Satan

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BABYLON’S WOES

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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)

Don Fortner

Habakkuk 2:4-20

Listen to the sermon :

The title of my message is BABYLON’S WOES. In the 2nd chapter of Habakkuk the Prophet of God denounces four great woes upon Babylon. These are woes that were pronounced upon the ancient city of Babylon. Yet, a careful reading of the chapter makes it obvious that the mere destruction of that ancient city is not all that the passage asserts. By the Spirit of God, Habakkuk here speaks prophetically of Mystical Babylon, the great whore of the earth by which the truth of God is prostituted and immortal souls are damned.

Proposition: Babylon represents all false religion; and all false religion is under the curse of God.

FOUR WOES

Here are four woes denounced upon Babylon, four woes that fell from the very mouth of God, woes which shall be executed upon that wicked city.

1.     Woe to Babylon, woe to all false religion, woe to all free-will, works religion, God’s wrath shall destroy you because you spoil the nations of the world (vv. 6-8).

(Habakkuk 2:6-8) “Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth [that which is] not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! 7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? 8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and [for] the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.”

2.    Woe to Babylon, woe to all false religion, woe to all free-will, works religion, God’s wrath shall destroy you because you make men swell with pride (vv. 4-5, 9-11). Continue reading →

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Believers – love and are beloved ~ Heirs, hope, holiness and heretics

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Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. It was written to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians, from Nicopolis of Macedonia. 
(Titus 3:1-15 KJV)

Believers – love and are beloved

Tit_3:1-6
Tit_3:1. From this and other passages, it is evident that the apostle thought it most important for believers to be law-abiding, peaceful people, submitting to those in authority. We are all by nature desirous of power and prone to have our own way. It takes much grace to be an obedient servant, a submissive wife or child, a peaceful citizen, especially if those in authority are opposed to Christ (Rom_13:1-3; 1Pe_2:13-18).

‘Be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work.’ Let our lives be characterized by goodness and gentleness to all (Rom_13:7-8). The grace of Christ is not limited to religious affiliations, but controls the whole of our lives.

Tit_3:2. The good minister of Christ will remind believers to ‘speak evil of no man.’ This is the method of maintaining peace and friendship with all men! A man’s name, reputation and character are tender topics and ought to be handled carefully!Contempt for others is usually followed by insult. A thought of contempt usually gives birth to words of unkindness. Continue reading →

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He That Rolleth A Stone, It Will Return Upon Him….

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″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 26:27-28 KJV)

Proverbs 26:27
Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein,…. That devises mischief against others, it shall come upon himself. The allusion is to the digging of pits for catching wild beasts, which are slightly covered with earth; and which sometimes the pursuers, through inadvertency, fall into themselves; the passage seems to be taken from Psa_7:15;

and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him; that rolls a stone up hill, if he does not take care, it will return back, and fall with great force upon himself; so the mischief which a wicked man labours hard at, as men do in digging a pit, or rolling a stone, in time rolls back upon themselves; the measure they mete out to others is measured to them. Jarchi makes mention of an “hagadah”, or exposition, which illustrates this passage, by the case of Abimelech; who slew threescore and ten persons on one stone, and was himself killed with a piece of a millstone cast upon him, Jdg_9:18; this may put in mind of the fable of Sisyphus (o), feigned in hell to roll a great stone to the top of a mountain, which presently falling down on his head, made his labour fruitless. 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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TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION

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Grant Swart

I pray that it is my humble and heartfelt intent to write concerning an earnest directive which believers have been given, and that is, to truthfully pass on to those who do not know the Lord, the liberating and glorious facts concerning the means of salvation which the Gospel proclaims. When we consider all which constitutes the doctrine of salvation in the Gospel, it is impossible to disentangle it from the truth about God, the truth about men, the truth about sin, and the truth about Christ.

So often today the word “salvation” is used in very loose terms, ascribing to it many man-centered, phony ideas and fanciful doctrines which sound reasonable and very appealing to man’s conscience and which man readily accepts. Many of these are simply intended to soothe man’s guilty conscience, and leave him with a false comfort that man himself remains the ‘captain of his soul’ and in control of his eternal destiny. However, biblical truth about salvation is that man is not in any position to determine or secure his own salvation, by means of a decision or by applying his will or effort.

