etymology

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MOCKERS IN THE HOUSE OF GOD

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But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
(Jude 1:17-19 KJV)

My text tonight is found in Jude 1:17-19. I want to speak to you by the power of God’s Spirit about MOCKERS IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, and issue an imperative call to steadfastness in the faith of the gospel.

We are living in what the Word of God speaks of as “the last days.” The Scriptures clearly identify “the last days” as those days that began with our Savior’s incarnation and end with his second coming. It is my opinion that we are probably living in the latter portion of “the last days,” the very end of time. I say that because it is obvious that Satan has been loosed upon the earth to deceive the nations again.

The spirit of antichrist is so thick in this generation of free-will/works religion that you can cut it with a knife. It seems to me that the time of great apostasy has come that Paul told us must come before Christ comes again in 2nd Thessalonians 2.

  • The restraining hand of God’s Spirit, by which satanic delusions were somewhat held in check in days of old, has been taken away.
  • And God has sent this reprobate generation a strong delusion “that they should believe a lie: that they might all be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

How thankful we ought to be for God’s great electing love and preserving grace, Continue reading →

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Do You Consider Yourself A Christian ?

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There are professing believers on social media that say they refuse to be called a Christian. We know this due to statements of this nature being publicly posted on Facebook. It was these shocking statements which motivated me to place the relevant article which follows further below. Here is a verbatim quote from the post which was placed on Facebook; I will uphold the anonymity of the author.

“If everything that is called Christianity in these days is Christianity, then there is no such thing as Christianity. A name applied indiscriminately to everything designates nothing.” – B.B. Warfield. I agree, that is why it has become increasingly important to define what you believe..like a personal confession of faith….many people say we should not associate with names like Calvinist, Reformed or whatever. I refer to myself as a Calvinist and Reformed because it define my believes which is based on the Bible. To say I am a Christian put myself in the same pool as Osteen, Warren, Hinn and many other which I do not want to be named with and which proclaim a false gospel. “
Note:
1. Some people endeavor to not be labelled and just want to be known as “Christian”. 
2. This is a fallacy, and a cop-out, because today there is no such thing as ‘Christian’ which I wish to be identified with.
3. People walk with crossed around their necks and are ‘Christian’.
4. The Pope is ‘Christian’
5. False prophets are ‘Christian’
6. The Archbishop of Canterbury & Desmond Tutu are ‘Christian’.
7. Homosexuals are ‘Christian”.
8. Many supporters of Interfaith are ‘Christian’.
9. Todd Bentley is ‘Christian’.
10. Therefore I am NOT ‘Christian’ without defining myself, as I have nothing in common with the above people who are not followers of Christ Jesus as revealed in the Bible..

The word Christian is written in the Bible. Right? Therefore I declare to be nothing but a Christian. The discerning believer will know right from wrong, as it is God who leads His sheep. I totally reject man-made labels of any kind being applied to the true believer, in particular where such labels are applied with the intent of superseding the description, “Christian”. I am a sinner saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and the Bible denotes me as a Christian. I belong to Christ no one else.

I have bad news for the author of the disturbing piece which appeared on Facebook,  and that is the mere fact that, to reject the word Christian, is to deny Christ in the believer. Nowhere in Scripture are saved believers called to define themselves by any man-made title other than Christian. Those are things which matter to denominational religionists, will-worshippers and Pharasaical legalists, they do not matter to followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Before we dig into the sermon notes below, let us simply overthrow the false assumption, immature argument and misrepresentation of B.B. Warfield’s words made by the deceived Facebook author.

At a quick glance the error in the “anti-Christian” Facebook quote is clear: B.B. Warfield is asking a rhetorical question here: “IF”, he says, “IF” being the operative and definitive word in the sentence, “IF” everything that is called Christianity in these days is Christianity, then there is no such thing as Christianity. However, the answer to this is, that NOT everything that is called Christianity is not Christianity, either. Therefore, true Christianity most definitely exists among those who call themselves Christians in these days, even according to Warfield!

I would say to the Facebook author that, if you don’t want to be a Christian, then God never called you to be one. Why then bother to even write such derogatory statements aimed against those who do want to be and are Christians? Rather just live the life of an unbeliever. It would be so much  simpler and a lot more temporary fun.

That being said, however, here is the truth for you!!!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Continue reading →

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Self-righteousness

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“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

Self-righteousness is the subject of the parable before us. I cannot imagine a subject more disgustingly repugnant, or more commonly and universally indulged. Luke gives us an inspired introduction to the parable in verse 9. —“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” That which our Lord here denounces is self-righteousness. The purpose of our Lord in this parable is to show the folly and danger of self-righteousness. Continue reading →

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Be Not Unequally Yoked Together

Be not unequally

2 Corinthians 6:11-18 KJV (11) O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. (12) Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. (13) Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. (14) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Be not unequally yoked together Continue reading →

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The True Shepherd and the False

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Don Fortner

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.”

