Let us listen closely to our charge.

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” 2 Timothy 4:2 – 3


Paul writing to this young preacher to give him his charge. This word “charge” carries a very serious meaning to it. The word means - to attest or protest earnestly – therefore we can see the importance of the word itself in reference to the word. Paul also wrote to his young preacher these words in reference to this word “charge”, “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.” 1 Timothy 5:21 But here notice who Paul charges Timothy before, “ I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels…” This in itself shows us the importance of the word. This is also a charge every Independent Baptist preacher is charged with when they are ordained. In 1 Timothy 5:21 the charge is to keep order in the church, sometimes some of the membership in the church can get out of order and it is the Pastors job to keep an open eye for trouble and unruly members. Believe it or not, some people can cause more problems in a church than we want to think they can. One problem maker in a church are un-pastored ministers, or ministers who have no church of their own and all of a sudden show-up at your church, there is a reason they are not the Pastor of a church, beware of them. These would be recognized as “elders” in the church. God has set every Pastor in place as it has pleased Him, therefore you are the Pastor and leader in the church, the Lord even uses the word “rule” in reference to your title. “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 1 Timothy 3:4 - 5 As Pastors we must care for the church with the same love, care, and strength we put into ruling our homes. Not ruling as a dictator or tyrant but to rule with much LOVE leading both the church and family but ruling non the less.
Back in our text scripture the thought is the same, but the context changes from the church and family to the word. A Pastor that God has set into the church should be a strong person because the WORK is hard. The command or charge from Paul is to “Preach the word” no matter where it takes us in life. It is not lightly that I say Pastors have given their life for the word, as has Christians and churches been totally slaughtered for their standing of the word. Many preachers and churches have weakened and give into the temptations of Satan for money and larger congregations, no longer standing on the truth. As a Pastor of a small church we really cannot afford to lose another member. It is hard when one goes home to the Lord, but it is harder to see one leave because they have lost the truth. However, our charge is to “Preach the word” or to preach the truth, regardless of what happens around us in the church. We are the elected ones to carry the truth to the next generation and to make sure it does not die, no matter what. Our charge is to God Who elected us and Jesus Christ the churches Head not to any person or even to the church, if we do our Job right the church will be fine. The Lord commanded that Pastors reprove and rebuke never giving into sinfulness in the churches. The Lord warned us “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” Therefore when they leave because they no longer desire the pure word then it is not our fault. Listen, the church is the “…church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” 1 Timothy 3:15 and that is what she must be when our time has ended, and we leave the church. It is every church member responsibility to behave themselves as church members in God’s house. “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God…” 1 Timothy 3:15 As Pastors we cannot allow our friendships, love for, or members tithe to get in our way of either running the church as Jesus local manager or preaching the word. We must stand tall and strong in our call, the Lords church depends on us to “Preach the Word”. “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1 - 3

Is the gospel really hid?

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:3 - 6


Could it really be that the gospel is hid to some? It is not only possible, but it is a fact that the gospel is hid from all the lost. This means it is unrecognizable by the lost people unless the Holy Spirit quickens your spirit and leads you to it. Preachers today teach untruths; they do not understand what they teach because they are lost. God calls them “blinded”, “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:13 - 14 The blinded person mentioned here is a lost person, and these lost people leading the blind as lost Ministers that have never trusted Jesus Christ as his Lord. These mega churches are going nowhere, blind people cannot lead because “…both shall fall into the ditch.” Salvation is not available to the world, God never said it was, it is to those that God will give it too. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44 Only God can save a lost sinner and lead them to Jesus Christ. These old antics used by the lost churches and preachers are falsely teaching blind man’s teachings, just leading people into hell’s fiery flames. People have lost the Sovereignty of God, but God’s Sovereignty is still real, and God truly does still save sinners. Who believes it or does not believe it is not my problem, I cannot change a wicked heart and cause them to believe on Jesus Christ. This is the Sovereignty of God that people do not believe, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Romans 9:15 John wrote about this same sovereignty “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11 - 13 Nowhere in the scriptures (in the context of them) does God leave salvation up to a lost unbeliever who cannot see, hear, nor believe our gospel. Salvation is a gift from God, it is not something people accomplish on their own. Do not be fooled by lost teachers that do not understand that salvation is God’s gift to those who believe in Jesus Christ. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:23 - 26

There is one Ture God, Jehovah!

