2nd Timothy 1:16-17, “The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.”
I love the Bible character, Onesiphorus, a nobody who became a somebody
because he wanted to make a difference. Here was an average guy, who made a
profound impact on the great apostle Paul, simply because he cared and
searched through the prisons in Rome diligently to find Paul. You can't buy
that kind of friendship. I praise God for Onesiphorus, a nobody who became a
somebody because he wanted to make a difference. You can make a difference
too my friend, you really can.
If you are a mother, you can raise your children for God. If you are a wife, you can encourage your husband in the Lord. If you a pastor, you can preach THE TRUTH to your congregation. Certainly, we should all preach the Gospel. Whatever your talents, profession or skills may be, you can volunteer them for the Lord's work, primarily to further the preaching of the Gospel. And may I say kindly, if the Gospel is not being preaching, God's work is not being done!
One of the most important truths that I learned, way back in highschool, as a Christian, is that God uses our weaknesses more than our strengths. I learned that from reading the Holy Bible in 2nd Corinthians 2nd Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” The less you think God can use you, the more He can, if you recognize that the power of God rests in faith and not human abilities. The greatest ability is availability! Most believers are too busy for God. Luke 8:14, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”
The average Baptist church today is fortunate to have two converts every 6 months. That's because today's shallow pastors preach wrong! Instead of preaching hard against sin, and clarifying the Gospel truth, they embellish the Gospel with all kinds of theological garbage that the Bible doesn't teach! For example: Telling people to “surrender your life to serve Christ” to be saved is a falsehood. Telling people to “turn away from sins” to be saved is a falsehood. Telling people to receive Jesus as their “Lord” to be saved is a falsehood. You don't make Jesus Lord, He is Lord!
The very second that you receive Jesus as your
personal Savior (John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”),
He immediately becomes the Lord (Master) of your life. One day, in eternity,
every creature, including Satan himself, will bow before the King of the
universe and confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 14:9-11). Jesus died to be
your Lord, and mine, but that whether or not we obey Him as our Lord is a
matter of discipleship, and not to receive the free gift of eternal life,
which is solely obtained by submitting to God's righteousness by faith in
Jesus Christ (Romans 10:3-4; Philippians 3:9; Romans 4:5-6 - All references
are only to the precious King James Bible).
Truth-seekers Share a Common Bond of a Love for the Truth
Dear Onesiphorus searched diligently through the prisons in Rome, not knowing where Paul was kept, until he found him. What a true friend!!! I have many Onesiphorus' for web visitors, who are making a difference for God. I just received a wonderful letter from a man of God in Finland, just an average guy, making a difference for God. He promotes my website ministry publicly, telling people how to be saved by sharing the Gospel. You gotta love a guy like that, who wants to make a difference for God. Another dear man of God from India wrote to me, asking me how to reach the many different religious groups in his area. I told him what I tell everybody... just give them “THE GOSPEL,” which according to Romans 1:16 is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” We don't win people to the Lord with our excellency of speech; but rather, with the simplicity that is in Christ, which is THE GOSPEL. God works through the Gospel to save souls, not the satanic heresy of Lordship Salvation.
Do you know why Paul was so dear to Onesiphorus? It is because Paul preached
THE TRUTH!!! We are suffering from a massive famine today in America—A
FAMINE OF HEARING THE TRUTH!!! Amos 8:11, “Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread,
nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” As the
corrupt modern Bible versions
continue to flood into the churches, forming deep roots of apostasy, so also
is “I-chabod” written over the doors of the churches, meaning, “The glory of
the Lord is departed” (1st Samuel 4:21). The presence of the Holy Spirit is
not felt in most churches today; but rather, a spirit of entertainment, a
social club and a completely human element. What a sad thing to see an
invitation given for one year, and see the alter empty service after
service, because there is no man of God behind the church pulpit!!!
The Shallow Bob Jones University Crowd Are Doing Little for God
The apostle Paul was in prison for preaching the Gospel, restrained with chains. Paul was despised and rejected by the mainstream religious groups of the day. Paul was God's man, suffering as if he were an evildoer, because he cared about THE TRUTH!!! Many believers, like the Bob Jones University crowd, don't want to suffer reproach for Christ by being associated with the raging battle over the King James Bible. They didn't want to be outside the gate with Jesus. They are cowards. I say that kindly.
