false Christs

by

Faith And Love

154337_485179738189660_116214851_n

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
(Habakkuk 2:4 KJV)

Don Fortner

“In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Galatians 4:6

Here is the law of Christ’s church and kingdom. This is the believer’s rule of life. And this must be the principle by which we function as a church. “This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (I John 3:24). Being united to Christ by faith and to one another in the bond of love, let us endeavor always to demonstrate these two graces.

1. WE LIVE BY FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  “The Just shall live by faith.” First and foremost, this means Continue reading →

by

We Must Not Give Ear To Talebearers, For They Feed The Fire Of Contention

30552_606851432659793_1626997612_n

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
(Proverbs 26:20 KJV)

He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport? Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
(Proverbs 26:17-28 KJV)

Here below follows Mathew Henry’s exposition of these verses, taken from e-Sword.

Proverbs 26:17

1. That which is here condemned is meddling with strife that belongs not to us. If we must not be hasty to strive in our own cause (Pro_25:8), much less in other people’s, especially theirs that we are no way related to or concerned in, but light on accidentally as we pass by. If we can be instrumental to make peace between those that are at variance we must do it, though we should thereby get the ill-will of both sides, at least while they are in their heat; but to make ourselves busy in other men’s matters, and parties in other men’s quarrels, is not only to court our own trouble, but to thrust ourselves into temptation. Who made me a judge? Let them end it, as they began it, between themselves. 2. We are cautioned against it because of the danger it exposes us to; it is like taking a snarling cur by the ears, that will snap at you and bite you; you had better have let him alone, for you cannot get clear of him when you would, and must thank yourselves if you come off with a wound and dishonour. He that has got a dog by the ears, if he lets him go he flies at him, if he keeps his hold, he has his hands full, and can do nothing else. Let every one with quietness work and mind his own business, and not with unquietness quarrel and meddle with other people’s business.

Proverbs 26:18-19

See here, 1. How mischievous those are that make no scruple of deceiving their neighbours; they are as madmen that cast firebrands, arrows, and death, so much hurt may they do by their deceits. They value themselves upon it as polite cunning men, but really they are as madmen. Continue reading →

by

If I Love Christ There Are Some People I Cannot Love

thumb-thomas

Don Fortner 

True Christian love is not universal. It does not extend to all men. The fact is, if I love the Lord Jesus Christ there are some people I cannot love. There is such a thing as a righteous hatred.

Listen to God’s servant David, the man after God’s own heart. He wrote these words under the infallible influence of God the Holy Spirit – “Do not I hate them, O Lord,- that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies” (Ps. 139:21-22). A reasonable inference from those two verses is that those who are the Lord’s enemies, those who hold our God in contempt, are to be counted as our enemies and held in contempt by us. Continue reading →

by

The Great Commission

498_Preaching_front

Don Fortner 

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
(Mar_16:15-18)
These words are given to us by Inspiration as our Lord’s final words to his church, his final words to you and me, as he was leaving this world. Here he tells us what our privileges and responsibilities are as his servants in this world. These are not the privileges and responsibilities of the apostles alone, or of gospel preachers alone. These are the privileges and responsibilities of all God’s people, his servants, in this world.

It is the great privilege and responsibility of every child of God to do what he can for the furtherance of the gospel in his generation, to preach the gospel (and see to it that the gospel is preached) to all the world in the generation in which we live for the glory of Christ and the salvation of God’s elect.

The Great Commission
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mar_16:15). — It is utterly impossible for me to state emphatically enough the importance, the comprehensiveness, and the depth of meaning there is in these words. Our Lord’s charge to us in this one sentence is generally called “The Great Commission.” This is our commission from our God as long as we live in this world; and it is great!

It is called “the great commission,” because there is a great need. Our Lord commands us to go into all the world preaching the gospel, because all are lost without the gospel. In every corner of the earth the sons and daughters of Adam are the same. All are fallen, lost, without Christ, without God, without hope, and utterly ignorant of God, his grace, his Son and his salvation. Civilized or uncivilized, in Africa, China, or Great Britain, Mexico, California, or Kentucky, all who are ignorant of the gospel are in a state of wrath and condemnation. Continue reading →

by

Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD

536871_509889939047949_822821216_n

“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. “
(Jeremiah 23:1-5 KJV)

Jeremiah 23:1-32Jer_23:1. Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.What a dreadful woe this is upon all false shepherds, — those who profess to be sent of God to instruct the people, but who are not sent of God at all, Continue reading →

by

Should we pray for God to comfort those who oppose the Gospel, like Rick Warren?

graves

By – For the Love of His Truth 

Throughout recent years, men and women of true saving faith, followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, have loudly voiced opposition to the grossly erroneous teachings of Rick Warren and, of course, many others who preach a gospel of humanism and free-willism contrary to the Gospel of Christ.

