places that are known to be places of either past or present pagan worship. For example, I cannot understand why a follower of Jesus Christ would ever want to visit the Pyramids of Egypt. Those pyramids symbolize homage paid to Ra, the sun god, who in ancient Egypt mythology is credited with rising from the primeval mound to create life, thusly being offensive to the Lord Himself who is the only true Creator and God. And the pyramids also house the tombs of different Pharaohs who, as we all know, were worshipped as gods. Again, this is an affront to the only true God of the bible. Yet Christians flock to these places every year and proudly take photos of themselves standing with the pyramids in the background.

And, of course, the Sphinx is another photo op that many Christians cannot pass up. Yet why they would want to visit and photograph this abomination which pays tribute to a solar deity is beyond my comprehension. There is nothing about the Sphinx that is lovely or desirable. Even the very origins of the word "sphinx" means "to strangle." And in pagan Greek mythology it is a demon of destruction and bad luck. Nice, huh? Did you know that in South India and other parts of the world the sphinxes are said by tradition to take away the sins of the devotees when they enter a temple and that they are placed in front of passageways to ward off evil in general? Blasphemous, isn't it? Yet many Christians love showing off their photos of them in front of a sphinx.

Those are just a couple examples. In this world there are MANY false religions and things erected in honor of false gods all over the globe. The real point that I'm trying to get across is that Christians should be mindful of where they go and why they go there. These shrines and relics are so much more than just bricks, stone, sand, mortar, or interesting architecture. These temples, statues, pyramids, and places of worship to false gods are abominations that should be detested and avoided, not visited, explored, and caught on film! We are not glorifying God with our bodies, time, or money by reveling in these evil places. God wants us to depart from evil, not plan our next family vacation around a trip to it. Here are a few verses for your consideration:

1 John 5:21, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

Ephesians 5:8, 11, "For ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light ... And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

Proverbs 16:17, "The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul."

Psalm 141:4, "Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties."

1 Corinthians 10:19-22, "What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?"

2 Corinthians 6:14-18, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."



Christian, God alone deserves your love, awe, and adoration. Do not pay homage to these wicked false religions by making a pilgrimage to their unholy temples and shrines. Do not show glory to these abominations by taking photographs in front of these pagan structures. If you just give it a little thought, I believe you will see that there is really nothing beautiful or desirable about these things that were built in opposition to God.

Also, we are warned in God's Word that we are at battle against spiritual wickedness in high places. Do not be deceived into believing that it is a harmless pastime to willingly seek out and dwell amongst known evil. At the very least you may end up vexing your soul, or perhaps you may even be inviting devils into your life.

Ecclesiastes 10:8, "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him."

1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Numbers 16:26, "And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins."

Deuteronomy 7:25-26,"The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt abhor it; for it is a cursed thing."

2 Peter 2:7-8, "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds."

Ezekiel 20:7, "Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."

These verses above were not just for believers in times past. We present-day believers are also instructed to be mindful about where we go and who and what we surround ourselves with. And the Lord has given us many beautiful places that we can visit and enjoy that are not seeped in demonic history and tradition. With so much untainted beauty to choose from, why would you willingly seek to spend your time and money in a place that dishonors God and glorifies Satan? I hope that you will show discernment when planning your next vacation.

In closing, I know that there will be someone who reads this article who will still say to themself: "Well, I have liberty to go anywhere I want to go. I'm not afraid. I love God, and I can enjoy anything and anyplace that I want to enjoy. I'm not worshipping those idols by my presence." I would say to you that it is a shame that you can read all of the verses regarding Christians not glorying in the heathenish, pagan things of this world, and yet you still desire to visit and sojourn amongst the very places that stand as a testament of unholiness, unrighteousness, rebelliousness, and hatred towards the one whom you claim to love. And shame on you for not only desiring to partake of these evil monuments that are sacrifices to devils, but then you add insult to injury by PROUDLY displaying your visit to Baal's temple with your photographs and souvenirs. What an affront to the Lord. For you I have these final verses:

Isaiah 5:20, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

Proverbs 14:16, "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident."