One is not likely to hear from the mouths of most preachers, that man is hopelessly unable to choose to follow God, or to decide to allow God into his life. Contrary to what many billboards around our country proclaim, man cannot, and indeed will never want to, turn back to God, unless he has been called to do so by God. Continue reading →

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Warning ! False Teacher Todd Bentley is Back in South Africa !!

Todd back in SA

Thank you to my dear sister Amy Spreeman from Stand Up for the Truth informing us of this.  Also read here WARNING ! WARNING !! Todd Bentley is coming to serve Satan in South Africa

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By Amy Spreeman 

TODD BENTLEY’S FALSE TEACHINGS COMING BACK TO S. AFRICA

The Signs and Wonders and the Word Faith prosperity heresy is sweeping through third-world nations, especially in Africa where many Christians need your prayers right now to stand strong against this heresy.

Todd Bentley is not the only false teacher preying on the lambs, but is certainly the most popular. And organizations like FreshFire (Which Todd founded) and GodTV, have no problem promoting him to ensure the highest audience numbers (and naturally, tithers and contributors).

Remember, this is the charlatan who was banned from Great Britain last year for his dangerous and philanderous teachings. Here is the most blasphemous teaching from a wolf you will ever hear, from Todd Bentley’s most recent visit to South Africa at the end of April: Continue reading →

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BEWARE !! NEW NAR “BIBLE” A DANGEROUS HERESY

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by Amy Spreeman

Have you heard about the latest Bible “translation?” This one comes from the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) camp, from the brain of one man, a human-appointed “Apostle.” It’s called “The Passion Translation,” written by Brian Simmons of Stairway Ministries.

Simmons has actually released four installments of his new translation:

Coming this fall he is releasing Proverbs, Wisdom From Above.

Let’s do a side-by-side comparison of Proverbs 8. Just for fun, I’ll use the NIV to compare what the Bible says, vs. what Simmons thinks it should say. First, the real deal: Continue reading →

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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ISAIAH

Isaiah 53

“OUR CONFESSION OF FAITH”

Isaiah 53

 The Works of Henry Mahan, Volume 1 containing The Gospel According To Isaiah, Chapter 20

Someone asked an old minister of the gospel, “Is your creed in print?” He replied, “Yes, you will find it all in Isaiah, Chapter 53.” Here is the gospel of God’s grace in one chapter.

(Vs. 1) “Our report” is our message of the love, mercy, and grace of God in Christ Jesus. It is the testimony of Cod concerning Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:1-4). There has never lived a prophet who did not mourn the fact that men would not believe the good news of grace.

“The arm of the Lord” is Christ Jesus, the wisdom and POWER of God; for the gospel of Christ is the power of Cod unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). Natural men do not see, hear, nor understand how God can be just and justifier, righteous and merciful to sinners through the obedience and death of Christ, the substitute (I Cor. 2:8-14). He must be revealed to the heart by the Holy Spirit.

(Vs. 2) “A tender plant”signifies His lowly entrance into the world. He came not full grown in the pomp and glory of men but as a tiny, frail, helpless infant, born of a woman (Gal. 4:4-5).

“A root out of a dry ground” reveals the condition of David’s house and the nation of Israel at this time. There was nothing left of the glory of David’s kingdom, only dry ground, its king an unlikely son of a carpenter (John 6:42).

“No form … no comeliness … no beauty.” In sending our Redeemer into the world, the Lord God rejected and refused all fleshly, human attraction. Anything that would attract the eye of the flesh or support of the natural mind was refused. “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 1:10-11). Continue reading →

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Suffer Persecution

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The holy scriptures

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
(2 Timothy 3:12-17 KJV)

2Ti_3:12. In the preceding verse Paul speaks of the suffering, afflictions, and persecutions he had endured for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ; and he adds, ‘All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ There are no exceptions.

