Christian Nationalism and Article 6 - Clause 3

I have long been bothered by the notion of Christian Nationalism, and this as a Christian.
It is a scary idea and as dangerous as any totalitarian ideas that have come along in a very long time.
It is a movement that purports to have come up with a complete governing program from the Bible, and with that they claim divine sanction for a campaign of national renewal. It promotes a revisionist history in which the founders were conservative Christians who never meant to separate church and state, and in which America's true Christian character has been subverted by several generations of God-hating leftists.

America admittedly has been subverted, but it isn't because Christians weren't in positions of power and money. The church today is wealthy, and it has always had the right to exercise vote on issues. What happened, Christians were less concerned with social and political changes for the "all" then they were with investing money into building funds, expansion of their particular denominational ideas, and sitting quietly in their pews. While sin will continue until Christ returns, legislation will not create a redeemed man, woman or child.
Only the life of Christ can do this. It is apparent that the problem doesn't lie so much in our form of government, but those that are governed who have lived ungodly lives and lived in religious institutions, hiding from the world.

Christian Nationalist dogma has very scary results. History has proven this time after time. any religious group no matter what they subscribe to, always ends badly.

Let's see how our forefathers first solved the problem when the government disinherited any one religion from running this country.

Article Six, Clause 3 states: "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

Now this is true separation of Church from State.

Now to the liberals, this never meant a man couldn't be a Christian and serve in a political position as they would like to see.

What it meant was that government would never make the mistake of creating an alliance with any one religous view to rule the masses based on it's concepts of justice or other.
Religious equality was it's purpose.
It was a radical idea, that has protected us all from tyranny for a very long time.

To quote from a source;

But its hard to get around the simple fact that there is no mention of God or Christianity anywhere in the Constitution. This was not because the Framers were irreligious. It was because they believed in religious freedom and did not want the government to interfere in religious affairs. Nor did they want the abuses of power that come from commonly state power with the power of the clergy. Its true that the words "separation of church and state" do not appear in the Constitution or any of the amendments.
But the meaning has been unambiguously been there from the beginning.

The danger of Christian Nationalism, is that a very few are to dictate for the all, what is good, what is evil, what is allowed, what isn't allowed, and so on. This is totalitarianism in it's fullest definition. Who will decide, that their interpertation of law that they extropolate from scripture is truth? Who will exercise judgement of these laws? Men? Men, that simply because they say they are Christian will rule above all others and all other concepts of justice and equality. This is dangerous. This creates despots and dictators. What one must never forget is:

"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

History is already written and overrun with the story of those who thought they were God's specially called individual to create the "City of God", from Popes, clergymen to political leaders. It always has resulted in a preponderance of blood shed, inquisitions, war, and power exercised over the impoverished.
When will Christians see that in the Old Testament that they so suddenly want to rule with, the folly of a people who thought they could keep the law, Israel. The law is the schoolmaster to Christ.
For Christians, we need to less concern ourselves with making law and dictating that law, as bringing others to Christ. We are called as ministers of reconciliation. All of us who claim the name of Christ.

Politics and the Law is not where souls are saved.

People get saved when they see God's love and forgiveness. Yes, judgement is part of God's plan but it is just that it belongs to God and not us. Now someday when Christ our Judge and Lawgiver returns there will be a true "theocracy" once again worldwide, but only Christ can judge righteously and without bias. Only those that this flesh has been cut from completely and finally in our total transformation from what we are now, a fallen man, saved only because of the grace of God to the revelation of being the true sons of God, will we be able to judge righteously.

It doesn't promote Christianity, but Artice 6, Clause 3, is very wise in the context of things and prevents, any one denomination, religion or other to be the test for serving in these positions of political power.
Let me ask the Baptist, would you be happy if all the Congressman and Legislators were Catholic? Of course not. What if all the Congressman and Legislators were Baptist. What then would become of the law of the land? Would it appease all those divided denominations to be ruled by others of another because they to can lay claim to be Christian as being defined by the leaders of these Christian Nationalistic ideas. Would you accept a Mormon, or A Jehovah Witness, or a Unitarian, who also say they are Christian.
Of course not, you would define and dictate what YOU consider Christian and all others would be overruled. Who would decide what is Christian and what isn't - a few over the all?

I will say as a Christian that there must have been some tremendous wisdom that did come from a higher authority to come up with Article 6, Clause 3.
I would prefer to think as a Christian that God would prefer we leave as it is. We need to quit trying to revise history to make people believe lies. Get busy living and preaching the Good News, and get out of the pulpits of preaching a moral majority rightness that you are allowing others to dictate. You want to see the world turned upside down for Jesus, get up out of your pews and reachout to the hurting, the AIDS victims, the poor, the orphan, the widow, the drug addict and more. Let love become real!
I promise you will see a change in America and it won't come from legislating and punishing anyone that disagrees with you. It will come because the love of God will be shed abroad in their hearts. Love conquers all.

Sin has it's consequenses, and we all live with them. Trying to legislate righteousness didn't work for Israel and it won't work for America. A changed people, that are truly the reflection of God's love toward men, this will change America.

It is dangerous to think you can trample on the choice of others, because you decide what is wrong or right and most often from a fleshly self centered interpretation of scripture.

I am not getting on the boat to these ideas of Christian Nationalism. My hope is not in these kingdoms, which are all false and ungodly. My hope is in the Kingdom of God, where Christ rules MY life.

Quit worrying about everyone else, and get concerned with yourself. What sins are you hiding now? What things in your life need to be brought under the kingship of Jesus?

Now if you being a man, of failure in so many areas of your life, how can you possible expect to rule America while you are a sinner. "Judge not less you might be judged."

I think our forefathers had more foresight than any Christian Nationalist when they wrote Article 6 , Clause 3.

With such wisdom, it had to be clearly the intervention of a wise and loving God.

Now if you want to say our forefathers were all Christians and re-write history, go ahead. But before you do, perhaps then you will look at the godly wisdom they had to write this in the Constitution and yet you want to change it. What does that say about this unChristian movement wanting to make a correlation between the cross and the flag. I say it spells the words out clearly - IDOLATRY AND PRIDE.

You're wrong, flat wrong! Christian Nationalism is dangerous to your spiritual health.
REPENT while you can, before it's too late, and the new RELIGIOUS LEADER OF THE WORLD IS DECLARED by the Christian Nationalist, the Christian Zionist. From this unholy union they preach will arise a world False Prophet for sure! Don''t be fooled.

Dr. J.

George Washington - A Christian?

There is an argument that has continued especially in recent days with the movement of the right wing moralist, Christian Nationalist, that George Washington was a Christian and not a Dietist. Dr. Kenendy of Coral Ridge Ministries argues for this stand profusely in his attempt to make us all believe that America is suppose to be a Theocracy ruled by God and therefore all American does and is, we are a country founded by God. I take issue with Dr. Kennedy who looks past the best of evidence that George Washington was not a Christian but a Free Mason.

Now it may be true, he spoke of Christianity, he spoke of God, he spoke of the Bible, he even was a busy churchman.
In NO way does this ever prove he was Christian. Why can I say this with such assertiveness, Simply, because a man goes to church, uses the name of God, and talks in Christian terms, never defines a Christian. Let's look at some facts contrary to Dr. Kennedy- being a churchman, would put anyone that goes to church as a Christian, the facts are George was a Free Mason.
Look at these matters:

Many legends circulate about the masonic activities of George Washington. Below is a list of documentable masonic occurrences within the lifetime of George Washington. Indeed, some lore about the various lodges that he may have visited are surely true, but without written contemporary proof, do not appear in this list. In addition to these masonic lodges, ceremonies and celebrations, at least fourteen letters survive written by Washington to various masonic lodges and grand lodges expressing his esteem for the fraternity. He owned at least two masonic aprons, three masonic constitutions and a masonic jewel, as seen in his estate papers at the time of his death in 1799. The facts can be researched and proven true, if one takes the time to look them up.

