💥 Podcast: Through the pursuit of greatness, he destroyed himself

 

 

 

(This podcast was previously published on February 20, 2021)

 

In the years 1977 through 1982, I attended a church called, "Word of Faith."  Robert Tilton was the pastor.

Bob set about to be great.  He even said, from the pulpit, that he planned to be greater than Kenneth Copeland.

By his pursuit of greatness, Bob destroyed himself and was left with nothing.

I warned him as a prophet.  But he was overwhelmed with power, money, and fame and would not heed the warning.

Mark 8:36-37  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

This is that story.

 

 

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💥 Scriptures:

 

John 14:27  Jesus says ... Peace I leave with you, MY peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

*** 

 

Matthew 24:6-8 (Jesus speaking of the end times)   And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

 

 ***

 

1 John 5:19-20 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 

 

 ***

 

Proverbs 19:8  He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

 

*** 

 

Proverbs 19:23  The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

 

 ***

 

Proverbs 27:18  Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.  

 

*** 

 

Proverbs 16:32-33  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of  the Lord. 

 

 

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💥 Luke 8 (Reading through the Bible)

 

And it came to pass afterward, that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with Him,

(The real church is a joyful people because of the Word and their belief in the Word, focused on the Word.)

² And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
³ And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto Him of their substance.

⁴ And when much people were gathered together, and were come to Him out of every city, He spake by a parable:

⁵ A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
⁶ And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
⁷ And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
⁸ And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.

And when He had said these things, He cried, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

⁹ And His disciples asked Him, saying, What might this parable be?

¹⁰ And He said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

¹¹ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

¹² Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

¹³ They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

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.

¹⁵ But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

¹⁶ No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

¹⁷ For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

¹⁸ Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

***

¹⁹ Then came to Him His mother and His brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

²⁰ And it was told Him by certain which said, Thy mother and Thy brethren stand without, desiring to see Thee.

²¹ And He answered and said unto them, My mother and My brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

***

²² Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.

²³ But as they sailed He fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

²⁴ And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Master, master, we perish.

Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

²⁵ And He said unto them, Where is your faith?

And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him.

***

²⁶ And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.

²⁷ And when He went forth to land, there met Him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech Thee, torment me not.

²⁹ (For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

³⁰ And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name?

And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.

³¹ And they besought Him that He would not command them to go out into the deep.

³² And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought Him that He would suffer them to enter into them. And He suffered them.

³³ Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

(Devils cause you to do crazy things.)

³⁴ When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.

³⁵ Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

³⁶ They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.

³⁷ Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought Him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and He went up into the ship, and returned back again.

³⁸ Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought Him that he might be with Him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
³⁹ Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

***

⁴⁰ And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received Him: for they were all waiting for Him.

⁴¹ And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought Him that He would come into his house:
⁴² For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying.

But as He went the people thronged Him.

⁴³ And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
⁴⁴ Came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

⁴⁵ And Jesus said, Who touched Me?

When all denied, Peter and they that were with Him said, Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me?

⁴⁶ And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me.

⁴⁷ And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately.

⁴⁸ And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

***

⁴⁹ While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

⁵¹ And when He came into the house, He suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

⁵² And all wept, and bewailed her: but He said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

⁵³ And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴ And He put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.

⁵⁵ And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give her meat.

⁵⁶ And her parents were astonished: but He charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

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💥 Podcast: The faith movement churches: "Word of Faith"

 

 

(This podcast was previously published on February 15, 2021) 

 

I was in the faith movement churches from 1977 to 1982.  I loved it.  Faith is one of my favorite subjects.  But in 1979, God gave me a terrifying dream and by that God brought me out of that church group.  This is the story of that which God showed me about the Faith Movement.

I love scripture.  I love the Word of God by the Holy Spirit.  Nothing is more exciting to me and nothing is as valuable to me on this present earth as is following God by HIS Spirit.

In 1975, I was born again.  Immediately God began teaching me to meditate on scripture and to do those instructions of specific scriptures!

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

And God had taught me from the time I was born again to ask HIM for wisdom.

James 1:5   If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

I was applying the above scripture to everything in my life ... and it worked greatly.

