I come to You oh Lord
With a thankful heart
I sing my song of love
And praise for who You are
For You oh Lord are a great God
Glorious and strong
You oh Lord are a great God
I worship You alone
I bring to You oh Lord
A sacrifice of praise
And of Your wondrous works
I’ll sing for all my days
For You oh Lord are a great God
Glorious and strong
You oh Lord are a great God
I worship You alone
This is an extremely powerful sermon; listen to the whole thing with a submissive, prayerful, and repentant heart. It will heal you, deliver you, set you free. It will empower you in righteousness. I think it could have been influenced by Ralph Venning’s The Sinfulness of Sin.
1. IMPENITENCE; or rebellion against the moral law of God. At the core, the main reason why people are not saved by hearing the Gospel is because they don’t want to obey God’s rules that are written down in the Bible. They want to live their lives free from all rules, as much as possible. They hate rules. They don’t want to think about rules, they don’t want to read or study about rules, and they certainly don’t want to comply, agree with, or obey any rules. The satanic dictum, “Do what thou wilt,” is their unspoken creed. A person that is in this condition cannot experience salvation, because they refuse to obey the ten commandments, or anything in the Bible. Their rebellion is just like the sin of witchcraft: it is totally meant for selfish purposes (1 Samuel 15:23). The devil has their hearts and minds in his hands.
2. UNBELIEF; or refusal to trust God and live by faith in Jesus. Faith is important to God. It is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). Some people seem to think that faith is not a requirement of Christianity or religion; they assume that Christians just automatically accept religious teachings. But acceptance of Christian teachings or things that the Bible says, is not the same thing as faith. Its a good step in the right direction, but its not faith. Habakkuk 2:4: “The righteous shall live by his faith.” Simply accepting a few hard-to-believe Bible teachings is NOT faith. Then what is faith? Read the entire chapter of Hebrews 11: this is what God means by the word faith. It is TRUSTING IN GOD to providentially care for your survival, to guide you according to His plan; it is trusting what the Bible says about unseen things (11:3); it is obeying and acting on divine revelations (11:4, 7); it is trusting in God’s difficult promises that we have received by direct revelation (11:11-12); it is always looking forward to Heaven (11:13-16); it involves obeying difficult, risky commands from God that have been received by direct revelations (11:17-19, 24-28, 29, 30, 31); it involves futuristic prophesying about dreams and visions (11:20, 22); it requires worship (11:21); and it leads to real Christians being mistreated, scoffed, made fun of, persecuted, imprisoned, executed, impoverished, and socially isolated (11:36-38). Are you living by Biblical faith? This is the only way to be saved and have real faith in the cross. If not, something’s wrong; perhaps you’ve compromised somewhere. Worldly people (that is, non-Christians who think like everyone else in the world does), refuse to embrace the idea of living by faith because it is too costly. They would have to give up so much fun. Yes, but they would also get to experience eternal life in Heaven, rather than in Hell! Worldly-minded people are content with unbelief, and so also, with confusion.
Bob Jones was considered the leading Samuel-like prophet of the modern charismatic movement that started with Mike Bickle in the 1980s (IHOP). Before he died in 2014, he served as a spiritual mentor to Rick Joyner (MorningStar Ministries), Todd Bentley (Fresh Fire), etc. Here’s a video of Bob rambling about several of his laughable and nonsensical revelations. I don’t doubt he got information from a spirit, but I don’t think it was the Biblical Holy Spirit. It’s sad that people can be so deluded, willingly. This is what it looks like when people get away from evangelical Bible teaching…
10:16 – Bob said, “This is the year YOU MUST CAST OFF ALL RESTRAINTS.” Careful about the antinomian language, Bob. Proverbs 29:18, NIV: “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint”; KJV: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Bob says later that “restraints” are the religious spirits of judgment, criticism, debate, opinion, and legalism. Hmm, so we’re not allowed to think, Bob? Just go with your flow? Doesn’t agree with 1 Corinthians 14:29: “Let the prophets speak two or three, and LET THE OTHER JUDGE.” And a lot of this sun sign stuff sounds like astrology, I’m just sayin’. And what’s with the black glove? I can judge that too, Bob. God doesn’t tell me I can’t ask questions.
18:25 – Bob said, “I believe that we’re in a time of the gifts that are gonna break the curses of early death, and you’re gonna be young at 100 if you die. But I also believe these genetics will come to A YOUNGER RACE THAT WILL NEVER KNOW DEATH.” He is saying he believes some charismatics will be immortal in this life (the manifest sons of God delusion).
22:22 – Bob said, “You really need to watch your conversation. You should keep your conversation right. If your conversation is in a restaurant, or any place, EVEN IN A BAR, it’s alright to get loud if your conversation’s right.” Sure Bob, sure, whatever you say.
47:46 – Bob said, “THE COLOR ORANGE MEANS LOVE.” What? Not even Ira Milligan’s Understanding the Dreams You Dream says that, page 87: energy, danger, and power – not love. How’s love the Biblical meaning of orange? Pretty subjective, Bob. Lol.
55:55 – Bob said, “IT’S A TIME OF FREE GRACE.” As in the free grace theology of Charles Ryrie, Zane Hodges, and modern antinomians who reject lordship salvation preached by John MacArthur and the Puritans. Eck! In 57:22 he said, “Being an old Baptist, I believed in rapture.” So he admits to having a Baptist view of salvation. Well, there’s nothing left but antinomianism when you use the word “Baptist” and “free grace” in the same paragraph. It’s a false theology of salvation, folks. Bob Jones was a false prophet influenced by lying spirits! (1 Kings 22:22). Mike Bickle’s different though. He has a lordship salvation influence, a Ravenhill influence. And I’m not saying that 100% of Jones’ dreams and visions were false. I’m just saying that I don’t look at Bob Jones as the best example of prophetic ministry.