For example from George Washingtons Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens - Answers comes the following: Do you have a record of his membership in Freemasonry? The answer is: George Washington became a Freemason in 1753, when he was accepted at Lodge Number 4 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Just 21 years old at the time, he remained a Mason until his death in 1799, when he was laid to rest following both Episcopal and Masonic funeral rites. While Mount Vernon has a few pieces of Masonic memorabilia, we do not have correspondence other documentation dealing with his membership in that organization. We suggest you contact the Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. Email: gseghers@gwmemorial.org. Phone: 703-683-2007. Web site: www.gwmemorial.org. So I did just that via the Internet. Here is the timetable presented. 1752 November 4 Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, Initiated as Entered Apprentice 1753 March 3 Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, Passed to Fellow Craft August 4 Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, Raised to Master Mason 1778 December 28 St. John the Evangelist celebration, marched in masonic procession 1779 June 24 St. John the Baptist celebration, marked with American Union Military Lodge at West Point, NY. December 20 Proposed by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania as General Grand Master of the United States, however never enacted. December 27 St. John the Evangelist celebration, celebrated with American Union Military Lodge at Morristown, NJ 1781 October Reportedly visited Lodge No. 9 at Yorktown, VA with General Lafayette after defeat of British General Cornwallis 1782 Brothers Watson and Cassoul of Nantes, France, present Washington with exquisite silk masonic apron, acknowledged by letter August 10 June 24 St. John the Baptist celebration, marked with American Union Military Lodge at West Point, NY. December 27 St. John the Evangelist celebration, marked with Solomon’s Lodge No. 1, Poughkeepsie, NY 1784 June 24 St. John the Baptist celebration, marked with Alexandria Lodge, Alexandria, VA June 24 Made and honorary member of Alexandria Lodge No. 39 (Now Alexandria-Washington Lodge, No. 22) Alexandria, VA August Presented a masonic apron made by Madame de Lafayette by General and Bro. de Lafayette 1785 February 12 Walked in masonic funeral procession for Bro. William Ramsay at Alexandria, VA 1788 April 28 Named charter Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22 when a new charter from the Grand Lodge of Virginia was issued. Unanimously reelected Master December 20, 1788 for one year. 1789 Elected honorary member of Holland Lodge No. 8, New York, NY April 30 Inaugurated President of the United States using Bible from St. John’s Lodge No. 1, New York, NY 1791 April 15 Welcomed by members of St. John’s Lodge No. 2, New Bern, NC May Received the greetings of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina by General Mordecai Gist, Grand Master, Charleston, SC 1793 September 18 Acting Grand Master, laid the cornerstone for the United States Capitol, Washington, DC 1794 Sat for William Williams, portraitist, in Masonic regalia at the request of Alexandria Lodge 1797 March 28 Received a masonic delegation from Alexandria Lodge 1798 April 1 Attended Alexandria Lodge No. 22, and proposed a toast at the banquet that followed. 1799 December 18 Buried at Mt. Vernon with masonic rites as well as those of the church, conducted by Alexandria Lodge No. 22 ----------------------------------------- If any body should know a Mason it would be another Mason, these records are drawn from their records and Washingtons estate records.

Now it would seem that Dr. Kennedy and the so called presuppositional research of those trying to prove George was a Christian they manage to throw truth out with the bathwater. It is easy for a man to be misunderstood as to what he believes simply because he or she uses Christian terms, attends a church or other is involved in so called Christian activities..

This is proved through many cults, and understanding how important semantics become in defining what they really believe..

One, must look behind what is said and how it is defined.

Free Masons have infiltrated American churches for centuries.

When I was in Bible school I had a Bible teacher who was not only a Baptist ordained minister he was a 32nd degree Mason. I understood Free Masonry because I had read everything I could get my hands on them from the time I was 15 years of age. I had found Albert Pike's book "Morals and Dogma in an old abandoned home alongside a creek we played in where I lived in Richardson, Texas. I was fascinated with all it's mysterious philosphy, and dogma and more and it's initiations and steps to reach each degree.

I later picked up some additional books on Free Masons, written by them, and came to realize by age 20, what they had was truly a cult, anti-Christian, and that they believed in Lucifer as a good and works salvation. So, when this teacher would speak things that I found were very religous, but not scriptural, I would challenge him. He hated the challenges because he could never give a consistent answer from scripture. He had all the venacular and speech you would think a Christian had, he even had a church he pastored as a Southern Baptist.

Along with my coming to understand their teachings and dogma, my best friend and his friend when I was young were DeMolay members. I had talked with him, and knew a lot about what went on in the meetings for the youth. I was well informed, and I knew in my heart of heart, that all the references to God, Jesus Christ, and salvation, etc. was as evil and cultic as anything I had come across.

They were not Orthodox and surely not defined by scripture.

George Washington was a Deitist/Church Goer and a Free Mason.

He was not Christian because it is impossible for the two to be compatible in doctrine or faith.

Regardless, how hard the Dr. Kennedy's of this world, who pride themselves in wearing their Doctorate garb with it's stripes on the sleeve while spewing garbage out of their mouth. telling lies, is telling lies.

Let's look at some other facts.

On September 18, 1793, the cornerstone of the Capitol was officially laid. The Grand Lodge of Maryland presided over the ceremony and George was asked to serve as Master. The affiliated Lodges under Maryland's jurisdiction were in attendance, as was his own Lodge from Alexandria. There was a great procession, which included a company of artillery. Then came a band, followed by himself, attended by all officers and members of the Lodges in full Masonic regalia.

When George reached the trench in which the northeast cornerstone was laid, he was presented with a silver plate commemorating the event and inscribed with the designations of the Lodges in attendance. The artillery fired a volley. He then descended into the trench and placed the plate on the stone. Around it was placed containers of corn, wine and oil. All present joined in prayer, and the artillery fired another volley.

All of this was part to Free Masonry dedication of buildings.

On August 4, 1753, George Washington became a Master Mason, the highest rank in the Fraternity of Freemasonry, in his hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The 21-year-old young man would soon hold his first military commission.

For George Washington, joining the masons was a rite of passage and an expression of civic responsibility. Members were required to express their belief in a Supreme Being and in the immortality of the soul. Masons were also expected to obey the civil law, hold a high moral standard, and practice acts of charity.

36 years after he became a 3rd degree Mason, on April 30, 1789, George was inaugurated as the first President of the United States with John Adams as Vice-President. The oath that George took was administered by the Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of New York. Both the Marshal of the day and his escort were generals in the United States Army and Masons. The Bible on which he swore his oath was that of St John's Lodge of New York. George, himself, was Master of the Lodge at Alexandria, Virginia.

Six years and three months later, in December, 1799, George Washington died. He was buried at his home at Mount Vernon, with full Masonic honors, by the Alexandria Lodge, whose members were his pallbearers.

There is no question that Masonry contributed something to the structures and machinery of the American government. The Constitution of the United States, in a very real sense, is a Masonic document. In its final form, the Constitution represented the collective thoughts of Ben Franklin, Edmund Randolph, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and George Washington. Of these, all but Jefferson were not only active Masons, but men who took their Freemasonry extremely seriously.

Now, many ministers and their congregation both Anglican and Episcopalian during these times subscribed to both Deism and Christianity . George may have had some Christian views that were in contrast to Deism in that he thought "Providence" did intervene in history whereas most Deist do not. This in no way changes the facts, that he was a Free Mason, and with all that I can proclaim- to subscribe to Free Mason teachings one CANNOT be a Christian.

There are many Free Mason that are serious churchmen. Attending the man made temples, and listening to men who like to stand in the market places with their phalacteries and long flowing robes, and gain the attention of all.They especially enjoy this as the sole speaker for a church group. This doesn't make one a Christian. Regardless of what you believe - George may have had some "good" ideas, and some "christian ideas" but in so doing and in no way states that he was "born again " of the Spirit of God and a man abiding in Christ.

It amazes me to the extent that "Christian Nationalist" will go to try to take truth and twist it for their agenda to eventually establish their ideas of a theocracy for all of us, and how quick they are to return this country to rule by the Old Testament shadows, for their sake of definition of what Christianity is, which is nothing more than Judaism with Talmudic law, and Free Mason concepts. They have commited idolatry and adulterous whoredom mixing Christ with national political ideas. To say that any nation is Christian that is on this earth at this present time. While the sin and autrocites of American life continue.

Dr. Kennedy needs to take his robe off, no one with his supposed credentials should ever be considered a Doctor of Divinity or Ministry when he would deny the truth and stretch it to his benefit and his ideals that this nation was founded by God.

All nations will be judged by God including Israel and the United States of America.

Kennedy is still very fascinated with the kingdoms of this world. and should have his mind on heavenly things rather than trying to lift things up of this earth to his ideas of heaven on earth.

Dr. Kennedy needs a new focus - the Kingdom of God! The Kingdom of God is not America or Israel or any other nation on this earth.

In summary, I will tell you once again, it is impossible for Free Masonry and Christianity to ever be compatible - they are in direct contradiction to one another.

I wonder if Dr. Kennedy might have a Masonic ring on his finger or at least a few Masonic contributors to his ministry?

I challenge him to stay with the truth, preach the truth and flee the falsehoods he so wants to convince America of.

It is this kind of twisting of history that every totalitarian regime has exercised, to accomplish their task to brainwash the general public and be blind to truth.

Galatians 5:7-9

You were doing so well! Who made you stop obeying the truth? How did he persuade you? It was not done by God, who calls you. "It takes only a little yeast to make the whole batch of dough rise," as they say.

2 Timothy 4:3-5

The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends. But you must keep control of yourself in all circumstances; endure suffering, do the work of a preacher of the Good News, and perform your whole duty as a servant of God.

Dr. J.

Cloned Meat and Dairy, Genetically Modified Food and Soylent Green

The FDA last December decided, even though most Americans have objected to this, they are going to allow cloned meat and dairy products to be released to the general public. Is this a good thing for the populace? What are it's effects on health and more?

I am going to express what I feel about the subject and what are it's origins and where it is headed and the damage already done.

Genesis 2:20-31

The Good News Translation

Then God commanded, "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds."
So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw.
He blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea, and he told the birds to increase in number.
Evening passed and morning came—that was the fifth day.
Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small"—and it was done.
So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw.
Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild,d large and small."
So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.
I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food"—and it was done.
God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came—that was the sixth day.

