��������������������������� It�s Time To Grow Up
The Christian world has been deceived by their leaders; the Judeo‑Christian Clergy of Organized Religion; by false teachers like Billy Graham, Robert Schuler, Kenneth Copelan, Jack van Impe, Benny Hinn, Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggert, Oral Roberts and Mike Evans to name just a few.
For over forty years now, I have heard preachers, in the Judeo-Christian churches, on TV and radio teach the same message over and over and over again. They seem to never run out of enough different ways to say �God is Love.��You must believe in Christ to be Saved.� etc.
While these statements are true enough, but if the people sitting in the church pews, in front of their TVs and listening to their radios are so blinded that they cannot get the message after a couple of hundred times. Then we must let them go, and quit worrying about them. Let them stew in their own juice, so‑to‑speak because if they have heard the message that many times and still have not come to understand it, then they never will and any further time with them is wasted.
It�s Time To Grow Up: Let us stop going over the same old ground again and again always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let us go on instead to other things and BECOME MATURE IN OUR UNDERSTANDING, AS CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE.
Surely we don�t need to speak further about the foolishness of trying to be saved by being good, or about the necessity of faith in God: you don�t need further instruction about baptism and spiritual gifts and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. The Lord willing, �WE WILL GO ON NOW TO OTHER THINGS.� (Hebrews 6:1‑3; Living Bible) No truer words were ever spoken.
However, we must face the fact that the pulpits of America are filled with men who love the material things of life, than the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, yes, make no mistake about it I like material things as much as the next fellow, but I don�t place those things above my King and my Savior. You will seldom, if ever, hear one of the preachers, ministers, teachers, evangelists, priests or whatever they wish to be called, teach that one must �Repent� first and then be Baptized in order to be saved. There are three things that Must Occur if one is to be saved.
1). A person must be Called by God first;
2). Repent second;
3). Be Baptized third.
�In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And SAYING, REPENT YE: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight...AND WERE BAPTIZED of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But WHEN HE SAW MANY OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES COME TO HIS BAPTISM, HE SAID UNTO THEM, O GENERATION OF VIPERS, WHO HATH WARNED YOU TO FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME? BRING FORTH THEREFORE FRUITS MEET FOR REPENTANCE...I INDEED BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER UNTO REPENTANCE...THEN COMETH JESUS FROM GALILEE TO JORDAN UNTO JOHN, TO BE BAPTIZED OF HIM. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.� (Matthew 3:1‑15)
The word �Baptized is used some 48 times in the New Testament. (Matthew 3:6; 3:13; 3:14; 3:16; 20:22; 20:23; Mark 1:5; 1:8; 1:9; 10:38; 10:39; 16:16; Luke 3:7; 3:12; 3:21; 7:29; 7:30; 12:50; John 3:22; 3:23; 4:1; 4:2; 10:40; Acts 1:5; 2:38; 2:41; 8:13; 8:16; 8:36; 8:38; 9:18; 10:47; 10:48; 11:16; 16:15; 16:33; 18:8; 19:3; 19:5; 22:16; Romans 6:3; 1 Corinthians 1:13; 1:14; 1:15; 1:16; 10:2; 12:13; 15;29; Galatians 3:27)
The word �Repent� is used 24 times in the New Testament. (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15; 6:12; Luke 13:3; 13:5; 16:30; 17:3; 17:4; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; 17:30; 26:20; 2 Corinthians 7:8; Hebrews 7:21; Revelation 2:5; 2:16; 2:21; 2:22; 3:3; 3:19)
However, no matter how important Baptism and Repentance is, the Clergy of Organized Religion, by whatever name they wish to be called, will not touch upon them as if they were the plague and would destroy their ministry immediately. They are probably right for our people have been lied to so long and so much that they have the itching ears that the Scriptures say they would have in the latter times.
�I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; PREACH THE WORD; BE INSTANT IN SEASON, OUT OF SEASON; REPROVE, REBUKE, EXHORT WITH ALL LONGSUFFERING AND DOCTRINE. 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; And THEY SHALL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, AND SHALL BE TURNED UNTO FABLES.� (2 Timothy 4:1‑4)
What fables are these that they have turned their ears to; it is Jewish lies and false teaching:
�Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, THAT TURN FROM THE TRUTH.� (Titus 1:14)
We are admonished again by Peter not to listen to the Jews and their lies:
�For WE HAVE NOT FOLLOWED CUNNINGLY DEVISED FABLES, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.� (2 Peter 1:16)
And what are these Jewish fables and false teaching supposed to do and is doing to our people, because they would rather believe a lie than the truth? It is to: �...TURN FROM THE TRUTH.� They give very cleverly designed sermons to deceive you; as Peter said �we have not followed cunningly devised fables (lies).�
Yet there are lists where the debate is never ending about whether one must be baptized or not. Some say that being Baptized is not necessary that one only has to be sprinkled; others say that Baptisms is not necessary at all; but when one studies the question a little bit, they find that the early Christians ALL Baptized, but one of the first Jewish Popes did away with �Baptisism� and started to �Sprinkle� the Catholics.
This of course was one of the ways to keep some people from gaining a full knowledge of Christ, and doing what is necessary. Repentance and then Baptisism; in that order. But we know that Christ said that the Jews.
