WesleyGospel Ministries

And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
–Isaiah 66:24 (KJV)–

The Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
–Acts 17:11 (NIV)–

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.                                                                                    –2 Timothy 3:16

Some Christians and pastors seem to emphasize grace and love so much, that when they see someone who is bold in confronting sin or sinners in their sins, rebuking, correcting, instructing in righteousness, as Scripture says, they reply, “You are prideful. You have spiritual pride. You’re like the Pharisee who thought he was better than the tax collector. You should just judge yourself, and not judge others.”  

I have a problem with this mentality. For several reasons: 

1. You usually hear this coming from pastors or youth pastors; and I suspect that the ulterior motive behind this “humble” non-judgmental concept is not really humility, grace, and love—as they make it out to be. I suspect it really comes from a spirit of diplomacy, tolerance, latitudinarianism, and political correctness usually espoused by both business and church leaders. It’s a cop-out, in other words, to keep everybody happy—and to avoid controversy.

2. It is a wrong definition of pride and humility. From what I see, humility is dependence on God, as taught in Andrew Murray’s book Humility. While pride is saying, “I can do it. I’m a self-made man. I don’t need God’s help for anything. I’m self-sufficient.” This is strongly rebuked and warned against in Deuteronomy 8. Humility says, “I am a wretched sinner. I’m a worm. Who shall rescue me from this body of death! Thanks be to Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25). Humility always has original sin in view; and the need for the supernatural grace of the Spirit to assist and guide us in all our thoughts, words, and actions.

3. I think pastors just say, “You’re prideful” to people who expose false prophets, rebuke sin, and preach against sin—because it makes them look bad, because they DON’T preach holiness and righteousness. It makes the “grace and love” pastor look like a compromiser who is not doing his job by preaching and teaching morals.

4. It is not prideful to rebuke sin, so long as it’s done with grace in view. It IS prideful for a self-sufficient Pelagian to rebuke and preach against sin, because then he’s doing it with the view of “I’m holy and I can do it all by myself…without God’s help.” Perfectionism IS prideful. Perfectionistic sin-rebukers ARE prideful; I have no argument with that. But again, it’s not the sin-rebuking part that is prideful—it’s when a preacher thinks he’s holy all by himself, and by his own natural ability.

5. As I mentioned in the John Bunyan article, “The Pharisee and the Publican,” the Pharisee was not at fault for judging the sins of others or the sins of the tax collector. Judging and condemning sin helps us to distance ourselves from temptation and vice. The sin of the Pharisee in the parable was that he did not judge himself in his prayers. He saw himself as “having it all together.” The Pharisee was a perfectionist. 

Don’t be deceived by compromising “all grace and all love” pastors who actually try to discourage people from taking a strong stance against sin and unrighteousness. Proverbs 27:5: “Better is open rebuke than secret love.” The word REBUKE means to CORRECT or CHIDE: or to PREACH AGAINST SIN. 1 Timothy 5:20: “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” Titus 2:15: “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” 2 Timothy 4:2: “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” James 5:20: “Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” Finally, Jesus said in Luke 17:3: “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”

Don’t be deceived by these anti-rebuking pastors. They are either confused or outright compromisers. All of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, the New Testament apostles, the Catholic saints, Martin Luther, the Puritans, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, Leonard Ravenhill, David Wilkerson, and countless other saints REBUKED and PREACHED AGAINST SIN BOLDLY and FEARLESSLY, regardless of being called “prideful.” You are NEVER wrong when you preach against what is WRONG. It is illogical to assume the opposite. Just make sure to preach the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15); and with the grace of God in view.

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The Church of America needs to WAKE UP! Sin runs rampant; and the time for lukewarm faith is over with. God’s judgment looms, yet mercy still waits for those who turn from rebellion and embrace holiness. Its time to PREACH BOLDLY AGAINST SIN, call people to REPENTANCE, and not shrink back from PREACHING THE TRUTH, because only a holy, awakened Church can stand in the gap for a nation that’s obviously teetering on the edge of destruction. Pastors–stop delaying, procrastinating, excusing, and rationalizing your lukewarmness with hyper-gentle and hyper-humble theology–ITS OBVIOUS TO ALL OF US AND WE’RE TIRED OF IT—sound the trumpet, CONFRONT EVIL, and live as a people set apart, so maybe REVIVAL will come and the hand of God won’t bring wrath from heaven against our country!