For several years, we have had a continual increases in cancer while foods have continually been genetically modified. There are very few of our vegetables that haven't had some sort of genetic manipulation by men. These foods were all modified just as they plan to give us cloned meat and dairy products, thinking that men can approve on what God has already done.

Note the last thing that is written in regards to what God's thought is : God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased.

Now, I ask you, if God created it as it is and was pleased, why do men think they can approve on what God has already done, without some sort of consequences.

These consequences are apparent, we have more people dying of cancer and diseases that were supposed to eradicated a long time ago, today then ever before.

The answer is, the corporations like Monsanto could care less what these genetically modified foods or cloned foods will do to you and your health, then they care about bottom dollar profit they will make. Greed and profit, is destroying the health of millions.

When men think they can improve on what God has already done, the only next step to be taken is human cloning.

Now, there are a few of you out there that may have remembered a science fiction movie called, "Soylent Green", made back in 1973.

Here is a synopis of the film as provided by Wikopedia:

Soylent Green is a 1973 science fiction movie starring Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young, Joseph Cotten and Chuck Connors. It is loosely based on the 1966 science fiction novella about overpopulation by Harry Harrison, Make Room! Make Room!, but diverges into its own plot points and ideas.
The film's title refers to the fictional artificial food product at the center of its plot. Due to the cult popularity of the film, the term "soylent green" and the movie's famous last line have become something of a catch phrase. Many subsequent works have referenced Soylent Green for dramatic or comedic effect.
Set in the year 2022, the film depicts a dystopia, a Malthusian catastrophe that takes place because humanity has failed to pursue sustainable development and has not halted population growth. New York City's population is 40,000,000, with over half unemployed. Global warming, air pollution and water pollution have produced a year-round heatwave and a thin yellow smog in the daytime. Food and fuel resources are scarce because of animal and plant decimation, housing is dilapidated and overcrowded, and widespread government-sponsored euthanasia is encouraged as a means of reducing overpopulation.
Meat, bread, cheese, fruit, vegetables and even alcoholic beverages are scarce and extremely expensive (example: a six-ounce jar of strawberry jam is 150 "Ds"). Farms that produce these foods are heavily guarded and off-limits to civilians (in addition to the factories where soylent products are manufactured). To most people, natural foods are a rarely, if ever, enjoyed luxury. The government dispenses rations of synthetic food substances made by the Soylent Corporation, such as Soylent Yellow and Soylent Red. The newest product, Soylent Green, the most popular version, is derived from plankton, according to the firm.
Soylent Green, Soylent's food products are mostly distributed as brightly-colored crackers which may be eaten with margarine, although they are also seen being sold as bread-like buns and in crumb form. The word "Soylent" is a combination of the words soybean and lentil (presumably, these are some of the ingredients of soylent's products, both being very high-yielding crops that are cheap to produce).
Specific Soylent products are distributed on different days of the week to the populace. However, even the supplies of this are limited and there is much competition between people to get their rations early. Such is the competition that if the supply runs out, rioting is common. To deal with this problem, the distribution centers have a heavy police presence, and they deal with the rioting crowds in a very heavy-handed way using "scoops"—special vehicles that scoop up people from the crowd and dump them into containers at the back. Such callous treatment is invariably fatal to a portion of the rioters.
By contrast, the rich elite live in spacious apartments, with regular access to "real food", tobacco and alcohol. Some can even afford "furniture", the film's terminology for concubines.
Charlton Heston plays Robert Thorn, a New York City police detective who investigates the murder of William R. Simonson (Joseph Cotten), a former member of the board of the Soylent Corporation. Thorn's elderly roommate is Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson), a onetime college professor, now employed as a police researcher. Unlike most people in the world of the film, including Thorn, Sol had a formal education and is literate; education of any sort at the current time is only available to the wealthy elite. Such people are referred to as "books" (actual books being largely out of print due to lack of wood to make new paper, as well as a shortage of electricity and printing presses).
During his investigation of the Simonson murder, Thorn slowly uncovers a strange conspiracy, which would be revealed if he can see what goes on behind closed doors at the euthanasia centers. When an elderly and dispirited Sol opts for euthanasia, Thorn forces his way into the euthanasia center and makes two shocking discoveries.
First, he sees motion pictures of the beautiful Earth of former times, which are shown only to those about to be euthanized. He is startled and brought to tears when he sees how beautiful the Earth was before it sank to its current state.
Second, when Thorn follows the disposal of Sol's corpse, he discovers that Soylent Green includes the recycled bodies of people who have used government-sponsored euthanasia centers, leading to his famous outcry: "Soylent Green is people!"

Just how science fiction this is today, is to be debated. Especially the large corporation making food to be consumed by the populace on the idea that they are doing good. By the thousands we are eating food that has been modifed by men in laboratories. Already they have shown that cloning can produce mutations, and genetic modification of food has been researched by those opposing it, and they show there are some drastic things that can happen to the human body as a result of consuming these foods. I can remember when Taco Bell removed yellow corn tortillas for the longest from their menus, to avoid offering one of the first vegetables that Monsanto began to genetically alter. It doesn't matter now, because nearly everything you eat now, has had men playing with it in their Frankenstein laboratories.

Remember, in my article on salvation how we talked about good and evil having the same sources- Satanic. That only our Heavenly Father can produce real good - righteousness and holiness. Men thinking they are doing good. Better tasting, longer lasting, less destruction of crops and on and on they go. It is a merry go round that leads to death.

Men eventually will come to the conclusion, that he will be able to improve on the human as well. This will lead to authorized cloning of what the corporation or government conclude are the humans that are worthy of cloning. We can conclude they will do this just from the way the elite so worship theirselves already, they will eventually produce clones of themselves and those that they consider, wiser, more intelligent and more able to benefit society and "self".

Government and corporations always analyze all that they do with a cost-benefit analysis. This goes for human life as well. Thus the argument over stem cell research.

We are not living in science fiction anymore, we are living in science fact.

Nothing has anything really changed from the beginning of time, as the serpent, that old devil keeps whispering in men's ears the following:

Genesis 3:1-6

Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the LORD God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"
"We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die."
The snake replied, "That’s not true; you will not die. God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like Godm and know what is good and what is bad." The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it.

The age old story returns, "The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good it's fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would to become wise."

Men today with all their genetic research and cloning, has looked and said in their heart, how beautiful is my creation over what God was pleased with, how good it will taste, and surely this proves that I am wise beyond God- for I have improved on something that he didn't. His creation was imperfect but now "Look at me, look at my creations"!

How long with the current philosphy of the elitist will it be before it comes to us eating Soylent Green.

When we like Charleston Heston, will go - "Soylent Green is people!".

Dr. J.

Salvation - A Better Explanation

The other day I was reading some material on the Internet and came across a link to a website which I want to reference here. I want to especially reference the page on salvation. Here it is

http://www.thehousetops.com/Salvation.htm

I am also going to take the privilege of repeating here what is written, as this is one of the best explanations, of salvation I have read in quite sometime. The reason, quite sometime ago, I had concluded that prayer formulas and prayer recitals to "get people saved" were a farce. This is not Biblical salvation, it is formulated, in the ideals of a work salvation, and makes a man responsible for his salvation rather than God. Thus because of this many have been confused by Universalism and Predestination.

Most people forget that salvation relies soley on the "sovereignty of a Sovereign God. So here below you will find a well written summation of how salvation really takes place.

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF AND BASIC FOUNDATIONS FOR

THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION

One of the most distorted and misunderstood doctrines of the Christian Church is the Doctrine of Salvation. The two aspects of this doctrine that have been targeted by the gates of hell are:

The Doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone (i.e. How the soul of the sinner is made righteous in the eyes of a Holy God) and

The Born Again Experience (i.e. How the unregenerate sinner becomes a new creation child of God.)

It is the latter that we shall look at first of all.

Born Again - What Is It?

Many sincere believers have been taught that a person is born again because they have "made a decision for Jesus" or because they "said the sinners' prayer". None of these things is true and cannot be supported by scripture. Yet, these myths are entrenched in the minds of many Christians and form the basis of much well intentioned but misguided attempts at evangelism.

The Garden of Eden

In order to obtain a proper perspective of this scenario, we'll start at the very beginning. In the beginning God purposed to make man in his own image. God created Adam and subsequently took one of Adam's ribs and made (or, "built") a woman. God placed them in the Garden of Eden and put two particular trees in the Garden among the other trees.

The Covenant of Works

Before this He gave the man commandment concerning the two trees, especially the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam was told that he was allowed, or authorized, to eat of any of the trees of the garden, even the tree of life, but he was not authorized to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because in the day he ate thereof he would surely die. If the Lord God says "thou mayest freely" do something, then you are authorized to do that thing. The opposite of "thou mayest freely" do is "thou shalt not" do.

If Adam obeyed, he and his offspring would live. But in the day he ate of the forbidden tree, he would surely die and, in that he was the representative head of the race, all would die in him. God's covenant was made with Adam before Eve was created.

