Old Testament Law has NOT been Destroyed or Abolished

God's Law in my Heart

I am sick and tired of the foolishness of those who claim that we need not keep any of the Old Testament commandments. Exactly where is the end of that argument? May we now commit adultery? Commit murder? Worship idols or other gods? Covet? Bear false witness? Does God no longer abhor incest or homosexuality or bestiality or rape?

Jesus did not come to DESTROY the law; He came to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments," John 14:15. "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love," John 15:10.

"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES;" Ephesians 2:15 The only thing ABOLISHED are those laws contained in ORDINANCES - CEREMONIES (Hebrews 9:10). God abolished the ceremonies of the Old Testament, but He did NOT abolish the MORAL laws. Unless there is a SPECIFIC overturning of a law IN the New Testament (i.e., Paul specifically overturned the dietary laws in 1 Timothy 4:4, instructing that we could eat meats with thanksgiving; likewise circumcision was overturned in Romans 2; Sabbath was fulfilled in the Holy Ghost REST on Pentecost in Acts 2), then the Old Testament laws REMAIN IN FORCE.

"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him," 1 John 2:3-4. There is much more that could be said, but that should be enough.

"I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people," Jeremiah 31:33.

If you insist, here is more on the subject: "Lawless Christians - The Hyper-Grace Mob"

I Declare Holy War on the "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" Heresy

I declare holy war on the erroneous "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" teaching. It is the majority opinion of modern Christianity, but never in history did the majority opinion take precedence over the written Word of God.

"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged," Romans 3:4.

You will be JUDGED by Almighty God for all your sayings, and if your sayings have contradicted HIS WORD, you will not overcome. You will only be justified if you have taken GOD'S position.

There is NOTHING OPTIONAL about what we believe about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We do not have the luxury of interpreting scriptures any way we want to. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE to offer multiple alternatives to Bible prophecies. It is foolish to believe that it is not a life-or-death, Heaven-or-Hell issue. Those who say, "I'm PAN-TRIB!! I believe it will all PAN out!" are mockers. They mock the TRUTH of the matter.

The pre-trib heresy casually dismisses hundreds of prophecies that pertain to the last days. The pre-trib heresy leads men to believe that they have absolutely nothing to concern themselves with because Jesus will RAPTURE them out of the world before any of these prophesied events come upon the earth. Well, that is a lie. That is not true. Jesus will NOT rapture us out of here before the great falling away, the Confirmation of the Covenant, the building of the Third Temple, the rise of the Man of Sin, the 144,000 sealed, the Abomination of Desolation, the Two Witnesses appear, the Mark of the Beast, the Great Tribulation, the Sixth Trumpet War, and many other prophecies.

"ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be PERFECT [complete], throughly furnished unto all good works," 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

The Pre-Trib "doctrine" leaves an entire generation mentally, physically and spiritually unprepared for the horrifying events that the Bible is explicitly clear will soon come upon the earth.

For that, and many other reasons, I will viciously fight against the errors that are deluding and deceiving this generation.

I know that I am exposing myself to the wrath of every Pre-Tribber on earth, but I am already accustomed to the WRATH of TRINITARIANS who hate me, and ETERNAL SECURITY CALVINISTS who hate me, and HYPER-GRACE, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE people who hate me, and ANTI-PENTECOSTALS who hate me, CESSATIONISTS who hate me, ECUMENICALS who hate me, ROMAN CATHOLICS who hate me, and a whole bunch of other people who just hate me for general purposes. :)

When you stand up for BIBLE Truth, you invariably must incur the wrath of any and all who do not subscribe to Bible Truth. That just goes with the territory, like it or not. In sober reality, the detractors have no more right to preach their position than I have a God-given right AND responsibility to preach what I see in the Word. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin," James 4:17.

We must not be afraid of the faces of men.The fight is of the same order as ONENESS vs TRINITY, Titles vs. the NAME of JESUS, sinner's prayer vs. New Birth, "accepting Christ" vs. Holy Ghost baptism, Legalism vs. Holiness, and more. We used to declare war on those battlefronts, (although fewer and fewer now fight as they should for those truths, too.). TRUTH must be declared and defended until Jesus comes.

So, I learned long ago to just stand for the Truth, and let the chips fall where they may. In sober reality, the detractors have no more right to preach their position than I have a God-given right AND responsibility to preach what I see in the Word. We must not be afraid of the faces of men.

Sometimes I feel like an old Vietnam vet. I would be happy if someone would give me my discharge papers, but I know that is not likely to happen anytime soon, so I just stay on the battleground and try my best to fight like a good soldier. "Is there not a cause?" TRUTH is the cause.

Here is what the BIBLE says about the FIRST RESURRECTION AND RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.

WHEN WILL THE RAPTURE TAKE PLACE?

Many proofs of the POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE

READ ALSO: THE DAY OF WRATH

Oneness Apostolic Pentecostal Holiness - Primary Descriptors

I use the terms ONENESS APOSTOLIC PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS as primary identifiers.

