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Of God, Rocks, and Infinity

Have you ever run into the question, “Can God make a rock that is SO BIG… that He cannot lift it Himself?” Perhaps you have when out evangelizing or witnessing to someone. It would seem to be a very difficult question, would it not?

In some instances, this might be a sincere inquiry from someone who has pondered this question because they are considering the Christian faith. Perhaps some “intellectual” used this question with them—a professor in college, for example—and now they find this to be a stumbling block to be overcome before embracing the truth of the Gospel.

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However, in many other instances, the person simply thinks that they “have you.” They are using this inquiry in an effort to refute your faith, or perhaps simply to get you to leave them alone.

So what is the explanation for the sincere inquirer? What is the appropriate “come back” that should be used for a skeptic? Well…I will explain that for you now. I will show you that theirs is actually a self-refuting question, because it is self-contradictory.

(By the way, please do not let the “infinity” title be a concern to you at all. This is actually one of the shorter articles that I have written on this website.)

False Dilemma

This particular question is actually a logical fallacy known as a “false dilemma.” It it presents in such a way that it appears that there are only two possible answers:

1. Yes, God can create a rock so big that He cannot lift it (implying clearly that He is NOT omnipotent, because He cannot lift it).
2. No, God cannot create such a rock (implying essentially the same thing; that He cannot create something that specific, and thus, He is not omnipotent).

Such a situation appears to be what is called a “dilemma.” This term can be defined as, “a situation requiring—by necessity—a choice between two equally undesirable alternatives; a perplexing predicament.” (Note: This was my own definition, assembled from more than one dictionary source).

In other words, whichever “choice” you pick, you seem to have lost the argument before you even began.

A “false dilemma,” however, is a fake dilemma. It is a deceptive “sleight of hand” (so to speak) that appears to force you into choosing one of two choices—when there might actually be a third one that is unspoken or unidentified; or even that the question itself is self-contradictory, and thus, self-refuted without choosing either of the “choices” that they offered.

This latter criterion is what is the case with the “false dilemma” question about God creating rocks. It is self-contradictory. But to see that fact, we need to explain a concept called “infinity” first.

Infinity as a Principle

If you have studied math to some degree beyond basic addition and subtraction, you have probably run into a term called “infinity.” It is represented in mathematics by the symbol “∞” (which looks like the number eight laying on its side). This English term in its simplest form means “to be without limit”… but it can mean much more than that.

“Infinite” is originally derived from the Latin word, infinitus, which is itself formed by two other Latin roots:

1. The inseparable particle in-, which means, “without, not.”
2. And the word finis, which means, “boundary, limit, border…end…” (from Cassell’s Latin Dictionary)

Thus, something that is truly “infinite” is without a boundary, limit, border, or end. In short, it is eternal (which is another possible definition for the word “infinite” within most English dictionaries).

So with this term in mind, let me ask this simple math question: If a value is expressed as infinite ( ∞ ), what number is larger than that? The correct answer is: The question itself is absurd, for it is self-contradictory.

• The phrase “larger than” implies logically that the first term is NOT infinite. In order for something to be “larger than” it, the first term must be “finite” — i.e. “capable of being completely counted, NOT infinite or infinitesimal” (Dictionary.com).
• However, the word “infinity” is BY DEFINITION infinite, and thus, unable to be counted or measured.
• Thus, the question contradicts itself by imposing a finite value upon an infinite term.

The Law of Contradiction

The most basic and core law of logic is often called, “The Law of Contradiction.” It states simply that an object cannot be simultaneously “A” and “not A” at the same time.

To use an example, one cannot say that the same exact car is in the garage and NOT in the garage at the same point in time, for that statement is self-contradictory. Or using our math example above, one cannot say that something is “infinite” and “finite” (i.e. “not infinite) at the same time, because that contradicts itself. The two terms cancel each other out, and the result is a logical absurdity:

Absurdity (noun): 1. at variance with reason; manifestly false. 2. Ludicrous; ridiculous.

(World English Dictionary)

Now what about the question, “Can God make a rock so big that He cannot lift it?” It falls into the same category as the absurd math question above, of course.

God (i.e. the God of Christians and Jews, Who is revealed to us through the Bible) is by definition infinite. In using that description, we are acknowledging that He is without limit, boundary or end; that He is eternal. We can say this:

1. Because it is self-evident, in that He created all time, as well as all matter and energy within the universe.
2. Because as Christians, the Scriptures themselves clearly tell us that this is the case:

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“The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’”

(Deuteronomy 33:27, NKJV)

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…

Romans 1:20-22, NKJV)

Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

(Revelation 21:6-8, NKJV)

“…then I prayed to the LORD, saying, ‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.

(Jeremiah 32:16-20, NASB)

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& etc, & etc…

In fact, even the person asking the question, “Can God make a rock so big that He cannot lift it?” is clearly IMPLYING that they are discussing this same Holy God of the Bible in most instances. This is because that is the very God you were discussing with them when they decided to ask you this question. So it is self-evident that they must be talking about our infinite God when they make this inquiry.

But in the second part of their question, the person is asking if the rock can be so “heavy” (or “big”) that God cannot lift it Himself.

Thus, he or she is talking about the INFINITE Creator when they ask if He can create something “bigger” than Himself. So it is clear that they have logically contradicted themselves: They have asked if INFINITY Himself can create something “larger” or “heavier” than INFINITY. In other words, the person has just logically implied that infinite is really finite, i.e. that it has limits, boundaries, etc..

Rephrasing this analysis in the same bullet-point manner that we did in the math example further above:

• The phrase “cannot lift” implies logically that the object is “bigger” or “heavier” than the first term. This implies that the first term is NOT infinite, for it must be “finite” in order for something to be “larger” than it in regards to  its mass or size.
• However, the word “God,” BY DEFINITION, is infinite. Thus, it is absurd to assert that He is capable of having limits or boundaries.
• Thus, the question contradicts itself by imposing a finite limit upon an infinite Person.

I hope this short article “Of God, Rocks, and Infinity” was a blessing, and answered an importation question for you. If you were struggling with this concept yourself, then please let me encourage you that I was not insulting you in pointing out that this false dilemma is logically absurd. Rather, I am actually endeavoring to direct you toward eternal truth, by simply steering you away from logical error.

If this is the case, let me also recommend to you that you read my conversationally warm article The Supreme Value of Righteousness next. Within that post, you and I will have a good chat about the things of eternity—as if we were talking over a cup of coffee or tea somewhere. I believe it will be a blessing to you in many ways, for it will probably answer many more questions that you may have.

The commentary section is open below for those with an interesting thought to add. Please also feel free to use the Twitter and Facebook buttons, or the “Share/Save” menu below, to let others know about this article. Thanks.

Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

(Ephesians 6:23-24, NKJV)

Always in Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion

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Our New Facebook Group: Noble-Minded Christian Fellowship

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By request, we have launched a new group on Facebook through which to foster fellowship among like-minded Christian believers, based upon the concept of “noble-minded Christianity” that I have been developing. This concept is based upon the story of the Bereans found in Acts 17:10-12:

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

(NASB)

A pure faith is one which is based upon the Word of God. But as I explained within my earlier post, Four Characteristics of Sound Doctrine, such purity of faith does not come by accident. It takes study and diligence…and also a noble-minded approach to the Scriptures.

If you are on Facebook, and are looking for a place to fellowship around the Word of God—like a noble-minded Berean—then pleased come join us at Noble-Minded Christian Fellowship (Acts 17:10-12).

Always in Jesus,

-Rich

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Hades, Sheol, and Biblical Logic

There is a common objection made by heretics (link) regarding the factual existence of Hell as a place of damnation for unregenerate souls. It is the tired old argument, “The place called ‘Hell’ in Christendom is the Greek word, ‘hades.’ This is simply the Greek translation of the Hebrew word, ‘sheol’ or simply, ‘grave’.”

Really? Is hades only a translation of sheol? Is sheol merely a physical grave? Since we are discussing subjects with ETERNAL consequences, I think it is quite important that we get this right. So let’s see if that “off the cuff” argument can really hold up under closer examination.

It is my sincere hope that Christians reading this will be strengthened in their apologetic skills; and that those who have been deceived into denying the existence of a fiery place of torment will awaken to the truth BEFORE they find themselves there viewing it first hand.

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Thinking Logically

Before we begin, however, let me define a word will be be revealed within this article as properly applying to the assertion that “there is no Hell” or “there is no damnation.” This particular word is the term “absurd,” and it means:

As an adjective: Utterly or obviously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contrary to all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false: e.g. an absurd explanation.

As the noun “absurdity”: The quality or condition of existing in a meaningless and irrational world.

(Source)

In other words, this term refers to the logical condition of a statement or argument. Thus, it would probably be a good idea if we define “logic” as well:

Formal logic (deduction): The branch of philosophy concerned with analyzing the patterns of reasoning by which a conclusion is properly drawn from a set of premises, without reference to meaning or context.

(Source)

Or to make things a bit more simple for my readers: Logic (and we are discussing the type called “deductive logic” in particular) is the science of reasoning, in that good logic identifies proper relationships between different statements (called propositions), and draws appropriate conclusions supported by those same statements. Together, the premises and conclusion form an argument. The use of this term in regards to logic should not to be confused with a “shouting match” or hostility. A sound “argument” is merely “a process of reasoning” (Dictionary.com), and does not necessarily involve any contention or aggression.

In the study of logic, a properly constructed argument is called “valid” while an improperly constructed argument is termed “invalid.” The term “valid” does not mean that the conclusion is true, but only that the conclusion results necessarily from the propositions upon which it is founded. If the premises are false (i.e. untrue), then a valid argument cannot possibly produce a true conclusion. As we will see shortly, the premises noted above in regard to the translations of “sheol” from the Hebrew into “hades” in the Greek, are false.

Thus, the conclusion that “hades” means only a “grave” is necessarily false as well.

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Biblical Reasoning

Just like the laws of mathematics were created by God (which laws are considered the most pure form of logic), so are the laws of logic and reasoning (after all…He did make our minds). That is why the Bible often reveals men of God reasoning with people from God’s Word, such as this example of Paul:

So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.

(Acts 28:23, NKJV)

The Greek word translated as “explained” above is ektithēmi (ἐκτίθημι, Strong’s #1620), which means “to set forth, declare, expound,” while the word translated as “persuading” above is peithō (πείθω, Strong’s #3982), which means “to induce by words to believe” (The source for these Greek word definitions, and those that follow, is Thayer’s Lexicon).

In short, Paul was explaining and reasoning with these Jewish leaders from the Scriptures to demonstrate that Jesus (Yeshua) is the promised Messiah.

Paul was quite adept at reasoning, and especially biblical reasoning. Let me demonstrate that fact by providing you a few other passages about Paul’s use of logic whenever he was found explaining the Scriptures:

Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures…

Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”

But he [Paul] said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.

(Acts 17:2 and 17; 18:4 and 19; 19:8-9; 24:24-25; 26:25, NKJV, emphasis mine)

In all of the above passages except the last one, the Greek word translated as “reasoning” is dialegomai (διαλέγομαι, Strong’s #1256), which means primarily “to think different things with one’s self, mingle thought with thought; to ponder, resolve in mind.” Paul first had to “reason” from the Scriptures within his own study time BEFORE he could be qualified to “reason” with others about the truth of God. That is why he even exhorted Timothy to, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV). Paul lived that way himself.

However, the use of this Greek word for “reasoning” within the passages above takes on itself the meaning of, “to converse, discourse with one, argue, discuss.” Once Paul had the truths of God’s Word understood properly within his own mind, he could then present logical “reasons” why others should embrace these same truths as he discussed them with people.

However, in the last verse quoted above, the Greek word translated as “reason” is sōphrosynē (σωφροσύνη, Strong’s #4997) which talks about “soundness of mind” and even “self-control, sobriety.” Paul is using this word in contrast to Festus’ accusation that Paul had gone “mad”, which was the Greek word mainomai (μαίνομαι, Strong’s #3105) and means “to be mad, to rave; said of one who so speaks that he seems not to be in his right mind.” So Paul is saying that logical reasoning from the Scriptures gives one “soundness of mind,” and even produces “self-control” and genuine spiritual “sobriety”—even though the worldly-minded will think we have lost our minds. Why? Because the Greek word translated as “truth” in that passage above is alētheia (ἀλήθεια, Strong’s #225), which means “verity, truth…what is true in any matter under consideration.” When discussing weighty things like eternal judgment, the reasonable person will look to God’s Word for absolute truth…and will NOT lean upon the world’s mad philosophies or false religions when their very souls hang in the balance.

Thus, we can set forth the following axiom upon: Reasoning with our God-given minds is certainly appropriate for God-fearing people, so long as we follow God’s created laws of inference (logic) while adhering to the Bible as our primary source of truth by which all conclusions are to be measured. (By the way, heretics typically do neither of these.)

An absurdity, on the other hand, would be some argument or statement made that is not only unreasonable in that it is logically flawed, but it goes so far as to be foolish and beyond “common sense” in the eyes of most observers. In short, it is an obviously untrue statement or conjecture, which any reasonable person will reject once they identify it.

In this article, therefore, I will demonstrate that the particular errant objection that “there is no ‘Hell’ because ‘hades’ merely means ‘the grave’” is both logically flawed and absurd, when considered within its full implications.

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Foolish vs. Proper Translations

When someone states “Hades is simply the Greek translation of the Hebrew word sheol, which means simply ‘the grave’,” they have implicitly asserted two very absurd things:

1. That the Greek word hades (Strong’s #G86) had absolutely no common usage within the Greek language other than what the translators defined it as.
2. That the Hebrew word sheol (Strong’s #H7585) is only interpreted as a physical grave upon the face of the earth (i.e. rather than a metaphor for death, and the resulting destination of the departed soul).

To expose these absurdities, let’s discuss the theory of proper translation from one language into another: A person who speaks one language wants to communicate to a person who only speaks another language that is foreign to the speaker. So he solicits the services of a “translator” who can speak BOTH languages.

Then Person A makes his statements directed toward Person B. The translator then selects the associated words in Person’s B’s language that BEST equate the meaning of the words chosen by the original speaker, and subsequently speaks the message again in Person B’s language. If he does a good job, the same idea that Person A had will be understood by Person B afterwards.

So, for example, the English word “brother” is best translated into Spanish by the word “hermano” (with a silent “h”). The familial concept of a male relative who shares at least one parent with another male relative, is conveyed equally by the words “brother” and “hermano” in the respective languages.

Communication is the point (i.e. goal) of the dialog. The concepts being expressed in one language can ONLY be properly expressed in another language by the selection of an appropriate word that (as much as possible) corresponds with the SAME mental concepts in the second culture. Thus, “I want to speak to your brother” in English, is reasonably well translated as, “Quiero hablar a su hermano” in Spanish.

Would the translator (assuming he or she is a GOOD translator) choose a word that means “cousin” in the second language to communicate the idea of a “brother”? No, of course not. If they did, there would NOT be an accurate translations, and thus, accurate communication is NOT possible.

So look at our Greek word hades and Hebrew word sheol again: If the speaker is TRULY translating the second word (sheol) into Greek, wouldn’t they choose a word which MEANS something in the Greek that is very similar to the idea being expressed by the Hebrew word sheol? Of course! Unless there is NO corresponding word in the other language (which has historically been overcome by adopting a new word in the second language defined by the concepts conveyed in the first), the translator will choose the BEST word (within their ability) to translate and communicate the concept being conveyed.

So here is our question: Was the Greek word, “Hades” used in the Greek language BEFORE the New Testament was written? Yes it was! Was that Greek word used within the Greek society prior to the Old Testament being translated into Greek (which Greek edition is called the Septuagint) back sometime around 250 B.C.? Again, yes.

The Greek word hades had been in use for hundreds of years before the Hebraic Scriptures were translated into Greek (which translation, by the way, was largely responsible for the rapid spread of Christianity because the early Christians could read the Greek translation of the Scriptures). So what did the word hades MEAN in the minds of Greek-speaking people?

1) [The] name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions

2) Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead

(Source)

Thayer’s Lexicon goes on to explain that Orcus was “the infernal regions, a dark and dismal place in the very depths of the earth, the common receptacle of disembodied spirits.” Of course, the word “infernal” is derived from a Latin word meaning “lower” or “hell” and which has its counterpart “inferno” to denote a raging fire. So in short, the Greek culture (and later the Roman) had a concept of a fiery place of torment in the center of the earth, to which most people who died went and suffered unspeakable torment. It was ruled over by a “god” named Hades or Pluto, and was unquestionably a place that ANYBODY wanted to avoid going to…if they could.

