a conversation regarding joseph prince

so i have recently come across the teachings of a pastor named joseph prince who has been teaching some things that i feel are not consistent with scripture. below is my response to a post by a fellow brother(msg7007) on the sermonindex.com forum which i have broken down into segments to make my reply (in red):

Hi msg7007, so i am just a concerned brother in Christ that has heard and read some alarming things regarding pastor prince and i have been honestly trying to get to the truth in this matter. i just have some questions/points to some of the things you mentioned here so that we can dialogue and reason together, but just to introduce myself a bit, i am currently a 2nd year graduate student at ucla studying toward my ph.d in cellular and molecular pathology. i grew up in a church going family, but didn't come to truly meet the Lord Jesus Christ until about four years ago. since then, i have been striving to seek the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and thus have been trying to correctly discern everything that comes my way no matter how convincing it may be. for example, i currently attend a fairly charismatic church, but no matter who comes to speak, even if it is my own pastor, i measure to the Word of God. i've seen some pretty crazy supernatural stuff happen enough to realize that not all of it is from God and how easy it is to get caught up in it and lose focus of Christ. and although i firmly believe in the gifts of the Spirit (prophesy, healing, etc) and try to use them for the edification of the Body every day, i put a bigger emphasis (over gifts, etc) on the Word of God. and thus, no matter how gifted someone is (naturally or supernaturally), i care more about what comes out of their mouth than what they can do with their natural/supernatural giftings. now that i've somewhat introduced myself, let's move onto our discussion:


quoted by msg7007: "I too just joined this site, looking for extra bits of information as well as trying to find more sermons preached by Pastor Prince. I support everything you said w.r.t. Pastor Prince. He is a Grace Preacher! Make no mistake, there is a difference. He said in one of his sermons that the WoF movement 'has taken faith and reduced it to a formula.' I too challenge our traditional understanding of christianity. If it is true that all our sins past, present, and future are forgiven, then why don't we hear more of this from the pulpit??? I'm telling you, I left church many a Sunday (and even Sabbath) feeling a deep seated guilt. You know, the kind that you have difficulty putting a finger on. The kind that makes you feel that something is wrong, but you don't know where to begin. Under Pastor Prince's preaching, I've learned that this is the consciousness of sin(he actually calls this the sin conscience, which really is our flesh) and it has no more authority in the christian life! We are free from condemnation, indeed! I wish I heard this published more often from the pulpit! Is it true that I'm the righteousness of God in Christ? Then what's wrong with believing it? There is a lot more wrong if fact, if I don't! Brother (or Sister) I think that the message he is preaching is a breath of fresh air!"