Ezekiel 6:9, "... I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols."

Ezekiel 11:21, "But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God."

Unclean Lips

Isaiah 6:5 reads, "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."

I believe that the verse above is the perfect way to start this paper. For, you see, recently the Lord laid upon my heart a few things concerning one area of the Christian walk that we sometimes overlook -- our mouths. As Christians we steer clear from the more obvious sins and keep our bodies and minds under God's rule, yet sometimes we don't practice that same diligence in bringing our tongue under the Lord's subjection. In what ways do we sin with our lips? Gossiping, lying, murmuring, complaining, backbiting, slandering, cursing. All these are things that we, as followers of Christ, ought not to do! And it is a BIG deal to the Lord how we use our lips as is evidenced by the numerous verses that are found in the bible concerning this subject. So if you know that you are guilty of committing certain transgressions with your mouth, I hope that you will read this somewhat lengthy paper and that your heart will be convicted and that you cry out like Isaiah did and like I did, "Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips," and that you then repent of that sin and refrain your tongue from evil.

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The Lord hates it when we use our mouths for evil.

Oftentimes people give sin different classifications. Everyone will agree that murder, stealing, idolatry, adultery, et cetera, are bad, but people are usually less sensitive regarding what comes out of their mouths. They may not think twice about telling a "little" lie or gossiping over coffee with a friend. But God's Word shows us that the Lord hates it when we use our mouths for evil and that what we say is just as important as what we do. Let's look at a few verses.

Psalm 50:23, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God."

Proverbs 8:13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."

Proverbs 12:22, "Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight."

Jeremiah 9:3, "And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord."

Matthew 15:11, "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

Matthew 15:18, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."

James 1:26, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain."

James 3:10, "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."

In Revelation 21:7-8, God puts liars in the same category as murderers. We read, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."

So we see that how we use our lips is of the utmost importance. What we should be doing is edifying, encouraging, praising the Lord, and speaking words of truth. That is how we glorify God with our mouths.



Words and the thoughts behind them are powerful and are of grave importance concerning your very soul.

Have you ever met someone and your first impression upon seeing them was one thing, but then when they started talking and you got to hear what they had to say, your opinion of them changed for the worse? That is because the truth of who we REALLY are comes from within. Once our lips start flapping, our true characteristics show. Take heed that you have your tongue in check. Not only is the world listening and observing, but also so is the Lord.

Proverbs 13:3, "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction."

Proverbs 15:4, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."

Proverbs 18:7, "A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul."

Proverbs 21:23, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles."

Ecclesiastes 5:2, "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few."

Matthew 12:36-37, "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

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Do not participate in gossip.

The definition of gossip is "One who runs from house to house, tattling and telling news; an idle tattler." Christian, you should not start gossip, nor should you give an ear to gossip. If someone comes to you and confides something to you about what is going on in THEIR life (a problem or concern), as a friend you should not repeat the matter to others. Or if someone else comes to you and wants to gossip with you about what is going on in the lives of others, you should make it known that you do not want to engage in such talk and not give them an audience. Let's see what the bible has to say on this.

Psalm 34:13, "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile."

Psalm 101:5, "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer."

Proverbs 10:18, "He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool."

Proverbs 16:27, "An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire."

Proverbs 18:8, "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly."

Proverbs 20:19, "He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips."

Proverbs 26:20, "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth."

1 Timothy 5:13, "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not."

1 Peter 4:15, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters."

Remember, the person who talks TO YOU about everyone else talks ABOUT YOU to everyone else. Do not give "wood" to the fire by listening or repeating a matter. Do not be a busybody in other men's matters!



As a matter of fact, be careful whom you even listen to.

People can bring you down with their drama, foul language, negativity, and lies. You will spare the vexation of your soul by avoiding listening to these people.

Psalm 10:7, "His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity."

Psalm 55:21, "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords."

Psalm 140:3, "They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah."

Proverbs 10:32, "The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness."