The word APOSTOLIC means "of the Apostles." Most of Christianity today is NOT Apostolic. It does NOT preach the ONENESS of God, which is the only true and correct doctrine of the Godhead. The term Apostolic sets me apart from even the Trinitarian Pentecostals, including the Assemblies of God, Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), Church of God in Christ, and the entire Charismatic Movement. None of those are truly Apostolic. The Trinity doctrine is NOT Apostolic. It is heresy. I have written hundreds of pages on this doctrine. It is essential that we distinguish ourselves from Trinitarians, and the term Apostolic has been used for the past 100 years to make that distinction. I am unashamed. I boldly declare that I am a Oneness Apostolic. I do not baptize in the TITLES but in the NAME of Jesus Christ "for the remission of sins," Acts 2:38. In John 3:3-7, Jesus taught that the NEW BIRTH consists of WATER and SPIRIT. Water baptism in the name of Jesus and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues is the fulfillment of the WATER/SPIRIT birth. That is what the Apostles preached and practiced, and that is why I call myself Apostolic.

There are several Orthodox Catholic groups who refer to themselves as Apostolic, usually rooted in Eastern Orthodoxy. There is also a new and modern so-called evangelical movement in America that calls themselves Apostolic, but they are anti-Pentecostals. That is why I use the terms ONENESS and PENTECOSTAL to distinguish myself from those who are NOT Oneness or Pentecostal.

I use the term PENTECOSTAL because the largest part of Christianity is NOT Pentecostal. That means that we preach and practice the experience of Acts 2 - the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. I want the world to know that I am Pentecostal. I am not a Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Mormon, SDA, JW, or anything else. If you don't know that I am a tongue-talker, you don't know who I am. I am, as much as anything else in the world, a PENTECOSTAL.

I use the term HOLINESS to distinguish myself from those who do NOT preach or practice holy lifestyles. HOLINESS means sacred, set apart, separated from the world, consecrated, sanctified. In practical terms, it means that I have rejected the ways of the world, and am identifiably different in my vocabulary, my interests, my manner of living, my habits, my conversation, my manner of dress, and even - yes, even - my hair. HOLINESS means that I attempt to live and act and dress exactly the way the Bible tells me to, in CONTRAST to the ways of the world. HOLINESS people are distinguishably different from other people, and that includes most other professing Christians. I am unashamed. I boldly declare that I believe in and practice HOLY living.

It would not suffice, in these days and times, to use only one of these terms, because most people are completely ignorant of these distinguishing doctrines. There are very few people in the world who practice HOLINESS outside the Oneness Apostolic Pentecostal people, but there are a few, so we attach the terms Apostolic Pentecostal to make that distinction.

If you do not want to be separate, then you can continue to blend in with the crowd, be ecumenical, dress and act and live however you please, and believe that everybody who says "Lord, Lord" is going to Heaven. But I don't, and never will.

There you have it. I am a Oneness Apostolic Pentecostal Holiness believer. That is what a true Christian is. Everything else is anti-Christian "Christianity."

I am UNASHAMED.

If WATER BAPTISM is not essential, EXPLAIN THIS...

If water baptism is not essential, explain this...

WHY DID GOD SEND JOHN TO BAPTIZE WITH WATER?

"He that sent me to
BAPTIZE
WITH WATER,
the same said unto me...,"
John 1:33.

WHY WAS WATER BAPTISM the trademark of JOHN THE BAPTIST'S entire ministry?

"Then went out to him JERUSALEM, and ALL JUDAEA,
and ALL THE REGION round about Jordan,
And were [WATER] BAPTIZED of him in Jordan,
confessing their sins," Matthew 3:5-6.

"And John also was BAPTIZING in Aenon near to Salim,
because there was MUCH WATER THERE:
and they came, and WERE BAPTIZED," John 3:23.

WHY DID MULTITUDES come to JOHN specifically TO BE WATER BAPTIZED?

"Then said he to the multitude that came forth
TO BE BAPTIZED of him..." Luke 3:7.

WHY DID TAX COLLECTORS come to JOHN specifically TO BE WATER BAPTIZED of him?

"Then came also publicans TO BE BAPTIZED," Luke 3:12.

WHY DID JOHN associate WATER BAPTISM together with REPENTANCE?

"I indeed baptize you with WATER unto REPENTANCE,"
Matthew 3:11.

WHY DID LUKE declare that the Pharisees and lawyers had REJECTED THE COUNSEL OF GOD because they had NOT BEEN WATER BAPTIZED by John?

"But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God
against themselves, being NOT BAPTIZED of him [John],"
Luke 7:30.

WHY DID JOHN say that HE NEEDED to be WATER BAPTIZED by Jesus?

"I have need to be [water] baptized of Thee," Matthew 3:14.

WHY WAS WATER BAPTISM the first thing JESUS DID in His public life?

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John,
to be [water] baptized of him," Matthew 3:13.

WHY DID THE HOLY GHOST bear witness to JESUS' Sonship during His WATER BAPTISM ceremony?

"And Jesus, when he was [water] baptized, went up straightway
out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove,
and lighting upon him," Matthew 3:16.

WHY DID JESUS require HIS BAPTISM for His disciples?

"Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of,
and to be BAPTIZED with the baptism that I am baptized with?
They say unto him, We are able.
And He saith unto them, Ye shall indeed..." Matthew 20:22.

WHY DID JESUS decree, "He that believeth AND IS BAPTIZED shall be saved"? Mark 16:16.

WHY DID JESUS TEACH water baptism in HIS FIRST DOCTRINAL LESSON ON RECORD (to Nicodemus)?

"Except a man be born of WATER and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," John 3:5.

