Who Has the Truth?

[Sara V Schmidt]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Truth
From: -----
To: ask@thepathoftruth.com <ask@thepathoftruth.com>
Date: 1/5/2013 1:12 PM

Hi, my name is Amber and I live in Indiana. I came across your website and am in complete shock and turmoil over the things I have read. I attend a relatively small church of probably around 200 people and am heavily involved in various aspects of ministry there. My husband and I both are.

Much of what you claim is contrary to what is taught in our church and I am now very unsettled over some of these issues. How in the world am I to know who is preaching the "truth." Our pastor uses a lot of Scripture, which I see you have pointed out false teachers will do that.

We have both been "believers" for many years. We just want to be on the right path with God in relationship an total surrender to His will. You said in one of your writings to call you with questions. I think that is in order. Please pray for us as this is very distressing, but perhaps an answer to prayer. ?

Sent from my iPhone

Victor and Paul replied:

Hi Amber,

In Noah’s day, there were many “churches preaching the truth and the gospel.” As Jesus said, all things seemed normal enough, people eating, drinking, building, marrying, and giving in marriage. It is also written of that time:

“The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11 MKJV).

When we think of violence, we have in our minds pictures of rampant physical ugliness, but the Hebrew word for “violence” also had the meanings of “unjust gain” and “injustice.” (Read Violence Is Rampant on the Earth: Worse than in Noah’s Day.)

People everywhere in America and the world are being violated in a multitude of ways, often unwittingly, as you well know. The vast number of churches in the Name of Christ are no better, and they are one in spirit and in step with the world. If they aren’t, overtly and formally, they are, covertly and in their “off hours.” Who can deny it?

We had a neighbor remark rather forcefully concerning a brand new, active Calvinist Reform Church across the road from him. He said, “They strictly keep their Sundays. They get all dressed up and go to church faithfully. They have their family day and won’t involve themselves in world affairs for 24 hours, but when that day is done, watch out. I know people in that church who will do anything, and I mean anything, during the rest of the week.”

Notwithstanding the great profession of faith in God and Jesus Christ, the earth is filled with violence, much of it secret in many forms, and much in legal and white collar crime. Just think of those the people choose as their leaders:

Former President Jimmy Carter is a rabid anti-Semite, vehemently opposing Israel, God’s chosen people, yet he claims to be born again.

Ronald Reagan removed restraints in the legal system in commerce and unleashed the financial pit bulls of the world to ravage America and the world. He professed faith in Christ.

Bill Clinton was a churchgoer and professor of faith in Christ, while he thought nothing of adultery and lying about it.

Now we have President Obama, who has broken America’s legs and proceeds to ruthlessly finish her off with cunning, deception, and stealth.

These are all judgments of God on the people, and who is mainly responsible? The answer is Mystery, false religion:

“And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all those who were slain on the earth” (Revelation 18:24 MKJV).

She is the adulteress, the harlot, the handsome and seductive religious entity taking the good things of God, deceiving, enticing, and perverting everyone passing by. She is the woman of Proverbs 7.

The church systems are a cross-less Christianity. They are false religion presented as true and of God. The Lord has revealed these things to me, to my astonishment and great chagrin (now I’m greatly thankful). He has unveiled Mystery Babylon the Great to me, and she is everywhere, in great power, glory, and reverential esteem, in pretense of what nominal Christians might call “godliness.” As you may realize, however, many of the deceived are backing off there, sensing that godliness isn’t so real in the churches after all.

Those who remain in the churches are duped by thinking of them as gatherings of sinners saved by grace, of the sick the Great Physician has come to minister to, yet grace never prevails because their sickness is never uncovered or healed. “After all, nobody’s perfect,” they muse, and succumb to the lukewarm mixture the Lord spewed out of His mouth in Noah’s day.

The Lord says, “Go and sin no more lest something worse befalls you,” and, “Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect,” and, “He who practices sin is of the Devil,” and, “He that is born again does not sin,” and, “Repent, you’ve lost your first love,” and, “I don’t find your works perfect before Me.” All these things people are shrugging off as impossible goals one ought only to strive for, but they can never realistically reach. These live a cross-less Christianity, which is entirely worthless to the Lord and, worse, it is counterfeit. (Read Do Christians Sin?)

What? Shall God give us unrealistic directives? Isn’t Almighty God the Spirit of Reality, of Truth, of Empowerment to give us what is needed to meet His requirements? Is grace overlooking sin or is it the power granted to overcome sin? Today, America is teeming with “Christians” who think grace is God’s overlooking of sin. No, true grace is deliverance from, and the eradication of, sin. We know and can testify so. And so you see us contending for the faith once delivered to the saints. (Read Grace – The Reality.)

Jesus Christ didn’t die just so He could persuade the Father to ignore and forgive sin. He laid down His life and took it up again so we might have the power of His Resurrection Life to overcome evil, sin, and the evil one. That is true grace and true intercession. The other grace, of course, is the great lie being taught everywhere, lulling sinners into complacent graves. The other grace tells people there is forgiveness and victory without the cross personally taken up. The churches preach many doctrines and practice many things that are false and misleading. (Read The Cross – Only the Death Sentence Will Avail.)

But why are you here, Amber? We can easily tell you why, according to your words and spirit. You’re here because the Lord has brought you. You’ve been shaken by the truth of our site because the Lord has given you to be shaken. You’ve sensed the presence and need of the cross of Christ. You ought to take solace in that. Many will never hear these things in the short term, and they suffer the consequences of believing lies, not worshipping the Father in spirit and truth. The Lord has granted you a window of mercy.

You ask the perfectly necessary question: “How in the world am I to know who is preaching the ‘truth.’”

The Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Answer, not men, not churches, not doctrine or reasoning or study. Only our death on His cross will do. Amber, if He doesn’t reveal Himself to us, there’s no way we can know the Truth, Whom (not “what”) He is. Many have some very good doctrine, but as accurate as it may be, they don’t know Him because they have never denied themselves and taken up the cross.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; nobody comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).

He lives and will by no means reject those who come to Him prepared to do His will rather than their own, no matter how fine and acceptable to Him they presume their services and worship may be. The answer to Life is, “Thy will, not mine, be done.” But of course, it must be given to us.

You close with, “Please pray for us as this is very distressing, but perhaps an answer to prayer. ?”

You got it, Amber; you have your answer – believe it and be thankful. By Him and by His grace only, we’re here to help you. Have you ever denied yourself and taken up the cross? Your letter is evidence it hasn’t happened. You’ve professed His Name and done “many wonderful works,” as you seem to indicate, but works in the flesh in His Name will only be burned, and you’ll be left empty-handed. You and your husband need to take up the cross. Only His righteousness and work will do.

Victor and Paul
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