Both God And The Devil Pressure Us To Choose Sides

Joshua 24:15, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

1st Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions?  if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.  And the people answered him not a word.”

Revelation 3:15-16, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

Matthew 26:69-74, “Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.”

I was reading in the news today that actor Chris Pratt is under pressure from fellow actress Ellen Page and the LGBTQ community. I like Chris Pratt, who has openly professed that he is a Christian. Unfortunately, I have not been able to confirm that he is born-again, simply because I haven't found enough clear information. We know that Roman and Orthodox Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists and other pseudo-Christian religions are NOT genuine Christians, because they pervert the Gospel in various different ways. But as far as I can tell, Chris Pratt is not involved in any of those cults.

But Pratt does attend the popular ecumenical Zoe Church in Los Angeles, which preaches a FALSE GOSPEL. On their website it reads:

'We believe that all men are sinners by nature and choice and are therefore under condemnation, that God regenerates by the Holy Spirit those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.' [emphasis added] ~SOURCE

WRONG! The Bible plainly defines “the Gospel” for us in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as Jesus' DEATH on the cross, His BURIAL and His bodily RESURRECTION three days later. The Zoe church doesn't even mention these truths, they instead errantly teach lost sinners to “repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.” That is NOT God's simple plan of salvation.

Dear reader, the unsaved fools in Matthew 7:21-23 confessed Jesus as “Lord, Lord,” doing “many wonderful works” in Jesus' name. They were dedicated followers of Christ, but the dear Savior adamantly denied knowing them. Why? It is because they failed to do the will of the Father, which we find in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” I fear that Chris Pratt may merely be following Jesus as his Lord, having repented of his sins as Judas did (Matthew 27:3), yet still not be saved.

Also, I found this website titled: 'How Chris Pratt Became A Devout Christian.' The article says:

Pratt was introduced to religion as a wayward teenager in Maui, Hawaii, by a complete stranger.

"This guy came by and was like, 'What are you doing tonight?' I was like, 'Oh, I dunno...' So he's like, 'Will you fornicate tonight?' I was like, 'I hope so.' 'And drugs and drinking?' It's like, 'Most likely, yeah. Probably all three of those things. I mean, at least two of them, possibly all three,'" Pratt told Esquire magazine in 2014.

"He was like, 'I stopped because Jesus told me to stop and talk to you. He said to tell you you're destined for great things.' My friends came out, and I was like, 'Hey, I'm gonna go with this guy.' I gave my soul to Jesus within, like, two days. I was stuffing envelopes for his organisation, Jews for Jesus." ~SOURCE

Folks, if that is the extent of Chris Pratt's testimony of how he got saved, he is NOT SAVED!!!

Both Satan And God Pressure Humans To Take Sides

But regardless of whether Chris Pratt is truly a Christian or not, the heathen world thinks he is, and so they are pressuring him to choose sides. Whenever a celebrity is neutral on a moral matter, ESPECIALLY if that person claims to be a Christian, the wicked majority want to force that person to show their true colors.

We see this reality in the inspired King James Bible in our text passage from Matthew 26:69-74. The Apostle Peter wanted to remain neutral, mixing in with the crowd in incognito. Peter was scared of persecution, prosecution and crucifixtion. The Romans were cruel to those convicted of crimes. I bought a very interesting book several years ago while waiting for my connecting flight in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The book is called: “Killing Jesus” by Bill O'Reilly and Bill Dugard. The book gives the reader an intriguing glimpse (full of fascinating facts) from behind the scenes. The book covers details of Herod, Tiberias, Rome and other information.

I learned from the book that there were other popular methods of executing prisoners. Of course, crucifixtion was very popular. But Roman soldiers also sealed people in bags full of scorpions! Ouch! Disemboweling victims was also quite common. The Romans were notorious for their cruelty, represented by the legs of iron on Nebuchadnezzar's image, which dream was interpreted by the prophet Daniel, in Daniel chapter two. The two separate legs represented the divided Roman empire, which eventually fell to anarchy, invaders and chaos in 476 AD. Contrary to the thinking of many theologians, there will not be a “revived Roman empire”; but rather, a New World Order (Revelation 17:12). It is from the 7th kingdom (NWO) that the 8th (the Antichrist, or Man of Sin) will arise from its midst.

We see that three different unsaved people pressured Peter to take sides. They recognized him and insisted that Peter was one of Jesus' disciples. Peter was scared and all three times vehemently denied knowing Jesus, even cursing the dear Lord's name. That is what public pressure can do to a person!!!

Likewise, Chris Pratt is under fire right now because he professes faith in Jesus Christ. In response he has attempted to defend himself. Chris has denied being religious, trying to distance himself from organized religion. The wicked world is putting on the heat! This is what the Devil and his children do, refusing to allow anyone to straddle the fence. With Satan you're either in or out, there is no middle ground. Actor after actor in Hollywood has been put in the hot-seat, with ungodly liberals and the evil LGBTQ community demanding to know where they stand on the social issues of abortion, homosexuality, gun control, gender change, critical theory, illegal aliens, child discipline, feminism, et cetera.