David Wilkerson, Set the Trumpet to Thy Mouth (World Challenge, 1985).

Leonard Ravenhill, America Is Too Young to Die (Bethany House, 1979).

Dr. John R. Rice, Why Preach Against Sin? (Sword of the Lord, 1985).

Dr. Hugh Pyle, The Truth About the Homosexuals (Sword of the Lord, 2000).

Dr. Jeff Amsbaugh, Pay-Per-View: The Double Cost of Pornography (Sword, 2008).

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Made yourself into more than a man
The anointed one by your own hand
Speech is perfect, masked vulgarity
Sight is straight, dark rigidity
All is copacetic
Projected, unaccepting

Everyone is hurt
Everyone is broken
Everyone is bleeding
Inside
I’ve lived enough to know
Everyone has suffered
Suffered inside

Who would even need to see?
Who would even seem to care?
What you see is shallow
Who would even need to see?
Who would even seem to care?
These is no room for despair

That mask is so deceptive
Despite this life
Try and hide, try and hide
From down low, so much darkness
Casts a shadow on your broken halo
I’ve lived enough to know
So much darkness
Seeds are sown

–Living Sacrifice, “Mask”–

Oh, my job keeps getting easier
As time keeps slippin’ away
I can imitate the brightest light
And make the night look just like day
I put some truth in every lie
To tickle itchin’ ears
You know, I’m drawing people just like flies
‘Cause they like what they hear
I’m gaining power by the hour
They’re falling by the score
You know it’s getting very simple now
Since no one believes in me anymore

Oh, heaven’s just a state of mind
My books read on your shelf
Oh, have you heard that God is dead?
I made that one up myself
They’re dabbling with magic spells
They get their fortunes read
You know, they heard the truth but turned away
And then followed me instead
I used to have to sneak around
But now they just open their doors
You know, no one is watching for my trick
Since no one believes in me anymore

Everyone likes a winner
With my help, you’re guaranteed to win
Hey man, you ain’t no sinner
No, you’ve got the truth within
And as your life slips by you’ll believe the lie
That you did it on your own, but don’t worry
I’ll be there to help you share
A dark eternal home
A dark eternal

Oh, my job keeps getting easier
As day slips into day
The magazines, the newspapers print every word I say
This world is just my spinning top
It’s all like child’s play
You know, I dream that it would never stop
But I know it’s not that way
Still my work goes on and on
Always stronger than before
I’m gonna make it dark before the dawn
Since no one believes in me anymore

Well, I used to have to sneak around
But now they just open their doors
You know, no one is watching for my tricks
Since no one believes in me anymore
Well, I’m gaining power by they hour
They’re falling by the score
You know, it’s getting very easy now
Since no one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore

–Keith Green, “No One Believes In Me Anymore (Satan’s Boast)”–

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Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers,
and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic.
–Exodus 7:11 (NLT)–

The Wicked One will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders, and use every kind of wicked deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved.
–2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (GNT)–

The rest of the human race, all those who had not been killed by these plagues, did not turn away from what they themselves had made. They did not stop worshiping demons, nor the idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic, their sexual immorality, or their stealing.
–Revelation 9:20-21 (GNT)–

The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
–Revelation 21:8 (NIV)–

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Becky Fischer, The Truth About Magic and Witchcraft (KIMI, 2024).

Melissa Harrington, A Study of Conversion Processes In Wicca (King’s College, 2005), p. 129. There was a strong trend toward an early interest in operative magic. People reported using it instinctively or making up their own spells before they ever knew witches existed outside story books, and being delighted to find that not only was magic ‘real’ but there were groups of people out there who could teach them all about it. Many had been performing ‘funny little rituals’ of their own as far back as childhood. There were cases of finding bits of old furniture in attics and using it for rituals, keeping discarded family objects that would turn out to be excellent bits of Wiccan regalia, and hesitantly trying out bits of spells from books or film and TV.

