Getting Where You’re Goingby Lary R. Hale Whatever we are doing on a consistent basis in our lives is going to catch up with us. Now that can be really good news, or it can be really bad news, depending on what we’re really up to. On the good end we have the prophet Isaiah for an example, who felt that all the good that he was doing for God was never going to be rewarded, and that he was forgotten: “Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God” (Isa. 49:4). So even though Isaiah felt in that moment that he was forsaken, he knew at the same time that God would come through for him, because he is just to do so. Jeremiah felt the same way at times in his ministry of labor for the Lord: “I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?” (Jer. 15:17,18). It appeared to Jeremiah at times that God would never confirm his words that he had spoken faithfully for him, yet the Lord let him know that he was not forgotten, and that there would be a result of his faithful labor: “The Lord said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction” (Jer. 15:11). And those words of promise were in fact fulfilled at the very same time that Jeremiah’s words against Jerusalem were fulfilled by means of the king of Babylon: “And the captain of the guard [of Babylon] took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go” (Jer. 40:2-4). So everyone who refused to hear Jeremiah’s words were either killed or taken into captivity against their will, while Jeremiah was given full liberty to do as he pleased, by the captain of the Babylonian army. On the flip side of the coin we have Absalom, the son of David who tried to usurp the kingdom from David. Holding a grudge against his father, Absalom sought for some time to gradually steal the kingdom by stealth (II Sam. 15:1-6). After procuring quite a company of people to himself, Absalom effectively ran David and those with him out of the land, and it looked as though he would be king instead of David (II Sam. 15:10-14). But though the rebellion appeared successful for a time, it was doomed because it was against the Lord and against his anointed. And even though David commanded that Absalom be taken alive in battle, it was not to be: “And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom… And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom… Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him” (II Sam. 18:5,10-12,14,15). The truth of the matter is that God is, as Abraham called him, “the Judge of all the earth;” and he does not miss anything, whether it be good or evil (Gen. 18:25; Prov. 15:3). And the Bible admonishes us thusly in both directions: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap… And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:7,9). And on the other end we have this: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccl. 8:11). Never believe that God has forgotten you my friend, when you are applying yourself to doing good in his sight steadfastly. Neither mistake the longsuffering of the Lord to be a license to continue in anything wrong. God bless. Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 2, 2013  
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Getting Where You’re Going
by Lary R. Hale

Whatever we are doing on a consistent basis in our lives is going to catch up with us. Now that can be really good news, or it can be really bad news, depending on what we’re really up to. On the good end we have the prophet Isaiah for an example, who felt that all the good that he was doing for God was never going to be rewarded, and that he was forgotten: “Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God” (Isa. 49:4). So even though Isaiah felt in that moment that he was forsaken, he knew at the same time that God would come through for him, because he is just to do so. Jeremiah felt the same way at times in his ministry of labor for the Lord: “I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?” (Jer. 15:17,18). It appeared to Jeremiah at times that God would never confirm his words that he had spoken faithfully for him, yet the Lord let him know that he was not forgotten, and that there would be a result of his faithful labor: “The Lord said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction” (Jer. 15:11). And those words of promise were in fact fulfilled at the very same time that Jeremiah’s words against Jerusalem were fulfilled by means of the king of Babylon: “And the captain of the guard [of Babylon] took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go” (Jer. 40:2-4). So everyone who refused to hear Jeremiah’s words were either killed or taken into captivity against their will, while Jeremiah was given full liberty to do as he pleased, by the captain of the Babylonian army. 