17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God entered into an agreement with Adam that we may call the Covenant of Works. Adam was placed in the garden on a probationary basis. He was not holy or righteous but rather innocent. If he passed the test he would live and receive the attributes of life, namely holiness and righteousness. But if he failed the test, in the day that he failed he would surely die. He would enter into a process of death where dying he would die. Every faculty of Adam would die. The first result of his disobedience was that he died spiritually. Dying, he began to die and his death and death process would be passed on to all his posterity. All who are presently in Adam are dead and dying. Their moral and spiritual faculties and every aspect of their being, that would render them pleasing to God is now under the control and dominion of death.

Ever since Adam sinned and was cast out of Eden, there is no turning back. For Adam and Eve there was only a glimpse of a promise to come in their being clothed with "coats of skins" and being informed of a coming seed of the woman. Note the powerful typology in the opening scenes of earth's redemptive history. Adam and Eve sought to clothe themselves in fig leaves. God rejected this and He Himself made them "coats of skins and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). This prefigured the truth that would be fully revealed in the New Testament that man can contribute nothing towards his salvation and acceptance with God. Salvation is of God and He does all the work of redemption. As the man who attempted to attend the wedding banquet without being dressed in a wedding garment found out, you just can't come dressed as you please. You must be dressed in the divinely designated garment. You must be dressed in a garment that the Lord has authorized. If the Lord Himself does not clothe you, you are not clothed.

So Adam was authorized to eat of every tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Ever since Adam failed to keep the covenant of works, God has dealt with man on the basis of the covenant of faith. Both covenants have existed side by side throughout the millennia. The covenant of works was contained in the Mosaic Law and the righteousness (obtained by means ) of the law spoke on this wise:

5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. [Romans 10]

The root of the covenant of faith is contained in the promise of a "seed" to come who shall bruise the head of the serpent. Over time, this was progressively revealed to be the Son of David, the Messiah. It was eventually revealed that the Messiah was actually God manifest in the flesh and that all the promises of the Old Testament are in Him yea and Amen. He was both the fullness of the promises and the completeness of their fulfillment. The Old Testament believers looked forward to the Cross through the darkened shadows of the law and the Tabernacle.

Not everyone in Israel of old was a believer. Only a certain remnant was counted as being the Israel of God. But this was not yet revealed as the realization of this awaited the fullness of time. This remnant was known by different names but in effect, they were the elect whom the Lord reserved unto himself in every generation. Right there in the camp of Israel, during the earthly ministry of our Lord, there was to be found the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It was the latter that confronted the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry. Their job is to defend the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and to cause its principles to become mainstream - as they are today.

The scribes and the Pharisees sought then and still seek in our day, to "make void the Word of God" in order to introduce the doctrines of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which center around human potential and an exalted notion of the abilities of fallen men and fallen minds. The notion that "ye shall be as gods" eventually mutates itself into "you can do that which historically only God could have done". Throughout the ministry of the apostles, certain men consistently sought to defile the Church with their false doctrines based on the concept of works along with subtle variations of the theme. They knew full well who the Lord Jesus was. They knew He was the promised Seed of the woman and the Lord knew that they were the promised seed of the serpent.

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Before we go any further, let us establish from the mouth of at least two or three witnesses that they both recognized each other.

Witness I - Matthew 21:33-39

33. Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him

This parable speaks directly of the scribes and the Pharisees (v.45). The householder (v.33) represents the heavenly Father. The vineyard is the house of Israel, the tower is the ministry of the prophets, priests and kings, which correspond to God-ordained ministry of the New Testament era. The husbandmen are those who had the responsibility to tend the vineyard until the return of the householder. The problem is that even from that time, they wanted the vineyard for themselves. The satanic plot was to "seize on his inheritance" and turn it into their own. They carried out phase one of their plan in the crucifixion of the heir and are in the process of carrying out the final phase. The entire process from casting out the Son, to slaying him and seizing the inheritance is known in our day as Zionism. The final stage is the exaltation of the man of sin as CEO of planet earth - Their chosen heir.

The deception is that the piece of real estate in Palestine that they seized, is actually the work of God, when in fact it is the setting up of their own kingdom under the name of the State of Israel - which is not to be confused with the nation of Israel and the Israel of God. The members of the State of Israel are called Israelis and the members of the nation are called Israelites - the sons of Jacob. It is from the nation that the remnant, spoken of from as far back as the days of Moses and Elijah, are called. To this day, unknown to most in the International Community, a God-fearing remnant of Jews in Palestine resists the setting up of the Zionist State. They refuse to bow the knee to Baal or to kiss him.

What a shameful rebuke to the so-called Christian Right who have aligned themselves with the very ones the Lord refers to as being "those wicked men" whom, upon His return, He shall "miserably destroy" (Matthew 21:41). The mad, delusional hypocrisy of the Zionist husbandmen and their "Christian" counterparts is described in Luke 20:16 where, upon hearing that the Lord of the Vineyard will destroy the wicked husbandmen, they cried out "God forbid." They are appealing to the very God they are in rebellion against to assist them in their rebellion. If it were not so tragic it would be hilarious. In fact, within the context of Psalm 2, verse 4 shows that the Lord agrees that their madness is hilarious. The Zionist State is a vain imagination.

Witness II - Rabbi Nicodemus, member of the ruling Sanhedrin (John 3)

1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

The words of Nicodemus are a clear testimony against the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus frankly admits that "we know" that you came from God. We know that the householder sent you. We know that you are the heir. But Nicodemus was among the elect of God, the true Israel of God, and this marked him out for salvation.

Witness III - the Lord Jesus Christ (John 8:44)

44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

(Matthew 13:36b-40)

36. Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

For further insight into the Zionist State please see "For Zion's Sake".

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So, picking up where we left off, the covenant was made with Adam and, seeing it was not good for man to be alone, God made Eve, brought her to the man and they both lived in the garden for a period of time without sin. The serpent struck up a carefully planned subtle conversation with the woman and introduced a form of biblical analysis and interpretation that was later to become known as higher criticism. He convinced her that what God had said was not to be taken seriously, in this case the part about surely dying.

The Fall of Man

The woman paid attention to the serpent and became the first victim of Luciferian hypnotism when she actually began to "see" what was not really there, much like the average follower of the commandments of men today:

6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. [Genesis 3]

Notice three things.

[1]The serpent did not approach the man first.

[2]The woman was willing to act independently of her husband.

[3]The man was willing to stand by and let the woman do her thing.

[4]The woman gave heed and began to "see" the goodness, pleasantness and wisdom of the very thing that would eventually destroy her.

Now think. When Eve ate of the fruit of the tree, what happened? The answer is - nothing happened. Why not?

Because Adam was the God-ordained head of the race and he contained the seed of posterity in his loins. [Adam was the 'federal' head of the race, in the sense that he was the divinely appointed representative of mankind. The word 'federal' comes from a root word meaning 'treaty' or covenant and when God made the covenant with Adam, all his posterity was included in that covenant for good or evil. We would have been the beneficiaries of Adam's obedience if he had obeyed. However, when Adam sinned, we all broke the covenant in Adam and became guilty before God.] In other words, the whole human race was in the loins of Adam, not Eve. You may say that Eve supplied the garden, ground, or fertile soil and Adam supplied the seed. Only after Adam took of the fruit and "did eat" did they feel the effects of sin. You see the first Adam was a type and shadow of the Last Adam, the Adam to come. Even after Eve ate of the fruit, Adam could have used his authority to redeem the woman because the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. But he chose to enter into sin with his deceived wife. Just as the Last Adam is the Door, the first Adam acted as a spiritual door as well. Eve was not a door, only Adam was. So it was only when Adam sinned that "the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." [v7].

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PLEASE NOTE: You are in error if you attempt to "make yourself." You are in serious error if you believe you must initiate the process of your being saved or born again. God will reject your fig leaf attempts because He considers it a do-it-yourself form of salvation.

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The Principle of Doorways

That Adam was a door is attested to in the following passages in Romans 5:

12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The awesomeness of God's wisdom is that the very principle that made Adam a door is the same principle that made Christ a door as well. The power and authority that death was given over the children of Adam is paralleled and surpassed by the power and authority that grace is now given over the children of God in Christ Jesus. Being a door it was through Adam that "sin entered". Now that sin entered, sin in turn became a door and through sin (by one man's offense) death entered and death then immediately passed upon all men, because all men were in Adam. "In Adam" we all died and will continue to die.

That's why religion is of the devil. Because religion will have you do lots of "good" works and "good" and sincere things for others and do "good" things to please and appease God, but it never attempts to remove you from being spiritually located "in Adam". Once you are located spiritually in Adam you are dead and will continue to die. A bad tree CANNOT bring forth good fruit. While in Adam, NO ONE can produce anything that is acceptable to God - NOT EVEN FAITH. Why? Because the dimension known as "in Adam" is a dimension of death and of the fruit of sin and death. The only thing that Adam and those in Adam can bring forth, are variations of the theme of sin and death. Those who are unwilling to see this need to check their egos at the door. May I remind you that saving faith is a fruit of the Spirit and the unregenerate have not the Spirit of Christ. So how can the unregenerate have faith in order to be saved?