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New Testament Usage

So do we have ANY use of this Greek word hades in the New Testament (NT) which seems to be similar to this pre-existing Greek concept of a place of fiery damnation in the center of the earth? As a matter of fact, we do. And these are from the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself, no less:

“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

“Then 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.’”

(Luke 16:22-24, NKJV, emphasis mine)

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

(Matthew 12:39-40, NKJV)

The Greek word translated “heart” above is kardia (from which we get the word “cardiac”), and it metaphorically means “center.” We use the English word “heart” the same way today when we say things like, “I want to get to the heart of the matter.” Thus, Jesus located where He was going as not being merely a grave (i.e. upon the surface of the earth) but into the heart (center) of the earth…the same EXACT spot where the use of hades in the Gospel of Luke would have indicated to His Greek-speaking hearers that day.

In short, Luke was explaining EXACTLY where Jesus was going to go for three days and nights in the passage above, in a way that communicated EXACTLY that same concept to His Greek-speaking readers. Matthew’s account also confirms that fact nicely.

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Hell-Deniers Are Refuted

 

Thus, by simply looking at the words being used, and thinking “soberly, with sound minds” through biblical reasoning, we have discovered that the heretics who claim that “there is no Hell” are soundly refuted by the words of Jesus Himself. These statements of the Lord were not “metaphors,” but exact statements that would have been understood only ONE WAY to those who read the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Thus, the absurdity of such denial should be clear to anyone who has the least respect for the Bible as God’s infallible Word.

However, here are also a few passages from the Old Testament that clearly support the thesis of this article, and demonstrate that the Hebraic concept of “sheol” had (in some passages) connotations that were well beyond those of a mere grave:

Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD.

(Song of Solomon 8:6, NASB)

For a fire is kindled in My anger, And burns to the lowest part of Sheol, And consumes the earth with its yield, And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

(Deuteronomy 32:22, NASB)

…There are three things that will not be satisfied, four that will not say, “Enough”: Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, “Enough.”

(Proverbs 30:15-16, NASB)

The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.

(Psalm 116:3, NKJV)

Consequently, Jewish people who were listening to Jesus discuss these things were QUITE aware of the theological concept of a place of fiery damnation. The Greek concept of hades was certainly NOT unique (but it was somewhat distorted conceptually from the actual reality of the place as revealed by the Bible). In fact, the reason that the Greeks KNEW of such a place was because eternal things (such as damnation) are known in the hearts of all human beings:

He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

(Ecclesiastes 3:11b, NASB)

…for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

(Romans 2:14-16, NKJV)

All men have the same Creator, to Whom they MUST give an account. Thus, it is reasonable to understand that the Greeks knew where they were going, and thus, had such a concept worked into their mythologies.

Lastly, a thorough study of the word “pit” in conjunction with the Hebrew word “sheol” in the Old Testament will show that they are very often closely connected. Together, they once again indicate a place MUCH deeper than any grave upon the surface of the earth.

Now, ALL these facts bring people to a dilemma regarding the existence of Hell: Who goes there; and how do I ensure that this does not include me?

For the details on this question, and the ONLY answer that solves it, let me please direct you to the most important article on this entire website: The Supreme Value of Righteousness. Therein, you and I can have a friendly chat about eternal things, and see what can be done to ensure that hades is never found to be in your future. So I am really looking forward to that chat. I’ll see you over there at that post.

Always in Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion

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The Supreme Value of Righteousness

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Over the course of this very important article, I need to discuss something that EVERYONE needs more than anything else: Righteousness with God.

Let me please now talk with you like a good friend who is genuinely concerned about you—and I truly am concerned. If I were able to do so in person, I could sit down with you over a cup of coffee or tea and share my heart in a similar manner. But since that is impractical when considering the size of my global audience, I will just sit here and chat with you on this page as if we were face to face.

Though I may not know you personally, in an empathetic sort of way, I do—because I once was in the same exact spiritual condition that you might be in right now. So in a brotherly tone, I want to first share with you three main concerns that I have about you, and by extension, even about your family.

Then I will “change hats” further down and take on a role as if I were a physician talking with you over the phone. I will simply ask you a few questions that are intended to help you diagnose your own condition. If you then determine that my concerns are well-founded, then you will be comforted to know that I will also give you the good news that there truly is a cure. It is called, “Righteousness”—and nothing can compare with its worth.

So please “listen” for a moment. Let me begin my heart-to-heart chat with you by sharing my three main concerns for you. And though these may be “touchy” subjects, please know that my concern is genuine, and I truly care about you. In fact, the more you read, the more my care should be increasingly evident to you…though we may not have ever met in person.

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My First Real Concern…

There is a very real statistic that I need to share with you first. Out of every 100 people living today, 100 of them will eventually die. In other words, there is a 100% chance that you and I will both physically die one day.

Sure! You and I do what we can to put that day off. We may go to the gym, eat right, have good hygienic habits. We may even try to avoid dangerous parts of town, and endeavor to wear our seat belts while driving our vehicles with caution. But no matter how long we manage to put off the inevitable, it is still inevitable.

My special concern for you in particular is the chance of a sudden or unexpected death. I said, “for you in particular,” because I have addressed this issue already on my end (as I will share with you in a moment). In fact, that is why I am discussing this with you now. I want to be sure that you have also prepared for the certainly of death—even if its timing turns out to be a surprise.

None of us expects to die, really. However, it happens anyway. And as this sampling of “final words” attests, physical death can come when we least expect it:

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Go away: I’m alright.

—H.G. Wells

They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist….!

—General John Sedgwick, who died by a gunshot during the heat of battle in 1864

That was a great game of golf.

—Bing Crosby

I am late by ten minutes. I hate being late. I like to be at the prayer punctually at the stroke of five.

—Mahatma Gandhi

Never felt better.

—Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

(Quotes source: The Evidence Bible)

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These people never saw it coming. So I am very concerned that you might not either. The Bible puts it this way:

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For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others.

(Psalm 49:10, NIV 2010)

…it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment…

(Hebrews 9:27, NASB)

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My Second Concern…

Now my second real concern for you arises if you happen to profess to be a Christian, or a Jewish Messianic believer in Yeshua Meshiach Ben David. That may sound quite strange to you since you were likely assuming that I am talking to you about obtaining salvation through Jesus Christ—and that is exactly what I am doing. However, my apprehension for you comes as a result of something that Jesus said within the Bible:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

(Matthew 7:21-23, NKJV, emphasis added)

To be frank, that is a very frightful thought. For one to think that he or she was a Christian, to die, and then to hear these dreadful words from God Himself…oh, what a tragedy!

Now to put your mind at ease, I am not arguing denominations with you at all. I could not care less whether you profess to be a Baptist, Catholic, Messianic believer, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, or any other legitimate Christian denomination (i.e. I am excluding the pseudo-Christian cults, of course). The fact still remains that God Himself has determined who gets into Heaven, and that standard is NOT measured by what denomination you may belong to.

So what is Jesus really talking about in the passage above?

Many professing Christians do not realize that Jesus declared that there would be people who THINK that they are saved from damnation, but who are really not. He used metaphors to describe this phenomena. Jesus told us about the “wheat” but also about the “tares” (Matthew 13:24-29, 36-43); the “good fish” but also “bad fish” (Matthew 13:47-50); the “sheep” but also “goats” (Matthew 25:31-46); and the “wise virgins” but also the “foolish” ones (Matthew 25:1-13).

Let us only take a look at what He said about the fish for now, and you can look up the other passages later if you like:

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(Matthew. 13:47-50, NIV 2010, emphasis added)

Jesus said that the Gospel message would go forth like a giant “net” and brings many into the Kingdom. However, not all of these new people are genuine Christians, though many do surely think that they are. The apostle Paul discussed this issue also, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He put it this way:

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

(2 Timothy 2:19, NKJV, emphasis added)

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

(2 Corinthians 13:5, NIV 2010, emphasis added)

The Lord knows who is really “His” among the people claiming to know Him. Consequently, Paul even admonished the members of the Corinthian church to each take the time to examine themselves to ensure they were truly counted by God to be among His sheep. So what determines a genuine Christian from a false profession of faith? Membership within a certain church or denomination? NO! A certain way to be baptized? NO! Jesus said it is this, and ONLY this:

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.‘”

(An excerpt from John chapter 3, NIV 2010, emphasis added)

When Jesus mentioned being “born of water” He was referring to when a mother’s “water breaks” during the child birth process. That is why He tied that in the next sentence to “Flesh gives birth to flesh.” So our “first birth” is when we were born into this world through our mothers.

But Jesus did not stop there. He said clearly that we must be “born again” (i.e. a second birth) in order to enter into the Kingdom of God as genuine children of God. He said that this one is a spiritual birth, in which our spirits are “born again” by the working of Holy Spirit of God Himself. “Spirit gives birth to spirit,” Jesus said. And just as our first birth was dramatic, so is the second birth also—but on the inside of a person, rather than on the outside.

In my own case, I thought I was a Christian for many years. As a boy, I attended not one, but TWO different Christian private schools. The middle school was Lutheran, and the high school was Southern Baptist. Surely, if one could be a Christian it must be one who was subjected to all of that!

When I joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve years later, I wrote down on the line for “religion” that I was “Protestant.” I had no idea what that was, or what differentiated that from Roman Catholicism, or any other branch of the Christian religion. Back then, I just figured that since I had never even attended a Roman Catholic church, I must not be Catholic. So I must be a “Protestant”…whatever that meant. I had heard the term used as a kid, and it just stuck with me.

And if you had asked me, “Are you a Christian?” I would have answered, “Yes.” I knew about the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ through my private school education. I was certainly not Buddhist, Hindu, or affiliated with any other religion. So I must be a “Christian,” right?

But to be truthful about the matter, if I had died in that condition I would have gone straight to Hell in my sins. I discovered later that being “born again” was not merely a doctrine, a concept, a philosophy, or merely some emotional euphoria. It is an experience. And to be quite honest about it, it is a very dramatic experience to be born of God’s Spirit on the inside.

I was finally born again just a few years later while standing in a Methodist pastor’s office. When it took place, I was absolutely dumbfounded about what had happened to me. Nobody had explained what would happen to me beforehand. At that time, in my mind a “born again” Christian was nothing more than someone who was just really excited about their religion. So when this event occurred, I frankly did NOT know what it was! I only knew that something dramatic had happened on the inside of me.

In my own case—because the massive load of iniquity that I had been carrying for years had just been removed—I even felt physically “lighter” after praying. That may sound strange to you, but it is true. Furthermore, I had a joy in my heart that words could not express; and a smile was plastered upon my face that did not go away for over a week. The weight of my many sins was off of me, my guilt was removed far from me—and I still had NO IDEA what had happened.

It was about six months later before my theology caught up with my experience, and it was then that I finally knew what had happened to me.

So my concern for you, if you profess to be a Christian, is that perhaps you might be in the same boat that I was in back then: Separated from God by my own wicked heart and deeds…and without even knowing it.

Oh, what a horror it would have been for me to have died unexpectedly and to wake up in flames of torment! Thank God I lived to see the day when my sins would be truly washed away. It is my sincere desire that you would experience this dramatic event within your own life—and that you would likewise avoid the pains of torment and regret.

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My Final Concern…

My third and final concern to share with you is my sincere worry that you may feel that you are a good person. Now, this may again seem VERY strange to you. After all, should we not all strive to be good people? Should we not all try to do what is right, and to treat other people well? Of course we should.

However, most of us measure “good” by human standards. In fact, many of think that if we have not done anything particularly heinous, then we’re pretty good people. “Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini…now THOSE were really bad people,” we comfort ourselves. “I have never done anything THAT bad. Maybe a sin here or there…but only little things.” Really?

Well, the truth is that we are not going to have the privilege to be our own judges when we die. We will ALL stand before a very Holy God and have to give an account. So wouldn’t it be really smart if we “studied for the test” ahead of time in order to ensure that we know how to “pass” it when we DO stand there?

In truth, none of us could ever be “good enough” to pass the test before God on our own merits—no matter how hard we have tried to live decent, conscientious lives. Consider for a moment how the Holy Creator actually views sinful humanity:

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin….

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

(Romans chapter 3 excerpt, NKJV, emphasis mine)

In short, we cannot “earn” our way to Heaven by good deeds. In God’s eyes, if we have EVER sinned, then we are sinners. His standard of righteousness is absolute perfection.

Consider for a moment the Pharisees of old. During Jesus’ time here on the earth, this was THE most stringent sect of Judaism (Acts 26:5). They wore special clothing and little boxes on their heads with Scripture verses in them (called “phylacteries“). They were very meticulous about keeping the “Law”—and not only the Law of Moses (Torah) as explained within the Bible’s first five books, but even an extra set of laws even more complex than THAT…the Talmud. Note a few points that Yeshua listed about the strictness of the Pharisees’ religious practices:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

(An excerpt from Matthew chapter 23, NKJV)

To “pay tithes” under the Law of Moses, Israelites were required to pay “one tenth” (i.e. 10%) of their wages, as well as of their increase in business, agriculture, and other profitable pursuits. The Pharisees were so meticulous about this, however, that they would sit down and count all the mint leaves, anise, and cumin seeds, to ensure an EXACT tithe of their garden herbs! Are you that conscientious to obey God?

Because it was considered “unclean” under the Law of Moses to eat certain animals and other foods, the Pharisees were also extremely cautious to constantly strain their wine and water. They wanted to ensure that even a tiny “unclean” gnat would not be accidentally swallowed! Are you that exact in your efforts to honor God everyday within YOUR life?

In truth, even the Pharisees were not righteous in God’s eyes—though they certainly were within their own eyes. That is why Jesus rebuked them above for “swallowing camels” (i.e. committing big sins in their hypocritical hearts that they did not even recognize as such). That is also why the Messiah warned everybody else that the standard of righteousness was MUCH HIGHER if they were to ever attain salvation:

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 5:20, NKJV, emphasis added)

My friend, if you and I have not come anywhere close to the legalistic “righteousness” of the Scribes and Pharisees, how are we going to ever exceed that by our own merits or through our own efforts?

Can you now understand somewhat why I am concerned for you? Do you see now why I am also concerned about your family and their own eternal welfare?

I am VERY concerned, because the “Lake of Fire” is no laughing matter, and there is NO PAROLE. Damnation is forever. And those that choose to go there simply because they preferred sin over righteousness, will still regret that decision a million years from now. So do you understand now why I am worried about you and your family?

Again, I have three main concerns:

1. That you are physically mortal, and that you could die unexpectedly. Many have done just that—even in their youth. Regardless of your age, however, this really bothers me.
2. That EVEN if you do profess to be a Christian or Messianic Jewish person, your religious observances might be actually in vain. Jesus Himself said that there would be, “Many who will say to Me in that Day, ‘Lord, Lord!’…and I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’” This is a terribly horrific thought that has me truly burdened for you!
3. That you might think that you are a “good person” and thus, that your own merits are sufficient to gain salvation. An extremely Holy Creator will judge us ALL according to His Own chosen standard. Moral perfection is what He requires. If you have EVER sinned in your life, then you have already failed the test. This really concerns me about you, too.

So do you now understand why I wanted to sit here and have this important chat with you? Do you now know why this is a critical issue that cannot wait to be addressed? Tomorrow is guaranteed to neither you nor me. So it is imperative that we discuss this a bit more so that I can tell you how this all can be fixed for you, as it has been already for me.

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Six Key Questions

It is now time for me to “switch hats” like I told you I would do after I expressed my concerns above. It is time for me to walk you through the “self-test” examination of your spiritual condition. Like a medical doctor talking to you over the phone, let me walk you through only SIX examination questions. You can use these to measure your condition, and to determine where you stand with God at this moment.

After this series of test questions, however, I will tell you what the “cure” is, and how this “prescription” can be obtained. Nevertheless, the full importance of the “cure” cannot be truly appreciated unless you have first comprehended how severe the “disease” you may be afflicted with really is.

Of course, God’s Word will be the source of our “test” questions. The Bible has some very strong words to speak to humanity, which is why it is often so despised by some people. However, wisdom begins when the fear of God is present (see these Scriptures). Those who despise “wisdom and discipline” will run from those passages of Scripture that are designed to instill a holy fear within us. Nevertheless, if one takes the time to think the message of the Bible through, he or she will find that “good news” awaits them with open arms. Let’s walk through the message together.

Let’s look at just a few of God’s holy standards within the Ten Commandments to see how much higher HIS standard is from our own (from Exodus 20). I will ask these questions in a different sequence than that in which these Commandments were given, however, in order to better use them for our self-examination purposes:

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My First Question: Have you ever spoken a lie?