this is something i noticed in pastor prince's message, a mixing up of the words "guilt" and "condemnation." these are actually two completely separate things. merriam webster dictionary defines guilt as: a feeling of culpability for offenses - in other words, an understanding that you did something wrong. the word condemnation is defined as passing of a sentence, doom. by using reason, one can come to agree that all condemnation stems from guilt, but that doesn't mean that all guilt leads to condemnation. guilt is just an awareness of sin, whereas condemnation is the just result of sin. so then the question comes to: did Jesus' death and resurrection remove guilt or condemnation? i would say that it is condemnation that was removed whereas guilt is necessary for every believer. i actually wrote a note on my blog about this a while back that i'll share with you here:
"have you heard this saying before, that (for christians) feelings of guilt and condemnation are from satan. personally, i hear this all the time from people around me, and i totally ate it up without even thinking about it. this saying, that guilt and condemnation are from the devil is only a half truth (which makes it a lie). in actuality (for a genuine christian), condemnation is from satan, but guilt is from God and we as christians should feel guilty for our sins. now you may be thinking that i am out of my mind for saying this, but reason with me for a second. can you show me a verse from the bible that says that guilt comes from the devil? because i can't seem to find it. lets look at the definitions of the words to get a better idea. guilt is defined as: a feeling of culpability for offenses. condemnation is defined as: to pronounce guilty (sentence, doom). in other words, guilt is the realization of sin, whereas condemnation is the just result of the sin. see the difference? if you look at examples from the Word, time and time again you see people genuinely troubled (feelings of guilt) for their sins to the point of putting on sackcloth and ash! a prime example can be found in the writings of king david in the book of psalms. over half of his psalms are of him crying out to God because he is troubled by his sins and his transgressions before the Lord. the guy that was known as the man after God's own heart, was continually filled with guilt and troubled when he sinned against the Lord. but regardless of his lowly estate, he continued to seek the Lord with all his might. it is what you do with the guilt that defines where you stand before God. now, if you don't feel any guilt at all for your sins, i would have to say that you need to really question the genuineness of your salvation, because one of the primary workings of the Holy Spirit is to convict men of their sins (convict: to convince of error or sinfulness) to lead them to repentance. now, regarding what you do with your guilt, you can go down one of two ways: you can either fall into condemnation (depravity) and fall further away from the Lord or you can repent and cry out to the One who can pardon you. for as it says in the Word: a broken heart and a contrite spirit He will not despise. it is impossible to obtain salvation without genuine repentance. and there can be no repentance without a realization of sin (guilt), which is done by the work of the Holy Spirit (conviction of sin). and if the Holy Spirit is in you, you will continue to live a lifestyle of repentance, which is the process of sanctification and in accordance with bearing fruit in your life (matthew 3:8 - bear fruit in keeping with repentance). in essence, you should feel guilty for your sins, because in that guilt, you come to a place of genuine repentance before the Lord. but, it also allows you to understand and appreciate His grace that much more, because there is no understanding of grace without an understanding of sin"
quoted by msg7007: "I love Pastor John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, and Adrian Rogers. These could be considered your more conservative, middle of the road Baptist preachers. They expose the scriptures quite well. I myself am pentecostal in terms of denominational preference. I accept the gifts of the Spirit, without reservation. But I also believe in sound teaching of scripture."
it is difficult for me to believe that you love the teachings of pastor john macarthur, because the things that he preaches are quite the opposite to what pastor prince is preaching. how do you reconcile this in your mind and your heart?

quoted by msg7007: "I am also aware that those who keep their eyes on the systematic teaching only, risk remaining pragmatic in their approach and service to God, while God doesn't fit our human 'box' of thinking. Yes, the scriptures alone lead us to know God, but we need His Spirit. He is God's power personified. The scriptures tell us what He does and expresses His omnipotent capabilities. Let God be the Sovereign that the scriptures say that He is! That means we should allow Him to work against the underpinnings of our christian culture."

i think we many times misuse the phrase "putting God in a human box" to almost indirectly minimize the importance of scripture. paul even charged timothy with great urgency in 2 timothy 3:16-17 that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." and 2 timothy 4:1-2 "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."


and although i absolutely agree with you that it is the Holy Spirit that has to lead you through your study of scripture, many times we use the "Holy Spirit card" to indirectly say that we should not depend on doctrine and theology, which leads to the danger of putting too much emphasis on extrabiblical manifestations and experiences to mold our core theology and that is why we see many charismatics going a bit too far out there twisting scripture and taking things way out of context to fit their teachings. when i read verses like:

deuteronomy 13:1-4 - 1"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' 3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.


matthew 7:21-23 - 21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

2 thessalonians 2:8-12 - 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 timothy 4:3-4 - 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

i realize that the best, most solid, foundation we have is the Word of God. a thought that came to me recently pertaining to this is: signs and wonders and even a feeling of joy and peace can be the work of the devil, but the Word of God, spoken through man, woman, child, beast, or object remains the Word of God. and lastly on this point, the way you mentioned "That means we should allow Him to work against the underpinnings of our christian culture" is somewhat misleading because you are either directly or indirectly attributing "christian culture" with those who keep God in a box and rely "too much on scripture" (if that is even possible or a bad thing). although i agree with you that there are some who merely look to the surface of the Word and not into the heart of the Word, scripture is THE ESSENTIAL (over experiential) component to mold and dictate true and godly christian culture and theology.
quoted by msg7007: "Pastor Prince is basically telling us that if we truly believe what the scriptures say, then we can have it! And Brother (or Sister), I'm for that! I really believe that it is not God's will for us to be sick (although he may allow it and works through it). Although we may experience seasons of financial shortage, yet still I believe that it isn't God's will for us to be broke! I believe that God wants us to hold our heads high, knowing who we are in Christ and claiming everything that was given to Christ as our own (since as we are joint-heirs with Christ). If we simply accepted who we are in Christ, we will at some point experience the Supernatural (oops!). Is there anything wrong with that? Would I be considered a weird christian because of that?"
i would have to disagree because faith is not blindly believing that something you want is something God wants to give you, or to give you at the moment. true faith is being content through whatever circumstance and having the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ be at the forefront of your heart. i come to this conclusion based on these verses:

2 corinthians 4:16-18 - 16So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

philippians 3:7-11 - 7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

philippians 4:11-13 - 11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

hebrews 12:1-11 - 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." 7It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

also, to truly take everything that was given to Christ means that we must suffer as He suffered:

matthew 16:24 - 24Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.


romans 8:16-18 - 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.


philippians 1:29-30 - 29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

a thought that comes to mind regarding this: Jesus and the disciples did not have earthly prosperity, they suffered and endured hardship during their time on earth, and they rejoiced in it, so if Jesus meant earthly prosperity when He said "my peace i leave with you," then He was lying because not every believer, particularly the disciples and many many other believers had quite the opposite; but one thing they all had was a spiritual prosperity that is only available to those who truly believe.

quoted by msg7007: "Maybe, but I would experience all of God's best because I would have significantly developed a conscience towards God's righteousness. Remember, a man becomes what he thinks! If we are continually conscious of our own sin, then we will be continually going to God about it (as is the present christian practices). For example, at the communion table, where we should be celebrating our justification, we'll continue to be asking God forgiveness for sins (as is the popular understanding)--that have already been forgiven, having accepted Christ. In everyday life, we will carry regrets, although Christ already bore them and took them away--for us."
actually, this is exactly the heart that king david showed to the Lord which is clearly evident in the book of psalms, which is one of the reasons he was called a man after God's own heart. he was continually crying out to God to search his heart and to bring to light all hidden sins: he was literally hungering and thirsting for righteousness, just like we should too as christians on this side of eternity (until perfection comes and we see face to face). paul even mentions that he himself has not fully attained to perfection yet, but strives toward perfection, philippians 3:12-14 - 12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

you might say that david was part of the "old covenant," but i would have to disagree, there is no difference between us as believers post Jesus and people like kind david and abraham. righteousness was credited to abraham way before the covenant and he is called by paul in romans 4:11 to be the father of all who believe. because the faith that saved them is the same faith that saves us, namely faith in God.

i actually heard one of pastor princes sermon where he said that "Jesus' death is so powerful that there is not one speck of sin left in our lives." but this is not completely true. there is a difference between having no sin and being forgiven of all sins. it makes no sense to say that we are without sin, because it is clearly evident that every christian still sins. just because God forgives us of all our sins, doesn't mean that we don't sin anymore.


romans 7:14-25 - 14For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.


romans 8:10, 13 - 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.


2 corinthians 7:8-11 - 8For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.


philippians 3:12-14 - 12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.


the main difference between a saved person and a person who is not saved can be found in their awareness of sin and the desire of their heart regarding sin. although every person, whether saved or unsaved has a conscience, a saved person has a growing awareness of sin, which stems from a growing knowledge of God's desires. this is most clearly shown in 2 peter 1:5-6 where he says "for this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness" in other words, that your faith which God has given you (from a glimpse of His love for lack of a better way to describe) should automatically cause you to desire virtue (goodness). that desire for goodness, which is to seek out what is pleasing to the Lord, leads you to study His Word which clearly shows what is and isn't pleasing to the Lord, which is the adding of knowledge to virtue. as that knowledge grows in you, you begin to deny your flesh and it's desires for the desires of the Lord which requires self-control. a lifestyle of self-control can be described as steadfastness in righteousness which can be summed up as godliness (hating the things that God hates and loving the things that God loves).

