Kerrigan Skelly

The Great ‘Harsh Words’ and Railing Debate?

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ERRATA:  I have since publishing this article repented of vulgar speech, brawling, etc or anything that brings a reproach upon Jesus Christ and the Gospel.
See confession video HERE>

by John McGlone

We hosted  a formal debate at the Fall SOAPA Conference in Atlanta, GA.  It was a struggle to say the least and not as ‘Great’ as I had hoped and prayed for.  I think overall the most of the debate went well. Unfortunately, due to my lack of good moderation and some intemperance of some preachers it ended in a less than ideal way which showed some very bad fruits.   Many naysayers and gain sayers, yet some like myself are encouraged that we at least have the apple cart overturned to inspect our fruit as a group.

JESUS WAS A RAILER, YES OR NO?
     On the face of it, this seems to be a no brainer.  Jesus never railed, and railers obviously are on their way to hell according to the Bible and most Christians understanding of the Bible.  I want to make it clear that the debater, Aden Rusfeldt nor myself believe that Jesus was a railer in the common understanding of the word.  We and a few others hold that Jesus was/is a Holy upbraider, which is also defined in the Strong’s as rail and revile.  This was the basis for the weak argument of, “Jesus was a Railer”.  Personally, I have only understood this idea for about six months prior to the debate. I was encouraged when I saw Aden post a video with the very thing we were thinking and talking about. There is one of the lynch pins in this concept which makes sense and must be explained by opponents of the idea.

Here is a list of passages that use the word RAIL or some form of it:

2 Chr 32:17
He wrote also letters to RAIL on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.

1 Cor 5:11
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a RAILER, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

1 Pet 3:9
Not rendering evil for evil, or RAILING for RAILING: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

2 Pet 2:11
Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not RAILING accusation against them before the Lord.

Jude 1:9
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a RAILING accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

1 Sam 25:14
But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he RAILED on them.

Mar 15:29
And they that passed by RAILED on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

Luk 23:39
And one of the malefactors which were hanged RAILED on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

Notice that in this list not one of the words is in a positive sense, they are all negative.  So, obviously we can not direct such a negative word or behavior to the Master, Jesus Christ, can we?

Some months before the debate was even thought of or arranged a dear brother of mine brought forth the idea that upbraiding is also defined as rail.  Here is the definition and the verses.

The KJV translates Strong’s G3679 ‘upbraid’ Matt 11:20 in the following manner:upbraid (3x), reproach (3x), revile (2x), cast in (one’s) teeth (1x), suffer reproach (1x).

The KJV translates Strong’s H2778 ‘upbraid’ Judges 8:15   in the following manner:reproach (27x), defy (8x), betrothed (1x), blasphemed (1x), jeoparded (1x), rail (1x), upbraid (1x), winter (1x).

 NOTICE HOW THREE WORDS WORDS ARE TRANSLATED INTO RAIL OR REVILE?

This creates a conflict of understanding especially in the Matt 11 passage as Jesus was never a reviler or railer according to our Scriptural understanding.   For the layman to overcome this conflict from the lexicons, he must conclude that Jesus was not a sinner, but a holy reviler or railer.  These words mean the same thing on different levels, the railing Jesus would have done would have been holy vs. unholy.  This would kind of be like holy hatred vs unholy hatred that God has for sinners vs. men have for men in unrighteous anger.   Keep in mind you can’t ignore it, you must deal with it in some manner or another.  

Mar 16:14
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

 Jas 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Jdg 8:15
And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

Mat 11:20
Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

The way Br. Aaron dealt with it was to introduce an idea of hypernym vs. hyponym.  Here is a clear picture of the idea

Wikipedia Discussion

According to Aaron’s argument for the hypernym word, UPBRAID,  we have many ambiguous hyponyms:  reproach (3x), revile (2x), cast in (one’s) teeth (1x), suffer reproach (1x).reproach (27x), defy (8x), betrothed (1x), blasphemed (1x), jeoparded (1x), rail (1x), upbraid (1x), winter (1x).