This question is based upon, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (The Ninth Commandment)

Have you ever told a lie to anyone? I am not talking about a simple mistaken statement, or even a “half-truth.” Have you ever in your life told even one bold-faced lie? When you were a child or teenager? Perhaps even as an adult? Maybe even regularly?

No matter how often, or how little: If you ever told even one lie, what does that make you? Well, if you even ever committed one act of rape, you would be considered a rapist, right? If you had ever only committed one act of murder, you would then forever be considered a murderer, correct? And if I only told you one lie—and you caught me—what would you call me? A liar, right?

So if you have ever told even one lie, what does that make you? A liar, of course.

You have to remember what we learned further above: God is so holy and so pure, that He considers even ONE sin to be worthy of damnation. So even if you only told one lie EVER within your entire life, you would certainly be considered a liar by such a holy God—Who sees and knows everything. So consider this fearful warning from the Book of Revelation (God speaking):

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.

(Revelation 21:8, NIV, emphasis added)

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My Second Question: Have you ever committed adultery?

This query is based upon, “You shall not commit adultery.” (The Seventh Commandment)

Have you ever committed adultery? I would certainly be pleased if you could reply with a very certain, “No.” However, some widely published statistics show that—within the United States, for example—upwards to 60% of married men admitted to at least one act of adultery; and up to 40% of married women confessed the same. I am sure the rate is similar within many other countries too, as “sin is sin” no matter where you live in the world. So there is a VERY high likelihood that this might apply to many of my readers, and it should certainly be addressed during our spiritual “self-examination.”

There are many websites out there that like to use such statistics as “justification” for doing such immoral things. I guess their attitude is, “Well, so many are doing it, it must be okay!” However, the cold reality that you have to face is the fact that the people writing those articles are NOT going to be the ones judging your eternal destiny: God is. And He has made it VERY clear within Scripture that this is unacceptable even once. For instance, under His holy Law given by Moses, this act was even punishable by death (see Leviticus 20:10). The New Testament also extends this prohibition to both genders when it states, “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does” (1 Corinthians 7:4, NKJV). So if either gender commits any sexual act outside of their marriage, it is adultery in God’s eyes.

And the New Testament extends this category to just about any sexual act outside of marriage:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

(An excerpt from 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NIV, emphasis added)

However, even if you can honestly tell me, “Nope! I’m good on that one!” you may yet still have guilt unawares on this point too. The Son of God Himself, Jesus, said in Matthew 5:28, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus was tying the Seventh Commandment to the Tenth, “You shall not covet” which explicitly forbade even desiring another man’s wife. This point would apply to either gender also, in the light of the New Testament.

Have you ever looked with lust—i.e. with sexual desire—at ANY other person in your life? If you have, God considers it a wicked sin just as much as if you committed the very act.

This sin of the heart would also apply to unmarried people as well. If you have ever looked with lust could it be that that person was married? Sure.

So regardless of your gender or marital status, have you ever even looked upon another person with lust? If so, then you are as much an adulterer in God’s eyes as those who have violated this commandment by deed.

Now, let me point out here once again that this is a self-examination. I do NOT want you to email me to tell me what you have done, or to make ANY kind of “confession” to me. I really do NOT want to know anything about your sins, so please do NOT tell me about them.

These questions are designed to probe your heart as you consider them in sequence. This is the light of God’s Word shining upon your heart to reveal to you your own true spiritual condition. If you feel uncomfortable, that is good! Your God-given conscience is responding to His Word and Truth. So let’s continue.

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My Third Question: Have you ever murdered someone?

This one is obviously based upon, “You shall not murder.” (The Sixth Commandment)

I would certainly hope that you would respond to me, “Well, I KNOW that I’m good on that one! I have not murdered anybody.” I would be very concerned to know I was sitting here chatting with a murderer (though there still is hope even for you, if you have done such a wicked deed).

However, even this question might not be so easy to avoid as it first seems. Have you ever murdered someone in your mind?

The Bible says clearly, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him” (1 John 3:15, NIV). Have you ever hated anybody? Then God’s Word says that you are actually a murderer in His holy eyes. Again, God looks not only upon our deeds, but also upon our hearts and motives:

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

(1 Samuel 16:7, NASB, emphasis added)

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My Forth Question: Have you ever used the Name of God in a disrespectful manner?

This important question is based upon, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” (The Third Commandment)

Have you ever used God’s name in vain? In other words, have you ever uttered an abusive profanity or expletive using His Holy Name? If you EVER have, then you have taken His Holy Name—which represents His very Person—and used it as a profane thing to express disgust.

This is called blasphemy; if you have ever spoken it, then the Lord already stated clearly within the Third Commandment that He will NOT hold you guiltless when you stand before Him on Judgment Day.

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My Fifth Question: Have you ever made, or prayed to, or even worshiped, an idol or false god?

This key point is based upon, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me…” (The Second Commandment)

Now, this would certainly apply to anyone who has worshiped a pagan deity of any kind. This would also apply to anyone who is a Deist, and anyone who might be a Freemason. (In fact, it would really apply to anyone who is not a genuine Christian already.) God’s Word explains:

What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

(1 Corinthians 10:19-21, NKJV, emphasis added)

There is NO other God, but the One true God of the Bible. There is only one Creator, and thus, according to Him, everything else is demonic. That is why, when preaching to Gentile pagans, Paul was always careful to explain that the real Creator cannot be symbolized with mere idols, and that He detests such things:

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us….

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.

(An excerpt from Acts 17:16-34, NIV 2010, emphasis added)

Paul knew that they could not properly accept and receive the free gift of salvation from the One True God unless they first forsook the false gods they already worshiped. The Second Commandment above makes it clear that God is jealous about His Creation, and He has no intention of sharing the affection due to Him with demons. Thus, if you have ever practiced Paganism, been a Freemason, worshiped any god other than the One revealed throughout the Bible, (etc.), you will need to repent of that sin that God despises so much if you want to ever experience His salvation.

This is one point I need to also bring to mind if you are one of my Roman Catholic friends: Though papal traditions permit praying to “saints” and representing them with statues—and your Catechism even omits the Second Commandment for this reason, and instead splits the Tenth Commandment into two parts in order to give the commandment list a full count—if you will simply turn to Exodus chapter twenty in your Catholic Bible, you will see that the Second Commandment is still there. God condemns this practice, even if your traditions permit them. I have known born again Catholics, and so I am not denouncing everything Catholicism teaches. Some of it is quite biblical. However, if you have been practicing Paganism through saint-directed prayer and/or worship, then you are likely not born again. And once you know the true and living God of the Bible through Jesus Christ, you will have absolutely no reason to attempt to pray to anyone else; for God Himself will be real to you; and He will answer your prayers Himself.

Of course, even this commandment likewise has a heart-based application as the others above: One can carve an idol with their hands…or with their minds. If you have ever created a “god” in your mind to suit your chosen sin and “lifestyle” then God considers that you are an idolater (i.e. a worshiper of idols). Within the Second Commandment above, He even ended that passage by saying such people “hate” Him. That will not be a good way to start off when you face Him in judgment.

For example: Have you ever said something like, “My god is love, and he would never send anyone to someplace terrible like Hell.” If so, then you are right…because your god does not exist. It was an idol you built within your own mind as you “created” your own god to suit your lifestyle. Your “god” is not based upon anything but your own theories and philosophies. So your “god” cannot do anything, because it simply does not exist except within your own mind. And the God Who has revealed Himself through the Bible considers that “hate” toward Himself. So do you think He is happy with you?

Or, have you ever let money (including gold and silver) get ahead of your Creator in your priorities? If so, Jesus said you have been serving the Babylonian financial idol called “Mammon” instead of the God of the Bible (Matthew 6:24) which also means you broke the Tenth Commandment “You shall not covet.”

If you have committed ANY variation of these examples, then you have violated these holy commandments, and again, you are a criminal in the eyes of divine justice. Now one more question, and then it is time for the cure…

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My Last Question: Have you always served ONLY the true God of the Bible, by honoring Him in thought, word, and deed, all your life?

This strong final question is based upon, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (The very First Commandment)

Obviously, if you have broken ANY commandment that we have discussed, the answer to this question is a resounding and damning, “No.”

Jesus clarified this commandment by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and saying:

“The most important [commandment] is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”

(Mark 12:29-30, NIV, emphasis and bracketed note mine)

Can you honestly say that you have loved God with such totality? Has every moment of every day of your life been focused upon your love for the Creator? If not, then you have violated this holy commandment and are a criminal in the eyes of divine justice.

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How Did You Do?

So how did you fare with the self-examination?

Of course, we did not cover three of the Ten Commandments for brevity sake. (Note: I slipped in the Tenth Commandment within a couple of the other questions above.) However, it should be clear that if you have done the sins above, you have surely “dishonored” your father and mother (the Fifth Commandment) regardless of their own sins. I am fairly sure that many reading this have stolen something within their lifetime, even if it was something small (thus, breaking the Eighth Commandment). And I would be rather shocked if anyone who has done any of the above has not also neglected the Sabbath Day, and failed to rest one out of seven days in a week in order to honor and worship God (thus, breaking the Fourth Commandment).

To be frank about the matter, I had broken ALL of the Ten Commandments in either thought, word, or deed, as one time or another myself. So again, I am not judging you or condemning you directly. If you are HUMAN, you have sinned, for the Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This is because we have ALL broken His Holy Law.

God’s Holy Law stands ready to condemn every sinner for every sin they ever committed in their lifetimes. God is pure and holy, and He cannot stand the presence of the impure and wicked. However, God’s Holy Law is also intended to be a teacher to lead every sinner to the Savior:

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made;…But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

(Excerpt from Galatians 3:19-25, NKJV)

…I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”… Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

(Excerpt from Romans chapter 7, NKJV)

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

(Romans 3:19-26, NIV)

That is why I took the time to take you through this self-examination in the light of God’s Holy Law: To teach you your need for a Savior, so that I could NOW tell you the Good News about what He has done for you.

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The Penalty Has Been Paid

This is the sum of the entire Bible (i.e. the quick version): God our Creator intended humanity to be in fellowship with Him and walk with Him. The original man disobeyed God’s one command to him (see Genesis chapter 3), and this resulted in the condition of “sin” or “iniquity.” This condition replaced the righteous holiness originally created within humanity. After this single event, mankind could no longer walk with God because sinfulness became a “normal” part of the human condition. So we have all willfully sinned within our own lives due to this situation, as your self-examination above should have made clear.

And since our sins are as putrid to Him as vomit and manure are to our own senses, God decided to make a way to “cleanse” humanity and restore righteousness to those willing to receive His freely given grace. This redemption of mankind back to Himself, however, would require a substitute.

Therefore, God gave His holy Law to mankind through a chosen race of people: The ancient nation of Israel. The Law shows us our corrupt nature, and brings us into understanding of His holy nature and standards. Within the light of that contrast, we realize that we are not only wicked sinners, but ALREADY destined for eternal damnation away from His presence:

They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; they have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols…For a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell; it shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

(Deuteronomy 32:21-22, NKJV)

“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

(Matthew 18:8-9, NKJV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

(An excerpt from John chapter 3, NKJV, emphasis added)

The above passage is saying, “He who has not received the redemption, is already going to Hell—because of the sin that yet remains upon him.” The problem is SIN. So without a Savior, there is no salvation.

That realization should then make us seek a pardon for our sins and transgression. This was God’s intent in bringing His holy Law to light—to serve as a warning of the wrath and judgment to come. However, the Law itself could not save anyone. Though its requirements were holy and good, humanity’s sinful nature made it impossible for us to obey its ordinances. Again, it judged us and damned us…but is also promised us One would come to redeem us from this curse.

God, the Lawgiver, took upon Himself flesh and dwelt among mankind (see John chapter 1; Isaiah 9:6-7; 1 Timothy 3:16) in the Person of Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life under the Law, as He was the very holy One Who gave us that Law. Though innocent, however, He then suffered the full penalty for our own sins and transgressions. In short, we did the crime, but Jesus paid the penalty for us so that we could be acquitted:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(Isaiah 53:4-6, NIV)

The penalty Jesus paid for our sins satisfied the eternal courts of justice, and through His precious sacrifice we can be cleansed from the very sin that renders mankind disgusting in God’s eyes. Then the Savior was raised from the dead by God’s own design and power, so as to be “the mediator of a new covenant” and to administer the very salvation He purchased for us with His own life’s blood. Further, this same Jesus Who came to earth the first time as a “Lamb” to be sacrificed for our sins will return again soon as a “Lion” to reward His people and to destroy His enemies (for example, please note Revelation chapter 22; and also Isaiah 63:1-4 in comparison with Revelation 19:11-21).

As the Lord’s apostles explained it:

“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ” ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ‘ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

(Acts 2:29-41, NIV, emphasis added)

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

(Acts 26:16-20, NIV, emphasis added)

However, all legal proceedings have legal requirements. The salvation of God does NOT come upon any man automatically, but most be first believed, and then received. Paul’s three steps are very clear: Repent (i.e. turn away from all sin, with the same alarm that would make you want to turn away from a viper or poisonous scorpion); Turn to God (i.e. put your faith for your salvation in the saving work of Jesus Christ alone, and not upon your own “good deeds” or merit, for you have none of your own in God’s holy eyes); Prove repentance by deeds (i.e. a truly repentant person, who has truly put their faith in Jesus Christ for their salvation, will have a true change in heart that modifies their behavior).

For this last point, John adds this clarification:

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

(1 John 3:2-10, NIV)

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The Righteousness Imputed

We have examined the fact that you and I were bound in sin, and sinners by nature. We have detailed at length how this prevents us from having a right relationship with God. But now we see God Himself, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, and dying an excruciating death upon an instrument of torture—a Roman cross.

Why did He do all of this? To redeem us from damnation, Hell, and all sin. So what do you think His attitude will be towards those who reject His sacrifice? Do you think He would be pleased that He suffered such torture, only to be rejected by you? It is imperative that you accept His free gift, because He will be extremely angry towards all those who reject His grace:

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. [i.e. every sin ever committed, judged according to His Holy Law]

The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades [i.e. Hell, the holding place for sinners awaiting Final Judgment and the Lake of Fire] delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.

(Revelation 20:11-15, NKJV, emphasis and bracketed notes added)

Please do not reject Him and His freely given redemption! Eternity is forever!

Now that Jesus has suffered for us as our Substitute, how do we partake of His salvation? By our repentance from all sin and everything that is disgusting to God; by our believing what He did for us on that Cross as our Substitute; by our putting our entire faith in Jesus Christ (Yeshua Messiah Ben David, in transliterated Hebrew for my Jewish friends); and by submitting our entire lives to His Lordship as our Ultimate “Commander-In-Chief.”

In short, Jesus offers to give us HIS righteousness—imputed (i.e. credited) to our account by His work of salvation on our behalf, and not because of our own merits—in exchange for our sins. What a deal!

So what do you need to do now? The Bible answers that question too:

For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation..

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

(Romans 10:5-13, NKJV, emphasis added)

“Call upon the name of the Lord, and you will be saved.” Seek Him in prayer right now where you are, repent of your many sins, and put your faith in Jesus as your ONLY source of salvation.

Trust Jesus Christ entirely for your salvation, just as you would trust a parachute entirely to save you from the law of gravity if you had to jump from a burning airplane. The law of gravity would not make an exception for you if you failed to be wearing and using the parachute when you jumped—even if you are a “good person” and even “believed in God.” No, it would mercilessly smash your body into the ground if you did not wear and use a working parachute.

In the same way, when the inevitable time for you to “jump” through the door of death comes, you will find that God’s Holy Law will throw you into a fiery Hell to await Final Judgment—unless you have “put on” the Lord Jesus Christ through complete trust in Him, and are wearing His righteousness when you stand before our Holy Creator.

Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He is the ONLY way, because He is the only One Who was God manifest in the flesh, and Who could redeem us by His Own substitution for our sins. Thus, there is no other “parachute” out there than can save you from the Holy Law of God when it is applied to your sins.

Jesus is also the ONLY One EVER confirmed to be the Savior, because God the Father raised Him from the dead. I serve a living Christ; and I would just love to have you know Him personally, like I do.

As necessary, please read this teaching again, and give this strong consideration. Feel free to also visit NeedHim.org if you still have unanswered questions.

Again, for professing Christians: If your life does not show the good fruit of a redeemed soul—e.g. a hunger for God’s word, a desire for things pure and holy, a repulsion from things impure, a desire to fellowship with other Christians and to worship—then you have to honestly evaluate whether you were ever truly saved. If you are not walking with God, then you likely do not know God:

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.“

(An excerpt from John chapter 14, NKJV, emphasis added; see also John chapter 10)

If you merely made a “decision for Christ” without understanding your wickedness in the light of God’s Law, then you are truly without a total trust in Jesus alone as your source of salvation. You are likely what the Bible refers to as a “bad fish” (i.e. a false convert) as we discussed further above. Jesus make it pretty plain that in the Day of Judgment, there would be “many” shocked to discover that they were not genuine Christians:

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!“

(Matthew 7:21-23, NKJV)

Please do not take anything that I have said lightly, if your conscience has been convicting you that you are NOT right with the Lord.