i think people (even christians) have the wrong idea toward repentance. for some reason, people take it in a very negative light. God's grace is that you can repent, that every time you mess up, you still have a chance to turn back to the Lord, that is grace. and for some reason people automatically associate repentance with an angry God or something to that effect, but it shows the most beautiful and loving side of God. you see, the heart of repentance for a true believer, does not stem from the fear that God is going to reject you and cast you into hell for your sins, but stems from an understanding of His love for you that causes sorrow in your heart to grieve such a wonderful and loving and good God...let me give you an example: say that there is someone who really really loves you to the extent that no matter what you do, the person will continue to love you and you know this. and say that you happen to do something to hurt them. although you know that they aren't going to reject you, the fact that you know that they love you should automatically cause you to feel hurt and shame because you hurt the one that loves you...this is the same for us and our heart in repentance toward God.


regarding communion, paul writes in 1 corinthians 11:27-32 that "whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But when we judge ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we many not be condemned along with the world."
quoted by msg7007: "As a result, this constant self analysis of sin leads only to one result: sin consciousness. Yes, we understand that at this point we should become overwhelmed by our need of the Saviour, and after this realization, we understand that when we accept God's Provision, that there is therefore no more condemnation. But is that the reality? Self analysis can easily become a self condemning process, which only stirs up more sin! We need to encourage ourselves that we are God's righteousness."

although it is true that self analysis can easily become a self condemning process, it doesn't mean it always does or has to (as i mentioned earlier on guilt vs condemnation). paul even writes in 2 corinthians 13:5 to "examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test! and Jesus also said in john 16:8-11 "and when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because i go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." There is also a huge difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow 2 corinthians 7:10

quoted by msg7007: "We need to tell ourselves that we are God's purchased posession through Christ's blood! We ought to mutter to ourselves that we are His workmanship (trophies of His Grace). I think if we spent more time analysing what God graciously imputed to us, we would not have a lot of the problems that we have. And wherever there are problems, we would experience significant Divine intervention as a result of God's Wisdom. Why? Because we rely on His Grace.

I think we've spent more time relying on our own abilities, education, willpower, charisma, or faith to very little or no avail. God wants to manifest His kingdom in us. He wants us to experience all that his Grace has to offer. He isn't about seeing His children 'just get by."

i don't consider paul and the other apostles as "just getting by" even though they were poor and suffered tremendously so you might need to clarify this point. just because someone is poor or sick or whatever does not mean that they are "just getting by." quite the contrary, they are being molded and refined by God himself! that God is dealing with them personally for His glory because He disciplines the ones He love! an example that comes to mind is jacob and esau. the bible says that God loved jacob but hated esau. but when you read about them, they both had material blessings: wives, children, livestock, etc. so that leads to the question of how God showed love toward jacob and hatred toward esau? it was discipline...God let esau do whatever he wanted, but He dealt with jacob personally through discipline. in regards to health and worldly prosperity, scripture says that God causes the sun to shine on both the righteous and the wicked...so wealth and prosperity should never be used as a measure of one's right standing with God

quoted by msg7007: "I think we treat Grace like it is a healing balm that is to be used sparingly...because its too expensive. We fear that we will end up doing whatever we want and God won't take us up on our sin."

not sure where you are coming from but i am assuming that you are saying that God's grace automatically entails health and worldly prosperity and that those who don't believe this are using His grace sparingly...and i would have to disagree...the real power of His grace is to take a rebellious and depraved heart and to turn it into one that abides in Him and our pilgrimage through this life is the beginning of the refining process to sanctify us and make us ready for eternity...themes which are clearly evident from the various different verses i mentioned earlier...also, just wondering, how do you reconcile persecution, trials, suffering, and tribulation with health and prosperity?

quoted by msg7007: "God has lavishly poured out his Grace on us. As his children, we are recipients of 'His lavish Grace.' Please, let's receive it!

Pastor Prince is teaching the church to celebrate her gift of righeousness that was given by God -- through Jesus! He is teaching us about the Superabundance of God's Grace! And it's all ours. It is in the celebrating of Christ's finished work that we truly reflect His character, and become all that the law really wants us to be to a lost and dying world. If we really believe this, then sin becomes grossly unattractive and is seen for what it is, a cheap way to temporary satisfaction and ultimately death! And guess what? We won't sin! Grace becomes more attractive and we become more like Christ. What wrong with preaching that leads us in that direction?