My conclusion is that UPBRAID is synonymous with those words and needs no grammatical gymnastics to try and disprove that Jesus was a Holy upbraider,    This is clearly defined as railing and reviling in the Strong’s.  I must add that this would have to be holy as we know that Jesus did not sin.  This inconsistency is not explained by Br. Aaron’s presentation.  He never dealt with why the word UPBRAID is defined as RAIL & REVILE by both Strong’s and Thayer’s Lexicon.

Harsh Words

I have been preaching open air about 13 years very regularly and the idea of how a preacher should speak and conduct themselves in the open air is a continuing source of controversy.  I have wrestled over this in the spirit for going on four years now. Who can I associate with?  Is there a line or standard that should be held up for all to see?

What do you say preacher?

The Finality of Chaos?
The destructive chaos during the Q&A session was inexcusable on many fronts.  The vendettas, backbiting, and overall lack of self control on the parts of a few were instrumental for making the debate to be utterly vain as some have said.  But, God uses base things to teach us.  I believe this is actually a good thing.  In our home fellowship we have determined through many long discussions to be above reproach as the Spirit leads us, but not to quench the Holy Ghost’s work of holy upbraiding as we see the sinful land where we live is in need of our final warning.  People all over the country and the world are using this base thing to talk out these issues and purifying themselves by faith.

Final Warning
I warn you brethren do not become divisive and discordant between the brethren that work in the open air.   1 Cor 5:11 is used as a tool of the devil by some to sow much harm to the body of Christ.

1 Cor 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

The Greek word Loideros for railer used in this passage is someone who’s heart is bent on the bad motives toward the hearers of the message preached.   Unless you are sure by the Holy Spirit that the person is using attitudes of opprobrium then you must withhold judgment and allow the Lord to judge.

Aaron, used the word opprobrius to bring understanding to what railing means.  But, he failed to take it to the root word;

Opprobrium

OPPRO’BRIUM, noun [Latin ob and probrum, disgrace.]

Reproach mingled with contempt or disdain.

This is the heart of the matter preachers.  Don’t mix your rebukes in the open air for sinners with contempt or disdain.  I would go further don’t mix your counsel to brethren on Facebook with the same contempt or disdain as you would become the man with the log in your eye.

Lastly, and ironically the ones who are trying to bring all of this holy correction on the few, are stepping all over themselves trying to set, keep, and enforce these words standards sowing all manner of discord.

Prov 6:16-19  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,  19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

 

 

OSAS, Eternal Security or Perpetual Insecurity?

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THE ROOT OF OSAS

I have learned over my twenty years of walking with the Lord that the doctrine of
Once Saved Always Saved, also known as OSAS is perhaps one of the spiritually deadliest teaching  of devils in Christendom.

When I have ministered on the streets to the drunkards, drug addicts, lazy, lying, stealing, pimping, murdering sinners many of them have grown up in ‘churches’ which have taught them this onerous teaching of Once Saved, Always Saved.  These sinners will say things like: a.  I accepted Jesus when I was ten and I can’t do anything to lose my salvation.  b.  You’re a legalist because God doesn’t require us to do anything.  c.  I know God saved me, stop judging.  When asked if Jesus came to set the captives free from sin, without exception they will then plead to, “Everyone sins, even you!”  When asked if sin is a choice, they will proclaim, “We’re born this way, God knows that and forgives us anyway.”  They make all manner of excuses trying to justify themselves.  However, they can not answer this passage with any cogent response.

2 Pet 2:20-22
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,  and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.

When a OSAS believer is challenged to consider other former believers they may have known in their lives. They will respond, “They were never saved in the first place.”  I will ask them how that makes any sense even though they personally knew the person experienced forgiveness, experienced a new birth, and experienced good fruits meet for repentance.  They will continue to insist they were never ‘saved’ in the first place.  We knew of a good Holy Spirit filled open air preacher in Richmond, VA around 2006 who began to doubt his faith.  Instead of exhorting him to return to the faith, his Calvinist buddies began to tell him, You must have had a false conversion.  He eventually became a very aggressive atheist for the devils work.  He even has a YT webpage promoting his anti Christ thinking.  Why have we shot our spiritual foot off with false doctrines?  What a shame that any believer would cause a man to stumble from faith and into the pit of eternal darkness!    I wonder what these verses mean in this situation I have described?