There's a big spiritually dead Baptist church down the street from me (aka, the Bob Jones crowd), who don't want my help or even to let me sit and hear the preaching. They despise me that much. Romans 4:10b, “...why dost thou set at nought thy brother?...” All I can do is pray for them and love them unconditionally, and I do. You can tell a person's character by how they treat those who can do nothing for them. They are the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:17, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” I pray for them regularly, and I believe the Lord has used their unfaithfulness to open my eyes (as He did Ezekiel when he was carried by the Spirit from Babylon to Israel) to see the wickedness in the churches today. Jeremiah 10:21, “For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.” You can measure a pastor's walk with God by his level of interest in seeking and preaching THE TRUTH!!! Perhaps you ask, “Why do you often pick on the Bob Jones crowd?” Simply because they don't care, and I do, and somebody needs to speak up for what's right.
What kind of pastors turn people away from hearing the Bible taught? The answer is shallow pastors, who don't really love people, are serving mammon instead of God, and are respecters of persons. Bob Jones University has greatly deteriorated since Bob Jones Sr. went to Heaven in 1968. Even the best Bob Jones graduates I have met, are cowards when it comes to taking a stand against Satan's Bible revision craze. I just call 'em as I see 'em, fakes and salary-grabbers. I say that kindly, but truthfully. You can tell a person's character by how they treat those who can do nothing for them. I disagree with many pastors on certain doctrinal areas, but I am wise enough not to write-off their entire ministry because of our differences. I have much more tolerance toward the Bob Jones camp than they do for me. I don't care if it harelips every dog in the county, I am going to promote King James Bible ONLYism until the Lord takes me home to Heaven, and I'm going to diligently expose the corrupt Alexandrian manuscripts, which are straight from the Devil. Sad to say, today's pastors just don't care! They're far more concerned with acceptance amongst their deadbeat peers.
All of the
Alexandrian Bible
versions are corrupt!!! I love the Bob Jones crowd, but they don't care
about the purity of God's Word. They use and promote different Bible
versions, but then tell visiting guest preachers at Bob Jones University
(BJU) to only use the King James Bible in their college pulpit. If they only
want the King James Bible being used in their pulpit, then why the hypocrisy
of supporting the Alexandrian manuscripts (from which all the modern corrupt
Bible versions have been translated)? I am just a VOICE, but I am a VOICE!!!
I am doing what I can do, to make a difference for my precious Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ!!!
Do What You Can To Make a Difference
I went walking this morning at 6 a.m. in a park along the ocean. I've lost
62 pounds so far. I weighed 153.6 this morning. I was 215 pounds a few
months ago. While walking I saw a group of about three dozen of volunteers
picking up garbage in a local park by the ocean. They were wearing red
shirts with white letters that read, "DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!”
I thought that was a pretty good statement worth sharing with others. That
is all I'm doing with my website ministry, trying to make a difference for
God. I really appreciate all the encouraging e-mails from my web visitors,
letting me know how the Lord has blessed you through my humble labors over
the years. I am clipping coupons now for all the work I've put into my
ministry. It's a great feeling so see fruits of my diligent labors, and I
give all the credit and praise to my precious Savior. I don't take any
credit for anything, I give it all to the precious Lord, Whose Holy Spirit
indwells me. I'm just an average guy who's trying to make a difference, like
Onesiphorus.
I wrote this article to encourage others to make a difference in whatever
way you can. Everyone can do something for God. I've been sharing sermons by
various preachers with others, and that is one way that I am making a
difference. Some people are sharing my website ministry with others, which
is another way to serve God. Anything that you do to help a man of God, if
he is preaching THE TRUTH, will be rewarded by God. Jesus promised in
Matthew 10:42, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little
ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto
you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” What a beautiful Bible
truth!!! So, not only will God reward you and me for doing good in the name
of Jesus, but also, if we help a disciple who follows Jesus, God will reward
us as if it were done unto Him personally. God will reward us for helping
the local New Testament churches. God rewards us for sharing Biblical
sermons.
Woe Unto Those Who Complicate the Gospel
And may I say, those wicked pastors who promote the ministry of Dr. John MacArthur share in the blood that he has on his hands, leading multitudes of souls into Hell with his Lordship Salvation Gospel, that requires changing your own life to be saved. Pastors who promote Evangelist Ray Comfort are partakers of his evil deeds. These evil men make it hard to be saved, but the Bible calls the Gospel, “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3). I don't hate the men who preach Lordship Salvation, but it is not the Gospel. There is nothing simple about forsaking sinful bad habits. That is not the Good News that is in Christ Jesus. We are sinners (Romans 3:23)! All of us!!!