AG, “Christian Illusionists Take On the World’s Greatest Deceiver.” In what may seem like an incredible coincidence, David’s father, Duane, himself an amazing illusionist, is also an author who writes about using illusions effectively in ministry. In the 1990s, he began a magazine devoted to that endeavor, and the first people he highlighted in his magazine were David and Mary Boyd. David is now the Assemblies of God national director of Children’s Ministries.

According to the list of preachers chronologically presented on page 21, a Bible believing type of Arminianism could be traced from the early church fathers, through the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Anglican Church, and finally the Methodist Church. To pick up from where he leaves off, I would add all of the churches from the holiness movement and the Pentecostal movement. It is specifically to be found in their books on doctrine, theology, and catechism–and specifically in the soteriology sections of those books: the parts that teach about salvation. In terms of modern day church attendance, I suppose I could recommend the following Arminian denominations: the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), the Global Methodist Church (GMC), the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA), the Church of the Nazarene, the Free Methodist Church, the Wesleyan Church, Church of God (Anderson), the Free Will Baptist Church (FWB), Church of Christ, the Bible Methodist Church, Church of God (Holiness), God’s Missionary Church, the Southern Methodist Church, Assemblies of God (AG), and Church of God (Cleveland) (COG). Although I personally lean in the direction of these last two more than any of them; but after that, maybe the CMA, the Southern Methodists, or the Bible Methodists. A lot of the other ones are into evolution, third way, seeker-sensitive, and worldly compromise, even the ones I chose; so you would have to look for smaller old school churches out in the country.

Really, Church of God (Cleveland) is my favorite: specifically small Churches of God out in the country, in the South, where the preacher makes a point to break a sweat during his fervent preaching of repentance and hellfire sermons. When it comes to the issue of young earth creation (YEC), which I would consider absolutely essential for sound doctrine, homeschooling, Christian academies, and Christian education, the independent Baptists (IFB) are the absolute strongest, so I would suggest some level of cooperation with them, especially because some of them are Bapticostal. They are only half Arminian though; they’ll eventually teach once saved, always saved. The Southern Methodists and the Bible Methodists are likely 100% young earth creation (YEC) churches, but there’s not very many of them. Although I prefer COG and AG churches, young earth creation (YEC) is not pushed very strongly in those churches; and there’s some evolution people mixed in there. But of the two, Church of God (COG) is probably the strongest on YEC. Now, when it comes to the subject of persecution from the Antichrist and post-tribulation rapture, the Southern Methodists and the Bible Methodists are the strongest on that. The two strongest Wesleyan Arminian churches are probably the Southern Methodist Church and Church of God (Cleveland)–in that order–but seeing that I’m a tongue talking Pentecostal, I always land on Church of God as my final choice. They’ve got about 1 million members in the USA and 8 million members worldwide. Their college is Lee University. –J.B.

Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.   
–Mark 1:15 (KJV)–

³⁰ And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. ³¹ And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
–Luke 16:30-31 (KJV)–

God commendeth his love toward us,
in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
–Romans 5:8 (KJV)–

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities…he bare the sin of many. 
–Isaiah 53:5, 10-12 (KJV)–

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 
–1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)–

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?   
–Hebrews 9:14 (KJV)–

³¹ And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: ³² And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. ³³ They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into THE PIT, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. ³⁴ And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. ³⁵ And there came out A FIRE FROM THE LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.   
–Numbers 16:31-35 (KJV)–

And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
–Isaiah 66:24 (KJV)–

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
–Daniel 12:2 (KJV)–

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Charles Finney, Sermons On the Way of Salvation (E. J. Goodrich, 1891).

Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons on the Cross of Christ (Kregel, 1993).

Roger Olson, “Arminianism Is God-Centered Theology.” Certainly there is some truth in these criticisms, but their target is wrong when aimed at classical Arminian theology. Unfortunately, all too seldom do the critics name any Arminian theologians or quote from Arminius himself to support these accusations. When they say “Arminianism” they seem to mean popular folk religion which is, admittedly, by-and-large semi-Pelagian. Some, most notably Horton, name 19^th century revivalist Charles Finney as the culprit in dragging American Christianity down into human-centered spirituality.  Whether Finney is a good example of an Arminian is highly debatable. I agree with Horton and others that too much popular Christianity in America, including much that goes under the label “evangelical,” is human-centered. I disagree with them, however, about classical Arminianism about which I suspect most of them know very little.