WHY DID JESUS TAKE OVER JOHN'S ROLE IN WATER BAPTIZING PEOPLE?

"And they came unto John, and said unto him,
Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan,
to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same BAPTIZETH,
and ALL MEN COME TO HIM," John 3:25-26

WHY DID JESUS BAPTIZE MORE THAN JOHN, and authorize His disciples to WATER BAPTIZE others?

"...the Pharisees had heard that
JESUS MADE AND BAPTIZED MORE DISCIPLES THAN JOHN,
(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)"
John 4:1-2.

WHY WAS WATER BAPTISM IN JESUS' NAME the FIRST THING PETER commanded in his FIRST SERMON to sinners?

"Then Peter said unto them, REPENT,
AND BE [WATER] BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," Acts 2:38.

WHY DID 3,000 PEOPLE GET WATER BAPTIZED following Peter's first sermon?

"Then they that gladly received his word
WERE [WATER] BAPTIZED: and the same day
there were added unto them about three thousand souls,"
Acts 2:41. (NOTE: The Upper Room was near the Brook Kidron.)

WHY DID PHILIP the Evangelist preach WATER BAPTISM in Samaria?

"When they believed Philip preaching
the things concerning the kingdom of God,
and THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST,
THEY WERE [WATER] BAPTIZED, both men and women,"
Acts 8:12.

WHY DID SIMON THE SORCERER get WATER BAPTIZED immediately upon his conversion?

"Then Simon himself believed also:
and when HE WAS [WATER] BAPTIZED,
he continued with Philip," Acts 8:13.

WHY WERE THE SAMARITANS BAPTIZED IN JESUS' NAME before they received the Holy Ghost?

"(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only
THEY WERE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS.)
Then laid they their hands on them,
and they received the Holy Ghost [speaking in tongues],"
Acts 8:16-17.

WHY DID THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH demand that Philip WATER BAPTIZE him immediately?

"And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain WATER:
and the eunuch said, See, HERE IS WATER;
what doth hinder me to be BAPTIZED?
...and they went down both INTO THE WATER,
both Philip and the eunuch; and HE BAPTIZED HIM,"
Acts 8:36-38.

WHY DID ANANIAS COMMAND SAUL (Paul) to WASH AWAY his sins (be WATER BAPTIZED) IN THE NAME OF JESUS?

"And now why tarriest thou?
arise, and BE [WATER] BAPTIZED,
and WASH AWAY THY SINS,
CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD,"
Acts 22:16.
"And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales:
and he received sight forthwith,
and arose, and WAS [WATER] BAPTIZED,"
Acts 9:18.

WHY DID PETER COMMAND the first Gentiles to be WATER BAPTIZED in Jesus' name IN HIS FIRST SERMON TO GENTILES?

"While Peter yet spake these words,
the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished,
as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also
was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
Then answered Peter,
CAN ANY MAN FORBID WATER,
that these should not be [WATER] BAPTIZED,
which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
And HE COMMANDED THEM TO BE [WATER] BAPTIZED
IN THE NAME OF THE LORD," Acts 10:44-48.

WHY DID LYDIA and HER HOUSEHOLD get WATER BAPTIZED immediately when she heard PAUL preach the Gospel BESIDE THE RIVER in Philippi?

"And a certain woman named Lydia,
...whose heart the Lord opened, that
she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
And when SHE WAS [WATER} BAPTIZED,
AND HER HOUSEHOLD
...she constrained us [to stay]," Acts 16:14-15.

WHY DID THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER and ALL HIS household get WATER BAPTIZED in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT when he first believed?

"And he took them the same hour of the night,
and washed their stripes;
and WAS [WATER] BAPTIZED,
  HE and ALL HIS, STRAIGHTWAY,"
Acts 16:33.

WHY DID ALL THE BELIEVERS AT CORINTH get WATER BAPTIZED?

"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue,
believed on the Lord with all his house;
and many of the Corinthians hearing believed,
AND WERE [WATER] BAPTIZED," Acts 18:8.

WHY DID THE BELIEVERS AT EPHESUS (who had already been baptized according to John the Baptist) get RE-BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS?

"He said unto them,
Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?
And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard
whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them,
Unto what then were YE [WATER] BAPTIZED?
And they said, Unto JOHN'S BAPTISM. Then said Paul,
John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,
saying unto the people, that they should believe on him
which should come after him, that is,
ON CHRIST JESUS. When they heard this,
THEY WERE [RE-] BAPTIZED
IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them,
the Holy Ghost came on them;
and they spake with tongues, and prophesied,"
Acts 19:2-6.

WHY DID PAUL PREACH TO THE ROMANS THAT WATER BAPTISM MEANS DEATH TO SIN?

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were
[WATER] BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST
were [WATER} BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH?
Therefore we are BURIED WITH HIM
BY [WATER] BAPTISM into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life,"
Romans 6:3-4.

Paul taught that WATER BAPTISM is the LIKENESS OF JESUS' BURIAL.

"Know ye not, that so many of us
as were [WATER] BAPTIZED into Jesus Christ
were [WATER] BAPTIZED into his death? Therefore
we are BURIED WITH HIM BY [WATER] BAPTISM into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
...if we have been PLANTED [by water baptism]
together in the LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection,"
Romans 6:3-5.
"For as many of you as have been
BAPTIZED into Christ have put on Christ,"
Galatians 3:27.