It matters not whether one is a Jew or Gentile, a “good person” socially speaking, or religious “in their own way.” In God’s eyes, everyone who has violated His holy standard is a wretched criminal, destined for punishment. Consequently, we all need His freely given grace of salvation…and the time to discover whether one has it or not is NOT after dying and facing the fiery eternal judgment.

As we move forward on this website explaining the economic and financial truths from God’s Word, please ensure you have your eternal destiny secure in Jesus Christ. For as Jesus pointed out:

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

(Matthew 16:25-27, NIV)

Jesus is coming again soon. Make sure your heart is right with God now…and please do not delay. Once you have this issue settled, then you will be further profited by the remainder of this website’s content.

Lastly, I hope our conversation made it perfectly clear that I care about you. I did not take this time for my sake, but surely for yours. (Okay, I would really love to have you with us all in Heaven. So I did have a little bit if a selfish motive.)

I hope to see you in the Glory of God’s grace throughout eternity. Please join us.

Always in Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion

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Out of the Mouths of Children

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My eleven-year old son came into the living room today and said, “Hey Dad…I believe the Lord spoke something to me that you can put on your blog.”

“Okay,” I responded somewhat cautiously, “What do you believe that He said to you?”

“Well, I was thinking about your blog earlier, then suddenly this thought came into my mind: ‘What a sinner is to money, an ant is to honey.’”

The profundity struck me immediately, and I have been pondering it, off and on, ever since. (Plus it does have a catchy little rhyme to it, does it not?) Let’s look at this briefly, and you likewise give it some consideration:

What a sinner is to money…an ant is to honey.

Have you ever seen those species of ants that have a “sweet tooth” (so to speak)? Since we lived in the tropics for nearly three years, we had plenty of occasions to view these determined little scavengers. One thing that we have noticed is how they are very strongly attracted to honey (and brownie crumbs…but that is another story).

However, unlike other “sweet stuff” there is a serious drawback to this particular amber-colored goo with regard to ants: It is sticky. I cannot tell you how often we have found dead ants stuck to some glob of honey on a table or counter, that had not yet been cleaned up. (Hey…we have FOUR kids…honey spots just happen sometimes.) So what they so highly desired, became a trap that killed them.

Can you see the metaphor in regards to sinners and money? Money “attracts” them because of their idolatry; but they too often become “stuck” by that trap, and it can kill them if they do not get loose from it. That is NOT a good thing, at all.

Here are a few passages of Scripture that support that point nicely:

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.

(Proverbs 11:28, NKJV, emphasis added)

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

(Proverbs 11:4, NKJV, emphasis mine)

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

(Ephesians 5:5-6, NKJV, emphasis mine)

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience…

(Colossians 3:4-6, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

(1 Timothy 6:6-12, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

(Mark 10:23-24, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Did you notice above that “those who desire to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare?”

The first thing to note is that this passage (and several others that we cited) is talking about professing Christians, who have a “sweet tooth” for money. Sounds like the ant trying to get to his honey, does it not? So did you note the warning from that passage? Such covetous people, who profess to be Christians, but who are demonstrating idolatry, “pierce themselves through with many sorrows.” Ouch. That does NOT sound healthy (either physically…or eternally).

Jesus said that those who “trust in riches” cannot enter the Kingdom of God. So where is your trust? In the living God Who can save your soul? Or something “sticky” that will “pierce you through with many sorrows”? If money is your god, then you do not have genuine faith in Jesus Christ:

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).

(Matthew 6:24, Amplified, emphasis mine)

Remember: Money is nothing more than a tool, to be used for the glory of God. Your “trust” should ONLY be in Jesus Christ, as your source of both righteousness and eternal life. It should never be in mere “riches” here upon the earth.

This is an eternally important point, which I have also written about at length for your benefit within my financial website’s most important article, The Supreme Value of Righteousness. So I highly recommend that article to you today—especially in the light of my son’s profound revelation, as we just discussed above.

Yep! I agree with my son. That is a pretty good thing to post on my blog tonight, indeed. 

Always in Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion (and son) 

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Four Characteristics of Sound Doctrine

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Given all the teaching that we have put on this website in regard to heretics, wolves, and doctrinal error, it would seem to be more than a little appropriate to take some time to teach WHAT constitutes sound doctrine. Anything else would seem to be a bit unfair, as it leaves our readers without the tools for forming good teaching by which to live a pleasing life in Christ before God.

Now, I will not go into many doctrinal specifics within this post—except for the obvious one at hand: The doctrine of how to form good doctrine itself (with perhaps a few examples thrown in for good measure too). In short, what I want to do is teach the fundamentals regarding FORMING sound doctrine, and thus, reveal how any teaching can be evaluated to see if it is indeed sound or not. To begin this study, let’s first look at what Paul told Titus to do to ensure that he stayed on track, and provided sound exegesis to the believers in Crete.

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Elements of Sound Doctrine

Note what Paul explained to his protege and partner in ministry:

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:… in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

(An excerpt from Titus chapter 2, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Paul points out FOUR key things that constitute sound doctrine:

1. Integrity
2. Reverence
3. Incorruptibility
4. Sound speech, that cannot be “condemned”

Let’s look at these in order, and in the process explain a few subtopics that are directly related.

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Integrity of Doctrine

The Greek word translated “integrity” above is adiaphthoria (Strong’s #90), and it means “incorruptibility, soundness, integrity.” It is derived from the Greek word, phtheirō (Strong’s #5351) which means “to corrupt, to destroy.” Thus, the integrity that we are talking about here is that which prevents corruption or destruction.

Thayer’s Lexicon goes on to explain about this root word phtheirō, “In the opinion of the Jews, the temple was corrupted or ‘destroyed’, when any one defiled, or in the slightest degree, damaged anything in it, or if its guardians neglected their duties.” In other words, if the integrity of the temple was compromised in any way, then the temple was “corrupted” or even “destroyed” in their minds, because absolute purity was dictated by God’s Law. You can see how the Jews demonstrated such an attitude in this famous passage from the Old Testament:

But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD—valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God.”

Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him.

(2 Chronicles 26:16-20, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Uzziah was obviously breaching protocol by intruding into the holy place to burn incense, and the priest made it VERY clear that they intended to put a stop to that. However, the real urgency of the matter occurred when God struck him with leprosy (considered ceremonially “unclean” and a sign of cursing). The priests realized he was defiled, and that he was “corrupting” the Holy Place of the temple (sanctuary) which was directly before the curtain, behind which was the Holy of Holies where the Ark of God was kept. At that point, ALL conversation was OVER, and the priests attacked him to get him out of the holy place, which he had defiled.

(Oh, I pray that more righteous men and women of God would do that today, with regard to thrusting heretics out of pulpits once their contagious doctrinal “leprosy” became apparent—at least verbally, if not also physically removing them from the pulpit.)

Returning to our point about this Greek word adiaphthoria: For a doctrine to show “integrity” it must NOT be corrupted from biblical purity by any means. This is the point being conveyed by the apostle Paul to Titus when he told him, “showing yourself a pattern of good works…[and] in doctrine showing integrity.”

To make this point even more clear, we need to look at the English word “integrity” a bit more, because the sense of that word being used here in the English translation of the Bible is NOT that which is commonly used within everyday speech. It is derived from the Latin word integritās, which means, “complete , whole, entire, intact” (Cassell’s Latin Dictionary). Consequently, the meaning of the word we are focusing upon is, “the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished,” (Dictionary.com).

For Christian doctrine to be biblical, it MUST have integrity; It must be “complete”; It must be “whole”; It must be “entire”; And it must be “intact.”  This necessitates internal integrity (that the doctrine is logically sound, and not  self-contradictory) as well as biblical integrity (that the doctrine agrees with the whole of Scripture, including ALL the passages directly or indirectly related to that topic). Let’s look at something else that Paul said, and then build upon this concept some more…

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The Whole Counsel of God

In Acts chapter twenty we see that Paul called the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him in Miletus, at which time he reviewed his ministry before them in order to emphasize the example they were to follow:

“You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ….

…Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”

(An excerpt from Acts chapter 20, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Paul pointed out that he held back NOTHING that was “profitable” to their spiritual welfare, and that he did not refrain from declaring the “whole counsel of God” to the people he preached and taught. So here is another, and related, major key:

In order to have biblical integrity, the doctrine must be based upon the whole of Scripture and NOT merely a few “proof” texts. In other words, it cannot ignore, and thus,  fail to reconcile, passages that may challenge that alleged doctrine; but it must endeavor to account for all relevant precepts and examples from Scripture, in order to PROVE both balance and integrity.

Let me illustrate that by citing an example. Did you know that the “prosperity gospel” heretics actually have ADMITTED that their doctrine is in error, and does NOT accurately reflect the mind of God on financial matters? I once heard Joel Osteen say something within a TV interview that went something like, “I know that there are people who look at other passages in the Bible that talk about poverty and trials, but we choose to look at the other passages and believe this way.” In short, he has declared:

• He knows that there are passages in the Bible than conflict with his teaching on prosperity.
• He has ignored those passages in forming his own doctrine.
• He has chosen to emphasize passages that confirm his doctrine instead.
• And thus, logically, he has admitted that he does NOT accurately convey the mind of God on that subject, because he has not accounted for everything God has said about it and related topics.

To illustrate this further, let’s say that you spoke publicly seven things about a subject:

1. You like pickles on sandwiches.
2. You like pickles so much, that you eat them often right out of the jar.
3. You do not understand why everybody doesn’t like pickles.
4. However, you do not like pickles on hamburgers or hotdogs.
5. You think it is ridiculous to put pickles into meat loaf, or within most dinner casseroles.
6. You hate pickles in salad.
7. If it came to a choice between pickles and other types of food, you would certainly reject the pickles in order to eat what would be best for your body.

Now along comes Joel, and he decides that he likes your first three statements, but not your last four. So he goes around telling everyone that you are so in love with pickles, that you are constantly devouring them. In fact, you love them so much, you think everybody is crazy who does not eat them all the time like you do. After a while, Joel gives you the reputation of being a “pickle fanatic” and people start to wonder if you have some nutritional deficiency (or mental problems), because you seem to be totally CONSUMED with the idea of eating pickles. Some become concerned for you, in fact, because they believe you will eventually end up in the hospital if you do not get a proper diet.

Has Joel accurately conveyed your thoughts in pickles in the example above? No, he misrepresented your ideas about pickles by emphasizing some points while totally ignoring others. Has he given others an accurate representation of your character and life? No, because you discuss MANY other issues, and live your life in MANY ways, that have NOTHING to do with pickles. You have family; you have friends; you have a job, ministry, or business (at least hopefully you have some of these, at a minimum); you may even have hobbies that you enjoy. “Pickles” are NOT the sum total of who you are. However, by majoring on that one unbalanced point, Joel has given everyone the idea that you think of nothing else but pickles.

In this same way, Joel Osteen has misrepresented God and His character through the false “prosperity” teaching that he propagates, because Joel has totally ignored MANY passages of Scripture that deal with monetary issues, covetousness, sacrifice, persecution, and other things, in order to promote his “preferred” doctrine instead. He does not even have the decency to acknowledge the supremacy of Jesus Christ in the salvation of souls. Thus, Joel is a heretic.

Thus, unlike the apostle Paul: Joel Osteen, and all other similar heretics, have blood on their hands.

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Biblical and Internal Integrity

For a doctrine to have biblical integrity, it MUST agree with the whole of Scripture. The teacher must consider passages that seem at times to conflict with his or her understanding of certain principles, and then seek to reconcile these things in order to build a doctrine that accurately represents God’s expressed views on the subject (i.e. to the best of their ability). That is why Paul told Timothy:

Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

(2 Timothy 2:15, KJV, modernized slightly for our foreign language translator, emphasis mine)

For a doctrine to ALSO have internal integrity, these various elements of Scripture need to be reconciled to the point that the teaching does not contradict itself. God is logical, and He created both mathematics (which is considered the most pure form of logic) and our minds (which are supposed to function logically, by accurately understanding connections between various ideas). Therefore, those who have truly good doctrine are those who are similarly logical:

Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”

Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”

(Excerpts from Acts 17:2-3, 17; 18:4, 19; 24:24-25, NKJV, emphasis mine)

In all the instances above (and many more I could have provided you), the Greek word translated as “reasoned” is dialegomai (Strong’s #1256), which means “to think different things with one’s self, mingle thought with thought; to ponder, resolve in mind.” Or in other words, Paul used LOGIC to first develop his own doctrine accurately from the WHOLE of the Scriptures, and then he conveyed that same LOGIC when reasoning with others about the Truth of the Gospel. The first Christian martyr, Stephen, must have similarly used both biblical and logical integrity to developed his own doctrine, because it says of him:

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

(Acts 6:8-10, NKJV, emphasis mine)

The Greek word translated as “resist” above is anthistēmi (Strong’s #436), which means, “to set against, to set one’s self against, to withstand, resist, oppose.” In short, they could NOT refute his teaching and doctrine, because it was both irrefutably logical and thoroughly scriptural. That is the type of doctrine we should base our lives upon, and not the “ear tickling” doctrines of demons which are lacking these very characteristics:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…

(1 Timothy 4:1-2, NKJV, emphasis mine)

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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

(2 Timothy 3:11-4:4 in a continuous quote, NKJV, emphasis mine)

If we are to be “sound in the faith” then we must be “sound in doctrine” by necessity. This can ONLY be achieved when our doctrine is based upon the WHOLE counsel of God, and demonstrates both biblical integrity (i.e. is truly scriptural) and internal integrity (i.e. is truly logical, and reflects sound reasoning from the Scriptures).

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Well-Balanced, But Not Omniscient

This, however, brings me to a point that I need to address for a moment before we move on: None of us is omniscient (all knowing), and thus ALL of us are in error to some degree, as we press forward toward embracing absolute Truth. This is a point often overlooked, as people blind themselves from truth by assuming they already KNOW all truth:

Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

(Matthew 15:12-14, NKJV, emphasis mine)

I saw then in my dream so far as this valley reached, there was on the right hand a very deep ditch: that ditch is it into which the blind have led the blind in all ages, and have both there miserably perished (Psalm 69:14- 15).

Again, behold, on the left hand, there was a very dangerous quagmire, into which, if even a good man falls, he can find no bottom for his foot to stand on. Into that quagmire king David once did fall, and had no doubt therein been smothered, had not HE that is able plucked him out.

The pathway was here also exceeding narrow, and therefore good Christian was the more put to it; for when he sought, in the dark, to shun the ditch on the one hand, he was ready to tip over into the mire on the other; also when he sought to escape the mire, without great carefulness he would be ready to fall into the ditch. Thus he went on, and I heard him here sigh bitterly; for besides the dangers mentioned above, the pathway was here so dark, that ofttimes, when he lift up his foot to set forward, he knew not where, or upon what he should set it next.

(An excerpt from Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan)

Instead of acting like the Pharisees of long ago, we should not be so blind as to assume that we possess all truth. Those religious men were “offended” at something that God Himself had said…not realizing Who He really was, because of their own blind conceit and ignorance.

Thus, while we need to be sure of what constitutes SOUND doctrine—and distinguish that from what truly constitutes heresy and/or gross error—we need to avoid the “quagmire” of pride, by realizing that NONE of us are omniscient. All of us who love the Truth are pressing forward to understand that truth…but we do not yet understand ALL truth.

Like faithful Christian’s journey through the Valley of the Shadow of death, described in the citation above, we are to to walk the straight and NARROW way toward the Celestial City (i.e. Heaven) regardless of what darkness surrounds us. In so doing, we need to endeavor to stay in the MIDDLE of that narrow way, so as to avoid the ditches on either side:

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

(Matthew 7:13-14, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.

(1 Peter 5:8-9, AMP, emphasis mine)

Sound doctrine that possesses both biblical and internal integrity will also be BALANCED, and will carry the understanding that none of us omniscient. Sound doctrine will also keep in the center of the Narrow Way that leads us further and further into God’s Truth, as we head towards Eternity, where we will STILL be learning His absolute Truth:

[God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

(Ephesians 2:5-7, NKJV, bracketed clarification and emphasis added)

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Three More Points

Returning now to our opening passage from Titus, let us pick up with our discussion and advance further:

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:… in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

(An excerpt from Titus chapter 2, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Again, Paul points out FOUR things that constitute sound doctrine:

1. Integrity (both types already discussed above, with some discourse on “balance” as well)
2. Reverence
3. Incorruptibility
4. Sound speech, that cannot be “condemned”

Let’s now look at the last three of these.

