Reality...it really happened

The Real Mt. Siani..check this out!!!


Im a person who appreciates history. I love hearing the stories of how those in the past reacted, moved, changed and formed and lived. With that said, the Bible is history, its full of history of how God has been interacting with His people, the israelites, and it tells the "stories" of how God has and continues to do so much to reach out to the hearts of His people. In God's Word, there are miraculous things, supernatural things, laws, demonstrations of power and things have happened that remain in a class all by themself. Many times, because of the present and all the pressure thats put on reality (whats happening right in front of you) I think that at times we water-down the stories of the Bible and dont realize the reality of them. The effects and choices made and power demonstrasted in the Word have changed the course of history. Men and women who chose to follow God, not some fairy-tale figure, but The Creator of the Universe Himself have experienced and seen things that nowadays a man's imagination can only make up. I mean, look at the experiences and look at the results, Imagine the reality of a burning bush that is blazing with white-hot flames, yet not consumed...or an entire sea split in two forming a path for 2 million people to pass through....or even God Himself, coming down from Heaven, to visit earth with a physical presence ...fire, sulfur, a foundation of the most clearest, precious stones, descending upon a mountain . Picture the reality of a man that could walk on water, whose DNA was so molecularly different from our own that if He were to take a blood test, it would be proven that he was created without a human father. Or the reality of a city that was literally destroyed with the hottest of sulfur and fire, killing everyone in its path. So many people look at the Bible, with this metaphorical, unreal perspective, and thus they see a God who is the same way...Go through the Word, look at the stories and let the Life of the Word take you back and allow you to feel the experience that these people felt....

This is just an example of what Im talking about...Look at this article, see how nature doesent lie, then take a look at Exodus and re live what went on at that holy mountain. Its not some "dedication or tribute" to what happened. Men arent set up like workers at an amusement park waiting to take tourists on a "show" to these supernatural monuments...they have a legacy, a reality , a residue left by God Himself. Check it out, be changed

Chambers of the Heart

I was reading Ezekiel 8:7-12 , and this just really stood out. I encourage you to really just read it over and over and let the Spirit of God speak to you about the chambers of your own heart. Whats painted on the walls of our spirits? To what and to whom is our devotion and worship going to. It may not be to gold or silver or wood idols, but it may be to something such as "self", or it may be a devotion to fill a void in our lives, and we may search to fill it with everything and anything. What about the things that we watch or listen to on a daily basis, are they recieving the worship in our temple that only God deserves? We may even be calling the thing we devote our attention to a good thing in the name of "God" and we might be replacing His blessings for Him. Lets not take the glory of God and exchange it for images resembling not just things like beasts and birds like the Israelites did, but lets not exchange His glory and change his image to that of a corruptible man. (Romans 1:23). Self can be a tyrant, a dictator, and a lord to the man who lives for himself. What and who are you serving in the chambers of your heart?

Visiting Royalty

"God is treated as visiting royalty in a democratic country." - A.W. Tozer

I cant help but be fascinated everytime I pick up one of A. W. Tozer's books and read. When I saw this statement , there was so much truth in it for so few words. This statement makes me think of how this country and so many others have treated God, today, in the past, and in how our children will treat God in the future.
This is just a thought, but I think that overall, mankind (worldly man) likes and thinks that he has adjusted well to the realization that "this is his world". What i mean by that is , after the fall of man in Genesis 2, when Adam decided to disobey God, and essentially made the choice to be under the dominion of Satan, and when Adam chose to be "on his own", I think that throughout the years and all through the centuries, man is "proud" and "ok" with Adam's decision. Today we would say that "man has made the most of it" and the world is comfortable with Adam's decision in the begining to forget God and choose himself. That attitude is wrong and thats why this statement is so true. Today people are comfortable choosing themself and working on themselves, rather than choosing God and working on doing His will. I mean, when it comes down to it, Are we really doing what God wants us to be doing? Or have we made the democratic decision to make our own plans ideas and goals and then honor God and celebrate Him in the process of doing what we want to do?
Just look around you, God is honored, but he isnt Supreme. People respect God, but dont fear Him. People like the fact that they are "in control" of their own decisions and Self has taken the throne in the kingdom of decision making. And when along comes another Authority, with another Law and some different decisions, "self" feels threatened and holds on tighter than ever to the achievements and acomplishments and the goals that "I " want to meet. Thats why its so easy for people to accept Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord; and that is one of the biggest misunderstandings that have been made.
Lets not make God a guest; lets stop treating Him as visiting royalty in a democratic country. Let's dethrone self and let the Lord God rule and reign in our lives. Let's stop treating God as a guest in our government, in our churches, and in our homes. Let's switch to a Kingdom mentality and give Him the rightful honor, reverence, and devotion thats given to a King.