James 5:19-20
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Now, I don’t think we are ‘saved’ the way the OSAS believer thinks.  I believe the Bible teaches us to seek a new birth.   John 3:3-5  We must humble ourselves with broken hearts about our sin and what the Father and Son had to do to accomplish reconciliation with rebellious mankind and not compromise His Holiness. Ps 34:18 , 2 Cor 7:10  Our new life begins when we completely and unconditionally surrender to our Great God and King Jesus Christ. We are pardoned criminals that are here on earth in a period of probation.  However, if we continue to seek sin, the world, and the devil’s work we will:  1. Grieve the Holy Spirit away  2.  Increasingly harden our hearts as we continue to seek darkness instead of holiness  3.  Many even test God so far that He will decide to reprobate us and turn us over to our vile desires that we could never be saved even though we have not physically died yet.

Here are some great videos on the probation of the believer:

Imagine a criminal going to a court before a good judge and being found guilty of assault against a defenseless 93 year old lady.  The criminal puts forth a heartfelt apology to her and through tears begs the judge to give him mercy though he deserves none.  The judge decides to offer that mercy and puts him on probation for five years with the condition of the original charges being added back to any future crimes.  Well, sure enough the forgiven criminal did not take the judge seriously and within a few months was dragged back into court in chains before the same good judge.  This time he had mugged an 86 year old man, broken his jaw, and put him into the ICU at the local hospital clinging to life.  Do you think the judge was pleased to hear of the criminal’s activity?  He was more furious than before that his mercy had been offered and the fool had trampled all over the former ruling.  Well, all the former charges and judgments were now brought forth and adjudicated with the new charges. Plus an even stricter ruling was given than the first because the judge was tried by the criminal and found to be good to his word.  Do you think God is good to what He has promised and threatened toward His sinning creatures?  Do you think that God magically forgets what has gone on before you were forgiven the first time?  No dear reader, God has not forgotten.  He had remitted the past sin when you were born again and now you need to walk as an obedient servant instead of a rebellious criminal.  Rom 3:25-27

I will often hear those holding to OSAS promote this analogy of what father rejects their children for mistakes they make.These folks make some serious category errors:  1. Our  earthly fathers are nothing like our heavenly Father.  Heb 12:9   2.We are not sons of God but children of the devil if we sin.  1 John 3:8-9    3. We are breaking our relationship with our heavenly Father.  4. Sin is not a mistake but a criminal activity  1 John 3:4

In conclusion, we should connect some dots so to speak from the preceding paragraphs.  Firstly, ‘believers’ should never resist correction offered from God’s Word if we are found in contradiction to it.  Secondly, The OSAS fruit of, “Never genuinely saved”  causes doubts for both the former believers and current believers.   Couldn’t people be grafted in again as God’s Word says in Rom 11:19-24?  Couldn’t they return to the Lord as He admonishes in the Holy Scripture?

1 Pet 2:24-25
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

This deadly spiritual mistake is to presume that someone was not born again if they fell away from the faith.  This would cause what I have coined the ‘Perpetual Insecurity’ of the believer.  If you think carefully about it that is exactly what the OSAS doctrine does in a person’s heart.  The former believer can not imagine returning if all of that former experience was not real.  Because they have been taught they had a false conversion this only cements their spiritual condition against God.  The current believer wonders if they are truly saved because they have internalized this false doctrine, secretly wondering if they are actually in the faith themselves.  To compound the problem they must come up with more doctrines like sinful saint, imputed righteousness, etc. to assist understanding of the root of the false doctrine which is OSAS.  For a good teaching on this CLICK HERE. These doctrines only try to hold together the fur ball that is being theologically choked upon.  Why not just confess your sin IF you sin and be forgiven?  Why not just seek the Lord, resist the temptations and devils and obey God in the first place?  1 Cor 10:13  Wouldn’t that be the faithful thing to do?  Should we be found faithful or faithless before His Holy Throne?

Thirdly, our Great God and King is an impartial judge.  He will not overlook your sin because you have washed it away with theological gymnastics.  He commands all to be born again of the Holy Spirit, all to walk according to His Holy Spirit, all to abide in Him and produce good fruit, all to endure to the end.  These commands make no sense in light of the ideology of Once Saved, Always Saved.  Why walk, abide or endure to the end as He both commands and desires?  Has God no power in your life to change the way you act, think, talk and walk?

