Salvation Is Of
The Lord
Jonah’s prayer in hell contains the hope for all of lost humanity. Mankind seeks
salvation through good works while remaining in bondage to sin. True salvation
is found in placing one’s faith in Christ and Christ Crucified. Even simply
believing Jesus is the Son of God will not set mankind free. Demons believe and
tremble but they are lost. Eternity is a long time and thus this decision in
one’s life is the most important over all else. Man’s goodness will never
deliver him from the evil within in. Only the blood of Jesus can do that. There
is no salvation in the church but in the HEAD of the church, Jesus Christ. The
gospel message must be Christ and Him Crucified and nothing else! No other
message will do mankind any spiritual justice. All other messages may sound good
to man’s fleshly nature, but ultimately, they will leave man hopeless, lost and
undone.
By Chris McDonald
TEXT: Jonah 2: 1-9 - Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the
fish's belly, [2] And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord,
and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
[3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the
floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. [4]
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy
temple. [5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me
round about; the weeds were wrapped about my head. [6] I went down to the
bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet
hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. [7] When my soul
fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into
thine holy temple. [8] They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
[9] But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay
that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. [10] And the Lord spoke unto
the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Jonah is one of the most interesting character studies in the
entirety of the word of God. This wayward prophet, like so many of us at times in our
walk with God, fled from the presence of the Lord after receiving a commission
to go to Nineveh and preach repentance. Many believe Jonah was not afraid to go
to Nineveh but did not WANT to go because of the fact if the Ninevites repented,
God would forgive them and prolong the life of Israel's greatest enemy at the
time. While in the whale's belly, Jonah died and probably saw things in the
spirit realm concerning Assyria's handling of Israel that led to further anger
(Jonah 4:1-5) after God spared the city at his preaching. The spirit realm is
the REAL world, yet unseen, that controls things in the natural realm we live
in. That is a whole other message for another time. For now let's deal with
Jonah's first commission to go preach against this great city.
Jonah 1:1-17 - Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai,
saying, [2] Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their
wickedness is come up before me. [3] But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish
from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going
to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them
unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
As a result of his disobedience the Lord prepared a storm
that caused the ship Jonah had taken to come under great duress. Heathen
fisherman discerned the fact that someone in their care had caused the storm
which was threatening their very lives. That someone was Jonah. The Bible says
the heathen cast lots to determine who this someone was and “that lot fell on
Jonah.”
Jonah 1:4-7 - But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was
a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. [5] Then
the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the
wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was
gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. [6] So
the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper?
Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish
not. [7] And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that
we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots,
and the lot
fell upon Jonah.
Hear me friend.
The lot of this nation falls on a
backslidden church. America teeters on the brink of destruction because of a
church that has lost contact with its HEAD. Notice, I said “contact with the
Head,” not necessarily contact with the world around it. The church’s problem
today is we are trying to “connect” with a fallen world, without first
connecting with the only ONE who can set the world free – the Lord Jesus Christ!
I want to say it again. Before we seek to save a lost and dying world from sin,
we must first return to a simple love and devotion to the Lord.
MOST gospel preaching today is a
gospel laced with new age humanism that seeks to elevate man instead of placing
man under the judgment and justice of a Holy God with no hope of salvation or
life except through Christ. The modern gospel proclaims man “good;” the true
gospel proclaims man a sinner. Jonah was not going to preach to a nation of
“purpose driven” seekers in Nineveh. He was being sent to preach repentance to
sinners! Jesus Christ came to save sinners among whom I am chief! The church,
the Lord’s BODY has been ordained and commissioned to preach the same! And when
we fail to fulfill our commission the lot of a nation is placed on the church
within that nation.
I had a good friend tell me just a
few days ago that Mr. Warren’s book the Purpose Driven Life is getting close to
selling more books than the Bible itself. And while she thought this was the
greatest thing under the sun, my heart grieved inside because as I heard this I
could almost hear the Holy Spirit say – “that’s the problem – people are more
concerned about what the Purpose Driven Life tells them than they are about the
Word of God.”
Jonah’s presence in the boat may have
not been 100% understood by those sailors but they knew something was wrong.