Paul compared the COMBINATION of SPIRIT BAPTISM and WATER BAPTISM to the Israelite's crossing the RED SEA, OUT OF EGYPT.

"And were all BAPTIZED unto Moses
in the cloud [the type of SPIRIT baptism]
and in the sea [the type of WATER baptism],"
1 Corinthians 10:2.

WATER BAPTISM and SPIRIT BAPTISM are INEXTRICABLY LINKED in ONE TESTIMONY.

WATER BAPTISM IN THE NAME OF JESUS is the BURIAL of a man who has DIED TO SIN by REPENTANCE.

SPIRIT BAPTISM (receiving the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues) is the RESURRECTION of a man who has DIED TO SIN and been filled with the ETERNAL LIFE OF GOD.

DEATH, BURIAL and RESURRECTION is the complete work of the NEW BIRTH.

DEATH is accomplished by REPENTANCE.
BURIAL is accomplished by WATER BAPTISM IN JESUS' NAME.
RESURRECTION is accomplished by receiving the Holy Ghost speaking in other tongues.

"And there are three that bear witness in earth,
the SPIRIT, and the WATER, and the BLOOD:
and these three AGREE IN ONE," 1 John 5:8.

The BLOOD of Jesus, the WATER of Baptism and the Baptism of the HOLY GHOST COMBINE as ONE WORK to save your eternal soul!!

SO WHY DID ALL THESE PEOPLE BAPTIZE IN WATER?

Because WATER BAPTISM
IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION!!

Water Baptism is the SECOND ELEMENT of the New Birth. Death, BURIAL, and Resurrection.

If you have not yet been WATER BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS FOR THE REMISSION OF YOUR SINS, you have NO REASON to believe you are saved. Your sins are not remitted, and you have not yet been BORN OF THE WATER.

WATER BAPTISM in JESUS' NAME is both NECESSARY and it is URGENT!!

"...in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight souls were SAVED BY WATER.
The like figure whereunto even
[WATER] BAPTISM doth also now save us,"
1 Peter 3:20-21.

RIGHT NOW...

"Repent, and BE [WATER] BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU
IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,"
Acts 2:38.

Get on your phone and call a Oneness, Apostolic, Acts 2:38 Pentecostal preacher and ask him to baptize you in Jesus' name TODAY!

You may not be here tomorrow.

Tithing versus Robbing God

I can't believe my ears when I hear people argue against tithing into God's work. You don't owe God 10%. You owe Him 100%. Greed is deadly.

For more than 3,000 years, Godly people paid tithes WITHOUT receiving a tax-deduction. You may lose your deductions someday. Don't stop giving.

The Tithe
- - -
Abraham was the first on record to offer a tithe (tenth) of his income - to the priest of Salem, Melchizedek. Jacob vowed to give his tithe to the LORD. God prescribed that all of Israel should tithe into the Tabernacle for the support of the priesthood. Without the tithe, the ministry would have been starved out of business. God curses those who refuse to tithe.
- - -
Malachi 3:8 - “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me.”

Tithing Activates A Prophesied Blessing
- - -
Paying tithes sets into motion the promises of God. God wants His people to support the ministry. When you underwrite the work of God, God will underwrite you. Besides, He says the first ten percent is His (verse 8). NEVER spend God's money on yourself.
- - -
Malachi 3:10 - “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Tithers Are Very Important People
- - -
Who can you turn to for this kind of security? Nobody but your Creator can make this offer. The tithers - God's people who faithfully return to Him the first-fruits of their labors - become the VIP's in this world. God's Very Important People. “I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field.”
- - -
Malachi 3:12 - “And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Abraham Was A Tither
- - -
Tithing is controversial to some people. Some people go to the greatest lengths to prove that they do not have to pay tithes. Abraham did not pay tithes because there was a law. Jacob voluntarily promised God that he would give Him a tenth of all his substance (Genesis 28:22). The patriarchs established a precedent of giving to God. In reality, we owe God everything. Why would anyone argue that they owe God nothing? Something must be wrong.
- - -
Hebrews 7:1 - “For this Melchisedec, ...priest of the most high God, ...To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all...”

Tithes For Ministers
- - -
Abraham paid a tenth of his earnings to Mechizedek the Priest. Jacob vowed to pay tithe continually. Moses called the tithe “holy unto the Lord,” Leviticus 27:30. Israel paid tithes to the Levites, and Levites tithed to the High Priest. God appointed tithes to support the ministry.
- - -
Numbers 18:26 - “Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.”

Treasures In The House Of God
- - -
In addition to the ministry of the priests, the house of the LORD in Jerusalem housed tithes and offerings from the people, priceless Temple treasures, and vast spoils of war brought home by Israel's armies. David organized “strong” and “mighty” men called “porters,” grouped by family clans, to guard the doors and gates of this veritable “treasure house.” About 1700 men in all managed and protected the treasures around-the-clock. Their salaries were derived from the spoils.
- - -
1 Chronicles 26:27 - “Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD.”

Prescription For Revival
- - -
Hezekiah successfully turned Judah and many in Israel back to God in one of the greatest reformations in the Bible. He destroyed all the images, high places and pagan altars, then carefully re-instituted the priesthood by genealogy. He totally cleansed the Temple and instructed the people to bring their firstfruits (tithes). Revival demands casting out the wrong and magnifying the right.
- - -
2 Chronicles 31:21 - “In every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.”