I want more of that kind of preaching!"

celebrating Christ's finished work does not mean that we shouldn't wrestle against our flesh...it is because of Christ's finished work that we find hope even in the moments our flesh prevails over us...and although the work is finished, it doesn't mean that we have fully obtained to it on this side of eternity or else we would have already received our perfect angel like bodies now...but this is obviously not the case...trying to ignore sin will inadvertently blind you to hidden sins and although you may "feel" right, you will go on sinning without even realizing...which would be contrary to scripture which instructs us to examine our hearts in the light of His Word. although we know the outcome of the war, the fight is not over yet, not until we die and meet our Maker. salvation on this side of eternity pertains to our spirit whereas our flesh is still dead in sin and thus the fighting rages on in the battleground of our hearts and minds. once we die, we are completely free from sin and then on the day of resurrection and judgment, salvation in regards to our flesh is brought forth and the entire process of salvation is completed. (reasoning from romans 7 and verses pertaining to the final judgment in revelation)

also, how do you reconcile pastor prince's teaching vs 1 john 1:8-10 - 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.


but yah, i sincerely hope that none of what i wrote is coming off in the wrong way to you, i am just writing honestly from what i truly feel that the Lord has been teaching me recently regarding these things. i look forward to your response so that we may reason together toward the truth. God bless =)


your fellow brother in Christ,


will

vessels of mercy

when i look out into this world what do my eyes behold?

a revelation of God's character and the truth begins to unfold

angels in radiant glory all surrounding His throne

all assembled for one purpose and for one purpose alone

God, clearly visible yet still not fully known

creation anticipating as they inwardly groan

for the revelation of God's character, for it to be shown

through the blood of the Savior and by it to atone

the vessels of mercy on which is the demonstration of His love

for prior to, there was no knowledge of such an amazing love

only rumors and myths and legends herewith

for love, mercy, justice, righteousness, and kindness are qualities inherent within God

but without a demonstration just an empty, meaningless, baseless facade

for how can you know what kindness is without it being shown

or righteousness and justice without a hell for sinners to be thrown 

that before lucifer fell, creation did not know

what God's perfect justice was until judgment was shown

made clear for all creation to now see

that God is just and so all must agree

but this story on it continues

for there is still much more that will enthuse

and make creation shout for joy 

so continue to incline your ears and let your hearts be filled with joy

for the revelation of His character did not end merely with judgment

but continues with, for us, a greater adornment

for He chose to show mercy to adam and eve

although they sinned and God's heart they did grieve

but He went down to their level and made for them clothes

even though they disobeyed and willfully opposed

but even in mercy one thing remains clear

sin cannot just be pardoned and thus we are brought to fear

for although God can overlook for a time being

His justice demands and creation agreeing

that all who sin must be brought to trial

or else His holy name and character be completely defiled

and thus we are brought to a seeming contradiction

for how can a holy, righteous, and just God just pardon our felonious conviction

and it is here my friends that we see the greatest depiction

of who God is through His only begotten Son's crucifixion

but let us elaborate on this before moving on

on this Christ and the injustices all but foregone

for although being God, He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped

but humbled himself to the form of a bondservant, obedient to death, even on a cross

born in a filthy manger, to a poor peasant family

not of affluence or privilege or any other thing to which we esteem

thirty years of life for three years of ministry

sinless and perfect by every standard and decree

but forsaken and abandoned by not only His people

but those closest to Him, even His very own disciples

beaten, flogged, spit on and robbed

of His dignity, His deity, His majesty, and beauty

but the fulfillment of God's wrath was not found in these things

but we must look further beyond mere superficial things

and thus we now find ourselves kneeling before the tree

looking upon His nail pierced hands and the Lord making His plea

"my God, my God, why have you forsaken me"

for as it says in isaiah chapter 53

that it pleased the Lord to crush Him

not the romans, not the jews, not the whips, or the nails or the cross, or even the crown of thorns