*  When I read the Bible, I prayed for wisdom before reading and God was faithful to teach me scriptures as I read.  (I even wrote: "Pray for wisdom", on each book of the Bible so I wouldn't forget to do this.)

*  I owned a small business in Dallas, and I was careful to pray for wisdom before I bought merchandise and in running the business and making decisions.  (In the 4 years that I had the business after becoming a Christian and after learning to pray for wisdom, every item I bought for the business sold, and I never had a sale price to rid myself of unwanted items, for everything sold.)

And God taught me the following scripture:

John 5:30  Jesus said:  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

I was quite sure that if Jesus, the Son of God, could do nothing without hearing from God, The Father, that I would not be able to do anything without hearing from God!  So I prayed for wisdom and prayed for God to stop me if I was going the wrong way.

I really thought that is what all Christians were doing.  I was wrong.

At one point, our Bible teacher at Word of Faith said to me, "You were never like the people at Word of Faith.  They talked about faith but you lived faith."

On this Podcast, I will share some of those things God taught me about the Faith Movement churches.

*****

The poison gas dream:  1979

I was asleep in the night when God gave me the following dream.

I went into a room where a man was speaking to a group of people.  I sat down and began to listen. 

A second man rushed in and said, "Stop ... It's too late ... Can't you see? ... It's already begun."  

He disappeared and the first man resumed speaking.

No one in the room showed any interest at all in seeing "what had already begun."  

But I was interested, so I looked out the windows and was very shocked at that which I saw when I looked.

There was a tall pole with a yellow civil-defense type speaker on top of the pole. 

Out of the speaker a poisonous gas was coming and it was coming directly toward those of us sitting in that room.  I knew it would kill us.

(The speaker that was supposed to warn us was being used to kill us.)

I looked at the man who was sitting next to me.  He had a big grin on his face and he was staring directly at the man speaking and he seemed to be paying attention.  But then I saw this man was a corpse.  He was already dead.

Then I looked at the other people sitting in the room.  They, too, were already dead.

And as I sat there among them, I began to feel drowsy and I knew the gas coming from the speaker was killing me also as I sat there.

I had no idea what this dream meant.

But in 1982, God showed me the meaning of this dream.

I went to church at Word of Faith on a Wednesday night.  Our pastor, Robert Tilton, was speaking.  I looked at the man who was sitting next to me and was very shocked to see this man was the dead man in the poison gas dream.  I looked around the room and the other people in the congregation seemed to be the people in that dream.  

I got up immediately and went into the ladies room and began praying.  I said to God:  "I believe YOU are showing me to leave this church so I am going to get in my car and drive away.  But if YOU want me to come back to this church, I will."  

God did not want me to come back to this church group and with that God began to show me problems with the Faith Movement.

***

The problems:

* No one talked about the will of God.  We were supposed to find a scripture to "claim" over that which we wanted and quote that scripture and "believe" by faith in that scripture and we would get that which we believed.

One of the founders of the movement was a man named Kenneth Hagin.

He based his doctrines upon the following scripture:  

Mark 11:22-24

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

The above scripture is of course correct.

***

I wanted to marry.  I found the following scripture to "claim".  I wrote this scripture in the front of my Bible and every day I claimed that scripture for several years.  

Isaiah 34:16   Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for MY mouth it hath commanded, and HIS spirit it hath gathered them.

The prayer group which I attended "agreed" with me and prayed for me to marry.

One woman in the prayer group said, "Of course it has to be the will of God for Joan to marry."  Then she went on to say, "But of course it is the will of God."

My best friend heard a word from God.  "MY grace is sufficient for her."

She told me.  I didn't want to hear that.

***

Concerning the will of God when we pray:

I John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in HIM, that, if we ask any thing according to HIS will, HE heareth us:  And if we know that HE hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of HIM.

***

*  Another thing we were being taught in that Faith Movement church is that all good is from God and all bad is from the devil and that we had "authority" over the devil and could stop any harm that tried to come to our family or our property.

They taught us to "exercise our authority" as believers and stand against the devil.

The problems:

This assumes that we are capable of knowing what is "good".

The devil said to Eve:  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

People want to be "as gods", thus controlling their own lives without calling on God!

This is antichrist:

II Thessalonians 2:3-4  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The will of God in the matter at hand is not considered when you are "as gods."