Jonah 1:8-14 - Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose
cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comes thou?
what is thy country? and of what people art thou? [9] And he said unto them, I
am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea
and the dry land. [10] Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him,
Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the
Lord, because he had told them. [11] Then said they unto him, What shall we do
unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was
tempestuous. [12] And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the
sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great
tempest is upon you. [13] Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the
land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
[14] Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we
beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us
innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
The world may not know everything
about everything the church is proclaiming, but most know that our message is
slowly becoming no different than any other religion including Buddhism, Islam
or New Age. The lot of America falls on a backslidden church that is taking the
true gospel and perverting it as to produce another Christ, driven by another
Spirit, pointing and producing another gospel. The sailors recognized Jonah’s
state even though the prophet himself never comes to his senses before God sent
a storm to get the attention.
Jonah 1:15-16 - So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and
the sea ceased from her raging. [16] Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly,
and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
The church wants to invent a
secondary source of salvation for humanity because we fear we can’t “connect”
with a world system that offers a whole lot more in the natural than we can in
most modern churches. The sad thing however, is that God never has called us as
the church to be concerned about “NATURAL” comforts and ease, but He has called
us to be “SUPERNATURAL,” and “SPIRITUAL,” in what we do and preach.
When Jonah went into the whale’s
belly, he died and his soul and spirit went to HELL, Sheol; the place of
departed spirits.
Jonah 1:17-2:2 - Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.
And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (1) Then
Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, [2] And said, I
cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the
belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
Hell Is A Real Place
Despite no mention of hell in modern
church circles, eternity is real. Jonah’s prayer in hell underscores the heart
felt moans of billions there right now. Hell is not just a state of “bad events”
on earth as so many flippantly use the term in jest or as a curse word,
describing their current plight and or state. Some so-called preachers deny the
existence of hell. Others refuse to warn their listeners about the results and
consequences of sin with a gospel devoid of any mention of this horrible place.
Let me tell you this without blinking – one millisecond in the pit will cure
your theology sir. One millisecond when you open your eyes in eternity will make
you realize that God’s Word is far more important and true than backslidden and
deceived false shepherds. The wages of sin is DEATH. The gift of God is eternal
life through CHRIST. There is a hell to shun sir.
Jesus spoke more of hell than He did
heaven! He warned that if our eye was offending us and causing us to stumble,
it’d be better for us to pluck the eye out and cast it from our bodies than to
have our entire being cast into the pit. He said if our hands offend us and
cause us to stumble, “cut if off,” and cast it aside because it’d be better to
go through life MAIMED and BLIND than to get to the end of this life LOST and
have your entire body cast into hell!
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Matthew 5:28-30
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart. [29] And if thy right eye
offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee
that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be
cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and
not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
It does not matter what man says, it
matter what GOD says! It matters where you have placed your faith and if Jesus
Christ is Lord of your life. Paul warned the Corinth church that their faith
could not be in him or any other man on earth. Their faith must stand in what
Christ did at the cross and so must ours today!
The Holy Spirit through Paul asked
the Corinthians the same question he is asking us today – “Is CHRIST divided!”
NO! He is not divided and He is not just a mere prophet and teacher. He is not
the Head of some denomination or movement. Christ doesn’t have any favorites as
far as man-made organizations go on earth. To be frank, He abhors that which is
religious yet lacks the love of God and the true riches of heaven which is
GRACE.
He is the HEAD OF THE CHURCH, the
BODY of Christ, those who have placed their faith in CHRIST and HIM CRUCIFIED!
1 Cor. 3:1-3
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal,
even as unto babes in Christ. [2] I have fed you with milk, and not with meat:
for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. [3] For
ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and
divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of
Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? [5] Who then is Paul, and
who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to
every man? [6] I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1 Cor. 2:2
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified.
1 Cor. 1:10-13 -
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all
speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. [11] For it
hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house
of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. [12] Now this I say, that every
one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of
Christ. [13] Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized
in the name of Paul?
1 Cor. 1:18-23 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. [19] For it is
written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent. [20] Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where
is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this
world? [21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not
God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
[22] For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom: [23] But we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks
foolishness;
There Is No Salvation In The Church
And Jonah prayed in hell that
salvation was of the Lord. I want to make a statement here and elaborate more on
it toward the end of this message: There is no salvation in the church. Jonah
realized in the pit the only source for man’s salvation was IN THE LORD. Christ
does not just bring salvation, HE IS SALVATION. Faith IN CHRIST and Him Crucified is
the only hope for fallen humanity. Man puts his faith in everything BUT this
today! But there is no salvation in the church!
