To and Fro...
by Dr. Ken Matto
(Psa 40:7 KJV) Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written
of me,
(Heb 10:7 KJV) Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written
of me,) to do thy will, O God.
What are we looking for? The reason I ask this question is because it seems that
many Christians are dissatisfied with being a Christian. When we search the
Bible, we do it under the understanding of the above two verses. The entire
Bible is written about the Lord Jesus Christ and the great plan of redemption of
His Elect. God gave us the Bible in narrative form for us to identify with it
since this life is made up of one vignette after another. I would consider each
day a new vignette. (Lam 3:22-23 KJV) It is
of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail
not. {23} They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Even though the mercies of God are new everyday, there seems to be a great
restlessness within Christianity and I am not speaking about Christians desiring
to go to the mission field, I am speaking about the many who are just plain
discontented. Many seem to feel that there should be more to the Christian life
then there is. The reason I know this is that I see such great uneasiness among
many Christians. Let me give a few reasons why I believe that there is such
dissatisfaction among Christians.
Have you ever noticed how many Christians always seem to purchase the newest
translation of the Bible. Why is that? One of the main reasons they do this is
they hope to find something new within them. The problem is that after they use
it for a while, they cannot wait until another version is created and hopefully
something new will appear in that one. Unfortunately, anticipation, in most
cases, out climaxes the actual event. Then the Christian is sent back into a
state of dullness. Probably one of the most dangerous situations plaguing
Christianity today, is the believer’s relentless desire to find something new.
If one reads the book of Ecclesiastes, we will see that there is nothing new
under the sun. The Christian must realize that all the action that we will
partake in will be in the New Heaven and the New Earth, the present Earth is a
place where the Christian works to evangelize to find the other Elect of God.
This present Earth is not a resting place but a working place.
(Heb 11:16 KJV) But now they desire a better
country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their
God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Look at all the new theological systems that Christian are running to.
(Psa 107:27 KJV) They reel to and fro, and stagger
like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. As a
drunk goes from one bender to another, many Christians go from one theology to
another. The gullibility of many Christians is running very high. Just because
someone uses a bible and then attaches personal meanings to verses, does not
mean that it is correct. There is a teaching called Mid-Acts Dispensationalism
which basically teaches that some of the books of Paul were for the contemporary
Jews of his day and some are for today. God gave the Bible so it would be
contemporary for every generation up till the last one. When a theology like
this is taught, it normally has the imprimatur of some seminary professors or
pastors who have bought into the system. This results in the naïve sheep also
buying into the system.
Some years ago I knew a group of Christians who ran head first to follow someone
who claimed that he could prove from Scripture that Satan did not exist. Yet,
the Scriptures are replete with the teachings that Satan is a real personality
and not a phony. Now there is a move within the Reformed church to take the
teachings of Justification by faith alone and adding to them that certain works
must also be applied for a person to have salvation. This teaching goes back all
the way to the church in its embryonic stage where the Apostle Paul contested
this in the Book of Galatians. Anyone who thinks they can add to their salvation
or complete their salvation by any works is a blatant heretic and does not
understand what happened at Golgotha. Then all one has to do is turn on the TV
and see many TV preachers singing the praises of Roman Catholicism. This too has
many Christians running after the belief that Roman Catholics are Christians.
Please keep in mind that the biblical term “Christian” means one who is saved.
The worldly term “Christian” means one who is non-Jewish or one who is a member
of a church, including the Roman Catholic Church. A brother I know in another
state has been battling other Christians non-stop concerning the issue of
whether the Pope went to Heaven or not. He stood before idols, had a big “M” on
his coffin for Mary, and never once preached born again. You tell me if that
constitutes salvation.
Then all one has to do is turn on the radio in certain cities in the USA plus
short-wave and Internet and you will hear Family Stations telling
everybody to leave their church and listen to Family Radio for their spiritual
truth. I just received my copy of his latest book called “Time Has An End” which
deals specifically with timelines and his belief that the Lord may return in
2011. Many Christians that I have known for years have run after him and his new
system of theology which requires works for salvation. That work is to leave
your church, faithful or not, or else you will be under the wrath of God. Why
would somebody who has studied the Bible for many years want to exchange the
true teachings by the illumination of the Holy Ghost for the blathering heresy
of an allegorically based system?
As I stated at the beginning of this article that many Christians seem to run
after new teachings simply because they feel bored with the old, old story. This
is because many authors have been pounding the book shelves with their works
trying to get us to believe that the Gospel is not relevant for today. The sad
fact is that many Christians buy into these false notions while their King James
Bibles collect dust. So for the rest of this article, I want to look at some
biblical teachings to see if the Bible and the Old fashioned Gospel is
irrelevant for today.
Sin - In our modern day there is no more sin. All sin has been abolished.