“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” Isaiah 45:21 

In this world there are many fictious gods, Satan, Buda, Mahammad, even Nature can serve as god, but only one God is true, the Triune Jehovah. While many carry the name god, they are not The God of Creation or The True Eternal God. In Genesis 1:1 it says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The word “God” in the Hebrew means - 'ĕlôhı̂ym – and it is “used in the plural” because it refers to the Triune Jehovah which is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as defined in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” God also defined the Trinity in Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Therefore, it is clearly defined in the scriptures who God is, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all three one God named Jehovah. God calls Himself Jehovah in Exodus 6:3 “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” Which means – the Self-Existent or eternal God – which describes God before the world or anything else was created, only there was God, and Him alone. The names of the bible define God as the True One God, ĕlôhı̂ym defines Him as a Triune or God in the Plural telling us that God is three equal part but one God. Jehovah tells us that He existed before the creation of anything else, or in eternity past only this Triune Self-Existent and Eternal God existed. While people can have anyone or anything in creation to be their god, only Jehovah is the True God as Jesus called Him, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3 God is not a person, and while we recognize Him as a male figure it is only so we can vision Him. God is not an image, He is not a statue, God is a Spirit, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 and God must be worshiped as a Spirit it says, which means not in any other form such as people, statues, images, or ECT. No other god can claim the status of Omnipresence or as being present everywhere at the same time. Even Satan is a single being, while also a spirit he can only be in one place at a time. “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” 1 Kings 8:27 we also see in Jeremiah 23:23 - 24 “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” No other god can claim nor prove any comparison to Jehovah, every other god is simply a created being or fabricated in people’s minds. The bible is our proof, creation itself is our proof, and it is designed to be our only proof. God never seeks to prove His existence in the bible, but He declares creation will be His proof. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 1:20 Making them who do not believe in Jehovah, without excuse. Therefore, those who do and will believe in the True God will believe by faith. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”  Hebrews 11:3 If people do not believe their unbelief will condemn them just as their unbelief in Jesus Christ as Saviour will condemn them to eternal damnation. No matter what I write or say, it will never cause people that are unbelievers to believe, but the bible is our proof and compared to their proof, I will take ours a million times over.    

What a blessing awaits us.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36


The Lord has said much about our life on this earth, but He has also said much about our life to come. We who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ shall not see death but have life eternal. I wished to God there was something I could say or do to make people repent and turn to Jesus Christ, but God did not give me that power. “Paul also had this passion for Israel, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” Romans 10:1 The only power we have as believers is the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If one will hear and believe the gospel it is because the Holy Spirit has quickened their spirit, caused them to hear the gospel, and brought them to the understanding of the gospel. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:14 – 15 Nothing else will bring you to Christ for salvation, ever! Paul wrote this, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:6 - 7 Salvation is only possible in Jesus Christ, and none other, if your salvation includes anything else then you are not saved. Paul also told his beloved Israel, “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:2 – 4 And as Christians we must also have this understanding, no matter what else is said only God The Father can draw a lost sinner to Christ, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44 No matter how much zeal one has, only God can make a lost sinner a believer in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10  The reason Paul said this is because he understood the blessings of being saved, Paul looked ahead to the blessings awaits us. Now Paul had already said in verse 9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Dealing with life’s troubles are not easy for the believer, but with God’s grace we can do all things. Job wrote these words, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” Job 14:1 But look here folks, this life is temporal, the hurt of it is temporal, our blessings are ahead and eternal. James wrote these words, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12 What a blessing our eternal life will be when God gives us our crowns for our troubles in this world. Look at this crown, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8 See beloved, it is a blessing that awaits us to suffer for the Lords sake here on this earth. In remembering that God’s blessings await you, keep this in mind while on this earth, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2 - 4

I am “God Made”

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3

I see people as competitors, wanting to be the best, strongest, smartest, best looking, etc. etc. etc. I see people racing down the road to get in front of someone else, racing to merge in front of you instead of behind you, I think you get the image I am painting. Few people in this world are humbled in nature. As Christians we need to slow down, we need to feast on the grace and blessings of God, and to do that, we need to see ourselves in the proper prospective. God described us this was, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23 We never find God bragging on people, unless He is speaking about something He gave them the ability to accomplish. God went on to say, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Romans 3:24 As people we are so weak we cannot even believe on the Lord Jesus Christ on our own, we need God’s power and faith to do that. “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:8 “When we see ourselves in the saved state we are always better Christians if we look back to see what God has done in our life, and understanding as Paul did, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 - 11 Paul admits that what he was in his Christian life was a gift of God, “…but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me…” Paul spoke of two things in our text scripture, but we must limit out thoughts:  

     1. “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” - Why not, why shouldn’t we think highly of ourselves if we have accomplished much? Because in this flesh whether lost or saved we can only accomplish what God’s grace has given us the ability to do. Notice here that Paul is not talking about our lost state but rather our saved state, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you…” God also told us, “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.” 2 Corinthians 1:12 If a man such as The apostle Paul had no reason to glory in his accomplishments, then why would we? Look at this, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23 – 24
  

