Author: Jeff Fenske Page 1 of 101
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” – Galatians 5:6
Gordon Fee, reading from Galatians 5:
“So he [Paul] picks it up in verse 6. ‘For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.’ And now listen, ‘The only thing that counts is faith‘ — [pauses] period? No. That’s a very Lutheran, Calvinistic way of reading the Bible. And it’s not Paul. The only thing that counts is faith that expresses itself in love. You cannot have faith that doesn’t express itself in love. Or to put it another way, if faith does not express itself in love it’s not faith. It’s something else, but it’s certainly not faith — not in Paul’s view.”
NOTE: This is my first article put together from AI compilations, which I’m notating, and will always notate when doing so in the future.
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Someone recently said the early Christians didn’t sing songs during church services, which not one Bible verse says. This is my response.
My Testimony:
As a senior in Lutheran high school in 1974, I realized I didn’t have the ability to love people. So I decided I’d search every religion until I found the source of being able to love others. Thankfully, I started by digging deeper into Christianity, reading what the New Testament really says. It turned out that Acts was a GREAT place to start — probably is for others too.
I found what I was looking for when I read Paul and Silas’ account of worshiping God in song while in chains in prison after being stripped and severely beaten for simply preaching the gospel. Acts 16:
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open….
34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
Christian men need to worship in Spirit and in truth!
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” – James 4:8
“The joy of the Lord is your strength!” – Neh. 8:10
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From Google Gemini
Both biblical and extra-biblical evidence strongly indicate that early Christians sang songs to God during their services. This practice was deeply rooted in their Jewish heritage and evolved with their new faith.
Today, we have many false teachers who pervert the grace of God, turning it into a license for sensuality — teaching “once saved always saved” or “only believe.” They claim we don’t actually have to abide in Christ to be ‘in Christ,’ defying the word of God — about 90 passages that warn us about losing our salvation if we don’t overcome by God’s grace.
In New Testament days, they had the false doctrine of Gnosticism, which was their license to sin. We have “once saved always saved” and “only believe” instead, which produces similar, Christian-in-name-only results.
Jude writes:
3 Beloved, although I was quite eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have crept in unnoticed. They are ungodly men who pervert the grace of our God, turning it into a license for sensuality. By doing so, they deny God, who is our only Master, and also the Lord Jesus Christ.” TCENT
“A TIME WILL COME WHEN INSTEAD OF SHEPHERDS FEEDING THE SHEEP, THE CHURCH WILL HAVE CLOWNS ENTERTAINING THE GOATS”
– CHARLES H. SPURGEON
Paul predicted:
“For The TIME WILL COME when THEY WILL NOT LISTEN to the SOUND DOCTRINE, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves TEACHERS AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS; and will TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, and turn aside to *FABLES*” (2 Tim. 4:3-4)
“When you stand before men, ask little, and expect less; but when you stand before God, ask much, and expect more, and believe that He is able to do for you exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think.” – C.H. Spurgeon
POWERFUL!
“IF GOD GIVES YOU A FEW MORE YEARS, REMEMBER, IT IS NOT YOURS. YOUR TIME MUST HONOR GOD, YOUR HOME MUST HONOR GOD, YOUR ACTIVITY MUST HONOR GOD, AND EVERYTHING YOU DO MUST HONOR GOD.” – A. W. Tozer
“When grace becomes an excuse to live in sin, you are no longer under grace but under deception.“
The Gospel is meant to CHANGE THE SINNER. Not for the sinner to CHANGE THE GOSPEL to suit their sin.
The Gospel is meant to CHANGE THE SINNER. Not for the sinner to CHANGE THE GOSPEL to suit their sin.
In the gospel, God pays for our bad decisions. In Calvinism, we pay for God’s bad decisions.
Of course they would say that all God’s decisions are wise. But I give you examples below of what I mean:
Like decisions not to love us, to make us sinners, to ordain sin in some perverse “sovereign” way, and to make sanctification a struggle we can’t win.
Calvin even said that God ordained the Fall of Man and basically made it happen.
SALVATION IS NOT “grace + nothing,” popularly taught as fact today.
SALVATION IS being born again + walking according to the Holy Spirit, not according to the flesh.
1) Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice replaced the old covenant’s animal sacrifices.
2) The Holy Spirit has replaced the law — not “nothing.”
“But if you are LED BY THE SPIRIT you are not under the LAW.”
“For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But HE WHO SOWS TO THE SPIRIT will from the Spirit REAP ETERNAL LIFE.
– Galatians 5:18, 6:8
“so that the requirement of the LAW might be FULFILLED IN US, WHO WALK not according to the flesh but ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.
..for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For ALL WHO ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT ARE THE SONS OF GOD.”
– Romans 8:4, 13-14
The former commandment is set aside because it was weak and ineffective (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced [the Holy Spirit], by which we draw near to God.
– Hebrews 7:18-19 TCENT
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What percentage of pastors have a clear conscience, so are qualified to lead according to Paul’s deacon qualifications [elders’ qualifications of ‘blameless’ and ‘holy’ mentioned above]? Almost all lie by commission or omission to teach “once saved always saved” or “only believe”/”just trust in.”
“They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” – 1 Tim. 3:9
Paul always made sure his conscience was clear:
“..I also practice ALWAYS having a CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENSE toward God and MEN.” – Acts 24:16
New King James Version
Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” [all people]
New American Standard Bible – Calvinist text critical based mistranslation
Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.” [those whom God has chosen only]
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I commented:
Excellent and important theologically! Love to see how the critical Calvinist translation of this text is built on straw.