but as it says, that IT PLEASED THE LORD TO CRUSH HIS OWN SON

and this my friends is the righteous and just love of our Father

what He demonstrated to creation that they would no longer ponder

the mystery of the ages now made plain for all to see

the angels in heaven falling to their faces because of you and me

for our salvation was not an end but actually a means

for God to reveal His love so that all creation may see

let me further elaborate this point

that from all of creation God chose us to be

the object to receive His incomprehensible love and mercy

not angles or stars or heavenly hosts

but lowly dust, you and me, made for His boast

for it is in the revelation 

of God's character through demonstration 

that the entirety of creation

may come into deeper realization

of His infinite and immeasureable character and worth

filling all of creation from heaven to earth

but wait my brothers and sisters gathered here this day

there is still some more of this truth you must hear today

for there is still much more left to this amazing story

and in it you will understand more of our Father's glory

for the day we leave this earth to enter heaven’s door

we will fully understand the purpose to which we were created for

creation waiting in great anticipation

asking themselves what God will do for this holy nation

a nation composed of all those who overcame

by the blood of the lamb and the testimony of His glorious Name

these vessels of mercy refined through the fire

of trial and persecution unto the Lord’s sovereign desire

then, all of a sudden, God comes arrayed in His infinite glory and splendor and majesty

and begins to pour out an immeasurable amount of love, and grace, and kindness, and blessing, and favor upon us which causes us to fall to our faces and begin to worship

and now, the rest of creation witnesses firsthand this demonstration of God’s love and then also proceed to fall to their faces exclaiming “only God can do such a thing”

and say that we were to sleep and wake the next day, the entire process starts again, with creation looking intently at us asking themselves, what is God gonna to do for these vessels of mercy today. and then God, comes in His infinite glory and splendor and majesty and begins to pour out even more love, and grace, and kindness, and blessing, and favor and then we along with the rest of creation, fall to our faces in worship exclaiming “only God can do such a thing”

that heaven is basically a place where we will, for all of eternity, dwell in, comprehend, and receive, the infinite love of God, that each passing day far exceeds the day that came before it and this for all of eternity, to search out God’s love forever and ever.

so you see our salvation was not an end but actually a means

for God to reveal His love so that all creation may see

that from all of creation God chose us to be

the object to receive His incomprehensible love and mercy

not angels or stars or heavenly hosts

but lowly dust, you and me, made for His boast

for it is in the revelation 

of God's character through demonstration 

that the entirety of creation

may come into deeper realization

of His infinite and immeasureable character and worth

filling all of creation from heaven to earth

and so, i leave you all with one last question

will you not come and worship this king of glory?

The one who by His own blood wrote for you this very story?

Will you not come and worship this king

and surrender not just your words but everything

for He is worthy of much more than we can ever hope to bring, not because He gives gifts, blessings, or even salvation, 

but because He, is the sovereign Lord, the almighty God, and the everlasting King

psalm 8

as i sit on this wooden patio on this cool summer night
i look through the trees to behold a dark expanse covered with twinkling stars
a cool and gentle breeze blows across my face
bringing a fragrance of pine and firewood that causes a sense of peace to settle upon my weathered heart
the Lord bringing to mind once again that although life is as fleeting as the wind which quickly fades away
His eye is even on the smallest sparrow:
how much more we who are fearfully and wonderfully made in His very image
and that He would even incline our hearts to Him through such things
o Lord, there is truly none like you
for such knowledge is too great for me
that you are mindful of even me

ephesians 4:14

signs and wonders and even a feeling of joy can be the work of the devil, but the Word of God, spoken through man, woman, child, beast, or object remains the Word of God. therefore, i do not place my trust in the former things, but in the latter i rest my hope: in the doctrines of God laid out in His Word

you say you hate doctrine? then you make yourself out to hate the Word of God. to say that you dislike doctrine because it can cause division and quarrels is like saying that we should ban all cars because it can be used for crime. just because a good thing can be misused, doesn't mean it is bad. doctrine is defined as a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group of school. therefore, it is extremely naive and ignorant to say you don't like doctrine because that in itself is a doctrine and thus would be making yourself out to be a hypocrite

to rid yourself of doctrine is to rid yourself not only of lies but truth, for in the realm of doctrine there are both truth and lies. instead, you and i must search out correct doctrine which is to search for truth, and this can only be done using the Word rather than unreliable feelings and extrabiblical experiences