To some Christ is a social Christ. To
others he is a political Christ. To another segment of the church He is a Christ
that brings an “evolutionary” salvation, in other words, a salvation where man
‘evolves’ into the born again experience without conviction and deliverance.
This is the doctrine of the Bill Hybels, Rick Warren camps where man’s purpose
on earth overshadows man’s need for a redeemer. This purpose is not summed up in
Christ, but in man’s own ability to save himself through good works. Neighbor,
there is NO salvation in man’s good works or man’s organization. There is NO
salvation in the church!
We hear so much today, even among
Pentecostals and Charismatic, of the importance of “the church” in God’s
program. Yes, the church IS important in the plan of God, but it’s not THE plan
of God – CHRIST IS! I want to say that again. Whenever we place more importance
on the BODY and not elevate the HEAD, we have become disjointed from the very
LIFE that can give us true salvation for a lost and dying world. That’s why
Jesus addressed the last church in Revelation so harshly. It had become so rich
and self-sufficient that it ceased from seeing it’s utter need for HIM. He had
been pushed outside the door while all the activity within the same body
continued without a thought those attending were poor, wretched, blind and
miserable. Jesus “counseled” the church to buy of Him GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE!
Gold speaks of HEAVEN, something that human means cannot accomplish! It’s not by
human power, not by might, but BY MY SPIRIT saith the Lord! I want to say it
again. It’s not by human power, not by might, but by MY SPIRIT, saith the Lord!
Zech. 4:6
Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto
Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord
of hosts.
And that is the rub of the modern
church. We have become so accustomed to services without the Holy Spirit we
don’t even realize how far we have fallen ourselves. Thus, we generate a gospel
void of both power AND truth that can set captives free. And listen good to me.
When I say a gospel void of power, I’m not talking about the foolishness of some
in the Pentecostal world who believe the louder they scream, the faster they run
and the harder they fall on the floor makes the gospel more powerful. God
forbid. I’m talking a gospel that points the sinner to the cross, convicts the
sinner of SIN and hangs him over the pit of hell with the thought that if he
refuses the love and grace of God which leads him to repentance he will be
eternally lost.
The gospel today either condemns
without hope or pacifies without conviction! BOTH gospels are false. One is
rooted in self-righteousness while the other is rooted in self-will.
Self-righteousness will cause us to lead people to LAW instead of Grace.
Self-will leads people to a false grace that condones sin and places man’s
salvation on the basis of man’s goodness instead of recognizing man’s evil!
Both gospels lead to death! God’s
mercy is extended solely based upon the conditions of the CROSS and what Christ
did there for us 2,000 years ago.
I was watching a documentary the
other night on the cult leader Jim Jones. Some 30 years later people still shake
their heads at how over 900 people could go along with his insane view of the
world and kill themselves with cyanide-laced Kool-Aid. Jones was not a
Fundamentalist pastor as many reports in the media and the anti-cult movement
claim. He belonged to a mainline Christian denomination, having been ordained in
the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ. (At the time of his ordination, the
DoC allowed a local congregation to select and ordain a minister on their own.
However, ordinations conducted without denominational endorsement were not
considered valid within the rest of the church.)
The Peoples Temple was initially
structured as an inter-racial mission for the sick, homeless and jobless. He
assembled a large following of over 900 members in Indianapolis IN during the
1950's. "He preached a 'social gospel' of human freedom, equality, and love,
which required helping the least and the lowliest of society's members.
When a government investigation began
into his cures for cancer, heart disease and arthritis, he decided to move the
group to Ukiah in Northern California. He preached the imminent end of the world
in a nuclear war; Ukiah was judged to be as safe as any when war broke out. They
later moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles. After an expose during the mid
1970's in the magazine New West raised suspicions of illegal activities within
the Temple, he moved some of the Temple membership to Jonestown, Guyana. The
Temple had leased almost 4,000 acres of dense jungle from the government. They
established an agricultural cooperative there, called the "Peoples Temple
Agricultural Project." They raised animals for food, and assorted tropical
fruits and vegetables for consumption and sale.