And thanks for explaining and demonstrating how the correctors did their work, at least in this case, actually erasing the letter.
And that the corrector could actually correct the scribe’s work RIGHT AFTER the scribe was finished writing it. So the correction should then be considered original if the corrector corrected a mistake by the scribe, who was under his direction!
I had always thought the correctors only came along many years later to insert their opinion and alter the text, which someone could later do to bring it back into the Byzantine reading, for example.
“False teachers can increase their credibility by quoting scriptures and claiming to explain the difficult passages, especially in Paul’s letters, which ‘ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other scriptures to their own destruction.'” (2 Peter 3:16)
– David Pawson writes in his book “Once Saved, Always Saved?: A Study in perseverance and inheritance,” p. 97
“Explain the difficult passages” to teach false doctrines like: “once saved always saved,” “only believe” / “just trust in,” “Paul didn’t really mean women can’t be pastors,” etc.
Jesus in Matthew 7:13-21
“Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it. …
Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. …
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
I’m convinced Michael Brown has been a gatekeeper, inhibiting revival while claiming to be “the tip of the spear.”
The main problem is false salvation doctrine which stifles revival and provides the environment for these things to happen.
I’ve followed Michael Brown’s ministry for over three decades, having watched, listened to or read hundreds of his material.
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As Michael Brown comes into the Line of Fire of the Firefly Investigation, many whistleblowers and witnesses are gaining courage to speak out about the inappropriate behavior they witnessed during their time in Brownsville and Fire School of Ministry.
The main problem is false doctrine by far, but this factor is significant too: trying to please men to become successful and famous.
I call these ‘James-3 curses.’ James warned not to curse people in James 3, saying it was demonic and from the heart:
9 With it [the tongue] we bless our God and Father, and with it WE CURSE MEN, who are made in the image of God. 10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and CURSING. My BROTHERS, these things ought not to be so. … 14 But if you have BITTER JEALOUSY and SELFISH ambition IN YOUR HEART, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, SENSUAL, and DEMONIC.
Dan Cameron: “Today on Ministry Now, Joni Lamb said the Lord told her to have people repeat a “prayer” where God would cause pain and inflict blindness on those in the enemy’s camp.”
This is Charismatic witchcraft at its finest ladies and gentlemen. Newsflash -we are NOT in the Old Testament error #christiannews #DaystarScandal https://t.co/9nMhK7D6QL
— Torn Curtain I Joshua Simone (@Torncurtainorg) February 20, 2025
“A HALF TRUTH EQUALS A WHOLE LIE.” – JC Ryle (1816-1900)
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IF YOU’RE GOING TO PREACH ABOUT GOD’S LOVE, PREACH ABOUT WHAT GOD HATES.
IF YOU PREACH ABOUT GOD’S MERCY, PREACH ABOUT GOD’S WRATH.
IF YOU MENTION HEAVEN, DON’T FORGET HELL.
PREACH THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD..(ACTS 20:27)
[“I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”]
“A HALF TRUTH, EQUALS A WHOLE LIE.”
– J. C. Ryle
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PAUL: “CONSIDER therefore the KINDNESS AND SEVERITY of God.”
“So DO NOT BE ARROGANT, but BE AFRAID. For if God did not spare the natural branches, PERHAPS HE WILL NOT SPARE YOU either. CONSIDER therefore the KINDNESS AND SEVERITY of God: to those who have fallen, severity; but to yoʋ, kindness, IF YOU CONTINUE in his kindness; OTHERWISE yoʋ too will be CUT OFF.”
– Romans 11:20-22
8 Symptoms of False Doctrine
Many things combine to make the present inroad of false doctrine peculiarly dangerous.
1. There is an undeniable zeal in some of the teachers of error: their “earnestness” makes many think they must be right.
2. There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge: many fancy that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe guides.
3. There is a general tendency to free thought and free inquiry in these latter days: many like to prove their independence of judgment, by believing novelties.
4. There is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded: many seem half ashamed of saying that anybody can be in the wrong.
Starts at minute-4
From: THE SOVEREIGN CREATOR HAS SPOKEN – New Testament Translation with Commentary…, Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD, p. 583 (p. 615 in the paperback)
Pickering’s translation of Matthew 18:18 (compare to NKJV, below):
18“Assuredly I say to you, whatever (pl.) you (pl.) may bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you may loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.b
From: THE SOVEREIGN CREATOR HAS SPOKEN – New Testament Translation with Commentary…, Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD, p. 540-1 (p. 594-5 in the paperback)
Pickering’s translation of Mark 16:17-18 (compare to NKJV and NIV, below):
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; 18 they will remove ‘snakes’;c and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them at all;d they will lay hands on sick people, and they will get well.”e
[emphasis, including underlining, mine]
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5) Are we to handle snakes?
Mark 16:18
In the NKJV, Mark 16:18 reads like this: “they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”a
The NIV renders ‘they will pick up snakes with their hands’, the ‘with their hands’ being based on just over 2% of the Greek manuscripts. As we know, there are those who take this translation literally, and believe that they must handle poisonous snakes in obedience to God. I respect their sincerity, but believe they have been misled by a faulty translation.
Ray Curry from The Unction channel on YouTube, weighs in on Marcus Rogers and who is Doug Weis.
1:16:56 Doug Weiss goes ballistic in this discussion
Lots of truth here.