Peter was speaking these words to some Jews and to True Israelites and he said:
�Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye (Jews, and some Israelites) have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then PETER SAID UNTO THEM, REPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.� (Acts 2:36‑39)
Then there is the story of the Eunuch and Philips� testimony to him:
�And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. THEN THE SPIRIT SAID UNTO PHILIP, GO NEAR, AND JOIN THYSELF TO THIS CHARIOT. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, SEE, HERE IS WATER; WHAT DOTH HINDER ME TO BE BAPTIZED? 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. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and THEY WENT DOWN BOTH INTO THE WATER, BOTH PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH; AND HE BAPTIZED HIM. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.� (Acts 8:26‑39)
In this story we see the eunuch was searching for the truth in the Scriptures and because of that God sent Philip to help him with his studies. But we also see that Philip would not baptize the eunuch until he made a declaration that he believed in Christ, and then Philip baptized him.
�Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. THE WORD WHICH GOD SENT UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL (See THE PREACHING THAT IS TO BE DONE IS TO BE TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FIRST, and let the other peoples of the world listen if they wish, and see if so be that God calls any of them), preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, AFTER THE BAPTISM WHICH JOHN PREACHED...AND WE ARE WITNESSES OF ALL THINGS WHICH HE DID BOTH IN THE LAND OF THE JEWS, AND IN JERUSALEM; WHOM THEY (The Jews) SLEW AND HANGED ON A TREE...Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; NOT TO ALL THE PEOPLE, BUT UNTO WITNESSES CHOSEN BEFORE OF GOD (Here we can see that God only reveals His word to those He has chosen, and not to all the people, not even all Israelites), even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead...And they of the circumcision (Jews like Paul, in religion only, and not by birth) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, CAN ANY MAN FORBID WATER, THAT THESE SHOULD NOT BE BAPTIZED, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?� (Acts 10:34‑47)
Again the Apostle thought that Baptism was necessary and commanded that those believers be �Baptized.�
Paul also taught that Baptism was necessary, although he, at one point appeared to say that it was not necessary. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and BE BAPTIZED, AND WASH AWAY THY SINS, CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD.� (Acts 22:16)
Therefore, in my opinion, and at the risk of hurting some feelings I believe that Baptism is not only necessary, but essential to the remission of sins. For without Baptism it would appear that there would be no remission of sins, and thereby there would be no redemption.
Yes, its time some of us hard nosed Christians to grow up and learn what God wants us to know. Some think that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yes God is the same and so is Christ the same. Otherwise He would have destroyed us long ago.
Thank God they never change, but their plan and program changes as it continues to reveal God�s full plan and purpose. God is a progressive God. He is constantly revealing His Glorious Kingdom and way of life to us. We still haven�t seen the ultimate Kingdom yet. He wants to bring us into it and from all appearances it is soon to be here.
When we have children we, have to teach them how to behave themselves and grow up to be beautiful citizens of our nation. It take a lot of hard work, sweat, tears, prayers, heartaches, disappointments and patience to raise up a young man or woman to be someone you are proud of.
We send them off to college and four years later they come out of there indoctrinated with new morality, globalism, drugs, God is dead, and dozens of other modern doctrines. And if we have people who have been listening to the same teachings for four years and have not grown in the Spirit and in the Word of God then they are useless to God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
God has the same problem. He wants to raise up citizens for His Kingdom of Christ, He wants to set up on earth. He gets some of us started and we grow by leaps and bounds and then we are enticed by some new idea or fad that captures us and we backslide and are of� no further use to God or His Kingdom.
Others of us develop up to a point and we get stalled and can�t seem to get any higher because we believe God doesn�t change. We have some preachers in mind that are stymied at this point. So we�ll show you what we mean, in Deuteronomy 23:3, it says:
�An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they enter into the congregation of the Lord forever.�
Also in Deuteronomy 7:3, Of the seven nations of Canaanites, Israel was to make no covenants or show no mercy unto them,
�Neither shall thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shall not give unto his son, nor his daughter shall thou take unto thy son.�
But in the beginning God had planned for His people to develop into Children of God. How could God do this? In the first part of God�s plan it was God�s job to get the seed of Abraham multiplied into a Nation of Israelites, all of pure Adamic stock.
God was trying to establish in the flesh realm, what He wanted to do in the Spiritual Realm. When Yahweh God talked to the Israel people at Sinai, there were 6 and � to 7 million Israelites of which He gave His divine Law as the marriage proposal.
Whereupon, all the people answered the Lord affirmatively, and said all that the Lord says, we will do, and He became their Husband. Of course all the people were not purebred, many were of the mixed multitude and other races.
However, as most of us never read the fine print of our contracts, our contract of Deut. 28:15‑68, is filled with 666 different curses that can come upon us if we don�t keep the letter of the law. AMERICA AS GOD�S MODERN DAY CHILDREN OF ISRAEL {White Americans} AND SEED OF ADAMS FALLEN RACE 4,000 years later are under, it would appear, the final judgment of Deut. 28:15‑68. That�s why America is going down the tube, is because God must close out these curses before the Kingdom of Christ can be established on earth. And if people don�t take God�s alternative plan to free them from the curse, the New Covenant ministry of Jesus Christ who is the tree of Life they will be destroyed through one of those curses listed.
The Law of Moses did a great job convicting and convincing the seed of Adam�s fallen race that they were filthy sinners and not only they but the whole world of humanity are found guilty before God and need to be saved (Romans. 3:23).
Praise God, in God�s Covenant to Abraham, God said that Abraham�s seed WOULD be a blessing to all the families of the earth. That seed of Abraham we find in the Book of Galatians 3:16 which reads:
�Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, and to seeds, as of many: BUT AS OF ONE, AND TO THY SEED, WHICH IS CHRIST!