Jones developed a belief called
Translation in which he and his followers would all die together, and would move
to another planet for a life of bliss. Mass suicides were practiced in which his
followers pretended to drink poison and fell to the ground. While preaching in
San Francisco, he helped out many local and even national campaigns and was seen
as a healer which much power in the community. In a descent into what can only
be described as madness, Jones heightened regulations on his followers and their
engagement to the sect. Eventually, Jones began to claim his true divinity."
Jones, for example now claimed to be
the reincarnation of Jesus, as well as Ikhnaton, Buddha, Lenin, and Father
Divine." Paranoia and complete control, which by the way are two key ingredients
to the modern church growth movement, became Jones' personality, once he
obtained such a close knit group. Jones began to stage rehearsals of his
eventual mass suicide plan that he would eventually enact. These drills, called
"white nights" began with sirens going off in the middle of the night and none
of the members of Jonestown would know if it was real or not. "A mass meeting
would ensue... we would be told that the jungle was swarming with mercenaries...
we were given a small glass of red liquid to drink. We were told that the liquid
contained poison and that we would die within 45 minutes. We all did as we were
told."(Galanter, 1989)
Rumors of human rights abuses
circulated. As in most high-intensity religious groups, there was a considerable
flow of people joining and leaving the group. Tim Stoen, the Temple attorney and
right-hand man to Jones left to form Concerned Relatives who claimed that
Jonestown was being run like a concentration camp, and that people were being
held there against their will. This motivated Leo Ryan, a Congressman, to visit
Jonestown in 1978-NOV for a personal inspection. At first, the visit went well.
Later, on NOV-18, about 16 Temple members decided that they wanted to leave
Jonestown with the visitors. This came as quite a blow to both Jones and the
rest of the project. While Ryan and the others were waiting at Port Kiatuma
airfield, the local airstrip, some heavily armed members of the Temple's
security guards arrived and started shooting. Congressman Ryan and four others
were killed; three were members of the press; the other was a person from
Jonestown who wanted to leave. 11 were wounded. Fearing retribution, the project
members discuss their options. They reach a consensus to commit group suicide.
914 died: 638 adults and 276 children. Some sources say 911 died.
Most appear to have committed suicide
by drinking a grape drink laced with cyanide and a number of sedatives,
including liquid Valium, Penegram and chloral hydrate. Some sources say it was
Kool-Aid; others say FlaVor-Aid®. Other victims appear to have been murdered by
poison injection. The Guyanese coroner said that hundreds of bodies showed
needle marks, indicating foul play. Still other victims were shot. A very few
fled into the jungle and survived.
Some 911 people quickly found out
that salvation was NOT in the church! Each one of these poor souls followed a
man to hell! The world will follow the Antichrist in a very eerie similar way
friend in the not too distant future. When men stop preaching the gospel of
Jesus that convicts of SIN, then men fall into perdition and are deceived. This
gospel is a gospel of GRACE that points sinful man to the CROSS, not to the
purpose-driven life!!!!! It points man to JESUS and the BLOOD of the LAMB, not
some psychological mumbo-jumbo perpetrated by New Age gurus dressed up like
modern-day preachers. This modern gospel that brings people into bondage of is
not a gospel that sets the captives free. It changes hearts and lives and makes
men come to the foot of the cross in humility not seeking justification for
anything but throwing themselves on the mercy of God.
Salvation is of the LORD! Jonah
prayed this in the pit of hell. Get that picture in your mind neighbor. How many
millions, perhaps BILLIONS, pray that same prayer tonight in the pit of the
flames of hell without any hope of mercy? You must be BORN AGAIN. You must be
changed from above. Except you repent, you will also likewise perish.
John 3:1-8
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: [2] The
same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a
teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except
God be with him. [3] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. [4]
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the
second time into his mother's womb, and be born? [5] Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is
flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must be born again. [8] The wind bloweth where it listeth,
and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and
whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Jonah 2:9
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that
that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
Luke 13:1-3
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose
blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. [2] And Jesus answering said
unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans,
because they suffered such things? [3] I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish.