(John 10:1-6)

The Lord God made a promise to his church in Jeremiah 3:15. It is a promise made to those people to whom the God of heaven declares, “I am married unto you…I will bring you to Zion.” This is God’s promise to his people for all time. — “I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

Those pastors who are the ascension gifts of Christ to his church, who are pastors after God’s own heart, feed the sheep with knowledge, gospel knowledge, Bible knowledge, the knowledge of God, of Christ, of grace, and knowledge of man in his fallen state and in his redeemed state. They constantly proclaim the Word of the Lord. They constantly call eternity bound sinners to Christ, and urge God’s people to “walk in the old paths, where is the good way” that you may “find rest for your souls.” They feed God’s people with understanding, too, understanding you, understanding the things of God, and understanding the times.

When the Lord God gives his church pastors after his own heart, who feed his sheep with knowledge and understanding, his sheep shall “fear no more, are no longer dismayed, neither shall they be lacking” (Jeremiah 23:4). Blessed are those people, blessed is that church to whom God gives such a pastor! Continue reading →

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The Holy Spirit and the Hearing of Faith

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Don Fortner 

“This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”                                                                                                                   (Galatians 3:2)

“This only would I learn of you.” ― Here Paul strikes at the heart of the Galatians’ great error, and demonstrates that the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is to say grace, salvation, eternal life, and all the blessings of the covenant of grace of which the gift of the Spirit is the seal and assurance (Gal. 3:13-14; Eph. 1:13-14), come to chosen, redeemed sinners only by the hearing of faith, not by the works of the law.

“Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” ― John Gill asserts, “This question supposes they had received the Spirit; that is, the Spirit of God, as a spirit of wisdom and knowledge in the revelation of Christ; as a spirit of regeneration and sanctification; as a spirit of faith and adoption; and as the earnest, seal, and pledge of their future glory.”

True Believers Continue reading →

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The Treachery of False Religious Leaders

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Don Fortner 

Listen here (click on player) :

Treachery

Text:          Mal_2:1-17

      Subject:     The Treachery of False Prophets

      Date:         Sunday Evening — August 23, 2009

Introduction:

My subject is TREACHERY. The 2nd chapter of Malachi’s prophecy is a scathing denunciation of treachery. Here the Lord God denounces the treacherous deeds of men and emphatically declares that he will turn their treachery upon their own heads. The treachery spoken of in these 17 verses, that are boiling with the anger of God, is far worse than…

  • The civil treachery of a traitor,
  • The political treachery of self-serving politicians,
  • Or the domestic treachery of a husband or wife who destroys the lives of their family to gratify their own lusts.

The treachery here denounced by our God is treachery in the pulpit, the treachery of religious leaders, the treachery of that man who is supposed to be “the messenger of the Lord of hosts,” but is instead the minister of Satan.

(Zep_3:4) “Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.”

(Hos_5:7) “They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.”

(Hos_6:7) “But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.”

The Lord God has promised that he will give his church pastors after his own heart, pastors who will feed his people with knowledge and understanding (Jer_3:15). But Satan constantly seeks to fill the pulpits of churches with treacherous men.

TREACHEROUS PREACHERS Continue reading →

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False faith

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By Don Fortner 

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Read Mat_7:13-27

A false faith can do many things and produce many things, which make it hard to detect. A false faith can experience deep conviction for sin like Judas. It can tremble at the Word of God like Felix. It can repent like Esau. It can obtain high office in the church like Judas, Diotrephes and Demas. A false faith can speak well of Christ: ‘Never a man spake like this man.’ It can experience deep religious emotions like the stony-ground hearers. It can diligently perform religious works like the Pharisees. A false faith can even preach the gospel, perform miracles, cast out demons and persevere to the end (Mat_7:22-23). But, as I read the Word of God, I see that there are three things that a false faith can never do.

1. A false faith can never produce a heart broken over sin (Psalms 51). It can offer sacrifices to try to appease God for sin. It can do good works to try to make up for sin. It can even confess sin. But, ‘The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ Such brokenness and humility, because of inbred sin, a false faith cannot produce. Continue reading →

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SANCTIFICATION: Why & how can God accept sinners into His Presence?

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Grant Swart

DEFINING A BIG WORD: SANCTIFICATION

Firstly, we should define what the word sanctification means. Put simply, sanctification is the act or process of being made or becoming holy. To sanctify is literally ”to set apart for special use or purpose”, figuratively “to make holy or sacred”, and etymologically from the Latin verb sancitificare which in turn is from sanctus (holy), and facere (to make).

The fancy word, etymology, simply means the study of the history of words and where they originated from, but of course you knew that, didn’t you?

Sanctification means taking something that is common and ordinary and setting it apart, for God’s purpose and for His service alone. According to the Scriptures and the experience of saved believers, sanctification is an act of God, not something which is done by man.

In Scripture sanctification is mentioned in many places, underlining the importance of the sanctified condition. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of sanctification in John 17 while He prayed: 16-19 “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” Continue reading →