A Curse And An Oath To Walk In God's Laws
- - -
The long, hard work of Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah at last culminated in a real revival of the fear of God. The people wrote and sealed a covenant to serve the LORD according to His laws. They promised to separate themselves from the ways of their heathen relatives. They promised not to allow their children to marry the heathen. And they promised to pay tithes and give offerings to support the Temple and the work of God.
- - -
Nehemiah 10:29 - “They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law.”

If you spent your tithe money - firstfruit -on a house note, car note, or other items, be warned. Robbing God is worse than robbing a bank.

Some people say that tithing is not taught in the New Testament. Yes it is. Jesus said of tithing, "This ought ye to have done," Mt 23:23.

Pharisees tithed, but neglected judgment and love of God. JESUS: "THESE [TITHING] OUGHT YE TO HAVE DONE, and not to leave the other undone."

Jesus Christ Himself taught tithing. "These ought ye to have done," Luke 11:42. Paul instructed the Church to donate weekly (1 Cor. 16:2).

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed..," Malachi3:8-9

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse...[I will] pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" Mal.3:10

"When you tithe, you aren't giving God 10% of your stuff; you're keeping 90% of His stuff," Nathaniel Urshan II.

From the days of Melchizedek, the tithe went to the priest/preacher. There is not ONE VERSE in the New Testament that overturns the Old Testament teachings of tithing. We must presume that the New Testament ministry was supported just like the Old Testament ministry had been supported: by the TITHES of the saints. That premise cannot be disproven. Paul obviously believed that when he told Timothy, "The husbandman that laboureth must be FIRST PARTAKER OF THE FRUITS," 2 Timothy 2:6.

Forbidding to pay the tithe is like muzzling the ox that treads the corn. "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?" ! Corinthians 9:7-9. The firstfruits of the field belong to the man/minister who is working the field.

If you are paying tithes to a Church that preaches false doctrine, you are complicit with their sins. Get out, and support a TRUTH preacher.

"For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds," 2 John 1:11. Don't send your tithes/offerings to false preachers.

BOTTOM LINE: Almighty God intends that the ministry of the Gospel Truth be paid for by tithe-payers. That is the divine financial plan for the Gospel.

Furthermore, I submit to you that those who fight against the doctrine of tithing NOT ONLY do not have a scriptural foundation for their argument, but that they are driven by selfish GREED. That is an evil spirit that has no place in the Church of the living God. "God loves a CHEERFUL giver," not a stingy, excuse-making, God-robber.

Intellectualism versus GOD?

Intellectualism versus God? Do you have to be stupid to believe in God? Why does intellectualism often lead to atheism?

"...the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned," 1 Corinthians 2:14.

The whiz kids insist that Christians are in denial of reality by believing in God. But the man of God knows that "the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse," Romans 1:20.

Anybody who demands that there is no God is in the most foolish denial of the inexplicable miracle of all things. "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear," Hebrews 11:3.

I have no problem whatsoever believing that an invisible God created all this. I find it impossible to believe that it could ever have happened without Him. If everything in the physical, material realm contradicted the Word of God, I would still believe it because I know that the invisible things of God are disguised and indistinguishable to the unbeliever - they are hidden.

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter," Proverbs 25:2.

The hidden things are made plain to those who believe.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork," Psalms 19:1.

"...Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory," 1 Peter 1:7-8.

"For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them," Luke 10:24.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed," John 20:29.

I don't know how Moses opened the Red Sea, or called water out of the rock. I don't know how Jericho's walls fell, how Balaam's donkey talked, how Elijah raised the widow's son, filled the borrowed vessels with oil, or called fire down on Mt. Carmel. I don't know how Naman's leprosy was cured, or the Syrian Army was all blinded. I don't know how Jonah survived the whale, Daniel survived the lions' den, or the three Hebrews survived the fiery furnace.

I don't know how Jesus turned water into wine, calmed a storm, walked on the water, fed 5,000 men, raised Lazarus from his tomb, or how He rose from the grave after three days.

But I believe. Every time I look at a cherry tree in blossom, I believe in God. When I see a brightly-colored finch, I believe in God. When I look into the eyes of a friend, I believe in God.

But of all the testimonies of God, the Bible says that "the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy," Revelation 19:10. As a life-long student of Bible prophecies, I am as impressed by the fulfilling of countless ancient prophecies of the Bible IN MY TIME as any other miracle I can think of. When I see how many prophecies of the Bible have been AMAZINGLY fulfilled in my lifetime, I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that EVERY WORD OF GOD IS SURE.

And among all those infallible words are these, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also," John 14:1-3. I believe that Jesus is coming back to earth.

I really don't care what anybody thinks of me. Let them call me a fool. Let them think of me as a poor, deluded simpleton if that makes them happy. I am satisfied that Jesus Christ is EVERYTHING the Bible says He is, and more. I believe that God is bigger than we have ever preached Him to be. I BELIEVE!

So you can have all the intellectualism in the world. Do with it as you please. I choose to believe in God, His Word, and His Christ. We will soon see who was the wise man.

If I was a fool, the worst I can do is die.
If the intellectual is a fool, the worst he can do is spend eternity regretting his doubts.

Speaking in Tongues HAS NOT Ceased

If "tongues have ceased," then the Baptism of the Holy Ghost has ceased, and the Church has ceased. Pentecostalism IS the Church of Acts 2.