And because we are sinners, there is a penalty on that sin, which is to spend eternity burning in the fires of Hell (Revelation 20:15). But God manifest His unconditional love toward us by sending His only begotten Son into the world, to die for our sins on the cross. Jesus paid our sin debt!!! The Lord paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. Jesus we buried, and then praise God, He raised up from the dead three days later. This is “the Gospel” (Good News) according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-6). Any other changes which God desires in us as His child, is a secondary matter, not required for salvation. Many preachers have confused discipleship with sonship. They have confused consecration with salvation. My friend, either God does ALL the saving or else you don't go to Heaven!!!
Here is a very precious quote from Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) that I heard today from one of his sermons from 1987...
“You're not unsaved because you're bad. You're not unsaved because you're mean. You're not unsaved because you're a drunkard. You're not unsaved because you're an adulterer. You're not unsaved because you're a liar. You're unsaved for one reason—YOU HAVE NOT SUBMITTED YOUR SELF UNTO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD! God offers to give you His righteousness, to put on your record in Heaven, to cover your sins—not to stop your sins, you'll still be imperfect after you get saved—but judicially God offers to put His record in Heaven on your record, and blot out your sins as far as God's sight of your sins is concerned. And that is the imputation of God's righteousness!!!”
SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles - A quote from the classic MP3 sermon, “The Mystery Of Godliness”
It is not your holiness through which you'll
see God, it is His holiness imputed to you, and given to you, and put on
your record. Without that you won't go to Heaven! Susanna Wesley's
(1669-1742) favorite Scripture was Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh
not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness.” Yes, that is one of my favorite Scriptures too! To
no surprise, false prophet Ray Comfort doesn't even comment on this passage
in his extremely popular The Evidence Bible.
Mr. Comfort teaches that turning from sinful bad habits is necessary to
be saved.
Why So Many Churches Are Doing Nothing for God Today
Our attitude is so important to maintain as believers. The reason why most Christians never do anything significant for the Lord is because they have the wrong attitude toward the things of God. They have an errant attitude toward THE TRUTH. I talk about “THE TRUTH” a lot, don't I? That on purpose my friend, because it matters what we believe.
It was Evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935) who warned us 100-years ago that the Church was going apostate...
“It would be a godsend if the Church would suffer persecution today; she hasn't suffered it for hundreds of years. She is growing rich and lagging behind. Going back.” —Billy Sunday, “The Need for Revivals,” From "Billy Sunday: The Man and His Message,” by William T. Ellis, Philadelphia: John C. Winston Co., 1914
Please read my article titled, Autopsy Of A Dead Church.
Billy Sunday had no idea how much of a prophet he was! Brother Sunday was right—the Church is growing rich, lagging behind and going backwards!!! I was listening recently to some old-fashioned, red-hot, Christ-honoring, Bible-preaching by Evangelist Phil Kidd.
I heard a wonderful quote today from Dr. Jack Hyles. You can't touch a burning candle, but once the flame goes out, you can. Depression can't touch a burning Christian...
“You give me a burning Christian, one that's on fire for God, and in love with Jesus Christ, and praising God from his soul and spirit. You let me have that child of God that has genuine heart of praise and worship and thanksgiving and honor and glory for the great God of our salvation. You give me a person like that and I'll show you a person, when circumstances walk up and touch 'em... [You can't touch him].”
SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles - A quote from the classic MP3 sermon, “The Mystery Of Iniquity”
It is sad that homeless people, many of whom are alcoholics, just leave their bottles and garbage for someone else to clean up. I learned long ago that many people are homeless, not because misfortune has come their way, but because of their selfish and irresponsible attitude toward everything. Yet, I love them in the Lord and am not a respecter of persons, just as God is not (James 2:1-5). God loves the poor. He loves everyone!
One of my dear web visitors brought up a great
point yesterday. He reasoned that if a layman like him can see and embrace
the truth about the Word of God, then why cannot many pastors and the Bob
Jones crowd see it? Yes, I agree 100%. The reason why is the love of money.
A church layman has nothing to gain or lose by standing for the truth,
upholding the superiority and inspiration of the King James Bible. However,
for a Bob Jones pastor to do the same would be to make enemies, go against
headquarters at Bob Jones, and be labeled as an “extremist” and join the Dr.
Jack Hyles “cult” (no thanks to king compromiser Jerry Falwell for attacking
the King James crowd). My friend, God is as extreme as they come concerning
His Words!!! Look yourself at
how Satan attacks
Jesus' deity in all the Alexandrian Bible versions.