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Reverence

The Greek word translated as “reverence” in the passage above is semnotēs (Strong’s #4587), which means, “that characteristic of a person or thing which entitles to reverence or respect, dignity, gravity, majesty, sanctity.” In other words, our doctrine should be reverent toward the LORD and show Him due regard for His majesty and dignity. We should not be like those who “pimp” their doctrines blasphemously, in order to “sell” it to the masses (or to pump up our own ego). We need to ensure that our doctrine is in accordance with a proper reverential fear of God, for it is HIM that we are to both serve and represent:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction….The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding….The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.

(Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

(2 Corinthians 5:20, NKJV, emphasis mine)

…and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

(Revelation 22:19, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Any and all self-serving doctrines are, by their very nature, irreverent. Thus, they are essentially blasphemous, as the Joel Osteen example above should suffice to illustrate clearly.

St. Augustine once said, “Pride is the mother of all heresies.” That is certainly biblical, as no heretic shows TRUE humility (thought they oftentimes show false humility) when they spread such doctrines. Such people do NOT have any reverence for the Lord because they do not have any genuine FEAR of God before their eyes, as the prophet said in the Psalm:

An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes,when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

(Psalm 36:1-3, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Did you notice how self-flattery (pride) went hand-in-hand with the wicked man’s verbal deception (which would include heresy)? Did you notice that ALL of this was predicated by the wicked person’s lack of the FEAR of God? The same thing is true with all heretics and wolves: They are WHAT they are, because they LACK the beginning of wisdom, which is the fear of God (see Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10)

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Incorruptibility

The Greek word translated in this instance is different that the one for “integrity” before, though it is related. This Greek word is aphtharsia (Strong’s #861), which means, “incorruptibly, perpetuity” and is even used to discuss “the body of a man exempt from decay after the resurrection…of a blessed immortality.” In other words, our doctrine should be ETERNAL in its nature, and not merely a “fashion of the day” or “fad” that will soon pass.

Since the Word of God itself is ETERNAL, this should be an obvious point:

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.

(Psalm 119:89, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior…”

(Titus 1:1-3, NKJV, emphasis mine)

God Word is eternal, because His Word is a part of Himself (note John chapter 1). So His Word existed BEFORE time began, and at various points in time, He “manifested” His Word to humanity through the Holy apostles and prophets He chose to write the Bible. (See also 2 Peter 1:21.)

Thus, GOOD and accurate doctrine must be ETERNAL in that it can be applied today (i.e. within a modern context) as much as it could be when the Bible was written.

Any “fad” type of doctrines are demonic in their essence, and will soon pass as the next “fad” of popular teaching comes sweeping through like a new wind:

…for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect [mature] man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—…”

(Excerpt from Ephesians chapter 4, NKJV, bracketed note and emphasis mine)

It is time for the Body of Christ to grow up…and sound doctrine is key to avoiding “windy” doctrinal “fads” that do nothing more than give spiritual “children” a sugar crash when the euphoria wears off.

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Sound Speech, Which Cannot Be Condemned

And this brings us to our last point for sound doctrine: Sound speech. This phrase is a combination of two Greek words, actually:

• hygiēs (Strong’s #5199), which means, “sound (as in body),” i.e. to be whole or even healthy.

And…

• logos (Strong’s #3056), which means “speech” in the general sense, but Thayer’s lexicon explains that it also means “a collecting, collection” referring to “those things which are put together in thought, as of those which, having been thought, i.e. gathered together in the mind, are expressed in words.” Thayer’s then continues to explain that logos can refer to either “a word” or even more fully, “what someone has said.” Thus, we can observer also WHY this Greek term is also used to describe the Bible in general: In reference to the Scriptures, it reflects the “collection” of what God has said.

Of course, sound speech can ONLY be possible if ALL the other key characteristics of sound doctrine are in place. So what is the Holy Spirit telling us with this about our doctrine? In conjunction with the previous terms He used, the Lord is telling us to:

• Have “healthy” and “wholesome” speech, which is a collection of God’s thoughts…
• That convey eternal doctrines (i.e. doctrines with no dependence upon time; not “fads”) which are based upon His Eternal truth (the word of God)…
• That are reverential and based upon a godly fear of God, which honors His dignity and majesty, and…
• That are based upon the WHOLE counsel of God, and possess both biblical integrity (i.e. harmony with the whole of Scripture) and internal integrity (i.e. are logical, and not self-contradictory), and which is DEMONSTRATED by proper balance (i.e. an aversion to the “ditches” of error).

That, my brothers and sisters, is “sound speech which cannot be condemned” or refuted by those in opposition. That is “sound speech” which brings healing and wholeness to ourselves and others. That is “sound speech” which edifies the hearers, and helps them to mature in Christ.

THOSE, my friends, are some of the major keys which constitute SOUND DOCTRINE.

In closing, please remember the times we are living in. It is of the utmost importance (a critical necessity) that we have SOUND doctrine with which to protect ourselves, AND to combat error and heresy:

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

(2 Timothy 4:1-5, NKJV, emphasis mine)

I hope this article was clear and understandable, and proves to be helpful to many. Please feel free to post your comments below to discuss these points further. Please also tell others about it, to whom you feel that this article might be profitable.

Always in Jesus,

-Rich

 

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Judging Prophecy Correctly

There is too much confusion in the Body of Christ with regard to how to properly judge prophecies and prophets today. Some do not bother to judge them at all, and just swallow whatever is fed to them by even false prophets—complete with the proverbial “hook, line, and sinker.” Others are trying to use good discernment in order to avoid heresy and being led astray, but are using the wrong “measurements” to test the “words” given. Only a few seem to grasp the fundamental issues at hand, and can properly dissect a prophecy in order to evaluate its origin.

The purpose of this article is to help increase the numbers of people within this last group above. While no article-length treatment can do this topic full justice (a book-length would surely be required), I will do my best to clear up at least a few misconceptions and to point the direction toward a few good aids in evaluating such things.

Herein, we will expose and eliminate three fallacies regarding testing prophecies (and by extension, testing the people who give them):

• That the “Jesus is Lord” test of 1 Corinthians 12 is sufficient to evaluate a minister/prophecy.
• That all “prophecy” is by inspiration from the Holy Spirit (or some spirit).
• That the “fulfillment test” (i.e. does the prophecy come to pass?) is an applicable test in all situations for determining true and false prophets.

Additionally, we will establish a couple of very powerful and helpful biblical truths:

• How the “Jesus is Lord” test is actually a part of the more comprehensive “doctrine test.”
• That this particular test is critical for correctly judging both prophets and their prophecies.

Let me also provide a quick note for my readers who perhaps know English only as a second language, or who are reading this through one of this website’s automated translations. The English word “prophesy” (with a “s” toward the end) is a verb, and refers to the act of prophesying, i.e. speaking by the inspiration of some spirit. The English word “prophecy” (with a “c” toward the end) is the noun form of the word, and refers to what was said. So I will try to keep my “c” and “s” versions of the word straight throughout this article (emphasis on “try”), but I wanted to differentiate the two forms of the word since they are so similar, in order to avoid confusion.

So with the above introduction in mind, let’s get started.

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Who Can Say, “Jesus is Lord”?

The first point we will address is the “Jesus is Lord” test. This is a doctrine of the New Testament (NT) that is often misunderstood by people— especially within the Charismatic/Pentecostal churches.

To unwind this mystery, we will begin with the first eleven verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 12, wherein the Holy Spirit (by the apostle, Paul) began teaching God’s people about spiritual gifts:

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Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

(NKJV, emphasis mine)

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Again, there is a common error found among Christians regarding the first three verses above. Too many people think that if some person says, “Jesus is Lord!” then they MUST be doing so by the Holy Spirit. However, this is an example of what I call “two-dimensional thinking.” The Christian’s reading of the above verses has missed the context entirely (which is required for “three-dimensional thinking”); and they certainly have not taken the time to accurately ascertain the intent of God within these passages (which constitutes “four-dimensional thinking”).

So please allow me to first state a biblical truth quite clearly, and then I will prove this point afterwards: ANY human being can humanly say, “Jesus is Lord” out of their own human mind without the Holy Spirit being involved. For example, if a person is being harassed by a poorly trained Christian endeavoring to “street witness,” they may say such a thing just to get the person to leave them alone. Is there faith expressed therein? No! They just want the person to go away, and they are willing to say anything they can to get them to leave.

Here is another example from history: Who said, “My feeling as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior… I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” Answer: Adolf Hitler, in a speech on April 12, 1921.

Was Hitler a Christian? NO! He was a murderer! Jesus did not advocate murder, and He even said such things were of the devil (John 8:44); and the Bible clearly says that “no murderer has eternal life in him” (1 John 3:15). Thus, there is no way that Adolf Hitler was a genuine Christian. In fact, he was part of a satanic cult known as the “Thule Society” and was therefore technically a satanist (which should be obvious to most people by his evil behavior). That evil imposter was merely using such statements to fool Christians to gain their political support. (By the way, click here if you want to be shocked about how well Hitler fooled the Christians in Germany with such statements, and how many of us were similarly fooled by the statements of George W. Bush during his tenures in office. Or, click here if you want to read how an alleged “evangelical pastor,” who is an admitted member of a satanic cult, who uses the same tactic in order to lead people into apostasy.)

Nonetheless, professing Christians throughout history have used such a “Jesus is Lord” litmus test to satisfy themselves that another person is speaking by the Spirit of God—or even to determine if a particular person is born again. Thus, such a erroneous use of 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 constitutes a method and mindset that leads people into deception when “wolves in sheep’s clothing” decide to take advantage of such ignorance, as Hitler clearly did.

So let’s see what is really being said within that passage of Scripture in 1 Corinthians…

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The Clear Context

The context of the above passage from 1 Corinthians 12 is regarding “manifestations of the Spirit.” Note how the passage says, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all…But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” The subject throughout the chapter is the Holy Spirit and His manifestations among the saints. The Holy Spirit (by the apostle, Paul) is intending within this chapter to teach Christians about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and how to discern His manifestations from counterfeits performed by demons.

Note how Paul begins this chapter:

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Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.

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This statement above MUST be understood in the light of what was written earlier within this same letter to the Corinthians:

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Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

(1 Corinthians 10:14-21, NKJV, emphasis mine)

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Paul had explained to the Corinthians earlier in his letter that pagans worship demons when they worship idols. Thus, when Paul wrote, “You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led,” he was referring to the demonic influences that lead people into idolatry.

In other words, the Holy Spirit is NOT the ONLY spirit that can move upon a person to “prophesy” within a meeting. This is clearly understood when we look at the very next verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 12:

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Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

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So to reiterate this point: The context of this entire epistle, coupled with the context of chapter twelve itself, reveals that what Paul was trying to explain to the carnal Corinthian believers is that NOT every prophetic utterance is of God. Some are given by demonic inspiration.

Furthermore, he was explaining that whenever a spirit is manifesting, ONLY the Holy Spirit will affirm the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Demons will NEVER admit that, and thus, any prophecy given under the influence of ANY spirit must be tested in regard to the doctrinal content of the prophecy—and especially in regard to the exclusive and supreme Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Thus, the “Jesus is Lord” test is actually a part of the “doctrine test” regarding the content of spirit-inspired prophecies only. It does not apply, however, to “utterances” that were simply made up within people’s own imaginations.

This last point needs a bit more elaboration. However, let me first clear up another fallacy so common within the church regarding judging prophecy…

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Wild Imaginations

There is another error very common within Christendom wherein people think that the KEY test for whether a prophet is true or not is in regards to whether their prophetic “sign” comes to pass. This concept is based almost entirely upon this passage:

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And if you say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?”— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

(Deuteronomy 18:21-22, NKJV)

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I call this the “fulfillment test”, and it is certainly ONE test of the genuineness of a prophet’s ministry. After all, if a man or woman is going around making predictions that never come to pass (Harold Camping being one that comes to mind, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own “Watchtower” being another), then that would certainly indicate that the person is a fruitcake and not a genuine prophet.

However, the fact that they are failing so much in their prophesies is NOT a proof that they are operating by demonic spirits, but may possibly indicate that they are making up what they say out of their own minds and twisted imaginations:

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Thus says the LORD to this people, “Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check. Therefore the LORD does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account.” So the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather I am going to make an end of them by the sword, famine and pestilence.”

But, “Ah, Lord GOD!” I said, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’” Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds.

(Jeremiah 14:10-14, NASB, emphasis mine)

Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the LORD.

(Jeremiah 23:16, NASB, emphasis mine)

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So please do not misunderstand me: If a person keeps giving false prophecies that fail to come to pass, then they are certainly a “false prophet” in the respect that they are not true prophets giving sound prophetic words that may really occur. However, this “fulfillment test” is not the best test of true vs. false prophets, as we shall see more clearly shortly.

But first, let me highlight what we have already covered: We have eliminated two fallacies so far; and we can now re-state (reiterate) them in the affirmative as follows:

• The “Jesus is Lord” test only applies to spirit-inspired utterances, and not human speech capability in general.
• Some false prophecies are given by people merely out of their own minds and imaginations, and are not the result of a spirit inspiring the speaker.

In fact, this second point above is clear whenever you happen to run across a charlatan (con artist) who uses gimmicks to fool people into thinking they have a prophetic “gift” or are a “prophet.” I will provide you a link shortly where you can see such a hustler working the crowd with such fakery. But for now, let’s return to our teaching.

The “fulfillment test” that I mentioned briefly above is a genuine test, but ONLY a very limited one; and it is certainly NOT the best way to tell whether a person is a true or false prophet. Why?

Because is is possible that a “prophet” can speak by demonic influences, and it MAY actually come to pass…

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Doctrinal Errors Indicate Demonic Origins

The premise of this article is not that unfulfilled prophecies should not be examined. They must surely be examined as part of a wider inspection of the alleged prophet. However, now we will see that there are severe limitations to this particular form of test that, if not understood, could lead a person into deception to follow a false prophet unaware.

This is because even demonic prophecies can come true:

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“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.

(Deuteronomy 13:1-5, NKJV, emphasis mine)

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Please note within the bold text above that this alleged prophet’s doctrinal content within his prophecy is designed to lead people AWAY from the Lord God of the Bible; and yet his or her prophecy’s “sign” could still come to pass! Consequently, if a person is judging prophecy by the “fulfillment test” alone, they are likely to be deceived.

However, note what the passage above DOES point out is a solid and irrefutable test of the prophet: The doctrinal content of his or her prophecy. So this brings us back to discussing the “doctrine test” more fully.

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The Doctrine Test

The Spirit of God points out within the passage above the type of false doctrine that is typically evident within teaching and inspired utterances of false prophets. They will say things that deny the Lordship of the ONLY True God  (i.e. the God that is found in the Bible), and will attempt to lead others into idolatry:

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“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams…”

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Did you notice how similar this is to the combined text from 1 Corinthians chapters 10 and 12 that we discussed before?

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Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry…. What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. (Chapter 10, emphasis mine)

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. (Chapter 12, emphasis mine)

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The key thing to identify within the prophecies (or teaching) of ANY alleged prophet or prophetess is the content of the doctrine within what they say. (Of course, this would apply toward any teacher, pastor, apostle, evangelist, elder, etc., as well.) This includes subtle doctrinal errors, as well as obvious ones. The passages above should not be considered limited to blatant blasphemies, but should be understood to be informing us even of the subtle errors that meet those same criteria.

In fact, let me illustrate this by pointing out that the passage above mentions that demons would call Jesus “accursed.” This is a subtle twist on a biblical doctrine. Note:

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Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

(Galatians 3:13-14, NKJV, emphasis mine)

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

(2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV)

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The scriptural doctrine is this: Jesus, the sinless Son of God, Who was God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16), was made a curse for us as He bore our sins upon the Cross. However, He did not remain there; God raised Him from the dead on the third day, and Jesus Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father about forty days later.

So Jesus is portrayed in the Bible today as being in His full Deity, sitting at the right hand of the Father in Heaven…but the demons Paul referred to in 1 Corinthians chapter twelve made one slight twist to their doctrine, and pictured Jesus as eternally damned in Hell. This may have been only a subtle change in words, but the affect is a diametrically opposite picture theologically.