The Early Church was full of the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. A church that preaches against speaking in tongues is not a true Church.

For fifty years I've had the baptism of the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues. I'm absolutely convinced that you don't know Christ without it.

Worldwide percentage of "Pentecostals" who speak in tongues is down dramatically. Is professional MUSIC replacing the Holy Ghost experience?

PAUL at EPHESUS: "They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus...the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues," Acts 19:5-6.

Apostle Paul didn't go all over Europe building soup kitchens, orphanages, disaster relief. He PREACHED, cast out devils, healed the sick, talked in tongues

EARLY CHURCH had NO GURUS, growth specialist or social media consultants. They PREACHED, spoke in tongues, cast out devils, healed the sick.

"Praying always ...in the Spirit," Ephesians 6:18. "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all," Paul, 1 Corinthians 14:18.

Praying in unknown tongues (praying in the Spirit) is the definitive Acts 2 Pentecostal experience. Jesus said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."

You should plan to pray every day of your life. Pray in the SPIRIT! 

Jesus CAME to baptize with the Holy Ghost (Mt3:11; Mk16:1; Lk12:50). If you don't see anyone speaking in tongues, you're in the wrong Church.

People who comically imitate speaking in tongues mock one of the most sacred gifts God ever gave man. God is not mocked. Don't tread on Him.

I detest and despise cool Churches. The real Church is baptized in FIRE! God hates a lukewarm church, and will spew it out of His mouth.

Give me that old-time religion; the fiery kind where they shout, sing, talk in in tongues, without high-tech stuff.

One of the most impressive sights in the world is children and teenagers worshiping God-being filled with the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in other tongues, is a truly supernatural phenomenon EVERY believer should experience.

Christians who deny the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with speaking in tongues deny the very purpose for which Christ came. Luke 3:16 and 12:50.

Christianity is under a scourge of amateur, novice leaders; wanna-be celebrities who may sing or speak but never studied the Bible or prayed

You cannot be saved defying/rejecting Jesus' and Apostles' doctrines; water baptism in Jesus' name, Holy Ghost baptism, speaking in tongues.

Without Biblical doctrines, including repentance, water baptism in Jesus' name, Holy Ghost baptism speaking in tongues, it's not the Church.

THE NEW BIRTH - Answering TWO Controversies - BAPTISM - Matthew 28:19 vs Acts 2:38 - and SPEAKING IN TONGUES. See this article: http://goo.gl/AMdAK

TRUE Church has REPENTED (renounced sin) BORN of WATER (baptism in Jesus' name) BORN of SPIRIT baptism (speaking in tongues) Jn3:5-Acts2:38

"Receive ye the Holy Ghost" John 20:22 "They shall speak with new tongues" Mark 16:17 "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost" Matthew3:1

"Ye shall receive power, AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses..unto the uttermost part of the earth,"Ac1:8.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance," Acts 2:4.

NOBODY in the Upper Room knew what they were saying when they spoke in tongues by the Holy Ghost. You will NOT know the language. Just obey.

"The sign of Christianity is not a cross but a tongue of fire," Samuel Chadwick.

A Christian without the baptism of the Holy Ghost is a well without water, a cloud without rain, a tree without fruit, a lamp without oil.

CORNELIUS' HOME Peter preached. All received Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues."He COMMANDED them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" Ac10:48

"The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not just an accessory or an add-on; it's the engine!" Stephen Judd.

If you reject the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and speaking in other tongues, you reject the entire Book of Acts and the New Testament Church.

Anyone who denies the Baptism of the Holy Ghost does not understand the Gospel and should not be preaching until he receives the Holy Ghost.

One of the gravest mistakes I ever made in my life was believing that anyone who denies Pentecostalism has a secret to Church growth.

There was NO non-Pentecostal Church in the New Testament. They ALL baptized in Jesus' name and spoke in other tongues. ALL were Pentecostal.

Something is suspiciously wrong when professing Christians leave out the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The Church was BORN Pentecostal! Acts 2.

Churches that deny the Baptism of the Holy Ghost are technically not churches at all. CHURCH is the people who have the Holy Ghost - Acts 2.

Pentecostalism is not an aberration of Christianity. It IS Christianity. All the apostles and saints in the first Church spoke in tongues.

The entire early Church was "Pentecostal." They spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance. Biblical Christianity is Pentecostal.

Mainstream Christianity relegates Pentecostalism to the fringe. But in the Apostles' day, there were no non-Pentecostal Christians.

"Forbid not to speak with tongues," 1 Corinthians 14:39. If your Church disapproves of speaking in tongues, you're in the wrong Church.

"I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all," Apostle Paul, 57AD; Ken Raggio, 2012.
 
The ENTIRE Early Church was Pentecostal. Entire New Testament written by Pentecostals. There is absolutely NO LOGIC in the modern Church being non-Pentecostal.

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is the infilling of the Spirit of Christ, the New Birth, the NEW MAN - CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory.

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts," Zechariah 4:6.

If your Church does not urge you be baptized in the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, you are in the wrong Church. Be filled with the Spirit.

ANTI-PENTECOSTAL "Christians" are the most damnably deceived people on earth. Anti-Holy Ghost baptism is Anti-Christ. The Holy Ghost IS the Spirit of Christ. Receiving the Holy Ghost is the SPIRIT BIRTH.