Nonsense! When we look around, we see sin multiplying rapidly and sin has been
getting bolder and bolder. How can anyone starve another human being to death
and have no remorse for doing it unless that person is a hardened sinner? How
can anyone strap a bomb to themselves and kill a group of people without any
conscience? The struggle against sin in this world is still ongoing as it has
been in every generation since Adam and Eve.
(1 John 3:8 KJV) He that committeth sin is of the
devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
False Teachings - False teachings have been abolished. Tommyrot! In our
day there are more false gospels being propagated than ever before. In the old
days, a false gospel was propagated by writing an article or a book and it took
time to spread. Today, one has only to write an article and hit “send” and
instantly it is sitting in the inboxes of many Christians.
(2 John 1:7 KJV) For many deceivers are entered
into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is
a deceiver and an antichrist.
Death - Physical death has been abolished! Twaddle! The fact that
physical death still affects approximately 250,000 per day in this world also
makes it a mandate to send forth the Gospel. We not only concern ourselves with
the deaths of others, but also our own which means we do not know how long any
of us have and we need to make the most usage out of the time that we do have.
(Luke 16:9 KJV) And I say unto you, Make to
yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they
may receive you into everlasting habitations. Someday
we will all fail unless the Lord returns first.
Great Commission - The Great Commission has been called off! Hooey! The
Great Commission is in full throttle and we now have tools available to us in
this generation that were not available just twenty five years ago. This article goes to Australia, Nigeria, California and other places from
my bedroom in New Jersey. (Mark 16:15 KJV)
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature.
No Opportunities Available - All the opportunities to send forth the Gospel
are finished! Balderdash! If you can stick a tract in an envelope, you are
sending forth the Gospel. There are many opportunities to serve the Lord in this
present evil age. All one has to do is seek the Lord and He will guide you into
the proper opportunity. (Gal 6:10 KJV) As we
have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them
who are of the household of faith. Opportunities to
send forth the Gospel still abound today and will until the last day.
These are just five ideas which teach us that there is more than enough for any
Christian to do which should negate them from running after all these new
teachings which just send us farther from the Lord. The problem with many
believers is that they are caught in an intellectual trap where they want to
elevate themselves over others thus causing others to stumble. To bring the old
fashioned Gospel, to some seems to be so beneath them. The problem is that we
are to be bringing that very gospel simply because God has not changed His
message to a sinful and dying world. Just because unbelievers do not think the
Bible is relevant does not mean that it is not. We are to run our lives by the
content of the Scriptures and not worry about what some hell bound sinner says
or thinks. When Christians run after new teachings, they are in essence telling
God that they want more than Him. (Gen 15:1
KJV) After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision,
saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
God was Abraham’s reward and how much more do we think we deserve? Again, keep
in mind that our lives on this present Earth are to be dedicated to getting out
the Gospel and our eternal rest will come in the next life.
(Rev 14:13 KJV) And I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and
their works do follow them.
Let me conclude by saying that if you are approached with some new system of
theology, it is probably just a rehash of some false teachings of bygone eras
that Satan is trying to resurrect through his people. It is also Satan trying to
snare you into the false teaching to get you away from your present ministry.
Don’t accept every teaching that comes along just because it has the approval of
some Pastor, theologian, radio/TV preacher, or the popularity of it. Every
system must be filtered through the pages of Scripture to see if it is a true
teaching, if it is not then run for your spiritual life.
(Mat 24:5 KJV) For many shall come in my name,
saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. One thing
about this verse is that many are going to proclaim that they are Christ and
will draw many away unto themselves. There is a second side to this verse, many
are going to proclaim that Christ is God but will draw you away into a false
system of beliefs. This is happening at a rapid rate today as Christians are
being misled by other Christians, both inside and outside the church, who fail
to test the teachings by Scripture as we are commanded to do.
(1 John 4:1 KJV) Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world.
This is why there is a spirit of confusion in the body of Christ on a level
never seen before. Hundreds of authors, hundreds of false bible versions,
hundreds of religious opinions all equate to one confused body of Christians. It
does not have to be this way if Christians would go to their Bible first and see
if these things were so. (Acts 17:11 KJV)
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word
with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those
things were so. Acts 17:11 is a verse which we hear
quoted many times and is the least obeyed in the Bible. If we searched the
Scriptures to see if these things were so, there would be minimal confusion in
the body of Christ. Then Christians would not be uneasy in their walk and would
be able to do the things which the Lord has commanded us to do and we would stop
the futility of chasing after new teachings and would give no credence to false
teachers. There would be no major false systems in the body of Christ if there
were no adherents. False teachings and teachers thrive only on one thing, an
audience of gullible people. Check your gullibility meter to make sure it is
low. 0 [\………] 10 (4/22/05)