Consequently, this brings up a fact that should be of no surprise to any thinking person: Demons are heretics by their nature, and they have their own doctrines:

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Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…”

(1 Timothy 4:1-2, NKJV, emphasis mine)

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Paul warned Timothy regarding how “deceiving spirits” (demons) will lead people astray in the last days. This ties in nicely with his warning to the Corinthians to monitor the doctrinal content of spirit-inspired prophecies, and Moses’ warning that demonic “prophets” can come along demonstrating “signs and wonders” that are designed to lead people into apostasy. In short, whether such heresies are obvious or subtle, they are indicative that a demon spirit is “inspiring” that person through whom they speak and/or teach:

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“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

“Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; and they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one has turned back from his wickedness.

All of them have become to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

(Jeremiah 23:13-14, NKJV, emphasis mine)

[Referring to the False Prophet of the Last Days] He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

(Revelation 13:13-14, NKJV, emphasis and notes mine)

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So even the famous False Prophet of the very Last Days will perform signs and wonders with the intent of leading people into idolatry. Thus, doctrine is the key thing that indicates the origin of the spirit-inspired utterance that any prophet speaks.

By the way: Baal worship, as mentioned in one of the passages above, is at the heart of higher-level Freemason doctrines. Thus, not only are Freemasons heretical in the fact that they are really Deists (i.e. believe that there is one god, but that all forms of worship that embrace only one god are equally valid; Islam, Wicca, Christianity, etc.), they are also heretical in the sense that their doctrines include Baal worship and related symbolism (plus other blasphemies). Thus, any Freemasons masquerading around as prophets (or as “Christian” ministers or theology professors) are directly addressed within the above passage of Scripture also. And the best way to identify them (since they are so secretive about their true beliefs) is to examine the doctrinal content of their alleged prophesies, statements, and teaching. Where spirit-inspired prophecies are concerned, you obviously should NOT to rely whether their demonically inspired predictions come to pass or not…because they just might.

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The Time Factor

There is another weakness to using the “fulfillment test” alone. Namely, what about the time factor?

Not every false prophet is as stupid as Harold Camping was in naming dates. Obviously, when one is that open and their prophecy fails to come to pass as predicted, it is a probable indication that something is amiss with the guy. “So and so will happen on day such and such.” Just wait, and see. Simple.

However, most prophecies of Scripture are based upon signs, such as surrounding circumstances or other characteristics. They are typically not based upon dates on a calendar (though some were time oriented, e.g. “within three years” or “by the time of the harvest”). Thus, some people who are leaning too heavily upon the “fulfillment test” may find themselves in a quandary when there is no date or time frame given. They may even miss a true prophecy from God when they are emphatically asserting, “If it doesn’t come to pass, they are false prophets! Stone them!”

For example, Malachi prophesied, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD” (4:5, NASB). That was fulfilled about 400 years later initially in the ministry of John the Baptist (see Matthew 11:14), and will be ultimately fulfilled when the actual man, Elijah, returns just prior to the Second Coming of Christ (see Revelation 11; I believe that Elijah is one Witness, and Enoch is the other…but others may disagree with me on that point, and I do not have the space to expound upon this here beyond this brief note). So when should they have stoned Malachi to death for a lack of fulfillment? Four years after his prophecy? How about forty? It took four hundred years for it to come to pass…and even then, most people did not recognize John the Baptist as the initial fulfillment of that prophetic word.

Then there is Enoch. According to Jude, he prophesied before the Lord took him to Heaven (see Genesis 5:22 and Hebrews 11:5), and said, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him”(verses 14-15, NKJV). That will not happen until the Second Coming of Christ, which has not happened yet. Thus, the time delay in the fulfillment of that prophecy is about 5,000 years. At what point should people have concluded that Enoch was a “false prophet” and have stoned him?

Likewise, I have heard of people who received true prophecies from true prophets, but the fulfillment took years…sometimes decades…before they eventually came to pass. So at what point should the recipients of such true prophetic words decide they are untrue? Patience is certainly a factor when trusting God for the fulfillment of His written promises, so it is not surprising it is likewise when awaiting prophetic words to be fulfilled. (Note: There are other aspects related to the fulfillment of true prophecies that I just do not have time to address within this single article.)

Returning to our “test” discussion: Most prophecies are general, and not date specific. Thus, how can the “fulfillment test” be applied to them correctly? Since there is not hard and fast “rule” about how long one has to wait in order to test the prophecy, it is obvious that this method only works well when an actual date is named or some time frame indicated.

However, even then, one must be cautious if the prediction DOES come to pass. Again, when we connect this point to what we covered above before: It is a real possibility that one could inappropriately label a true prophet as a false one, simply by leaning too heavily upon the “fulfillment test”; while they could also name a false prophet as “true” because the demonically inspired prediction came to pass.

Thus, I think most readers can see that the “fulfillment test” is generally limited in its scope and usefulness, especially whenever specific dates or time frames are not included therein. So let us return to the “doctrine test” and see what we are to look for within the content of spirit-inspired utterances in order to determine their origin.

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The Holy Spirit Says…

Again, the primary test to see if a person is a genuine prophet, verses a demonically inspired prophet, is the content of their doctrine. That doctrine could be expressed through an inspired utterance (prophecy), through teaching, or even side comments that reveal the person’s beliefs on certain topics. (Some heretics get quite talkative when they think nobody is listening, or when they feel over confident in their influence over their hearers; so private comments are a good time to see where people really stand on some issues.) A true prophet (or any minister of God) is consistent in their love of Truth, and desire for doctrinal purity (though none of us are omniscient, so we are all growing in God’s grace on such things). A false prophet (or minister) is typically motivated by pride and/or greed, and thus, God’s Truth tends to go crosswise with their evil personal agendas.

So how do we determine where a person stands? One of the best ways to determine if the Holy Spirit is speaking is to see if it lines up with what Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would do:

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

(John 16:7-15, NKJV)

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You can meditate upon the above passage further in order to get the fullness of what the Lord was telling us all. However, let me give you a quick bullet list to point out some key things that Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do when He came:

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• The Holy Spirit would bring “conviction” for sin, and address issues of judgment and righteousness. Take time to examine the messages of the prophets who spoke throughout Scripture, and note that is exactly what they did. They were themselves “holy men of God” (see Luke 1:70, Acts 3:21, Romans 1:2, Ephesians 3:5, 2 Peter 1:21, and etc.) and thus, their doctrine/messages were constantly geared toward promoting holy living before our Holy God.
• He would “guide” us into “all truth.” In the next chapter (John 17:17), Jesus said unto the Father, “Your Word is Truth.” Thus, the Holy Spirit will teach sound doctrine that can be verified by the Word of God (i.e. the Bible alone, and no other alleged “holy book” or “higher truth”).
• He will “tell you things to come.” There will be a future-oriented content to many of the Holy Spirit’s messages. That would not be an absolute, because He often addresses present and past circumstances too; but even then, the Holy Spirit would typically point toward either a future judgement or blessing, depending on the situation being addressed.
• The Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus! This includes His Cross and sacrifice, as well as His position at the right hand of the Father and His Lordship over all.

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In contrast, demons tend to say the opposite. Whether subtly or blatantly, they will do one or more of the following:

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• They will usually encourage sin, often by talking about “blessings” for those who are practicing sin; i.e. rather than the judgment that will necessarily follow transgression of God’s commands. (Note again what the Jeremiah 23:13-14 passage further above said about those who prophesy by Baal.) So when you see an immoral person being given an “ear tickling” prophecy about how God is going to “bless” them—but without warning about their sin and loose living—beware! That is a VERY likely indication that the prophet is either operating by demons, or is merely a con artist fake. (So watch them closely thereafter to see if that assessment is confirmed in other ways.)
• Demons will lead people toward idolatry and away from God’s Word (as we have discussed above already). This would include encouraging the “love of money” (i.e. “covetousness, which is idolatry” —Colossians 3:5).
• They will often mimic telling “things to come,” but will more often try to impress the hearer with information from the past or present in order to lead them astray (e.g. their name, place of birth, job, activity the previous day, etc.). Note: Demons do often know past and present things about people and circumstances, but are VERY limited on anything “future” oriented because they cannot truly know the future (only God does, and He is not telling them). Demons can fake a future prediction, however, by predicting something that is likely to happen: For example, “You will receive a letter in the mail from an old friend”—but the demon simply knows that the old friend had already put it in the mail the day before, and it is only a matter of the U.S. Postal Service getting the letter to the person…which itself may take a miracle, but we won’t “address” USPS delivery problems at this time (pun intended). A future “sign.” however, is a different thing. These are demonic “miracles” that are merely announced beforehand.
• Demons will glorify ANYBODY except Jesus: That would include the alleged prophet himself (i.e. making him or her look super spiritual); the hearer of the prophecy (i.e. pumping up their ego, by appealing to the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life); some cult they are pushing, or a false “addition” to the Bible (such as the Book of Mormon); or anything/anybody by which they can turn attention away from Jesus and His Truth, and toward idols.

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So when someone speaks some sort of a spirit-inspired utterance, do they genuinely uplift the name of Jesus Christ, and His Lordship? Do they acknowledge His resurrection and ascension to the right had of God? Do they give proper place to His redeeming blood? Or do they openly or subtly promote doctrines that are contrary to these?

We have discussed “prophets” and “prophetesses” largely in this article, but again, these points apply to ANY professing Christian who stands up to give a prophetic utterance in a service, or offers a “personal prophecy” to any individual. (Again, this also applies to teachers, pastors, etc.) If the doctrinal content of their message is heretical, then they are speaking by a demon spirit (either directly in prophecy, or indirectly through teaching the doctrines of demons). However, if the content is pure in its doctrine, and truly uplifts the Deity of Christ and sound biblical teaching, then they are speaking by the Spirit of God.

Again, I am primarily discussing when a SPIRIT manifests through a person, and not merely when someone makes up a prophecy out of their own head. Though these things do apply to teaching, the title of this article is “Judging Prophecy Correctly” and I am especially addressing prophetic utterances within this article, and how to evaluate them.

Let me note briefly that in the case of a “head prophecy” (i.e one out of a person’s own mind), there may or may not be any harm done by the alleged prophecy (it depends on what was said, and how it was received); so you don’t have to label them a “false prophet” and run them out of town if they are simply a baby Christian making a minor mistake (i.e. not Harold Camping making a fool of himself, but a real sincere Christian making a mistake with good intentions and reasonably sound doctrine). Even new prophets make mistakes on this point—though they SHOULD be corrected by senior ministers, when possible (note 1 Corinthians chapter 14).

However, when a spirit is manifesting…and it is determinable that a demon is the source…then the person who gave that prophecy needs to be sat down and dealt with strongly and directly. They may need deliverance from a demon, and/or to get saved; so Christians (especially leaders) should minister to them with such redemptive goals in mind. Regardless, they should NOT be allowed to minister “prophetically” to any group or individual anymore, and others should be warned about the person—particularly if that person resists godly efforts to get them saved and on track spiritually.

And if a church’s or group’s leadership fails to address such things, then Christian individuals and families should leave that congregation and never return. It may indicate that the other leaders are complicit with the demonic false prophet. On the other hand, it could simply mean they are incompetent as leaders. In either case, leave there…and take as many people with you as possible. Nobody should be subjected to demonic manifestations merely because the leaders refuse to properly control their meetings.

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Closing Points

Here is a quick bullet list of additional tests. Some of these are ones that I do not have time to address within this particular article, but should surely be known and utilized where applicable. I have listed these in order of priority, along with the ones already mentioned—but this is not an exhaustive list by any means (just the key points):

• The “doctrine test”: This includes the “Jesus is Lord” test (as we discussed herein).
• The “fruit test”: This applies to individuals more than their prophesies, and it was mentioned by Jesus in Matthew chapter 7. It includes really all the tests in some measure, but also the “fruit of the spirit” in Galatians chapter 6.
• The “character test”: See the family and integrity requirements for ministry found in 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus, for more on this one. For a teaching on “The Family Test” (as I call it), which is a part of the character test, then see my article here.
• The “fulfillment test”: This is particularly handy for exposing con artists and idiots, but has its limitations otherwise (as we discussed herein).

You can look those tests above that we did not cover, and study them for yourself. I am confident that the Holy Spirit will give genuine Christians reading those Bible passages the idea of how to apply those tests towards individuals and their prophecies.

Lastly, let me now refer you to a few other articles on other websites. Therein, you can see some examples of both true and false prophecies:

• Can I Buy A Vowel? This is a somewhat funny (and witty) post by Chrystal Whitt, which exposes a man who appears to be a con artist and NOT a true prophet. It is funny, in how Chrystal points out the ridiculous nature of his alleged “prophecies.” It is sad, because some people actually follow this guy and consider him a true prophet.
• A Prophetic Warning by Stanley Frodsham (one of the great founding Pentecostal generals of the Twentieth Century). This is a true prophecy, given by a true man of God. What makes this one particularly interesting is that he describes how heretics and false prophets will emerge (as has been happening the last decade or so in fulfillment of this very word he gave back in 1965).
• Kenneth Copeland’s history of false prophecies and teaching. Some of these are merely ridiculous, but most of the others are blatantly blasphemous.
• The late Dr. Walter Martin’s Warning to the Church (1988): This is a great teaching about how wolves and false prophets operate. Thus, I am including it in this list despite the fact that it is not a uttered prophecy per se. However, it is truly “prophetic” in the sense that this man of God knew what he was talking about in light of God’s Word (which is prophetic by its nature and substance). Thus, this is inspired teaching of sound doctrine, that can be traced to the working of the Holy Spirit (as we taught above).

I hope this article of mine provides some benefit to all our readers. Please feel free to comment and/or ask additional questions below. I will try to “fill in the blanks” within the comment thread for any issues that need to be addressed more fully, as can be reasonably done within a commentary (and as my time constraints allow).

Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

(Ephesians 6:23-24, NKJV)

Always in Jesus,

-Rich

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The Best “Pastor’s Handbook”

I converse quite frequently with other ministers via the Internet, and sometimes I have a profound point or two to bring forth (but only by God’s grace). Many times I am also blessed by what my peers share with me, and I grow accordingly through the wisdom that God gives me through them. At other times, I am rather astounded at how utterly unbiblical some preachers’ ideas are about ministry and/or theology.

Yesterday, I found the following question posted within a pastor’s discussion group on LinkedIn, of which I am a member:

How do you know whether your church numbers are dwindling for the right reason? Is it such a bad thing to examine and how would you go about doing it?…What are some healthy ways you can examine why your church attendance is decreasing? I framed it this way because I have heard it said from time to time that we shouldn’t be concerned about the numbers. I was thinking that we should check or assess that in a healthy way and not ignore it. Sometimes we, as leaders, may be blind to things.

That is a valid question. I feel it is quite appropriate for a pastor to pose such queries to their peers, and to solicit feedback regarding issues that pertain to the proper tending to God’s “sheep.”

Shouldn’t a “shepherd” be concerned about the expansion of God’s Kingdom? Of course, they should. Well, then shouldn’t a pastor monitor issues such as congregation size, attendance, and both new memberships and departures? Of course, they should! What good shepherd in a pasture or hilly field would fail to pay attention to the numbers, to ensure that there is none missing from among the flock given to his care? Here is what Jesus said about such things:

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.“

(Matthew 18:12-13, NKJV, Words of Jesus in red)

Notice that the “normal” condition for a good pastor is to count the sheep, and to ensure that none is lost. That is godly, and certainly biblical for pastors of God’s people as well.

However, as I perused the responses from other pastors/ministers within the group, I was astounded by how few of them cited Scripture when answering the man’s question. The responses were generally in regards to modern church “management techniques” and uses of technology and “ministry teams” to keep people from leaving the church through the “back door.”

While many of those responses had merit, what concerns me was the lack of biblical focus and reference. After all, what is the best “pastor’s handbook” ever written? Shouldn’t it be the Bible itself? If so, then why do many modern pastors “default” to what they learned through seminars and reading other books rather than consulting the Scriptures themselves?

My Response

So I chimed into the discussion with the following three posts. I am doing a direct copy/paste (with typo repair being the only edits) so that you can see exactly what I submitted to those men and women to ponder:

Rich Vermillion • Post 1 of 3: There are some good practical suggestions within this thread from the perspective of modern church management. However, let me interject in here the idea that perhaps we need to turn to the Bible for two key points about church growth that are OFTEN overlooked by shepherds these days (all citations from the NKJV):

Point 1:

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

The Great Commission applies to all believers, including pastors. When we look at the great men of the last few hundred years whose ministries grew and touched nations (e.g. Luther, Bunyan, Spurgeon, Wesley, etc.) we find that all these pastors were soul-winners, and knew how to properly present the Gospel in conjunction with the Law (i.e. to contextualize grace). These preachers filled their pews with new converts, and that produced TRUE growth (i.e. verses swapping members with other churches).