Saints of God, let us be  very careful how we deal with each other in this most Holy faith in which we partake.  Glory to Jesus!

Heb 12:12-17
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

OSASlie

Here is a spiritual tsunami which testifies against OSAS.  Please read these verses carefully in context, thank you!

1 Samuel 10:6, 9-10; 1 Samuel 11:6; 1 Samuel 13:13-14; 1 Samuel 15:10-11, 23; 1 Samuel 31:4; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Proverbs 2:13; Isaiah 1:4; Ezekiel 3:20-21; Ezekiel 18:18-31; Ezekiel 33:12-20; Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 10 (Judas):20; Matthew 18:32-35; Matthew 24:13; Matthew 24:48-51; Matthew 25:1-13; Matthew 25:24-30; Mark 4:16-19; Mark 13:13; Luke 13:23-27; John 6:66; John 8:31; John 15:1-6; John 17:12; Acts 1:24-25; Acts 11:23; Acts 13:43; Acts 14:22; Romans 11:15-24; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Corinthians 10:5-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Galatians 5:4-9; Galatians 6:7-9; Philippians 1:9,10; Philippians 2:12-13; Philippians 4:1; Colossians 1:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 3:5,8; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 1:5,6; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 1 Timothy 4:1; 1 Timothy 4:16; 1 Timothy 5:11-12, 15; Timothy 1: 14-15; 2 Timothy 2:3-5, 12, 17-18; 2 Timothy 4:9-10; Hebrews 2:1, 3; Hebrews 3:6, 8-15, 18-19; Hebrews 4:1, 11, 14; Hebrews 6:1, 8, 11-12, 15; Hebrews 10:23, 26-31, 35-39; Hebrews 12:14-15, 25; James 1:13-15; James 5:19-20; 2 Peter 1:9; 2 Peter 2:20-22; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 John 3:15, Jude 20-21; Revelation 2:4-7, 10-11, 17, 25-26; Revelation 3:2-5, 10-12, 16, 19, 21; Revelation 16:15;

Judgment on Individuals
John 3:18 — unbelievers are already condemned
Acts 5:1-11 — judgment on Ananias and Sapphira…
Acts 12:23 — God’s angel smites Herod with a disease for not giving God the glory
Acts 13:10-12 — Paul strikes Elymas Bar Jesus blind for resisting the Gospel
1 Corinthians 11:27-32 — judgment on those who drink the Lord’s table unworthily
2 Thessalonians 1:5-6 — God’s “righteous judgment” on those who persecute believers
Hebrews 10:27-29 — judgment, and fiery indignation of God promised against willful sin

God’s Wrath being shown in this age
Luke 21:23 — God’s wrath to be poured out on Jerusalem in 70 AD
John 3:36 — the wrath of God is presently upon unbelievers
Romans 1:20 — the wrath of God is presently being revealed against ungodliness
Romans 13:4 — governments are God’s minister to execute wrath on evildooers
Ephesians 5:6 — God’s wrath executed upon the disobedient
Colossians 3:6 — God’s wrath executed on the disobedient
1 Thessalonians 2:16 — God’s wrath has come upon those who hinder the Gospel

False Doctrine of Original Sin = Judgment!

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fruit-of-the-womb

When we preach in the open air, original sin, sinful nature, and once saved always saved doctrines consistently permeate the crowd no matter where we go or to whom we preach.  Sinners seek to justify themselves and others with these false doctrines in the light of holiness preaching.  I came across this blogpost of a man who was a Christian born again from the age of 18.  He was well studied earning  several theological degrees.  But, alas he did not persevere to the end, even denying His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Pet 2:1
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

http://formerfundy.blogspot.com/2010/03/original-sin-and-infant-salvation.html

He writes, “One of the difficulties within evangelical theology relates to what happens to infants when they die. Because evangelicals believe in original sin, they believe that infants are born corrupt and sinful.”

Not all evangelicals believe in original sin.  Though we do know that most hold to this hideous doctrine.  We don’t believe that God makes baby sinners but that they are made in His image.
1 Cor 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.