If the church existed in a constant state of evangelical revival, the world would be a better place; and it would be a different place. There would be many pastors preaching against the doldrums of religious formality and false religions. They would boldly preach against sin, warn sinners about God’s judgment on sin in Hell, and church members would not be on the borders of skepticism and unbelief, but would rather be hungry and eager to do evangelistic exploits and teach the younger members how to be holy and experience the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. But sadly this is not the state of the churches in our time.
False prophets are dominating the Christian sphere right now; and they have been for about 70 years. Ever since Smith Wigglesworth died in 1947, there has been no popular attention given to anyone with that type of spiritual caliber. When a country gives place to false prophets, this is what happens:
1. Christianity becomes redefined and misunderstood as a fake exterior shell of meaningless sentimental dribble.
2. People have a distorted view of Jesus: He comes to be seen as a biker gang member, or a hippie, a stoner, or some kind of freak, a playboy that accepts sinners the way they are, in the condition they are in, and offers no help for them to be freed from their sinful addictions and ways. This different Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4), comes to be seen as a druggie (“God created cannabis, God made pot”); people like Bob Marley are looked upon as prophets of God because they smoked pot and had some religious views about Jesus.
3. The Bible is forgotten, neglected, argued with, and disrespected. It is no longer seen to be the inspired words of Almighty God. It is looked upon as a religious text that has a lot of rules and stories of miracles, many of which people have no way of relating to, because they are so cut off from the life and power of the Holy Spirit.
4. Materialism, greed, and covetousness increase. Without the power of the Bible and the Holy Spirit bringing correction and holiness into people’s lives, it is only natural for the spiritual to be slammed down and for the natural to be exalted to its most extreme forms. People will turn to million dollar mansions, half million dollar cars, and other luxuries to medicate a miserable feeling inside that only the presence of God can. The misery, however, continues infinitely, and also leads to discord, all kinds of evil, massive debts, and tax evasion (1 Timothy 6:10). False prophets preaching a “prosperity gospel” will rise (it changes forms over the years): and people will happily support this kind of preaching (2 Peter 2:15).
5. Religious pluralism, universalism, and inclusivism increase. Again, this is because the Bible is disregarded. This happened for hundreds of years in Israel when the Bible was forgotten (see 1 and 2 Kings). Even though the first of the ten commandments is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3), politically correct people always have a way of crafting a religious philosophy that evades God’s commandments in the Bible, and demons of idolatry and confusion take control over their minds, and they go on believing the most demonic, godless things that grieve God.
6. People are criticized as “close-minded” if they hold to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which confidently proclaims that salvation from an eternity in Hell-fire is only possible through turning away from what the Bible calls sin, and placing one’s faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (John 14:6), His blood being shed for the forgiveness of sins, His punishment for our sins, the sinless Son of God in our place, taking the eternal wrath of God that we deserve to experience in Hell and shouldering it by Himself on the cross. It is this message that the world utterly rejects. They call it foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18). They call it close-minded. They call it bigoted and all kinds of other names. A message of forgiveness! Bigoted! Hateful? Close-minded? A message of forgiveness from God’s anger at sins that you would readily admit when questioned? O man! Who do you think you are, to rant and to rave, against such a loving and holy God! If this is you, admit that you have been a fool, a great fool! Turn to God. Love Him back. Push away His anger. Cling to the cross of Jesus. He wants you to. Open His Word–the Bible–and find eternal, prophetic wisdom for your whole life!
Taken from “A Fresh Outpouring of the Holy Spirit” – September 15, 2008 – Right after Todd Bentley’s Lakeland Revival ended.
There are three words many Christians do not speak of anymore: signs, wonders, and miracles.
For an entire generation of believers, these three words conjure up memories of many abuses in the church. At a time when so many were looking for genuine works of God, “with signs following,” charlatans were staging fake “holy works.” So-called healing evangelists made a circus of it all — covetous men and women who offered “healings” for a price.
Now whenever many of us hear these three words, there rises up in us uneasy feelings: a fear of fanaticism, embarrassment over the mockeries, painful memories of dear brothers and sisters whose faith ended on the ash heap because of all the fakery. Tragically, many in Christ’s church do not expect God to perform miracles anymore.
Yet, please hear what I am about to say. The devil knows the Scriptures, and he knows that a genuine, Holy Spirit-inspired revival of healing is prophesied. This is why he is even now promoting his own perverted “healing” meetings. In his meetings, Christ is not the center but rather the exalting of angels or an individual.
I’m not a big TV and movie watcher. But I recently rented the movie Risen (2016) and I have to say this is one of the most God-glorifying, reverent movies I’ve ever seen. It’s sort of like a re-make of The Robe (1953), but the plot is different and its much better in my opinion. I really felt like I had an encounter with Jesus in the Spirit as I watched it. I felt like I was experiencing it. The action theme was apparently influenced by The Bible: The Epic Miniseries (2013), but the acting and the theatrics were just much well done here; in this way, the movie might appeal more to men than women. Well done, very well done, to everyone who was part of making this film. The movie is of the “historical fiction” genre that follows the Roman tribune who was responsible for overseeing the soldiers who crucified Jesus and guarded His tomb. After the resurrection, the tribune, named Clavius, gets more and more information, more leads, and gets into a detective like pursuit of the corpse of Jesus, when at long last he stumbles in on the apostles as they are crowded around Jesus in the upper room; and he recognizes Jesus’ face as the same man that he had crucified a few days ago. Then he abandons the Roman army and becomes a disciple. This is the perfect movie to watch around Easter: right after watching Jesus of Nazareth (1977).