Note: I did not name anybody who was primarily an evangelist above (e.g Whitefield), but those who were shepherds. I would suggest that pastors reading this should become students of these men’s writings, and learn how to be soul-winners as well. Another great source for good teaching along those lines are the free videos and downloads at these two links:

Videos: http://wayofthemaster.com/watchepisodes.shtml

Downloads (audio MP3s): http://wayofthemaster.com/freeduplication.shtml

The teaching within the latter is especially beneficial, as they are longer and more in-depth.

Now to my second post…

Rich Vermillion • Post 2 of 3: Picking up with my next point…

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Point 2:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”

The primary purpose of pastors is to “feed the sheep” (note Psalm 23 as well). Thus, soul-winning is the first part: But discipline the converts into mature Christianity is the logical next step. As a general rule, if you are feeding the lambs and sheep a proper diet (i.e. not merely the “motivational” hype that teaches little useful doctrine) then people will stay to be fed, unless called out to serve elsewhere in the maturity you helped them to achieve.

Now let me leave you a challenge in post 3…

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Rich Vermillion • Post 3 of 3:

Picking up from where I just left off with the above two points, here is my challenge to you all:

You cannot take people where YOU have not first been, nor can you lead others into an experience that you have not yourselves experienced. Good pastoring is the natural outflow of a solid Christian walk in the life of a shepherd. That is why Paul emphasized character (integrity) in the pastoral epistles as qualifications for ministry. (Note: These are not only pre-requisites, but ongoing requisites that qualify a minister for continued ministry. Should ANY minister begin to fail in maintaining such a high standard of Christian character, they should tend to their own lives and family as a priority…even if they have to step down…in order to ensure that their foundations meet biblical standards for continued ministry.)

So in this same vein, let me close by providing you folks with three outstanding downloads (which I have on my own website) for you to consider. Regardless of your theological background/bent, you will find it nearly impossible to argue with any point that these three men made within THESE particular pieces (though you might argue with one or more of these preachers with regard to some of their other writings):

“Ordination Text” (a sermon delivered by Charles G. Finney to 14 candidates for ministry, which admonitions challenge me every time I read them): http://richvermillion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/OE1842.Ordination.Text-Finney.pdf

“The Burden of the Word of the Lord” by Charles Spurgeon: http://richvermillion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/TheBurdenOfTheWordOfTheLord.pdf

“Unconverted Ministers” by George Whitefield (a short, but certainly sobering message to ponder): http://richvermillion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Unconverted-Ministers.pdf

I hope my proverbial “two cents” herein helps, and proves to be a blessing.

Always in Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion

It is certainly my hope that I have given these “shepherds” something substantial to consider, and that they are “chewing” upon what I have shared. After all, I do not know those men and women personally, and thus, can only give them the benefit of the doubt that they are genuine Christians who are called by God to be pastors of His people.

Nevertheless, here is my unspoken, but overarching point within the three posts I shared with them: With such widespread apostasy today—and many wolves of various heretical “packs” roaming the Church landscape—one has to wonder if at least PART of the problem therewith is the fact that many modern pastors are turning toward makeshift resources for counsel about their ministries OTHER than the Bible itself.

What did Paul tell young Timothy to do in order to establish his own ministry and to ensure success as a pastor? Here are his words, by the Holy Spirit:

Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

(2 Timothy 2:15, KJV, modernized by me for website translation purposes, emphasis mine)

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

(2 Timothy 3:13-4:5, NKJV, emphasis mine)

May many that read that discussion thread (and this article of mine) ponder this point well: If we are called by God to care for His “lambs” and “sheep” for which He shed His Own Blood to purchase…then we need to keep HIS “Pastor’s Handbook” before our eyes continuously. We also need to evaluate all modern extra-biblical ministry methods according to those same righteous biblical standards. After all…He will have us give an account one day for our stewardship:

 

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

(James 3:1, NKJV)

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written:

“As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

(Romans 14:10-12, NKJV)

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

(Hebrews 13:17, NKJV)

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

(2 Corinthians 5:9-11, NKJV)

I am not in the least bit “throwing out the baby with the bath water” in regards to the use of modern technologies and management techniques. In fact, I am thrilled whenever Christians learn how to adapt new technologies in order to reach more people (as I endeavor to do with all our websites).

However, I am VERY concerned that people are so distracted with such “modern” things that they have forgotten to consult the Bible, and to do the “basics” of godly pastoral ministry:

1. Win the lost to Christ through a proper presentation of the Gospel through all available means and at all available venues.
2. Disciple new Christians into maturity in Christ, while training them to evangelize and disciple others as well.

In fact, how many pastors these days actually teach the core doctrines found within their statements of faith? That would seem to be very basic, would it not? Yet, too many “churches” fail to consistently win new converts to Jesus Christ…much less teach them the fundamentals of the faith.

Lastly (and most importantly), if you are not a Christian…or if you are not sure if you are one…or you think you are, but do not have the matching “fruit” that tells others that you are in fact born again—then let me please ask you to read and ponder the most important article I have ever written, The Supreme Value of Righteousness, right away. And may God bless its words, and bless you therewith as well.

Do you have any thoughts on these matters? Whether you are a pastor or minister yourself (or not), your comments are welcome below. Feel free to share this post with others as well, in order to get people thinking (including your own pastor).

Always in Jesus,

-Rich

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When Wolves Remove Their Clothes

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There are many wolves at large today, prowling around with their “sheep’s clothing” draped across their furry shoulders, looking for any unsuspecting prey which they can devour for their own self-serving agendas. One even contacted me today, and tried to deceive me into advertising his alleged “ministry” for him on my websites, using a false confrontation about Kenneth Copeland as his “lure.”

Instead of playing his silly game, however, I decided to write this article and let him undress his true character for the entire world to see.

(Note: This post is rated “R” for “reveal” as I intend to expose a hypocrite herein very sternly, with the intent of trying to warn him of his error, and to secure his salvation. This is in total conformity to Paul’s admonishment in 1 Timothy 5:19-21, which says in part, “Those [elders] who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.” Since this person claims to be a “pastor” then public rebuke for his hypocrisy is certainly in order. So “canine discretion is advised” for all other wolves who may be reading this post.)

Dressed to Kill

Some wolves wear “tailor made” sheep suits which hide everything but their fangs as they salivate over the next meal. In my informed opinion, Kenneth Copeland falls into this category, as he has shown himself to be quite deceptive with his wooly attire.

For example, Copeland will publicly teach on topics such as honor and integrity, or perhaps love and forgiveness, even while simultaneously propagating multimillion-dollar frauds. His hearers are lulled into believing that he and his wolf pack (i.e. family) are “upright” and “holy” and the donations come in as overly-trusting people expect “hundred-fold returns from God” on their “seed.” However, the Copelands don’t live that way themselves. They merely devour the wealth of the unsuspecting victims with their multimillion-dollar incomes and other financial “perks,” paid for by these contributions and the sales of products that teach this unbiblical tripe. In fact, most of the so-called “prosperity preachers” fall into this category (though the more amateurish among their number are not as competent with their deceptions as the truly “professional” wolves are).

Others are not so clever in hiding their true nature from the flock of God. The “cotton ball” covering, with which they have arrayed themselves, provides very little camouflage against detection—if the sheep will merely pay attention. (The guy we will discuss shortly falls into this latter category, in my opinion.)

All of the wolves, however, will occasionally drop all pretense of feigning themselves as sheep, when their own carnivorous nature gets the best of them. To understand how and when that might happen, let us first look at what Jesus said about these deceivers. Herein, we will see what are the two CHIEF characteristics that marks all wolves:

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

(Matthew 7:13-23, NKJV, words of Jesus in red, emphasis added)

The First Characteristic

The first point to note about the above passage about “wolves in sheep’s clothing” is that it is sandwiched between two powerful passages that discuss both true and false “converts” to Christianity.

In the beginning of our citation above, we are told by the Lord that “many” find the “broad way” that leads to Hell and damnation (as heresy is typically more popular among the wicked than is the truth); but those who are willing to take the “narrow way” will find eternal life through Jesus Christ. In the ending of the section we quoted above, Jesus tells us that not everyone who claims to be a Christian really is one, and that many of these false converts will be shocked to discover they are unsaved only AFTER damnation comes upon them.

Oh, what a horror! The Savior of the world has told us that many are deceived into believing they are righteous when they are not. Oh, what a terror! Should we not be about our Father’s business and warn such people that their false beliefs are leading them to Hell?

I truly think that stern warnings about their frightful condition is FAR more loving than lying to them by telling them that there is no Hell to fear at all!

Picasso “Theologies”

Of course, this last point flies in the face of popular “broad-way” heresies today. Some have gone so far as to twist so-called “love” teaching into shapes so distorted, so perverted, that their heretical doctrine has lost all reference to true biblical theology. In short, Rob Bell’s “love wins” defecation (a far more appropriate term to use than “teaching”) reflects the agape love described in Scripture about as well as a Picasso painting represents a true “portrait” of his subjects.

Nonetheless, the fact of true and false converts—and the truth that there is a Hell to avoid, even as there is a Heaven to gain—is VERY consistent with other “narrow-way” teachings of Jesus Christ. As the passage above warned, there will be those who are shocked to find themselves damned because they were never truly born again into eternal life.

This class of unsaved false “Christians” have been referred to by preachers throughout history by names such as “false converts,” “false professors,” “pretenders,” “counterfeits,” and even simply “hypocrites.” Jesus, however, used allegorical terms that compared the true Christians with the false. There are the “wheat” but also “tares” (Mat. 13:24-30, 36-43); “good fish” but also “bad fish” (Mat. 13:47-50); “sheep” but also “goats” (Mat. 25:31-46); “wise virgins” but also “foolish” ones (Mat. 25:1-13).

In short, not everyone who claims to be a Christian—or who even thinks that they are a Christian, simply because of their religious observances or profession—is truly born again. As I stated within the very comprehensive explanation of salvation entitled, The Supreme Value of Righteousness:

[Jesus] said clearly [in John chapter 3] that we must be “born again” (i.e. a second birth) in order to enter into the Kingdom of God as genuine children of God. He said that this one is a spiritual birth, in which our spirits are “born again” by the working of Holy Spirit of God Himself. “Spirit gives birth to spirit,” Jesus said. And just as our first birth was dramatic, so is the second birth also—but on the inside of a person, rather than on the outside….being “born again” was not merely a doctrine, a concept, a philosophy, or merely some emotional euphoria. It is an experience. And to be quite honest about it, it is a very dramatic experience to be born of God’s Spirit on the inside. (Bracketed clarifications added.)

So what do we see Jesus saying about wolves? The Lord says that they are “clothed” like sheep, but inwardly they are “ravenous wolves.” In short, they are NOT born again; or at best, have traveled the road of apostasy so long, that they are once again lost and can only expect damnation for eternity:

For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, back-bitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced….

Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?

(2 Corinthians 12:20-21 NKJV; 13:5, Amplified, emphasis added)

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven….And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

(Excerpt from Matthew 7:13-23, NKJV, words of Jesus in red, emphasis added)

And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!“

(Matthew 13:36-43, NKJV, words of Jesus in red)

Obviously, the most loving action that any of us can take is to warn such “wolves” that they are literally “playing with fire” (i.e. eternal damnation within the Lake of Fire). Consequently, though it may seem severe to people ignorant of biblical truth, this public rebuke of the wolf who I will shortly identify will be for his eternal good and profit—if he will simply repent, as we have likewise publicly called upon Kenneth Copeland and his family to do.

The Second Characteristic

It is important to note also that another chief characteristic of covert “wolves” is their “ravenous” nature. The Greek word translated for this adjective is harpax, which means literally a “robber or extortioner.” So their appetites drive such unsaved people to array themselves in “sheep’s clothing” in order to deceive other people into complacency, so as to “rob” and “extort” from them all that they can devour.

This is a huge truth that Jesus has made plain to us: “Wolves in sheep’s clothing” are best identified by their “ravenous, robbing, extorting” nature! Their “ravening appetite” tends to be directed toward money, fame, power, and other such carnal lusts.

Doctrine (i.e. teaching) can certainly be a clue to their nature when they use it to plunder their overly-trusting victims. However, that is not the best indication of wolves overall because some are very smooth with their “tailor-made” sheep costumes and deceiving ways (as I noted already above). So using doctrine alone as a guide, one could miss a wolf here and there—or at least fail to properly warn others of the dangers of a particular wolf even if the identification is appropriate, because people’s eyes tend to glaze over when you get into doctrinal points.

Oh, but draw a person’s attention to evidence of fraud, public lies, greed, and other such “tell tale” signs of a true wolf, and you can get their attention! In fact, that is the best way to begin to wear down a person’s misguided trust in these deceivers. Consider what I wrote in response to this dear lady’s question about how to get her Copeland-cult deceived brother free from their clutches:

She wrote:

I have watched for 20+ years my brother sending money to KC. My brother is like brainwashed to send money and he can’t afford it. He is 54 years old and lost his job. He doesn’t seem to recognize that the KCM “prosperity” only goes to K and his wife. How can I break the spell? Any advice is welcomed. KCM is a cult.

I replied (in-part):

…The “Prosperity” error, as Copeland preaches, promises their followers that “God” will give them a “thirty, sixty or hundredfold” return on their “seed” (i.e. offerings). Since your brother is in financial straights, and has been “sowing seed” for 20+ years, I suggest you quiz him along those lines. For example, “How much money do you think you have sent KCM over the years?” (Press him to give an estimate, then do the math.) “Have you received [30X] that amount? How about [60X] that amount? Surely, you have not received [100X] that amount have you?”

The key with ANYBODY involved in ANY cult (e.g. Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and Prosperity-cult followers) is that you have to destroy their trust in the cult leaders BEFORE you can then point them to the truth of God’s Word and help them get their thinking clear. So you will have to “corner” your brother on the above point, press him for an estimate for how much he has given through the years, and then press home the fact that their “promises” (which are supposed to be based upon God’s Word, but are a complete misuse thereof in actuality) are NOT WORKING for him. You need to then drive home the following two points:

• Since the Copelands’ message is NOT working after 20+ years of his attempts to live thereby, COULD IT BE that what they teach is in error and NOT supported by the Bible after all?
• Since the Bible indicates that “good seed” needs to be sown in “good ground” (see Matthew 13:23 and Mark 4:8) could the alternative explanation for your brother’s lack of manifest “prosperity” be that the Copelands have hidden sin, and that those people are just NOT “good ground” to “sow into” after all?

At least one of these two points above MUST be true, given the 20+ years of evidence concerning your brother’s failure to prosper financially (and both are actually true). So you will need to “hammer” on these points, once you establish the fact that your bother has NOT been “walking in the blessing” as Copeland has promised that he would.

Wolves are easily exposed when you dissect their “fruit” (as Jesus admonished), and expose their “ravenous” nature for others to see.

A “Junior” Wolf

The wolf in sheep’s clothing that wrote me today is named Donato Anzalone. Unlike the “smoother” wolves, Mr. Anzalone seems to be so obvious in his nature, that he would seem to rank only as a “junior” among his “pack” of wolfish peers. Those who are really good at their devouring ways are never so silly to drop their guard and “sheep’s clothing” as this guy did, especially on a first contact. Yet, not only did this person do so, but he also attempted to recruit me to his wolfish agenda. Before I dissect his note, let me first simply quote it in its entirety without any commentary so that you can see if you can spot the saliva dripping from his little “wolf teeth’ for yourself.

The author is from Switzerland, and thus, I do not think English is his first language. So for the benefit of our international readers, I have fixed a homophone typographical error of his, so that our translation engine will properly translate the text. Where I have done so, I have [bracketed] the word to make that substitution obvious. If you want to read his original post without edits, simply view it toward the bottom of my Ask Rich page here on this website. Now, for his note:

Author: Donato Anzalone

I am so upset at your blog against Brother Copeland. Shame on you. [Whether] you are right or wrong. This is not the issue. The issue is that you are trying to build your ministry by attacking another fellow man of God. You are using Brother Hagin as well. But if you knew brother Hagin as much as you want people to believe, you would know that brother Hagin would have never used your practices… You better repentant before God and before Brother Copeland. Pastor Donato Anzalone

PS: Let us see if you dare to put this comment on your websites. all of them.

Now it is time to analyze this guy’s note to see if we can determine which wolfish characteristics he exposed. He removed his “sheep’s clothing” for anyone to see who knows for what to look. However, for some who are perhaps unskilled in wolf spotting, a few keys to remember before we begin our analysis:

1. Jesus showed us that such people are “inwardly…wolves” and their exterior “sheep” appearance is only superficial. They are not genuinely born again.
2. Jesus explained that they are also “ravening” or seeking their own self-interests, and not those of the Lord. That is why Jesus will be forced to say to such people—despite their claims for having done things in His Name—”I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

Can we see these two characteristics evident within his note above? Let’s break it down now:

Wolf Tracks

Let’s break his short comment down point-by-point, and in the process, reveal the fangs, drool, and ravening appetite.