Satan, the world, and especially unsaved religionists hate the gospel of free grace and justification by faith alone. Going about to establish a righteousness of their own, they are opposed to the imputed righteousness of Christ and count as their enemies all who preach and believe it. Those who wish to be exempt from persecution must necessarily denounce Christ (Joh_15:18-21). All believers shall not be martyrs; but it is absolutely unavoidable that as soon as a true knowledge of grace and a zeal for the person and work of Christ is manifested by a believer, it kindles the rage of Satan and ungodly men. By persecution, slander, murmuring, or some other method, trial will come! Continue reading →

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Needful Exhortations and Warnings

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By Don Fortner  (Selected Commentary on selected books, Chapter 16) 

Needful Exhortations and Warnings

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

           (Mat_7:1-29)

In this chapter, our Lord Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount. Throughout this sermon (Matthew 5-7), our Savior draws a clear, unmistakable distinction between true and false religion, between outward ceremonialism and inward godliness, between religious hypocrisy and true spirituality. In chapter 5 he showed us the character of his people and the necessity of holiness. In chapter 6 he showed us the character of true worship and the necessity of faith. Here in chapter 7 he brings his sermon home to all who heard him (and to all who read his words today) by making general, but pointed, exhortations and warnings, that we all need to be reminded of continually. May God the Holy Spirit, who has preserved these exhortations and warnings for us upon the pages of Holy Scripture, graciously apply them to our hearts.

Kindness

This chapter opens with a gracious exhortation to kindness (Mat_7:1-5).

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

I do not know of any text in all the Bible that has been more twisted, abused, and misapplied by men than Mat_7:1. Those who despise absolute values, absolute standards of right and wrong, absolute doctrinal truths and dogmatism, even if they cannot quote any other text in the Bible, recite these words to condemn as divisive bigots all who press upon them the doctrinal and spiritual demands of Holy Scripture. With sweet sounding piety and complete seriousness they will look you right in the eye and say, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Continue reading →

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Let’s March For Jesus ?

Church

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
(Matthew 6:5 KJV)

This is why we should never take part in any form of “National Day of Prayer” or “Global Day of Prayer” or a “Turn to God” mass meeting for prayer called for by Ecumenical  “Will Woshippers”  of any sort under the “religious banner”, we are not called as believers to do this in fact it is Contra-scriptural.

“Churches and religious people these days have invented every imaginable scheme of religious entertainment and excitement to make sinners feel good while they lead them to hell. These are not trivial matters. The souls of men, the glory of God, and the gospel of his grace and glory in Christ are at stake.”

“Let’s March For Jesus”  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 Antichrist

Man of sin anti christs

By Kim Riddlebarger

Perhaps no subject broached by contemporary Bible prophecy teachers engenders more speculation and less sound Biblical exegesis than does the subject of Antichrist. This is certainly due to the mysterious nature of the subject itself, as well as to the fact that no other aspect of Bible prophecy lends itself so nicely to speculation regarding the identification of one specific individual who will become the very personification of evil and the archenemy of Jesus Christ and his gospel.

“Pin the tail” on the Antichrist is not merely an evangelical fascination. Indeed, such speculation has gone on almost from the beginning of Christianity. Irenaeus (130-200) argued that Antichrist would be a Jewish born, satanically inspired, usurper of God’s true glory, who would appear in the Jerusalem temple in connection with an end-times great apostasy. (1) The Protestant Reformers, of course, universally identified the papacy with the Antichrist, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession (1540) stating that “the papacy will also be a part of the kingdom of Antichrist if it maintains that human rites justify (XV.18).” The Westminster Confession (1647) contends that the Pope is “that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God (XXV.6).” Rome, not to be outdone, has returned the favor, contending that antichristic Protestant “heresies have swept down from the North, where Calvin, Wycliffe, Luther and legions of Protestants are ravaging the flock of Christ.” (2)

But there is no doubt that much of contemporary speculation has taken the concept of identifying the Antichrist to new extremes. One of my favorite possessions is a booklet passed on to me by my grandmother, entitled The Time of Jacob’s Trouble (1939), wherein the author attempts to demonstrate that the revived Germany under Hitler in the pre-World War II years is the supposed last-days ten-nation confederacy predicted in Revelation 13. Of course, the author very deftly demonstrates how Mussolini is the false prophet and how Italian imperialism in Ethiopia is proof that Rome is the great harlot of Revelation 18 and compatriot of the German beast. I can still remember the fear instilled in me as a child, when I heard, one preacher declare that Antichrist was then living somewhere in the Middle East, probably still a child playing stickball in some crowded dusty street, awaiting the day when he would be possessed by the devil and allowed to wreck havoc on the world after the rapture. Continue reading →

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The Treachery of False Religious Leaders

Treachery 4

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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 →