On the flip side of the coin we have Absalom, the son of David who tried to usurp the kingdom from David. Holding a grudge against his father, Absalom sought for some time to gradually steal the kingdom by stealth (II Sam. 15:1-6). After procuring quite a company of people to himself, Absalom effectively ran David and those with him out of the land, and it looked as though he would be king instead of David (II Sam. 15:10-14). But though the rebellion appeared successful for a time, it was doomed because it was against the Lord and against his anointed. And even though David commanded that Absalom be taken alive in battle, it was not to be: “And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom… And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom… Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him” (II Sam. 18:5,10-12,14,15). The truth of the matter is that God is, as Abraham called him, “the Judge of all the earth;” and he does not miss anything, whether it be good or evil (Gen. 18:25; Prov. 15:3). And the Bible admonishes us thusly in both directions: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap… And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:7,9). And on the other end we have this: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccl. 8:11). Never believe that God has forgotten you my friend, when you are applying yourself to doing good in his sight steadfastly. Neither mistake the longsuffering of the Lord to be a license to continue in anything wrong. God bless.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 2, 2013  

Only Jesusby Lary R. Hale When it is all said and done, and in fact BEFORE it’s all said and done, this gospel is ALL ABOUT JESUS! I would ask for “a big amen,” but I know that everyone reading this has already said that. At least I certainly hope so. Yes it is surely is all about Jesus and about everything he has done for you, me, and everyone else, so as to provide for us the hope of eternal salvation. So seeing that it IS all about Jesus, let’s look at something that is ultra simplistic, and then let’s understand some things that need to happen in order for God’s people to move into the end time and the second coming of the Lord. If it’s all about Jesus then let’s agree on a VERY big Bible fact. I’m going to quote a scripture here that is totally unique in that it says something about Jesus that no other scripture tells us. Here it is: “Now the Lord IS that Spirit” (II Cor. 3:17). Okay, if your studious you will notice that it is only half of a scripture, but that is enough because it is certain that the second half of the scripture says nothing to contradict the first half. And if you are studious and also a frequent reader of these posts, you may realize that I quote that particular scripture in many of my articles. There is a very good reason for that. Like I said, there is no other scripture that says, “Now the Lord IS that ______.” Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of his Father, but he sent back the holy Ghost to take his place when he went away, as the following passage shows us: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; [which] the world cannot receive, because it seeth [it] not, neither knoweth [it]: but ye know [it]; for [it] dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (Jn. 14:16-18). There it is; Jesus plainly referred to the Spirit of God as himself, saying that HE would come to his disciples by means of the Spirit coming. He also stated several verses after this that the holy Ghost would be sent back from heaven “in [his] name” (Jn. 14:26). What that means is that the Spirit was sent back “in his stead,” or instead of him. And what THAT means is that there is absolutely NO PRESENCE of Jesus in this world OTHER THAN the holy Ghost! There is irrefutably NOTHING that can be received or partaken of in this world, that pertains to the Lord Jesus Christ, other than the Spirit which he sent back after he went away (Jn. 16:7). Now that brings me full circle here about this gospel being ONLY ABOUT JESUS. Due to what we have seen here from the scriptures, whatever we choose to serve God in, or worship him by; is either the holy Ghost, or it is falsehood. Otherwise we have to say that this gospel is about Jesus, and about some other stuff too. But the truth of the matter is once again that it IS ALL ABOUT JESUS, and NOT about ANY OTHER stuff. And what that means is that we need to discard ALL of the other stuff that is NOT about Jesus, and cleave to the Spirit of truth that he sent back for us to cleave to. It is the ‘other stuff’ that God’s people have been erroneously taught to recognize as pertaining to Jesus, that is holding down, dividing, and crippling the body of Christ; making it unable to go forward in the unifying power and love of the