If people do not receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost (speaking in other tongues) in your Church, you should find a Pentecostal Church.

I am not ashamed of the doctrine of Holy Ghost baptism, speaking in tongues. It is perfectly true, perfectly Biblical. See: Water and Spirit Baptism: The New Birth

Jesus told His disciples to preach the Word, cast out devils, speak with new tongues, heal the sick. Social programs were not His priority.

IS SPEAKING IN TONGUES NECESSARY? Absolutely yes.

Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

Five WISE virgins had OIL in their lamps. FOOLISH had NO OIL. No Holy Ghost. Missed the wedding. 

Have YOU received the Holy Ghost since you believed? RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST!

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles," Acts 2:38-43.

If you are not in an Acts 2:38 Pentecostal Church, you are wasting your time and your life.

Christian Entertainment - An Oxymoron

A "Christian" band with tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment, and hundreds of hours of choreographed, sensualized dance and performance routine rehearsals, uses advanced technical, audio, visual, lighting and graphics, and spends thousands of dollars to promote a concert in which they will sing songs that have no meaning, no legitimate message, having generic lyrics that could just as easily pass as teenage love songs - which is all some of them were ever meant to be in the first place. One former Pentecostal-turned-homosexual was heard mocking praise and worship leaders who had made a major worship chorus out of a song that had originally been written as a love song between homosexuals.

There is no true Gospel within a thousand miles of such swill, no true benefit to the Kingdom of God, but it altogether deceives and deludes an unsuspecting generation of young people into a phony and meaningless "Christian" experience.
 
Where are the Pastors who will loudly denounce such wicked nonsense and utterly ban it from the platforms of Pentecostal churches?

"...they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit," Jude 1:18-19.

"...men shall be lovers of their own selves, ...proud, ...heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which ...lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts," 2 Timothy 3:1-6.

ENTERTAINMENT is "Something that amuses, pleases, or diverts, especially a performance or show."

A.W. Tozer said (in 1955),

 "...the present inordinate attachment to every form of entertainment is evidence that the inner life of modem man is in serious decline. ...He has become a parasite on the world, drawing his life from his environment, unable to live a day apart from the stimulation which society affords him.

...there are millions who cannot live without amusement; life without some form of entertainment for them is simply intolerable; they look forward to the blessed relief afforded by professional entertainers and other forms of psychological narcotics as a dope addict looks to his daily shot of heroin. Without them they could not summon courage to face existence.

...The growth of the amusement phase of human life to such fantastic proportions is a portent, a threat to the souls of modern men. It has been built into a multimillion dollar racket with greater power over human minds and human character than any other educational influence on earth.

And the ominous thing is that its power is almost exclusively evil, rotting the inner life, crowding out the long eternal thoughts which would fill the souls of men if they were but worthy to entertain them. And the whole thing has grown into a veritable religion which holds its devotees with a strange fascination, and a religion, incidentally, against which it is now dangerous to speak.

For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was—a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability.

For this she got herself abused roundly by the sons of this world. But of late she has become tired of the abuse and has given over the struggle. She appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great god Entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make what use she can of his powers.

So today we have the astonishing spectacle of millions of dollars being poured into the unholy job of providing earthly entertainment for the so-called sons of heaven. Religious entertainment is in many places rapidly crowding out the serious things of God.

Many churches these days have become little more than poor theaters where fifth-rate "producers" peddle their shoddy wares with the full approval of evangelical leaders who can even quote a holy text in defense of their delinquency. And hardly a man dares raise his voice against it.

...Is it not a strange thing and a wonder that, ...with the coming of Christ drawing near, the professed followers of the Lord should be giving themselves up to religious amusements? That in an hour when mature saints are so desperately needed vast numbers of believers should revert to spiritual childhood and clamor for religious toys?"

It is sadly ironic that Christians who are most prayerful, most studious, most consecrated to godliness get sidelined while halfhearts lead. The Church platform should be a sacred venue for the purest, most Biblically-sound voices. God MUST NOT be misrepresented in our assemblies. The Church would be better off with no music at all than to allow spiritual chaos in via carnal, worldly, wanna-be-celebrity musicians.

SUPER worldly + SUPER Christian = SUPER deceived. Bitter water and sweet water do not come from the same well. Religious entertainment is an oxymoron. But it is worse than an oxymoron. It is an archenemy of all truth, righteousness and holiness. Spirit and flesh do not mix. Carnality and spirituality are mutual enemies. God is not mocked. The Holy Ghost will NOT share the stage with such wickedness.

DRIVE THESE SELF-ABSORBED CHRISTIAN IMPOSTERS OUT OF THE CHURCH RIGHT NOW - NOT LATER!!

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, ...Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people," Joel 2:15-18.

The Lure and Snare of Big Stuff

Big stuff. The biggest crowds. The loudest noise. The most extravagant wealth. The brightest lights.

People love BIG STUFF. They go to YouTube and watch the video that has the most views. They buy the CDs that top the charts. They read the book that is on the Best Seller list. They go to the concerts that have the biggest crowds.

They don't know what the content is. They don't know what the value of the content is. They don't know the integrity (or lack of integrity) of the characters involved. They simply follow it because everybody else is following it. There is no meaningful criteria at work. No righteous judgment. No scrutiny or careful analysis.