The Most Important Question Youll Ever Ask...

So the question is ....." What comes into your mind when you think about God?" I believe that this is the foundational question that every man should ask himself to determine his relationship with God. We have so many different things that we believe about God, and sometimes all that we do is take another mans beliefs about something and make them our own instead of seeking and searching for the answers ourselves. God is not hidden, He desires to reveal Himself to those who will seek Him and in Romans 1: 21, He says that He has revealed Himself and His attributes through His creation, but man chose not to call that which is revealed, God. So what comes into your mind when you think about God? I also think that in this modern era, we tend to leave out alot of who He is and alot of His attributes....things like His wrath , His hatred of sin, His thoughts of vomiting out lukewarmness....I mean, we hear so much and so much about His goodness and light, that we have redefined those words, part of what makes Him so good is His hate for evil; part of what make Him so full of light is His elimination of and power over darkness....I mean, to get to the greatest day of glory and His Kingdom and His new earth and perfection and glorification for us, His wrath has to be revealed against all sin. To get to the peak of happiness and eternal life, His judgment of unrighteousness must be brought forth. What im saying in short is, that God is complete, He is perfect and He is perfect in His opinions, ideas, convictions, thoughts and ways...but the question is, how does His perfection in all of these areas relate to us in our daily lives? Are we following Him and viewing Him through His perspective, or are we claiming that we are following Him and viewing Him through this world's perspective of Him ? through "our grandma's perspective of Him?" or through the media's perspective of Him?" What comes to your mind when you think about God???

Whats Wrong with The Gospel?

Whats Wrong with The Gospel by A.W. Tozer

So, I was reading this at work the other day and it really blew my mind. I mean it was awesome! Ive been reading some of A.W. Tozer's books and he is really on point with what the Lord was showing him. In this article, he is talking about some of the traditions that the church has picked up in the last 150 years. These things arent bad, and theyre not totally non-effective, but my question is like Tozer's in this....why do we do them? Are these traditions lined up in the Word? Is what we are doing just another part of Americanized Christianity? These are some of the questions running around in my spirit as i was reading this....what questions will come up in yours? Enjoy the article,its very on point with some humor in it as well...God Bless

A Liar?

So I was asked a question the other day. More people are beginning to ask about me and ministry, rather me in ministry. My MySpace page, the Bible Studies, I dunno, but it just seems this year like more people are asking about ministry; which is absolutely fine with me. So I was at work last week, the ministry "are you a preacher" question comes up and so I answer as usual, "Yes I teach at my church, and Ive been called to ministry" . So everything was great until I was asked by another person, "You plan on making a living lying to people?" Wow, now that was a first!! I wasnt mad, but indignant. Lying to people? So I responded, not to defend the Word, or the many ministers out there, because I really cant speak for them, but I spoke for myself and said, "No, Ive never lied, and will never lie when it comes to sharing the Word of God." And then I thought...and thought...and a certain image came to mind; and it made me say "That was the most ignorant statement/question that Ive ever heard. " This was the image i saw..

and what I thought about was all the persecution, all of the hate, the martyrs, all of the ignorance and blindness of all the people who killed the prophets, who stoned the martyrs, all of the persecutors who jeered and cursed Jesus that day on the cross, who said that these people were liars, and blasphemers...all because they spoke for God in the midst of people who really thought they knew God. So back to this "statement/question"....I thought to myself...By you saying that Im going to be a liar, are you saying that all of these men and women are liars...all of the great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1...are they all liars? Is God's word a lie then? Is everything spoken by the mouth of God through His people a lie? Its a dangerous thing to fall in the hands of an angry God.

My Library

Here are some books that are on my bookshelf that I recommend for reading.