We also believe that God makes them perfect and they have not done good or evil.

Ps 139:13-15 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Babies are wonderfully made?  If original sin is true, then God would be the very cause of all the lying, murders, rapes, etc in this world.  Where is the sin that God puts in, or allows from Adam’s blood to corrupt the child in utero?

Rom 9:11  “for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil,…”

As Christians we must be willing to examine every doctrine or tradition we have been taught in ‘Christendom’ in light of the Holy Spirit teaching us all things from the Holy Bible.

A few rhetorical questions for the reader to ponder:

1.  How could a Holy God make everyone sinners without making Himself unholy?
2.  How does it make sense that God would create humans in a sinful state which He must eternally destroy on Judgment day?

3.  If God stated that He tempts no man, how could he make us sinners from birth without putting a stumbling block before humanity?

4.  Wouldn’t Satan desire to propagate such a doctrine that pleases mankind to justify himself in his sin and falsely accuses God throughout this age?

5.  Why would Jesus tell people to, “Go and sin no more…” If He created the problem of sin in the first place?

6.  Is God double minded that He in His sovereignty creates a problem He must cure with the blood of Jesus?

7.  Was Jesus born a sinner?  Was He not born in the flesh as we are, yet without sin?  If Jesus was not born a sinner, does the Romish doctrine of immaculate conception apply here?

8.  If babies are born sinners and the child dies before being born again of the Holy Spirit, do they go to eternal fire?

9.  Didn’t Jesus teach that we should become like ‘children’ to enter the Kingdom of God?  Why promote that idea if children are just sinners that He made to destroy?

The history of this false doctrine is clear.  ‘Saint’ Augustine of Hippo, formally a Manichean gnostic originated this devilish doctrine and Calvin perfected it many centuries later.  I think vast multitudes of true believers have fallen for this deception which falsely accuses God and excuses sinners.

Smashed on Broadway New Years 2014

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Romans 6:5-7
 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him,that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Friends,

What did you spend your last year doing?  On Facebook they have a feature that gives you a page of summary of your activities for that past year.  When I opened mine, I was pleased to see that most all of my FB was centered on Jesus, His Gospel, getting that published and my family!

https://www.facebook.com/yearinreview/john.mcglone.777

This new year as I contemplate how God has so drastically changed my life, heart, mind and soul for Him in the last sixteen I am amazed.  I want to run with more fervor and endurance in the next, then next, and next, if the Lord wills until my physical body is completely poured out for Him.

Rom 12:1-3  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

In light of that thought, as my family is spiritually and physically preparing themselves to go out for about four hours of driving and four hours of preaching in 30 degree weather.  I am so thankful for the work the Lord has done in our children in preparing them to count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. They will endure the hardness of this environment as a demonstration of love to all the sin loving God hating multitudes that will swarm in the downtown area of Nashville, to party, lust, drink booze, fight, and generally whoop it up for the devil.

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The irony is that of the seven children that went out yesterday in the same kind of weather yesterday, they all wanted to go back out today.  They were threatened, cursed at, called names, and generally despised for Jesus while I preached at the Music City Bowl.  All they were doing was standing there handing out tracts, ,holding signs, and wearing gospel hoodies from www.preachinggear.com. Not only were they despised by the sinners, but they brought their children out to the ball game and made them endure the weather for their parents lust of football, beer, and fun.  The sinners tried to get our children to repent of their repentance!  You don’t have to come out here!  He can’t make you do this!  Is your daddy forcing you to do this?  Someone should call the police!  I turned to our youth and calmly asked, “Children, did I make you come out here, or did you choose?  They resoundingly spoke up, we choose!  Why do my children care so much for the lost?  Because they were once lost themselves and know the weight of sin and the freedom Christ has brought them by the Holy Spirit!  Hallelujah!  Pray for us saint as we make our final preparations to head back into the fray for souls, where the naysayers will preach:  1.  You’re doing it wrong   2.  This isn’t the Gospel  3.  You’re sinners too!   4.  No one obeys God.  While we preach verse upon verse, line upon line that the blind may grope after Christ and be found in Him on that Great and Terrible Day of JUDGMENT.

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