I Submit

I submit to you there are three things to consider when following a minister/ministry:

1. How big is it and whose name is in lights?

2. Is repentance of sin preached?

3. Does it make you feel good?

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew‬ ‭7:13-14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

1. Jesus is telling us that if it is big; if there are many following - then it’s the broad path and leads to destruction! 

“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And they went out, and preached that men should repent.” Mark‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

2. Jesus always preached repentance of sin and so did His disciples; a message that seems to be lost today in most ministries.  The “sugar-coated gospel” of today has deceived “the many!” The message of “daily dying” to self (1 Corinth 15:31) which is required to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, doesn’t increase book or record sales, or bring in the mega bucks required to fund high mortgages or the large crusades and conventions! 

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation‬ ‭3:19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

3. Being rebuked and chastened, at the time does not feel good. But oh,  when repentance is made the peace that passes all understanding comes. 

I love the way Tozer put it: 

“If God sets out to make you an unusual Christian He is not likely to be as gentle as He is usually pictured by the popular teachers. A sculptor does not use a manicure set to reduce the rude, unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. The saw, the hammer and the chisel are cruel tools, but without them the rough stone must remain forever formless and unbeautiful. To do His supreme work of grace within you He will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be. This is not to teach the sanctifying power of poverty. If to be poor made men holy every tramp on park bench would be a saint. But God knows the secret of removing things from our hearts while they still remain to us. What He does is to restrain us from enjoying them. He lets us have them but makes us psychologically unable to let our hearts go out to them. Thus they are useful without being harmful.” A. W. Tozer Sermon: Dross Removal

If a ministry looks and sounds like the world - then it IS the world! 

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬ 

There is no compromise in The Gospel! 

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1 Timothy‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The reason there are so many messages, by so many big name ministries is that we have sought after another Jesus, wanting our ears tickled! God gave us what we wanted!

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”2 Timothy‬ ‭4:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Here is “another spirit!”

“Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭18:20-22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

JC Ryle said: “He that is not zealous  against error, is not likely to be zealous for truth!”

I have come to the conclusion that if the world likes it, celebrates it, or acknowledges it/him, I should have nothing to do with it! 

When I first got saved I was angry because of all of the lies that were being preached. Then God showed me that the ministers were as deceived as I had been! You see deceived people do not know they are deceived. 

The Truth, however, is still being preached, but you won’t find it without a search! And most preaching it have been dead for a long time and are not highly thought of by the mainstream! 

Before I heard about forgiveness and repentance I followed all of the big name preachers; male and female! I went to their conferences; bought their books; listened to their podcasts! I only listened to “Christian” radio and tv and had for many years. I was suffering from many illnesses and afflictions! I had not read my Bible from cover to cover; I just read the scriptures the sermons used! 

One day, I was challenged to read my Bible like I would any other book. While reading Deuteronomy, God opened my eyes to the sin I had buried in my heart. Then, through the ministry of forgiveness, I repented of all of the unforgiveness, and judgments I had held onto for so many years. I repented of my anger, lust, fear, worry, bitterness, resentments, gossiping, unbelief, and other things that today’s churches find acceptable, but that God calls sin! When I confessed my sins to a brother and sister (I could trust) and they prayed for me, according to James 5:16, God healed me; and I have stayed healed these 6 years. 

He has done such a mighty work in me! I have been encouraged by my brothers and sisters to stay the course, to dig deep, to die daily, to seek Him with my whole heart and I have continued in repentance when I have failed Him! My overcoming takes perseverance on my part and faith in Him; that He will perfect me!   

I say all of this to encourage you to not take for granted as truth, the messages that abound, but to seek for yourself The Truth! Put away all other books and purpose to read only your Bible for a year. Honor God by giving the same respect to His book, as you would any other author; read it from cover to cover! Pray before you begin: “God open my eyes and ears to receive Your Truth; Your Word is Truth!” Allow Him to have His way in your life! You will never regret it!

Even so. MARANATHA! 

From 3/14/18