God’s Choice.

Isaiah 49:5 “And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.”

 

It is embarrassing sometimes to hear many of the Ministers that fills the pulpits in Americas Churches. They make it seems so wrong to preach the truth of God’s Holy Script. It is like I am preaching the devils message instead of the truth of God’s word. Every Sunday men stand in pulpits and almost universally preach the same wrong and embarrassing sermons, about how salvation is up to the creature to decide whether they want to be a Christian or not. Paul was so right when he wrote to the church at Rome, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man..." Romans 1:22-23a Well they are most certainly fools today. Paul went on to write in this same letter “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 1:25 Since God is Sovereign then these sermons people hear every Sunday in theses churches is simple wrong and embarrassing to men and churches who teach truth. It is not that we “disagree” they are simply teaching lies and people are packing the houses to hear these lies. Beloved, Paul wrote to the church at Galatia “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 What we as true believers must remember is “…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Their reward for their deception of God’s word, they will pay. Therefore, it is our job as believers in truth and Ministers in truth to keep on and try to ignore the deceivers. If God wanted them to be saved and to believe truth, then He would have changed their hearts also. It is all God’s choice, everything is Gods choice. Isaiah wrote “…LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant…” Isaiah did not choose God, God chose Isaiah. The prophet went on to say in chapter 49 and verse 1 “…The LORD hath called me from the womb…” and in verse 2 “…And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword…” So as one can see it is all God and His choice, and why did God chose all this for the Prophet? “…Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” Verse 3 God is only glorified in truth and honor of His chosen servants. God told the Prophet Jeramiah “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 Well here in the Twenty-First Century God still chooses His servants and He still controls them in truth, and He still sees them through. While man wants to change the truth, the truth is still alive and well in the little Sovereign Grace Baptist Church and the men whom He has chosen to be their Pastor. So as a minister of Jesus Christ and Pastor of the Lords church it still blesses my heart when I read in Galatians 1:15-16 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (16) To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:” It was all God’s blessed choice, and God has blessed all Sovereign Grace Baptist Pastors with these same blessings. God called us from our mother’s wombs, God revealed His Son in us, and God called us to Pastor His churches, What Some Blessed men we are. And to thank of it, it was all God’s choice and not our own, thank you Lord! And if you are saved today, it was also God’s choice and you are His blessed creature, so praise God for His blessings to you.

Honor Your Pastor.

1 Timothy 5:17 “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.”

We now live in a time when “Pastors” are in great demand and are very short of plentiful. We live in a time when churches are shrinking every year, or it seems like it. We live in a time that Satan truly has a great grip on this world and he is seeking to destroy everything and everyone that he can. The Lord’s churches are the only stability on the earth, everything else has been lost to heathenism. Churches are at the point financially that it is harder to support their Pastor as they should. However, with this being said no Pastor “worth their salt” will ever ask a church for more, financially speaking. Your Pastor knows their churches financial stability, therefore he knows churches struggle just to pay them what they can, and some cannot pay anything. We live in sad times, the churches are struggling, new memberships are almost unheard of anymore, and the current memberships are dying off. Churches have few young people, and the young people they do have leave as soon as they are of age too. If you look at the churches of today, there is also an ageing Pastor population. Every year our guest speakers are getting older and we simply cannot find any young Ministers to invite. This part of the church age is looking poor and seems to be on life support. I thank God that He is in control, He and He alone knows what is down the road in 5, 10, 15, or etc. years. The shortage of Pastors is concerning, because churches are on life support that are without. Pastors are a vital part of a church, so vital that the health of a church suffers without one. Now, please understand that I am not complaining, I am not worried, because all of this is in God’s hands, and functioning by his blessed ordained will. Please trust me, churches that have Pastors needs to consider how blessed they are. If you have not thought about it, please contact a church that is without a Pastor. Now here on I am going to be bold, and I pray not too bold. If your church has a Pastor, you are truly very blessed of God. I would like for you to ask yourself this question, what would you do if God was to remove your Pastor? With such a shortage, where world you get another? As Pastors we truly understand the sending of God, and the chances your Pastor will resign is slim. However, as I said your Pastor is getting older and God will take them home someday. It is easy to say “we will trust the Lord” and that is a correct thought, but what about the reality of it. Why if God chose not to send you another Pastor to replace yours? Churches that have Pastors rarely think about such things. To be a Pastor of truth, a Pastor that stands on solid truth, takes a lot of effort. It’s is not easy being Pastors because not only is the world against you, some true churches and Christian are also fighting you. It seems like people just look for a kink in their armor, and I have no idea why. We are here to serve God, to glorify Jesus Christ, and some people just look for a way to withdraw fellowship, like they are perfect in everything. Please let me say this as a Pastor, the life of a Pastor is very hard. I would have quite many years ago if the Lord would have allowed it, but He did not. However, on that thought, it is and will be the most rewarding of all services. Those who sacrifice the most will reap the most rewards. When Paul spoke of “double honour” he was not only talking about money. There are many ways to reward your Pastor outside of money. Find a way to reward him, he does work very hard to fill the pulpit and deliver truth every week. He is there when you need him, and he will do about anything you ask. Most younger Pastors work outside jobs just to keep the church from having to spend so much on him. Honor your Pastor, and the more truth he teaches, give him more honor. Sometimes a simple “thank you” or a simple word of encouragement to him is great. Stand with him as he works so hard to stand for you. Honor him, it does not matter how, any honor is worth much more than no honor. Please pray for the Pastors, we need all the prayer we can get. Pastors, THANK YOU for your service to the churches and Jesus Christ her head.   