Now, 40-years later, I am delighted to trust in God, knowing that God knows that which is best for me and God will show me what to do in this present life and choose for me!

(I really trust in God more than I do in myself!  I would hate to try to decide on my own what I should do.)

***

Another major problem with the doctrine that all good is from God and all bad is from the devil:

We would consider an earthquake to be bad because it destroys property and kills people.

But here is what God showed me.

Matthew 17

50 Jesus, when HE had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept (were dead) arose,  53 And came out of the graves after HIS resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Because of the earthquake, the centurion and the men with him believed in Jesus.

***

After God brought me out of the Faith Movement church in 1982, God showed me a significant point.  I was taught by God to pay attention to that which was brought to my mind by HIS Spirit, whether scripture or concepts.  Basically I was being taught by God to meditate on that WORD given to me by HIS Spirit and to follow the instructions of that Word.

I didn't realize what I was doing was different from what we were being taught in the Faith Movement.

Robert Tilton was pastor of Word of Faith which I attended between the years 1977 and 1982.

Bob was teaching the following concept:  "If you want a red pickup truck, then cut out a picture of that pickup and put it on your refrigerator door where you will see it several times a day.  In time you will figure a way to get that pickup."

(I never heard any one at Word of Faith mention seeking the will of God.  We were taught to take authority by scriptures over everything in this life and claim scripture.)

Also we were taught that we have authority over the devil and the devil could not touch us or our family or our property if we stood against the devil.

If you failed, you were taught you had weak faith.

During the time I was at Word of Faith church, a hurricane hit in the Houston area of Texas.  (I lived in Dallas.)  I wondered why some of those great men of faith, such as Robert Tilton and Kenneth Copeland, didn't take authority over the devil and stop the damage and death caused by that hurricane.

We were being taught "all good is from God and all bad is from devil."

Sometime during that period, I came across the following scripture in the Bible:  

Isaiah 45:6-7   I am the LORD, and there is none else.  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

***

And in the Bible, through the coming years, I saw the following scriptures concerning "good and evil"  and that which God will do.

God says:

Psalm 18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave HIS voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

Psalm 148:8  Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling HIS word:

Isaiah 30:30   And the LORD shall cause HIS glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of HIS arm, with the indignation of HIS anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

Ezekiel 13:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in MY fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in Mine anger, and great hailstones in My fury to consume it.

Ezekiel 38:22   And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

Revelation 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

(God does as HE wills.  We do not have control over the weather.  It is of God.)

Isaiah 45:6-7   I am the LORD, and there is none else.  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Exodus 10:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these MY signs before him:

Exodus 10:27   But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he (Pharaoh) would not let them go.

Exodus  11:10   And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

II Thessalonians 2:10-12   And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  

Romans 1:25-27   Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Romans 1:28-32   And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Jesus speaking to the church at Sardis:

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before MY Father, and before HIS angels.

 

 

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💥 Scriptures:

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

*** 

 

John 3:14-17  (Jesus speaking to Nicodemus)  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.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave HIS only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not HIS Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through HIM might be saved.

 

*** 

 
Romans 13:12-14  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

 

 ***

 

Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

*** 

 

Psalm 119:133  Order my steps in THY word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

 

 ***

 

1Thessalonians 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

 

*** 

 

Psalm 121:1-2  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

 

*** 

 

Psalm 18:30  As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him. 

 

 

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💥 Luke 7 (Reading through the Bible)

 

Now when He had ended all His sayings in the audience of the people, He entered into Capernaum.

² And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
³ And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Him the elders of the Jews, beseeching Him that He would come and heal his servant.

⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they besought Him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom He should do this:  ⁵ For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

⁶ Then Jesus went with them. And when He was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, Lord, trouble not Thyself: for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof: 

⁷ Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto Thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

⁸ For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

⁹ When Jesus heard these things, He marvelled at him, and turned Him about, and said unto the people that followed Him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

¹⁰ And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

¹¹ And it came to pass the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and much people.

¹² Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

¹³ And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

¹⁴ And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

¹⁵ And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.

¹⁶ And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited His people.

¹⁷ And this rumour of Him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

¹⁸ And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.