Lord Jesus. So here it is: There is NOWHERE in the scriptures where we find, “Now the Lord is that water.” Neither is there ANY scripture that states, “Now the Lord is that bread [or cracker].” Nor does anything in the Bible say, “Now the Lord is that wine [or grape juice.]” Yes I am talking about water baptism and the so called “communion” service. Both of these ordinances are from the old testament, and were of the law (Mat. 5:17; Mat. 3:15; Mat. 26:19,29; Lk. 22:15,16). I hope you have read these referenced scriptures because they show that these ordinances were of the law, and also that Jesus came to FULFILL them. Jesus fulfilled these ordinances of the law for the same reason that he fulfilled EVERY ordinance of the law, and that was so that HE could become EVERYTHING to God’s people. The apostle Paul explained that “Christ OUR PASSOVER is sacrificed for us” (I Cor. 5:7). He also explained that it is JESUS that has to baptize each and every soul with his Spirit, in order for them to be a member of his spiritual body on earth (I Cor. 12:13). Those carnal ceremonies only SYMBOLIZED what Jesus would fulfill for us after a spiritual order, and he IS that fulfillment. To continue with these ordinances is to in effect say that Jesus has NOT fulfilled these things, and that we are still looking for him to come and do so. When something is fulfilled it is taken away and replaced by that which fulfills, which in this case is Jesus through the Spirit (Jn. 3:30; Heb. 8:13). When someone is baptized with the holy Ghost with the accompanying sign of speaking in tongues, they are as complete as they can possibly be, because they have literally received Jesus into themselves, by means of his Spirit (Col. 2:10; Gal 3:3). When we add ceremonial works to that equation, we are certainly saying that having Christ in us does NOT make us complete (Gal. 3:3; Gal. 5:4; Col. 2:16,17). And in fact NOBODY has received Jesus into themselves UNTIL they are baptized with the Spirit, because “the Lord IS that Spirit.” That is the way it was in the Bible, and “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Nobody in the Bible ever “got saved,” or “accepted the Lord as their personal savior.” They did however believe on Jesus and were baptized with his Spirit as the result of believing (Jn. 7:38,39; Acts 2:4; Acts 5:32; Acts 10:44-46; I Cor. 12:13). The ONLY way to obey Jesus is to repent, believe on him, receive his Spirit; and walk therein after receiving it (Mk. 1:7,8; Acts 1:4,5; Gal. 5:16; Col. 2:6). As long as we accept natural ordinances in our worship and service of the Lord, we are disesteeming Jesus and everything he’s done for us. The fact of the matter is, he actually died and rose so that he could do away with sin, and with the system of worship that demonstrated that we were still IN sin, and not joined to him and his Father (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14; Heb. 9:8,9). I say that Jesus is worthy of ALL honor and glory, and that he should not have to share it with “dead works” that never gave life, and in reality are dead and buried (Gal. 3:21; Rom. 7:2-4,6; Gal. 2:19). It is absolute confusion to uphold these long dead works, and it is also a “frustration [of] the grace of God” (Gal. 2:21). If we really want to prove that Jesus is truly everything to us, then we need to throw these extra weights overboard; for surely they are helping to sink the ship of the body of Christ that we seek to journey from here to glory in. Amen. Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page February 28, 2013
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Only Jesus
by Lary R. Hale

When it is all said and done, and in fact BEFORE it’s all said and done, this gospel is ALL ABOUT JESUS! I would ask for “a big amen,” but I know that everyone reading this has already said that. At least I certainly hope so. Yes it is surely is all about Jesus and about everything he has done for you, me, and everyone else, so as to provide for us the hope of eternal salvation. So seeing that it IS all about Jesus, let’s look at something that is ultra simplistic, and then let’s understand some things that need to happen in order for God’s people to move into the end time and the second coming of the Lord. If it’s all about Jesus then let’s agree on a VERY big Bible fact. I’m going to quote a scripture here that is totally unique in that it says something about Jesus that no other scripture tells us. Here it is: “Now the Lord IS that Spirit” (II Cor. 3:17). Okay, if your studious you will notice that it is only half of a scripture, but that is enough because it is certain that the second half of the scripture says nothing to contradict the first half. And if you are studious and also a frequent reader of these posts, you may realize that I quote that particular scripture in many of my articles. There is a very good reason for that. Like I said, there is no other scripture that says, “Now the Lord IS that ______.” Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of his Father, but he sent back the holy Ghost to take his place when he went away, as the following passage shows us: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; [which] the world cannot receive, because it seeth [it] not, neither knoweth [it]: but ye know [it]; for [it] dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (Jn. 14:16-18). There it is; Jesus plainly referred to the Spirit of God as himself, saying that HE would come to his disciples by means of the Spirit coming. He also stated several verses after this that the holy Ghost would be sent back from heaven “in [his] name” (Jn. 14:26). What that means is that the Spirit was sent back “in his stead,” or instead of him. And what THAT means is that there is absolutely NO PRESENCE of Jesus in this world OTHER THAN the holy Ghost! There is irrefutably NOTHING that can be received or partaken of in this world, that pertains to the Lord Jesus Christ, other than the Spirit which he sent back after he went away (Jn. 16:7). Now that brings me full circle here about this gospel being ONLY ABOUT JESUS. Due to what we have seen here from the scriptures, whatever we choose to serve God in, or worship him by; is either the holy Ghost, or it is falsehood. Otherwise we have to say that this gospel is about Jesus, and about some other stuff too. But the truth of the matter is once again that it IS ALL ABOUT JESUS, and NOT about ANY OTHER stuff. And what that means is that we need to discard ALL of the other stuff that is NOT about Jesus, and cleave to the Spirit of truth that he sent back for us to cleave to. It is the ‘other stuff’ that God’s people have been erroneously taught to recognize as pertaining to Jesus, that is holding down, dividing, and crippling the body of Christ; making it unable to go forward in the unifying power and love of the Lord Jesus. 

So here it is: There is NOWHERE in the scriptures where we find, “Now the Lord is that water.” Neither is there ANY scripture that states, “Now the Lord is that bread [or cracker].” Nor does anything in the Bible say, “Now the Lord is that wine [or grape juice.]” Yes I am talking about water baptism and the so called “communion” service. Both of these ordinances are from the old testament, and were of the law (Mat. 5:17; Mat. 3:15; Mat. 26:19,29; Lk. 22:15,16). I hope you have read these referenced scriptures because they show that these ordinances were of the law, and also that Jesus came to FULFILL them. Jesus fulfilled these ordinances of the law for the same reason that he fulfilled EVERY ordinance of the law, and that was so that HE could become EVERYTHING to God’s people. The apostle Paul explained that “Christ OUR PASSOVER is sacrificed for us” (I Cor. 5:7). He also explained that it is JESUS that has to baptize each and every soul with his Spirit, in order for them to be a member of his spiritual body on earth (I Cor. 12:13). Those carnal ceremonies only SYMBOLIZED what Jesus would fulfill for us after a spiritual order, and he IS that fulfillment. To continue with these ordinances is to in effect say that Jesus has NOT fulfilled these things, and that we are still looking for him to come and do so. When something is fulfilled it is taken away and replaced by that which fulfills, which in this case is Jesus through the Spirit (Jn. 3:30; Heb. 8:13). When someone is baptized with the holy Ghost with the accompanying sign of speaking in tongues, they are as complete as they can possibly be, because they have literally received Jesus into themselves, by means of his Spirit (Col. 2:10; Gal 3:3). When we add ceremonial works to that equation, we are certainly saying that having Christ in us does NOT make us complete (Gal. 3:3; Gal. 5:4; Col. 2:16,17). And in fact NOBODY has received Jesus into themselves UNTIL they are baptized with the Spirit, because “the Lord IS that Spirit.” That is the way it was in the Bible, and “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Nobody in the Bible ever “got saved,” or “accepted the Lord as their personal savior.” They did however believe on Jesus and were baptized with his Spirit as the result of believing (Jn. 7:38,39; Acts 2:4; Acts 5:32; Acts 10:44-46; I Cor. 12:13). The ONLY way to obey Jesus is to repent, believe on him, receive his Spirit; and walk therein after receiving it (Mk. 1:7,8; Acts 1:4,5; Gal. 5:16; Col. 2:6). As long as we accept natural ordinances in our worship and service of the Lord, we are disesteeming Jesus and everything he’s done for us. The fact of the matter is, he actually died and rose so that he could do away with sin, and with the system of worship that demonstrated that we were still IN sin, and not joined to him and his Father (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14; Heb. 9:8,9). I say that Jesus is worthy of ALL honor and glory, and that he should not have to share it with “dead works” that never gave life, and in reality are dead and buried (Gal. 3:21; Rom. 7:2-4,6; Gal. 2:19). It is absolute confusion to uphold these long dead works, and it is also a “frustration [of] the grace of God” (Gal. 2:21). If we really want to prove that Jesus is truly everything to us, then we need to throw these extra weights overboard; for surely they are helping to sink the ship of the body of Christ that we seek to journey from here to glory in. