false Christs

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The Crimes Of Babylon

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And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
(Revelation 18:2 KJV)

 Isaiah 24:5 – Reading Rev. 17:1-18:5

Three    Indictments   Of    God   Against    Man’s Religion

Sunday Evening – October 14, 1990

  Introduction:

There are, in reality, only two systems of religion in the world:  The religion of Christ and the religion of antichrist.  There are only two systems of doctrine in this world:  the doctrine of free grace and the doctrine of free will.  There are only two opinions about salvation in the world:  salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and salvation by the will, works and worth of man.  Everybody fits into one of these two categories.  Every church and religious organization in this town and in the world fits into one of these two categories.  But no one fits into both.

In the Bible there are only two churches, the false and the true.  The false church, the church of antichrist, is Babylon, the great whore.  Babylon represents all free will, works religion of every name and nation:  Islam Judaism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddism, and pseudo-christianity – (Gen. 11:1-9). Babylon is the religion of works, the religion of man, the religion of confusion.

  • If you believe in salvation by man’s free will, your religion is the religion of Babylon. Continue reading →
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DECEIVERS AMONG US

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In Jude 4 the Apostle Jude tells us about the unseen danger of false prophets who arise within the church. They are often unrecognized, especially in their earliest appearances, partly because they profess to believe and preach “the faith once delivered unto the saints.” Yet, these false prophets secretly introduce doctrines that are contrary to the gospel of Christ and are damning, damning to them and to all who follow them.ASSURED GRACEWe must not forget that before he mentions these false prophets, Jude assures God’s elect of his mighty operations of grace by which all who are born of God are saved and kept, even in those perilous times when false prophets abound. Continue reading →
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WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?

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“What  think  ye  of  Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David”  Matthew 22:42

In this chapter our Lord was confronted by the religious leaders of his day. They asked him several questions about religious matters–the same sort of questions that religious people are asking today. They asked about politics and religion, the resurrection body, and the law of Moses. After silencing all their curious questions, our Lord put a question to them. It is as though he were saying, “You have asked me many questions which show your great curiosity about religion. Now, I have a question for you. This is the only question which is of any real eternal importance. “WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?”

My friend, this is the question that I put before you. Consider it well. I do not ask: What do you think of the church? What do you think of this or that system of doctrine? What do you think of prophecy? But, WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?” Your answer to that question will determine your place in eternity.

WE MUST HAVE A TRUE DOCTRINAL ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. Continue reading →

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Sanctification

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Here is every text in the New Testament where the words “sanctify”, “sanctifieth”, “sanctified”, and “sanctification” are used. Study each reference in its context. Believers are said to be sanctified by the Word of God, by God the Father, by the blood of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, and by faith. Never once are we said to sanctify ourselves by something we do. The only exception is 2 Timothy 2:21, where a pastor is said to be sanctified by purging himself from that which is dishonorable. But the context makes that work of sanctification to be a matter of separation, not a matter of being righteous or holy. And not one reference speaks of the believer’s sanctification as a progressive work. Sanctification, as taught in the Bible, is altogether a work of grace.

John 17:17  “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

John 17:19  “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”

Ephesians 5:26  “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”

1 Thessalonians 5:23  “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Continue reading →

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Identifying True Faith

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Listen to sermon 

The title of my message is Identifying True Faith. Is my professed faith in Christ true, God-given, saving faith, or is it a false faith? Is your professed faith in Christ true, God-given, saving faith, or is it a false faith? Let us bring our professed faith to the Word of God and prove it.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

If my faith is true, it will bear examination, examination by the light of Holy Scripture. If it is not true, I want to know it. I beg mercy from God that he will not let me perish in a refuge of lies. And I beg of God that same mercy for you. So my subject is Identifying True Faith. Our text is 1st John 4:14-21.

1 John 4:14-21 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Faith Essential

Faith in Christ is the one thing essential to salvation. — “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” That is the one thing that matters. That is the one question that must be settled. — “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” Faith is an inward. It is a state of life and a way of life. It is a condition of life and a course of life. Faith is an inward thing, a matter of the heart, an experience of the soul. — “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness.” Continue reading →

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WHAT DOES OUR DAY REQUIRE OF US?

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Listen to sermon !