Atheist singer Billy Joel is right in his song, “Honesty,” when he sings the words, “Honesty is such a lonely word.” Any pastor who uses and supports the Alexandrian Bible versions [like the Easy To Read Version (ERV) and the New International Version (NIV)] AND the King James Bible together, is as dishonest as can be, promoting two opposing manuscripts!!! I can respect a man who says that the New International Version (NIV) is God's Word, but not the King James Bible. But don't you dare tell me, you lousy excuse for ministers, that they are BOTH God's Word, because that is IMPOSSIBLE!!! Either Mary touched Jesus in John 20:17 as the ERV and NIV says, or she didn't, as the King James Bible says. Don't ask the Bob Jones crowd, because they don't care!
Either Jesus is the only “begotten” Son of God as John 3:16 says in the King James Bible, or else He is not, as in the ERV and NIV. It cannot be both. John 1:12 calls every believer a son of God, which is why the King James Bible distinguishes the difference, calling Jesus the only “begotten” Son of God. The reason why the NIV and ERV remove the word “begotten” is because Satan hates Jesus' deity and removed it from John 3:16. That's why Acts 8:37 is missing in all of the modern versions, but the precious King James Bible still contains Acts 8:37, which says, “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” I am so glad that many of my web visitors are now King James Bible only. It really does matter what we believe. I am doing what I can to make a difference!
I have received so many precious e-mails this past week from my regular web visitors, from all around the world: India, Africa, Aruba, Finland, the Philippines, England, and of course, the United States (please pardon me if I didn't mention your country). One of the main things that people have thanked me for is standing for THE TRUTH!!! That means more to me than anything, because that is my heart's desire. Jesus told Pilate that He came into the world to bear witness unto THE TRUTH!!! John 18:37, “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Are you of THE TRUTH friend?
Some of my web visitors have said, that they feel like they've known me for years. I also feel that way toward preachers who've influenced me. I feel like I've been a member of the churches pastored by Pastor Danny Castle, Pastor Steven Anderson, Pastor Max Younce and other dear men of God. Do you know why we feel that way? It is because we share a common bond of a LOVE FOR THE TRUTH. 2nd Thessalonians 2:10, “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Jesus said in John 18:37b, “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Truth matters! There is a draught of truth in today's dead churches, which have become shallow and lackadaisical. Today's pastors wear lace on their underwear, as Dr. Hyles put it. I couldn't agree more. We've got a bunch of wimps in the pulpit today, who stand for nothing!
The great need of the hour is Christians who
care about THE TRUTH. Any uneducated person can see that something is very
wrong with having 900 English Bibles.
Yet, the average deadbeat pastor will tell you that he doesn't support all
the Bible versions, but he won't tell you which ones. I actually had a
minister tell me that he was against the New International Version (NIV),
but was Okay with the Easy-To-Read Version (ERV). Folks, they're
virtually the SAME thing! There's
not a dime's difference between them. They were both translated from the
corrupt Alexandrian, Egypt, Greek manuscripts, which Brooke Westcott and
Fenton Hort popularized in 1881. Satan is laughing today at all the
confusion he has caused in the churches, because of the woeful ignorance,
arrogance and shameful cowardice of multitudes of ministers. I care! Do you?
If you do, then please help make a difference.
Prayer Always Makes a Difference!
One of the most important and effective things you can do is pray for me and this ministry. My only heart's desire is to help the truth. I make no money, never have, and never will. I do what I do for the Lord, because I love the truth and my dear Savior. Jesus proclaimed to be “THE TRUTH” in John 14:6. Some people think God will hear my prayers more than theirs, but God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). If you are saved and doing your best to live for God in His strength, God will hear your prayers. 1st Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”
If you are a child of God, Hebrews 4:15-16 teaches that you have a blood-bought right to come before God's throne of grace to obtain mercy, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” God's door is always open my friend, you don't need an appointment. He is waiting to hear from you. Philippians 4:6-7 teaches us to pray about “EVERY THING,” and then claim “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,” which “shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Once we pray, God is now on the job. We did our part, and now it is simply a matter of trusting our omniscient (all knowing), omni-present (all present) and omnipotent (all powerful) God. Don't underestimate the power of God through prayer, which is faith (Hebrews 11:6; James 5:15, “the prayer of faith”).
I encourage you dear friend to DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE for God!!!
“The mark of the child of God is that he loves everybody!” (a quote from Pastor Jack Hyles' classic MP3 sermon, “FORGIVENESS”