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page February 28, 2013

The Sum Totalby Lary R. Hale “Now the end of the commandment is [love] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm” (I Tim. 1:5-7). This powerful statement by the apostle Paul both tells the gospel story, and it also tells the story of what is today called Christianity. The word “end” in the first verse means the aim or purpose. So the entire summation of the commandments of God is for his love to dwell in the hearts of true believers without sin accompanying it, which is to say “pure.” That, and to have the “good conscience” that results from that state (Heb. 9:14). And also to have faith with total honesty and sincerity of heart, which is to say “unfeigned.” So how is this accomplished in a human being? Well how about we let the scriptures answer that all important question for us: “… because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts BY the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). And just how does THAT happen with someone? And what about that “pure heart” that the apostle mentioned in the first verse? Let’s take another look at the scriptures now: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” And how did Peter and the brethren KNOW that God had poured out the holy Ghost on these gentiles? “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (Acts 10:44-46). Now let’s see what Peter said about this very event when he was later discussing it with the apostles and elders: “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, GIVING them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, PURIFYING THEIR HEARTS by faith” (Acts 15:8,9). Okay, so according to THE BIBLE, these folks RECEIVED the holy Ghost by being BAPTIZED with the holy Ghost, with the accompanying sign of speaking with other tongues. And as the scripture plainly states, it was that experience of faith in Jesus that purified these people’s hearts. So what this means is that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts,” when our hearts are PURIFIED by the experience of the baptism of the holy Ghost. And the beloved apostle, as well as Jesus, makes it very clear that this purifying experience MUST be had, and also continued in, if we expect to attain unto eternal life at the resurrection of the dead (Mat. 5:8; I Jn. 3:2,3). God is not the author of confusion my friend. What was true for the souls in that event is true for all souls. God does not have more than one gospel, or more than one way to be a partaker of it. This is how the text statement of the apostle Paul is fulfilled in anyone’s life. There IS an author of confusion however, and he most assuredly DOES have “another gospel” other than the one we have just seen simplistically revealed by the scriptures (II Cor. 11:4,13-15; Gal. 1:6,7). And the other gospel that Satan has contrived is the result of people wanting to be teachers of the gospel as the apostle stated, and turning aside unto “vain jangling;” as he also noted. And as he further stated, they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.” The entire Christian religion is made up of perversions of the scriptures for the purpose of NOT having a pure heart full of the love of God, and for NOT having a clear conscience, or unfeigned faith. We have already seen the Bible’s definition of how to accomplish the things that the apostle mentioned in our text scripture. But Christianity teaches OTHER ways of supposedly accomplishing these things, which ways in fact insure that these integral elements CANNOT be attained to. To set the very experience that alone purifies our hearts from sin, as a secondary experience to “getting saved,” is all it takes to pervert the gospel that Jesus died for, and it’s lone purpose which we have seen disclosed here by the scriptures. But this wicked perversion doesn’t stop with “getting saved,” it permeates all of Christianity in a myriad of forms, all of which can only be rightly labeled as “vain jangling.” If it isn’t ALL and ONLY about purifying the heart and having the love of God thriving therein, and continuance in that vein; it is vain jangling, and anyone teaching “vain jangling” fails to understand what they are saying, neither do they know “whereof they affirm.” One thing is certain, the traditions and doctrines of Christianity CANNOT be affirmed by the truth of the holy scriptures. Amen. Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page June 1, 2012    