The social media is a-buzz with talk about the suicidal death of Rick Warren’s 27 year old son. To be sure, discussion surrounding this story is not only limited to social media, but is the focus of international news feed on many levels. Rick Warren has, according to some sources, been regarded as one of the ten most influential religious speakers in the world. His books, programs and other influential instruments have become prized household items throughout the secular world, while at the same time they have also been regarded as despicable by true followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. A published statistic says that only the Bible has been translated more times than his most popular book to date, “The Purpose Driven Life”.

Many requests for prayer have been made via Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools, for the family of Rick Warren to be comforted by the Lord, during this extremely difficult time following the tragic suicide of their son. The loss of a child, whether by suicide or by any other means for that matter, brings with it an almost overwhelming sadness and unbearable grief for those left behind in their families. It would be inhuman of us if we did not feel a sense of grief for those who have met with such tragedy. We have great sympathy for any family who has suffered such loss.

However, these requests pose a concern for the believer: is the comfort of Warren and his family really what the church should be praying for? Continue reading →

by

A PERSON IS SAVED WHEN IT PLEASES GOD TO SAVE HIM

backgroundDefault

By Don Fortner 

When is a person saved?

The Apostle Paul tells us that A PERSON IS SAVED WHEN IT PLEASES GOD TO SAVE HIM. “When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his graces to reveal his Son in me.” “When the fulness of time was come … God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father”. My friends, “Salvation is of the Lord”, Salvation comes to men according to God’s sovereign pleasure. He says, “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 showeth mercy”. God saves whoever he is pleased to save; and he saves them whenever it pleases him to do so. When is a person saved? Mark it down.

A PERSON IS SAVED WHEN IT PLEASES GOD TO SAVE HIM.

When is a person saved? I can tell you this – Salvation is something more than walking down an aisle at the end of a church service and saying “the sinner’s prayer”. Salvation is an operation of the grace of God upon a man’s heart. Salvation is a living union with the living Lord. The Word of God makes it very clear that salvation is not something you do for God, it is something God does for you. Salvation is not accomplished by man, not by the works of man, not by the decision of man, and not by the free-will of man. Salvation is not a co-operative program in which God does his part and you do your part. “SALVATION IS OF THE LORD”. It is God who quickens, regencrates and gives life to dead sinners. It is God who redeemed, justified, and pardoned his people. it is God who chose his own elect, determined to save them, and predestinated them unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. Salvation is not by man’s decision, but by God’s decision. Salvation is not by man’s power, but by God’s power. Salvation is not by man’s work, but by God’s work. Salvation is not by man’s will, but by God’s will. Continue reading →

by

“To Him Give All the Prophets Witness” Acts 10:43

cross-of-christ-0101

“To Him Give All the Prophets Witness” Acts 10:43

Peter in Acts 2, Stephen in Acts 7, and Paul in Acts 13 delivered sermons that summarized the entire history of the Old Testament. And the subject of each of their sermons was the Lord Jesus Christ. How I wish that all men and women could see this blessed fact: — Jesus Christ and him crucified is the theme of Holy Scripture! — “To him give all the prophets witness!” And to him give all the apostles witness. Every book of the Bible speaks of Christ. Let me show you just one thing revealed about Christ in each of the 66 books of Holy Scripture. Christ is the theme of every text, the subject of every page, and the message of every subject set forth in Holy Scripture. But space will permit me to show you just one thing revealing Christ in every book of the Bible.
Continue reading →

by

God Rules!

b57968032c2d

Our God is in control of this world- absolutely in control of it (Ps. 76:10). God, and God alone, is in absolute, total control of the entire universe. We can and should trust Him with implicit confidence in all things, and with all things. The Word of God, the promises of God, the prophecies of Holy Scripture are all utterly meaningless unless our God is the God who rules everything, whose will is always performed, whose purpose stands fast, whose thoughts are irresistible!

Here is the basis of our faith and the foundation of our comfort- Our God is in control- as fully in control of Satan, the demons of hell, and the thoughts and deeds of wicked men as he is of the angels about his throne. We live in a world of woe. We are often tossed to and fro in this world, confused and perplexed by many things. Let us ever rest ourselves in our God. Continue reading →

by

The Message of Holy Scripture

remote_image_1328526158.big

2 Timothy 3:16-17 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.

A sermon by Don Fortner 

Exerts posted from the sermon. Please listen to this edifying sermon.

Martin Luther, wrote, —
“There is not a word in the Bible which can be understood without reference to the cross…As we go to the cradle only in order to find the baby, so we go to the Scriptures only to find Christ.”

Go to the Scriptures only to see Christ, not to prove a doctrine , not to defend a doctrine, not to prove some theological point but, just to see Christ. Go to the book of God, only to see the Son of God. That should be our purpose every time we read the Scriptures. Continue reading →

by

IS YOUR PASTOR LYING TO YOU?

LupineSideAngleSunset_websiteready-XL

2 John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

By Don Fortner 

Is your pastor lying to you? Most preachers are liars. They are making merchandise of the souls of men. They have no regard for you, no regard for the honor of God, the glory of Christ, the Word of God, or for the souls of men. They preach for gain, to gain money, to gain power, or to gain prestige. They are in the best business in the world, big-business religion. They know what people like to hear, and they give it to them. Whatever it takes to keep the people coming and the money rolling in, they do. Most preachers are liars. Is your pastor lying to you?