for what is love, but to lead and teach others correctly how to follow after and be like Christ through words, deeds, and a lifestyle marked out by the fruit of the Spirit

joel 2:12-14

the true blessing is not found in health, wealth, and prosperity. the true blessing is when the Lord inclines your heart toward Himself and allows you to worship. for worship is not a duty, but rather a privilege given unto us from God. and what is heaven for that matter? what do you think when you think of heaven? is it the gates of pearl or the streets paved with gold? no, for without God and the worship of His Name, would just make it a glittering hell, for it is God that makes heaven heaven. and as it is done in heaven, may it also be done on earth, in our hearts, our thoughts, our desires, to worship the Lord above any other things: gifts, "blessings," ministry, etc.

for Christ is not adorned by jewels or even heaven itself, rather heaven is adorned by Christ, for Christ does not need jewels to increase His appearance, He is an adornment unto Himself. He does not need to put on something to make Himself look splendid and majestic. He is robed in splendor and majesty. He does not do good works. He is good. He does not do acts of love. He is love. all good things find their source from Him. for there is no one like Him. truly He is set apart from the rest.

is heaven the gold, or jewels, or gates of pearl?
is it the angels and singing and glory unfurled?
it is Christ, it is Christ, heaven is adorned by Jesus Christ!
not gems or jewels or all these things,
but to Christ alone all attention bring!

degrading grace

it's sad how they always talk about grace
and yet continue to deliberately spit in Christ's face
justifying their actions thus denying His power
only to be found devastated in the final hour
they talk of love and know not what it means
for if they did, they would honor romans 14:15
but they continue to love the things of this life
and instead of repentance, they bring only strife
for as the saying goes, the blind leading the blind
and in their hearts and their minds no truth can you find
shifting words and shifting eyes
their best works all pretense and lies
for the mind set on the flesh cannot please God
and the Word tells us that they are enemies to God
but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace
which would mean that all your willful rebellion will cease...
unless your confession was merely lip service
and so my friend, i hope this makes you nervous
and makes you rethink where you stand
is your house built on the Rock or sinking sand
for the Word says that even demons believe and tremble
which is actually more reverence than you resemble
for you call Him your homeboy and belittle Him with your attitude
far from true worship, and lacking in even an ounce of gratitude
for if you truly believed you would love His commands
but instead, you obey all that your depraved heart demands
repent today before it is too late
repent today and ensure your fate
repent today but not merely to save your soul
but repent today to reach the ultimate goal…
the honor and glory of Christ and His eternal kingdom
for in this truth, in this desire, in this hope, is true Christian freedom

Isaiah 55

those who eat from the world's trough cannot taste the delicacies of the Lord's table...therefore, clean yourself from the filth of this world and come to His table that you may dine in His presence!

Isaiah 55

Invitation to the Thirsty

 ¹ "Come, all you who are thirsty,
       come to the waters;
       and you who have no money,
       come, buy and eat!
       Come, buy wine and milk
       without money and without cost.  ² Why spend money on what is not bread,
       and your labor on what does not satisfy?
       Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
       and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
 ³ Give ear and come to me;
       hear me, that your soul may live.
       I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
       my faithful love promised to David.
 ⁴ See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
       a leader and commander of the peoples.
 ⁵ Surely you will summon nations you know not,
       and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
       because of the LORD your God,
       the Holy One of Israel,
       for he has endowed you with splendor."
 ⁶ Seek the LORD while he may be found;
       call on him while he is near.
 ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way
       and the evil man his thoughts.
       Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
       and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
 ⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
       neither are your ways my ways,"
       declares the LORD.
 ⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts than your thoughts.
 ¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
       come down from heaven,
       and do not return to it
       without watering the earth
       and making it bud and flourish,
       so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
 ¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
       It will not return to me empty,
       but will accomplish what I desire
       and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
 ¹² You will go out in joy
       and be led forth in peace;
       the mountains and hills
       will burst into song before you,
       and all the trees of the field
       will clap their hands.
 ¹³ Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
       and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
       This will be for the LORD's renown,
       for an everlasting sign,
       which will not be destroyed."