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The Sum Total
by Lary R. Hale

“Now the end of the commandment is [love] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm” (I Tim. 1:5-7). This powerful statement by the apostle Paul both tells the gospel story, and it also tells the story of what is today called Christianity. The word “end” in the first verse means the aim or purpose. So the entire summation of the commandments of God is for his love to dwell in the hearts of true believers without sin accompanying it, which is to say “pure.” That, and to have the “good conscience” that results from that state (Heb. 9:14). And also to have faith with total honesty and sincerity of heart, which is to say “unfeigned.” So how is this accomplished in a human being? Well how about we let the scriptures answer that all important question for us: “… because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts BY the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). And just how does THAT happen with someone? And what about that “pure heart” that the apostle mentioned in the first verse? Let’s take another look at the scriptures now: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” And how did Peter and the brethren KNOW that God had poured out the holy Ghost on these gentiles? “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (Acts 10:44-46). Now let’s see what Peter said about this very event when he was later discussing it with the apostles and elders: “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, GIVING them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, PURIFYING THEIR HEARTS by faith” (Acts 15:8,9). Okay, so according to THE BIBLE, these folks RECEIVED the holy Ghost by being BAPTIZED with the holy Ghost, with the accompanying sign of speaking with other tongues. And as the scripture plainly states, it was that experience of faith in Jesus that purified these people’s hearts. So what this means is that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts,” when our hearts are PURIFIED by the experience of the baptism of the holy Ghost. And the beloved apostle, as well as Jesus, makes it very clear that this purifying experience MUST be had, and also continued in, if we expect to attain unto eternal life at the resurrection of the dead (Mat. 5:8; I Jn. 3:2,3). 

God is not the author of confusion my friend. What was true for the souls in that event is true for all souls. God does not have more than one gospel, or more than one way to be a partaker of it. This is how the text statement of the apostle Paul is fulfilled in anyone’s life. There IS an author of confusion however, and he most assuredly DOES have “another gospel” other than the one we have just seen simplistically revealed by the scriptures (II Cor. 11:4,13-15; Gal. 1:6,7). And the other gospel that Satan has contrived is the result of people wanting to be teachers of the gospel as the apostle stated, and turning aside unto “vain jangling;” as he also noted. And as he further stated, they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.” The entire Christian religion is made up of perversions of the scriptures for the purpose of NOT having a pure heart full of the love of God, and for NOT having a clear conscience, or unfeigned faith. We have already seen the Bible’s definition of how to accomplish the things that the apostle mentioned in our text scripture. But Christianity teaches OTHER ways of supposedly accomplishing these things, which ways in fact insure that these integral elements CANNOT be attained to. To set the very experience that alone purifies our hearts from sin, as a secondary experience to “getting saved,” is all it takes to pervert the gospel that Jesus died for, and it’s lone purpose which we have seen disclosed here by the scriptures. But this wicked perversion doesn’t stop with “getting saved,” it permeates all of Christianity in a myriad of forms, all of which can only be rightly labeled as “vain jangling.” If it isn’t ALL and ONLY about purifying the heart and having the love of God thriving therein, and continuance in that vein; it is vain jangling, and anyone teaching “vain jangling” fails to understand what they are saying, neither do they know “whereof they affirm.” One thing is certain, the traditions and doctrines of Christianity CANNOT be affirmed by the truth of the holy scriptures. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page June 1, 2012    

Source: byonespirit.com