Point 1: He Has No Care for the Copelands’ Souls

The first thing no note about what Mr. Anzalone’s note above is the fact that he shows absolutely no care for the Copelands and the state of their souls, when he writes:

I am so upset at your blog against Brother Copeland…. [Whether] you are right or wrong. This is not the issue.

Whether I am right or wrong is not the issue? First, to see how callous and uncaring this statement above is, let me first detail for a moment what our allegations are concerning Kenneth Copeland and his family. With copious videos, downloads, and other documentation, we have alleged within the various posts on KennethCopelandBlog.com:

• That Kenneth Copeland has committed a multimillion-dollar fraud with regard to his broken promises concerning the promised Angel Flight 44 ministry (i.e. that he has stolen through deception).
• That Kenneth Copeland has done such things before, as was revealed by the Senate Finance Committee’s findings with regard to his “Revival Capital of the World” broken promises (i.e. that he has a history of stealing through deception).
• That Kenneth Copeland has lied repeatedly—and I document this by video, KCM “partner letters,” three BVOV magazines, and other such evidence (i.e. that Kenneth and his alleged “ministry” habitually lie).
• That the Copelands are technically heretics in that they allege to preach a “prosperity gospel” which differs from that which was preached by Paul and the other apostles in the New Testament (i.e. that they are “accursed” as Paul explained in Galatians chapter 1).
• That the Copelands are “covetous” which the Bible says is the same as “idolatry” (Ephesians 5:5), which would mean that they worship “things” instead of the God of the Bible.
• That I am very concerned that the bulk of the evidence suggests that Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, and most of their family, have never been born again; and that their documentable wolfish nature seems to confirm this concern (i.e. that few—if any—of the members of that family are saved).

Now please consider a few passages of Scripture to put the above allegations into proper context, so as to understand the genuine concern that my wife and I have for the Copeland family:

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

(Ephesians 5:5-6, NKJV, emphasis added)

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

(Revelation 21:5-8, NKJV, emphasis added)

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

(1 Corinthians 6:9-10, NKJV)

So Mr. Anzalone thinks that whether I am right or wrong “is NOT the issue”? If I am RIGHT, then the Copelands are on a one-way trip to Hell!

Yet, Donato Anzalone is not concerned? How can this “junior wolf” possibly be saved himself if he has so little concern about the salvation of others?

Let me elaborate on this point just a bit: Charles H. Spurgeon is famously quoted has having said, “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.” He also wrote within one of his marvelous sermons:

The burden which the true preacher of God bears is for God, and on Christ’s behalf, and for the good of men. He has a natural instinct which makes him care for the souls of others and his anxiety is that none should perish but that all should find salvation through Jesus Christ. Like the Christ who longed to save, so does the true Malachi, or messenger of God, go forth with this as his happy, joyful, cheerfully-borne burden—that men may turn unto God and live.

(An excerpt from “The Burden of The Word of the Lord” by Charles H. Spurgeon, emphasis added)

Charles Spurgeon uses the name of the famous prophet of the last book of the Old Testament “Malachi” to make a point: The meaning of that name in the original Hebrew is “My messenger.” God had chosen that prophet to be His messenger to Israel at a critical time in their history, and to be the final “trumpet” to announce the coming of the Messiah prior to the coming of John the Baptist some 400 years later. So Spurgeon points out that a true minister of God is a faithful “messenger” from God, who like his Lord, has genuine concern for the souls of people. Their “anxiety” is that “none should perish, but that all should find salvation through Jesus Christ.”

That is the heart of God. Thus, that is the heart of a true minister of God:

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

(James 5:19-20, NKJV, emphasis added)

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

(Jude verses 20-23, NKJV, emphasis added)

Oh, my friends! If you are a genuine Christian, your soul should ache and grieve for those who are still within their sins and walking like blind men toward the precipice that will plunge them into Hell itself! Can you truly be a Christian if you are not?

But should not a true minister of Christ be even more so? Is that not their very calling, to “seek and save that which was lost” on behalf of the Savior Who employed them? Should not a genuine minister of God be known by his genuine compassion for the lost, for the errant, for the heretic, for the sinner—yea, even for the wolves?

I see no genuine concern within Donato Anzalone’s note for the souls of the Copeland; and so it is not surprising that I also see no genuine concern in his note for my own soul. If I am WRONG with my accusations against that family, then I am guilty of falsely accusing my siblings in Christ! Should not this man show concern for ME if he is to rebuke me according to biblical standards? Should he not care what judgment awaits ME, if I am actually in error?

No, Donato Anzalone does not seem to show the slightest concern for either the souls of the Copelands or my own. True love would, but Mr. Anzalone does not.

I can say with all sincerity, my own conscience bearing me witness, that my wife and I have a genuine concern for the souls of the Copeland family. That is why we are calling them to public account for their sins!

At the top of every page of that website it says, “Calling on the man, his family, and his ‘ministry’…to simply repent.” We want to see them saved! We are concerned also for the souls of those they are leading astray! Oh, dear God! How many people have to plunge into Hell before Mr. Anzalone considers these “issues” to be worthy of discussion as to whether we are “right or wrong”?

In truth, I cannot see how Donato Anzalone could possibly saved himself! It is rather obvious that he is not thinking “eternally” but rather carnally and according to temporal considerations alone.

This concerns me tremendously…and that is why I took the time to rebuke him publicly through this post. I can see a need to get Mr. Anzalone saved! There is no way he could be a genuine minister of Christ, with the careless attitude that he has shown for the souls of others!

As Brother Spurgeon once again explains it so wonderfully:

And why is the Word of the Lord a burden to him that speaks it? Well, first, it is a burden BECAUSE IT IS THE WORD OF THE LORD. If what we preach is only of man, we may preach as we like and there is no burden about it. But if this Book is inspired—if Jehovah is the only God, if Jesus Christ is God incarnate, if there is no salvation except through His precious blood—then there is a great solemnity about that which a minister of Christ is called upon to preach. It therefore becomes a weighty matter with him. Modern thought is a trifle light, as air, but ancient Truths of God are more weighty than gold.

And, first, the Word of the Lord becomes a burden in the reception of it. I do not think that any man can ever preach the Gospel aright until he has had it borne into his own soul with overwhelming energy. You cannot preach conviction of sin unless you have suffered it. You cannot preach repentance unless you have practiced it. You cannot preach faith unless you have exercised it. You may talk about these things—but there will be no power in the talk unless what is said has been experimentally proven in your own soul.

It is easy to tell when a man speaks what he has made his own, or when he deals in secondhand experience. ‘‘Son of man, eat this roll’’—you must eat it before you can hand it out to others. True preaching is artesian—it wells up from the great depths of the soul. If Christ has not made a well within us, there will be no outflow from us. We are not proper agents for conveying the Truth of God to others, if Divine Grace has not conveyed it to us. When we get God’s Word in our studies, we feel it to be a load which bows us to the ground. We are, at times, obliged to get up and walk to and fro beneath the terror of the threats of God’s Word. And often are we forced to bow our knee before the glory of some wonderful word of the Lord which beams with excessive Divine Grace.

We say to ourselves, ‘‘These are wonderful Truths—how they press upon our hearts!’’ They create great storms within us. They seem to tear us to pieces. The strong wind of the mighty Spirit blows through the messenger of God and he, himself, is swayed to and fro in it as the trees of the forest in the tempest. Therefore, even in the reception of the message of God, it is a burden.

(Another excerpt from “The Burden of The Word of the Lord” by Charles H. Spurgeon, emphasis added)

Do any of you reading this consider it a frivolous thing that we have spent untold thousands of hours confronting the Copeland family for their sins, and praying that God would grant them repentance leading to salvation? Do you think that such a task could be ANYTHING but “The Burden of The Word of the Lord” as Brother Spurgeon just explained above?

I can see within the note of Donato Anzalone above, that he seems unable to recognize the redemptive focus of our efforts. This is a STRONG indication that Mr. Anzalone has probably not experienced redemption himself. As the great evangelist George Whitefield explained within his powerful text, “Unconverted Ministers,” this is all-too common within the Church of Jesus Christ:

The Lord enabled me to open my mouth boldly against unconverted ministers; to caution tutors to take care of their pupils; and also to advise ministers particularly to examine the experience of candidates for ordination. For I am verily persuaded the generality of preachers talk of an unknown and unfelt Christ; and the reason why congregations have been so dead is, because they have had dead men preaching to them. O that the Lord may quicken and revive them, for His own name’s sake! For how can dead men beget living children? It is true, indeed, God may convert men by the devil, if He pleases, and so He may by unconverted ministers; but I believe He seldom makes use of either of them for this purpose. No, the Lord will choose vessels made meet by the operation of the blessed Spirit for His sacred use.

The great evangelist of the Nineteenth Century, Charles G. Finney, echoed this same concern during his “ordination” sermon to fourteen candidates for ordination to the Gospel ministry, in the summer of 1842, when he said:

Take heed then that you are truly converted men—not merely convicted sinners, but regenerate men, men whose hearts are right with God, and whose great motive in entering the ministry is to glorify God in the salvation of men. Remember if you are not converted men when you enter the ministry, you are almost certain to go to hell yourselves, and, so far as you have influence, to take your hearers with you.

And remember too that it is altogether too common, for it to be taken for granted on all hands that ministers are really converted men, I must say, and dare not say less, that every year’s experience and observation forces upon me more and more the conviction that it is becoming alarmingly common in these days of pressing so many young men into the ministry, for multitudes to enter upon that sacred office who are not truly regenerate men.

We have had, in this place, instances, not a few, of your men coming to this Institution to prepare for the ministry, who have turned out to have no religion at all—have been here convicted and for the first time converted—young men who had been supposed in Churches from which they came, and by which they were recommended, not only to be truly converted men, but your men of more than common piety, and promising candidates for the Christian ministry. And but for those powerful revivals in this Institution which broke up their delusions, numbers of them would no doubt have been this day, in all their sins, engaged in the sacred office of the ministry. Take heed then to yourselves, brethren, that you know what it is to be born of God, and that you know what it is to have an eye single to his glory in entering upon this sacred work.

Or, to put it the way Brother Hagin often did: Donato Anzalone needs to ensure that he is a “saint” and not merely an “ain’t.”

Point 2: Ravening Appetites

Wolves are best discovered by their “ravenous” nature, as we already learned from Jesus further above. Mr. Anzalone does not seem to be lacking on this point either. Consider first this “Freudian slip” when he wrote:

The issue is that you are trying to build your ministry by attacking another fellow man of God….

What? “Building a ministry” by “attacking a man of God”? Is this guy for real?

Was Jeremiah trying to “build his ministry” as he confronted royalty, ministers, and common folks alike, calling on them to repent before God’s judgment came upon them? Was Nathan trying to “build his ministry” when he confronted David for the sins of murder and adultery, in his affair with Bathsheba? Was Paul trying to “build his ministry” when he rebuked Peter at the church in Antioch for his public sins and hypocrisy, as is recorded in Galatians chapter 2?

Or…were all these genuine men of God trying to obey God, and help the subjects of their rebukes to see the error of their ways?

What Mr. Anzalone wrote is absurd. However, what he has just told us about himself is this:

• Donato Anzalone believes that rebuking a man of God publicly will build a ministry.

I will not argue that the men of God we referenced above are esteemed today because they were so bold and loving. However, that would not seem to be Mr. Anzalone’s understanding of the true purpose in rebuking a person publicly. He seems to think that it “builds up a ministry.” Paul wrote, “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled” (Titus 1:15, NKJV).

So the wolf just dropped his wooly robe: He is trying to build up his own “ministry” by rebuking ME publicly. Note what else he wrote:

PS: Let us see if you dare to put this comment on your websites. all of them.

This guy included his website in his comment post, as well. So it would seem that he wants me to run around, posting his absurd comment on ALL my websites, so that he can have some additional traffic to his own website. The guy did not even have the decency to post the comments on all my websites himself, but instead “dared” me to do it for him! (Like I work for this wolf!)

An Unclothed Wolf

The bulk of the evidence—and absurdity of this guy’s unethical and ridiculous challenge—suggest that this wolf thinks that by taking on the guy who “took on Copeland” that he can get some kind of fame among the wolf pack for himself. He must think that it will drive more traffic to his website so he can “build his ministry” by “attacking” a genuine man of God.

• He seems to care nothing about the Copelands’ souls.
• He seems to care nothing about MY soul, or those of my family.
• He obviously seems to think that public rebukes for sin and wrong doing are nothing more than “attacks” against the sinners; it seems he cannot fathom their true biblical and eternal purpose of redemption.
• He obviously thinks that the errant concept he has of such behavior will “build” a ministry.
• He has blatantly asked me to publicize his foolish comment on “all” my websites.
• So I have obviously concluded that he is an unsaved wolf, and a rather silly one at that.

However, let me not disappoint him! He apparently wants me to drive traffic to his “ministry” website, so let me oblige him.

There may be some sincere Christians reading this, who will take what I have written in here and then go to his website (by clicking here) to examine his other writings to see if they are consistent with that of a typical wolf (as I have done already have myself). If such genuine Christians find themselves equally concerned with me about Donato Anzalone’s soul—and the souls of those he may influence—then perhaps they can pray also for him that he will take this post to heart, recognize the terrifying state of his unregenerate soul, turn and repent, and finally put his faith in Jesus Christ for the remission of his sins so that he can finally be born again.

On the other hand, there may be some Copeland-cult members—and other similarly unsaved (and unconcerned about the Copelands’ souls) false converts—who read this and may want to pop over to Mr. Anzalone’s website to congratulate him on his effort to “confront” me (howbeit, falsely) for trying to get the Copeland family and their followers saved. If that is the case, please be sure to invite him to speak at your “church”! He is looking for “bookings” according to his website. (After all…you wolves should stick together within your “wolf packs,” should you not?)

Let me quickly note here that I did not bother dissecting his insincere “defense” of Brother Kenneth E. Hagin, as it is obvious from his comment that Donato Anzalone is unfamiliar with the contents of Hagin’s book, The Midas Touch. However, you can learn about that book at Rev. Hagin’s Previous REBUKE of Kenneth Copeland to see what Mr. Anzalone’s “fuss” was all about. You can then judge his comments about Hagin for yourself and form your own conclusions. (I even have video on there for you to watch.)

Aids for Discerning Wolves

Let me close this article by providing my readers with some very helpful downloads, which will help you to understand what characteristics to look for in true ministers of God. If you are a professing Christian, this will help you to pick your preachers much better. If you are a professing minister, this will help you to understand what standards God will judge you by once you enter into eternity and have to give an account for your ministry:

• Charles G. Finney’s “Ordination” sermon from 1842
• “The Burden of the Word of the Lord” by Charles H. Spurgeon
• “Unconverted Ministers” by George Whitefield

I believe the above PDF downloads will bless you all immeasurably, if you will take the message in each of them to heart.

If you are not sure of your own eternal salvation, however, please read The Supreme Value of Righteousness without delay! That article will share with you key truths from the Bible that you need in order to be sure that you are born again and ready for eternity.

And now, in closing:

Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

(Ephesians 6:23-24, NKJV)

And for any stubborn wolves:

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!

(1 Corinthians 16:22, NKJV)

Always in Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion

Note: Comments are welcome below… “if you dare” (to quote Donato Anzalone’s silliness once again). 

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I know, I know. You all are wondering if I ever sleep, with all the new blogs being launched! However, EconomicTheology.com is now the new home of my ongoing Economic Theology™ project. Please check it out when you get a chance.

Now for an amazingly great note regarding my other new financial website, TheWisdomOfGold.com:

I just received this afternoon an email testimony of the FIRST person to be born again from the Gospel presentation on that site entitled, The Supreme Value of Righteousness! In fact, the person did even NOT speak English as a first language!

She wrote within her testimony, “I spent the whole afternoon by reading your website, which, due to my poor English, was a heavy work for me, but now I feel reborn and God bless you for it!!!”

Glory to God! A new sister in Christ!

Obviously, I had written the content of that other website in-part to help Christians understand the best way to approach their finances during this ongoing economic meltdown. However, the most important post on that website is the salvation page! Thus, I reference it often within the main text.

That particular article on righteousness is the most comprehensive Gospel presentation that I have written to date. So let me recommend to all my readers that you take the time to read it, study it, and share it with others.

Souls! THAT is what it is all about, folks! Souls!

Always in Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion

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