Recommended Reading

















An Alarm to the Unconverted - by Joseph Alleine



















A Call to the Unconverted - by Richard Baxter



















The Spirit of Leadership - Myles Monroe



















Justification and Regeneration - by Charles Leiter



















Christ and The Powers - Hendrik Berkhof
















The Knowledge of The Holy - A.W.Tozer


















The Divine Conquest (God's Pursuit of Man) - A.W.Tozer




















The Attributes of God: Volume 1 & 2 - A.W.Tozer





















The Fear of The Lord - John Bevere














A Heart Ablaze - John Bevere















The Holiest of All - Andrew Murray















The Holiness of God - R.C. Sproul



















John G. Lake: His Life, His Sermons, His Boldness of Faith









God's Passion for His Glory - John Piper

















Hell Under Fire - Christopher Morgan & Robert A. Peterson & more

















The Latent Power of the Soul - Watchman Nee






















The Doctrine of Repentance Thomas Watson















The Mortification of Sin - John Owen













At The Altar of Sexual Idolatry - Steve Gallagher
















Intoxicated By Babylon - Steve Gallagher














Commentaries & Resources







Nave's Topical Bible




















Believer's Bible Commentary - William MacDonald
















The Portable Seminary - David Horton

















The History of Christianity

B.Rayshawn Graves

I’m one of those people who have grown up in the church for most of all of my life. I’ve sang the songs, raised my hands, put dollar after dollar in the plate, and I’ve served millions of hours in ministry. Just like most others with my story, I received Christ in children’s ministry. One Sunday when I was six, I answered the altar call to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Because I was young, I had no idea of the value that was in this salvation, no idea of how precious the blood of Christ was for those who were sinners.
Time passed, I could quote verse after verse, quote the prayer of salvation, memorize all of the songs and identify all of the tracts that were associated with Christianity. I went to a Christian school, went to church every Wednesday, Sunday, and even at one point in my life, my brother and I realized that we were at the church building seven days a week. I served in Children’s Ministry, watched the Christian movies and bought all the Christian rap, rock, alternative music anyone could think of.
More time passed, and in my early teenage years, peer pressure began to creep in: I wasnt involved in anything "too sinful" like smoking or drinking, but lust crept into my mind; things like secular music and television caught my attention and everything Christian up to this point was loosing its appeal. I desired the clothes the world was wearing, the music the world was listening to, the attitude that came with it and I began to change slowly from seeking God first to seeking the things of the world. Now, I was too scared to go too far out from my Christian upbringings; I didn’t curse, didn’t fornicate, didn’t drink or smoke, but I envied those who did and I coveted the fruit ( or what appeared to be the fruit) of that lifestyle. I guess you can say I lived a double life. To those who saw me every Sunday, I was a good kid, had potential, and was great to be around; but to those who saw me every day I was talking about my favorite secular artist, my favorite music video, the lust that was in my heart and trying to win the approval of my friends. I stopped serving as much and sat in the back of church services joking and paying no attention to what was going on. I disobeyed my parents, idolized my music and rejected all along the conviction of the Holy Spirit to get right. I was right in my own eyes, because I wasn’t as bad as some of the people I hung around, but like i said, on the inside, I envied the lifestyle of sin, I coveted the "freedom" my friends had and i was rebellious in my heart. I never picked up my Bible, started dressing differently to church, and my thoughts were all over the place. I was blessed with the opportunity to go on a missions trip in 1999 that really changed my life. My church went to Israel and Kenya on a children’s crusade and that opened up my eyes to see that God was so much bigger than my conception of Him was. I realized that my Christianity was a spoiled American-teenager version that was watered down and adulterated to fit the things that I wanted and still be ok with God at the same time.