But dear reader, God also puts the pressure on. A godly preacher will give an invitation at the end of his sermon, putting the pressure on for people to take the next step. God never intended for church to become a time of entertainment, fun and social engineering. Most churches today are pathetic, because today's pastors have bad attitudes, making every excuse imaginable for their laziness, incompetence and lack of spiritual vision for the church. I am so disgusted every time I visit another church, seeing a ton of problems. I don't go looking for weakness, faults and shortcomings in churches and pastors, but it's kind of like watching the debris after a deadly train wreck (you cannot help but see the horrific disaster).

In our text Scripture from Revelation 3:15-16, God pressured the church of Laodicea to repent (think differently). The Lord said He vomited them out because they were LUKEWARM. God wants every believer, church and pastor to be HOT or COLD, because He hates LUKEWARM. God is telling us that He has more respect for an honest person, who admits that they just don't care and choose to be COLD; than He does for some two-faced Harvey Dent type of shady character, who cannot make up his twisted mind. Most churchgoers today are a trainwreck in progress, and their pastor is the reckless train engineer who ran the train off the bridge. The average church today is headed for Casandra's Crossing!!! (a 1976 deadly disaster movie about a train that crashes fiery down into a deep valley)...

'Cassandra's Crossing' Movie Represents
Average Baptist Church Today!

I am so sick and tired of hearing woefully ignorant preachers tell people to repent “OF YOUR SINS,” when no such phrase or teaching is found in the inspired King James Bible. What is wrong with today's stupid pastors? Hey, I didn't add to the Word of God, they did! Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” When your pastor says you must repent “OF YOUR SINS” to receive God's free gift of eternal life, he DIDN'T get that from the Holy Bible, he got it from other corrupt preachers. But please don't take my word for it, “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES” for yourself as Jesus commanded in John 5:39a. I triple-dog dare you to show me “OF YOUR SINS” in the inspired Word of God.

Repentance is simply a change of mind (Greek noun: metanoia), where a lost sinner realizes that he is a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God, so that seeing his need he turns to Jesus Christ by faith to be saved (Galatians 3:24-26). Why do humans always complicate things? It is because our very carnal sin nature compels us to add human effort to God's grace. But to do so is a counterfeit plan of salvation, which cannot produce the new birth. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Chrisdtian life without ever being born-again.

This is the great danger of churches like the Zoe Church in Los Angeles. Their damnable false plan of salvation is centered in man's following Jesus as Supreme “Lord” of one's life, and repenting (turning) away from your sinful ways. This is partial faith in Christ plus WORKS!!! Nowhere on their website does the Zoe Church preach the Gospel. Instead, they are preaching false religion, Lordship Salvation and misunderstood repentance. If this seems like a small matter to you friend, or splitting of theological hairs, then I am worried about your salvation as well. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!!

In the Bible we see where Satan's crowd pressured Peter to deny Christ, or risk being killed if he proclaimed the name of Jesus. Likewise, we see in the Bible where God's prophet, Joshua, pressured the people to choose sides. Also, the godly prophet Elijah, pressured the people to make a choice! But they answered Elijah not a word the Bible says (1st Kings 18:21). No one can go through life and escape making a choice for God or Satan! Whether you want to or not, we all eventually choose up sides. I am on the side of the Lord Jesus Christ!!!

Misunderstood Repentance:
An Enemy Of Soulwinning

Beware Of Damnable Heretic: President Steve Pettit Of Bob Jones University

Philippians 1:17b, "I am set for the defence of the Gospel."

Evangelist Steve Pettit has been the theologically incompetent president of Bob Jones University (BJU) since 2014. Dr. Pettit is an unsaved infidel, a diehard Calvinist, a reprobate who preaches another gospel of Lordship Salvation, who heretically states:

“For the real reality of the genuineness of your faith is that you are faithful to run the race!” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 22:44)

No, the reality of the genuineness of your faith is YOUR FAITH!!! I am sick and tired of these ungodly false prophets adding to God's Word (Proverbs 30:5-6), corrupting the simplicity that is in Christ (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4), which is "the gospel" (Romans 1:16). The Apostle Paul plainly defines "the gospel" in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as Christ's death on the cross, His burial and bodily resurrection three days later. This is officially "the gospel."

So where do all these wicked pastors today get the idea that a lost person must turn away from their sinful behavior, follow Christ as "Lord," surrender all, count the cost and pay the price, run the race faithfully and invite Christ into your life? None of these embellishments are taught in Paul's Gospel (which he received directly from Jesus Christ - Galatians 1:12).

Kindly said, Steve Pettit is a BOLD-FACED LIAR and we all need to expose him, because BJU is influencing thousands of students, who will go out and corrupt thousands of churches. 