Not only was Adam a door, but after Adam sinned and sin entered into the world through Adam, sin then became a door and allowed death to enter in [v12]. Death passed upon all men. In other words all men are now under the strict dominion of sin and death. How? Because Adam had the dominion franchise and he handed it over to sin and death. So now according to vv14 & 17 above, death reigned and according to v 21 below sin reigned. Not only did sin reign, it reigned "unto death," which means the reign of sin was absolute. No one can turn sin aside from its termination point. Sin's terminus is death. Sin will reign in the life until the objective is achieved, and the goal of sin is to deliver all who are in Adam to the state of death and eternal damnation. Even believers must face the penalty of sin and die. Thankfully we have already done so in Christ. We have all died in Christ, so the goal of sin was fulfilled in our Lord's death and, because the penalty was paid, both sin and death have lost their power to reign over us. Having passed through death in Christ, grace now reigns through Him.

21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Concept of Reigning

I'm not sure we understand the concept of "reigning". In the spirit world, when someone or something reigns over you, it means that you are in absolutely no position to do other than that which your sovereign desires. This is not a democratic condition of being. It is an autocratic, despotic, bondage condition of soul. You are serving a master. You are yoked to a master. Your choices are a reflection of his wishes and desires. What the master wants is what you want and you are not free to have any desire contrary to your master. Sin is not an option it is a pervasive condition of soul. Consider the Word of God in Ephesians 2:

1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

And in Titus 3:

3. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

While in Adam, that is, in our unsaved, unregenerate condition, we served the desires of the flesh and of the mind. We were in bondage to sin and Satan and we are exhorted in Galatians 5:1 not to be entangled again in the yoke of bondage. Technically, the bondage referred to here is bondage to the law and the demands of the law. Because it was the law that gave sin it's power over us and it was sin that gave death its sting, as Paul said in I Corinthians 15:56. But the bottom line is that sin holds supreme sway over the whole soul of the unregenerate. Hold that thought because it is a critical factor in understanding why the doctrine of "free will" is such a heresy. A flesh flattering heresy, but a despicable heresy nevertheless. Please remember that the soul is made up of mind, will and emotions. Technically, man does not have free will, but he is responsible for his actions. The common definition and understanding of what free will is, is totally unbiblical. Freedom is the ability to do as one pleases without compulsion or coercion. Will anyone claim that sinful man in free from compulsion? Sinful unregenerate men and women are continually fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and serving divers lusts and pleasures.

They are slaves to the desires and demands of the flesh.

Several passages such as Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1, call them 'captives' or 'prisoners'. How can your will be a captive prisoner and still be 'free'? The 'free will' is so popular that people, religious and otherwise, treat it like a truth you dare not challenge. Yet ask them if they have ever studied how the soul makes decisions and choices and they'll most likely tell you they have not. But, sadly, this is how many approach doctrine. This heresy attempts to prove that, though Adam was sent into exile, he still retained some semblance of his past sovereignty and some inherent ability to reenter the garden on his own and eat from the tree of life.

Under Sin

But Paul refutes this by establishing that both Jew and Gentile are under sin (Romans 3:9). We assert that the state of being "under sin" is to be under the authority and influence of the guilt and power of sin. It means that sin has complete dominion over the soul. Let's take a look at some of the ways in which this word "under" (Gr. hupo) is used in the New Testament. We'll begin with Matthew 8:

9. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Just as this centurion understood the principle of authority and what it entails, just so sin, as a slave master, has authority over the soul of the unregenerate. Sin is able to say to its servants, as it were, "do this or do that" and the soul has no choice but to do it. Ephesians 2:3 says that "we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind." The things that we said and did while in the world, were the expressions of our master's wishes. Our "conversation" was spent "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind." Let's look at another passage from Matthew 11:7:

7. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

You may agree that reeds do not shake themselves. While in the flesh, in our unregenerate state, we were at the mercy of the motions of sins just as the reed is at the mercy of the motion of the wind. Just as the reed in our Lord's statement above was under the influence and control of the wind, we too were at the mercy of the motions of sin in our members because we were "under the law" (Romans 6:14-15)

14. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

That which gave sin its power was the law. Let's look at Romans 7:

14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

So we see that the law gave sin its power and we were totally sold under (the influence of) sin as a bondslave to the dictates of a tyrannical master. Let's look at Galatians 3:

22. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Herein lies the problem. Everyone is locked up under the dominion of sin. All those in Adam are now dwelling in Adam's house, the house of bondage. We have full "freedom" to move about, but only within the confines of the "house". We may freely move from room to room. To the untrained eye, this looks like we have "free will" to do whatsoever we please. It even appears as though we have the ability to choose between good and evil. The sad part is that that illusion of "choice" is deceptively false while yet appearing to be true. The truth is that sinners do not have the ability to choose between good and evil. It is in bondage to sin and evil. If we look more closely we shall see that the "good" we think sinners have the "freedom" to choose is not that kind or quality of good that originates with God. It is actually the variety of "good" that our first parents partook of when they ate of that fateful tree. It is still a variation of "good" that leads to death.

So all that are in Adam are still within the house of bondage and all who are within the house are forever barred from reentering the garden where grows the tree of life. Seeing they have no access to that tree, they cannot make a decision to move towards the tree, no matter what "the world's most beloved evangelist" may say. The sinner's ability extends to within the house and they have no ability whatsoever to extend their reach beyond the house of bondage. All of the faculties of the unsaved are under the dominion of sin and death, so all of their choices will be limited to and by the boundaries of sin and death. As sinners we had absolutely no strength to choose life. Life needed to reach down and choose us. We were prisoners in a graveyard known as Adam. As the song says, we were sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore; slowly sinking deep within, sinking to rise no more; It was love that lifted us from the angry waves. The only thing with the song is that we did not cry out for help. The Lord called out to us. We called Him because He first called us. Consider John 5:

25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

This verse is not speaking of the resurrection morning, although verse 29 is. Verse 25 is speaking of the effectual call that causes the unregenerate (the dead) to hear the voice of the Son of God and be quickened to life (Ephesians 2:1-9). This is as a result of nothing more that the sovereign choice of Almighty God. Being quickened, the soul is only now able to "see" or recognize the Son and, as a result it is able to exercise faith in Christ resulting in its being justified

1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5)

Let's take a closer look at Galatians 3:22 and the passages which follow it:

22. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Before we were born again (regenerated), we were "shut up" in the house of bondage and the only way out was through faith. But the dead cannot exercise faith. So the only way out of the house of bondage and into Christ, is through the agency and operation of the Spirit of God. The wind which blows where it listeth, sovereignly quickens those whose names were written in the Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world, at the time appointed by the Father for them to be added to the church. At that time, they shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live. The only way out of the house is to be called out and carried out by the Spirit of God. While all may receive a general call, only the elect receive an effectual call - a call that results in them hearing the voice of the Son of God. The general call may be referred to simply as a call, but the effectual call is referred to as being chosen. Not all men receive the inward call. If you have the inward call, then blessed are your ears for they hear and blessed are your eyes for they see because many are called, but few are chosen.

But What About Romans 10:9-10?

We need to underscore this point. The ability to see and hear the Son is not part of the inherent faculties of the flesh of unregenerate men. The flesh of man cannot recognize that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God except on a purely intellectual level. Furthermore, the flesh of man cannot say that Jesus Christ is Lord except on a religiously superficial level. Flesh and blood simply CANNOT reveal this to you. And no man can progress beyond his vision. You cannot enter into that which you cannot see (John 3:3,5). That's why we assert "that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" (I Corinthians 12:3). Show me someone who truly confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and I'll show you someone who has already been quickened by the Spirit and given power (authority) to become a child of God. That's why assertions to the contrary that the soul is born again because the sinner first "confessed" Jesus with his mouth and, in the power of his flesh, "believed" in his heart, are taking the scripture out of context. In the first place the book of Romans was written to those who are saints by calling.

9. 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.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

How can the unregenerate soul be illuminated with the knowledge of the resurrection? Is it Biblically correct to say to the unsaved that "the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;"? Is it not closer to the truth to assert with the Holy Spirit in Romans 3 that

13. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Is the book of Romans contradicting the book of Romans? Do we expect the carnal mind, which is enmity with God, to bring forth fruit of the lips that is pleasing to God? A bad tree CANNOT bear good fruit regardless of what religious human tradition may say. We need to ask God for the understanding of what happened in Eden when our first parents ate of that tree. From the day that our parents ate of the fruit of that tree, we have never been able to bring forth good fruit.

Let's do a study on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

May the Lord give us a fuller understanding of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Let's take a look at the Scripture in Genesis 2:

16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

What is one of the most important words in v17? Is it the word "tree", the word "knowledge", the word "good", the word "evil", the word "surely," or the word "die"? While all of these words have their significance, you may be surprised to know that one of the most important words in that verse is the word "and." It explains the danger and the power of the tree. Lack of understanding of the power and significance of this word also explains why some teach that man has some "good" left in him. They are right and yet they are perilously wrong. You see, man does have some good left in him after the Fall, but the "good" he has, comes from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That kind of "goodness" was a component of the tree and Adam partook of the substance or, fruit, of the tree. In scripture the word "fruit" is used to represent a person's nature and inherent characteristics as expressed in their behavior and conversation. In other words, your fruit is expressed in how you order your conversation.