2 Peter 2:7, "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked."



And do not trust anybody and everybody with your "business." Do not put your business all out in the streets.

If you have a problem with your husband, tell your husband. If someone hurts your feelings or mistreats you, do not talk about the person behind their back. Confront them to their face. Work it out. Take your concern to the source.

Proverbs 15:28, "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things."

Proverbs 17:9, "He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends."

Proverbs 29:11, "A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward."

Psalm 15:1-3, "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour."

Psalm 50:19-21, "Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes."

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Christian, the world is watching you, and they are just waiting to have something to say against you.

People are just WAITING for you to do or say the wrong thing so that they can say, "Mmm-hmm. And you call yourself a Christian." The bible tells us to give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully against us. We are to have sound speech that cannot be condemned! (Refer to Titus 2:8) Be an example to the world by your deeds and your words.

Malachi 2:6, "The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity."

1 Corinthians 9:27, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

Ephesians 4:29, 31, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice."

Philippians 1:27, "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel."

Colossians 3:8, "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."

1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

1 Peter 3:2, "While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear."

2 Peter 3:11, "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness."



Let us follow the examples set forth in these verses and use our tongues wisely:

Job 33:3, "My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly."

Psalm 39:1, "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me."

Proverbs 8:7-8, ""For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them."

Proverbs 31:26, "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."



So, in conclusion, be mindful of what you say and how you say it, and make a pledge unto the Lord to speak right!

Job 27:4, "My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit."

Psalm 120:2, "Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue."

Psalm 141:3, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."

Proverbs 4:24, "Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee."

1 Peter 1:15, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation."

1 Peter 3:10, "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile."

Ephesians 5:1-4, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving thanks."

Ephesians 5:11-12, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."

What Does the Bible Say About Baptism?

Matthew 28:18-20

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Introduction:   In the Bible, baptism is first introduced in Matthew 3:2-12 when John the Baptist began his ministry as the forerunner of Jesus Christ. John preached a simple message to the Jews that they were to repent of their sins in preparation for the coming of the Kingdom, which meant the appearance of the Messiah. Matthew 3:13-17 records that Jesus came down to the Jordan River and was baptized by John.

          The Gospel of John records John the Baptist's proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah:

           "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." (John 1:29-34)

          John's baptism was a baptism of repentance for Jews. It was clear that the word "baptizo" means that John immersed those he baptized in water. In Matthew 3:16 the New Testament records, "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him." The description is clear that John and Jesus were in the River Jordan and when as John lifted Jesus up from being immersed, the Holy Spirit descended on Him.

          Prior to Jesus' ascension back into heaven He gave the command to His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This instituted believer's or Christian baptism. The disciples and those who followed them in preaching the Gospel were thus commanded to teach or disciple people of all nations and to baptize them.

           Believer's baptism is taught in the New Testament as being a symbol or a picture of what has happened in the life of the person who by faith has believed in Jesus Christ and been saved by His grace. It is an illustration of what that has taken place in the new believer's heart which cannot be outwardly observed when a person is saved. Baptism is further a testimony by which the new Christian gives public testimony that they have believed in Jesus Christ and have been born again. Through baptism the new convert is joining, identifying themselves as Christians, and becoming a member of a local New Testament church. There are several aspects of baptism:



BAPTISM IS A "PICTURE" OF THE GOSPEL THAT PICTURES
THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.
          "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."(1 Corinthians 15:1 4)

          Being immersed in water pictures the death of Jesus Christ dying for our sins. Being raised from the water is portrayal of Jesus' resurrection in which He conquered sin and death. Thus, being baptized by immersion the believer visually shows the spiritual death, burial, and resurrection of the believer's life. Baptism emphasizes to the new believer, and to those who witness the baptism, that as a Christian and child of God the Christian now is to live a godly life, resisting sin, and not giving it place in their lives.