¹⁹ And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou He that should come? or look we for another?

²⁰ When the men were come unto Him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto Thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

²¹ And in that same hour He cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind He gave sight.

²² Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

(By their fruits you will know them.)  Is that minister of God?  Is that person of God?  Does he speak of God and tell what God says to him?

²³ And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in ME.

²⁴ And when the messengers of John were departed, He began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
²⁵ But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

²⁶ But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
²⁷ This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee.
²⁸ For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

²⁹ And all the people that heard Him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
³⁰ But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of HIM.

³¹ And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

³² They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

(They always react in an inappropriate way.)

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

³⁴ The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

³⁵ But wisdom is justified of all her children.

³⁶ And one of the Pharisees desired Him that He would eat with him. And He went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
³⁷ And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
³⁸ And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

³⁹ Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

⁴⁰ And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.

And he saith, Master, say on.

⁴¹ There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
⁴² And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

⁴³ Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most.

And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

⁴⁴ And He turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest Me no water for My feet: but she hath washed My feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. (Making Jesus, the Word, very personal to her.)

⁴⁵ Thou gavest Me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet.

⁴⁶ My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment.

⁴⁷ Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

⁴⁸ And He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

⁴⁹ And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

⁵⁰ And He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

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💥 Podcast: If you had known Donna was divorced, would you have chosen to date her?

 

 

(This podcast was previously published on February 14, 2021)

 

My best friend, after I was born again, was a woman who had been raised Baptist.  She married a man whose wife had died.  He was looking for a woman to date at their church group, with the intention of possible marriage.  He picked out two women to date.  And he chose Donna.  

At first Donna didn't tell Hal that she was divorced.  Hal fell in love with Donna.  

 

At some point before they married, Donna told Hal she was divorced.  Hal married Donna anyway. 

After I met them, I asked Hal, "If you had known Donna was divorced, would you have dated her?" 

 

Hal thought about this and then replied, "No ... I don't believe I would have."  

In the days that Hal was a young man, the churches were still teaching that the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery, as Jesus says in the Bible.

Matthew 5:32  But I (Jesus) say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

I've been a born again Christian since 1975 and I've never heard Matthew 5:32 taught at any church that I have attended.

Both the Catholic and Protestant churches taught against divorce and remarriage, in most cases, in the 1940's, but this doctrine was changed in many of these churches in the future generations.

Edward, king of England, renounced the throne of England in order to marry a divorced woman in 1936.  The people in the church of England were being taught against marrying a divorced woman.  They would not permit a divorced woman to be queen of England at that time.  Now they have eliminated that scripture in their doctrine in England.

Once a man who identified himself as a pastor came to me to talk about his divorce and his desire to remarry.  

I asked him if his wife, whom he divorced, was unfaithful.  He said no.  I told pastor the only scriptural reason for a man to divorce his wife was if she was unfaithful.  If the faithful wife remarries after her husband divorces her, she will commit adultery and the husband who divorced the faithful wife will be the "cause" of her adultery, and the man who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.  (according to Matthew 5:32)

A few weeks later, this pastor called me and asked me if there had been any change in doctrine concerning divorce and remarriage.

I said to this pastor, "So far as I know, the Bible has not been rewritten."

In the Bible, God's rules differ for men and for women.  

In this Podcast, I will share these scriptures showing these differences.

The only thing that matters about this is what God says.

*****

Matthew 5:32  Jesus says:  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

* A faithful wife who is divorced commits adultery if she remarries while her husband lives.

* The husband who divorced a faithful wife will be the cause of her adultery if she remarries.

* The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

***

I Corinthians 7:10-11  And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

I Corinthians 7:39  The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

***

Mark 10

2 And the Pharisees came to HIM (to Jesus), and asked HIM, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting HIM.

3 And HE answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house HIS disciples asked HIM again of the same matter.

11 And HE saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

***

Romans 7

1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

(We do not go by the Law of Moses in the New Testament church, where animals were sacrificed for sins, but we do go by the laws of God as presented in the New Testament Bible.)

***

I Corinthians 6  (at the time of sexual intercourse, the two become one flesh)

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh.

17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

(Even if you have sex with a prostitute, the two become one flesh.)

 

 

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