And this was Eve's error. She did not understand that it was a tree of the experiential knowledge of good AND evil. Ever since man ate of the tree, he was bound to the tree. All of man's conversation in all of its forms and expressions are but variations of the theme of "good and evil". The "good" on the tree is not to be confused with that specie of goodness that pleases or flows from God. The goodness of the tree was and is a variety of good that is actually on the same continuum as evil. It was a diluted form of evil. A socially acceptable and politically correct form of evil. It was a specie of good that would eventually become acceptable to the religious mind down through the ages but which would be classified by the Holy God as being "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). Just as Eve could not have been convinced of its danger, just so there are those in our day who are convinced that man is able to activate that form of goodness in making a "decision for Jesus." But, apart from the intervening grace of God, many of these churchgoers will surely die. Unless, in spite of themselves, God steps in and changes their garments from fig leaves to coats of skins, they shall surely die even though they may be casting out devils, prophesying in His name (Matthew 7:22-23) or telling others to make a decision for Jesus.

So please understand the significance of the tree. Whichever part of the tree you eat from YOU WILL SURELY DIE. Even though Eve focused on the apparent goodness, pleasantness and wisdom of the tree and partook of the tree on the basis of its goodness, they still both died when Adam did the same. Satan approached Eve first because there was the possibility that NOTHING would have happened when Eve ate. When she ate and nothing happened, it left Adam wide open to doubt the clear Word of God. In other words, he laid the foundation for a dangerous practice that is common in our day and that is to judge the truthfulness of the Word of God based on our experiences and the experiences of those around us.

The Babylonian harlot system [mother and daughters] is based on the supremacy of the traditions of their organizations over and above the Word of God. The whole Babylonian system is based on, "Yea, hath God said?" It is a tendency to rearrange and reinterpret the clear meaning of the Word of God. That's why our Lord referred to the scribes and the Pharisees as children of the devil (Matthew 13:38 etc.). They were continuing the age-old enmity and practice of casting doubt on the truth of God's word and they did this by reinterpreting the Word of God in a way that was contrary to sound doctrine. In the time of our Lord's earthly ministry, they were the interpreters of the law. Their spiritual and philosophical offspring are with us to this day, interpreting the law in such a way as to ensure the destabilization of the social order and the banishment of Almighty God from the fabric and function of society.

What Eve and her spiritual children do not understand is that the tree is the tree of the knowledge of good AND evil. In other words, whatever manifestation of good that may be derived from the tree or from the unregenerate human heart, is eternally YOKED to evil. it is not good OR evil, it is good AND evil. In other words, whenever we attempt to exercise that kind of good it is ALWAYS accompanied by evil, EVEN THOUGH THE EVIL MAY BE IN A HIGHLY DILUTED FORM appearing to be good and being highly acclaimed by men (Luke 16:15). Is there Scriptural grounds for such an assertion? Much in every way. Please consider the passage from Romans 7:

21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Notice Paul said that this condition was a law. A spiritual law cannot be broken. The spiritual law is, that when we, in the power of the flesh, would do good evil is present. Not that Paul was necessarily unregenerate when he had these experiences, but if it was true of a believer, it is certainly true of the ungodly. All who are in Adam are partaking of that tree. All of the goodness of men is a manifestation of that tree. All of man's good social and religious causes are based on their partaking of the philosophical principles of that tree. The tree has never ceased to exist. Its branches and fruit have never disappeared from the earth; it has simply changed form and taken on a spiritual dimension.

It is the philosophical principle behind the luciferian concept of Yin and Yang; action and reaction. It is the hidden concept behind the "force" of the occult indoctrination Star Wars series. Just as there is only ONE tree, there is only ONE force. Just as there is a good side and an evil side to the one tree, there is a light side and a dark side to the one force. It is the Luciferian principle of dualism which teaches that both Satan and God are equal but opposite forces and that God needs Satan in order to exist. Those who have eaten of the tree, especially those who have gone through the different degrees and steps of initiation in the secret societies, are convinced of this lie to the point of strong delusion.

It is a variation of the theme of pantheism which teaches that all is God and God is all. This is reflected in such rock and roll concepts as "everything is everything". It is a lie that is palatable to the unregenerate heart because, to those in darkness, it just seems right. This is what moved Solomon to warn that there is a "way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

The tree also represents independent action based on independent thinking. Apart from blatant rebellion against God, this kind of thinking has spawned religious doctrines such as the lie that man is able on his own to turn to Christ in faith even while still spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. Some may argue - "Then why does God command men to repent?" In order to show both our impotence and the glory of His grace. Unregenerate sinners CANNOT repent of their sins. Anyone of us who has actually repented has done so by the grace and goodness of God and God alone. God quickened us even while we were dead in trespasses and sins. We initiated nothing. It was all the work of God and God alone.

Fear God and Give Him the Glory

The Way of the Tree of Life

When Adam sinned, he was banished from the Garden and denied reentry. Please remember that Adam is also a type of the flesh, the adamic nature. God "placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." The flaming sword "turned every way". There is NO WAY for the Adamic nature to have returned. But apart from that, the Adamic nature has absolutely no inclination or desire to return to the Garden. In every man, the adamic nature has gone "to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6). There is no part of the adamic nature that is interested in seeking or finding God.

Romans 3 explains what it means to be in the grip of the adamic nature, or in other words, "under sin" (v. 9).

10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15. Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16. Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17. And the way of peace have they not known:
18. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

The religious romantic notion of the adamic nature still retaining some semblance or vestige of goodness just is not supported by Scripture. It is as ignorant and unlearned as the men of the world who claim to have faith in human nature. It can only find support in the egos of fallen men with darkened minds. For someone to believe that the adamic nature, with its inherent deep seated animosity towards God, can turn and "give its heart" to the very God it hates, they would have to have years of religious training to arrive at that delusion. I've come to the conclusion that the main activity of many Bible Schools and Colleges is that "they all slumber and sleep".

What part of the word "none" ( v. 11) don't they understand? No unregenerate soul is "seeking after God". Not one. Those who appear to be seeking fall into two neat categories:

[1]The soul only appears to be seeking God when in fact it is seeking after its own concept of God made in its own image. That's why many end up in such religious ditches as Watchtower and Catholicism and be quite content to live with the secret guilt and uncertainty. Diagnosis? The secret of the "seeker" may be found in Proverbs 18.

1. Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
2. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

Notice how he "separated himself". Jude 19 says that they who separate themselves are "sensual, having not the spirit." Notice again how he is intermeddling with all kinds of wisdom. His is an eclectic approach. He'll try anything once and he's aided and abetted by those well meaning but ignorant Christians who suggest that he "try Jesus". Many times its on this basis that people "give their hearts" to the Lord. The gospel of Christ is not a consumer product. It is not part of a buffet table of choices that you can sample at your leisure. It is the good news of what God has done in Christ and the redemption that is in Christ Jesus is proclaimed to all but offered only to a few. That's why we need to fear God.

Next, having been banished from the Garden, the adamic nature has dragged man and taken him as a willing captive out of the way. No tree can bear two different kinds of fruit. The adamic nature cannot take you out of the way and yet take you into the Way at the same time. Seeing that man has become unprofitable, he cannot possibly bring himself to accomplish such a profitable thing as turning to the Lord. You can't be profitable and unprofitable at the same time. Again we see that there is none that doeth good. How can such a being do such a good thing as actually giving his heart to the Lord? Bottom line? Neither Adam nor his offspring can or desire to, enter into the kingdom of God. At least not on God's terms.

[2]The second category are those souls which are in fact seeking God and these are those who, as we shall establish, have been touched by God and a work of redemption has begun in their hearts. They are the workmanship of God.

John 1:12

Let me be the first to admit that I once belonged to the "give your heart to Jesus" camp. That is, until the Lord began to speak to me about the Doctrine of Salvation and just how the soul becomes righteous in the eyes of God. I began to see the true condition of the fallen soul and man's utter inability to help himself and utter unwillingness to seek help on God's terms. That's what being "out of the way" and going "his own way" means. Adam, according to Proverbs 14:14, is a "backslider in heart;" he is filled with his own ways. If Adam actually "gives his heart to Jesus" and begins to "go to church," he becomes a tare who hears the Word but has no root in himself, doesn't understand the Word and is choked with thorns and thistles. Why is this? He does not have the power to become a son of God.

John 1:12 says that "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God". The adamic mind, which has gone away backwards, tends to read this backwards to mean that if you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, then He will give you the power to become a child of God. That's not the intent of the passage at all. What the passage is saying is that, should you see anyone receive the Lord, it is because He gave them the authority or, right to do this. In other words, their receiving Him is not the CAUSE of their having power to become the sons of God. Their receiving Him is the RESULT of having previously been given the power, or authority to become a child of God. Please don't confuse the CAUSE with the EFFECT. It's all a matter of authorization. No one is allowed to enter the King's presence without authorization. Adam cannot reenter the Garden without authorization. He does not have the right to do so. Adam has no more "right to the tree of life" (Revelation 22:14). Only the elect have this right. Anyone seen approaching the tree of life was given the right to do so.