Some may ask, “Do you think that all
911 that perished in Jonestown died and went to hell?” I’m not the judge of the
earth but it’s plain that those in Jonestown had their faith in a man and a
church instead of CHRIST and Him Crucified. And those who died with their faith
in Jim Jones went to hell and realized the error and deception of their lives.
You can make the argument perhaps
that “well this was just a cult,” and you would have me half way agree. But the
SCOPE of what happened 30 years ago is the same seed being planted again in the
hearts of MILLIONS by the modern church growth movement that points men to good
works and “purpose instead of pointing them to CHRIST. It’s a false gospel that
will send millions to hell! Salvation is of the Lord, salvation is of the LORD!
They Who Observe Lying Vanities….Forsake Their Own Mercy
Jonah 2:3-8
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods
compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. [4] Then I
said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
[5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round
about; the weeds were wrapped about my head. [6] I went down to the bottoms of
the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou
brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. [7] When my soul fainted
within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine
holy temple. [8] They that observe lying
vanities forsake their own mercy.
One other statement Jonah made in
hell is “those who observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy!” This means
that those who worship idols forsake the mercy of God by their sin. Before mercy
is shown sin must be confessed and put away (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9). Mercy
is extended only to those who confess their sins and place them under the blood
of Jesus!
Proverbs 28:13
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes
them shall have mercy.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we do one thing—confess our sins—God will do four things:
1. Be faithful to us.
2. Be just with us.
3. Forgive our sins.
4. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are saved by GRACE, which has
appeared to all men through Christ and the Cross!
Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12]
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world;
According to Titus, the grace of God
that brings salvation does three things:
1. It brings salvation (Titus 2:11; Ephes. 2:8-9).
2. It has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11; John 3:16; Rev. 22:17).
3. It teaches seven great lessons:
(1) To deny ungodliness (Titus 2:12).
(2) To deny worldly lusts (Titus 2:12).
(3) To live soberly (Titus 2:12; Titus 1:8; Titus 2:2-7).
(4) To live righteously (Titus 2:12; Hebrews 12:14; Romans
6:14-23; Romans 8:12-13).
(5) To live godly (Titus 2:12; 2 Tim. 3:12).
(6) To live right in this life (Titus 2:12).
(7) To look for the rapture and the second coming (Titus
2:13; Phil. 3:20).
Those who trust in LYING VANITIES
forsake this mercy and grace! The devil speaks lying vanities to a lost and
dying world today through the ministry of a backslidden church. Any gospel that
is not rooted in Christ and Him Crucified is a gospel of LIES and VANITIES!
The gospel of the G-12 and other
control-related doctrines of the modern church environment do not point men to
CHRIST, but to a system and denomination! It is a lying vanity that will
bring judgment to men, not salvation! The psychotherapy gospel being
preached by MOST preachers today is a LYING VANITY! It gives man false
assurances that his problem is not SIN and SELF but his environment, lack of
educating or lack of money. Man's problem has ALWAYS been SELF AND SIN! Man
cannot save himself - salvation is OF THE LORD!
Psalms 39:5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.
Psalms 62:9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
Psalms 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Psalms 114:4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passes away.
Eccl:1:2- Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
MAN IN HIS BEST STATE IS VANITY!!!!!!!!!!! In other words, vanity cannot save vanity! Man needs a redeemer, not a psychologist! God's psychology is the HOLY SPIRIT! He has given us the Holy Spirit in order that He may root out all sin within our lives. However, there are two main areas that true salvation addresses - SELF and SIN!!!!!! Psychology addresses NEITHER. Men need a redeemer, not a psychologist. Then you have another area of the Body wanting the church to be rich and increased with goods - we call it the prosperity gospel. It says that if you're not walking around with money flowing out your pockets and driving a Mercedes you don't have God's blessings on you. Solomon had all those things and in utter desperation in his heart and soul cried "ALL OF IT IS VANITY!"
Many years ago one of the great revivalists A.W. Tozer said that the clamor today was that the "church needed to be rich with little worry on it being saved. I submit to you that the church is better off POOR and saved, than RICH and lost!" Oh Praise God, praise God. Earthly riches in themselves are lying vanities and objects that gets our focus off God many times. That's why Solomon prayed in His proverb: The church needs to be saved, not become rich and increased with goods. Salvation is of the LORD! That is why Agur prayed in Proverbs for the Lord to give him neither poverty or riches and to keep him from falsehood!