          "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:1-4)

           Baptism always follows belief in Jesus Christ as one's Savior and baptism is not necessary for a person to be saved and born again. It is not an act that one does to obtain salvation and no one in the New Testament was baptized who did not first believe and put their faith in Jesus Christ. After a person is saved, as the New Testament plainly shows, they then were baptized. The Bible does not refer to baptism as a sacrament which has any saving properties, or as a part of salvation. For more information that explains why baptism is not necessary for salvation please read the article at http://bible truth.org/BaptismNotNecessary.html.

           Baptism by immersion beautifully pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:3-4) Putting a person under the water strikingly emphasizes the burial of Christ, being raised out of the water symbolizes Christ's resurrection and the believer's new life in Christ.

          "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

          In Romans 6:4, God accentuates the burial when it says, "therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death." Baptism is a visual testimonial that our sins are forgiven by symbolizing they are buried with the Lord after he suffered and died for our sins on the Cross. As Romans 6:2, states the believer is dead to sin. Colossians adds that believers are alive unto Christ with God. "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col. 3:3)

THE AUTHORITY AND COMMAND TO BAPTIZE IS GIVEN TO HIS DISCIPLES
AND AFTERWARD TO EACH LOCAL BIBLE BELIEVING NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.
          "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19 20)

          Acts 2 records that baptism is an ordinance of the local church and was begun on the Day of Pentecost. Those who believed and repent of their sins were baptized and added to the church in Jerusalem.

           "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. . . .Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:41, 47)

          Jesus commanded His disciples to disciple all nations (peoples), and to baptize those that believe as a picture and testimony of their faith in Christ. Baptism was not given to a particular church, but to all Bible believing New Testament churches alike. There is no example or mention of any particular church or church hierarchy having the sole authority to baptism. A baptism that is scriptural is one that is done in a Bible believing church. False and doctrinally unbiblical church, nor cult have any authority to baptize. They by their teaching and practice show they do not believe God's word and therefore are not approved or recognized by God. As stated earlier Acts 2:41-47 records that when the church was formed those that believed were baptized and "added to the church" (local assembly).

          In all the extant Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the equivalent of the English word "church "is never found. The New Testament emphatically knows nothing of a universal or catholic church. The word in the Greek New Testament is "ekklesia "and always means a called out local assembly or congregation. According to the New Testament there is not one worldwide church, but rather many autonomous local assemblies. The Roman, Eastern, Protestant, denominational "churches "including the cults such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are not biblically organized and have no authority to exercise any control over local congregations.

          For example of the meaning of the word in Acts 19:32, the word translated "assembly" is the Greek word "Ekklesia." Here it refers to a group of idol makers. This shows us the word simply means a meeting. The word must have a modifier to reveal the identity of those meeting. You cannot translate the English word "church" back into Koine Greek. There is no word in Koine Greek like the English word "church." The modern Greek word "church" it is "ky-ria-kon" which is a Medieval Anglo-Saxon word that did not come into use until the 1500's. The word "ekklesia" is found 115 times in the New Testament. It is correctly translated three times "assembly" in Acts 19. The word simply means "assembly."

           For example, it is used to refer to the assembly at Corinth, ("Unto the church "ekklesia" of God "theos" which "o" is "wv" at "ev" Corinth "Korinthos"). This is the same use of the word when referring to the "ekklesia" at Antioch, Jerusalem, Ephesus, the assembly that met at Aquila and Priscilla's house and assemblies meeting in other people's homes. In referring to the Macedonian and Asia assemblies the word is always plural, meaning churches...not one church made up of a number of smaller churches. For an article that explains the mistranslation of the word "ekklesia" and why the word "church" was used instead of "assembly" in the English word "church"go to http://bible-truth.org/Ekklesia.html . If you wish to read an article that explains what is a true biblical New Testament church as the Lord Jesus Christ instituted it, please read the article at http://bible-truth.org/church.htm titled "The Biblical Basis of a New Testament Church."



BAPTISM DOES NOT SAVE NOR NECESSARY FOR SALVATION.
           God says plainly that works, rituals, and ceremonies do not save.