My Disciples Indeed

Let's look at another example of interpreting "backward". Let's look at a passage in John 8:

31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

It almost appears as though the Lord is saying that if you continue in my Word, then I will make you my disciples. But that's not the intent of the passage. What the Lord is telling them is that His Word acts like a filter and only those who are truly His disciples, or His disciples indeed, can actually continue in His Word. Remember John 6?

60. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68. Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

You see, our Lord applied the filter and "from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him". Why was this? Because it was not "given" to them to continue. They were not authorized to continue with the Lord. You see you can be a disciple but not a disciple indeed. You can be a virgin, but not a virgin indeed. You can be a regular in a Christian church but not a Christian indeed and this will be made plain when the deadliest filter of all is applied which will result in the falling away. Not everyone who says Lord, Lord is saying Lord, Lord indeed.

Look further on down in John 8 and you'll see the same principle of "if you were, then you would" all over again. We do what we do because of who we are and a bad tree CANNOT bring forth good fruit. Observe the principle in verse 39: "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham." Also: in verse 42: "If God were your Father, ye would love me".

Power To Become

A bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit and a spiritually dead sinner cannot "give his or her heart" to the Lord. A bad tree cannot be or become anything but a bad tree with bad fruit. A sinner cannot "receive him" regardless of what many say in their well-meaning tracts that they hand out to sinners. Recently I read one of these tracts which ended by suggesting that the new birth may be obtained by saying a certain prayer. The tract quoted John 1:12 as proof that this magick formula works if you would just say the words and mean it. Unfortunately this advice goes contrary to sound doctrine and is in direct contradiction to the very passage quoted. It makes your salvation dependent on human sincerity and not on the work of God in the soul.

12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Notice how the thought of "receiving Him" is parallel to " "believing on His name". To receive is to believe and to believe is to receive. In case you still do not accept our teaching on receiving Him only because you were authorized to do so, let us look at another witness. Remember, it is our position that receiving the Lord is as a direct result of the Spirit of the Lord having previously done something in the heart of the sinner. There is no such teaching in the Word as the Lord standing by helplessly waiting to be asked into the heart and hoping that the sinner will let Him save him. Revelation 3:20 was written to the church as a warning to those still holding to Babylonian teachings and traditions to hear His voice and "come out of her my people" (Revelation 18:4).

As proof that receiving Him, which is the same as believing Him, is as a result of a work of God in the heart, a work of regeneration, we cite Ephesians 2

8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The faith that is needed to "receive Him" is a work of grace wrought in the heart by the Wind which bloweth where it listeth. It is "not of ourselves". Where will we get it from? The flesh can't have or exercise faith. Even if the Lord were to give faith to the flesh, it wouldn't know what to do with it because faith is a blessed gift from another dimension. It is the gift of God. Someone can place an expensive piece of advanced machinery in your hands right now and if it is something, the likes of which you've never seen before, you won't know where and how to begin to use it and what to do with it. Just so with the gift of faith.

Is God Helpless?

The Lord isn't standing by helplessly wishing sinners would make a decision for Him. Look closely and you will see that this version of God is weak and helpless. This version of God cannot enforce His own will in His own universe. Which reader would tolerate not being able to enforce their own will in their own house? Teenager giving trouble? Being rude and rebellious? Which parent would tolerate not being able to lay down the law and impose their will? Yet many gladly and willingly dethrone Almighty God because that point of view happens to be widespread and popular. If God is helpless, how can He give us power to become? We'll be just as helpless as He is, seeing we were created in His image. If God is helpless, then how can we be sure that He can actually get us into heaven? What, because He said so? If He is helpless, His words are meaningless. They are the words of someone who means well but isn't sure He's able to get the job done.

Our God Reigns. He's Not helpless. The Voice (word) of the Lord is Powerful.

Our Lord is not standing by helplessly hoping and wishing. Neither is He waiting for the adamic nature to turn and suddenly cease its animosity towards Him. Not possible. So by an act of divine grace, "the wind blows where it listeth" and sovereignly "creates" a new person in the inner man according to that which was "before ordained" in the eternal counsels of God. This is usually as a result of the hearing of the Word of God - the very foolishness of preaching. The regenerated heart is now able to recognize the truth of God's Word; now able to "see" the kingdom as a result of which it is able to enter the kingdom of God. The truly regenerated are "born from above" (John 3:3 lit.) It is as a result of an act that originated from above. Only those who are His workmanship can find it in their hearts to believe on the Son. Because only they have "seen the Son", which is the same as "seeing the kingdom". (cf. John 3:3 with John 6:40).

40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

But, according to this verse, to believe on the Son you would have to have first seen Him. How can a spiritually dead person accomplish this great feat? Truth is he can't. Something has to happen first and that something is a work which has to be done on the eyes of the soul. This work is done only after God has regenerated the heart and brought forth a new creation. What is this work? Paul tells us in Ephesians that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And what is one of these blessings? The answer is found in Matthew 13.

16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Ever since the garden of Eden fiasco when Eve thought she "saw", from the day Adam ate of the fruit of the tree mankind has been spiritually blind. One of those spiritual blessings therefore, is the ability to perceive spiritual truth. That's why in the parable of the sower, those who do not understand the Word of God are not part of the kingdom. They are not born again. The filter was applied. Your eyes can perceive spiritual truth only as a result of being blessed by the new birth. As the inward man is recreated in righteousness and true holiness, the eyes of the understanding are enlightened. This enlightening is both a crisis and a process. It's a walk on that Way. In other words, you would have entered upon the path of the just (Proverbs 4) which culminates in the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

18. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Making A Decision For Jesus?

Let's look at how Babylonian concepts have infiltrated the Church and caused so many to read the Word of God backwards and say and teach the exact opposite to what the Word actually says. If you are reading the word of God backwards, your soul is still going away backwards except for the grace of God. We've read John 1:12, now let's read verse 13 which identifies those who received Him. Verse 13 first tells us ways in which it is impossible to receive the Lord and all of these ways that God says are not possible are the very ways that many in the Church are teaching others to be born again.

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Which were "born again" "NOT of blood" (that is, not by entering the second time into his mothers womb and being born).

Which were "born again" NOT "of the will of the flesh" (that is, the unregenerate human having only their flesh to work with, cannot use the flesh as a decision making tool to cause him to be born again. The flesh, being itself "enmity against God, .....is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:6-7) and therefore not only will not but CANNOT make any decision for Jesus. To be carnally minded is death. The carnal mind is a flesh-controlled mind and a mind influenced by death will never make a choice for life, no more than darkness will, or can, make a choice for light.)

Which were "born again" NOT of "the will of man" (Please remember that we use the will to make choices. This verse plainly states that the person was born again NOT BY THE WILL OF MAN.) What could be clearer? In other words, a person who is truly born again (i.e. from above) was NOT born again because he or she made a decision for Jesus. What is Biblical is that from eternity

JESUS MADE A DECISION FOR YOU

If you are saved, you are saved not because of saying the so-called sinner's prayer, or because of giving your heart to Jesus, you are saved in spite of it.

Let's ask the Lord to tell us Himself: John 15:16

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,

and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

How Is A Person Born Again?

To answer this question we may need to touch upon what is called the Ordo Salutis or, the Order of Salvation - the order in which Salvation takes place.

Seeing that to be born again is to be born from above, it means that the born again experience is of heavenly origin. It must be. If your salvation began with something you did, such as saying a sinner's prayer, offering your own faith to God, or some act of yours,

YOU ARE NOT SAVED.

The gospel is the proclamation of what God has already done for us in Christ Jesus. You do NOTHING. You are the recipient of the grace and favor of Almighty God. This grace works a work in your heart that supernaturally causes you to be born again at the pleasure of Almighty God at the time appointed from all eternity. Whether you like it or not, you will be born again "when it pleases God to reveal His Son in you."

The act of being born again is an act where we are supernaturally quickened by the grace and Spirit of God upon hearing of the Word of Christ. This quickening results in our regeneration and translation from the realm of spiritual death to the place of being spiritually alive in Christ Jesus.

1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Lazarus Come Forth!

The Lord sovereignly quickened us, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins.

He Did This Even Without Our Asking Him

He woke us up by recreating the inward man and blessing the eyes and ears of the hidden man of the heart with the ability to see and hear. Remember that we were busy being the enemies of God. Some of us were (some still are) bound up in false religions that suited our flesh. We were chosen not because we were better than the rest, but we were elected to salvation for His great love wherewith He loved us. US, not the whole of mankind - regardless of what these same people have told you that John 3:16 means. The popular interpretation of John 3:16 is part of the cosmic rebellion that is seeking to establish the lie that God means well but He just can't make the grade; He just can't seem to get the job done because so many people that He really, really wants to save are going to hell. This filthy lie teaches that God is in a quandary and must continually resort to contingencies and Plans B, C, D, E, F, etc. This is a blasphemous lie. If God had determined to save all men, then all men would be saved. He simply would have to step up to the gravesite of their lives and call their names. If He should do that, what would stop them from coming forth? Free will?

But our Lord never determined to save all men. The atonement of Christ was meant to secure the salvation of the elect. Who are the elect? They are defined by our Lord as, "all that the Father giveth me." "Thine they were" (John 17:6).