2.           2.   “…according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” The word “faith” here means – a persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God – So it is an action word, not only of believing in Christ but also believing and exercising God’s truths. As Christians and as Pastors we are all made like Paul, we are what we are by God’s grace. No matter how great of a church member or how great of a preacher/pastor you are, you are not self-made. The word “measure” means – a limited portion – therefore whatever you are, as great as you may be, please realize as Paul did when he wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am…” As Ministers and Christians in the churches we are not measured on our greatness, no, not at all, we are measured on the truth we preach. “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” 1 Timothy 5:17

Please allow me to conclude with this thought. Christians are only as great as God hath blessed them, even if we labor more abundantly, we are still God blessed only. “but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me…”  When listening to preachers, listen to their words, do not judge them on their preaching abilities or their styles of preaching. We are here to worship the Lord and we celebrate in the Truth of His word, not in the man delivering the sermon. It is not wrong to celebrate the good of the speaker and to honor him for preaching the truth, but please always remember he is what he is only by God’s grace. Humility is the greatest asset to the preacher, never thinking of yourself as great or not so great, I have known many great preachers that are humble and that makes them beautiful in their ministry. I have also known preachers who do not have great skill or styles as speakers who are just as great in word.  We are all only as good as the “measure of faith” God has given to us.

Does God really love everyone?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 

This is probably the most memorized verse in the entire bible, but it is also one of the most falsely referenced scriptures in the bible. Oh, the old “God loves everyone” lie, oh how misquoted it is. People who fail to study the scriptures and fail to use the scriptures in context never properly understand and teach the scriptures correctly. Therefore, we have so many denominations of local assemblies that falsely call themselves “churches” teaching this false narrative. Folks, please do not be fooled by fools who are blind to the scriptures, GOD DOES NOT LOVE EVERY PERSON ON THE EARTH! This word “world” has been debated over the centuries endlessly. They have been countless volumes of book written try to prove this word means the entire worlds population, only to show that many do not take the bible in context. I can give one single example to prove this theory wrong, that is that God loves everyone. You will find it in Romans 9:13 “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” If God hated Esau then God does not love everyone on the earth. God did not come to love Jacob and hate his twin brother Esau, God never had love for Esau, ever! Notice that Paul wrote these words, “As it is written…” that means it is written in the Old Testament, so let’s find that referance and see what God said there, Malachi 1:2 - 3 “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.” God not only hated Esua but here God promised to “…I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.” Wow, God must have been angry at Esau, so what did Esau do to make God so angry? The scriptures only give one reason why God hated Esau, because He never loved him. Because God’s love or hate is eternal, as God is eternal. We must recognize that God’s love is a gift to those that He loves, and not gifted to those who He does not love. God is not under any obligation to love anyone; it is by His own choice to love or not to love anyone. If you are saved then you are loved of God, if not then unless God saves you in time, then He does not love you. Therefore, these preachers that deny this, they will call God unjust if He choses to love one soul and not another. But God said, “he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Romans 9:15 – 16 See, God did not come to hate Esau, God never loved Esau, Esau never did anything for God to hate him, Adam did, when he sinned against God. It is truly not unjust for God to show mercy and love one soul and to not show mercy and love another. “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.” Romans 9:14 So for anyone to teach that God loves everyone, that just isn’t true and that makes it a lie.

Let’s look at another example in, Psalms 5:4 - 5 “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” Here we see that God hates the non-elected “thou hatest all workers of iniquity” who are they? Well they are all who are not saved nor will ever be saved, because outside of the saved there is nothing but wickedness. God does not count mortal goodness, in Gods eyes all sinners are wicked, He himself call them enemies. God said in Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Who is the “carnal minded”, that is those who are not saved, and even though some saved are referred to as carnal minded it is speaking about their scriptural mind set and not their spiritual condition. While some of these people call themselves Christians, and groups call themselves churches they are neither. Now it is true that God demands that Christians to love their enemies it is never said that God loves all of his enemies. We do not know who the loved of God are and are not, who ever thought Saul of Tarsus would ever be loved of God. So, a large hater of God, Jesus, of the churches could one day be saved and be a great servant of God. Folks, do not make the mistake of studying the word “world” wrongly, it is speaking of the Gentiles and Jews both, the world, the different nationalities, not that God loves them all but that God loves a remnant of most nations. If God loved everyone on earth then everyone would be saved over time, because Jesus wrote this promise, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” John 17:12 Folks, if you do not take the scriptures in context, you will miss a lot of blessings and misunderstand the bible.