           "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8 9)

           The Lord emphatically teaches that salvation is given by God's grace when a person by faith believes and stresses that salvation is not merited by any work which would include baptism. Baptism is an act or work and the New Testament teaches that rituals and works do not save or have any saving merit. (Also see Romans 4:5, Titus 3:5).

          Baptism, church membership, nor any good works does not merit or impart salvation. Salvation is an act of God's grace which means unmerited favor. Salvation is received when one by faith accept the free gift of salvation. A performed work offered to God for Him to accept for our salvation is in fact asking God to accept our works not Christ's sacrifice for sin on the cross. Christ died on the cross and paid the sin debt of the world (1 John 2:2). The debt is already paid by Christ and He is offering to forgive our sins if we believe and put our trust in His provision of our salvation. No man is righteous and has no righteousness to offer for his sins.

          "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans 3:10 12)

          Saying that baptism saves or has saving properties is saying that we are adding to what Christ did in suffering for our sins and providing in part our own salvation. Of course man is a sinner and cannot offer anything for his sin. God's word says,

          "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Romans 3:24 26)

          The Apostle Paul explained this to the Colossians saying,

           "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:12 15)

           A man who believes in Jesus Christ by faith is accepting Christ's suffering and sacrifice for his sins. It is Jesus who paid for sins and only He can justify the man lost in his sins and trespasses. No church or religion can add to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

           Some believe that baptism imparts some special status with God. That too is not found in the Bible and is a false belief. Baptism is a prerequisite for church membership in a local congregation. By submitting to believer's baptism and joining the local assembly the new convert is publicly showing they have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior, Further, they are showing they are in agreement with the word of God that their assembly believes and practices.

           Some churches practice infant baptism. Yet in the Bible there is no record or mention of anyone being baptized who had not already professed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. No infants were ever baptized according to God's word. Every example of baptism in the New Testament plainly states those that were baptized had first believed in Jesus Christ. An infant has no capacity to believe. This false practice comes from the unbiblical idea that their church is the means of salvation. In other words, you have to join, and be a member of their church to be saved and go to heaven. Infant baptism then makes a child a member of that church, thus the church asserts that the child is now under the protection of that church and is assured they will eventually go to heaven. That simply is not taught anywhere in the Bible. A true New Testament "church" is an assembly of baptized believers who join together and meet worship, be taught God's word, and to honor the Lord.

          There are many serious problems with pedo or infant baptism.

1. A infant cannot understand the Gospel nor can they believe in Jesus Christ. Their minds are not mature enough to comprehend sin or salvation.
2. Infant baptism is by sprinkling, and sprinkling is not the biblical mode of true baptism. The word "baptizo" means one thing and that is to immerse or dip.

3. One is saved by faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone and no church is given the authority to impart God's blessing on anyone or to convey any special status with God. Salvation is a personal matter between a person and God. A church is to proclaim the Gospel and God's truth, but it is up to the individual as to whether they believe it or not. On saved scripturally baptized persons can become the legitimate members of a church.

4. In actually a baptized infant is not a Christian unless when they become mature exercise saving faith in Jesus Christ. Their baptism is not the baptism taught in God's word and it signifies a false concept that baptism conveys salvation and that sprinkling an infant initiates it into salvation.

5. The New Testament is clear that God's word says to "Repent and be baptized." (Acts 2:38) Infants cannot repent because they have no ability to understand sin.

6. Infant baptism forces on a child something they cannot understand, comprehend, or accept, and that is repentance for sin and belief and trust in Jesus Christ. 7. Most of all....infant baptism is not found in God's word. The verses such as Acts 16:30-32 specifically state that those who were baptized believed. They exercised saving faith in Jesus Christ and afterwards were baptized. The passages does not state any infants were present, nor were baptized.

           Believers are baptized into His death (Rom. 6:4). It is Christ's sole act of redemption in dying for sin that saves. Christians are a part of his death.

          "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:14 15)

          1 Corinthians 10:2, states that the children of Israel were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ( read verses 3-4) They were identified with Moses who was a servant of God. Because of their belief in God they went down into the Red Sea and their action of following Moses showed their faith. It was their faith in God and the miracle of God's parting the Red Sea that saved them.

WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED? WHO IS THE PROPER CANDIDATE?
          Only a saved man should be baptized. That means one who has believed on Jesus Christ and by faith has received Him as their personal Savior.

          Acts 8:26-39, the Eunuch asked to be baptized. When the Eunuch desired to be baptized Philip said to him, "If thou believeth with all thine heart, thou mayest." The eunuch confessed he did believe and was then baptized. Note that in V38, they left the chariot and went down into the water and after the Eunuch was baptized by immersion they came up out of the water. Clearly this is baptism by immersion. (More will be said on that a little further)

          If a lost man is baptized then it is a picture of a lie. If a lost man who has not believed in Jesus Christ and is baptized the symbolism is saying he is confessing he believes in Jesus Christ as his Savior when in fact he does not. No one should be baptized who does not have a clear testimony of believing in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.

           The Biblical mode of Baptism is to be immersed. Sprinkling, pouring, etc. are not biblical modes of baptism. These practices do not picture the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The Greek word is "baptizo" means to immerse and has no other meaning. When the Bible was being translated the translators were told to translate the word "baptizo "in a neutral way so as not to offend the Catholics who sprinkled or the New Testament churches that immersed. So the translators compromised and transliterated the word baptizo into new English word "baptism." However, the Greek text is emphatic that the word means to immerse or dip into the water. Sprinkling is not baptism. God is very clear on this.

           Any other mode of baptism makes light of the death and resurrection of Christ. Those that practice these false methods of baptism have not obeyed the first commandment of their professed Lord. God choose the method of baptism to be a picture of the Gospel the person who is being baptized is identifying himself with Christ.

           Baptism is to be done in the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Matt. 28:19-20. In this passage, called the "Great Commission" Jesus commanded that believers were to go into the world and preach the Gospel and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Both the evangelism of the world and baptism were to be done in the name of the Trinity. Biblical baptisms are those that are done by true Bible believing assemblies that follow the New Testament as its sole rule and authority for its faith and practice. God has not given any church or individual the right to change what He put in place and instructed.

          Some false modern churches baptize in Jesus' name only. That is a violation of God's word and denies the Trinity. The reason these false churches baptize in Jesus' name only is that they do not believe in the Trinity and thus are false churches believing and practicing a false religion. They are a false church preaching a false Gospel and baptism.

           The New Testaments examples of baptism:

The 3000 at Pentecost (Acts 2:41)
The Eunuch. (Acts 8:36-38)
Cornelius and his household who believed and were saved. After they were saved they were baptized. (Acts 10:47-48) The Philippians Jailer. (Acts 16:31)
New converts were commanded to be baptized by Peter. (Acts 10:47-48)
John the Baptist's disciples when they heard that Jesus Christ the Messiah believed and were received believer's baptism (Acts 19:3-5).
          Baptism is the first act of submission or obedience to Christ after one is saved. (Matt. 28:19-20) Those who recognized themselves to be sinners and by faith in Jesus Christ believe the word of God....are saved, have their sins forgive and receive eternal life.

           "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 10:9 11).

          A true believe will not be ashamed of being a child of God. They love the Lord and want to do as He says and thus they willingly and eagerly submit to believer's baptism by immersion. Baptism is a public declaration of being saved and identifying oneself with their Savior. Whatever the circumstance a true believe will obey the Lord and not be ashamed or hide their salvation.

          Then the second thing a new convert is to do in obedience to the Lord, is to submit to believer's baptism which is a public testimony of their now being a Christian and join a local church which is God's plan for his children to fellowship, serve Him, carry the Gospel and learn about Christ. The New Testament knows nothing of believers serving the Lord apart from being in a local assembly. The local assembly was instituted at Pentecost as Acts 2 records. Baptism places the person who is saved into the local church or congregation. Acts 42, says these that were saved continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and prayers. Verse 46 explains that the early church continued in one accord.. Verse 47, states the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.