Proverbs 30:7-9
Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: [8] Remove
far from me vanity and lies: give me
neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: [9] Lest I be
full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and
take the name of my God in vain.
Proverbs 21:6 - The getting of
treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them
that seek death.
Solomon and Agur agreed with Jonah!!! - Those who trust in these lying
vanities FORSAKE true gospel mercy and grace. Jonah's prayer however was
when he had wound up in hell! Millions today have their faith in lying vanities
that keeps them from God's mercy and grace and unless they repent will send them
to hell!
How Shall We Escape?
Hebrews 2:1-3
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have
heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. [2] For if the word spoken by
angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just
recompense of reward; [3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;
which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard him;
Neighbor, how shall we escape if we
neglect this great salvation? It’s getting late. The hands on the God’s time
clock say “ten to midnight” and eternity beckons for us all. If your name is not
written in the Lamb’s book of life today, we need to make our calling and
election sure! We need to be SURE we are born again and headed to heaven. We
needed to be sure that if our lives are taken in a second then that next second
we will open our eyes in eternity with God, not eternity without God in the
regions of the damned - HELL.
Salvation is of the LORD. It’s not of
Rick Warren’s purpose or a formula that promises earthly riches and money. It’s
not of a church membership or belonging to a social club on Sunday morning. It’s
not of LAW, but of GRACE, the LORD'S GRACE on our lives because He loves us
intensely and has washed us in His blood through the precious sacrifice of His
Son Jesus Christ. It’s not of ALLAH or Islam, or any other “ism” - it’s of
GRACE! My Lord, I feel that. I haven’t wrote in a while due to the death of my
mother in May but I can say this to you today without flinching - SALVATION IS
OF THE LORD.
The church must lift up JESUS, not a system! It must lift up JESUS, not a formula or theory. It must preach the GRACE OF GOD, not LAW and bondage. You say, well we need to preach the law because people need to know how to live. THE GRACE OF GOD will not only teach people how to live it will give the power in the people's heart TO LIVE!
John 8:27-28
They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. [28] Then said Jesus
unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am
he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak
these things.
John 3:14-15
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life.
John 12:30-32
Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
[31] Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be
cast out. [32] And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto
me.
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
On May 29th, 2005 my mother stepped
over into the next world to reunite with her mother along with 2 brothers and 3
sisters who have went before her. She stepped over not because she was a good
woman, which my mom was. She left us boys something more than earthly
riches, which she had none of - she left us the will to LOVE each other
fervently and give up our own lives for others no matter what our bank account
balance said. She stepped over into heaven because she had placed her faith IN
CHRIST and He had washed her in His precious blood.
By the help and grace of God I plan
to see my mom again one day because that same CHRIST has saved me and washed me
as well with His blood. That is where my faith rests today. Salvation is of the
LORD! You must have your faith anchored in His precious blood today. There is no
other way.
Jonah prayed this prayer in hell. I’m
afraid millions who are there right now have sadly realized too late that
Salvation is of the Lord. It was not in their church growth movement, the
government of 12, word of faith formulas or even in an experience such as
speaking in tongues or falling out in the Spirit. I believe in speaking in
tongues and I have no problem with the Spirit of God doing what He wants in our
lives. But neighbor, NONE OF THOSE THINGS are why we’re saved! We’re saved by
grace through faith; it’s not of WORKS, lest any man should boast. No man, no
man, no man, can boast in this salvation. Praise God.
Eph. 2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me.
John 3:3-5
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. [4] Nicodemus saith unto him,
How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his
mother's womb, and be born? [5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God.
I pray you know this Christ today.
He’s a wonderful, wonderful savior, who loves you dearly today and is reaching
out through the words of this message to your heart to come home to Him and
repent and be washed in the precious blood of the Lamb.
Heavenly Father, I pray for
everyone reading this message today. I pray Your loving, convicting touch of the
Spirit will move in their hearts today and open the eyes of those in darkness to
allow them to see their need of You and the need to repent and be born again.
Bring them home today before it’s eternally too late. In Your name we pray,
Amen.
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