You can spot an infidel Calvinist preacher right away, the moment that he says you cannot write your name, date and place that you got saved in your Bible. Read what Steve Pettit said in BJU chapel to 2,800 students and faculty on January 26, 2015:

“You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it! There is a justification; There is a sanctification; There's ultimately a glorification, and though there are three parts, they are all part of the whole, and you cannot separate them. In order for you to qualify for the award, you have to get into the race, you have to stay in the race, and you have to finish the race. If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 11:34 time in sermon)

Lest you have any doubt that Steve Pettit preaches another gospel, read what else he said:

“'The race' is a description of the whole of the Christian life of faith.” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 4:26)

That is some dangerous talk when you include the next quote from Dr. Pettit, in which he teaches over 2,700 BJU students that the “AWARD” for running 'The Race' is “Heaven itself”!!!

“We run the race, we cross the finish line, and so what’s the prize? What is the award? Well, there are different viewpoints. Some would have the viewpoint that the awards are crowns in Heaven. But as I read the book of Hebrews and see the whole gist of the book and the flow of the book, I don’t believe its referring to crowns in Heaven. I think it is referring to Heaven itself.” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 22:57)

Heaven itself? Oh my! What saith the Scripture? 1st Corinthians 9:24-25, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” As you just read, the “award” will be an “INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN”; but Steve Pettit says it will be HEAVEN ITSELF!!! Folks, God's gift of eternal life is NOT an award or an exchange of sorts, it is a FREE GIFT (Romans 5:15-18). Heaven is not an award! It is our home, for all those who have CEASED from our own works (which Steve Pettit hasn't yet), and have RESTED solely in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:10-11). Running the Christian race to merit Heaven as an award is WORKS!!!

So according to Mr. Pettit, you cannot KNOW that you're saved immediately when you BELIEVE the Good News of Christ crucified, buried and risen. Pettit falsely claims that you won't know for sure that you've made it to Heaven until you've faithfully finished living the Christian life. That is Calvinism! Folks, that is damnable heresy, a works-based false plan of salvation (damnation), and not the free grace Gospel. When asked what "works" God requires to get to Heaven, here is what Jesus Himself said: 

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:28-29). 

I marvel that 99% of Baptists today are silent about BJU's apostasy; and even worse, Pensacola Christian College (PCC) sinfully bids them Godspeed at BJU, which makes PCC partaker of BJU's evil deeds (2nd John 1:11). RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!!

In Ezekiel 33:1-7, God warned the prophets that if they didn't WARN the people, God would hold the prophets responsible, and those prophets would have the people's blood on their hands. Well, bless God, I am WARNING everyone! I am sounding the trumpet of the Lord! Bob Jones University is of the Devil!!! Philippians 1:17b, "I am set for the defence of the Gospel."

Dear reader, in Luke 10:20 Jesus told us as believers to rejoice that our name is written in Heaven. That clearly implies that we CAN KNOW 100% presently that we are saved sure, certain and forever. Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” We CAN KNOW simply because God's gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life is based upon GOD'S FAITHULNESS alone. Discipleship is based upon OUR FAITHFULNESS. Getting saved is God's department. We have no part in our own salvation except to get out of the way and let God do the saving, ALL OF IT, which is by faith alone in Jesus Christ!

Then after we get saved, there is a second decision that God wants every believer to eventually make, which is to follow Christ as our “Lord” (Master). We don't make Jesus Lord, HE IS LORD (Romans 14:9). But we must, at some point in our Christian life, decide to willingly offer up our body as a living sacrifice to serve and honor God, which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). This is service, not salvation (Romans 12:1). This is discipleship (John 8:31), not sonship (John 1:12-13). To be saved we simply need to receive Jesus as our personal Savior (1st Timothy 4:10). But to please God as His child and lay up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 9:19-20), we must choose to serve Him.

I love what Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan said, and I will often repeat this quote, because I want everyone to learn it's truth:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

I often marvel at the astute theological knowledge of John Bunyan, the faithful soulwinning preacher who spent 12 years in prison because he refused to stop preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. How does that compare to today's rotten corrupt pastors like Steve Pettit, Marty Herron and John MacArthur, who get paid 6-digit salaries for poisoning people's minds with a false gospel? John Bunyan got paid nothing! Do you think Marty Herron would be willing to rot in prison for 12 years for his perverse Lordship Salvation? I think not.

Folks, we need to expose false teachers, not coddle and support them as does Pensacola Christian College (PCC). “Ichabod” (the glory of the Lord is departed) is written over the doors of PCC today. They have succumbed to apostasy, pulling on the same rope as the Devil instead of earnestly contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3). Sadly, PCC and BJU are all about making filthy lucre (careers). They are all about academics, woefully lacking God's compassion for sinful and hurting people. PCC sends their students to fellowship with BJU's students in sporting events. They are eating at the Devil's table! They hire each other's graduates, which is disgusting. BJU churches send their youth to PCC, and vise versa. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!!

“The world will go to Hell unless somebody is authoritative!”

—Pastor Jack Hyles, “I Shall Not Be Moved”