Predestination.

Ephesians 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

I know this passage of scripture has been written about and spoken of probably more than any other in the scriptures by Sovereign Grace Baptist. However, there is one single word we want to look at, I inserted the entire context to make sure, and as proof of what my idea is here. I want to look at this word “predestinated” because it is a wonderful power act of Jehovah God. There is so much preaching in our modern day about what God cannot do, that it on surface appears to many think that God has some inabilities or weakness. In this same modern day preaching we find preachers preaching that God is liken unto a man, but not just a man, but a man begging and pleading for us to obey him, or to serve Him, and this is profoundly arrogance on man’s part. There is so much of this today that it has reached the point of sickness in the mind of ever churches of error. If you understand the basics about God you would know that He is Sovereign, elective, self-power, self-knowledge, self-holiness, self-accomplishing, and a self-supplier of everything. There was a time when only God existed, there was nothing else in existence. Now we hear all the unprovable stories of man that everything (including human life) just dropped to the earth and evolved into the great human beings that we are today, however there is no proof of this. The whole theory is flawed from start to finish, so much so that NONE of it is (1.) provable and (2.) logical of a right thinking mind. God gives detail of creation and explains in detail how everything got here. However, man would rather believe an unprovable lie than the God of creation. It is the same theory of Arminianism in Christianity, they serve unprovable theories in order to de-value God and uplift man. This attempt to lift up man is to make man a valuable creature. These same Theorist wants people to understand that God is irrelevant and not needed in our accomplishments. Christ is not needed in prayer, or anything else, because man has it all figured out. Well, here is the truth of the scriptures. God is in complete control of everything. God before the creation of the world predetermined everything. Everything that happens, happens because God has brought it forth. God has time planned out and everything works according to His predestinated plan. Every world leader is put into office and taken out of office according to His will. Every war and death happens according to His will. He chooses who lives and who dies according as He predetermined it to be. God is not a man nor does He think, act, or move as a man. God does not need man’s help, He does everything alone and by himself and if He chooses to use a person to accomplish any of His Will, He still sees it through. He uses the selfish, sinfulness of man to accomplish His will and condemns them to eternal damnation for doing it, as he did with them that crucified Jesus Christ His Son. God is slowly taking the world to the tribulation period and there is nothing man can do to change anything because it is how God predetermined it to be. God loved Jacob and hated Esau because He chose too. God will save those He elected in eternity past and no one can change what He does. There is no unrighteousness with God because He is the creator, creation belongs to Him and He has the right to save one sinner and send the other to eternal hell without explanation. If you do not believe this then you do not believe in God.  Romans 9:13-16, 21 “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. (14) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (15) 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. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (21) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”              