Turn with me to the Book of 1st Chronicles. I want us to think about a very important question. It is a question which should be of concern to us all. It is especially important for all who are endeavoring to serve Christ in the generation in which we live – WHAT DOES OUR DAY REQUIRE OF US? As I preach the Gospel, I try to address those issues that are relevant to us. I try to answer questions that men and women are asking. Surely this is a question you and I should ask ourselves. — WHAT DOES OUR DAY REQUIRE OF US?

(1 Chronicles 12:32) “And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them [were] two hundred; and all their brethren [were] at their commandment.”

It was the peculiar honor of the sons of Issachar that — “they were men that had understanding of the times.” Continue reading →

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Useless Religion

Useless without Christ

Listen to sermon : 

Many years ago J. C. Ryle wrote, “There are two ways a man may lose his own soul. [1] He may lose his soul by living and dying without any religion at all. He may live and die like a beast, prayerless, godless, graceless, and faithless. This is a sure way to hell. [2] He may lose his soul by taking up some useless kind of religion. He may live and die contenting himself with a false Christianity, resting on a baseless hope. This is the most common way to hell that there is.”

I want to talk to you about USELESS RELIGION. You may ask, “Pastor, What is useless religion. Surely, any religion is better than no religion.” Not so! — Useless religion is far worse than no religion, because useless religion convinces unregenerate men and women that all is well with their souls when nothing is well. In the practice of useless religion, men, women, and children eat and drink damnation to themselves, not discerning the Lord’s body, not knowing who Christ is, what He came into this world in human flesh to do, what He actually accomplished by His obedience unto death as the sinners’ Substitute (Most people do not know what He did or why He did it.), where He is now, or how He saves sinners by His grace and righteousness, through His blood.

  • All false religion is useless religion.
  • All useless religion is idolatry.

Open your Bible to Habakkuk 2:18-19, and you will see that God’s prophet Habakkuk, writing by Divine inspiration, denounced the useless religion of Babylon as soul-damning idolatry. Continue reading →

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“STRANGE FIRE”

Strange Fire

“STRANGE FIRE” 

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
(Leviticus 10:1-3 KJV)

I want to talk to you today about the “STRANGE FIRE” these two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, offered before the Lord.

Divisions: I want to call your attention to three things in these three verses. Let be show you three things about Nadab and Abihu.
1. Their Sin
2. Their Judgment
3. Their Lesson

I. THEIR SIN (v. 1)

What was the failure of these two men? What was their crime? What was their sin? Were they spurious priests? Were they mere pretenders? Continue reading →

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When God’s Providence And Security Are Just Not Enough

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ARMINIANISM wrests Scripture to teach that it is possible for the true believer to fall from the grace of salvation (Gal. 5:4); and that each believer is provided with sufficient ability to persevere and preserve himself, if only he will: (“And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” John 5:40). It all depends on the choice of man’s will, whether he will persevere or not. (This denies everything thus far so irrefutably declared!) The error continues: Continue reading →

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The First Twelve Preachers

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The First Twelve Preachers

“And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.” (Mark 3:13-21)

Here the Holy Spirit describes the calling of the twelve Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ. This is an event, which ought to always be remembered and studied with deep gratitude. No twelve men in history have been so important as these twelve. None have done so much good. None have been of such benefit to us. J.C. Ryle wrote…

“What a vast amount of benefit these few men have conferred upon the world! The names of a few Jewish fishermen are known and lived by millions all over the globe, while the names of many kings and rich men are lost and forgotten.”

These apostles were a special order of men. The apostolic office was in existence for only a very brief period of time, during which the canon of Holy Scripture was completed. They had distinct gifts of healing, tongues, and inspiration, which no one has possessed since the Apostolic Era. They were men specifically chosen, gifted, and ordained by our Lord Jesus Christ to preach the gospel during the earliest days of Christianity and to write the New Testament, explaining by divine inspiration the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. They had no successors. When they died, their office died. And when the Apostles died, all the gifts and signs accompanying apostleship died as well.

Twelve Men Continue reading →

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Discerning Between the Righteous and the Wicked

Malachi 3 v 13 to 18

“Our Lord tells us to let the tares grow with the wheat. We are never to attempt to separate them. Why? Because we do not have the ability to know the one from the other. If the task of separating them were ours, we would pull up the wheat and keep the tares every time. None of us knows who is saved and who is lost. Those who pretend to have such knowledge are as arrogant as they are ignorant.”