Marketing gurus call it social proofing. Social proofing means that your popularity is your selling point. People should follow you because other people follow you.

The networks boast of their top rankings because RANKINGS ALONE attracts viewers. If it is POPULAR, it is presumed to be GOOD. It is presumed to be BETTER than that which is unpopular.

It is crowd psychology. Herd mentality. Mob rule. CONFORMITY! That is what it is. Conformity to the majority opinion, regardless of the fact that the majority is wrong. It is the BROAD WAY that leads to destruction.

Yes, crowds followed Jesus, but crowds crucified Him, too. The crowd is fickle. The crowd is indiscriminate. The crowd is almost always wrong. And that's a fact.

One of the most popular entertainers in the world is Lady Gaga. She was the first performer whose YouTube video had over ONE BILLION VIEWS. One concert tour generated over $227 MILLION in sales. She has sold over 27 million albums and more than 125 million singles. But her message is more poisonous than a cobra. Her mega-hit-song BORN THIS WAY is raw demonic homosexual activism. Her monster hit JUST DANCE is a celebration of mindless drunken fornicating. Yet she is celebrated around the world as one of the most brilliant, talented and inspiring people on earth. And the bigger she gets, the bigger she gets. The crowd has fallen into one of world's largest slime-pit Hell-holes, mindlessly following the herd.

BIG STUFF.

Christians are just as guilty of it as non-Christians. Christians increasingly follow whoever has the biggest following, and that is almost always the wrong criteria. They follow the celebrity singers, the celebrity preachers, the celebrity authors, the celebrity everything. They go to a church because it is the biggest church. And they are being led by the Pied Piper right over the cliff and into the raging river.

God gave you a brain and a mind to THINK. He gave you His Word to TEACH YOU right and wrong. And God expects you to make wise choices. God requires us to discern between right and wrong, good and evil, light and dark, life and death.

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days," Deuteronomy 30:19-20.

"Therefore thus saith the LORD, ...if thou TAKE FORTH THE PRECIOUS FROM THE VILE, thou shalt be as my mouth: ...And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible," Jeremiah 15:19-21.

What does that mean? God says that if we will SAVE THAT WHICH IS PRECIOUS from all the vile things, He will save us. The unspoken conclusion is that if we do NOT separate the precious from the vile, we will be destroyed. You know that is the truth. We must stop tolerating wicked and evil things.  We must stop following things just because everybody else does. We must stand RIGHT NOW for Truth, righteousness and holiness.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God," Romans 12:2.

HEAVEN and HELL. The CARROT and the STICK.

The CARROT and STICK is an age-old example of effective motivation. Presumably, if you dangle a carrot in front of mule, he will go forward in pursuit of the carrot. If the mule cannot be moved by the carrot, the stick will be applied to drive him forward. It is a simple illustration of REWARDS and PUNISHMENT. However primitive the example is, it is nevertheless an accurate depiction of how men are motivated by the prospect of receiving a reward for progress, or being punished for a lack of progress.

God has employed the carrot and stick throughout the Bible - HEAVEN as an eternal reward for obedience, and HELL as an eternal punishment for disobedience. Nobody taught this concept more than Jesus Christ Himself.

It works for me. I am sufficiently motivated by the offer of ETERNAL LIFE in God's Heaven, with Jesus Christ, His angels, and the saints of all the ages. I am sufficiently deterred by the dreadfulness of HELL, eternal torments, pain and regrets. I do believe that I have an eternal soul, and that my eternal destiny is mine to choose.

Sadly, this generation does not seem to be affected by the carrot and the stick. Many of them reject the concept of eternal rewards and eternal punishments, choosing instead the beggarly elements of this world for their reward, and defiant denial that they will ever be punished for any wrong. It is ultimately a personal choice.

I am convinced of the supernatural power of God to save and to destroy; to create this universe, give life to all things living, sustain this miraculous environment we live in, or to pronounce death and destruction. I genuinely believe in God, and that He is embodied in Jesus Christ. I believe the miracles of the Bible, not the least of which is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Consequently, I believe in Heaven and Hell.

Conversely, I am convinced that anyone who rejects the carrot and stick of Heaven and Hell must certainly be an atheist. And I agree with the Psalmist who said, "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" If you cannot be motivated to righteousness by Heaven, and cannot be deterred from sin by Hell, you obviously do not believe there is a God, and are therefore identified by the scriptures as a fool.

I can only appeal to your good senses and urge you to consider that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by an eternal, life-giving God. Do not spurn God's carrot and stick. Do not despise the eternal reward of Heaven, or scoff at the eternal punishment of Hell.

ESAU despised the great reward, choosing a small, insignificant, temporal reward instead. He chose a bowl of beans instead of multi-generational blessings of God. Don't fall into the ESAU pit. In time, he regretted his choice, but it was too late. The reward was given to another, and it could not be restored.

Jesus taught that the poor but godly man, Lazarus, died and received his reward. The rich and sinful man died and received his punishment. "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented," Luke 16:24-25.

The CARROT. The STICK. HEAVEN and HELL. It is no joking matter. God wants you and me to love Him and obey His Word. He has applied the perfect carrot and the perfect stick. If you and I cannot be moved to love and serve Him by these, then we are among the greatest fools of all time.

See also: http://kenraggio.blogspot.com/2014/10/heaven-yes-hell-no.html

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