Doctrine, Defines A Churches Standing With God.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17.) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

 

If you were to study the bible you would learn one central understanding, DOCTRINE defines your standing with God. We are not allowed to simply understand as we choose. If a Christian or a church wants to be in good standing with God then they must study, learn, and follow the commandments of God. When Jesus Christ was here on earth He said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38. So it was not up to Jesus to make-up doctrine, nor was it up to Jesus to choose what He wanted to believe or not. Jesus Christ came to this world to do His Fathers will, even though it sent Him to the cross. The bible is God’s word; it is not of not of private interpretation because it is God’s word. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20 This means that people, and especially Christians do “not have the right of private judgment of Scripture; or to be understood as if a private believer had not a right of reading.” (John Gill) When a Believer uses the scripture they must use it as it reads and not as they please. One cannot reject or change the view of the scriptures without rejecting God. God said of the scriptures that they are “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect” God also told us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 We are to study to show God in a way “approved unto God” and not unto man. It is every Christians job to make sure GOD is pleased with your study, learning, and belief of doctrine. God is not pleased with any doctrine; He is only please with the doctrine of the scriptures. Anything less than the truth of the scriptures is unacceptable to God. A church, a denomination, a ministry, or a movement of any sort is not acceptable to God without doctrinal truth. So if your congregation says “we do not teach or have doctrine” then what they are saying is “we do not teach God’s word” because all of God’s word is doctrine. The word “doctrine” means - that which is taught, doctrine” (Vines) meaning, that which should be taught is the bible, and the entire bible. Jesus is so strict on this and He will exclude a church that refuses to follow the doctrine of the bible. A church must believe and walk in a godly way. In a way both doctrinally and in walk according to the scriptures or suffer the punishment of Jesus Christ her head. If we as a church steps out of line of the scriptures, we must recognize it and repent to the Lord for it, or else suffer punishment. “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:5 I personally believe that our church is a teacher of those true doctrine. While we may not be perfect, we do search the scriptures (as a church) for truth with the readiness to change if necessary. It is the churches job to protect themselves from me as pastor, and me, as pastor to protect myself from them doctrinally. The men in the church must be bold in doctrine and to persevere the truth of the Lords body, as it is for the Pastor to do also. A church and her pastor will suffer loss if they fail to do so as Jesus said in Rev. 2:5. People today are changing in order to be liked or accepted of men. This is wrong and unacceptable with God and her head Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:25 the same goes for the Lords churches. If a church refuses doctrine for worldly gain, then that church will lose just the same.

 

I said all this because of a video I saw on “YouTube” where Catholicism was working with worldwide Ministers to union the Great Whore known as the Catholic church and what is known as “Protestantism” as one once again. They were with such names as Kenneth Copland, James and Betty Robison, and many others who were renouncing church doctrine in order to unionize with them. God says this will happen in the beginning of the Tribulation period in order to systemize one accepted church and belief to follow the Anti-Christ. God called the Catholic church the great whore in Revelation 17:1 “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:” because she will sell herself and all that is with her to Satan and the False Prophet, The religious wing of Satan. People and churches alike will lust after her and sellout with her because they know no better. Remember, they sold out their doctrine to associate with her. In the video all of these men “recanted doctrine and said it did not matter what we believe, we must join together”. We see the Southern Baptist also selling out to the Great Whore in their doctrine, like infant baptisms, and other things. We see other “Baptist” calling themselves “Protestants” as though they come out of the Great Whore to start with. Baptist, true Baptist are not “Protestants” and never have been and never will be. It is Baptist that were persecuted as well as other Christians that suffered at the hands of Catholics and other that are Protestant churches a few thousand years ago. Beware beloved, watch, pray and study. Never give an inch of doctrine for anything, it is not worth it. Stand in God’s word of truth and never waver. The gains in the world are not worth the losses.