Finally I had some time to think, in my later High school years, i was in a class of two people and conviction began to really set in because of all the quiet time i had. I was a loner, and I didn’t communicate much with anyone around me, but i had scribes and books worth of thoughts in my head. I still held on to my secular music, lust and pride still controlled my thoughts and I attempted to cage the beast of sin that was in me, rather than eliminate it completely. I sat hardened in church services, occasionally felt convicted strong enough to raise my hands every now and then, and I still desired the lifestyle of the world. I was cool with who I was. I wanted to be the Christian who could live in sin and not be affected by it. "Just because I listen to murderous, sexual, materialized music doesn’t mean that ill murder someone or fornicate with a woman, or covet the things of the world, right?" I attended youth conference after youth conference all throughout my high-school years and none of them ever produced any lasting change. I thought I could play God, hold on to my sin and have him accept me. At the very end of High-school in the twelfth grade, in 2003, I was given an opportunity to preach in my youth group. Nervous, scared and excited at the same time, I taught on the book of Revelation and after teaching it, I felt like I could teach for the rest of my life .
I attended college in the fall of 2003. I went there for one semester, backslid, and fell deeper into sin than ever before. While it was never anything major as before, my mind was far more corrupt, my attitude was far more rebellious and the things that I put before my eyes and in my ears was horrible. Unfocused, into girls, listening to whatever pleased me at the time, I rejected conviction and knew I needed to re-focus on God. I transferred after one semester there to another college closer to home and there I was alone in my own world, thinking all over again, with even more of an attitude. I had regrets, headaches and, heavy convictions. Shortly, after my return home, the Lord started placing in my life ,people that would encourage me to return to the Lord and seek Him with my whole heart. I was reading my Bible again, praying more, involved in church, and seeking God’s face: and there was still a lot I didn’t know and needed work on. I began to pull away from secular music, focus on the will of God and progress in my walk with God. I started ministering in my youth group , teaching in prison ministry and after running from the Lord for what seemed like forever, I accepted His calling for ministry. During that period of time I met my wife, in 2005, and God has had me on an awesome journey since then. God began to open doors, provide in ways I could never imagine, and teach me eye opening truths about His word. My wife and I were married in July of 2008, and I am proud to say we were both married pure.
More recently, I have been writing and reading a lot, and in 2006 I began to have an experience with the Lord like I had never had before. God, once again, provided time for me to think, pray and spend in His word. I began to realize my identity in Christ, the Authority He gave me, and my faith was greatly strengthened during that time. I began to understand more the realization of God’s grace and mercy and humility in Christ was something I greatly sought after.



Recently, I have undergone a serious reformation through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. I knew about faith, authority, the power of God, and prosperity like the back of my hand. But I have come to realize that my conception of God wasn’t proper; my beliefs about man weren’t correct and my view on salvation lacked the preciousness that salvation truly possesses. I have had an experience with God that has caused me to see how depraved I am as a man, and how Holy He is as God. I have come to realize that He is a consuming fire, a hammer to the rock, and that a true conversion is far more than just a repeated prayer; it’s a change, a nature change, a lifestyle change that is from glory to glory to glory. I’m hurting for the youth that I see that have no fear of God, the people I see that constantly change their conception of God into a softer, more sugar coated image, and I’m hurting at the fact that millions are going to hell because they refuse to accept the truth. I only want to know God for who He is and preach the truth that leads men to the power of God in salvation. I’ve found salvation and the reality of it and it has changed my life and my whole perspective of God and the things concerning Him.

Statement of Faith

Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Statement of Faith



I. The Scriptures


The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

II. God


There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

A. God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.

B. God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.

C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.

III. Man


Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.

IV. Salvation


Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.

B. Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.

C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.

D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.

V. God's Purpose of Grace


Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.

VI. The Church


A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

VII. Baptism and the Lord's Supper


Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.
The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

VIII. The Lord's Day


The first day of the week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Activities on the Lord's Day should be commensurate with the Christian's conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 12:1-12; 28:1ff.; Mark 2:27-28; 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-3,33-36; John 4:21-24; 20:1,19-28; Acts 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:16; 3:16; Revelation 1:10.

IX. The Kingdom


The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God's will be done on earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.

Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Matthew 3:2; 4:8-10,23; 12:25-28; 13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36; Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31; Romans 5:17; 8:19; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 11:10,16; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Revelation 1:6,9; 5:10; 11:15; 21-22.

X. Last Things


God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.

XI. Evangelism and Missions


It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 22:17.

XII. Education


Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage. The new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst for knowledge. Moreover, the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ's people.
In Christian education there should be a proper balance between academic freedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly relationship of human life is always limited and never absolute. The freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the school exists.

Deuteronomy 4:1,5,9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Nehemiah 8:1-8; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:7ff.; 119:11; Proverbs 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7,11; 15:14; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Matthew 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 2:3,8-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:12-6:3; James 1:5; 3:17.

XIII. Stewardship


God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer's cause on earth.

Genesis 14:20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 8:18; Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 6:1-4,19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 12:16-21,42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Romans 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 12:15; Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19.

XIV. Cooperation


Christ's people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches. They are voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of our people in the most effective manner. Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ's people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.

Exodus 17:12; 18:17ff.; Judges 7:21; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69; 5:14-15; Nehemiah 4; 8:1-5; Matthew 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:19-20; Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1ff.; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1ff.; 4:31-37; 13:2-3; 15:1-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Galatians 1:6-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:15-18.