35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
36. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
41. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
43. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

The Jews could not understand His words and they began to murmur at Him. Then He (v.43) "answered and said unto them" that they should not fuss and complain because the truth is that only if they were the elect could they have come to Him. Verse 45 reveals a truth that the elect receive, or come to Christ because unknown to them, while they were dead in sins, the Father was teaching them and causing them to hear. That's why true evangelism does not need the element of begging and pleading and singing "Just As I Am" for the 167th time - Oh sinner won't you come, won't you please come, please, please? Those methods are not part of preaching the "evangel". The gospel is to be PROCLAIMED. there is no need for manmade methods and there is certainly no need for gimmicks. Those who have been taught of God shall hear and come. Otherwise you will find yourself inviting and drawing in a mixt multitude made up mostly of tares instead of those whom the Father is drawing.

When our Lord stood at the grave of Lazarus, there was no begging and pleading. There was no sense of divine helplessness. Our Lord knew that Lazarus would have come forth because He knew it was the Father's will to raise Lazarus up. In fact so NOT helpless was He that He waited until the situation was beyond hope. But He understood that the calling of the elect was and is an expression of the glory of the Father. The whole Lazarus event was a type of the redemption of the elect. It was allowed in order to be an object lesson to those to come. The glory of God is always linked to the kingdom and the power. There is no hint of helplessness. When our Lord stood at the grave of Lazarus, it was expedient that He called Lazarus by name lest the entire gravesite were to rise from the dead. But Lazarus was called by name because he was elected to come forth from among the dead ones.

Was Lazarus able to make any form of contribution to his being raised from the dead (salvation)? He was at the mercy of the call. He was totally dependent upon the power of the call as expressed by the Word of God's power. After he came from the grave, he was then at the mercy of the skill of those whose job it was to remove the grave clothes from his body and the napkin from his face. Their job (ministry) was to loose him and let him go. This is the purpose of all God-ordained ministry - to loose you and let you go. To ensure that you enter into the process known as sanctification or the removal of the clothes (old manner of life) spotted by the flesh with the smell of death on them. This is the true character and nature of true ministry.

Many ministries are not keen on having that napkin removed from your face. That napkin is doing two things at once, maybe three, maybe four: it is blinding your vision and dulling your hearing. It is even blocking your mouth thereby preventing you from having both sustenance and speech; and it is covering your nose or, your ability to discern. I smell a rat. Why would so many preachers condone this state of affairs? In this condition you merely have the illusion of being fed. Ever wonder why so many churchgoers have not shown any sign of growth after all these years? Many presume that their fleshly self-enjoyment is actually spiritual growth. They deceive themselves in this because of their tendency to compare themselves among themselves and many pastors love to have it so. These are your foolish virgins, for this activity is not wise.

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The response of the foolish virgin is - brother Michael, I hear what you're saying but I don't know about that. I still believe the old way even though I don't have Scripture to back it up.

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Saul ,Saul

Ever considered the account of the conversion of the apostle Paul? When did Saul of Tarsus ever say the sinner's prayer? When did He ever give his heart to Jesus? He had absolutely no intention "giving his heart" to the Lord. He was intent on destroying the sect called Christianity. What happened? A sovereign move of God upon his heart had him asking what he must do next in the service of the Lord.

The Cleansing of Cornelius

In Acts 10, we read of the account of Peter being called to the home of Cornelius. Obviously, God had already begun a work in the heart of Cornelius because the unregenerate do not care to send to hear the word of the Lord. Further evidence that the Father had already begun to teach Cornelius is found in that it was God who drew Cornelius to Peter's attention. The Lord was about to grant salvation to His "other sheep" (John 10:16) among the Gentiles (Matthew 12:21). Another point worthy of consideration is that the Lord spoke to Peter and described Cornelius and his household as being "what God hath cleansed" (Acts 10:15). Peter was coming in on the tail end of the conversion process. When does it say that Cornelius gave his heart to the Lord? In fact, the Word of God testifies to the sovereign act of God in stepping in and saving Cornelius without any need of a sinner's prayer.

The Bible reveals that "Peter opened his mouth" and began to proclaim the Word of the gospel and, "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word." Obviously "them which heard the word" were already born again even before Peter finished his sermon. They were most likely born again (unknown to themselves) even before Peter went to their home (Note: "what God hath cleansed".) We know they were born again before the Holy Ghost fell on them because the Old testament pattern is that the holy anointing oil is never to be poured out on the flesh of man nor to be put on any stranger (Exodus 30: 21-33). Moses is instructed to place the oil on the priests only after they had washed (v.21). Just so upon Cornelius and his house was the Holy Ghost poured only after they had been cleansed. Being "cleansed" is another way of portraying the born again experience which is the supernatural act of God whereby the soul experiences the "washing of regeneration".

The Ordo Salutis

Therefore the order of salvation must begin with God. The Father must have first elected you from the foundation of the world. He would have identified you as one whom He has known from the foundation of the world. He would have entered into a covenant with the Son who would take the responsibility to become flesh, be born under the law and to perfectly fulfill the demands of the law on behalf of the elect. Let us consider John 17:

1. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
6. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

First things first- we must have belonged to the Father from before the foundation of the world. Not that we were existing before the world began; not that we were saved before the world began; but that we were marked out for salvation before the world began and it was determined in the counsels of eternity that we, who were separated from our mother's womb, would respond to God's call at the appointed time, that is - "when it pleased God" (Jeremiah 1:4-5; Galatians 1:15-16).

Dear reader - Are YOU Born Again?

I have to say this sums it up for my theology on salvation as well.

Upon hearing what is written here, do you exclaim you are a Christian, because you go to church, you were christened as a beleiver in a certain denomination, you ran down the aisle - to say a sinner's prayer. Did you follow a formula to salvation, did you join a church? Are you a Christian because of all the good works you think you are doing? None of these things can give you assurance you are saved.

It is the work of God, that brings salvation, and only His act upon your heart will create the removal of blindness, and deafness to hear truth.

Some would say if God has chosen the few, then why should we preach the Gospel? The reason is, we don't know who those few are until Jesus comes, therefore we are to preach the Good News, it is up to the Father what He does with it. "So shall my word be, it shall go forth and not return to me void". When the Word is preached, the person God has already cleansed and saved will recieve it with God given faith. The tare may hear what is said, but his/her eyes and ears of understanding will remain closed.

Just as the Pharisees, some of the disciples, and many religious people today. They remain in blindness to the truth.

Thus it is the Father who chooses, it is our calling to only proclaim the Gospel as the elect to all mankind, the rest of the work is God's sovereign choice, His Word will go forth and to whom he has willed to open their eyes and heart it will. Many are called but only a few are chosen.

Now, there should be no pride at all left in a person, once he comes to realize, not only is his initial salvation dependent of God's call, but his sanctification and his coming to glory is all dependent on God. For whom the Lord calls, shall be saved. Thus this is one reason I believe in eternal salvation, because if one is truly called and chosen of God, by God, for God, will not God complete that for which He was responsible for in the first place? What can separate us, from the love of Christ. Paul answers that with the declaration of NOTHING.

The chosen we won't know until Jesus comes, because Satan can disguise himself even as an angel of light.

True righteousness and holiness is hard to distinguish especially when Babylon and so many of her ministers, try to define what these things are with the ideas of what is good defined by the traditions of men. Many of these are just new laws and definitions of laws and works one must do to prove they are a Christian. I can promise you the end thereof is death. Anything added to Christ and His work alone, is evil!

Most often, true righteousness and holiness will be contrary to the ideas of men and Satans ministers or their group assessment of what that is.

Often, they will want to point fingers at you in their judgement, as the religious did in Jesus time.

They told Jesus the things he did were by the power of the devil. He with one quick stroke of His Word shut that argument down. Often times in this ministry which my Father gave me, and I can't resist Him, I have been called many names by the religious, and been accused of many things by the religious. I know who my Savior is and who my is Lord, Jesus Christ, and no man can tell me different.

Even Jesus said, when the rich young ruler called him good, He responded "only God is good." He did so to make the above point about what men call good isn't really good, only God is good. He also stated this to draw attention to the fact that He was God, manifest in the flesh. The living Son of God, who is good.

All good rest in God only.

All other good is as the writer states is "evil" disquised. Thus, our good is as filthy rags before God.

If you have been living as a "good" person, this doesn't insure you are born again. If you think your good works, church attendance, membership, education, ecclesiastical title or anything else YOU have done insures you are saved, you are DEAD wrong and your own salvation is lost in the quagmire of men's imaginations and teachings. Only the work of Christ in the shedding of His blood,the resurrection, and the giving of the Holy Spirit insures salvation. This is His gift, and only He can open your eyes and ears of understanding to recieve that you mouth can confess and belief can be put into your heart. Only He can save, not by you willing it, but His willing it so!

Don't let what men call good keep you from Him who is "the only true good". God alone.

Only God is good.

Oh! Christian if you will only understand this, you will cease from works that lead to unrighteousness and will be doing the works of God by His Spirit. Even sanctification is something you can't will, it is His Spirit within you that wills it, and makes it come to pass, if you are His.

Fear God and give Him glory!

Dr. J.