It has come to pass in our day, as the apostle Paul predicted, the time has come when men “will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they turn away their ears from the truth, and are turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Here are five fables which are commonly proclaimed in pulpits all over America today. They are lies and perversions; but these are smooth things such as people like to hear. They keep the money coming in; so preachers keep on repeating these fables.

1. We are told that “God loves everyone”. Continue reading →

by

The Lord’s Garden

Lords Garden

by J. C. Ryle

“A garden enclosed is My sister, My spouse.” Song of Solomon 4:12

The Lord Jesus Christ has a garden. It is the company of all who are true believers in Him. They are His garden.

Viewed in one light, believers are Jesus Christ’s SPOUSE. They are all joined to Him by an everlasting covenant that cannot be broken; wedded to Him by the marriage of faith—taken by Him to be His forever, with all their debts and liabilities, with all their faults and imperfections. Their old name is gone—they have no name but that of their Bridegroom. God the Father regards them as one with His dear Son. Satan can lay no charge against them. They are the Lamb’s wife—”My Beloved is mine, and I am His” (Song. 2:16).

Viewed in another light, believers are Christ’s SISTER. They are like Him in many things. They have His Spirit—they love what He loves, and hate what He hates—they count all His members brethren—through Him they have the spirit of adoption, and can say of God, “He is my Father.” Faint indeed is their resemblance to their elder Brother! And still they are like.

Viewed in a third light, believers are Christ’s GARDEN. Let us see how and in what way. Continue reading →

by

A Marvelous Change

479760_463184347086702_1330559648_n

         By Don Fortner

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

            After declaring that “the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” the inspired apostle writes, “And such were some of you.” If I understand the phrasing of Paul’s words correctly, he is saying, “And such were you.” He is not suggesting that some of the Corinthians were guilty of these sins and others were not. He is saying, “All are guilty. Some were adulterers, some extortioners, some drunkards, etc.; but all have been guilty.” What was true of the Corinthians is also true of us.

This is what we were and where we were when God saved us by his grace (Isa. 51:1; Eph. 2:1-3). We must never forget from whence we came. We must never forget where we were and what we were before the Lord saved us. Not only is 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 a description of what we were – This is what we all are by nature still (Matt. 15:19). There is no evil recorded here, or recorded in the annals of human history, the seed of which is not in each of our hearts by nature. Why does the Holy Spirit remind us so often of this painful fact? There are four reasons for this reminder:

1.      To humble us and keep us from pride and self-righteousness (1 Cor. 4:7).

2.      To honor, exalt, and magnify the grace of God in Christ (1 Cor. 26-30).

3.      To encourage sinners to come with all their sin to Christ, trusting him alone for salvation (Isa. 1:18).

4.      To inspire in our hearts the intense zeal and ardent love for Christ that our great Savior deserves (Lk. 7:47). Continue reading →

by

Doctrinal Error and Damning Heresy

wolf in Sheep's clothing

Jesus said that “wolves” would “come in sheep’s clothing”. The Apostle Paul said, “Grievous wolves will enter in, not sparing the flock”. Paul wrote to Timothy and said as time goes on “evil men will get worse and worse, and deception will increase.” Paul again said, “there will be doctrines of demons that will lead people astray”. To put it mildly, there is a world of chaos and confusion in the church today.

We cannot, therefore, believe for a moment that everyone who claims to be “in Christ” and to “speak on behalf of Christ” is speaking the truth. Distinguishing truth and error has become vital to the 21st century Christian. (John MacArthur)  Continue reading →

by

Angus Buchan: Evangelist or Revivalist?

Our valued readers may be aware of the fact that False teacher Rick Joyner will be visiting South Africa soon and join hands with Angus Buchan and others . Please also read our articles Warning! Rick Joyner to visit South Africa and Join hands with Angus Buchan And also read Spiritual Deception, Revival and Angus Buchan (South Africa’s Charismatic “Hajj”)

Angus Buchan: Evangelist or Revivalist?

An important article by our dearly beloved  friend and brother Prof Johan Malan

Mossel Bay, South Africa (October 2010)

Angus Buchan is an evangelist and not a revivalist. An evangelist is involved with basic or first phase evangelism and usually addresses a particular group of people only once, or perhaps a few times during a weekend rally. After his listeners have indicated that they accepted Christ as Saviour, he regards his duty as done and then moves on to his next appointment.

A revivalist, by contrast, is particularly involved with second phase evangelisation as his messages are aimed at further steps of dedication and service to the Lord in the lives of those who already have a testimony of salvation. That is precisely what the word revival means – new life where there already is life. Christians are called to search themselves and make a new commitment to the Lord, and are also clearly shown what their responsibility is in the process of sanctification. When they comply with these demands, lukewarm, prayerless, powerless and spiritually unfruitful believers are transformed into dedicated witnesses for Christ. They will then fulfil their calling to testify about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, leading to the salvation of many sinners. That is the fruit of revival. Continue reading →