XV. The Christian and the Social Order


All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.

Exodus 20:3-17; Leviticus 6:2-5; Deuteronomy 10:12; 27:17; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5:13-16,43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3ff.; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Romans 12–14; 1Corinthians 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24; 10:23-11:1; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.

XVI. Peace and War


It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38; Romans 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14; James 4:1-2.

XVII. Religious Liberty


God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.

Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.

XVIII. The Family


God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.
Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.
Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7.



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The Smoke Clears....

What is Salvation? (In 2 Minutes) - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

If you have clicked on the smoke at the bottom of the screen then it is no mistake that you came to this page. This smoke represents a vapor, a cloud, a whim of air which after remaining for a second, is gone and is never seen again. James 4:14 says "Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."
Isaiah 40:6-8 says "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh [is] grass, and all the goodliness thereof [is] as the flower of the field:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people [is] grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Right now your life is in God's hands and at any moment, the vapor of your life could be snatched away by the Almighty, Gracious God who gave it to you. What are you doing with the gift of life that He has given to you? What will you answer to the Great Judge on the Judgment Day where all men will have to give an account before the Creator of the Universe? He will reward all according to their works and Isaiah 64:6 tells us that because all men are sinners, our works are the vilest, most disgusting, abominable thing that anyone could ever present to God...and they will not save us on that Great Day.
Hebrews 9:27 says "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:". All men are sinners and because of that, all have sinned against the Holy and Just God who hates sin and unrighteousness. From the smallest insignificant impure thought, to the foulest of crimes, all have sinned and will pay for their crimes against God. Death is the penalty for sin and Hell is the eternal prison sentence that all sinners must face for their sins. This appointment is one that we will not miss and we have no idea when our name will be called out to give an account before the King of kings.

Because all have sinned and fallen short of God's standards, we all deserve His wrath and punishment...an eternity in the lowest parts of Hell, separated from the goodness and beauty of God. But God, because He is love, because He is gracious and merciful, forgiving the sins of thousands and showing mercy upon whom He wills, has given us a Substitute; One who would bear the punishment and wrath that you and I deserved and not only that, this Substitute took our punishment and made us acceptable in the eyes of the same Judge who could have imprisoned us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, bore the sins of men upon Himself and absorbed the wrath of God so that whomsoever would believe on Him would have life and not eternal punishment. No man can save himself by his good works or reputable deeds or merits. No man will be able to stand before God on the day of judgment and live if he has not believed on the Lord Jesus. We cannot reform ourselves to be pleasing in God's sight, we cannot achieve great accomplishments and be accepted by God....we must believe on His Son and believe that He died for our sins and was resurrected to life again, so that we might have a new life and nature given to us.
It is not enough to simply pray a prayer to be saved; It is not enough to just attend church and give in the offering occasionally. Many who profess to know Jesus on the day of Judgment will be cast into Hell because they did not know Him intimately. If you desire to be saved, If God has moved upon your heart for you to see your sins and to see the sacrifice that was paid for them over 2000 years ago, then Jesus would tell you two things to do: Repent of your sins, and Believe upon Jesus Christ...cry out to God to save you and you shall be saved (Jeremiah 17:14; Romans 10:13).
Salvation is a work of God...He chooses you (John 15:16),therefore we cannot do anything to will it upon ourselves but to cry out to Him for mercy.(Romans 9:16; John 1:12-13) and out of all those who wait on Him, none shall be put to shame (Psalms 25:3)

Christ, and Christ alone will be the only One that can save us in this life and on that Great Day. Is this Jesus precious to you? Do you delight in Him? Have you forsaken all to trust and cleave to Him? Answer these questions in your heart honestly before God and examine yourself daily to see whether you are in the faith.

Here is more on the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Video Library

These are some videos of different teachings and clips that have been helpful to me in the past. Check em' out.

Ten Indictments - by Paul Washer






Delirious: Miracle Maker-






$5000 pen?






Are You Ready Rapture video






Christ commands to make Disciples, not Returning customers






The Reality of Hell







Isn't that enough ( Paul Washer's Testimony )






You Must Suffer - John Piper

John Piper - You Must Suffer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.


The Wrath of God - Paul Washer

Wrath of God - Paul Washer - Sermon Jam from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.


Modern American Christianity - Paul Washer



The Prosperity Gospel - John Piper