DISCERNING BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

Don Fortner 

My subject tonight is Discerning Between the Righteous and the Wicked. — Our Lord Jesus tells us plainly that in every age, wherever the righteous are found the wicked will be found among them. In every field of wheat, there tares grow and thrive. Wherever sheep find pasture, goats will be found grazing beside them. He also tells us to let the tares grow together with the wheat and let the goats graze with the sheep. We are never to try to separate them. That is the Lord’s work, and he will do it by the gospel.

 

We must never try to separate the tares from the wheat; and we must never try to separate the wicked from the righteous. But that does not mean that they be discerned and will not be separated. In Malachi 3, the Lord God makes a very clear discernment and assures us that, when he has finished all things, we shall with him — “discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Continue reading →

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Lessons for Troublesome Times

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“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what signwill there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:1-24)

We are living in troublesome times. These are perilous days. These are difficult days for everyone. But they are particularly difficult for people who believe God and seek, in all things and above all things, to honor Him. I know that your minds are constantly full of questions, for which there seems to be no answer. Moral decadence, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and the pedophilia that it spawns are not just tolerated, but actively promoted in our public schools and by law. The brutal slaughter of unborn babies is as common as the removal of warts. By some perverse logic, the same people who want to protect rattle snakes from extinction and weep over the misuse of laboratory rats tell us that the murder of a baby is a matter of choice! Domestic violence is epidemic. War is an everyday activity. And the religion of the day is nothing short of men worshipping themselves. When I think about these things, three passages of Scripture come to my mind (Deuteronomy 31:17; Psalm 10:4; Galatians 6:7). Continue reading →

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3 Men Claiming To Be Jesus in a matter of days/weeks apart ?

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We have all heard the news of the Australian man,  Alan John Miller claiming to be Jesus and a week or two  later,  two other South African men claimed the same,  that they are Jesus Christ.

Our  question, to these men should be, why do these men not read the Bible before making such false claims ?

Do they not know that the second coming of Jesus will be a glorious event for all the eyes to see ?

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
(Matthew 24:30 KJV)

Do they not know that Jesus warns himself of false Christs, who will say they are Him?

Jesus said :  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:23-24 KJV)

Why do men and women believe follow and believe these things ? The Bible is clear :

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  (1 Corinthians 2:14-15 KJV)

Who are these men who are making such false claims ?

False Jesus 1  Continue reading →

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A Call For Separation

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And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
(Revelation 18:4 KJV)

Don Fortner

Revelation 18:4

Always endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Bend over backwards to get along with God’s saints. Make allowances for one another’s faults, failures, and offenses. Never be guilty of alienating a brother, or refusing to graciously embrace one who is a child of God. But this brotherly kindness is not to be extended to those who are “the enemies of the cross of Christ.” “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?” (II Chr. 19:2; Ps. 139:21-22; Gal. 1:6-9). Continue reading →

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“The Revelation of Jesus Christ”

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Don Fortner – Discovering Christ in all the Scriptures 

Chapter 66

REVELATION

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ”

It has been my singular object in these surveys of the Bible to show clearly that the singular subject, theme, and message of the entire Book of God, the Old Testament and the New, is the Person, work, and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. As in creation, providence, and redemption, so in the Holy Scriptures, it is the purpose of God “that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Col_1:18).

Him Book

The Book of God is a book all about Christ (Luk_24:27; Luk_24:44-48). The Bible is a Him Book. It is all about Him. All the promises and blessings of God given to sinful men and women are in Christ (Eph_1:3). Apart from Christ, God promises nothing but wrath; and every supposed blessing will prove to be a curse. All the love, mercy, and grace of God is in Christ. All the revelation and knowledge of the triune God is in Christ. Christ is not only the central message of Holy Scripture; he is the message of Holy Scripture. To understand that is to have the key that opens the Word of God and reveals its treasures.

That which is true of the whole Volume of Inspiration is especially and gloriously true of the last, closing chapters of the Volume, the Book of Revelation. This last book of the Bible is Christ’s revelation of himself to his servants. This Book is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev_1:1). It is not the revelation of St. John, but “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” given to and recorded by John. It is not the book of revelations (plural). It does not contain many revelations. It contains one revelation seen in many things. It is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Continue reading →